Far and Away

% Her Winter Passed%

Chapter 32

(%Author's note% this chapter contains scenes and lines from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King chapter The Steward and the King. This is my disclaimer to that chapter. I do not own LotR, JRR Tolkien does!! So enjoy this chapter! I hope you like it!  %End of author's note%)

Eowyn sat patiently on a stool while the Warden carefully examined her left arm. He gently applied pressure to her elbow and then her wrist. Eowyn flinched as he hit a sore point. He sighed and looked up at her.

"I'm sorry, my dear, but your arm hasn't fully healed yet. It has healed remarkable fast, but you should still try to avoid putting a lot of pressure on it." He walked over to a large bowl filled with hot warm and dipped a cloth into it. He poured some crushed athelas into the water and then lifted the cloth out. "Your shoulder down to your elbow is fine. It has healed quite nicely and it has almost regained its full strength." He slowly began to wrap her forearm with the cloth. "However," he continued, "Your forearm is still mending itself and I'm afraid it may take longer than you'd like for it to completely heal."

Eowyn nodded and watched intently as he wrapped the hot strip of linen around her wrist.

"Do you know how long it will take?" She looked up at him.

"The very soonest would be one week." He saw the disappointment in her eyes and he paused for a moment from his work. "My dear child." He lifted her chin so that he could look into her eyes. "I am doing my best. And now you must help me by caring for yourself. Will you promise me that?"

"Yes, of course."

The Warden smiled and nodded. He slipped the last few inches of cloth around her thumb and tied it securely. "There. It isn't too unsightly, now, is it Lady?" She smiled and shook her head. The elderly man patted her cheek and then turned to the man who stood in the corner. "Now, my lord, you must keep an eye out for this one. Make sure she doesn't do anything to hurt herself."

Faramir smiled. "Yes, Warden. I'll watch out for her." He looked at Eowyn tenderly.

The Warden grinned and got up heavily. "Well, be off you two! Let an old man have his rest!" He watched as Faramir helped Eowyn from the stool and the two of them left together. He sighed and walked over to shut the door.

Later that day, Eowyn was walking in the garden alone. She went over to the wall and sat down, resting against a pillar.

The city had seemed to have erupted over night. Hundreds of people ran to and from, making preparations for the King's return. Men were repairing buildings and cleaning up the streets. A stream of women and children coming back from the refuges flooded the lower levels of the city.

She gently touched her left arm. Its bandage was cover by the white sleeves of her dress, but she still felt self conscious about it. She sighed and pulled her knees up to her chest.

The soft fall of almost silent footsteps drew her attention to the inside of the courtyard. Faramir went over to Eowyn and sat beside her on the wall. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Well, Merry is safely off to see Pippin and the others. You should have been there. He was so excited...and he asked me to give you this." Faramir pulled a small white rose from behind his back and smiled. "He wanted to give it to you himself, but they wouldn't wait any longer for him, so he asked me to give it to you. May I?"

Eowyn nodded, a blush rising in her cheeks. Faramir leaned forward and gently brushing her hair from her face, place the rose behind her ear. Eowyn smiled softly and stroked the silky petals. "I wish I could have told him thank you."

"I'm sure he knows Eowyn." Faramir paused and then looked at Eowyn intently. "Why did you stay here? Why didn't you go with Merry to Cormallen to be with your brother?"

Eowyn looked directly into Faramir's eyes and said, "Do you not know?"

"I can think of two reasons, but I don't know which would be true."

Eowyn shook her head violently and rose swiftly. "Do not play puzzles or riddles with me Faramir! Speak plainer!"

Faramir rose slowly and stood at his full height in front of her. He looked down on her while she looked fiercely up at him. "As you wish." He said. "You're not going because it's only Eomer who is calling you to come celebrate with him, not Aragorn. That or-"Faramir paused, unsure of himself. His mind was struggling with itself and he seemed to be deep in thought.

"What is your second answer?" Eowyn said boldly. "Speak, Captain!" Eowyn's voice shook and she was on the verge of tears.

Faramir looked straight into her stormy blue eyes and said, "Because I am not going, neither do you."

Eowyn stepped back, as if slapped. This answer astonished her.

Faramir continued. "Maybe it is both and you simply cannot choose between them." He paused for a moment, waiting for a response. When none came, he took Eowyn's chin and turned it toward him. As their eyes met Faramir asked, "Do you not love me, or will you not?"

The silence that followed could have rocked the world. Eowyn's mouth had dropped open. Their eyes still held each other, almost afraid to look away. Finally Eowyn's answer broke the stillness.

