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When the Strong Soften

Chapter 3-Proposal and Confession

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The next day Chastity was summoned to the throne room, and she had no choice but to go.

"What have you done this time?"

"Nothing Thorongil. I have not been out of my room long enough."

Thorongil chuckled. "That has never stopped you before."

As the two walked to the palace the sky above them was dark as night. The storm Chastity had predicted had come. With out a glance at the darkening sky Chastity walked up the stairs and was let into her most hated building in Minas Tirith.

She was escorted to the throne room, but Thorongil did not wait long enough to see who was inside. With an encouraging glance, he left her. Twisting the ends of her hair, Chastity walked into the room and the doors shut behind her. There, before her Denethor sat in his chair before the steps to the throne. A man sat beside him. She had seen this man before. He had brown hair and was in his mid twenties, his clothing was that of a soldier. As she noted with most soldiers this was a haggard looking man.

"This is Lady Chastity." Denethor said speaking to the man.

'So this is his son.' Chastity thought.

The man surveyed her with searching eyes and commented to his father. This continued on for several minutes and Chastity once again felt on display. She could not catch the words the two spoke of, only their tones. The man's was low and doubtful, while Denethor's was firm, too firm.

Then Denethor lifted his voice. "You are to stay for dinner. You are dismissed."

Chastity turned and walked out of the door. She held her head high letting the man know that she did not approve of his behavior; it also hid the tears forming in her eyes. Once she was through the doors and they were closed behind her she let her head fall and closed her eyes. A deep sigh escaped her lips. While doing this, she ran into someone.

"I am sorry." Chastity mumbled. Then, she looked up and saw the brown eyes.

"Chastity where have you been?" Faramir said offering his arm.

Chastity accepted and the two walked off. "I had some things to take care of."

The two walked quietly down the halls. Soon, they reached Faramir's room and entered.

In the next month, the two spent much time inside in each other's company. Sometimes they talked, sometimes about the different Lords and their families, even sometimes about the weather, and many times, they said nothing at all.

During this month though, Chastity was introduced to Denethor's elder son, Boromir-the man from beside Denethor. One day when the wind howled outside Chastity sat in Boromir's presence. She watched as he paced back and forth. They had had other meetings similar to this one. Boromir would mostly pace but on occasion sit. Chastity would always sit in the chair near the window and would watch what she could from it. Nothing ever changed in this routine. There was never communication, until today.

"So, I have seen you walking the halls with my brother." Boromir said steadily, but if Chastity would have looked there was a slight jealousy in his eye.

"Yes, he served with my brother and tells me much about him." Chastity replied watching the clouds.

Boromir nodded to this though Chastity did not look his way. He took in a breath and mumbled the thing that was on his mind. "We are engaged."

"What!"? Chastity exclaimed. Her head whipped from the window to Boromir's face in a second. Her eyes flaming in anger, and disbelief, sadness was hidden beneath these. 

"My father and yours were going to meet today about it." Boromir presented to her the only information he knew.

Now Boromir stood still as Chastity rose and paced the room. All during this, she twisted her hair with her fingers. Boromir watched her with soft eyes, but Chastity did not acknowledge that there was another person in the room.  She came to a halt and a look of hatred spread across her face; this did not escape Boromir's ever-observant eyes.

"All your all right?" Boromir questioned the worried hid from his voice.

"I do not even know you! How can things be all right? I cannot believe………well actually I can………but still!"

Chastity heard a chuckling from Boromir and she snapped her eyes to him. "What are you snickering about?"

"You have quite a spark there."

"And you would too if this was your fifth prospect of marriage that you neither want nor asked for. But never before did he get me engaged!" With this Chastity ran to the door and opened them, briskly leaving. Her pace did not slow until she had left the palace and had twisted and turned through the streets. The skies remained black and now they let icy slush fall from them, soaking Chastity. But she did not feel it. There was but one thing on her mind. Quite quickly, she came to a medium house and entered.

"Ancalimë!" Chastity's voice echoed through the house.

"What happened?" A girl with brown hair and brown eyes questioned running into the room.

"He got me engaged!" The anger bubbled in her words.

A shocked look appeared on the young woman's face.

"Ann." The sadness in Chastity's voice would pull at any's heart; a look of sadness and confusion came over her face.

Ancalimë pulled Chastity into a tight hug. With the embrace, tears came to her eyes. The two young women stayed like this for a time that even they did not know. Then, Ancalimë brushed the hair from Chastity's forehead and kissed the top of her head.

Chastity looked at her friend and saw her tear streaked cheeks. She opened her mouth to speak.

"Ancalimë!" Thorongil's voice came from the front door and soon he appeared in the room. He saw the two women in the middle of the room. "What happened?" He questioned taking Ancalimë into his arms and wiping her tears.

