Lothiriel sat in the hall, blissfully enjoying the roaring fire (winter had hit Rohan in full force, making the garden entirely too cold for use). Quill in hand, she took a break in writing her letter to Eowyn to stretch. She had managed to assure the serving girls she was not in need of anything, Eomer was currently on a quick journey to a near-by town, and Amrothos was somehow occupying himself. Lothiriel was more or less alone in the great hall, with only a dozing Frea to keep her company.
I'd forgotten how much I love peace and quiet.
As if on cue, a door slammed to her right and she looked over as Aelwen stormed in. Frea jerked awake from his spot on the floor, muttering something in Rohirric only to have Lothiriel giggle and urge him to go back to sleep. Aelwen's face was stormy and her arms were crossed tightly across her chest as she stalked over to Lothiriel.
"Well you're looking particularly happy this morning." Lothiriel quipped. Aelwen scowled deeper and sat next to her friend. Frea's eye opened to a tiny slit and Lothiriel stifled a laugh at his subtle eavesdropping. "Something the matter, Aelwen?"
The Rohirric woman grumbled something that made Frea to drop his sleeping pretense, turn bright red and yell "my lady!", leading Lothiriel to believe something was indeed the matter.
"Lord Theol has asked for my hand." Aelwen spat. Lothiriel cringed; Lord Theol was near sixty years old, the proud owner of a large belly, and one of the rudest men she had met in Rohan.
"Surely your father found his request irrational." Lothiriel said. Aelwen scowled deeper.
"My dear father reminded me that I was fast approaching spinsterhood, and with my 'reputation' with men, I should be glad that such a wealthy man was interested." Aelwen snorted. "As if I care for his wealth! The man is three times my size and my age, and has the charm of an Orc. What woman would willingly marry him?"
Lothiriel sighed sympathetically and patted her friend's arm. She knew all too well what it was like to have the attentions of an unwanted suitor…though she had never had to suffer the misfortune of someone like Theol.
"Begging your pardon my lady," Frea said softly, "but wouldn't this all be remedied if you found a man of your own choosing? Surely your father values your happiness over wealth."
"Frea, you're brilliant!" Lothiriel cried, a blinding grin brightening her previously grim face. "Aelwen, there must be one man you're interested in, a friend even! Any choice would be better than tying yourself to someone you don't even like."
Aelwen's cheeks pinked slightly and she looked away. Lothiriel and Frea's eyes met. "There is someone, isn't there?" Lothiriel asked. Aelwen turned so she was staring straight into the fire. She said nothing. "Aelwen…"
"It doesn't matter." Aelwen finally said, in the tiniest voice Lothiriel had ever heard.
"Doesn't matter?" Frea asked incredulously. "My lady, any man would be mad not to want to rescue you from Lord Theol! No woman deserves such a fate, especially not you."
Aelwen gave him a small smile, touched by his compassion.
"Thank you, dear Frea. But I don't want to be rescued. I want…I want to be loved. Chosen. To be wanted for who I am and what I am, not pitied and married to someone who only is doing the right thing. I could never forgive myself if I allowed someone to marry me only to save me."
Lothiriel quickly pulled the younger woman into a hug.
"How do you know that the man you want doesn't want the same thing?" She asked, rubbing Aelwen's back soothingly. "What if he does love you, but thinks for some reason you prefer Lord Theol to him?"
Aelwen gave a watery chuckle.
"Him? Love me? There is a larger chance of Eomer kissing Legolas than that, my lady."
Lothiriel stifled a laugh at the mental image before focusing on her friend. Aelwen's brown eyes looked back at her, and in them Lothiriel saw an emotion she recognized. Quickly Lothiriel released Aelwen from her hug and covered her eyes with her hands, suppressing a laugh.
"Frea, give us a moment please."
Frea obliged, though he moved away at a much slower pace than he was apt to do. Aelwen looked at her Queen, trying to hide the rising panic. Lothiriel rubbed her eyes. "I should've known this would happen. He's practically irresistible!"
Aelwen cringed. Lothiriel removed her hand and looked piercingly at Aelwen.
"Lothiriel, if you're going to accuse me of something, please get on with it."
