"Lady Lothiriel! You have letters! More than one!" Lobelia, one of the younger serving girls in Dol Amroth, yelled as she came barreling down the hallway to the garden. Lothiriel, who had been sitting in the garden to avoid the many people looking for her and to finally plan out the food distribution for the refugees in the city, frowned as the younger girl came into view.

"Lobelia, how many times must I implore you not to shout when I have hidden away in the garden? You know Aunt Ivriniel has been hunting for me all morning! Now, what is so important that you would risk my hiding space?" Lobelia flushed and held out the stack of letters to Lothiriel.

"You have letters, milady." Lothiriel's eyes widened and she very nearly snatched the letters from Lobelia, who continued babbling. "And not just from your brothers and father either! A few bear the mark of Rohan, one an Elvish seal, and another with marks I have never seen before! Do you have a suitor my lady? Some handsome rogue from far away? Is he tall? Strong? Brave? The Elves are quite dashing, is he an Elf?" Lothiriel pressed her hand to her mouth to keep from laughing, and Lobelia abruptly stopped, terribly embarrassed. "I beg your pardon my lady! I don't know when to stop talking! I never have! My mother always said, 'Lobelia, your mouth is going to get you into trouble!' And she was right! Mother's always-" Lothiriel raised her hand and the girl stopped, flushing even deeper than before.

"Lobelia, I will answer your many questions with one answer. No, I do not have a suitor. I have many friends who owe me letters, nothing more. And talking is not always a bad thing, though rambling on like you just demonstrated may get you in a tight spot every once in a while." She gave the girl an affectionate pat on the hand. "Now, you'd best get back to your duties before you get us both in trouble." Lobelia nodded and hurried away. Lothiriel snickered to herself before looking down at the letters once more; Lobelia had been right about one thing, there were a great deal of them. She instantly recognized Amrothos' messy scrawl, but the rest seemed unfamiliar to her.

Best open Am's first. She thought, and quickly tore open the envelope.

Dearest sister,

Rohan is a beautiful country, though the War has undoubtedly left its mark. So much green, and such kind people! The funeral was a sad affair, as to be expected…

His letter went on about how much he enjoyed the country, and how nice it was to relax and not be so stiff while with friends. Both new Kings had his utmost approval and admiration, and Amrothos was ecstatic about making friends with such great war-heroes. He inquired about home (and the ladies of course) and sent Imrahil's love along as well.

The next letter was from Eowyn, much to Lothiriel's surprise and delight.

My dear friend,

It is so wonderful to be home again. Edoras is as beautiful and grand as I had remembered and has recovered from the lingering presence of Saruman and Wormtongue. Though I will be sad to leave it, I am ready to go back to Minas Tirith and to Faramir. Listen to me, Lothiriel! A wild Shieldmaiden from the North swooning over her future groom like a little girl! No doubt the gossiping ladies of Minas Tirith would be overjoyed with my display of feminine emotions. Oh, I do miss you, dear one, and still wish you could've been here for Uncle's funeral. I believe your presence would've been a great help to many present…myself included.

Eowyn's letter was filled with excitement for her return to Gondor, though it did not lack sadness for her Uncle and fear of losing her homeland. She was planning on returning to Gondor in a little less than 3 months, and would be escorted to Dol Amroth (since protocol demanded that bride and groom not be in the same city in the months leading up to their wedding) by Amrothos and Imrahil. The next letter was a joint collaboration of the Hobbits, and Lothiriel laughed aloud as she read it.

Dear Lady Lothiriel,

We are all quite jealous; as it appears that you slipped Eomer a note and not one to your favorite Hobbits! Milady, I thought we were dearer to you than that! I may have to retract your invitation to the Shire for this wound to my heart!

Don't let Pippin make you feel too guilty, Lothiriel, he has been teasing poor Eomer about your letter ever since he found it, and I am surprised he has not been found trussed and bound in the stables. Though I do agree that I was sad I did not receive a note as well, my lady! By time this letter reaches you, we will probably have returned to the Shire, though we will be back in Gondor for Eowyn and Faramir's wedding. It could not be missed!

Merry and Pippin claim we should be vexed that you did not write us as well, but I believe only if you fail to answer this letter should we be angry. I do hope my friends' rudeness will not give you a bad opinion of Hobbits; we are a gentle race, and not all as prone to rude outbursts as Merry and Pippin. I for one, would much rather drink ale and garden then insult lovely princesses. They are giving me a lot of trouble for writing this, my lady, so I hope you will defend me when next we meet.

