Author's Note: OK. So it's been awhile. Righto. I own naught, this is all
Tolkien's. Thanks for the reviews!!! Love 'em. :)
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Eowyn pulled Arwen behind her. They ran, laughing, past the palace servants, nobility, peasants and workers in the streets. Minas Tirith's cobblestones rang with the sound of Arwen's wood-heeled slippers, but Eowyn's soft leather boots were muffled.
Finally they reached their destination. Eowyn looked around, and spotting no one she yanked open a pair of great double doors. She pulled Arwen in after her, sliding to the left as soon as they were through the doorway. As her eyes adjusted to the semi-darkness, Eowyn searched for signs of people. Finding none, she let go of her friend's hand and stepped away from the wall. She took a deep, satisfied breath and raised her hands, turning slowly in a circle.
"Welcome, Arwen, to the Royal Stable! Have you not been here before?" Eowyn noticed Arwen's curious face as the Queen observed their surroundings.
"Yes, once, on my first tour of the city. . . but I never had a chance to really examine anything. All this for horses? It's beautiful!"
Eowyn silently agreed with her. The stable was just as richly furnished as the palace itself, only in a slightly more equine manner. From the thick wooden floor to the high ceiling of thick beams, the stable was full of carved stone and polished wood. More ornately furnished than the Edoras stables, Eowyn nevertheless preferred those she had grown up with.
"It's too quiet, though. Just look at all these empty stalls! Disgraceful." Eowyn walked from gate to gate examining the contents or lack thereof. Less than half of the stable was in actual use. When she had asked her brother about the small number of horses in Gondor, he had explained that the animals were little used in Minas Tirith, and that most military beasts were corralled outside city limits. Eowyn considered it a shame to waste such a magnificent space. Once I am married, she thought for the hundredth time I will be the second-highest ranking lady in Minas Tirith. Perhaps I'll be able to convince everyone to make more use of horses. Forgetting Arwen and what had brought them there in the first place, Eowyn floated momentarily off to a dreamland involving horses, racing over open plains, all the while with her love beside her...
The sound of voices startled her out of her reverie. At least two men could be heard entering the stables through the back door. Eowyn frantically looked around for Arwen. Where had she run off to? As the intruders' speech grew louder, Eowyn desperately searched for a hiding place. Just as the men rounded the last corner, she ducked hastily into the nearest stall. Thankfully, it was unoccupied.
Closing the door behind her, Eowyn leaned against it and hoped that it wasn't the destination of one of the stable's visitors. Please don't come in here; please don't come in here...
"It appears I've managed to beat you yet again, Faramir." Eowyn recognized her brother's low, rough voice.
"A better horse does not necessarily denote a better rider. Were I on that mount I would have won the race as easily as you, and without your showy tricks!" Faramir's more cultured tone spoke up. This was worse than Eowyn had thought. Her brother had expressly forbidden her from riding in—or out of—Minas Tirith alone, and if he caught her in the stables without an escort he would know that that had indeed been her plan.
Eowyn heard the stall next to her open, and someone led a horse into it and began to care for the animal.
"Yes, yes, we've all heard that excuse before, Steward." Eomer sounded slightly amused. Eowyn was shocked; she hadn't heard her brother sound that carefree in years. "The fact is I'm a better rider and you know it. In fact, the only people I've ever lost to are my late cousin, Theodred, and my sister."
Faramir's voice came from the stall across the walkway. "Ah, yes, your sister. Little do I doubt her skill in horsemanship! I am concerned, though, that I have not seen her for some time. Well, let me rephrase that...I have seen her, but I have not had a private conversation with her for days." His voice crackled with dry sarcasm. "In fact, it's almost as though the entire palace staff and all its residents are conspiring to keep us apart. Now, Eomer, who do you suppose could be behind that?" Eowyn heard Faramir step out of the stall. Peeking through a crack between the gate and the wall, she could see him. Clad in tattered Ranger clothing, hair and skin windblown, and absolutely beautiful in her eyes, he leaned against a doorway and crossed his arms.
Eomer stood across from him. "Yes, well, I've been meaning to speak with you about that..." he cleared his throat, and all trace of amusement left his tone. "I like you, Faramir. You're a noble man, and I'm sure you would make any woman a wonderful partner. But I love my sister. In a way I feel responsible for her despair and her struggles before and during the War. It was, in part, my neglect that sent her to what she thought would be her death. I would make amends for that if I could, but life can not be relived, can it?"
