As Lothíriel wandered through the hall of Meduseld later that afternoon she took all of it in. Though she had seen it that morning, she now approached it with a more studious air. Similar to how the columns in the stables depicted stories, the pillars in the great hall seemed to tell the tale of kings and horses and the what Lothíriel assumed to be the birth of Rohan as a country. After the pillars, her attention shifted to the tapestries hanging towards the back of the hall, directly behind the throne. The rich greens, reds and golds were beautiful. One of them in particular drew her. It was not some expressive scene but instead a simple crest. The golden sun on a solid green background made her think of the plains and how it was when she was a horse, running along them when the sun stood high and bright in the sky.

"Most people who are not native to our land do not feel drawn to the crests of Rohan." A feminine voice from behind Lothíriel spoke. She turned to see a woman, perhaps a few years older than Lothíriel. Her hair was red as fire and curled together in such a way making it seem as though it truly was alight. She was tall and stood in a dark red dress and her blue eyes sparkled as if she were on the brink of laughter. The expression was contagious as Lothíriel felt a chuckle rise from within her.

"I suppose I can understand how other hangings and even carvings could capture the imagination to most others, but I find that the simplicity in this is…something of an experience." Lothíriel turned her gaze back up to the tapestry for a moment, letting her gaze and thoughts linger on it and the images it conjured within her.

"I'm glad to see that someone in your position seems to have an appreciation for our artistry." She smiled.

"In my position?" Lothíriel's brows came together as she questioned the lady.

"Indeed." She nodded, "If Rohan is to have a foreign queen, it would be best to have one who can appreciate our values." Lothíriel turned to face the woman fully.

"I'm afraid that you may be disappointed if you believe I am to be the queen here." Lothíriel shook her head. "There is nothing between Éomer and me."

"Oh," Her happy expression faded slightly, "I could have sworn after seeing you earlier. Are you perhaps not attracted to the notion of being wife to such a man and king?"

Lothíriel shifted uncomfortably. "It's not so much that I'm not attracted to being his wife, or even that I'm not attracted to him." She began to speak a little faster as her face began to flush. "No doubt on my part it's little more than an infatuation which was quashed quite well after he declared he had no intention to marry me."

"I see," the woman bit her lip, "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I only thought after how close the two of you looked…" her voice slowly quieted until the rest was inaudible. There was an awkward silence between the two before the woman looked up suddenly. "I just realized, I never introduced myself." The smile was back in place. "I am Mistress Hedda."

"Lovely to meet you," Lothíriel was glad to fall into the rhythm of pleasantries. "I'm Princess Lothíriel of Dol Amroth, though my friends simply call me Lothíriel." She began to walk back towards the entrance to Meduseld with Hedda beside her. "Are you married, Mistress Hedda."

"I'm not." She shook her head, sending the curls waving about. "Though I was betrothed to a young man during the war. Both he and my father died fighting in it."

"I'm sorry for your loss." Lothíriel thought back to how overjoyed she was each time all three of her brothers and father returned from the field of battle.

"Time heals all wounds." Hedda sighed lightly. "My mother and I care for the children who were left without parents here in Edoras. The king has been quite generous to give us a place in the city and provide us with all of our needs."

"He seems to be a good king, who cares greatly for his people." Lothíriel was speaking more to herself. "Do you think I could meet the children?"

"Of course." Hedda linked arms with Lothíriel before stepping forward with more purpose. "I'm sure they would be delighted to meet you."

A/N: Hello all and a belated happy new year to you all! Sorry for the long delay between posts, this holiday season was such a bustle that my writing had to take a backseat for a while. Thanks to all of you for being patient so far!

I hope you're looking forward to the future of this story, I know I certainly am!