My first LotR fic. I hope you like it. Anything LotR is not mine. Anything you don't recognize is mine. If it's not, I'll let you know. Yes, I have used some lines from LotR, so don't be alarmed. Mostly movie-verse. -shamed- Sorry! I'll do a book-verse one too, but it'll probably be a one-shot. But this does have a lot of factual information from the book... Just set in movie events, I guess. Review, if it suits you.
The Power of Love
Part One
Eowyn, sister-daughter of Theoden King, knelt at his throne in the Golden Hall of Meduseld, overcome with grief. Theodred, son of Theoden, had died during the night, and Eowyn had come to bear the news to her uncle. Quietly, she told him of the passing of his son and heir. He made no sign that he heard her voice. After a moment, she rose, and left the room, tears gathering in her eyes.
A pair of pale blue eyes watched the one-sided exchange from a dark corner behind the throne. Silently, Grima Wormtongue made his way past Theoden, bowing slightly without looking at the king. His eyes were fixed on the door that the White Lady of Rohan had exited through. He walked slowly through the Hall, the only sound his black boots against the floor. Outside, the narrow corridor was empty. He turned sharply right, his eyes quickly finding the door ajar to Theodred's quarters.
Inside, Eowyn was kneeling near the bed, mourning the loss of her beloved cousin, heir to the throne of Rohan. Grima approached slowly, his steps echoing in the silent room. He sat down on the end of the bed, quietly offering his condolences to the grieving Lady. He gently laid his hand on her shoulder.
Eowyn's stomach jumped, and her body stiffened. It was no surprise to her how Grima felt for her, and now, in her moment of weakness, he had decided to act. Eowyn had loved Grima once, and he knew this. But what he did not know is that she harbored long-lost feelings for him still, and she willed herself to hate him, knowing the treachery he had committed against the King. She jumped up, backward, away from his touch, but not before she felt the iciness of his skin seeping through the thin white fabric of her dress.
"Leave me alone, snake!" Her words came out harshly. Shaking, she regarded Grima with apprehension. His eyes hardened as he gazed at her.
"Oh, but you are alone," he whispered, rising from the bed. "Who knows what you've spoken to the darkness, in the bitter watches of the night..." He quickly closed the space between them, "When all your life seems to shrink." Her circled her slowly, taking extra care to not touch her. "The walls of your bower closing in about you..." He was facing her now, his pale blue eyes searching her face. "A hutch to trammel some wild thing in..." His eyes flitted back and forth between hers, and his subtle emphasis on the word wild betrayed to her the inner passion he was feeling. Eowyn's eyes widened slightly, but she could not move away.
Grima spoke gently. "So fair... so cold." His hand caressed the side of her face. His touch was hot, a stark contrast to the coolness that was moments before. "Like a morning of pale spring still clinging to winter's chill." Eowyn fought with herself to not surrender, to remain strong. Her eyes closed in spite of herself, and she found pleasure in his touch. She heard the traitor's breathing quicken, and his hand moved to feel the soft flesh of her neck. Eowyn knew what was to follow, and her hatred at Grima's treachery outweighed her hidden feelings for him. Her eyes opened, pinning him under her gaze.
"You words are poison." She turned away, and half-ran from the room.
Standing in front of the Hall Meduseld, Eowyn saw four strangers riding towards the city. She could make out two fair and two dark persons. She saw what might have been a staff in the hands of one of the fairest one, and feared that Saruman had come at last to claim the Golden Hall, and Eowyn the woman was gone, replaced by Eowyn the Shield Lady of Rohan. She watched them for a moment, then went to her quarters, unearthed a key from the chest of drawers, and opened the wardrobe that stood in the far corner of the room. In that wardrobe hung the armour of the Shield Lady of Rohan. This armour hadn't been worn since the Last Alliance of Men and Elves against the Dark Lord Sauron, but it was maintained regularly, should it ever be needed. Eowyn pulled from the wardrobe a dagger that strapped around the middle of her thigh. The metal of the sheath and strap buckle were cold against her skin. She shivered, remembering Grima's touch. Letting her skirt fall over the dagger, she checked herself, making sure no one could see the weapon beneath the cloth. She then departed for the throne room of Theoden King.
