Flower of Gondor
~
After Boromir and Faramir escorted Ciara back to her room so she could prepare for dinner that evening and the formal meeting of the guards and servants and such in the house of Gondor.
"Let us go talk to father now." Boromir led Faramir towards the main hall where Denethor was sure to be sitting.
Denethor, as expected, was sitting in the hall in his black chair looking out the window over his lands.
"Father, I wish to speak to you for a moment." Boromir stood before his father awaiting his reply.
"Yes my son?" Denethor slowly looked away from his dazed expression out the window and at his eldest son.
"The girl you met at supper today, she has no family and I want her to stay here." Boromir stated what he wanted, he knew his father wouldn't deny him such a small thing as this.
"You mean for her to be yours?" Denethor said casually.
"No, she would be more like a foster child of yours. I want her to have all the privileges of a daughter of a steward." Boromir went on.
"If it is what you wish, she shall be admitted tonight then?" Denethor had no problem letting his favourite son have nearly everything he wished, as long as it was of no consequence on his part. Letting the girl stay would be not trouble in his empty, quiet household in the halls of the stewards.
"Yes, if she is ready for it." Boromir turned and smiled at Faramir, "See?" he mouthed.
Faramir rolled his eyes, he loved his father but earning his love in return was no easy feat for the younger, less-favoured son, and of course Boromir would get what he wanted.
"You two may leave now." Denethor dismissed the two and returned back to looking out his windows over his dominion.
Boromir kept smiling as he left with Faramir to relay the good-news back to Ciara.
~
Ciara stood in front of the long mirror in her room, it was the first time she had had the opportunity to admire herself in formal dress. She thought the dress was very beautiful indeed.
She turned around and let the dress swirl around her bare feet, it felt good to be so dressed up. In the back of her mind she couldn't help but think what Boromir would think of her.
"You look stunning, you know." Airana smiled at Ciara, and she was telling the truth, "You will have to beat men away with a sword." Airana laughed.
"You think? I've never been so clean and dressed in my life. It feels odd, but good." Ciara turned around once more and was feeling a bit vain about herself at the moment, she liked to look at herself in the mirror.
A knock on the door broke Ciara out of her self-adoration
"Ciara! I have some news!" Boromir called through the door.
"Let him in please." Ciara nodded to Airana.
"Ciara!" Boromir burst into the room as soon as Airana opened the door, "I have just spoken with my father and you are to be part of our family! You will be a foster child, with all the rights and privileges as if you were his real daughter. Will you stay? Please?" Boromir took Ciara's hand and held it.
Ciara stood for a moment, she had never had a family to call her own and here was a family, and not to mention a well to do family willing to take her in where no one knew her or her past, it was a chance to start anew. Ciara glanced towards the mirror, the image staring back at her told her an answer, yes.
"Yes. Yes! I will stay!" Ciara smiled and hugged Boromir, full of hope for the future
"Then tonight Denethor will announce it." Faramir added, feeling slightly left out from the happiness and feelings of joy-ment from earlier in the day as well.
"Oh good!" Ciara left Boromir's arms and gave Faramir a hug as well.
"Well, you boys should go and get yourselves dressed then and I will finish with Ciara here." Airana stepped in so that they would all be at least on time for dinner.
Ciara pouted slightly but watched as Boromir and Faramir left through her double-doors.
Airana frowned a little, she could tell Ciara was getting used to an easier life already and she couldn't tell if that was a good thing or a bad thing but she had a feeling that Ciara's past was very much behind her now.
~
Boromir and Faramir waited outside Ciara's room after they had finished dressing so they could escort her to dinner.
Ciara opened the door and both the boys saw her finished product, her hair was braided intricately, very much in an elven fashion, her robes were completely on and she had small feminine shoes on that Airana happened to find hidden away with some of the boy's late-mother's things.
"You are very beautiful." Boromir couldn't help but gaze upon Ciara's obvious beauty.
"Stunning." Faramir agreed. Both taking in the low neckline and tight- fitting waist that was unknowingly very tempting the way it tied in the back and the sheer black over the blood red was tantalizing to Boromir.
Ciara gushed in the complements and allowed herself to be lead down the hall to the dining hall.
~
The dining hall was barely crowded with just a few of the highest ranking guards and the advisors to Denethor, and of course Denethor himself.
Boromir and Faramir entered and all eyes immediately turned to Ciara and, Ciara felt it. She smiled at them all and let Boromir introduce her and show her off to the guards. Finally they made their way to Denethor who sat watching the proceedings from his usual perch on his chair at the head of the hall.
