I don't have much to say about this one, except enjoy!

Chapter Twelve (Lothiriel)

I found myself with child almost immediately after we were married. Two months after I had found out and sought out the healers, I was still keeping the secret to myself. It had been the healer's advice to keep it private until I was a little longer into the pregnancy. Many babies were lost early in pregnancy and because of how common it was they did not want me to have to share such happy news only to have to share sad news unless I was certain that the pregnancy would continue.

I even kept my secret from Eomer. It was easy. He was very unobservant for the most part and my body did not show many signs of the pregnancy outwardly. My breasts were sore and tender and I was unusually tired some days, but I was one of the lucky ones who did not suffer terribly from morning sickness.

One morning, I woke up feeling as though I had not slept at all and found that, like most mornings, Eomer was up and gone already. The week after our wedding had been a rare concession as I had come to find out. Eomer and I were allowed to spend all of our time together with only the rare council meeting or other obligation. In the two months since, though, I often did not see Eomer from dawn until dusk.

I rose blearily and made my way to the bathroom where I proceeded to wash my face and braid my long hair behind my shoulders. I chose a functional cotton dress that was anything but flashy and donned it for the day. I had also learned very quickly that much unlike the princesses in Dol Amroth, as the Queen of Rohan I was expected to be more than an accessory to Eomer. I was expected to lighten some of his load.

Our first order of business had been seeing to the public stores of grain and other commodities for the coming of winter while Rohan was being rebuilt. I had taken charge day after grueling day, my ladies at my side, taking inventory of what little remained. I would be expected to present my findings to Eomer's council shortly.

With the public inventory being done, my ladies and I moved onto taking Meduseld itself into account. We rummaged through our own personal storage, which was not much better off than that of the public. I was also responsible for putting Meduseld back together. It had fallen into disrepair during the last part of Théoden's reign and Eowyn had clearly not seen it important for Meduseld to be at its best.

Funds were low for such a project and so I found myself and my ladies digging around in storage areas looking for well-preserved tapestries and other decoratives that might bring some life back into the Golden Hall. I knew what Eowyn did not. It was important for a royal home to be presentable and even charming especially when dignitaries and ambassadors from other Realms visited to make treaties and transact other such business.

The door to the storage room we were picking through opened and I saw my ladies rise and curtsy before I turned and saw Eomer striding toward me, a small grin on his face. I rose clasping a lovely tapestry I had found to my chest as he met my lips with his. Kisses from Eomer were never as chaste as they should have been in public, but I took a secret thrill in them nonetheless, especially after I learned just what magic they could work on my body.

"I have been searching everywhere for you," he chuckled looking down at my flushed face. "What have you got there?"

"I just found this. I thought it would look resplendent behind the thrones." It was too big for me to unfold so I gestured for one of my ladies to help me so that Eomer could see it. It was a family tree of sorts depicting the Kings of Rohan and their families up until before Théoden's rule. "It would have to be updated, but there is room there at the bottom. I was hoping Dernhild would do it."

"I love it, Lothiriel." Eomer was always sincere in his compliments. I think he was still shocked, as was I, that I had learned to care for Rohan as though it were my own Realm. "And the one behind the throne is getting a little ratty," he said lightly, recovering.

I nodded. "It will be done."

"Are you terribly busy right now?" He asked.

I glanced at my ladies. "We could probably take a break. Why?"

"Come with me." He took my hand in his huge one and pulled me from the room.

We ended up in the stables and he navigated us through the stalls until he found the one he was looking for. I glanced over the pen and saw a laboring mare, lying on her side. Eomer looked down at me. "This is Firefoot's foal she bears," he said.

He was smiling and his face seemed to lose some of its cares here in his stable. The mare panted and shifted heavily onto her feet, moving around a bit. I could see the hooves of her foal poking out, but she did not seem to be in any hurry to expel her young from her body. She tossed her chestnut mane and moved about.

She paid Eomer and me no mind as she went back to lying on her side. I could tell then that she finally felt the urge to push. Eomer was content to watch, but it made me nervous and for the first time a hand strayed to my own still-flat stomach. I might have been months away, but the thought of giving birth to our child still scared me half to death.

We watched in silence for nearly an hour before I could sense Eomer's worry next to me. "This should have been over long ago. She is exhausted. It is her first time," he explained.

Before I knew it he was opening the pen and striding slowly toward the mare.

"It's alright, mother," he said gently to her, rubbing down her neck slowly to get her accustomed to his touch. His strong hands moved over the mound of her belly where her foal still rested and he lingered there before he moved on.

I watched as he pushed his tunic sleeves over his muscled forearms, approaching the foal's hooves. He grasped them and began to pull gently, leaning back on his heels. The mare's head jerked up, but she did not try to fight Eomer or move away. I think she realized her need for help.

She helped him as best she could; giving little sharp pushes and the foal slowly emerged into our world. It arrived in a pool of fluid. Her head fell back as her body could finally relax. Eomer tore the sac that enclosed the foal and then he looked at me proudly. "It is a colt."

I smiled over the pen at him and continued to watch as he cleared the nostrils and helped the colt to find his mother so that he might nurse for the first time. Eomer washed his hands off in a bucket they kept in the stables and then came back to stand next to me as we watched mother and son bond for the first time.

"Thank you for showing me this," I said. "I had never seen anything quite like it."

Eomer wordlessly kissed the top of my head as my thoughts went back to my own child.

ooooOoooo

"Dernhild!" I exclaimed a few days later. "What are you doing here?"

