Chapter 7: Edoras
Over the next several days I watched the soldiers interact with my family, getting to know each other and occasionally have a flirt. Or more than occasionally in Andy and Theodred's case.
And Dezzie's case, surprisingly. For the most part she had been lost in the shuffle since she's not a fighter but is very shy around strangers, but I watched her smile at Stithulf with bright pink cheeks. He seemed just as interested, gradually spending more and more time riding with her on one side and me on the other.
I simply let their occasional conversation flow over me and kept an eye on our surroundings.
On the seventh night since we encountered the Rohirrim, it was announced that we would reach Edoras at midday. That left me just enough time to say what I needed to each of the men blatantly interested in my sisters.
First was Stithulf of course. I took him aside with a friendly, "Can I have a quick word?" and then once we had some semblance of privacy, put my hands on my hips. "You seem awfully friendly with Dezzie. Is there anything I should know?" I demanded silkily.
He drew himself up. "When we arrive at Edoras I hope to ask her hand," he stated.
Okay, that was unexpected. For a moment I simply blinked at him in confused shock.
"That makes this even more important," I declared once I gathered myself, "Dezzie and I aren't exactly close but she's still my sister. I've already killed for her, and I'll do it again if I need to." I eyed him up, making sure that he understood the implication.
"You will not need to. I would never hurt her," Stithulf assured me earnestly.
"I'm sure you're a good man, but even good men have their faults and their breaking points. Just know that if you do hurt her intentionally, or cheat on her, or in the unlikely event that you force anything in bed, I'll take your damn head off," I threatened casually.
Despite being a head taller than me and with several years more combat experience, he shifted uncomfortably. "There will be no need for that. I fall more and more in love with her by the day," he told me, turning his head to look through the gap in the wagon circle.
Just in view, Dezzie was helping take care of the horses with a confidence I had never seen in her before coming to Middle Earth. She was no supermodel but her face was kind and open, and her acne had even cleared up a bit since our arrival. Upon seeing us looking at her, she smiled and waved.
Both of us returned the gesture. Stithulf's face just lit up even with that tiny acknowledgement.
Oh, he had it bad indeed.
"Remember: I'll soon know where you live," I said somewhat menacingly, giving his shoulder a rough clap on my way to my next target.
Theodred was always surrounded by at least two of his men, and this was no different. There was just no catching him alone so I didn't even try. "Excuse me Theodred, if I'm interrupting anything," I said with a pleasant, if tight smile.
With a glance down at me he made a gesture to his men and they gave us a few feet of space. "It is no trouble. What do you need?" he replied politely.
"To know what your intentions are with Andy," I told him bluntly.
He looked taken aback, but recovered admirably. "To introduce her to my father in Edoras and ask for his permission to marry. Then to ask for your father and grandfather's blessings," he answered.
Wearily I sighed. What is it about men in Middle Earth and falling quickly? Seriously?
"If you worry whether I can support a family, please do not. Even if I fall or sicken, your sister and any children she gifts me with will be provided for and respected," Theodred said to try easing my mind, and to some extent it worked. This was a dangerous time and food scarcity was probably the rule in most places.
"That's fabulous, but will you respect her?" I asked.
"I already have a great respect for Andy and I doubt that can ever be changed," Theodred told me with a gravity that couldn't be ignored.
"You'll never hurt her intentionally? Never force her in bed? Never act maliciously toward her?" I insisted.
The mere thought appeared to appal him. "Were you not Andy's sister, I would think to take insult," he told me.
Now that I knew my worries were unfounded, my shoulders loosened a bit. "I didn't mean it as an insult," I assured him with a little smile, "It's that those are enormous problems where we come from. All of us have been hurt by people we loved and I need to know that won't happen again."
My mind was jolted back ten years, to a boy beating me while I cried.
"Any man who abuses a woman is no man at all," Theodred told me firmly, "Women are men's partners, not slaves or objects. So long as I live, I will never harm a woman unless in defense."
Finally, any doubts about Theodred were quieted. Perhaps he was spouting pretty words at me, but I decided that it would be better to have faith. Besides, if he did try anything, Andy would paint the walls with his blood.
"You seem like a good person. Keep it that way and we'll have no problems," I told him with a shrug, "Just know that I will impale you if I need to." With a dip of my head, I slipped back to where I usually camp out on the southwestern side of the wagons.
