Eomer rarely smiled after the war. Sure he had always been a bit gruff, he had lived and breathed the life of a soldier so long that it was all he knew. The war just amplified what a difficult childhood and years as marshal had created. There was little room for refinement in the bloody art that he had perfected and what little joys he had were often superseded by the new responsibility placed upon him.
Being the King of Rohan was harder than he thought it would be. It was a position that he was never intended to have and required skills that he was never trained to attain. He was coping, if that were the right word. The people did not seem to mind their new warrior king but that did not mean he didn't feel out of place.
It was supposed to be Theodred…..
It was hard to escape the feeling that he was trying and failing to fill much bigger shoes. He had spent his life preparing for another path.
The fields were his domain. He was much more at home atop a horse than in the middle of a council.
Rebuilding the country he loved after what Saruman had done was not easy by any stretch of the imagination. It also took its toll on his already stretched out heart. First Theoden had died and now Eowyn left for Ithilien and her new husband. He could not do this on his own… it was never meant to be him. He was determined but determination was not always enough. He lacked the experience that his forebears had. He loved this land, grew up loving it, had planned to die defending it but now he had to fix it…
Fighting a thousand orcs single handed was a far less frightening ordeal than being expected to repair a people left in poverty and ruin.
He had intended that job for another. Had spent long hours toiling away for the safety of his kin and secretly in his heart he had planned his death in their place.
Not that war could be planned.. but he had known should the ability be his he would have made it so that he be buried and those more qualified than he be there to repair the damage left behind….
But the land would never be the same again. He loved it still but much and many had perished and he knew not how to make it better.
He saw children without fathers, mothers without sons, wives without husbands. He saw men without the means to support their families because they no longer had the limbs required to fulfill their duties and do their work.
They were starving and homeless.
So he switched off. Probably not the best thing to do but he was a man and no one expected him to feel.. well, anything. So nobody noticed when he withdrew into himself. He could help his people much better if he was not crippled by their pain. If he could think around their suffering rather than the distorted vision of seeing though it.
Nobody except Eowyn saw the changes and even she was too busy getting ready for her impending wedding to the steward of Gondor to really do anything about it and she was gone before the situation grew into a concern.
After she left, he no longer had a family to speak of so he gave himself wholly to his country. Which was wonderful for their people but for Eomer it was not. He had nothing but his people so for his people he lived, despite having always been this way it was different. He was made for the outdoors, a soldiers life but being king while giving him certain privileges did not allow him liberty.
The freedom of all the things that he had once enjoyed were no longer his. They were not the occupation of a king and when it was possible for him to ride out as he once did it was to a neighboring village that needed food and with a fully armed escort.
In short it was killing him.
Eothain was the first to notice his declining health, how he would hardly eat, how he no longer stayed in the great hall with the men when they came in from patrols. In fact he hardly spoke outside of council meetings where it was impressed upon him not to have a life lest he die and Rohan was left without an heir.
He tried to help Eomer as much as he could but no matter what he tried he could not coax the king back to life. What few things he believed would work were now prohibited as king and his advisors kept a watchful eye on all that he did.
He was not Theoden but to them it made no difference.
And then yet another issue came to light. The people of Rohan did not have enough food to last the winter. Eomer was devastated. Hours of hard work, long nights spent agonizing over what he could not change and still it wasn't enough.
His country was struggling like a foal taking its first steps, it would survive if only it was given the chance to walk but it seemed that chance had been taken away.
He tried everything, took a stock of all the food, estimated rations, even considered what little food Rohans treasury could buy. But no matter what he factored in or how much they sold there was so little worth in what was left of his country that there was never enough. In all of his made up eventualities the peoples suffering is prolonged and death comes before the first harvest.
He was desperate.
Then one of his less than brilliant (and slightly cruel) advisors suggested that he marry. And marry well.
A large dowry would help fill their coffers and keep the country afloat another season, supposing that he married someone of importance then the connection would also be of great political value and the veritable icing on the cake, he needed an heir. Everyone immediately understood that a Gondorian on the throne would strengthen the ties to Gondor and cement a lasting friendship between the two countries.
They were already discussing candidates for the great honor before he had even agreed.
He knew he would though. He had little choice, his people were going to die and already it was plain that he needed to continue his line for Eowyn had her own fiefdom to continue.
