Please accept my deepest apologies for it having been so long since I've updated. I got so swamped with school and I accidentally deleted what progress I did have on this chapter. To make up for it, I made it extra long. I hope you love it. I truly enjoyed writing this chapter!

Chapter Six (Lothiriel)

It had gone so quick. I had a week left in Dol Amroth before we would be heading to Minas Tirith for Faramir and Eowyn's wedding. We would be back to Dol Amroth after the wedding, but the Rohirric party would be with us. Those were the last few days I would have with just my family in our home before I was married to Eomer.

One afternoon, Klymena knocked on my bedroom door, Alphros on her hip. "Come to the beach with us. It's a beautiful day."

I glanced out the window. The sun was indeed shining on the blue waves. "You've twisted my arm I suppose," I said, taking Alphros into my own arms and kissing his soft cheek.

"Have you begun to pack?" My sister-in-law asked.

"Can we talk about anything else?" All anyone had been asking me was if I was excited to be reunited with my husband-to-be, if I was looking forward to going back to Rohan, or if I was ready to be married. "You know I would rather cut off my hands than proceed with this." I looked at Klymena pointedly.

We had spoken long and in depth about my experiences in Edoras when I had first returned. She had been sympathetic to my plight then.

"I have been thinking about you a great deal and perhaps you should have a more open mind, Lothiriel," Klymena said raising her voice above the waves as we approached the sea.

"Oh Klymena, not you too. I thought you at least would remain compassionate to me." Alphros laughed as I bent over and dipped his feet the water and pulled him back up.

"I am compassionate. This is horrible and my heart hurts for you," she insisted, slipping from her slippers and stepping next to us in the water. "But you should try to have a more open mind or you risk being this miserable and angry for the rest of your life in Rohan, which will be a very long time from what I can tell." She placed her hand on my back as I again bent to dip Alphros' tiny feet in the water. "You are a sister to me and I hate to think of you so unhappy and so far away from us," she said gently.

"How do you propose that I be happy, Klymena? I am happy here with my family. You have not been to Edoras, you have not spent time with the King." I felt tears sting my eyes and so I dipped Alprhos again to hide my face.

"I am aware of all of that, but who will be there to feel bad for you when you leave us behind here? If you act sullen in Edoras your father will not be there to regret his decision, your brothers will not be there to intimidate the King into being good to you, and I will not be there to be your companion. Being bitter will not get you anywhere, Lothiriel." Klymena laid out a blanket away from the water and sat down, patting the spot next to her. "I do not want you to be angry with me. You already have too much anger within you, I am afraid."

"Would you not, if you were in my place?" I demanded of her, exhibiting that very anger in my tone.

"I would. I was in your shoes once, do not forget."

I sighed. "Klymena, I do not mean to discount yours and Elphir's experience, but it was quite different. You see your family whenever you want to just by venturing into the city." I was getting angrier as I spoke. "You may not have made the decision to marry Elphir, but you were interested in each other at least."

Klymena and Elphir had been married at the only time when my father had feared a military coup. Klymena's father had been in charge of the Swan Knights just after my mother had passed away and my father had been losing his grip on the throne which was not acceptable to Klymena's father. It had been a strategic marriage, but it had only sped up the courtship that had already been going on, to subdue Klymena's father until my own father could regain his hold on the Realm.

"I know, Lothiriel. I know it is not the same. But I cannot bear to imagine you so miserable. That is not the woman who befriended me so long ago."

During the conversation, Alphros had been lying on his back gurgling, watching the clouds roll by and kicking his feet. He was sleeping when we both looked at him. Klymena reached over and stroked his cheek before carefully lifting him into her arms.

"Something good might come from your marriage," she murmured, looking down fondly at her son. "Just think over what I have said." My sister-in-law smiled softly down at me before going inside to lay Alphros down.

ooooOoooo

The night before we were to leave for Minas Tirith I could not sleep. I had lain in bed, tossing and turning, walking back and forth in front of the window, watching the moon's reflection on the obsidian sea, but nothing helped.

Finally, I put my robe around me and padded out into the palace. I wanted to remember how it was in that very moment, before I was forever attached to another person, a person whom I did not know at all. My wandering eventually turned into a purpose and I found myself walking the same corridors as I did on other nights when I could not sleep.

The portrait smiled softly down at me. She looked like me, the same dark hair and green eyes that I saw every time I looked in a mirror. There were inscriptions under all of the portraits in the palace and I ran my finger over those familiar grooves. Adlanna, wife of Imrahil, twenty-second Prince of Dol Amroth.

"Lothiriel, what are you doing up?"

I jumped and my hand went to my racing heart. "Father, you scared me," I looked at him in the dim torchlight and could see the glimmer of a wine goblet in his hand. "What are you doing up?"

