Cushions

Chapter Eleven

It seemed as if they had hardly been home in Édoras for any length of time, and now they were setting off to return to Mundburg.

Although both Éothain and Cwengyth were technically in mourning for family members, and for Théoden King, they had agreed to Éowyn’s suggestion that they marry so that Cwengyth could join the party. Truth be told, there were many weddings happening all over the Mark; it was summer (although Éomer thought midwinter might have its attraction for a wedding night…), there was a need for joy amidst the sorrow, and such relief that each couple were both alive that it seemed unnecessary to wait.

And, of course, a good number of the brides wished to have their weddings before their bellies got too big to dance the night away. A lot of babies had been conceived in the last night or two before the éoreds had ridden to Gondor; some in tents at Dunharrow, some in a rapid farewell in cottage, manor, or barn. There had been no time for wedding vows, even when such had been planned for the future, and few would gainsay such a comfort when they may never meet again.

Éomer was well aware that if he had not been too caught up in what had gone before, and was to come, to even recognise the two or three offers made to him until he thought of them later, he may have spent that night in Dunharrow in exactly the same way. Probably as well he hadn’t, he thought now.

Éowyn had been the one to bring to Éomer’s notice the plight of those who were pregnant from such a farewell but whose man had not returned. Fortunately ever-sensible Éowyn had suggested a solution; clearly she had given it some thought. Where the woman named the father of her child and at least two others agreed it was likely, either because the couple were known to have been courting or they had been seen to share a tent, she would be treated as his widow and the child as his.

Éomer put this to his advisors in such a way that they could do little but discuss the logistics and they granted that, although there was room for disagreement and perhaps some dishonesty, generally the people of The Mark were both honest and pragmatic; and this solved far more problems than it created. He was sure, he told them, that they could sort out any such problems in his absence.

He really would miss Éowyn if she persisted in her idea of marrying Faramir and moving to Gondor. He wondered if seeing Éothain and Cwengyth together would make her more inclined to pursue her plans, or make her realise how much better it would be to marry a Rider.

Although he had to admit it would be hard to find one who would measure up to her. One or two, he had noticed, looked at her with some longing, but seemed afraid to approach her (and what use would such a man be to Éowyn?), whilst others, she said, saw her mainly as a means to gain Éomer’s ear. These she herself gave short shrift to and, if she hadn’t, Éomer would have done so anyway.

At least Faramir, Prince of Ithilien, fell into neither camp.

Then, at his last meeting with his advisors before leaving to retrieve the body of Théoden King, Éomer found himself wishing that he had never brought the subject of women and babies to their attention. For they pointed out to him, firmly, that once his uncle had been laid in his barrow it would be an essential part of Éomer‘s kingship that he choose a bride, as quickly as possible, and get on with producing an heir.

…………………..

“Well, just ask your Gondorian princess when we get to Mundburg,” Éothain replied, as if it was the obvious answer, when Éomer told him what the advisors had said.

“She is not my princess!” Éomer retorted.

“Well, she would be if you asked her to get married to you.”

Éothain’s logic was irrefutable but, as Éomer explained, it was not that simple. Lothíriel may well already be betrothed to a Gondorian by now, she would doubtless not want to come and live so far from her family, she wouldn’t speak Rohirric, and there were other reasons too.

“Other reasons? Éomer – the girl is nice to look at, it’s plain to see that she has curves in the right places, she didn’t seem to smell, and you didn’t get your cock damaged in battle – did you? So you shouldn’t have any problems!”

Before Éomer could decide what was the correct response Éowyn joined them and he could change the subject. But the problem, he thought later, was that in basic terms Éothain had a point.

…………………..

The Rohirrim were coming! Lothíriel was quite possibly more excited this time than she had been when that had been the cry at the time of the siege. It had seemed so unlikely, then, that their arrival could be more than a temporary respite. This time it held very different connotations.

Of course this contingent were coming for a solemn reason; to retrieve the body of their dead king and return him to his own land for burial. But the people of Minas Tirith still had that sense of pent-up joy and relief at the end of a long, grim, war that saw anything associated with their allies as a reason for celebrations. King Elessar and his Queen were holding a great banquet to honour Éomer King, various members of the nobility (including Lothíriel’s family) were planning to do something similar, and further down the city plans were afoot to entertain whatever Riders would accompany the king.

