A/N
Hello. I'm a little late this time, I'm sorry. Life got in the way for a few weeks, but I have returned and I hope that's something.
Forgive the ramble and continue with the story if you don't want to read this.
Re-reading this story... I really love and hate it. I think I was using it as a work book for a lot of my own issues but also I love tragic romance stories. I am still debating if I should take on trying to write the rest of story as chapters after I have what I've written and I hope to have made that choice soon. If you and sticking with me, thank you, if you peaced-out, thanks for reading this far.
Éomer's and Lothíriel's return to the Golden Hall was uneventful, but once within the walls of the great building there was a vibration of movement and bustle as the day had begun and serving women and men dashed before them, trying to get their chores done.
Éomer paused, turning to the princess and giving a small bow before thanking her for taking the time to ride with him. They talked simply for a moment as they walked; musing upon the plains and the many things they had spoken upon.
"It is true I tell you!" Half of a conversation invaded their hearing. "She fair fainted away in the corridor."
Lothíriel and Éomer smiled at each other, both stating without words that gossip was hard to avoid even in the royal household. They walked a few more steps before a single word caused Éomer to freeze, the hairs of his neck pricking unpleasantly.
"Yes, Aedre, I heard it was her too."
"Well, what is the matter with her?"
"I know not, she was found shaking, moaning they say as if she had some great pain."
"Hmm, she is a strange girl, but I hope she is not too ill."
The women passed by continuing their conversation, their voices fading into the depths of the hall.
"My lord?" The princess asked with concern. "Are you well? You have become pale."
"I am well." Éomer said forcing a smile and trying to regain himself while his inner thoughts churned. "But I must leave you. Forgive me." Without thinking Éomer made to walk away but Lothíriel caught his sleeve delicately with subtle fingers
"Éomer." She breathed coming closer to him. "You cannot."
Éomer's eyes darted to her face, realising she knew where he would have dashed to like a fool, like a halfwit leaving his armour behind as he barrelled headlong into a raging battle.
She tugged lightly upon his sleeve. "Stay." She said giving him an authoritative look. "Eat your morning meal with me, be calm."
Éomer recovered himself some. "Yes." He said a little dazed.
"Come, all will be well." She urged him onwards and together they made their way to his chambers. Once cloaked within privacy, he turned to her, his expression puzzled and unsure.
"How did you know?" He paused for only a moment before speaking again, giving her no chance to answer. "How long have you known?"
She smiled kindly. "I knew nothing until moments ago, your reaction to the talk, of the girl being unwell, that is how I knew."
"I see." Éomer managed.
"I do not think others saw, if that is what concerns you?"
Éomer gave a noise of frustration. "I nearly destroyed everything, running off like a fool without a moment pause to what I was doing!"
"You were worried for her; such a reaction is only to be expected. Your guard was lost, but it was for but one moment." She tried to reason.
"No!" Éomer bellowed. "I am no youth, I know better than to be so hasty. I should not have needed to be told I stepped to close to danger."
"You are being ridiculous." Lothíriel said, matter of fact in her manner. "What good will you do her or yourself to become so angry over one small miss-step that caused no ill will any way?"
Éomer stopped his inward rage abruptly, shocked by her words and her frankness.
"I mean no offence Éomer." She said apologetically. "But this helps no one."
Éomer furrowed his brow in thought. "You are right." He said finally, disliking the burn of shame that crossed his mind over his outburst.
"They will send word to you when they can, will they not?"
"Yes." Éomer said coolly, his temper now reduced to a small ember.
"And she is well cared for by those you trust?"
"Yes." Now he felt like a child being chastised for a tantrum.
"Then, all is well, so sit and eat with me."
Éomer nodded a little stiffly. "Yes, I will send word to bring your meal here." He left the room for a moment before returning and sitting in his chair by the fire. The silence that followed was awkward and punctuated by the smallest of simple talk.
