The wife of Boromir Ch 7 - For want
of a child
Book 2
The Lady Ari
soon settled into her role as Lady of Minas Tirith. She was often
called to sit at Denethor's side to greet and charm emissaries and
give council while her husband was away. Boromir seemed to trust her
quiet council more than his advisors and so out of respect for his
beloved son, Denethor allowed his wife to be on the council while her
husband was out on patrols. She had matured and now after having been
married for three years was very much a part of Minas Tirith. The
people loved her and called her not the Lady of Dol Amroth, but the
Lady of Gondor.
The people had cheered when Boromir had announced
her pregnancy within four months of their marriage. Then they had
grieved with her two months later when she had lost it and nearly
lost her life as well.
Boromir and his brother had not left her
side during her three weeks of recovery as her broken heart mended.
He did not push the point when she had not conceived again. They were
still newly married as far as many were concerned. They still had
time. Her husband was still young at four and thirty years and she
was only two and twenty.
Lord Denethor had seemed to withdraw
into himself more than he had before. The two brothers were very
close and the lady did not harm the bond, nor did the father. As the
father grew colder to Faramir, Arianna warmed to him and they became
confidants. Boromir, the favored son was never jealous of this, as
Faramir was not jealous of Denethor's attentions to his elder son.
The three were very close, they had to be else the Steward would
bring them down into the dark abyss of his depression.
Lady
Arianna was surprised when Denethor called her to the gardens where
she loved to sit. She was in the garden her husband had given her,
but answered the unusual summons immediately.
Faramir was in the
training rooms with the citadel guards working on his skills. Boromir
had ridden out to Osgiliath and beyond to patrol.
"My lord?"
She said bowing to him as he stood.
"Please sit my lady."
He said in the cold indifferent tone that she had become used to from
him. He watched her his steel colored eyes cold.
"Forgive my
tardiness. I was embroidering a shirt for Boromir when..."
He
cut her off with a wave of his long boned hand. "Hush..."
He said sharply and she looked at him waiting for him to continue as
he turned fully to her. He folded his arms over his chest and leaned
against the wall near her. It was a familiar gesture to her. Boromir
did it often when he was thinking as they spoke.
She pulled her
mantle about her body and waited as she pressed her cowl back. She
watched him as he seemed to gather his thoughts.
"You have
been married for three years and have yet to produce my son an heir."
He said jumping in without preamble.
"Yes...not from a lack
of trying milord." She said softly even as she blushed.
"Indeed...what is it about you that my son's seed cannot
take in your womb except to have it rejected." He said coldly.
She swallowed hard and shivered at the memory. "You must
forgive me that. I had no control over loosing the baby. I
desperately did not want to. Boromir understands..."
Again
he waved her to silence. "Boromir knows little treacherous
whore."
"My lord?" She squeaked, startled at his
outburst. No one had so named her.
He took a menacing step
forward as his arms unfolded. "You seduced him into your bed.
You bore him a child you could not keep and your womb has been empty
ever since. You displeased someone above by word or deed." He
hissed.
"I swear...I did nothing...I..." She had known
such pain and loss from the baby coming early from her. Boromir and
Faramir had been there in shifts to care for her and begging her not
to cry anymore at the loss and eat something. It had been three
months after that she had risen again to see the sunlight from her
garden and smell the fresh air of the outdoors.
"I can have
him set you aside you know..." He leaned closer. "I could
have you returned in shame to your people because you can not
conceive..."
"Boromir promised to..."
"I
convinced him to marry you...I can convince him otherwise..." He
said.
She looked down. It was true enough he had convinced
Boromir to marry when he thought her dead, but did he also have the
power to have her put aside? Her head suddenly ached and she shivered
despite the warmth of the day. "But...he loves me..."
"Love means nothing. He needs an heir. Birth one soon my
lady or you will be going back to Dol Amroth a penniless whore."
He glared at her. "Your uncle would not even take you back because
of disgrace. You would have to live on the streets as the man you
claim to love married and made a child in his new wife." He smiled
coldly. "It is not because of him that there is a failing. He is
from strong stock."
