I own nothing at all.
A/N: First, I would like to thank my beta CalenlassGreenleaf most graciously for her enormous help in this entire story. Second, there is a flashback in this story, and it will be in italics. The flashback is going to be very closely related to the book as will some of the later things, but as always, the roles will be reversed. I would also like to thank Alicia and Emily for giving me the support I needed to keep going. Enjoy!
After that day, Éowyn spent more and more time with Faramir. His body was slowly but steadily getting stronger, and by the time they had met for three days, he was given permission to walk out in the gardens with her. He was learning to confide in her and Éowyn could see that he was starting to discover that she wouldn't hurt him, physically or mentally. He was beginning to see that she wouldn't deceive him and hurt him at the last moment. Faramir spoke of his past to her, and he also spoke fleetingly of what his dreams of for his future.
Éowyn, herself, was become conscious of a fluttering in her chest every time she walked to his room. When he spoke of the future she would always listen for any hint of a wife or lover. She would nearly swoon every time she was able to touch him. She was falling in love. And she accepted it full willingly. The question in her mind was if he felt the same, or could.
What would a man who had never been shown any kindness see in a woman whose heart is as cold as ice? What reason does he have to love me? She knew that he didn't like being a soldier, but Éowyn loved the glory of battle. She loved the rush of energy that came when she picked up a sword to defend her country. Faramir would be more suited towards scholarly pursuits. He would make a wonderful Steward. It wasn't that he was a bad swordsman, in fact, he was a man that no Rider could outmatch, but he just didn't like killing other living beings. It wasn't in his nature. He was a quiet man, someone who flourished in times of peace. She was someone who would fight for peace, and would keep fighting even when there was nothing to fight because she treasured the feel of a sword in her hand. What chance could they have?
Although, just seven days after she had awoken to see the King bending over her in the Houses of Healing, Éowyn's wishes were given a chance. She and Faramir had been out in the gardens, looking east towards the Black Gate of Mordor.
"What do you look for, my lord?"
Faramir sighed. "Does not the Black Gate lie yonder? And is that not where all our hopes now lie? It is now seven days since they rode out."
"Seven days," Éowyn said. "But don't look on me with scorn if I say that these days have brought me both a joy and a pain that I never thought to know. Joy to know you and pain because the fear and doubt of these dark times have grown in vast amounts. I would not have the ending of the world come so soon, nor lose so soon what I have found."
Faramir looked upon her with an unreadable expression. "Lose what you have found, my lady? I don't know what you could have found in these dark times that you could fear to lose, but let us not speak of such. I stand upon a threshold of shadow and I can see no light behind or beyond me. A dark wave threatens to devour the lands I stand on. It comes ever closer, like darkness unescapable. Even if the light were there, the darkness holds me captive and I cannot turn towards it. I wait for some stroke of doom."
"Yes, we wait for the stroke of doom," Éowyn whispered. They spoke no more, and yet it seemed to them that as they stood there upon the wall, the wind died and the light faded and all sounds in the City or the lands surrounding it were gone. Time halted.
As they stood thus, their hands met and clasped, though they did not know it. Then, it seemed that above the mountains a great darkness rose, towering up like a great wave and about it lightning shimmered. A tremor ran through the earth. A sigh went up from the lands about them and their hearts suddenly beat again.
"Is this like what you see in your dream?" Éowyn asked, and wondered to hear herself speak.
"Yes. It reminds me of Númenor, of the land of Westernesse that had foundered, and the great wave that climbed over the hills and lands. I often dream of it." His voice was hushed; he almost feared to speak and dare ruin their shared dream.
"Then you believe that the Darkness is coming? Darkness unescapable?" She shivered slightly and drew closer to him. He didn't pull away.
"I don't know. It was but a picture in the mind and yet I see it coming over yonder mountains and so I don't know what I believe."
Éowyn looked up at him. "My mind tells me that we stand at the end of days and yet my heart tells me that there is still hope and that there is still joy to be found that no reason can deny. Faramir, in this hour I do not believe that any darkness will endure!"
Faramir looked at her and a small smile crossed his face as he bent to kiss her brow. A thrill went through her body, and Éowyn felt a sudden elation. She had no inclination to ruin this moment of peace between them, so she stayed quiet but drew a little closer to him.
As so they stood on the walls of the City of Gondor, a wind arose and their hair, raven and golden, streamed out, mingled in the air. The Shadow departed and the sun shone down once more and in the City all of the people sang of the joy in their hearts. And before the sun had fallen completely below the horizon a great Eagle came out from the East, and he bore tidings of the Lords of the West:
'Sing now, ye people of the Tower of Anor,
for the Real of Sauron is ended for ever,
and the Dark Tower is thrown down.
Sing and rejoice, ye people of the Tower of Guard,
for your watch hath not been in vain,
and the Black Gate is broken,
and your King hath passed through,
and he is victorious.
Sing and be glad, all ye children of the West,
for your King shall come again,
and he shall dwell among you
all the days of your life.
And the Tree that was withered shall be renewed,
and he shall plant it in the high places,
and the City shall be blessed.
Sing all ye people!
And the people sang in all the ways of the City.
