On The Topic Of Men

The rest of their conversation was much more light-hearted. The ride back to Mina's Tirith was uneventful but the moment they arrived Elessar called a meeting with several of his military commanders and left Nauriel to handle the people until he could hack out a plan on what to do about the Northmen. Narisa was young still but she had seen the dead and dying on more than one occasion and had become afraid. Away from Edoras however, she was more herself with her cousins.

Laenaya, Calene, Arina and Narisa sat on benches in the courtyard high up in the city. Each girl held an embroidery hoop and all save Narisa were actually doing a pretty fair job of adding the yellow honey blossoms to the pattern. Finally, frustrated she growled and tossed the hoop down into the large, wicker basket that sat on the bench next to her.,

"I hate embroidery! Why do we need to know it anyways!" She said in obvious irritation. "My husband," she said it in a doubtful tone, "won't want embroidery on his shirts. And I doubt any man who does I won't want anyhow!" She added as she scowled at her basket.

Laenaya smiled a little over at her cousin. She and Narisa were about the same age and had spent a lot of time together over the years. Narisa's hair was a little lighter in color and it seemed that no matter how much she brushed it, it always had a wind swept look to it. Narisa's patience was short, especially when it came to feminine tasks. She much preferred being with her horses.

Laenaya, on the other hand, was elegant and graceful, but was not afraid of getting dirty. She had long, dark brown hair that shone in the sunlight and grey eyes, that she had gotten from her grandmother. She looked up to her mother and grandmother and her father often told her she had inherited their inner strength and firey spirit. Laenaya dreamed of going on adventures like her mother and grandmother, but she knew as the eldest daughter she had certain obligations to her family, which she planned to fulfill.

"Is there a possible husband on the horizon?"

Narisa grinned in a knowing way, she had ridden back with the King and Queen and overheard much...perhaps too much. They had been discussing the 'possible' marriage of Laenaya and some Northman named Guldabrant of some such, she couldn't get too close or they'd have noticed her listening in on their conversation which there were many. Sometimes they spoke to her directly, she was the niece after all.

"Well...not for me!" She said and then her eyes went large as if her telling that, she doubted she was supposed to, was wrong. She cleared her throat and picked back up her embroidering hoop then lowered her head down as if she were concentrating on her stitching though it was clearly an act not to let on there was more she wasn't telling.

Laenaya had been expecting a come back from her cousin, but she had not been expecting that! She just stared at her for a long moment, trying to figure out if she had heard her correctly. She watched as her cousin suddenly realized what she had said and quickly tried to go about as if she had not said that at all.

"What do you mean by that?"

Calene grinned teasingly over at her older sister. "Perhaps Mother and Father simply tired of you turning down every offer of marriage you've received."

Narisa winced at both the question and at her poor excuse for a honey blossom...or could she pass that yellow blotch and squiggle off as a bird..she looked up and drew her gaze across them all.

"Well, you know about the raids?" She shrugged not exactly sure if she wanted to talk about that. "A lot of people are being killed...or dragged off," she explained in hopes to change the subject. The Segway was an odd one though her mouth just kept going. "Well I think there might be another war...to stop them from attacking our farms and villages...or not," she said and cringed knowing she wasn't making much sense. She wasn't good at talking off the cuff like this, not about anything important anyway.

Laenaya of course knew about the raids. Her parents did not hide such things from their children. They strongly believed that their children grow up knowing that even though the war was over, bad things still happened. They wished to prepare their children, instead of sheltering them from reality. Laenaya couldn't understand what that had to do with her though. She put down her embroidery hoop and looked directly at her cousin.

"Narisa, speak plainly. What are you talking about? If this has something to do with me, then I feel I deserve to know."

It was now obvious that she had said to much, curse her tongue! She could just run but she had done that before. Laenaya was faster than her and then they'd put her to the question. She sighed and put down her hoop again.

"Well, I heard a little, something about wanting to arrange a marriage between you and one of the Northmen...men, I think maybe their kings son? But I couldn't hear much I had to stay at a distance. They wouldn't do that though...would they?" She asked in disbelief. Not King Elessar and Queen Nauriel. She couldn't believe that.

Calene gasped when she heard that, but Laenaya remained quiet and still as she processed what her cousin had told her. She didn't know what to say for a moment, but finally spoke.

"Mother and Father have always said that they would never push any of us into marriage for political reasons," she said. "However, this may be the only way to avoid war, which I know they do not want."

Arina looked at her older sister in disbelief. "But surely you would not want to marry a Northman...right?"

Calene nodded in agreement with her sister. "I've heard that they are dirty and unkempt and poorly mannered."

Laenaya looked sharply over at Calene. "Have you ever met one?"

Calene shook her head slightly. "No, but..."

Laenaya held up her hand to stop her from speaking further. "We should not judge what we do not know for certain. You were raised better than that Calene."

Calene blushed and nodded and looked down. The rest of the afternoon was quiet. Nothing was said of the proposed arranged marriage during dinner that evening, but it was clear to Laenaya that her parents were tense and stressed. After diner she and Eldarion went to the library to play a game of chess, like they normally did. They were rather competitive about it, but tonight Laenaya's heart just didn't seem to be into it. Her mind seemed...elsewhere.

Eldarion was a younger version of Elessar if not broader and taller. He wore his gray uniform but he had the collar unbuttoned. He was a kind, compassionate young man who cared dearly for his sisters and his family. He sat across from Laenaya in front of the chess board and he scratched his head as to why his sister, who was just as good as he was at chess if not better, put her queen in danger so quickly. He was about to take her when he noticed that she had the look of someone who was miles away right then.

