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Chapter 17

Lothíriel did not remember turning, but suddenly, she was looking down into Éomer's eyes. It is unfair how handsome he is, she found herself thinking.

"Good morning, brother!" Éowyn greeted him from her right. I know you are smitten by our lovely princess, but you should still remember your manners and greet the rest of us."

Lothíriel thought she could see a shade of pink come over the man's cheeks, but he quickly bowed low. "Good morrow, my queen," he addressed Arwen before turning to his sister. "I would have gotten to you in time, Éowyn." He had a small smile playing on his lips. "Had you given me a chance. But from my vantage point, I could not see the Queen, how is seated, and as you are still early in your pregnancy, you were quite hidden by that wooden beam."

The princess saw Éowyn roll her eyes, before she looked back at Éomer, whose golden hair was tied back, away from his face. He was wearing the white horse on his green tunic, and on his arms were bracers. He was holding a well-polished. Long bow in his right hand, and on his back was a small quiver.

"I did not realize you would be competing, my lord Éomer," Arwen said, smoothly transitioning the conversation back from sibling squabbling to polite society.

He two Rohirrim seemed to remember where they were, and the king turned to her, still smiling. "Truthfully, I had not planned on it, but I was…" he paused as if searching for the right word. "Persuaded." Lothíriel thought back to what Éothain had said to her at the gates and hid her own smile. There was likely an interesting story there.

"Well, I am loking forward to your performance, as I am sure are the Lady Éowyn and the Lady Lothíriel," the queen replied. She turned to Lothíriel then, and the princess swore she could see her eyes glitter. "Ah yes, your favor, Lothíriel?"

The princess could feel the eyes from the crowd on her.

The others in the grounds could not hear them, but they could clearly see their movements. If anything, this was the most public endorsement Arwen could currently give their relationship. She turned once more to Éomer, who was gazing up at her once again.

"Of course," Lothíriel replied. The word would get to her father, she knew, but deep down, she could feel she was making the right decision. Her heart pounding, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her handkerchief before reaching down and tying it to Éomer's bow. "Good luck, my lord," she said, smiling.

The next hour brought round after round of archers, aiming at targets. Those that fell short were eliminated, and those that succeeded proceed to the next round. King Elessar and his servants soon joined them, and Faramir and even Prince Imrahil joined in the next hour.

Elphir, too, came to sit with them a bit later.

"Are the archers any good?" he asked as she sat next to his sister and father. Lothíriel rarely saw her eldest brother nowadays, for he was more than ten years her senior and was usually engaged in any business that her father could not attend. He was to be the next Prince of Dol Amroth, after all, and he took his role a little too seriously.

It was why she gave him a bright smile when he sat. It was good to see him doing something just for fun. "Some," she answered. "Amrothos and Erchirion have just advanced to the next round." She gestured at the scoreboard on the far side of the grounds. Many had already been eliminated now that they were three rounds in, but even so, the names and insignias were too far and crowded to make out clearly.

Elphir raised an eyebrow. "Erchirion, I understand. Amrothos can barely hit a stone pigeon. How has he advanced?"

Lothíriel shrugged. "Perhaps he. Heard you disparaging his archery skills and started practicing."

Her brother scoffed. "Please, dear sister. You know exactly how much Amrothos cares about any of our opinions. Had he listened to me, he would have been a lot better during the war."

She rolled her eyes at that. Elphir and Amrothos did not always get along, and it was often up to Erchirion and herself to mediate between them. Their personalities were simply too different for them to truly ever see eye to eye. While Elphir was one to meticulously plan everything down to the last detail of his own wedding, Amrothos was one to take things as they came. Lothíriel would be surprised if Amrothos knew anything about his schedule for the next day, while Erchirion kept a detailed diary.

"It is good to finally see you have some free time," she said, changing the subject. "Both of you." She looked at her father, who nodded.

"Well, I was told we needed to come to show our faces," her brother said evenly. "It is good for the common people to see us. It builds trust."

