0o0o0o0o0

As it turned out, Eomer and I didn't get the chance to speak until the next morning, when I was informed that I was joining the Royal Hunting party. "I don't hunt," I told the page blankly. "I don't even know how to ride faster than a walk."

"I'm sorry, my Lady. The King sent me to tell you. Is there a message you want me to return?" the boy asked.

"Not one that I can tell a nine year old," I muttered.

"Excuse me, Lady?"

"Nothing," I said hastily. "Tell the King that I will get dressed and meet him shortly."

Never before had I been so grateful that Rose had insisted on making me a wardrobe in Minas Tirith. Of the many dresses I'd been given, the one she was most adamant I have was a forest green version of what she called her Chase Dress. Evidently, she'd worn hers almost throughout the War, and she said it was the most useful garment she'd ever owned: utilitarian and durable, but beautifully feminine and appropriate for almost any situation.

I was still tugging on my boot as I hurried down the hall; the page had woken me up, and the hunt was supposed to begin in a few minutes.

The rest of the party were milling around, already mounted, in front of the Great Hall when I finally made it outside, and Eomer waited for me on Firefoot. A page stood beside him with a beautiful white mare. "Sorry for the delay. My dress and I weren't seeing eye to eye," I apologized with a charming smile to the party as I made my way down the steps. There was an empathetic laugh among the ladies, and I managed to keep the smile on my face even as I surreptitiously shot Eomer a mutinous look as I passed him.

"This is Frostmane," Eomer told me as I blew into the mare's nose; if there was one thing is learned from the Rohirrim, it was to introduce yourself to your mount. She blew back at me. "She's gentle and intelligent. She will not let you come to harm."

"Hello, beautiful girl," I murmured, running a hand down her neck as I took the reins from the page. I swung myself into the saddle and adjusted my skirts around me. "She's beautiful. Thank you." He inclined his head in acknowledgment.

"Let us proceed, Lords and Ladies," Eomer called, kicking Firefoot into a walk. Frostmane fell into step without any command from me. "I don't suppose this could convince you to forgive me?" he asked, keeping his voice low.

"Not by a long shot," I replied pleasantly. "But that's an argument for another time. Why am I here, anyway? I wasn't supposed to come on the hunt since, you know, I can barely ride."

"Which is why I chose Frostmane for you," he explained. "She's one of my own mounts."

"I can see why." I stroked her beautiful white neck appreciatively and she flicked an ear back at me. I glanced at Eomer. "That doesn't answer my question, though."

He sighed. "You noticed the ladies of the party don't include Rose or Eowyn." I nodded, but glanced back curiously. Of the three other women, Arwen was the only woman I recognized, and she smiled back at me when she noticed me looking, but returned to her conversation with her husband. I looked back at Eomer curiously. "Eligible young daughters of the Lordship of Rohan."

Comprehension cleared my face. "Ah. So I'm here to run interference as your fiancé."

"And because I enjoy your company," he added.

"Smooth recovery, your Majesty," I said dryly. "So what exactly happens on a hunt?"

"We will ride to the forest at the base of the mountains," he explained. "Then, the women will have lunch outside the forest and the men will hunt. What we kill will be served after the coronation tomorrow."

"So I really am here to run interference for you," I realized.

"And for Queen Arwen," he added as we passed the gates of the city. "She enjoys your company and suggested you come."

There was a look in his eye and I studied him, then rolled my eyes. "Oh, for god's sake. Queen Arwen is scared of them, too? They're eighteen years old if they're a day."

"You haven't met them yet, have you?" I hesitated and he shot me a look. "I thought as much. These two are like snakes. They are charm and beauty personified until you actually pay attention to their words."

I eyed him, then nodded. "Well, I suppose it'll be good practice for when I'm Queen." Sensing the trap, Eomer eyed me but stayed silent. "What happened? We had a deal, Eomer."

"So much for waiting," he said dryly.

"It's a long way to the woods and the rest of the party can't hear us. Speak."

"Circumstances changed."

"They must have been some extraordinary circumstances. I've never known you to go back on your word."