The days that followed were golden, and the lands flourished in the fields of Gondor. Tidings came from Cair Andros that the War of the Ring was over and that the City must make ready for the coming of the King. Merry was summoned and he rode away with the carts that took goods to Osgiliath, and from there, they took ships to ships to Cair Andros.
But Faramir did not go, for he was the Steward and had to do his duty to prepare the City for the King. However, he was not fully healed, but he was allowed out more and more often, so long as it was not for too long and that he was accompanied by another who could bring him back to the Houses if he overworked himself.
And Éowyn did not go, although her brother sent word from Cair Andros begging for her to join him on the field of Cormallen. She longed to see her brother, but she still wished to help the desolate Steward of Gondor and was more often than not the one who would go along with him on his excursions outside the houses. She, herself, was healing quite quickly and the Warden soon released her from his charge. And yet, now that she had leave to depart, she wanted to remain there and learn the art of healing, for the Houses had become to her the most blessed of all dwellings.
She soon learned that Faramir seemed to be in habit of working himself to the limit. He would never seem to notice if his breath came in short gasps, or he stumbled a bit while walking to a certain location, or if his vision would grow slightly dizzy, or if his wound started to bleed. And he would become quite stubborn about leaving to go back to the Houses, as he wished to get as much done as possible in his short time as Ruling Steward. She had to pester him for hours to get him to agree to go back to the Houses of Healing.
At one point, while Faramir was out inspecting a construction site, she was back at the Houses learning a little more of the healing arts. He had been escorted by a man named Alagos, and Éowyn had deemed him safe. That was until Alagos ran up to the Houses to tell her that the Lord Faramir had fallen ill at the construction site and was in need of her Ladyship.
Éowyn followed him to the site and immediately saw Faramir leaning against a pillar with two servants bringing him water. He could not hold it himself, so the servants had to pour it into his mouth. Éowyn ran over to him and took the cup from the servants. His eyes were dilated and sweat was running down his cheeks. She put his arm over her shoulders and did likewise with her own arm. She walked him to the Houses and sat him down on a bed.
"You should not have worked yourself so hard. You know you are not yet completely healed. Gondor would not want her favorite son to kill himself for her sake." She spoke sternly but with kindness. Nevertheless, her last words seemed to be the wrong ones, as he got just a little paler. Éowyn sighed as she remembered that Denethor had imprinted the theory, in both of his sons' heads, that to die for the sake of your country was honorable, and it was. It was just the way that he went about it that made it wrong.
"Either way, you should have taken a break at some point much earlier. I would not want you dead either? Do you care so little for yourself? For me?"
Faramir looked long and steadily at her. "I was taught from birth not to care for my own life, so long as it was given honorably. But I do not intentionally try to overtax myself. It is second nature for all men of Gondor to work to the limit." He sighed. "Why do you not go to Cormallen where your brother awaits you?"
Éowyn started at the sudden change of topic. "Do you not know?" she said simply.
Faramir merely raised one eyebrow. "Normally, I love riddles but now I am not in the mood. Speak plainer, Éowyn."
"If you will have it so," she said. "I do not go because you do not go and I will not leave you alone while you cannot care for yourself. I also wish to learn more of the healing arts for as long as I am able, as Éomer will wish to take me home to Rohan when he returns."
"I desire no one's pity, my lady," Faramir said.
"That I know. You desired the love of your father, who could do nothing but see what you were not. Yet when he showed you that he had no love for you wished to have honor and glory by riding out to war. Look at me, Faramir!"
And Faramir looked at her, being unable to resist her call. "Do not scorn pity that is the gift of a gentle heart, Faramir! I know what you went through. I did the same thing with the Lord Aragorn. But I have learned that my love for him was nothing more than a love for his future, his image. I do not offer you my pity, though! I offer you my love. You have yourself won the love and goodwill of your people and will be renowned for your loyalty and faith. You showed me that there are more things on Middle-earth than deceivers and disloyal subjects. You showed me that there is a light to the darkness that infiltrated this world. And I love you. Once I pitied your sorrow but now, were you sorrowless, without fear or any lack, still I would love you. Faramir, do you not love me?"
Then the heart of Faramir changed, or at last he understood it. And suddenly the warmth of her love thawed the cold that had sheltered his heart for so long.
"I stand in Minas Anor, the Tower of the Sun," he whispered, "and behold! the Winter has departed! I see a lady beautiful and valiant, beyond even the words of the Elven-tongue to tell. And I say to her, 'I love you. I love you, Éowyn, White Lady of Rohan.'"
Then Éowyn laughed merrily and said, "That is well, for now we are of one mind. And I will wed with the Steward of Gondor, if it be his will. And if he will, let us live across the River to dwell in Ithilien and make a garden of great beauty. For I have heard that the Land of the Moon is indeed fair to behold."
"Then would you leave your own people, Shieldmaiden of Rohan?" Faramir asked.
"I would," she answered. And she took Faramir in her arms and kissed him under the sunlit sky, and neither of them cared that they stood high upon the walls of Minas Tirith in the sight of many. And many indeed saw them and the light that shone about them as they came down from the walls and went hand in hand to the Houses of Healing.