For hours the two men sat together, mostly in quiet. Aragorn kept his door closed and he alerted a guard that he was not to be disturbed until further notice. The sun began to fill the south-western balcony and to spill through the window. After some time Faramir rose and made to leave.
"Where are you going, Faramir?" his father asked.
"I asked Éowyn to meet me in the garden again after i had time to think," he replied unenthusiastically. "I'm sure Lord Éomer wants to finish his conversation...." Faramir trailed off as a horrible thought came to mind.
He knew very little of Éomer's character, but he could recall some of the things Gimli had said about the Horselord. Terms like, "prideful," "rather rude if i say so," and "disturbingly almost bloodthirsty" were among the notable phrases the dwarf had for the King of Rohan regarding their first meeting.
"Father... about Éomer...." Faramir said, fear in his eyes.
"He'll have me to come through first, Faramir," his father replied with a reassuring smile. Aragorn had grown to anticipate his son as much as Faramir had him. "Actually, Faramir, do you think it a good idea to speak with Éowyn just now?"
Faramir searched his father's soft grey eyes and merely shrugged halfheartedly. "Tell me what to do, father."
Aragorn shook his head though. "I can not, Faramir. I can advise you, but i can not instruct you in this matter. Give it the night perhaps. I think calmer heads will prevail in the morning. I will go tell her you will talk in the morning. Stay here and when i come back we will talk over a drink. What say you?"
Faramir nodded and dropped back into comfortable chair where he'd been.
Aragorn went out and asked a servant standing by to have dinner for two sent to the study along with some cold ale. By the time he reached the Houses of Healing the sun was blazing in the west, dipping behind the mountains. When Aragorn entered the garden Éowyn was already there, but she made no move to turn and face the new comer.
"Éowyn," Aragorn called gently, causing her to spin with surprise that it was he and not Faramir.
"My lord Aragorn...." She stood staring at him for a moment before coming to her senses enough to kneel. She rose again feeling his hand on her shoulder. "Where is your Steward, Faramir? He was to meet me."
"I know, Éowyn. That is why i have come, to tell you that he is unable to see you tonight. Faramir is... going to be busy, maybe until rather late -" This time it was Aragorn surprised by her interruptive outburst.
"Then Faramir forsakes me just as you did! Is this how men of Gondor always treat women?" she accused indignantly.
Aragorn stood tall at her allegation, gravity in his very complexion to the point that one could tell he had spent years in the house of Master Elrond. As far as he was concerned, she had gone too far in her accusation of his son and himself. "Éowyn," he said, forcing himself to remain calm, "Faramir has done nothing of the sort. He knows his responsibilities and he has never failed in them. I have need of Faramir's attendance with me tonight. I am sorry, but he will be able to meet with you in the morning. As for your charge that i forsook you, my path lead me by a different way, a way crucial to our victory. Furthermore, you were never mine to leave. If you see your brother, let him know that we may continue our talk come morning. Thank you." Aragorn left the garden quickly and returned to his study to find their suppers and ale, mercifully, ready.
Faramir read plainly the exasperation that Aragorn was feeling. "I take it she was not happy to see you?" he said, sipping at his drink.
"Faramir, you'll pardon me, but that woman has got to be the most insufferable person i have ever met," Aragorn said, feeling the need to vent. "She accused you of forsaking her when i tried to explain that you would be busy this evening because i needed you here. It took all my patience to tell her that you have not forsaken anyone and that you would see her tomorrow. For all the stars in the skies! She accused me of abandoning her when i took the Dimholt road to Erech. She was completely oblivious to the fact that i had to take the Paths of the Dead. Not that that came as a surprise. All the while we were in Rohan she was under the delusion that i loved her and we were meant to be. It mattered not to her, i suppose, that i wore Arwen's jewel at all times. She was utterly taken aback when i told her once and for all that i did not love her."
When Aragorn had said his piece and got it off his chest Faramir's expression was one of neutral disbelief.
Aragorn had to laugh at his own rant. "I'm sorry, Faramir. I never do that," he said shaking his head at himself. "That was just so aggravating."
Faramir nodded. "It's alright, i think i understand. Let's not talk of this situation now. Tolfalas has been pressing for more patrols, but Dol Amroth has scarcely been able to replenish their numbers. Do you think we can afford to pull troops from Lebinnen?" Faramir asked, thoroughly changing the subject.
From there on their topics avoided anything to do with marriage, women, or children. As the hours burned by the two poured over maps and made decisions about territories. They shared jokes about some of the particularly unkempt envoys who had been turning up from lands neither of them had ever heard of to ask favors of the king.
By the time Faramir had, without realizing it, fallen sound asleep on the chaise he had forgotten his woes. Aragorn looked upon the dreaming young man with complete understanding and did not wake him. It would be a rough day for him tomorrow. Aragorn left Faramir to his sleep there in the study. He told the guard on duty to see to it that none created a disturbance near the room.
---
In the morning Faramir wake with a start to the sound of an argument outside the study. He was still sleepy and was comfortable as he was so he decided to ignore it and try to just get back to sleep. The noise increased from without though and Faramir grasped the fact that there was no more rest to be had. Faramir heard a man stating firmly that "the King ordered no disturbance here!" and he decided to end the poor guard's trouble.
Opening the study door only let the full blast of the row in. There stood Éowyn demanding to see the King of Gondor and the Tower guard insisting that the King was not available yet. She turned when the door opened as to prove the guard's excuse a lie, thinking that it was Aragorn himself. She looked very astonished to see Faramir in Aragorn's study.
"What's going on here, Rathling?" Faramir wearily asked the guard.
"This lady demands to see the King, sir. I told her repeatedly that i was given orders to keep this area quiet."