"It was logical, Leigh," he sighed. "My councilors are chomping at the bit for an heir, and announcing a betrothal satisfies them for a while."

"That was why you announced an engagement?" I asked incredulously. "To get the Council off your back?" I studied him, then shook my head. "I know you well enough to know when you're lying. What happened?"

Eomer's hands tightened on the reins, leather creaking against leather. "If we are betrothed, it affords you a level of protection I couldn't give you otherwise."

"I work in a building surrounded by guards, and my office is within fifty yards of your study. How much more protection could I possibly need?"

"It is well-known that we have a bond, that you have the King's ear, and that kiss announced to the world that you are more than an advisor. As Boromir and Aragorn pointed out, I could not have made you a better target had I intended to."

I eyed him. He was telling the truth, but not all of it. "I don't buy it. Something else happened. I don't know why you're lying, but I don't like it. I'm your person. We don't lie to each other. That's the point. So, whatever it is, you –"

"They called you a whore," he hissed. Startled, I fell silent and stared at him. He sighed. "When I went back to the Hall, Fordwin and Byrnhorn were waiting for me. They said it was fine to have a mistress, but inappropriate to make it known to whichever of the proud Rohirrim daughters I would take as a bride." I doubted they'd worded it that way, but stayed quiet. "By kissing you like that so publicly, I... tarnished your reputation. Behavior like that, public displays of affection, are acceptable for a betrothed couple, but had I waited as you wanted to, your reputation would have been ruined. You would never have been accepted as Queen, and it would have hung over your head for the rest of your life." He rubbed his forehead. "You are my person, Leigh. I will protect you whether you like it or not, even if it means going back on my word."

I stayed silent for a long moment, processing his words. He'd done it for me. He'd done it because he couldn't stand other people thinking badly of me. "Thank you."

Surprised, he looked at me. "You're thanking me?"

"I would have appreciated finding out from you and not my guards, but yes, I'm thanking you," I told him. "Sincerely. Honestly, I'd probably have done the same in your position. I appreciate you looking out for me, and for trying to protect me from what they'd said even when I was arguing with you about it."

He relaxed and smiled. "So you're not angry with me?"

"Well, not anymore," I allowed. I grinned at him. "Next time, though, just tell me? We could have saved a fight, Romeo."

He laughed. "I will."

"And speaking of, let's talk about my new entourage," I said dryly.

"It is only two guards," he told me. "Good, honorable men who excel in combat. They are as good a protection as I could find you, short of guarding you myself."

"I don't need guards, Romeo."

"It's non-negotiable."

"You don't have guards," I wheedled.

"I have an army," he countered, but he was obviously amused. "Besides, I can defend myself."

"I'm not liking the double standard it sets."

"Ah, but that is one of the many perks of being King," he told me. He was grinning widely, looking for all the world like the cat that got the cream, and God help me, I thought it was charming. "When you aren't with me, they will be guarding you."

"And if I fire them?"

"They work for me."

I rolled my eyes. "If I have to have a guard, so do you."

"King," he reminded me.

"Not yet," I retorted.

He shot me a look. "Close enough."

"By that logic, I could call myself Queen," I said, rolling my eyes.

I'd meant it as a joke, but Eomer peered at me and slowly broke into a broad smile. "Does that mean you accept my proposal?"

I blinked at him, then smiled and laughed. "Well, finding out from my guard was so romantic. What woman could say no?"

0o0o0o0o0

"Lady Leigh, I haven't yet had the pleasure of your acquaintance." I looked up from where I was helping Arwen set up the lunch area to see one of the girls smiling at me. She was lovely, with white blond hair and blue eyes so big she reminded me of a Disney princess. "I am Lady Katla."

Eomer, Aragorn, and Hildeson had gone into the forest with the hunting dogs and a party of soldiers, leaving us with the wagons and two guards.

"Your brother is Lord Hildeson, right?" She nodded. "I've seen him fight. He's an impressive man, although I don't know him well." Honestly, I'd only ever seen him the once, when I'd presented the Greenhouse design and he'd reprimanded Fordwin, but calling out the snotty misogynist made him a friend in my book.

