II.

And seven days after King Theoden was buried, Aragorn went outside the city walls on a beautiful, clear, cold spring evening to stroll in the wide plain of the river, whose meadows were already showing a pale touch of green, while the others Mighty mountains and snow-capped limits the horizon. And his heart was full of worry and pity for Eowyn in her grief, and his thoughts were full of longing with her.
As his path led him past the stone houses of the kings in the Stillen Strasse, he heard the sound of a harp, carried far in the still air, faintly. Attracted by the strange way the invisible player started, at the same time mournfully carried and lovely, he quietly stepped closer to listen. And in the delicate silver tones rang out the beginning of a song that sang the mourning of the king's death. The sound of the beautiful woman's voice was dark and warm and at the same time lovely and tender and heralded a soft, deep pain.The spell of this voice cast a spell over Aragorn even more than the artfully simple verses, and drawn by its spell he stepped cautiously closer and saw Eowyn.
The Lady of Rohan sat on a stone bench in front of the door to Theoden's Last House. Her white hands struck the strings of a short harp, as used by the wandering bards at this time, while she gazed sadly and lost in thought over the wide plain. She was dressed in black velvet, which made her translucent pale, delicate skin glow gently and emphasized her immaculate purity. The simple dress was devoid of any princely jewelry except for a neckline delicately embroidered in gold. Deep black ribbons held the wide sleeves and from time to time fluttered in the light winds and appeared to him like gloomy flags of mourning. A sudden gust of wind made the long braids of her beautiful, free-flowing hair blow, which shimmered like dull gold in the soft light of the growing dusk.She was slender as a willow crop and appeared to him even more delicate than ever because of the severe pain she had just overcome.
Aragorn felt as if the sight of her beauty in all her sadness must tear his heart apart. She seemed to him like a figure from an old song, like Galadriel the young, lamenting for the slain brother Celedarn.

In the melodious and melancholy language of the Rohirrim, Eowyn sang her lament, and Aragorn, who knew the Rohirrim language, heard it and was deeply and painfully moved. When she had finished he turned quietly to go so as not to disturb the lovely singer in her grief. But she saw his shadow close by and woke up as if from a dream, interrupted her game and turned to him.
"Forgive me, mistress, I didn't want to disturb you, but the sound of your song drew me here," he said gently, and again she noticed the serious, tender mildness in his eyes and in his voice. And he looked into her eyes and saw the sad gentleness in them again and wished he could sink into their beautiful velvety depths.Instead he went on in a naive tone: "How many of your talents do you want to hide from me, Éowyn? It is only by chance that I learn that you are not only a warrior, but also a most graceful singer and poet - if you are Have not used someone else's wonderful verses. "
Despite her sadness, she had to laugh softly and replied: "What are you talking about, my lord Aragorn? You have just found out that I cannot sing properly or write poetry. This song was not intended for strangers' ears to shame me. "
He smiled and then went on with serious admiration: "You are too modest, beautiful Éowyn, for your voice is so lovely and touches the heart, and so does your poetry, and you can play with that of the best in all courts Measure Middle-earth. "
Then she was silent and bowed her head and blushed slightly and therefore appeared to him even more lovely. She replied quietly: "I beg you, don't play with the defenseless heart of a shieldmaiden who is not used to such flattery."Aragorn, too, was silent for a moment and then said gently and seriously: "This is no flattery. I would never play with your heart, Éowyn, because it is far too dear to me."
Then she looked at him, frankly, proudly and coolly as before, and replied - nevertheless with a slight despondency in her voice -: "I know. Forgive me, Aragorn. But I had to get my heart used too hard and hard to get used to it not Can belong to you, so that I can expose it to any danger again. "And suddenly, ashamed by her new confession, she quickly turned away from him.
Then Aragorn called softly after her: “And should I really have lost your heart forever, Éowyn?” And his heart beat with fear, because he suddenly feared this very much and could not bear to see her go.
"Woe to me!" He added quietly, as if to himself.
And Éowyn, who had heard the pleading in his voice, was deeply moved that such a proud, serious man, excellent gentleman among men, should speak to her in this way.She stopped with bowed head and heard him cautiously approach. And when he stood behind her, she couldn't turn around and look at him because her heart was trembling too much.
