**Author's Notes:
Sorry about the delay in getting this next chapter out. My keyboard died and I have had to work off my laptop. Since everything wasn't on my laptop it took some doing to get what I needed here then to continue with the story. I hope that you all will enjoy this next chapter. Also, there is a lot more written now as well that will be added as I can get it uploaded. Hope you enjoy this and the chapters to come.**


***************Chapter 16***************


She wakes before Faramir, feeling very refreshed, yawning and blinking away the last vestiges of sleep as she looks at a man's face in front of her's. But it wasn't just any man's face, it was Faramir's. And he was sleeping but a few inches from her, their arms tangled around each other, the blanket covering them hiding the fact that their legs were also tangled. Something she tries to remedy as she pulls out of his grasp, laughing softly when he grumbles and pulls her back into his arms, his leg wrapping around her's and pulling her even closer to him. "Faramir!" she laughs, her voice low enough so as to not draw attention to themselves, but firm enough he knew she wasn't joking around. "You need to wake up and let me go. We need to start getting ready." She carefully looks around, trying to see who was where and what they were doing. There were some breaking down the temporary camp that had been thrown up for lunch and an afternoon rest, and even others getting the horses hitched up. "Oh Faramir! We are going to be caught! We are probably the last two laying out! If Eomer catches us..." Yes, where was Eomer. She hadn't seen him since her soon to be husband had asked Eomer for her hand and he had agreed.

She struggles to get out of Faramir's grip again, finally getting her top out enough that she was able to straighten her hair and clothing and sit up to look around. "I don't see him, but I am sure he is here somewhere." She looks down to find Faramir's head in her lap. Leaning down she kisses his forehead. "Why are you staring up at me like that? As if you had never seen me before in your life. Yet you saw me but a few hours ago." She knew why her brother probably wasn't in sight. He was off getting ready to leave once more for the final leg of their journey. He would show up no doubt either right when it was time to leave or right at the most embarrassing part. She just hoped that that wasn't going to be a problem.

Faramir had awaken fully when she had sat up beside him. Smiling he watches her looking around for a second and then he moves around till his head is on her lap. When she finally notices he keeps watching her, a smile on his face. "I merely am making sure you are truly here and not a dream." He yawns and stretches under the blankets, then he lifts his head from her lap and gets up, stretching again before he holds his hand out to her. He helps her up and then picks up his cloak and pulls it on. He helps her clean up the blankets and takes them over to one of the carts that was filled with their supplies. Finally he joins her by the horses, whistling a tune that sounded more like a bird call. He smiles as his horse looks up and over at him and then walks over. "Good boy." He strokes the horse's nose and then makes sure his saddle is on right before he climbs up onto his horse, smiling over at Eowyn.

She gets up onto her horse and returns the smile, her grin just as silly as his at times when she thinks about just how lucky she was. She keeps thinking that she will wake up and it will be all over. Just some dream that then turns into a nightmare.

"You must teach me how you do that some time. So that I can train my horse." She pets the smooth neck of her horse before spurring it on to move into line with the rest of the procession. It was starting to get underway and she could see the Hobbits animatedly talking in one cart and Gandalf talking to her brother at the front. Once again the two of them stay near the back, wanting to have a little bit of privacy, well as much as they could get. "How long do you want to wait, my Love? Should we wait a year? Or should we marry tonight?" She was teasing, not really intending to marry him tonight, she just wanted to give him a wide range of times. Personally she would marry tonight if she could, only so that later they may once more sleep in each other's arms.

Faramir smiles at her, riding along beside her again, chuckling when her horse goes to take a bite out of his and instead gets a bite for her troubles. "Now now. No more fighting. You two must behave like proper horses." He wasn't sure if they understood him but he laughs all the same at the snorts both horses produce. He looks over at Eowyn and smiles. "Well, if it pleases thee...why not wait till the fall for our wedding? That will give us plenty of time to plan it all. Though maybe we should plan two weddings. One here, in Rohan, and the other in Gondor. As we both have different customs and I'm sure your people, as well as mine, would like to see the wedding."

She thinks about that, envisioning a fall wedding amongst the fall leaves out here on the rolling hills of Rohan. She nods, her face brightening up instantly. "I like that idea, Faramir! Then we could have the wedding we have here, right here." She motions with one hand to the valleys before them. "In the middle of the vibrant leaves and colors. It would be the perfect time." She glances at him sideways. "Can you wait that long?" she whispers so only he can hear, blushing at the forwardness of her words.

He smiles and reaches over, taking her hand and leaning over to kiss it. He straightens but keeps hold of her hand. "For you I would wait forever, Love. But do not blame me if you wake up to me holding you at night once in a while. That I can not help as I find I sleep better with you." He smiles and then nods, as if settling something in his mind. "Yes. A fall wedding here would be nice. I think the main one could be done here. We could have a ceremony in Gondor before that, to marry us there. It will work. Though we will still have to wait after the wedding in Gondor, until after the wedding here."

