Chapter 21 (Future) - Like father like son part 2
Faramir reached for the handle to the Aragorn's chamber, but just as he was about open the door, he heard something. He heard someone whisper 'Wait!' so silently, had he not been a Ranger, he would have missed it.
Looking about himself with his hand still on the handle, he heard it again: 'Don't!' This time he let go of the handle and turned around, but still saw nothing.
"What's going on here?" he asked himself, eyes still checking for anything. And then he saw it again. The same figure of light as before, at the end of the hall, motioning with its hand to come and follow.
He knew he had to tell Elessar about what he found as soon as possible, but something inside him told him to follow. That he would get more answers as to what was happening. Giving the door one last look and moved down the hall and towards the light, looking out for anyone else around.
Before he could say anything, it spoke: "We can not talk here. Come to your private study," and a moment later, it vanished, leaving an even more confused Steward to do as he was told. A feeling on the inside told him to follow.
Quickly walking down a different corridor towards his study, he noticed that there haven't been any servants awake.
"Strange," he thought to himself and speed up his pace. When he arrived, he opened the door and closed it quickly behind him. Taking a deep breath he looked around the room searching for the figure.
Frowning in confusion, he walked to his desk and sat on the chair. Could light figures be running late? He sighed and turned his gaze at the fireplace. It hadn't been lit since he became Steward.
"Maybe this time?" he asked no one as he remembered the day his father died. Fire, he feared it.
"Are you just going to stare at it?" came a voice. It was so sudden that it knocked the Steward, along with his chair, to the ground.
"Oh apologies. I see you were in the middle of something," it said again. From the ground, Faramir was wide eyed as he didn't move. He stared at the figure that was now leaning over the table to look at him.
"Are you alright?" it tilted its head. The Prince needed a few more seconds to collect himself before getting off the ground and picking the chair up.
"Y-Yes fine. I merely wasn't expecting you so out of the blue," he sat back down and looked at the figure. It was defiantly male, but didn't seem like an Elf, Dwarf or Men. Everything else was hard to deduce.
"Now why did you call me here? What are you even? What do you know and why? Am I-" he started bombarding with the questions until the figure said: "Calm down Faramir."
At that, he couldn't utter another word as the light sat on his bed. How it did that he didn't know.
"I see that I am slightly late they've already started… I can not answer all those questions. You need to find the answers on your own. I can tell you, that you mustn't go to the King. Not with what you planned to tell him. You did well to follow me. They will most likely try to correct what happened, meaning they will make mistakes."
"Why not? Who will make mistakes?" he was impatient. There was so much going on and he didn't know what to believe.
"Nothing is as it seems! By all rights, I should not even be here! This is something they did not predict and I fear that they will find me any moment. You can trust no one here. Only yourself! No matter what, you must not allow them to win!" it looked panicked as it started blinking and loosing brightness.
"There is no time left," the figure stood up. "The rest is up to you, Faramir. If you fall and fail, so does everyone else," with those words, it vanished.
"Wait! You need to tell me more!" he called but it was all for naught as it couldn't hear him anymore.
This was becoming so complicated and confusing. 'Trust no one!' he recalled what it said. What did it all mean? Why couldn't he trust anyone? There were so many questions that he didn't even know where to start. Taking a deep, calming breath, he looked at the fire place again.
He started thinking about everything he remembered. The conversation between Aragorn and Enzo, the light appearing and its warnings, the letters, the argument between Louise and Andreas…
Were these things all connected? Somehow, he thought so. Was everyone in the council part of it? Probably, as even the King seemed to know about this. And that bothered him the most. That Elessar was part of it as well.
"But if he is part of it, they couldn't be plotting against him… Which means-" his thoughts were interrupted suddenly when he heard a knock on the door. With a silent 'Enter' the door opened and revealed the King.
"Greetings my friend," Aragorn said and stepped in while closing the door. Stunned for a second, the Steward quickly stood up when he remembered his manners.
"Greetings my Lord," he bowed his head. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" he looked up as the former Ranger stepped closer and sat on the chair before the desk.
"Merely checking on a friend. The servants have told me that you have been… erratic today. It worried me," he looked him straight in the eyes as he smiled.
"Servants? I haven't seen any today… Ah they exaggerated. I didn't get much sleep last night is all. Nothing to worry you," he said the first part to himself and the second to his friend.
His heart was pounding in his chest as it became hard to breathe. There was so much uneasiness around them; he feared it would consume him.
"Tell me, what have you been up to of late?" the King changed the subject. He looked around the room, as if searching for something.
"Nothing in particular my lord," he lied. But when their eyes met again, he could hardly breathe. Something was very wrong.
"Faramir," he spoke gently. "You know you can tell me anything. We are friends, are we not?" his eyes seem to show hurt.
"Of course we are. And there is…something I have been meaning to tell you," he couldn't keep the words from escaping his mouth.
"Yes?" Strider raised an eyebrow and waited for what he had to say. "I have recently found notes… about reporters of my activities. Someone from the council, I presume Louise and Andreas, have been watching me," it was as if he was possessed.
When the King said nothing he continued: "Sadly the evidence has been destroyed, but if you were to question them, I'm sure they would speak."
"And where did you find these notes?" Aragorn showed internes. "In one of the chambers where Enzo was heading," he never intended to tell him any of this, but something forced him to speak.
"You must speak of this before the others. The next meeting is about to come. Will you join us? I know you have many things to do."
"I will come my Lord," he answered as they both stood up and left the study. His body was moving on its own and he soon found himself before the council members.
"I thought you said Lord Faramir had other matters to attend to?" Enzo asked when they arrived.
"Today he has most interesting news. I suggest we all listen. Now, if you would Steward?" and at that, Faramir explained everything he saw and heard, without even intending to do so. The only thing he could withhold was about the light figure.
"You realize this is a high accusation of at least two council members. Do you have any proof?" Julien looked at him. The Ranger shook his head as the others started discussing the matter.
After a few minutes, they stopped and looked at the Prince. "We have decided," the King said as all eyes fell on him.
"What you have told us, all you accused and under such… uncertain circumstances, that it is madness," he eyed the Steward, who could not speak another word, only trembled there as he listened.
"For some time now we have feared this," Andreas stood up. "That he has to been claimed by madness. Like his brother and father! It was all matter of time."
"We can not allow you to be a danger to everyone here. Thus, I revoke your title and all the power as Steward and Prince of Ithilien. Furthermore, you have been sentenced to death. We simply can not allow a mad man spreading nonsense."
"How and when is he to die?" Enzo asked, but seemed like he already knew the answer.
"In three days' time, he will be burned on the stake," Elessar answered calmly and looked at the 'mad man'.
This couldn't be happening could it? It didn't make any sense!
To be continue in Like Father like Son part 3