A/N: Warning to all my readers: beware the extremely long author's note at the end of this chapter, it is an author's note, not part of the story, so don't get too excited. Please read it, though. It is my last official chapter with thank you's and information on the sequel polls. Do not read now or you will never finish the chapter!
I nearly forgot that I hadn't posted this chapter yet; I can't believe it! I was going to post the final chapter and the sequel chapter and give away everything! That's what happens when Telstra cuts off the Internet connection for 2 weeks (bastards). Anyway, here are the answers to all questions.
Updated Elvish and more
Chapter 31: Forget Me Not
Éowyn looked back over her shoulder as she rode fast away from Minas Tirith. It seemed so far away now, and yet it had been only minutes. She wondered how long it would be until they realised that she was gone from them. Would Aragorn try to find her? Would Faramir help him? She shook herself out of these thoughts. She needed to remain focused.
It would be dark soon, and she had nowhere to sleep that night. The world of Middle Earth was hers to roam freely now. She could ride all day, as Aragorn had done. She could defend herself if she needed. There were no men to protect her and no cage to keep her. She was finally free. This feeling was so intense. Far beyond anything she had ever felt before.
It was clarity. It was solitude. It was independence. She breathed in deeply, taking in the sights and smells around her. She nudged Windfola forward to ride on into the sunset. Before her now lay only the rolling hills and plains of Gondor.
Aragorn returned to his room. Where could Éowyn have gone? Why had she gone? When had she left? Why had she not said her farewells?
He tried to answer these questions as he walked through the palace to his chambers, but without much success. He reached his door and wandered over to the bed, where something caught his eye. It was a letter. Aragorn picked it up and began to read:
Elessar, meleth nîn (my love), Aragorn
I will be far away by now. You have made it clear to me that you care not for me in the way that I had once hoped you did. I have left the city so that I will be gone from your sight. I shall only cause myself pain if I believe that you love me. My place shall not be by your side, nor will it be beside Faramir, nor beside my brother at Edoras.
I have the intention of travelling throughout Middle Earth, as you have done over the course of your life, so that I may be worthy of you and better understand the ways of this world. I pray, that when I return, you are assured of your feelings towards me. I must do the same, to explore my soul, without the distraction of my heart to mislead me. I shall return when I have found my answers, and I hope that you will have done the same in my absence.
Never forget my undying love for you, wherever our paths may lead us, or however long we are apart. Do not deny me that memory, for it is all that remains of what once was. It was neither a dream, nor a reality for me, but I accept your choice. You hold my heart, Aragorn. I gave it to you as you rode off to battle. After you denied your love for me, you returned it. I give it to you again, this time, not as a token of my love, but as a reminder of everything we have been through together. This is my gift to you, may you keep it close to your heart always. I hope to return to you again someday to retrieve it from your keep. An govam abdollen (Until next we meet).
Ú-demado nin, Estel. Renithon le. Ilya o meleth nîn, ilya o emel nîn, na lîn anuir. (Forget me not, Estel. I shall remember you. All my love, all my heart, is ever yours)
Namárië, (Farewell)
Éowyn
His hand shook as it held the note. Everything she had said, her true feelings, her heart poured out to him through that note. This had answered his questions. His mind began to spin once more, a flurry of thought and emotion.
Aragorn steadied himself and sat down on the edge of the bed. The note slipped from his grasp and fluttered to the cold stone floor. He rested his head in his hands and sighed. He thought of Éowyn. Where was she at this very moment? What was she thinking? Were her thoughts of him, as his were of her? He extended one hand and picked the note off the floor and read it once more. There had to be something.
His eyes scanned the paper in his hands. 'Until next we meet'. She would come back. But when? How long would she be away from the city, from those who loved her? Why had she said nothing to him? Why had she not told him how she felt? Questions raced through his mind for hours as he sat there, staring blankly at the letter. Evening slipped on and it grew darker. He prayed that Éowyn was safe and had somewhere to stay for the night. A frosty wind blew in from outside. Aragorn shivered slightly and gazed out of the window over the rolling hills and plains of Gondor.
