Chapter Two
Eowyn resided in the Palace of Gondor. She could not find it in her heart to return to Rohan, where memories of her uncle were etched in every stone. She was also part of the Gondorian army, an army most likely never needing to rise again. Her days were spent alone, for that was how she liked it. Sometimes she would walk with Faramir, or Aragorn, but those gatherings caused pain as well. She could never have Aragorn, and as for Faramir...
Faramir loved Eowyn - this she knew. But she could not find it in her heart to love him back. Her heart was still twisted from Aragorn's outright refusal.
~It is but a shadow that you love. I cannot give you what you seek.~
Words that struck her worse than the blade of the Witch King could've ever done...
She did feel pity for him, though. Aragorn had loved Arwen with an everlasting passion, and she was forced to leave Middle-Earth. Surely Eowyn knew that in the same position she would also be torn in two. Still, she wanted to help him overcome his grief, and yet she couldn't. She could do nothing.
Such melancholy thoughts clouded her mind one fall evening as she sat in her bedroom. Eowyn knew such brooding could not cause her to appear attractive, but she didn't really care. Who did she have to look attractive for? Aragorn? He was not so superficial. Faramir? He could care less.
A slight tap at the door broke her train of thought. "Yes?"
"It's me. Can I come in?"
That voice. "Certainly."
Aragorn walked in, his regal face troubled. "I have seen you little as of late."
"I don't need to bother you with my unimportant whims, your Majesty," said Eowyn. "You have more consequential matters to attend to."
"Eowyn, please," Aragorn said, walking closer to her. "Can we not be friends?"
"That door has closed to us, your Majesty," she said. "It would only cause me pain, and as for you, you have plenty of people to be friends with."
"You make this so difficult," he said. "Why must you be this way?"
"I am a shieldmaiden, your Majesty, not a bumbling housewife to follow at your beck and call."
Aragorn smiled at this, an action Eowyn found disconcerting. "Indeed. I would not expect any less of you."
"I'm glad you understand then, Aragorn," she said after a brief pause.
"I think I do," Aragorn said. "I am sorry to have troubled you, m'lady."
"You are King of Gondor, you do not need to address me as such."
"But you command far a more imposing rank than I," Aragorn said, turning to leave. "I expect to talk more with you, shieldmaiden of Rohan?"
Eowyn looked at Aragorn plaintively. "Must you call me that?"
Aragorn smiled again. "Fine then, Eowyn." With this he left.
The encounter with Aragorn left her mind clouded once more. If only he would be a horrible person, a chauvinistic male with no sense of honor, so she could despise him! But no - he was utterly charming, and the soul of generosity. Eowyn frowned and returned to her thoughts.
Another knock at the door interrupted her once more. "Yes?" she said, a bit more irritably than last time.
"This is Faramir. May I come in, m'lady?"
"Of course," said Eowyn. Faramir entered, his sandy blond hair tumbling a bit over his shoulders, much resembling the King of Gondor's own.
"How do I find you on this even, m'lady?" he asked in a conversational tone.
"Fine," said Eowyn. "And you?"
"Splendid," he said. "Would you like to take a walk with me, down into the courtyard perhaps?"
"Why not?" Eowyn shrugged, losing her formal manner.
Faramir offered her his hand to get up, which Eowyn slightly hesitantly took. They walked out into the chill autumn air.
"The city is most beautiful this time of year," said Faramir wistfully.
"It is," said Eowyn.
"Though I have to admit, not near as beautiful as you, m'lady."
Eowyn tried to smile. "You are too kind."
The two sat down on a bench, overlooking the vast plains beyond. Faramir was indeed correct that the city was most beautiful this time of year, as well as the lands surrounding it.
There was a silence for a few moments, before Faramir spoke up. "I must be truthful with you, Eowyn. Do you mind if I speak bluntly?"
Eowyn cringed on the inside, knowing this was coming. "Of course not."
"I believe I love you, Eowyn, and by all that is good in this world, I would love to have you as my own. Would you take me?"
Eowyn had a carefully thought-out reply. "I am sorry, Lord Faramir. It is but a shadow that you love. I cannot give you what you seek. Please forgive me." She curtsied and began to leave.
"Those words are not your own," Faramir called after her. Eowyn stopped.
"How do you know?" she whispered.
"The King and I are close. I know what lies between the two of you." He walked over two her. "Eowyn, I will love you with all my heart, something Aragorn cannot offer you. He is forever torn from the loss of Arwen. You know this."
"I do," she said, her voice trailing off. "But I am also torn, because I love him. I could not give you all of my heart."
"I could renew it," said Faramir. "I could help..."
Eowyn hugged Faramir, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "I am sorry. I will never be one again."
And with those words, she fled to the comforting silence of her room.