Eomer agreed and shortly after messages were sent to King Elesser for his opinion on a suitable wife and queen. Aragorn was swift to reply with a list of the most eligible women in Gondor that would make acceptable political alliances and had enough worth to keep them afloat.
Needless to say the list was short.
Eomer's advisors stewed over the possibilities for a week, only two of the listed ladies had enough wealth to stretch the winter and as far as he saw neither was particularly appealing. He supposed though that his council did not care. They were old men from king Theodens time who fancied themselves to have complete rule over the country and that he was their puppet. They did not require him to be happy while he served.
Before they could decide however Eomer received another letter but this time from Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth. They had fought in the war together and became good friends in a way that only happens with comrades in arms. He had heard of his search and wished to help his young friend with a more agreeable solution and one that would help his country a great deal more.
So when Imrahil suggested his daughter, princess Lothiriel would make an excellent queen, he agreed without much thought, not even allowing his advisors to have input on the matter. Imrahil had yet to deceive him and he trusted his judgement.
Within a month everything was settled and the princess's dowry was sent ahead of her to Meduseld. Eomer's people would now survive the winter and have a new queen in the spring.
Lothiriel knew that she wouldn't have a choice in who she married. Gondor's traditions made certain of that the minute she was born into a noble family. But she had been extremely lucky, her father would not marry her off without her consent so she had remained unmarried far longer than the average young woman. She was 21 and by Gondor's standards she was an old maid. She however did not mind at all.
It was not that she wished to remain single, only that she did not wish to marry a stuffy member of the kings court and as one of the only princesses in Gondor (the only unmarried one) that was sure to be her fate.
So when her father mentioned that Eomer King of Rohan had begun to search for a wife for a political alliance she understood immediately what her father wished. He had spoken often of him after the war.
He was apparently everything that a man should be, capable on a horse, more than able to wield a sword and a useful ally. She had heard much about his prowess in battle and little about the man himself though she supposed he would be quite frightening if everything her brothers said was true.
She had been uncertain at first having never met the man, having only seen him once, briefly at his sister's wedding and at the time he had seemed rather stern and antisocial. Not to mention terribly large and more than a little fierce.
But when her father spoke of his situation, the current circumstance of his country, when she heard the reasons behind it, what the man was giving, why he needed her help, she couldn't bring herself to say no.
She told her father to write his letter, to make the offer. For surely her money would be better spent in this new place than to line the pockets of some already rich lord. She would finally be of more use than a mere ornament.
The reply was swift, his acceptance unsurprising.
So now she was preparing to be married to man she had never met and become the queen of a country she had never seen. She knew it should upset her but it didn't... none of it did. She should feel used but she didn't, in fact the more she learned of the situation the more she thought that the people of Rohan were using their king. Out of all the things that she thought were unjust in the whole situation that was all. She was filled with compassion for Eomer because he was doing everything for his people with little thought for himself. Yes, he was their king and he had a duty to his people but sometimes they asked too much, but he went along anyway just so he could help them. He was devoted and for that he had her respect and whatever help that she could offer him at his side.
They met the day before they married and it was stilted and awkward but went as well as could be expected under the circumstances. He was polite and she was friendly, so all in all not a terrible start. Just not quite perfect.
He was tall and broad and golden like the hall in which he resided. He spoke very little, allowed the pomp and ceremony of receiving guests to the Golden Hall to continue uninterrupted. Showed no emotion until the point he was finally allowed to speak freely with her father and brothers and even that was reserved and controlled by the council members who though it better to keep their king in line while they had so many highborn visitors.
Even king Elesser was in attendance which she supposed was very fitting but the way he watched her groom led her to understand that he worried for him also.
After that it was a whirlwind of guests and well-wishers, followed in short order by the actual wedding itself. The next time Lothiriel actually got to breathe was after she had retired to her new chambers. The evening had been filled with drunken revelry and slimy old men who considered themselves more important than their king trying to discern if Lothiriel would be a threat to their authority. She had been everything that was polite and gracious not giving them even a hint of the anger that was beginning to simmer inside her as she witnessed to the state of the kings household.
They had no right.
She looked around her at the cozy though slightly barren room. She thought that it rather suited its master functional though devoid of anything unnecessary. She had made the right choice to come here, there was much that could be done for the king of Rohan.
