jealousy is not an attractive trait [rory]

It was a while before I realized I was awake. I don't know what did it. It might have been my pounding head, or my painfully dry throat. But it was probably the heat radiating out, in waves from around me. I shivered suddenly opening my eyes, grateful for the warmth.

It was hard work, peeling my eyes back, but I knew it had to be done. After a few blinks my eyes adjusted to the room around me and the last few seconds of my consciousness came flooding back to me. I was in an unfamiliar room, similar to Ḗowyn's, but with more weapons and fur blankets and rugs draped over furniture several heavy furs had been tucked about me tightly trapping me in.

Typical drama queen me, thinking I'd died. I thought of all the people that had gathered around my bed before I'd drifted off... Ḗomer, Ḗowyn, Ḗomer, Frea, Ḗomer, Flyn, Ḗomer, Grima- I gave a mental grimace at his name- and who else had been there, ah yes Ḗomer. But no Théodred.

I hoped it was the traumatic events of the last few hours that had made me repress Théodred's injury but it was probably just my completely unhealthy infatuation with his cousin. I could see Théodred's beautiful face in my head still covered in cuts and bruises after that horrible fight...him writhing in pain on the bed after I'd touched his face.

A row of uncontrollable sobs escaped from me at the thought of not seeing him again, after he'd been so kind to me. Seconds later a squeal of fear interrupted my emotional outburst.

The furs around and underneath me had started to move, startling me. Even more worrying was when two large, strong arms emerged from the furs wrapping themselves gently but securely around me. I felt stupid and embarrassed but I couldn't help but notice how much hair the arms had on them and how much safer I felt knowing the room wasn't as empty as I thought it had been.

"Ḗomer?" I sobbed again, leaning into the arms seeking comfort and receiving it, rather willingly.

"Rory." A relieved sigh replied.

I knew his voice well, after the weeks of his incessant chattering, I barely contained my joy as I turned slowly ignoring the shooting pain in my side, desperate to make sure I wasn't tricking myself. I wasn't. Blonde hair, kind eyes, dopey grin.

"You are quite a handful are you not? I do not think I shall leave you again, you are too much trouble." Théodred smiled down at me, eyes crinkling.

I winced in pain as I turned, causing Théodred to fuss no end. But I shook him off with what I hoped was a stern glance. If it was all it did was make him laugh. It hurt a lot to move but I managed to push myself onto Théodred's lap with his arms still wrapped around me, my head on his shoulder looking up at his face.

It sounds romantic but it totally wasn't. I was sweaty, he was sweaty. I smelt, he smelt.

The most awkward thing was realizing my well-worn bra and knickers had been removed and I'd been placed in no more than a flimsy white nighty. I could feel the bandages wrapped tightly around me. I'd been sleeping apparently for some time strewn across Théodred, like lying on a mattress. I hoped few people had seen me completely naked. The thought made me blush.

I pushed away all discomfort as I reached up to touch Théodred's completely perfect un-scarred face. I felt silly, but my happiness had made me a bit tipsy and aloof. Part of me worried about how I was expected to explain what had happened at Théodred's bedside, all the crazy water magic, like the butterflies and water lady- Este. Ḗomer would have told Théodred I was sure. Or Ḗomer would at least help me by explaining while I sat looking as innocent and as helpless as I could.

"Ḗomer?" I asked leaning my face into his neck. Théodred had been watching me as intently as I'd been watching him, without the slightest hint of anything but relief and pure acceptance.

"Ḗomer...Ḗomer is not here Rory. He is...busy. I will fetch him for you though in a while. He's grown quite fond of you, I think. And Ḗowyn. They worry. Grimbold also, he and Frea did not want to leave your side...I...I know it was not proper to lay with you Rory, but Ḗowyn has been by your side for two days now with no rest. We did not want to leave you alone, and you were very cold...so I thought...perhaps I could keep you warm. I hope I have not dishonoured you."

Whatever he said, his speech made him blush furiously, he looked so cute.

"I can't believe you're alive Théodred. I can't believe I'm alive...I..." I trailed off breathlessly. There were no words that came to my mind that could express how blissfully happy I was. I ignored the throbbing pain in my side, the worried looks I was receiving from Théodred and what a complete fool I felt like, nuzzled my head comfortably into Théodred's neck and drifted off into a well-deserved sleep.

Ok it's official. Totally and utterly besotted with that stupid, arrogant, man-whore horse lord.

