AN: I'm not 100% happy with how this has turned out but I think it's OK. Thank you for the reviews and I hope you enjoy reading it!
Spring came once more to Edoras. The court of Meduseld prepared for the Spring Festival they celebrated each year. Éowyn and Ailith sat on the steps surrounded by flowers and herbs. They were weaving long garlands to be strung across the rafters, as well as smaller ones for their heads, and were idly watching the men practice.
"He's watching you again," Ailith muttered out of the corner of her mouth. Éowyn looked up from her flowers and met the gaze of a pallid young man gingerly holding a spear. He looked away quickly.
"Out of all the men in Edoras," she moaned, "why is it Gríma who watches me?"
"He's the only one who does it openly. The Flower of the Mark has caught the eye of many," Ailith said jokingly. "She is truly blossoming. How long before she is deflowered and with foal?"
Éowyn blushed hotly and shoved Ailith's shoulder. "You are so crude! Where do you pick these things up?" she said. Ailith ignored her and looped the flowers into her hair.
"Oh look," she said, pointing. "Éomer and Théodred are going to duel. Shall we give them our favour, like those awful drips from Gondor?"
Éowyn laughed and pushed the flowers off their laps. Together they ran down the steps and across to the men.
"Brave Riders of the Mark!" Ailith said, mimicking the delicate Gondorian women currently staying with them. "The Lady Éowyn and myself desire to give our favour to a champion!"
She turned to Éowyn. "To whom do you give your favour?" she intoned. Éowyn giggled and then gravely announced "I give my favour to my brother, Éomer son of Éomund!"
She drew a handkerchief from inside her sleeve and passed it to her brother graciously.
"And I choose Prince Théodred," Ailith said, passing her own handkerchief to him. The boys exchanged looks and then tucked the favours into the sword belts. Giggling, the girls ran back to the steps.
"You always pick Éomer!" Ailith complained.
"He's the stronger of the two! And he's my brother," she said.
"Théodred moves faster," Ailith shrugged. "And he's the future King!"
As the swords clashed for the first time, she sighed. "I miss the days when we were allowed to put on hose and wave our swords around with them."
"Like the Shieldmaidens of old," Éowyn smiled. She gasped as her brother lunged at Théodred, the latter only just parrying the thrust. "He's made vast improvements in the past two years," she noted, meaning her cousin.
"I heard that the Gondorians are here because Théoden is thinking of marrying Théodred to one of the moon-faced cows," Ailith said bitterly.
"Jealous, are we?" Éowyn chuckled. Ailith gave her a weary look.
"Of course not. I just want a Queen who can sit on a horse!"
They both laughed. A few days previously, they had tried to take the Gondorian women out riding, only to discover that, of the four of them, three of them could only just canter and the fourth could only manage to trot. And all four rode side-saddle, throwing looks of horror to Ailith and Éowyn riding in their dresses "like men!" as one of them had squeaked.
There was a cheer as Théodred landed a good hard blow on Éomer's shield and Ailith clapped her hands.
"I hate them. They sit in their rooms all day, singing to each other with their stupid lutes and harps and doing embroidery while we sit out and do the work. If Théodred does marry one of them, I'm leaving Edoras. I'll go back home, I won't serve one of them," she said passionately.
"And I will come with you," Éowyn said, taking her hand as she often did to comfort her. Ailith squeezed her hand and then stared out at the men.
"We have a champion!" she sang. Théodred sheathed his sword and held out Ailith's handkerchief to her. She accepted it with a graceful curtsey.
"Is there a prize?" he asked.
"A dance tonight at the feast?" she proposed, a mischievous smile on her face.
"Of course, my lady," he said, bowing and grinning.