A/N: Only four chapters left! I'm so glad everyone is enjoying this story!
Éowyn had seemed to forget about this Wormtongue that she had been so worried about as we removed ourselves through the yet blowing snow to our room inside the inn. The fire was warm indeed, and I found myself growing drowsier by the moment as my wife helped me to undress and then into bed. I nearly begged for her to join me, but she declined, citing that the horses remained unbrushed, the tack unpolished. So I slept alone, glad for the rest, though I missed my wife's presence.
When I awakened sometime later, I was heartened to see through the window that the snow had finally ended, and it seemed that the sun might even make an appearance before sunset. I looked toward my wife who was sitting in a chair near the fireplace, waiting patiently for me to rise. I greeted her softly, bewitched by the look in her eyes, and she came to me, leaning down and kissing my mouth gently.
"Am I dreaming?" I asked her softly.
"Nay, husband, this is real." She kissed me again for good measure, running her fingers through my hair. Though I was famished, I wanted Éowyn more, and as I unpinned her hair, pulling her into bed with me, she began to demonstrate the duties of which she had spoken earlier.
Sometime later, though I was willing to rise to sit by the fire and eat my dinner in a civilized manner, she would not allow me up, insisting on feeding me from her own hand, much as I had done for her three nights ago. As she placed morsels of chicken and cheese within my mouth, I asked her what she had done with herself all day.
"I spent most of the day caring for the horses and their furniture. I unfolded the tent, spreading it on the floor in the stable, hoping that it might have a chance to dry somewhat before we need it again. I had the innkeeper's wife wash some of our clothing, and then I purchased some food for the last leg of our journey. After all of that, I came back inside, ordered some food to bring up to you, and then I sat and watched you sleep, memorizing everything about your face as I did."
I blushed, somewhat abashed to know that she paid such attention to me while I was unaware of it. "Did you like what you saw, Éowyn?"
"Indeed, I did, my lord," she murmured, smiling broadly. With her index finger she traced the length of my face, starting at my hairline, proceeding between my eyes, down the length of my nose, over my lips, my chin, ending at the base of my throat, and I found my breath catching beneath her touch as she sought my pulse with her fingertips, my lifeblood flowing under her hand. "Are you well-rested, Faramir?" she asked me, not bothering awaiting my answer as her lips sought mine again, her hands roving sensuously over my skin. It was not long until she had coaxed both my body and my mind again to the heights of passion.
Afterwards, I held her as she slept soundly against me, and I anticipated our arrival in Dol Amroth, eager for my wife to view the sea at last.
After we rose the next morning and ate a large breakfast, we saddled our mounts and repacked our tent, deciding that the snow was not deep enough nor even drifted across the road enough to keep us from our journey any longer. Faramir paid the innkeeper well, and then we departed Ethring, following the road that wound beside the River Ringló, knowing the next city that we would see was Dol Amroth itself.
I was eager for us to be on our way, anyhow, wondering if Grima might be on his way to Ethring, and since we had dallied for an entire day due to the snow, I was worried that he might catch up to us. When we had been on the road for a couple of hours, I noticed that Faramir was glancing over to me quite often, a look of concern upon his features. "What is it, husband?" I finally asked him.
"I was just about to ask you the same thing, Éowyn. You are yet worried about that man?" I nodded. "Is there something else that you have not mentioned about him? I would not ask but for the fear in your eyes when you speak of him."
I averted my eyes, unused to being read so easily even by Faramir. I was uncertain if I should speak the whole truth of Grima Wormtongue, wondering what my husband's reaction would be if he knew how often the worm had watched me when I thought I was alone, how often he had touched me without my permission. I wondered what Faramir might do if he knew that had Lord Aragorn not arrived in Edoras when he did, that evil man would have had his way with me and none of my training as a shieldmaiden would have made a whit of difference against him. It worried me that Faramir might decide to kill Wormtongue to avenge my bruised honor, but it worried me almost as much that he might not.
"His evil is boundless," was all I could offer to my husband, saddened that I did not yet know my husband's mind as well as he knew mine.
"Éowyn, the Witch-King's evil was boundless, and you faced him down and slew him. This Grima is just a man. Will you not confide in me your fears, love?"
My heart was torn by his words, but I could not tell him yet. My lips would not form the words. "I cannot, Faramir," I said, and his face fell, wounding me further as I saw the hurt that I inflicted upon him by what must have seemed as obvious mistrust of him. But he yet surprised me again. He carefully schooled his features into a mask of calm acceptance.
"I am always ready to listen to aught that you wish to say to me, Éowyn, and there is nothing that you could say that could make me love you less, if that is your worry. Though I cannot force you to tell me your troubles, I am a very patient man, and I shall wait for you to feel comfortable speaking upon this subject, my love. Never fear me, please."
His words touched me deeply, and I hoped desperately that soon I might find a way to tell him of my past as I nodded and then retreated into my thoughts.