Eomer came into his chambers cautiously but even still the woman, his wife nearly jumped out of her skin in fright. She was nervous he could see even as detached as he was.
"I won't hurt you." He said quietly. He was trying to be gentle, she had already done enough for him and his people without him frightening her, making her feel worse than she already did about the situation that she had been unwillingly placed in. By him no less.
"I know." He hadn't expected that answer, knowing that he had already hurt her so much he did not expect such faith.
He walked cautiously toward her and smiled gently. "Sorry about all this." He gestured around the room somewhat vaguely, he knew she would understand.
"No you're not." She looked straight at him as she said this. She gestured toward the main hall where the sounds of celebration continued on in their absence. "You would do anything for them." She whispered that last part, her meaning was clear.
He knew not how to answer her and he wondered how bitter she would become when she obviously understood what all of this was about. She was more discerning than he expected but then he knew nothing of his bride. He should have known that his purpose would be obvious but until the day before she had been nothing to him except an obscure way to save his people.
Now having met her she was a woman, the daughter of a dear friend and someone that should have been given a choice.
"I am sorry." He said again hoping that she understood that this was for herself this time.
With that said he turned from her and sat on the fur lined chair by the fire. She was right of course, he would do it all again, no matter what it cost him and apparently no matter what it cost her. How many more people would he hurt in order to do his duty?
He suspected there would many, he had often seen such things in the running of his uncles court and had disagrees with most but now that he was in that place himself he saw no way out.
He looked over at his new wife, she was yet another person that he was obligated to care for and though he didn't need the added pressure he promised himself that he would do all that he could to make things easier for her. Especially since he was responsible for the situation she was now in.
"I would though I wish I could see a way to do it differently." He chuckled humorlessly. "I'm not sorry about what I did but I am sorry for what I did to you. What you will have to live with."
There was a gentle tapping on the door and at Eomer's bidding a maid entered with a tray of tea and bread before promptly leaving once more. Lothiriel looked at the tray curiously shooting Eomer a questioning look.
"I noticed that you did not eat." He looked down at his hands seeming to contemplate them for a moment before standing abruptly and walking to look out the window even though it was dark and all that was visible were the few fires still burning from the wedding celebration. He wanted to look after her. She was sweet, she didn't deserve the responsibility that he had forced on her shoulders. It was hard enough for him to bare this burden, he could well imagine how difficult it will be for her.
When he turned around to face the room again she was seated by the fire in the same chair he had recently vacated, finishing off the remains of the tray. He was glad that she finally ate, he had been worried about her and if she was anything like his sister she would make herself ill with nerves. He almost chuckled out loud thinking of the state she had been in the week before she married.
They were just like their parents in that way, they both wore their emotions on their sleeves, particularly anger. He hated that about himself, because he knew that he got that character trait from his father and it had gotten him killed and his mother's incredible capacity love made her follow him shortly after. It was twisted and painful and he wished that he wasn't anything like his parents.
The silence in the room was beginning to be unbearable despite the fact that he usually loved it. In fact he was his very happiest these days when there was no one talking away in his ears, let's just say it was as hard to find such times as it would to find a friendly orc.
"Feeling better?" He murmured because he needed to say something... and he genuinely did care.
"I never said I was anything but well." She replied quietly with a crease between her brows.
"No, but I am not blind." He didn't intend to be rude but his reply was rather abrupt.
A yawn escaped her lips despite her best efforts to keep it hidden and she glanced up sheepishly at Eomer for his reaction. She expected him to look at least mildly disappointed that he had a sleepy wife on his wedding night but instead she saw understanding and perhaps a flash of guilt.
"You take the bed." He mumbled making his way over to a pile of furs in the corner of the room which she had not noticed before. She was confused until he started to slip of his boots and realized that he intended to sleep there.
"My lord, it is your bed. You cannot..." She trailed off realizing that it was no use, he was determined. It was then that she realized that he never intended to have a 'wedding night' after the usual way.
How much was he willing to sacrifice for the care of others?
"Thank you." They were the last words spoken that night.
After that life went on as per usual for Eomer, he rose before dawn, he met with his advisors, he saw to every possible detail he could, he dealt with problems that arose in the Mark, took care of those it was his duty to look after but he certainly didn't watch his wife from the corner of his eye as she went about her own routine.
