Here's the newest update! It's fairly short, just to move the story along. Still not sure how I see this all panning out so please share your thoughts when you review. Enjoy!
Chapter Thirteen (Eomer)
After my conversation with Na'man, I could do nothing but pace my chambers. In Rohan, I had been presented with the possibility of an annulment, but I never would have thought that Mareke would approach me with one.
And of course, she was not. Her brother was. But that was likely worse. Na'man was the one who could sue for a divorce. Mareke had not signed our marriage contract. It would be her brother that signed the annulment agreement rather than her.
I could not fathom returning to Edoras without my wife and son. I had come to retrieve them, to say that I had made a mistake. I had thought that would be enough.
A servant entered with a tray of food that I would not touch. Since the harrowing conversation and the threat of my marriage ending, I found I could not eat or sleep.
"Please send for the Lady Oyna," I bid the young woman.
Nearly an hour later, Oyna entered my chambers and offered a curtsy. I knew she was not my biggest supporter, but she was, after her marriage to Eothain, technically my subject rather than Na'man's. I hoped to use that to my advantage is getting to see my wife.
"Your Majesty sent for me?" she asked.
"Yes," I gestured for her to sit at the dining table. "Help yourself."
"Is there something I can help Your Majesty with?" she asked apprehensively.
"I need to see Mareke," I said without preamble.
"Your Majesty-"
"I cannot leave here without seeing her," I cut her off. "I cannot leave without knowing the state of our marriage as she sees it, not her brother."
"I believe she is of the same mind as King Na'man," Lady Oyna said as diplomatically as she could manage.
"'Believe,'" I said. "But that is not a fact. Unless she has told you for sure what she wants to do."
Oyna remained silent for a moment.
"Remember that your allegiance is to me," I said.
She had done a good job of masking her feelings since her arrival in my rooms, but my last comment warranted a glare.
"How could I forget, Your Majesty?" she returned icily. "Mareke has not told me what she intends to do, however considering the nature of the annulment suit, I am not sure that it would be her decision at the end of the day."
She did not have to say the word 'duress' for me to understand what she was implying. If Na'man could force his sister into a marriage, he could surely force her out of one.
"If I cannot see Mareke, I would see the King again," I said.
"I can pass along the message. I am not sure how it will be received."
"I know how it will be received, but if you could anyway, I would be grateful." I felt myself deflate, faced with the tremendous obstacle that Na'man was presenting to me.
Oyna did not immediately rise.
"I know I have made many mistakes," I said quietly, looking at my hands in my lap. "I know I made mostly mistakes where Mareke was concerned," I corrected myself. "But I should have the opportunity to fix those, should I not?"
Oyna remained silent.
"You may speak frankly," I bid her, knowing I would find no friend in my wife's companion.
"Was every day of those nearly two years not an opportunity to fix those mistakes?" she asked.
I sighed. "I suppose so."
"I am not sure what you are expecting the outcome to be, but if it were up to me, I would not have Mareke go back into your care."
With that, she rose, offered a shallow curtsy and departed without my permission.
When the door closed, my heart began beating rapidly and my breathing was short. There had only been a few times in my life when I had felt such panic.
The attacks were never when I would have expected them. Not once had it happened before a great battle, not before my coronation or any state event.
The times I could remember it happening were when I had given Eowyn away on her wedding day, when Lothiriel had passed and I had realized that I was all Artanis had, and now, realizing that I may have made the biggest mistake of my life.
And so it continued on for several days. I could not eat or sleep, but I refused to leave without, at the very least, another audience with Na'man.
ooooOoooo
Two days after my conversation with Oyna, a servant announced that the woman was back and seeking to see me.
I indicated that the servant could open the door, but when I looked up, it was not Lady Oyna, but Artanis who I was greeted with.
"Artanis?" I rose to my full height. "What are you doing here?" I demanded.
Lady Oyna lingered in the doorway, but her eyes were cast to the floor.
"I snuck into a wagon when you left Edoras," she said.
"What were you thinking?" I thundered, though my daughter did not cower at my raised voice. "You could have been hurt!"
