Chapter Seventeen

Eomer reined in Firefoot from a canter as he saw the gates of Aldburg. Frige rode beside him with Aelfric and two guards behind them. They were there for the blessing of the herds. Every August, all the new foals throughout the Mark that had been born or would be born that year were to be ritually blessed by the king. His wife had not attended last year due to her being with child, and the event had been postponed the year before that as the Mark had still been recovering from the war. Thus Eomer was eager for his wife to witness this tradition.

The warm wind of August blew in his face as they rode into Aldburg. They slowly made their way to the wooden hall that had been first been built by Brego, the second King of the Mark. Eomer knew the building well as he had spent his childhood and time as a Marshal there. Aelfric, who had rarely traveled outside Edoras, was looking around in interest. After they had accepted the welcoming cup from the steward they were escorted to their rooms by the housekeeper. Soon the three of them, along with their guards, walked to the field just inside the gates where the ritual would be held. Eomer would bless the horses alongside Elfhelm. Many who wished to buy or sell horseflesh or who wished to see the foals stood in groups around all sides of the field.

One by one, a mare or foul would be led forward toward Eomer by the owner. He would place a hand on the mare or foal's neck and bless the horse by reciting the lineage and proclaiming it healthy. Elfhelm would dismiss the horse with his own blessing. Eomer didn't really know how much time had passed when he was done but he had not noticed. From a boy, he had always enjoyed spending time with horses and he was pleased that the strong bloodlines of the stallions and mares of the Mark would continue. Once Etheledred was older, he would have to introduce her to a colt so she could learn to ride, he thought with anticipation. A hand on his arm brought him out of his thoughts.

"That was interesting. Shall we return?" asked Frige. He offered her his arm and they made their way back to the hall.

"I know you do not care for horses as much as I, but I am glad you were somewhat entertained," he remarked.

"Elfhelm's wife, Eoelflaed, kept me company," Frige gestured behind her, where the woman in question was walking beside her son. Elfhelm's wife had blonde hair with a red tinge and a booming voice that was much larger than her slender figure. Eoelflaed was also known for speaking her mind even when others had no desire to hear what she had to say. Eomer had always found it easier to simply go along with her opinions for the most part, and he knew Elfhelm oft felt the same way. He hoped Aelfric would not feel overwhelmed by her.

"Before the feast this evening, I wish to have a bath. You may be accustomed to long travel by horse but I do not think I will ever relish it. Still, it is much faster than travel by a carriage which my father always insisted on when I was a child."

"Have you ridden in a carriage since then?"

"Nay, not since my marriage to Cerdic. All female nobility in Dorwinion journey to their marriage in such a way. The common folk walk."

"Why did you not do so for our own marriage?"

"I wished to honour the wedding tradition of the Mark as I was marrying their king. I may not have relished galloping away on Firefoot with you after the ceremony, but I knew you were in control and would not let me fall so I told myself to be calm."

"But you seem at ease around Freya." His wife had become quite a good rider astride, he thought.

"Aye, the mare you gifted me is a wonderful horse. I am well in control of her, which is why I am able to remain calm. But I am wary of unknown horses until I ride them. You can tell much of a horse's temperament by doing so."

"I understand. There are some horses among the Riders who are not even-tempered," he admitted. They said little else as they separated upon entering the hall.

Eomer ran an appreciative gaze over his wife as she entered the hall for the feast that evening. Her brown dress, accented with red ribbon, showed off her figure well. She nodded to all the guests before she headed straight towards him. He rose and pulled out the chair beside him for her to sit, which caused the other people at the table to also rise. Elfhelm sat to his left with his wife beside him. Aelfric sat on his mother's other side. Once Eomer had blessed the meal, everyone quickly fell to eating and drinking. The food was excellent and the mood seemed cheerful. Most of the guests quietly carried on conversations throughout the hall. Soon musicians came and began to play. Elfhelm led the dancing with his wife and soon other couples joined them.

To his surprise, Aelfric approached Elfhlem's daughter, Mildburg, and she accepted his request for a dance. As Mildburg was sweet and pretty, Eomer was not surprised that the young man had chosen her. Aelfric would likely be thinking of courting a woman in a few years time, Eomer realized. Theodred had been the one to introduce Eomer to the pleasure of women after he took his oaths as a Rider at sixteen years. That evening he had been taken to a brothel in Aldburg. Spending a night alone with a whore was seen as a rite of passage for a young Rider. Although Eomer had been nervous, he had felt more eager to discover what the other boys and married men jested of. To his relief, Theodred did not tell Theoden or Eowyn about his night away from the other Riders. Eomer himself volunteered no details of what happened. He sighed. Those memories were best not remembered in public, he told himself. He should think of another matter.

His eyes fell on Frige who was dancing with Elfhelm. It had now been four months since Hamon's death. He would always feel regretful over the death, but he knew that life went on. As Elfhelm said something that made Frige smile, Eomer also smiled. This was the first time he could recall since Hamon's death that his wife had smiled. He was glad to see her heart had begun to heal and she was able to feel joy once again. Once the song ended, he rose and requested a dance with his wife. Elfhelm bowed in his direction then went to dance with Eoelflaed.

"Are you enjoying yourself thus far?" she asked. He nodded. The ale had been less appealing than usual so he had only drunk one glass, but he had no other complaints, he thought.

"I am glad. Thank you for inviting me here," Frige said.

"As my queen, your place is by my side."

She raised an eyebrow at his possessiveness.