"You're in love."
Aelwen blushed again and Lothiriel repressed a tiny smirk. Aelwen tried to recover herself.
"And how have you come to that conclusion, my lady?"
"I only did moments ago, and stop with that 'my lady' nonsense, it's Lothiriel. How I missed it before, I'll never know. The giggling, the constant blushing…Bema, you're worse than I was!"
Aelwen scoffed slightly at this. Anyone who had recently seen the King and Queen of Rohan together would protest this statement.
"Were, Thiri? You and Eomer are still starry-eyed when you're near each other. Not to mention your own brother refuses to sleep in any room within one hundred feet of yours…"
Lothiriel pinked slightly before her mouth twitched upward in a triumphant grin.
"And just how," Lothiriel asked, "would you know that?"
Aelwen's face bypassed pink and started towards maroon; she spluttered something unintelligible before lapsing into silence. Lothiriel smirked.
"You're in love with—"
"Don't say it."
Lothiriel stopped, blinking. She realized with horror that tears were welling in Aelwen's eyes. She clapped one hand to her mouth and with the other grabbed Aelwen's hand.
"Aelwen, I only meant to tease! I just couldn't believe it, but I should know better than to mock you for how you're feeling."
Aelwen wiped her eyes, looking anywhere but Lothiriel.
"It's not your fault…I am the fool here."
Lothiriel frowned at that.
"You can't control who you fall in love with, Wen. I certainly couldn't. And besides…it's not as hopeless as you think it is."
Aelwen scoffed, earning a pinch from Lothiriel. "I'm quite serious! He may be pig-headed but he is no fool…especially when it comes to a beautiful woman."
Aelwen blushed yet again despite the frown she was trying to work up on her face.
"I must protest, seeing as he has been a fool concerning nearly every serving girl in the hall."
"Ah, but none of them are you, Aelwen." Lothiriel said knowingly. "And if I know him at all, which I can assure you I do, he is a different sort of fool when it comes to you."
"Are you certain we're speaking of the same man?" Aelwen asked in an incredulous tone. Lothiriel grinned again.
"I thought you didn't want me to say his name!"
"Well I need to be sure we're speaking of the same person, Thiri."
"If you insist." Lothiriel gave a dramatic pause, earning a nervous eye-roll from her friend.
"Stop tormenting me, Lothiriel, it's not that bloody funny!"
"Amrothos."
Aelwen's face drained of color and then shot towards red again. Lothiriel's grin widened. "You love my brother, Amrothos of Dol Amroth, the man you so aptly titled the 'strutting Swan of the South' and claimed to despise. Really Aelwen, you're quite unoriginal. Nearly every woman I know has wound up with a man she had once claimed to loathe."
Aelwen swatted her and Lothiriel giggled. "Oh come off it, I couldn't be happier! Besides the fact that he's clearly mad for you, he's a far better choice than Lord Theol."
"Mad for me? Mad at me, perhaps, Lothiriel." Aelwen said. All she and Amrothos had done since being introduced was fight, with tiny intervals of light-hearted teasing and the occasional alliance against Eomer. In all honesty, Aelwen herself was confused on how and when she had grown to love the man who was a contraction in fine clothing. Lothiriel rolled her eyes.
"I can't force you to tell him, and Valar knows I've never had any control over him, but you should at least attempt to make your feelings known. It's far better to regret things you have done, instead of regretting that you had not." Lothiriel gave her a quick kiss on the forehead, a wink, and exited the hall, leaving Aelwen to her thoughts.
oOo
Amrothos stood in the stable, chuckling at the stable boys futile attempts to get Firefoot bathed.
"Gentlemen, I don't think you're making much progress with the rope."
The boys, twins named Bedwyn and Bedwyr, grinned sheepishly at him.
"Might I suggest an apple? It's worked quite well for me in the past." A voice said from behind Amrothos. The boys' grins disappeared and they hurriedly bowed.
"My lady." They said in unison. Amrothos shook his head as his sister appeared at his side.
"Since when are you an expert in horses, Lothiriel?"
