In five days she was to wed Faramir.
The very thought of it made Eowyn dizzy. Of course she cared for him, that was not in question. But she did not love him. Was she wrong to deceive him as she did?
Faramir treated her differently than Aragorn. Aragorn had barely acknowledged her presence. If he had it was only to say she shouldn't be there.
"My Lady, this is no talk for a woman to hear."
Why did everyone insist on treating her this way? Was she not as good as any man? Had she not proven many times that she could wield a sword better than many of her uncle's men?
There was a knock on the door and Eowyn moved slowly to open it. The arm that had received the Nazgul's dark shadow still pained her occasionally. This she kept secret.
Gently she pulled the door open to see a red haired maiden there.
"King Elessar bids you to come. The festivities are about to begin."
She nodded and pushed the door closed. She flexed her arms. The one that had been broken was perfectly healed now- thanks to Aragorn- but the other ached dully.
She ignored it and dressed. Tying the cords on her white gown she looked at herself. They had called her the White Lady of Rohan. No one would ever call her that again. She would miss Rohan terribly. Deep in her heart she knew it was wrong to give up her role as a shieldmaiden there to be a wife and 'proper lady' to Faramir. She sighed. The decision was made. It was too late now.
*
When she entered the room she was shocked to see it so full. She looked around and upon seeing Merry she smiled gratefully. He returned it. There were other halflings there too; sitting by Aragorn's throne sat a dark haired one with a bandaged hand. The ringbearer?
"-Should I do?"
Eowyn was suddenly alerted to the hushed conversation that was going on behind her.
"She refuses to come out!"
"Well you'd better get her out here. The king will have your head if his queen doesn't show up soon."
Queen? Aragorn's love? How she wanted to see her! To see the woman that Aragorn would love instead of her. Eowyn turned and smiled at the two ladies. "Excuse me. I could help."
The old woman looked immensely relieved. "Could you? Oh, thank you!" Firmly she grasped Eowyn's wrist. "She's being quite stubborn."
They hurried back to the room and Eowyn walked cautiously inside. The old woman hurried past her muttering to herself about pompous elves. Then she had disappeared somewhere and Eowyn was left alone in the room. "Hello?"
A husky voice answered. "Hello."
She turned and her breath caught. By the window stood a woman. Her soft ebony hair fell down across her shoulders and her perfect white face peered at Eowyn. She wore a long blue gown the same colour of her eyes and her hands were folded before her. Even if she hadn't seen the woman's ears she would have known she was elf kind from her perfect beauty and elegance.
Eowyn didn't know what to say. She had been prepared for the woman to be beautiful. That would not of surprised her. But this woman…She was far beyond beautiful. There were no words to describe her. Eowyn felt something in the pit of her stomach.
The woman smiled sadly. "Have you come to drag from this room?"
To Eowyn she sounded like someone who had given up all hope. "No, my Lady," she said softly, "I would not do that."
The woman said nothing. When Eowyn could stand the silence no longer she spoke. "My Lady, Why do you linger here?" she asked, hoping the question would be answered if only to hear her melodious voice again.
The woman looked out the window. "I am afraid." She paused and turned to Eowyn and it seemed that she brightened before her eyes. "This is no way for us to begin. I am Arwen. I would like very much to know to name of the woman who speaks so kindly to me."
Eowyn smiled, slightly embarrassed. "I am called Eowyn."
"Eowyn," Arwen repeated her name as if listening to the sound of it.
Eowyn was shocked to find how thrilled she was to hear her name spill from Arwen's perfect lips.
Arwen sat and looked down at her hands. Before Eowyn could say another word Arwen was weeping. Eowyn rushed to her side. She fell to her knees before Arwen and took her hands in her own.
"Lady Arwen, why do you cry so?" Eowyn's own voice cracked. For something so beautiful to be so sorrowful seemed wrong. What could make her feel this way?
Through her tears she spoke. "I'm afraid. I am to wed Aragorn…"She broke off. "You would not understand." She tried to compose herself.
Eowyn reached up and dried Arwen's tears with her white shawl. "Please, Lady. Tell me your woes."
Arwen's eyes caught hers and she felt a shiver.
Arwen nodded slightly. "I love Aragorn. This I know. But when we wed…I am to give up my immortality. And when he dies so shall I." She looked at Eowyn. "I do not want to die." She looked down. "It must seem foolish to you."
Eowyn tired to imagine what it must be like. To be one who lives forever and to love someone so much that you would give it up. To know you are one day going to die when before you were to live eternally. She reached forward, placed a hand on Arwen's cheek and lifted her face to meet her eyes. "It does not seem foolish." She said and removed her hand. "It seems brave."
Arwen closed her eyes and when she opened them she smiled at Eowyn. "Thank you, Lady Eowyn. To be called brave by she who slayed the Nazgul is true honour."
Arwen stood and Eowyn followed, blushing. "Thank you for your kindness," Arwen smiled. "I am ready to see my lord."
Eowyn smiled as Arwen embraced her gently. When she pulled back Arwen kissed her cheek and Eowyn believed she would die from the joy that swelled inside her.
Taking her hand, Eowyn led Arwen out to where the celebration was taking place.
Upon seeing them, Aragorn smiled brightly. He held his hand out and Arwen went to him.
Eowyn watched, a sad smile on her face. Though she didn't love him, she would wed Faramir. She would be his dutiful wife until death. Watching Aragorn and Arwen as they embraced she knew she had never truly love Aragorn either. She had loved him only for his power. For the fact that if she wed him she would be queen. Arwen's love for him was purer than that.
She closed her eyes and when she opened them Arwen was smiling at her. Eowyn smiled back painfully, knowing she had just said good-bye to the only person she could ever have loved.
