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dalleyan · 3 years

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Destiny (Ch. 3 of new LoTR story posted, 11-11-20)

All her life, the prophecy had shadowed everything she did. Now that she was of age, and the world seemed to be ending, was it possible the Istar had been mistaken? Complete in 8 chapters.

Chapter 3

Not for the first time, Eomer watched the woman slipping along the edges of the hall. He had glimpsed her at supper, sitting beside Amrothos, though he did not know her name or what connection she might have with his friend. Clearly they were well acquainted, for they had laughed and talked through the entire meal, and he had seen them dancing together several times afterwards.

He wasn’t quite sure why it was that he had initially taken such notice of her, though her beauty certainly drew the eye. Still, he had seen beauty before and not been overly swayed by it. Perhaps, then, it was his curiosity. He was a soldier, and he knew evasive tactics when he saw them. She was obviously avoiding something…or someone. No amount of study on his part, however, could determine what precisely she was attempting to elude.

He had just taken a swallow of wine and was considering asking someone about her when Eowyn approached. This was not the sister he had thought he left behind in Rohan, or who had looked at him with lifeless eyes in the Houses after nearly dying on the field of battle. Eowyn’s eyes now shone with joy, and she caught his hand, distracting him from the woman skirting the room.

“Eomer! Come! There is someone I wish you to meet!” she told him, a note of breathless excitement in her voice.

He finished the wine in two swallows and set down the goblet. Well, whatever had effected this change in Eowyn, he would not complain. He had despaired of ever seeing her happy again. To return to Minas Tirith and find her healthy both in body and spirit had been gratifying. He let her lead the way, and it soon became apparent they were making their way toward the Steward of Gondor. He had seen the man first at the Gate today, and Erchirion had mentioned something while they were at the Field of Cormallen about the Steward being a cousin. This day had been so chaotic, particularly with all the celebrating and reunions, that although Eomer had been briefly introduced to Faramir, they had managed little more than a nod of acknowledgement before being swept apart to other greetings.

“My lord Faramir, I would have you meet my brother, Eomer, King of Rohan. Eomer, this is Faramir, Steward of Gondor.”

Eomer inclined his head to the man, unclear as to the reason for this particular introduction being so specifically made by his sister, but then Eowyn moved closer to the man. As she looked up at him, the truth became quite evident – Eowyn loved him! Immediately Eomer’s eyes flicked back to the Gondorian, but the Steward was not looking at him. Instead, his own eyes were riveted on Eowyn, and Eomer could clearly read the love there. The challenge he had been about to offer died on his tongue. He did not know how this had come to be, but this went well beyond the way that Eowyn had looked at Aragorn. Then, he suspected she had only truly admired a great warrior, who she thought could free her from her cage. This was more; this was real.

He let out an inaudible sigh. It could only mean one thing – that soon Eowyn would be gone from him, come to Gondor to be a wife. While he rejoiced for her, it brought a lonely ache to his heart at the thought of being alone at Edoras, all of his family lost to him in one fashion or another. Still, he would not deny her this moment. He forced a smile to his lips, asking teasingly, “Is there some particular reason you felt the need to drag me over to meet the Steward, Eowyn. We were introduced before, and I am sure we would have met again in due course.”

For an instant, he had caught her off her guard and she faltered. Then her eyes narrowed and he knew she had realized his teasing. “I thought you might wish to become better acquainted! I highly recommend it, as I expect the two of you will become closely associated in the future!” she retorted.

No, he couldn’t let her win that easily. Raising an eyebrow questioningly, he said, “Why would I have any special reason to associate with Gondor’s Steward? We may meet occasionally when I am in Mundburg to visit with Aragorn, but otherwise I doubt our paths will have much reason to cross.”

Something in Faramir’s countenance told him that the man had caught on to the siblings’ byplay, and that he was not fooled by Eomer’s pretended disinterest. “Perhaps your sister feels you will wish to be acquainted with me, as I will likely be King Elessar’s liaison with Rohan going forward. I am apt to be in your company more often than you presently expect.”

Eomer suppressed a chuckle. The man was good! Nodding slightly, he shrugged. “I suppose it is possible. Very well. I am pleased to make your acquaintance. I do hope you are not one of those soft noblemen that I so despise.”

A low growl erupted from Eowyn. “Eomer!” Before she could chastize him, though, he grinned, and Faramir followed suit. Once again, Eowyn faltered, but Eomer didn’t give her a chance to speak.

“And what would be the true reason for this meeting, if I may ask?” No point in beating around the bush; he was a straightforward man.

