Chapter Eighteen
It was the night before the harvest festival in October and Frige could not rest. 'Mayhap some fresh air would clear my mind,' she thought. She rose from bed and put a thick robe and a cloak on over her nightgown before she placed on boots. Now suitably attired for a cool autumn evening, she walked out of the front doors of Meduseld and looked over the city and plains. It was a clear night and she could see the stars twinkle in the night sky.
She remembered how Cerdic had regularly been assigned the night watch in Dale. During the early days of their marriage, she would stay up and think of his safety. He had not been pleased that she had not been sleeping, but she also felt he had been touched by her concern. Frige sighed. Why was she dwelling on thoughts of her late husband now when she had not done so for months? Mayhap it was because of the changes between her and Eomer of late. Ever since they had told each other of their mutual feelings, Eomer had spent more time with her. While Frige had never considered her husband to be of a romantic temperament, she could not deny that him making more time for her made her feel more tender towards him. When she had wed again she had never thought she would care deeply for another man after Cerdic. Was finding love twice in one lifetime even possible? She heard footsteps and turned to face the object of her thoughts.
"Why are you outside? Come inside and rest," Eomer replied. Before she could respond, a gust of wind blew his hair across his face. Without thinking, Frige stepped closer to her husband and brushed his hair out of his face behind both of his ears.
"Did you not use a comb before you went to sleep?" she wondered as she noticed how unkept his normally well-groomed hair was.
"If you wish you may brush my hair yourself," he said softly as he looked down at her. Frige froze. Those were the exact words that Cerdic had said to her every time he had returned from a patrol and she had noted the state of his messy hair. She would always brush Cerdic's hair before they retired to their bed.
"Is anything amiss?" her husband asked when she had not replied to him.
"I am well. Come," she briskly told him and turned and walked away. Once they were both inside their bedchamber, Frige went to the wardrobe to hang up her cloak. Eomer began to remove his shoes. Soon the two of them were in bed under the furs. When Eomer wrapped an arm around her waist, she did not object. But when he brushed her hair away from her shoulders and began to kiss her neck, Frige stiffened and turned to face him.
"Not tonight. We both need to sleep."
"Very well. How fare Etheldred and the other children?"
"Etheldred has been moved from the cradle to a larger bed in the nursery. Aelfric saw a blacksmith at work in the market a month ago and now wishes to apprentice as such. It took some persuasion to convince him that as a Prince of Dorwinion, that could not be his fate. But he made friends with the blacksmith's son Enfred and the two of them have become close. Isabel wanted to show me her new dresses which the seamstress of Meduseld had made for her. I complemented the seamstress on the work and she insisted that she should make me some more dresses. Given the upcoming harvest festival I agreed to two new dresses."
"I look forward to seeing you wear them. Good night." He kissed her on the brow and then went to sleep. She found herself falling asleep soon afterwards.
"Welcome Eorlingas to this year's harvest festival. Eat, drink, and celebrate our good fortune. To the Riddermark!" cried out Eomer the next evening in the bustling hall. Frige stood beside him at the head table. The entire hall drank.
"Shall we, my lady?" asked Eomer as the musicians began to play after the meal. Frige joined her husband on the dance floor for the first dance.
Much later in the privacy of their bedchamber, Frige reached for her husband. She was eager to have no barriers between them that night. Eomer readily aided her initiative. Once they were nude, she pulled him against her and kissed him as they moved to the bed. Once there Eomer showed her how glad he was that she was not a meek wife.
Three days later, Frige had just finished her weekly lesson in Rohirric when she was met in the corridor by Ebba and Isabel.
"Good morn. What a surprise to see you," she stated. This was normally the morn that Ebba would be washing clothes with the other servants and Isabel would be occupied in her music lessons.
"May we go for a picnic today, mother?" Isabel pleaded.
"What of your music tutor? You told me you enjoy playing the flute."
"I do, but he is ill. Please? The weather is warm today."
"You are fortunate that I have no further tasks on this day. Let us stop by the kitchen so the cook can prepare a basket of food. We will have to get two of the King's Riders to accompany us. Would you like Aelfric to come along?" Frige agreed.
"No. All my brother cares about is sword practice and spending time with his blacksmith friend."
"Very well then. It will just be the two of us. Ebba, could you inform the king of my plans? We will leave Medusled once we have his blessing." The maid nodded and left.
Soon the four of them were trotting along the fields of Rohan towards the river Anduin. They reached the bank of the river by the time the sun was high in the sky. Frige spread out a blanket and then secured it to the ground with two large rocks. She offered some of the food to the guards who took it eagerly.
"So how are your other lessons, Isabel?"
"I don't mind learning Rohirric. Sewing is useful. But why must I attend lessons on proper posture and decorum? That never mattered in Dale."
"Aye, but you were not in a royal household then."
"Why did you have to move us here to Rohan?"
"Do you not like the Mark?"
"Well enough. But there are no children in Medusled to play with. The servants are dull, Aelfric mostly ignores me, and I am too young to go with you into Edoras."
"As I recall, Lord Erkenbrand has a granddaughter about your age. Would you care for me to invite her to Edoras for Yuletide?"
"Aye. Are we having a feast?"
"The steward says we have enough to spare for all of Edoras this year. I thought it would be good to re-establish an old tradition."
"Does this mean I will get a new dress? Or mayhap a new hair decoration?"
"We will see." Frige paused and looked overhead at the dark clouds.
"We should return to Edoras before the evening meal. We would not enjoy the rain," she continued.
"No, I don't like the rain."
Frige made sure not to gallop on Freya as they made their way back to Edoras as she knew her daughter's pony was not as fast. She and Isabel had just entered the great hall when there was a crash of thunder and the sound of rain.
"May I eat with you at the king's table tonight?" asked Isabel.
"No. But I will tell you a story before you go to sleep tonight."
"Aye. Thank you for taking me out today."
"You are very welcome, Isabel." With a final smile at her daughter, Frige watched as Isabel left with one guard trailing after her. She smiled to herself as she sat down to eat. She turned her head at the touch of Eomer's hand on her arm.
"Did you enjoy your time with Isabel?" he questioned.
"Aye. Thank you for allowing me to spend uninterrupted time with her," Frige said.
"I would never deny you that."
"I am glad to hear you say such things. Being queen of this land is important, but I cannot forget that I am also a mother."
He nodded and motioned for another serving of ale. She smiled to herself. Although he rarely expressed it in words, she knew how much being a father meant to Eomer. 'Our children are the future of Rohan,' she thought.
