Disclaimer: Seralina and Hamathar are my own creations. The setting and other characters are all borrowed from Tolkien's works (hats off to the master!). I've received no compensation for this story, just the enjoyment of writing it and the intangible benefit of constructive critiques on style and form from the FanFiction.net band of pirates. Thanks to you all!
Rating: PG13, if that.
** ** ** **
The two weeks between that night and the dawn of her wedding day dragged for Seralina. Dutifully, she stitched the hem of her dress. And she wept. The ladies Denethor sent to attend her fretted and tried to soothe her, but to no avail. As the days wore on, they watched the Rose of Gondor whither.
Each morning, Seralina would look out her western window, hoping to see the return of Faramir. She knew he was coming. As Boromir's brother, the responsibility fell to him to witness the exchange of marriage vows. She suspected that even if it wasn't required, Denethor would insist on it simply to rub raw the wound in Faramir's heart.
She'd not seen Boromir since that night in the hallway and she wondered if this should ease her heart or trouble it. Once they were married, Boromir would expect – insist – she be a wife to him. She'd boldly said once that he would have to take her favors by force for she would not give them willingly. That night in the hallway had shown her how easily Boromir could overpower her if he chose to.
The morning of her wedding dawned bright and cloudless. The ladies helped her dress and bound her hair up with ropes of pearls from the far southern oceans. The dress was the finest white silk with silver trim. The hems of the arms and collar had been stitched with tiny crystals that sparkled in the sun. From a coil of pearls at the back of her head, a think gauzy veil draped down the length of Seralina's back.
"Smile, my Lady," said one of the women. You look lovely; you should be radiant on your wedding day…"
"You see a wedding. I see my doom sealed for all eternity." When she looked at the woman the tears on Seralina's cheeks sparkled as brightly as the crystals on her dress.
When Lord Hamathar arrived to escort her to the hall, he paused and stared for she took his breath away. "How could I have had any part in creating something so perfect," he said. "And how can I ever forgive myself for binding her in a cage such as the one I bring her to now?"
They walked in silence, no joy in their faces. Some days ago they'd spoken and he'd told Seralina as much as he was willing about what Denethor had done, and begged for her forgiveness. Seralina had granted it, but she knew in the depths of her heart, that her relationship with her father would never be the same.
In the hall, Denethor had assembled some 50 people to witness the ceremony. As they came in the door, Seralina raised her eyes. At the end of the long aisle stood the Steward and with him a Justice who would perform the ceremony. Just to his side stood Boromir, and a few steps behind him, stood Faramir. His mouth opened slightly and his eyes grew wide when he saw her. And such a feeling of sadness and despair washed over him, that he felt dizzy.
A few more crystal tears rolled down the Rose of Gondor's cheeks as Hamathar put her hands into Boromir's and stepped back.
They are tears of joy, Boromir told himself.
The Justice spent some time describing the binding agreement that is marriage and throughout, Seralina glanced at Faramir. Sometimes she would catch his eye, other times she would see him staring at the floor. Once she saw him level such a glare of hate at Denethor it chilled her.
"Boromir, Captain of Gondor, heir and son of Denethor, Steward of Gondor, this woman has been given to you to serve as wife, companion, lover, mother. From this day forward she is your responsibility, just as you will become hers. Will you take her as your own and fulfill your duties as her Lord and her husband? Will you take her to wife?"
Boromir looked at Seralina for a long moment and smiled. He raised her chin with his finger. She was so very beautiful… All he had to do was say a single word and she would be his. He would possess her entirely…
"No," he said suddenly, with a flash of clarity. "I will not take the Lady Seralina to wife."
It would have been difficult to discern whose face wore a more shocked expression: Seralina, Faramir, or Denethor who darkened into a wrathful countenance.
"If I believed in my heart that she loved me, I would wed her this instant," Boromir continued. "But she does not. This marriage was thrust upon her unlooked for and unwanted, and I would not take the Rose of Gondor into my bed unwilling."
"Boromir!"
