Summary: What do young Gondorians know about freedom? Read and learn.

Disclaimer: We know we aren't Tolkien, right?

A/N: Written for the Teitho Challenge "The Price of Freedom".

Eldarion chewed on his lower lip, and gazed at the sky, wishing the stars were out. He could always think better then. His father said he got that from his mother, but Eldarion knew both his parents loved the stars. He could also imagine both of them saying, 'This isn't getting your report written.'

The door eased open with no knock. That could only be one person.

"Eldarion?"

"Yes, Elboron?"

"Are you still studying?"

Eldarion smiled. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

Elboron sighed. "Studying."

"Then why did you ask?"

"I was hoping we could go to the candy makers."

Eldarion held back his own sigh. "I'm sorry, Elboron. I'd really like to go, but I have to write a report for my tutor, and I want to do really well on it."

"You always do well." Elboron sounded disgusted, but Eldarion understood that lessons came easier to him than to his friend. That Faramir placed as high an importance on knowledge as Eowyn did on horses didn't help. Elboron felt he was failing his father, even though Faramir had told him he would always be proud of him as long as he did his best. Well, that was a problem for another day.

"This is different, Elboron. It's important because of what it's about more than because of the grade."

Elboron looked doubtful but grabbed the cushion from near Eldarion's feet and pitched it on the floor. He lowered himself to sit on it almost as gracefully as Legolas would have done Eldarion thought, but knew better than to say so. Elboron wanted good grades, not good grace. "What's it about?"

Eldarion decided he could spare a little time from his studies as Elboron seemed really interested. Not only might it help his friend someday, but it would give Eldarion a chance to organize his thoughts. "It's on the price of freedom."

"You mean you can buy freedom?"

"Not like you'd buy candy." Eldarion hesitated. This was a serious subject, and he wasn't completely sure how Faramir and Eowyn – or his own parents, for that matter – would feel about him talking to Elboron about it. "Are you sure you want to hear this?"

Elboron hesitates for only a moment before nodding. "I'm sure!"

"My mother says there are things that are beyond price – like love and babies. I might complain about Gilraen and Estella, but our family wouldn't be right without them now. And even when Mother or Father punish me, I know they still love me, and that's what is really important.

"Freedom is like that. Our fathers fought for it during the Ring War – "

"My mother, too!"

"That's right. Sorry. But even women who didn't fight did their part. Mothers took care of their children, did the work of both parents, and gave up things for themselves to be able to send a little something to their husband who was fighting…or father or whoever was important to them.

"But what I was saying is that even though we won the war, we paid a high price." Eldarion looked back at the sky, thinking for a few minutes about exactly what he wanted to say. "We paid with the lives of our people. Not just in Gondor, but in Rohan, the elven realms, and even the Shire.

"Everyone in Minas Tirith who is old enough to remember the war knows someone who died in it. Not just soldiers like your Uncle Boromir, or your mother's uncle and cousin, or Father's friend Halbarad, who went willingly to battle. The Wild Men raided villages in the Mark and killed women and children. Father says that there were boys not much older than me, and men too old to fight who took up arms at Helm's Deep.

"No matter how many babies are born, it will never balance the losses we suffered in the Ring War. Not for a long time. We can never get back the ones we lost. That's the price of freedom, and we have to remember that and never take it for granted."

Eldarion sat in silence for a minute before turning to Elboron. His friend sat with his head against the window seat and his mouth hung open. He was asleep.

Eldarion shook his head. At least he wouldn't have to worry about being in trouble with their parents. He went back to his essay, mentally adding friendship to the list of things that were beyond price.

End