That night after two glasses of Dorwinion, Faramir was grateful to find his bed and was asleep before his head hit the pillow. Faramir slept one of the soundest nights he could recall and was only wakened the next day by his nephew calling him. For as sound as his sleep was, he wished dearly that he could go back to it. The daylight streaming through the windows blinded him with pain andBelthil quickly pulled the drapes closed again.
"I believe i understand why you advised me to keep away from the Elven wine, my uncle. You were dead to the world last night, and likely you wish you were still," Belthil said quietly with a smile.
Faramir only moaned lowly as a response, keeping a hand firmly clasped over his eyes.
"I brought you some tea, Aragorn said it should work rather quickly. I also wanted you to know that Elboron is with Lady Arwen until you are... recovered," still keeping his voice to a whisper.
Again, just a moan from his uncle.
"I would advise drinking it before it grows cold," Belthil encouraged gently before leaving again.
Slowly, very slowly Faramir managed to get to the tea, hoping that it really would help. His father had a lot of experience and most of it from Elrond, and Faramir needed to have that experience count for something more than what the healers of Minas Tirith usually doled out for a hangover. There was so much to accomplish that day... Aragorn intended to convene the new council, they were scheduled to meet with Lord Pharazôn before he left the city, he needed to sit down with Erestor and go over all that had transpired in the past weeks. And to think that this was scheduled to be a rather easy day.
Quiet fortunately the tea did have a quick effect and before long Faramir was feeling quite himself again. Once he was ready to face the day, Faramir went first down to his father's end of the hall to see his son before starting his day. Elboron was asleep when he went in to see him, his father's wife nearby and working at embroidery. Faramir stood there for a full five minutes, just watching his son peacefully sleep.
"Thank you for watching over him, my Lady," Faramir said with a dip of his head.
Arwen smiled. "I ought to thank you, your son most certainly has your temperament. I hope he and my son shall be dear friends."
"I feel certain they shall be," Faramir said. "I hope they shall be as dear to one another as Boromir and i were. How ironic that i shall have had two half brothers nearly forty years apart," he mused. "Is my father in his study?"
"I believe you may find him in the council chambers," Arwen said gently.
"Council?" Faramir glanced out the window, only just noticing that the sun had already peaked in the sky. "Elbereth! It had no notion it was so late."
"Sidh, Faramir," Arwen said calmly. "Aragorn understands and Erestor is with him."
Faramir sighed. "I do not know what i shall do when Erestor is gone back to Imladris. I should go though, i do not even know everyone he had chosen. Gods! I hate to be late for a meeting!" he self-chastised.
Arwen rose and took Faramir's hand. "He truly does understand, Faramir. Had i not brought him a soothing tea this morning he would have slept much longer than you," she said with a smile.
"Thank you, Lady Arwen. My father is a fortunate man indeed," Faramir said, kissing her hand. He turned and gently kissed his son without waking him and then hastened to the council.
The new counselors were much more amiable and disposed to working efficiently. There were disagreements, naturally, but they seemed to be either settled easily or set aside. No one even seemed to be put out that the Steward had arrived well into the meeting. Aragorn's new Council was like a breath of fresh air after one had walked Gorgoroth. Appointed were young and old, soldiers and craftsmen, lords and commoners, representatives from far and wide. Faramir had a feeling that things were really starting to go in the right direction now.
The meeting adjourned and, for the first time in quite a while, without Erestor finishing his notes of the meeting minutes with "council closed with Aragorn storming off." Aragorn, Faramir, and Belthil took their afternoon repast together in Aragorn's apartments with Arwen. The mood of everything in the Citadel was so much lighter than it ever had been and Faramir jokingly suggested a glass of Dorwinion all around to toast Belthil, who was now a member of counsel and tabled to be sworn in as a Guard of the Citadel soon. A toast was made indeed, but with a much less heady Gondorian table wine.
