-/Pains in the Heart-
I don't own the characters, just the plot. Please don't sue me!
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---- Minas Tirith ----
Faramir went down to dinner that night. As he had expected, Aragorn and Éowyn were there also. As Steward, Faramir was obliged to sit at the King's right hand; as future Queen, Éowyn sat on the left. They were facing each other.
He could not explain why he felt happier than he had in some time. The announcement of the postponement of the wedding somehow allowed him to breathe easier: did it make him feel that he had more time? It felt as though a great weight had been lifted from his chest; he wanted to laugh and make merry and to forget all about troubles of the heart.
Éowyn was less at ease. She could not forget how she had rejected Faramir and she blushed every time their eyes met, even if he were simply passing her the potatoes. It was somehow awkward, but Aragorn gave her many reassuring smiles from his high seat.
After dinner, Aragorn was called away to a war council for the Haradrim were threatening South Ithilien. Éowyn knew it was his duty, and he left with many apologies and a quick kiss. Éowyn was alone at the after-dinner party that was customary in the Gondorian summer. She tried to stay friendly but inconspicuous and avoided Faramir whenever possible, but -
"Where is King Elessar?" asked Faramir. Éowyn could see that he was in a good mood - happier than she had ever seen him. After his weeks of moping, it was unsurprising that she found it rather suspicious. "Has he left you all alone?"
"There was a council," she said simply. "It is his duty as King."
"Indeed." Faramir nodded. "Would you care to step outside with me?"
Éowyn racked her brain for an excuse to refuse, but she was not conversing with anyone, and she could not see anyone she knew well.
"Of course," she said, and found that part of her was truthful.
--------
"A beautiful city, is it not?" sighed Faramir. "I spent my life here; though oft I find its routine irksome, my heart could rest nowhere else."
"Yes," said Éowyn. "That is how I feel about Rohan. The green fields, stretching for miles... It hurts my soul that Gondor does not have that. How deprived you have been!"
"Gondor has fields," said Faramir diplomatically, stretching out his arm and moving it in a wide quarter-circle. He was fully aware that they were making small talk. "Tell me, lady, why did you come to Rohan?"
Éowyn hesitated. "I wanted to escape the cage."
"But you spoke of the open fields just a moment ago," a light smile played across Faramir's fair face; he knew he was appealing to the core of her soul, but was trying to remain light-hearted in manner.
"The body is not all that can be caged. The mind can be constrained by poisonous whispers; and the soul constricted by duty," she sighed, "and the heart bound by necessity."
Faramir felt stiffer suddenly. Did she feel as he did? Bound by necessity - "What binds you, my lady?" he asked levelly.
Éowyn glanced at him, then returned her gaze to the City. "It was in Rohan; I was bound by hopelessness, for Wormtongue, my uncle's crooked advisor, as he leeched the King's strength, he wore away my spirit as well as my pride. I dropped from aide to servant in the eyes of Théoden King. The only spark of better times was beyond my reach..."
--------
Far below the balcony on which they stood, down in the fifth circle of the City, a serving-woman was taking her mistress's washing off the line. She glanced up; there stood the Lady Éowyn and Lord Faramir, and her heart was glad, for she had heard tell that the Lord Faramir's heart was turned to the Lady's, and she knew him to be a man of worth: she was not yet so sure of this new King from the North.
She pointed up and cried out to her kinsman, and soon a small crowd was gathered upon that high terrace in the fifth circle, cheering for the Lord and the Lady.
--------
Faramir looked down. For the first time, he had begrudged the openness of the balcony; from this high place in the Tower of Ecthelion, a man could be seen quite clearly from the Third Gate, above the second circle of Minas Tirith. In happier days, oft had he sat in this very spot, he and Boromir, and chatted with the people who passed below.
"Come," said Faramir. "We shall talk somewhere quieter."
Faramir took Éowyn's elbow, gently but firmly, and led her through the gathered guests. They slipped out unnoticed, for all attention was on one of the Hobbits, who was singing a song.
