Chapter 2

(Edoras, Aug, 3019 III)

With the exodus of the guests, a semblance of routine was restored to Meduseld. Imrahil readily stepped in to act as mentor to Eomer in whatever way he wished, and the king was grateful for the older man's wise counsel. Eowyn had become friendly with Lothiriel also, during her visit to Rohan, and now that Faramir was gone, Eomer's sister took every opportunity to ply Lothiriel with questions. Some pertained to life and conduct in Gondor's court, but more than once Eomer heard her pumping Lothiriel for information about her cousin. Though Lothiriel had not seen a great deal of her cousins from Minas Tirith in the past few years, she good-humoredly told Eowyn anything she could to satisfy her.

Even though the funeral was past, and the strain on Eomer had eased somewhat in that regard, Lothiriel continued to spend time with him and Elfwine, and he always enjoyed the interaction with her. The more time he spent with her though, the more his thoughts drifted back to her comments just after the funeral. Much as he did not want to think about such things just now, he would soon need a wife. He had already provided an heir, but he knew Rohan would want a queen standing beside him.

While he might wish to continue on as before, and hope to fall in love with a suitable woman in the future, it was unlikely that would suffice. The Rohirrim were still nervous after the War. A king was all very well and good; an heir even better, but without a wife there was no chance of other children in case something should happen to him or Elfwine. Only in the marriage of their king would his people begin to feel life had stabilized, and the future secured.

Already his advisers had mentioned the subject to him. Even they did not know the full circumstances of his previous marriage that had resulted in this son, but they were most eager for him to enter into marriage once more, preferably forming an important alliance in the process, as his sister had. Particularly in light of her presence at Edoras for the funeral and her attentiveness to the king, more than one had hinted the Lady Lothiriel might be a suitable queen for Rohan.

Clearly, no one gave much thought to what his feelings might be for Elfwine's mother, and that rushing him into a second marriage was thoughtless, at best, and inconsiderately cruel. He had known Cafliss so little, and they had been separated so much, that his grief likely was not as deep as it should have been, but still he had cared for her, and believed their love would have flowered once they had more opportunity to nourish it. He did not wish to dishonor her memory, or all she had sacrificed for him.

The other consideration was the princess herself. It was not that Eomer did not like Lothiriel; indeed, he found her quite pleasant and charming. But he did not love her, and he had very much wished that to be a part of any marriage he entered. Further, he did not think she loved him either, so why would she agree to a marriage of convenience? One adviser, who had spent time in Gondor before the War, had pointed out that arranged, political marriages were quite common in the land to the south, but that did not make the idea any more appealing to him. How would a man even approach a woman with such a suggestion? Surely she would be offended and storm angrily away. Certainly his sister would.

Nevertheless, Lothiriel did seem the most likely candidate to fill the void. He needed a wife and queen, and she was eminently suitable. She was good with children, a proven diplomat, well schooled in court protocol, and had run her father's household after the death of her mother. Likely there was no one better suited than she, and they were at least friendly.

For several days, Eomer wrestled with the matter. He knew what he should do, he knew what was expected of him, but it was difficult to take a step he found so objectionable. In the end, though, he knew he could not continue on alone. Once Eowyn was married, he likely would be buried under his responsibilities. He had to have someone at his side, and she was the only person he could even think to consider. And he much preferred turning over Elfwine's care and keeping to her than leaving it to his aunt.

With a good deal of trepidation, he invited her to meet with him privately after breakfast one morning, several days before her family was due to depart for home. If she thought his request odd, she did not say so, affably following him down the hall to his study.

Once inside, he paced the room for several minutes while she watched him curiously, waiting for an explanation. How did one even begin such a discussion? At length, he sat down at his desk and rubbed his face, then took a deep breath and plunged in.

"I have little doubt that you, like everyone else, are quite curious about Elfwine and his origins. I have not kept it secret because I am ashamed of it, but rather because, with everything else taking place, it did not seem an appropriate time to offer up an extensive explanation. However, I have a matter I wish to speak with you about, and that subject makes it necessary that you be aware of the history."

Lothiriel nodded, remaining silent. It was evident this was difficult for Eomer, and she did not wish to make him more uncomfortable by pushing for quick answers.

Eomer again rose and paced the room as he recited the account of his past. "I had met Cafliss several times at Aldburg, and we had always enjoyed one another's company. I do not know if it was the War making life seem so uncertain, or the need to have someone I felt close to, but on one of the last pleasant evenings I spent there, I proposed. We had dined and danced at a local tavern, shared kisses in the moonlight and, the next thing I knew, I was proposing marriage and she was accepting. The flush of excitement likely overwhelmed our common sense, but at that moment it was something we both very much desired."

"Did you love her?" Lothiriel inquired.

