Emyn Arnen, 1442 SR, 21 FA
Lady Éowyn of Ithilien walked around the gardens of Emyn Arnen, lovingly designed by the Elf Legolas upon the creation of the princedom by King Elessar for her and her husband Faramir. It was spring, and the air was thick with birdsong and new buds were blossoming on the trees, animals crawling out from their winter hideaways. Éowyn came out here and walked around often, to find peace. Although she loved her husband, her children and her realm very much, sometimes she got homesick for her home of Rohan, remembering how she used to ride across the wide plains, nothing in sight but the land and the sky. She remembered standing outside the Golden Hall and feeling the wind on her face, looking at the snowy mountains in the distance. She smiled. She was too old for that now.
She returned inside. There was a ball coming up soon in Minas Tirith for some guests of the King. Éowyn did not know who they were, but it was the first such event for her teen-aged daughter Finduilas, and Éowyn and her maiden were making her a beautiful dress. Finduilas was very nervous, but was calmed by the fact that some of her friends would be there, including King Elessar's daughters, one of whom she was very close to.
Finduilas was measured, and she chose the colour and fabric she wanted. The design was kept secret from her, except that it would be Rohirric and Gondorian in style. Finduilas was happy with that, so she left the dress in her mother's capable hands.
Her eldest brother Elboron passed her in the hallway. 'Are you looking forward to the ball, Fin?' Elboron was full grown now, tall and handsome in the manner of his people. He contributed much to the running of Ithilien, and made frequent trips to East Lórien, the last refuge of the Elves under their lord Legolas.
Finduilas wrung her hands as she always did when she was anxious. 'Yes. Sort of. It will be nice seeing everyone again, but...'
Elboron smiled. 'You'll be fine. Who knows, you might find a handsome lord there that you'll fall in love with.'
Finduilas grinned. 'You're just saying that because Fíriel's going to be there, isn't she?' It was Elboron's turn to blush. Fíriel was a Gondorian maid that had caught his eye.
'Alas, my sister, I am too transparent. Yes, she is going to be there, and woe betide another man who tries to dance with her.'
'Even King Elessar?' Finduilas teased.
Elboron hesitated. 'Well, woe can betide him a little.'
Finduilas laughed. Elboron laid a hand on her arm and laughed.
'Go on, off with you, it's time for your archery lesson. Morfindel won't be too happy if you turn up late.'
Finduilas laughed as she ran off. 'He never is!' she called back.
Elboron chuckled as he continued on his way to his father's study. He found Faramir sitting at his desk pouring over a letter.
'Anything new, Papa?'
Faramir looked up at him and smiled. 'Just a letter from your uncle. Nothing tremendously exciting.'
He gave it to Elboron to read. Suddenly he started howling with laughter.
'Elfwine's courting? This has to been seen to be believed.'
Faramir smiled. 'Come on, Elboron, your cousin's a very nice young lad.'
Elboron shook his head as he read on. 'Théodmund won't believe this.' Elboron suddenly ran out the door, calling for his brother. 'Théodmund! Théodmund!' Elboron pounded on his door.
A very cranky and sick Théodmund, middle child of Faramir and Éowyn, opened the door.
'What do you want, Elboron?'
'You've got to read this letter from Uncle Éomer.'
Théodmund grumbled and took it from Elboron. He started reading and then laughed hysterically at the same part Elboron had, except his laugh descended into a coughing fit. Elboron thumped him on the back a few times until he got back to normal. Their mother walked past them as they started laughing again, giving them a strange look and shaking her head as she opened the door to Faramir's study.
'What are they laughing at?' Éowyn asked.
'They apparently find the idea of Elfwine courting a maiden hilarious,' Faramir replied.
Éowyn shook her head as she sat on Faramir's desk. 'If there's one thing I'll never understand, it's men.'
'I'm a man and I don't even understand it. However, I do have it on good authority from our daughter that Elboron wishes to court a maiden from Minas Tirith.'
Éowyn smiled. 'I'm sure he'll find it amusing then. Théodmund certainly will.'
Faramir winced as he heard his youngest son go into another nasty-sounding coughing fit. 'Is he getting any better?'
'I hope so. If only I can keep him in bed and not let him go outside. The flowers aren't good for him.'
Faramir nodded thoughtfully. 'He's stubborn, just like someone else who refused to stay in their own bed.'
Éowyn grinned. 'I can't believe you're still bringing that up. Aren't you glad that I refused and asked for the Lord of the City?'
Faramir smiled and took his wife's hand and kissed it. 'For not one second am I not glad, for you, Éowyn of Rohan, are beautiful and I am honoured to be your husband.'
'But you are forgetting something, my dear husband,' Éowyn said, kissing Faramir. 'I am of Ithilien now.'
