*Disclaimer: I do not own any characters created by J.R.R. Tolkien (such as
Boromir, Faramir, or Denethor). I own only Hallahiriel, the former Barmaid
of Dol Amroth, Corerith, Lady Brumwen, Therassa, Owynvan and Gweddyn.
The story is set in 3011, seven years before "Fellowship." Boromir is 33 and Faramir is 28.
The Continuing Story of Hallahiriel, the Former Barmaid of Dol Amroth
By Leah Pensotti
Chapter One: My Big Fat Gondorian Life
"You're certain, Ioreth?" Hallahiriel questioned lightly.
The older healer nodded firmly, "Yes, child. By the looks of it you are nearly three months along."
Hallahiriel beamed happily. She could not wait to tell the news to her husband that after nearly three years of marriage, they were to become parents. Hallahiriel embraced the healer tightly and prepared to make her leave.
"Thank you, Ioreth."
"Go to your husband, girl, and tell him the happy news. Make sure to come and see me in a week." The healer patted the young woman on the shoulder and nudged her towards the door. Hallahiriel nodded and made her way from the Houses of Healing and to the dining hall where the evening meal was to be served. As Hallahiriel removed her cloak, she spied Faramir reading at the empty table.
"Hello, Faramir." Hallahiriel nearly whispered and bent down to kiss him on the cheek.
Faramir shut his book and looked up to her warmly, "Good Evening, Halla. You seem to be in good spirits."
Hallahiriel nodded, "Aye, I am. Where is your brother? I have urgent news for him to hear."
"Is everything all right?" Faramir questioned in a concerned tone.
Hallahiriel nodded reassuringly, "No worries, brother."
Faramir relaxed and pointed up the stairs, "He is in your quarters. He said that he was exhausted."
Hallahiriel smiled, "Well, I shall go fetch him for the meal. I will return shortly."
She patted Faramir's cheek and made her way upstairs. When she reached their quarters, she opened the door to find her husband asleep on the bed. Hallahiriel picked up the hem of her skirt and slid in beside him. Boromir, feeling her beside him, turned over and took her by the waist.
"Are you ill, Boromir?" Hallahiriel brushed his dark hair out of his face.
He shook his head, "No, love. I am only exhausted."
Boromir shifted his weight and pressed himself firmly against her. He gently kissed her neck softly and pulled her dress away from her left shoulder. Hallahiriel chuckled lightly, "We are to dine soon, Boromir."
He mumbled lackadaisically against her bare shoulder, "We have time and plenty of it."
Hallahiriel lifted his head to hers so their eyes could meet, "I need to speak with you my lord. There is something that I need to tell you."
Boromir's brow furrowed and his grey eyes turned worried, "What is it? You must tell me, Halla."
"I just came back from seeing the healer Ioreth." Hallahiriel smiled bashfully.
"Are you all right, love?" Boromir looked a little frantic and Hallahiriel touched his cheek in comfort.
"Of course I am," she said in a lively tone, "Oh, Boromir "
He watched as tears formed in her eyes. He felt his pulse quicken and he begged, "Halla-"
She placed a finger to his lips, "Boromir, wait. I went to Ioreth today and she told me that I am carrying a child. Our child."
Boromir's eyes widened and his breath hitched. He looked completely thunderstruck. "Halla? You're? We're? A child?"
Hallahiriel laughed at Boromir's stunned face, "Yes, my lord. By winter our household will have grown. We will be parents."
Boromir grinned merrily and caught her mouth in a breath-stealing kiss. Hallahiriel's heart leaped with his response. Boromir released her, rose from the bed and then offered his hand to her. Hallahiriel took it and he pulled her up to stand with him. He kissed her hands and then embraced her.
Hallahiriel buried her head in his chest and he whispered into her red-gold hair, "I love you, Halla."
She smiled and clung to him, "And I you."
Boromir took her by the hand and spoke excitedly, "We must tell my father for he will be so pleased and Faramir! We must tell him as well!"
"Don't forget about Corerith and Aethlien." Hallahiriel reminded.
Boromir grinned, "Yes, we shall tell them, too. Come, let's make our way to the meal."
Hallahiriel took his arm and they descended the stairs. When they reached the dining hall, she saw that Denethor and Faramir already sat at the table in silence. Boromir bounded down the last two stairs with Hallahiriel ambling behind.