He heard the fury in the Steward's voice and knew there would be only one chance to deflect the gathering wrath. "Father, I beg you as your son, do me this one favor. You trust my judgment in other things, trust it now. I have asked you for nothing else…"
The Steward grew silent.
"Brother," said Boromir, "come stand here." He put Seralina's hand into Faramir's. "Today I cede my place here to my brother Faramir, who loves the Lady Seralina deeply. Will you take Seralina as the Justice has required? Will you honor her and protect her, and above all, will you love her from now until the Breaking of the World?"
"Until the Breaking of the World and beyond," said Faramir. The look of thanks, devotion and admiration in Faramir's eyes warmed Boromir's heart, and melted any last doubts he harbored over the wisdom of his decision.
"And will the Lady Seralina take… Faramir, son of the Steward of Gondor, as your Lord and husband, caring for him and shielding him, loving him until the Breaking of the World?" asked the thoroughly bewildered justice.
"She will. Oh, aye, she will," laughed Seralina.
"Then it is done," said the Justice.
Then Seralina tore her eyes off of her newly-wedded lord to look at Boromir and a brilliant smile, a sun coming up over the snowy mountain peaks, lit the room. He gently took her hand and dropped Faramir's medallion into it.
"I believe this is yours," he said softly.
Seralina put her hand on Boromir's cheek and smiled at him. It was the kindest look she'd shown him these past long months. For a moment, Boromir wished that there was a way to sway Seralina's heart to him. But when he looked at Faramir, he could not begrudge his brother the happiness he'd found.
"Be welcome in our family, sister," he said loudly. Leaning in, he kissed Seralina on the cheek. "Now kiss him and be done with this before my father's patience runs out for me as it has for the two of you," he whispered into her ear. "And be happy, Rose of Gondor. Bloom again and be happy."
Then Faramir took Seralina in his arms and kissed her as he had longed to do these many months, and it was no chaste kiss merely to satisfy ceremony.
** ** ** **
Well, that's all folks. This is as far as I went with this particular story, although I have a few ideas of what else to do… If I do continue, new chapters will be a little while in coming… I need to split my time between this, promoting my published novel, and working on my new manuscript.
I have a different LOTR fanfic that I think I'll post, so if you like Haldir and/or Legolas, keep an eye out for it…
Rating: PG13, if that.
** ** ** **
The two weeks between that night and the dawn of her wedding day dragged for Seralina. Dutifully, she stitched the hem of her dress. And she wept. The ladies Denethor sent to attend her fretted and tried to soothe her, but to no avail. As the days wore on, they watched the Rose of Gondor whither.
Each morning, Seralina would look out her western window, hoping to see the return of Faramir. She knew he was coming. As Boromir's brother, the responsibility fell to him to witness the exchange of marriage vows. She suspected that even if it wasn't required, Denethor would insist on it simply to rub raw the wound in Faramir's heart.
She'd not seen Boromir since that night in the hallway and she wondered if this should ease her heart or trouble it. Once they were married, Boromir would expect – insist – she be a wife to him. She'd boldly said once that he would have to take her favors by force for she would not give them willingly. That night in the hallway had shown her how easily Boromir could overpower her if he chose to.
The morning of her wedding dawned bright and cloudless. The ladies helped her dress and bound her hair up with ropes of pearls from the far southern oceans. The dress was the finest white silk with silver trim. The hems of the arms and collar had been stitched with tiny crystals that sparkled in the sun. From a coil of pearls at the back of her head, a think gauzy veil draped down the length of Seralina's back.
"Smile, my Lady," said one of the women. You look lovely; you should be radiant on your wedding day…"
"You see a wedding. I see my doom sealed for all eternity." When she looked at the woman the tears on Seralina's cheeks sparkled as brightly as the crystals on her dress.
When Lord Hamathar arrived to escort her to the hall, he paused and stared for she took his breath away. "How could I have had any part in creating something so perfect," he said. "And how can I ever forgive myself for binding her in a cage such as the one I bring her to now?"
They walked in silence, no joy in their faces. Some days ago they'd spoken and he'd told Seralina as much as he was willing about what Denethor had done, and begged for her forgiveness. Seralina had granted it, but she knew in the depths of her heart, that her relationship with her father would never be the same.
