This was one of the hardest chapters to write, I really tried to keep everyone in check, so I apologize if it doesn't meet your expectations. Thank you for your encouragment!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter Nine

"Can you believe it? Burned it to the ground, he did, there is nothing left of it!"

"Do you believe everything you hear? I have always been under the impression that the young captain cared for his brother far too much to do something as this!"

"Well young Faramir did hold the title of his father until the rightful steward surfaced once more. Jealously is a strong poison, my dear."

"Strong enough to break two brother's apart? I think not."

"You never know. Nothing is pure anymore, and I would be more keen to believe that lot if it was not for the Halfling Peregrin Took…it seems that the lass he brought with him left him because of Faramir's influence. How could a friend do that to a friend?!"

"Strange things are happening in Minas Tirith…did you not hear of how the King turned himself in for the fire that the captain is responsible for?"

"So you're beginning to agree with me?"

The bits and pieces I had heard from that conversation left a very uneasy feeling in my stomach, but I just rode on past with my cloak over my head – not intentionally trying to conceal my identity, the wind was beginning to pick up and it looked like one of the heavy spring rains was about to be unleashed on the city. I had not seen Eowyn in a day or so and wanted to see how she fared; she had mentioned she was sick the last time I had seen her and had not attended the dinner with the King and Queen, so I was mildly concerned. Worried sick.

I continued to ride on with my body erect and my chin up, having now tossed my hood back so that in the case of any other folk wishing to discuss their opinion of the rumors about me they would know to ask me what exactly my opinion was on the matter at hand. It would mean very little to anyone at this point, that much I was aware of.

As Tide cantered through the fair streets of Minas Tirith I caught the tension and cold in the air, and it struck me like a set of rigid knuckles. The feeling was portrayed through many unspoken thoughts and words that were nothing more than a series of masked glowers and scowls. The people bowed their heads and were respectful as if I could not see past the ghost pale screen they held. I was, somewhere in the back of my mind, grateful that their resentment toward me was only because they cared for my brother – but I cared for him as well, and their blindness toward that fact filled my mind with less than prudent judgments.

I felt eyes on me again, and did not care for that restless charge in the winds around me so I gently dug my heels into Tide's ribs and allowed him to step the pace up. I knew not where Eowyn would be for certain, but then again I never did know where she would be – I could only venture a guess based on the time of day and what I assumed Eowyn's mood was. On a day such as this, when rain threatened to sanctify the land in a glorious assault, Eowyn was probably out in the fields; standing alone in the waves of green and looking up at the stormy sky with her arms folded across her chest and her eyes keen and narrowed as if the clouds themselves would sing to her of old tales long forgotten.

Yet when I had at last made it to the outer circles of my city and dismounted Tide to scan Eowyn's favorite sites on the fields I found nothing. She was nowhere in the fields, in the meadows, or even when I ventured as far out as the historical site of Pelennor I still failed in my search. As I set myself down into the long grass that had once been the glory field where many lives had been given to defend Minas Tirith I wondered.

I wondered what could have driven Eowyn away from her most revered pastimes, especially on a day such as this, the kind she fell in love with. Sitting there with my knees drawn up and supporting my elbow as I stroked my beard, the thought occurred to me that she may have actually decided to stay indoors today. It seemed to simple, so blatantly obvious that I should have conceived of it at first, but Eowyn was not the torpid type, and the idea of anything driving her to do something so out of the ordinary worried me further.

After quickly mounting Tide once more and galloping full speed with my body inclined to the back of my horse to the city, then checking the pace to that of a safe speed, rather than my erratic earlier one, I made sure to give the peasants I had seen earlier a few glances to silently remind them who exactly was the magnate and who was the gossiping fool before heading off to the guesthouse where Eowyn dwelt.

I fingered the scrap of paper that had been nailed to my door the night before and dusted myself off absently as I headed up the smooth stone steps, but when I pulled the doorbell the sound echoed about the insides of the house. I waited and nothing happened. I rang again.

"Hello?" It was the shrill voice of the housekeeper, and it sounded as if she were a few feet from the door; very hesitant to open it.

"It is Captain Faramir, lady," I replied in a loud voice, though I had fallen back upon my usual polite self. "I come to call on the Lady Eowyn."

"The Lady Eowyn is not here, my lord."

"Her brother, then."

"The King of the Mark is not here, either, lord."

"Could you please open the door?"

The door opened and a flustered woman with grey hair all pulled back behind her pink face appeared. She did not seem happy. "My apologies, lord."

"Where did Eowyn go?"

"I know naught, sir, but she left early this morning," she bowed her head respectfully. "Not a word, my lord."

"Very well, will you tell her I came by, then?"

"Aye, lord."

I nodded and in the blink of an eye the door was closed. I waited a moment or so before turning around with my hand resting on where my sword should have been, and inhaled deeply as I made for the end of the steps with my gaze to the ground.

