Éomer Imagine: Hearts Fire.

Éomer Imagine: Hearts Fire. Part Five

A small distance away, by the servants entrance to the royal house, (Y/N) could easily make out a towering, muscular figure leaning back leisurely against the stone wall of the building while pleasingly gazing up at the darkening sky and beginning to smile as the stars started to appear one by one. The girl grinned as she instantly recognised the rugged beard of Lord Éomer, his long mane of hay-coloured hair reaching half way down his back as his eyes lingered on the scenic heavens. (Y/N) confidently walked to stand by the young man, Éomer deciding to not move his gaze as she settled by his side and sighed contently. 

"I heard about what happened earlier..." The lord managed to mumble out after a short while of comfortable silence, his face beginning to turn into an angry scowl as he thought about Gríma trying to grab at the girl. Éomers rough hands suddenly curled into compact fists of frustration. "How are you feeling?"

"It was nothing, my Lord. And I'm fine." (Y/N) soothingly smiled, but subconsciously rubbed her hands up her lean and slender arms, a slight signal that she was still a little afraid after her confrontation with Wormtongue.

"It certainly didn't sound like 'nothing'...but rest assured that Gríma has been vigorously warned to keep his distance, so you shouldn't have any trouble with him from now on." Éomer turned to her for a moment, a serious expression pressed onto his handsome features. 

The maid grinned, a wave of repose washing over her tensed limbs as they relished in the brief feeling of safety. "You didn't have to do that, but thank you. It gives me peace of mind at least."

"Good." Éomer went back to looking at the sky, a gentle smile slowly bleeding across his face.

"My lord-" (Y/N) started speaking a few moments later, intending to inform him of her meeting with Yolina, but was instantly cut off by the handsome young man, who was chuckling lightly at her formalities. 

"Please, nobody is here. You know you do not need to address me like that."

"-Oh, sorry...Éomer."

The prince grinned with a tingling excitement and reached out for her one of her dainty hands, stroking her silken skin and then wrapping his fingers around her own, before he gently let their arms fall to drop by his side. (Y/N) felt the breath hitch in her throat and nervously smiled as the man gazed at her, loosing the ability to speak, and to her surprise, even breathe properly.

"I am going to take a walk down to the river, would you care to join me?" Éomer burst out in an almost jovial tone, his eyes lighting up at thought of laying down next to (Y/N) in the lengthy, soft grass of the meadows, talking into the small hours, or even just listening to her whimsical voice as she hummed out a gentle tune while splashing her feet in the cool water of the stream.

"Ah, but it is getting dark-" (Y/N) teased, moving to stand in front of him. "I always seem to remember you being afraid of the night when we were younger, my lord." She curtsied mockingly and then began to giggle.

"What nonsense! I was just being...cautious. A real prince is afraid of nothing-" Éomer looked to his feet and sighed. "-And besides, the moonlight will be enough as it is a clear night." He muttered under his breath, kicking a piece of rubble towards the stone wall in playful embarrassment. "But that is all the more reason for you to accompany me, isn't it?"

The girl let out a hearty laugh, dodging Éomers grasps as he tried to tickle her waist. They ran around for a few more fleeting moments before (Y/N) patted the prince on his shoulder in support before taking hold of his waiting, outstretched arm and gripping onto his leather armour tightly. "Lead the way!"

***

Deep in the tundra of Rohan was situated a secluded area of dense forest, where the large oak trees extended their branches towards the sky and waved at the twinkling stars in the illuminating atmosphere of premature night. The surrounding ivy plants snaked their way around the neighbouring trunks like a bulky pair of curtains, allowing whoever sat there to have some transient privacy away from the enclosed aspect of village life. (Y/N) was casually lounging back against the harsh edge of a gangling boulder that was laden with damp moss, Éomer placed neatly above her while lightly fingering the curls of her hair.

"Did you enjoy seeing your family today?" The young lord hushed out gently, unwilling to disrupt the peaceful air that was surrounding the two of them.

