0o0o0o0o0o0

I had discovered in my first week that, when I was stuck on a design, the best method was to go to the stables. Maybe it was because it was so out of my realm of experience, or maybe it was because the Rohirrim – who loved their horses more than their own lives – made more technological advances here than in any other area: from locks for the stalls to looms that made horse blankets to water pumps for the troughs, equestrian interests drove their progress like an engine. Every time I hit a wall, I came down to the stables and watched the world around me.

Of course, my first trip to the stables had me stumbling upon Firefoot. The King's ridiculously oversized stallion recognized me instantly: he gave me one unimpressed look of acknowledgment, rolled his eye, turned around in his stall, and started peeing. A clearer message I'd never seen.

I'd slowly managed to get him to warm to me, although it had taken some underhanded methods. Without Eomer, he wasn't going to let me near him to pet, so I did what any red-blooded woman would do: I bribed him. Sugar, apples, carrots... anything I could think of. Finally, by the end of the second week, he'd raised his head when he saw me coming and bumped my shoulder affectionate with his nose, letting me stroke his face as he accepted his treat; just like that, I had Firefoot's approval.

As it turns out, the Rohirrim horses were freakishly intelligent, and Firefoot made for a decent companion. I would lean against his stall and we would watch the busy stable together, and I would occasionally voice my thoughts out loud, using him as a sounding board. I was 99% sure he didn't understand what I was saying - he was a horse, after all - but there were those times when he would give such a disconcertingly human response that it gave me pause.

"Ok, Firefoot. Your master needs my help, and I don't know where to start," I told him, striding forward. After our talk last night, I was raring to go, my mind buzzing with ideas of things that would impress at the coronation.

Firefoot swung his massive head out of the stall and gave me a disapproving nicker.

I held out a staying hand as I approached. "I know, and I'm sorry for not coming yesterday. I'll make it up to you, but I need your opinion."

He nodded, then headbutt my shoulder when I was close enough.

"Good. Right, so I've got a few ideas of what to make, but I don't know which to pick. Tell me what you think," I said, gently stroking his nose. "Running water. Now, I know what you're thinking: it would be a lot of construction, but it would help prevent the spread of disease, clean up the city, and stop women and children from having to go all the way to the wells and haul buckets back up the hill. Plus... Well, it's ridiculously convenient."

Firefoot bumped his head against my chest.

I sighed, scratching the soft spot under his chin where he liked. It was his favorite place. "Yeah. You're right. It's not flashy enough. I'll have to keep it in my pocket until after the coronation." Firefoot huffed at me in agreement. "Ok, ok. Compass. It's simple enough to make, and it keeps people from getting lost. As a plus, it's pretty entertaining if you've never seen one before, but I don't know if it's enough of a wow factor."

"Yes, Firefoot, what do you think?" Eomer asked, amused.

I jumped a little, then looked up to see the King watching me from inside the stall. I looked at Firefoot. "You could have told me we had an audience."

Firefoot nickered and, I swear to God, shrugged.

"So you're the crazy woman the stable boys spoke of," Eomer commented, clearly amused as he came out of the stall. He grinned at me as Firefoot snuffled through the folds of my gown. "I see you conquered your fear. Now he has you wrapped around his finger."

"Your horse does not have me wrapped around his finger," I insisted. At that moment, Firefoot succeeded in finding the carrot in the pocket of my skirt and pulled it out. Eomer crossed his arms. I looked at Firefoot incredulously. "Dude, be cool!"

Firefoot snuffled, totally unabashed, and disappeared back into his stall with his treat.

"Ok, so maybe I spoil him," I allowed primly.

"He's getting fat," Eomer told me, but he just looked amused as he leaned against the stall. "Now, tell me of your ideas. Perhaps I can be of more use than my horse," he said dryly.

"Well, I've pretty much decided against glasses, but I have few other ideas," I explained. "The first idea is a compass. It's basically a circle, small enough to hold in your hand, with an arrow that always points North, so you don't lose your way. It's easy to make, and I was thinking we could give them as gifts to the dignitaries."

