One Thing after Another

Imrahil could not find sympathy for Lord Holmgreen; he knew that the young lord deserved whatever Lothiriel had done to him. However this event would add one more thing to take his time away from gardening. The King of Rohan of course would take precedent over Lord Holmgreen and Eomer seemed amused by the lord. Being generous the horselord offered his hand to the man and pulled him up. Holmgreen was having a hard time standing straight but tried to shake it off.

Seeing Imrahil the lord blushed for a second. He had been completely humiliated in public by the princess and now before her father and, as if it mattered, the King of Rohan. Words seemed to leave him for once.

“What did you do to my daughter,” Imrahil demanded? Eomer was backing him up which added to Holmgreen’s discomfort.

“My humble prince I did nothing but block her way from her brother.”

“You know how important family is to my daughter. Why did you find it wise to attempt such a foolish thing? How did you block her?”

“I misjudged and grabbed her arm.”

“You assaulted my daughter!” Imrahil would not tolerate a lowly lord touching his daughter in such rough fashion! Eomer stopped the prince from harming Holmgreen further.

Regaining his composure Imrahil said, “You will never seek out Lothiriel’s company again Lord Holmgreen. If she is so much as bruised by your actions I will take this matter up with the courts. Now take your pathetic carcass out of my sight!”

The lord left with his tail tucked between his legs. He had known better then to grab a woman as roughly as he did but the princess had excited his every fiber and he wanted her to know how much she meant to him. She would not stay still, that was her fault that he had to grab her. It did not matter now; Imrahil would never let him look upon her again. Lord Holmgreen did not even have any rights in the courts for he had admitted to using force to retain the princess; though she made him pay for it. His manhood was questioned now so he had no outlet with his family. It was over – at least with him.

Eomer was in a much lighter mood since speaking with Lothiriel and forming his plan; but he still wanted to have some devious fun with Elphir. In order to do that though Imrahil would have to sweat for a little while longer.

“Thank you my friend, I would have killed that bastard if you had not stopped me.” Imrahil was thankful for Eomer’s presence but dreaded it as well. “That would have been a really bad situation to handle.”

“He was a worm, not worth your energies. Anyway I need your attention now and having you in trouble for killing, no matter how justified, would not help me find a solution for your son’s problem.”

“How bad is the situation with my eldest son?” Might as well be straight forward with the king since this situation was beyond volatile.

“Elphir has taken my intended queen from me and my people. The news has spread quickly throughout my camp. They see it as a slight against their king. I can not rule effectively if I do not try to placate my peoples in this matter. I can not just turn the other cheek.”

“No, of course not.” For a young king Eomer was wise beyond his years and Imrahil felt a little better about the outcome. “From what I have heard from my daughter Elphir loves this woman. You see my predicament do you not. My heir, who had sworn to never fall in love again or remarry, has done so to a foreign woman. Not only a foreign woman but one betrothed to the king! I seek your mercy Eomer King to not break my heart. Ask what you want and I will tread into the stormy waters with my son.”

He could no longer let Imrahil sweat. “Drucilla, the lady in question, returns your son’s love. I can not go against their love and I have decided to let the happy couple be. But you see my predicament now. In allowing them to be together my people will see me as being weak; so there will have to be some retribution. Even if only ceremonial.” Eomer eyed Imrahil with a knowing glance.

The king had given Imrahil several ideas. “Ceremonial you say. Such as?” Imrahil liked the idea of pomp and circumstance as long as it helped his family stay together.

“You do not deserve Eomer’s kindness brother but I am relieved that he has offered it. So now what will you do?”

“Kiss the king’s feet and worship him from afar!” Elphir was beside himself with joy and relief.
“I must go talk to him now.” Elphir gave Alphros to his sister and went to find Eomer.

“Your father is completely daft Alphros, you know that,” she said to the child as she walked to her tents.

Lothiriel decided to see if her father was in and came across him discussing ceremony with Eomer. Not just any ceremony but Gondorian courting ceremony, which she thought odd.

“Ah, Loti just who I wanted to speak to,” her father greeted her warmly, directing her to sit beside the king. “I need your understanding and cooperation on this matter please Lothiriel. Actually Elphir needs you understanding and cooperation. ”

“He does not deserve it but for the child I will see how understanding and cooperative I could be.”

“Eomer’s people will want him to chose another to replace Drucilla’s lose. We have been thinking that if he was to court a Gondorian lady then they would be appeased. And with having Eowyn wed a Gondorian prince the ties would be seen as stronger.”

“So who is this Gondorian lady that would appease the Rohirric king and his people?” She did not have to ask but she might as well.

“It would be for as long as you granted me permission to court you,” Eomer spoke quietly beside the princess. “I am not asking for you to do anything you do not desire, but since you have been entertaining lords already why not a Rohirric king? I am thinking at least until we return to Edoras with my uncle. Then we can cite distance or whatever you wish for why we dissolve our courtship.”

“Well, sounds like a win-win situation for everyone involved. With Eomer King as my suitor no other lord would be so bold to ask for my favor; and my father would have one less child to worry about. Elphir will get his wife and a suitable mother for Alphros; again one more thing less to worry my father. Rohan’s people will see their king vindicated by having a poor Gondorian lass dragged through a crash course in Rohirric traditions. Well, where do I sign?”

“Great”, Imrahil thought. Lothiriel is going to be passive aggressive about this and a more volatile situation then with Elphir will soon present itself. “That will be Eomer’s and Loti’s problem,” he said to himself as he smiled a false smile at the two before him.



Maybe to be continued with Loti and Eomer ironing out their differences.