Changing times

Middle of summer, year 3014 of the Third Age, the Kingdom of Rohan:

"Father, you wished to speak with me and Elia during this private ride?" Théodred wondered as he and his wife joined the King on a ride outside Edoras, with no one else in the family coming as well. That little detail was a hint to that it might be something serious not suited for younger ears.

"Yes. Remembering that I actually sought out healers both in Dorne last year and in Minas Tirith when we visited Gondor the year before to formally present your children for the Steward? All of them have the same answer to why I have a hard time getting out of bed in the morning and feeling stiff after a really long ride? I have arthritis in one of my knees."

That was not good news in the long term, Elia realized. Her father-in-law was 66 years old, and while the Rohirrim could live well into their 80s and 90s if they were blessed with good health from birth, that kind of joint pain could seriously affect everyday life for those who suffered from it. Some days it would be worse, others not so bad, but it would be hard to tell what sort of day it could become.

"You are thinking of handing over the crown to me, Feder, on the grounds of your health issues that you just mentioned. Few would protest it, if the war against Mordor may be only a few years away. And it is not like you could still serve some role despite no longer being the King."

Théodred could see the logic. He and Elia were both 36 years old now, adults since many years back and with their marriage resulting in two children, there would be a royal heir ready to take over the crown if something happened to him in the war, even if Aégnor and Andréth were still very young and Rohan had never had a underage King before during its 500 years of history as a Kingdom. But Éomer and Éowyn were also the backup heirs, as the children of his late aunt Théodwyn, if something went really wrong.

"Yes," Théoden admitted without shame, "it is better for Rohan to have a younger leader in what will come. The days may become darker because of the Shadow from Mordor, but the sun shall still raise to give hope to those who despair."

Elia did not miss the meaningful look the King gave her. Dorne may not have the same military strength before Robert's Rebellion anymore, but her family had promised to help Rohan in whatever they could.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

At the same time, back in Edoras:

Since her brother was out on patrol with the other riders, it had fallen on Éowyn to check over how the weapon training was going for Aegon and the other boys in his age. Her cousin's stepson was no failure in his lessons on how to use a shield and bigger dagger acting as a miniature sword for children, rather he managed his defense very well, but everyone could see that his heart was not into the art of war.

"Is it bad that...I prefer to be a healer over a warrior?" Aegon asked, between gasping for breath, as the training was finally over. He was not the only one who sweated a lot now after the training lasting the whole morning, their teacher not allowing them to rest much.

"No, it is not. Fedra and his fellow old men merely want to ensure that you can defend yourself if you were joining a Éored that attacks enemies and you may even need to know how to kill an enemy in the middle of doing first aid on someone, during a battle."

Éowyn handed him a water skin so he could drink a little, then spotting Rhaenys in the distance where she was sitting on a wooden bench with a letter.

Rhaenys had just finished reading when Éowyn and Aegon joined her on the bench.

"Are it a new letter from Lothíriel?"

"Yes, her oldest brother Elphir is set to marry his betrothed lady from Minas Tirith this September. She thinks that the wedding is happening now so he may have a child if...he is fated to be among those who will not survive the war against Mordor."

A not very cheerful thing to talk about in a letter between penpals, indeed, but Éowyn knew that several other young ladies at the royal court here in Meduseld had also such thoughts. Thinking of trying to make themselves betrothed to one of their suitors and hopefully married next year, so they could become mothers to children that could ensure the survival of Rohan even if they became widows in the war.

"Are you feeling pressured over that many of your friends are thinking about getting married?"

Éowyn was nineteen this summer, counted as a legal adult since a year ago, and while her own mother had married at 26, Théodwyn had not lived with the doom of war hanging over her head.

"Not really. I mean, not yet since your twin siblings are turning four in a month! And Éomer would not want me to rush into a marriage that may not last for long because of me or my bridegroom not having anything in common outside any children we may have, he asked me to let him carry the burden of a possible arranged marriage for the sake of the survival of the House of Eorl on his shoulders."

She did feel a little guilt over it, that her brother had offered to be the one of them to face an arranged marriage while she was free to marry for love, but Éowyn could understand his reasons. Éomer was to take up the position of the Third Marshal of the Riddermark this August, since at the age of 23 years, he had served as a Rider of Rohan under their cousin for five years and now had enough experience to take up the great responsibility that their father Éomund once had before he died.

"Sis! Sister Rhae! A letter from Abuleo Ihsan has come for Madre!"

Aégnor came running with a letter in one closed fist with his twin sister arriving right behind with a slightly unhappy-looking Balerion in her arms. It seemed like the black feline only had agreed to playtime with them because he knew that Rhaenys was nearby.

"How kind of you to try searching for your parents when the letter arrived with the message bird, I think they are still out with your ealdfæder on whatever that private ride will be about for them."

Rhaenys looked down on her letter from Lothíriel again.

"Éowyn, I would like to meet Lothíriel again, at least once. She has only a few years left before becoming an adult by law and it would be harder for us to meet when we both are adults, especially if a future marriage is involved."

If Elia had heard her daughter in that moment, she would understand her feelings perfectly. It was a huge difference in being able to travel as you desired to meet with friends, for a married woman often had responsibility for the home and family that she created though the wedding. Many of the childhood friends Elia had herself, would also be married mothers now and she rarely got to see them often despite the portal because she was married to the royal family of Rohan.

"I am sure that we can ask my fedra about it, at least."

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Back in Sunspear, Mellario was looking over the latest letter from Lysa that had just arrived.

"Oh dear, we need to pass this on to Elia as soon as we can. This is important news."

Just as she had prayed for, Lysa had been blessed with a son by Tirwald not many days past. A healthy boy she intended to call Eorl as his true name, after the first King of Rohan, yet for now she would have to allow Jon Arryn to call his "son" Ronnel after his late brother unless she would be questioned about a such strange name for the male heir of House Arryn.

"Oberyn?" she called after her brother-in-law that had just passed her open door, "It is time for your skills with poisons that can make the death look natural caused by illness. We need to make Jon Arryn join his two previous wives in the grave before little Eorl stops having that anonymously that all infants have the first weeks and people may start looking closer."

Lysa planned to nurse her son herself, she had written in the letter, so no wetnurse would be added to her household, but they needed to act quickly before someone might notice that little Eorl may not resemble Jon Arryn at all.

"Poison? I have already something in mind," Oberyn promised when he got to look at the letter as well. With Mellario starting to write a letter for Elia about the news so she could let Tirwald learn about his secret child with Lysa, he went to choose the poison that soon would end the life of Jon Arryn and make it seem like old age had finally caught up with the Hand of the King.

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Author note: Théoden having arthritis in a knee is directly inspired by my RL dad, who is in his sixties and have that problem

ealdfæder means grandfather in Anglo-Saxon

About that Éomer have offered to accept a arranged marriage while Éowyn gets to marry for love; he knows that his own firstborn son will likely be the next Third Marshal after himself, and as the Second Line of the Kings of Rohan was founded by Fréaláf Hildeson, the sister-son of Helm Hammerhand, Éomer also knows that in a worst-case scenario, he may end up as a King of Rohan himself (remember that this was his fate in canon!)

Elphir is the next-to-be Prince of Dol Amroth as the oldest son of Imrahil and Sita, and his own son Alpros is born in 3017 according to the timeline, so it is pretty logical that he would have married a few years before the War of the Ring if Alpros is a toddler during the war