Faramir nodded. "Aye, that's because i must have fallen asleep last night. Thank you, Rathling, i will carry on from here."
The guard nodded and bowed to him before shooting a disapproving frown at Éowyn and leaving. Faramir could hear him mutter something about the mannerisms of women from Rohan. She did not seem to care.
"Éowyn, please come in and be comfortable. I don't know when my -" he checked himself just before letting slip the word 'father.' "I don't know when Aragorn will see you. I suppose we should talk now as later though."
"I will not need to see the King if we talk now," she said, her tone almost cold. "I was coming to plead his mercy. I wanted to ask him to pardon you from your duties here so that we might begin a family."
Faramir wondered if he had heard correctly what she meant to ask of his father. He wondered if he wasn't still asleep and just having a strange dream like the one he had after being stricken on Pelennor. The very thought of Aragorn giving him leave from his office terrified him. He did not feel like mincing words or playing games at this point and decided to simply be forthright about the matter. "Éowyn, you may or may not believe what i must tell you, but i shall not hide it from you. After you and Éomer left for Edoras i learned that Denethor was indeed not my father. Aragorn told me that the dream i told you i had in the Black Breath was true, and that he was that ranger who served Ecthelion."
"You are the son of Aragorn?" she asked unbelieving.
"Yes," Faramir said.
"Son of the King? Then you are the Prince of Gondor and Aragorn's heir, and my child is your heir, heir to the crown of Gondor and -" This time it was Faramir's turn to interrupt.
"No, Éowyn. Absolutely not. I am not a prince. I am simply the Steward. I have decided that the people of the kingdom shall not know the reality of my birth. I want nothing to do with the crown or any such inheritance."
"But Faramir," she protested, "my child may be the King or Queen of Gondor one day."
"Put the idea out of your mind. It is not going to happen. When Aragorn and Arwen have a child, he or she shall be the heir. Not i, and not my child. I will not have my child growing up with that belief," Faramir said firmly.
"Why?" she challenged defiantly. "Is this baby's blood not good enough because it is mixed with the blood of Rohan instead of Elven blood?"
Faramir felt a headache beginning and had a feeling it was only going to get worse. Fortunately it was just then that Aragorn entered looking disheveled and little annoyed. The guard, Rathling, had gone immediately to his chambers when Faramir dismissed him to report the incident.
"My greetings to you, lady Éowyn," Aragorn said with a bow. He was nothing if not at least courteous. All gallantry aside, he beheld his son looking about as tousled as he knew he was. "I am sorry, Faramir. I meant to keep this area quiet so that you could get some rest before i leave today with Theoden's escort."
Faramir just shook his head. "I've done without before."
"I know, you are not the only one. Be that as it may, you and i need to talk over a few things. I expect to be gone for probably two months, my companions with me, so the kingdom is all yours until i return."
Faramir nodded, unable to keep a slight smile from his lips. He would greatly enjoy this new challenge.
Aragorn turned, surprised that Éowyn had not taken his hint that he and Faramir needed to talk confidentially. "You may go, my lady," he said, keeping his voice even. Éowyn stared hard at him before turning abruptly and leaving, very indignant at having been dismissed as if she was a maid or not to be trusted with the secrecy of their talk.
Faramir shook his head in disgust, sleep still calling out to him like a siren. "You know that because of what you just said you will have to deal with her scorn while you are among them for the next two months."
Aragorn nodded. "I have dealt with worse, i assure you."
"Is it because she is with child that she acts like that? I have heard that some women go mad for their entire pregnancy," Faramir said a bit worried.
"No, Faramir, it is because she is from Rohan. And women tend to go a bit mad frequently, expecting or not."
Faramir then turned to the more serious issue on his mind. "Father, is it wrong for a man to marry for honor alone?"
"That is something that each man must decide for himself, my son. If you are asking me what i think, i believe no one should ever marry except that they have already waited half their lives and are sure that they will be able to stand the other's presence for the other half. But i see in your eyes that you would not make the mistake i made."
"If I could but raise the child here on my own I would have far fewer worries," Faramir said dejectedly, but not without a measure of hope.
"We have so much in common, you and I," Aragorn said. "I have no doubt that you would be an excellent father, but the fact is that though a child will survive without a father, it fares little chance without a mother. Neither would the people accept that arrangement any too well."
"Then I have no choice," Faramir said with a sigh. "Do I have your leave while you are away to send men to Emyn Arnen to put into place what work shall be needed for my dwelling there?"
"Absolutely not," Aragorn replied directly. "Those may be the lands of your title but I see no reason you should be banished there immediately. I still need you here in the Citadel with me. However, perhaps you want to have a dwelling there for your lady? Perhaps a house here in the city? That could be arranged. Fear not, you are not without my support."
Faramir embraced his father. "Hannon le," he said genuinely.
Aragorn smiled sadly. "I will miss you greatly while I am away. You will keep yourself well?"
"I will be fine. I am sure I will get plenty of work done, enough that you may rest upon your return," Faramir said confidently.
"Good. Have fun running my kingdom. As I said… this is all yours," Aragorn said with a touch of dryness.
Faramir noted with a smile the note of sarcasm in his father's voice.
"Come, see us off, there are some who will wish to bid you farewell," Aragorn said referring to the four Hobbits.
The two continued their talk as they walked out from the Citadel.
"That will indeed be a sad parting," Faramir said. "This city will seem deserted without them around; I've grown so used to their company."
"And they to ours I am sure," Aragorn agreed.
"I know they miss the Shire though. I must make it a point to visit them there one day."
"So should i." Aragorn's voice lowered to nearly a whisper. "Faramir, don't worry about Éowyn. This will work out for the best. Trust me."
Faramir nodded, his eyes smiling. "There is no one I trust more, father."
