On the third day in Rivendell, Eowyn woke in her chamber to warmth.
It was not exactly what one would call warm, but nevertheless warmer than
the previous day. She pushed off the many blankets and stood. The morning
sun was bright and warm on her face. She retrieved her cloak from the end
of the bed and walked to the door. Opening it, she heard footsteps down the
hall. She quickened her pace and walked towards them.
It was one of the accompanying guards. He was tall, with dark hair and eyes and a greying beard. Eowyn knew he went by the name of Castimar, but she had exchanged few words with him. He bowed his head to her, and she returned the gesture.
"Lady."
"Castimar." She replied courteously. "Where is the Queen?"
"She has gone down to the river with Eldarion, my lady."
"Thank you."
Eowyn walked down the hall, crossed the courtyard, nodding briefly to some of the guards, and to where Luthien was tied to a tree. The horse reared her head when Eowyn came into view, tugging against the rope, eager for freedom.
"And how have you been, Luthien?" Eowyn took the horse's nose into her hand, and scratched her ears gently. "We're going down to the river. I assume you'd like a drink?"
Luthien whinnied. Taking it as a consent, Eowyn mounted her, tapped her lightly in the sides, and directed her down the pathway.
She arrived at the river soon enough. The pebbles shifted under Luthien's feet. Arwen was sitting with Eldarion at the riverbank, pointing at the sky. She turned as she heard Eowyn approach, smiled, and stood up.
Eowyn dismounted and walked to Arwen.
"You!" Eldarion hid behind his mother's long robe.
"Yes, me," Eowyn couldn't help smiling, and bent down to Eldarion's level. He peeked out from behind his shelter, and seeing Eowyn, quickly hid again.
"Oh, good god, be cordial, Eldarion," Arwen sighed, pulling Eldarion from behind her.
Eldarion emerged from behind Arwen's skirts, and said in a barely audible voice, "Lady."
"Young prince," Eowyn said, inclining her head, feeling as if she might laugh. "I just woke, and Castimar said you had gone to the river."
"Yes, Castimar was right. I am here." A smile flirted on Arwen's lips. "I always loved this river."
"And now?"
Arwen paused. "I still love it. As does Eldarion," she looked down at her son with pride. "Rivendell and him seem to have made a good impression upon one another."
Eowyn smiled in agreement. "I don't think he'll be inclined to leave it."
"No?" Arwen raised her eyebrows. "No, I don't think he will. What do you think, Eldarion? Will you be happy to leave Rivendell?"
"No," Eldarion replied decidedly.
"There you are, Eowyn, you were correct. And he has planted a seed of thought in my mind."
Eowyn looked inquisitively at the Queen.
"Walk with me," Arwen asked.
Eowyn fell into step beside Arwen as they walked back towards the gleaming city, and the Queen began to speak.
"What would you think, Eowyn, if Rivendell was renewed? Its libraries used, its pathways echoing with footsteps, and laughter? Would it be an act of heresy against my father and his legacy? Or would it be one of the processes of renewal and rebirth that Middle Earth is going through right now?"
Eowyn stopped walking, and looked at Arwen in a sort of shock. "Rehabilitate Rivendell?"
"If you would like to call it that, then yes," Arwen said, suddenly looking nervous.
Eowyn paused, considering it. "I would call it one of the best things that has happened since the ring was destroyed."
Arwen laughed. "Of which there are many, dear Eowyn. But if it could happen...I long to see this place alive...I will propose it on our immediate return to Minas Tirith. I do not think my husband will deny me."
Eowyn smiled. "It is good to see you smiling, Queen."
"Please, Eowyn, abandon your silly formalities and call me Arwen."
"Of course. Arwen," Eowyn added hastily.
"Thank you, that suits me much better. Eldarion..." Arwen turned to her son, who was arranging pebbles haphazardly around his mother's feet. "What are you doing?"
"I'm making you a shrine."
They exchanged a look and laughed. "Come on, Eldarion. Aren't you hungry?"
"Yes, Mother."
"Then let's walk back."
Arwen and Eowyn walked alongside each other in silence for a few minutes, Arwen watching Eldarion with sharp eyes and Eowyn leading Luthien by the bridle.
"You are skilled with horses," Arwen remarked.
"Thank you. I learned when I was young. Your husband is the miracle worker, however, not I."
"They always seem to take a liking to him, don't they?"
"Yes, they do indeed."
"You speak very affectionately about my husband."
Eowyn looked sideways towards the Queen, whose eyes were cast downwards. She pulled Luthien uncomfortably, not knowing what to say.
"You are very fond of him."
Eowyn could not deny it. "Yes, I am," she murmured. "He has done much for me."
Arwen was silent for a few moments. "He is a good man."