I have just had to extract this letter from Sam with some difficulty. He, Merry, and Pippin seem to be wrestling over the quill to scratch parts out. Ah, I see why. I shall be sending it just the way it is, in hopes that it provides you some amusement, Lady Lothiriel. I look forward to seeing you again.

Best wishes,

Frodo, Sam, Pippin, and Merry

Lothiriel laughed and smoothed her hand over the paper. So Eomer had found her letter after all.

I do hope Pippin and Merry didn't give him too much trouble over it.

The next letter was in a faded brown envelope, and Lothiriel was intrigued. She carefully opened it and began reading.

Lothiriel,

I must applaud you on somehow converting Firefoot into a messenger boy. He is usually not too fond of strange ladies hiding suspicious parcels in his saddle, so I would love to hear how you persuaded my otherwise faithful steed in complying with your sly plan. You would not believe how much Pippin and Merry have been bemoaning about not also receiving letters; Pippin is by far the worst, and I have caught the inquisitive Hobbit trying to find the letter many times. Your charms, it would appear, are not only limited to Men. Thank you for your reminder about grief, though I would have to agree that I know about that particular "monster" very well, and am adept at defeating it. I have no doubt that my Uncle would've liked you immensely, though he would not have liked your comment about men of Rohan being less than neat. I am sure one of your brothers told you this, and as far as they are concerned, none of them can speak. And I also find it very hard to believe that any of your brothers, cousins, or your father ever forgot to write you, and if they did, I doubt it was on purpose. A battlefield is not the ideal place to write letters. Dreadful brutes, you say? Amrothos and Erchirion must have been speaking of Gondorian men, as I can assure you of the honor of all of my men. Though perhaps if they were thinking along the lines of a certain Elf, I might have to agree. I am curious as to why your brothers are so protective of you, though I suppose it must be the same way I am about Eowyn; we older brothers all have our reasons. What are theirs? And are you ever truly sad, Lothiriel? I cannot picture you as Eowyn was at Théoden's funeral; nothing about you proves to me that you could ever be as unhappy as she was; that ability seems to have passed you by. Thank you again for your letter; it has been a great comfort to me.

Eomer

Lothiriel allowed herself one moment of girlish happiness and hugged the letter to her chest, a huge grin on her face. After peeping her head into the hallway and being sure that no one was around, Lothiriel made a dash for her room, smile still on her face.

"Where are you going in such a hurry, Thiri?" Erchirion called as she went flying by the open door to his study.

"I've got to answer letters, 'Chirion, I'll be done soon!"

"Alright, but Aunt is looking for you, and you are to go to her as soon as you finish."

"Whatever you say, brother!" Lothiriel yelled, skidding into her room and closing the door behind her. Puffing out a breath, she sat at her desk and pulled out parchment and a quill.

oOo

"Letters from Minas Tirith my lords!" The page-boy called, cheerily entering the Hall. Eowyn looked up from her book, Aragorn halted in his conversation with Gimli and Legolas, and Imrahil set down his mug of ale. The boy hurried to Eowyn first. "One for you milady. Lord Faramir insisted his letter be delivered first." Eowyn accepted the letter with a smile and settled back into her seat to read it. The boy turned and went to Aragorn. "One from your lady, Lord Aragorn. The other is from Lord Faramir, but he says it is nothing urgent." Aragorn clapped the boy on the shoulder before taking his letters eagerly; Legolas and Gimli exchanged bemused looks. Finally, the boy moved over to Imrahil. "You have another grandson, milord. Lord Elphir hopes you will be home to meet him soon." Imrahil gave a cry of happiness as he took his letter, and Amrothos gave a laugh.

"What's so funny, young prince?" Gandalf asked, eyeing Amrothos with amusement.

"It appears that Lothiriel will remain the only girl in our house for quite some time." Amrothos said between chuckles. "And Elphir's wish of never having to deal with a miniature of his sister may come true after all."

"Speaking of your sister, have you any letters from Dol Amroth, Frea?" Eowyn asked, her eyes never leaving her letter. Frea winced.

"You see, my lady, I was not tasked to collect letters from Dol Amroth. That was Eofor's task, but he did not return to our encampment to ride with us at the set time." As if on cue, the doors to the hall burst open as Eofor strode in, looking chagrined.

"A thousand apologies for my lateness, my lords and ladies!" He gave a deep bow and Eomer's eyebrow gave a quirk in interest.

"Your apologies will be accepted, Eofor, if you will explain as to why you missed your fellow riders." Eomer said, giving the man a dark look. Eofor resisted the urge to cringe under his King's stare.

