Disclaimer: Same as in the other chapters. Gratitude to Tolkien for creating such wonderful characters. Everything is his, save Hamathar, Seralina, and the idea for this particular tale. As always, I receive no compensation for any of this.
Rating: PG13, if that.
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Boromir came over took Seralina's hands in his own. "This will not be so bad a thing..." he said.
She yanked her hands away from him. "Make no mistake, Boromir. I will not wed you willingly," she said coldly. "There will be no laughter, no joy in any house in which I dwell with you. And those things exchanged between a husband and wife? The soft words, longing looks, caresses... They will not be given freely; those you will have to take by force to your everlasting shame." And with that, the Rose of Gondor turned on her heels and fled from the room, weeping.
"Seralina!" Faramir took two steps after her.
"Stop, Faramir, and that is an order from the Steward of Gondor!"
To disobey that order would make his life forfeit. Faramir knew it and he stopped.
Later that night, Boromir found his brother in one of the many halls of the Steward's manor house.
"Faramir. Brother!" Boromir had to hurry down the hall to catch him.
"I've no desire to speak with you right now, Boromir."
"I did not do this. You know that. I learned of it not long before you did."
"No," said Faramir. "No, you did not, but you've done little thus far to undo it."
"Father has made his decision. Who am I to change it?"
"Who are you?" Faramir turned back to his brother and jabbed a finger into Boromir's chest. "You are the mighty Boromir! You can do no wrong in Father's eyes. Anything you wished, he would grant. And since you do not see fit to stop this betrothal, then I can only believe that you do want Seralina to wife."
"And who would not? There are hundreds of men in this city... in all of Middle Earth who would do unspeakable things to possess the Rose of Gondor, and here she is given into my hands. I have long looked on her with a soft eye, too, brother!"
"You have looked on many with that soft eye, Boromir. More than you probably care to count. You are my brother. You know my heart. How can you betray me like this?"
Boromir was torn. "Betrayed you? I have not, Faramir!"
"You have. And the depth of that betrayal still remains to be seen." He turned and walked away without another word.
Seralina had not come out of her rooms for four days. She barely ate. Her father tried to see her but she refused. When he insisted on entering the room, she sat with her back to him, staring out the window.
"I did not mean for this to happen," he said softly. "But I had no other choice, Seralina."
"There is always another choice," was her chilly reply.
Another day passed and Hamathar returned to his daughter's chamber. "Seralina, you have a visitor."
"I have no wish for company." She did not even turn towards the open doorway.
"Then I will go if you wish," said Faramir, "and trouble you no longer."
"Nay!" Seralina spun from the window. "Nay, do not go, my Lord Faramir. Yours is the only face I've desired to see these long days."
Hamathar turned to go. "You cannot stay long. I no longer know who is loyal in my own household. Word of your visit will fly to your father's ears, and I would not make this any worse."
"Thank you, Hamathar," said Faramir softly.
The old Lord shut the door behind him and Seralina ran into Faramir's arms. He stroked her hair, letting her cry, and struggled to keep his own tears at bay.
"I won't marry Boromir!" she cried. "I will not do it!"
"We will find away to change this," he answered.
"How?" she demanded. "With our Father's set against us?"
"Your father is innocent in this," said Faramir. "I do not know what mischief my own father wrought to force Hamathar to acquiesce to this folly, but I do know that the match and your anger towards him, cut him to the bone."
"I know." She shook her head miserably. "I have not been kind to him..."
Faramir tilted her chin up and kissed Seralina. Pulling her as close to him as he could, his kisses took on a fierceness he could not control and she returned them with an equal passion.
"I love you, Faramir," she whispered. "My heart has always been yours."
"And you have my love, Seralina. You and no other hold my heart."
"I meant what I said to your brother." Her mouth formed a grim line. "Never will I give myself to him willingly. Never."
The thought of Boromir kissing Seralina, of having her in his bed, was nearly too much for Faramir. Outside the horn of the watch sounded.
"I must go," he said.
"No, it is too soon, my Lord. Do not leave me..."
He put both hands on Seralina's face and kissed her again. "I must. Your father was right, if I linger here overlong word will surely find its way to my father and that will make all of this worse. Trust I will do all I can to change this."
The next morning, Seralina's chamber maid hurried in with a small gift for her Lady. It was a thin leather lace with a silver disc with Elvish runes on it. They were runes of protection - it was the medallion that Faramir wore.
"My Lord bid me bring this to you Lady and tell you that the Steward has dispatched his troop this morning. They are to ride the perimeter of Gondor to the border of Rohan before they return here, just before your wedding. They prepare to ride out even now."
I'll not see Faramir again until the day I'm delivered up to Boromir, a pawn in this wretched game. Seralina put the disc around her neck and fairly flew down the stairs. She hurried through the streets of Minas Tirith toward the gate where the soldiers departed. She stepped up on one of the side stairs and searched the riders for his face. Faramir saw her on the platform and reined in his horse. His two oldest and closest companions stopped with him. Seralina touched the medallion and smiled a soft, sad smile.
Faramir raised his fingers to his mouth, kissed them and then raised the hand towards Seralina. She did likewise and watched him ride out of the gate.