She moves her horse even closer so that her leg actually occasionally rubbed against his, her hand holding his loosely. "Then we will have a Fall wedding. And do not worry, Faramir, for I have found that my sleep too seems so much better if you are there. I miss you when you are not there." Her eyes go to the back of her brother's head. "Though Eomer has made it perfectly clear that he better not find you in my room again, Faramir." They dart back to him. "The operative word there being 'find'." She can't help the grin that follows her words, feeling as is she just suggested rather racy.

He grins slightly, catching onto what she meant. "Well then he will not find me there before our wedding." He looks at her, still grinning. "Will you show me around Edoras when we arrive there?" He wanted to know where her room was and where he could hide incase Eomer wanted to check on his sister.

She gives his hand a squeeze, nodding as she looks away from him and into the distance. "I would love to. I will have to show you some of the places that I learned about when I was a kid. The places that Eomer and Theodred and I knew of." At the mention of her cousin she frowns, the memory still painful. She has to mentally shake herself and try to pull herself out of the dark mood she is in. Instead she thinks of something nice. "I think that the roses will be in bloom when it comes time for the wedding."

He looks at her and smiles, nodding. "It will be a perfect wedding, Eowyn. You'll see." He keeps hold of her hand, riding along in silence for a while, just enjoying the feel of her hand in his. As they come over a hill he stops his horse and smiles. There was Edoras, in all it's glory. The sun shining on the large structure at the top of the hill made it look like it was made of Gold. "I see now why it is called the Golden Hall." Even without looking at her he could feel her excitement. After a moment he looks at her, watching her as she watches the procession of their group moving down the hill and towards the city. "Your home is quite beautiful, Love. I wish you could have seen my home before it was half destroyed by the war."

She too rides on in silence with him, just happy to hold his hand and ride, her mind wandering to the times they had had and to the times they would have. She still could hardly believe that she would soon be his wife. That had not been her goal, but now it was the only goal on her horizon. That and children. She smiles brightly suddenly at the thought of a miniature Faramir running under her heels. She knew any son of his would be a handful. Not that she would doubt for a moment that a daughter of theirs would be any less a handful. It was something she could hardly wait for, to give him a son, to see someone so much like him running around, learning, enjoying life. She knew that their children would be like she and Faramir had been as children, or the bond Faramir had with his brother. But even more importantly, their children would be loved.

She doesn't realize just how long she is lost in her thoughts until they come over a hill and she stops his horse, causing her to reign her's up right against his. Her whole face breaks out into a smile to rival that of the one that she wore when he asked her to marry him. She was excited, she was so excited she almost wanted to just jump down and run, as if she could get there before her horse. "Thank you, Faramir. I believe you are right in regards to that, it is quite beautiful." She looks at him, her eyes full to overflowing with tears. "I am home." She can't help the choked sound of her words as they are torn from her throat, her hand going up to her mouth for a moment. She looks back out over the valley and spurs her horse on, wanting nothing more then to cross the last stretch of grass to her home.

He smiles at her, watching her for a moment before he follows her. He could hear a bell being sounded in the city, heralding the return of the King and his men. The messenger had reached the town it would seem, though there was no doubt that he wouldn't have. The people were already coming out of their houses, watching the return of loved ones and the King. It doesn't take long for the precession to reach the town and then up to the Golden Hall. He looks around as he follows, noticing the people were crying from both happiness and sadness. Some were even staring at him, wondering who he was. When they reach the Golden Hall he gets off his horse and looks at the stable boy who comes to take the horse to the stables. He smiles at the boy, who couldn't be more than 11 years old, and lets him take the horse. He then follows the procession into the golden hall, where the King would be prepared for his burial. They would bury him today, at sunset. Then there would be the feast in Theoden's honor, as well as all those that had fallen in the war.

She spurs her horse on, moving up through the line now, Faramir right behind her, till she is in the front of the procession with the brother where she should be. She smiles at her brother, reaching over and taking his hand for a moment, squeezing it for a moment. "It is nice to be home, Eomer," she says softly. She then turns and looks at Faramir, nodding and returning his smile. As they ride into the town she sits tall, nodding to a few of those she knew, pausing to lean down to take some flowers a little girl runs over to give her. "Thank you, Sweetie." She straightens and continues on till she reaches the Golden Hall at which time she dismounts, handing her reins to a similar little stable boy as the one that had taken Faramir's horse off. She walks up to her brother and takes his arm, letting him lead her into the golden hall, her smile of just moments ago suddenly gone as the gravity of the situation overwhelms her. They would be burying one King tonight and crowning another. She gives her brother's arm a slight squeeze, stealing a kiss on his cheek. "Suddenly I feel like everyone is watching us, Eomer," she whispers so that only he can hear, her smile remaining though her grip on his arm tightens slightly. She didn't know why this place seemed so eery to her till suddenly it hits her. The last time they were here her Uncle was alive, their cousin was alive, things had started to look up. Now, she just needed to deal with the fact that these rooms would never be the same as they were before. Now she needed to find a new laughter to fill them.