She smiled. "He speaks highly of you. He says Rohan would be ill prepared for winter without your creations."

"I'm glad he approves." I hesitated, floundering for a topic. "Do you go hunting often?"

"Oh, I go hunting weekly," she laughed, "but something tells me this is your first time."

"How did you know?"

"Your riding is awful," she told me with a smile. "It is clear you're not an experienced rider, but we all most start somewhere."

I blinked. Was that a shot? It felt like a shot. Arwen came to my rescue, her gaze flicking back and forth between us. "Lady Katla, how are the repairs of Helm's Deep coming?"

"They are nearly finished," she said with a smile. She glanced at me. "Your kinswoman was there, though I did not meet her. I was sent away before the battle. How does she fair?"

"She's wonderful. She's expecting twins."

"I wonder that she fought at all, given that your country sent no help during the War."

Now, that was definitely a shot. Arwen's eyes flicked back and forth between us. "We weren't able to," I said. Technically, that was true. "But we have been able to help now. As a matter of fact, I heard that your province recently began building the greenhouses I designed. I hope they've had no trouble constructing them."

Katla hesitated, and I caught Arwen smile into the basket she was unloading. "No. They've gone up smoothly," she said, sounding ever so slightly disgruntled.

I turned to Arwen. "Your Majesty, I've heard the repairs for Minas Tirith and Osgiliath are going well, too."

"They are," Arwen told me with a smile. "With Rose's creations, the reconstruction is progressing ahead of schedule."

The fourth woman in our party came around a wagon carrying an armful of blankets and smiling at us. "I managed to find the blankets," she said, holding up her prize. "They were hiding behind a barrel. I'm Lanna, by the way, Lady Leigh."

I smiled back at her. She was a tiny title thing with bright red hair and brown eyes that seemed to seemed to sparkle with mischief, and it was strange to think that Eomer had compared her to a snake. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Lanna."

"Congratulations are in order, from what I've heard," she commented, tossing a smile at me over her shoulder as she begs to spread the blankets.

"Thank you. You're Lord Byrnhorn's youngest daughter?"

She nodded. "He and I were there when you and the King played Ribbon Snatching. It was quite exciting." I imagined her father had chosen different words. "I thought for a second he was going to trample you, he got so close, but you didn't even flinch."

"How fortunate that she remains unharmed," Katla commented.

Did I imagine it, or was there a slight edge to her voice? Arwen leaned beside me under the pretense of setting down a plate. "Welcome to being Queen," she muttered just loud enough for me to hear. Surprised, I looked at her, and I could have sworn I saw her wink, but she simply turned to the others. "Lunch is served."

It was all I could do not to laugh, and I decided then and there that I liked Arwen. I looked at the guards. "Would you like to join us?"

"But they're servants," Lanna said, confused. "It's not appropriate."

"They're people, and they've been riding all morning," I countered firmly. I looked at the men, who were hesitating outside the circle, and waved at them with a smile. "Oh, come on, gentlemen. I won't tell if you won't."

"It's against protocol," the taller of the two pointed out, but he sounded more like he was asking permission than actually protesting.

"Even the guard knows it's not done," Katla told me.

I shot the girl a look, but Arwen simply smiled at the guards. "We have more than enough and would be glad of the company."

Still, the two men shifted uncertainly, and I laughed, looking at the Queen. "If you don't make it an order, they'll starve to death to avoid offending us."

"I believe you speak the truth." She smiled at the men. "Join us, gentlemen."

"We can't disobey the Queen," the older, shorter guard agreed jovially as the two finally came to sit beside us on the large blanket, though I noticed they kept a sizable distance between them and the two girls.

"What are your names, soldiers?" I asked as I began to fill a plate.

"Odard, and this is Gellir," said the older man, gesturing to his partner.

The younger man sheepishly accepted the plate I handed him. "My thanks, Lady."

Arwen handed a filled plate to the Odard, who murmured his thanks. "If I may, my Lady, where are you from?" he asked me. "We know precious little about you."

I hesitated. "I'm from America, the same as Lady Rose."

