faemused | Open To Anyone For Anything RP Post

She shivers more once she is in the water and away from the warmth of his body. "Or a little now. Just back to shore." The best way to fight that chill is movement, so she sinks in further--it was up to her chest already, deep enough that it is worth swimming a little rather than wading through. Eowyn is not much of a swimmer, and in fact the whole purpose of this exercise was originally for Faramir to give her a lesson.

But the lesson is postponed, and her own somewhat uneven attempts at least move her along without splashing too much. Once she is in shallower waters she stands and all but runs back to their things, reaching for a towel and covering herself in it.

He stays beside her, although the water is shallow enough that she should not get into difficultly, stroking slowly so that she can copy his movements, at the least.

He snatches a towel of his own before wrapping his arms around her and chafing her arms.

"Ai! The water was warm but now we are both chilled."

She has no fear of drowning, not in water she may stand in, but Faramir's presence is always a comfort. The more so when they are both on shore and he pulls her in, trying to warm her skin. Her shivers grow less. "It was worth it," she says stubbornly. "And the day is warm, so soon we shall be also."

"True enough!"

He smiles as she slowly stops shivering.

"But that is no reason for either of us to catch a chill, I suppose, so as enjoyable as I find the sight, I suppose we should both get dressed again."

She sighs her regret, for she had earlier liked the idea of drying in the sun-warmed air--and perhaps doing some other things while this unclad. But she is colder than she expected to be, and there is the babe to consider. "We should," she agrees, then smiles. "And it is no matter to put clothes on once more, for we may always take them off again if we wish. Though it is well that the climate here is so much kinder than in the Mark!"

Bathing outdoors happens in the Riddermark, but it's much, much less pleasant, except in the heat of summer.

"This is true!" Faramir chuckles.

"Although I must confess a great fondness for the wind through the plains in our hot summers!"

"Ah, we will make a Rider of you yet, my husband." She smiles at him, stealing a kiss as he is so near.

He kisses her back, smiling.

"Ah, I blame my extremely convincing teacher!"

Another kiss, and she reluctantly releases him. She strips off her drenched, now entirely useless shift--it will dry hard as a board if she is not careful--and finds her dress, pulling it on before she begins shivering too much again. They only brought simple clothing, the colors and cuts common and uncomplicated, though the material perhaps better quality. For the moment they are not Prince and Lady, but only Faramir and Éowyn, and for all her pride she is enjoying it.

Faramir is equally reluctant, but neither want to catch a chill, so he steps away to his own things to dress quickly, a fresh pair of pants and a linen shirt, although he doesn't bother with more than that.

"Here my love, why don't we see what picnic has been packed for us?"

They do, and eat well; now that the worst of her morning sickness has passed (she hopes), Eowyn has been eating much more than is her usual wont, a thing she would find disconcerting if the reason why were not so obvious. So far she has had none of the strange food cravings some have warned her to expect, and most glad she is of it. Though there is time yet.

An hour's passing finds her lying with her head on her husband's thigh while he strokes at her hair, which has mostly dried in the afternoon heat. Her hand lies idly on her swelling belly, and her eyes are closed against the sunlight beaming down on them both.

He braids her hair with absent fingers, drowsing in the sun with her warm in his lap

"This is our reward." He muses idly. "For all those years of toil and struggle. And such a reward! To be able to lie here with you, without a care."

She smiles, her eyes still closed. "Then you are content?"

"Very." He assures her, dropping his head to kiss her forehead. "Such peace as this I never thought to know."

"I am glad." She opens her eyes, reaching up to touch his face. "I remember the first time I saw you--so stern and noble, and with such grief in your eyes! Even shadowed as I was, I saw it and was sorry for it." Her smile is tender and loving as she looks at him. "I am most glad to have seen it lifted from you, and honored to be part of the reason for its disappearance."

"As I saw it also in you." He leans into her hand fondly, turns to kiss it.

"Like a flower, frozen by the frost, I thought, bloomed too early and caught unawares, but lovely still, with life yet to give."

She has heard such words before, spoken by a more forked tongue, but they no longer have any power to hurt her. Particularly not from this source. His mouth lips are warm against her palm, and she smiles still. "Is that why you spoke so of flowers and maidens, so suddenly? You took me by surprise!"

"I must confess to have been rather struck by you." He admits with a shy smile. "I am not normally so forward! But... I am not sad that I said those things to you."

She laughs merrily. "I imagine you are not, given the end result! But it was strange at the time." She sobers a little, still caressing his face. "Lost in darkness and despair as I was, the idea that my presence might bring comfort or ease to any was a confusion to me. Nor was it something I desired at the time. But how could I refuse you, when you were so kind?"

He smiles at her, leaning into her hand.

"Your own kindness was what drew me to you, the gentleness of your smile, the openess of your heart, that even in your pain you did not mock or send me away for my forwardness."

She returns his smile, though she looks dubious. "That cannot be so, my dearest heart. What kindness or gentleness could you have seen in me in those first minutes, or even those first days? I did naught but rail at my cage like a foolish child, begging to be given a horse and set loose, or at least allowed to see the measure of my captivity. Though I would never mock one who spoke in sincerity, nor send away one who spoke with truth."

Her smile turns more fond. "That drew me to you, even at the first--I could not doubt your honesty, in anything you said or did. You told me no falsehoods, not even kind ones meant to spare me pain. That, I valued. I still do."

"You were hurting and your world was cold and dark. Who would not rail against such constraints?" He points out. "And that you did not send me away told me all I needed to know about your kindness, for there have been many who would not have been so gentle with my fumbling."

"You were not so fumbling as you believe." Her expression is loving. "Your words were unexpected, but still they moved me, enough that even in my own sorrow I regretted that I could not give you the respite you so clearly deserved. Or thought I could not." She catches his hand and kisses it. "Never have I been so glad to have been proven wrong."

He smiles at her. "I think we can both say that we saw in each other beauty that we could not see in ourselves!"

Her eyes crinkle at the edges. "More than that--you showed me qualities in myself that I had not seen. And I have, I hope, done the same for you." She kisses his hand again, her mouth soft and warm on his skin. "How could I fail to accept you, with that being the case? A better basis for marriage I cannot imagine."

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