HOW DID I LOSE MY DECENT UPLOAD SCHEDULE?! WHAT HAPPENED?! AH, WELL. HERE'S ANOTHER CHAPTER FOR YOU ALL, BUT FIRST THINGS FIRST: REVIEWS.
RobinHood4ever: Welcome, friend! Glad to know you want more of my story! XD
Jo: Awesome! I went for the realistic, angsty route as opposed to the comfort-filled fluffiness I was kinda tempted to do initially. ;) Anyway, glad you still like my story.
Emperor DeLacus: Of course she's alright! I would never kill her off! Me and Not You 1001 would hunt me down like Bambi's mom if I did! XD Yes, as Eomer's wife, she is the Queen of Rohan. I look forward to writing her adjusting to that role as much as you are excited to read it, friend! The scene with Eru came, like the proposal scene, out of nowhere, really. I was just...'okay. This totally works! Awesome!' and rolled with it. There could be more dream-meetings with the Valar in the future, if you want. Who knows?
No word was said as I steadied myself. I pat his head awkwardly and gently removed his hands so I could kneel down (pointedly ignoring any and all pain) to hug him to me. He then broke and sobbed into my shoulder as my own tears flooded my eyes. Neither of us needed to acknowledge why we wept; it was on both our minds like the clouds heralding a thunderstorm.
"Merry, you know he was immensely fond of you." I tell him. "You gave him a lot more laughter than he would have had otherwise." It's the best I can do. Merry merely tightens his grip miserably.
"But I still c-c-could not st-stop the Nazgul from ki-killing him!" He sobs. "It is all my fault he's gone!" I shush him gently.
"No, Merry! That's not true!" I protest, but he shakes his head.
"It is true! You weren't there!" He cries despondently. I bite my lip. He had a point.
"Yeah, maybe you're right. How about you tell me what happened and I'll decide if you are guilty or not, hmm?" He reluctantly nods.
"Well, I was in in the middle of the battle, riding along with Eowyn, when an Oliphaunt- -those giant things the wicked men rode- -crashing down took out our horse and we were separated. I searched for her, fighting off men and Orcs as I did, when I see that flying thing the Nazgul rode swooping in toward where I knew Theoden was. I went over that way to help Theoden, but by the time I managed to fight my way there, Eowyn was doing battle with the Nazgul. I then crawled over so the Nazgul wouldn't see me and stabbed him with my sword as he held Eowyn by the throat. He released her and she stabbed his face." He then sighs and shrugs. "And then the Nazgul perished and Theoden and I- -we said...said goodbye. Theoden thanked me for sparing the time to discuss Hobbit business with him, and I...I asked his forgiveness for disobeying his order not to come and not doing him much service. He forgave me and then...then told me he would not be ashamed now in his forbears' presence, where he would soon be." I swallow.
"He never should have thought he'd be ashamed in his forebears' presence!" I protest. Merry nods.
"I told him so, then...Eowyn got to say goodbye. She said she was going to save him, but he said she already had and t-then Eomer rode up." He chokes back sobs, and I realize just how much this is affecting my friend. I gently lift his chin so I can look him in the eye.
"Merry, you don't have to keep talking. I get it."
"N-no, you deserve to know; you were as close as Eomer and Eowyn to Theoden." He takes a shuddering breath and continues, "Eomer was obviously distraught, and...then Theoden called him 'son' one last time...asked if Eomer would tell you he called you 'daughter', then pronounced you two rulers of Rohan. It was...awful to witness." I hug him tighter. Theoden...called me 'daughter'? Why wasn't I there?! I should have been there!
"I know. I'm so sorry! I..I should have been there!" I growl at myself before I could stop it. Merry steps back a little, eyeing me in shock.
"Winnie, no! You were obeying Theoden's last order to you. More than I can say…" I frown.
"Merry, was he upset by your decision to come anyway?"
"Well, no, but- -"
"Rowena?!" That's Eomer. "Min leof?!" He's woken up. I stand, grimacing as I put weight on my hip before leaning off it. He'd needed a lot more sleep than that.
"Then let it not burden you. Come on." I lean on my friend a little as we start walking. He eyes the bandages in alarm.
