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Theodred and Eomer rarely fought. It wasn't that they never disagreed; it was just that their disagreements were hardly ever great enough to devolve into a fight. One of the few subjects that could reduce the cousins to clenched fists and shouted words was whether or not Theodred ought to be sleeping—in the loosest sense of the word—with half the unattached female servants in Meduseld.
To be fair to the Prince, Eomer exaggerated the number. While Theodred had slept with several of the female servants, it was certainly nowhere close to half. In fact, in recent years, there had really only been a couple, and Theodred was always sure that his intentions were clear and that he did everything possible to prevent a bastard. Once that was done, Theodred saw no reason why he shouldn't have a bit of fun. At this point in the argument, Theodred nearly always resorted to saying patronizingly, "You'll understand when you're older."
Eomer thought that that was just stupid. He was nearly seventeen, and he understood just fine. That didn't mean he had to approve! Besides, Eowyn was only barely thirteen. What kind of example was he setting for her by doing this while she was growing into womanhood? Clearly, something had to be done, and since Theoden didn't seem inclined to put a stop to things, it fell to Eomer to make Theodred quit.
He waited for a night when Eowyn was gone, visiting a friend for the night down in Edoras proper. He watched as Theodred flirted with the servers, waiting until he was sure that it would be one of those nights. Then he slipped out of the main hall, heading for the Prince's room.
Eomer entered Theodred's room, making sure no one was around, and stealthily began removing Theodred's clothes, placing them in the basket he carried. After some thought, he added Theodred's boots and shoes as well. The basket was quite heavy by now, but he was no weakling, and managed to carry it the short distance to his own chambers, hiding the basket in his wardrobe. There. That would teach Theodred a lesson, he thought with a smirk. Especially since he wasn't quite finished, yet.
When Theodred stumbled back to his room with one of the kitchen maids that he favored, he didn't bother checking his wardrobe—why would he? Not only was there nothing of value there anyway, they were at the center of Meduseld, one of the safest places in Rohan from both thieves and danger. Besides, he had a beautiful, willing woman. How could he even think of focusing on anything else? He spared just enough attention from her to strip off his clothing and hers before scooping her up and carrying her to his bed. What followed was no one else's business.
Even the Prince's stamina had its limits though, and eventually Prince and servant were wrapped around each other in the bed, fast asleep.
Eomer, meantime, had hidden under Theodred's bed, and heard it all - felt it all, pretty much. He had nearly fallen asleep waiting for his cousin to do so, and inched out from under Theo's bed, scooping up the last of Theo's clothing and sneaking out of the room. Silently, he closed the door behind him. There. Now all that was left was to wait and see what would happen...Smirking to himself, Eomer returned to his chamber, put Theo's clothes with the rest, and sought his own bed. Tomorrow would be very interesting indeed.
Theodred's bedmate, accustomed to rising before the dawn, woke him as she slipped out of bed and dressed herself. He propped himself up on one elbow, watching her with a lazy smile. "I like your hair loose," he said as she tied it back out of her face.
"You'll like it less when it ends up in your food," she retorted with a laugh, bending to bestow a kiss on him. "Where did my underskirt go?" she asked, looking around the room.
Theodred sat up all the way, then shrugged as he glanced around the room. "You don't need it to get back to your room," he pointed out with a grin. "And you could come look for it tonight…"
She laughed. "Well, how can I decline an offer like that?" she asked. "Tonight, then, my Prince." She winked at him, then sashayed out of the room, a bit of an extra sway in her hips, the better to draw his eye.
Theodred grinned foolishly after her for a moment, then climbed out of bed himself to get ready for the day. There was just one problem. His wardrobe was empty. Well, nearly empty, he thought, picking up what must have been the servant's missing underskirt. But his own tunics and hose, his breeches, even his smallclothes and his boots were missing. He checked the floor and under the bed for yesterday's clothing, but still came up with nothing except that one underskirt.
