There stood the King of Gondor in the hallway in naught but his leggings. Faramir had to wonder if his father had been quick enough to grab his pillow before being thrown out... or quick enough to catch it is it was thrown at him to reinforce the point made by his wife. Either way, he was quick to usher his father into his apartments before anyone would pass by and start rumors. This, he was sure, was reason number one why Gondorian husbands and wives ordinarily made it a practice to keep separate chambers.

Naught was said between them, though the silence was not so uncomfortable as it was understanding. Faramir fetched his father a shirt and poured him a glass of wine and the two just sat together in Faramir's sitting room by the blazing hearth for a while. He wondered just what could have been this serious, usually when the royal couple had a lover's quarrel it resulted in no more than Aragorn sleeping on a chaise in his own sitting room and having a stiff back in the morning.

"I think i may have said something wrong," Aragorn said, finally breaking the quiet, still just staring expressionlessly into the hypnotic fire.

Faramir looked concerned. "What exactly did you say, father?" he asked carefully.

Aragorn glanced at his son for a moment before staring into the fire again. "I said, 'I will be glad when our little one arrives and i can...-'" he hesitated nervously, clearing his throat, "'make love to you again.' Then she went utterly mad, started shouting things at me that i couldn't interpret, and... here i am."

Faramir winced. He felt like inviting his father to set up his own room in the Steward's apartments, it sounded like it would be a while before he would be getting back to his own bed. He tried to think of something comforting to say. All he could manage was, "she is in her last month and you said that to her?"

Aragorn shrugged. "It sounded innocent enough to me at the time. By the way, i think all of our garrisons should be equipped with these," he said indicating the pillow that was still tucked under his arm.

Now Faramir looked a little confused. "Father, pillows are standard issue with all soldier's kits, in garrison if not on the road."

"No, no, i do not mean in kit. I mean in the armories," Aragorn said very seriously. Faramir grew afraid for his father. "They are truly resourceful missiles."

"Well, father, as a wise old man once said to me, 'I have yet to meet the Elf who could tread lightly enough around the questions of a very pregnant woman,'" Faramir said reassuringly.

"Old... if only i were, then she might have taken pity on me. And wise? Scarcely, not after that remark," he grumbled.

Faramir smiled remembering how it was before Éowyn was delivered. And yet he was also quick to think of a distraction to ease that pain in his chest that was still biting when he thought of her or Findiel. "Well, you see yourself differently at the moment. I think the wisest thing for now would be if you would come and get some sleep. As you may recall, Lord Pharazôn of Harad is due to pay us a visit tomorrow, and i do not wish for you to be so sleepy that i have to greet him by myself. You remember the last time we hosted him? He does not stop running at the mouth about his daughters."

Aragorn chuckled, thinking how uncomfortable his son looked as the dignitary touted up his three daughters even as he was aware that Faramir was lately bereft. He was grateful to be able to share his son's bed, and both men knew just how important the meeting on the morrow was going to be for rightly establishing a real, lasting peace with Harad. Peace was not made in a day, but could be unmade by a bad night's sleep.

Just before Aragorn fell asleep, Faramir nudged him and said, "if Elboron wakes in the night, you shall have to feed him."

ooo

The next morning when they went to take their breakfast, Legolas was already waiting in the dining hall for them. "Have you seen your brothers?" Legolas whispered to Aragorn.

The King looked around suspiciously. "No, not as yet today. Why?" Legolas then brought forth a scroll with several sketches on it. Aragorn and Faramir both leaned in close to see. After studying the ideas for a few moments Aragorn declared, "These are brilliant! The only trouble shall be settling on one."

Legolas shook his head. "I see no need to confine this to one act of revenge. You do know that they have been at these games unchecked for over 2000 years?" Just then his sharp hearing caught the sound of two certain miscreants entering the dining hall and quickly he rolled up the scroll again.

"Good morning, brothers all," the two said simultaneously with their signature overdone and unnecessary bows.