He nodded. "Useful. And the second?"

"It's called a kite. Back home, it's a toy for children. It's just a sail tied to a string." I shrugged. "It's simple and useless, but entertaining. You can make them look different, too."

He scratched his beard. "A possibility. If it's as simple as you say, could we not make it in addition to something bigger?"

I nodded. "That was basically what I was thinking. My last idea is what I hope would be the big finale." I hesitated. "It's called a telescope. It allows a person to see distant objects that otherwise couldn't be seen with the naked eye."

He frowned, but looked intrigued. "Such as distant travelers?"

"For the smaller ones, yes. Like..." I floundered for an example. "You could see distant armies long before they saw you, and you could count heir number depending on how close they were."

"I thought you weren't making a device for war."

"This isn't actually for war. I'm just elaborating its many uses," I explained. "For the bigger one that I'm thinking about, it's used for stargazing."

"Stargazing," he repeated dubiously.

I laughed and held up my hand. "Now, hear me out, Captain Disdain," I said with a grin. "Gondorians and elves revere the stars, and this device would let them see them up close. The thing is, there is so much more to the sky than you think, than the naked eye can see. Some of those stars aren't stars at all, but other planets, like Middle Earth, that are shining like the moon."

"And this can be done in a month?"

I gave him a look. "Oh, ye of little faith. Yes, I can do it. The kite and the compass are easy. I can have that done in a day or so. The telescope will require the most time, though."

"Do it." I arched an eyebrow. "Please," he added with a grin. "The telescope would be useful for battle; the earlier warning we have of approaching forces, the better prepared we are."

"I'll get started then," I agreed, giving Firefoot one last stroke before heading back to the Golden Hall.

"And stop feeding Firefoot," Eomer called after me. "He's spoiled enough as it is."

I just threw him a grin over my shoulder.

0o0o0o0o0

Three weeks later, I was rubbing Firefoot's neck as he munched on the apple I'd snuck him when a page ran into the stable. I didn't think anything of it, except that he was upsetting the horses, but suddenly he stopped before me. "Excuse me, my Lady. The King gave me a message for you." The child, no more than eight or nine at the most, took a deep breath and started reciting an obviously memorized message. "'Trouble approaches. Get back here.'"

I grinned excitedly and darted passed the boy, picking up my skirts as I ran up to the Golden Hall, the little boy making for in enthusiasm what he lacked in long stride as he struggled to keep up with me. Eomer and Eowyn were waiting outside the doors, and he grinned when he saw me racing towards them. "Calm yourself, woman," Eomer said with a smile. "They've not yet arrived."

"But they're nearly here? How do I look?" I asked, frantically smoothing my hair and trying to straighten my clothes at the same time. I needed more hands.

"Your hair looks angry again," Eomer commented.

"It's how I scare off predators," I countered. "Now shush. Eowyn?"

"Did she just shush me? She can't shush me, I'm the King!"

We ignored him. "You look lovely," she assured me. She glanced at her brother. "And you're not King yet."

"Is that them? That carriage coming up the hill?" I was practically vibrating with excitement.

"I feel like I should get more respect."

"That's them," Eowyn confirmed, craning her neck to see them. "Do you see Faramir?"

"I was told people would fawn over me," Eomer mused. "They told me it was one of the perks of being king. I was quite looking forward to it. Yet I see no fawning."

The carriage was rumbling up the hill now. Eowyn and I shared an excited grin.

A light brown head popped out of the window and grinned at me. "Yo! How goes it, my peeps?"

King Aragorn, Faramir, and Boromir were riding ahead of the carriage, and Faramir didn't take his eyes off of Eowyn even as they dismounted. As soon as his feet touched the ground, Eowyn was hurrying over. Eomer went to clasp hands with Aragorn.

Rose had the door open almost before the carriage had rolled to a stop, and she spread out her arms with a flourish. "Prepare yourselves, Rohan, for I have arrived!"

I laughed as I came over. "Someone hide the explosives," I teased, helping her out of the carriage.