He swore. Oh, this wasn't good at all. He gave his bed a considering look, but it was summer. There was no blanket on the bed, and the thin sheet was not only a bit too thin to adequately protect his modesty, it was also somewhat marked by the activities of the previous evening. He looked back at the skirt. He was not thinking about this. He wasn't. There had to be clothes somewhere in his room! Clothes didn't just get up and walk away in the middle of the night!
For the first time, Theodred regretted that his room was on the opposite side of Meduseld from Theoden's. It was designed to keep a single attack from wiping out both the King and the heir, and Theodred had always appreciated the privacy and freedom it gave him. Right now though, it would have been nice to be able to easily get to someone who would provide him with actual clothing without laughing at him.
His best chance was probably Eomer, though Theodred didn't harbor any illusions that his cousin would refrain from laughing at him. But at least Eomer would also give him some clothes, even if they were a bit small. Swearing continuously under his breath, Theodred donned the skirt, which probably looked even more ridiculous than it felt. Did it have to have lace on the edges?
Speculating darkly on the likely parentage of the clothes thief, Theodred poked his head out into the corridor, checking to make sure the coast was clear before he committed himself to leaving the safety of his room. The coast was clear, and all Theodred had to do was make it to the end of the corridor where Mer's room was without being seen. He was halfway down the corridor when an alarmed squeak behind him alerted him to the fact that someone—probably a female someone—had spotted him. He ran faster, not looking around behind him to see who it was. When he reached Eomer's door, he pounded on it with a fist. If it hadn't been locked, he would have opened it himself, courtesy be damned, but breaking down the door would likely take longer than just waiting for Eomer to open it.
Eomer was slower than necessary when it came to opening the door, but it was worth it to see Theo standing there in a woman's underskirt. He raised an eyebrow, trying his utmost not to laugh. "What happened, Theo?" he asked with interest, hoping to sound innocent as well. "Did the clothes bandit come in your room?"
"Shut up," Theodred growled, pushing past his cousin into the not-quite-safety of Eomer's room and pushing the door closed behind him. He gave Eomer a look. "Oh, go ahead," he said irritably. "Get it over with." Eomer was going to be useless until he had his laugh; might as well get it out of the way.
Eomer did laugh, but not too much. "I'll give you some of my clothes," he offered.
"Thank you, cousin," he said. They'd be too small for him, but Eomer was growing fast, so it wouldn't be as bad as it would have been only a year or two ago. He shucked of the skirt. It was hardly the first time Eomer had seen him bare, after all. Besides the few (though horrifically memorable) occasions where Eomer had witnessed Theodred getting spanked, they had always gone swimming together several times, when Theo could escape his duties and Eomer his lessons.
Eomer went to his wardrobe, blocking Theo's view as he took out some clothes and handed them to Theodred. They were, as Eomer said, Mer's own - the 'clothes bandit' didn't want to risk being caught by handing Theo his own garments.
Theo struggled into them. Yes, the tunic was much tighter across the shoulders than he liked, forcing him to hunch slightly to avoid tearing out the seams, and the breeches ended several inches above his ankles, but it was still definitely better than that skirt. "Thank you," he said again. "Where are your spare boots?"
Eomer fetched them, giving them to Theodred. "Here, Theo."
Theodred couldn't even fit his foot into them, and he gave up. Looked like he was going barefoot for a little while. "I'm going to see Adar," he decided. He was decently attired enough to get to the other side of Meduseld now, and Theoden would have clothes and boots more suited to Theodred than Eomer did.
Anger at the clothes bandit having faded now that he was more or less decent, Theodred draped an arm over Eomer's shoulders. "Come with me, and I'll grab you a couple of sweet rolls before breakfast," he offered.
Theodred's kindness made Eomer fight off a blush, as he began to feel remorseful - a little - for what he had done. He nodded around the lump in his throat. "Thank you, Theo."
Clothed or not, Theodred still took them through the less-used corridors in order to reach Theoden's chambers, where he knocked with a good deal more decorum than he had shown at Eomer's door.