She turns and looks at Eomer. "I will return shortly, M'Lord," she bows her head slightly and turns to leave the room. She needed air and she needed it now, and she didn't want to freak out in front of her brother or anyone for that matter so she doesn't even take her beloved's hand.

He nods to his sister, frowning slightly. She had not run outside like that since Grima Wormtongue was here and poisoning their Uncle's mind. He sighs and looks over at Faramir who was going to go after her. He grabs his arm, shaking his head. "She will be alright. Come, I'll show you to your room." He turns and leaves the throne room through a door on the left side of the room and then leads Faramir down the hall to a door. He opens it and nods. "This will be your room for now. You can get settled here. I will send a servant to run a bath for you. The funeral will start in an hour. Then the feast." He nods and leaves Faramir in the room, closing the door behind him. He had to get ready for the funeral himself. And that would take some time as he had to find the proper clothes and in his room, that was almost impossible.

Faramir watches Eowyn leave, having followed her and Eomer with Gandalf beside him and the four Hobbits behind them. He starts to go after Eowyn when Eomer grabs his arm and stops him. "But..." He doesn't get to finish as Eomer tells him to leave her alone for a little while. He looks at the door where Eowyn fled through and sighs, but nods. He follows after Eomer, wondering if he should have gone after Eowyn or not. He could have maybe helped. When they stop he enters the room that Eomer says is his for now and looks around it, nodding to what Eomer says before he leaves. Looking around again he notices his belongings from his horse were already in the room. Good, good. He walks over and pulls his leather armor off, as well as his weapons and sets them down at the end of the bed. He sits down on the bed beside them and stares at the floor, listening to the sounds outside his window.

She leaves the hall and heads out onto the ledge overlooking all the kingdom and stands there taking deep breaths thinking about everything that had happened up until this point. It takes her some time before she is finally able to turn around and go back in. Rounding a corner she almost runs head first into Monica.

"Lady Eowyn! I have been looking all over for you! Lord Eomer has had us looking all over for you!" She takes Eowyn's arm and pulls her towards the door that leads to her chambers. "You need to take your bath and get ready for the evening, Lady Eowyn!" She doesn't let go of her hold on her Lady's arm as she pulls her into the room.

Eowyn wasn't thinking about the tub filled with hot water, steam rising off the surface from the side of her chambers, she was thinking about Faramir. She had promised to show him around her home. Granted, the main reason that she had wanted to show him around was so that he knew where her room was, but she had still planned on being the one to show him to his room. If only she hadn't had that attack back there then she could have indeed taken Faramir to his rooms. As she is looking at the tub she realizes that Monica is undressing her and she shakes her head. "Wait! Before I get into the tub there is something I have to do." She heads quickly for the door. "I will be right back, I have to tell my brother something before it is too late." She is gone out the door before Monica can stop her, hurrying along the halls. What was the great rush? She knew that if she was getting her bath, that meant that her brother was getting his. This was the PERFECT chance to find Faramir and show him where her rooms were because no one would accidentally stumble across them.

She checks a few of the guest rooms and frowns when he isn't in any of them. He had to be here some where! She was starting to get frustrated and she was running out of time when it dawns on her exactly where her brother would put Faramir. Knowing the way her brother was acting lately, she bet that he would put Faramir in the room across from his. She would have to be very careful and hope that her brother was in his own bath or else she would be in more trouble then when she hide her brother's sword as a joke once.

Heading down the west wing, she hears a door opening up ahead and darts around a corner, holding her breath as she hears someone talking. "Yes, Lord Faramir, I will be back in a little while to collect your dirty clothes." Her face breaks out into a smile as she hears the maid heading off in the opposite direction then she was in, indeed it seemed to Eowyn that the woman was in a bit of a hurry when she realizes that she would be. She probably had to take care of Eomer.

Darting back around the corner, Eowyn rushes down the hall to the door that she could hear some singing coming from, singing that causes a soft smile to touch her lips. Only one voice could sing like that, one voice and one man. She doesn't knock, she just darts into the room, hoping that he was along.

What she sees when she enters his room has a straggled cry escaping her throat as she turns her back on the room and quickly looks at the door. "Oh my! Lord Faramir, I am so sorry, I did not mean to interrupt you. I had hoped that I might catch you before it was too late." She doesn't know why she suddenly uses his title, probably because of the sight that had greeted her eyes. She puts her hand to her eyes, her face red from embarrassment. She wished that the world would just open up and swallow her so she talks fast to cover it up. "I wanted to get to you before my brother got out of his bath. Or I might not get the chance again to show you around." And show you where I lived, that thought goes through her mind.

Faramir looks up as there is a knock at the door. Standing up he speaks. "Enter." He watches as the door opens and a maid enters with a bucket of steaming water. He smiles and waits as his bath is prepared, then thanks the woman, asking her if she would take his dirty clothes for washing. When she says yes and then closes the door he looks at the tub full of steaming water and sighs. He could use a good soak in the tub. His muscles were tired and stiff. Well he better get in the tub if he wanted to go find Eowyn before the funeral. He starts to get undressed, and had just dropped his pants when the door opens. He spins around, reaching for his sword at his hip, but of course it wasn't there. He was naked. He sees who it is and has to bite his lip to keep from laughing at the look on her face. When she spins around and keeps her back to him, he takes that moment to climb into the tub and sit down. "If we were not getting married I probably would have asked you to leave. But since we are and since you can not really see anything anyway.....may I ask what the great haste is?"

