Black Eyes

Truce

Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence. Supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting. Therefore the skilful leader subdues the enemy's troops without any fighting. He captures their cities without laying siege to them. He overthrows their kingdom without lengthy operations in the field.

(Thorongil: The Way of Strategy)

***

The door shut behind her lady-in-waiting with a soft click. Lothiriel turned to face the King of Rohan with a frown.

"You have my father's permission?" she asked. She wasn't at all sure if she liked the sound of that.

Éomer smiled innocently. "He told me to take you for a walk in the gardens last night, didn't he?"

She couldn't suppress an answering smile. "I doubt that explanation would have satisfied Lady Idril, my Lord King," she teased him, "In fact I'm surprised and deeply shocked by your unscrupulous methods."

"Deception is the basis of all warfare," he quoted her own earlier words back at her, "I have had an excellent teacher, you see."

"And you're a quick learner," she shot back and he laughed out loud.

She noticed he had found the time to change and have a bath, for he wore fresh clothes and his hair was still slightly damp. Then her eyes fell on the saddlebags lying on her desk.

"Oh, have you brought my things?" she exclaimed, momentarily distracted, "That's good, Lady Idril was asking about them and I didn't know what to say."

He nodded and with a flourish emptied out the bags and handed over her crumpled clothes and boots.

"Here you are," he said, "I've also checked on your horse while I was in the stables and am happy to say she's no worse for her little adventure."

"That's very kind of you," Lothiriel thanked him and he smiled back warmly. Her airy study suddenly seemed rather small and crowded.

"I'll get your cloak for you," she said a little breathless and made her escape into the other room. When she got back he was studying the books and household ledgers lined up on the shelves. These took up all four walls from floor to ceiling, leaving only space for the window and the shipping tables and map of the environs of Dol Amroth that she had hanging up behind her desk.

"You probably have more books here than what my uncle had in his entire library," he remarked.

"Really?" she was rather surprised, "This is just my personal collection, copies I've had made for me."

She motioned at the shelf next to the window. "This is the Rohan section, not very extensive I'm afraid."

He shook his head at the titles. "Half of them I've never even heard of."

"I can have copies made for you," she offered, "I keep a small army of scribes busy as it is."

He laughed. "That's very kind. I might take you up on the offer one day when I have more leisure. My primary concern now is to somehow get my people through the winter."

"I've had an idea on that," Lothiriel began hesitantly. In fact the idea had sprung into her mind fully formed while she'd had her bath and she had been thinking on it and improving it ever since.

"I've just explained to your father that you are far too dangerous to force into a marriage you do not desire," he took a step towards her, "Are you going to tell me you have changed your mind and intend to become my wife after all?"