Sorry it took me a few days, I've been busy. I know no excuse but with Easter things got a little crazy. Well, this chapter is shorter than the last one, but Chapter 10 is a rather important chapter and I have a feeling it will be rather long. I have it planned out I just have to work it all together so it may take me a few days to get it all together and post it. I hope you all like this chapter though. Thank you for your reviews, and I let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with Lord of the Rings.

Chapter 9: I Hold You to Your Promise

The day was growing dark as Ellethwen carefully continued to write all she wanted to tell him in that one letter. There was a knock on her door and Ellethwen looked up. "Enter!" she called and the door opened to reveal Gelsey.

"Are you well Ellethwen?" the woman asked and Ellethwen frowned as she looked to the window. The sun was nearly gone and she gasped quietly.

"Oh my, I've spent the afternoon writing," she said and looked to Gelsey who smiled at her. "Forgive me, I hadn't realized that . . ." she trailed off as Gelsey shook her head.

"It is alright. The king has given the messenger a place to rest for the night and no harm was done except you have not eaten." Ellethwen shook her head.

"I have no need, right now I a feel better than I have for many days," she said with a smile. Gelsey raised an eyebrow and walked over to Ellethwen's small table.

"What news did you get from your home that has you so happy?" Ellethwen blushed and finished her closing sentence and signed the letter. She blew the ink dry and turned once more to Gelsey.

"The letter I received was from someone very dear to me, someone that I will not see for some time because his duties shall keep him from traveling to me." Gelsey smiled and put her hand on the young woman's shoulder.

"A man?" she asked and Ellethwen nodded.

"Aye," she said softly. "A man that I love and that loves me in return." Gelsey sighed.

"Then it is ashamed that you are parted, especially so young." Ellethwen nodded her head as Gelsey lowered her hand.

"It is, but I promised to wait for him to come and wait I shall, even if I must wait until the end of all days to have him once again I will." Gelsey nodded.

"Then it is love." Ellethwen looked up at the other woman. "Come, love is not enough to fill your stomach." Ellethwen laughed and nodded her head as she tucked her letter in an envelope and sealed it.

"Very well," she said and followed the older woman out of the room, but not before putting away both her letter and her letter from Boromir to keep them secret.

Boromir laid in his bed wishing that he had word from Duilin. The man had been gone for a week and a half. If Ellethwen had been in Edoras Duilin should be returning to the city any day now and his patience was growing thin, even though the man was no not at fault. He looked at the curtains, Matira had left them open and he had been too tired when he returned to his chamber to close them. Of course, Matira did many things wrong.

She rarely brought water into his wash basin, she would forget to replenish the firewood and his clothes would seldom be washed so he had asked Ilithya to tend to his wash. Sometimes he thought he would be better off without a chambermaid the way Matira tended to things. There was a knock on his door and he sighed as he climbed from the bed. He walked through the dark sitting room and opened his door. His eyes lit when the firelight from the hall fell upon Duilin.

"Forgive me for the late hour, my lord," Duilin said. The man looked tired and Boromir shook his head.

"You will be gladly forgiven if you tell me that you found her," Boromir said quickly and Duilin gave him a tired but happy smile.

"I did, my lord, and she spent the better part of a day writing a response." Boromir felt his heart thump painfully in his chest as Duilin pulled the rather thick envelope from his tunic. "She resides in the Halls of Theoden as the handmaiden to his young niece, Lady Eowyn." Boromir took the extended envelope and sighed.

"Good, good. Then she is with shelter and employment." Duilin nodded.

"The king has taken a liking to her and Lady Eowyn already cares for her a great deal." Boromir smiled. "I will let you retire in peace, my lord. If you should require anything, just call for me."

"Thank you again my friend," Boromir said and Duilin bowed his head before he walked down the corridor. Boromir closed the door and walked through the no longer dark sitting room. The moonlight seemed to fill the room with a glow, but he needed more light to read Ellethwen's letter and he could not wait for the dawn. He stoked a strong fire and sat down in front of it before he broke the seal and pulled out the three pieces of thick parchment. He had never seen her writing before and he found it rather beautiful, the way it flowed across the page.

"My love,

Oh, how wonderful it was to read your words. I was worried I would never hear from you, that your father would keep you so busy that you would not have time to breathe let alone write to me. Your letter, although brief,"

Boromir paused and chuckled. Leave it to her to find fault in a heartfelt gesture that was directed towards her.

"Your letter, although brief, brought my heart the much needed reassurance it needed. Many a night I cried myself to sleep thinking I would never see you again. That you would never hold me as safely as you had those nights by the fire. Oh, Boromir, how I miss you."

He could hear her voice read back the words she had carefully written and he felt his tears water at the last sentence.

"The reason for my banishment was a lie. Someone claimed to have found one of your tunics 'carelessly tossed' under my bed. I flushed so deeply at his accusation for you and I never . . . we never bound ourselves completely."

Boromir smiled a sad smile. It was true they hadn't and he knew that she had never bedded another so he easily understood the uneasiness in her words as she wrote. He could see the spots of ink where she hovered and hesitated.

"I am certain it was Matira that said she found your tunic in my room. She has been trying to part me from my position since the first night she found me there and I was in your presence. How she managed it, I know not, but I am certain the rumors that had made their way through the Citadel did little in my defense. You were right by the way. I am in Edoras.

"Edoras is nice; the people are hardworking and strong. Their horses are beautiful; I've never seen any of their kind in Minas Tirith. Even though so far my time in Edoras has been good, there is one thing that is not within its fences that I desire to have more than anything. Do you know what that is? It is you, my love, it is you."

Boromir raised his hand to the small wet stains where it looked as though water had fallen on the parchment as she wrote those words and he realized it was tears.

"I love you with every part of my being. With all of my heart and soul I love you. I will wait for you, Boromir, I will wait as long as I have to and I hold you to your promise. The moment you set your eyes on me, you swore to take me as your wife and I will wait for that day.

"With love for all eternity,

Ellethwen"

Boromir closed his eyes and folded the parchment before he slowly opened his eyes and looked into the fire. He would hold true to his promise to her. He would go to her and take her as his wife, but the only issue he could find in that thought was when. He knew not when he would meet her again, but his heart wished it be sooner rather than later.