"A futile effort, as I brought some with me," she countered with a grin. She wasted no time wrapping me in a hug, though it was awkward given her large belly. Intellectually, I knew she was five months pregnant, but the proof was somewhat startling. She caught the surprised look on my face and laughed. "I know. I practically have my own gravitational pull. Turns out I'm having twins."

"Seriously? You never mentioned it in your letters."

"I only found out two weeks ago." She looked over as Boromir and Eomer approached, and she grinned at him. "I'd curtsy, your most magnificent kingliness, but I don't think I could get back up."

He laughed and kissed her hand. "You've never stood on protocol anyway."

"Edoras looks pretty spiffy," she commented, gesturing around her. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were gearing up for a party."

"How was the trip?" I asked, looking at them.

"Long. Hot. Uncomfortable." Rose shrugged. "I can't recommend traveling while five months pregnant, but at least I had good company and conversation. Speaking of, where's Arwen?"

"I'm here. I was paying my respects to our hostess."

I looked over and smiled at the elven beauty, dipping a respectful curtsy as Eomer bowed. I'd met her only once, back in Minas Tirith. "Your Majesty."

"You are as lovely as ever, my Lady," Eomer said. "Your husband is a fortunate man."

"Rohan, too, is fortunate," she replied with a gracious smile. "Their king is brave and true."

"And he's going to look great when he gets his fancy new hat in a week," Rose joked, winking at the King-to-be.

"The lady teased me about it for a good month," Aragorn commented as he came over with a glowing Eowyn and Faramir. Aragorn clapped Eomer on the shoulder with a smile. "If her kinswoman is anything like her, you will endure much good natured jesting at your expense."

I grinned and bobbed a curtsy. "Well, it's my duty to mock him at least once a day or he's intolerable." I glanced up at Eomer. "It's a duty I take seriously."

"And performs with barely contained glee," Eomer added dryly, prompting the others to laugh.

"Shall we move this party inside?" Eowyn suggested, ever the gracious hostess. "I'm sure Rose would like to get off her feet, and you all will wish to see your rooms."

"Actually, I need to talk to Leigh, anyway," Rose said. She looked at me, lacing her arm through mine as we mounted the stairs. "Is there someplace we can go?"

"My office. Come on."

Rose looked around the Great Hall as we entered. "It's exactly the same as the last time I was here, and yet so different at the same time," she mused. "It's hard to believe it's only been six months."

"Since you were here?" I asked, confused.

"The last time I was here, Gandalf and Pippin were riding to Minas Tirith after he looked into the Palantir. Boromir and I followed the same day," she said distractedly. She looked at the empty throne. "A lot of good men didn't come back. A lot of friends." She seemed to shake herself and smiled at me as I led her into the West Wing. "How is Eomer holding up?"

I unlocked my office and let us inside. "He's got PTSD, but I think it's getting better."

"Boromir is the same," she told me, easing herself down into my chair as I shut the door to give us privacy. "We both still have nightmares, but I think it helps that we can talk about it."

"Eomer talks to me sometimes, but never specifics." I leaned against the desk. "Our bedrooms share a wall, and I hear him crying out at night for someone named Hama. I never know if I should go in and wake him up or not."

Rose sighed. "I haven't thought about Hama in a long time. He was the door warden for Meduseld. He died at Helm's Deep." She looked at me. "Wake him up, Leigh. Propriety goes out the window when it comes to PTSD. The nightmares..." She looked out the window, but clearly wasn't seeing anything. "Some memories don't need to be experienced twice. Just...just wake him up."

I studied her. I knew she'd fought in the War, but I wondered what kinds of things she must have experienced. She was so cheerful and good-natured that it was hard to imagine her suffering, but she'd clearly been traumatized by the things she'd seen. Songs about heroic deeds and glory in battle didn't ever seem to mention the toll it took on the heroes who did them. "I will. I promise."

She shook her head and smiled, slapping her hands on the table, clearly done with the conversation. "Well, this isn't the time for bad memories. What have you been working on? Did you ever get the telescope working?"

