The encampment was a buzz of activity, riders were tending their horses, mending armour and sharpening weapons. They had arrived at the foothills of Dunharrow late in the afternoon and every man was busy preparing for a swift departure. Despite the flurry of people around the camp Lothiriel found herself alone with her thoughts in a shared tent. She had been allowed to accompany the host upon the Kings hospitality, and had soon learnt it would be possible for her to return home, once all the Rohirrim had gathered. This plan frightened the princess, if she were to return home now how would she explain her condition? Eventually her concealed swollen stomach would begin to show and her family would assume the child was Theodred's. Lothiriel desperately wanted to reveal the truth to Eomer, to tell him about his child, but this opened a different can of worms. The marshall and Lothiriel could never reveal the true parentage of the baby without admitting their betrayal. All these thoughts were swimming around her mind and yet Lothiriel found no solutions.

The princesses thoughts were soon interrupted by the arrival of a small Hobbit. He burst into her tent with infectious energy and startled Lothiriel. The young man began to apologise profusely but the princess did not truly mind, his sudden appearance was a welcome distraction to all that was going on.

"Forgive me my lady... I was looking for Lady Eowyn. She promised to help me find armour suitable for my...stature."

The Hobbit gestured at his girth and height and pulled an amused grin. Lothiriel allowed herself a small chuckle at his self deprecating humour.

"She's not here I'm afraid...but if I see her I'll tell her you are looking for her."

The gleeful Hobbit bowed slightly and left the tent as quickly as he came.

Lothiriel followed him to the entrance, waved him off and watched as he crossed the camp in search of Eowyn. As the lady surveyed him her eye caught a group of men sat huddled around a campfire. They were drinking but the usual merriment and laughter that would accompany their antics was absent. Lothiriel scanned their faces and stopped short when her eyes locked with Eomer's. The soldier looked at her for only a moment, but as quickly as he looked at her he returned his attention to the men sat around him. Lothiriel sucked in a ragged breath and angrily left the confines of the tent.

The evening air had dropped and Lothiriel wished she had then her cloak with her. The campfires were burning low and most had now gone to bed, this allowed the princess to wander the safety of the campsite in peace. Before long she had found a secluded spot beneath a withered pine that looked out over the edge of the cliffside they were on. Sitting quietly beneath it, the thoughts that had plagued her earlier that day returned to encompass her mind. Growing more frustrated, Lothiriel began shuffling her feet in the dirt in some vain hope that the answers she needed would be revealed to her.

In her absent mindedness, Lothiriel didn't hear the man come up behind her as she sat in restless silence and she almost jumped out of her skin when he announced his presence.

"May I join you my lady?" It was Aragorn. He stood there in his thin shirt and hose, with no cloak to warm him. It made Lothiriel more cold just to look at him.

"Oh my lord Aragorn...I know I shouldn't be out so late..." The princess tried to scramble to her feet but was placated by the wise soldier.

"It's fine...please sit Princess."

Aragorn sat down in the dust beside her, his arms wrapped loosely around his lithe legs. They sat in comfortable silence for a short while until the ranger spoke.

"It is a beautiful place is it not?" He said mysteriously as he looked out over the valley.

"I did not think so at first...but yes it has a certain quality you do not find elsewhere." Lothiriel replied.

"When I was a small child I travelled to a new home with my mother. I hated the place at first...it wasn't the same as what I knew...the people were strange...it wasn't home. I lived there for many years and though I didn't realise it at the time...I had grown bitter and resentful of the place. My mother had left this world and I felt completely alone."

"How did you overcome your grief?"

"One day I was hunting in the forest and I happened upon something...someone... so beautiful she made my heart ache. Luckily for me she returned my affection and we fell in love. Suddenly everything around me changed...the place was more familiar….the people less strange and I finally felt like I was where I belonged."

"She sounds like an amazing woman…" Lothiriel put.

"An elf." He corrected.

"Many strange and wonderful things happen in the presence of such mystical beings. Or so I am told." Lothiriel laughed.

"Yes. She loved me completely…as I her.. But I was foolish...I cast aside the one person who had brought meaning back into my life."

"What do you mean?"

"I felt duty bound to do so. To follow a Hobbit on a quest to destroy a ring. To allow her to make a journey with her people. I thought it was the right thing to do...to push her away. But I know now it was a mistake. Don't make the same mistake I did Princess."

"I don't know what you…"

Aragorn looked at her in a knowing way, cutting Lothiriel off politely. With that the soldier patted the princess' arm tenderly and stood up to walk away.

Lothiriel sat there disbelieving. How did Aragorn, a complete stranger, know what she was feeling? Did everybody know? The princess decided to head back to her tent and sleep, and would worry about that in the morning. As she turned the final corner back towards her tent she stopped short when two voices were heard not far away. Lothiriel couldn't fully hear what they were saying, but the princess could tell they didn't see eye to eye. As she walked closer she happened upon Eowyn and Eomer in the midst of an argument. Eomer held his sister at arms length and was talking in hushed tones, but the look on Eowyn's face was twisted and contorted by anger.

The white lady forced past her brother and headed for their tent. She spotted Lothiriel on the periphery of the scene and spoke venomously and thoughtlessly as she passed by, "I pray you have a son, Lothiriel. A women has no place in a world such as this."

Eowyn pointed at her stomach as she spoke, turned to face Eomer one last time before stalking into their tent. Lothiriel stood there shocked under the steadfast gaze of Eomer. The look on her face was nothing compared to the one on his. She turned quickly and began to jog away in the opposite direction, she didn't know where to go or what direction to take, the woman just knew she had to get away from him.

Despite her desperate need to leave, Eomer was much faster than she and caught up with Lothiriel in no time. He called to her from behind, but she refused to respond. Eventually he had no choice but to grab her arm from behind and force her to look at him.

"What did she mean Lothiriel? She hopes you bear a son? Lothiriel?" Eomer blabbed incessantly whist he shook Lothiriel by the arm. The realisation dawned on him without Lothiriel's explanation.

Still The princess couldn't speak or look at him. This was not the way he should have found out, but now there was no escaping it. Where did she start? The tears flowed freely down her face as she grappled to find the words. Eventually they spilled out of her mouth in irregular spurts of emotion.

"I am pregnant Eomer."

Eomer stared open mouthed and stunned. He wasn't dense enough to believe any one else could be the father, but he had to hear it from her.

"Who is the father?"

Lothiriel gulped down hard and didn't reply immediately. Those seconds were agonising and tense for both people.

"It is yours...your child grows inside me."

AN- Apologies for the late posting. My computer crashed over the holidays and I lost a tonne of things, including the next chapter. I'm trying to piece together what I had and hopefully you like the latest instalment. Thanks to everyone who has read so far and continued to review, your kind words mean so much. Please continue to R&R, thanks Mrs E x