Éomer and Éowyn had gone to speak with their uncle, informing him of his son's condition and presenting the helmet bearing the White Hand of Saruman that Éomer was wise to bring back as evidence of the wizard's treachery. Grima, however, contradicted Éomer despite the proof and accused Éomer of warmongering.

This angered the young lord and he confronted Grima in private following their audience with the king. He threw him up against the wall, demanding to know what Saruman had offered Grima when the world of men had fallen. It was during the conversation that Éomer realized that Kiana was right and Grima had been lusting after his sister. Éowyn spotted their confrontation as she passed by, stopping only for a moment before storming off with a frown. It was then that Éomer realized that she was what Saruman promised to give Grima. Realizing Éomer knew too much, Grima revealed that Éomer had been banished from Rohan and all its domains, with a death sentence should he ever return.

Kiana was bringing more supplies to the prince's room and heard someone calling to her. She turned and found Gármund with a grim expression on his face.

"Gármund, what is it?"

"Éomer has been banished."

Kiana's heart dropped. "What..?"

"He and those loyal to him are to leave Edoras at once."

Kiana dropped everything and rushed off, hurrying to the main gates with Gármund as quickly as they could.

"What reason would the king banish his own nephew?!"

Gármund sighed. "Grima."

Kiana knew then that Grima had coerced the king into signing off on the order, taking advantage of his poor mental state. "That snake..!"

They reached the main gates as the éored gathered, readying for departure. Kiana searched for Éomer as Gármund went to ready his things as well, finding the young lord just inside the stables.

"Éomer?"

Éomer barely acknowledged her as he finished the final preparations for his horse.

"Éomer." Kiana reached up to touch his hand.

"Kiana, you shouldn't be here."

"Gármund came to get me, he told me what happened..." She gave his hand a squeeze. "Where will you go?"

"We'll ride north, do what we can to continue to protect our lands."

"The king is not of right mind, he can't have meant for this to happen..."

Éomer sighed and pulled her into his arms. "I know..."

"What will we do without you here? What of your sister?"

"Grima will try to worm his way into her heart as well and I fear that she will lose the will to fight."

Kiana looked up at him. "Then I will look after her."

Éomer pressed his forehead to hers. "I know you will, just be careful. Please... I cannot bear the thought of you being in danger, too..."

They stayed like that for a moment before one of his men approached them. "My lord, it is time."

Éomer sighed and nodded. "I must leave..." He mounted up as Kiana stepped back. When he looked back down at her, she took his hand and placed something into it.

"This amulet has always brought me good luck. Take this with you so that it may keep you safe."

"Kiana..." He looked down at the amulet, seeing a Rohirric design engraved into the silver- three horses intertwined as they paraded around the amulet.

"For however long it takes, I will wait for you, Éomer," Kiana said, trying to fight back her tears. "I have faith that things will work out someday, so until then, please stay safe and come back to me alive."

"I will." He pulled the chain over his head and tucked it into his armor for safekeeping. "Until we meet again."

Kiana stood back as he gave the signal to move out and cantered out of the stables, taking his place at the head of the éored. She hurried to the battlements, watching as they left Edoras. She lingered until the éored was indistinguishable from the rest of the landscape, then made her way to Meduseld to comfort Éowyn.

When she reached the Golden Hall, she found Éowyn sitting beside her cousin. "My lady..?"

Éowyn barely glanced up at her as she joined her at the bedside. "My cousin lay dying, my brother banished... what more must I lose before it comes to an end...?"

"Loss is never easy, but to let that loss consume you will only hasten your own demise. You must stay strong." Kiana reached over and grasped Éowyn's hand. "And I will be with you every step of the way, for as long as I possibly can."

Éomer and his men traveled north, coming across a traveling band of Orcs and Uruk-Hai in the night. They made quick work of them, ambushing them under cover of darkness, then set their corpses ablaze. Come morning, as they continued on their chosen task, Éomer and his men came across three Hunters- a Man, an elf, and a dwarf- and demanded to know who they were and what business they had in this part of the country.

Insulted, the dwarf proclaimed that they'd tell him their names if Éomer gave them his. A fight nearly ensued between the two parties when the elf threatened Éomer with an arrow, only to have the Rohirrim point their spears at the elf and his companions. The Man intervened and revealed their names: the Man introduced himself as Aragorn, the elf as Legolas of the woodland realm, and the dwarf, Gimli, son of Glóin. Aragorn assured Éomer that they were friends of their king, Théoden.

Éomer revealed that their King couldn't tell friends from foes, not even his own family, and revealed his relation to the King. He then orders his men to stand down and proceeds to inform the trio that Saruman had poisoned the mind of his uncle and had taken control over Rohan. He revealed that he and his company were still loyal to Rohan, thus making them all banished, and warned them of the cunningness of the wizard. He talked about the rumors he had heard that Saruman wandered the world as an old man, hooded and cloaked, and suspected them of being spies.

Aragorn informed the young lord that he and his companions were not spies, and were actually looking for their companions who had been kidnapped by Uruk-hai westward across the plain. Éomer revealed that he and his men had come across the Uruks and had slaughtered them in the night. However, the trio were adamant that two hobbits were with the party, and Aragorn answered that they would only look like children in their eyes. Nonetheless, Éomer insisted that they had left none alive and that their carcasses were burnt, and offered his condolences to the shocked company.

As a parting gift, the Rohirric prince gave Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli two horses, Hasufel and Arod, whose riders were killed during the battle, and wished them to have fortune, unlike the horses' previous masters. He wished them luck in looking for their friends, but told them not to hope, as there is none left in their lands. The Rohirrim bids them farewell and continues their ride north.