"I admit I'm not very learned, but I've never heard of that realm," Gellir said.

"Curiously, I am highly educated, yet I've never heard of it, either," Katla commented. Her tone was mild, but her eyes were locked on me. "Neither have any I've spoken to."

"It is an island across the ocean," Arwen lied casually. "Were it not for the kindness of our friends across the sea, Gondor and Rohan would be in dire circumstances come the winter. We are fortunate they made the journey."

I almost stared at Arwen slack-jawed, but caught myself at the last second and looked down, pretending to focus on filling my plate. "You know of it, Your Majesty?" I asked casually.

"I do, Lady Leigh. My husband has told me of you and your kinswoman's journey across the sea." She said it off-hand, but then she caught my eye, and I realized she knew exactly what I was asking. Her tone softened. "I have not had the opportunity to tell you before, but though I regret the circumstances of your coming, I am truly grateful that you did."

"The circumstances of her coming?" Lanna asked, leaning forward. She sensed a juicy tidbit, but didn't know what it was. "What were the circumstances?"

Arwen looked at the girl. "The War of the Ring," she lied. "Rose and Leigh came to help." I smiled when Arwen glanced at me; once again, I'd found an ally when I wasn't looking.

Frostmane stomped her feet, jingling the metal rings of her bit and bridle, and we looked over. Odard frowned. "The horses are restless."

"I'll find out what's upset them," Gellir said, climbing to his feet. "Probably just a snake or some such."

He disappeared around the wagon, and we returned to eating. "So, what's your story, Odard?" I asked conversationally.

"I'm just an old soldier, my Lady," he said with a smile. "I've fought many wars, but I always seem to come home. My wife Halifred says it's because I know that, should I let myself be killed, she would charge into the Halls of Waiting and drag me back to Middle Earth kicking and screaming, just so she could kill me again."

We laughed, but it was cut short when we heard Gellir sound his horn, the deafening blast echoing across the valley. "Orcs!"

Instantly, everyone jumped to their feet. Odorn unsheathed the sword at his waist as Gellir rounded the wagon. "Stay behind us," Odorn barked. Arwen yanked a roll from the back of the wagon, unfurling it to reveal four wicked looking swords. She passed me one as Katla and Lanna took the other two for themselves.

"Do you know how to use a blade?" she asked us brusquely, unsheathing her own.

"We are shield-maidens of Rohan," Katra said as a handful of orcs came around the corner of the wagon. "Lanna and I can fight."

Arwen looked at me. "Stick the bad guy with the pointy end and try not to die," I joked darkly.

"Keep your backs to the wagon," Odorn commanded.

"What do you want?" Arwen asked the leader grimly.

He wasn't impressive; months with little food had worn all of them to shadows of what must have been their former glory, but they were armed and there were more of them than there were of us.

He laughed. "You've food and women. What do you think we want?" His smile was more of a baring of teeth. "Lay down your weapons and we will kill you quickly."

In response, we all raised our weapons and Gellir blew his horn again.

The orcs charged, and suddenly we were fighting. Well, the others were fighting; I was mostly ducking and swinging with all the muscle I had whenever I had the chance. My hands were shaking, but I pushed the fear away and swung at a grey neck with all my strength.

The sword wedged in the orc's jugular, and it was yanked out of my hands when he fell. I snatched up a steak knife from the blanket and turned to see another orc swinging at me. Panicking, my adrenaline-fueled mind pulled up anything it could that would help me, and an anatomy class I'd taken in high school suddenly came to the surface: I lunged to the side of his downward swing and sliced the inside of his upper arm down to the bone, severing his femoral artery. With the sudden loss of blood pressure, he dropped to his knees; I sliced his carotid.

Suddenly, Odorn was in front of me, hastily blocking the swing of another orc. I reeled back in surprise, just in time to watch as the beast landed a lucky blow to Odorn's middle, gutting him.

Gellir blew again on his horn, desperately this time, and I stepped over Odorn, dodging the orc's next swing, and caught the creature across the face with my knife. It stunned him long enough that I landed a second cut to his neck, and the creature fell.

