"She is restless m'Lord," Faramir said.
He and Aragorn had been standing near the doorway of a small sitting room, discussing something, but now they watched the Queen move about the room. She'd gone from sitting and embroidering, to just sitting by the fire, to picking a book from the shelf. Then reading the book in a chair, on the floor, standing by the bookshelf, standing by the window...all within the span of a few minutes. At present, she was sitting on the sill of the window, gazing at the city below, the book in her hand long forgotten.
"She is," Aragorn admitted, "I fear she regrets her decision to stay and longs to be with her kin once more."
Faramir put his hand on Aragorn's shoulder.
"Of course she longs for those not among us, we all do."
"Boromir?" Aragorn questioned.
"And Father," Faramir added, "but yes, Boromir. Just the other day, I caught myself watching the gates for his return, like I'd done so many times before. At least her kin have the option to return if they so choose."
Aragorn sighed. "If she were to sail for Valinor, even now they would accept her with open arms," he said.
"But she won't," Faramir said, "She is a bit homesick perhaps, but she does not regret her decision."
Aragorn turned his view from his wife to his steward.
"I too am restless. I am...unaccustomed to such idleness and grow weary of this mantle."
"Ahh so it is you who regrets their decision then," Faramir said, a knowing smirk on his face.
"Never!" Aragorn said in mock anger, "I just..."
"Miss your carefree days as a Ranger?" Faramir finished.
A similar smirk graced the King's visage. "And what lands did you patrol that were carefree?"
Faramir chuckled. "True enough," he said, "You need not worry Sire, you are not the only one who has felt thus."
"Sire?" Aragorn said, raising an eyebrow, "Back to formalities are we?"
But there was no answer from the Steward. Instead, he was once again watching the Queen, lost in thought. Then, as if coming out of a trance, he blinked his eyes and took Aragorn by the arm.
"Come with me," he said, leading his King down the hallway. Reaching Faramir's office, he sat Aragorn down at the small table, and then went to rummage at his desk.
"What are you on about?" Aragorn asked.
"I'm looking for a map," Faramir answered.
"A map..." Aragorn repeated, as Faramir gave up on the desk and moved to a trunk near the hearth. Finally, he found what he was looking for and, grabbing two candlesticks, he sat down on the table, across from Aragorn.
"What is this?" Aragorn asked as Faramir spread the map out, holding it in place with the candlesticks.
"This," he began, "is the solution to your problems." Again the eyebrows went up before the steel/grey eyes trained on the map. Then a smirk once again spread across the King's face.
"Trying to oust me from the throne and put me in exile?" he said, chuckling.
"Nothing so dramatic," Faramir replied, "but assuredly more romantic. What are you looking at?"
Aragorn studied the map a bit more. "A mark on parchment."
"Not just a mark, but a small plot of land," Faramir said.
"And in Anorien by the look of it," Aragorn added.
"Just on the border actually. And on this scrap of land, there lies a cottage."
"Who owns a house in the middle of nowhere?" Aragorn asked.
"You do," Faramir said.
"Me?"
"You are the Lord and owner of the Reunited Kingdom are you not?"
"Yes but...does no one live there now?"
Faramir shook his head.
"It's in a clearing that is too small for grazing animals and with too poor a soil for farming. Its only asset is that there is a small stream at the edge of the clearing."
"And what do you propose?" Aragorn asked.
"A holiday," Faramir stated, "Just you, your wife and the woods."
"And the royal guard escort," Aragorn added.
"Forget the guards," Faramir said, "Just go unannounced."
"And council?"
"It will still be held and I will make some excuse for you."
"For how long?" Aragorn asked, a worried look on his face.
"For as long as you need, though I do not think I could cover for you for more than a week," Faramir joked, "It's where I took Éowyn on the night of our wedding."
"I'd wondered where you'd gone to that night," Aragorn said with a knowing smile, "Your rooms had been entirely too quiet for that of a newlywed couple and the guard said he hadn't seen you. Then the two of you don't show yourselves till the evening meal the next day."
"You didn't panic that we weren't in my chambers?" Faramir asked, thinking to himself, 'Denethor would've turned out a search party!'
"I trusted you were safe and besides, though our vows were consummated, the Royal Bed wasn't christened until two nights after our wedding," Aragorn said.
Faramir tried to stifle a laugh but to no avail.
"So it is not just my wife who enjoys seeking newer and challenging locations."
"Most definitely not," Aragorn said, "One day I shall have to write them all down in a book, 'Minas Tirith By Night'. Minus the actual exploits of course."
This had Faramir nearly doubled over with laughter. "We will have to compare stories and gain ideas from one another," he said once he'd caught his breath.
But Aragorn was once again engrossed in the map. He pondered the thought a bit more.
"Just the two of us..." he mused aloud.
"That is, unless you'd prefer company," Faramir added.
The King gave him an exasperated look and then let out a great yawn.
"Sleep on it tonight and come find me on the morrow," Faramir said, rolling the map up again and tucking it into one of the slots in the back of the desk.
"On the morrow," Aragorn said, standing and stretching. Then he bid his steward goodnight and left for his own chambers.