"Father." Boromir and Faramir nodded to their father, "This is Ciara, the lost elven maiden from the woods." Boromir reintroduced Ciara.
"Ciara." Denethor nodded shortly at her and looked back at his son.
"Will you please announce her position to the people now?" Boromir reminded his father.
"Yes, yes." Denethor waved his hand and stood. The room immediately went silent, though few were truly intent on listening, "My people of Gondor, I want to make an announcement." This caught very few people's attention, "This is Ciara, the lost elven maiden of the woods. Upon the wish from my eldest son she is to become my foster daughter, she will be treated as though she were my real daughter from this day forth." Denethor pronounced to his people.
This announcement surprised nearly everyone in the room, it was known that since the death of his wife Denethor rarely even looked upon a women and now he was taking in a daughter. Immediately the whispers went out it was only because his eldest son wished it that Ciara would stay.
Boromir gave Ciara another hug and lead her to the table where they would sit among other young captains of the guard.
"Ciara, pleased to meet you." The young guards began to bow and smile and size up their prospects of being able to court the young elf immediately and Boromir was well aware of this.
One young guard seemed particularly interested in Ciara. Boromir immediately felt competition arise in him and especially since in training this guard had beat him in the last swordsman-ship competition and was named a guard before him.
"Ciara, your beauty could not be seen among the women of Gondor if I had looked a life time." The guard, Cael smiled and Ciara blushed and laughed and, unfortunately for Boromir, sat across from him.
"Oh, thank you. You flatter me so." Ciara looked around the table at the other men staring at her in awe.
"I am Cael, a guard of Gondor." Cael took Ciara's hand and kissed it.
"Cael, I do not believe that a mere guard has the honour of being able to kiss the hand of the daughter of a steward." Boromir so kindly reminded Cael.
Cael looked up at Boromir and forced a smile, "Boromir. I see you have not yet become a guard." Cael mentioned, knowing it would anger him.
"I see that you are still one of the lowest ranks among guards though you have been a guard for quite some time now." Boromir sneered back at Cael.
Ciara could sense the rivalry between and felt honoured that she cold bring about such a thing.
~
~
After Boromir and Faramir escorted Ciara back to her room so she could prepare for dinner that evening and the formal meeting of the guards and servants and such in the house of Gondor.
"Let us go talk to father now." Boromir led Faramir towards the main hall where Denethor was sure to be sitting.
Denethor, as expected, was sitting in the hall in his black chair looking out the window over his lands.
"Father, I wish to speak to you for a moment." Boromir stood before his father awaiting his reply.
"Yes my son?" Denethor slowly looked away from his dazed expression out the window and at his eldest son.
"The girl you met at supper today, she has no family and I want her to stay here." Boromir stated what he wanted, he knew his father wouldn't deny him such a small thing as this.
"You mean for her to be yours?" Denethor said casually.
"No, she would be more like a foster child of yours. I want her to have all the privileges of a daughter of a steward." Boromir went on.
"If it is what you wish, she shall be admitted tonight then?" Denethor had no problem letting his favourite son have nearly everything he wished, as long as it was of no consequence on his part. Letting the girl stay would be not trouble in his empty, quiet household in the halls of the stewards.
"Yes, if she is ready for it." Boromir turned and smiled at Faramir, "See?" he mouthed.
Faramir rolled his eyes, he loved his father but earning his love in return was no easy feat for the younger, less-favoured son, and of course Boromir would get what he wanted.
"You two may leave now." Denethor dismissed the two and returned back to looking out his windows over his dominion.
Boromir kept smiling as he left with Faramir to relay the good-news back to Ciara.
~
Ciara stood in front of the long mirror in her room, it was the first time she had had the opportunity to admire herself in formal dress. She thought the dress was very beautiful indeed.
She turned around and let the dress swirl around her bare feet, it felt good to be so dressed up. In the back of her mind she couldn't help but think what Boromir would think of her.
"You look stunning, you know." Airana smiled at Ciara, and she was telling the truth, "You will have to beat men away with a sword." Airana laughed.
"You think? I've never been so clean and dressed in my life. It feels odd, but good." Ciara turned around once more and was feeling a bit vain about herself at the moment, she liked to look at herself in the mirror.
A knock on the door broke Ciara out of her self-adoration
"Ciara! I have some news!" Boromir called through the door.