** ** ** **
Stay tuned...
Rating: PG13, if that.
** ** **
Boromir came over took Seralina's hands in his own. "This will not be so bad a thing..." he said.
She yanked her hands away from him. "Make no mistake, Boromir. I will not wed you willingly," she said coldly. "There will be no laughter, no joy in any house in which I dwell with you. And those things exchanged between a husband and wife? The soft words, longing looks, caresses... They will not be given freely; those you will have to take by force to your everlasting shame." And with that, the Rose of Gondor turned on her heels and fled from the room, weeping.
"Seralina!" Faramir took two steps after her.
"Stop, Faramir, and that is an order from the Steward of Gondor!"
To disobey that order would make his life forfeit. Faramir knew it and he stopped.
Later that night, Boromir found his brother in one of the many halls of the Steward's manor house.
"Faramir. Brother!" Boromir had to hurry down the hall to catch him.
"I've no desire to speak with you right now, Boromir."
"I did not do this. You know that. I learned of it not long before you did."
"No," said Faramir. "No, you did not, but you've done little thus far to undo it."
"Father has made his decision. Who am I to change it?"
"Who are you?" Faramir turned back to his brother and jabbed a finger into Boromir's chest. "You are the mighty Boromir! You can do no wrong in Father's eyes. Anything you wished, he would grant. And since you do not see fit to stop this betrothal, then I can only believe that you do want Seralina to wife."
"And who would not? There are hundreds of men in this city... in all of Middle Earth who would do unspeakable things to possess the Rose of Gondor, and here she is given into my hands. I have long looked on her with a soft eye, too, brother!"
"You have looked on many with that soft eye, Boromir. More than you probably care to count. You are my brother. You know my heart. How can you betray me like this?"
Boromir was torn. "Betrayed you? I have not, Faramir!"
"You have. And the depth of that betrayal still remains to be seen." He turned and walked away without another word.
Seralina had not come out of her rooms for four days. She barely ate. Her father tried to see her but she refused. When he insisted on entering the room, she sat with her back to him, staring out the window.
"I did not mean for this to happen," he said softly. "But I had no other choice, Seralina."
"There is always another choice," was her chilly reply.
Another day passed and Hamathar returned to his daughter's chamber. "Seralina, you have a visitor."
"I have no wish for company." She did not even turn towards the open doorway.
"Then I will go if you wish," said Faramir, "and trouble you no longer."
"Nay!" Seralina spun from the window. "Nay, do not go, my Lord Faramir. Yours is the only face I've desired to see these long days."
Hamathar turned to go. "You cannot stay long. I no longer know who is loyal in my own household. Word of your visit will fly to your father's ears, and I would not make this any worse."
"Thank you, Hamathar," said Faramir softly.
The old Lord shut the door behind him and Seralina ran into Faramir's arms. He stroked her hair, letting her cry, and struggled to keep his own tears at bay.
"I won't marry Boromir!" she cried. "I will not do it!"
"We will find away to change this," he answered.
"How?" she demanded. "With our Father's set against us?"
"Your father is innocent in this," said Faramir. "I do not know what mischief my own father wrought to force Hamathar to acquiesce to this folly, but I do know that the match and your anger towards him, cut him to the bone."
"I know." She shook her head miserably. "I have not been kind to him..."
Faramir tilted her chin up and kissed Seralina. Pulling her as close to him as he could, his kisses took on a fierceness he could not control and she returned them with an equal passion.
"I love you, Faramir," she whispered. "My heart has always been yours."
"And you have my love, Seralina. You and no other hold my heart."
"I meant what I said to your brother." Her mouth formed a grim line. "Never will I give myself to him willingly. Never."
The thought of Boromir kissing Seralina, of having her in his bed, was nearly too much for Faramir. Outside the horn of the watch sounded.
"I must go," he said.
"No, it is too soon, my Lord. Do not leave me..."
He put both hands on Seralina's face and kissed her again. "I must. Your father was right, if I linger here overlong word will surely find its way to my father and that will make all of this worse. Trust I will do all I can to change this."
The next morning, Seralina's chamber maid hurried in with a small gift for her Lady. It was a thin leather lace with a silver disc with Elvish runes on it. They were runes of protection - it was the medallion that Faramir wore.
"My Lord bid me bring this to you Lady and tell you that the Steward has dispatched his troop this morning. They are to ride the perimeter of Gondor to the border of Rohan before they return here, just before your wedding. They prepare to ride out even now."
I'll not see Faramir again until the day I'm delivered up to Boromir, a pawn in this wretched game. Seralina put the disc around her neck and fairly flew down the stairs. She hurried through the streets of Minas Tirith toward the gate where the soldiers departed. She stepped up on one of the side stairs and searched the riders for his face. Faramir saw her on the platform and reined in his horse. His two oldest and closest companions stopped with him. Seralina touched the medallion and smiled a soft, sad smile.
Faramir raised his fingers to his mouth, kissed them and then raised the hand towards Seralina. She did likewise and watched him ride out of the gate.
** ** ** **
Stay tuned...