"I nearly died when I thought I had lost Eowyn. When I learned she was alive I felt a joy that I have never since known the match of, and I vowed then that I would see her joyous for the rest of her days. I had hoped..." Here Eomer hesitated "that she would find fulfillment with Lord Aragorn. She seemed alive when he was near. His heart was given to another, however, and I would not have her marry you if she holds even the slightest of feelings for him as more than a leader and a friend. 'Twould not be just to her or you." Eomer broke off as though unsure of how to continue. Faramir finished his statement for him.
"I see. You fear that Eowyn still loves Aragorn and is only turning to me as a way to assuage her pain? I confess that the same thoughts crossed my mind when she first told me she loved me." Eowyn's jaw dropped when she heard Faramir's confession. Had he so little faith in her?
Eomer spoke again. "I am trying to distance you before the wedding so that she may grow sure of her own heart. If, by the day of the marriage, she still wishes wholeheartedly to wed you, I will see you bound together with all my blessing and approval. But no power on this earth could make me give her in marriage to a man if there is even the slightest doubt in her mind as to whether or not she truly loves him."
How dare they talk about her like this behind her back? How DARE they!
Eowyn could see Faramir nod, but a steely determination came into his face then, and she knew at last why his men followed him to certain death.
"I love Eowyn, Eomer, and I too would see her happy. If you desire that she is given time to learn her own heart then so be it." With that, Faramir left the stables, his stride brisk and businesslike, as though he couldn't wait to leave.
An enraged Eowyn had to concentrate fully on restraining herself from bursting out of the stall and confronting her brother. Finally, he stopped puttering about and left. As soon as she heard the outer door shudder closed, she slammed the stall gate open and stormed into the aisle.
"Of all the overbearing...self-righteous...as if their actions had any control over mine! As if keeping us apart could keep me from loving Faramir! My own brother! And Faramir! Have they no faith in me? Do they not trust me to understand my own heart? They cannot possibly..." Eowyn paced back and forth across the stable as curious horses looked on. Her anger grew with each step.
Then she felt a restraining hand on her shoulder. Turning around, she saw Arwen looking at her with a sympathetic anger that told her the Queen had also heard the entire conversation. Eowyn blushed, embarrassed at having her business aired in front of someone else. She stammered a few words, and tried to put on her customary front of brave arrogance, but found she couldn't do it. Tears welled in her eyes, and then could not be restrained. Eowyn burst into quiet sobs.
As she poured out all of her anger and frustration, she felt herself enfolded in the embrace of a friend. A true friend.
*~*~*~*~*~* Author's Note: NO this is NOT slash. Purely platonic, I promise you.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Eowyn pulled Arwen behind her. They ran, laughing, past the palace servants, nobility, peasants and workers in the streets. Minas Tirith's cobblestones rang with the sound of Arwen's wood-heeled slippers, but Eowyn's soft leather boots were muffled.
Finally they reached their destination. Eowyn looked around, and spotting no one she yanked open a pair of great double doors. She pulled Arwen in after her, sliding to the left as soon as they were through the doorway. As her eyes adjusted to the semi-darkness, Eowyn searched for signs of people. Finding none, she let go of her friend's hand and stepped away from the wall. She took a deep, satisfied breath and raised her hands, turning slowly in a circle.
"Welcome, Arwen, to the Royal Stable! Have you not been here before?" Eowyn noticed Arwen's curious face as the Queen observed their surroundings.
"Yes, once, on my first tour of the city. . . but I never had a chance to really examine anything. All this for horses? It's beautiful!"
Eowyn silently agreed with her. The stable was just as richly furnished as the palace itself, only in a slightly more equine manner. From the thick wooden floor to the high ceiling of thick beams, the stable was full of carved stone and polished wood. More ornately furnished than the Edoras stables, Eowyn nevertheless preferred those she had grown up with.
"It's too quiet, though. Just look at all these empty stalls! Disgraceful." Eowyn walked from gate to gate examining the contents or lack thereof. Less than half of the stable was in actual use. When she had asked her brother about the small number of horses in Gondor, he had explained that the animals were little used in Minas Tirith, and that most military beasts were corralled outside city limits. Eowyn considered it a shame to waste such a magnificent space. Once I am married, she thought for the hundredth time I will be the second-highest ranking lady in Minas Tirith. Perhaps I'll be able to convince everyone to make more use of horses. Forgetting Arwen and what had brought them there in the first place, Eowyn floated momentarily off to a dreamland involving horses, racing over open plains, all the while with her love beside her...
The sound of voices startled her out of her reverie. At least two men could be heard entering the stables through the back door. Eowyn frantically looked around for Arwen. Where had she run off to? As the intruders' speech grew louder, Eowyn desperately searched for a hiding place. Just as the men rounded the last corner, she ducked hastily into the nearest stall. Thankfully, it was unoccupied.