"Since I rode my first horse at age seven, Amrothos. I became an expert on dear Firefoot here a bit more recently. Here Bedwyn," she handed the closer twin an apple, "give it a go."
The twins exchanged a doubting look before Bedwyn extended his hand (and the apple) towards Firefoot. The horse whinnied gratefully and took a bite. The boys gawked and then took steps backwards, the majestic horse following them the whole way.
"Many thanks, milady!" Bedwyr cried, grinning happily. Bedwyn smiled happily as well, and the two boys and the horse exited the stable.
"How did you know an apple would work?" Amrothos asked. Lothiriel shrugged.
"Oh come now brother, even we married ladies must be allowed some mystery in our lives."
Amrothos snorted derisively and Lothiriel chuckled.
"I suspect you didn't come searching for me to talk about apples."
"I knew you had a brain somewhere in there, amongst those tangles." Lothiriel teased. Amrothos pretended to smooth his hair with mock indignation, and Lothiriel continued on. "I've come to talk to you about something rather important, Am, so do try to pay attention."
"Yes, Lady Lothiriel." Amrothos simpered, doing his best imitation of the serving girls who practically worshiped everything Lothiriel touched. She swatted him.
"Stop that, you know I can't stand when they do it, let alone you."
Amrothos didn't stop, and proceeded to bat his eyelashes at her. "Twit! I'm serious, Amrothos!"
Amrothos shrugged and dropped the face. "Alright Thiri, what on Middle Earth could you need to speak to me about so badly that even the puppy face can't rise a laugh out of you?"
Lothiriel opened her mouth, closed it. She twisted her foot on the floor. Amrothos looked at her strangely. "Speechless? You, Lothiriel? I never thought I'd see the day!"
Lothiriel scowled at him. "Dammit Amrothos, it's not a laughing matter!"
"Well hurry up and spit it out, I haven't got all day." Amrothos grumbled. In all honesty, the fact that Lothiriel was unable to smile at the puppy face and cursing did not bode well for him, and he knew it. Lothiriel sighed exasperatedly.
"It's about a woman."
"By the Valar, Thiri, not this again—"
"Not just any woman, Amrothos!" Lothiriel cried, stomping her foot. Amrothos blinked.
"What are you going on about?"
"Aelwen, Amrothos! Bema, it's as plain as day!"
Amrothos blanched and looked away from his sister. Lothiriel smiled softly at him. "I know you, Amrothos. If I had said any other woman, you would've denied it, lied, or come up with some elaborate ruse to throw me off. You do care for her, don't you?"
Amrothos rubbed his eyes wearily and sat down on a stool left behind by the stable boys.
"You must think I'm utterly mad. The woman hates me, and I wasn't too fond of her when we first met but…Thiri, she's unlike any other woman I've ever known. She's not flighty, has a mind of her own, and isn't afraid to tell me to shove off now and then. And of course, she's beautiful. She even reminds me of you quite a bit, which probably means I have all sorts of problems for loving someone nearly exactly like my sister—"
Lothiriel gave an excited squeak.
"You said 'loving'! Bema above, is Amrothos of Dol Amroth, the most notorious ladies' man in all of Gondor actually admitting to being in love?"
Amrothos groaned. "If you breathe a word of this to anyone, especially that charming husband of yours, I'll kill you."
Lothiriel squealed and flung her arms around him in a hug.
"I told you you'd fall in love. I can't wait to tell Elphir; he'll have a fit! Erchirion and Ada owe me money now, and Eomer…" Lothiriel's voice suddenly died away and Amrothos pulled back to look anxiously at her. Her face, which had been glowing with happiness only seconds before, was now a sickly green.
"Thiri?" Amrothos asked cautiously. Lothiriel quickly stepped back from him, looked about the stable, and ran over to the nearest bucket and dropped to her knees. Amrothos leapt to his feet and knelt beside her, rubbing her back as she retched into the bucket. "By the Valar, sister, did you eat something new this morning?" Lothiriel lifted her head and leaned back against his shoulder. He peered into her face anxiously. She gave him a tiny smile.
"It's not like I've never thrown up before, Am. You, however, have never been in love before, and therefore you take precedence."
Amrothos chuckled.