"Young Peregrin is not at home, either." I looked up, and Eowyn, seated on a bench around one of the elaborate water fountains outside of the guesthouse, met my eyes coolly and straightened. "Why were you looking for me, Faramir?"

I laughed, striding quickly over to the bench and hovering over her, unsure what to do with my hands so I tucked them behind my back. "Why? To see how you were feeling, of course, and to see if you wanted to spend a few hours with me."

"I am well." Eowyn stood and pulled her riding habit around her shoulders to secure it, the hood tossed back to reveal her tresses of gold hair – it was gathered in a band around her head to keep the stray pieces from her face, but the rest of it showered down her dark blue back. I caught a glimmer in her eyes – appeared grey, now, beneath a shining tear. Something dropped deep inside of me, and I reached out for her hand but she recoiled. "No, Faramir, I…" she began, swiping at the tears she could no longer hide. "Stop this."

I felt humiliation creep into a physical prick about my body, prodding me as a hot iron's tip. I awkwardly brought a hand to the back of my neck and was silent for some time, unsure how to react. Finally I inquired softly, "Will you tell me what upsets you?"

"You, Faramir. You are keeping things from me."

"What have I kept from you?" I asked desperately, and Eowyn closed her eyes tightly, uncaring for her tears that streamed down her face.

"I spent the morning yesterday speaking with Peregrin Took." I began to object but she held a hand up and stopped me, glaring the sword that rittled my insides to ground meat with but a graze of the blade. I quieted and might have even stepped back. "The night of the banquet -- you told me that the hobbit girl had appeared from nowhere and you exchanged words, not that you kissed her and not that she was Peregrin's – Peregrin's friend!"

My jaw went slack and I stared at her stupidly for a moment, my hands fisting my black tunic as they sometimes did when I was desperately attempting to come up with an explanation. "Eowyn, I…never meant for anyone to find out about that, I –" My voice froze in my throat and did not move for a time while Eowyn stared at me, her silence demanding an explanation and her pale eyes wishing to hear that it was all a mistake, but I could not appease her. I finally formed words in my mouth and forced them out, "We did share a kiss, but, but Eowyn, that is not what I meant –"

"It is another excuse, Faramir, that is all it is!" she squared her shoulders with every note higher that her voice climbed, and I could say nothing in my defense. My frustration peaked. "This is madness, I expected so much more of you, Faramir, you of all people! And Pippin is your friend – "

"Eowyn, no, you are getting all of this wrong!"

"Am I?!" she demanded shrewdly, and a gust of wind swept by as if to prove her point. "Am I truly getting all of this wrong, Faramir? You kissed her! You kissed Pippin's girl! He was your friend!"

"Eowyn…"

"This is it." Eowyn shook her head and fumbled with the clasp of her riding habit before walking briskly past me to seek the stables. "Trouble follows you like a lost dog, and in all of these little dilemmas you end up hurting someone you love." She shot me a cold glance. "Or thought you did."

Without using any judgment or sense my hand shot out from where I had snared it in my tunic and grasped her white arm with hard fingers that crushed into her flesh with a burst of unintentionally released strength, and pulled her back to face me. "Eowyn, listen to me- "

"Release me!" She cried, and twisted from my grip with tears brimming in her eyes and defiant anger plain across her fair face. "I do not know what has gotten into you, Faramir, but whatever you have done has been enough to earn the disdain of the people as well as your loss of Peregrin's friendship!"

When she tried to depart again I darted to block her path rather than touch her in such a way again, and by now my rage was a burning, wrenching red wall that blinded my senses. Eowyn did not flinch, though I am certain she felt my anger. "Eowyn, you will not even allow me to explain!"

"Speak then, I am listening."

"I did kiss Diamond of Long Cleeve that night, Eowyn." I said quietly, and dangerously, stepping closer to her. Eowyn stood firm. "But I knew nothing of who she was and her business with Pippin. Nothing. But you cannot see that, Eowyn, you are so quick to believe the evils you hear against me, and even quicker to judge me!"

"What have I to believe when the entire city hails against you?!"

I threw a hand up at her, breathing heavily and so far in my argument I could have been ranting at the King and not realized it. "Your own words answer that, lady. As my friend I would think you to give me the benefit of the doubt, but it is not so! It is never so, Eowyn!"

"Faramir -"

"I can never please you, never has anything I have said in my defense been enough for you!" It occurred to me that the housekeeper could probably hear every word I shouted so I lowered my voice to a hushed whisper and leaned in close. "And every time you assume the worst of me –" My words halted when I caught her stare and I said louder, "Eowyn, I love you, can you not see that? Everyone else sees it! I love you…I love you so much that sometimes I even forget to breathe! Ever since that day in Houses of Healing you have been my world, my heart, all I think about! I move mountains to please you, Eowyn, and still you believe that I would betray one of my dearest friends! I never knew love could be such a painful burden, never in all of this time that my heart has ached for you until now!"

