A/N: Again I know a lot in the beginning of this chapter is from the novel, but I did add a little extra scene at the end. So I hope you enjoy it, and thanks again for all the reviews.
Day 10
The next day the Warden of the Houses spoke with Faramir, for he was troubled as he watched Éowyn walk alone in the garden, and noticed that her face grew pale again. He said that it seemed that in the entire City, only she was ailing and sorrowful. When Faramir heard this, he was concerned and went to find her.
The sun was near setting when Faramir found Éowyn. She stood alone on the walls of the City. Faramir watched her slowly pacing back and forth, lost deep in her own thoughts and sorrows. Though her mien was sorrowful, she wore raiment of pale gold that made her seem to glow like the setting sun. She finally stopped pacing and stood looking out into the mountains, waiting.
Faramir finally took his place by her side and said to her, "Éowyn, why do you tarry here, and do not go to the rejoicing in Cormallen beyond Cair Andros, where your brother awaits you?"
"Do you not know?" she simply replied still looking out into the mountains.
"Two reasons there may be, but which is true, I do not know."
Éowyn turned to look at Faramir her brow furrowed. "I do not wish to play at riddles. Speak plainer."
"Then if you will have it so, lady," he said, " you do not go, because only your brother called for you, and to look on the Lord Aragorn, in his triumph would now bring you no joy; or because I do not go and you desire still to be near me. And maybe for both these reasons and you yourself cannot choose between them. Éowyn, do you not love me, or will you not?"
"I wished to be loved by another," she answered, "but I desire no man's pity."
"That I know," he said. "You desired to have the love of the Lord Aragorn. But when he gave you only understanding and pity, then you desired to have nothing, unless a brave death in battle. Look at me, Éowyn."
Éowyn raised her grey eyes to look at Faramir long and steadily. "Do not scorn pity that is the gift of a gentle heart, Éowyn! But I do not offer you my pity. For I love you. Once I pitied your sorrow. But now, even were you sorrowless, without fear or any lack, even were you the blissful Queen of Gondor, still I would love you. Éowyn, do you not love me?"
As she heard those words from Faramir's lips and looked into his eyes again, she knew to whom she had lost her heart, and he stood before her proclaiming his love for her. Immediately sorrow left her and the flame of life returned to her cheeks and heart. And she smiled a radiant smile, which gave pleasure to Faramir's heart.
"I stand in Minas Anor, the Tower of the Sun," she said, "and behold the Shadow has departed. I will be a shieldmaiden no longer, nor vie with the great Riders, nor take joy only in songs of slaying. I will be a healer, and love all things that grow and are not barren." And again she looked at Faramir. "No longer do I desire to be queen."
Then Faramir laughed merrily. "That is well," he said, "for I am not a king. Yet I will wed the White Lady of Rohan, if it be her will. And if she will, then let us cross the River and in happier days. Let us dwell in fair Ithilien and there make a garden. All things will grow with joy there, if the White lady comes."
"Then must I leave my own people, man of Gondor? And would you have your proud folk say of you: "There goes a lord who tamed a wild shieldmaiden of the North! Was there no woman of the race of Númenor to choose?" she teased.
"I would," said Faramir said proudly, and he took her in his arms and kissed her under the sunlit sky, and he cared not that they stood high upon the walls in the sight of many.
They returned to Houses of Healing hand in hand smiling radiantly with their love for each other.
"Warden, here is the Lady Éowyn of Rohan, and now she is healed," Faramir said presenting her to the Warden.
"Then I release her from my charge and bid her farewell, and may she suffer never hurt nor sickness again. I commend her to the care of the Steward of the City, until her brother returns."
Éowyn blushed when the Warden placed her in the care of the Steward, for hearing it only brought joy into her heart. But she was still not ready to leave the House.
"Yet now that I have leave to depart, I would remain. For this House has become to me of all dwellings the most blessed," she said with a smile. "I shall wait here, until my brother comes."