Eomer sighed, and shrugged. "We barely knew one another. Ours was a quick and dazzling romance, ending in a hasty marriage before I had to depart to battle. We hardly had time to become acquainted before I was gone, and did little more than consummate the marriage. The situation in Rohan began to deteriorate so rapidly after that, I was able to see her only infrequently."

When he paused and fell into his thoughts, Lothiriel persisted, "Did you know she carried your child?"

He shook his head. "We wed in secret because Grima Wormtongue had poisoned the mind of the king, and was methodically eliminating any threats to that control. Those threats included my cousin, Theodred, and me. I feared if Grima learned of my wife, he would use her against me or, at the very least, harm her. We were wed two days after I proposed, spent a blissful night together and then I was gone. The siege of Rohan was intensifying by then and I did not get back very often, and even then sometimes only for an hour or so. We only came together as husband and wife three times, so I never truly considered the possibility that a child would come of it. I fully expected not to start a family until the War was ended and Rohan was once more safe. Not until I returned to Rohan, after the War, did I learn that my son had been born as my wife was taken from me."

Pausing by the window, Eomer stared out in silence, and for a moment Lothiriel thought he was not going to continue.

He let out a long sigh and then looked at Lothiriel. "I know what I am asking of you is most unusual, and I will not be offended if you choose to decline. The fact is, I need a queen at my side, and a mother for my son. I cannot see that I will have much time or opportunity to seek either, giving such a search the proper attention. I grew to greatly admire your father and brothers during the War, and since I have met you, I have been impressed with you as well. You are an intelligent woman of good character, who is well schooled in politics and could readily fill the role of queen. Further, I have seen you with your nephew and with my son, so I know you are very good with children. My son would be well cared for. I am asking you to marry me, Lothiriel."

He turned away, not wanting to see her expression while she considered his proposal. It was insane to even be suggesting this to her! She surely must think he had taken leave of his senses.

"And what of you, my lord? My being queen will meet the needs of your people, and my being your wife will give your son a mother, but what about you? Do you desire nothing of me?" Lothiriel softly inquired.

Eomer's troubled gaze flicked out the window to his right, and he moved over near it. At length, he answered, "Perhaps in time I will come to feel affection for you, Lothiriel. Perhaps in time we will both wish for you to be a wife in more than name only. But that time is not yet. There is too much else I must concern myself with just now. All of Rohan is depending on me, my son most of all. My aunt is aging, and ill-equipped to be caring for an infant. I do not have the luxury of allowing my own feelings to decide the matter."

He turned back to face her, continuing, "I realize what I ask is unfair – for you to marry a man you barely know, without love, and give your all for his people and his son, with nothing in return but a title and his great respect and gratitude. I could find no fault with you if you refused, or indeed laughed in my face for even suggesting such madness."

Slowly Lothiriel rose and came to stand facing him, her hands folded in front of her. Steadily meeting his gaze she told him, "I am the daughter of a prince, my lord. I understand 'duty', and realize that the needs of a leader's people come before his own. I am honored you would consider me for your queen and to raise your heir, and I should be pleased to fill those roles and aid Rohan in any way that is within my power. You are a good man, and I should not be sorry to claim you as a husband. I will hope that one day we may come to desire our marriage to be a true union, and not just an alliance of convenience. I accept your offer."

For a moment, it did not register with Eomer that she had agreed to his proposal, but then he nodded in acknowledgement. "I will do all I can to…make your time in Rohan one of happiness," he vowed. "If there is ever anything I can do to that end, that I have not noticed, please do not hesitate to bring it to my attention."

They stood awkwardly, not looking directly at one another, until Lothiriel smiled and touched his arm. "Perhaps we should go speak to my father now. There is not much time to make arrangements before we return to Dol Amroth."

Taking a deep breath, Eomer nodded and wrapped her hand around his arm to escort her from the room. He had thought mentioning this to Lothiriel would be the most difficult part of it, but now that he faced the prospect of explaining this to Imrahil, he was inclined to believe he was mistaken about that. Would his friend be opposed to such a proposition for his daughter? Would he be angry that it had even been suggested? Forcing himself to be calm, Eomer wrestled the impassive countenance on his face that had served him well as Third Marshal. Soon enough he would know Imrahil's reaction.

It took some time to locate the prince of Dol Amroth, and move to a private location for their conversation. To Eomer's surprise, Imrahil did not appear overly stunned by their explanation for the meeting. He cast a discerning look at his daughter, who met his gaze steadily as he asked, "You have agreed to this, Lothiriel?"

"Yes, Father, I have," she told him firmly.