Upon entering, she saw a Man, and Elf, and a Dwarf. For the first time, Eowyn was aware of Aragorn, son of Arathorn: tall heir of kings, wise with many winters, greycloaked, hiding a power that she yet felt. For a moment she stood, still as stone, but a struggle on the other side of the room caught her eye. Grima lay on the floor, pinned by the foot of the stout Dwarf. Before she could decide whether to help Grima, or the Dwarf, a loud moan came from the front of the room, and Eowyn turned to see Theoden, pressed back against his throne as though by an invisible force. An old man, cloaked in grey, was advancing on the king, his staff held high above him. Eowyn started from the doorway to aid her uncle, but she had only gone two-thirds of the distance when Aragorn's strong arm encircled her waist, holding her back.
"Wait," he said quietly in her ear. As they watched, the old man cast off his cloak, and a new light filled the room. It seemed to come from the wizard himself, for a wizard he undoubtedly was. Theoden jumped, snarling, towards him. The wizard brandished his staff once more, and Theoden fell back into his throne, then slumped forward. Eowyn shoved Aragorn's arm off her body and sprinted to the throne, catching her uncle before he fell to the floor.
He looked at her, and her eyes filled with tears as she was life come back to him. Youth returned to his face, and at last he gave a sign that he remembered her.
"I know your face..." he whispered. She helped him to his feet. His sword was brought to him, and even as she watched, strength and vigor return to the body of Theoden, son of Thengel, King of Rohan.
As Eowyn stood, she felt the dagger on her thigh. She politely excused herself to her quarters. She removed the dagger and placed it back in the wardrobe, locking it securely.
Upon reaching the doors of Meduseld, she heard a cry coming from outside. She turned, and saw Grima being flung down the hard stone steps of the building. A part of her wanted to help him, but the other part of her was content to stand, and watching pay for his treachery. The king approached, his sword raised for the kill, but he was stopped by Aragorn. Grima's eyes flicked to Eowyn, even as he spit on Aragorn's hand and fled the city. As everyone bowed to the King, Eowyn watched as Grima rode through the gates of the city, to Isengard. But as she bowed to her King, she felt a new hope stirring in her breast. Although Grima would ride to Isengard, and Saruman would now strike, Theoden King had returned, as though from death, and they could now stand to fight against the wizard.
That night was the funeral of Theodred. Eowyn stood near the tomb, clothed in a velvet blue dress, tears in her eyes. She watched as the bearers carried her cousin's body towards the tomb. When the body passed her, she began to sing:
An evil death has set forth the noble warrior
A song shall sorrowing minstrels sing in Meduseld...
As the funeral ended, Eowyn wondered if her uncle would allow her to fight in the impending war. But there was no time to dwell on such things. Two children had arrived at the city, unaided and alone, bringing news that the Wild Men were burning through the Westfold.
When she returned to the Hall, she found Aragorn, the Elf (that is Legolas), and the Dwarf (who was Gimli) seated at the table, eating as though they had not for days. Eowyn tended to the children at the next table, before turning to the three strangers. Curious, she inquired of Aragorn from whence he had come, and how long he had traveled without nourishment.
"We were set out from Imladris as a company of Nine. Gandalf fell into Shadow, but has since been granted life and returned to us." He motioned towards the wizard seated near Theoden's throne. "Four days past, now, we lost Boromir of Gondor in a battle with the Uruks of Isengard. The Uruk-hai took two of our Halfling friends, and we have pursued them for three days. THey are now in the care of the Tree-hearders of Fangorn forest."
Eowyn's eyes widened in fear and amazement. Legends she had known since childhood were spoken of plainly in Aragorn's words, as if they were true, and living, walking, breathing under the Sun, even as Eowyn stood before Aragorn at this moment. She feared for the Halflings, for Fangorn Forest was known for it's queer goings-on, and any fate may come to such creatures as Halflings in such a place. But behind her fear, Eowyn sensed that there was something greater happening than a company of friends on holiday.
