Denethor sat and remained to his thoughts. A couple of hours later his brother-in-law, Imrahil of Dol Amroth, and military advisors entered the room. Denethor greeted them and then proceeded to the table that was in the room.
As they began to plan the defense of the city Imrahil spoke up:
"So how are you two holding up?"
Denethor very irritably replied:
"I'm perfectly happy as I am thank you very much".
"I can see that" was Imrahil's very sarcastic reply.
"What do YOU know about it?!?!"
Imrahil stopped at that and said:
"All right! Forget I mentioned it. I just wanted to make sure that the two of you were doing all right. An event like that is hard to grasp."
Denethor knew exactly to what he was referring. He had been trying to come to terms with Boromir's death for the last month, and still couldn't really believe it. He eventually said:
"No parent should have to bury their child" weeping enough that it was difficult to know what he said, but Imrahil knew what he meant.
"It's hard to bury any family member. I should know". (I)
"Don't you try and bring Finduilas into this!" (D)
"You need to get a hold of her death and move on sometime you know". (I)
"No I DO NOT! YOUR wife is still ALIVE! What do YOU know?!" (D)
"Something that I'm SURE your second-born knows full well. Burying a sibling can also be just as difficult. And both of us were the younger sibling and lost the one person who taught us practically everything we know". (I)
"And YOU should be a little less harsh with him. He's been through more than you know" was Imrahil's last reply before leaving the room.
Denethor was left in the room with his military advisors and continued to plan for the defense of Minas Tirith. But, he was again completely distracted. "This happens EVERY time" he thought to himself. Every time he had an argument with someone, those thoughts they brought out always consumed his thoughts afterwards.
"My lord?"
Denethor turned to see his military advisors looking at him since he seemed somewhat distracted.
"Are you unwell?" he continued.
"I'm fine" he replied halfheartedly.
"Very well, so shall we continue?"
"Yes. Let's".
After the plans had been set, the military advisors all left. Denethor was left to his conversation with Lord Imrahil earlier that afternoon. The topics brought up were both still quite painful for him. His wife's death a little over 30 years previously, and Boromir's death the previous month. Imrahil was right, Denethor was never gotten a grasp over Finduilas' death and since then had never treated his sons the same. He always managed to find something wrong with everything that Faramir did, and found ways to complain about him in general because he was not his brother.
Why is it that the two people that I loved so dearly that have BOTH been taken from me are BOTH brought up in the same dispute? Why does this have to happen TWICE in the same day ? Once is enough, but TWICE?! That's a little too much. This war is going to be a LONG one if every time I have a conversation the deaths of my loved ones are mentioned. And, even more so if they're both mentioned in the same discussion. Why does this have to always happen to ME?!
He spent the afternoon contemplating on his thoughts. The next morning, he was somewhat over his two disputes with both his son and his brother-in-law. He was perfectly back to normal when Pippin and Faramir entered the room at lunchtime. He sat up straight and awaited the events about to unfold.