Faramir led her down labyrinthine passages, so that she wondered if she could return to the party without asking for directions. Suddenly Faramir stopped. He folded back a tapestry to reveal a hidden staircase that twisted up round a corner after about ten steps.
Éowyn started to doubt Faramir's motives for the first time since Aragorn had left as he led her up. Around the corner was another tapestry twenty steps up; they passed through and Éowyn found herself by the double doors preceding the passage where Faramir's room lay. Her stomach knotted in fear. There were no guards.
"This is quiet enough," said Faramir. "Now I can speak my mind."
"I cannot deny what I feel for you," he said, "nor would I, for I would not deceive you. Just tell me, ere I go mad with not knowing, could you have loved me?"
Éowyn was gobsmacked. "How am I to answer such a question?" she said.
"Just tell me the truth," said Faramir sadly, "for that will be enough for me. Had Aragorn not returned, could you ever have turned your heart to mine?"
"I- I-" she did not know how to answer. If she said yes, he might try to challenge Aragorn, or tell him; if she said no, then she would have to face his reaction, and she was unsure of what that would be - anger, sadness, or worse-would he feign happiness?
"I beg of you, do not pretend to waver, for I could not bear that either."
Éowyn took a deep breath. "If I were in such a position," she said, as Faramir held his breath, "I would say to you, yes."
Faramir did not choke or splutter. He turned his sea-grey eyes away. "I see." Éowyn saw only the floor. She was rejecting Faramir again, but this time it was to his face, and was far worse.
Suddenly Faramir twirled round; his fingers intertwined with Éowyn's and he swung her hands over her head. His body pinned her to the wall and his lips smothered her. It was a hungry, needy kiss, tender but forceful. Éowyn closed her eyes: she didn't want to see his face, look into the eyes of the one making her betray Aragorn. She made a lightning decision. She began to kiss back.
===================
Hehehe, all you A/É fans (no, wait - I'm an A/É fan!) are going nuts, but there's a reason for Éowyn's madness.
I don't own the characters, just the plot. Please don't sue me!
--------------------------------------
---- Minas Tirith ----
Faramir went down to dinner that night. As he had expected, Aragorn and Éowyn were there also. As Steward, Faramir was obliged to sit at the King's right hand; as future Queen, Éowyn sat on the left. They were facing each other.
He could not explain why he felt happier than he had in some time. The announcement of the postponement of the wedding somehow allowed him to breathe easier: did it make him feel that he had more time? It felt as though a great weight had been lifted from his chest; he wanted to laugh and make merry and to forget all about troubles of the heart.
Éowyn was less at ease. She could not forget how she had rejected Faramir and she blushed every time their eyes met, even if he were simply passing her the potatoes. It was somehow awkward, but Aragorn gave her many reassuring smiles from his high seat.
After dinner, Aragorn was called away to a war council for the Haradrim were threatening South Ithilien. Éowyn knew it was his duty, and he left with many apologies and a quick kiss. Éowyn was alone at the after-dinner party that was customary in the Gondorian summer. She tried to stay friendly but inconspicuous and avoided Faramir whenever possible, but -
"Where is King Elessar?" asked Faramir. Éowyn could see that he was in a good mood - happier than she had ever seen him. After his weeks of moping, it was unsurprising that she found it rather suspicious. "Has he left you all alone?"
"There was a council," she said simply. "It is his duty as King."
"Indeed." Faramir nodded. "Would you care to step outside with me?"
Éowyn racked her brain for an excuse to refuse, but she was not conversing with anyone, and she could not see anyone she knew well.
"Of course," she said, and found that part of her was truthful.
--------
"A beautiful city, is it not?" sighed Faramir. "I spent my life here; though oft I find its routine irksome, my heart could rest nowhere else."
"Yes," said Éowyn. "That is how I feel about Rohan. The green fields, stretching for miles... It hurts my soul that Gondor does not have that. How deprived you have been!"