Eowyn resided in the Palace of Gondor. She could not find it in her heart to return to Rohan, where memories of her uncle were etched in every stone. She was also part of the Gondorian army, an army most likely never needing to rise again. Her days were spent alone, for that was how she liked it. Sometimes she would walk with Faramir, or Aragorn, but those gatherings caused pain as well. She could never have Aragorn, and as for Faramir...
Faramir loved Eowyn - this she knew. But she could not find it in her heart to love him back. Her heart was still twisted from Aragorn's outright refusal.
~It is but a shadow that you love. I cannot give you what you seek.~
Words that struck her worse than the blade of the Witch King could've ever done...
She did feel pity for him, though. Aragorn had loved Arwen with an everlasting passion, and she was forced to leave Middle-Earth. Surely Eowyn knew that in the same position she would also be torn in two. Still, she wanted to help him overcome his grief, and yet she couldn't. She could do nothing.
Such melancholy thoughts clouded her mind one fall evening as she sat in her bedroom. Eowyn knew such brooding could not cause her to appear attractive, but she didn't really care. Who did she have to look attractive for? Aragorn? He was not so superficial. Faramir? He could care less.
A slight tap at the door broke her train of thought. "Yes?"
"It's me. Can I come in?"
That voice. "Certainly."
Aragorn walked in, his regal face troubled. "I have seen you little as of late."
"I don't need to bother you with my unimportant whims, your Majesty," said Eowyn. "You have more consequential matters to attend to."
"Eowyn, please," Aragorn said, walking closer to her. "Can we not be friends?"
"That door has closed to us, your Majesty," she said. "It would only cause me pain, and as for you, you have plenty of people to be friends with."
"You make this so difficult," he said. "Why must you be this way?"
"I am a shieldmaiden, your Majesty, not a bumbling housewife to follow at your beck and call."
Aragorn smiled at this, an action Eowyn found disconcerting. "Indeed. I would not expect any less of you."
"I'm glad you understand then, Aragorn," she said after a brief pause.
"I think I do," Aragorn said. "I am sorry to have troubled you, m'lady."
"You are King of Gondor, you do not need to address me as such."
"But you command far a more imposing rank than I," Aragorn said, turning to leave. "I expect to talk more with you, shieldmaiden of Rohan?"
Eowyn looked at Aragorn plaintively. "Must you call me that?"
Aragorn smiled again. "Fine then, Eowyn." With this he left.
The encounter with Aragorn left her mind clouded once more. If only he would be a horrible person, a chauvinistic male with no sense of honor, so she could despise him! But no - he was utterly charming, and the soul of generosity. Eowyn frowned and returned to her thoughts.
Another knock at the door interrupted her once more. "Yes?" she said, a bit more irritably than last time.
"This is Faramir. May I come in, m'lady?"
"Of course," said Eowyn. Faramir entered, his sandy blond hair tumbling a bit over his shoulders, much resembling the King of Gondor's own.
"How do I find you on this even, m'lady?" he asked in a conversational tone.
"Fine," said Eowyn. "And you?"
"Splendid," he said. "Would you like to take a walk with me, down into the courtyard perhaps?"
"Why not?" Eowyn shrugged, losing her formal manner.
Faramir offered her his hand to get up, which Eowyn slightly hesitantly took. They walked out into the chill autumn air.
"The city is most beautiful this time of year," said Faramir wistfully.
"It is," said Eowyn.
"Though I have to admit, not near as beautiful as you, m'lady."
Eowyn tried to smile. "You are too kind."
The two sat down on a bench, overlooking the vast plains beyond. Faramir was indeed correct that the city was most beautiful this time of year, as well as the lands surrounding it.
There was a silence for a few moments, before Faramir spoke up. "I must be truthful with you, Eowyn. Do you mind if I speak bluntly?"
Eowyn cringed on the inside, knowing this was coming. "Of course not."
"I believe I love you, Eowyn, and by all that is good in this world, I would love to have you as my own. Would you take me?"
Eowyn had a carefully thought-out reply. "I am sorry, Lord Faramir. It is but a shadow that you love. I cannot give you what you seek. Please forgive me." She curtsied and began to leave.
"Those words are not your own," Faramir called after her. Eowyn stopped.
"How do you know?" she whispered.
"The King and I are close. I know what lies between the two of you." He walked over two her. "Eowyn, I will love you with all my heart, something Aragorn cannot offer you. He is forever torn from the loss of Arwen. You know this."
"I do," she said, her voice trailing off. "But I am also torn, because I love him. I could not give you all of my heart."
"I could renew it," said Faramir. "I could help..."
Eowyn hugged Faramir, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "I am sorry. I will never be one again."
And with those words, she fled to the comforting silence of her room.