"I wish to be loved by another, but I don't want your pity."

Faramir backed away. He looked at her with a fire that was building up inside of his soul. "I know that you wish someone else loved you. You wish it were Aragorn, because he is high and a great captain of men. Because he is to be king. And he is noble and brave and full of courage- the type of courage that any man longs for. But when he gave you understanding and pity, not love, you choose to take none of it. Instead you choose death. Isn't that right?" Eowyn looked away from him, avoiding eye contact. Faramir's lip quivered with frustration. "Look at me, Eowyn!"

Eowyn jumped slightly at the command and then turned to look at Faramir. She gazed right into his eyes.

"Don't cast aside pity Eowyn, for that is the gift of a gentle heart. But I don't offer you my pity. I know that you are a lady of rank and class and that you are strong. You are valiant and renown so that it will never be forgotten. And Eowyn, you are beautiful. I love you. And even if Aragorn were to choose you his bride and you be Queen of Gondor, still I would love you with my entire being. Eowyn, do you not love me?" Tears threatened in Faramir's eyes. He didn't dare to look away from Eowyn, for fear that she would some how be lost to him forever.

And as he held her gaze, a cloud seemed to lift from her eyes, and a burden carried away from her heart. His heart dared to skip a beat as she took a small step closer to him.

"The Shadow is gone," she whispered, "and all despair has left my body. I no longer desire to be a queen."

Faramir laughed out loud. It was a laugh that would warm your heart if you could have heard it, like someone rejoicing with his very soul. "That is very well, for I am not a king! I will wed you, Eowyn, if it is your will. And if it is your will, I promise you that we'll cross the River and we'll be happy in these better times. And all will be well with my soul, if you are there."

Eowyn stepped away from Faramir again and looked up at him. "So I must leave my own people, man of Gondor? What will you tell folk then? Will they say, 'There goes the man who tamed a wild shieldmadien from the North! Was there no woman of Gondor to choose?'"

"I would have them say that. For there is no one but you." Faramir smiled down at her and touched her cheek softly with his hand and kissed her softly. They broke for a moment and gazed at each other, both with smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes. Then Faramir wrapped his arms around her waist and she around his neck and they kissed, and the Steward didn't care that they stood where many could see them.

When they broke from their kiss again, Faramir gently took her arm and pulled her toward the hallway. "Come, there is something I wish to give my bride-to-be." He walked swiftly down the hall to his room. Once inside, he shut the door and paused for a moment to admire Eowyn.

Faramir had Eowyn sit down on his bed and then he went digging through his desk drawers, searching for his gift. After finding it, Faramir slowly stood to his feet and knelt before Eowyn. In his hand he held a small wooden box with a picture of a horse carved into the front of it.

Eowyn smiled and gently traced the wooden horse with her fingers. She tenderly took Faramir's hand and squeezed it with excitement.

Faramir grinned and then said, "Eowyn, White Lady of Rohan, Daughter of Edmund and Theodwyn, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife? I promise to cherish you forever and to always love you, until my dying breath."

Tears of happiness ran down Eowyn's face as she nodded. "Yes, yes, Faramir." Then she laughed, and Faramir picked her up in his arms and kissed her.

"Now, I believe it is my duty to give you this." He opened to box and drew out a silver ring with three small diamonds encrusted on it. He took Eowyn's right hand and slipped the ring over her finger. Faramir kissed her hand, then said, "I have one more gift to give." He pulled a necklace from the box and handed it to Eowyn.

She stared at the beautiful silver and diamond encrusted star the hung on a silver string. A small silver tree with six small stars hanging from its branches was picture inside the star.

"It's beautiful," Eowyn breathed.

"It was my mother's. It was a wedding gift from her father." Faramir gently pulled Eowyn's hair aside and clasped the necklace. "You look beautiful with it."

Eowyn blushed and leaned close to Faramir. "Thank you, my lord," she whispered, softly kissing him.

Faramir pulled away and smiled. "You're most welcome, my lady," he said, leaning in for another kiss.

No words can describe the joy that those two felt at that moment. They were two souls who had finally, after a long, hard journey, found each other. They were two lovers who were eternally bound by their love.

(%Author's Note%) Alright, it's so sad, but this story is almost over...would you like at least one more chapter with their wedding?! Please, Review! Thank you to all of you who have stuck it out with me the entire time (thanks so much Lirenel!) This chapter is dedicated to all the faithfuls out there! (%end of author's note%)