"Éowyn, won't you look at me?" He asked softly and she heard the tender pleading in his voice. But she remained silent with her head bowed and only a deep breath escaped her. Then he dared to grasp her narrow shoulders with a pounding heart and gently turned her to face him.
Now her defiant courage regained the upper hand in Eowyn, and she looked him in the eye.
"How do you look at me, Aragorn!" She then exclaimed softly, like one who cannot believe what she is seeing. And quietly she continued: "If I didn't know better, I would have to believe you ..." But she couldn't finish the sentence.
"So you have to think I love you? Did you mean to say that?" He asked in a whisper. And he looked into her beautiful, amazed eyes and continued: "But I do, Éowyn ..." She heard in his voice how much his heart was trembling, and saw in his eyes the overwhelming truth of his words, and yet asked she in bitter doubt: "But you love Mrs. Arwen more.Isn't that so? "
"Woe to me, I deserve nothing else! How should you believe me after I showed myself so unfriendly!" He bowed his head for a moment and sighed deeply. Then he took her hands tightly in his, and she let him, and while he looked her intently in the eyes, he said: "No, Éowyn, I no longer loved her but only longer. And how fickle I must seem to you now But I can no longer fight the urge of my heart. For I have been doing this since I first saw you in front of the Golden Hall of Edoras. Your beauty touched me deeply in all your despair, and I saw the great one Bravery and the pride and courage in you with which you fought against your despair, and this touched me even more. And strangely - I knew what you felt as if I had known you forever, and knew in my heart at that moment that no one could ever be closer to me than you.And yet I was promised to Arwen and loved her and told me not to let you come close. "
Then she interrupted him and asked: "And if you love her and longer than me, why should you choose me now, Aragorn?"
And still he saw the doubt in her eyes, and despondent she continued: "I saw her when she moved in yesterday and understood why you must find her so much more excellent than me. Never before have I seen such a beautiful woman and she radiated something like ... like the wisdom of countless years and great kindness. And she will be unchangeable in her youth and beauty and is adorable like no other being I have ever seen. "Then she bowed her head for him did not see how it tormented her that she had to find the one he had chosen so excellent.
But he lifted her chin, gently but firmly so that she had to look at him again: "Yes, Éowyn, she is all this what you said. And adorable and infinitely dear to me she is and always will be.But that is exactly what you are to me, and not a fraction less than they are. But beyond that you are also close to me as it can never be. Because I know that both of our hearts and souls are of the same kind. And didn't you also feel this in everything that you and I recently went through together?
This is why, beautiful Éowyn: I adore Arwen, but I love you, and you are dear to me like nothing in the world. Woe to me that I realized this late, after I turned you away and inflicted pain!
Before I met you and the dire events still brought us closer together, I thought I loved Arwen. Because I didn't know what it was like to really love. And indeed I adore her in her sublime beauty, just as one worships the evening star, and I have great affection for her and consider this to be love. But in comparison to you it will stay away from me like this star, for it is of Elvish blood, far from human grief, struggle and suffering, and not from my kind and can never be.And unfortunately I only recognized all of this with complete clarity when I had to fear losing you, when you threatened to die. Since then, not an hour has passed in which I am not in my thoughts with you and sincerely wish that you will fare well after all the sorrow and pain that you have suffered. "He was silent and looked into her eyes searchingly and to his great joy he saw that she was finally beginning to believe him.
And yet she said: "Do not confuse compassion with love, Aragorn! I am very afraid, because I do not want your compassion. And even more I fear that one day you will find that I have nothing to oppose your unchangeable beauty and youth, and that you will bitterly regret inflicting unforgivable pain on those you truly loved for my sake. "
"Éowyn," he replied, "it is not pity that draws me to you with such power. For if you were completely happy and without worries and the beloved wife of someone else whom you also loved with all your heart, so would you I still love you.And who could decide between the beauty of the evening star and a delicate, ripe spring morning that you resemble. But for my part I now prefer the spring morning. And your beauty will