Chastity in the mean time had begun to pace the room. Her face was once again etched in anger, the hate reaching every sparkle in her eyes. Many times she began to speak, but would only close her mouth without saying a word. After long minutes the pacing slowed, the anger ebbed away enough for her friends to see the confusion. "I cannot………it is not………he could not………" Chastity's pacing had stopped, the desperations clearly visible in her voice.

Her head sank into her hands and she cried. As her body rocked with her silent sobs, she slowly sank to the ground. Her warms tears glided down her cold face and she began to shiver. The young lovers watched their friend knowing not what to do. Chastity had always been the strong one to comfort them no matter what happened in her life. To see her crying was something that never happened and their hearts tugged at the sight.

And so, Chastity sat and cried until Ancalimë came to her and once again hugged her. She wrapped a blanket around Chastity's shoulders. "He will keep his word Chastity. He will find a way. Not even death can stop him from protecting you." Ancalimë told her.

Chastity wiped her face and stood. "I should leave," escaped her lips and then she quickly walked through the door. Freezing winds blew the slushy rain at Chastity all the way to her home. As she walked, Chastity raised her head to the skies and she watched the lightning perform to its musical. During this show, she knew the worst of the storm was yet to come.

When the familiar yet cold, house loomed before her, Chastity's pace slowed. Her mind became heavy with thoughts but she had nowhere to go and the rain had finally chilled her to the point that she thought she would never be warm again. The door swung open and lightning flashed illuminating the hallway inside, giving Chastity the warning that someone was there. With the information, she closed the door and slowly moved disturbing nothing, making no noise.  But he had seen her anyway and his steel claw closed on her arm.

No words escaped his mouth. Only the echoing of thunder and the ringing of a slap was in the house. When the slap echoed away the increasing pressure from the claw diminished and the shadow disappeared. Before its complete departure, it whispered. "Don't you ever run out on the Steward's son."

Chastity did not look at the shadow but proceeded to her room. She quickly got out of her wet clothing and into warm ones. A fire burned in the grate and she soon began to warm. Crawling under the covers, she fell asleep immediately.

The next day Chastity awoke to find a cool cloth lying on the right side of her face and neck. She removed it and lightly ran her fingers over the area only to find it tender below her ear on the jaw bone and below onto her neck, also a small bit of her cheek by the cheek bone. She heard pelting of rain on her window and she ran her fingers over her face, a crash of thunder confirmed that the storm had not died.  There was a rustling of clothing and Orina appeared. She set down a bowl of soup on the table at the side of the bed and then looked up to see Chastity awake.

"It is good t see you awake. I thought perhaps you might sleep all day, as it is afternoon already. How do you feel?"

"Achy."

"Well, it is to be expected, you are sick and have a fever."

Chastity tried to sit up but her head became heavy and began to spin so she laid back down.

"Do not even try to get out of bed, besides you are locked in."

That day and the next Chastity spent mostly in sleep. The bruise on her neck turned green and purple. On the third day in her room, she awoke with no reminents of the sickness.

She dressed in a black skirt and a long sleeved tan blouse. The blouse was held together with a skinny piece of leather that laced to the neck of the blouse, which stopped four inches from the base of her neck. The extra leather from the tie fell down to her waist. The sleeves were loose, began to flare out at the wrists, and stopped at her fingertips. She smiled at the outfit. It had been her mother's favorite when she was alive.

Looking out the window she noticed the storm had passed for now. She left her room twirling her hair in between her fingers. The cool air (it was early October) called to Chastity and she soon found herself outside. Her feet moved with out command and while she enjoyed the freedom of being outside, they took her to the palace. She stood looking up at it the wind blowing her skirt about. With the next chilling gust of wind, Chastity was found inside.

She walked down the hallways encountering no one. When two familiar doors stood before her, she halted. Carefully she arranged her hair so that one could not see her bruise. Then, when all was in order, she knocked on one of the doors and entered.

There was no one in the sitting room so Chastity walked to a small corridor. She went to an archway and found the bedroom. There was no one inside. Chastity went back to the first room and sat. It was only a few minutes until the door opened, Chastity stood when it did and she turned to the door to be met with brown eyes.

"Chastity I was wondering when I was going to see you."

And then the two did something they had never done before, hugged. They both pulled away and stared at each other for a split second. Then, Faramir took her left arm to lead her to a chair, but Chastity winced and could not hide it.

"Are you all right?"

"I am fine………just walked into the wall………I was a bit tired."

Faramir let go of her arm and placed a hand on her back. The two walked from in front of the doors to inside the room. A fire blazed in the grate, Faramir and Chastity sat in the closest chairs to it.

"Where have you been? No one has heard of you since you walked out on Boromir."

"I have been sick."