She felt as she her face was probably on fire at that moment, her hands went to it to cover it, but then he couldn't hear her through them so she drops them again. "Faramir," she starts again, amazingly calm. "I am sorry, I did not expect to walk in on you in such a state." She clears her throat. "Dear, I had to find you because Eomer is taking his own bathe. I knew that if I were to get to see you before the funeral, then we would have a possible problem " She can't help the smile that comes now, though she knows that he can't see it. "I will go now, um, I could um, tell you how to get to my room, I do not think that I should wait outside of your door.

She wanted to turn around and look at him and that brought the blush right back to where it had started, her neck and cheeks hot now from it. "I... um... Anyway,... here." She edges over a little towards the dresser and puts something small on top of it. It was a ring, a very special ring, it was his engagement ring.

He watches her carefully as he washes the dirt from his hands and arms with the nice fragrant soap that had been left for him. "Well then tell me where your room is and I will sneak there." He waits for her to tell him and memorizes it. Then he watches as she moves over to the dresser in the room, while trying not to look in his direction. He smiles when he sees her put something down on the dresser. He is about to ask her what it was but she leaves before he can and with a smile he just shakes his head and goes back to bathing. He would take a little longer than normal, as he didn't want to walk in on her.....or did he? No no. That would just get him in trouble and he was sure one of her handmaidens would be there so he instead just takes his time, making sure he is totally clean, hair included, before he gets out of the bath and dries off. He felt much, much, better now. He didn't feel like he was covered in a layer of dirt and grime. After all, he hadn't been able to bathe after the fight in the village.

After drying off he pulls some bandages from his saddle bag and starts to cover his wounds that were still healing with them. He first wraps the burn on his leg, it was still healing, then the cut on his arm, and finally his shoulder wound, which had stopped healing as far as he could see. That makes him frown as it seemed to have been getting better. Sighing he shakes his head and finally starts to get dressed in his change of clean clothes. He pulls on the pants first, doing them up before he pulls on a white tunic. Last of all he pulls on the black garb with the white tree of Gondor embroidered on the front. This showed he was the Steward of Gondor but also, the way it was made, showed he was also a Ranger and a high ranked officer in the Gondor Army. He chose this because it was always what he had to wear for funerals and he was comfortable in it. Finally he pulls his belt on, securing it around his waist. He makes sure his sword is attached to the belt properly before he walks over to the saddle bag and pulls a brush out of it. He walks over to the mirror in the room and brushes his hair till it looked nice, then he places the brush back into his saddle bag. Last but not least came his boots. He uses the still warm bath water and cleans the dirt and grime off the boots and then shines them up nicely. He pulls them on and then takes a look at himself in the mirror. He hoped he looked ok.

He is about to leave the room when he remembers that Eowyn had placed something on the dresser in the room. Walking over to it he is shocked to find a ring. He picks it up and examines it, wondering for a moment why she would leave it behind for him. He thinks back on Rohirrim customs and then smiles as he finally remembers. In Rohan, women gave the men they were to marry a ring. In Gondor it was the other way around. He had a ring for her actually. But he wanted to wait to give it to her. He tests the ring and finds it fit well on his ring finger so he slips it on after recalling from memory that it was the left hand they wore the rings on in Rohan. He nods and looks at it on his hand. It was quite nice actually. One could tell it was made for a man. He wondered if it was her father's. It was silver and in the shape of two horses, with the tips of the noses and the tails touching to connect it all. The detail of the horses was incredible. Smiling to himself he finally does leave the room, following the directions she gave him down the hall, silent as he walks. He didn't want someone catching him. When he finally gets to the doors that lead to her room he stops and knocks, waiting for her reply as he looks around. But before she can reply he changes his mind and just walks in, cursing as he sees she was just pulling her dress up over her breasts. He snaps his fingers, but still smiles. "Just a few minutes earlier and we would have been even." He keeps his hands behind his back, wanting to surprise her.

She tells him the way to her room, blushing and feeling like she was going to never be able to get the image of his naked body out of her head. And what an image too! Each time she lets her mind drift she stumbles over her directions. Finally, leaving the room, she quickly leaves the room. Heading back to her own room. Getting back to her own room she finds her bath ready and waiting. "Thank you, Monica," she says as the handmaiden helps her out of her clothes and into the tub. She lays back in the hot water, letting it sooth her muscles as well as her nerves. She lets Monica help her bathe, her mind not on it but on Faramir.... Faramir was more then she could ever have dreamed of. Oh he wasn't a King, he wasn't Aragorn. But that didn't matter to her. Because to her he was so much more then Aragorn could ever be. What she had had with Aragorn could not compete to what she had found in Faramir. It lightens her heart and causes a smile to cross her face, a smile that Monica asks about, when she thinks of their plans. Not just their current plan, but the plans they had whispered to each other already, of days to come. Of a future that she could only have dreamed of. She isn't really paying attention to the time until Monica mentions that she had been in there awhile. She quickly gets out and dries off, afriad that Faramir would catch her in the tub. So that when he comes in she almost drops the gown that Monica was helping her into. She turns bright red at almost getting caught. She bustles, shooing Monica out with the promise to not tell her brother. She had had a long talk with her handmaiden and she thought that Eowyn's plight was so romantic, so she was on her side, so to speak.