“It is very simple, really,” Faramir answered with total aplomb. “I am deeply in love with your sister and wish to request her hand in marriage. As she has indicated a similar disposition in the matter, I believe this introduction is Eowyn’s attempt to begin the process.”

Honest and plain-spoken, if a bit presumptuous. But better that the man make clear his intentions than attempt to disguise them, whilst seeking Eomer’s good favor.

continue reading on AO3:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/27393160/chapters/67284202

#Eomer #Lothiriel #eothiriel #Lord of the Rings #LOTR #Eowyn #Faramir #Erchirion #Aragorn #Legolas #Gimli

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garden-ghoul · 7 years

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return of the blog, part 9

“I don’t want to stop thinking about the space opera version of the legendarium...”

THE FIELD OF CORMALLEN

The moment Sauron gets distracted and begins to doubt himself, every single one of his solders feels the hand lighten up on the back of their neck and goes “oh fuck, what am I doing?” WAIT. SO THE WAY SAURON KEEPS HIS SOLDIERS FROM DESERTING IS CONSTANTLY MIND CONTROLLING EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM? No, no, that probably only works when they’re all gathered together like this. Still, that’s a hell of a thing to be able to do. Think of all the stuff he could get done if he stopped spending 500% of his energy breathing down everyone’s necks!

Orodruin wheezes out a huge puff of black smoke. It’s Sauron, probably, or at least a metaphor for Sauron. He reaches out a threatening hand, but gets blown away by the wind before he can touch the Western Alliance. The people whose wills he enslaved are so confused that they start running around knocking into each other, tripping on their swords and dying, killing each other, they just do not know what is going on and it has massive casualties. A few of the humans who actually do hate the West hunker down and prepare to fight, but everyone else is running around like headless chickens. Gandalf asks Gwaihir to come fly him to Orodruin. Gwaihir is like “bro I am always here for you, I love you so much.” It’s very sweet and I want to hear more about their relationship.

Very jarringly, without so much as a section break (at least in my bootleg online copy) Frodo repeats his line from the end of last chapter, and then goes on to say some more extremely depressing things. Sam insists on walking a ways down the mountain, because what else are they going to do? But they fetch up in front of a huge pyroclastic flow so, no dice. Just as the eagles spot them, they both pass out. I really like how they each need an entire eagle to carry them, even though they are about a hundred pounds each probably, and I previously assumed these were giant eagles. Maybe they are... eagles that are only slightly larger than normal earth eagles?? Like, a condor and a half. Huge birds, but still of earthly proportion. Love it.

On April 8th, Sam wakes up again, and thinks he’s dreaming. This is nice and all, but they were literally starving when they were last awake several weeks ago (March 25th, Gandalf helpfully reminds us, which has now been declared new year’s day in Gondor). Unless someone invented intravenous feeding tubes while I wasn’t looking, they should be dead.

No. uh. ~~magic!~~

They walk outside (they’re in Ithilien, but Aragorn seems to be having his coronation here anyway? rather than in Minas Tirith?) and a bunch of people are shouting “PRAISE THE HOBBITS! PRAISE THEM WITH GREAT PRAISE! SAM AND FRODO HIP HIP HOORAY!” Which is extremely embarrassing. Even Aragorn, the guy of the day, takes their hands and shouts “PRAISE THEM WITH GREAT PRAISE!” This is starting to feel a little bit like a weird horror story, like where you wake up and the world has been altered in some way and everyone is acting Off and nobody will explain anything and it’s upsetting.

Sam, however, is just happy that someone wrote a song about Frodo.

They talk with everyone and feast and stuff for the whole day. Also apparently it’s Aragorn who kept them alive with his ~healing True King hands~. This still explains nothing. And I guess on May Day Aragorn is returning to Minas Tirith, for symbolism reasons. Waves a tiny flag apathetically. This was a very dull chapter because everything was summarized instead of told properly; we were supposed to feel happy, but it was like dutifully chewing kale. Except worse because I’m actually quite fond of kale. I can’t think of anything chewy. Gristle?

THE STEWARD AND THE KING

Heyyyyyy sounds like we’re gonna hear about Faramir! Fingers crossed for gay shit.

Eowyn is running around out of her bed when she shouldn’t be, because she’s as strong as a horse and bored bored bored. She picks a minor fight with the chief healer for saying maybe wars are bad and demands to know if there are any deeds to do. Gah I love her. Finally the healer, exasperated, takes her to the steward of the city so she can pester him instead. “Do not misunderstand him, lord,” says Éowyn. “It is not lack of care that grieves me. No houses could be fairer, for those who desire to be healed. But I cannot lie in sloth, idle, caged. I looked for death in battle. But I have not died, and battle still goes on."