After lunch Belthil stayed in Arwen's company with his little, sleeping cousin as Faramir and Aragorn went to meet with Lord Pharazôn. That meeting, however, was not quite as comfortable as the King's Council had been; not from any personal friction at all, but just as was the nature of their discussion. It could not be avoided that Faramir thought again of his loss, not that he had for a moment forgot, but he had been kept rather distracted from the pain. Though Pharazôn was of course well meaning in offering Faramir his deepest sympathies and apologies in the name of the Harad nation, which Faramir graciously accepted, it was just another reminder of all the losses he had faced. Fortunately the meeting was not an exceptionally long one, which was partly due to Aragorn's careful steering as he had not failed to notice Faramir's quietness.
The ruler of the Haradrim was due to depart Minas Tirith the next day and it was necessary that they part on good terms, and so Faramir endured the meeting, but immediately afterward he went to collect his son and retired to his chambers, asking that he not be disturbed. He needed some time to reflect, something that he was only just then daring to attempt.
Faramir found himself holding onto his son, letting him grasp his hair all he liked. After a while in his sitting room, Faramir rose and went to the other side of the house where Éowyn's chambers had been. He had not been there since her death and he had not expected the wave of pain that hit him with force. He thought of how he had last seen her, what she and their own infant daughter must have suffered. Faramir could not say that he wasn't glad both of the culprits were dead already, it saved him the trouble. It caused him to hold onto his son all the closer and beg the Valar that he might live up to his name: Elboron, the star which endures. If ever Faramir needed to have someone in his life endure it was his son. "May you live to see your father laid to rest in Rath Dinen, pen-neth," Faramir whispered tearfully to his innocent child.
Recollecting himself, Faramir, with Elboron in one arm, cautiously started into a task that he knew he would have to face at some point. He started at the ornate chest that stood at the foot of the bed, and there he stopped before going any further. Kneeling down beside the large treasure chest the first thing Faramir saw inside was his mother's cloak that he had gifted to Éowyn. Carefully, he lifted it out, setting it on the bed and sitting himself down, loving trailing his fingers over the delicately embroidered stars that ran about the hems.
"This was your naneth's," Faramir said softly to Elboron, "and my naneth's before." He did not expect any reaction from his little son.
Imagine, then, his surprise when Elboron looked up at his father from the cloak that had caught his attention and murmured "nan-neth..."
Faramir's jaw dropped and his eyes welled up once again. His son had just spoken to him!
"Like father, like son," Aragorn said softly from the doorway, walking in and taking a seat beside his son. "A fast learner, just as you are, ion-nín," he said with a smile. Faramir was still too happy to respond comprehensively. "I seem to recall that cloak," Aragorn said, shifting the topic just slightly.
Faramir took a deep breath and nodded. "Aye... it was my mother's. I gave it to Éowyn on the night that... that... well, that Elboron was conceived." He still had difficulty mentioning it without feeling like an irresponsible lad.
"What a coincidence...," Aragorn mused. "Your mother was wearing that cloak the night that you were... conceived. Mayhap that cloak should stay under wraps until this lad's wedding night?" he said as Elboron reached out to grab his grandfather's hair.
Faramir laughed. "Let me guess... this is actually an Elven fertility cloak?"
"Oh, they have no need of such things, as a matter of course," Aragorn said. "Most likely it bears some sort of blessing though. I should think that when worn by a truly fair lady in the presence of a fallible Mortal Man, only the best of things may come of it in the end," he said sincerely, putting an arm around his son.
-
Elenhin: Hopefully this update was quick enough :) I didn't expect two this weekend, but such is the muse. Lord Gwaithir is interesting... just how interesting we shall see. He kind of reminds me of Grima. Glorfindel might in fact have something in store for this blusterer.
Iblis: I can't say just what Gwaithir knows yet or how. It will be forthcoming though.
AM: Long time, no see! Glad you enjoyed the "history lesson" as such. Some of it was true... Mardil being the first ruling Steward - after that Gwaithir kind of goes off into an oblivion of paranoia.
flowerbee: Worried about Gwaithir, are you? Why, how bad can he be? At least he hasn't set Faramir on fire... yet. (How evil am i again?) And yet... i am saying nothing. Maybe, just maybe, the dear Faramir's trials have come to halt. Perhaps i shall allow him to enjoy the rest of his days happily with his father and son as he so richly deserves. Only time will tell.