Chapter Two

Eowyn's dreams were fretful that night. Faramir and Aragorn kept exchanging places in them at inappropriate moments, and occasionally Theoden would pop in and ask her why her dreams were more filled with love interests than of him. Finally she decided she could not sleep any more. She climbed out of bed and pulled open the curtains. Dawn had just broken over the White City.

She closed the curtains back and began dressing for the day. Then she left her house, a rarity, and proceeded into the chill air of daybreak.

The only people awake were the soldiers, guarding the city as they always did. Eowyn wandered about aimlessly, not really thinking of where she was going. That's when she saw him.

The King.

She wanted to hide, but he had already seen her. He looked right back to the Queen who was walking at his side, pretending he had not noticed. But Eowyn had seen....

Trying to keep her emotions from getting the better of her, she calmly walked on, her head held high. Tears began flooding her eyes but she did not flinch until out of eyesight from him. Even then she continued onward, until she bumped into something. Losing her balance, she fell and hit the cold stone.

"M'lady?"

'Oh no,' she thought. 'I've gone and embarrassed myself in front of him.'

"M'lady are you all right?"

'Don't speak,' she thought, 'Maybe he'll forget you're here....'

She felt strong arms take her and carry her off. She did not open her eyes....because she was on the verge of dreaming, and this seemed to be a much better dream than her others of late. Sleep came easy now....

Faramir did not know what had happened to Eowyn, but her eyes were tightly shut. Dried tears stained her elegant face. He planned on carrying her to the King's healing chambers, when he saw the King himself, taking a walk with Arwen. Faramir ran over to them.

"M'lord, Eowyn has been injured!" Faramir said breathlessly.

Arwen's face was full of concern. "How?"

Faramir shook his head. "That I do not know. She bumped into me and fell over, but I have the feeling it must be something more than that."

"We saw her walking away, didn't we?" Arwen said, looking to Aragorn.

Aragorn's eyes hardened but no other sign of emotion was visible. "I didn't see anyone."

"Come, we must take her to the Houses of Healing!" Arwen said, looking to her husband with a confused look upon her face.

"She's probably so sick of those...." Faramir said sadly. "But yes, right away."

The three hurried to the Houses of Healing, where no one was to be found. "Where are all the physicians?" Faramir demanded of Aragorn.

"Good question," Aragorn said.

"Remember, we let them have the day off because no one was injured!" Arwen said. "And you know how rare that is! You must tend to her," she said, looking to Aragorn. "I'll go find a healer." She left quickly.

Aragorn's eyes shifted about. "All right. Lay her on that bed, Faramir."

The Steward did so, and Aragorn went and looked over Eowyn's face, his own a mystery. At this point Eowyn's eyes opened blearily.

"But it was a good dream," she whispered. "Why have you replaced him again?"

"Eowyn, what happened?" Aragorn asked.

She coughed. "I fell. I was conscious for a few seconds after I hit the ground, but then I lost it....it's nothing serious, I'll be going now." She tried to get up.

Faramir came to the other side of the bed and gently pushed her back down. "I think not, the Queen has gone to find you a suitable healer to assure us that you are all right."

"Oh....and you're here too," she said softly.

"You bumped into me, and that's when you fell."

She blushed faintly. "I'm terribly sorry."

"It's okay, I'm not hurt," he said, pushing her hair from her face.

Aragorn sat in a chair by the bed, his eyes half-closed. Eowyn looked over to him.

"I saw you, m'lord, before I fell," she said. "You and the Queen."

The King's eyes shifted about once more. "I did not see you."

"Do not lie."

This took Aragorn by surprise. "What did you say?"

"You did see me," she continued, "I made eye contact, and you looked away, like every other time it has happened. Will you abandon me, m'lord, with no friends?"

Aragorn was for once baffled. "You do have friends, you have Faramir...."

"But why can I not be your friend?"

He was still trying to answer that when Arwen returned with a healer. "I've found someone," she said. The healer walked to Eowyn and looked over her, touching her head for spots where she might've hit in the fall. "I believe she's all right," he said. "Just don't exert yourself too much over the next few days and you'll be fine."

Eowyn sat up. "I told you all, but did you listen? No...."

Faramir stood by Eowyn as she stood up. "I will help you back to your house, m'lady." He turned to Aragorn. "May I be given a few days leave to tend to Eowyn, m'lord?"

"Of course," Arwen answered for him. She smiled at Aragorn, who nodded.

"Yes, that would be fine."

"I do not need someone to help me, I'll be fine...."

"Well just in case, you have me," Faramir smiled. "Come. Let's go back to your house."

"But – "

"Don't worry about it," Faramir said. He turned to leave.

Eowyn sighed and began to follow him. She turned around to face Aragorn. "Think about what I have said, if you would, m'lord." And with that she followed Faramir back into the streets of the White City.