@dcviline asked: ❝ Forgive me. ❞ (aragorn @ eowyn)
Éowyn’s hands tightened around the edge of the bench she sat upon, her knuckles pale as if the pressure alone might ground her trembling heart. His voice lingered in the air, soft and heavy, as though it bore the weight of his regret. She lifted her gaze to Aragorn, and for a moment, her strength wavered, though she was determined not to show it.
The man before her stood as tall and steadfast as ever, but there was something in his eyes—an apology, yes, but also a kindness that felt like a blade’s edge. It was not meant to wound her, yet it did all the same. Her voice, when it came, was steady, though quiet. "What is there to forgive, my lord? You have spoken no falsehoods, nor made promises you could not keep."
But even as she said the words, Éowyn felt a pang in her chest. The hurt was not his fault—she knew this—but that did not make it hurt any less. She rose to her feet then, the movement sharp as her resolve. "You have shown me naught but honor," she continued, her chin lifting slightly. "If I have been foolish enough to hope for what was not mine to claim... the fault lies with me."
The words tasted bitter on her tongue, yet Éowyn forced herself to meet his gaze. She could not blame him for loving another, nor could she undo the stirrings of her own heart. But she would not crumble before him, not when she had fought so hard to stand tall against her own despair. "I forgive you, if that is what you ask," she said at last, though her voice softened, betraying a hint of the tenderness she still felt for him. "But you need not ask for it. You are not to blame for the choices you have made."