He had noticed a certain ease in his life that was not present before. The Hall ran smoothly, council meetings were shorter his favorite meals appeared with more regularity and even the cot he slept on in the corner of the room seemed to become softer each day. He had not known what to attribute these changes to until he had overheard his wife talking to one of the stable hands about 'his desire' to care for his own horse and the next day found himself happily exercising Firefoot with not a guard in sight.
He wondered at her care for him, at the natural way she seemed to deal with every detail. He had not seen any man ever manipulate such negative situations as he saw into such positive outcomes as she seemed to produce.
He was in awe.
The firsts seeds of life were planted in him.. alongside tender seeds of something else.
He kept his distance, he didn't need to burden Lothiriel any further when she had already given up her homeland and her family just to help a king she hadn't met rule a people that weren't her own. He did his best not to lay on her more than she already bore. So he worked and avoided his new wife.
Lothiriel on the other hand took a great deal more notice of Eomer. And what she saw confirmed her thoughts about him before they met. He lived for his country, he cared for it like they should care for him and they did in their own way but she could see that he needed more. So she did what she could for him, kept Meduseld running seamlessly, played interference with his somewhat annoying advisors, she even managed to ensure him a place on some patrols.
And through it all she watched, watched him give his all for a country that didn't have anything to give back. He was wise with his judgements, firm in his opinions, selfless with his actions and utterly alone throughout the entire affair. She even noticed that he took extra care of her, goods were imported from Gondor, the household was told to treat her with all respect and a new garden established for her use that had not been since the time of Queen Morwen.
She would have been flattered if she wasn't sure that he was still trying to make it up to her for pushing her into an unwanted marriage.
It didn't take her long to decide that the extra effort he was putting in for her was draining him and that she needed to inform him that she had in fact decided to be here, that she had chosen him. He really didn't need to make up for anything, in fact she planned to make up for what he was missing. She just wasn't sure how.
The next couple of months were much the same as she subtly looked after Eomer's needs, she even found better ways to deal with his advisors. Eomer was a soldier not a politician but she was trained as one from birth, after all as the princess of Dol Amroth her marriage was bound to be a political match and her training had served her well so far.
The only trouble was that she hadn't planned to fall in love. Most would say it's not such a bad thing when he was her husband but the last thing he needed was another distraction or someone demanding more of his time. She didn't even realize it happened until it was far too late. She had slowly fallen for the quiet, self-sacrificing king and he didn't need the extra burden.
Time passed and the country got back on its feet (they were a hardy people) and things calmed down for Eomer. He had more quiet time and his advisors stopped pestering him (he knew in part due to his wife). And today he was going for his first joy ride in almost a year. And he was going with his wife.
His wife. He had been worried about her for months, they had never really stopped to get to know one another but he had watched to the point of knowing her every tick and how she had her morning tea (imported from Dol Amroth) instead of breakfast and how despite having settled in quite nicely she was still withdrawn around him. He had grown to care for her, she was sweet and diligent in her duties and he definitely noticed the way she practically glowed when she laughed. He was going soft.
He was originally surprised at the horsemanship of Lothiriel, having not expected a highborn lady who grew up by the sea to wish to learn such a skill but it appeared that he had been wrong. She had a strong seat and they had not made it past the walls of the city before he had decided that she was quite proficient even by Rohiric standards.
A true Queen of the horse lords.
They did not speak much as they rode, the Eorod set as their guard making anything but polite conversation impossible and that was precisely the kind that he avoided these last few months. He thought that perhaps he bothered her with his quietness. Men in Gondor surely had many interesting things to say and were not afraid to speak their minds to Ladies as fair as she. He thought perhaps she would not want him to speak and knowing she would be far to kind to say so he remained silent.
He was a man of few words but he could watch.
She felt his eyes on her more often those days and she wondered if she had displeased him, if she had placed more burdens on his shoulders. He did not deserve more trouble than he already had as word came from Gondor to Rohan about the trouble of his sister.
So she redoubled her efforts, made sure he had free time every day, made sure that his stomach was always full and that the council was always appeased. Her work made her weary but she continued on as she had since she came to Meduseld and hid it as best she could.
She would not fail her King.
She missed him terribly. He had been gone for months and it felt like years (as cliché as that sounds). He had gone to Gondor to visit Eowyn in Ithilian as she was having her first child. She hadn't been able to go as they were unable to find a suitable (one that they trusted) steward because Eothain was visiting the west march due to some trouble with the wild men coming down from the mountains. So here she was alone when he should have been back at least a week ago.