There was an answering blast to Gellir's call: the hunting party was coming. I didn't move from my position over Odorn, and he handed me his sword. I pocketed my knife and accepted it. I couldn't bear to look down. "Stay with me, Odorn. Your wife will kill both of us if you die."

"Yes, my lady."

An orc lunged at me, and I narrowly missed being gutted as I rammed the sword into his side as deep as it would go. The sword lodged again, and I frantically tried to yank it out as another monster came at me.

Out of nowhere, Eomer and Firefoot appeared and he decapitated the monster with one mighty swing of his sword, and I nearly dropped my own sword in relief. The King's Riders descended on the orcs like a wave of God's own fury, and suddenly I found myself surrounded by Rohirrim horsemen as they circled protectively around their King.

Safe now, I turned and knelt by Odorn, who was had lost consciousness, and frantically held my hands over his wound. "Don't you dare die on me," I snarled. "You don't get to die today, Odorn! Wake up!"

The din of battle had died down as the remaining orcs were killed. Eomer dismounted and laid a hand on my shoulder as I ripped apart the picnic blanket. It wasn't sanitized, but it would have to do. "Leigh."

"No! He still has a chance," I snapped, packing his wound with the cloth. "He was just talking about his wife." I checked his pulse and frantically started CPR when I didn't find one, doing my damnedest to keep his heart pumping. "We just need to keep his heart beating. We just need to..."

Eomer sighed and knelt beside me. "He's gone, Leigh."

I still pumped his chest, but I knew he was right. In the 21st century, with advanced medicine and modern science, he could have survived this. He could have gone home. But Middle Earth didn't have the technology or knowledge to save him. "He was just..." I let my hands still on his chest and, God help me, I started crying. "Her name is Halifred."

Eomer brushed some hair back from my face and I realized all the Riders, all the women, all the people who were lucky enough to survive, were watching me. Eomer was watching me with a pitying frown. "This is the first time you've seen death?"

I started to wipe the tears from my face, but realized that my hands were covered in blood. I stared at them for a moment. "Is this what it's like here? In Middle Earth? This violence and needless death?" I looked up at him, pleading silently for him to give me an answer, for him to tell me something that would make this make sense. Why had I been sent from a world so advanced, only to come to a place where I knew a man's life could be saved, but lacked the technology to do so? Eomer simply watched me with the pitying sadness of seeing someone you love in pain, but not really being able to feel it with them. I looked down at my hands. Why was I here?

Sighing, I wiped my hands on the blanket, getting off the worst of the blood, and reached over to close Odorn's eyes. Then, sending one last look at the man, I climbed to my feet. "You'll ride with me," Eomer told me, his tone brooking no argument. I simply nodded and waited until he mounted Firefoot before letting him swing me up behind him.

I wrapped my arms around his waist, and I wasn't sure if it was more for stability or for the comfort of touching him. All I knew was that Eomer took off his glove and laced his fingers through mine on his stomach.

0o0o0o0o0

There was a knock, and I looked up to see Rose standing in the doorway. "Can I come in?"

Eomer waved her inside; for the past half hour, he'd been sitting with me in my office, neither of us speaking. He knew I was in pain, and knew that it was the first time I'd seen death, but he couldn't really understand it. For him, death was simply part of life. It was a common occurrence, something you grew up with. He couldn't imagine a world where you could go twenty eight years without seeing someone die before your eyes. "I shall leave you two alone."

Rose smiled and pat him affectionately on the arm as he passed her. She eased herself into his seat and watched me. I was leaning forward with my elbows on my knees and my hands clasped in front of me. I didn't look up. "I heard what happened."

"Super. I bet everyone's talking about the future queen's breakdown," I said. It was supposed to be a joke, but it fell as flat as my delivery.

"Actually, they're talking about your compassion for a man you just met, and they're astounded that you came from a place where violence is so rare," she countered gently.

I sat back and rubbed my forehead. "I just… I'm a sheltered scientist. When I think of violent deaths, I think of car crashes and emergency rooms. People try to do something. They don't just look at a wound and give up." I sighed. "I've seen death before, but it was always a long time coming, and always of old age or illness. It was never…"

"Sudden and violent."