Faramir wandered the city, searching for Éowyn. He wished to speak with her, but had no success at the banquet. He suspected that she was wandering around the city somewhere, trying to escape the crowds inside the High Court. As evening fell and shadows began to engulf the city, Faramir grew tired. He returned to his room to rest after the day's events. When he entered, he noticed a note lying on his bed. He took it in one hand. It read:
My dear friend,
I pray you, do not resent me for my departure. But understand my reasons for doing so. I have need of time to myself, time to think and reflect on my actions. A chance to be free for once in my life. I felt the need, the desire, to seize this chance to do so. I have left Rohan and Gondor, my home and my heart, to explore the vastness of these lands of Middle Earth.
I bid you be well in my absence, that I may see thee safe on my return. Do not weep for my departure, as time flies swiftly and on its wings, I shall come again to Minas Tirith.
I thank you for all your kindness during my stay with you in the Houses of Healing. I enjoyed the time we spent together and am glad to have found such a valuable friend.
I wish you every happiness in whatever life brings you.
I pray that our paths cross once more, my friend,
Éowyn
Faramir's heart was filled with grief and a sense of loss. Éowyn was gone, and she had not said anything to him. He could not say that it came and a surprise after all she had said to him regarding Aragorn. He suspected that he was one of the reasons she had left. He wondered if Aragorn knew of this. How guilty he must feel if Éowyn had told Aragorn what she had said to him.
Éowyn's safety and happiness were his two most important priorities and still were. Although he could not be by her side, he imagined he was, always watching over her. She was his angel, and he was her guardian. He would protect her in spirit if he could not do so in being. Faramir thought of her, as he drifted into a deep slumber, riding Windfola alone over the rolling hills and plains of Gondor.
A/N: I am both proud and sorry to say that this is the final chapter I will write on this story. I would like to thank all of my reviewers; I have enjoyed reading your responses to my chapters, the praise, ideas, and constructive criticism (yes, that too). This story was for you and you have all played a part in shaping it to be what it is today (everything but the Éowyn leaving Minas Tirith bit, that was my idea so you still have a right to blame me).
When I posted this story about five months ago, I knew I hadn't chosen a very popular pairing (aside from it being Aragorn/Éowyn, there were only two pages of other stories and still are!). I never expected to get this much feedback in so short a time, and not all of you have been reviewers since Chapter 1 was first posted. I always get a buzz when someone new reviews my story (I'm sure we all get that) and I'd like to say thank you for being Aragorn/Éowyn fans. We rule!!! Does funky dance Ok, I'll stop now before I embarrass myself (oops, too late).
Thank you all so much for reviewing, I really appreciate it. I enjoy reading the comments and hope to see more of them (hint hint, nudge nudge). If you want closure to the story, read the sequel. I will set up a poll at the end of the first chapters of each sequel to see which one you want for the full sequel. There is one good sequel and one bad. I will tell you this as a hint for deciding which to choose: I love excitement in my story and there are always surprises. Now, to the thank you's:
Rosa Cotton: I appreciate your devotion to my story over this 5-6 month period; you will not be disappointed. I hope you loved this chapter as much as I did. It's such a cute one and I've been writing those letters since about Chapter 14. Sequel is coming soon, I'm sure you'll love it :)
minny2000: I'm very pleased to hear that you liked the ending, I was sure that most would just about kill me.
TheOneAndOnlyElbereth: Nice to see you back in the land of Fanfiction. Hope all went well with your HSC and best of luck. My cousin just finished and left for Surfers today. She's ecstatic. I'm already planning my trip to England and France for the end of next year when I finish mine. I was very pleased to see that I have made you even more of an Arwen basher, lol, sniff I feel so honoured sob. And yes, I loved Legolas's very gentlemanly attitude. He's so cute when he's like that.
yagirl-123: I see you liked the chapter. Apologies for the delay on this one, as I did promise that it would be up soon. Our Internet has been down for the past 2 weeks and it seriously pissed me off. Well, finally it's back so I posted it as soon as I could.
Calleigh: I'm sorry for being cruel, but it's my job as a Fanfiction writer :) you must understand.
AngelOfCrimsonTears: YAY! New reviewer! Party! Woohoo! Dances around stupidly Go me! Yes, I know, I'm so cruel grins evilly but hey, that's me.
i cant find the snitch: Cool, another new reviewer, go me! Yes, Arwen is gone, forever with any luck (why am I saying that, I'm the bloody writer, of course she's gone forever!). I know perfectly well that I am one of the cruellest people on the face of this earth (and beyond), so stop flattering me, lol. Hope you stay on to read the sequel. There will be some lovely Aragorn/Éowyn moments in there, that's a promise.