"And what of the other two, my lord? You spoke only of seven."
In the brief silence that followed, aragorn glanced at Legolas and Gimli. Legolas spoke quietly in Elvish before returning his attention to his soup-bowl.
"We lost them during the battle with the Uruk-hai. We know not of their fate." A sadness seemed to settle over the table, and Eowyn knew they would tell her no more. She turned back to this children.
"Time for bed, little ones," she said gently, taking them each by the hand and leading them to her quarters. Although it was early evening, she tucked them into her bed and returned to the Hall. The four strangers were leaving, and none too happily, it seemed. They were followed by Hama, captain of Theoden's army, and the King.
"Uncle," she said, lightly touching his arm, "What has happened? Why are Aragorn and the wizard upset so?"
Theoden smiled, knowing his niece enough to figure out that she had formed feeling of affection for Aragorn son of Arathorn. "My dear, it is nothing so complicated. Tomorrow we leave for Helm's Deep. Saruman cannot strike us there. The wizard does not agree with my judgement, and Aragorn has taken his side, no matter how he may agree with me. He is a very loyal Man.
You, my dear, should get some rest. We depart for Helm's Deep at daybreak." The King touched her cheek lightly, and followed Hama out the doors of the Hall.
Eowyn smiled and returned to her room. She tiptoed past the bed where the children we sleeping peacefully, and into the bath-room. She filled the gray marble tub with steamer water from the large pot over the bath-rooom fire place. She washed withe extra care, taking her time, knowing that this could be the last time she bathed in a long time. After combing out her nearly knee-length golden hair and putting on her simple green nightdress, she pulled the spare blanket from the foot of the bed and made for the window seat.
She sat awake for hours, watching the stars shift positions through the night. She saw Thoron, the eagle, and Lyg, the serpent, as well as several stars that were unusually bright. Freida, the girl child, woke up crying because she was cold. Eowyn smiled and gave the girl her blanket. She was going to be awake for a long while yet, and the early spring air was beginning to warm. She wrapped the blanket around the child and sat back down on the window seat. Her thoughts turned to Grima.
He first came to Edoras when she was sixteen years of age. She had been riding across the green plains of Rohan alone for the first time. Theoden had been very protective of her, and had never allowed her out alone. She rode out of Edoras on a splendid palomino mare, namedCaoimhe. She stopped in the top of a small hill, overlooking the Riddermark. To the south, she could see the tower of Orthanc, standing serenely, keeping watch over Rohas. As she looked, she saw a figure, clad in black, riding towards Edoras. She spurred her horse, and they flew down the hill towards the city. She put Caoimhe in her stall in the royal stables, and saw that the dark newcomer's stallion was already there, in the stall next to hers. She half ran to the Hall, finding the young King Theoden welcoming the stranger.
"Hail, Eowyn, fair sister-daughter," he said as she drew near. The stranger turned. His ice blue eyes pierced her emerald green ones, and an odd feeling spread through her. He bowed slightly, taking her hand and kissing it. She noticed a tattoo of a G-rune and a snake on the inside of his left wrist.
"It pleases me to meet the fair maiden of the Golden Hall," he said, in a voice of honeyed sliver.
"I am pleased to meet you as well--"
"Grima, son of Galmod, of Isengard. His family is one of the few blessed to live in that great city, under the protection of the White Wizard," Theoden interjected. "Eowyn, I must bid you leave us. I have much to discuss with my new counselor." Eowyn smiled, nodded, and left the room.
Eowyn sighed. Yes, she had loved Grima once, long ago. And now she was beginning to miss him. Were he still here, he would have come to her tonight, but it was not so. The traitor had fled, and she forbid herself to love him. Turning from the window as the constellation Lyg sank below the horizon, she stretched out on the window seat and fell into an uneasy sleep.
She dreamt of darkness. Of dark faces, fell voices, and a dark rider astride a dark horse, galloping swiftly across a dark plain. There was a G-rune and snake tattoo on his wrist.
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A/N: Eowyn's funeral song is the translation from the Rohan language. It's the same song as in the film. Translated lyrics from stlyrics . com. Review please, and I'll love you forever.