"You asked to see me my lord," said Faramir, as he stood before Denethor in the beautiful hall.
"Yes; there has been an ambush near the Harad road, killing nearly two hundred of our good soldiers," said Denethor coldly.
"What would you have me do my lord?" asked Faramir softly, although he tried not to let it show, he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable in his fathers presence. How could one as though all was normal when one knew that they weren't wanted?
"I would have you go to south Ithilien, find these men and kill them," Denethor said, "but of course since we are already short of men, concerning the orc's resistance at Osgiliath, we can only spare but a few, say…fifteen?"
"But that is too few my lord we would not stand a chance against their army!" said Faramir, he couldn't believe what he was hearing: fifteen men against an army of men that were most likely the Haradrim, it was like walking into a death trap!
"Do not raise your voice at me! I know what is best! You will take fifteen rangers with you, and you will kill these ruthless murderers. Do you understand me?"
"My lord, it is very likely that they are now in Harad," said Faramir.
"Well it is worth the try, do not disappoint me."
"Do you mean to send me into a death trap my lord?" Faramir asked.
Denethor looked at Faramir coldly and expressionless, "So you would shirk away from your duty?"
"Never my lord; I will serve Gondor even unto my death."
"Good; then fulfill your duty. You shall set out at noon, kill them all, and leave none alive."
"As you wish my lord," said Faramir.
"Go. Leave me," said Denethor.
So Faramir left with a heavy heart; he knew that his father had meant to send him straight into a death trap, but nonetheless, he would not shirk away from his duty as some might have. Even though he knew that it would probably be the last day that he saw, he intended to fulfill his duty until he breathed his last breath.
000
The lady Eowyn tossed and turned as she slept in her bed. She had not been able to sleep that night considering what had just happened the night before: she had been forced to marry a man that she had only met once, and obviously did not know him well enough, and most importantly, she did not love him; she had been cold as stone towards him when they had first met and she was also the same way on their wedding day. She had begged her uncle not to do it-she had begged him not to force her to marry this man that she did not know, but he seemed so bent on giving her to Denethor son as a token of their new treaty. She was furious that this matter had already been decided without her consent, and that her very uncle, the one that was like a father to her, had sealed her doom.
Now she would feel as though she was in a cage-imprisoned to be married to a man that she didn't love.
Her brother Eomer, and her cousin Theodred had come to her wedding, but King Théoden did not go; as of late he had become weaker and weaker, and had eventually fallen ill. Not long before she had left for Minas Tirith, his creepy advisor Grima had just returned from an unknown errand; he was unhappy with her departure, for he had secretly hoped one day to have her for himself, and her brother Eomer knew this and always seemed to keep a very close and suspicious eye on Wormtongue, especially when lady Eowyn was around.
And so Eowyn lay in her bed, tossing and turning, unable to rest.
And then suddenly, she felt a cool wet cloth on her forehead, she opened her eyes and found herself staring into the face of her faithful handmaid, Norah.
Upon leaving, Eowyn had been permitted to bring one of the household servants with her to Minas Tirith, so she chose Norah. The two were very close, so close in fact that she was like a sister to Eowyn, and was hardly treated as a servant, which was quite uncommon.
"What troubles you my lady?" Norah asked softly. Her long, beautiful chestnut hair hung down her shoulders as she gently dabbed Eowyn's sweating face with a wet cloth.
"Did I cry out?" Eowyn asked, hoping that no one else heard her if she had.
"Something of the sort my lady and you were also tossing and turning as if you were in
Some kind of dark dream," she said.
"I cannot live like this Norah; I feel as though I am in a cage-I am doomed to stay married to a man that I do not love!"
"There was nothing else that could be done my lady, and I know that you are strong and I know that you will find a way to endure this."
"Endure this! Endure this misery! I do not wish to lay my eyes upon this Boromir again," she spat.
"Oh, that reminds me my lady, you have been summoned to have your break of fast with lord Denethor and lord Boromir also."
Eowyn groaned; she could not believe that she had been doomed to the very thing that she had feared-being in a cage. But nonetheless, she composed herself.
"Tell them that I shall meet them in half an hour," she said as calmly as she could manage.