Theoden opened the door fairly quickly, then looked at his son and nephew for a moment. Without a word, he stepped back to let them enter. "Hama, you're dismissed," he told his bodyman. "I suspect my son has a fascinating story to relate as to the state of his clothing," he said dryly, and Theodred blushed.
Hama hid his grin, merely bowing to the King and taking his leave. Theodred cleared his throat as the door closed. "My clothes were…missing this morning," he said sheepishly. "Eomer loaned me some of his, but I thought yours would probably fit better?" He wiggled his bare toes against the cool stone floor. "Please?"
There was…something in Eomer's eyes, Theoden noted, and he looked at his nephew. "Eomer?" he asked, in the mild tone that all his wards recognized as their last chance to give him the truth of any matter, before he got truly stern and started talking about birches and other terrifying implements.
"Um. Well." Eomer slid his gaze across to Theodred. "Sweet rolls?" he asked, hoping to remind Theodred what they were supposed to be doing.
Theoden held up a hand to Theodred before he could say anything. "Get dressed ion-nin." Turning his attention back to Eomer as Theodred walked across the room to the wardrobe, Theoden waited.
"May I use the privy, Uncle?" Eomer asked, not needing to pretend to sound urgent.
Theoden narrowed his eyes, but nodded. "Return here immediately when you are done."
Eomer darted away, getting to the privy just in time. When he was finished, he very briefly considered hiding in the privy and accusing someone of placing calomel in his food. But then he remembered that he hadn't eaten yet, something which Theodred unfortunately could attest to.
Theoden and Theodred were both waiting when he returned. Theodred looked confused and a bit curious, while Theoden just looked stern. Very, very stern. "Eomer." This was not the last-chance tone. This was the you're-in-trouble, tell-me-the-truth-or-you-won't-sit-for-a-week tone.
Eomer was fairly sure that he wasn't going to be sitting for a week, anyway. But he bowed, and turned to Theodred. "It was me, Theo. I'm sorry."
"What?" Theodred asked blankly. Eomer? Eomer wouldn't do that. "Don't be stup- Ow!" He darted a look sideways at his father, grimacing slightly, then forged ahead. "You didn't." The very idea was ridiculous.
"You keep sleeping around with all these girls, Theo. It's embarrassing. And it's not good for Eowyn to know about. I wanted to teach you a lesson."
Theodred gaped, mouth opening and closing like a fish for a moment as he digested this new information. Theoden spoke before he recovered. "Is it your responsibility to teach Theodred a lesson?" he asked.
Eomer blinked twice, shifting uncomfortably. "Someone had to," was all he could think of to say.
"It wasn't a lot of girls! Women!" Theodred said, finally finding his voice. "Only two! And it's none of your concern. Or Eowyn's!"
"Theodred," Theoden said calmly, holding up a hand to settle his heir. "Eomer, that is not an answer. Is it your responsibility to teach Theodred a lesson?"
"You weren't," Eomer said, then immediately wished he could take it back or that the ground would open up and swallow him. "Your Majesty," he added, a touch more respectfully. "Sir."
"Perhaps I didn't think it was a lesson that needed to be taught," Theoden said. "And you didn't come to me with your concerns, did you?"
"Hama keeps telling me 'the King is busy'," Eomer said sardonically.
Theoden fixed a stern gaze on Eomer. "You don't seem inclined to actually answer my questions this morning, nephew. Did you talk to me?"
"I would have if Hama had let me in!" Eomer fumed.
"You see me at least twice a day for meals," Theoden pointed out. "If you didn't want to talk about it there, you still could have asked to speak with me in private. Or you could have woken up early, and come to see me here, as you and Theodred did today."
Eomer kicked the wall for answer. Maybe he could have. But there was always that sneaking slime Grima Galmodson around.
"Very well," Theoden said grimly, when it appeared that Eomer wasn't going to reply. "Theodred, go to breakfast. Eomer will return your clothes to you after."
