As I am not a Tolkien, I do not own any of the characters in this story! Like so many I just have an overactive imagination (:

Enjoy!

The bright leaves of autumn were just beginning to shine in the trees, and the sun was creeping into the sky as Lothiriel stood on the steps of Edoras. It had been almost 2 months since she had begun her travels here with Eowyn to assist with preparations for the upcoming wedding between her and Faramir. Usually her mornings consisted of historical and etiquette lessons with Eowyn, or learning about the history and culture of Rohan herself. But on this particular morning, with the crisp of fall in the air and Eowyn occupied with other work, she decided it was a morning for a ride. She made her way to the stable and found her horse, a strong and slender chestnut steed, waiting for her. With a smile, she slipped quietly into the stall to begin saddling him up.

"Yes, I missed you too." she murmured to him as he nosed her gently. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out an apple for him. When he was ready and had finished his treat, Lothiriel grabbed his reins and walked him out to the edge of the city. After confirming with the guards, she was released to the great plains. She leapt onto his back and urged him forward, a smile blooming across her lips and laughter bubbling out of them. Leaning her head back, she let her arms relax and spread out beside her as though she really did have wings.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw another rider. He rode a long legged grey horse, and his hair flew out behind him like a mane of gold. After a moment of squinting, she recognized the rider as Eomer, King of Rohan and Eowyn's brother. Their interactions had been mostly during dinners and chance passings, but he was always kind and open with his thoughts, and he listened to her without judgement. She couldn't deny that she thought he was one of the most attractive men she'd ever seen either. He was tall and strong, with sharp eyes and a hot temper, but a gentle heart if he let someone see. And Elbereth, when he smiled. It reached his eyes and lit up his entire face, erasing the lines of care and worry. She tried to deny it, tell herself that she was merely admiring; but a few weeks prior she had come across him in the kitchen during the early hours of the morning as she went in search of tea. They had spoken, hesitantly at first, but growing more comfortable around one another, and she had made him laugh. She would never admit the things she did in the dark the nights following, thinking of that laugh.

She slowed her horse and allowed him to catch up to her, before shooting him a grin and shouting "I'll race you!" and digging her heels into her horses sides. She heard him laugh again, and bit the inside of her cheek as he followed.

Even though she had a head start, it didn't take him long to catch up to her. As he did, he smirked at her. "Give up yet?"

"Never." she shot back as they raced towards the edge of the forest. Eomer reached it first by a very small margin, and they brought their horses to a stop to walk them into the forest and allow them to drink and cool off. They dismounted and Lothiriel was once again struck by just how large this man really was. He was at least a head and a half taller than her, with a broad chest and shoulders, and massive hands.

"So, little princess, what are you doing out here alone?" he asked as they headed towards a small pond.

Lothiriel shrugged, tying off the reins to a tree and walking towards the trunk of a particularly large tree. "I've always enjoyed being alone, I suppose. Besides, today is so beautiful and I wanted to enjoy it. So I packed a picnic and figured I would come here."

He followed for a moment before hesitating. "I didn't mean to intrude.." he began, before she waved a hand to stop him. "Please, I initiated the race in the first place. You're far from intruding."

She laid out a blanket and laid down on it, watching the clouds go by. "Have you ever seen something more beautiful than the clouds on an otherwise clear day?"

"I have." he murmured quietly, thinking of the way she looked riding so freely across the grass. He really couldn't believe his luck when he had seen her riding out that morning, even less so when she so playfully challenged him. During their interactions she had always been gracious and thoughtful, regarding him with openness that he did not expect of someone raised among Gondorian nobility. He tried to remind himself of that when he found his mind wandering to less than decent places, but he was a hot blooded man whose eyes and body still worked. It was only made worse the night he found her in the kitchen, her hair falling loosely down her back and her robe open to show her nightgown. They had spoken with genuine warmth, in a way that people no longer spoke to him now that he was king. But she didn't seem to care about all of that, cracking jokes and speaking unreservedly. It caught him off guard, and made his maddening infatuation with her grow even worse.

"Come, sit with me." she offered, patting a seat next to her on the blanket with another bright smile.

"Wouldn't that be frowned upon?" he asked, but felt his feet moving forward anyway.