I looked at her. "How did you deal with it?"

"I didn't have time to process. I was in the middle of War, and I always had to think about my next step." She shrugged a little. "By the time I could finally take a breath and think about it, I'd already kind of become numbed to it."

I stared at the floor. "I keep thinking of all the things I could give them. Heart monitors. Blood pressure cuffs. Hypodermic needles and chest tubes. Surgery." I scrubbed my face. "The problem is, I don't know enough about medicine to do more than create the tools, and they don't know enough to figure out how to use them."

"They know more than you think," she told me. "For all it seems like Middle Earth's version of the Dark Ages, it's not. They're pretty advanced, and you could learn from them. But do you really want to give them electricity?" I snorted and she nodded. "That's what I thought."

We were silent for a long time, but finally I sighed and sat back. "I want to go home."

"I've tried every avenue I could think of, and no one has any idea how to begin figuring that out," she told me sympathetically. "Short of recreating what happened, I'm not sure you can go back, and I doubt even you can build a teleportation device with Middle Earth technology."

"Well, not with that attitude," I said dryly, and she laughed. I smiled at her. "Does it get easier?"

"Yes and no." She smiled sympathetically. "You get used to it for the most part, and you grow to love the new life you've created here, but then something strange and scary will pop up out of nowhere, and you want to go home."

"Do you?"

"More and more as the birth gets closer," she sighed, rubbing her belly. "I never really thought about women dying in childbirth back home. It's pretty rare. But here, without modern technology…"

"I'll be with you, you know," I told her.

"I know you will." She smiled at me. "I just try to keep telling myself that there's more to our coming here than pissy gods and malfunctioning transporters."

I laughed and rubbed my face. "So, how bad is it? Is everyone talking about the crazy woman?"

"No. Well, yes, a little, but not in the way you mean." She smiled. "They're more sympathetic than anything else. A lot of people stopped and told me to tell you that they're thinking of you. The ones that know our story understand, and the ones that don't still get that we're not from Middle Earth, even if they don't know exactly how far away from home we actually are."

I nodded and climbed to my feet with a sigh. "I should go find Eomer. God knows, I probably scared him more than the orcs did." I hesitated, then leaned down and kissed her hair.

She squeezed my hand affectionately, but then held onto it when I started to move away. "Wait, woman! I can't get up on my own. Get over here and help me!"

0o0o0o0o0

Eomer was in a meeting in the Great Hall, discussing the orc raid with the Lords and what to do about it. I decided not to bother him; I could always find him later.

Instead, I made my way down to the infirmary; Gellir had been wounded in the battle and had back to Edoras in the wagon bearing Odard's body. It wasn't a serious wound, but he'd taken a sword to his shoulder, and I wanted to make sure he was alright. A passing nurse gave me information about his condition and told me where to find him.

The infirmary was busy, though not overwhelmed. Mostly, it was minor injuries resulting from the festival competitions; wounds of stupidity and testosterone, not of battle. Since Gellir had lost some blood, he was given a private room at the end of the hall.

He was staring out the window when I knocked on the door, and looked up, smiling at me in surprise. "Oh! Come in, my Lady."

"Don't you dare," I chided when he tried to sit up. "The nurse told me you needed to rest."

He smiled and relaxed back against the pillows. "Yes, my Lady."

"How are you feeling? They said your shoulder would be good as new in a few weeks."

"It hurts," he admitted. "Though, I think it hurts more because it's the only thing to focus on."

I arched an eyebrow. "You're in pain because you're bored?" He blushed and I laughed. "Well, I can't fault you for that. How are you otherwise?"

"I'm fine. And you? You seemed..." He trailed off, clearly not wanting to tell a lady that she had lost her basket in front of an audience.

"I'm fine," I assured him. I glanced around and spotted a chair in the corner. "Do you mind if I..."

"Of course not. It would be an honor, my Lady."

I pulled the chair beside his bed and sat. "Well, I can't make your shoulder heal faster, but maybe I can take your mind off it."