"That is, I am glad that you were able to come. Your son seems to be enjoying himself," he quickly added as he saw Aelfric still dancing with Mildburg. She turned her head to look.

"Aelfric is too young for romance, but mayhap he wished for a friend near his own age. I can only hope she is not as outspoken as her mother."

"Not all men desire a meek wife."

"Aye. I am glad you do not."

He smiled at her.

Instead of letting his wife go when the song ended, he moved her right hand to kiss it. After the kiss ended, Frige moved her hand to cup his jaw. Without thinking, Eomer leaned down and kissed her. He had intended it to be chaste given their surroundings, but their kiss soon turned demanding and wanton. Need quickened in him like a rapidly lit fire. He wanted to carry Frige away to bed and not let her go until they were both sated. He wished to possess her not only as a husband but also as a lover. He wanted to hear her cry out his name as her thoughts were only focused on him. The depth of his lust caught Eomer off guard and he quickly released Frige. She was flushed with halting breath, as was he. He turned on his heel and walked outside. The crisp and cooler air of the night settled him slightly, but it took some time for his heart to slow.

When he had first wed Frige, Eomer had told himself not to become more emotionally involved then he ought. He had lost everyone he cared for except Eowyn in the war, and her own recovery had been uncertain in the hours and days after the Battle of Pelennor Fields. No, his heart must be guarded with more care in the future, he had told himself. But now he knew that any pretense of detachment towards his wife had been washed away as water in a fast-moving river.

Although Eomer had known passion and lust before he had wed, the depth of such emotions were places he had rarely explored. His romantic relationship with Eoline had been filled with laughter and joy. She had been a source of comfort for him as he had to patrol more frequently and orcs began to roam the Mark more freely. But they had both known they would not marry and that a child of their bond could not be born, so neither of them had made an effort to fall in love. When Theodred had demanded an end to the relationship, Eomer had ended it with bittersweet reluctance. His increasing duties had ensured that he rarely gave Eoline much more thought in days to come.

From their wedding night onward, Eomer had enjoyed his intimacy with Frige. But although there had always been physical pleasure between them, there had also been a sense of his duty to the Mark. He could not forget their time together in bed was due to his need for a male heir or mayhap even two. His own concern for the health of both child and mother when Frige had been with child had been enough to ensure he was not more intimate with her beyond a kiss on the cheek or holding her hand. He had even tolerated the absence of their intimacy while they were touring the Mark, as he knew Frige preferred privacy for their encounters and he did not wish to hear the remarks of his men after overhearing their intimacy.

But this recent absence of their intimacy since her son had died seemed different. It was not only that he thought making his own needs known when Frige was still grieving was unbecoming of himself as a man of honour. Eomer realized that he did not want Frige to lay with him because they still needed an heir or for their mutual pleasure. Rather he wanted her attention as proof of how much she cared for him. Until he had recently admitted how much he cared for Frige, Eomer had given little thought to his wife's preferences in her daily affairs. But of late he had given her flowers in her study from the garden in Medusled, he had ordered that her favourite meals be cooked more often, and he went on horse rides alone with her more frequently. Those gestures had seemed to make her look on him with more fondness, but Eomer was not certain if Frige had changed her feelings toward him as fast as he wished. 'How do you woo one's own wife,' he thought.

He suddenly remembered the advice that Theodred had given him right before he entered the brothel as a nervous young man. 'Women are like horses in that neither like to be rushed unless they see the need for it,' his cousin had said. That saying had proven to have some merit as he discovered. Although many in the court had wondered why his cousin had never wed, Eomer knew why. While his station in life had attracted women like moths to open flame, Theodred had not been interested in women who only wanted him because he was the king's son. Mayhap if he had married and had a son, Eomer would never have become king. His thoughts on his cousin came to a halt when he turned upon hearing footsteps.

"Evening, sire. May I offer you some advice as a married woman?" Eoelflaed questioned.

"If you wish," he allowed.

"The fact that both you and the queen desire each other is nothing to be ashamed of. That is as it should be between husband and wife. Your subjects rejoice to see you happy, Eomer King."

"Aye. My choice in a wife was a wise one."

"I agree. Now, will you come inside and dance with me?"

"Aye. After all, I cannot refuse the Lady of Aldburg."

He followed Elfhelm's wife back inside and then took her in his arms on the dance floor. As they danced, he noticed that Aelfric had continued to dance and talk with Mildburg. It was clear her mother also noticed the closeness of the two.

"Your son by marriage could do worse than my daughter," she declared. Aelfric was twelve years of age and Mildburg two years older, so Eomer knew that her idea was presently the fond hope of a mother. But his wife's son would be seen as an excellent prospect for marriage once he became a man.

"Aye, but I suspect that will not be her fate. Aelfric is the heir to the Dorwinion throne and will have to return to that land to rule."

"I see. Well, time will tell all."

"Aye, it often does." The two of them fell silent after that until they ended the dance with a bow on his part and a curtsy on hers.

"Why were you thinking on after you left the hall?" Frige asked him once they returned to their bedchamber later that evening. Eomer turned her to face him.

"Frige, I wish for your company and none other. It is understandable that the death of Hamon has troubled you greatly. But I would welcome your intimate touch again."

"As would I."

He smiled. A moment later Frige rose on her feet and kissed him. Eomer eagerly returned her kiss as he pulled her closer and her hands went to his hair. When they separated for air, both breathless, they quickly took off their clothes. Frige took his hand and guided Eomer to lie down on the bed while she lay beside him. Neither of them spoke again as they gave into their mutual desire for each other.