In one arm she had a rolled tapestry and in her other Bregdan was propped on her hip. She greeted me with a smile as I went to tickle Bregdan's exposed foot and pinch his baby rolls.

"After Hama saw the tapestry you gifted the King he wished to have one similar for his own home. He said it would be easier if I were to deliver it here."

"I am so glad you are here. I have been meaning to come and visit, but after the wedding this place has been a madhouse."

She laughed. "But I hear only good things about our new Queen."

I shrugged her compliment away. "After you deliver that tapestry would you come to my rooms? I have something I want to ask you."

"Of course, my lady," she replied with a slightly nervous smile.

"Lothiriel," I corrected as we both went our separate ways.

Later when she entered, I bid her sit down. I had had an afternoon snack brought in. "Help yourself." I eyed Bregdan. "Do you mind if I hold him?" I asked tentatively. Seeing as I was pregnant myself, I was drawn to the child even more than before.

"Of course not." She handed him over much more eagerly than the time I had visited her in her own home. "He has grown quite heavy of late."

Bregdan did not fuss at all on my lap and I fed him small bits of fruit and cheese after Dernhild said it was alright to do so.

"This may not be my place and forgive me for being forward if it is not, but I do believe congratulations are in order," Dernhild said with a sly smile.

I stuttered for a moment.

"I was with child once too," she continued. "I can see it in your complexion and the way you're nearly spilling from your dress," she gestured to the neckline of my cotton gown. It was true. Before I had never filled out the bodice of any dress and now I could feel the fabric straining across my breasts.

I laughed. "Thank goodness my husband is not so observant."

"You have not yet told the King?"

"I wanted to be positive, is all." I shrugged.

"I understand. It is probably safe now."

I nodded. "I did not ask you here so that you could uncover all of my secrets though," I said with a grin. "I wanted to ask you something as I said earlier."

"Go on," she said tentatively.

"I would like you to move into Meduseld and act as one of my ladies, one of my companions."

She was speechless for a moment. "Lothiriel, I could not," she finally got out.

"And why not?" I looked at her. "You can keep your house outside of the city and return whenever you want. I will appoint nurses and tutors for Bregdan when he comes of age. He would be a companion to my child. There are few enough children here in Meduseld."

"It is not that." Dernhild sighed. "I am not nobly born. All of your ladies are gentlewomen from Gondor. In comparison I am uncouth, unlearned. I could not do or act as would be required of me."

I shook my head. "Dernhild, that is exactly why I am asking you. My current ladies, though they have been with me for most of my life and are very dear to my heart, know nothing of Rohan or the culture here. I am in sore need of someone who does. I find your company very pleasing and enjoy spending time with you and you also know Rohan and its customs. Reading books can only help me so much."

She stared at me long and hard. "Are you sure?"

I nodded eagerly. "So sure that I have already had quarters prepared for you and Bregdan to move into and team of men waiting to help you move your things into the Hall."

Laughter bubbled from her lips. "Well then I cannot say no to that."

ooooOooo

A week later saw Dernhild and Bregdan completely moved into Meduseld and growing accustomed to their new lives and duties. I had appointed a wonderful nurse to Bregdan who would shortly be watching over my child as well, though I did not mention that to the woman as it was still a secret.

After a long day of working on the Hall and trying to bring some life back into the corridors, followed by a terribly arduous session of Dernhild turning me into the perfect Rohirric woman, I was exhausted. She had gone through my clothes and sent many of my finer things from Dol Amroth to be stored elsewhere. I would have to dress the part of the Rohirric Queen until an occasion arose to visit my family home where such clothing was acceptable. She instructed in how to wear my hair for different occasions and what jewelry was unflashy enough to be worn in the modest Realm.

I slipped under the blankets of our huge bed and was just drifting to sleep when the door opened. I inwardly groaned, but rolled over to see Eomer come into the room. He chuckled at me before sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Lothiriel, this is out of character for you. You've become such a diligent worker, I've never known you to take an afternoon nap."

I was rather grouchy at having been disturbed. I had been falling asleep on my feet when I had been with Dernhild and she had promised that she would cover for me while I slept if anyone asked, though apparently that excluded the King himself.

"Yes, well I have never known myself to be with child either, so that could explain it."

I had not meant to share my news so brashly, but the words hung in the air between us. Eomer gaped at me silently, unable to formulate a response so I rolled back over and sank into the bed some more.

His strong hands rolled me back to face him. "Are you jesting?"

"Of course I am not jesting. Why would I jest? I have been terribly tired ever since I found out." I looked up at him and watched as a smile crept onto his face ever so slowly.

Forgetting himself entirely, he drug me roughly up into his arms and against his chest, nearly forcing the breath out of me with his strength. I sputtered helplessly and he quickly released me. "I am sorry," he said quickly. "I must be gentler now."

I met his gaze and I could swear that I saw his eyes glistening. My husband, wielder of a sword and a spear, tucked me ever so gently back under the covers before kicking his own boots off and pulling his over shirt over his head and joining me under the blankets.

"Lothiriel, you have made me the happiest man alive this day," he whispered, as his callused hand caressed my cheek.

"I have done nothing, Eomer," I replied though I let a small, proud smile grace my lips.

"You have done everything," he whispered, seriousness laced in his voice. "I want to do everything I can to make you happy here, with me." He pushed my raven hair back and kissed me deeply on the mouth. "Because I am happy you are here."

I hope you loved it! Please let me know what you thought! I really do enjoy hearing from my readers! Makes the next update that much faster!

Happy reading,

Avonmora