"But—"
"Go, ion-nin," Theoden repeated, adding a bit of steel to his voice.
Theodred scowled, but obeyed, though not with a long glance at Eomer promising retribution.
With Theodred gone, Theoden returned his gaze to Eomer. "I'm disappointed, nephew," he said. "And I think you would benefit from some time spent reflecting on your actions." He nodded to one corner of the bedchamber. "There."
Eomer bowed and went to the corner, standing quietly with his hands at his sides.
Theoden sighed as Eomer took up his position in the corner. He was getting too old for this. Things had been much easier when he had only had one high-strung young lad to raise. Well, no, it probably hadn't been. But in hindsight, it certainly seemed that way. He set about returning some order to his wardrobe (and Theodred would be getting an earful later about not straightening up after himself), waiting for some sign of penitence from his scapegrace nephew.
Eomer stood in the corner, thinking to himself that Theo had probably deserved it. To a point. But it wasn't up to him to do something about it. Not really. And what would his Ada have said? Oh, that hurt. Why did Mer's conscience always have to bring that up? Wincing, he heard Eomund's recriminations in his head, telling him he'd taken responsibility that wasn't his, and that he'd disappointed Eomund with his behaviour. A lecture he heard several times as a small boy learning to be an older brother, yet one that never failed to sting even six years later.
Theoden saw Eomer's shoulders slump slightly. Perhaps now they'd be able to get somewhere with this nonsense. "Come here," he said, taking a seat on his bed and waiting for Eomer to join him.
Eomer turned slowly, blinking back furious tears. How could he have disappointed Eomund again...and, more to the point, disappointed Uncle Theoden. His face burned hot as he walked toward Theoden, head bowed.
"From the beginning," Theoden said, "Tell me what all this is about."
"Theodred's been sleeping with lots of girls," Eomer said.
Theoden nodded. He was well aware of that, as well as the fact that Theodred was responsible about things, even if it didn't always appear so to a young observer. But he had no real issues with his son kicking up his heels a bit before settling down with a wife; one that he'd be faithful to. "And this upset you?"
"It's not good for Eowyn to know about, and she'll find out," Eomer explained. "She's getting to be a woman, that's not any kind of example to set for her. Naneth told me I had to look out for Wyn."
Theoden could understand where Eomer was coming from. In fact, he ought to have thought of it himself, but Eowyn was the first girl he had attempted to raise. There were some things it just didn't occur to him to think of. Like when Eowyn's nurse had come to him the year before, requesting the funds to acquire Eowyn some breastbands. And, apparently, this. Eomer's objections were reasonable. Theoden nodded gravely. "You're right," Eomer," he said. "And I shall discuss this with Theodred today. However, so long as we're speaking of examples, what kind of example does stealing someone's clothes set?"
Eomer's shoulders slumped, and he nodded. "You're right, Uncle," he admitted. "Adar and Naneth wouldn't approve."
"What other decisions could you have made?" Theoden asked, reserving comment over how likely Theodwyn would have been to approve. To her son, she certainly would have shown her disapproval, but Theodwyn had once stolen their sister's clothing when the two of them were swimming in a stream. He never had gotten the whole story of that incident, come to think of it.
"I could have ordered Hama to let me in to see you," Eomer said drily, "since asking didn't work."
"You could have talked to me at mealtimes," Theoden countered.
"I suppose," Eomer sighed. "It just didn't seem like an appropriate topic for the table."
"Then you ask to speak to me in private," Theoden said. "I am not that unapproachable, am I, Eomer?"
Eomer sighed, and shook his head. It was just that the very annoying Grima Galmodson was beginning to court a lot of favors from the King, and, well, he seemed to be looking at Eowyn the way Theo looked at his maidens. Not that they were technically maidens anymore after being with Theo, if they had been before. But Eomer would keep an eye on that one. "I suppose not," he said.
Theoden nodded. "And even if you absolutely could not find a way to speak with me, would stealing your cousin's clothing be an appropriate response?"