Dropping his gaze to his hands folded in his lap, Imrahil pondered for a moment, and then told them, "My daughter is old enough to know her own mind in such things, Eomer. If she has agreed to your offer, then I will not oppose it. I would prefer that she married for love. Not everyone can be so fortunate as her mother and I were to eventually come to love one another as we did once we were married. But I know you are a good man, who will treat her well and properly see to her needs. Certainly she could do much worse in marriage and, if it is not too audacious of me to say, I believe she will make an excellent queen for Rohan. When do you propose this marriage take place?"

Eomer blinked at the question. In truth, he had not thought beyond the proposal itself, so he had not yet considered the details. Noting his slight confusion, Lothiriel offered, "Perhaps it would be best to wait until the spring. That should give me time to sort out my affairs in Dol Amroth and make arrangements for my belongings to be brought here. It will also enable us to announce it, and allow guests to travel at a better season of the year."

It was a sensible assessment, and Eomer nodded his agreement. "That sounds quite reasonable. What think you, my friend?"

Imrahil smiled at the king and answered, "I do not think you need me to decide for you in this matter. Certainly it is a mixture of what normally happens in Gondor, and what I have heard takes place in Rohan, as to length of courtship. It would also give the two of you more time to become acquainted, if only through letters, and allow Lothiriel to brush up on her knowledge of Rohan's history and customs, as I have no doubt she will want to do." He smiled at his daughter in amusement and she returned it; he knew her too well.

"Then we are agreed," Eomer said. "Is there anything else I have forgotten?"

Imrahil crossed his legs and wrapped his hands around his knee before saying, "When shall we announce it? Do you wish to trothplight here before we leave?"

"Yes," Eomer said thoughtfully. "I might as well let Rohan know what is coming, and give them time to get used to the idea. Plus it will get my advisers off my back about this issue. Once it is known, then Lothiriel will be free to acquaint herself with Meduseld and how it is run, and she can let me know if there is anything in particular she requires or wishes for me to do before she comes to live here. Shall we announce it tomorrow, mid-morning?"

"That is fine with me," Lothiriel told him, glancing at her father for his response though she did not seem concerned about what it would be.

"Fine. Tomorrow it is, then," Imrahil said as he rose. He looked at the couple who had also stood up and smiled. "I suppose I should offer you my best wishes!"

Lothiriel laughed and moved into his embrace. "Of course you should!" She kissed his cheek. "Do not worry, Father. I am content with this decision."

Imrahil held his daughter close, hoping that was truly the case. It would be difficult to part with her, especially with her moving so far away, but he had meant what he said. She would do well as queen, and likely she would be a good wife to Eomer. Hopefully, at some point love would come, and it would prove to be a fulfilling marriage for them both.

xxx

The trothplighting the next day was met with more than one shocked look, not the least of which came from the siblings of the betrothed couple. Lothiriel's brothers, though surprised by this turn of events, were pragmatic enough to accept it fairly quickly. They had always known that Lothiriel would one day wed, and this was an apt match for her. Added to that was their great regard for Eomer personally, so they could not find reason to object.

Eomer's sister was another matter altogether. The people of Rohan married for love, not political gain, and she knew her brother had not known Lothiriel long enough for this to be a love match. While Eomer had not spoken to her of his decision, she suspected it was motivated by circumstance rather than any feelings on his part for the young noblewoman. She could not even begin to understand why Lothiriel had agreed to it.

Arguments with her brother against the marriage proved fruitless. He adamantly refused to listen to her objections, dismissing them as inconsequential and, considering the pleased look on the faces of his advisers, Eowyn could guess they were part of the king's motivation for this foolhardy act.

She had come to like Lothiriel, and considered her a pleasant and sensible person. Having failed to persuade Eomer to be rational about this, she next attempted to work on Lothiriel. The day after the announcement was made, Eowyn engaged Lothiriel to go for a walk with her on the barrowfields, where they could speak privately. Once they reached their destination, Eowyn wasted no time in broaching the subject on her mind.

"Lothiriel, do not misunderstand. I consider you a fine woman, and you would make an excellent queen for Rohan as well as a good wife and mother. But I do not think this marriage of convenience is wise. What of the future? If you and Eomer do not marry for love, what is to hold you to it if you meet someone later who wins either of your hearts. You would not be free to then marry that person and find happiness. This may be a quick solution to certain problems, but it is dangerous. And I do not wish to see anyone bound in a marriage without love. I know that is not uncommon among Gondor's nobility, but it is not so in the Riddermark. Please, reconsider this – for your own good and for that of Eomer and Elfwine. My brother is not thinking clearly, and he is making bad judgements in haste."

"I appreciate your concern, Eowyn, but we are quite fond of one another. Having married, I will look no further, and I do not believe your brother will seek affection elsewhere once we are wed. I know you find it strange, but my own parents were an arranged marriage. In time, they grew to care deeply for each other. Not all such marriages are so dreadful as you imagine," Lothiriel patiently explained.