She just laughed. "All of this would be frowned upon already, as would our meeting in the kitchen. But what they don't know won't hurt them. That motto seems to have worked for me thus far."

"Do you often go riding with strange men?" he inquired with a half smirk, taking a seat beside her.

"On the strange men front, I will admit you are the first." she quipped back, laying down and resting her hands behind her head. He followed her lead and she continued. "But I have been known to do things that were considered… improper. Riding astride in public, for example."

He scoffed. "Sidesaddle is a silly thing that would be a waste of your talent. I'm glad to hear you don't participate."

"Oh sometimes I have to. But when it won't cause anything more than a few silly rumors, I don't. What about you, my lord? Do you often go riding with strange women?" she shot him a teasing look from the corner of her eye.

"Not often, no. But I will admit, you are the strangest. A Gondorian Princess who is more familiar with me than even most of my own people, who disagrees and breaks tradition, who is so spirited and free. You are not what I expected, my lady." He mused, turning his head to look at her.

She rolled onto her side, propping herself up on an elbow to meet his gaze. "First, please for the love of Elbereth call me Lothiriel. Second, I refuse to become some pent up, horribly boring princess. I know that's what is expected of me, but I will hold onto who I am. Even if I must keep parts of it subdued, I will not break myself to fit the mold created for me."

She spoke with a ferocity that was matched in her gaze, and Eomer's admiration and desire only grew. This beautiful, wild woman did not belong seated at the right hand of some lord who would only have her as a decoration, a prize, a trophy to place on his shelf and to be brought out when it was beneficial. He rolled on his side to face her.

"You should never have to dull or subdue those parts of yourself. Your tenacity is admirable, and your openness is a valuable asset. You deserve passion, and someone who praises those qualities, worships you as you are, not someone who would stuff you into a box." The words tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop them, and internally he smacked himself.

"Any idea who might do such things?" she breathed, holding his gaze. He bit the inside of his cheek so hard he thought it might bleed. If this continued, he was in trouble. Hell, he was already in trouble. The small, rational part of his brain knew that she would eventually be leaving, that she was a princess, and that she would be married off one day to some snobby, pretentious lord. He had to accept that. Right? But another part of his brain just whispered you're not a lord… But you're a king.

"I might." he murmured, leaning closer.

"Tell me then, as I desperately do not want a life without passion."

And his control snapped. He reached out and pulled her close to him, finally sealing his lips over hers. It was a gentle, exploring kiss. Just lips meeting lips while his hands buried themselves in her midnight hair that was even softer than he had imagined it to be. His tongue gently swept across her lower lip, and she opened her mouth to him to hesitantly explore his. She tasted like sunshine and cinnamon, and he decided that it was his new favorite flavor as he pulled her even closer and wrapped an arm around her waist. Her teeth caught his lower lip and pulled it into her mouth to be laved by her tongue, causing his cock to twitch. He rolled towards her, laying her on her back and pulling away for a moment.

"Just tell me if you want me to stop." he murmured, and she nodded vigorously as she reached for his face to pull him back. His lips crashed against hers causing a pleasant tension to grow in the pit of her stomach, spreading outwards until it felt as though it consumed her. Her hands found their way into his hair and ran her fingernails over his scalp, drawing a low moan from him. He slipped one hand back into her hair, gently tilting her head back to expose her throat. Her pulse was fluttering beneath her pale skin, as if begging him to shower it with kisses and caresses. Happily, he obliged. Ducking his head, he ran his lips along her jaw, the shell of her ear, down to the sensitive point where her neck met her shoulder. Soft whimpers and pleas fell from her lips, urging him on.

Eomer's head was spinning with disbelief as he scraped her throat with his teeth. Surely this must be some sort of dream, for there was no way this princess could really be so ready and willing beneath him. But her fingers tightened in his hair and he decided even if it was a dream, it was too good to waste. Leaning back on his knees he gazed down at her, struck again by her beauty. Her hair was spread out around her in the grass, and her lips were slightly swollen from his kisses. She whimpered, reaching for him and he gently pushed her hands away.