Closing the door behind her, Eowyn leaned against it and hoped that it wasn't the destination of one of the stable's visitors. Please don't come in here; please don't come in here...
"It appears I've managed to beat you yet again, Faramir." Eowyn recognized her brother's low, rough voice.
"A better horse does not necessarily denote a better rider. Were I on that mount I would have won the race as easily as you, and without your showy tricks!" Faramir's more cultured tone spoke up. This was worse than Eowyn had thought. Her brother had expressly forbidden her from riding in—or out of—Minas Tirith alone, and if he caught her in the stables without an escort he would know that that had indeed been her plan.
Eowyn heard the stall next to her open, and someone led a horse into it and began to care for the animal.
"Yes, yes, we've all heard that excuse before, Steward." Eomer sounded slightly amused. Eowyn was shocked; she hadn't heard her brother sound that carefree in years. "The fact is I'm a better rider and you know it. In fact, the only people I've ever lost to are my late cousin, Theodred, and my sister."
Faramir's voice came from the stall across the walkway. "Ah, yes, your sister. Little do I doubt her skill in horsemanship! I am concerned, though, that I have not seen her for some time. Well, let me rephrase that...I have seen her, but I have not had a private conversation with her for days." His voice crackled with dry sarcasm. "In fact, it's almost as though the entire palace staff and all its residents are conspiring to keep us apart. Now, Eomer, who do you suppose could be behind that?" Eowyn heard Faramir step out of the stall. Peeking through a crack between the gate and the wall, she could see him. Clad in tattered Ranger clothing, hair and skin windblown, and absolutely beautiful in her eyes, he leaned against a doorway and crossed his arms.
Eomer stood across from him. "Yes, well, I've been meaning to speak with you about that..." he cleared his throat, and all trace of amusement left his tone. "I like you, Faramir. You're a noble man, and I'm sure you would make any woman a wonderful partner. But I love my sister. In a way I feel responsible for her despair and her struggles before and during the War. It was, in part, my neglect that sent her to what she thought would be her death. I would make amends for that if I could, but life can not be relived, can it?"
"I nearly died when I thought I had lost Eowyn. When I learned she was alive I felt a joy that I have never since known the match of, and I vowed then that I would see her joyous for the rest of her days. I had hoped..." Here Eomer hesitated "that she would find fulfillment with Lord Aragorn. She seemed alive when he was near. His heart was given to another, however, and I would not have her marry you if she holds even the slightest of feelings for him as more than a leader and a friend. 'Twould not be just to her or you." Eomer broke off as though unsure of how to continue. Faramir finished his statement for him.
"I see. You fear that Eowyn still loves Aragorn and is only turning to me as a way to assuage her pain? I confess that the same thoughts crossed my mind when she first told me she loved me." Eowyn's jaw dropped when she heard Faramir's confession. Had he so little faith in her?
Eomer spoke again. "I am trying to distance you before the wedding so that she may grow sure of her own heart. If, by the day of the marriage, she still wishes wholeheartedly to wed you, I will see you bound together with all my blessing and approval. But no power on this earth could make me give her in marriage to a man if there is even the slightest doubt in her mind as to whether or not she truly loves him."
How dare they talk about her like this behind her back? How DARE they!
Eowyn could see Faramir nod, but a steely determination came into his face then, and she knew at last why his men followed him to certain death.
"I love Eowyn, Eomer, and I too would see her happy. If you desire that she is given time to learn her own heart then so be it." With that, Faramir left the stables, his stride brisk and businesslike, as though he couldn't wait to leave.
An enraged Eowyn had to concentrate fully on restraining herself from bursting out of the stall and confronting her brother. Finally, he stopped puttering about and left. As soon as she heard the outer door shudder closed, she slammed the stall gate open and stormed into the aisle.
"Of all the overbearing...self-righteous...as if their actions had any control over mine! As if keeping us apart could keep me from loving Faramir! My own brother! And Faramir! Have they no faith in me? Do they not trust me to understand my own heart? They cannot possibly..." Eowyn paced back and forth across the stable as curious horses looked on. Her anger grew with each step.
Then she felt a restraining hand on her shoulder. Turning around, she saw Arwen looking at her with a sympathetic anger that told her the Queen had also heard the entire conversation. Eowyn blushed, embarrassed at having her business aired in front of someone else. She stammered a few words, and tried to put on her customary front of brave arrogance, but found she couldn't do it. Tears welled in her eyes, and then could not be restrained. Eowyn burst into quiet sobs.
As she poured out all of her anger and frustration, she felt herself enfolded in the embrace of a friend. A true friend.
*~*~*~*~*~* Author's Note: NO this is NOT slash. Purely platonic, I promise you.