“Sister, you know I do enjoy beating you at chess but...it appears that you are not really in the mood to play?” It was a rare thing to see her this distracted. He thought possibly distraught but that was completely out of character for her. Laenaya was like the rock among them and even he had gone to her with his troubles on occasion. “If there is anything I can do, or if you just need an ear to listen, I am here for you, you know that Laenaya,” he said in a soothing tone. He was also intuitive. Having several sisters made that a requirement and it had served him well in the past.

Laenaya looked up suddenly when her brother spoke. She hadn't realized how quiet she had been. In fact, she hadn't spoken a word since they had sat down to play. Normally, she would chat with him as they played, although they were known to get very quiet when things were getting tense in the game.

She sighed and looked at him.

"Do you think what is best for the good of others is more important than one's own happiness?"

Eldarion blinked at the question, it had come suddenly and he hadn’t expected it. He tilted his head a moment wanting now to know more but he felt that that was prying, something Laenaya did not like. “Uh...well, I think seeing others doing well would make me happy, I should think any King or Queen or leader would want that. However, if it meant say, for instance, a constant state of unhappiness, though i am only reaching, would not be good as darkness could come from that also. Compromises though often can be made...father taught me that...are you sure you’re alright Laenaya?” He asked now more concerned and he leaned forward.

“Does this have something to do with these...uh, Northmen who are coming here? Father has tasked me with setting up a temporary stables to segregate their horses in case any have disease. Grandfather says any strange horses should always be segregated,” he added though he had gone far afoul of her query.

Laenaya sighed. She couldn't easily hide her feelings from her brother. They were less than a year apart and she was closer to him tranche was to any of her other siblings. She looked down a moment before looking up at him.

"Narisa overheard Mother and Father talking and it seems that they weren't able to reach any sort of agreement with the Northmen. However, it was apparently suggested to Mother that a marriage be arranged between myself and the king's son."

Eldarion eyes grew large, he didn’t expect this. It had to be just a rumor, it had to be. “Mother nor father would do such a thing,” he said confidently though he did stand up from the small gaming table. He would find out one way or another but he knew this could not happen, it couldn’t. When Laenaya only looked up at him he moved around the table and gave her his hand to take.

“Come Laenaya, I’ll not have this rumor persist, and in any case,” he lowered his hand and a more determined look came over his face. “I forbid it, I will not allow one my my sisters to be pranced around some foreign lord like a mare for a stallion. I won’t have it,” he repeated then held out his hand to her again. They’ve all heard the stories. There were lords and ladies in their own city that had done this, many times. Especially after the war with so many men dead. Men were far outnumbered by women right now by a frightening degree. Each man could pick and choose who he really wanted, even if who he chose did not want them. He would NOT have this happen with his sisters!

Laenaya looked at her brother and took his hand but sighed a little.

"But Eldarion if this could save lives and avert war then isn't it worth that sacrifice? I've already turned down every marriage proposal I have thus far received. Mother and Father are worried and stressed. They have already lived through one war. I know they do not want to live through another, or have us experience that."

He looked at her and was about to agree but then he remembered what his father had said about agreeing when you had no other choice.

“Laenaya, doing something because you have no choice is the same as you not doing it of your own free will. What good is a peace born of that? Not a lasting one I am certain. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t keep an open mind but...I’ve seen some of these Northmen...they eat with their hands,” he grimaced. “And they have long beards and chew the fat off of bones,” he added and grimaced again. “We know little about them, I mean, you’d have to….well, you know…” He said suggestively pertaining to her having to sleep with her husband to me on the wedding night. She looked at him warningly. “Well, you would, and it might be horrible,” he said defying her to argue.

Laenaya sighed again and looked at her brother. He was right, but could she possibly live with herself knowing that she could have been the one to prevent war?

"Well, they are coming and we cannot stop that. I suppose I will just see how things go...but Eldarion will you stay close to me while he's here?"

OOC-How's your vacation going?

OOC: Well, im home now but have lots of stuff to do laundry and such before going back to work. Bleh~ My parents have a kind of sordid family. I have cousins who are not great parents and I just dont like to hear about all the ‘stuff’ that they get up to. I have a large family so it is hard to hear it sometimes. I have a cousin who is not married, has 3 kids form 2 different guys and just broke up with a good guy to go back with a loser because the guy that can hold a job and cares about her and her kids doesnt ‘do it’ for her in the bedroom. This other guy has 2 dui, wont ever get his license back, has a criminal record and treats the kids like servants. Grrr!

OOC-That doesn't sound like a great situation for your cousin to be in. Unfortunately she will have to learn that for herself. I hope her kids don't suffer the consequences of that though

ooc; im not a big one to judge people or try to solve their problems for them but that situation is a mess. My aunt was at the cottage with me and my folks and she relayed alot of stuff to us. ouchie!

“You know that I will and i will see this...this ruffian for myself. You do not go into this, if this is what it is all about alone Laenaya. As long as I am alive, you will never be alone,” he said and smiled at her. And brushed her cheek gently with the back of his hand. “Well, lets get this over with,” he said as he extended his arm to her.

Laenaya was grateful to have a brother like Eldarion. He was strong and kind hearted and looked out for his family. She knew that one day he would make an exceptional father, though he seemed in no rush to marry. She nodded and took his arm and together they left the library.

ooc: new thread