0o0o0o0o0

The royals of Gondor weren't the only ones being reunited with their friends: with their party came a host of soldiers, well over five hundred men, who had made friends with the Rohirrim they had fought with. Within a day, the soldiers were hosting friendly competitions in the valley outside the city, and within another, both Kings proclaimed an impromptu festival.

Almost overnight, Edoras was overflowing with soldiers and merchants as more dignitaries arrived for the coronation. Meduseld was full to the brim with honored guests, and as soon as I had put the finishing touches on the compasses, Rose was dragging her husband and me down to the festival.

The competition between the Gondorians and the Rohirrim were impressive, but wildly strange. I leaned against the fence, frowning in bewilderment as four young women stood in the center of the makeshift field, giggling across at each other as they waited for something.

"Hail, Steward!" The three of us looked around and saw Eomer making his way towards me through the crowd, flanked by Eowyn and Faramir.

"What are you doing here?" I asked in surprise.

"I snuck out before the Lords could pull me into a meeting." He looked pleased with himself. "How are you enjoying the festival?"

"It's amazing," Rose said honestly. She nodded at the girls in the field. "Not sure what's going on there, though."

Eowyn looked over, then grinned. "You've never heard of Ribbon Snatching?"

I shook my head, and the rest of the Gondorians look just as confused. "It is a game?" Boromir asked.

Eomer laughed. "It's a Rohirrim game. The girls tie ribbons in their hair, and the men must try and catch them as they ride by."

"The one who catches them both the fastest wins," added Eowyn. "The winner claims a kiss from the girl."

I raised my eyebrows. "And you've played?" Eomer grinned. I rolled my eyes. "I'll take that as a yes."

"I've won a kiss or two," he allowed, but his cocky expression belied his casual tone.

"It looks fun," Rose said, looking at the field.

"Love, there is no possible way I am allowing my pregnant wife to stand in front of a galloping horse," Boromir told her emphatically.

Rose rolled her eyes. "What about you, Faramir? We need someone to show them what the Gondorians are made of."

He laughed, but shook his head. "Alas, there is but one maiden whose kiss I would fight for, and I'm not accomplished enough as a horseman to relish the thought of nearly trampling her."

"As that maiden is my sister, I must applaud your restraint on her behalf," Eomer said dryly. "I know how you Gondorians are about horses."

"The same way the Rohirrim feel about ships," Faramir muttered to Boromir. His brother gave him a dry look of agreement.

Rose glanced between Eomer and me speculatively. "You and Leigh should play." Eowyn looked over at her in surprise, and Rose just winked at her. "Unless, of course, your horsemanship is rusty."

Eomer stared at her, his eyebrows rising in surprise, then looked at me. "Did your kinswoman just dare us?"

"I believe she did." I eyed her, wondering what she was getting at; did she want me to get trampled or something?

Eomer wasn't about to let the challenge go unanswered. He looked at me. "I shall play if you shall, Lady."

"You're on," I told Rose, holding out my hand. She shook it with a grin.

It wasn't until I was standing in the middle of the field with two green ribbons in my hair that I considered that I may have acted hastily. After all, it wasn't like she had been threatening my masculinity. I was going to wind up bald or trampled, I just knew it. Given my luck, I might wind up both.

Fifty yards away, I saw Eomer swing himself onto Firefoot. Our friends stood at the fence, lending their voices to the cacophony of cheers and encouragement to the riders, but I ignored them, trying to remember what Eowyn had told me: face the starting line, stay perfectly still, and try not to shriek and duck in fear. I was pretty sure that last part had been more a shot at me than actual advice, but as I was legitimately worried about doing it, I recited it in my head anyway. Eomer nodded at me a little, clearly asking if I was ok. I mustered all my confidence, swallowed hard, arched an eyebrow, and raised my chin. He smiled.