"I did-" The maid closed her eyes and relaxed back even further as Éomer began to massage her shoulders. "-It seems to have been a long time since I got to sit down and talk with my mother, we have both been so busy." 

"I'm glad...but...she is willing to have an audience with my uncle?..." He questioned remorsefully, shuffling slightly on the spot.

"Oh, yes, of course!" (Y/N) replied rather animatedly, before suddenly stiffening, moving her rigid body away and sitting on the rock next to Éomer, a forbidding look set intensely upon the faint lines of her face. "She has...already sensed that something was not right."

"Really?" Éomer straightened himself, following her manoeuvres intently. "How? I thought no wind of it had reached the village?"

"Oh, it hasn't.-" The maid reassured. "-Yolina sensed it, in a rather peculiar vision. She implied that there is a great evil spreading across Rohan, and in fact it seems to be intent on vastly covering all of Middle Earth. My mother could not go into any further detail, but seems to think it is growing rapidly with each passing day. We fear that she will need to see the king as soon as possible, but other than that, it was a rather blunt conversation on the matter."

Éomer seemed practically terrified at hearing such words be spoken, and looked to the compact, shallow pond that sat a few feet away as it glittered in the shimmering light of Luna. He pulled on his beard while pondering for a moment. "Éowyn is willing to take Gríma out hunting with her on any given morning, to try and keep him away for as long as possible. Will your mother be able to visit my uncle at first light tomorrow? It is rather short notice, I understand that, but..."

"-Of course! I just need to say the word." (Y/N) extended out her palm and placed it gently on Éomers shoulder, giving him a light but reassuring squeeze. "My mother will do her best to help in any way that she can, that I can promise you."

At her touch, the prince turned his head and peeked at her hopeful expression, quickly beginning to smile. "I do not know how to thank you properly, for all of your help. You always seem to be there exactly when I need you." His velvety voice rumbled from deep within his throat as he placed a sturdy arm around the girl and pulled her close to his body, letting her head rest effortlessly upon his broadened chest.

"You do not need to thank me, Éomer. You know that! My family care for you and Éowyn very deeply, you are one of us." (Y/N) grinned.

At this, the young man quietly rose to his feet and walked over to the pool of water, trying to hide his face from the girls view as he built up the courage to form the words he had so longed to tell. "As we do for you all-" Éomer inhaled nervously. "-As I do for you." The Lord looked down to see that his fingers had pulled at a water-reed and he was now nervously passing it between his hands.

(Y/N) abruptly felt a pang of excitement ripple through her body at hearing his words, and instantly went to stand by Éomer. Leaning up on her tip-toes, she pressed a soft kiss to his strapping cheek before holding on tightly to his arm once more. "Perhaps we had better be heading back home, we will have a busy day tomorrow!"

Éomer grew silent for a moment, pushing her away and then began to chuckle to himself, earning a very confused look from his flustered companion. "It is rather funny-" He murmured provocatively. "-I always seem to remember that you were afraid of the lake when we were younger, my Lady."

(Y/N) caught the man glancing between the tarn next to his feet and then back at her, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "You wouldn't dare..." She hushed, placing her hands on each of her voluptuous hips as it dawned on her what he was planning to do.

Éomer smoothly glided over to her in only a few short steps, leaning down to the lobe of her ear and whispering roughly as his warm breath licked at the delicate skin of her neck, sending heated shivers down the girls spine. "Watch me."

And with that he gathered the girl into his sturdy arms and tossed her in the air, laughing as she landed in the pond with an almighty splash. Her lively scream had filled the air, and she was soon clambering out of the water in a sense of exhilarated panic, her dress now sticking to her curves and rogue strands of hair clinging to the waxy skin on her face. She devilishly snarled at the prince, and Éomer hit the ground running, laughing deeply as he heard her chuckles and curses drifting on the wind as she began to chase after him.

***