Chapter 2

Pain, Understanding, and Tears...

As Colleen walked through the great halls of the castle with Faramir ahead she couldn't help, but daydream. She was abruptly brought back to reality by Faramir's calm voice.

"My Lady? Are you alright?" He looked concerned as he placed the back of his hand to her forehead. Colleen smiled and took his hand from her head, bringing it in between their bodies.

"I am fine Faramir. Thank you and please call me Colleen. No formalities." She giggled a little as she let go of his hand and took a deep breath.

"My La-Colleen I mean. Your room is just ahead." He spoke as they headed towards the end of the hall.

"Faramir...Might I ask as to what my brother and I are doing here?" She spoke calmly, but eagerness was sure to show in her voice at any moment. Faramir just kept walking, but answered none the less.

"I do not know what has brought you here Colleen. A captain of my rank is not informed of the meetings of this standard." Colleen could hear it. The sadness in his voice was so clear and hurt.

"I see." That's all she could utter. 'What had caused this sadness that was now attacking his heart? Before I am to leave...I shall find out.'

She reached her room and said her good-bye to Faramir. As she stepped into the room that was prepared, obviously not more than a few hours ago, her mind wondered once again on the matter of Faramir. She doesn't have a romantic passion about him, but she is a very caring person. She despises when someone is hurt and all she wants to do is comfort them. That's why this keeps appearing in her mind. She wants to help, but she just doesn't know how yet. She walks over to her balcony doors and places her hand on the golden handle. Before she could open the doors, to walk outside into the sunshine, there was a knock at her door. Colleen turns around and walks back to the bedroom door. She opens it to see her brother.

"Yes, Edan?" She asks smiling. He smiles back and nodes his head towards the stairs.

"Dinner already?" She closes her eyes, faces her head to the floor and laughs softly.

"I'm hungry and the Steward would like to meet you." He says as he grabs her hand to lead her down to the dining room. She doesn't even bother to open her eyes because she knows she can trust him to lead her there safely.

"You might want to open your eyes Colleen." She hears her brother whisper in her ear. She opens her eyes and sees the Steward, along with two men, one she already knows as Faramir, walking towards them.

"My dear Lady Colleen. My, how you have grown in these years." The Steward says grabbing Colleen's hand and placing a kiss to it. As he let's go she brings her hand behind her back and rubs it against her dress.

"My Lord Denethor. It is such a pleasure to be back here in Gondor." She says smiling and bowing.

"These are my two sons. Boromir, leading captain of Gondor and Faramir, minor captain." Denethor spoke as each of his sons bowed a little. Colleen places a hand to her temple and begins to rub.

"Faramir, please stop bowing to me." She asks as she grabs his hands and smile. He blushes slightly and mutters a quiet apology.

"Thank you." She shakes her head a little and turns to Boromir. "Pleasure to meet you Boromir." She says as she bows slightly. He bows as well and looks deeply into her eyes when he stands straight again. Colleen smiles and giggles as she looks to the ceiling. "Good grief...Everybody stop bowing to me please." She asks as she turns to look back at her brother. He was smirking at her and rolling his eyes.

"What? I hate it when people bow to me. You know that better than anyone." Colleen says giving him a playful smack on the arm.

"Yes, I do. I use to do it just to annoy you." He said placing his arm around her shoulders.

"Come let us eat." Denethor said motioning towards a slightly large table.

Edan and Denethor sat at the far end of the table as Colleen took a seat next to Boromir with Faramir across from her at the opposite end. As she started to eat she daydreams. Colleen stole quick looks at Faramir and thought. He was talking to Boromir and his face seemed brighter than earlier today. Happier. Colleen was suddenly brought out of her thoughts for a second time today by Boromir.

"My Lady?" He asked as he exchanged glances with his brother. Colleen turns her head to him and smile. She smiles a lot as you can tell.

"Please call me Colleen." She spoke as she set her fork down and reached for her drink.

"Colleen, do you and Edan plan to marry soon?" He asked as she nearly spit her drink out. Colleen quickly reaches for her napkin and wiped away the wine that was around her mouth.

"Oh, good lord no. He's my elder brother." Colleen responds instantly. Boromir looked as though he would die of embarrassment at any moment.

"Colleen are you alright?" Edan called from down the table in curiosity. Colleen turned to him and smiled before replying.

"Yes, yes. I'm fine thank you." She turned back to Boromir and placed her cold hands to his red cheeks.

"No need to be embarrassed. It was an honest mistake." She said as he removed her hands from his face.

"But I just asked if you were to marry your own brother. Aren't you embarrassed in the least?" He asked staring into her eyes. Colleen sighs and looks towards her brother. "No, not at all. I love my brother to death, yes, and it's not the first time someone has thought we were lovers." She turns back to Boromir as Faramir was getting up from his place.

"I'll leave you two alone now. I must get some rest." He pushed in his chair and walked to the stairs. As Colleen watched him walk up the stairs she felt the eyes of another burn into his back. Denethor. She felt a tinge of anger in her heart as she accused Denethor for Faramir's pain. She looked back to Boromir, who was eating, and she chewed on her bottom lip.

"Boromir?" She began as he stopped eating and looked to her. "May we go on a walk? I must speak with you." Colleen hoped in her heart he would say yes and stared at him waiting.

"Of course." He smiled and stood. He took her chair as she stood up and pushed it in as she left it.

"Lady Colleen." He said gently, offering her his arm. Colleen gratefully took it as she headed past Edan and Denethor.

"And where might you two be heading?" Edan asked smirking his famous smirk. That smirk got him every girl in the kingdom to want him. Except Colleen of course. "May I take Lady Colleen for a walk Lord Edan?" Boromir asked before she could say anything. Edan shrugged his shoulders and looked to her.

"You may do what ever you wish." He said before returning to Denethor.

They walked out into the sunset of the day and did not speak for some time. We walked to the edge of the guard around the castle and stared out into the distance. Colleen looked straight into the distance as she could feel Boromir's eyes on her.

"Your father..." She started as she turned to him. "He doesn't think very fondly of Faramir. Does he?" Boromir, though it was hard, turned away from her and looked to the sunset.

"When we were children..." Boromir started and then faltered. "My father would train us to be great fighters. I would excel, but Faramir had trouble. He was never a fighter. Not even now." He took a deep breath and continued.

"My father would always praise me and Faramir would always be yelled at. I tried to help the best I could. I would teach him sword play out in the fields and how to ride a horse. He still wasn't very good, but...he tried his hardest. He was so determined to win father's love. He'd do anything. Father never cared though. I guess he just couldn't bear to think that this boy, his son, was the reason to his suffering." Boromir turned to Colleen and she could see the tears in his eyes waiting to fall.

"My mother died while giving birth to Faramir...That's why he can never earn father's love. That's why I always tried to give him so much of mine that he wouldn't need fathers. But I have failed him more than once. I can never show him enough love. I wish that I could trade places with him. And he could be the one with love and me with none. Just to take his pain away." Colleen wiped the few tears that had fallen on his face and could feel tears trickle down her own.

"Boromir...you love your brother so much. No matter what he will always know that. He doesn't blame you for any of this." She pulled Boromir into her arms and held him tightly. She could hear his soft sobs as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Colleen's hands found their way into his soft brown hair and stayed there. Her other hand rubbed his back slowly to comfort him. She hated this. Faramir, Denethor...and now Boromir. All had sadness beyond comprehension. She wanted to help him and his brother. She wanted to take away all of his pain. The pain that shielded his heart.

"Oh Boromir." Colleen whispered. She felt his tears start to soak through the sleeve of her dress. "I'm so sorry..."