To say that they have gone through a lot would have been an understatement. With him, he had gone through much as a youngster with the death of his parents, the slow sinking of his mother's brother, and the wandering spirit of his sister. With herself, she could not claim the circumstances of her life as difficult. And after another long day dealing with politicians, they just lay there on their bed. He did not say too much about anything. He was never a man of words, for actions were far more meaningful to him. It was strange that he was so skillful with reading body language, but he could not really read into her melancholia. Maybe it was because she knew how to control her body as well as her tongue.

She sorted out her thoughts, remembering when they first met soon after the war's end. While he had been under the scrutiny of both Gondor and Rohan, it was more because he was a hero of the West. But as for herself, she felt the scrutiny of both her birth country and adopted nation because she was unknown. She was a stranger to both worlds because she was never in the forefront like her relatives. There were so many times in the first few months of their marriage that she felt the biting remarks of the other ladies of Rohan. It was on those days that she could not but wonder if she was the wrong choice. But now, she did not care. The courtiers might try to draw her out of the lavender haze she found herself in, but the peace he gave her was stronger. He chose her, and that was enough.

Who would have thought that he would be drawn to her of all people? She was not a leader like her father or uncle. She was not a warrior like her brothers and cousins. She was not ever a healer. She was quiet and reserved and seemingly unprepared for the world. Still, he felt something creep on him. To his people, they called it a lavender haze because she gave him a peace that started subtlety and grew over time. He fell hard for her, though. Whatever they had would be ruined when he started caring about what his and her people thought of them as a couple.

As he lay there, he smiled as he recalled some of the things his friends asked him. It was crude of them to think of her as temporary outlet for his "needs." But that was before they learned that all females deserved a modicum of respect. It was before they learned that she was a lady of high position. It was before they met her. In their slightly misguided attempt to protect him from hurt, they had the audacity to ask if she would be a temporary "thing" or a wife. She merely regarded them in that quiet, thoughtful way before answering that their king's business was his, not theirs. She may have given them a few choice words as well, and he was proud of her.

After nearly an hour of companionable silence, he turned towards her and ask, "Are you alright, my heart?"

She turned her face to him, smiling slightly, "I am if you are. I do have to ask, though, what did you see in me when we first met?"

"I thought we agreed to…."

"No, we didn't. That was a different matter," she interrupted. "I promise you that I have no other motivation other than curiosity. We never really talked about how we came to be before because we did not really understand. But I think that enough time has passed to say that we do now."

"Fine, then. When I first saw you, you were talking with your servant or one of the citizens in Gondor. This other person was distressed about something, yet you listened patiently. Of all the powerful people met, I knew you were among the few who would actually listen to the people and act in their interest," he answered truthfully. "When we talked for the first time, you did not think of me as more than a hero or less than a killer."

He went silent afterwards, and then she spoke. "I'm not perfect you know."

At this he chuckled, "Ah, yes. The passion that simmers beneath your cool exterior. Some of my best friends fear you because of it, you know. It is not necessarily a bad thing, you know."

"Perhaps, but it has gotten the best of me and put me in difficult situations," she mumbled. "But enough of me. My turn." She regarded him with the brilliant smile that was just for him before continuing, "I remember seeing you during the coronation ceremony and thinking that you were everything I was not. You were a warrior, a politician, and a healer."

"I am not a politician or a healer," he interrupted. "I detest having to deal with the words and paperwork that comes with politics, and my rudimentary skills were only enough to keep one of men alive until a healer could help."

"You may not be good with words, but you understand far more than you give yourself credit," she explained. "You knew that…a particular advisor was no good, and you were able to keep the kingdom together during that time. And as for a healer, did you not usher in an age of peace and prosperity into your homeland? In that sense, you are a healer."

She continued from where she left off before he interrupted her, "As I was saying, I did not think myself worthy of your attention. With a family as illustrious as mine, I was merely a link to it. Whoever married me could claim connection to the top family of Gondor. It was not hard to not feel like I was anything more than a pawn. At that time, I did not understand why you actually cared about my opinions. No one asked me what I wanted, that I did not even know."

The royal couple continued talking long into the night, reminiscing over all the circumstances that brought them together. And when they walked into the Great Hall the next day, everyone could sense the strength of the bond between them. If their life now was a lavender haze, then their afterlife would be a lavender heaven.