Due to RL kicking me in the rear, then reaching around to smack me in the face, I apologize for the very long wait on the update.
Once again, I wish I owned them, but I don't. And a special thank you to Evendim, who allowed me to borrow a few of her own creations, starting with the ever present adjutant, Ancir. Thank you to all the reviewers who encouraged me to continue.
Dawn breaking over the White City found Theodred, Eomer, and men riding across the Pelennor to the gates. They had rode nonstop to arrive before Theoden's court.
After settling their horses, Theodred and Eomer walked to the Citadel. The prince was surprised when neither Boromir or Ancir were there to greet them, as usually Boromir would have found him before Brego was stabled.
The two cousins had just entered the 7th gate when the prince caught a movement out of the corner of his eye. Slowing for a moment, he watched as two guards exited the door to the Citadel.
The guard looked around then in a low voice stated. "The young Lord had another bad night. He sleeps very little now…. Nightmares."
"And his food is returned untouched." The second replied quietly.
"I'm not sure what happened, but in all my years here I've never seen his brother treat any this way." The first guard shook his head.
"Aye, and there were some who should've been, but the Captain General was always fair."
The 'Until now' wasn't said aloud.
"Hopefully, with help this has been changed." The first sighed.
As soon as the two guards passed, Theodred stepped out of the shadows. "Quickly, we must find Boromir."
For eight days they'd played this game. Beating him, though never where it could be seen, then releasing him, only to torment him with words of hate from his brother. By the fifth day, Faramir could barely walk and refused to move when released. He learned very quickly that the beatings were far worse when he didn't play.
When he'd awoken on his horse outside Minas Tirith, he still held hope that it was all a lie, until he was arrested as soon as he'd entered the city.
He awoke in a sweat once again. Shakily, he sat up, then slowly rose to walk to the basin to rinse his face.
Bending over, he gasped at the pain that still radiated from his stomach to his chest. After a few quick breaths, Faramir straightened. He no longer knew what day it was, and if he thought back, he would of realized he hadn't known the days before his brother had…… Faramir gulped, 'No, I won't….', barely holding in the whimpers as he slowly made his way back to his bunk.
Keys jingling in the lock, the guard opened the door one handed. In his other hand, he held a tray with a meager meal on it. Glancing at the young man, the guard frowned. Orders were 'they were not to speak to the teen.' Only, he and his comrade had noticed the toll the last two weeks had taken on Faramir. It shamed them to be the ones holding this duty. They had only been treated with respect by the scholarly teen. Far too often the lower ranks were forgotten, but not by this one. Anytime you met with him, he enquired 'How you and yours fared'. He'd learned this from the elder. Boromir spent time in the ranks, was one of the ranks.
Sighing, the guard stepped back out and locked the door. 'I believe it's time to alert someone to this.'
"Enter." The Adjutant answered the knock at his office door, never taking his attention from the dispatches he was reading.
"Sir?"
Ancir glanced at the man, startled that it was one of Faramir's guards.
"Why are you not on duty?" Ancir queried, afraid of what he might hear.
"Morning break sir."
Sighing, the Adjutant put the dispatches down. Earlier, he'd took a sample of the wine to Caranthir to inspect. They had planned to check on young Faramir tonight, under the cloak of darkness. He was afraid they might be to late.
"Sir?"
"Speak soldier, what is on your mind?"
"Not my mind sir, my conscience." The guards eyes saddened and relief flooded through him as he began to tell his story ending with, "Never have I shirked my duty, but I can not idly sit and watch him suffer."
Nodding, Ancir stood and moved toward the door. "Go back to your post and tell none that you have been here." The Adjutant put his hand on the soldiers arm to halt him. "Thank you, Tobias. I will see you soon."
Nodding, the guard went back to his duty.
The redhead was truly worried now. None but the guards were permitted access to Faramir, including himself, by orders of the Steward. He was sure of these two soldiers as he chose them himself. They would look after the boy who was like a younger brother to him. He was also sure they would have given the Caranthir and himself leeway to check Faramir that evening. The problem being that with all that he'd been told, he was certain they could not wait for nightfall. Closing his eyes for a moment, Ancir wished that his own father was here. 'He would know how to proceed.'
The second knock within the hour broke the Adjutant out of revelie.
"Enter!"
"My Lord, I have a missive for you from the Steward." The page bowed, handed him the note, then exited the room.
'Aye, can this day get any better?' Ancir thought, then opened the parchment. Sighing, the Adjutant picked up his weapons, straightened, then left his office with a slight smile. 'Yes, indeed it can.'
The missive from the Steward had orders to move the prisoner to the Citadel under lock. Theoden King and his court were to arrive late that morning and said prisoner was to be present.
The Adjutant, two guards, and the prisoner entered the citadel. Once in the hallway leading to the Steward's private family quarters, Ancir dismissed the two guards flanking Faramir, asking them to send the healer Caranthir to him. Once they were out of sight, Ancir put his hand on Faramir's shoulder to stop him, quickly drawing it back when the teen flinched.
"Faramir?"
Watery, blue eyes slowly raised to look at the commander. "Never before have you feared me, what happened while you were at Edoras?"
The young man lowered his gaze to the floor.
"Faramir? Speak to me." Ancir looked compassionately at him for a moment before pressing. "You do know that never would Boromir treat another like that, let alone you."
Still no answer, only a slight shaking of his head.
"Come." The Adjutant led the lad to his apartments.