Disclaimer: I don't own LotR characters, plot, languages, yadda yadda… I think you get the idea.
Dedication: This fanfic is dedicated to my mom, for without her infinite patience I could never have hoped to live this long in her good graces. Happy Mother's Day!
Gondor's Most Beloved Mother
The bedroom of the Steward of Gondor was a place of sanctity and privacy—a place where the Lord Denethor and his beautiful wife could spend their evenings and their mornings in peace, uninterrupted by the worries of the day. One morning, however, a pair of intruders slipped past the guards and into this sacred haven. They crept along the wall with stealth and cunning, peering with their malevolent little eyes into the room where an unsuspecting victim lay…
"HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!" screeched the intruders at the top of their lungs, jumping up and down beside the bed and then leaping up onto it. The woman in the bed woke with a yelp of fright while the two tiny attackers smothered her as they laughed. "Happy Mother's Day, Happy Mother's Day! We love yooooou!"
"Boromir! Faramir!" exclaimed Finduilas, beginning to laugh with them as she scooped her younger son up into her arms. Faramir giggled and planted a loving kiss on his mother's cheek. "Whatever are you doing out of bed at this hour, you little devils? Your father will be angry with you!"
"No he won't," said a voice from the doorway. Finduilas looked up to see the silhouette of her husband standing there with a platter of cakes and fresh fruit in his arms. Denethor smiled crookedly and brought the platter over to the bed. When Finduilas had propped herself up against the headboard, he placed it carefully into her lap, scolding the boys for being so rambunctious.
Finduilas flushed. "Denethor, you didn't have to make me breakfast…" she mumbled, looking at the platter instead of at her husband. Denethor leaned over and kissed her gently.
"Happy Mother's Day," he muttered under his breath before pulling away and standing back, turning his gaze to look out the window.
"Mama, mama!" shouted Boromir, grinning. "Will you share some of your cakes with me? I'm starving!"
"Yes, Boromir, of course," said Finduilas, trying to get Faramir to stop clinging to her neck. "You may have two of them."
"Two?" Boromir whined, clutching his stomach. "But I'm going to die, I'm so hungry!"
"Two, Boromir, and that's final!" said Finduilas firmly. "You don't need your little tummy stuffed with sugary cakes this early in the morning!"
"But Mama!"
Finduilas sighed, finally getting Faramir to let go so that she could dole out the cakes. "Okay, Boromir, fine. You may have three. But no more than three!" Boromir grinned and snatched up his three cakes without waiting for his mother to give them to him.
"Mama, can't I have some cakes?" asked Faramir quietly, watching Boromir devour his almost without chewing. "I want some, too…"
"You don't need any cakes! You're too little!" said Boromir with a snort.
"I'm not too little to eat cakes!" Faramir snuggled back up to Finduilas and threw his arms around her neck again. "Mama, tell Boromir that I can have some cakes, too!"
"Yes, Farry, of course you can have some," Finduilas soothed, handing Faramir a small cake of his own. Faramir smiled and took a big bite of it. Boromir stuck out his tongue at Faramir, but he stopped when Finduilas gave him The Look. Finduilas glanced down at the platter to see that only a single cake remained, and Denethor now had his eyes on it. "Denethor, did you want one?" she asked delicately.
"Only if you don't," said Denethor flatly. That was a yes. Finduilas sighed. For a moment she'd almost begun to hope that he might do the romantic thing and offer to share it, but no. The concept of sharing could never enter that man's head. For that matter, neither could the concept of anything romantic.
"I'm not really hungry, anyway. I'll have the fruit," said Finduilas, holding up the cake to her husband. He took it gently from her hand, as if hesitant at the sound of resignation in her tone. Finduilas managed a smile that assuaged his doubt. Just when she thought she might actually be able to have a moment of peace and quiet with everyone munching on their cakes, Boromir started crying. And, of course, as soon as Faramir noticed that Boromir was crying, he started bawling his eyes out, too.
"Boromir, what's wrong?" cried Finduilas, reaching towards her elder son. Boromir had dropped the last half of his third cake on the bed, and now there were crumbs everywhere that she would have to clean up.
"I have a tummy-ache!" Boromir whimpered, tears rolling down his cheeks.
"Oh, you see! I told you that eating too many cakes in the morning isn't good for little boys," cooed Finduilas, rubbing Boromir's stomach gently. Denethor was once again staring out the window instead of trying to help, and Faramir was sobbing inconsolably. "Denethor, could you please come take care of Faramir?" Finduilas asked as politely as she could. Faramir had accidentally gotten his hands caught in her hair and was now yanking on it painfully as he cried. Denethor paused, then came around to the other side of the bed and lifted Faramir into his arms.
While Denethor dealt with Faramir, Finduilas tried to help Boromir feel better. "It feels icky!" Boromir moaned, slumping onto the pillows with an air of helplessness.
"I know, I know…" said Finduilas patiently, stroking Boromir's raven hair. "Next time you'll listen to me, won't you, my sweet?"
Boromir sniffled. "Yes, Mama."
Finduilas looked up to see how Denethor was doing with Faramir and was shocked to see that Faramir had actually fallen asleep in his father's arms. Denethor looked just as surprised as she was, and glanced towards Finduilas as if to ask, 'What am I supposed to do now?'
At that moment, there was nothing that Finduilas could do except laugh. "My three men," she teased, her lovely eyes bright with gayety for the first time in what seemed like ages. Denethor blinked at her, stunned by her reaction, then gave her that sweet, crooked smile of his again. Boromir clutched her hand with his smaller one, and when Finduilas tickled his tummy softly he giggled. "If only every day could be Mother's Day."