"Undoubtedly so."
The tension in the air was very thick. Eldarion cut it by bounding up to his mother and demanding for her hand. Arwen occupied him by asking the boy to fetch her a flower.
"You are a good woman, Eowyn," Arwen said as Eldarion bounded up the path. "You will do the right thing."
Eowyn didn't exactly understand what Arwen meant, and so she remained silent.
Arwen stopped walking and turned to face her. "Promise me, that if anything should happen to me, you will look after my son."
"Lady, that is granted, but nothing will happen to you," Eowyn replied earnestly.
"Thank you," Arwen began to walk again. "Go tell Castimar to assemble the men. We will leave at first light tomorrow."
"Yes, my lady," Eowyn said, and mounted Luthien. "I will tell him immediately." Luthien trotted forward.
"And Eowyn?" Called Arwen from behind her.
Eowyn reared the horse and turned back.
Arwen was smiling. "Don't forget your book."
* * *
Author's Note:
Heeheehee! What I said certainly got a response, didn't it? Controversy, controversy! I'm having way too much fun with this, I had no idea fanfic could be this fun. And everyone's different ideas. Wow. My email was literally flooded. I enjoyed reading everyone's different critiques, both compliments and objections. I'm not going to reveal my entire story to you now (unfortunately) but there is going to be some Eowyn-Aragorn sexual tension, just like in my summary. Because I think that Eowyn is a much better match for Aragorn. But don't get me wrong. I like Arwen. If you look closely at my story, I portray Arwen is a beautiful person, and Eowyn loves her as a friend, though Eowyn is having problems with her jealousy of Arwen and her guilt for loving Aragorn. Arwen's wise and pretty and Aragorn really does love her, I think, but Eowyn's the more interesting person, because of her inner demons and what not. Firstly, Eowyn did ride to battle in a semi-death-wish, not like she was really LOOKING for death but she felt that, if she died, at least she would have renown. All her feelings of being shut up, and loving Aragorn, etc., were making her go crazy. But the end of Return of the King shows her happy and fulfilled with Faramir, and at a point in time where she has realized that running away from one's problems isn't the way to solve them. My story is about after the happily- ever-after. She still does have feelings for Aragorn, and because of her friendship with Arwen, she feels conflicted about it. She feels horrible about her feelings for Aragorn too, because she has a husband and a beautiful child, both of whom she loves dearly. 'Cause life ain't never perfect, and we all know that.
END OF TANGENT. I DIGRESS AGAIN.
Appreciating the critism...thanks to all my reviewers!
It was one of the accompanying guards. He was tall, with dark hair and eyes and a greying beard. Eowyn knew he went by the name of Castimar, but she had exchanged few words with him. He bowed his head to her, and she returned the gesture.
"Lady."
"Castimar." She replied courteously. "Where is the Queen?"
"She has gone down to the river with Eldarion, my lady."
"Thank you."
Eowyn walked down the hall, crossed the courtyard, nodding briefly to some of the guards, and to where Luthien was tied to a tree. The horse reared her head when Eowyn came into view, tugging against the rope, eager for freedom.
"And how have you been, Luthien?" Eowyn took the horse's nose into her hand, and scratched her ears gently. "We're going down to the river. I assume you'd like a drink?"
Luthien whinnied. Taking it as a consent, Eowyn mounted her, tapped her lightly in the sides, and directed her down the pathway.
She arrived at the river soon enough. The pebbles shifted under Luthien's feet. Arwen was sitting with Eldarion at the riverbank, pointing at the sky. She turned as she heard Eowyn approach, smiled, and stood up.
Eowyn dismounted and walked to Arwen.
"You!" Eldarion hid behind his mother's long robe.
"Yes, me," Eowyn couldn't help smiling, and bent down to Eldarion's level. He peeked out from behind his shelter, and seeing Eowyn, quickly hid again.
"Oh, good god, be cordial, Eldarion," Arwen sighed, pulling Eldarion from behind her.
Eldarion emerged from behind Arwen's skirts, and said in a barely audible voice, "Lady."
"Young prince," Eowyn said, inclining her head, feeling as if she might laugh. "I just woke, and Castimar said you had gone to the river."
"Yes, Castimar was right. I am here." A smile flirted on Arwen's lips. "I always loved this river."
"And now?"
Arwen paused. "I still love it. As does Eldarion," she looked down at her son with pride. "Rivendell and him seem to have made a good impression upon one another."
Eowyn smiled in agreement. "I don't think he'll be inclined to leave it."
"No?" Arwen raised her eyebrows. "No, I don't think he will. What do you think, Eldarion? Will you be happy to leave Rivendell?"
"No," Eldarion replied decidedly.