Lothíriel could not help but make a face. Of course, with Elphir, everything was politics.

Unfortunately, her father caught her. "He speaks the truth," he said, turning to her. "We must work for the people, but they cannot see what we do behind closed doors. We must be here to show them that while we are there for them during times of war, we must also be here to celebrate with them in times of peace."

She was silent for a moment. While they were all in close quarters, Arwen and Aragorn were speaking with their heads close, and Éowyn and Faramir had sat themselves in a corner, likely enjoying the moment together.

"Where is Lord Belegorn?" Elphir suddenly asked, peering about the seating area. "Has he not come to see you, Lothíriel?"

The princess could barely hold back the impatient noise that was in the back of her throat. "No, he has not, and if he never comes to see me again, I shall consider myself fortunate."

She saw her brother raise his eyebrow again. "I thought you liked him. "

She turned then, her arms crossed. "No, you and Father liked him," she retorted. "Around me, he behaves like a child who cannot wait to get his hands on his favorite toy. And I do not care much for what he thinks of women."

There was a moment of a silence after she spoke.

She knew that only a week ago, she would never have spoken her mind in such a way, and her family was likely shocked by her outburst.

Finally, Elphir ventured a line. "Lothi, you cannot just keep turning down men that Father and I find for you. You are almost twenty-two. You must marry."

The woman pursed her lips, but before she could come back with a reply, Imrahil said, "Leave her be, Elphir. After all, if she is to marry, she will have to get along with the man." She turned to her father, surprised at what he was saying. "Though, Lothíriel, I would appreciate more tact the next time you decide to turn down a man of such standing. I got an earful this afternoon from Lord Pelendur."

She swallowed hard. So Lord Pelendur had indeed told her father of the turn of events. "Yes, Father. I will remember that."

He nodded once. "No harm was done," he said gently. "But you would do well to remember your actions and words have consequences." Lothíriel nodded and looked down at her hands.

Well, you deserved that, she thought. While she did not regret turning down Belegorn, she probably should not have likened him to a sack of suet. But considering the rage that Lord Pelendur probably had unleashed on her father after her deeds, she was getting off rather lightly.

"Ah, it seems the King of Rohan is about to shoot," Imrahil said.

Lothíriel raised her head to watch. Éomer had stepped up to the line with the rest of those in his cohort and had raised his bow. Though he stood in the middle of many men, she could clearly see his straight back, his strong shoulders, and his perfect form. With the sound of the horn, the archers let their arrows fly. They met their targets with a satisfying thunk, and she joined the rest of the stands in their applause.

Though there was a great distance between them, Lothíriel thought Éomer turned and looked at her. She could see her handkerchief floating in the breeze, still tied to his bow.

The judges then stepped forward to observe the targets. Certain targets were removed, as they had not been hit, or the arrow was too far off the mark. Finally, only ten were deemed worthy to advance to the next round.

As one of the judges stepped forward to announce those that could move forward, Elphir spoke again. "It appears some lady has given her favor to the King of Rohan," he said. "Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Amrothos or Erchirion." He gave his father a meaningful look.

Lothíriel's heart leaped uncomfortably when he mentioned Éomer, but she realized, suddenly, that he was merely comparing him to her brothers.

"Is marriage all you can think about?" she asked. She was becoming annoyed that Elphir seemed to be doing anything but enjoying the moment.

He shrugged again. "My dear Lothíriel, how do you think Dol Amroth has built its prestige and wealth over the years except by the work of people like Father and our strategic marriages? What better way to build alliances and strengthen our economy?"

She made a disapproving noise in the back of her throat. "For once, Elphir, can you just be happy with what is happening before you and not be planning?" she asked. "I am sure both Amrothos and Erchirion are working as diligently as I am on finding their future spouses."

That made her brother finally crack a smile. "Is that sarcasm I hear from you, dear sister?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "I am being perfectly sincere, of course," she said, turning her face back toward the competition before them.