The flag dropped and suddenly four horses leapt forward, their powerful hooves eating up the grass. Firefoot, I discovered, was a truly terrifying son of a bitch when he was charging you down at full speed. I swear he and Eomer had the same look of determined focus as they bore down on me. They moved in perfect rhythm, a practiced team: Eomer's role was to get the ribbon; Firefoot's was to run faster than the other horses. My heart was pounding; they were going at full speed now. Just a few feet away, Eomer leaned off to the side and I was sure he would fall off, but he stretched out his hand and plucked a ribbon from my curls. Firefoot's tail whipped my dress as they blew by.

I let out a breath and almost turned to check on them, but caught myself at the last second: face the starting line.

I tensed instinctively as I heard Firefoot's mighty hooves behind me, but forced myself to stand still. There was a whisper of air, and then a tug on my curls, and then I was watching Eomer and Firefoot gallop back to the starting line, nose to nose with another rider. I whooped and cheered, yelling for them to go faster.

Both horses crossed the finish line, and me and the other girl shot a grin at each other and started towards them as they reined their horses in beside the referee. The two riders leaned down to hear the man over the crowd, but after a second, Eomer raised his arms victoriously, two brilliant green ribbons dangling from one hand.

Unable to help myself, I whooped and clapped, laughing as Eomer jumped off of Firefoot and led his mount towards me.

All of a sudden, I remembered what the winner's prize was supposed to be. My heart jumped into my throat, and I realized why Rose had challenged us: it wasn't because she thought we might lose, but because she knew we wouldn't.

There was a look in Eomer's eyes when he got close, somewhere between doubt and determination. He was nervous, too, I realized, but I didn't know about what. I wondered if he would kiss me the way I wanted him to or if he would cop out and kiss my cheek or something. It all came down to whether he felt the same way about me. Was I just a friend, just his person, or was I his Person?

Eomer and Firefoot stopped in front of me. "I won, Lady," he told me lowly. "How may I collect my prize?"

It was in that moment that I realized he was having the same doubts I was, and I couldn't help but grin up at him. "In any way you want to, Romeo." He grinned and wrapped a hand around the back of my neck, pulling me to him and kissing me hard before I even had a chance to blink.

It was different than I'd imagined it would be – we had a large, raucous audience in place of a moonlit garden – but somehow better. I grabbed his tunic and held on. His beard scratched my skin and his lips moved over mine and it was lightning and silence, the noise dimming somehow as the world closed to this one man.

Firefoot, not liking that we were ignoring him, shoved his head between us, and we laughed as Eomer was forced to release me. "I believe Firefoot wants a reward for winning, too," Eomer commented as the stallion headbutt my chest demandingly.

I laughed and scratched under Firefoot's bridle. "Well, he did win." I pressed a kiss to the side of Firefoot's face and he tossed his head when I pulled away, snuffing in my face affectionately before dipping his head to lip my gown. Eomer raised his eyebrows and I gave him a sheepish grin as I obediently pulled out a carrot. "You didn't make it an order, so technically I can spoil him," I pointed out.

Eomer just rolled his eyes with a smile and gestured for me to lead them off the field. "You said no romance before, in Gondor, and I thought..." Eomer shook his head. "I never imagined you felt the same."

"I figured you weren't interested in me," I said with a shrug. "I mean, you've got all these beautiful women throwing themselves at you, especially this week, and I figured..."

Eomer shot me a look. "You refer to the vapid ladies who parade themselves before me? The girls who see only a crown and not the soldier wearing it? The women who dream of being Queen, but pay no heed to the people they rule?"

I blinked. "Uh... Well, anything sounds stupid when you say it like that," I said defensively. "But you have to admit, Romeo, that those girls would make a better match for you than I would. They're beautiful and well-bred, and they know how to run a keep. They've been doing it their whole lives."

"You treated me like an equal even before you knew who I was," Eomer told me. "And after, when you knew I was King, you treated me no different. These women you speak of barely acknowledged my existence when I was but a Marshal. They want the crown, not the man."

"And how do you know that's not what I'm after?" I pointed out.