"Lady Oyna took care of me after a few days of hiding," she replied, unperturbed.
Once more I looked to Oyna, who was still staring at the floor. "You may leave us," I said coldly.
"I knew you would not let me come with you. You did not even tell me where you were going. I overheard a servant as they were packing in your room."
"I do not answer to you," I said, sitting once more on the low sofa.
Artanis remained on her feet, making her just about eye level with me. "Perhaps you should."
I was speechless for a moment at my daughter's audacity. Her fearlessness might one day serve her very well, but when she used it to flaunt my authority, or worse to go toe to toe with me, I found it worse than irritating. I had never met anyone in my entire life who managed to get under my skin or make my blood boil like Artanis could.
"I do not wish to argue with you, Papa," she said, finally sitting down on the sofa across from me. "I wanted to see Mareke again and I did not know if she would ever come back to Edoras so I had to come to her."
"And have you seen her?" I asked, trying to sound nonchalant.
"Several times. As well as Theomund." She looked at me for a moment. "You are not allowed to see them," she stated.
"It is complicated," I returned.
"I do not think so. King Na'man is mad at you for not being very nice to Mareke."
Another of my daughters infuriating habits was to see things in their simplest forms.
"Well you seem to have a grasp on the situation then," I managed to reply.
"I saw it," she shrugged.
We both sat in silence. Artanis looked at me until I had to look out the window.
"It seems quite unfair to me," she finally said. "I did nothing wrong, but now I will be without a mother again. Theomund will live here far away from us."
"Who told you that?" I demanded. Nothing had been decided in regards to my son and heir.
"I overheard Mareke and Na'man. Because of the nature of the annulment you will not have much say in what happens to Theomund so he might remain here with Mareke and her family." It was clear that she was repeating verbatim what she had overheard.
"Well that is not going to happen," I assured her, though I could not be certain of the future of my family at all.
"I hope that is so. I would not want to lose them both," she replied, though she too, did not seem certain.
"What else have you overheard?" I asked, changing the subject.
"Mareke agreed to go for a walk with the general in the gardens this afternoon," Artanis said, looking at me mischievously. "She has not left her chambers much since our arrival, but Baran, that is his name, assured her that you have not been out of yours at all except to see Na'man."
My countenance brightened at this tidbit of information. "Well this may just save you from a tanning, but we had better be done with the lying and hiding, do you understand?"
Artanis nodded, clearly not having feared any physical punishment from me. It was not because I had never had to bring her to heel in such a way, because there had been a few occasions when I had. But even then, she had not been taught a lesson. She had faced her punishment like the stoic shieldmaiden she was. It had been nearly impossible to stay my hand when I saw how unfazed she was.
"I think you should fight for her," Artanis said.
"Fight for her?"
"If you do not, our family will be separated, maybe forever."
I sighed. I could find no way around going into the gardens that afternoon to see Mareke. Every other way to reconciliation had been barred to me.
"What do you know of this general?" I asked.
"He is with Mareke quite a lot. He ignores me and Theomund mostly." Artanis looked at me. "I think he might love her. He sometimes talks to her about before the War and how they had spent time together then."
"Does he touch her?" I asked, growing angry.
Artanis thought. "He touches her hands sometimes. One time I saw him touch her hair." She paused. "Maybe he thinks that he will be Mareke's husband if we are sent back to Rohan."
"Well that is not going to happen either. I can assure you of that."
ooooOoooo
Unable to focus on much after my conversation with Artanis, I sent her back to find Lady Oyna.
"Good luck, Papa," she said, lingering in the doorway, her face full of hope. "The general does not know what is coming."
I tried not to laugh as I shooed her away.
Lunch was brought to me, but I could not eat a bite, too nervous about what might happen that afternoon.
I had no plan of action, but when the food was cleared away I freshened up. I found my nicest tunic and left my chambers.
It took me a while to find the gardens, as this general had been correct. I had not ventured out much past trying to find Na'man those days prior.
Finally, I emerged into the bright, desert sunshine. I had to shield my eyes for a moment. The heat was stifling.
I moved into the shade of the tall plants and began to look around for my wife.
