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Chapter 6: Confessions

Two days later, Ellethwen was much better and back to her duties. However, she knew she couldn't face Lord Boromir again. Of course he had come in to see her during the night but she would pretend to be asleep for she knew he would not have the heart to wake her. She walked down the corridor to Lord Boromir's chamber and sighed at the knot in her stomach.

Ellethwen entered the chamber and was surprised to find it not in too terrible of shape. It seemed as though he was doing his best to keep it tidy, but there were still various pieces of parchment and his maps scattered about so she put down her basket and set to work.

Ellethwen huffed as she pushed some of her hair that had escaped her braid from her face with the back of her hand. It was taking her longer then she liked to clean his room, but unlike the sitting room, the bedchamber was terribly dirty. She had the rugs over the railings and was doing her best to shake them out while she trembled from the cold.

"When will you learn?" a deep voice asked behind her before a warm fur lined cloak that was much too large for her was draped around her shoulders. She started and looked over her shoulder to see Boromir looked down at her kindly. He took her hands and led her into the room, but before she entered the chamber she pulled her hands away from him and went back to work.

"I am nearly finished, my lord," she said as she finished shaking out the rugs and then gathered them into her arms. Boromir went to reach for them when she turned them away from him and went into the chamber. Once inside she settled the rugs in their rightful places before she removed his cloak and hung it up. She rubbed her hands together and looked to him only to see him glaring at her. "I just need to gather your wash and I shall leave you."

"I do not want you to!" his voice bellowed throughout the room and she jumped and looked at him in surprise. He had never spoken that way to her and it frightened her. "Why would you wish to part so soon from me? Even after what happened in the house of healing?" he demanded as he walked over to her. "Do you know nothing?" he asked. His voice was hissed and laced with such anger Ellethwen swore she saw fire burn deep in his grey eyes.

"I know plenty," she managed after a moment and then looked away from him. "I know my station and yours. I know that I must deny . . . that I must deny what I feel for if I follow it, I will break another promise and the laws of your father." Boromir grasped her upper arms forcefully and Ellethwen looked up at him with tear filled blue-grey eyes. He shook her, not hard but not too gently.

"What promise? What promise did you make that would cause you and someone who cares deeply for you such anguish and pain?" he asked and she shook her head. Boromir shook her again. "As your lord I command a truthful answer!" he bellowed and the tears ran down Ellethwen's cheeks.

"You wish to know the promise I made to my mother? The promise I made to her just days before she died?" she asked feeling her anger at his words course through her veins. "I promised my mother I would not fall in love with you! She knew what the destiny of a courtship such as ours would be! She knew that if love were to ever happen between us that the love and duty of this land, of Gondor, would far surpass any love you held for me if any!" Boromir's grip loosened but he did not let go. "She made me promise and I had no difficulty doing so because I was young and knew that even if we were to see each other in passing there would be nothing for you are the Steward's son and I a lowly chambermaid. However . . ." she trailed off and sniffed as she shook her head, "I now know that I am not nothing to you, not after the concern and worry I saw in your eyes when I woke in the house of healing, and that mere thought frightens me because there is nothing I can do." Boromir frowned.

"Nothing you can do for what Ellethwen?" he asked and she sighed.

"There is nothing I can do to stop myself from loving you," she whispered as one final tear rolled down her cheek. Boromir's chest tightened at the look in her face. Though she had said what he longed to hear there was a pain filled expression on her face and not one of happiness as he imagined as he fought and defended Gondor.

"Is it so bad to love me?" he asked in a whisper and she shook her head as her eyes moved from his to his chest.

"No, my lord," she said gently and back up at him, "but if your father were to ever know I would either be exiled from Minas Tirith or thrown into the dungeons. He made it perfectly clear that any maid caught with his sons would be dealt with accordingly for daring to taint the line of the Steward." Boromir's frown only deepened at her words. He had not known that his father thought so little of the people that worked so hard to make his home as wonderful as it was, even with the darkness growing in the east.