He laughed as we entered the stables. "Because if that were true, you wouldn't have said it. Further, you wouldn't be arguing with me about how unsuited you are." He had me there, and we both knew it. "You came to Rohan when I needed you. You stand up to me, which I'm learning is a rare thing when you wear a crown, and you see me as a man first and a king second." He lifted my hand and kissed it. "I want you for all those things, Lady, if you would have me."

"Of course I will, Romeo," I said, rolling my eyes. "But there is going to be a serious political backlash from that display out there. You kissed me in front of hundreds of people. That was bound to piss off the Lords and Ladies of Rohan."

He shrugged. "I will deal with it when it comes. I have made my choice."

I eyed him, watching as he handed Firefoot's reins over to a stable boy. "So, what exactly happens now?"

"Now, I ask Boromir for your hand." He rubbed his beard. "The man will never let me hear the end of it."

Startled, I blinked. "Seriously? I feel like we're skipping a few steps. Big steps. Big, take-an-oxygen-tank-cause-the-air-is-thin-up-here-and-you-might-die steps."

"I don't know what that means," he said blankly. He shook his head. "Do you love me, Lady?"

"Yes, but—"

He cut me off. "I have loved you since you threw a brush at my head in Minas Tirith and refused to let me pull rank. You are my person, and I am yours. Is that not enough?"

I floundered. I did love him, and I knew that this was the way of it in Middle Earth, but... "What's my middle name?" I asked, crossing my arms.

He stared at me, clearly thrown. "Come again?"

"What's my middle name?" I repeated with a shrug. "What's my favorite color? Why did I choose physics for the focus of my education?" My gaze and tone softened when he hesitated, and I let my arms fall to my side. "There is so much we don't know about each other, Romeo. I'm not saying we don't do this. I'm saying we give it some time before we make a decision that will determine the course of both our lives."

He studied me for a long moment, then sighed. "Sometimes I hate your level-headedness," he told me. "But I cannot refute your logic. I will wait, but I am going to marry you one day."

I laughed. "Well, if I've learned one thing about you, it's that you're pigheaded when you want something."

"I am not sure you get to throw that particular stone, Leigh," he said dryly, but his gaze shifted over my shoulder.

I turned to see a page running up, and I looked back at Eomer. "Duty calls. I'll see you later."

"This conversation isn't over," he called after me.

0o0o0o0

"Well, not to toot my own horn, here, but can I just say that I'm a genius?"

I rolled my eyes at Rose as she came into my office. I was on the floor, tightening the bolts on the telescope. The monstrosity required three men to lift and would be eight feet high when I finished assembling it, but there were too many people hoping to embarrass Eomer, and I wasn't going to risk one of them sabotaging it; the metal beast stayed locked in my office until I gave the word to have it moved for the presentation. "I'd love to deflate your ego, but right now, I'd gladly lead the parade in your honor."

"I'm glad to hear it. I get to be Matron of Honor at your wedding, by the way," Rose told me, awkwardly easing herself into my desk chair.

"Well, I told Eomer that we had to wait before we started talking about engagements," I commented. "I love him, there's no doubt about that, but I have to be sure."

"I sort of figured as much. You and I come from a world of divorce and unhappy marriages. If I hadn't gone through so much with Boromir before he proposed, I would probably have said the same thing. As it was, I figured if we could tolerate each other through a three month camping expedition, certain death, and political intrigue, we were probably set for the rest of it, too." She looked around. "Do you have any food? Preferably unhealthy?"

"Bottom drawer on the right." I finished tightening one bolt and moved to another. "When exactly did you come around to the idea, anyway?"

"About a week after you ditched us at Dol Amroth," she said dryly, sifting through the candy I kept stashed there. "I was still a little worried about Eomer getting together with someone not from Middle Earth, but then Boromir basically called me an idiot and pointed out that he'd married a woman from that same place, and that it seemed to be working so far, so why couldn't Eomer do the same." She snorted as she unwrapped a sweet. "He can piss me off more than I ever thought humanly possible when he's right, but God, I love that man."