This time I was the first person to hear the thud of hooves on the wind. Orc don't ride horses so far as I know but I fingered the hammer on my belt anyways as a single dark figure on horseback came into view.
"Who's there!" I called to whoever was approaching.
As they got closer, I realized that the horse and rider were both rather small. A woman? Several yards away they slowed and in the dim reaches of the campfire light, flipped their hood off.
"Aditi! Aditi is back!" I shouted joyously, jumping up and down.
She laughed as she pulled an unfamiliar horse to a stop, then jumped down almost directly into my arms. "Cassie!" she crowed almost directly into my ear as we hugged.
I had to pull back to take a good look at her, grinning. "Did you come all the way from Minas Tirith alone?" I asked, shocked.
Sadness pulled at her face. "They were not at all welcoming to me, calling me Haradrim like a curse. I didn't want to burden Brise and Lance any further, so I bought this wonderful boy and headed out four days ago to catch up with you all," she explained, patting her horse's nose.
Screw that city all over again, I thought viciously and put an arm around Aditi's shoulders. "You always have a home with us," I promised and squeezed her to my side.
At that point everyone else descended upon our returned relative, doling out hugs and telling her how much she was missed. Upon seeing his daughter by birth, Pitaajee cried happily on her shoulder for several minutes. The Rohirrim were at first wary but gradually they relaxed as we introduced her to them all and showed she was no threat.
At the end of the night her horse (called Hidalgo because he looked like the movie horse) was introduced to the rest of the herd and Aditi bedded down beside me under one of the wagons. "I missed this," she confessed as she arranged her travel bag into an adequate pillow.
"Sleeping in the dirt?" I teased.
She giggled and tossed herself down on her chosen spot. "The beds in Minas Tirith weren't much softer," she said.
As always Gander wiggled up next to me and I shifted him to be between Aditi and me to show him off. "Are you seeing how big he's getting?" I asked, referring to the puppy sniffing eagerly at the new arrival. He was getting gangly and long-legged like teenagers of seemingly every species and seemingly bigger every day.
"He will be a large dog like Speckles and Freckles," Aditi predicted.
"I think a bit thicker built, but definitely big," I agreed, "I hope he still cuddles with me in the winter." The mere idea of winter without central heating was already a source of dread.
Aditi shivered briefly. "Do you think we will find Tharbad before then?" she whispered.
"We're making good time. As long as the weddings don't delay us too long, we should be fine," I assured her and hoped that Tharbad was still inhabited.
"Weddings?" Aditi demanded incredulously.
Oh, right. She hadn't been here to see the obvious yet (mostly) unspoken of. "Yeah, Stithulf and Theodred are going to ask Dezzie and Andy to marry them when we get to Edoras and I know at least Dezzie is going to say yes. Not sure about Andy, but that's still one wedding before we can head to Tharbad," I explained quite simply.
"Oh, yes! That reminds me!" Aditi exclaimed and smacked her forehead, "I asked when I was in Minas Tirith about Tharbad. They say that it was abandoned a century ago after a terrible winter which followed a plague."
My heart fell slightly. It would just be us van der Zees and O'Connells there.
No matter, I told myself. If that's where we're needed, then that's where we're going.
"We will need to rebuild when we get there," Aditi stated quietly.
"At least we've got somewhere to start," I sighed. Lord only knew what kind of mess we would make if we had to construct a house from scratch.
"Night," Aditi said after a long silence.
"Night."
The city (more like village) of Edoras was as different to Minas Tirith as Quebec to Jakarta. Every structure was wooden from the walls to the great hall sitting high on the only hill I've seen since the Gondorian border, thatched roofs sheltering intricate carvings.
Again the city was too small for the wagons to park inside, so they were set up in the usual ring formation outside the gates. Although it was rather nice when Theodred ordered a couple of fellows from inside the town to care for the horses, insisting, "You must all come in and see the city. My father should meet you." He then proceeded to lead us directly to the big house at the very top of the hill.
If it weren't for our chat last night, I would have been suspicious of his motives. As it was, only our larger and more obvious weapons- halberds, swords, Aunt Libby's intimidating axe- had to stay outside with the door warden. Inconspicuously Theoden whispered something in the man's ear and he left the twins to themselves; morning star, war scythe, and all.
The doors were then opened with reverent ceremony by two guards in good quality plate. Briefly I wondered, stomach curdling, just who Theodred was.