Besotted was the wrong word. Infatuated might have been a better description of how I was feeling. How I felt for Ḗomer was confusing, unhealthy and unexpected and wrong. I'd had crushes before but, people in general made me uncomfortable. Even as a child I'd been odd, socially awkward, my family were the only people I was really close to. The closest I'd ever come to making friends was the conversations I'd have with people from school in passing in the local shop I worked in.

Ever since I'd woken up again in Théodred's room Ḗomer was all I could think about. Despite being in the arms of a lovely wonderful perfect prince, all my brain was concerned with was 'Ḗomer this and Ḗomer that'. Stupid brain. Stupid Ḗomer.

Thinking on it besotted was definitely the wrong word to describe how I was feeling about Ḗomer now. Over the last month it's true I'd grown very attached to him without realizing it. I really don't know why, he was quite hansom in an obvious manly man way and I guess everyone loves a bad boy but his sulking and forever surly expression made me want to kick him in his shins.

I watched Ḗomer and the barely clothed women flaunt herself in front of him resentfully from across the room. We'd been in this strange medieval pub for all of five minutes before she'd fawned over him and he'd dragged her into a secluded spot and had her drape herself across his lap. To be fair she was quite a beautiful woman, blonde hair, skinny and Ḗomer was a lordly lord, it wasn't a wonder they'd buddied up. Pretty people marry Pretty people. That's life.

"Are you not hungry Lass?"

"She doesn't understand Gamling. Rory?" Williams voice pulled me from my bitter jealousy. He pushed one of the many bowls of soup that had magically appeared in my distraction towards me, pulling of a lump of bread and placing it on the table beside me. "Eat up little one."

I smiled warmly at William before tucking into my soup and bread behaving as lady like as I could. The food here was growing on me. I'd been a vegetarian for years, but since coming here I'd come to realize it was eat meat or don't eat. I was lucky enough to have food brought for me, I wasn't about to snub it and ask for a plate of vegetables. It still took some time getting use to eating the strange watery, chicken concoctions that were served frequently in Rohan. I listened to the few men around the table talking in hushed voices completely oblivious to their words. It was just nice to have some sort of human interaction after the awful day we'd all just been through.

"She's a pretty wee thing isn't she?" William turned towards an older man, Gamling and two friends that had joined our company earlier in the day.

"Aye it's no wonder our Prince is so fond of her. Though he shouldn't be I don't think. No family, no home, no nothing."

"It'll be her hair. Novelties are novel"

"Brown is mud, and mud is brown. Exotic it might be but hair's no reason to be smitten with such an oddity. Théodred is young and has few experiences with women. He ought be careful. A bastard heir is the last thing Rohan needs in these dark times."

"Watch your mouth Eothain." The man Gamling's sharp voice drew my gaze from my quickly cooling soup his face softened when he met mine and he smiled down at me reassuringly till I attacked my food again with a vengeance. "She's barely past a child herself. 'Sides, I don't think our Prince is the one we should be worried about."

"Ḗomer is a scoundrel with women, whores and widowers satisfy him fine. Rory is too..."

I looked up again at Will hoping to engage in the conversation one way or another, he tilted his head and I had a horrible feeling I was a hot topic of conversation after the day we'd had.

"Young? Sweet? Fragile? You think that will stop Eomer?"

"Innocent" William nodded at me.

"Innocent" I repeated.

Most of the eyes at the table turned to me when I spoke. I hope I hadn't sworn or said anything offensive that would be so typically me.

"Will? Innocent same as...?" I strung the words together despite how odd they sounded from my lips, determined to improve my linguistic skills so I could tell Ḗomer what a pompous ass he was.

"Innocent means...good, pure...not bad" I could tell Will was trying hard to speak simply for me to understand but the words went completely over my head and he could tell. "Flowers."

"Flowers?" I repeated. Flowers I had learnt. Ḗowyn liked flowers a lot. I remembered how happy she'd been when she'd brought a jug of them into Théodred's room a few days ago before throwing him out, very angry at him for something. She'd shoved him a lot.

"Thank you Will, it was lovely" I pushed my bowl towards him gently, finished for the day. I couldn't help but let my eyes wander back to where Ḗomer sat. The woman was still sat on his lap. She leaned over to whisper something in his ear as his face turned to me and I held his stare, determined not to be the one to crack.

He frowned at me, turning to talk to the woman and I turned my attention back to the table of men around me letting my mind wash over the horrific few days that had just past.

