Disclaimer: All belong to Professor Tolkien's heirs and estate.
I feel that I'm not doing the characters much justice and that this story isn't particularly interesting... But as always, I hope you enjoy this story and I would immensely appreciate reviews, comments and suggestions to make it better.
-Nuingaríen
"My lord, Éomer." Imrahil hailed the young King of the Mark as he approached where he stood along the wall of the Seventh level.
"Prince Imrahil, well met." The Prince's greeting was respectfully returned.
"A fine day for gazing across the fields, do you not agree?" Éomer nodded in the affirmative, wondering what brought the Prince of Dol Amroth to his side, for surely it was not for small talk about the fineness of the day! Imrahil sensed his confusion and turned toward Éomer. "My nephew has informed me that he has approached you for the Lady Éowyn's hand in marriage, lord King."
"That he did and after hearing my beloved sister's wishes on the matter, you would also know that I gave the Lord Faramir my consent."
"But not your whole-hearted blessing." Imrahil added with a keen look at the younger man's face. Éomer was taken aback.
"I beg pardon, my lord! What is your meaning?"
"You consented to the match between the Lord Faramir and the Lady Éowyn but you are not entirely pleased by it." Eomer's face colored slightly and he replied with veiled displeasure.
"You speak too freely, Sir. I have not voiced anything of that nature. I am pleased that the Lord Steward of Gondor desires as wife my sister, Éowyn Shieldarm and I would thank you to remember that." He turned swiftly on his heel but Imrahil's words stopped him from his departure.
"Not everything can be surmised through words alone, Éomer King. I say again, you are not entirely pleased with this match." Éomer turned to face him again, visage dark and eyebrow's drawn fiercely together in rising anger.
"Pray tell then, Prince Imrahil, on what basis do you say that I am not pleased with my sister's choice of husband?" Éomer's tone was almost mocking.
"There are two main reasons that I think of, one or both may be true, I do not know."
"Speak plainer!" Éomer cried in exasperation, unknowingly speaking the very words which his sister had demanded of the Lord Faramir on the day that he declared his love.
"Perhaps you wish for your sister to marry a man of Rohan, a great rider and marshal of your people of which there are many, or you may believe that Faramir of Gondor is not deserving of her."
The King's eyebrow's shot up in surprise for the Prince of Dol Amroth had indeed hit close to home, very close to the true reason of his unease over his sister's match. He chose to answer in the defensive.
"Why would I think that the Lord Steward of Gondor is not worthy of a princess of Rohan?"
"As a man of Rohan, yea, as her King, you are a great warrior and swordsman. The Lady Éowyn is the Wraithsbane, the Shield-arm of Rohan, also a great warrior in her own right. For these reasons, you believe that only a mighty warrior and fighter can claim your sister's hand in marriage."
"My lord, you think I doubt the Lord Faramir's prowess in battle." Éomer finished. Imrahil's grey eyes still watched the younger man intently.
"You have not been with him in battle; you have not seen him fight. You have heard him to be a soldier, a Ranger, a warrior but you have also heard that his brother Boromir was accounted more favorably with weapon-craft." The young King's face was impassive. Imrahil continued. "It is understandable that you want reassurance that the man your sister is marrying is not only wise but also skillful with his hands. Skilled with warfare." Éomer kept silent, waiting for the Prince to arrive at his conclusion but Imrahil suddenly changed his tone. "If you will, my Lord Éomer, let us repair to the Houses of Healing." Éomer was surprised but acquiesced.
ooOoo
In the gardens of the Houses of Healing, the two nobles sat beneath the very trees where Faramir and Éowyn had awaited the outcome of the Ring War not two months gone by.
"Allow me to tell you a story, Éomer King."
"Please." Éomer said, his impatience growing but not wanting to offend. Imrahil leaned back against a tree and stared into the distance.
"A powerful man had two sons who were alike in appearance but very different in temperament and passions. The elder reveled in acts of strength and power while the younger loved knowledge and learning. Their station in life and society demanded that they be proficient in both and they were. There was great love between the brothers though the father clearly favored the elder. In time, the elder became a Captain, a great leader of men and the younger followed in his footsteps. The younger became a Captain also but he did not revel in battle as his brother did. For this he was chastised in word and censured by those who do not understand men's hearts. Those who judged him were in error for his love of knowledge and wisdom did not lessen his skill and abilities with the sword and the bow."
Éomer stiffened for he understood that Imrahil was telling him a tale about the Lord Steward, but to what end, he knew not so he kept silent. The Prince continued.
"The younger son did not take heed of those who maligned him though one can imagine that the words struck his soul. With purpose and courage he ever sought to bring honor and renown to his father and their kingdom. After a few years, a dream came to the younger son and later, to the elder. They presented it to their father and determined to ride out to seek the meaning of the dream. The younger volunteered for the mission but the elder overruled him citing the danger of the journey and his greater age as reasons and their father agreed. The younger felt that this decision was not made well but he said naught. The quest proved to be the elder son's downfall though he redeemed himself err the end. The death of his favorite son brought the father to the brink of madness and he despised his younger son for what his elder was not—living. Through his grief and sorrow, the remaining son took on the burden of two sons and took up the defenses that his brother had left."
