A/N: No, I have not forgotten my other stories. But I have little to no
time nowadays, so I just wrote up this little plot-bunny. I hope it will
tide you over until the next time I can think of something to post.
The bed felt like a rock. Or maybe there was a glint in the crack between the drapes. Or maybe there was nothing wrong with the room. Eowyn rolled over in frustration and swept her legs out onto the cobbled floor. Meduseld had never felt this cold. It was just as she had feared. Her walls were closing in on her, only this time, they were of her own choosing and she welcomed them, for they were no longer walls, but cushions and warm arms. The dawn would see her a bride, not Queen of Gondor as she had so long hoped, but simply Eowyn, whom the Steward's son loved more than the sun itself. It was enough; it was more than she had ever imagined. But sleep eluded her.
Perhaps Eomer would not yet have retired. As the new king, her brother had many responsibilities that kept him wakeful long past the hour when all others slept. She slipped something warm around her shoulders and tiptoed down the hall to the King's chambers. Hesitating only for a moment, she knocked very softly.
The door opened widely on the surprised countenance of the King of the Riddermark. He found speech quickly, however, taking in her tired eyes and disheveled appearance. "What ails you, sister? These are hours meant for sleep."
"Please, Eomer, may I come in?" He nodded once, stepping aside to let her pass. He shut the door silently behind her and beckoned her to a chair next to his, by the fire.
"Eowyn. Please tell me what is wrong." She felt slightly guilty, hearing the concern and the hint of panic behind his words.
"I really cannot tell you. I am so happy, Eomer, that I think I cannot help but dance among the clouds, yet I cannot sleep. Something troubles me yet, but I cannot see it."
Eomer took her hand in his, a thoughtful expression sliding over his face. "Is your heart still divided between two loves? I know that Aragorn touched you deeply."
"No, it is not that," she replied a bit sharply. "I would never marry a man who shared only half my heart. Perhaps it is the ease with which he loved me."
"I cannot fault him for that," said Eomer, smiling.
She smiled widely in return, squeezing his hand affectionately. "But the love we share is different. It is almost as though you and I were born loving each other. But Faramir... that sort of love must be won, and I suppose I am selfish enough to wish that his love had faced many trials in finding me."
"I am sure he thinks it did," said Eomer half-seriously. "He was very fearful, I know, that he would never win you, that you would always love Aragorn until the end of your days. I must confess I feared something of the sort myself. If it had happened so... I do not wish to imagine what his wedding day would have been."
His voice changed as he said this, dropping lower and lower until Eowyn could barely hear him. She rose from her chair, still grasping his hand, and lowered herself to her knees in front of him. She rested her head on his lap, and both were silent for some minutes.
Eowyn broke the silence, tears threatening. "I am sorry I caused so much pain. And... I am sorry..." She broke off, certain that he knew what she was talking about by the hitch in his breath.
"There is nothing for which to apologize," he said firmly, resting his free hand on her golden head. "No living being on this earth could have equaled your courage or your deeds. You have truly earned your place among the queens of our house. Every great deed requires sacrifice; you are not to blame for my unwillingness to sacrifice your life for any price. It is silly, but I always wished to protect you from harm. Perhaps, in light of recent happenings, I should enlist you in the king's guard." They both laughed, imagining Eowyn fighting off a large contingent of attackers while the royal party watched from the shadows.
Eowyn sighed. "I myself am the only real threat to me," she said softly. "If I cannot be happy in happiness, where shall I find peace?" Eomer froze for a moment, then slowly reached down and pulled her chin up so that their eyes met.
"In your own heart," he said quietly, never breaking eye contact, searching her gaze for comprehension. "It is all there; your love for Faramir, your knowledge of who and what you are, what you desire... you need only grasp it."
"I am a daughter of kings," she said softly, recalling Aragorn's words to her. "I am free, and I have found my fate. But Theoden, my king and a father to me, is dead. We are the last of the house of Eorl. How can I leave?"
To her surprise, Eomer laughed. "How can you breathe? How can you fight? You always do what you must, my sister. Nothing else has ever satisfied you. I assure you, Rohan will not fall apart the moment you set foot outside its borders. I will keep your home safe for you," he added more earnestly, "and when you and your husband wish to look on the Mark once more, it will be ready and eager to receive its Lady."
Eager to revenge herself for his teasing, she seized on this chance. "My place might no longer be vacant for me," she said mockingly. "You may wish to call another woman Queen of Rohan."
To her great amusement, Eomer blushed. "Until I see a woman who surpasses you in goodness and beauty, I shall find no queen."
Eowyn was touched, but did not show it. "That is just as well," she said philosophically. "I would not yield my place to anyone less worthy."
"Then you yield it to my discretion," he said in a playfully warning tone. "I shall miss you."
"And I you, brother," she said sadly. "I suppose I shall be fearfully homesick and weary all my lord's horses with travel between Ithilien and Rohan."
"I sincerely doubt it," he said, greatly amused. "Besides, I do not think Faramir would wish to part with you so often, nor you with him."
She looked into his eyes briefly. "This is my home. No one can change that." They stood together, Eomer holding her hand loosely in his. She slipped naturally into his arms, and they embraced fiercely, knowing how seldom they would meet in future. She felt him tremble, and she let out a breath, holding desperately to her own control. "The same blood flows through us, unites us. We shall meet again." He nodded, still unwilling to let her go, his protective instincts still strong.
She slipped away, but turned at the door when she heard his voice. "Until we meet again." She nodded, smiling through her tears, and gently shut the door behind her. She would marry Faramir on the morrow with a light heart, and her future shone like a diamond before her glittering eyes.