Their meals came and were finished with strained smiles and more polite talk, but Éomer's mind was elsewhere and it was more than apparent. It was only after a stunted discussion upon old manuscripts that the door echoed with a rapping sound, breaking the thick atmosphere. Éomer voiced for the visitor to come in.
Lothíriel saw a older woman enter, one she was familiar with as she had often seem her tending to the lady Éowyn's needs. She seemed to be personally close to the royal family of Rohan and the princess gave a small yet welcoming smile in greeting. The women returned a pinched smile and bowed.
"My lady." Her eyes flashed to Éomer. "I am sorry my lord, I assumed you would be alone. I can return when you have no company." She turned to leave but Lothíriel stood from her seat.
"No, please stay, I was on my way to my chambers." She turned to Éomer and gave a nod of her head in a gesture of respect. "Éomer King, thank you for your time on this morn, you have been a most gracious host."
Éomer stood and bowed in return, feeling a sudden glow of friendship for this Gondorian princess. "You have been a most welcome guest." He said. The lady smiled and then made her way from the room.
Once the room contained just the two of them, Éomer sprang to life. "What of Aedre, tell me Sunniva, is she ill?"
"You have heard then?" Sunniva said slowly making her way to where he stood, her steps heavy. "She had an ill fit, or so Yma seems to believe."
"Yma, she was called? Is it serious? What ill fit do you speak of?"
"Be still." Sunniva said tiredly. "Aedre is well, she is resting. Yma thinks it was only a fleeting thing."
Éomer nodded before becoming fully aware of the expression Sunniva wore, careworn and hollow cheeked.
"But you seem troubled Sunniva? Is there more to this? What are you not saying?"
"Your sister came to me a night passed." Sunniva began, her hand instinctively going to the silver chain about her neck that held a small yet beautifully crafted symbol of the Valar.
"Éowyn came to you?" Éomer said his look darkening. "Then you know our words were not that of friends."
"I know of what she came to speak to you about."
"And you have much to say on this?" Éomer guessed.
"I do." Sunniva said.
"You agree with her?" Éomer said angrily, suddenly becoming aware of why Sunniva was here in this very moment and the realisation felt like a blow that had been delivered physically.
"I agree Éomer." A lone tear slide slowly down her cheek. "This cannot continue."
"Why?!" Éomer bellowed. "Why now after everything Sunniva, after giving me your support, why?"
"My heart hurts from this Éomer, my boy, but I must do what is right. Aedre does not belong here, she is no queen of Rohan and she will not make you a good wife."
"As soon as my sister opens her mouth you run to her side!" He fumed. "Do my own thoughts mean nothing, my own wants?"
"No, they do not. Not now."
"You promised me, that you would aid me to find a way! Now you would betray me, you would forsake me for the careless talk of my sister!"
"No Éomer." Sunniva shook her head frantically as more tears came. "I do not betray you, I aid you still! I protect you still!"
"Protect me, of what do you speak? Protect me from myself?" He glared at her.
"In some ways yes. Please Éomer." She pleaded moving closer. "Heed me now, if ever you bore any affection for me, if you ever know me to speak the truth. Heed me now, send Aedre away, leave this path."
"You ask too much."
"I do, I ask for all of your strength."
"Yet you have given me no reason why other than my sister's word." Éomer's thoughts swarm as the one person he had relied on so heavily over the many months of hardship crumbled their support to dust with only a few words. He rushed forward grabbing Sunniva by the arm, his anger in full force. "Do you lack the courage to tell me why you will abandon me?"
"I lack the courage to destroy you!" Sunniva screeched before falling into a fitful weeping. "Please Éomer, just do as I ask, ask me no more, ask me no more!"
Éomer shook her hard. "You think I will follow this request blindly?" His eyes were wild and full of fury. "You will tell me why you are against me or by all Béma's strength I will cast you out of the Golden Hall myself!"
