AN: Hello to all. Here my English verson of one of my Italian story. It's a Faramir and Eowyn my favourite LOTR's otp. I hope you like it.
Disclaimer: The characters are property of J. R. R. Tolkien.
The night before the wedding
It was late at night when Eowyn, tired of staring at a spot on the ceiling, decided to leave her darkened bedroom. Pulling on the blue coat that Faramir had given her over her thin nightgown, she walked through the long corridors of the palace until she came to the courtyard at the entrance, where the famous white tree of Gondor had once stood. Oblivious to the cold night air on her face, she passed through to the now silent and deserted city and walked until she arrived in the gardens of the house of healing.
It was not the first time that Eowyn had had trouble sleeping. She had spent many sleepless nights in those last years of war. Many times she had woken in the grip of yet another nightmare, drenched in perspiration. Several times she had heard Grima Wormtongue trying to force open the locked door of her room in Meduseld. This time, though, the nightmares and background noises had little to do with her inability to sleep. Tonight there was a single thought occupying her mind, which prevented her from entering the so-called REM sleep: her imminent first time with Faramir.
The wedding celebrations were just a few hours away, and Eowyn was terrified. She had never been this terrified before, not even in the midst of a battle. So why should it be different now? She kept telling herself how much she loved Faramir, how she had longed for this day, but it didn't stop her thinking about what would happen afterwards when all the guests had left and they were alone. What would happen then? Eowyn didn't know.
Walking through the grounds, she came to the place where the former Steward of Gondor, had kissed her for the first time. They had kissed in many other occasions since then, although never in public, not to mention all the times they'd been clasped in each other's arms. Nonetheless, their relationship had remained quite formal, and neither of them had even dared to enter the room of the other; because this was the way it should be. Yet Eowyn remembered a time several years before when she'd often seen young ladies coming out of her brother's bedroom, and her cousin's too. She also remembered how they'd denied it when she'd mentioned it, and how they'd both left the dining room looking embarrassed.
How many ladies had come out of Faramir's room? And why had no one ever come out of hers? She would be eternally grateful for the fact that Grima had never done such a thing, but right now that was small consolation. For the second time in her life, Eowyn felt a strong desire to speak to her mother. It had happened before when she was fourteen years old, just after she had given her first kiss and wanted to tell someone about it, but she'd kept it to herself, in the end, horrified at what the 'men of the house' might say.
"They say it's bad luck to see the bride the night before the wedding," said a man's voice behind her. Eowyn stood still. She could almost have been pretending she hadn't heard, but she couldn't stop her heart from beating faster.
"I know my uncle Théoden didn't see his bride the entire day before the wedding. But his marriage only lasted a few years." Not to mention her parents' marriage, which ended even more tragically.
"It was the same for my mother and father," he said, coming closer. It was incredible how many events, good and bad, connected them.
"Do you think ours will last?" she asked, turning to look at him. Through the darkness, his eyes shone in the moonlight like two precious stones. Those eyes were the first thing that had attracted her to him when they first met.
"I hope so, but even if it couldn't, and I knew I only had a few years or even days with you, I'd still marry you. If you'd still want me." He spoke these final words with a slight tremor in his voice. Eowyn instinctively took his hand and entwined her fingers with his.
"Of course, I'd want you. I haven't changed my mind about getting married."
"So what's keeping you awake? What's brought you here?" At first, she looked away, but then she decided to harness all the courage that she was known for. She could never tolerate people who played with words, never getting to the point.
"I can't stop thinking about what's going to happen tomorrow night, and I can't help wondering how many ladies have come out of your bedroom before." Faramir didn't make light of her words. He only answered her. It was in that instant that Eowyn knew she really loved him. "One day, when you're older, I'll explain what it means to love someone," her mother had told her. But she never had. Eowyn had had to find out for herself that what she'd felt for Aragorn was not love, but what she felt for Faramir could not be anything else, and if before she only believed it, now she was sure.
"Fewer than you think; they do not even reach the fingers of one hand. A lot more have come out of my brother's room, but if it worries you so much, I can wait." Eowyn gently pressed her lips against his, standing on tiptoe, to reach him.
"I'm not worried. I was, but not anymore," she spoke sincerely. The two remained standing there, gazing at the starry sky above them, until a gust of wind made them shiver.
"We'd better go back inside. It's getting late, and I couldn't help noticing you're wearing nothing but your nightgown underneath." Eowyn nodded and the two of them walked hand in hand towards the palace of Gondor. Her brother Eomer had always wanted the ceremony to be held at Rohan, but Eowyn had insisted it should be held within these walls, where she and Faramir had first met. Not to mention that the journey to the lands of Ithilien, her future home, from there it would have been much shorter. "By the way that nightgown is beautiful," Faramir added, bringing her back to reality. Eowyn blushed slightly but she also could not be pleased.