"While that may be true, you've never thrown up as Queen of Rohan before, and I for one don't want to find myself dismembered if the King of Rohan were to find out you were sick and I hadn't told him."
Lothiriel waved him away and made an attempt to stand.
"Oh please, Amrothos, it's nothing, just a bit of a stomach ache…" She had barely risen to her full height (all five feet and four inches) when her face went green again and she swiftly sat back down. Amrothos sighed exasperatedly.
"Must you always be so stubborn?"
Lothiriel managed a grin. "You of all people should know the answer to that."
Amrothos huffed and gently eased her into a standing position, wrapping his solitary arm around her waist.
"At least let me take you back in the hall."
Lothiriel attempted to protest, but when her stomach gave another twinge, she nodded.
"Don't think this will make me forget what you said about Aelwen, brother."
Amrothos snorted. "If only life were to be so merciful to me."
Lothiriel jabbed him in the side with her elbow, but paid for it with yet another sickly gurgle from her stomach. "Stop retaliating, Thiri, you're just making it worse." She said nothing, biting her bottom lip to keep from emptying whatever was left of her cursed breakfast onto the ground before them. And that fact alone frightened Amrothos more than the threat of having to discuss his love life with his little sister.
oOo
Eomer entered the Hall in high spirits. The village he had just returned from was prospering, the people were well fed, and the crops were promising to grow in abundance when spring came around. The only thing that could turn a good day into an excellent one would be the sight of Lothiriel sitting by the fire, waiting up for him to return home. He looked around the Hall, thoroughly expecting to see her, most likely deeply engrossed in reading a book. To his surprise (and disappointment) she was nowhere to be found.
The same could not be said for Aelwen and Amrothos, who were furiously whispering back and forth to each other, so involved that they had not even noticed his entrance. Grumbling, Eomer made his way over to them. They still did not look up, and it was not until he cleared his throat rather pointedly at him that they even realized he was there.
"My lord!"
"Eomer!"
They said in unison, nearly stumbling over themselves to stand up and greet him. Eomer was instantly suspicious. Aelwen rarely called him 'my lord' and Amrothos typically greeted him with a grunt or a slap on the back.
"Aelwen, Amrothos." He said. "Might I ask why you two are the only ones in the Hall?"
Their eyes met and Eomer could've sworn a silent conversation occurred between them.
"Well…you see Eomer, everyone else is a bit preoccupied at the moment…" Amrothos said cautiously, casting looks at Aelwen as if to be sure what he was saying was acceptable. Eomer cocked an eyebrow at that.
"Preoccupied with what?"
Aelwen opened her mouth to answer when the door leading to the hallway flew open and a frantic looking Eothain appeared.
"Bema above, isn't Eomer back y—" Eothain froze as he realized his King was looking at him strangely. "Ah. Hello there, Eomer."
Eomer looked confusedly at all three of them. They all avoided his stares and apparently found the ground very interesting. Eomer muttered a curse under his breath.
"For Gods' sake, what on Middle Earth is going on?"
The door flew open again as Frea appeared, looking even more flustered than Eothain.
"The ladies say she's awake! Amrothos, she's asking for…" Frea gulped and his voice died away as he realized Eomer was staring at him. "You." He finished weakly. Before the other four could do anything, Eomer blasted past them, down the hallway, towards his room. His mind was whirling, each imagined scenario worse than the last.
Lothiriel falling down the steep stairs, falling from a bucking horse, poison in the food, a knife covered in blood…
By the time he had reached the door to their room, he was in a near panic. He almost ripped the door from its hinges, threw himself inside, frightening all the serving girls to death. His eyes frantically searched the room until he found her face, looking curiously up at him from against their headboard.
"Eomer? A'mellonamin? Are you alright?"
Eomer said nothing as he crossed the room, nearly flung himself down on their bed and crushed her close to him. Lothiriel blinked at him, alarmed. Silently she signaled the girls to leave, and once they had shut the door, she spoke. "By the Valar, Eomer, you look as if you've seen a ghost!"
