A short chapter this time compared to all the others.
Also, as you may have noticed since my last update, we're nearing the end of this story. 😉
He leans back in his chair. Despite all this, some events occurred which were extremely important to him. He smiles as the memories of those events come back to him.
Faramir's marriage was such a good renewal for his house. The start of a new alliance as well as building a new fief which they could build up fully. The birth of Faramir's children was the culmination of all he could have hoped for. Something he still would have liked for Boromir to also have had. However, he knows his firstborn; he would not have minded if he never had children. Boromir would have treated Faramir's as his own and seen to it that they would be prepared for their future; to become the steward after him.
As for his feelings regarding both; they were happiness as well as regret. Regret for Finduilas never got to meet the woman who holds their son's heart and for never having met her grandchildren. Over time, those children have made him proud; they serve their king loyally. It is especially good for his grandson and the king's son have become close friends.
As for children, he shakes his head. He still remembers the outcry from the nobles when Éowyn's former marriage, her status as a widow as well and her children from this marriage came to light. They were screaming about the dishonor for the heir to the steward to marry a widow. They were calling her used goods behind closed doors. Probably even a lot more. When Gil and he found out, they quickly called those nobles to order.
But that was not all those nobles did. They basically asked for those children to be left in Rohan with their grandparents. The sentiment was not strange for it happened regularly in Gondor with remarriage. Nevertheless, he knows his son; he would not have wanted for Éowyn to leave her children behind. He was not exactly opposed to this (even if unsaid) and is glad about their presence. They brought life back into his house. Over time, he even became quite fond of them. But this was not the only repercussion this discovery had.
No, some lords were quite vocal in their desire to see their betrothal broken. He ignored it initially but knew he couldn't anymore when it reached the court… and especially when it reached the Council. He fought them viciously as he did not see a reason for breaking the betrothal for this reason. Yes, he was not informed nor was Faramir. However, he understands why considering how widows are often treated. So while he was not happy about it, he was willing to let them follow their heart. He knows that had this played earlier when he was still in the trumps of his grief he would have done unforgivable things or said unforgivable words to Faramir.
This fight lasted until Gil arrived. He still remembers how he could hear every breath in the room the second Gil stepped into the room. Every footstep or shuffle. The wind blowing outside. He remembers how he looked sternly at the lords daring them to utter another word; they didn't dare. No, they were far too busy to look in the direction of the door with wide eyes. He ignored it then but he could see the horror in their eyes; horror that the king had come across them fighting over something they wanted to keep him in the dark of because they did not think he would side with them. And indeed, Gil must have heard their fight for he berated those lords as soon as he had taken his seat. Those lords fought back but gave up under their combined efforts.
All in all, this was the beginning of changes in how widows are treated. It is slow going but he feels as if it is going in a good direction. They face less scrutiny and are less often separated from their children unless both parties agree to it. It took some time for the families to get used to it but most see the benefit from it. He grimaces. This in turn gave life to new problems which occasionally (for as far as he knows) cropped up from remarriages. He leans back and closes his eyes. He breathes deeply. He is just thankful Faramir did not experience those problems. He is not sure what he would have done otherwise.
He closes his eyes and lets his mind wander; he lets his mind decide what will have his attention now. A lot of things flow through his mind. All too fast for him to really comprehend them except for one thing; his niece's marriage.
Imrahil arranged this as a way to aid Rohan in recovering from the War. With Gil's permission, of course. This was a blessing Gil easily gave his permission once he caught wind of Rohan's troubles. However, he knows Imrahil. Had he seen the benefit of it then he would have done it also without permission and made reparations to the king later.
King Éomer was stubborn as he refused to accept aid without paying for it with his meager tradable goods. So, the marriage was a way to get more aid to Rohan in the form of a dowry. That it strengthened the bonds between Rohan and Gondor was an added benefit. It was accepted well enough in Rohan. As for Gondor…
There were some mixed reactions. Some thought it was a good match while others fought against it. They thought it would have been better had she married in Gondor or the daughter of a minor lord had married King Éomer; not the daughter of a prince. They thought it was favoritism. It did cause some tension during the preparation but did not truly hamper it. The one thing that nearly stopped it was the pushback of the farmers who had to surrender goods for the dowry and refused to do so. Normally this would not have been a problem as the dowry was in storage but due to the War Imrahil had had to use it to support his men. So, by using food and other things as well as some coins, they managed to get a suitable dowry together; suitable for Lothíriel and to aid Rohan through the winter. He suspects still they had some adjustments to do after the marriage but it has grown into a loving marriage. This ensured the old alliance with Rohan regained its former glory as well as strengthened the friendship between them. Especially once Elfwine was born. Many saw it as the culmination of the new bond between Rohan and Gondor as well as to remove the vulnerability of the house till then.
He tilts his head and hums. Considering the security of the ruling houses, Gondor has the same security with the birth of Gil's children though there was some displeasure when Arhael, Gil's oldest, was born first. Displeasure because Gil's oldest was a daughter and not a son. This son came next which stemmed all the displeasure and scheming for a bit as Gil never had any other son. He only had daughters which was a boon as Gil was still working on abolishing the age-old tradition for the birth of an heir.
Oh, the tradition… a smile grows on his face just by remembering it. All the nobles lined up in the antechamber of the royal apartment for a look at the newborn heir who is held in a blanket that doesn't cover their front. All to be sure the one presented as heir is actually male. With Eldarion, those nobles took great pleasure in poking the boy which Eldarion did not like. Neither did Gil. Hence why he worked hard to abolish it which took him nearly a decade due to the pushback from nobles who did not want to see traditions change. It is a good thing this tradition was abolished even if he would not have pushed for it himself. Eldarion's heir will not have to experience it.
Eldarion… thinking about him causes him to recall all the memories from seeing the boy… or more like a young man who has since grow up. It was an interesting time looking back. Gil raised his son as the heir, yes, but also different from what he did with his children. No surprise, as they are not the same person but still. Eldarion learned things a king really would not need to know in such detail; like healing. Yet, he also understands why Gil taught him this. He also joined the army as a regular recruit and not the noble son he was. It meant Eldarion did not receive the training to lead from the start; he had to start at the bottom by following orders. Later, Eldarion did receive training to lead battles but only after nearly two years in the army. Eldarion has since then shown himself to be an excellent officer who has risen through the ranks until he earned the position of Captain-General.
This however is not the most important thing Eldarion has done. Ever since he and Elboron are both serving in the army, they've become close friends. Before they had been quite respectful and kind to each other but never saw each other except for formal events where all nobles are invited to. It meant their friendship could not grow until they were together in the army.
It is not something all the nobles liked. They saw it as a lack of influence. In their minds, the future king and steward would always work together (no matter what truly would happen in the future, in their minds they would always be working together). It is the reason why they tried to break up the friendship before it became too tight. They failed and luckily they were only a minority. The majority quite enjoyed seeing such a close connection between their houses. Either to find ways to use it for their benefit or something else. It also caused them to push their sons to seek friendship with both boys with moderate success. Some became friends while others remained acquaintances who are cordial with each other.
He leans his head back onto the chair and smiles calmly. He is pleased with it. This will be good for Gondor; a future where the king and the steward are friends just like now. Has he considered this before? Most certainly but this thought never fails to please him. It just is a good sign of a new age for his people. One of prosperity and safety. He just wishes he could have seen it.