More Then you Seem

Imagine the cliff setting toward the end of this chapter as the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare Ireland and you will have a stunning visual of what's taking place.
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The woman had been waiting at a forgotten door in the gardens for the lad. Cerrywyn had accidentally come across the scene while getting some air. She had heard Eomer and Theodred talking on the balcony. She knew that Elfwine was conceived with Eomer and that he had done so on the eve of their wedding day. Anger and jealousy ate at her soul over the injury she had suffered, but the more she calmly thought things through the more she realized the truth of the matter.

Eomer loved Lothiriel; he always had and always would. It had been her and her family’s selfishness that had come between Loti and him. Eomer had been the dutiful nephew of the king and had been a faithful husband to her. That was what made it so hard for her to hate him. He had one indiscretion before their marriage and had been perfect ever since; he was perfect and she could not bring herself to hate him. However more surprising to her was that she could not bring herself to hate the princess. Being a woman she understood the risk that she took keeping Elfwine a secret from everyone. If it was known that the child was conceived out of wedlock things would get nasty for the princess. Women did not do those things, especially women of the upper class!

Yes, she could find it in her heart to hate Lothiriel. Lothiriel had kept a joyous secret from her beloved Eomer. Even though she understood why she would keep it from Eomer he deserved to have known about the boy when he was borne. He would have been overjoyed! What the princess had done was wrong, but Cerrywyn knew that Lothiriel had probably suffered many times over for her deceit. None of that mattered right now. Right now the darling boy that called her aunty Cerry was in danger and he was all that mattered. She loved the boy so much in the short time she had gotten to know him.

She had stealthily followed the young prince and the woman that had taken away from the safety of the castle walls and now her heart froze! The woman stood with the youngster precariously close to the edge of the cliffs. She had been foolish to have followed without letting anyone know that someone had taken the prince. But she had been too occupied with her thoughts to think completely rationally. Now as she watched helpless from behind some rocks to her horror it was not a woman at all that had taken the child, but the White Wizard himself! Eomer’s son was in grave danger and she was all alone. She did not know what to do but she had to do something!
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“Loti!” Her father’s voice rang through the hall. “Lothiriel, I have the entire Swan Knights searching for Elfwine. I am gearing up to join the search myself. We will find him love.” He kissed her on the forehead and whispered, “Eomer will bring him back safely.”

“Father?” Her eyes were wide. “I do not understand.”

He looked at her and said, “I know he is Elfwine’s father sweet. I have known for a long time. You must allow an old man his stubbornness for a while. When we are all together again we will talk.” Imrahil quickly turned and went to search for his grandson. He felt the need for urgency just as much as Eomer, Rufio and his sons did.

Lothiriel was left alone to pace and wonder the castle looking high and low for her son. Her mind kept drifting to the thought that Cerrywyn out of jealous might have taken him and harmed him. Though she knew that was preposterous. Still a jealous, irrational woman might harm the child inadvertently. The waiting was killing her! She followed in her father’s footsteps. It was now obvious that Elfwine was no longer in the castle and if that bitch had her son she would make her pay!

Eomer and Theodred had joined up with Amrothos and Elphir to hunt down Cerrywyn and Elfwine. However the closer they got to their quarry the more it became obvious that things were not as they seemed. All the people they talked to had seen Elfwine with a white haired man, not with a fair haired woman. Although some recalled that a fair skinned woman seemed to be following them.

That was all Eomer needed to know; he knew that Cerrywyn was only watching after his son. She was a good soul, she would not harm the child. Even if she knew now that the lad was his son conceived with Lothiriel. But urgency was important as the people had reported that the child was heading toward some precariously dangerous cliffs.
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She had to act fast. Elfwine seemed to be enchanted with the wizard’s magic and was teetering on the edge of the cliff. One swift move and he would fall to his death onto the jagged rocks below!

“Elfwine,” she called out! “Elfwine!” She now hastily walked toward the boy; paying no attention to the wizard.

Elphir had heard his nephew’s name shouted and quickly turned his horse in the direction it came from. “Father,” he shouted! “Father! This way, quickly!”

Now everyone turned their horses and galloped at full speed toward the cliffs.

“Nooooooo,” the blood curdling scream of Cerrywyn stopped the wizard’s magic for a moment! Enough for her to rush in and scoop the child into her arms. She turned her back to the cliffs and the wizard. Tightening her body to shield the child from any blow the wizard struck.

The thunderous sound of hooves coming toward them covered up the sound of the howling wind as it whipped up the cliffs. “You will be fine now prince Elfwine,” she tried to soothe the child who had now been released from the wizard’s spell and was wailing in terror!

Eomer saw the blow that his wife’s body took and feared that she could not have survived such violence on her tiny frame. He would kill the man responsible for it! Leaping off his horse he ran toward his wife and son’s attacker, but before he could reach the bastard the man simply vanished into thin air. It did not matter now; he focused his attention to Cerrywyn. Blood was coming out of her mouth and all was still, except for the squirming of Elfwine underneath her. She had blocked the blow to the prince, but it did not bode well for her.
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“How is she,” Lothiriel had been constantly checking on Cerrywyn’s health since they had brought her broken body back to Dol Amroth, two weeks ago?

“She will need to be in The Houses of Healing at Minas Tirith as soon as we can move her,” Eomer said sadly.

She put her hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “She is cherished among my people for her unselfishness. Her act of bravery has endeared her to every Dol Amroth citizen and I especially am at her beckon and call. Once she heals I will be at her service.”

“How is Elfwine?”

“He is fine. Still has horrible nightmares but thinking about his aunty Cerrywyn and how much she loves and protects him calms him down.” She walked away from him. This was going to be the hardest thing she had ever done. Harder than keeping Elfwine a secret from Eomer.

“Eomer, you are Elfwine’s father and I will not deny you seeing him whenever you desire. But we must end our romantic relationship; we can not see each other anymore. You are married to the most wonderful woman in the world. Love her as a husband should. Please, I am begging you.” Lothiriel was on her knees before the horselord.

“She needs you, she will need you.” She wished he would show some expression in his face.

“She is my wife Lothiriel and I admire her, respect her, and cherish her. But I do not love her as I do you and I do not share my life with her as I have you. Elfwine binds us, but we are bound by more than that.” He kissed her forehead.

“I love you deeply Lothiriel of Dol Amroth. I always have and I always will and you must deal with it. I know we can never be together as we both would like but you can not ask me to stop loving you.”

Crying now she took his hands in hers. “I would never ask you to stop loving me. I would never ask you to do something that I myself can not do. But your life is with Cerrywyn and whatever that may bring.”

“My life is short Loti. As we speak there are unmentionable evils advancing on the Free Peoples. War is upon us and we will have to take up arms. Many will perish and if we fail there will be no Middle Earth or Free People to inhabit it. I must protect my loved ones and if that means that my life is forfeit than it is so. I will be a dutiful husband and Marshal to my people until that day comes. And I will always love you and Elfwine. Tell him someday that his father was a noble man.”

“You are not going to die Eomer! You will live to see peaceful days. May your days be filled with love and light Eomer of Rohan. May peace and prosperity come to you and yours.” She said a small prayer for him before she got up.

He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to his lap. Holding her tightly he forced her tearful eyes to look into his. “I love you my little flower.” He pulled a smoothed pebble out of his pocket and placed it in her hand.

“You gave it to me years ago. I am giving it to you to give to Elfwine. I want him to have something of me, something I have cherished.”

No one knew that this night would be the last time they saw each other for four years.



TBC in 3019