(AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, I have done it, and gotten this chapter posted before I leave for Scotland for the Moot.  I have to say, it is not quite in the form it was originally--a particularly persistant bunny more or less hijacked it, and insisted I put that part in.  I will be leaving tomorrow, and I don't know what sort of internet access I will have, so I may be a while in answering any feedback.  Thank you all for your patience!)

CHAPTER 46

Éomer stuck his tongue between his teeth, and regarded the parchment before him. He needed advice, and not the sort of advice he would get from his counsellors. No, for this, he needed the sort of advice he could get from a friend, and since the hobbits had arrived, he knew just the friend he could ask. He sighed. Writing was not his favorite task, and he usually delegated it to one of the royal scribes. But not *this* letter.

"Greetings to my dear Knight and Esquire Holdwine of the Mark and Meriadoc of the Shire,

I am pleased to learn you have earned the heart of a maiden of your kind, and that a betrothal is soon to be announced when her brother Master Fredegar returns to the Shire. I offer to you my congratulations and good wishes.

I am most impressed with your kin and friends. Master Fredegar and Master Berilac are astute people--I very nearly wrote 'men', but I do not wish to offend!

I find myself in need of advice, and as you may recall that is one of your duties as my knight. Yet the advice I need is not about any matter of state, but has to do with a more personal and delicate matter.

Since I became king, my counsellors have been pressing me to wed, and have proposed many maidens of the Mark as my future queen. To be honest, I was not much troubled by their suggestions. I supposed that one maiden would do as well as the next so long as she was comely and of sufficient intelligence to serve as queen. I have spent so much time as a warrior that I have never perfected many of the courtly graces that would win a maiden's heart, and I was perfectly willing at first, to be guided by them.

I rashly promised them that I would wed within the year, supposing they would settle among themselves on an appropriate bride for me. I know this must sound dreadful to you, whose people are accustomed to wedding only for love, but it is not uncommon among Men of high estate.

Then, just prior to Mid-summer, I travelled to Mundberg for the Gondorian wedding of my sister and Faramir.

It was there I met the daughter of Prince Imrahil, Lothíriel.

Merry there are no words that I could write or even say, to describe the effect she had on me. Never in my life have I ever seen a maiden who stirs my heart the way she does! She is very nearly as beautiful as the High King's Queen Arwen, but to my eyes she is a far more welcome sight. I knew at once that no other woman would ever have such a hold on me.

Of course, I at once approached her father. Prince Imrahil has been a friend to me, ever since the day we first met, when he revealed to me that my sister still lived after the Battle of the Pelennor. I have spent much time with him and with his sons, and they have been good comrades. It did not enter my mind that he would not welcome me as a potential son-in-law.

I was quite taken aback at his answer. He told me that I was most certainly worthy in every worldly way of his daughter, but that he would not see her Queen of Rohan unless such was truly her own desire. He told me that since the War was won, and Lord Denethor no more, he had sworn to himself that she would not be forced to make a marriage of state.

In short, I must win her heart, and win it quickly.

I had little time to spend with her then. Scarcely enough to make her acquaintance. However, her father and King Elessar have taken pity on me. She will be accompanying her brother Lord Amrothos with the escort to take your friends to Mundberg. She has agreed to stay here for a while once they leave, to get to know Rohan, and to decide if she can love me.

I beg of you Merry, lend me a bit of your wisdom, for the sake of your liege's happiness!

I will send this missive by one of our swiftest riders. I may hope that your answer will arrive in time to do me some good. In the meanwhile I will try to possess my soul in patience.

I sign this not as your liege and king, but as your friend,

Éomer Éomund's son"

Two weeks to get there. He was certain Merry would write back immediately--a month then, till he could see what his small friend had to say. But he could not trust anyone else with the secrets of his heart--Faramir, who would understand, was far off now and it was his own cousin that Éomer purposed to wed; his counsellors would have their own interests in mind; and most of his friends among his éored would find in his dilemma a matter for rough jests. It was only two weeks until the escort arrived. He would be on his own until Merry's answer could arrive. That his small friend would have the answer to his troubles he never doubted.

He summoned Witlaf. "I need one of the fastest riders in my éored to deliver a message to the Shire. He is to leave within the next two hours. Also, ask the holbyltlan if any of them wish to send messages home."

Witlaf nodded, and rushed to do his king's bidding.

___________________________________________

Viola sat at the small table and chair that had been placed in the room for the hobbit healers' use. She cast a glance at her napping patient, and then, dipping her quill, turned her attention to the parchment in front of her.

Dear Verbena,

Well, the embassy has accomplished its main purpose in Rohan, and seen the two younger traitors to judgement. They have to work for a year as servants. It doesn't seem so dreadful a fate to me as having been banished.

Their father is our patient right now. He has a weak heart, but he seems to be recovering well. As soon as our escort arrives from Gondor, we shall take him and the other older prisoner on to the big City.

I cannot begin to imagine a city larger than Edoras; but then, before I went to Bree, I could not imagine any place that large either. Men are amazing creatures, Verbena. Everything they build is so huge, and there is always so much of it.