Éomer knew of responsibility and the need to take up burdens that were meant for more shoulders for he had experienced the same when Theodred, his beloved cousin and brother-in-arms was killed. It was a sad but common enough occurrence in war. He still puzzled over the meaning of Imrahil's tale but still kept silent.
"One day, the enemy crossed the river in droves and overran the city the son was defending. They killed all in their path. The younger son retreated to the capital to rally his forces and to await reinforcements which were to come err the day was done. He consulted with this father and was ridiculed for his decision to retreat. The son was grief stricken at this father's misfigured judgment of him and he asked his lord and father what he would have him do. The father commanded him to hold the defenses even as the city was falling and the son, knowing now that his father desired that he had died and his brother had lived, left his presence with a determination to see his father's will done. He rode to the defense knowing that death surely awaited but he fought with courage and skill, none could withstand him."
The Prince of Dol Amroth now had his eyes closed with the young King still seated beside him. In his heart, Éomer was saddened by the tale as he now began to see and slowly understand the enormity of the challenges and sorrows which had beset Faramir before and during the War.
"If the son had a larger company, victory may have been his but he and his men were greatly outnumbered and they were severely pressed. However he would not retreat again, and with the strength of his will, he held the defense. It was at this moment that another enemy, greater than any mortal foe arrived. He spewed forth terror and death with his breath and many fled before him. The son rallied his men to stand beside him and they did out of the great love that they had for their Captain though they shook in fear. The younger son was such a man that he inspired love, not fear. He read men's hearts and what he saw moved him to pity not scorn."
Éomer considered this and thought that reading men's hearts surely was a trait of the sons of Numenor for the late Steward, Faramir's father, was reported to possess the same, though he was easier moved to scorn rather than pity. The Prince himself seemed to have read his heart easily enough.
"The enemy now had the upper hand but the Captain knew that if they were to flee, the retreat would turn into a rout, thus he held his ground. He kept the defense unbroken even as they were beaten back and pursued by foes both mortal and undead. The Captain could have retreated in the knowledge that he had attempted all that was humanly possible to keep the outpost but he did not. In the midst of the fighting, he was felled by a Southron dart and would have been hewn where he lay were it not for the arrival of the mounted reinforcements he had been desperately awaiting. He was carried back to the capital, near death. His father, learning that his last son had fallen, became maddened with grief and despair and attempted to take his and his son's lives on a pyre as heathen kings of old. Men who loved the Captain dared to defy their lord and saved the son from death at his father's hand. Alas, that the father gave up his spirit and died by his own hand."
Éomer knew how the Lord Denethor had died and he shuddered at the thought of such a despair that would drive a man to take his own life and the life of a son as well. He had felt despair when he believed his sister had lain slain on the Fields of Pelennor beside their fallen Uncle and King, it had spurred him to fight with renewed spirit.
"The son was brought to where he could be tended but no one knew how to treat his fever, though his bodily wounds were treated as best as the healers could. He was stricken with the Black Breath and it would not let him go. It was in this dire hour that a Great Healer arrived and called back the son from the brink of death even as the evil sought to claim him. Only his willpower and tenacity for life kept him for as long as it did. When he awoke, he was grieved to discover what the battle had cost and that he was now the head as his father once was. As such, the great city was left in his charge and he made it ready for the arrival of one who was to take his rightful claim and inheritance. He had given his all for the keeping of the kingdom and this was done with no hope for a warm and loving welcome upon his return. He protected that which he loved, he fought as was his duty and as his greatest sacrifice he staked his very soul."
Éomer sat as one stricken, his head bowed. Yea, he had not judged Faramir as severely as the Lord Denethor had, but he had misjudged him nonetheless.
"I am humbled, my Lord Prince. The Lord Faramir is a noble and honorable man—a true warrior in every way. There would have been no White City had he not held the defense and the Free Peoples would have been in dire straits indeed. Rohan, yea, I am honored, that he will have to wife the Lady Éowyn."
Imrahil smiled and clapped the younger man on the shoulder. "You are both honorable men, Éomer and I say to you now that you will rise to greatness just as your forefathers were men of renown. May you be blessed, King of the Mark."
ooOoo
That evening, Éomer sought out Faramir and without revealing what had transpired between himself and the Prince of Dol Amroth, he reaffirmed his conviction that he was honored to have him as a brother. Faramir was greatly gladdened and his heart was at peace for he had the love of his Lady and the respect of her brother. Ever after there was great love and friendship between Éomer, King of the Mark and Faramir, Lord Steward of Gondor and Prince of Ithilien even to the end of their days.
A/N
I believe that Éomer was pleased with his sister's choice of husband, but I wanted to play around with the idea that he would have wanted to know Faramir's involvement in the War of the Ring as he (Éomer) did not have the opportunity to fight alongside Faramir. I felt that Prince Imrahil, as Faramir's closest relative, would want to put Éomer's questions regarding his nephew to rest.
Some of you may notice that I took some liberties with a few facts, an example being the the reinforcements that Faramir was waiting for.