Ugh. Eowyn is pulling a real Marius Pontmercy here.

“Make the healers let me go,” she says.

“Have you considered... maybe they know what they’re doing?” says Faramir.

“I WANT... TO GO TO BATTLE. I want to be like my father! Honorable and dead!” Okay why is Eowyn so set on being dead. I’m not entirely sure where this characterization is coming from. Has she always been lowkey suicidal and it just looked like she wanted to do glorious deeds? She sort of gives in eventually and accepts that this battle is already too far away for her to join in. Faramir doesn’t want her to be bored and antsy, so he asks her to hang out with him while they’re both healing. He also tells her she’s beautiful, and she’s like “Uhhhh sorry I’m too butch for this.” And leaves.

Faramir hunts down Merry to question him about Eowyn, and they loiter in the garden hopefully waiting for her to show up. She doesn’t. She does come later, and they start hanging out a lot. He gives her a super nice coat that his mom (Finduilas of Amroth!) used to own. Eowyn keeps looking toward Mordor and sighing and saying “When will he come back??” And it’s clear she’s utterly oblivious to Faramir’s gentle flirting. But she does hold hands with him without either of them noticing, so ???

AH. Faramir also makes a Numenor comparison as great plumes of smoke rise up from Mordor:

It seemed to them that above the ridges of the distant mountains another vast mountain of darkness rose, towering up like a wave that should engulf the world, and about it lightnings flickered; and then a tremor ran through the earth, and they felt the walls of the City quiver. A sound like a sigh went up from all the lands about them; and their hearts beat suddenly again.

‘It reminds me of Númenor,’ said Faramir. “The land of Westernesse that foundered and of the great dark wave climbing over the green lands and above the hills, and coming on, darkness unescapable. I often dream of it.’

Ugh I don’t even care about Hamilton but I think so much about that line that’s like “I imagine death so often it feels more like a memory.” It’s both how I feel about Faramir, and clearly how Faramir himself feels.

Just then an eagle flies by the city, singing the news. This is so goofy compared to Faramir’s congenital solemnity. Oh this is good though. After he takes up stewardship of the city Eowyn has an Angst. Faramir tries to be oblique about asking if she likes him, but she makes him come out and say it.

‘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.’

I’m gay? oh haha,

'As a great captain may to a young soldier he seemed to you admirable. For so he is, a lord among men, the greatest that now is. But when he gave you only understanding and pity, then you desired to have nothing, unless a brave death in battle.’

Haha yes gogol was right

'Do not scorn pity that is the gift of a gentle heart, Éowyn! But I do not offer you my pity. For you are a lady high and valiant and have yourself won renown that shall not be forgotten; and you are a lady beautiful, I deem, beyond even the words of the Elven-tongue to tell. And I love you. Once I pitied your sorrow. But now, were you sorrowless, without fear or any lack, were you the blissful Queen of Gondor, still I would love you.’

“I would love you even if you were happy” is such a fucked up thing to have to say, honestly. BUT, “I love you for doing great deeds and this is not a pity-date” is exactly what Eowyn wants to hear, probably.

‘I will be a shieldmaiden no longer, nor vie with the great Riders, nor take joy only in the songs of slaying. I will be a healer, and love all things that grow and are not barren.’

Wait

I mean. This is a great thing, not killing people, and I have always associated becoming trans with putting down one’s sword, but this feels like. “oh finally she can be a real woman.” So Johnald thinks, but in fact Eowyn is trans and wants to be a gentleman/gentle man. So I’m putting my grubby queer fingers all over this and saying it’s really good that Eowyn is associating masculinity with peace and healing and growth.

Faramir asks Eowyn to marry him and she says,

‘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?”’

For some dumb reason he interprets this as her being worried about his reputation, rather than her being worried about being asked to leave her entire family behind and be an item of curiosity as long as she lives in Gondor??

And then he kisses her. Ugh.

After this Aragorn and co come back, and Aragorn does a bunch of symbolic junk with symbols of office. He pardons everyone. The city is full of flowers and babies to kiss. Faramir becomes the prince of Ithilien. Eowyn goes home to Rohan to rebuild, but says she’ll come back when she can finally bring Theoden back and put him at rest in Rohan. That’s some good shit. Also Aragorn finds a Nimloth sapling just sort of hanging out on the mountain. Gandalf points at it and Aragorn is like “oh”

“guess I’ll take this home then”

Then Galadriel and Elrond show up and Aragorn gets married. Either that or he and Arwen are just holding hands. Gotta say, I can not relate to any of this. Where is the trauma. Where is the trauma!

#blog of the rings

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