"Yes, you almost did return the favor, dear Faramir." The moment that Monica is gone she is over to him, her arms around his neck, kissing him passionately, forgetting she still needed to lace up her dress, just wanting to kiss him.

He smiles and wraps his arms around her, returning her passionate kiss with one of his own. When he finally pulls back he smiles and kisses the tip of her nose gently. "I must walk in on you more often, Love. If that is the reception I get each time." He kisses her again, then pulls back. "Turn around, I'll lace up your dress for you." He smiles and lets her go. When she turns around he starts to lace up her dress, smiling. When he is done he waits for her to turn around and then he leans in and kisses her forehead softly. "You look lovely, Darling. Every bit the princess you are." He smiles and takes hold of her hands, wondering if she would notice the ring on his finger

She shakes her head at him, but does return his kisses. "No, you had better NOT walk in on me more often. You did not see me eyeing your wares." She holds her front carefully, scheming a little to shift her breasts into the top of the dress. She loved this dress actually, it was a soft peach color, cut low in front bur high on the shoulders and neck, with long flowing sleeves and a full skirt. It mostly covered then uncovered, only uncovering a goo dip down her front and leaving everything else to the imagination. Which was how she liked it. She turns when he finishes with the last of her cords, a smile touching the corners of her mouth. "Thank you, Faramir. You look rather outstanding yourself." She holds his hands loosely as well as she steps back a few feet to taking it all in. "MMmm yes, I must say, you will be the envy of every man here tonight. You, the Steward of Gondor," her fingers outline his markings on his tunic slowly. "You are gong to shine out above it all." She lifts the hand with the ring on it, blushing again, the embarrassment of it coming back to her. "I see you are wearing it," she says softly. She lifts his hand higher, able to see all the jewels in the golden horses. "It was my father's. Eomer has one just like it so I got our Father's ring when he passed on. I didn't know how to ask you to wear it, I never thought of giving it to anyone as I have been keeping it where it was safe, where nothing could hurt it. I would wear it on occasions, but for the most part it was too precious an item. I knew that it would take a very special man to be able to wear it." She blushes further, she voice soft, glancing up at him through her lashes from time to time.

He smiles at her, leaning down to kiss her. "It is your tradition that you give me the ring is it not? So that everyone knows we are betrothed?" He leans in and kisses her. "I am honored to wear the ring, Eowyn. I.....would give you one....but the ring I wish to give you is in my father's study in Minas Tirith." He puts his arms around her, pulling her close. "If you can wait, I will bring it to you when I can."

She smiles, melting against him, her eyes staring deamily up into his. "I can wait until the end of time if it means that when I get there you will there waiting for me." She meant it, every word, and that was clear in her eyes as she gazes lovinly in his. "You can't stay here much longer or you will get caught. My brother will come to check on me when he is done getting ready and you can't get caught here." She sounds breathless, a side effect kissing him, as was the wobbly knees. But she would have it no other way. She loved this man more then anything and she could hardly wait to show him..... in EVERY way.

That thought brings a bight blush to her cheeks. "That is all then," she whispers. "You need to sneak back before my brother finds you are missing. I bet he is already in your room wondering where you have taken off to. You will have to come up with a good story if so." She didn't want him to go yet, she still needed his help getting the rest of her things on. She needed to brush here hair and pull it into a braid. She wondered if he knew how to braid hair, if not she would have to show him. For she could think of nothing more enjoyable then to have him braiding her hair. It was the simplest of things, but also something that was so tender that she could see into a man's soul when he did i, for even someone with a hardened heart the act of something so simple as tending to someone's care could bring out great things in him.

He smiles at her and leans down to kiss her. "I know. I will leave and send in Monica to help you finish getting dressed." He lifts her hands and kisses them, then smiles at her. "I will be in the main hall." He smiles and leans in to kiss her gently again, before he lets her hands go and leaves the room. He finds Monica waiting out in the hall and smiles at her before telling her that Lady Eowyn wanted her. He then heads down the hall and back out to the main hall, noticing that a lot of people had gathered. He moves and stands off to the side, watching everyone.

When Monica gets back in there, she lets her help her with her hair and the remainder of her things she needed readied so that soon she stood before the mirror a beauty in the light of the candles. "What do you think?" she asks, smoothing her skirts, her eyes darting to Monica's face.