Tauron, Rose's guard, poked his head into the office. "Excuse me, my Lady. There are two soldiers here for Lady Leigh."

Rose looked at me with raised eyebrows, and I shrugged, just as surprised as she was. She looked back at Tauron. "Send them in."

Instead of letting him in, Tauron followed the men inside the office and rested his thumbs in his belt buckle. Rose stopped chewing the candy and arched an eyebrow at her guard. Tauron shrugged. "They're armed."

Rose rolled her eyes. "You and Boromir have got to chill. I'm pregnant, not invalid."

I ignored her, too focused on studying my guests. The first Rohirric man was tall, almost as tall as Eomer, which put him at around 6'4 or 6'5, and built like a swimmer. He looked to be in his mid-twenties, with dirty blond hair and intelligent brown eyes that were studying me just as closely. The second was a redhead a little older than Eomer, perhaps in his early forties, and solidly built; he looked like he could fight a bear if he had a mind to. "I'm the woman you're looking for. How can I help you?"

"These are not the droids you are looking for," Rose quoted around a mouthful of candy, waving her hand like Obi Wan.

We ignored her. "I am Aldric, my Lady," said the older one, "and this is my partner, Thorgil. The King and Commander Eothain assigned us as your personal guard."

"My personal guard," I repeated blankly.

"Hey, at least they introduced themselves before they started tailing you like stalkers," Rose commented dryly, shooting Tauron a look; her guard just grinned.

"When you are not with the King, either Thorgil or I will be with you," Aldric explained. "One of us will be always be on duty. The only exception is during the night, when the East wing is under guard."

"So, while I work, you just have to…stand there?" I asked slowly. "For hours? Bored?"

Thorgil shrugged. "We're paid well."

"Lady Eowyn doesn't have a guard," I pointed out.

Thorgil shrugged. "Lady Eowyn is a renowned Shield-maiden. She needs no guard to defend her."

"He has a point," Rose said. "You don't even know how to fight with a knife."

I cleared my throat. "I assume you stick the pointy end at the other person." I looked at the men. "You two certainly drew the short stick, didn't you?"

It was a rhetorical question, but both men hesitated anyway. "I'm sorry, my lady," Thorgil said, "but I don't know what that means."

"You get used to that," Tauron told them. Rose shot him a look.

"It just means that you guys are unlucky to get this assignment," I explained. "Most of my work is done here in my office, so you're going to be bored most of the time."

"We were chosen because we are second only to the King's own guards," Aldric informed me. "Protecting the King's Intended is a high honor."

My eyes narrowed as I caught his choice of words. "Intended? Is that his word or yours?"

"His, my Lady," Thorgil said hesitantly. Both men looked a little cautious; they sensed they'd accidentally paddled into deeper water, but didn't know how.

I thinned my lips. I was going to kill him. I was going to wrap my hands around the King's neck and throttle him until his eyes popped across the room like champagne corks. "Was there some sort of meeting among royal bachelors or something?" Rose asked incredulously. "Boromir did the same thing to me."

"It worked out pretty well for him," I pointed out grimly, climbing to my feet.

"If that's where Eomer got the idea, I'll kill him for you," Rose promised. She was struggling to get out of the chair. "Help me, woman! I'm carrying around a small planet here."

Aldric and Thorgil looked uncertainly at Tauron, who just made a dismissive face. "They're only joking. Mostly."

The three guards flanked us as we strode out of my office. Well, Rose more or less waddled, but it gave me time to lock the door, so it worked out.

Eomer was on his throne, Aragorn and Boromir standing next to him as they listened to two of the Lords bicker. All five of them looked over when Rose cleared her throat loudly. Pursing my lips, flanked by the two guards he'd assigned, I met Eomer's gaze and very slowly crossed my arms.

Eomer turned and looked at Boromir. Aragorn started laughing, but quickly turned it with a coughing fit when Rose glared at him. Boromir shrugged. "My wife took it well when I did it."

He was in the middle of a meeting, and I wasn't going to interrupt. I simply gave him a long look, then turned and walked back to my office; he'd find me later.