In the hall, Denethor had assembled some 50 people to witness the ceremony. As they came in the door, Seralina raised her eyes. At the end of the long aisle stood the Steward and with him a Justice who would perform the ceremony. Just to his side stood Boromir, and a few steps behind him, stood Faramir. His mouth opened slightly and his eyes grew wide when he saw her. And such a feeling of sadness and despair washed over him, that he felt dizzy.
A few more crystal tears rolled down the Rose of Gondor's cheeks as Hamathar put her hands into Boromir's and stepped back.
They are tears of joy, Boromir told himself.
The Justice spent some time describing the binding agreement that is marriage and throughout, Seralina glanced at Faramir. Sometimes she would catch his eye, other times she would see him staring at the floor. Once she saw him level such a glare of hate at Denethor it chilled her.
"Boromir, Captain of Gondor, heir and son of Denethor, Steward of Gondor, this woman has been given to you to serve as wife, companion, lover, mother. From this day forward she is your responsibility, just as you will become hers. Will you take her as your own and fulfill your duties as her Lord and her husband? Will you take her to wife?"
Boromir looked at Seralina for a long moment and smiled. He raised her chin with his finger. She was so very beautiful… All he had to do was say a single word and she would be his. He would possess her entirely…
"No," he said suddenly, with a flash of clarity. "I will not take the Lady Seralina to wife."
It would have been difficult to discern whose face wore a more shocked expression: Seralina, Faramir, or Denethor who darkened into a wrathful countenance.
"If I believed in my heart that she loved me, I would wed her this instant," Boromir continued. "But she does not. This marriage was thrust upon her unlooked for and unwanted, and I would not take the Rose of Gondor into my bed unwilling."
"Boromir!"
He heard the fury in the Steward's voice and knew there would be only one chance to deflect the gathering wrath. "Father, I beg you as your son, do me this one favor. You trust my judgment in other things, trust it now. I have asked you for nothing else…"
The Steward grew silent.
"Brother," said Boromir, "come stand here." He put Seralina's hand into Faramir's. "Today I cede my place here to my brother Faramir, who loves the Lady Seralina deeply. Will you take Seralina as the Justice has required? Will you honor her and protect her, and above all, will you love her from now until the Breaking of the World?"
"Until the Breaking of the World and beyond," said Faramir. The look of thanks, devotion and admiration in Faramir's eyes warmed Boromir's heart, and melted any last doubts he harbored over the wisdom of his decision.
"And will the Lady Seralina take… Faramir, son of the Steward of Gondor, as your Lord and husband, caring for him and shielding him, loving him until the Breaking of the World?" asked the thoroughly bewildered justice.
"She will. Oh, aye, she will," laughed Seralina.
"Then it is done," said the Justice.
Then Seralina tore her eyes off of her newly-wedded lord to look at Boromir and a brilliant smile, a sun coming up over the snowy mountain peaks, lit the room. He gently took her hand and dropped Faramir's medallion into it.
"I believe this is yours," he said softly.
Seralina put her hand on Boromir's cheek and smiled at him. It was the kindest look she'd shown him these past long months. For a moment, Boromir wished that there was a way to sway Seralina's heart to him. But when he looked at Faramir, he could not begrudge his brother the happiness he'd found.
"Be welcome in our family, sister," he said loudly. Leaning in, he kissed Seralina on the cheek. "Now kiss him and be done with this before my father's patience runs out for me as it has for the two of you," he whispered into her ear. "And be happy, Rose of Gondor. Bloom again and be happy."
Then Faramir took Seralina in his arms and kissed her as he had longed to do these many months, and it was no chaste kiss merely to satisfy ceremony.
** ** ** **
Well, that's all folks. This is as far as I went with this particular story, although I have a few ideas of what else to do… If I do continue, new chapters will be a little while in coming… I need to split my time between this, promoting my published novel, and working on my new manuscript.
I have a different LOTR fanfic that I think I'll post, so if you like Haldir and/or Legolas, keep an eye out for it…