He mentions with his hand towards Aphadon. Why did he do that? Oh, yes now he remembers. He wants to talk to Lord Faramir for a moment. Lord Faramir's shoulders stiffen from time to time. And where that comes from, he wants to know.
"What!"
"I want to speak with Lord Faramir. And for that, you need not be present."
He looks calmly at Aphadon's annoyed face. It will not do for Aphadon to stick his nose into this. And for that, Aphadon needs to leave. Not that he requested Aphadon to leave. No, he gave an order. They stare at each other maybe a minute when Aphadon throws his hands in the sky. Halbarad laughs at this side but still hears what Aphadon says.
"Alright, alright! I will leave you in peace."
He shakes his head. If he did not know Aphadon as well as he did, he would assume Aphadon was mad at him. But he knows it is not the case. He watches as Aphadon leaves. He narrows his eyes. Aphadon is walking away slowly and deliberately. He sighs for he knows what this means; Aphadon will be using everything he can to learn what they talked about.
He turns his head back to the parapet and Lord Faramir. Lord Faramir is showing no indication he heard them talking. In all likelihood, he heard them but choose not to react to it. He shrugs. It does not matter except ensure Lord Faramir knows he wants to talk. Lord Faramir will as such not be surprised.
Walking up onto the parapet, he is finally able to take a better look at Lord Faramir. He can only see so much from a distance. But up close, it becomes clear something is bothering Lord Faramir. Why else would Lord Faramir's body be so tight? At the same time, Lord Faramir is tapping the parapet with his fingers. It only reinforces his belief.
As he closes in on Lord Faramir, he manages to get a sight on Lord Faramir's face. Lord Faramir is frowning while looking at the fields. He smiles amused. By the look in lord Faramir's eyes, he is not focused on what is in front of him. No, he is lost in his thoughts. But by what he has seen it does not surprise him. He already suspected to see something like this.
"Lord Faramir?"
"Yes, Lord Halbarad. You wanted to talk to me?"
Lord Faramir does not turn around but only clenches his fists. What caused this? Is he annoyed to have to talk to him right now? Or has whatever upset him caused this reaction? Halbarad looks ahead for a moment considering how best to approach Lord Faramir. His suspicion about being overheard has been confirmed. But can he ask Lord Faramir what is bothering him? Or does he need to find a way around it while still getting answers? He shakes his head.
Sneaking a glance at Lord Faramir, he sees Lord Faramir has relaxed a bit. Not as much as he would like but it is a start. Lord Faramir is no longer lost in thoughts but seems to be considering something. It gives him hope to not have to find a way around the topic. He feels reasonably safe with simply addressing this. Turning his head towards Lord Faramir, he is met with a frown.
"I do want to talk to you. As for why? I would like to know what is on your mind. You seemed lost in thoughts to me."
"Oh, it is nothing of importance. All I was doing was thinking about a conversation I had this morning."
Lord Faramir looks away and grips the parapet tighter. Is he unwilling to talk more about it? He almost gets the impression. Whatever Lord Faramir was thinking about is certainly something of importance. He turns his head towards the fields and frowns. This could be just what has Lord Faramir so worried. His frown deepens for he does not understand what could have him so worried about a conversation. Well, all he can do is ask for an explanation in the hope this will solve his confusion.
"And what has you so worried about that conversation?"
"There is nothing which has me worried about my earlier conversation. Why would you even think that? I was only considering it. There is nothing to it."
"Oh, but I think differently. So let me ask my question differently: what were you considering about the conversation?"
"A few things but I am not sure how talking about it can aid me."
Lord Faramir looks away while speaking. Halbarad smiles to himself. It proves there is something. Now all he needs to do is convince Lord Faramir to talk about it. He grins before swallowing a groan. He acts just like Aphadon. This is not how he wants to act. But he has no other choice if he is to aid Lord Faramir. He just knows how to attempt to get the answers.
"Maybe you can. Maybe you cannot. But you will not know unless we talk about it."
Lord Faramir looks away again. His body stiffens. Halbarad frowns. Where does this reluctance to talk come from? Whenever they talked earlier Lord Faramir was more than willing to talk with him. But now Lord Faramir is not? He shakes his head slightly. All he can do now is wait patiently knowing that anymore pressing will not aid him. In fact, it might work against him.
"I had breakfast with Éowyn where we talked about widows."
"I see. What has you so worried about it?"
That they had breakfast together this morning and talked is nothing surprising. He knows they meet each morning for breakfast. So it is logical they would talk. But where did the subject of widows come from? He frowns as this is a surprise for him to hear about. He cannot imagine what might worry him about talking to widows. Or even what might have prompted one of them to bring up this subject.