The perfect day when I'd woken up, discovering Théodred was alive hadn't lasted long. In fact the very next day my side was tonnes better and I'd assumed Ḗowyn and Théodred would pick up where they'd left off, playing cards with me, teaching me to sew. The memories were mostly painful after leaving the room that morning.

Théodred had been waiting for Ḗowyn and I outside his door smiling sweetly down at us. He slipped his hand into mine and we walked along down stairs, him muttering wonderful nonsense as usual.

We'd only been sat down for a few minutes before fight had erupted with Théodred, Grima and a few wicked looking men. Théodred had thrown some punches and fought roughly for a long while with the door men before I'd been lifted by one of Grima's thugs and thrown into the dungeons none to gently. I don't know how long I was there for, but I had food brought to me and I slept for a long time, it's funny how crying makes you tired enough to sleep even through the scariest situations.

I hadn't woken up for long before Ḗomer had come walking down the hall, with five or six men to rescue me from the yucky smelly cell Grima had had me locked in. I knew it was Grima, the nasty little shit. Théodred was nowhere to be seen anyone and I was more worried for his safety than I had been for mine. Ḗowyn had wrapped me up nice and warm in the dead of night and I'd been dragged away on horses with lots of blonde haired soldiers into the night within minutes of being let out of my cage.

I'd had to ride in front of Ḗomer, against my will and better judgement. If I had realized Will was with us, I think I would have insisted on riding with him. I was still embarrassed at making Ḗomer hold my hands all them days ago despite everything that had happened since.

I don't know what I was thinking. Fear, I'd told myself. Théodred was gone and you'd needed someone to look after you the weak pathetic part of my brain had said. Needless to say after arriving in this place all thought of playing house with Ḗomer and having him cwtch me like Théodred did had been replaced with the thought of pouring hot soup down his trousers.

Ḗomer had ridden like wind clinging so tightly around my waist it had hurt a bit, still not recovered from the ugly wound on my side. We rode till the sun came out and started setting again before we reached this village, dismounting and heading straight for the pub. Will and five other men had stayed close to us the whole time, though we'd been riding with more like fifty men they'd disbanded some time along the journey or as we'd reached the town.

As soon as we'd arrived in this sleazy tavern Ḗomer had barked some words at Will and headed straight towards a side table, joined soon by the...well slag, quite frankly. He'd put up no protest, didn't even check how I was, walking off without a second glance. Selfish bastard.

Will had settled me down with Gamling and Eothain and gone to collect us food and drinks while I tried to hide my obvious distaste for Ḗomer's new friend.

It was ridiculous. He was a pig and I wanted nothing more to do with him, nor with the feelings that he brought with him. The tight feeling in the pit of my stomach as I watched the woman stroking his cheek and whispering in his ears. The flush in my cheeks when he'd refused to break eye contact.

Especially not the stuttering of my pulse as I looked up after a long and thoughtful silence to catch him standing above me lips pursed studying me with his big wide eyes, his call girl nowhere in sight.

"We are leaving. It's not safe here. We'll set up camp with the others." He'd addressed the men sternly, eyes still on me.

The men around me swigged their drinks down and all rose, I followed without a word or instruction as they left the bar clinging needily to Will like a lost child till we reached the horses.

Not again I thought we'd at least stay a night. If nothing else, for Ḗomer to have his booty call. But the men mounted their horses one by one.

"Rory." Ḗomer called standing with his hand stretched out to me invitingly.

I contained a scoff, but I think my face said everything. I reached my hand out to hold Will's pleadingly. I didn't want to ride with Ḗomer. It was obvious by his grunt of annoyance I'd offended or angered him somehow. But he stalked over to be none the less wrapping his arm around my middle and carrying me with little effort towards his horse.

"EOMER! put me down you big stupid horse man. Will!" I struggled in his arms uselessly before being plopped onto his horse ungraciously.

"She can ride with me my lord, it's no trouble." Will called something warily to Ḗomer, I hoped defending me but I couldn't see his face in the darkness of the night.

"No. She rides with me." I could hear the scowl in Ḗomer's tone as he looked at the rest of his men before mounting behind me and speeding off followed closely by his faithful soldiers.

Ḗomer is such a douche.

chapter 12, as promised. It's pretty short though...and not that good, i think :l,
but i'm totally on an uploading roll today, go me!

um, also THEODREDLOVE for everyone, yay. oh dear i'm weird...