"Very well, my lady, shall we go to the gardens and watch the sun set," Faramir asked. "Though I do not think I shall ever seen darkness again with you shining ever so radiantly by my side, my angel of light."
"Do you not have any other duties to attend to, my lord?" Éowyn asked.
"My duties for the day are completed, but I have neglected but one,"
"And which duty is that?"
"To tame my wild shieldmaiden." He said as he kissed her on the brow and led her into the garden of the House again.
The sun had set and a starry night had covered the land. Éowyn now wore her starry mantle over her golden dress as she laid her head on Faramir's shoulder. They both stood together watching the night sky.
"How I have missed seeing the stars in the night sky," Éowyn said.
"How I have missed standing out here with you," Faramir replied. "Do you not wish to see your brother?" he asked.
"I do wish to see him, but I also wish to remember this moment, this place, the days we spent together here."
"But we will spend more days together, since you have agreed to be my wife." Éowyn blushed.
"But in the last several days, you changed something within me. You helped me look into myself to search for what I truly desired."
"I presume you have found what you searched for," Faramir said.
"Yes," she smiled. "You and your love was what I was searched for."
"And you shall have it, fair Éowyn," he said and he kissed her under the moonlight. They stood together lost in each other's eyes and smiles.
"Now I see why my sister did not wish to come to Cormallen and celebrate the downfall of Darkness with her dear brother," said a male voice as he entered the garden. "She has found something else to rejoice about, as the Warden has told me."
"Éomer!" Éowyn cried when she looked away from her love and saw her brother. She immediately left Faramir's embrace to welcome her brother with open arms. "How I have missed you," she said.
"Apparently, you did not miss me as much as you express, for when I sent for you to come to Cormellan, you promptly decline, and stated that you were still ill," Éomer chided. "But from what I see you seem well and even more beautiful, then when I last saw you."
"The last time you saw me was when I was lying ill and near the brink of darkness," she reminded Éomer.
"Indeed, but now you are far from the brink of darkness. Yet you waited for me to come to you. You are truly a demanding lady," her brother said.
"I must apologize, for I was the reason for your sister's ailment when you sent for her before," Faramir said as he approached Éomer.
"Is this true?" Éomer asked his sister. Éowyn blushed. "Then it is true. Look how her cheeks redden," Éomer teased. "I am Éomer of Rohan, Éowyn's elder brother," Éomer introduced himself to Faramir.
"I am Faramir, Steward of the City, and the cause of your sister's ailment," Faramir said smiling.
"What ever the ailment you have caused, I see that it has been cured, for I no longer sense the ever present winter that once shrouded her. I thank you," Éomer said.
"I have heard much about you, Éomer; your sister speaks highly of you."
"Has she? It is more likely she told you that I would not allow her join in battles like the men and often teased her when we were children," Éomer said looking at Éowyn.
"She did speak of that, but she also spoke of you as being her dear brother who always protected and supported her," Faramir said.
"It is good to hear that my sister still loves me so dearly."
"Indeed she does, but since you are her dear brother and she is the shieldmaiden under your charge, I ask you for her hand in marriage," Faramir said as Éowyn returned to his side and clasped her hands to his.
"Marriage?" Éomer asked surprised and looked at his sister, who blushed at his question. "I see much has changed in the past few days."
"Yes," Éowyn said softly, "much has."
"Is this what you wish?" Éomer asked Éowyn, for he thought his sister's affections lie with Lord Aragorn. As he saw her standing and smiling next to Faramir, he knew it was not so.
"Yes, this is what I wish," she replied moving closer to Faramir.
"Very well, I, Éomer, grant you, Faramir, Steward of Gondor, Éowyn, the White Lady of Rohan's hand in marriage."
"Thank you," Éowyn said as she wrapped her arms around her brother in another embrace.
"Come, my sister and brother-to-be, we shall drink to these joyous tidings," Éomer said as they walked into the House to feast and drink for the rest of the evening.