I apologize for the delay and that this chapter is a bit shorter than the previous ones. I just wanted to get this scene in and then move on. Thank you for all of you who have been reading and reviewing, I absolutely love to hear from you. I hope you enjoy this update!

Chapter Four (Lothiriel)

It was another few weeks later and my family and I were to be heading back to Dol Amroth within a few days. The King and I had had a few more uncomfortable excursions around Edoras. The people were still not much to my liking and I could not reconcile myself to live there. It was just so different than Dol Amroth and the refinement I was used to.

I was walking through the halls of Meduseld one day, wandering aimlessly as I had taken to doing. The men, for the most part, had continually been busy with meetings and treaty making and revising. I had found the library to occupy myself and read several books during our short stay. There were not many I had not read already as the library in my own home was much larger than that of Edoras.

With a book tucked under my arm, something caught my eye as I walked past the windows that looked out on the burial mounds. The sun caught something that glinted in my eye and I stopped to see what it was. As I squinted out into the sun, I saw the King kneeling among the mounds.

His head was bowed; his blond hair was what had caught my eye. Unconsciously I took a lock of my own raven hair between my fingers and watched him. He picked a white sembelmyne flower and spun it between his fingers, a very gentle gesture. The flowers grew in abundance on the tombs of those who had passed on.

I lost myself watching him, kneeling among the green mounds, lost track of time. The King was completely still, minus the spinning of the flower between his fingers. My heart began to hurt for him. He was not meant to be a King; he had lost most of his family, and was unprepared for the future.

His long, unbound hair rippled in the wind and I found myself wondering what it would be like to touch such light hair. It was uncommon where I came from. From where I stood his I could hardly see the details of his face, but I could see his lips moving. Was he praying? Who did these people pray to?

I thought of how minimal a role prayer was in my own life. I only spoke to the Valar in my times of need. Perhaps he was doing the same, desperately asking for help and guidance.

"He has lost much," a woman's voice said behind me, breaking my reverie.

I jumped, but turned to see who it was. Eowyn, the White Lady, stood there. I had so far in our trip avoided her. I knew she was not a fan of mine and I did not think I would be particularly fond of her. She looked at me with no emotion. But I was beginning to think that was how she looked at everything. She came off as a very cold woman, tough and unwavering, unless Faramir was around of course.

"Of course. As have many," I replied flatly.

We stood next to each other, both staring out at the King.

"My brother is all that I have left in Arda," she said quietly. There was a pause, I was uncertain as to how to proceed. "I hate to see him unhappy."

"The life of a royal is not always a happy one," I said simply. I knew that she was implying that I was the root of his unhappiness, which I imagined was not untrue.

"He did not ask to be King," she said, heat rising in her voice. I could tell that she had been waiting to have me to herself. To really let me know what she thought of me and the situation at hand. "He was not prepared for this life and what it would entail."

I shook my head. "An unfortunate circumstance, indeed."

"You have no sympathy for anyone, do you?" Eowyn turned to face me.

"Is your family the only one that has lost? The only one who came out of this War with a new fate?" I asked her in turn, keeping my voice even. "Is your brother the only unhappy one? The only person who has been thrown into a new and unexpected role?

"Of course not," she said, flustered. I do not think she was prepared for me to retaliate.

"If you thought so, then I would not be the selfish one," I turned and met her gaze. Her brown eyes were angry, but I would not falter in front of that woman. "On the contrary if you really think about it." I set the book on the windowsill with a heavy thud. "I have made sacrifices too. I may not have had the opportunity to offer my life as you and the men did in battle, but I will soon enough. I will move here, an outsider, away from my own family. I will at some point bear children for your brother and his people. I did not ask to make your brother unhappy. I would urge you to remember that it was not I who made or agreed to this alliance."

Eowyn looked at me, her eyes widening as my voice became stronger. "Do not think you are the only brave one. The only noble one among us, willing to sacrifice much for those we love."

"You are a spoiled, terrible little princess!" She exclaimed, more flustered than before.

"What is going on here?"

I looked to my right and saw Eomer and my brother, Amrothos emerging from a corridor. Apparently, he was done mourning for the day.

"The White Lady and I were merely discussing the aftermath of the War," I said simply. While I was calm and rather collected, Eowyn's face was red and she ran a hand through her long pale hair.

"What is the meaning of this, Eowyn?" Eomer demanded.

She did not even bother to answer her brother and instead fled the scene.

"Is everything alright, Princess?" He asked me.

"I am sure Lothiriel fared quite well," Amrothos said for me. "Her words have the tendency to bite to the quick."

"I am standing right here, brother," I reminded him, with a charming smile.

"I will speak with her, you can be assured of that," Eomer said, looking most displeased.

"She does not wish her brother to be unhappy is all," I said, looking up at him and into the same brown eyes that he shared with Eowyn. I noticed that his were much softer.

Before anything else could be said, I placed my hand on Amrothos' forearm, grabbing my book, and left the King to deal with his own family.

ooooOoooo

We left for Dol Amroth a week later. I felt that I had never been gone for so long in my life, which was a discouraging feeling as I would soon be gone for much longer. As our party was preparing our horses and things, Eomer came out to see us off alone, lacking his sister. I was not surprised. The Rohirrim had little sense of propriety and what custom and mere politeness called for, especially their White Lady.

"Might I write to you while we are separated, my lady?" Eomer asked, coming up next to me as I stroked Roheryn's neck.

"Of course you may. I would be honored." The stiffness was still in my voice. We both knew that he did not wish to write to me, no more than I wanted to respond to his letters. We would be seeing much to soon for my liking, six months later at the wedding of Faramir and Eowyn in Dol Amroth.

"I will be eagerly awaiting our next meeting." Everyone was mounting their horses to head back south. Eomer-King bent over my head and pressed a soft kiss there.

I gave a little smile as he straightened. "As will I."

ooooOoooo

I could smell it before I saw it. The scent of the salt water relaxed my muscles and I was finally able to undo the ramrod straightness of my back. The palace came into view. All white marble and delicate spires, I was home finally.

"It does not smell like this in the plains," I said regretfully.

"Perhaps we can bottle it for you," Amrothos suggested.

I gave him a grin. "I would love that."

As his face turned sad, he looked away from me so that I would not see.

Father, Erchirion, Amrothos, and I rode up to the palace steps that led down to the beach. Our horses were taken to the stables and we climbed the white marble steps. The smoothness of the railing under my hand was a sweet change from all of the wooden buildings in Edoras.

My eldest brother, Elphir, his wife Klymena and their tiny son Alphros were waiting at the top of the steps.

The men shook hands formally and then I was embraced by the couple, both of them hugging me at the same time, while Alphros wrapped a chubby fist around a lock of my hair.

"He missed you," Klymena said with a laughing smile. She was a tall, tan woman with auburn hair and the bluest eyes I'd ever seen. My brother and she made a striking couple, but they were the kindest and most loving people I'd had the pleasure of knowing.

"I missed you, all, but especially Alphros," I said, unwrapping his fingers and kissing the palm of his hand.

"How was Rohan?" Klymena asked me, quietly.

"That is a discussion for when both father and Alphros are sleeping and the casks of wine come out," I replied as we made our way into the palace that I had grown up in.

Thank you for reading! I hope you loved it! Please let me know what you thought! I love everything but hate comments and flames.

Happy reading,

Avonmora