Éomer managed to evade several of the waspish Gondorian butterflies. To a few, he had to bow and excuse himself as politely as possible. Seeking solace from the constant threat of being smothered by the ladies, he escaped to the gardens. He wandered onto a terrace and suddenly halted. There stood the lady whom he was more than fond of.
She stood on a veranda with her back towards him, gazing over the lighted city. The moonlight surrounded her, accenting the ethereal blue of her dress. It almost seemed that she was a star from the dark skies. A waterfall of silky black hair tumbled down her back. Éomer's hope that this lady truly existed began to disintegrate, for she appeared to be far more a dream than a reality.
Before he could speak, the Eothain's voice sounded. With an irritated sigh, Éomer turned away. He met his friend in a nearby corridor. After a few moments, he managed to send him off to entertain a lady insisting to meet the "dashing King of Rohan."
When he returned to the veranda, his heart seemed to droop a little. Just as he expected, the lady he so long admired disappeared. A soft patter of footsteps drew his attention. Wondering what it could be, he rounded the corner to spot a flash of bright blue vanishing round the next corner. Daring to hope, he hurriedly followed that bit of color.
Lothíriel detected heavy footfalls following her. Fortunately for her, she knew the palace much better than Éomer, so it did not take long to lose him. She paused in a flower filled garden to catch her breath. When her fears quieted, her mind began scolding her. You faced the Battle of Pelennor Fields, but you cannot even face the King of Rohan! Besides, it is very discourteous to avoid someone. Suddenly, she laughed. How foolish all her fears seemed. She resolved that it would be best to let him find her as her mother advised. However, that did not mean she had to give him her name.
Laughter rippled through the still night. It was sweet and musical to the ear. Éomer's heart leapt at the sound. Perhaps the lady was giving him a chance to find her before she disappeared, maybe for forever. A song with words flowing like a gentle river and a tune as bright as spring filled the air. He followed his musical guide until he arrived in small garden that was more like a courtyard. There, his lady sat in the middle, weaving many flowers together. He stood in the shadows, afraid that his presence might frighten her away.
She stopped singing and said, "I know you are there, Éomer of Rohan."
"How do you know my name?" He queried, still not venturing to step into the pale moonlight.
"Ten years ago, no, nine years ago," she said, "you told me."
"If you can keep record of time," Éomer wondered, "does that mean you are real?"
She smiled mysteriously and answered, "Or I am a fantasy that seems to age as you grow older."
"Long ago, you were more…human in nature, but now you act as if you come from another world."
"Maybe I have."
"But then if you did, how is that you said you were being sent away from your home to finish your education. You still have my handkerchief, I believe."
"Then tell me: am I a real person like yourself or am I a passing dream?"
Éomer met her unflinching gaze. She revealed little in her eyes. Finally, he said, "You are truly exist as anything but a fantasy. However, I suppose that you may be a faerie, for once you said that you were not elvish. If you were human, you would not seem as illusory as sometimes I think you are."
She remarked, "I have not heard of 'faerie' before."
"Then you must be human," he breathed softly.
"Human with a trace of elvish descent," she corrected, rising to her feet and sending any blossoms in her lap tumbling to the ground. "You were not meant to stay in the shadows, Éomer of Rohan. Please, come into the light."
Éomer obeyed her request. As he approached her, she held out a circlet of fragrant blossoms. He accepted it, stepped closer, and said with a smile, "I think you would look better in a crown of flowers than I would." She stood still while he crowned her.
He said softly, "I should like to call you by your rightful name, but I do not know it. What is it?"
"You have crowned me with flowers, and that is what my name is," she answered with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.
"Flower-crowned lady?" he asked, puzzled by her response.
She nodded, "Well, close to that. I daresay that you shall soon be missed by a good many of people."
Understanding her implied, "You should go back, now," Éomer said, "I will only return if you accompany me."
"I will accompany you to the place where you spotted me this night, but no further."
No other words could persuade her to go any further. Instead, she moved away in the direction of the great hall, leaving him to hurry after her. When she reached the veranda where he first saw her that night, she hurried away like a star shooting across the night sky.
With her heart beating wildly, Lothíriel entered her house through the back door. She climbed up to her room softly. After changing into her nightgown, she seated herself to contemplate the last hour, hoping that would calm her frantic heart.
Was I too bold? Should I have given him the full truth of my identity? Will he understand that what I told him about my name is actually the meaning of it? Will he try to search me out again? She hardly dared to hope that he would comprehend and seek her out. She blushed to just even think about anything preliminary to a courtship. Then a thought struck her that brought a joy to her heart. If he loved her, then he would stop at nothing to seek her out.
In all her life, she never experienced the romantic type of love. It was an entirely new concept, for there was never room for it in her past life. Also, she led a protected life away from all the suitors whom her father and brothers have to deal with. Whatever it was, her feelings regarding Éomer wavered between a strange passion and a slight terror for the mused, Have I…do I love the King of Rohan? Does he love me? What is love?
Author's Note: Now I realize what this whole story has been building up to: the moment Éomer and Lothíriel physically meet and associating events that arise from it. Unfortunately, I did not know that when writing the previous chapters. Oh well, I will fix that another time. Anyways, don't forget to drop me a review, especially if you have suggestions for improving this chapter.