I walked for nearly an hour and I could feel the sweat dripping beneath my heavy clothes that were much more suited to the plains than the arid desert.
Eventually, I heard Mareke's voice and I followed it quickly.
I came upon the pair from behind and recognized my wife's tall, slim frame immediately. I was disappointed that Theomund was not on her hip, but I assumed that the general did not want another man's child ruining their afternoon outing.
Upon being confronted with her presence for the first time in months, I froze. I did not know how to even begin an apology to cover the magnitude of my offenses.
I continued to trail them, trying to think of what to say, but when I saw the general wrap his arm low around Mareke's waist and pull her close to his side, I realized it would not be words I needed in that instance.
Immediately, I was upon them, grasping the man's forearm in a vice like grip. Quickly, I jerked him around to face me, causing Mareke to stumble as well.
"Get your hands off of my wife," I growled.
The general took a second too long to gather his bearings and before he could, my fist collided with his jaw sending him sprawling to the ground.
"Eomer!" Mareke exclaimed, taking a step back from the mess.
"I had to-"
Before I could finish my thought, the general tackled me around the middle and I hit the walkway hard.
After that, it was a full on fight. I barely felt the man's fists as we rolled around. I knew I delivered my fair share of blows, but it was all a blur.
"Stop! Stop!" Mareke shouted, but neither of us gave any indication that the brawl would end until one of us was unconscious.
"Separate them!" Mareke ordered as several guards approached.
I was hauled to my feet, trying to land a last punch or kick as we were pulled apart.
I felt warmth coursing down my face, but as of yet, had felt no pain, still ready to resume the fight if I could get free.
Struggling against the guards, I did not see as the general gave a quick signal. One of the men not holding me back, stepped forward and punched me in the stomach so hard, I doubled over and hit my knees with a groan.
It had been many, many years since I had been so roughly handled.
I heard Mareke gasp, but could not look at her as another guard jerked my head back by my hair so that I was forced to look up into the general's face.
"I told Na'man he was too lenient in letting you linger here," the man growled.
I smirked as he wiped away blood from his split lip.
"Amused?" he asked, before savagely landing another blow on my jaw.
Mareke gasped again, but she did not speak up for me. Perhaps, after everything, I should not have expected her too, but the abandonment hurt worse than any of the physical injuries I had sustained.
"Take him back to his chambers," the man ordered. "And stand guard there. No one is to enter or leave. Not even his daughter."
"Baran-" Mareke began.
"By order of King Na'man," he said firmly, without listening to her protests.
ooooOoooo
I was dumped, ungraciously, in the middle of my sitting rooms, falling again to my hands and knees at the impact. The door slammed behind the guards.
"Papa!"
Artanis came running from her bedroom, having moved into my chambers after it was revealed that she was in Harad.
I tried to gather myself, to not scare her, but I knew I must have looked a fright.
"I am alright," I said, trying to straighten up, though a terrible pain in my ribs had me fighting for breath.
Artanis gasped when she saw my face. "Should I send for a healer?" she asked nervously.
When I finally saw her face, I was almost amused to see that she was near tears. Not my most menacing threats could even do that to her.
"They will not let one in," I replied. "And they will not let you out."
"Yes they will," she replied fiercely.
"It is alright, Artanis. It looks much worse than it is," I tried to assure her, though I could only see her out of one eye, as the other was swollen shut. "If you could help me to the sofa and perhaps bring a basin of water and a cloth from my room, that should do the trick."
Tentatively, my daughter stepped forward, reaching out her hands. I tried to put as little of my weight on her as possible, but I was much more unsteady than I had thought. My ribs hurt, my head was pounding, and the blow to my stomach made me feel as though I might be sick.
I gave a hiss of pain as I got to my feet, Artanis allowing me to use her delicate shoulder as a crutch.
We hobbled to the sofa and I collapsed onto it, groaning with the pain once more, but trying to measure it so as not to frighten my poor daughter any more than she already was.
Quickly, she made her way into my bedroom and came back a moment later, struggling with the heavy basin, sloshing some of the water on her feet and dress.
"There is a lot of blood, Papa," she said, near tears still.