"I could not sleep and I will guess that you could not either."

I shook my head as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders and we both stood looking at the portrait. "Do you come here often?"

I nodded. "Whenever I cannot sleep or cannot figure out what to do or when I want some peace. Even now she is still a comfort to me."

"Indeed she is. You remind me so much of her, Lothiriel. It is truly incredible. You have her same spirit."

I smiled as I rested my head on his chest.

There was a long, not uncomfortable pause in the conversation. "Do you hate me, Loth?"

"Hate you? Why would I hate you, Father?" I asked.

"For arranging this marriage with Eomer-King."

"Of course I do not hate you, Father. It is how these things work."

"Do not be so easy on me, daughter."

I looked up at him. "Rohan will have much to offer our people once they rebuild. I know this. I am happy to do a duty for my people."

My father could not meet my gaze. "Eomer is a good man. He is most noble and brave. He will be kind to you." He was justifying the situation to himself more than anyone else and I could not put anymore guilt upon him, much as I detested the whole situation.

"I have no doubts," I assured him. "He has been most courteous in all of our dealings thus far."

We remained in silence for some moments. "She would be so proud of you. I am." Imrahil never spoke in such ways to his children until he had had a bit to drink. It was not that he did not truly feel those sentiments, but that they seemed to stick in his soldier's throat most of the time. "Now off to bed. We have a long day ahead of us." The weight of his arm left me and he nudged me back the way I had come as though I were still a toddler.

ooooOoooo

The day we arrived in Minas Tirith there was to be a welcome feast for all of the guests who had come to attend the wedding of Faramir and Eowyn. There was a knock on my door as I was just finishing getting ready. When I opened it, I was assaulted my Eomer-King's presence.

"Your Grace," I said, offering him a curtsy.

"I thought I might escort you to dinner," he said, standing uncomfortably outside my rooms.

"That is very kind of you," I replied. "One moment." I hurried over to the dresser in the corner of the room and fastened a necklace around my neck.

I pulled the door closed behind me and reached for the King's arm that had not yet been offered.

"Oh of course, forgive me," he said shaking his head and tucking my hand into the crook of his arm. "I forget now that I am a courtesan above all else and no longer a Marshall." He gave a soft chuckle and then led us down the corridor to the dining room.

"That is a beautiful gem," Eomer said looking at the blue green stone at my throat after an uncomfortable silence.

"Thank you. It was my mother's." That response led to another uncomfortable lull in the conversation. I feared that those silences would be characteristic of our impending married life.

"It is alright. It was a long time ago," I said, not wanting him to struggle to come up with a response any longer.

"Be that as it may, such a thing never leaves a person."

I knew that Eomer had lost both of his parents while just an adolescent. "That is true," I said as we approached the doors to the feast. "I appreciate your understanding."

Eomer merely bowed his head in my direction and then pushed the heavy wooden doors open for us to pass through. I remained silent as well. For the first time, it seemed to be not an entirely uncomfortable silence. I was appreciating that he had gone through so much in his short life, being only twenty-eight as I understood it. There had been so much loss for him. Sometimes it took such a comparison to realize that things were not so bad, that I had not struggled nearly as much as I thought I had.

There was only a short time available for reflection as suddenly everyone was greeting us. My family was there, the King and Queen were there, as were Faramir and Eowyn. It looked as though the entire Fellowship was present. I had learned all of their faces while we had been in Minas Tirith for Aragorn's coronation. The Hobbits and the Dwarf were a rowdy bunch, already having pints of ale in front of them.

"Ah Eomer-King, it has been far too long," Gimli, the dwarf, said as Eomer and I sat down at our places across from him.

"Indeed it has Master Dwarf," Eomer said with a friendly smile. He turned to Legolas in turn. "Legolas, it is a pleasure to see you once more."

I knew from my father and brothers' tactical descriptions after the War about the Fellowship and the role they all played. Gimli, Aragorn, and Legolas had briefly crossed paths with Eomer in Edoras during the War, before Eomer was sent away and the trio moved on.

"I agree," Legolas replied before turning his attention to me. "You must be Princess Lothiriel of Dol Amroth."

I nodded. "Lothiriel will do just fine."

"Then you should call me Legolas."

"And I am Gimli," the Dwarf butted in.

"I am honored to make your acquaintance," I said kindly. "I have heard much of your bravery."

I could tell that the Dwarf might enjoy a little flattery so I gave it willingly.

He waved me away, looking none too modest. "I did what had to be done is all."

I spent the rest of the dinner chatting amiably with those around. I got to speak to the Hobbits, though it was hard to keep up with all of them, or three of them anyway. Frodo, the Ringbearer, seemed rather somber. His eyes sometimes met mine and the piercing shade of blue made me catch my breath each time. The other three though, they were quite talkative and kept me amused to no end with their back and forth banter.

