Dawnstar and Friend

Eleanor’s POV
Though we were excited about the arrival of Eomer, and Éowyn too, we were more excited about the prospect of some more engagements.
The incipient announcement of the betrothal between Éowyn and Faramir, who we had grown quite close to in our stay, would have the huge advantage of taking the focus of the world in general off of us and our romances, which we were finding to be things we wanted to keep at least a little bit private.
There was also the fun we call setting up Lothiriel and Eomer.
I am not sure if they were in the slightest bit attracted to each other or considered each other as potential partners, but Tolkien stated they would be together, so by default of the fanfiction theory that the author is god, so we would make them come together.
This time we took on different tactics.
The night of Eomer’s arrival, there was a feast in Merethrond, which we wore Lorien dresses to as they took rather less time to dress in and we had not had all day.
We had brought Faramir and Imrahil into what we were doing, amongst others (you’ll never guess who), and they had carefully arranged for the pair to be sitting next to each other.
On the subject of her family, they were all delighted though Erchirion had the expression of someone who had realised that, with the rest of his siblings being married off, his father would turn his paternal eye to finding him a wife too.
I’m sure if we looked hard enough we could find someone perfect for him...
Well hello, tangent, nice to meet you...
Back to the story: once the dancing had started the two obviously danced together.
Just as they were to leave the floor the music turned to a Rohirric jig, and their king could hardly leave the floor and let his country down now, could he?
Of course, since the jig was for two and there were no other competent dancers available (Elphir had informed us that she did know how to dance a jig) Lothiriel had joined him in the middle of the floor.
We also noticed that Éowyn and Faramir had joined in, then Aragorn and Arwen (where did she learn a jig? Aragorn I can work out, but Arwen?) and later, much to the amazement of everyone, Thanduil decided to convince me to join him.
Where on earth did he pick up a jig? I learnt when we went through Rohan when Théoden was a child, but a xenophobic Sindarin King is not at the top of my list of people to learn a human peasant dance.
And I thought Arwen knowing a jig was shocking...
My incipient father-in-law was really rather good actually, much to the surprise of just about everyone including his own family.
Over the next few days, though the pair could not talk very often, they did come into contact with each other quite a lot.
This set-up was meant to be more subtle than our previous ones.
Four days after Eomer’s arrival, the funeral procession of King Théoden left Minas Tirith.
This was a mournful occasion, but that didn’t stop us from match-making though.
At first, every section of the party stayed with their own kind, you know Dol Amroth people stayed together and the elves of each realm only rode beside elves of that same realm.
Obviously the guards stayed in the same place throughout the journey, but it did not take long for those who didn’t have to, to mix up. The people in the honour guard had either fought together in the war or made friends with each other at other points.
There was also the problem with systemic curiosity over the elves, though thankfully there were no children (apart from Madam). I love children in fairly small doses, but the number who were shameless when it came to bugging us elves drives you up the wall at times, that was why we hadn’t gone shopping in the city significantly more often.
This large procession did have one advantage though, we could say anything – without any dropping or talking extra loud whatsoever – and be certain that it had got passed round everyone in under an hour.
Now I know how it feels to have paparazzi.
On a side note, we have had the peculiar thing of Aragorn announcing the Druadan forest an independent state or whatever they call it here. I never thought I would actually see a person do that.
On the 7th of August, a day after my birthday (our world time, I don’t know when my real birthday is as elves don’t count such things beyond our majorities so I have never had need to know), we arrive in Edoras with the funeral procession.
Three days later, on the 10th of August, there is the funeral.
We all wear modest black and wear our hair up and look mournful. By now we are used to such things, having spent so much time with the Dunedan.
We still feel mournful as Ginny, Miriel, and I only really remember Théoden as a little boy, having only seen a small amount of him when he was bigger and a king.
At the end, Éowyn leads the women in a funeral lament and we join in wordlessly as, though we do not know the words, we have heard the men on the battlefields after both the Pelennor Fields and the Black Gate when they were burying their dead.