"Bema, you're so beautiful Lothiriel." he murmured, tracing his hands up her legs, her thighs, to the hem of her shirt. She met his gaze intently, and nodded as he questioningly moved the fabric. The shirt was slipped over her head and cast aside, followed by his own before he leaned down to kiss her once again. Their tongues swirled together, dancing and exploring one another. Her breasts pressed against his hard chest and she ground her hips against him, eliciting a low groan from his lips.

"This is wrong.." he whispered as he returned his attention to her neck, working his way down to her shoulders and the swell of her chest.

"Mmmm." she hummed in agreement, not caring at all in the slightest. "It may be, but it feels so - ah!" his lips caught her nipple, pulling it into his mouth and swirling his tongue around the hardened tip "good." she moaned, arching her back towards him. One of his hands found her other beast, gently massaging it and brushing her sensitive peak with his thumb. The other worked its way down her side to stop and hold her hip down. His lips followed the same path as he placed wet, open mouthed kisses down the valley between her breasts, across her stomach, finally resting just above the waist of her leggings

"Is this okay?" he whispered, hooking a finger into one of the loops.

She nodded so hard she thought her neck might break, but he glanced up at her and smirked.

"Tell me that it's okay, Lothiriel." he breathed against her hip.

"Yes, it's more than okay." she gasped.

"More than okay?" he encouraged, pulling more on the band of her leggings as she squirmed underneath him.

"Yes, it's amazing!"

With a grin, he pulled them all the way off and left her nearly bare before him. He grabbed her leg, pulling it up and placing her ankle over his shoulder so he could plant more kisses along her calf, her knee, the inside of her thigh. She was squirming and whimpering desperately beneath him when he finally reached the apex of her thighs and brushed his fingers against the thin fabric covering her sex. The material was drenched and he groaned against her, the vibrations sending another round of spasms through her.

"Bema, you're so wet."

Her entire body flushed at his words, heat spreading throughout her limbs as he ran his fingers along her again before pulling the fabric aside and inhaling her. "You smell good too." he whispered, overwhelmed with the desire to taste her. He gently brushed his tongue against her lips, waiting for her reaction. The motion was rewarded with a loud, breathy moan of his name that caused his breeches to become uncomfortably tight. But damn it all, he wanted to make this the best experience she'd ever had, or ever would have with a man, and so he forced himself to concentrate. His tongue slid between her lips, licking a long flat strip from the bottom of her sex to the sensitive bundle of nerves.

"Oh, Elbereth" she cried, shoving her fist into her mouth to muffle the sound.

"No, I want to hear you." his voice was low and gravelled with desire as he dragged his tongue up her once again, parting her lips with his fingers to gain better access. Her desperate cries grew louder with each stroke, until he finally wrapped his lips around her bud and sucked and her world exploded. Her vision went white for a moment, and her body spasmed uncontrollably. Her thighs gripped his head as he continued his ministrations, coaxing her back to Arda. Eventually her vice grip loosened, and she was left panting and boneless on the forest floor.

"That was... " she began breathlessly, cut off by his lips on hers. He kissed her softly, tenderly, cradling her face in his hands.

"We should stop." he murmured against her lips, hating how the words sounded coming out. He knew he had pushed the boundaries much too far already, and even though it would haunt him to stop now, he knew it was the right thing to do.

"Do you want to?" she whispered.

She rolled him off her onto his back and straddled his hips. Resting her hands on his chest, she ground her hips against him. A soft moan fell from his lips as his head tilted back, desire gaining the upper hand in the battle in his mind. She leaned down and brushed her lips against his exposed neck as his hands found her hips and tightened on them. With a grin, she continued working her way down the broad expanse of his chest until her mouth hovered above the bulge in his leggings. Casting a look up at him, he leaned up on his elbows to watch her as she unlaced his trousers and his erection sprang free.

"What you did felt very good. I should think it would feel good for you too." she grinned, tentatively placing her hand on him and running it along his length. That was the moment desire won, honor be damned. If he went to hell, he would walk in willingly knowing that he got to experience this, with her. She kept her eyes locked on his as she tentatively swirled her tongue around the tip. "Bema, Lothiriel…:" Wrapping her lips around him, she let her mouth slide down and take him in as far as she could. His hand found her hair, gently stroking in a way that pleaded for more. So she repeated the movement, again, again, again, and he was laying gasping beneath her, and she felt powerful. This hardened warrior, this King of Men was whimpering her name, begging her not to stop, and it made her even more aroused.