She fought back her tears. She refused to
cry before this man who had seemed to taken to hating her for
something she had had no control over.
"You may return to
your embroidery Lady Arianna."
"Humbly milord."
She said her voice quaking.
He left then to go to his own
chambers.
Arianna thought to return to her chambers and sob, but
she needed comfort and not from her women.
She drew her mantle
closer as she practically ran to the training area where Faramir and
his rangers were training for hand-to-hand combat.
She came in
and some of the men stopped. "Lady Ari..." Someone to her
left said. Two hands grabbed her and held her away from a fighting
pair in the center on some sand.
She looked and recognized him as
Madril, Faramir's second in command. She whimpered and cried out to
Faramir. He looked up hearing her. He saw her in the safety of
Madril's arms to keep her from bolting into the ring to him.
Faramir had never seen a woman so distraught as he looked up and
saw her there. He jumped back to avoid a sweep of his friend's blade
and came to his sister as he threw his friend his own blade.
She
ran into his arms needing comfort as Madril let her go. He tenderly
held her against him and tried to hush her sobbing. He then led her
to the stables where they could be alone as he saw his men staring at
the young woman. Faramir had not seen her so undone since her
miscarriage.
Tenderly and affectionately he set her down on a
bench and waited for her to speak as he sat on the earth before her.
He watched her. "What is it Ari?" He asked softly
"Lord
Denethor...he said such things..."
He took a breath. "What
did my dear father say now?" He asked sighing knowing full well
what the Steward was capable of from his own experiences.
"He
said he would have Boromir cast me out from him if I did not bear a
child soon. He said he could make Boromir do it. He would send me
back to my people penniless. He called me a...a..." She
swallowed and looked down in shame. His hand touched her knee waiting
to hear it. She looked at his curious gaze. "A whore."
He
closed his eyes and then rose up and he kissed her gently on her
cheek and wiped her tears. He cared for her, deeply. More than she
would ever know. He hated to see he so upset. "You are no whore
sister." He said gently. "And no matter what my father
thinks of power, he can separate you two." He smiled ruefully.
"I saw his joy when he saw it was you. He could never put you aside
in favor of another."
"Even if I do not have a baby?"
"Even if you
do not and grow old and gray with him." He said with a smile.
She
took a breath. "But I was so worried and scared. I had to..."
"Shhh..." He cooed to her and caressed her hair.
"Boromir loves you as few women are loved and you him. Nothing
could break that bond."
Horses came into the stable. Boromir
had returned with his patrol. He handed his shield and his quiver to
a subordinate as he walked towards them. It was clear they were in
deep council.
Boromir looked at his wife. She looked pale and
stricken as she looked up at him. He pulled her into his embrace at
once and held her as she cried against his shoulder, though it was
sweat-fouled wool. His hands caressed her and he looked curiously at
his brother.
"Our father made her feel unwelcome."
Faramir said as a man took Boromir's mount's reins from his hands
to unsaddle him and feed him grain.
"What?" Boromir
asked in shock.
"He told her she was a whore and that he
would have her thrown back to her people if she did not bear you a
child in good time." He said frowning. "As in yesterday." He
added the look on his face telling Boromir how disgusted he was.
Boromir muttered and oath and pulled his beloved to him even
more. "I am sorry I was not here to defend you my love. He knew
you were weak on this subject and I have no doubt thought that he
could have you leave me in fear I would do the same to you." He
bent and kissed her. "He can be intimidating. Know this, that I
love you and I will not dismiss you."
"He told me the
loss of the baby was my fault. He…"
"I know better my
love." He stopped her words with a soft hand on her chin. "The
baby came early because it was not to be born. The healer told me it
was small and malformed. How can I blame you for your body aborting a
baby that would not have lived?" He caressed her cheek with a
gloved hand. "We will have children in good time. Our own good
time. We had one we will again." He kissed her cheek. "As
for calling you a whore...I could draw against him for that." He
sighed and took a breath to steady himself. "I will go and speak
to him."
She touched his arm. "I am sorry."