The very thought of it made Eowyn dizzy. Of course she cared for him, that was not in question. But she did not love him. Was she wrong to deceive him as she did?
Faramir treated her differently than Aragorn. Aragorn had barely acknowledged her presence. If he had it was only to say she shouldn't be there.
"My Lady, this is no talk for a woman to hear."
Why did everyone insist on treating her this way? Was she not as good as any man? Had she not proven many times that she could wield a sword better than many of her uncle's men?
There was a knock on the door and Eowyn moved slowly to open it. The arm that had received the Nazgul's dark shadow still pained her occasionally. This she kept secret.
Gently she pulled the door open to see a red haired maiden there.
"King Elessar bids you to come. The festivities are about to begin."
She nodded and pushed the door closed. She flexed her arms. The one that had been broken was perfectly healed now- thanks to Aragorn- but the other ached dully.
She ignored it and dressed. Tying the cords on her white gown she looked at herself. They had called her the White Lady of Rohan. No one would ever call her that again. She would miss Rohan terribly. Deep in her heart she knew it was wrong to give up her role as a shieldmaiden there to be a wife and 'proper lady' to Faramir. She sighed. The decision was made. It was too late now.
*
When she entered the room she was shocked to see it so full. She looked around and upon seeing Merry she smiled gratefully. He returned it. There were other halflings there too; sitting by Aragorn's throne sat a dark haired one with a bandaged hand. The ringbearer?
"-Should I do?"
Eowyn was suddenly alerted to the hushed conversation that was going on behind her.
"She refuses to come out!"
"Well you'd better get her out here. The king will have your head if his queen doesn't show up soon."
Queen? Aragorn's love? How she wanted to see her! To see the woman that Aragorn would love instead of her. Eowyn turned and smiled at the two ladies. "Excuse me. I could help."
The old woman looked immensely relieved. "Could you? Oh, thank you!" Firmly she grasped Eowyn's wrist. "She's being quite stubborn."
They hurried back to the room and Eowyn walked cautiously inside. The old woman hurried past her muttering to herself about pompous elves. Then she had disappeared somewhere and Eowyn was left alone in the room. "Hello?"
A husky voice answered. "Hello."
She turned and her breath caught. By the window stood a woman. Her soft ebony hair fell down across her shoulders and her perfect white face peered at Eowyn. She wore a long blue gown the same colour of her eyes and her hands were folded before her. Even if she hadn't seen the woman's ears she would have known she was elf kind from her perfect beauty and elegance.
Eowyn didn't know what to say. She had been prepared for the woman to be beautiful. That would not of surprised her. But this woman…She was far beyond beautiful. There were no words to describe her. Eowyn felt something in the pit of her stomach.
The woman smiled sadly. "Have you come to drag from this room?"
To Eowyn she sounded like someone who had given up all hope. "No, my Lady," she said softly, "I would not do that."
The woman said nothing. When Eowyn could stand the silence no longer she spoke. "My Lady, Why do you linger here?" she asked, hoping the question would be answered if only to hear her melodious voice again.
The woman looked out the window. "I am afraid." She paused and turned to Eowyn and it seemed that she brightened before her eyes. "This is no way for us to begin. I am Arwen. I would like very much to know to name of the woman who speaks so kindly to me."
Eowyn smiled, slightly embarrassed. "I am called Eowyn."
"Eowyn," Arwen repeated her name as if listening to the sound of it.
Eowyn was shocked to find how thrilled she was to hear her name spill from Arwen's perfect lips.
Arwen sat and looked down at her hands. Before Eowyn could say another word Arwen was weeping. Eowyn rushed to her side. She fell to her knees before Arwen and took her hands in her own.
"Lady Arwen, why do you cry so?" Eowyn's own voice cracked. For something so beautiful to be so sorrowful seemed wrong. What could make her feel this way?
Through her tears she spoke. "I'm afraid. I am to wed Aragorn…"She broke off. "You would not understand." She tried to compose herself.
Eowyn reached up and dried Arwen's tears with her white shawl. "Please, Lady. Tell me your woes."
Arwen's eyes caught hers and she felt a shiver.
Arwen nodded slightly. "I love Aragorn. This I know. But when we wed…I am to give up my immortality. And when he dies so shall I." She looked at Eowyn. "I do not want to die." She looked down. "It must seem foolish to you."
Eowyn tired to imagine what it must be like. To be one who lives forever and to love someone so much that you would give it up. To know you are one day going to die when before you were to live eternally. She reached forward, placed a hand on Arwen's cheek and lifted her face to meet her eyes. "It does not seem foolish." She said and removed her hand. "It seems brave."
Arwen closed her eyes and when she opened them she smiled at Eowyn. "Thank you, Lady Eowyn. To be called brave by she who slayed the Nazgul is true honour."
Arwen stood and Eowyn followed, blushing. "Thank you for your kindness," Arwen smiled. "I am ready to see my lord."
Eowyn smiled as Arwen embraced her gently. When she pulled back Arwen kissed her cheek and Eowyn believed she would die from the joy that swelled inside her.
Taking her hand, Eowyn led Arwen out to where the celebration was taking place.
Upon seeing them, Aragorn smiled brightly. He held his hand out and Arwen went to him.
Eowyn watched, a sad smile on her face. Though she didn't love him, she would wed Faramir. She would be his dutiful wife until death. Watching Aragorn and Arwen as they embraced she knew she had never truly love Aragorn either. She had loved him only for his power. For the fact that if she wed him she would be queen. Arwen's love for him was purer than that.
She closed her eyes and when she opened them Arwen was smiling at her. Eowyn smiled back painfully, knowing she had just said good-bye to the only person she could ever have loved.