“Then she raised her head and looked him in the eyes again; and a colour came in her pale face. ‘How should I ease your care, my lord?’ she said. ‘And I do not desire the speech of living men.’
‘Would you have my plain answer?’ he said.
‘I would.’
‘Then, Éowyn of Rohan, I say to you that you are beautiful. In the valleys of our hills there are flowers fair and bright, and maidens fairer still; but neither flower nor lady have I seen till now in Gondor so lovely, and so sorrowful. It may be that only a few days are left ere darkness falls upon our world, and when it comes I hope to face it steadily; but it would ease my heart, if while the Sun yet shines, I could see you still. For you and I have both passed under the wings of the Shadow, and the same hand drew us back.”
...
“Then Faramir came and sought her, and once more they stood on the walls together; and he 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?’
And she said: ‘Do you not know?”
Excerpt From: J. R. R. Tolkien. “The Return of the King.”
‘Would you have my plain answer?’ he said.
‘I would.’
‘Then, Éowyn of Rohan, I say to you that you are beautiful. In the valleys of our hills there are flowers fair and bright, and maidens fairer still; but neither flower nor lady have I seen till now in Gondor so lovely, and so sorrowful. It may be that only a few days are left ere darkness falls upon our world, and when it comes I hope to face it steadily; but it would ease my heart, if while the Sun yet shines, I could see you still. For you and I have both passed under the wings of the Shadow, and the same hand drew us back.”
...
“Then Faramir came and sought her, and once more they stood on the walls together; and he 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?’
And she said: ‘Do you not know?”
Excerpt From: J. R. R. Tolkien. “The Return of the King.”
Comments
I think that you are probably right, by and large. But my optimistic and probably hopeless self still believes that people can love each other like that. It involves a huge risk and sacrifice. Eowyn gave up her desire to be a queen knowing (or perhaps hoping only) that life with Faramir would be even more satisfying because she would have his love in return.
Anyway, I persist in this hope and desire - to love and to be loved.
You are eternally optimistic, and I admire that about you. I've given up. I love me and that's going to have to be enough. :)
You may have given up. But I haven't.
I know you haven't given up and I commend you for it. You've got more guts than I have. Or more heart.
Isn't the heart a part of one's guts, anyway? ;)
Love your guts.