A/N: I have this planned out now. And if anyone knows about the calendars used in the Appendices I would greatly appreciate it if you would tell me how many days are in July in the calendar used. Thank you!
Disclaimer: Don't own them.
Dedication: To SpiritofEowyn, thank you for the e-mails and the talks. It really made a difference.
Flushed with success from his battle with Éomer, Faramir rushed to tell Éowyn. Half way down one of the halls he was running down, he realized that he did not know where she was, nor whether or not she had spoken to her brother yet. He decided that he would find her later, for now he was happy that Éomer was being reasonable.
Éowyn sat in her room, wringing her hands at the thoughts crossing her mind. Maybe he did nothing at all and just talked with him, she hoped. No, that's not what Éomer would do. She stood and paced. There was nothing she could do at the moment. No, she corrected herself, that is not true. There was plenty for her to do, but there was no use. She could not sit for more than a few minutes at a time. Her mind was elsewhere anyway. She stopped her pacing and began the next part of the routine she had done for most of the morning. She picked up a book on healing, read the same sentence three times, and gave up. She was getting less and less productive as time wore on.
Éowyn felt like she was going to scream with anticipation when she heard a knock at her door. She jumped up and was about to open it, when she thought of who it might be. Instead of throwing the door open like she wanted to, she calmly asked, "Who is there?"
"Your brother." Éomer answered.
Éowyn let out a little sigh of disappointment. This was not the person she hoped it would be, but at least it was some one. She opened the door and Éomer entered.
"I saw Faramir this morning." He said, hiding every emotion from his voice.
"Oh, did you speak of anything?" Éowyn wanted to get her brother to tell her everything, and with the way she felt at the moment, with force preferably.
"About things, such as your defenses. Not as much talk as actions shall I say." Éomer said.
Éowyn thought of what this could mean. Defenses, the word rang in her head. Slowly she thought of what he could have done. "Éomer, did you challenge Faramir to a fight?"
"I did. Would you join me for lunch?" He asked.
"How did the fight end?" Éowyn asked.
"Maybe you could show me the gardens afterward." Éomer avoided her questions.
Éowyn's temper got the better of her at that point. They were close enough to the wall that what she did did not take as much strength as it could have. She shoved Éomer to the wall, pinning him. She locked eyes with him. "How did the fight end, Éomer?" Her words were dripped with rage.
"He won." Was all Éomer could say.
Éowyn stared, let go of Éomer, but still stared. "You lost?" Was all she could say.
"Yes. Faramir knows how to wield a weapon. Now, are you going to answer my question about lunch?"
"Yes, I will go with you."
"Good, I will meet you here then." With that, Éomer turned and left, leaving Éowyn very relieved.
Éomer looked for Faramir in the only place that he could think to find him. He knocked on the door to his study.
Faramir, deciding it might be better to get the door, went and opened it. Éomer looked at him.
"Would you join Éowyn and I for lunch today?"
"Yes." Faramir said, trying to control his joy at the fact that Éowyn would be there.
"Good." With that Éomer turned and left.
Faramir closed the door slowly and had to suppress his desire to shout with joy.
Faramir waited for Éowyn and Éomer to arrive at the hall. He kept looking down, waiting for them to come. He thought it would be impolite to go in before they arrived and wanted to make a good impression on Éomer. Though, why he was worried about that now he could not understand. Faramir looked down the hall again and saw the two approaching. Éomer seemed to be less imposing than before, which Faramir felt a great relief about. He opened the door for them and they took seats at one of the tables. Food and ale was brought to the table.
Faramir and Éowyn shared a look and turned to Éomer. He was taking a large swig of ale when they both turned to him. Éomer set down his mug and looked at the two of them. "Are you going to eat as well?" He asked, since they had not touched their plates. They began to eat, Éomer just paying attention to the food, while Éowyn and Faramir, between looking at each other, looked at Éomer.
Éomer finished and cleared his throat. "I have been thinking about the," Éomer paused to think about a good word for what he thought they had, "relationship you two have. And I believe that it is the right thing."
Éowyn forgot her food and reached over and hugged Éomer. "Thank you." She whispered.
"I do not think you should be thanking me so soon." Éomer said.
Éowyn let go of him. "Why?"
"I said it is the right thing, but we are to leave soon," Éowyn's face fell, "Éowyn, you knew that. I do not think you should be alone together. You can see each other, as long as some one is with you." Éomer said.
Éowyn opened her mouth to protest, but Faramir spoke before her. "I do not think that is an unreasonable request Éomer." He said.
Éowyn just looked between the two of them, not knowing whether to be upset or not. She decided to hold her tongue and to keep every emotion from her face. Instead, after looking away, she began to sneer at her food, no longer wanting any of it.
Faramir and Éomer talked happily while Éowyn was seething. She began to wonder if she would be able to talk with anyone alone again, or chose anything else in her life.
"I never thought that a Man of Gondor would know so much about horses." Éomer said.
Faramir shrugged. "My cousins in Dol Amroth told me about them whenever I came to visit."
Éomer looked over at Éowyn, smiling. "Now that I think we are all finished, would you like to show me around the gardens now?" Éomer asked her.
Éowyn nodded, though she did not feel like showing Éomer anything but the end of a sword.
Outside, the day was warm and bright. It was beginning to feel like spring, the lingering cold of the Shadow was no longer overhead and people were taking notice more and more for it. This did not seem to brighten Éowyn's mood as she walked with her brother and Faramir. Éomer began to take a lead on them, thinking it would be nice to let them have some time to talk. That, and Faramir's ramblings were beginning to annoy Éomer.
When Éomer began his faster pace, Faramir slowed his and hoped Éowyn would do the same. She kept the one she was at, not feeling in the mood to talk to anyone yet.
"Éowyn." Faramir whispered. She kept her pace. "Éowyn." Faramir said a little louder. She had to slow to let him come to her level. She took his pace, but reluctantly.
"Éowyn, why has your mood changed?" She tried not to show her surprise at this. Her brother had not even made a comment.
"I do not know why you thought it was such a wonderful idea that we should never be alone together." Éowyn spat under her breath.
"But it is. And your brother will not be the one to be with us all the time. I am sure that there is some one who will say that they are with us, we can have time to ourselves." Faramir said with a smile.
"And how do you propose that?" Éowyn asked.
"As I said, there are people who will say that they were with us, and they can be. There are rooms where there can be other people in the room and no one would know." Éowyn understood what Faramir had said and began to think that this idea was not as bad as she thought.
A/N: Hopefully the next chapter will be sooner than this one. Please review and say what you think!
Responses:
LiL Pippin Padfoot: Ah well, I have done the whole watching a TV show while reading. Thanks for the review!
Dark Borg Drone: Éowyn does get her boy, her very smart boy. Thanks for the review!
Ziroana: I felt like there should be a little mystery in what Éomer would do. But it all worked out in the end didn't it? Thanks for the review!
Rachel791: Thanks for the review!
SpiritofEowyn: Yes, I pass the pet peeves test! A written exam shall come, not soon, but it will come. Thanks for the review!
Raksha The Demon: Yes, that was what I was thinking. I know that if they were to do this again, Faramir would have a harder time doing a repeat performance of the first little duel. It could be a draw, but they both have their advantages. Thanks for the review!
Queen Arwen: Yes, poor Éomer's ego, I guess I need to help him make up for that terrible loss. Should be fun. Thanks for the review as always!