The hall inside was tall with large windows and several thick pillars, wood wonderfully carved around the large stone fireplace being attended by two maids. At the end of the hall a man who looked to be in his mid to late sixties sat on a throne, crowned and with a very pale man wearing black furs perched on a stool at his side.
"Hail, Theoden King!" Theodred greeted the man on the throne with a short bow. That done, he rose back to his full (impressive) height and grinned widely. "Father, I have someone I would like you to meet," he said, confirming my worst fears.
I've really outdone myself, haven't I; threatening a prince's life? I'm gonna get hanged at this rate.
Caught up in my mental shit-fit, I barely noticed Andy step awkwardly forward to stand beside Theodred. Only King Theoden's unfamiliar voice startled me back to waking life.
"Who is this lovely young woman?" King Theoden asked warmly and got up from his seat now to greet Andy.
"This is Andromeda van der Zee of America," Theodred introduced proudly, despite his obvious unfamiliarity with most of the words. "My squadron encountered her and her family at the crossing of the Mering Stream and escorted them here for your blessing to travel through the Gap of Rohan to Eriador." He gestured to the rest of us with a wide sweeping gesture.
Various greetings and smiles were offered to the king. More than a little awkwardly I waved at him.
Politely he nodded his greetings to us. "I have never heard of such a country as America," he told his son with some puzzlement.
"We came from the lands beyond South Gondor and Harad. It's a… very long journey," Andy answered apologetically.
"About two months now," Andy put in helpfully.
At first King Theoden merely glanced at her, but then had to take a second look. His expression cracked me up and I had to cough on my laughter, just so I didn't offend another dude in charge.
"This is my twin sister Andromache," Andy jumped to explain, pulling her twin over to stand with her, "It's easier to call us Andy and Mackey, so please do."
When I sneaked a glance at Theodred, he simply looked fondly down at Andy. If he weren't so earnest it would be sickening.
"I am glad to meet you both. Especially if Andy is as I hope…?" He looked questioningly, not quite hopefully at his son.
Theodred, the fucking prince of this place, nodded regally. (That air of dignity suddenly makes a lot more sense.) "If it pleases you, Father- my Lord- I would marry her," he said.
Electra's eyes bugged out of her pretty face. Dezzie's mouth dropped open and Cressie clapped her hands over her mouth to hold in a squeal. The shock on every single face, including my normally composed brother's eyebrows flying painfully up his forehead, prompted a cackle before I could stop it.
Only Andy and Mackey didn't look ready to keel over. In fact, they looked impishly delighted with the chaos.
Both Theodred and King Theoden's eyes shot around the room at everyone. "Did you not ask her father?" King Theoden asked of his son, frowning intensely.
Immediately Pitaajee jumped in, nodding emphatically. "He did. I told him to ask Andy and said if she says yes, I say yes," he reported proudly.
"Same," Grandpa put in mildly, arms crossed over his chest as he watched the commotion with eagle eyes.
At his side, Grandma gave him a look that said things, if you know what I mean.
Nan giggled. When I looked closer at her, she was gazing with wonder around at the beautiful hall. Wonder and recognition, just like when we woke up on the Gondor-Harad border, only more intense if that was possible. Was her younger self somewhere around here?
"I figured we should tell both families at the same time," Andy reasoned, mischief in her smile.
King Theoden gave his son a look, clearly asking Theodred if he was sure.
Again Theodred nodded.
For a long moment King Theoden paused, clearly thinking on his words. "It has been many years since I last hoped that you would marry. If this woman is your choice, then I do give my blessing," he told the newly engaged couple.
With a glance at Grandma and then Nan, King Theoden called for the table and benches to be brought into the hall. Then he ordered all kinds of things: food be made for two dozen guests in addition to his family's dinner; writing utensils be brought in; and several guest rooms be freshened for guests. "If a warning had been sent ahead, then this all would have been done already," he said apologetically with a stern look at his son.
"We were attacked by orcs early in the journey. I did not think it wise to separate a single man from the company and we needed everyone to guard the caravan effectively," Theodred explained and called for a map, "We were two nights north of the Mering Stream…"
Gradually my attention wandered down the table. How long has it been since I last encountered a table? At least since Colorado. It's strange to think of how different the world is without the things we think nothing about- tables, an actual floor and roof, any form of writing…
"Oi! Aunt Libby!" Andy called sharply.