She turned over in bed for what felt like the millionth time and look out the window to the moonlit landscape of Rohan's many hills. She was exhausted but she couldn't sleep a wink, after all this time she was used to Eomer comforting presence on the cot in the corner of the room, she liked to hear him breathe in the stillness of the night but he wasn't there so she couldn't sleep.
There was a loud bang from the main hall that made her sit up instantly and search for her robe. She could hear more commotion in the hall and fear spiked through, nothing good happened at this time of night. She opened her door just as her maid was poised to knock and they immediately turned together towards the where all the noise was coming from.
"Do you know what is happening?" She asked hastily as they moved down the corridor.
"No, when I heard all the noise I came to you immediately." Replied Halethwin but Lothiriel was no longer listening because they had just entered the great hall and HE was there. Eomer was home.
She froze in her tracks and just watched him, stared really. She had lost hours of sleep every night wondering where he was and if he was well. Sometimes in the early hours of the morning when the night seemed its coldest and the room its most empty she would question whether he was even still alive. It was silly she knew, after all he was just visiting his sister but she couldn't seem to control her fear especially when he had been gone so long. Now he was here and she was beyond glad to see him. Lothiriel only just stopped herself from running across the room and embracing him.
It was a t precisely that moment that Eomer looked up and searching around the entire room found her in the doorway. He seemed to freeze for the barest second before his attention was taken by one of the many residence of Meduseld. It wasn't much but that one look was enough to tell her that something was wrong, very wrong.
She pushed her way through the crowd all vying for his attention even at this late hour and when they wouldn't let her through she shouted. "Enough! King Eomer has just returned, I'm sure whatever you have to say can wait until the morning." And with that she dragged Eomer by the arm out of the hall despite their protests.
The minute the door was locked she turned to him and asked "What is wrong? You..."
But she didn't finish as he suddenly keeled over into the nearest piece of furniture (the bed) with a groan of pain.
She took a moment to regain her bearings but by that time he was already unconscious, which sent her into a full blown panic attack. The healer was promptly called and after tending to him it was found that he had an infected wound on his left side just under his ribs. A close call, it seemed.
She didn't get any sleep that night as she stayed up to keep watch, that and of course for once he had taken the bed. He had her worried to much for her to even think about closing her eyes. What had happened? It had supposed to be a simple trip to visit his Eowyn, they all should have been safe. What could have gone so badly wrong? He had an entire Eorod with him at all times there was no way anyone could have gotten to him with anything short of a small army. They were all too good at what they did and to devoted to their king. Of course part of the problem might have been that he was too devoted to them as well and went straight into the middle of the fray to protect someone. He was a warrior first and foremost.
Just then Eomer turned over with a groan of pain. He had a fever now she noticed with a hint of panic reemerging again. She needed him to get better. She needed him. She couldn't imagine what life would be without him. Particularly since she had yet to produce an heir.
Things in Meduseld would deteriorate rapidly if she, a Gondorian was left on the throne with no heir. The people didn't trust her yet. They had almost no reason to follow her if Eomer was no longer there to make them. For that alone she needed him to live. But there was also the infinitely more important matter of her heart. Put simply she wouldn't survive without him.
It was a long night and when the early hours of dawn came she felt no relief. Eomer remained unchanged on the bed and she had no more knowledge of how he came to be there than when he first arrived. She could of course go search for the rest of the soldiers who were with him but she would not leave his side.
The matter decided she called a maid and sent for the leader of the guard who had accompanied Eomer, she would conduct all her business from his bedside.
The maid returned with not one but three men and none of them bore the markings of one with authority. Before they had begun to speak she knew that what was said would not be something she wished to hear.
They were beaten and bloody and though they had obviously cleaned up since their return they looked like they had been on the losing side of battle.
"Tell me." Lothiriel demanded though she was sure she did not wish to hear.
"There was an orc raid while we were encamped along the Mering Stream. They came by night, most of the men died in their sleep. Those awake, Eomer King with them, fought. We managed to slay the orcs but our losses were many. We rode as hard as we could with the injured among us." He looked at his boots as he spoke, afraid to meet the eyes of his Queen.
"How many?" She whispered.