He looks at Lord Faramir hoping to see an answer on his face. He is disappointed. Lord Faramir is looking away. He cannot see Lord Faramir's face. But what he can see is how Lord Faramir clenches his fist. He smiles knowing he touched a potentially sensitive subject. Now he has to wait for Lord Faramir to answer.
"I am confused about why my opinion would matter so much for her."
"I am not surprised. Tell me? Do your feelings for the Princess change."
"What do you mean by that? Of course, my feelings do not change. I still want to be friends with her."
"Only friends? I would have thought you would think you would want more with her?"
Halbarad struggles to keep his face straight. It is simply too amusing to tease Lord Faramir with this. Especially because Lord Faramir's feelings are as clear as day to him. But which Lord Faramir reacts defensively towards. What adds to his struggles is the annoyed look on Lord Faramir's face.
"What makes you say that? As I said we are only friends. There will be nothing more between us."
This time he allows his amusement to show by smiling. Lord Faramir is either ignorant of his feelings or refuses to acknowledge them. He has seen the love they feel for each other in their eyes. He shrugs knowing he cannot do anything about it. Well, nothing? There is one thing he can do; he can point Lord Faramir to people who will know about their feelings.
"Well, if you say so. I suggest you talk to Marshall Elfhelm and Princess Éowyn then and listen to what they have to tell you."
"Maybe I will. Might I ask how widows are threatened in Arnor? And also in case, they have children?"
Now, he is nearly certain Lord Faramir refuses to acknowledge his feelings. It would explain why Lord Faramir would change the topic so quickly. He sees no problem with this topic. It will only be a way for Lord Faramir to know what the differences are between the treatment of widows in Gondor and Arnor.
"You may ask. You must know I only know how we Dúnedain treat widows. How it happens elsewhere in Arnor I can only guess at. I interact too few with them for that."
"That is no problem. Just tell me what you know."
Lord Faramir bites his lips while looking away. Halbarad looks away also. He knows Lord Faramir does not like his answer. Most likely, Lord Faramir wanted to know from the entirety of Arnor. But as he said, he cannot talk about that. He turns his head back to Lord Faramir who looks at him.
"Well, widows usually return to their parents at that time regardless of the fact if they have children. The children always go with their mother. No man would refuse the children as they belong with their mother. Some widows who do not have family living in the same village will continue to live on their own. In that case, the village supports the widows. It is not rare for widows to remarry but also not common. With us, it is a decision a widow has to make."
"So widows are not expected to marry again?"
Lord Faramir frowns which confuses Halbarad. Are widows expected to marry here? If that is the case then this will certainly upset Aragorn when he learns about it. Though thinking about it, he knows Aragorn has been here in the past. As such, he could have heard about it earlier. He shrugs knowing time will tell him which is the case. Looking at Lord Faramir, he sees the frown has deepened. Smiling slightly, he decides to answer.
"No, not if they do not want to. There is no one pushing them towards it. Some widows actually prefer to not marry again for a variety of reasons."
"Mhh, do you know what those reasons could be?"
He frowns now. What is Lord Faramir aiming for? What does he want to know? He grins when one thought strikes him; Lord Faramir is clearly very fond of Princess Éowyn. Most likely in love with her. Right now, he wants to know how Aragorn will react to widows. Well, he can easily tell Lord Faramir that but he refrains. He decides to focus on the question. If Lord Faramir wants an answer then he should ask for it.
"Oh, I can think of a few. Most relate to the fact that the widows are unwilling to remarry or still deeply in love with their deceased spouse."
Lord Faramir looks at him with a frown. He smiles in return even when Lord Faramir stares at him. He meets the stare with his own. Minutes pass and no one stops. He refuses to give up just like Lord Faramir appears to do. But in the end, Lord Faramir breaks the stare when the lord turns his head towards the fields once more.
"Thank you for your information, Lord Halbarad. I regret to inform you that I need to leave for I have been invited to eat supper with someone."
"It is no problem. I would not wish to keep you from attending your invitation."
Lord Faramir nods and walks away. Halbarad stares at the lord's retreating back and frowns. Who is Lord Faramir meeting with? Someone he knows? He shakes his head. Maybe Lord Faramir does but it does not matter. He needs to eat his supper and prepare for the visit he will be receiving later today. A visit which will hopefully give him some good news.
Faramir sighs as he walks towards the front of the houses. Marshall Elfhelm asked to meet with him at the door of the houses from where on they will go to where they will eat their supper. Why Marshall Elfhelm wants to do it so, he does not understand. Would it not be easier to meet in his room? He certainly believes it. But then he agreed to Marshall Elfhelm's suggestion so he will heave to deal with it.