The bed felt like a rock. Or maybe there was a glint in the crack between the drapes. Or maybe there was nothing wrong with the room. Eowyn rolled over in frustration and swept her legs out onto the cobbled floor. Meduseld had never felt this cold. It was just as she had feared. Her walls were closing in on her, only this time, they were of her own choosing and she welcomed them, for they were no longer walls, but cushions and warm arms. The dawn would see her a bride, not Queen of Gondor as she had so long hoped, but simply Eowyn, whom the Steward's son loved more than the sun itself. It was enough; it was more than she had ever imagined. But sleep eluded her.
Perhaps Eomer would not yet have retired. As the new king, her brother had many responsibilities that kept him wakeful long past the hour when all others slept. She slipped something warm around her shoulders and tiptoed down the hall to the King's chambers. Hesitating only for a moment, she knocked very softly.
The door opened widely on the surprised countenance of the King of the Riddermark. He found speech quickly, however, taking in her tired eyes and disheveled appearance. "What ails you, sister? These are hours meant for sleep."
"Please, Eomer, may I come in?" He nodded once, stepping aside to let her pass. He shut the door silently behind her and beckoned her to a chair next to his, by the fire.
"Eowyn. Please tell me what is wrong." She felt slightly guilty, hearing the concern and the hint of panic behind his words.
"I really cannot tell you. I am so happy, Eomer, that I think I cannot help but dance among the clouds, yet I cannot sleep. Something troubles me yet, but I cannot see it."
Eomer took her hand in his, a thoughtful expression sliding over his face. "Is your heart still divided between two loves? I know that Aragorn touched you deeply."
"No, it is not that," she replied a bit sharply. "I would never marry a man who shared only half my heart. Perhaps it is the ease with which he loved me."
"I cannot fault him for that," said Eomer, smiling.
She smiled widely in return, squeezing his hand affectionately. "But the love we share is different. It is almost as though you and I were born loving each other. But Faramir... that sort of love must be won, and I suppose I am selfish enough to wish that his love had faced many trials in finding me."
"I am sure he thinks it did," said Eomer half-seriously. "He was very fearful, I know, that he would never win you, that you would always love Aragorn until the end of your days. I must confess I feared something of the sort myself. If it had happened so... I do not wish to imagine what his wedding day would have been."
His voice changed as he said this, dropping lower and lower until Eowyn could barely hear him. She rose from her chair, still grasping his hand, and lowered herself to her knees in front of him. She rested her head on his lap, and both were silent for some minutes.
Eowyn broke the silence, tears threatening. "I am sorry I caused so much pain. And... I am sorry..." She broke off, certain that he knew what she was talking about by the hitch in his breath.
"There is nothing for which to apologize," he said firmly, resting his free hand on her golden head. "No living being on this earth could have equaled your courage or your deeds. You have truly earned your place among the queens of our house. Every great deed requires sacrifice; you are not to blame for my unwillingness to sacrifice your life for any price. It is silly, but I always wished to protect you from harm. Perhaps, in light of recent happenings, I should enlist you in the king's guard." They both laughed, imagining Eowyn fighting off a large contingent of attackers while the royal party watched from the shadows.
Eowyn sighed. "I myself am the only real threat to me," she said softly. "If I cannot be happy in happiness, where shall I find peace?" Eomer froze for a moment, then slowly reached down and pulled her chin up so that their eyes met.
"In your own heart," he said quietly, never breaking eye contact, searching her gaze for comprehension. "It is all there; your love for Faramir, your knowledge of who and what you are, what you desire... you need only grasp it."
"I am a daughter of kings," she said softly, recalling Aragorn's words to her. "I am free, and I have found my fate. But Theoden, my king and a father to me, is dead. We are the last of the house of Eorl. How can I leave?"
To her surprise, Eomer laughed. "How can you breathe? How can you fight? You always do what you must, my sister. Nothing else has ever satisfied you. I assure you, Rohan will not fall apart the moment you set foot outside its borders. I will keep your home safe for you," he added more earnestly, "and when you and your husband wish to look on the Mark once more, it will be ready and eager to receive its Lady."
Eager to revenge herself for his teasing, she seized on this chance. "My place might no longer be vacant for me," she said mockingly. "You may wish to call another woman Queen of Rohan."
To her great amusement, Eomer blushed. "Until I see a woman who surpasses you in goodness and beauty, I shall find no queen."
Eowyn was touched, but did not show it. "That is just as well," she said philosophically. "I would not yield my place to anyone less worthy."
"Then you yield it to my discretion," he said in a playfully warning tone. "I shall miss you."
"And I you, brother," she said sadly. "I suppose I shall be fearfully homesick and weary all my lord's horses with travel between Ithilien and Rohan."
"I sincerely doubt it," he said, greatly amused. "Besides, I do not think Faramir would wish to part with you so often, nor you with him."
She looked into his eyes briefly. "This is my home. No one can change that." They stood together, Eomer holding her hand loosely in his. She slipped naturally into his arms, and they embraced fiercely, knowing how seldom they would meet in future. She felt him tremble, and she let out a breath, holding desperately to her own control. "The same blood flows through us, unites us. We shall meet again." He nodded, still unwilling to let her go, his protective instincts still strong.
She slipped away, but turned at the door when she heard his voice. "Until we meet again." She nodded, smiling through her tears, and gently shut the door behind her. She would marry Faramir on the morrow with a light heart, and her future shone like a diamond before her glittering eyes.