I am very impressed with the King of Rohan. He is, of course, very large. But he is quite handsome if one can overlook his size and all that hair! He seems to be just and merciful, and his people seem to love him a good deal. I can quite understand Captain Merry's loyalty to him. They call Captain Merry 'Sir Meriadoc' or 'Holdwine' here, and they speak very highly of him and of his courage and bravery.

I think it is wonderful to see how Berilac looks when he hears them praising his cousin! He looks so proud and thoughtful! I know that he has always been very fond of his cousin, but I think now he has gained a deeper respect for him. He often speaks of what a good Master of Buckland Meriadoc will make one day.

Mistress Poppy and I spend most of our days here with our patient, though the Lady Eormangilda sometimes sends servants to relieve us, so that we can take meals with the other hobbits, or attend the feasting in the evenings. Still, we've had a bit of time to look about Edoras and see some of the sights here.

I must say it is a very horsey sort of place! Why, the King's stables are every bit as nice as many of the people's houses!

I miss you, sister. A letter is all well and good, but it's not nearly the same thing as speaking with you! I hope that if you have written to me, the letter will catch up soon! I long to know how you are faring!

Please give my love to Aunt Rhody, and tell her I miss her as well! I would write more, but the king announced that a messenger will be leaving for the Shire in just a couple of hours, and so I am taking this opportunity to write to you.

Love,

Your sister,

Viola"

________________________________________

Freddy and Berilac had been working for some time on a report for the Thain. It only remained to gather it up, and make certain they had left nothing out.

Freddy wished they had time to write more personal letters, but there would just be time for him to write one. He knew Berilac was writing his father, but Freddy was writing to someone else.

"Dear Frodo,

We have arrived safely in Edoras, and the Banks lads have come beneath the King's justice. They have been sentenced to a year of servitude--nothing terribly onerous to the average hobbit, though I think that to these two, brought up to believe they were privileged, it may seem more difficult than it is. I am of the opinion that Cado will take things more sensibly than Clovis. Cado will be acting as servant to the family of the Man they injured, and Clovis will be serving his sentence in the kitchens of the King's house.

You may be reading this with your eyebrows raised, to see me write of them by name, who were Banished. But I think that you alone will understand when I say that keeping up the pretence they are no longer people is pointless now. They will never return to the Shire, but they will be making new lives for themselves in the Wide World.

I have been doing a lot of thinking, and it seems to me that some changes may be needed in how the Shire deals with those who break the law. Banishment is not the best solution any longer. I have a feeling you will agree with me, and perhaps, with Merry's and Pippin's help, we may be able to come up with a better solution.

And Frodo, I want to thank you. Because of you, I have taken a chance. Perhaps I should have gone with you when you left; danger would have found me either way. It scarcely matters now, though. I have begun to understand.

I hope this finds you well. Give my regards to Sam and Rose, and to Merry and Pippin as well when you see them.

Fondly,

your friend,

F. Bolger"

Freddy gave the letter a quick look, before sealing it with a bit of wax from the candle on the table; then he gathered up the report he and Beri had made for the Thain and tying it together with a cord, he placed it in the leather diplomatic pouch.

He glanced over at Berilac. "Did you want to write a personal letter, Beri?"

Beri shook his head. "No time now. I will wait and send my letters with the next messengers." He stood up. "Would you like me to take these to Witlaf?"

Freddy nodded. "Yes, thank you, Beri."

Beri quickly found Witlaf and delivering the dispatch to the servant, asked "By the way, have you seen Master Gimli?"

"Yes, Master Berilac, he's out on the front steps making smoke."

Beri grinned, and headed that way. He thought perhaps he felt like a smoke himself.

Gimli glanced up, as Berilac joined him. The smokers among the party of travellers had taken to going out on the front steps of Meduseld to indulge their habit.

The two smoked silently for a few moments, and then Berilac said, “I went by last night to see if Legolas wished to stroll down to the stables with me. He was not in his guest chamber.” He blew out a smoke ring, and looked sideways at the Dwarf.

Gimli suppressed a smile. He was quite sure that Berilac remembered owing the Elf a bit of payback for splashing him on the journey. Gimli blew a smoke ring of his own, slightly larger, but not quite so perfectly round as the hobbit’s. “Legolas never sleeps in his chamber. He usually spends his nights here at Meduseld upon the rooftop, star-gazing. He says the stars seem closer and brighter here in Rohan than in many places. He only uses his chamber to change his clothing and keep his things.” Gimli looked at Berilac again, and was unsurprised to see a brief gleam of triumph in the hobbit’s eyes.

“Is that so?” Berilac asked casually. “Imagine that.”

Gimli shrugged. “That’s an Elf for you,” he said lightly. He wondered just what form Berilac’s revenge would take. Merry and Pippin had been quite inventive when it came to planning japes, and he expected that Merry’s cousin would not be far different. This could be very amusing. He wondered what Berilac would do, and briefly considered whether he should warn Legolas, before chuckling and dismissing the idea. Let the Elf fend for himself.