"You are a picture of beauty, M'Lady." She smiles at Eowyn, knowing why it was she is nervous. "He will agree with me, trust me. You look angelic, your beauty transcends all things. You will see." She motions for her to come, opening the door for her.

Walking in front of Monica, Eowyn heads down the hall and into the place that seemed full to popping of everyone. She enters and hears a hush descend on the crowd as they start to notice that she had entered. She smiles and continues on, heading to the front where her brother was. She stands there, taking his offered hand. "Eomer," she says softly, kissing him. She wasn't sure where Faramir was, but she knew he had to be here somewhere. She looks around, trying to find him, her eyes darting from one person to another.

She shuffles when Eomer tells her he is there, trying to look as if that wasn't what she had been looking for. "Oh really?" She hopes that that sounded relaxed enough for her brother. "I am glad he won't miss anything." Then she takes Eomer's arm, placing a hand on his forearm and walks on with him, moving out of the Golden Hall and towards the tomb where Theoden would be put to rest. The closer they get to the tomb, the stronger her grip is on his arm, her stance a little shaky. She takes a deep breath as they enter the tomb and she looks around, her eyes trying to focus through the tears. She moves away from her brother slightly, dropping her hand from his and taking a deep breath. She starts softly at first, the melody barely reaching those in the back. When she hits the second verse her tone gets deeper, richer, easily reaching those in the back as she hits the third verse. She was having a hard time keeping the tears from her voice, though the thickness was there and only making it richer, more vibrantly. When she starts the last and final verse she finally sees where Faramir was and her eyes lock with his. She wanted to put her arms around him, burying her face into his neck as she finished the song, but she knew that was so far from reality. They could not hold each other in public like that. Not until they were married. So for now she just holds him in her heart, a blush ever so soft touching her cheeks..

As the last notes of her song fade, you could hear a pin drop in the room as it is filled with a thunderous silence out of respect not only for the man she sang it for, but for the song and lovely lady whom sang it. The silence stretches for a few more moments until she breaks it herself, turning to look at her brother. She licks her lips and peaks softly, giving her last respects to a man that had become like a second father to her. Both him and his son had taken a hold of her heart and in the end the loss of them both had torn that very same heart into pieces. While speaking of them, she looks at their graves, thinking of them, then it hits her and she looks at Faramir. He had found those pieces and was methodically putting them all back together. She smiles lovingly at him, then back at the grave, a hand going out to steady herself. Finally she steps back, her head hung low, her voice horse, her eyes red. She turns away from the sorrow and the pain, her light amongst the few that still shone.

Eomer smiles sadly at his sister, not because he was upset with her but because he himself was upset at the lose of his cousin and Uncle. With a sigh he pays his respects to his fallen family and then leads his sister away from the tomb and stands off to the side with her, watching as the people come by and lay flowers by the now closed door. He looks up at the sky, then down at his sister, patting her hand as he puts his arm around her to comfort her. He then goes back to watching the people pay their respects and then head back into the village.

Faramir watches the people for a little longer, then comes his turn. He walks over and pays his respects, speaking something softly before he steps away and moves to stand with Eowyn and Eomer. He doesn't pay attention to the people's looks, though he does catch a few and knows that before the night was over the rumor mill would be working. He waits in silence, until finally, there is just the three of them left. Gandalf and the Hobbits had all returned to the building on top of the hill, the Golden Hall.

She had slipped her hand into Faramir's when he had come over to stand next to her and now as she stood there with her fingers interlaced with his till it was just gone. "Did you wish to say any more Faramir?" She looks up at him sadly.

Faramir looks down at Eowyn and shakes his head. "No, Eowyn. I have said what I need to." He smiles and then gently wipes away her tears. "Would you like to stay?" He looks over at Eomer as he excuses himself to return to the Golden Hall. He was leaving them alone? Probably had something to do with the fact that they were out in the open and Eomer didn't think they would do anything improper.

She nods, looking at the tombs. "For a little while, Faramir, please." She lets go of his hand, taking a deep breath, she heads over to one of them, just standing there and looking. "It surely shows you clearly your mortality." Shows more then that, if she really thought about it. But that was just it, she didn't want to think about it and she didn't want to talk about it. Suddenly she wanted to run, run as far as she could. She turns from side to side a panicked look on her face as she looks for a way out, but she can't find it. She just walked in here not too long ago, why couldn't she find the way out? She is panicking even more when she starts to quickly walk around the room, looking for the door. She didn't know that she was having a panic attack, the door was right there to the right of where Faramir was standing and that was why she couldn't see it. She was looking everywhere BUT at him or near him.

Her feet pick up the pace a little, and she doesn't hear him coming up behind her until he suddenly grabs her, causing her to jump. She tries to pull out of his grip. "I have to go, Faramir. I have to go, Uncle needs his bed turned down." He turns her around and pulls her to him, not saying anything and that does it for her. She is instantly back in the tomb, her uncle is dead and Faramir was holding her tight against him. She starts to sob against his chest, unable to stop herself. "I am sorry, I am so sorry, I am sure I sounded like I had gone crazy. Which I probably did for that moment." She keeps her head against his chest, feeling so stupid and yet unable to stop the panic that had overtaken her.