Lady Éowyn of Ithilien walked around the gardens of Emyn Arnen, lovingly designed by the Elf Legolas upon the creation of the princedom by King Elessar for her and her husband Faramir. It was spring, and the air was thick with birdsong and new buds were blossoming on the trees, animals crawling out from their winter hideaways. Éowyn came out here and walked around often, to find peace. Although she loved her husband, her children and her realm very much, sometimes she got homesick for her home of Rohan, remembering how she used to ride across the wide plains, nothing in sight but the land and the sky. She remembered standing outside the Golden Hall and feeling the wind on her face, looking at the snowy mountains in the distance. She smiled. She was too old for that now.
She returned inside. There was a ball coming up soon in Minas Tirith for some guests of the King. Éowyn did not know who they were, but it was the first such event for her teen-aged daughter Finduilas, and Éowyn and her maiden were making her a beautiful dress. Finduilas was very nervous, but was calmed by the fact that some of her friends would be there, including King Elessar's daughters, one of whom she was very close to.
Finduilas was measured, and she chose the colour and fabric she wanted. The design was kept secret from her, except that it would be Rohirric and Gondorian in style. Finduilas was happy with that, so she left the dress in her mother's capable hands.
Her eldest brother Elboron passed her in the hallway. 'Are you looking forward to the ball, Fin?' Elboron was full grown now, tall and handsome in the manner of his people. He contributed much to the running of Ithilien, and made frequent trips to East Lórien, the last refuge of the Elves under their lord Legolas.
Finduilas wrung her hands as she always did when she was anxious. 'Yes. Sort of. It will be nice seeing everyone again, but...'
Elboron smiled. 'You'll be fine. Who knows, you might find a handsome lord there that you'll fall in love with.'
Finduilas grinned. 'You're just saying that because Fíriel's going to be there, isn't she?' It was Elboron's turn to blush. Fíriel was a Gondorian maid that had caught his eye.
'Alas, my sister, I am too transparent. Yes, she is going to be there, and woe betide another man who tries to dance with her.'
'Even King Elessar?' Finduilas teased.
Elboron hesitated. 'Well, woe can betide him a little.'
Finduilas laughed. Elboron laid a hand on her arm and laughed.
'Go on, off with you, it's time for your archery lesson. Morfindel won't be too happy if you turn up late.'
Finduilas laughed as she ran off. 'He never is!' she called back.
Elboron chuckled as he continued on his way to his father's study. He found Faramir sitting at his desk pouring over a letter.
'Anything new, Papa?'
Faramir looked up at him and smiled. 'Just a letter from your uncle. Nothing tremendously exciting.'
He gave it to Elboron to read. Suddenly he started howling with laughter.
'Elfwine's courting? This has to been seen to be believed.'
Faramir smiled. 'Come on, Elboron, your cousin's a very nice young lad.'
Elboron shook his head as he read on. 'Théodmund won't believe this.' Elboron suddenly ran out the door, calling for his brother. 'Théodmund! Théodmund!' Elboron pounded on his door.
A very cranky and sick Théodmund, middle child of Faramir and Éowyn, opened the door.
'What do you want, Elboron?'
'You've got to read this letter from Uncle Éomer.'
Théodmund grumbled and took it from Elboron. He started reading and then laughed hysterically at the same part Elboron had, except his laugh descended into a coughing fit. Elboron thumped him on the back a few times until he got back to normal. Their mother walked past them as they started laughing again, giving them a strange look and shaking her head as she opened the door to Faramir's study.
'What are they laughing at?' Éowyn asked.
'They apparently find the idea of Elfwine courting a maiden hilarious,' Faramir replied.
Éowyn shook her head as she sat on Faramir's desk. 'If there's one thing I'll never understand, it's men.'
'I'm a man and I don't even understand it. However, I do have it on good authority from our daughter that Elboron wishes to court a maiden from Minas Tirith.'
Éowyn smiled. 'I'm sure he'll find it amusing then. Théodmund certainly will.'
Faramir winced as he heard his youngest son go into another nasty-sounding coughing fit. 'Is he getting any better?'
'I hope so. If only I can keep him in bed and not let him go outside. The flowers aren't good for him.'
Faramir nodded thoughtfully. 'He's stubborn, just like someone else who refused to stay in their own bed.'
Éowyn grinned. 'I can't believe you're still bringing that up. Aren't you glad that I refused and asked for the Lord of the City?'
Faramir smiled and took his wife's hand and kissed it. 'For not one second am I not glad, for you, Éowyn of Rohan, are beautiful and I am honoured to be your husband.'
'But you are forgetting something, my dear husband,' Éowyn said, kissing Faramir. 'I am of Ithilien now.'