Boromir pulled out the chair for his wife to sit and then sat beside her. He nodded in greeting to his father and brother, "Good evening, Father; Faramir."
Denethor took a sip of wine and the servants brought forth the meal. He looked to his eldest son in a restrained manner, "You're late, Boromir."
Boromir nodded apologetically, "I'm sorry, father. Hallahiriel and I were having a serious discussion about our marriage."
"Oh?" Denethor raised an eyebrow.
Boromir took Hallahiriel's hand and gave her an encouraging look, "Halla tells me that we are to have a child by winter."
Hallahiriel watched Denethor's expression soften as he rose to embrace Boromir and Faramir grinned at her lopsidedly from across the table. Denethor chuckled wildly and congratulated his oldest son, "My son! I am so very proud! It will be good to have a child in the house! A boy to be an heir to our line!"
Hallahiriel felt the Steward's hand on her shoulder as he commented, "To think after three years! I was growing a little concerned!"
She felt a chill run through her body. She unexpectedly felt like an underperforming mare used for breeding. She smiled through her discomfort and met eyes with Faramir, who had a very knowing look on his face.
~~
After returning to their quarters late in the evening, Hallahiriel laid in bed on Boromir's bare chest unable to sleep. She called to him seriously, "Boromir?"
He opened his eyes and stroked her hair, "What is it, Halla?"
"Will you be disappointed if I do not bear a son?" Hallahiriel waited for what seemed like hours in the gap of silence that enveloped them.
Boromir sighed and shook his head, "What a silly question. I would be a very proud father to a little girl. She would be our daughter and the daughter of Minas Tirith. I could never, ever be disappointed with such a joyous gift, Halla."
Hallahiriel raised her head to his and hovered above him, "Your father has his heart set on a boy-child."
Boromir traced the outline of her face with his fingertips, "My father is anxious to have grandchildren. He meant nothing by it, love."
Hallahiriel smiled faintly and leaned down to brush her lips against his. As she kissed him, Boromir rolled over and pushed his wife's back against the bed. Hallahiriel giggled with a girlish air as Boromir trailed kisses down her neck, "I say we resume where we left off this afternoon, Halla."
The story is set in 3011, seven years before "Fellowship." Boromir is 33 and Faramir is 28.
The Continuing Story of Hallahiriel, the Former Barmaid of Dol Amroth
By Leah Pensotti
Chapter One: My Big Fat Gondorian Life
"You're certain, Ioreth?" Hallahiriel questioned lightly.
The older healer nodded firmly, "Yes, child. By the looks of it you are nearly three months along."
Hallahiriel beamed happily. She could not wait to tell the news to her husband that after nearly three years of marriage, they were to become parents. Hallahiriel embraced the healer tightly and prepared to make her leave.
"Thank you, Ioreth."
"Go to your husband, girl, and tell him the happy news. Make sure to come and see me in a week." The healer patted the young woman on the shoulder and nudged her towards the door. Hallahiriel nodded and made her way from the Houses of Healing and to the dining hall where the evening meal was to be served. As Hallahiriel removed her cloak, she spied Faramir reading at the empty table.
"Hello, Faramir." Hallahiriel nearly whispered and bent down to kiss him on the cheek.
Faramir shut his book and looked up to her warmly, "Good Evening, Halla. You seem to be in good spirits."
Hallahiriel nodded, "Aye, I am. Where is your brother? I have urgent news for him to hear."
"Is everything all right?" Faramir questioned in a concerned tone.
Hallahiriel nodded reassuringly, "No worries, brother."
Faramir relaxed and pointed up the stairs, "He is in your quarters. He said that he was exhausted."
Hallahiriel smiled, "Well, I shall go fetch him for the meal. I will return shortly."
She patted Faramir's cheek and made her way upstairs. When she reached their quarters, she opened the door to find her husband asleep on the bed. Hallahiriel picked up the hem of her skirt and slid in beside him. Boromir, feeling her beside him, turned over and took her by the waist.
"Are you ill, Boromir?" Hallahiriel brushed his dark hair out of his face.
He shook his head, "No, love. I am only exhausted."