"No, Uncle," Eomer said reluctantly.
"Did you at least leave him his smallclothes?" Theoden asked. Not that that would be much of a saving grace, but it would be something.
"Er...well, I left him hers," Eomer muttered.
Theoden just blinked. "Come again, nephew?" he asked, hoping he had not heard that properly.
"Er...I left him hers," Eomer repeated, wincing.
"You left him hers," Theoden repeated slowly. "Her smallclothes. And nothing else?"
Eomer shook his head reluctantly.
"Right," Theoden said grimly. "First, you will return your cousin's clothing. Then you will find this poor girl and return her skirt, with your deepest apologies. And then you will go into the garden and cut a switch before reporting to my study."
Eomer's heart began to race, but he merely bowed and said "Yes, Uncle."
"I strongly advise you not to dawdle," Theoden said quietly. "You're dismissed."
Eomer winced, and left the study, returning to his own room and carrying the basket of clothes to Theodred's room. He knocked on the door. When no one answered, he carefully pushed open the door, and set the clothes basket inside Theodred's wardrobe. Finding the woman's underskirt there, he shifted nervously, wondering how to find the girl his cousin had been with the night before.
The woman who normally cleaned Theodred's room entered cautiously, still not quite over seeing someone (who possibly resembled but could not have been the Prince) running down the corridor wearing nothing but a skirt. The very skirt, in fact, that Lord Eomer seemed to be holding. She dropped into a curtsey. "My lord. I'm sorry to interrupt you, I can come back later…?"
"Erm...I'm, um, supposed to return this to Prince Theodred's...companion. She left it here last night," Eomer hedged.
"Gyda," the maid said, not having to think to hard on it. "She ought to be in the kitchens just now," she added, wondering just what the lords had been up to last night.
"Thank you," Eomer said, bowing to the woman and heading for the kitchens as fast as he could. He pushed open the door, peeking around it. "Gyda?"
The message got passed back that the Young Lord wanted to see Gyda, and soon the woman in question emerged from the depths of the kitchen. She offered Eomer a curtsey. "M'lord?"
"Um...Theo sent me with something of yours," Eomer said, offering her the wrapped bundle.
Gyda flushed scarlet as she realized what it must be, and she took it from him, hiding it in the large pocket sewn onto her apron. "Thank you, my lord," she said, wishing that the floor would just open up and swallow her. "Was there…aught else you needed?"
"Er...no, thank you, Gyda. And...um...I'm sorry for embarrassing you," he added quietly.
Gyda nodded jerkily, mostly just wanting this conversation done with so that she could go die of embarrassment somewhere. "Yes my lord."
Eomer bowed and left the kitchens, heading outside to cut a switch. The last person he expected to run into, walking in the birch grove, the last person he wanted to run into at the moment, was Ealdric. Of course, he liked to walk out here - Bema only knew why, though Eomer supposed the grove was peaceful enough. "Hello, Ealdric," Eomer mumbled, knowing he couldn't just ignore his cousin's gwador and liegeman.
"Hullo Eomer," Ealdric said easily enough. He had just returned from visiting his mother's family that morning, and had yet to see Theodred, much less learn of the Clothes Bandit and Eomer's part in it. "What have I missed, these past weeks?"
"Erm." Eomer squirmed. "I did something stupid, and now Theo's mad, and Uncle wants me to cut a switch," he confessed, setting about doing just that as he talked. "Theo's been sleeping with lots of girls, and I thought he was setting a bad example for Wyn. Moder told me to look out for Wyn. So...I stole Theo's clothes and embarrassed him, 'cos he had to wear the girl's smallclothes that he was in bed with." Eomer said all this very fast, hoping Ealdric wouldn't kill him. "Please don't hurt me, Uncle's mad enough."
Ealdric couldn't help thinking that he wished he'd seen Theodred in a girl's smallclothes. That would've been something to tease his milkbrother about for years. He shook his head, grinning. "You don't think small, do you, little lord?"
