Author's Note: Finally! The rendezvous we've all been waiting for. If I can
manage to get it down, that is. My muse has apparently escaped again, but
I'll do my best without her. Thanks to all those who have read and
reviewed!! You're tres inspiring :)
(All characters, places, etc. belong to Tolkien, I own none of it nor am I
making money from any of it)
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Still yanking Faramir along behind her, Eowyn ducked out a side door into the rambling gardens of the Palace. Ignoring Faramir's bewildered protests, she tugged him farther and farther into the darkness until they reached a door in a high stone wall. She double-checked that there was no one around, then pushed the door open and pulled Faramir inside. Relaxing slightly, she leaned against the wall and breathed a sigh of relief. We made it! Now if I can just get up the nerve to...
"I suppose you're going to tell me what that was all about?" Faramir said indignantly. He crossed his arms, shifted his weight to his left and looked at her. Eowyn was briefly distracted by the moonlight on his hair, the way they stars reflected in his eyes, the dark shadows on his face...shaking herself slightly she straightened up.
It was time to say what she had come to say.
"I love you." Faramir's jaw dropped almost imperceptibly, but he closed his mouth again and listened. This wasn't at all what he'd expected. "I can't remember exactly, but I think that's the first time I've told you without being prompted by your own declarations."
"Eowyn..." Faramir began, but she stopped him.
"Just hear me out, would you? I love you more than anything, Faramir. Do you understand? Anything! Rohan, my brother, they all take second place to you. And I've nearly died these past weeks with Eomer keeping us apart. Then I overheard you in the stables and I realized you don't believe I love you. You think I'm just latching onto you because I can't have Aragorn, that I'll be unhappy married to a mere Steward, that...{AN: What's a Middle- Earth equivalent to 'rebound'?}" Eowyn's voice quavered and she fell silent. She closed her eyes to keep the tears from falling. Feeling Faramir's hand on her shoulder she began again.
"Well, it's not true! None of it, do you understand? I don't love Aragorn. I never did, really. I only wanted to escape from a life I could no longer stand. But I learned that I didn't need anyone to do that, all I had to do was make the decision to live my life by what I wanted, not by what others expected of me. And now all I want is to be your wife, to be a Gondorian Lady with all that that entails. I love you, Faramir. Don't you believe me?" She couldn't hold back; a single tear fell down her cheek.
In an instant she was in his arms. He kissed away the tear, then held her, gently, as she clung to him. When she gathered her composure and drew slightly away, he spoke.
"I'm sorry I ever doubted you, Eowyn. My only excuse is that I wanted you to be happy, whether it was with me or someone else. I love you so much..."
They stood in the garden in each other's arms like that for some time, not speaking, just being there together. Finally, Faramir raised his head and saw that quite a while had passed.
"We'd better get back to the festival. They'll have missed us by now."
As they walked slowly back to the Palace, Eowyn asked Faramir about the Dance of Love.
"Well..it's like this. A couple can be engaged for any length of time. Sometimes engagements last too long, and people change their minds. But in Gondor, once you perform the Dance, it's considered an acknowledgment of undying love and complete intent to marry. It's sometimes thought of as the 'true' sign of betrothal, rather than a simple oral agreement. Do you understand?"
Eowyn nodded. "Good. Then when we dance tonight it will dispel anyone's doubts about our intentions." She raised Faramir's hand in hers and kissed it.
"You're sure?" He received a horrendous glare. Grinning, he added, "Oh, stop. You know I was only joking."
When they re-entered the Palace, they eventually found themselves standing at the spot of their last assignation. Eowyn stared again at the portrait that had so enthralled her a week before.
"Who is she, Faramir? She looks so familiar..." Eowyn trailed off as she saw his eyes grow sad.
"My mother."
"Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."
"It's all right. It was a long time ago." Eowyn hesitated, then said abruptly,
"You have her eyes, Faramir. Beautiful dark eyes." He smiled at her and led her back towards the ballroom.
