Here it is! It's very hard to write these two when they are apart. I thought this was an insightful profile for Eomer. I hope you like it!

Chapter Five (Eomer)

The wooden beams passed through my hands easily. I took them from the man in front of me and handed them to the man behind me. I had gotten several splinters, but the stinging was a sweet relief to the smooth quills that had recently occupied my hands. Sweat was rolling down my face and soaking my tunic and hair. It had been long since I had worked like a man should, outside with his hands, surrounded by other likeminded men.

We were loading the wooden beams onto a wagon that was headed toward the White Mountains, to the villages that had had the most destruction done to them. Many of the people's homes had been destroyed so the men in Edoras were loading the few supplies we had in the capital plus what had been sent from Dol Amroth to be taken to our fellow Rohirrim.

I was surprised at how well the men themselves from Dol Amroth worked with my own people. Prince Imrahil had sent a generous number of his Swan Knights to assist with the rebuilding of the smaller villages in Rohan and they immersed themselves among the ranks of my own men quite easily. There had been no fights amongst the different soldiers and I could even see some comradery being built. Imrahil was a smart man. It was not solely a kind act he had performed, but a calculating, tactical one as well. By making our men work together in peace it would be easier to mesh them into a unified military rank later if need be, as the treaty we had signed made us allies in future times of war as well.

"Eomer."

I looked away from the task at hand to see Hama standing before me, shuffling his feet.

"What is it Hama? Come to help?" I asked with a smile.

"I am afraid not," he said regretfully. "The council has gathered and we are waiting on you."

"Damn. I forgot," I said under my breath, gesturing for a man to come take my place in the line. "What else is there to possibly discuss? Have we not gone over it all?"

"Much it would seem."

The older man clapped me on my shoulder. "I know this is displeasing to you, but it is what we all must get used to now. I may not have been made King, but I am still an advisor. I itch for a sword as well my friend."

I nodded, not having words to voice my own restlessness. I could not shake the caged feeling that had settled over my heart.

"Men of Rohan are not much for this rebuilding, but we must. For our people, Eomer."

"I know, Hama. I am getting used to it," I lied.

"Good man."

We spent the rest of the day sitting inside the stuffy council chambers discussing how the rebuilding was proceeding, plans for Eowyn's wedding party in the coming months, and even going so far as to talk about my own wedding which was almost a year away. That conversation was short lived.

That night when the Golden Hall was quiet and I was lying restlessly on my bed, a hot breeze blowing in through the window, I decided I had had enough. I dressed quickly and stole from the palace into the stables.

Firefoot startled as I approached, disturbing his sleep. I offered him an apple to make up for it and began saddling him up.

"Your Grace." A sleepy stable boy came around the corner of the stall. "Can I help you?"

"No thank you, lad." I mounted Firefoot and looked down at the boy. "But let's keep this ride between you and I, shall we?"

He nodded. "Of course, Your Grace."

Firefoot and I rode through the city quietly. I did not want anyone alerted of my absence. Once we had cleared the city, I spurred him into a gallop. The hot air felt cooler at that pace and it blew through my loose hair and through my tunic. We rode all the way to the Adorn River, where the Princess Lothiriel and I had shared our picnic, trying to get to know one another to no avail.

I slid off of Firefoot, not bothering to tie him up as I knew he would not wander far away from me. Walking to the edge of the water, I thought back to that day with the Princess. Talk of my wedding earlier in the day had spooked me, to say the least.

I did not know that woman and the way things had gone it did not seem as if she would make it easy on me to get to know her. She had made it very clear that she was not interested in even being friends. She had a job to do and she knew it.

Crouching down to run my fingers through the water, I remembered how she had stared at the water the whole time we were there, barely making eye contact with me. I could feel the connection she felt to the water as she had been raised near the sea. I thought that it was probably like what I felt for the plains. Perhaps if I were to see in her own element, near the sea, she would be more pleasant. We would be traveling to Dol Amroth after Eowyn's wedding and before our own. I was hopeful.

I was thankful that I still had plenty of time to myself before I would see the Princess again. Weariness finally began to set in and I lay back in the soft grass, staring up at the stars, just for a quick rest I assured myself.

The sun had long since risen in the sky when I finally woke.

"Why did you not wake me?" I demanded of Firefoot, who just stared back at me.

We flew across the plains to Edoras even faster than we had the night before, not bothering to slow through the city.

"By Bema, Eomer! What do you mean by all of this?" Hama demanded as I climbed the stairs to the hall. "The King cannot leave the city as he pleases without guards. There are Wildmen ranging through the plains now! Do you have no sense at all?"