"Oh, Winnie! What happened?!" I chuckle as Merry takes my arm over his shoulder, which was akin to being led by a child.
"I was wondering why an arrow was getting bigger. Then it hit me." I quip, desperate to see a smile on my friend's face again. Merry frowns, confused, before he smiles a little and manages a watery chuckle.
"That's not very funny." He mumbles. We enter the room Eomer was in, and found him searching the beds. I force myself to look away and chuckle, ruffling Merry's hair good-naturedly as we pause for a moment.
"I thought it was. The wound is a lot better than it used to be." Merry shakes his head, but before he can reply, I am being held, bridal style, in Eomer's arms.
"Min leof, you should not be out of bed!" He protests. I chuckle as I am fussed over and tucked in like a child. I then grimace a little as my stomach suddenly churned with nausea. What in the world? Regardless, I push that feeling aside and place a hand on my husband's shoulder.
"Eomer, I'm feeling a lot better! Really! You don't- -" His eyes, shining with tears, alert me that there's something more than spousal worry behind his actions. I touch his hand with mine and he stills, taking a breath before speaking.
"Rowena, I thought...I thought maybe there- -that you- -that there'd been a resurgence in the poison." He all but sobs. I swallow, grabbing his hand and putting it over my heart. He frowns, then breathes out when he feels my heartbeat.
"I'm here, Eomer. Here, and here to stay." I tell him. "I'm really sorry I scared you." I apologize genuinely. He exhales.
"Please, min leof, just stay in bed, at least until tomorrow." I sigh.
"Okay." I concede. Then remember something that has me sitting upright and nearly on my feet again. "Eomer, where's…" My head cleared of blood and I nearly fainted. "Where's Eowyn?" I ask when the room stops spinning. I find I've been laid back in bed during the near fainting spell with Eomer leaning worriedly over me.
"She's resting in another ward, min leof, and Aragorn himself is tending to her. Now, you must follow her example. Rest." And, as if hypnotised, I obey immediately, my eyes sliding closed.
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I wake to find that Eomer somehow fit beside me on the cot and that his arm was not moving anytime soon. I smile and realize it's sometime in the night, and that I would not be able to go back to sleep. Slowly, carefully, I ease my way out, taking care not to move my hip too much, if avoidable. He stirs only a little, but I had slipped my pillow into his arm, so he did not wake. I feel a little bad, but I'll come back (hopefully) before dawn. I just...need to get out and away from the wounded for the moment.
"Milady?" I flinch. Faramir, too, is awake, it seems. I wave him back to bed, but he merely stands and doesn't say another word as we leave. He seems to get that I need to get out, and wants to join me. Who am I to deny him? "What is it that troubles you, milady?" He asks when we're clear of sleeping ears. I frown.
"All of this...this war. It...it has taken so much from so many in so short a time." I confess. "Theoden's death, also. He called Eomer, Eowyn, and me his children before he died, and I was not there to thank him and say my goodbyes." I add, tears brimming as I sink gratefully onto a bench. We sit in the courtyard I had ridden into with the man beside me just hours, it feels, before now.
"Aye, but...for all this darkness, I find that there is still light in the world. For instance, I recently met a halfling who joined the Tower Guard. He's a pleasant little fellow, if far out of his depth." I nod.
"So that's why Pippin wore armor and those nice clothes!" I chuckle. "I was wondering." Faramir chuckles, as well.
"Yes, it was quite a sight. In fact, it brought up memories. You see, the livery is mine from my youth. Boromir and I wasted hours avoiding tutors and playing at being knights." I smile. "He was always better at it, though. I always prefered to read." There was fondness interlaced with grief in my new friend's eyes.
"I heard about Boromir before you told me. I...didn't meet him, but he seemed a good man, from what I hear." I reply. "I don't blame you for wanting to read, though; mom said the library was the only place besides our house I ever truly wanted to be. We lived near one." Faramir chuckles.
"I can relate, milady. In fact, when I was around 5 winters, maybe 6, I would ask Boromir or Mother to read to me, quickly picking up on what was written on the pages." I laugh.