"No, I guess not," Eomer said, blushing. "Do you think you could make Theo not be mad with me?" he asked dejectedly. "And...um, maybe walk with me back to Uncle's study? You don't have to come inside," he added hurriedly. "Theo probably wants to see you. He doesn't want to see me."
"I'll walk with you," Ealdric agreed. "And though I think it might take all the magic in Dwimordene to settle Theodred, I'll do what I can." He put an arm around Eomer's shoulders. "Chin up. He always calms down eventually; you know that."
Eomer nodded, leaning into Ealdric's sort-of embrace a little as they walked. Having Ealdric's arm around him helped, at least, though he still nibbled his lip a bit as they walked. "What if Uncle says I wasn't fast enough? I tried to be fast enough, but it took me forever to find the girl so I could give her the underskirt back."
"Tell him I kept you, and I'm very sorry about it," Ealdric said, letting Eomer go and dropping back half a step as they went inside. The worst Theoden would do to him over something like this was an esaperated scolding, and perhaps telling Ealdric's Moder. Which, granted, wasn't the best of outcomes, but Ealdric could tell his Moder the truth, and she'd probably let him off.
Eomer gave Ealdric a grateful smile. "Thank you," he said sincerely, and when they reached the door of Theoden's study, knocked a bit hesitantly.
"Enter!" Theoden called from within.
Ealdric squeezed Eomer's shoulder. "Good luck, little lord." With a final encouraging smile, he walked off to find his milkbrother and (hopefully) cajole Theodred into a better mood.
Eomer entered after taking a moment to straighten his shoulders and brush the beginnings of tears from his eyes. He entered with his head erect, gaze meeting Theoden's, and, after closing the door behind him, gave Theoden a bow. "Aran-nin." He handed the neatly trimmed switch over for Theoden's examination.
Theoden raised his eyebrows. "You are not here as my subject," he pointed out. "Only as my nephew." The switch was acceptable and Theoden nodded, pushing his armless chair back from the desk. He crooked a finger at Eomer. "And now, nephew, let us see to your naughtiness."
"Yes, Uncle," Eomer said quietly, moving to stand before Theoden. He wasn't sure where exactly Theoden wanted him, though over the desk was likely at least at some point. It had been a while, truth be told, since Eomer had been punished by Theoden, and Eomer's instructors and commanders in the Riders' Academy had different methods, so he thought it better to wait for specific instructions. There was also the question of bare or not bare. If Theoden was going to spank him first, of course his breeches would be coming down, no question about it. But if not...well, Mer wasn't sure. Some of his commanders didn't bother baring the lads for a strapping or birching after all.
"Breeches down and over my knee," Theoden prompted, understanding Eomer's hesitation. "This was behavior worthy of a much younger lad, not a man almost grown."
Eomer grimaced, but did as he was told, bracing himself against the floor.
Theoden wrapped a strong arm around Eomer's waist to keep him in place, then began the spanking. His hand was callused and strong, and he had far too much experience disciplining errant youths. This would not be a pleasant experience for Eomer.
Being spanked was never a pleasant experience for Eomer, especially by Theoden. He did his best to stay still, though, not wanting to wriggle and kick like the younger lad Theoden had called him. He was a man almost grown after all. He ought to be brave enough to take it.
If Eomer wanted to give stoicism a try, far be it from Theoden to stop him. He simply continued his methodical reddening of Eomer's backside. He could keep this up for quite a while, if needs be.
Stoicism be damned, Eomer thought before too much longer, as he always did. The tears came, and Eomer couldn't stop them. He was squirming and kicking, and there was nothing he could do about it. He just thought, through his haze of tears, that he was glad for Theoden's arm holding him in place, as otherwise he would most likely have hurt himself somehow.
When Theoden deemed Eomer's backside to be a proper shade of red, he finished with a solid smack to each sit spot, then rested a hand on Eomer's back, rubbing small circles as Eomer's sobs quieted.