"I am afraid, Eomer-King, I was coming down with a cold before I left the Riddermark, and by the time I reached Dol Amroth, I was very ill. Lady Lothiriel insisted I stay until I was fully recovered, and even hid my horse when I tried to leave." He reached into his bag and produced a stack of letters. "She has sent many tidings." He moved around the hall, passing letters out. One for Eowyn, one for Amrothos and Imrahil, and he made his way up the steps to where Eomer sat. Eomer accepted the letter without comment. Amrothos began laughing again, earning questioning looks from all within hearing range. He got out of his seat and clapped Eofor, who had been quietly trying to leave the hall, on the shoulder.

"Tell me, Eofor, what do you think of my sister?"

"She was very kind to me, Lord Amrothos, though she was very adamant that I was not to leave while still sick. She cared for me herself, since the refuges had all the available healers attentions. When Lady Ivriniel tried to make her leave, Lothiriel gave her one look and the Lady said no more! " Eofor grinned. "She was a lioness among the silly creatures that are the other women of Gondor, if you do not mind me saying so." Imrahil and Amrothos shared a chuckle at that, and Gandalf gave bark of laughter.

"I think she would be delighted that you should say so, Eofor." Imrahil said, smiling at the messenger. "As am I." Amrothos gave the man a pat on the back, and then Eofor and Frea exited the hall, obviously impatient to return to their families. Amrothos gave another deep chuckle as he sank back into his chair.

"And what," Gimli asked, "is so funny, Prince of Dol Amroth?"

"At this rate, Thiri's never going to get married. Men of Gondor don't want lionesses, they want quiet mice!" Aragorn smirked at the younger man.

"Do desire a quiet mouse, Amrothos?"

"I should think not! If Lothiriel and Eowyn have taught me anything, it is that the best women are not so easily ruled. I have come to the conclusion that marriage should be a partnership, not one of ruler and ruled." Aragorn, Imrahil, Gandalf, Legolas, and Gimli burst into laughter, causing the Prince's face to flush in mortification.

"Indeed, Amrothos! I am sure the ladies will be very glad to hear that." Gandalf chortled.

"Well, in the case of Gondorians wanting mousey wives, perhaps Lothiriel shall have to look outside Gondor for a husband worthy of her claws." Eowyn said, giving Eomer a cheeky look. Eomer glared back at Eowyn, but his hand unconsciously tightened around the letter. Her letter, he reminded himself. The rest of the group launched into a discussion about the value of lionesses, lions, mice, and men; Eomer remained silent and opened the letter.

Eomer,

Firefoot deserves my thanks, and as to how I persuaded him to carry my letter, well, we all have our secrets. That may or may not have had to do with an apple. And if I were Firefoot, I would object to strange ladies invading my saddle as well! But seeing as I am not strange, I suppose he did not mind a lady who knows how to handle horses put a completely harmless package into his saddle. Which may again may or may not depend on the presence of that pesky apple. Merry, Pippin, Frodo and Sam beleaguered me with a letter of their own about their lack of letters; I have entrusted one to Eofor that will need to reach the Shire as to soothe their bruised hearts. As for my charms, I was not aware that I had any at all, much less how they affected Hobbits or Men. Though I am wondering, which Men could be you be speaking of? Certainly not the Men of Gondor, who at the dinner Erchirion and I held for the returning noblemen, were appalled by my knowledge of horses and of my preference to attend to the refuges, instead of their own pompous egos. I am glad that the horrid "monster" has been defeated, and hope it will not visit you for many years to come. You are correct in who informed me of the Rohirrim's lack of neatness; and I agree whole-heartedly that my dear brothers have absolutely no room to speak. Imagine cleaning up after the three of them for eleven years. Not an easy job, though I would not trade any of them for all of Middle Earth. I must agree, your explanation for my family's lack of return letters makes much sense, and gives me great comfort. It is not an easy thing to believe you have been forgotten by those dearest to you. And you really must stop your ridiculous assault on poor Legolas. Elves, in general, are the farthest things from dreadful brutes, and this includes my dear friend from the East. A friend he is only, for I would fear for my life if I ever tried to part him from Gimli. Those two are incredibly fond of each other, more brothers than Elphir is to my brothers and me. As to why my brothers are so protective of me, there are many reasons. They fear losing me, as you do with Eowyn. They fear me being independent enough to not rely on them anymore, they fear they will no longer be the most important men in my lives, but they also fear they will be the only men in my lives. A conflict of emotions, I am sure. They are all very dear, though they worry needlessly. I suppose being the youngest and only sister; their over-protection is part of who I am now. As for my sadness, and whether or not it exists; I can assure you, Eomer, I have been sad. I was saddest on the day my mother died, the day we learned of Boromir's death, and the day all of you went to Rohan and I did not. When have you been sad, Eomer-King? I do not doubt it has occurred, but rather, have you even shown being sad? That I find very hard to believe. I am glad my letter was of some use, and I can assure you that your letter has been a blessed relief amongst running a city still reeling with loss.