"But you kissed her," Eowyn continued in a hard, quiet voice, and I wondered if she had even heard what I had said before. "Pippin is hurt, Faramir, and it is because of you."

"Yet you have no concept of how you hurt me, Eowyn! You are selfish and cannot see the situation through any eyes but your own! Look, Eowyn, look and see what you are doing to me!"

This time the mask of defiance that so grandly hid her eyes fell bare, and when she blinked I saw the hurt. Bile rose in my throat. Eowyn had stopped my fury with nothing more than a whisper of my name and the trail of a tear. The silence between us was awkward, and the air was still and tense. The pale young woman before me looked to her shoes and said nothing.

"No, Eowyn, I did not mean it." My own voice was pathetic, and I cursed myself for the break in my words. She shook her head.

"You did." Eowyn's eyes met mine, and there were no more tears, but my heart ached just as hard. "You meant it, Faramir, and with good reason. But," Slowly did she walk past me, erect and graceful as a distant memory. "Say no more to me, I am due elsewhere."

"Where are you going?" I asked her feebly, but she whirled only briefly to catch my eyes before continuing.

"I will find out when I get there."

And with that she left me and went into the stables, but I did not see her exit on her horse until I had cast my final glance toward the guesthouse. Eowyn was right, and I knew it. I should have swallowed my pride and explained to Pippin, I should have dealt with the issue the moment it happened instead of all of the secrecy. And I had managed to single handedly injure two people I loved.

--- --- ---

Around the time Eowyn and I had finished quarrelling, my brother and King had set out on a mission: seeking out Diamond of Long Cleeve. They had some difficulty chasing Aragorn's guards off, and eventually convinced them that Boromir could be his guard, but in the end were only lucky enough to rid them all save one. The idea was to not be intimidating to the hobbits.

Boromir strode briskly from the tailor's shop looking slightly annoyed, and Aragorn raised his brows expectantly. "Not in there?"

"Not in there."

"They were not buying fruit either." Aragorn stroked his chin out of habit. "What do hobbits do when they have the entire day to fiddle around with?"

"I have yet to spend the day with a hobbit girl, I would not know."

"What if you were a hobbit girl, where would you go?" Aragorn earned a frown from my brother, but followed up with, "Come, Boromir, we must get into their heads."

"Well, I would go and…buy things." he replied simply.

"Oh yes? What."

"What?"

"What would you buy if you were a hobbit girl?"

"Ah…" Boromir paused, planting his hands on his hips as he thought and frowning at the street. "A dress? A nice dress."

"What kind?" Apparently my brother did not pick up the amusement in the king's voice.

"Blue…blue with a kind of flowery trim around the collar," Boromir shrugged. "Probably a yellow or a white."

"It sounds very pretty, and how would you wear your hair?"

"Aragorn." Boromir folded his arms across his chest and watched Aragorn's pitiful attempt to stifle his laughter by casually pressing his cloak against his mouth hard enough to turn his knuckles white disapprovingly, clearing his throat. Aragorn looked up. "It is not appreciated."

"Forgive me, Boromir, it was too tempting." Aragorn shook off the laughter and cleared his throat as well, straightening. "We know by now that they were not out to buy a dress, or fruit…where else could they be?"

"Riding horses?"

"Ponies, Boromir, ponies."

"That too."

"Hobbits do not do well on horses, and even ponies are sizely for them." Aragorn glanced up to the sun as it climbed and threatened to end the day. "We should have Eowyn here to help us get into the mind of a young woman."

"I hardly think that Eowyn would be the right choice."

"And my wife has an interview with her today, so there is no point in consulting Arwen." Aragorn narrowed his eyes and assumed Boromir's stance, both men searching the possibilities. The barking of a dog caught their attention, and from down the street the animal charged past them, tongues flailing as it scampered, and a young girl was running after in hot pursuit. Aragorn and Boromir shared a glance, and then quickly stepped in to block her path.

A second later they found themselves sprawled on the ground and disoriented with the girl above them apologizing profusely and locked in the arms of the guard.

"My King! My King, I am so sorry, I did not even notice you until it was too late, I –" the dirt streaked face of the girl in the yellow dress suddenly crumbled and she began sobbing. "You are going to arrest me, aren't you? Oh, please have mercy!"

Aragorn shook his head and ordered the guard to release her while he and Boromir tried to calm her without drawing attention. Heads were turning. "No, no, everything is all right! Stop crying, we just want to talk with you! Are you not all right, Boromir?"

"My backside has never throbbed harder."

"Boromir!"

"Right, it's fine," The steward smacked his rear casually and transformed a wince into a smile as he addressed the sniffling girl. "See, no harm done. Now we just wish to speak with you, is that all right?"