At one point once we had stood and moved about after the filling dinner, I could feel a gaze on me. I turned to see Eomer, who was speaking to Aragorn and my father and brothers, staring at me, not paying much attention to the conversation going on around him. I quickly turned back to the Hobbits, left wondering what on Arda he had been looking at.

ooooOoooo

The wedding ceremony was beautiful. I had never seen my cousin look so happy in all of my life. Though Eowyn and I had gotten off on the wrong foot, if she made him happy then I was happy for him. We all were. Faramir had not had an easy go of it.

The two began the reception by immediately heading for the space that had been cleared for dancing. Food, wine, and ale had been placed at tables all throughout the Great Hall. People began to join them in their dancing, but I helped myself to a glass of wine. It was a sweet red that went down quite smoothly.

"Think you might give Eomer a bit of slack tonight?" Erchirion asked, coming to stand next to me with a mug of ale in his own hand.

"What do you mean?" I asked, looking up at my brother.

"Well, you have not made this easy on him."

"Oh do not give me that rubbish," I sighed.

"It was just a suggestion, Loth," he said, kissing my cheek before going off to pursue some Gondoran noble's daughter.

It was a few moments later when I felt his presence behind me. I did not even have to turn to know it was him. Apparently when someone was so big you could just tell when they were near. They moved the air. "Would you care to dance?"

I turned and looked up at him. I was perpetually looking up at everyone. "I would enjoy that."

He led us onto the dance floor and respectfully positioned his hand on my waist and took my smaller hand in his huge paw. It was the first time we had been so close.

"Our first dance," I observed as we began the slow movements in our little spot. It was a simple dance that did not require much focus.

He gave a light chuckle. "So it is. The first of many I would like to hope."

I looked into his kind brown eyes, but did not respond. The statement was a little sentimental for my tastes. I continued to smile though as I could feel my entire family's eyes on me. I played the part for them.

When the song was over we went our separate ways.

Much later in the night, I heard Eowyn shout out to her brother. "Eomer, come dance! Let us show these Gondorans how we dance in the North!"

It seemed that some in the Rohirric party had taken over the instruments and a loud drum beat got the song going. All of the Rohirrim present rushed to join their King and they began stomping their feet and swinging one another round and round. It was the most bizarre thing I had ever seen. There seemed to be no grace involved whatsoever.

"Do you think you can manage to learn how to do that?" Amrothos asked, as he came up to me on rather unsteady legs.

"We shall see. At least I can walk."

"Oh Loth, you do not know how to have a good time."

I just shook my head, not getting into the fact that as a woman such a drunken display was not quite as well received. That was why my brothers and even the King of Rohan, who was deep into his cups then, were allowed to behave as such. They were men. They could drink and dance with whomever they pleased, as Eomer was. He had continued to dance with one of the braver Gondoran noblewomen who had joined the Rohirric people on the dance floor. They were both smiling and laughing to each other as Eomer helped her through the steps.

The hall had heated up from all of the bodies and the dancing. I found myself wandering out onto the terrace for some cool air. I was alone for only a few moments. I could find nowhere peaceful.

"Are you not having a good time, milady?" I heard the gruff voice ask, though it was somewhat slow with drink.

"I am having a fine time, Your Grace," I said turning to face him. "I was just taking the air is all."

"I am glad to hear it," he replied.

"And you, Your Grace? Are you enjoying yourself?"

"You truly must stop with the formality. We are to be married are we not?" He said a little brashly.

"Forgive me."

"Do you find the idea so unappealing?" He continued on in his brash tone.

"Of course I do not," I said, unafraid of the temper that seemed to be creeping into his voice.

"Good," he said just before he pulled me into him and crashed his lips into mine.

My eyes went wide, but his were closed. His hand on my lower back held me to him firmly. His other hand held is ale mug and some sloshed on the floor splattering my gown in his sudden movement. I could taste the ale from his mouth and I nearly gagged. His beard scratched my cheeks and chin. I finally yelped when he bit my lower lip. My fisted hands beat on his chest, but I was unable to get him off of me. He staggered around, still holding me and I so feared that he would fall on top of me in his drunkenness.

"What?" He demanded when he finally let me go. "Did you not care for that?" He pointed back into the hall. "Any of those women would love to take your place."

I pulled back as though I had been slapped. "Then they can have you. Do not dare to ever speak to me like that again."

I turned on my heel and left.

"Lothiriel!" He called after me. I could hear the heavy footsteps behind me, but they were unsteady and eventually stopped. "I am sorry." I heard faintly.

I hope you liked it. Let me know what you thought, what you'd like to see in future installments, or whatever you want! No hate comments or flames, please.

Happy reading,

Avonmora