I tried to wave my hand nonchalantly. "Sometimes the head wounds bleed quite a bit. It does not mean they are severe."
I held my hand out for the damp cloth and began to wipe at my face. I had to bite my tongue when I encountered the deep gash above my eyebrow, knowing it was much worse than I had led Artanis to believe.
"Is there any of that honey liquor left?" I asked, indicating the pitcher in the middle of the dining table.
Artanis hurried over. "Only a little," she replied apologetically.
"Could you pour it and bring it to me, please?"
There was not enough in the cup to dull the pain, but I drank it anyway. I knew that the Haradrim would not starve my daughter, but I also knew they would not be giving me any special treatment. I would likely have to sit with the pain until whatever came next.
Artanis continued to fret around me for the rest of the evening and could not be convinced to eat the dinner that was hastily brought in by a servant.
"Would you sit with me?" I asked, gingerly patting the sofa next to me.
She did and I carefully put a heavy arm around her shoulder. Eventually, she laid her head on my chest and I let my own fall back on the sofa.
"There. That is all I needed to feel better," I whispered.
We sat in silence for a long while before I spoke again.
"I am sorry, Artanis," I said, continuing to whisper. "This has impacted you much more than I imagined it would. I have been an utter fool."
"I still love you, Papa," she replied.
The earnestness in her voice brought tears to my eyes. "I do not deserve it."
We both sat up a little straighter as we heard a commotion outside of our doors only a few moments later.
"The general cannot go giving directions in the name of the king!"
"Mareke," Artanis breathed.
"They were our orders," one guard said, muffled through the door.
"And I am giving you new ones," my wife replied with more authority than I had ever heard her use.
My heart began to beat hopefully.
"Do you not think that a Princess of the Blood outranks a general?" she demanded. When the guards hesitated, she continued. "I am sure you would not want the King hearing of this. Imagine what would happen to your posting then."
I knew she was bluffing. Na'man would not want her in my chambers anymore than the licentious general had.
"Your Majesty," they finally assented and the doors opened.
Artanis shot away from my side. "Mareke, I am so glad you are here," she wrapped her arms around her stepmother's waist. "He is hurt very badly though he is pretending otherwise," she whispered, though I could still hear her.
"I can see that." Mareke looked down at Artanis for a moment, stroking her cheek with her dark hand. "Would you leave us while I tend to your father?"
Artanis hesitated.
"He will be alright," Mareke promised.
My daughter looked to me and I gave her a nod. Afterwards, she disappeared into her bedroom.
I tried to rise as Mareke approached, but she waved that effort away. "Do not tax yourself," she said gently, setting her healing bag on the low table between the sofas.
She sat on the table next to her things and looked me over.
The joy I felt at finally seeing her was enough to numb the pain that had been throbbing in my entire body since that afternoon. If anything though, the joy and excitement was another reminder of the many mistakes I had made in regards to Mareke.
Without a word, she went to work, concocting a salve before threading a needle.
Gingerly, she moved from the table to my side on the sofa.
"Hold still," she bid me, assessing the gash above my eyebrow.
So far, I had not said a word because I could not even begin to guess at where I should start.
Mareke leaned against me and the pleasant sensation of her body against mine, paired with the intoxicating scent of her sandalwood oils brought tears to my eyes.
"Eomer?" Mareke asked, leaning away. "Am I hurting you?"
I shook my head. "That you would even care at this point," I mumbled.
We sat in silence for a long moment. I could not look at her; could not face the shame of what I had done to the woman beside me when she had shown me nothing but devotion. And not only devotion to me, but to my young daughter and my people.
Had I been a different man, with different experiences, in our two years of marriage we could have grown to love one another. Of that I was certain. Instead, I had wrought only pain, heartbreak, and destruction.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, finally dragging my gaze to meet her dark eyes.
"I do not know," she whispered.
There you go! I hope you liked this one. Despite it's lenght, I think it does some good work for the characters. Again, let me know how you think this all ends up. And also, Email Alerts are now only active if Email Opt-in is enabled in account settings. So make sure that's set up properly in your account so you're getting notifications from your favorite stories and authors!
Happy reading,
Avonmora