Legolas smiled serenely and nodded. Faramir's expression was more or less impassive, and old trick he had long since perfected. Aragorn, however, made them suspicious. Since when had their little brother ever been so keen togo so far as to sit them right beside himself? It seemed that Estel was up to something.

Faramir noticed that the twins seemed a little suspicious of his father's ostentatious behavior this morning. It gave him an idea that was so simple it was easily overlooked, and yet it could be ever so effective if properly executed. He made certain to keep the conversation typical over breakfast, waiting until the twins left and were well away before asking to see Legolas's plans again.

"These are indeed well thought out," he said in a quiet tone. "However, if those two have really been at this so long, they will suspect something. Already they noticed you were more outgoing than usual with them, adar. I propose something a little different, i propose using their 'skill' and suspicion against them," Faramir said with a diabolical smile.

Aragorn had never seen that gleam in his son's eyes and had to know what he had come up with. Whatever it was, if it could topple the twins, he wanted in on it and knew Legolas would too. Surely Arwen would as well, but with the mood she was currently in, perhaps it would not be the best idea to inform her just now. Aragorn nodded for Faramir to continue.

"Mind you, done right this is going to take a bit of time, and much cooperation. In fact, the more people we haveparty tothis, the better," he said.

"More than likely i can enlist Gimli's help," Legolas said. "And Arwen said she wanted to be in on whatever we came up with. Surely you can get a few of the guards around here to help... we could probably get the entire counsel in on it." Revenge on this scale was something that Legolas had waited centuries for and he was very willing to do whatever was necessary for this cause. "One should never disregard a Silvan's capacity for revenge," Legolas said with a wickedsparkle in his eyes.

"So, what do we do?" Aragorn asked, almost growing a little afraid for his brothers, even if he knew full well just how much they deserved it.

Faramir leaned in very close, briefly locking eyes with both of his co-conspirators. "Nothing," he whispered. He smiled widely at the confused look both wore. They had been expected something quite elaborate, just as the twins would be. Sometimes the most effective solution was found in simplicity.

"Faramir...," Aragorn said slowly, "What exactly do you mean 'nothing?'"

"Just as i said. It is the last thing they will expect, and the idea is that we do not let them know that we will do nothing, not for a good while at least."

Legolas suddenly grinned. "Keep them thinking they are about to fall... yes, i absolutely understand. How very... cunning of you."

Aragorn was also beginning to understand. "So if i am walking along with someone else in on this and we spot them," he said aloud, imagining a scenario which would facilitate this little ruse, "the idea would be to suddenly grow silent, cast wary glances their way, and quickly move somewhere more secret?"

"That would work quite well. Of course, this will have to be stealthy, we can not be 'on' all of the time. It would also help to have someone on the in whom they think they can trust; someone needs to let them know that something is being plotted, but nothing more than that."

"Well, the next time Arwen permits me to talk to her, i will bring it up," Aragorn said with a slightly bitter tone.

"Oh, there is no rush, father," Faramir said. "As i said, done right, this will take time. The longer we keep this going, the more anxious they will become."

The three agreed that this would be a perfect retribution. They were confident that it would not be difficult to involve the entire population of Minas Tirith if they were so inclined. Legolas decided to go about summoning conspirators at once, while Faramir and Aragorn prepared to meet with Lord Pharazôn, who, they were told, had arrived early that morning.

ooo

AM: Many thanks for the correction. Sometimes the whole family tree thing has too many branches and ends up confused. I ought to employ a Hobbit to check over all familial titles in these stories.

linda: I am thinking that future vignettes of Elboron growing up will be written, either as one shots or in the next Chaos story.

Elenhin: Yes, the idea was indeed to keep you on the edge, just as it is to keep the twins on the edge :)

Thanks to those who reviewed Separate Chaos's last update despite the site being so spotty. More to come with both of these. I think there are only about two more chapters left on this story.