He grinned. "Do you know any stories?"

"Not from Rohan, but I have a few from my home," I told him. "Do you want to hear some?"

He nodded. "If you don't have anywhere else to be, my Lady."

"Nowhere more important than here," I told him. He smiled. I winked at him and leaned back, propping my feet on the bed. "Let me tell you about a very special little boy and a magic sword that was stuck in a stone."

0o0o0o0o0

Low voices woke me, though I didn't remember falling asleep, and I opened my eyes to see Eomer talking to Gellir. A candle burned low on the table, and through the window, I could see that night had fallen. They looked over when I sat up. "Hey. How are you feeling?"

"The same as before," he admitted. "I don't remember falling asleep."

"You fell asleep just before Arthur is crowned king," I told him with a smile. "The rest of the story can wait. You should go back to sleep. Your body needs to heal."

He smiled. "Yes, my Lady."

"Sleep well, Gellir," Eomer told him. I followed him out the door and pulled it to. "You seem to have acquired a champion."

I raised an eyebrow, following him back to the Golden Hall, but we were taking our time. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that it's not every titled Lady that stays by a soldier's bedside." He smiled down at me. "I commented that I'd been looking for you, and he leapt to your defense as though I'd made some grievous insult against you. The boy thinks you walk on air."

I laughed quietly, trying not to wake the patients. "He's a good kid."

"I'm worried he may challenge me for your hand," he said dryly. I rolled my eyes at him and he smiled. "How are you faring?"

"Don't worry, Rose talked me off the ledge," I assured him sheepishly. "I'm sorry for worrying you, though."

"Don't be," he told me firmly as we left the infirmary. "Your compassion is one of the many things I love about you. I simply regret that I was not there to spare you that pain."

Our hands were brushing together as we strolled through the garden, and I smiled when Eomer took my hand, swallowing it in his much larger one. His hands were rough with calluses from a lifetime of hard labor and battle. "Are you nervous about tomorrow?"

"No. Tomorrow is a formality." He looked at me. "Will you be by my side?"

"During the coronation?" I asked in surprise. "I didn't know I was allowed to be."

"King," he said with a shrug. I laughed and squeezed his hand, and he smiled at me. "I would have you beside me, Leigh."

"Then I will be. Right beside Eowyn," I promised.

He lifted my hand and pressed a kiss to it, pulling me to a stop. His gaze was serious. "When we were riding towards you, I saw that orc come at you and that you could not get your sword free... I thought I'd lost you, Lady."

"I'm a tough kill," I said lightly. "Although, I must say that your timing is impeccable, Romeo."

He smiled and tucked a stray curl behind my ear. "I will always ride to your aid. I would give you my kingdom if you but asked it of me, Lady."

I cocked my head to the side and grinned. "How about we just start with a kiss. You've only given me one, you know."

He laughed and grabbed my face in his massive, rough hands, and kissed me. This wasn't the near claiming of the Ribbon Snatching; he kissed me softly, slowly, his lips moving against mine in a way that had nothing to do with lust. This wasn't a kiss to lead to more. This was just him telling me silently that he loved me.

Sighing against his lips, I stood on my tiptoes to lace my arms around his neck, and his arms wrapped around me instantly, holding me to him like he would never let go. Unfortunately, it was a precarious position for me to hold very long. "You're very tall," I muttered against his lips.

He laughed and I squeaked when he suddenly lifted me, my feet dangling in the air as his arms crushed me to his chest. "Better?"

"Much," I said approvingly. I was fairly certain he was crushing my liver, but I couldn't seem to care. "See, that's what I love about you. You're a problem solver."

He grinned and then his lips were on mine again.

"Who goes there?"

Eomer groaned and rested his forehead on mine as I laughed silently, though he didn't let me go. "The King," he called back. "Go away."

Footsteps started approaching. Eomer sighed and finally set me on my feet. The guard held up a lantern. "The King is," he started, but stopped when he recognized Eomer. "Oh. My apologies, my Liege. I'll just..." He gestured back the way he came.

"Good man." Eomer waited until the guard vanished again and looked down at me. "Now, where were we?"