"Eleven returned with us this night, two did not make dawn and the six remaining are being tended by healers." The answer was matter of fact in the usual way of the Rohirim but it was clear that young man delivering it and his companions were not used to bearing such news.
Lothiriel swallowed hard, trying to keep the tremble out of her voice, "And Eomer King?"
"He is the reason that those few of us survived. Saved us all." Again blunt but this time with a certain amount of awe. "We did not know he was injured until our return."
"Thank you."
Eomer awoke three days later in time to attend the farewell feast and the honoring of those that lived. It was lively as all Edoras celebrated the lives of those lost.
He tried not to think of the men that he had traveled with for so many months. It was hard though for as hardy as the Eorlingas were he still saw tears from the members of their families that had joined the feast. He watched as they celebrated their triumph and sort comfort for their loss.
And he wished for comfort of his own.
He had not seen Lothiriel since he awoke, except across the room where she commanded the servants on how best to manage the feast. She made all feel welcome and consoled those who had lost loved ones. She had a kind word for all present.
Except him.
He was sure she was avoiding him. She had not even so much as looked his way since she had entered the room and he wondered if she blamed him for the loss of life as much as he blamed himself. He was the reason they had traveled to Ithilien, it was his worry for Eowyn that had caused them to go.
She was unwell but she had assured him she was fine. He had not believed her. Wishing to make sure that both she and the babe were well he had made the trip despite his council telling him it was unnecessary. It was only after he had seen the child safely into the world that he had allowed himself to believe. It had been such a wonderful sight.
Now all of that was tainted by the death of others children, grown though they may have been. He would not begrudge Lothiriel her anger, he was not one to shy away from taking responsibility.
Thought the feast continued on well into the night, Eomer found himself unable to stay, not yet being up to long hours on his feet. He returned to his chambers to find them empty. He was not surprised.
In the days of his recovery he had taken the bed and he knew that such a lady would not sleep on a cot as he had. In fact he was surprised that she had not retired to another room since taking on the running of the Golden Hall. Then he supposed he had never given her the option, secretly not wanting lose he presence in his rooms if not his bed, though he would not have stopped her had she tried.
It did not matter now, it was done.
Guilt weighed heavily on him. He had forced her into so much already it was no wonder that this trip was the final straw. It was no wonder that she would not even look at him.
He was tired now, his injuries reminding him that he was not yet recovered but he could not yet force himself to bed…. Her bed. So he went instead to sit by the fire, hoping that he could force his mind elsewhere.
He was so lost in thought that when the sound of the door opening reached him he leapt to his feet. The dangers of the last week still fresh in his mind.
It took him so long to calm his breathing upon finding that it was only his wife that he did not realize that her own was accelerated for an entirely different reason.
She was angry.
"How could you?" He was unsurprised at her anger but it did not stop the hurt for being right. "All those men, dead! So many injured and you, their King.." She looked as though she would cry now and it made him feel guiltier than before. "You just pretended nothing was wrong."
"I am sorry. I know that it is not enough but I am sorry…" He tried to fight down the pain of what had happened. He had seen men die before but it had never been so entirely his fault, never under his command.
"So you should be!" Her little hands were balled into fists now as she took an enraged step toward him. "These people rely on you and ….. and you could have died." All the fight seemed to leave her and she collapsed as she began to weep.
He did not understand. She wept for him? Surely not.
But then she lifted her head from where she now sat upon the floor, a tumble of vibrant red gown and glossy black hair and grasped his hand. "Please.. please do not.. I cannot live without you."
She could not believe that she had behaved in such a way, that she had allowed him to see so fully but then he kneeled beside her with such a look in his eye that her weeping began anew.
"I'll not allow it." She felt his arms wrap around her and the whisper of affection in her ear and she could not bring herself to lament her breakdown. She had not guessed what was behind his shy glances or the almost overbearing care he took with her just as perhaps he had not guessed what was behind her determined care of the Hall and one of its particular inhabitants.
The following spring they expected a new arrival to the Golden Hall and the people rejoiced. The harvest that year had been so plentiful that the people no longer feared for their future and the winter passed with ease.
King Eomer came into his own and the old court of Theoden was renewed in favor of less traditional men. Under his wife's tender care the people of Rohan prospered and none could deny that they were fair with all they did.
Nor could it be denied that they were very much in love.