I own nothing! Nothing at all!
Where did I go wrong?
Grima stared down at the arrows protruding from his chest.
He felt his heartbeat slow…
What had he done?
What had he done?
Where they truly that different, he and that stewards' brat?
How were they different? Why did Faramir have everything, and he nothing?
They had both been born second, and their brothers had been strong and bold and brave; father's favorite.
Their mothers' had died when they were very young; scarcely anything more than a memory, really.
They had been- different- from the day that they were born.
Their fathers had hated them both.
And they both heeded and learned from a Wizard.
They had both tried to do what they thought was best for their country.
Their elder brothers had died in a futile attempt.
They both fell in love with Eowyn of Rohan.
But Faramir won.
Why was that?
Where had he gone wrong?
Was it that he was low born?
No.
What was it?
You hated. He loved. You went out for vengeance; he gave his all for loyalty. You tried to force a bloom to open; he was patient and as the warm sun. You heeded the wrong wizard, and you knew it even then that what he had asked you to do was wrong.
You were a traitor, and you shall have your reward.
No one will remember that you were a man, once. When they speak your name it will be as a curse; though even towards the end you could have changed that to blessing. You shall become not even the monster that scares children to bed, but the pathetic coward that all despise, even as they pity.
Because you went wrong when you let yourself hate.
Grima gasped, looking up into the deep blue eyes of the ringbearer.
"Sorry." He choked.
Frodo looked down at the dead body, and felt his eyes fill.
"It is a pity." He whispered. "But you turned away from redemption one too many times. The hand of mercy will not always be stretched out- there is a time to make things right, and you did not take the chances given you." He sighed. "May Eru have mercy on your soul."
He turned and walked into Bag End and shut the door behind him.
The day of redemption was over.