Afterwards we go in for a meal, and then there is the wake. I have actually only gone to one wake before, there being none in the Angle for fairly obvious reasons.
I mostly remember the endless vodka lemons my adopted cousins kept feeding me, it being back in England (near Birmingham to be precise).
This one was very different, bar the copious amounts of alcohol, though that was admittedly a different alcohol.
Out of pure mischief, the twins and I spiked the various forms of alcohol present, mostly beer, with strong elfish liqueur. Very mature, I know...
It did have the desired effect though, everyone loosened up a fair bit quicker than they usually would have. On the other hand, several of the humans, particularly the younger ones, slid under the table rather quicker too.
We forewarned the ones we wanted to stay awake.
One of the best bits was when we found out that there was a jig both Lothiriel and Eomer knew that had required contact at the end.
Shortly before we got the bards to play the tune for it one of the assorted human males in on our plan bet Eomer that he couldn’t get Lothiriel to kiss him.
Convenient huh?
Predictably when the tune came on, Eomer got her to dance with him and pulled her into a kiss in front of everyone.
She was, by now, at least slightly attracted him and gave into the handsome king gracefully, with a suitable amount of modest blushing and giggling which signed interest, but not too much.
That little giggle thing is something I always found just a bit irritating, but it was good in this instance. Gin could train her out of it later.
What was even more important was that, by now, everyone thought they would be a great match courtesy of our little campaign on convenient comments on the journey and they all made their approval very clear.
The humans often arrange marriages for politics so in this case, though we wanted the pair to love each other because we are saps like that, the approval of both the commons and, more importantly, the nobles was a major factor. I think we successfully manipulated that into place.
The much greater prominence of jigs and reels also meant I got much better acquainted with my soon-to-be father-in-law.
Once again, how the hell does he know so many jigs, and so well?
He sort of skirts round answering me when I actually ask him.
I think my fiancé is wondering whether to learn to dance rohirric style just so he could nick me off his dad, who only seemed to want to dance with me.
Judging by the expression on Thanduil’s face every time he caught sight of the glares his son was sending his way for keeping me from him, the elfin king was keeping me dancing for the annoyance value.
I think I have just discovered where Miriel got her sense of humour from.
Late into the evening I do notice that the potential royal couple go outside for a talk, and their body language speaks for itself.
I see love on the horizon.
More love that is.
Ginny’s POV
Despite the sombreness of the reason for the horse-lords’ return, we naturally still hold a feast in their honour. Well, Aragorn and Eomer do want the relationship between their two kingdoms to remain a good one.
Aragorn didn’t (and would never) admit to this, but I suspect that he also wanted to impress the Rohirrim with Gondorian hospitality. Men are so predictable.
Our little band of cupids are at it again, now we aren’t setting up Éowyn and Faramir – they managed that all by themselves – this time we have Eomer and Lothiriel in our sights.
I think the starting off point in their relationship is the same as Amrothos and I, well similar anyway.
Lothiriel is a very beautiful girl, the dark colour of her long flowing hair contrasts with the milky-ness of her skin and her blue-grey eyes. She also has the poise of someone who hasn’t spent the majority of their life riding around Middle Earth fighting every enemy they come across.
Therefore, many men are attracted to her, but I think Eomer more than most. I keep thinking back to when I saw them together during Aragorn’s coronation. Now it wasn’t blindingly obvious, but I thought I saw something in the way Eomer looked at Lothiriel.
Like I did with Amrothos, she doesn’t appear to be reciprocating those feelings, but she is a very private person, so (unlike me) wouldn’t be quite so upfront with her feelings. I can’t really work out whether her silence on the subject is because she does like Eomer, but doesn’t want to say anything, or because she’s too polite to say anything else (unlike yours truly).
Not that it matters either way, they are going to fall in love and marry.
You wouldn’t have thought subtlety was a concept very much practised when Ellie and I plan romances, but it is going to be in this case. We aren’t going to constantly play love songs; they aren’t going to keep having ‘accidents’ which ends with each of them in the other’s arms; we aren’t even going to celebrate Valentine’s Day (besides, that’s in late Spring!)
