These characters all belong to the estate of J.R.R. Tolkien and New Line Cinema. This story was written for pleasure and not for financial gain.

Arwen and Éowyn

Éowyn unfastened the Queen’s heavy gown and let it slide to the floor. A maid had already brought hot water and towels with which Éowyn helped Arwen bathe, noticing as she did so how much larger her belly had grown.

“I think the baby will come fairly soon,” Eowyn commented.

“I wish I knew how long I have to wait,“ Arwen groaned, “It could be as soon as next month or not until the Mid Winter festival when your own child is due!”

“I hope it is born ere winter, as I cannot be in two places at once!” Éowyn jested, though secretly she felt anxious, as she did not think the Queen could safely grow much larger.

“I do not know what happens when the mother is of the Eldar and the father human,” Arwen mused, shifting uncomfortably as the babe inside her kicked. Impulsively, she grasped Éowyn’s hand and guided it to where the child was kicking.

“This babe is strong!” Éowyn smiled.

“You are sure everything is going as it should?” Arwen fretted.

Éowyn took the opportunity to carry out a brief examination. Arwen had become increasingly shy as her body swelled, though in her friend’s opinion she was a vision of fecund beauty, the curves of her swelling body framed by her mane of shining raven hair and the silvery stretch marks on the ivory skin appearing more of an adornment than a disfigurement.

“The babe’s head is in the correct position and it moves strongly.” Éowyn assured the Queen. ”You should have plenty of milk for it, though I assume, you will have a wet nurse?”

“Indeed, I will not!” Arwen replied. “Who but myself, would have the right milk for my child?”

Éowyn agreed and applauded her decision. She intended to feed her own babe too; such was the custom of Rohan.

“I think this babe is getting eager to be born!” Éowyn smiled as she helped the Queen get on to the bed, no easy task given her considerable bulk.

“I am eager as well!” Arwen replied, rubbing her aching back. ”Aragorn yearns to see his child as well. He tells me he does not mind whether it be a boy or girl, for in the past the women of Númenor have worn the crown. He wants the eldest to succeed him regardless of gender.”

“Faramir says he doesn’t mind either what our child is,” Éowyn replied. ”We are fortunate in our husbands.”

“Oh, my back!” Arwen groaned, trying to make herself comfortable.

“Shall I massage it for you?” Éowyn asked tentatively, for although both the King and Queen had taught her the Elven massage techniques, she was far from skilful in them. “Or, would you rather I fetch Aragorn?”

“It works best when a friend does it since it is meant to be relaxing rather than exciting!” Arwen replied, turning awkwardly on to her side. “ Let Aragorn and Faramir enjoy themselves together. It makes me happy that they are now such good friends. Aragorn was like a bear with a sore head before they became close. He was so lacking in male companionship. Men need each others’ company and friendship as much as we women do.”

“Faramir is much happier now too.” Éowyn commented, as she tried to use her fingertips as she had been taught, hoping she was easing the Queen’s discomfort rather than adding to it. “It pleases me how at ease he is now with Aragorn, instead of jumping at the sound of his voice and flinching away from his touch.”

“It used to grieve Aragorn that Faramir was so afraid of him. He always wanted to befriend him. Now they are inseparable and I could not imagine it ever being otherwise, which gladdens me.” Arwen commented, stretching herself as the pain in her back eased. ”That is much more comfortable,” the Queen said at last. ”Thank you. I will gladly do the same for you, once my child is born.”

Éowyn sighed with relief. ”I feared I lack the correct technique to ease you. And thank you, I would like that.”

“If it is done lovingly, Elven massage always works,” Arwen said with a smile. “That is what true magic is!”

“I often wondered!” Éowyn replied as she helped Arwen don her nightgown, plumped up the Queen’s pillows and arranged the covers in place.

“You return to the men folk now,” Arwen said once she was settled. ”I am comfortable now and will sleep soon.