As he walks, he thinks back to the words he received from Lord Halbarad. Widows are treated so differently in Arnor than they are here. It tells him there might be problems should the kingdoms be reunited. But it is not the most important thing he learned. Or more likely what confused him. Where would Lord Halbarad have gotten the impression he has feelings for Princess Éowyn? And what would he expect him to do with those feelings? There is nothing he can do without permission from King Éomer. Nor does he believe his feelings will be appreciated.
"Good evening, Lord Faramir. I hope you have a good day."
"I did. Thank you for your invitation even though it surprised me."
"Of course, but let us go to the place where we will eat our supper. There are some things I would like to discuss with you."
He nods in agreement. Marshall Elfhelm mentions with his hand for him to follow. He does so and they begin to walk. He pays close attention to where they are going. He wants to know where they will be eating. It will tell him how to return to the houses if he does not receive an escort. Something he doubts will be the case if Master Neston knows about this appointment.
As they walk, he gets the impression they will not be leaving this level. And if his sense of direction is right then they will soon reach a small building. Is this where they will be eating supper? He hopes not. It will be supper in a very small room. And not something he will like. But just as he thinks this, he is guided past the building towards a larger one. This building is located just behind the small one. He looks at the building with surprise. How did he not know it was here?
"Lord Faramir, is there a problem?"
He looks up and only then notices he stopped walking. Marshall Elfhelm is looking at him with a frown. In the Marshall's eyes, he can see the concern. He shakes his head but does not speak up. There is no need for him to explain himself. Marshall Elfhelm slightly bends his head to the side. He smiles but instead of calming Marshall Elfhelm it causes the frown to deepen.
A sigh has him looking at Marshall Elfhelm just as the Marshall turns around and walks on. He smiles amused and follows the marshall. He is guided inside the building and towards the dining room. Or at least that is the impression he has. Especially, as he is guided further into the house. From experience, he knows the dining room is never found in the front of the house.
Soon a door is opened and he steps into the room. The room is prepared for two people eating here. He bites back a smile. Yes, prepared with everything but the food. He turns his head while raising his eyebrow. Hopefully, Marshall Elfhelm has an answer. But Marshall Elfhelm only walks to the table without appearing to have noticed his action. Marshall Elfhelm sits down and he follows the example.
"I am sure you are wondering what I wanted to talk about with you. That is ..."
A knock on the door has both men looking up. Moments later, two women enter the room with their supper. Or at least the first part of it. The women are followed by a few others. He looks at the servants and sees one of the women blushing. Clearly, she has not been in the presence of nobility before. Or at least not so often that she has gotten used to nobility.
Turning his head, he is met with an amused looking Marshall Elfhelm. Marshall Elfhelm's shoulders shake with barely concealed laughter. He frowns. What is the marshall laughing at? He turns his head back towards the servants but does not speak up. No one speaks while the women are in the room. The women conduct their duty silently.
He looks from time to time to Marshall Elfhelm who smiles calmly. He smiles back and wonders how much longer the servants need. He knows Marshall Elfhelm's amusement has ended. It makes it all the more intriguing. But not as much as the reason for this supper. He finally has the chance to ask about it when the women leave.
"What did you want to say, Marshall Elfhelm?"
"Call me Elfhelm please when we are in private. As for what I wanted to say; I wanted to thank you."
"Thank me? For what? All I have done is what is expected of me. Nothing more."
"Oh, but you have done a lot for Princess Éowyn. You have been a good influence on her. I know she enjoys her time with you which makes her time in the city bearable."
He frowns as he is confused by these words. He can understand he has an influence on her. But a good one? Surely there are more who have as much of an influence on her as he does? If not more, right? What is so important or different about him? He shakes his head. These thoughts will only serve to confuse and distract him. And right now, he can make good use of his promise to Lord Halbarad. It will not be considered strange if he brings it up.
"Do you know that I had a most interesting conversation with Princess Éowyn this morning?"
"No, I do not. Might I ask what it is about?"
This time, Elfhelm frowns. He is happy to note their expressions and emotions have changed. He is also happy to note how interested Elfhelm is. This will hopefully ensure he gets the best answers. He tilts his head slightly before answering.
"We talked about the treatment of widows here in Gondor."
Understanding draws on Elfhelm's face. This causes Faramir to frown intrigued. What is Elfhelm thinking? He becomes highly interested in knowing Elfhelm's thoughts, right now. Hopefully, he will receive the answers and details which will explain Éowyn's interest. Slowly a smile overtakes Elfhelm's face. Faramir frowns hoping to get an answer soon.