But, we will be making sure that the situation always remains ‘favourable’ for them.
Consequently, they do sit together during the feast and they do dance together (be rather impolite for Eomer to not ask her to dance).
They also partner each other when the Rohirric jig is played (be rather unpatriotic for Eomer to not dance that one).
A variety of couples get up for the jig, although not Amrothos and I. I know Rohirric jigs having learnt them when we girls first visited Rohan, but Amrothos, despite his sister knowing some, doesn’t. I think it has something to do with male egos (yet again), his brothers never learnt why should he?
I also think he may be regretting that decision slightly, particularly as the couples get rather close at times...
On the other hand though, if we had been dancing at this point, I wouldn’t have got half so good a view of Thanduil dancing with Ellie.
It was really quite something to see one of the most infamously proud and uptight elves around dancing a human jig with such enthusiasm. Eomer and Lothiriel were meant to be the ones most in the limelight, but I think Thanduil rather stole that honour for himself.
Everyone was certainly stunned enough at the end for there to be a slight pause in the clapping.
***
The funeral procession isn’t due to leave for four days, on the 22nd.
During this time I hardly ever see my fiancé, he always disappears off, often for hours at a time, and I generally only get to see him at meal times. He’s also very secretive and doesn’t give me a straight answer when I ask him where’s he’s been.
This is the main reason why I don’t ride with him when the funeral procession sets out for Edoras; I stay with Ellie and the elves from Rivendell. I’m not angry exactly, just slightly annoyed and want to punish him by giving him my own cold shoulder.
As I’m near Ada and Naneth, Vanlanthiriel insists on riding with me on my horse.
If Eomer wasn’t considering marrying Lothiriel before the ride to Edoras, then he most certainly is now.
Guess who couldn’t resist tugging on Eomer’s sleeve and piping up,
“Are you going to marry Princess Lothiriel?”
If I hadn’t been holding firmly on to the reins as well as supporting Vanlanthiriel as she bounced up and down in front of me, then I would have put my head into my hands and wished for the ground to swallow me up (well, I could do the last part anyway).
Thank god Vanlanthiriel is still very tiny and very sweet.
There is a collective intake of breath from the surrounding riders as Eomer looks down at my sister, smiling benevolently.
“Marry Princess Lothiriel? Where did you get that idea from?”
As if he couldn’t guess.
“Vanlanthiriel! Don’t be so rude!” Naneth rides over, “I think it’s time you rode with me for a little while and let Ginny talk with her friends.”
Naneth gives me a meaningful look as I pass Vanlanthiriel over.
I don’t need telling twice and pull back to ride with Ellie and Miriel again. They both look at me sympathetically at me as I say,
“Never let Vanlanthiriel ride with you if you ever plan another romance.”
***
Three days after the funeral procession arrives in Edoras, King Théoden is laid to rest.
I’m not so annoyed at Amrothos that I don’t let him hold my hand during the funeral. He thinks I’m unhappy simply because of Théoden’s death, but really I’m thinking about the little boy I let ride on my horse all those years ago.
He died in battle, but old age still would have carried him off way before me. I love Amrothos and will never regret my decision to marry him, but he will die long before me too...
I cheer up during the feast and then the wake, especially when everyone begins to experience the effects of elfin alcohol.
Fortunately, after countless elfin balls and any other occasion where alcohol is present, I have developed somewhat of a resistance to said alcohol.
Another cheering event is when Eomer announces his sister’s betrothal to Faramir – betrothals really are popping up left, right, and centre now aren’t they?
Can’t think why...
This being Rohan, jigs are far more evident.
Initially, I resign myself to far less dancing than I would like, but then Amrothos comes over and pulls me on to the dance-floor.
So that’s what he was doing during those days before the procession.
Typically, one of the jigs he’s most keen on is one where the couple ends in very close contact – Eomer and Lothiriel aren’t the only ones kissing when that one finishes...