The queen of the forgotten kingdom

Chapter 23

Throughout the ride Éomer stayed at Faya's side, trying to cheer her up by telling her the stories he had heard about the half-wolves in his youth.
After a while he managed to make her smile. It was as he told her about a quite unbelievable thing her great-grandfather was supposed to have done.
"Great-grandpa Felan never actually married the moon.", she laughed. "Great-grandma Fengári simply was named after the moon. Ma used to say I have her eyes."
"Well.", Éomer said, as he turned his head to her to look at her eyes. "She wasn't wrong."
"How do you know my great-grandma's eyes?", the half-wolf asked jokingly. "I didn't know you're that old, milord. You look good for your age."
Éomer almost choked on his own saliva. Had this high woman, this queen of the half-wolves, just complemented him? And on his looks of all things. ...Or maybe he was just overreacting. She probably didn't even mean it like that. She was probably just making a joke. She just wanted to goof around. Nothing personal. She was just making fun of hi-
"Lord Éomer?", she brought him back into reality. "My, I didn't mean to offend you. I'm sorry, I was joking." She looked at him, a smile playing in the corners of her lips.
"Hm?", he asked.
"About my great-grandma. I don't actually believe you knew her. I was just joking. I am deeply sorry."
"Oh no. I'm not offended.", he answered. "I was just... lost in thoughts."
"Well, that'll rest my mind."
And there was that smile again. The smile, as Éomer noticed, she always smiled when she genuinely meant it. He had seen her smiling it at Aragorn whenever they spoke. He knew how deeply she loved the Dunedàn. He was a bit jealous of the man. Not too much though.
"Lady Faya.", he then asked. "Do you know why Aragorn left you with us?"
Faya looked up at him again. "No." she answered. Then after a short minute of considering she added: "It was probably something Elladan said. He was different afterwards. But... he never told me to stay behind. Things must be very serious."
"Well, it would be very hard for him if you'd get hurt... it would be very hard for me too." Realising what he said he looked down, a light blush creeping over his cheeks.
Faya raised her eyebrows but didn't comment. "I thank you for your concern, milord.", she said with an encouraging smile. "I do appreciate it. And... it would also be hard for me if you'd get hurt."
They rode in silence for a long time, until Éomer uncomfortably cleared his throat.
"Well, milady..." and he trailed off as if he had forgotten what he had wanted to say.
Faya raised her head and curiously looked at him. "Yes, milord...?"
"You see", he began again, looking up but not quite meeting her eyes. "I... didn't exactly planned on saying that. Please forgive me, your majesty, it wasn't my place to say such things."
"What? No, no! Don't apologize! It's alright. My, I'm sorry! I-", but she stopped herself and continued in calmer way: "Milord Éomer, crown prince of the Mark, don't you apologize for whatever you think you did inappropriate. I do not mind at all and find it quite comforting to have this conversation with you."
And she smiled at him again. And it warmed his heart in a way he had never experienced it. He couldn't help but smile back at her.
"You probably don't remember", she suddenly said, her glance getting lost in the distance. "The last time I visited Rohan?" It was more of a question than the stating of an actual fact. "It was quite a while ago... twenty, maybe thirty, years? It's been a while.", she chuckled. "I think you were still a child. I remember you and your sister running around chasing each other. Back, when the royal duty wasn't weighting on your shoulders yet. When you were, well, just children. I remember how I saw you two just being free and I remember how jealous I was. I was so jealous at you being able to be children... something I... never could." Her voice sounded sad, her eyes were still looking nowhere specific. "I've just been a queen ever since... that day."
She didn't specificized what day or what had happened on "that day", but Éomer didn't ask. She didn't seem to like to talk about it and he didn't want to pressure her. He hoped she would tell one day herself, because he was curious. Waiting for her to say more, he tilted his head.
But she didn't continue.
So, they rode in silence again. Just riding next to each other. Not speaking, not looking at each other. Both lost in thoughts, both coping with what Faya just had told him.
The silence was broken by a soldier coming up to his commander.
"Milord...", he said, uncertain, whether he had just interrupted something.