Eowyn stared at her with incredulity. "You cannot be serious! Marriage is difficult enough without going into it with such low expectations! It will be all the harder since you will not only be Eomer's wife, but Rohan's queen. You are making a grave error!"

With a sigh, Lothiriel turned away. "You are entitled to your opinion, Eowyn, but unless Eomer withdraws his offer, we will be wed in the spring. I have set my course, and I am content with my decision. Please try to accept that."

She struck out back toward the city, and Eowyn had little choice but to follow. Clearly their discussion was ended in Lothiriel's mind.

For the remainder of Lothiriel's time in Edoras, she moved around Meduseld giving closer attention to the details of how the household was ordered. The head housekeeper, Eledferth, ran a tight ship, and Lothiriel suspected it would be difficult to assert her authority. Still, there was little reason to do so unless she found something unacceptable, and at a glance that did not appear to be the case.

Lothiriel also made a point of going out into town more, giving her a chance to meet some of the people living in Edoras, and providing them with an opportunity to come to know her a little. Up until now, most of her time had been spent among the nobility of Edoras, but the common people would also be her subjects and she did not want them to feel she was unapproachable. While most of the nobility had readily accepted her as Eomer's bride-to-be, the commoners were more reserved, clearly intending to wait and learn more about this woman from the south. The older ones still remembered another Gondorian who had been their queen, most unsatisfactorily. They were not eager to repeat that experience. Eomer had warned Lothiriel about his grandmother, Morwen of Lossarnach, and the ill legacy she had left. Little wonder the people of Rohan did not warm to her immediately, but she was determined to bring them around eventually.

Too soon, the party from Dol Amroth was departing. Lothiriel had made a lengthy list of things she needed to do once she arrived home. The evening before they left, she and Eomer had walked in the garden with Elfwine one last time, saying their farewells.

"Will your aunt remain at Meduseld through the winter to care for Elfwine?" Lothiriel inquired.

Eomer nodded reluctantly. "Much as I disagree with her on many points, I still would prefer Elfwine under the care of a relative than a servant. No doubt she will quite enthusiastically do her best to keep me at a distance from my son." He moved away from her, his mood darkening.

"Everyone behaves as though it is odd for me to want to hold and care for my son," Eomer complained sullenly. "What is wrong with it?"

Lothiriel restrained a smile at the question. "Nothing. You are Elfwine's father, and the king. You may do whatever you wish, Eomer. And, by virtue of our marriage, you will make me Elfwine's mother. If I find no fault in your actions, then who may gainsay us?" Moving to stand near him, she laid a hand on his shoulder, adding, "They merely find it unusual for a man to be so desirous of being actively engaged with an infant. Do not let it trouble you."

Somewhat mollified by her answer, he grinned with eagerness. "I am looking forward to doing things with him. Teaching him to ride and fight, playing games with him – this will be his first real winter and I shall introduce him to snow!"

Noting Lothiriel's attempt to choke back laughter, he asked, "What? Why do you laugh? Did I say something wrong?"

"My lord…Elfwine will not yet be a year old come the winter. He is far too young for snow, I am afraid."

At Eomer's look of bewilderment, she explained, "He will not be able to do more than stand and stare at the snow, and perhaps grab a handful, but beyond that it will offer nothing he can appreciate. He will not be physically able to throw snow balls or build snow figures for at least another year. He will quickly become cold and wet, and want to return inside to the warmth." She smiled apologetically at having to break this obviously disappointing news to him.

Eomer let out a sigh. "I suppose you are right. My aunt said as much, but I did not want to listen." Then, with a sheepish grin, he added, "I suppose I may postpone finding a pony for him also?"

Lothiriel burst into laughter and nodded. "Yes, that would best be deferred for a couple of years! Although I am sure the Rohirrim learn to ride at a much younger age than most, I cannot think it can be readily taught until the boy is at least three, and able to hold onto the saddle. It will take a few years beyond that before he can begin to use the reins to steer by himself."

Though not what he wished to hear, Eomer found it did not bother him so much to get such admonishment from Lothiriel as it did from his aunt. Perhaps it was in the delivery. Somehow his aunt always seemed to be domineering and condescending whenever she opposed anything he wished to do with Elfwine. Lothiriel simply pointed out the logical reasons why he must wait a while, without making him feel his intent was totally ludicrous. More than ever, he was convinced it had been a wise move to propose to her.

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Minleoth - "my song"

Alcathir - "shining face"

Eledferth – head housekeeper - "fiery spirit"

Cafliss - "quick joy"

Eomer married in April of 3018; his wife bears a son in his absence and dies during childbirth (in Jan 3019)