My head swiveled to her, then further down the table where Aunt Libby bounced Aaron on her thigh. "Yeah?" she returned.
"King Theoden wants the person in charge and that's basically you," Andy told her.
With some reluctance on Aaron's part, he was surrendered to his mum. Aunt Libby then very nearly marched up the hall to tell me to budge up, which I did by hip-checking Madhav for more space.
Even after all this time, he still didn't seem to know what to do about my habit of communicating via silent touch and shuffled slowly over.
The phrase 'bride price' caught my attention and suddenly Andy's engagement seemed much more interesting.
Across the table, Matt looked a bit perturbed but also watched quietly.
"Bride price? I dunno, we don't do that where we're from. The closest thing to it was that the groom to be buys the engagement ring, wedding bands, and if they have children then a motherhood ring," Aunt Libby explained while twirling her own topaz motherhood ring; because she wasn't married when she had Stevie, it was a gift from Grandma and Grandpa.
"Three rings alone would be too little for the wife of the Prince of Rohan," King Theoden said automatically, looking from Andy back to Aunt Libby, "We would appear miserly and it is not adequate compensation for your household's loss of her labor."
"If you say it like that, it does sound ridiculous, doesn't it?" Aunt Libby mused, smiling, "It's a bit to get used to. Back in America, bride prices are considered barbaric, like we're selling her like a sheep or a slave. But here and in this situation, I suppose it makes sense."
"So long as the House of Eorl stands, Andy will never be a slave," King Theoden assured her with quiet dignity.
After that I had new respect for the man.
As the conversation went on, it got a little weird in my opinion. Exchange rates between silver and wheat, required child rearing customs, Andy had to reassure that she had decent teeth, and more. At one point Electra, sitting beside me, was asked to get the list of seeds we catalogued as being in the wagons and without thought she put Aaron in Madhav's lap to go get it.
By now Aaron has been put in everyone's laps at least once and he was perfectly comfortable gripping at Madhav's face with grimy hands, giving him a gummy smile.
The smile Madhav gave the little guy was a soft one that I honestly felt privileged to see.
Over dinner, specifics in the contract were discussed and agreed upon. That included immediate dissolution of marriage and a penalty should either spouse be violent to the other or their children, on insistence from all the van der Zee and O'Connell women. Suddenly I was very glad that I had confronted Theodred the other night, because he explained it very tactfully to his offended father. Once King Theoden understood (and was disgusted with) the rampant abuse within the world that we left behind, he agreed to the provision and added one about fidelity.
As it turns out, Andy is worth more monetarily than I could get my head around. Since we've been here I've never seen as much money as was talked about in that contract. Even when Boromir was buying our supplies in Minas Tirith he had only spent a dozen or so each gold and silver, but here King Theoden and Aunt Libby were talking about hundreds of gold coins and thousands of silver coins, plus goods like clothing and metal parts and livestock.
"Hey Andy, we know how many cows you're worth!" I crowed, suddenly remembering a tv series we used to watch together.
She cracked up but composed herself quickly under her in-law's confused eyes. "Sorry, it's an old joke from home," she said, and then added, "Sometimes we all shout nonsense at each other, these days. I think we've been left to ourselves a bit too long." She touched her temple.
"Ah." King Theoden only moved on with the list of contract inclusions.
Good Lord, if this is how royal marriage arrangements always go, I'm so happy I won't have that problem. Imagine the nastiness that comes about when both families are of equal rank, I thought with a cringe. The jockeying for position and trying to look richer than they are and all that would be hell.
"Under normal circumstances various agreements would be made- trade, military, and such- but as you are only beginning to settle your land, that can wait. For now, let us speak of the wedding itself," King Theoden said, brightening up as they got away from truly official business.
"Is it possible to have the wedding in the spring next year?" Andy requested immediately, "I need to help build and establish everything for the family, and have a few last months with Mackey, before I live here permanently."
Relief flooded me. It wasn't a short and sudden goodbye like with Brise, and she'd be able to leave her mark on our new home to be close to when we miss her.
Besides, I thought as negotiations wrapped up for the night, Andy was so much more than a farmer like the rest of us were going to become. Plebes, I could already hear her tease us.
That was the first night there was no need to be constantly alert and my body was fully aware. Almost as soon as I tumbled onto the straw mattress and pulled a blanket over me, I slept dreamlessly.