There was a lap of silence and Chastity's eyes wandered over to her brother's gauntlets. Faramir's eyes followed her and his train of thought took another rail.

"There was a time when we were but boys and Eldacar would practice day and night with the short sword, or so it seemed. We had a small tournament and he took us all down. You should have seen his face it was shining like the stars."

Chastity gave a small smile and nervously made sure her hair covered the right side of her neck.

"He never told me why he stopped coming around or why to watch over you before he died." Faramir said thoughtfully.

"He never would." Chastity whispered.

Faramir looked at Chastity questioningly. But she avoided his gaze. She pulled her legs up on the chair wrapped her arms around her knees, and placed her head on her knees so she stared into the fire. While she did this Faramir rose from his chair. He came and kneeled on the floor before Chastity. He placed his hands on her forearms. "Chastity tell me what ails you."

But Chastity did not say a word. And when Faramir went to brush the hair from her face, her eyes focused more intently on the fire.

"Please," he whispered and with a soft touch put her hair behind her ear. Then, he froze.

Chastity knew he had seen it. She reached up and took his hand, which hovered by her ear. Her gaze was brought to his face, which could only stare at her. She went to place a hand on one cheek to comfort her distraught friend, but thought better of it. The brown eyes were all she saw now, and as she looked into them and held his hand, she found strength to tell him.

"That is why as Eldacar grew he stayed at home. That is why he told you to take care of me."

"Why did he not tell me?" He exclaimed in a sorrowful voice.

"Because he told no one. Eldacar was a noble man and he would not forsake his father. Rather he would spend all his time with me so Norinths could not touch me. No one knows save my maid, Orina, and friend, Ancalimë………It was a matter of sorrow for Eldacar. He was ashamed and did not want people to know what he had for a father."

There was a knock on the door and a servant entered. Chastity turned the right side of her face away from the door. The servant looked on the two, and then his gaze fell to his feet.

"Yes?" Faramir questioned looking at the servant quickly.

"Boromir would like to see the Lady Chastity; and then invited her to dinner with Denethor and the other Lords."

Faramir kept his gaze on Chastity as he replied for her. "Tell Boromir that Lady Chastity is in an important meeting."

"Yes sir." The servant turned.

"Wait! Does my father know that the Lady is here?"

"No m'lord."

"Good, have someone bring us dinner and tell my father that I feel like eating alone. Also, tell Boromir that the Lady will not join him for dinner due to the need to return home."

"Yes sir." The servant quickly left.

Chastity kept her gaze on Faramir who looked on her kindly. He pushed her hair from her face, which Chastity had hastily placed over her ear and neck. With soft touches, he examined her neck and cheek.

"I am sorry." He whispered.

"You did not cause anything."

"But I should have figure it out."

Chastity placed a hand on Faramir's-the one he was already holding. "Do not tare yourself apart, many do not know. You could not have figured it out."

"I should got o him and talk to him."

"That will solve nothing. Norinths will only cause more pain that way."

Faramir shook his head and rose, separating his hands from Chastity's. He looked down at her but she would not look at him. Her eyes went to other things around the room, and she turned her head from him. Looking on her gently, Faramir put his hand on her head and let it travel over her hair. Then, he picked up her hand, kissed it, and then replaced it. Once their hands left each other's, there was a knock on the door and a servant entered.

Chastity stared at the wall as she listened to the servant bring dinner. Her brother's gauntlets held her eyes and all she wanted was to see him again, to have his reassurance. The servant left but she did not hear. Rather, she left her chair, walked to the shelf, and traced the designs delicately with one hand. With the other, she played with the tie of her shirt.

Soon after she began to trace the designs, a hand took her and led her to a chair, Faramir placed a plate before her and he sat. The two began to eat and the meal lasted in silence. It was not until the servant collected the dished that there was sound other than the slight clinking of silverware and the crackling of the fire.

"Do you wish to return to your home?" Faramir questioned.

"No."

"Then may I ask you a question?"

"Well you just did."

"I mean another." He said a smile at his lips.

Chastity smiled too. "Of course."

"If Eldacar protected you when he was around, what happened when we went off into battle?"

Chastity's face became grave and she looked into Faramir's eyes. "The same thing that happens now, in his death."

Silence wrapped around them and they did naught but sit.

"I must go." Chastity said rising from her chair.

"I will see you soon." Faramir has rose and stood before her. He led her to the door and kissed her cheek. Then Chastity disappeared through them.

She walked to her house barely feeling the bitter wind. Had she really just told Faramir her secret? She could not tell for sure. Her mind would not think but was rather stunned by his kindness.

When she arrived in her house, she quickly went to her room. Inside she sat and

watched the afternoon turning to evening and she thought about her visit with Faramir. Later she received her supper and fell asleep into sweet dreams. It was the first night in three years that she did not fight with Norinths.

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