I looked at Hama evenly. "You are risking treason by yelling at your king."

"Then hang me! But you must learn to rule. You are no longer the Third Marshall! You are the King of these lands and people. You have a responsibility to them and that involves taking care of yourself and keeping yourself alive!"

"Hama, I merely needed some air. I fell asleep. I was armed. It is fine, I am fine. Please relax."

"I knew that you would be fine. The council is in an uproar though."

"Tell them I was killed by Wildmen and I shall leave again to leave in the mountains alone."

Hama chuckled at that. "I am afraid I cannot do that. You must straighten this out."

I shrugged. "Well tell them I will be in as soon as I have gotten cleaned up."

I spent another entire day in the council chambers apologizing for my frightful absence, nodding my head with their instructions that I must always have at least three guards with me.

Afterwards Hama remained in the council chambers after everyone had left. "Eomer, if you need to be alone again, just tell me. I know you will go anyway and without guards. I will not fight you on it, but please let me know."

"Thank you, Hama," I said with a kind smile. The older man was one of the only people I had left in my life besides my sister. I found comfort in his guidance and support as it had been quite some time since my father had passed, but Hama had taken me under his wing, like a son.

There was a knock at the chamber door. I groaned while bidding Hama to let whoever it was in.

Eowyn came through the door, looking slightly less proud and haughty than normal.

"I shall leave you two. Let me know if I can do anything for you, Eomer," Hama said with a discreet smile before leaving us alone.

"I am still not pleased with you, sister," I told her gruffly before she could even speak.

"I know. I have to come to apologize."

Eowyn and I had gone round and round after her scene with Lothiriel and there had been no apology then.

"Why now?" I asked, shuffling parchment into a stack.

"Because I do not care to have my brother displeased with me."

"Not because you are generally sorry for your words and actions then?"

Eowyn shook her head. "I am not."

"Eowyn," I sighed. "I just do not understand where this is coming from. I thank you for being concerned about my happiness, but quarreling with my betrothed does little for my contentment."

"I just simply do not care for her, Eomer. She is not a good match for you or our people. She is selfish, rude, spoiled. I could go on and on"

"That, sister is not for you to say. And what do you think she thought of your poor showing? You must learn to hold your tongue." I looked at her pointedly. "And she is a fantastic match for our people. Have you seen what has been done to rebuild? Have you seen the immense amount of supplies that have been sent to the villages that were completely destroyed? Accompanied by wagons and wagons full of food for the people who might have otherwise starved to death."

Eowyn looked at her feet. "I have."

"We could not have gotten that from someone else."

"My heart breaks for you brother." My sister's eyes met my own, saddened.

"My heart is not broken," I said with a laugh I hoped was convincing. "I have much that I still love and much to occupy my time. You are happy and that makes me happy."

Eowyn began to open her mouth to protest more.

"I will hear no more on this subject. Ever. It must be done. It will take some adjusting to, but it will be fine Eowyn, trust me." As I came around the table to her, I put my arm around her shoulders. "Let's walk and talk. I have to get out of these infernal chambers."

We emerged into the gardens that were still beautiful and flourishing as the sun was setting. They would soon wilt and die as fall came on stronger. "Let us talk about your wedding."

"I do not wish to talk about it," Eowyn said stubbornly.

"Why ever not?"

Eowyn stopped walking and buried her face in my chest. "I do not want to leave you or Edoras."

"Oh nonsense," I laughed, though my throat was tightening. "You have always wanted to leave here."

"But now it us upon me and I cannot."

"Eowyn, you are truly not yourself these days."

"Everything is changing," she said quietly, looking up at me, tears in her eyes.

"And has been for quite some time." I pulled her closer to me. "It will all be fine. You should be excited. You leave in a matter of months and you will not be gone long. Before you know it we will back here for my wedding."

Eowyn raised a warning eyebrow at me, not wanting to get back on that subject.

I looked at the garden and found that we had wandered into our mother's rose plot. Theoden had always let his sister tend to the garden and her most prized part was the roses. Red as blood, velvet to touch, and so fragrant they could be smelled from almost anywhere in the garden.

"Her roses are lovely."

"I have been tending them," Eowyn admitted. "Who will tend them when I leave?"

"I will see that it is done."

"You cannot have a gardener do it, Eomer," she protested.

"Is that what I said?" I plucked the biggest rose I could find and broke the thorns off. "I will see to it myself." I tucked the rose into her fair hair behind her ear.

"That will be a sight. A King tending a rose garden."

I hope you enjoyed that update. I'd love to know what you think or what you'd love to see in the next installment. No hate comments or flames please.

Happy reading,

Avonmora