"For
what?" He asked looking at her his eyes burning with anger, but
not at her she sensed. "Faramir take her to our rooms
and have tea brought to her. See her women care for her."
Boromir stressed 'our' and turned from them in a whirl of his heavy
travel cloak to go face his father for his cruel words.
Faramir
delivered her to the chambers she shared with her husband. He called
for tea from a servant in the hall and then called her ladies to her.
He had them put her into the bed as he bowed to her. He turned on his
heel and left to aid his brother or at least hear his father's
beloved first born speak his mind and challenge the old man for once.
Boromir was removing his gloves in the great hall as
Denethor came in. "Ahh...my son is back from his patrol. Welcome
him. Report. How many orcs and where are they?" He asked
gesturing to a map of Middle Earth on the table.
"Before I
do there are matters we must discuss father." He said. He laid
his hand on the pommel of his sword. "How dare you insult my
wife. Bringing her to the point of tears and making her more anxious
will not help me father a baby on her." He said watching the
elder man closely.
The gesture was not lost on Denethor. "You
would draw steel against your own father?"
"If he
insults that which is dear to me, yes I would draw steel and
challenge any who dare call my wife a whore, even my own sire."
Boromir said watching him. "I warn you to heed your tongue." He
said.
Faramir walked in and stood back watching from between two
statues. He was going to enjoy watching his father squirm for once.
"So...she came running to you and you had to defend her
Faramir." Denethor said making it known he knew his younger son was
there. "How noble. Did you tell Boromir what she said then? Maybe
added some to it to anger him to the point of drawing steel against
me. You would turn your brother against me in a heartbeat." He
said coldly
"She told me herself father." Boromir said
staying that argument before it would begin. It happened often enough
when Boromir had defended his brother. He would not let his brother
bear the brunt of his father's malice this time. "She is neither
a fool nor a weakling. Faramir had nothing to do with this other than
comforting her until I arrived home."
Denethor shook his head.
"I only want what is best for you. You need an heir and if she
can not produce a living one, you could put her aside and..."
"Never...if I die childless than Faramir will inherit. I
will not my Arianna aside...not for any reason. She is my
wife and will stay such." He stepped forward. "Know that if
you had insulted her before me I would have acted other than with
words as I do now. Take care old man. Do not speak so to her again."
He said and turned and left. His words had startled his father he had
no doubt, but now he needed to see it the girl he loved.
Faramir
looked at him. At a nod from his brother he went back to the training
area to take out some of the frustration of having her so taunted.
Boromir knew Faramir had a hard enough shell to deal with such words
now, but his wife did not. She was too sweet and gentle like a lamb.
Boromir would join him shortly to also take out his anger on
something other than the Steward of Gondor.
Boromir entered their
rooms. Mith was there removing the tea tray. Arianna was sprawled on
the bed with the curtains drawn. It was very low light, but he could
see her eyes glittering and knew she did not sleep.
"I love
you." He told her as he shut the door. He came to her and hugged
her gathering her into his arms.
She rolled and kissed him her
arms wrapping about him. "You are always so kind and loving to
me. How am I so lucky?" She said through a sniff. She had been
crying again as she drank her tea he knew.
"You saved my
life remember." He smiled and kissed her nose.
"Yes,
but you married me." She sighed and looked at him. She caressed
his cheek. "You have always been there. When I lost our..."
He pressed a finger to her lips to keep that sadness at bay. It had
not been easy for him either, but he had had to be strong for her
though it had hurt him just as much.
"How can I not when you
are so my beloved?"
"Please...stay..."
"No
I must go. I need to speak to my brother and then have a council.
Then I will return to you..."
"Very well." She
nodded. It was the way of things she knew.
"No man insults
you. He insults me by this. My father now knows this."
"You
did not..." Her eyes were wide. Boromir was not a small man and
he had a temper. He could dispatch even his own sire if he so willed.
"No he lives...only because I was not there to hear his
insult, which is how he planned it." He rose from her and went
to the door.
"Where are you going?"
"To kill
something." He said his voice a hiss.