Sunniva was near hysterical now, clutching at his arms with the will of one with little fortitude left.
"Tell me!" He shook her again and Sunniva let out a cry of distress.
"She has taken a life, Éomer!" Sunniva said sobbing hard, her grasp tightening. "She is a murderer!"
Éomer released Sunniva in shocked silence; he huffed a humourless laugh from his lungs and took a few uncertain steps backwards. "What foolery is this?" He asked with another huff. "Why would you say such spiteful words?"
"I am sorry." Sunniva could not control her weeping and slowly she crumpled to her knees before him. "I knew all this time, I knew." She glanced at Éomer's horrified face. "But I swear on all the good of Valar, I thought she did it in defence of herself, I thought it was an accident!"
"Do you speak of Aedre?" Éomer asked disbelief clear in his voice.
Sunniva managed a nod. "I did not think for a moment that she had done it willingly... but what excuse is this?" She stared at her open palms. "She ended a life and I kept it a secret from you." She continued to stare at her hands as if she could see some mar upon them that he could not. "All this time, I knew."
Éomer continued to stare in dumb silence, his voice deserting him.
"I am sorry." Sunniva said closing her eyes tightly as a renewed wave of tears came and her palms balled into fists. "I now know for certain that she cannot stay Éomer."
"How can this be?" Éomer mumbled.
"It was this day that I caught her with poison in her pocket, poison Éomer! And the princesses' tray of food. It does not take a great thinker to put these things together and see the truth. You know as well as I that she is different, she always has been, she sees things differently, everything she has been through has warped her. I see this clearly now."
"Aedre would not do this she has no reason to harm Lothíriel!"
"She has every reason Éomer!" Sunniva cried. "She is a threat, to all you have, to all SHE has, she is a rival whether it is a true threat or no. Lothíriel is everything Aedre is not, beautiful, regal and able to rule. You give her all your time, to Aedre, to any woman whose love was still yet unstable, she would seem a threat!"
"By all the Valar!" Éomer whispered. "Do you speak the truth?" How can this be?"
"It is not fully her fault Éomer. Pity her still, our poor Aedre."
Éomer paced the room, his hand tugging lightly at his beard as he frantically thought. "How can I believe she did this? Aedre would not hurt anyone!"
"You know this to be false, in your heart; you know what she has been through, what she must have done just to survive!"
"No." Éomer shook his head feebly. "I must speak with her."
"No!" Sunniva shouted. "Not now, please. Let her rest a moment."
"Where is she? If what you say holds any truth..."
"I locked her in her room, she is sleeping, she holds no threat."
Éomer suddenly stopped his eyes widening in dismay. "Gwene?" He let out the name like it had been a painful breath. "Is this the death you speak of?" His eyes narrowed with the question.
"Yes." Sunniva confirmed. "Aedre was the one, in the stables... she... she..."
"How do you know this?" Éomer demanded.
"I found her apron smeared with blood and smelling of hay, she had tried to hide it. Gwene knew Éomer, about Aedre and you... she knew, she gave her threats and Aedre did what she did." Sunniva ended flatly.
"This was many moons ago, why have you come now to tell me this?" Éomer said at a loss of anything else to say.
"The poison, I knew then that she was capable of taking another life if she felt once again threatened. I had hoped... I had... I was an old fool."
Éomer slumped into a chair trying to make sense of everything. "I know not what to say."
"What can be said?" Sunniva said sadly. "I am sorry, with all I am Éomer, I am sorry."
"How could you keep this from me, knowing that I fought for her, for us? That I did so much for our match... how Sunniva?"
"I was fearful, of what would become of her; I wanted to believe it could be forgotten. You were both so in love, I could not take that happiness from you so easily."
Éomer's look was dark and full of uncountable rage. "If what you say is true, I am betrayed twice, and the laws and ways of Rohan must be upheld." He gritted his teeth and stared at the one woman he had always thought he could trust and saw nothing but deceit.