He pulled back and looked deeply into her face. She appeared somewhat paler than normal and her eyes had circles under them, but other than that she was fine. No signs of blood, broken bones, or anything horrific. Eomer let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Lothiriel gently touched his cheek with her hand, and he closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. "Are you planning on telling me what that was all about?" She asked softly. Eomer's eyes snapped open.
"What happened today, Lothiriel?"
Lothiriel bit her lip and dropped her gaze away from his face.
"I was a bit sick, that's all. Amrothos, Eothain, and Gamling completely overreacted and sent me to bed…I tried to sneak out to read by the fire, it's always so bloody cold in here when you're not home…on the way to the Hall I fainted. The physician said it's completely normal after a bout of throwing up. Really, nothing extraordinary, just a bit of a stomach sickness."
Eomer's eyes narrowed. Lothiriel only babbled when she was nervous, and she was only nervous around him when she attempted to conceal something from him.
"Lothiriel." He growled. Lothiriel gulped and attempted to roll away from him; he caught her wrist and held her still. "There's something you're not telling me." She inhaled and twisted a strand of her hair around her free fingers.
"I don't want to tell you when it may not be true." She said quietly. Eomer's mind immediately went to the worst; she's ill, not fleetingly, but fatally, she knows someone's trying to kill her, something's happened with Amrothos…
He was suddenly aware of Lothiriel waving her hand in front of his face. "Where do you go when you get that look on your face?"
Eomer frowned. "What look?" His mind was still full of dark thoughts, and Lothiriel touched his cheek to get his attention again.
"There. That look. When you have that look, you may be sitting next to me but you're a thousand leagues away. Don't go where I can't follow. It worries me enough when you go on a simple village trip, let alone back on a battlefield in your mind."
Eomer nodded and Lothiriel smiled at him. "Much better. You know you must always wake me when you have a nightmare. I've found they seem to go away if shared."
He had finally broken down and told her of his reoccurring nightmare; since then, it had all but vanished, only happening on nights that they had spats before going to sleep. He ran his knuckle affectionately over her cheek briefly before focusing on his previous question.
"You never answered me, my love. What aren't you telling me?"
Lothiriel's face fell. She hesitated on the verge of speech before shaking her head. She took his hand in one of hers and pulled it towards her body. Normally, Eomer would be all too happy to allow himself to be "distracted"; but in this instance, the thought of his wife hiding something from him irritated him far too greatly. "Lothiriel, I am not in the mood—"
"I'm trying to tell you, you great brute." Lothiriel hissed. Eomer stopped in his protests and gave her free reign of his hand. Led by her much smaller one, it ghosted over her ribcage before coming to rest on her stomach. Eomer's eyebrows drew together; why couldn't the infuriating woman just say what she was trying to tell him? When his confusion became apparent, Lothiriel gave an annoyed huff. She pressed his hand harder against her stomach and gave him a significant look. Eomer's eyes widened.
"You're…we…"
"I'm pregnant, Eomer." She said, failing at trying to keep the smile from her face. Eomer stared at her for a few seconds before yanking her towards him and covering her mouth with his. She giggled softly into the kiss. He broke away to kiss every inch of her face that he could reach, earning more laughter from his wife. "I take it you're happy about this then?"
He wrapped her in his arms and breathed in the scent of her hair.
"I couldn't be more happy. Why wouldn't you tell me right away?"
Lothiriel nuzzled into his chest.
"I only found out today, and I wanted to surprise you. Where's the fun in you walking in the door and me saying 'oh by the way darling, I'm having a baby'?"
Eomer looked at her in astonishment.
"Did you fake being sick?"
Lothiriel swatted him.
"No! That was morning sickness, accompanied by the ever-charming light-headedness that can cause fainting."
Eomer chuckled and ran a hand through her hair. Slowly the hand moved to her stomach, where Eomer rested it gently. Lothiriel beamed at him. They spent a few moments, not moving. Suddenly Lothiriel's head shot up from where it had been nestled on Eomer's shoulder.
"I almost forgot! Speaking of surprises, you're never going to guess…"
oOo
Amrothos sat dazedly in the chair, blinking. Aelwen watched him worriedly.
"Uncle." He said. Aelwen rolled her eyes.
"Amrothos, for Bema's sake, it's not as if you're not already an uncle. Twice over, I might add."