"Let him in please." Ciara nodded to Airana.
"Ciara!" Boromir burst into the room as soon as Airana opened the door, "I have just spoken with my father and you are to be part of our family! You will be a foster child, with all the rights and privileges as if you were his real daughter. Will you stay? Please?" Boromir took Ciara's hand and held it.
Ciara stood for a moment, she had never had a family to call her own and here was a family, and not to mention a well to do family willing to take her in where no one knew her or her past, it was a chance to start anew. Ciara glanced towards the mirror, the image staring back at her told her an answer, yes.
"Yes. Yes! I will stay!" Ciara smiled and hugged Boromir, full of hope for the future
"Then tonight Denethor will announce it." Faramir added, feeling slightly left out from the happiness and feelings of joy-ment from earlier in the day as well.
"Oh good!" Ciara left Boromir's arms and gave Faramir a hug as well.
"Well, you boys should go and get yourselves dressed then and I will finish with Ciara here." Airana stepped in so that they would all be at least on time for dinner.
Ciara pouted slightly but watched as Boromir and Faramir left through her double-doors.
Airana frowned a little, she could tell Ciara was getting used to an easier life already and she couldn't tell if that was a good thing or a bad thing but she had a feeling that Ciara's past was very much behind her now.
~
Boromir and Faramir waited outside Ciara's room after they had finished dressing so they could escort her to dinner.
Ciara opened the door and both the boys saw her finished product, her hair was braided intricately, very much in an elven fashion, her robes were completely on and she had small feminine shoes on that Airana happened to find hidden away with some of the boy's late-mother's things.
"You are very beautiful." Boromir couldn't help but gaze upon Ciara's obvious beauty.
"Stunning." Faramir agreed. Both taking in the low neckline and tight- fitting waist that was unknowingly very tempting the way it tied in the back and the sheer black over the blood red was tantalizing to Boromir.
Ciara gushed in the complements and allowed herself to be lead down the hall to the dining hall.
~
The dining hall was barely crowded with just a few of the highest ranking guards and the advisors to Denethor, and of course Denethor himself.
Boromir and Faramir entered and all eyes immediately turned to Ciara and, Ciara felt it. She smiled at them all and let Boromir introduce her and show her off to the guards. Finally they made their way to Denethor who sat watching the proceedings from his usual perch on his chair at the head of the hall.
"Father." Boromir and Faramir nodded to their father, "This is Ciara, the lost elven maiden from the woods." Boromir reintroduced Ciara.
"Ciara." Denethor nodded shortly at her and looked back at his son.
"Will you please announce her position to the people now?" Boromir reminded his father.
"Yes, yes." Denethor waved his hand and stood. The room immediately went silent, though few were truly intent on listening, "My people of Gondor, I want to make an announcement." This caught very few people's attention, "This is Ciara, the lost elven maiden of the woods. Upon the wish from my eldest son she is to become my foster daughter, she will be treated as though she were my real daughter from this day forth." Denethor pronounced to his people.
This announcement surprised nearly everyone in the room, it was known that since the death of his wife Denethor rarely even looked upon a women and now he was taking in a daughter. Immediately the whispers went out it was only because his eldest son wished it that Ciara would stay.
Boromir gave Ciara another hug and lead her to the table where they would sit among other young captains of the guard.
"Ciara, pleased to meet you." The young guards began to bow and smile and size up their prospects of being able to court the young elf immediately and Boromir was well aware of this.
One young guard seemed particularly interested in Ciara. Boromir immediately felt competition arise in him and especially since in training this guard had beat him in the last swordsman-ship competition and was named a guard before him.
"Ciara, your beauty could not be seen among the women of Gondor if I had looked a life time." The guard, Cael smiled and Ciara blushed and laughed and, unfortunately for Boromir, sat across from him.
"Oh, thank you. You flatter me so." Ciara looked around the table at the other men staring at her in awe.
"I am Cael, a guard of Gondor." Cael took Ciara's hand and kissed it.
"Cael, I do not believe that a mere guard has the honour of being able to kiss the hand of the daughter of a steward." Boromir so kindly reminded Cael.
Cael looked up at Boromir and forced a smile, "Boromir. I see you have not yet become a guard." Cael mentioned, knowing it would anger him.
"I see that you are still one of the lowest ranks among guards though you have been a guard for quite some time now." Boromir sneered back at Cael.
Ciara could sense the rivalry between and felt honoured that she cold bring about such a thing.
~