"Similar to me, Faramir. I used a phonetics...book to figure out the letters and how they sounded. Then, it was a quick study til I could read on my own. I ran to my mother and proudly spelled 'cat', 'rat', and other three letter words for her." Faramir laughed, and I realized that maybe, if this was why I was here, to keep laughter and joy and friendship alive...then that wasn't the worst thing in the world. The vanquishing of Sauron would be a hollow victory if there was no joy, love and laughter left to greet the new day with.
Sure, this war sucks and it's taken it's toll on everyone, but if I could only keep the lighter side of life in mind, helping others do the same, if that was why I was in Middle-Earth, then that was fine by me.
"I remember you now." Faramir muses after several silent, companionable moments. I feel my gut squirm, fearing I knew what he was talking about, but force my face and manner to remain unchanged.
"Really?" I ask, struggling to keep my voice neutral, yet politely engaged.
"Aye. It's hard to forget when someone delivers you from death." I can't help a chuckle.
"And just how might I have done that, milord?" I ask.
"Faramir, please." He replies automatically. "And you and Pippin dragged me from a pyre. A pyre my father died on." I flinch, my body betraying me. The calm, even facade crumbled and I slump.
"I...any sane person would have done the same. I hadn't meant to cost you your father, though." Faramir's hand on mine startles me and I look at him.
"Your actions are a debt I know I cannot repay." He says softly. "And not everyone has the courage to defy my father's ill-advised orders...not even his kin." He mumbles, gazing at the ground despondently. I swallow, but wait for him to either change the subject, or continue and explain himself. There was no need to push him. "My father has always favored Boromir. It was obvious to everyone, except Father, of course. There was nothing to be done, however, try as my brother might to change Father's opinion of me. Boromir was more my father than the Steward ever was, and we relied on each other constantly all our lives, after mother passed." I bite my lip, squeezing his hand in comfort, not interrupting him with speech. "When the need arose for one of us to go to Rivendell to seek answers to a riddle revealed in a dream, Boromir never hesitated. Neither did I, but Father told me he did not trust me with the task, and Boromir went in my stead, to his doom." The tears in his eyes make me scoot a bit closer, wrapping a friendly arm around his shoulders.
"Faramir, I am so sorry." I whisper. It's a poor excuse for comforting words, but...it's something. "If you ask me, your father didn't deserve you. He threw away his sons' loyalty and love, squandering it when it should have been his most prized possession." A bitter, humorless chuckle from Faramir surprises me.
"For so long, I longed for my father's approval, striving to be every inch the son Boromir was. Even so, he told me he wished I had died and Boromir had lived before ordering me to reclaim Osgilliath from the garrison of Orcs that overcame my own. Which is how I came to be as near death as I was on that pyre." I felt emptied, numb. I could only shake my head in disbelief. The more I hear about this guy, the more I hate him. Then, as if some spell were broken, Faramir sobs and leans into my shoulder. I maneuver myself into a more comfortable position for both of us and just let him grieve. Eventually, tears start streaming down my face and I bite my lip to keep the sobs in. Everything was crashing down on me, and I felt like I was all alone, even in a crowded city like Minas Tirith. Slowly, our tears are spent and we wipe the remnants away, finding that it was now nearly dawn. I curse under my breath and stand. If Eomer woke again without me...oh, boy. I thoughtlessly help Faramir up. He still seems a bit weak from all the poison in his system, but is otherwise okay.
"I should have offered you aid, milady, not the other way around."
"No worries, Faramir. I don't mind at all." I reply. "I should head back to my husband now. He'll be worried." Faramir nods.
"I think I might be able to sleep now." I smile.
"That's good. I know I won't get any more sleep, but you should, if you can." I reply as we near our cots and nod one last time in farewell. He slips back into his cot and in minutes his breathing has deepened and he is limp on the mattress. I sigh heavily and wish I could do the same. But I can't.
For about half an hour. I then doze off a bit, waking up to Eomer's arm gripping me tighter. I gasp when my hip sent up flares of agony, then take a deep breath to settle myself down again. Maybe I could get another hour of sleep…
"Min leof?"