But for Lothíriel it was certainly more personal. She was looking forward to seeing Éowyn, after the intervening months of letter writing but, even more, she wanted to see Éomer. So many times she had remembered that kiss on her bare hand (and been grateful that she had taken her gloves off to eat – and that this hadn’t stopped him as it might have a Gondorian noble), remembered the firm warmth of his lips, and the sensation as his beard had touched her skin.

She remembered, too, the fleeting glimpse of admiration in his expression. She tried not to remember the way he had avoided her for much of his last stay in the city, although she wished she knew why that had been so, and hoped against hope that he would kiss her properly on this visit.

At least she knew that he had not become betrothed to someone back in Rohan for Éowyn would surely have mentioned it. Instead she had the impression that Éomer had been much too busy to even think of such a thing although, it seemed, the redoubtable Éothain had become not just betrothed but wed in that short time.

When she found herself wondering about the usual length of Rohirric betrothals she shook herself firmly and reminded herself that the main source of her anticipation was seeing Éowyn again. It was not a terribly convincing argument…

…………………..

The journey had been enjoyable. Despite the solemn reason for this return to Minas Tirith, this time there was no need to hurry, and no worries about what they would find on arrival. Well, very few worries. Cwengyth was a good addition to the party, from Éowyn’s point of view, for some conversations were easier between two females – especially two who had known each other from childhood.

Conversations about such subjects as Faramir; especially whether he would still want to become betrothed now he had had time for further consideration. His letters were reassuring, but would he find Éowyn less attractive now that the aristocratic young women of the Gondorian court had returned to the city? Would he find her uncouth by comparison? Not feminine enough?

“Of course he won’t,” Cwengyth reassured her. “After all, he could have married one of them at any time. Or at least got betrothed when they knew battle was imminent. But he didn’t, did he? And if he <i>was</i> to decide you weren’t ladylike enough then it would just prove he was the wrong man for a shield-maiden and you’d be better without him.”

She paused only briefly before going on, “So why don’t we concentrate on the important things? Is he handsome? Does he have good arms and well-muscled legs? He is a fighting man so I expect he has. Do you think he is lusty? How tight do they wear their breeches? Tight enough for you to judge what’s under them? If he hasn’t got good strong legs and arms, and a lusty appetite, it would be better for you not to get betrothed anyway…”

Éowyn actually found herself blushing. But she reassured her friend that Faramir sat a horse well, and was acknowledged to be skilled with both bow and sword, so he doubtless had good arms and legs… and when she found out about the lusty appetite and the contents of his breeches she would let Cwengyth know!

…………………………………

Next day Cwengyth was able to judge for herself whether or not Faramir was handsome, at least, as he was in the forefront of the party who met the Rohirrim about mid-day to ride the last miles to the city with them.

Possibly she might have worried on Éowyn’s behalf, when she saw a young woman riding close to him, until Éowyn greeted Lothíriel by name almost as soon as Faramir had formally welcomed Éomer King on behalf of King Elessar. It wasn’t long before the two parties mingled and Faramir could explain to Éowyn that Aragorn had sent him, rather than coming in person, to allow him to see Éowyn more quickly.

One of Lothíriel’s brothers, as well as one of Queen Arwen’s brothers and Legolas, were also in the party. All seemed to be making sure that Faramir could easily ride with Éowyn by distracting Éomer in conversation. It was good to know, Éowyn thought, that they had such allies.

Lothíriel, having greeted Éowyn and been introduced to Cwengyth, left her cousin and her friend together and rode to join her brother in the group around Éomer. Éowyn was not so distracted by Faramir that, having decided Lothíriel would be a very good sister-in-law, she didn’t keep looking to see how the two got on together.

…………………………………

By the time they had been in Minas Tirith for a few days Cwengyth was happy to agree with Éowyn that Faramir was handsome, in a dark sort of way, and looked as if he was certainly well enough muscled not to be easily worn out in bed-sport. Éowyn had little to report on the possible contents of Faramir’s breeches – but, on the couple of occasions that she and Faramir had evaded Éomer’s eagle eye, and found a little privacy, she thought his kisses suggested that there was no need to worry about whether he had a lusty appetite.

Talking of Éomer’s eagle eye, Éowyn was sure that she had seen her brother’s gaze following the Princess of Dol Amroth, more than once, as she danced with other people. Lothíriel, too, seemed to look on Éomer most favourably.

However, Éomer didn’t seem to be doing anything about courting the young woman. They would be leaving again in only a little over a week… Éowyn decided she really should give her brother a firm push.