"Alphros and Elivir are Elphir's children. He's the oldest. He's also a complete git and a know-it-all, so it makes perfect sense that he would be a father. Lothiriel…Thiri…she's hardly more than a kid herself! Not to mention Erchirion's not even married and she's already pregnant…they've only been married five months!"
Aelwen sighed.
"She's older than I am, and she adores children. She's also a Queen; Queens are expected to begin having children well within their first year of marriage. Not to mention, she was positively glowing when she told me. You know her better than I do, but I believe it's safe to say the only time I've seen her happier was on she and Eomer's wedding day."
Amrothos tore his gaze from the fire and looked at her.
"You were there?"
Aelwen nodded.
"You danced with me, twit."
"Pity I don't remember it better." Amrothos teased, flashing a huge grin. "I think I could get used to holding you in my arms. Well…arm."
Aelwen scoffed, but her cheeks pinked slightly. "In fact…" Amrothos said, standing up. He dropped into a deep bow and offered Aelwen his hand.
"What are you doing?" Aelwen hissed, looking around the Hall. It was fairly late at night, and they appeared to be alone, but after a lifetime of court life, Aelwen was always suspicious of prying eyes. Amrothos was unfazed.
"Dance with me."
"There's not even any music, Amrothos!" Aelwen objected. He waved his hand.
"I'll hum. Won't you spare an old cripple a dance?"
Glaring, Aelwen stood and gave a curtsy. Amrothos flashed his grin again before guiding each of her hands to their assigned shoulder and putting his hand on her waist. He hummed a tune that his mother used to sing, soft and slow. They were silent for a while, until Aelwen mumbled something quietly. "What was that?" Amrothos asked quietly. They continued to sway gracefully though his humming had stopped.
"I said, 'you're hardly old or a cripple'."
"You flatter me, Lady Aelwen. I am at the ripe old age of twenty-five, while you, young whipper-snapper that you are, are only twenty."
"Amongst ladies, that qualifies me as a spinster." Aelwen said bitterly. Amrothos moved his hand from her waist to tilt her chin up so she was looking into his eyes.
"Of all the many things you are, Aelwen of Snowbourne, a spinster is not one of them."
Aelwen flushed; there was something burning in his beautiful grey-green eyes that made her heart pound.
"Amrothos…Lord Theol has asked for my hand."
"Do you want to marry him?"
"No."
"Then don't."
"It's not that easy."
They had stopped dancing but remained close to one another. Amrothos twined their fingers together.
"If I asked something of you, would you do it?" Amrothos asked, leaning closer to her. Aelwen took a deep breath.
"Perhaps."
Amrothos grinned slightly, and ran a finger over her cheek.
So soft…
"Kiss me?"
And Aelwen found that she could.
oOo
Author's Note: Oh wow, I can't even begin to apologize for the long wait. I've noticed I haven't been getting as many reviews as before, and I completely understand since this poor story has been so neglected!
Hoo boy, this chapter was a doozy to write. As the big 2-0, I felt like it needed to have big occurrences in it. So yes, Amrothos and Aelwen are gaga for each other (cliché, yes, but it's my story and I can do what I want) and sorry to all my lady Amrothos fans out there, but he is now taken! (Erchirion's still free though!)
As for our darling Eomer and Lothiriel: PARENTHOOD DOTH APPROCHETH. Personally I imagine Eomer as the kind of father-to-be who's freaking out about everything being safe for the baby (in a macho-man type way, of course) and Lothiriel being the one saying "okay honey, I really don't think the baby is going to encounter flying pigs that want to eat it, please relax") I also promise that the next chapter will be FILLED to the brim with Eomer/Lothiriel fluff.
As always, thank you all so much for your continued interest/support in this story. It's my baby and I thoroughly enjoy writing it, especially when others seem to enjoy it as well :)
Reviews, favorites, alerts, and such are better than a book and a warm fire
P.S. I have a poll going on my profile about which fandom I'll write my next story from. All stories, no matter how good, must eventually end, and ET, EM, EO is drawing to a close rather soon. Please vote in the poll for which world you'd like to hear a story from next!