"So, what were you doing in the gardens at this hour?" This time, she was sure she saw him smile.
"The impromptu stag party that your brother organised was quite hectic, and I needed some fresh air afterwards. Has your brother always been so energetic?"
"Oh yes, and believe me now that he's king, he's calmed down a lot. As a child, he was much worse." They both laughed, and their laughter split the silence of the citadel. Together they walked as far as the palace courtyard, still deep in conversation. It was so long since they'd talked, and she'd missed it. She had missed Faramir badly. The wedding preparations had taken him away much more than she'd intended; it was days since the two of them had spent any time alone together like this, and maybe that was the reason which had increased his fears of that night.
"Are you telling me that your brother took you to a brothel for you to spend your first night with a lady?"
"Yes, but while my brother was, let's say 'occupied', I escaped, and I went for a drink at the inn. The next morning I woke up in the maid's room, who Boromir had been unsuccessfully courting for months. It turned out she was more interested in me."
"So how did it end with the maid? Should I be worried?" Faramir smiled, squeezing a little bit harder her hand.
"I don't think so. After I'd been seeing her for a few months, my father found out. It was inconceivable to him that I should be going out with a simple maid, and he threatened to have her fired if I didn't break off the relationship. For all I know, she's happily married to another man now, and I'm happily engaged to be married to the most beautiful woman who's ever set foot in Gondor." Eowyn couldn't help smiling in turn.
"What about Arwen? Is maybe not her the most beautiful?"
"Arwen? Arwen who? And by the way, I've said the woman, and she is not." They continued talking as they entered the palace, lowering their voices a little.
"Now it's your turn to tell me something. Was I the first man who ever kissed you?"
"No, you weren't," she replied, betraying all the pride she'd always had, and finally Eowyn was able to tell someone about her little escapade.
"You were only fourteen? And your uncle and brother allowed you to go riding around the kingdom on your own?" He asked surprised.
"No, actually I had run away." Without realising it, Faramir had escorted her to her bedroom. He'd never done that before.
"See you in the morning then," he said, stopping.
"See you tomorrow," she replied, opening the door. She had no idea what time it was by now, but it occurred to her that it might be more accurate to say 'today'.
"I'll be the one at the altar." Eowyn stifled a laugh; they shouldn't risk waking anyone and be seen there together. They kissed, and it was the kind of kiss that could lead to a conclusion they would never have expected. Without realising which of them had taken the initiative, they found themselves inside the room. Their clothes slipped to the floor under the gentle touch of their hands. "You're drop-dead gorgeous," he told her when she was finally completely naked.
"You're not bad too," she replied, as one of her hands ran along his bare torso. They explored each other with eager lips. Eowyn could feel his desire growing, but she was no longer scared. In a moment between two caresses, a surge of excitement and an impulse of sweetness, between a whispered, "I love you" to begin with and a more passionate one between moans of pleasure, they found themselves making love. It was all so spontaneous and beautiful that even that little moment of initial pain had not ruined that her first time.
"So, you finally trapped me into it."
"Of course, I think you'd better marry me now."
"I'll be the one in the white dress." He laughed and kissed her again. She wished Faramir could stay there wrapped in her arms, but if he stayed they would be in a heap of trouble. So a short while later Eowyn watched as he opened the door and slipped away. A man had just come out of her room. It wasn't long after Faramir had left that she fell soundly asleep.
It was only the next day when the wedding ceremony was over, and the celebrations were well under way, that her brother decided it was time to face for the first time that thorny issue.
"So, are you not even a bit worried?" Eomer asked his sister.
"For what?" She asked.
"Well, for you know, your first night; your first time." Eowyn was about to take a drink and almost choked.
"No, not even a bit."
"Really? Because you should know that sometimes men..." It was fortunate that Faramir's cousin, Lady Lothíriel, decided to walk past just at that moment, and distract her brother's attention, to Eowyn's great relief. "We'll talk about it later," He said as he walked away. She put the glass on a table and she gazed around the room still crowded with guests and couldn't help wondering when everyone would go away and leave her alone with Faramir, in the privacy of their bedroom. Suddenly someone surrounded her waist gently.
"Do you think anyone would notice if the bride and groom slipped away for a while?" said a man's voice behind her. Eowyn looked back at her husband and was pleased to see his mischievous eye. They had thought the same thing.
"I'm afraid so. We haven't even had our first danced."
"We can remedy that straight away, but I should warn you, my love, I'm a terrible dancer." Taking the hand that he offered her, the newlyweds went off to lead the dancing. The king and queen of Gondor joined them shortly after, followed by his brother and Lady Lothíriel.