"Quit stalling, Eowyn! We have to go back sometime."
Laughing, they stepped into the throng.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Still yanking Faramir along behind her, Eowyn ducked out a side door into the rambling gardens of the Palace. Ignoring Faramir's bewildered protests, she tugged him farther and farther into the darkness until they reached a door in a high stone wall. She double-checked that there was no one around, then pushed the door open and pulled Faramir inside. Relaxing slightly, she leaned against the wall and breathed a sigh of relief. We made it! Now if I can just get up the nerve to...
"I suppose you're going to tell me what that was all about?" Faramir said indignantly. He crossed his arms, shifted his weight to his left and looked at her. Eowyn was briefly distracted by the moonlight on his hair, the way they stars reflected in his eyes, the dark shadows on his face...shaking herself slightly she straightened up.
It was time to say what she had come to say.
"I love you." Faramir's jaw dropped almost imperceptibly, but he closed his mouth again and listened. This wasn't at all what he'd expected. "I can't remember exactly, but I think that's the first time I've told you without being prompted by your own declarations."
"Eowyn..." Faramir began, but she stopped him.
"Just hear me out, would you? I love you more than anything, Faramir. Do you understand? Anything! Rohan, my brother, they all take second place to you. And I've nearly died these past weeks with Eomer keeping us apart. Then I overheard you in the stables and I realized you don't believe I love you. You think I'm just latching onto you because I can't have Aragorn, that I'll be unhappy married to a mere Steward, that...{AN: What's a Middle- Earth equivalent to 'rebound'?}" Eowyn's voice quavered and she fell silent. She closed her eyes to keep the tears from falling. Feeling Faramir's hand on her shoulder she began again.
"Well, it's not true! None of it, do you understand? I don't love Aragorn. I never did, really. I only wanted to escape from a life I could no longer stand. But I learned that I didn't need anyone to do that, all I had to do was make the decision to live my life by what I wanted, not by what others expected of me. And now all I want is to be your wife, to be a Gondorian Lady with all that that entails. I love you, Faramir. Don't you believe me?" She couldn't hold back; a single tear fell down her cheek.
In an instant she was in his arms. He kissed away the tear, then held her, gently, as she clung to him. When she gathered her composure and drew slightly away, he spoke.
"I'm sorry I ever doubted you, Eowyn. My only excuse is that I wanted you to be happy, whether it was with me or someone else. I love you so much..."
They stood in the garden in each other's arms like that for some time, not speaking, just being there together. Finally, Faramir raised his head and saw that quite a while had passed.
"We'd better get back to the festival. They'll have missed us by now."
As they walked slowly back to the Palace, Eowyn asked Faramir about the Dance of Love.
"Well..it's like this. A couple can be engaged for any length of time. Sometimes engagements last too long, and people change their minds. But in Gondor, once you perform the Dance, it's considered an acknowledgment of undying love and complete intent to marry. It's sometimes thought of as the 'true' sign of betrothal, rather than a simple oral agreement. Do you understand?"
Eowyn nodded. "Good. Then when we dance tonight it will dispel anyone's doubts about our intentions." She raised Faramir's hand in hers and kissed it.
"You're sure?" He received a horrendous glare. Grinning, he added, "Oh, stop. You know I was only joking."
When they re-entered the Palace, they eventually found themselves standing at the spot of their last assignation. Eowyn stared again at the portrait that had so enthralled her a week before.
"Who is she, Faramir? She looks so familiar..." Eowyn trailed off as she saw his eyes grow sad.
"My mother."
"Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."
"It's all right. It was a long time ago." Eowyn hesitated, then said abruptly,
"You have her eyes, Faramir. Beautiful dark eyes." He smiled at her and led her back towards the ballroom.
"Quit stalling, Eowyn! We have to go back sometime."
Laughing, they stepped into the throng.