"Ah, that must have been a subject Princess Éowyn would be highly interested in. I know she has high stakes in it."
He struggles to keep the shock of his face. High stakes? Éowyn? He cannot believe it. Why could she have such high stakes in it? It does not make any sense to him. All it does is confirm to him that something is being hidden from him. But what? Elfhelm's smile has him speaking up in the hopes of getting some clarification.
"She did indeed appear highly interesting. But why the high stakes?"
"What did you tell her, my lord?"
He frowns and struggles to keep his irritation from his face. Why does Elfhelm change the subject? Is he hiding something? It would appear so. But what could it be? It only raises his suspicion even more. It is something to ask Éowyn whenever he gets the chance.
He sighs to let his irritation leave. He cannot do anything about his suspicion now. Elfhelm does not seem interested in talking about it. It has him deciding to tell Elfhelm exactly what he told Éowyn. It is the only thing he can do at this time.
"I told her how widows are expected to remarry. Especially if they are part of the nobility. Any children will mostly stay with the father's family unless the new husband allows them to live with their mother."
Elfhelm looks away with a pained look. At the same time, Elfhelm is also biting his lips. He could tell something upset Éowyn then about his explanation. Alright, he has to be honest; he only told Elfhelm a summary of what he told Éowyn. But what is being hidden from him? He does not know but is certain it is something big. If only because his suspicion point to it. With this in mind, he decides to ask an obvious question.
"Does Princess Éowyn have children?"
"That is something I cannot answer, my lord. You need to ask Princess Éowyn that. Only she can provide you with the answers you seek."
Elfhelm does not look at him as he answers. But Faramir could hear something in Elfhelm's voice. What it is he does not know; he cannot identify him. Thinking about it, he turns his head towards his plate. He notices he has not eaten much since their conversation started. If he even did eat anything. To prevent having to answer, he starts to eat. It results in them spending some time together in silence. Not an uncomfortable one. No, the silence is comfortable allowing both men to think about whatever is on their mind.
Faramir uses the time to consider their conversation. He has become more convinced he does not know all the necessary details. It makes it all the more important for him to ask Éowyn about it. At the same time, he knows better than to ask her outright. He does not want to upset her. As such, he will have to find a way to ease her into talking about it.
Halbarad sits calmly in his room reading. This book he found is quite interesting. Especially as he rarely got the chance to read any books. So, he wants to make the most use of it. With this book, he will finally learn how Gondor looks at certain events since the death of Isildur. A knock on the door has him looking up. Who is it? He feels like he is forgetting something but he cannot point it.
"Enter!"
He keeps his eyes on the door wondering who is disturbing him. Seeing Master Neston entering has him grimacing slightly. He has completely forgotten about this visit. Now, he can only hope his grimace has not been noticed.
"Is everything alright, Lord Halbarad?"
"Yes, master Neston. There is nothing for you to worry about."
He had idle hope his grimace was not noticed. And besides, it is not as if he would have shared forgetting about this appointment. It is simply too embarrassing to admit. He looks Master Neston straight in his eyes. He wants this meeting to be over with so he can go back to reading the book.
"Well, it is good you are already sitting down on your bed, Lord Faramir, for I would like to examine your wound. Please lift your shirt so I can see your scar."
He sighs and follows the direction. It is not as if he has much of a choice. Master Neston approaches him and unwraps the bandage. It is then that his wound is being prodded. But why would Master Neston do this now? He does not know. Before Master Neston never examined his wound like this. He feels prodding on his wound and beside it. It does not last long before the prodding ends and Master Neston speaks up.
"You should be glad that your wound has healed well. Better than I expected with the exercises you have made."
"Really? I thought the exercises I made were not that bad."
"In general no, but you went beyond what I would deem responsible."
He shrugs. What Master Neston considers responsible does not concern him too much. He knows he should not upset Master Neston but can still do as he likes. So, if he searches for the limits of what he can do, who is there to stop him? Luckily, his actions have not resulted in any obstruction to his healing. A raised eyebrow has him speaking up.
"Well, if that is what you think. How far do you deem my recovery?"
"Oh, you have recovered well enough that you can leave the houses in two days. From tomorrow on, you can start to train again."
"That is good news to me."
He smiles happily while Master Neston scowls. It only causes his smile to deepen. And if he is honest, his smile has turned into a grin. He can soon leave the houses. A moment he has been waiting for. The coming few days he can wait. Especially as he has something to look out to. It certainly makes his day.
A door slamming shut has him looking up. Master Neston has left the room. He lifts an eyebrow. Does he not receive a goodbye? Apparently not. He shrugs and turns his attention back to the book he was reading.