Faramir watches as she starts to panic. Frowning he walks over and gently grabs her arm. When she fights him to let her go he doesn't. He'd seen this happen before. The best thing to do was to hold the person. And that is what he does, he holds her, close and tight. He doesn't let her go either. She could cry. He didn't mind. It was what she needed. He reaches up and starts gently stroking her hair, smiling at what she says. "No, Love. You do not need to be sorry. It is a perfectly natural reaction to your uncle's death. As is crying." He kisses the top of her head, whispering words of love to her, trying his best to sooth her.

She nuzzles his neck, keeping her arms tight around him till she is finally able to stop crying. It takes some time though and by the time she is done she is exhausted, her whole being weak. She goes to pull out of his embrace, wanting to pull away even more, if only to stop her crying in front of him. But instead she sinks deeper into his embrace, her knees going weak till she can no longer hold herself up. He catches her effortlessly when she losses consciousness for a moment, causing her to fall to the floor. But it is only for the briefest of moments and she opens her eyes to see his face but a breath from her's. "Oh Faramir. Can there really be something so beautiful as our love amongst all this death and decay? Will we truly be able to bear the burden that we have taken upon ourselves? I know that I will bear it for as long as I can breath. For to me, your love, though hard and bumpy at times, is the ultimate prize. It warms me to my core. Without that love, I would not be who I am today."

He smiles at her, holding her close. "I do not think it a burden. Our love I mean. For me it is finally a release from the pain and loneliness I used to live in." He kisses her softly. "Come, Love. Let's go sit out in the sun for a while." When she nods he sets her down and leads her out and over to a nice spot on the grass. He pulls off his cloak and sets it down, then he sits and holds his hand up to her to help her sit down. He keeps hold of her hand and smiles, rubbing her hand gently. "Our love is true, Eowyn. True and real." He then leans in and kisses her deeply, unable to help himself and not really caring if they were seen.

She goes willing with him, letting him help her to the ground. When she finally breaks free from his embrace, she is breathless, her eyes all glassey as she takes in the look on his face. "Faramir, I felt that all the way to my core." She puts a hand on her stomach, her wide eyes going. "There are butterflies in stomach,. Faramir! I can show you." She grabs his hand and puts it on her belly. Of course he can't feel it, bit it is a new sensation and she wonder.

He smiles and laughs softly, rubbing his hand gently against her stomach. "I am sure that there are, my Love. I get that feeling everytime I see your beautiful face." He reaches up to carress her cheek, his eyes shining with love as he looks at her. "Are you sure you do not want to talk about your Uncle? You could tell me all about him if you wish."

She blushes at his laughter but doesn't take offence of it. Instead she merely lets his hand go, not wanting to dwell on what his rubbing her stomach was doing to increases her butterflies. "Do you want me to talk of my Uncle? Of how he became more then that? Because he was more like a father to us then an Uncle. He treated us just like he did his own son. We were never treated badly or made to think that we were less for any reason. Nay, I was raised not only as an equal but as a shieldmaiden, something that is too rare in these times of trouble. We could use more of my kind, especially now with so many homes and lives to rebuild." She was relaxing more against him, her eyes searching his face for any telltale sign from him of condensation.

He looks at her and smiles, watching her eyes as she speaks. He could always tell if someone was telling the truth or not by just looking in their eyes. It was a gift, a rare talent that he and his father shared. Looking into Eowyn's eyes he could tell every word she spoke was the truth. But he didn't have to look in her eyes to see that. He believed her. With a smile he speaks when she is finished. "He was truly a wonderful man. You have a good family." He looks around, nodding. "Yes. When I return to Gondor, I am sure I will have to start my work rebuilding the city and Osgilliath." As if suddenly realizing something he speaks again. "I mean I will help the King to do those things."

She wraps her arms tighter around him, holding him close, moving into his lap as she does, not caring if anyone came and found them like this. She needed him more then she cared to admit to anyone. And he needed her. "It will be your family too, Faramir. You will know that same love and respect as I got. Granted there is only my brother, but you and he are seeing more and more one the same line. As for Aragorn, he will not short you your due in what is needed and hwat you plan to work with. He knows what it is like to be astersized, so you have to realize that he will not take that away from you." She was worried about him again, and she tries to concentrate on that word she had stiffened when he spoke it.... that word she never wanted to hear, the one that has been there looming over them all afternoon. 'Return'. More specifically 'return to Gondor'. That was one thing she didn't want to think of because she knew he thought of it enough for both of them.

As soon as she is sitting on his lap he has his arms wrapped around her. It was a natural reaction, as he just liked holding her. When she speaks of Aragorn he sighs. "It is not that. I know he is kind and will have plenty of work for me to do. After all, I am Steward of Gondor now, though only because Boromir died. I would not have been if he was still alive. But no. I will have plenty of work I am sure, waiting for me when I return." He feels her stiffen again and frowns. "I will try not to be gone long. I do not wish to be away from you. I would ask you to come with me, but you have as much work here to do as I have there." He smiles and kisses her gently. "Though your people need you far more than my people need me."