"You won't arrest me?"

"No!"

"But I bruised your – "

"It was an accident!" Aragorn said with a smile, stooping to look her in the teary brown eyes. "And it was our fault, at that, my guard just panicked…will you give us the pleasure of your company for a few minutes, lady…"

The girl smiled shyly at her title. "Miriel."

"…Lady Miriel?"

"I suppose so, if you wish it, my King." she lowered her eyes respectfully, and Aragorn said,

"Well, you see, we are attempting to find a girl a little older than you, I suppose, and just would like to know where you might be on a day like today if you were her."

"I…umm…I would buy a dress." she smiled and reached up to wrap on of her curls around a finger. "A blue one with yellow flowers."

Aragorn frowned. "Oh. Well thank you for talking with us, Miriel. You can go, if you want."

"I will," she curtsied and dashed back on the trail of her pet, leaving Aragorn and Boromir back at square one. "Goodbye!"

"Farewell." Aragorn nodded at her, and turned back to Boromir thoughtfully. "She shares your taste."

"Oh be quiet."

"I believe our target just traced your steps into the tailor's shop," Aragorn, still a tad bruised and shaken from the run in with the girl, ducked behind his guard covertly for reasons he himself were unaware of, though Boromir found it necessary and assumed his position as they watched Diamond and Rosie make for the shop. "All that searching and we just come back to where we started. Interesting."

"Halflings are unpredictable."

"Not entirely."

"Well they can be," Boromir shrugged beside the crouching King of Gondor. "I never in my wildest dreams expected Pippin to burn down my home…well, maybe in my wildest dreams…" Boromir trailed off and stood when both hobbit girls had gone into the shop and waved a hand at the door. "Shall we?"

Aragorn nodded wordlessly and led the way, earning a few glances and head turns as they pushed the large doors open and entered the cool room. Diamond was at the desk with Rosie Cotton, and they were inquiring the price of a blue and yellow dress. Boromir grunted in victory.

"Diamond of Long Cleeve, Rose Cotton?" the guard caught the pretty lasses' attention, and when they saw Boromir and Aragorn their faces lit up and they curtsied.

"King Elessar!" Both hobbits exclaimed in unison, and Aragorn nodded politely. Diamond was first to speak up. "What a pleasure meeting you here…and you too, Lord Steward." Rosie nodded in agreement. "If you don't mind my asking why have you come here? I know you are not shopping for dresses."

Aragorn gave a single-shouldered shrug in Boromir's direction and looked like he wanted to say something but caught the murderous look in Boromir's eyes and decided against it. Instead he stepped forward most regally and said, "Ladies, if we may have a word?"

--- --- ---

I had to find Pippin because I knew he was the only one that could set these things right again. All of Minas Tirith was angry with me for the malice I did not possess, and the crime that I had not committed, and Pippin hated me for stealing Diamond's heart. I shoved every doubt I had been harboring down to where it would not surface again and dismounted Tide, not even bothering to tether him anywhere. The wind stung my eyes and whipped my hair and cloak behind me as if they were nothing, but I barely noticed while making my way up the stairs of the Hobbit's house.

Despite their size the Hobbit's had insisted that the city go to no trouble in making them an entire house, no matter how big, just for their use, so I did not have to duck my head while entering the porch. I was aware of every breath I took and every creak of my leather boots against the wooden planks, dreading this moment but also wanting for this all to end. If Pippin still valued the friendship we once shared he would listen to me and do his best to sort this out with me.

I rapped my knuckles hard against the door without even considering the bell, and a tall thin man answered. Upon seeing me his eyes widened and he bowed his head respectfully.

"Captain Faramir – "

"I must speak with the Halflings."

"I will announce you, if that is all right, sir."

I shook my head and pushed past him into the house, forgetting my rudeness and scanning the wide room breathlessly. At the table were the four hobbits – Merry, Sam, Frodo and Merry's friend Estella, one of the fair little hobbit lasses they brought along with him. I felt relief flood into me at the sight of no Pippin, but also disappointment, for I wanted to end this as soon as possible. The hobbits were regarding me with wide, confused eyes, and as it usually is with women, Estella was the first to acknowledge me.

"Captain Faramir," she stood and curtsied. "What an unexpected pleasure!"

I nodded at all of them when they said hello, and Merry asked me, "Is something wrong?"

Frodo was pale, very pale, but he looked healthy enough and asked me with reassuring vigor, "Would you join us for lunch?"

I shook my head. "I must decline…is Pippin around, however? There is something I must discuss with him…"

"Has he done something wrong?" Frodo inquired hesitantly, and for a moment I was compelled to spill everything out to my friends of their cousin and this misunderstanding, but something held me back. I cared for Pippin, greatly, and to speak ill of him was almost physically painful. I shook my head.

"Nothing. Pippin has done nothing wrong."