Eomer tried hard to get his breath back. As he lay there, calming himself, the next thought that penetrated the haze clouding his mind was that his uncle's hand felt nicer this way. Why couldn't Theoden do that without smacking him first, he thought with irritation.
"Better?" Theoden asked, when Eomer's sobs had settled down into the occasional hiccup.
"For now," Eomer said miserably.
Theoden helped him to his feet and steadied him while he pulled his breeches back up. "Good. I think a little more time in the corner would be beneficial before we finish this up," he said, sending Eomer on his way with a light swat, barely more than a pat. It surely felt much worse than it would have normally, considering the state Eomer's backside was in though.
Eomer nodded. "Yes, sir," he said miserably, wincing and sniffling at the swat. He pressed himself into the corner, wishing he'd never been such an idiot.
Theoden took the time to clear off enough of his desk for Eomer to bend over it, then picked up the switch. "Come here, Eomer."
Eomer sighed and obeyed. "Yes, sir."
Theoden nodded at the desk. "Breeches down; you know what to do."
Eomer shoved his breeches down and got into position, wincing and burying his face in his arms.
"Why are you here?" Theoden asked, flicking the switch down for the first time. There was no force behind it; there didn't need to be. All a switch took was a flick of the wrist to make a bright light appear across the already-reddened backside before him. The line faded quickly, but Theoden knew that the sting lasted longer.
Eomer's hands clenched over the (mercifully well-sanded) edge of the desk. "Because I was an idiot."
The switch flicked down a second time. "Try again."
Eomer yelped. "Because I humiliated Theodred."
"Was that an action worthy of you?" Theoden asked, letting the switch fall again.
"No!" Eomer was having a hard time stifling his sobs. "Sorry!"
Theoden accepted that, laying down three more stripes before setting the switch to the side and once again rubbing Eomer's back. "You're not going to do anything like this again, are you nephew?" he asked gently.
"N-no...sorry, sorry...sorry, Uncle..." He mumbled something under his breath, so quietly that Theoden wasn't sure he'd heard right. It sounded suspiciously like 'Edwen Adar', what Theoden's own father, Thengel, had called Turgon, Steward of Gondor in the years he lived as Turgon's son in all but blood.
Theoden's face softened, though Eomer wasn't looking at him. "Oh, my lad. My lad." He pulled Eomer to his feet and into an embrace. "Shh. I've got you."
Eomer buried himself in Theoden's embrace, trying to calm down. But it just wasn't happening. "Theo hates me," he said, though it was muffled. "He does, doesn't he."
"Theodred could never hate you," Theoden said, stroking Eomer's hair. "He's angry right now, but he'll get over it soon enough."
"Ealdric said he'd try to make Theo not mad," Eomer said quietly.
"I'm sure he will then," Theoden said. Ealdric had had nearly thirty years of experience at calming Theodred down. If anyone could do it in only a few hours, it would be Ealdric. And Theodred really wasn't the type to hold grudges anyway. His temper could burn hot, but it usually cooled as fast as it flared.
Eomer nodded. "I'm sorry, Uncle," he said again.
"I know," Theoden said. "All is forgiven, Eomer."
Eomer relaxed. "Thank you, Uncle. I won't do it again."
"I'm sure you won't." He dropped a kiss on the top of Eomer's head, then released him. "Get your lessons for the day. You can do them here."
Eomer nodded, sighing as his stomach growled in protest. But he gave Theoden a grateful look, leaving to gather up his lessons. The only one he was not caught up on at the moment was law, and he was sure Theoden would test him personally at the next meeting of the court, a method he knew his uncle had learned from Thengel. All the royal children had attended court, at least occasionally, from a young age and been schooled in the arts of rulership. Eomer and Eowyn were no different, save for the age they had begun attending court. At eleven, Eomer had felt awkward and out of place at his first court session, and though he had only been required to sit and observe, he felt he was being scrutinized just as much as Uncle Theoden was. Six years later, he still felt judged.