Faramir turns his attention away from his own actions and motivations and back to her story, for it clearly matters to her to have it all spoken between them--and he deeply glad in his heart that she wishes it so, that such openness between them seems not only desirable to her, but even required. Perhaps it is only an even trade for his confidences last night...but he hopes not.
I fancied myself in love...he but watches her steadily throughout all this recitation, and no trace of his own inward emotions show on his face. This is not about him, for all that it matters to him, and matters greatly. A hurt and a new hope at once.
And then...If I could not control anything else, I could at least control this. He winces inwardly for a new reason at those words, for they seem to him exactly the same thought his father must have had. He can only be grateful that Eowyn was prevented in achieving her desire, as Denethor was not. Perhaps some other day he will make that comparison to her, but right now the pain is still too near. And oh, he must tread carefully now, must choose his words carefully, for this is dangerous ground and it would be easy to misstep.
He squeezes her hand once more, lightly, also not meeting her eyes. "There is no shame in loving that which is worthy of love," he says quietly. "How could that be foolish? Even if you mistook your own wishes, I cannot see that as folly. As for the rest..." Faramir lets out a long breath. "Lady, you lived a long time in shadow, with wounds unseen and untended, through events that would have utterly broken a lesser spirit. The wonder to me is not that you despaired, but that you survived."
His thumb strokes along the side of her hand; and this time he does not stop it. "You may claim that survival was not of your doing, but I believe otherwise. If you were less than you are, you would have settled for a lesser death; and if death were truly all you sought, if you had no hope or care for yourself, I think the Black Breath would have killed you indeed, and there would have been no calling you back. But your will held, as it always has. Through poison and siege, through war and horror. And now you emerge on the other side of it all, stumbling from darkness back towards light; how could you be anything but amazed by it?"
He cannot meet her eyes either, for he knows his will hide nothing. "I can see no folly in you or your story, Èowyn of Rohan. I see only courage, and a heart too valiant to be vanquished even by bleakest despair."
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I fancied myself in love...he but watches her steadily throughout all this recitation, and no trace of his own inward emotions show on his face. This is not about him, for all that it matters to him, and matters greatly. A hurt and a new hope at once.
And then...If I could not control anything else, I could at least control this. He winces inwardly for a new reason at those words, for they seem to him exactly the same thought his father must have had. He can only be grateful that Eowyn was prevented in achieving her desire, as Denethor was not. Perhaps some other day he will make that comparison to her, but right now the pain is still too near. And oh, he must tread carefully now, must choose his words carefully, for this is dangerous ground and it would be easy to misstep.
He squeezes her hand once more, lightly, also not meeting her eyes. "There is no shame in loving that which is worthy of love," he says quietly. "How could that be foolish? Even if you mistook your own wishes, I cannot see that as folly. As for the rest..." Faramir lets out a long breath. "Lady, you lived a long time in shadow, with wounds unseen and untended, through events that would have utterly broken a lesser spirit. The wonder to me is not that you despaired, but that you survived."
His thumb strokes along the side of her hand; and this time he does not stop it. "You may claim that survival was not of your doing, but I believe otherwise. If you were less than you are, you would have settled for a lesser death; and if death were truly all you sought, if you had no hope or care for yourself, I think the Black Breath would have killed you indeed, and there would have been no calling you back. But your will held, as it always has. Through poison and siege, through war and horror. And now you emerge on the other side of it all, stumbling from darkness back towards light; how could you be anything but amazed by it?"
He cannot meet her eyes either, for he knows his will hide nothing. "I can see no folly in you or your story, Èowyn of Rohan. I see only courage, and a heart too valiant to be vanquished even by bleakest despair."