Very suddenly, he grabbed her face and pulled her back up towards him.

"I want you." he whispered as he kissed her. "If you'll have me."

She grinned, kissing him even harder. "I want you."

He groaned and rolled her once again onto her back, finally peeling off the last of her undergarments. "I want this to feel good for you," he murmured, still gazing at her in wonder as he ran his fingers along her dripping folds, "I should help prepare you." He slid one thick finger inside of her and bit back a desperate moan at how slick and tight she was. She was already babbling with just a single finger, and he grinned wickedly as he stroked her center. After a moment, he slipped in another and curled them inside her, urged on by her desperate pleas and soft gasps.

The pressure grew until he could no longer stand it. Drawing out his fingers, he positioned himself at her entrance.

"Are you sure, Lothiriel?" he asked again, wanting to be sure.

She shifted and ground herself against his cock. "God, Eomer, please, I need to feel you." she gasped, and he pushed forward to sheath himself inside her. Bema, she was so soft, so silky and wet, and she gripped him so tightly! It seemed impossible to hold still, but he heard her small whimper and halted. "Just.. Stay here a moment." she mumbled. He nodded, peppering her face and neck and chest with soft kisses, reassuring her and comforting her. But it didn't take long for the pain to give way to a different kind of ache, and she moved her hips against him experimentally.

His moan filled the glen, and she pushed against him again. Getting the hint, he began to gently move inside her, and heavens that be this was it. He watched her face, her eyes shut and head thrown back in ecstasy as he moved with her. She was light and sunshine and darkness and rain and he realized as he claimed her body that he wanted more than just her flesh. He wanted more than a single moment of stolen pleasure beneath the trees. He wanted her mind, her spirit, her soul - even as she was laid bare before him, he felt the desperate need to claim her as his own, ensure that no other man would ever experience the sheer bliss it was to lay with her.

As her soft moans and gentle sighs became stronger, so did his movements inside her. Her eyes flew open and met his, and she gasped his name. "Please." her voice came out choked, and he could feel her walls quivering around him. He bit back a strangled moan and pumped into her harder, desperately seeking his own release with her. Reaching down between them, he pressed his thumb on her bud and rubbed slow circles that sent her hurtling over the edge. As her walls clenched around him, he found his own release with her name falling from his lips.

After catching their breath for a moment, he moved up close to her and gathered her body in his arms. She smiled up at him, brushing her lips gently against his and they stayed there for a few minutes. The autumn breeze cooled their flushed skin, and birds sang in chorus with the rustling leaves above them.

He ran his fingertips up and down her spine, sometimes pausing to smooth her hair against her back while she drew little patterns on his shoulders and chest. "I wish we could stay here forever." she mused. He hummed in agreement. "We could just build a cottage here. Never leave." he was more than a little serious about it, imagining the beautiful, simple life they could have. She smiled, looking up and catching his eyes. "That sounds lovely." she whispered, but even as the words came out of her mouth she realized the impossibility of it and tears stung the back of her eyes.

"Lothiriel?" Eomer asked, concerned. She turned away from him, wiping her eyes. "I'm sorry…" he whispered against her hair. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"No." Turning back to him and cupping his face in her hands, she smiled at him tearily. "No, this was perfect. I wanted this, and I refuse to regret it. My only regrets are that I must return home, and live out my days knowing that someone else will be living out theirs at your side. That someone else will get to love you this way, make you feel good. That I will have to pretend that someone could come even close to what you gave me."

He pulled her close, kissing her deeply once again.

"I can't bear the thought of you with someone else either." he murmured. "I can't stand thinking of another man touching you, or you sharing your mind with him. It kills me to think of anyone else spending their life with you, or a stranger sharing theirs with me. I want you, your body, your mind, your spirit. I want all of it, and I want it for the rest of my days. Stay with me." he was kissing her desperately now, and she pulled away from him with awe in her eyes to give him her equally desperate answer. "I will."