"Gondor has fields," said Faramir diplomatically, stretching out his arm and moving it in a wide quarter-circle. He was fully aware that they were making small talk. "Tell me, lady, why did you come to Rohan?"
Éowyn hesitated. "I wanted to escape the cage."
"But you spoke of the open fields just a moment ago," a light smile played across Faramir's fair face; he knew he was appealing to the core of her soul, but was trying to remain light-hearted in manner.
"The body is not all that can be caged. The mind can be constrained by poisonous whispers; and the soul constricted by duty," she sighed, "and the heart bound by necessity."
Faramir felt stiffer suddenly. Did she feel as he did? Bound by necessity - "What binds you, my lady?" he asked levelly.
Éowyn glanced at him, then returned her gaze to the City. "It was in Rohan; I was bound by hopelessness, for Wormtongue, my uncle's crooked advisor, as he leeched the King's strength, he wore away my spirit as well as my pride. I dropped from aide to servant in the eyes of Théoden King. The only spark of better times was beyond my reach..."
--------
Far below the balcony on which they stood, down in the fifth circle of the City, a serving-woman was taking her mistress's washing off the line. She glanced up; there stood the Lady Éowyn and Lord Faramir, and her heart was glad, for she had heard tell that the Lord Faramir's heart was turned to the Lady's, and she knew him to be a man of worth: she was not yet so sure of this new King from the North.
She pointed up and cried out to her kinsman, and soon a small crowd was gathered upon that high terrace in the fifth circle, cheering for the Lord and the Lady.
--------
Faramir looked down. For the first time, he had begrudged the openness of the balcony; from this high place in the Tower of Ecthelion, a man could be seen quite clearly from the Third Gate, above the second circle of Minas Tirith. In happier days, oft had he sat in this very spot, he and Boromir, and chatted with the people who passed below.
"Come," said Faramir. "We shall talk somewhere quieter."
Faramir took Éowyn's elbow, gently but firmly, and led her through the gathered guests. They slipped out unnoticed, for all attention was on one of the Hobbits, who was singing a song.
Faramir led her down labyrinthine passages, so that she wondered if she could return to the party without asking for directions. Suddenly Faramir stopped. He folded back a tapestry to reveal a hidden staircase that twisted up round a corner after about ten steps.
Éowyn started to doubt Faramir's motives for the first time since Aragorn had left as he led her up. Around the corner was another tapestry twenty steps up; they passed through and Éowyn found herself by the double doors preceding the passage where Faramir's room lay. Her stomach knotted in fear. There were no guards.
"This is quiet enough," said Faramir. "Now I can speak my mind."
"I cannot deny what I feel for you," he said, "nor would I, for I would not deceive you. Just tell me, ere I go mad with not knowing, could you have loved me?"
Éowyn was gobsmacked. "How am I to answer such a question?" she said.
"Just tell me the truth," said Faramir sadly, "for that will be enough for me. Had Aragorn not returned, could you ever have turned your heart to mine?"
"I- I-" she did not know how to answer. If she said yes, he might try to challenge Aragorn, or tell him; if she said no, then she would have to face his reaction, and she was unsure of what that would be - anger, sadness, or worse-would he feign happiness?
"I beg of you, do not pretend to waver, for I could not bear that either."
Éowyn took a deep breath. "If I were in such a position," she said, as Faramir held his breath, "I would say to you, yes."
Faramir did not choke or splutter. He turned his sea-grey eyes away. "I see." Éowyn saw only the floor. She was rejecting Faramir again, but this time it was to his face, and was far worse.
Suddenly Faramir twirled round; his fingers intertwined with Éowyn's and he swung her hands over her head. His body pinned her to the wall and his lips smothered her. It was a hungry, needy kiss, tender but forceful. Éowyn closed her eyes: she didn't want to see his face, look into the eyes of the one making her betray Aragorn. She made a lightning decision. She began to kiss back.
===================
Hehehe, all you A/É fans (no, wait - I'm an A/É fan!) are going nuts, but there's a reason for Éowyn's madness.