"Ellethwen, I love you," he said as he moved his hands from her arms to hold her face gently. She shook her head but he kept his grip on her face.

"You cannot love me," she whispered as more tears found their way down her cheeks. Boromir wiped at the wetness and smiled.

"I can and I do," he whispered before he pulled her to him and kissed her softly, just as he had long to do that night in the courtyard all those months ago.

Ellethwen stiffened as his lips touched hers, never before had she kissed a man and she knew not what to do, but when his lips danced slowly across hers it was as if they began to respond on their own accord and soon she found herself melting against him and she wrapped her arms around his waist.

Boromir felt as though he could fly as she slowly kissed him back and the feel of her arms wrapping around him sent shivers through him and he sighed against her lips and lowered his hands from her face to rest on her neck and waist. He pulled her close and deepened their kiss. She gasped against his lips and her touch was tentative and very unsure. He knew then that her experience with men obviously went no further than that very moment and he felt an odd sense of satisfaction that he had broken through her heart and had a place there for as long as they lived.

Faramir sighed as he entered Boromir's chamber. Boromir had left the council abruptly and their father was not angry, but Boromir had missed a key part of the meeting and now at his father's order Faramir had to relay what he had missed to him. When he did not see him in the sitting room, he sighed until he saw the bedchamber door ajar. "Boromir?" he asked as he pushed open the door only to gasp at the sight that met his eyes.

Upon hearing the door open and hearing Faramir's voice, Ellethwen pushed herself away from Boromir. A fiery blush filled her face and her eyes remained cast down on the stone floor once more. Boromir sighed and looked to Faramir a faint blush to his cheeks. "Forgive me, Boromir," Faramir said color to his own cheeks and he stepped from the room. Ellethwen made to flee when Boromir caught her arm.

"Do not leave, my brother will tell no one. Wait here for me," he said softly and she nodded. Boromir kissed her lips briefly before he pulled back and left the room closing the door behind him. "It would best you knock next time," Boromir said as he walked over to Faramir who looked at his brother and shook his head.

"Do you know the danger you put her in?" Faramir asked in a whisper and Boromir raised an eyebrow. "Father will kill her if he finds out." Boromir shook his head.

"Father will never find out," Boromir said matter of factly and Faramir scoffed.

"You intend to hide your relationship? Believe me Boromir all it will take will be one maid, one maid that cares little for Ellethwen and he will know. The most lenient he would be to her would be to exile her from Minas Tirith, but knowing father and his fondness for you, she would not be given such leniency." Boromir closed his eyes and sighed. Ellethwen already told him that many of the maids do not care for her because of the position she holds and if anyone were to find out about them . . . Faramir was right. But he could not deny what he felt for her.

"I love her, Faramir," he whispered and Faramir looked at him with wide eyes. "I've never loved any woman as I love her." Boromir looked to his brother and shook his head. "Father shall not stop me from loving her for he if should harm one raven hair on her head, I shall follow to whatever end he sends her."

"I will keep your secret brother," Faramir said gently and Boromir nodded his head.

"I know you will and for that I am thankful." Faramir gave him a smile and nodded.

"I will come back later, before the evening meal and brief you on what you missed at the council." Boromir nodded.

"Thank you," he said and Faramir left closing the door securely behind him. Boromir sighed and walked back into the bedchamber.

Ellethwen sat on the chair next to the bed wringing her hands out of nerves and playing with the end of her braid. Boromir walked in and she quickly stood. At seeing her distress he walked over to her and took her hands. "He will not say a word. He knows, Ellethwen," Boromir said and she nodded. "He will not stop us." She sighed and looked down at their joined hands.

"Is this wise?" she asked and he shook his head as he pulled her close.

"I do not care if it is wise or not. To me this is wise because when I am with you, I am just as free as I am on the battlefield with my men. It would be unwise to lose something that amazing." She blushed and smiled up at him.

"I know not what to say," she whispered and Boromir laughed softly before he raised his right hand to her face and held her face gently and ran his fingers down her cheek.

"Then say nothing," he whispered before he captured her lips in a gentle kiss.