Boromir shifted his weight and pressed himself firmly against her. He gently kissed her neck softly and pulled her dress away from her left shoulder. Hallahiriel chuckled lightly, "We are to dine soon, Boromir."
He mumbled lackadaisically against her bare shoulder, "We have time and plenty of it."
Hallahiriel lifted his head to hers so their eyes could meet, "I need to speak with you my lord. There is something that I need to tell you."
Boromir's brow furrowed and his grey eyes turned worried, "What is it? You must tell me, Halla."
"I just came back from seeing the healer Ioreth." Hallahiriel smiled bashfully.
"Are you all right, love?" Boromir looked a little frantic and Hallahiriel touched his cheek in comfort.
"Of course I am," she said in a lively tone, "Oh, Boromir "
He watched as tears formed in her eyes. He felt his pulse quicken and he begged, "Halla-"
She placed a finger to his lips, "Boromir, wait. I went to Ioreth today and she told me that I am carrying a child. Our child."
Boromir's eyes widened and his breath hitched. He looked completely thunderstruck. "Halla? You're? We're? A child?"
Hallahiriel laughed at Boromir's stunned face, "Yes, my lord. By winter our household will have grown. We will be parents."
Boromir grinned merrily and caught her mouth in a breath-stealing kiss. Hallahiriel's heart leaped with his response. Boromir released her, rose from the bed and then offered his hand to her. Hallahiriel took it and he pulled her up to stand with him. He kissed her hands and then embraced her.
Hallahiriel buried her head in his chest and he whispered into her red-gold hair, "I love you, Halla."
She smiled and clung to him, "And I you."
Boromir took her by the hand and spoke excitedly, "We must tell my father for he will be so pleased and Faramir! We must tell him as well!"
"Don't forget about Corerith and Aethlien." Hallahiriel reminded.
Boromir grinned, "Yes, we shall tell them, too. Come, let's make our way to the meal."
Hallahiriel took his arm and they descended the stairs. When they reached the dining hall, she saw that Denethor and Faramir already sat at the table in silence. Boromir bounded down the last two stairs with Hallahiriel ambling behind.
Boromir pulled out the chair for his wife to sit and then sat beside her. He nodded in greeting to his father and brother, "Good evening, Father; Faramir."
Denethor took a sip of wine and the servants brought forth the meal. He looked to his eldest son in a restrained manner, "You're late, Boromir."
Boromir nodded apologetically, "I'm sorry, father. Hallahiriel and I were having a serious discussion about our marriage."
"Oh?" Denethor raised an eyebrow.
Boromir took Hallahiriel's hand and gave her an encouraging look, "Halla tells me that we are to have a child by winter."
Hallahiriel watched Denethor's expression soften as he rose to embrace Boromir and Faramir grinned at her lopsidedly from across the table. Denethor chuckled wildly and congratulated his oldest son, "My son! I am so very proud! It will be good to have a child in the house! A boy to be an heir to our line!"
Hallahiriel felt the Steward's hand on her shoulder as he commented, "To think after three years! I was growing a little concerned!"
She felt a chill run through her body. She unexpectedly felt like an underperforming mare used for breeding. She smiled through her discomfort and met eyes with Faramir, who had a very knowing look on his face.
~~
After returning to their quarters late in the evening, Hallahiriel laid in bed on Boromir's bare chest unable to sleep. She called to him seriously, "Boromir?"
He opened his eyes and stroked her hair, "What is it, Halla?"
"Will you be disappointed if I do not bear a son?" Hallahiriel waited for what seemed like hours in the gap of silence that enveloped them.
Boromir sighed and shook his head, "What a silly question. I would be a very proud father to a little girl. She would be our daughter and the daughter of Minas Tirith. I could never, ever be disappointed with such a joyous gift, Halla."
Hallahiriel raised her head to his and hovered above him, "Your father has his heart set on a boy-child."
Boromir traced the outline of her face with his fingertips, "My father is anxious to have grandchildren. He meant nothing by it, love."
Hallahiriel smiled faintly and leaned down to brush her lips against his. As she kissed him, Boromir rolled over and pushed his wife's back against the bed. Hallahiriel giggled with a girlish air as Boromir trailed kisses down her neck, "I say we resume where we left off this afternoon, Halla."