Ever thine,

Lothiriel

Eomer looked up from the letter, torn between wanting to laugh at the first half and the desire to take Lothiriel into his arms for the second. It was then he realized that the hall had cleared of all but himself and Eowyn, who was still sitting by the roaring fire, reading the same book.

Odd. Eowyn was never one for reading.

Eomer made his way over to his sister and sat beside her.

"A Collection of Love Letters? What is this folly, Eowyn? Are you running out of things to write to your Steward already?" Eomer teased. Eowyn wacked his arm with the insulted book, laughing.

"I shall never run out of things to write to him, Eomer. Lothiriel lent this to me. Faramir used to read it to her when she was a child." She paused, sighing softly. "Letter 206 is Faramir's favorite. It is beautiful. Though, I have to agree with Lothiriel, my preference is Letter 87." Eomer peered over her shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse of the aforementioned letter. "Ah ah ah! If you want to get to Letter 87, you must read the whole book."

"And who, may I ask, set down these rules?" Eomer asked. Eowyn grinned, giving him a nudge.

"The Lady Lothiriel, I'm afraid." Eomer grumbled, though a smile twitched at the corners of his mouth. Eowyn leaned her head on his shoulder. "Eomer, I know you won't want to talk about this but it needs to be said. I am leaving in 3 months, brother, and you will have no one to run your household." Eomer raised a questioning eyebrow and Eowyn shushed him. "Oh don't look at me like that. You, or any man, for that matter, could never even begin to run Edoras without a woman's help. Be a great King? A revered warrior? Yes. Plan dinners and keep the household running smoothly? Not in an Age." Eomer chuckled and Eowyn nudged him. "Come Eomer, I know the advisors must be pushing you to find a bride. Have you anyone in mind?"

Flashes of images floated in front of Eomer's eyes. Raven hair. Freckles spread over her cheeks and nose. Those grey-green eyes, sparkling as he kissed her. "You're all stubborn." "It's a seahorse. They're good luck."

"Perhaps." Eowyn huffed, giving her brother's arm a shove.

"Well, might I suggest someone for your consideration?"

"Eowyn, you make it sound as if I were choosing a horse, not a bride."

"Don't tease, Eomer! And besides, I think you'll like my suggestion." Eomer started as one of Eowyn's hands went around the seahorse that was still hanging from his neck. She smiled at it knowingly and Eomer thanked Bema for his tan that surely hid the color that was rapidly rising in his face. "Hmm, it would seem that my work has been made easy for me, brother."

"Don't be ridiculous, Eowyn, I will not be marrying for some time yet."

"That may be true, but I do hope you will consider Lothiriel when you are making your choice." Eomer began coughing and Eowyn laughed and kissed his forehead. He gave her a look, silently wondering how she had known. "You forget how well I know you, Eomer. And I was not so consumed with grief that I did not see you two when we left Minas Tirith." She gave a slight chuckle at Eomer's mildly horrified face. "Don't worry so, Eomer. Only I know, though Faramir certainly suspects, as do Aragorn and Arwen." She rose and pulled the book from Eomer's now limp hands. She turned to leave but then stopped.

"What more could you have to say after that?" Eomer groaned. Eowyn smiled.

"I would try to hurry up and figure out what your intentions are towards her, Eomer. It will only bring pain not to. Not to mention all of Gondor's armies may hunt you down if you hurt her." Eomer gave a chuckle despite himself.

"I have no intention of doing that, Eowyn."

"I know. It's on your face plain as day. I shall try to hurry and write back to her and Faramir so our letters can go together." Without further ado, Eowyn disappeared in the direction of her own rooms.

Bema, I'd better start writing then. Eomer thought. I wonder if Amrothos and Erchirion will be as irrational as I was if I ever ask them about their sister's hand. Somehow, Eomer thought they would be worse.

Author's Note: The next chapter is going to be purely letters, because I don't think Lothiriel would just accept a proposal from Eomer just like that, and I don't think he would feel comfortable marrying someone he doesn't know more about. But don't worry. They'll get there. And, three months is an awfully long time to try to write, so I'll do the time skips in letters.

Thanks for your reviews and I'm really glad y'all are enjoying the story as much as I am writing it!