She frowns, shaking her head. "Mine do not need me more. You always put down yourself and it is wrong. You are far more valuable then you give yourself credit. Even if your brother was alive you would be needed. Though I must say that I wish he wasn't for more selfish reasons. Being if he was, you could remain here all the time." She leans in and kisses him softly. "I will miss you, Faramir. I do not wish you to go."

He smiles at her, returning her kiss. "I must have done something very right to have your love." He kisses her softly, then sighs. "I do not wish to go. I would rather stay here. At least I have three days of rest here. Then I shall make the journey back to Gondor." He reaches up and caresses her cheek. "But let us not talk about this right now. I would rather we talk about happy things. Or we could go back to the Golden Hall if you'd like. You could give me the proper tour. Or....if you would like a reason to stay outside we could walk." He smiles, watching her, waiting for her decision.

She really didn't want to give up her time with him yet. She wanted a little more private time, but they did need to get back. So with a sigh she shakes her head. "No, no, that is okay, I know that we have to return to the part that my brother is having momentarily. If I don't, then he will be upset. So how about we walk for a bit. That will keep us close without causing any problems."

He smiles at her, nodding and letting her move off his lap before he offers her his hand and helps her up. Picking up his cloak he brushes it off and then notices the temperature was slightly colder as it was getting closer to the night so instead of putting the cloak on himself, he drapes it around her and then does up the white tree clasp on the front. "Incase you get cold." He then offers her his arm and starts to walk with her away from the burial mounds that held all the dead royalty.

She pulls the hood on the cape up over her head after kissing him as a thank you. Then moving on, she listens to the sounds of the trees and the animals out at night. "Well, my Love, we will just have to make the most of your time here." She pauses, then once more frowns when she looks up at him. "When do you have to leave? The latest you can get away?"

"Three days. I was given three days, then I had to return. I would stay longer but it will be a long journey back. Even with going back alone." He sees her worried look and smiles. "I am alright. I can make it back by myself. I am feeling much better than I did when we start out from Minas Tirith." He walks along with her, rubbing her hand on his arm gently.

She shakes her head repeatedly. "No, Faramir. You are NOT going to go back alone. I know you, you would sleep on the ground without even using anything for protection, no fire, nothing. No, I won't have it. You need to take someone with you. Even if it is just one of the men here, you have to go with them. in distance of, will not have it." She was really scared about it, she didn't want a thing to happen to him and she wasn't ready to loose him this soon.

He stops and turns towards her. "Eowyn, I know you worry, but you have to trust me. I will be fine. And I have slept in the wild without a fire before." He smiles at her. "That cloak I wear is made of a special material. It keeps the cold out and the heat in, while also letting me blend in with my surroundings. It was a gift from Boromir."

"Cloaks are not always perfect. They could blow off you and you would freeze to death. No no no, you must promise me, Faramir, that no matter what you still sleep in the light of the first when you return to Gondor." She didn't like this one bit, the way he was fighting her on such a small thing. But more then that it was just a tiny thing to him, yet he couldn't see that it was a big thing to her.

He sees her look, sees the worry in her eyes and sighs. He reaches up and takes her face gently in his hands. "Eowyn, if you wish it, I will take someone with me. I do not want you to worry. I will also send whoever comes with me, back with a letter for you so that you know I am fine. I will also write to you as much as possible." He smiles and leans in, kissing her deeply, wanting to really put an end to the conversation.

She stops walking to go into his arms, her body pressing against his, she opens her mouth to his kiss, feeling him taking her very soul from her. She melts against him, unable to stop herself. Her body molding perfectly against him as she feel her whole being answering his kiss.

He continues to kiss her, dropping his hands from her face while they are kissing so that he can hold her even closer. He could feel every part of her body pressed against his and even though they were both fully clothed it was still an incredible feeling. And it was also what brought him back to reality. That and the fact that it was starting to get very hot. He pulls back from the kiss, but still continues to hold her close. He was breathing heavily, though trying not to show it. He stares at her, not knowing what to say to her. Though his eyes showed exactly what he was feeling, the main thing being his desire for her. Could he hold out till the fall for their wedding night? He was starting to think he might not.

She was starting to have those exact thoughts, not sure at all if she would be able to not take their love to the natural next step. Would it really be so bad if they did? Wouldn't it be wise to indeed make love to make sure that they were equally matched in the bedroom as well as every other way. But she knows that that is just an excuse, a reason to try to talk her way into believing that it would be right to make love to him. She had thought of a million reasons already TO do it, but only one no to. Because it wasn't proper. She was beginning to think that to hell with proper. But she lets him pull away, as does she, her eyes showing the pain at her choice. "Faramir." That one word was filled with so much sexual frustration as to fill the world. She lets go of his hands and turns, walking way from him, He best let her go on, or she would not let it stop there, she was not that strong. "We need to return, they will be waiting for us."