"There you are, Eowyn, you were correct. And he has planted a seed of thought in my mind."
Eowyn looked inquisitively at the Queen.
"Walk with me," Arwen asked.
Eowyn fell into step beside Arwen as they walked back towards the gleaming city, and the Queen began to speak.
"What would you think, Eowyn, if Rivendell was renewed? Its libraries used, its pathways echoing with footsteps, and laughter? Would it be an act of heresy against my father and his legacy? Or would it be one of the processes of renewal and rebirth that Middle Earth is going through right now?"
Eowyn stopped walking, and looked at Arwen in a sort of shock. "Rehabilitate Rivendell?"
"If you would like to call it that, then yes," Arwen said, suddenly looking nervous.
Eowyn paused, considering it. "I would call it one of the best things that has happened since the ring was destroyed."
Arwen laughed. "Of which there are many, dear Eowyn. But if it could happen...I long to see this place alive...I will propose it on our immediate return to Minas Tirith. I do not think my husband will deny me."
Eowyn smiled. "It is good to see you smiling, Queen."
"Please, Eowyn, abandon your silly formalities and call me Arwen."
"Of course. Arwen," Eowyn added hastily.
"Thank you, that suits me much better. Eldarion..." Arwen turned to her son, who was arranging pebbles haphazardly around his mother's feet. "What are you doing?"
"I'm making you a shrine."
They exchanged a look and laughed. "Come on, Eldarion. Aren't you hungry?"
"Yes, Mother."
"Then let's walk back."
Arwen and Eowyn walked alongside each other in silence for a few minutes, Arwen watching Eldarion with sharp eyes and Eowyn leading Luthien by the bridle.
"You are skilled with horses," Arwen remarked.
"Thank you. I learned when I was young. Your husband is the miracle worker, however, not I."
"They always seem to take a liking to him, don't they?"
"Yes, they do indeed."
"You speak very affectionately about my husband."
Eowyn looked sideways towards the Queen, whose eyes were cast downwards. She pulled Luthien uncomfortably, not knowing what to say.
"You are very fond of him."
Eowyn could not deny it. "Yes, I am," she murmured. "He has done much for me."
Arwen was silent for a few moments. "He is a good man."
"Undoubtedly so."
The tension in the air was very thick. Eldarion cut it by bounding up to his mother and demanding for her hand. Arwen occupied him by asking the boy to fetch her a flower.
"You are a good woman, Eowyn," Arwen said as Eldarion bounded up the path. "You will do the right thing."
Eowyn didn't exactly understand what Arwen meant, and so she remained silent.
Arwen stopped walking and turned to face her. "Promise me, that if anything should happen to me, you will look after my son."
"Lady, that is granted, but nothing will happen to you," Eowyn replied earnestly.
"Thank you," Arwen began to walk again. "Go tell Castimar to assemble the men. We will leave at first light tomorrow."
"Yes, my lady," Eowyn said, and mounted Luthien. "I will tell him immediately." Luthien trotted forward.
"And Eowyn?" Called Arwen from behind her.
Eowyn reared the horse and turned back.
Arwen was smiling. "Don't forget your book."
* * *
Author's Note:
Heeheehee! What I said certainly got a response, didn't it? Controversy, controversy! I'm having way too much fun with this, I had no idea fanfic could be this fun. And everyone's different ideas. Wow. My email was literally flooded. I enjoyed reading everyone's different critiques, both compliments and objections. I'm not going to reveal my entire story to you now (unfortunately) but there is going to be some Eowyn-Aragorn sexual tension, just like in my summary. Because I think that Eowyn is a much better match for Aragorn. But don't get me wrong. I like Arwen. If you look closely at my story, I portray Arwen is a beautiful person, and Eowyn loves her as a friend, though Eowyn is having problems with her jealousy of Arwen and her guilt for loving Aragorn. Arwen's wise and pretty and Aragorn really does love her, I think, but Eowyn's the more interesting person, because of her inner demons and what not. Firstly, Eowyn did ride to battle in a semi-death-wish, not like she was really LOOKING for death but she felt that, if she died, at least she would have renown. All her feelings of being shut up, and loving Aragorn, etc., were making her go crazy. But the end of Return of the King shows her happy and fulfilled with Faramir, and at a point in time where she has realized that running away from one's problems isn't the way to solve them. My story is about after the happily- ever-after. She still does have feelings for Aragorn, and because of her friendship with Arwen, she feels conflicted about it. She feels horrible about her feelings for Aragorn too, because she has a husband and a beautiful child, both of whom she loves dearly. 'Cause life ain't never perfect, and we all know that.
END OF TANGENT. I DIGRESS AGAIN.
Appreciating the critism...thanks to all my reviewers!