Éowyn bent to kiss her friend goodnight then turned to leave. Arwen surprised her by suddenly starting to laugh.

“I was just thinking of what our husbands must have looked like skulking through the city this afternoon!” she tittered.” How I wish I had been there!”

”So do I!” Éowyn replied, hastily leaving before she too was overcome with mirth. She desired to put some serious questions to Aragorn while she had the chance to speak to him alone.

Faramir and Aragorn were seated side by side on the couch when she returned, sipping goblets of wine in companionable silence, while Aragorn with his free hand, eased the knots from his Steward’s neck caused by the stressful events of the day.

“I could do that for you!” Éowyn said in mock indignation. Actually, it pleased her that her husband was now so at ease with the King.

“I know, but this is the expert!” Faramir replied, “In any case, you would only tease me about my ordeal this afternoon!”

“I had an ordeal too, my cook burned the stew intended or lunch!” Éowyn retorted.

“I will massage your neck next then.” Aragorn grinned at her.

“Thank you but a strong woman like myself is already quite recovered,” Éowyn replied, secretly wishing her pride did not demand she turn down the offer. Aragorn had a truly magical touch.

Aragorn finished his ministrations to Faramir and then picked up a letter from the table.

“I thought you would be interested to know that I have decided to have Duilin of Morthond’s Hunting Lodge converted to a refuge for war orphans.” the King told them. ”I thought that would be the best use for it. We can always visit if we wish, for although our time there was not exactly pleasant, it did serve to bring us together!

“That is an excellent plan!” Faramir enthused. ”There must be many more children like Elbeth.”

Aragorn’s tone became sombre. ”That is something else, I must tell you, the Housekeeper writes that Elbeth has vanished from her sister’s home. She has heard Hanna had escaped from the asylum too. I do wish we had brought the child back with us!”

“So do I.” Faramir said sadly. “It just seemed best at the time to leave her with the Housekeeper’s sister.”

“I doubt Hanna would harm her daughter,” Aragorn said reassuringly. ”I would just rather that she were safe with us. She was such a beautiful child.

Éowyn cleared her throat; ”Talking of children, there is something important I need to ask you.”

“What is it? Is Arwen well?” Aragorn asked apprehensively.

Éowyn came straight to the point. ”Aragorn, how much do you know about Elven pregnancy and childbirth?” she asked bluntly, causing Faramir to blush at her outspokenness and nervously twist the wedding band he wore round his finger.

“Very little, I fear about any sort of pregnancy.” he answered her as one Healer to another.” There were no births at Rivendell during my time there. As a ranger and a soldier, I was rarely amongst women. In any case, childbirth is a matter for midwives. The healing arts I know are for wounds and other maladies, not to treat the natural lot of women. Why do you ask?”

“I am concerned for Arwen,” Éowyn said bluntly. Seeing the look of alarm cross Aragorn’s handsome features, she added quickly. ”She is well, but growing so large, I do not think it can be more than six weeks at most before the babe is born, yet she tells me it might not be due for another four months yet. Then, neither Ioreth nor myself have any idea what an Elven delivery is like. I have asked Arwen, but she has no experience of childbirth amongst her own kind either.“

“I have heard a child of a mixed union such as ours could be born after nine months if it favours the father, or twelve if it favours the mother, or somewhere in between. Arwen is unique too, with both human and Elven ancestry. I have no idea if an Elven delivery is different than a human one,” Aragorn told her.

“That is very helpful!” Éowyn said rather sarcastically. “Could we send a message to Rivendell?” she added.

“It is a long journey. They might not get there in time before Elrond and most of his household sail for Valinor.” the King replied. ”If only I had thought to ask Lord Elrond before we parted, or even Lady Galadriel!”

“A somewhat difficult topic to discuss with your father in law,” Faramir remarked sympathetically.

Aragorn frowned and rubbed his hand worriedly across his brow as he sat lost in thought.