Chapter 24: Pharazphel's Child
Faramir could only hear Pharazphel's agonizing screams through the door as he waited for her to give birth. Faramir heard Pharazphel cry out, "Boromir!" as she labored on. Hearing Pharazphel's cries for Boromir burned Faramir's heart. His heart was broken knowing that Boromir would never return, but he knew Pharazphel was in a greater pain than him. He knew that Boromir would never see his wife or meet his child that Pharazphel carried. For Pharazphel, that was the worst torment.
Faramir paced through the halls, hearing nothing but Pharazphel's cries echoing in his mind. He could see the healers in his mind trying to comfort Pharazphel as she carried on. He knew that there was no comfort for Pharazphel knowing that she would never see her husband again. In that moment, Faramir regretted showing her Boromir's cloven horn. He began to wonder if it would be better if he let Pharazphel give birth in peace, without knowing that her husband is dead. Faramir tried to comfort himself thinking of Pharazphel's strength. He knew that if Pharazphel could endure the torment of the Uruk-Hai, then she could endure childbirth.
She'll be fine, Faramir said to himself. She is a woman of Rohan. She endured far worse than this. She'll make it. She must.
Faramir was distracted by his thoughts when he heard another loud cry from Pharazphel. Faramir wished that he could ease his sister-in-law's pain. He felt useless as he paced around the halls. There was nothing he could do but wait. Faramir stopped pacing when Ioreth stepped out and approached him.
"How is she?" Faramir asked anxiously.
"She is very strong, my lord," Ioreth said.
"But how is she?" Faramir pressed on.
Ioreth sighed. "I cannot say, my lord. She is suffering. We urged her to push, but she will not. We are doing what we can for her and the child, but she is slipping away. If she does not push soon, she and the child will die."
Faramir felt a shiver run down his spine. He wished that he had not dashed Pharazphel's hopes so soon. If only he had let her believe, even for a little while, that Boromir would return, Pharazphel would be in much better spirits to carry on. Faramir remembered what he promised Boromir and knew that he had to aid Pharazphel.
"Let me go to her," Faramir said. "I must help her in some small measure."
"I'm afraid I cannot allow that, Captain Faramir," Ioreth said. "I admire your desire to help your sister-in-law, but you must not enter."
"I cannot let her and the child die," Faramir said.
"Pharazphel is a valiant woman," Ioreth said. "I know the torment she endured when you and Boromir brought her here. If she can endure the evil of Saruman's hordes, she will survive the birth of a child."
"I only pray that you are right, Ioreth," Faramir said.
Sweat poured from Pharazphel's head like a waterfall. Her golden hair was darkened by the perspiration and stuck to her forehead. With each contraction, Pharazphel felt as if a sword was being plunged into her belly. The pain of the childbirth was not what troubled Pharazphel; she had endured worse pain before. What truly caused Pharazphel great suffering was news of Boromir's death. Pharazphel could only see in her mind Boromir's cloven horn. She felt ill thinking of what torment befell him when he was lost. The greatest torment was the knowledge that Boromir would never meet his child or see her again. She could not endure the pain of her child not knowing its father. As she labored on with these thoughts, Pharazphel began to lose heart.
"My lady, you must push," Ioreth said.
"No," Pharazphel said.
"My lady, please," Ioreth urged her. "You must not give up hope. You must endure for the sake of the child. Please."
Pharazphel only shook her head as the healers wiped perspiration from her brow. Ioreth left the room for a moment, leaving Pharazphel in the care of the healers. Another contraction ripped through Pharazphel, causing Pharazphel to cry out in agony. Pharazphel sank back to her pillow as the contraction depleted her energy.
"My lady," pleaded on of the healers, "You must not give up. You must be strong for the sake of your child."
"I can't. I need Boromir," Pharazphel whispered. "Where is he? Where is Boromir?"
"My lady, you must abandon these gloomy thoughts. You must push for the sake of your child," said the healer.
Pharazphel was not listening to the healer. She was only laying on her pillow, her eyes closed, as if she were trying to shut out the words of the healer.
Boromir, I am lost. Tell me what to do. Please show me that you have not left me. Pharazphel said to herself.
"Is there no way that I can help my sister-in-law?" Faramir asked.
"You have helped her every day since Lord Boromir departed, Captain Faramir," Ioreth said.
"That does not comfort me," Faramir said. "Pharazphel is suffering and there is nothing that I can do."
"Do not be so gloomy, Faramir," Ioreth said. "If it were not for you, I do not know if Pharazphel would be delivering this child now."
Faramir sat down on a long seat and sighed. "This is all my doing. She is suffering now because of me. I should not have told her about Boromir. If I had not shown her that horn, she would not be in pain."
"She would endure the pain either way," Ioreth said. "You need not blame yourself, Faramir. None of this was your doing. Pharazphel is a strong woman. She will endure for the sake of her child."
"I only pray that she will," Faramir said.
Suddenly, Faramir and Ioreth were both distracted by a pained cry from Pharazphel.
"I must see to Pharazphel," Ioreth said. "I will allow you to enter after the child is born."
Faramir nodded to Ioreth as she hurried back inside and closed the door. Faramir listened to Pharazphel's cries of agony. He knew she would endure the loss of Boromir and deliver his child. Faramir grasped onto hope as he listened to Pharazphel's screams.
Pharazphel lay on her bed, shutting out the words of her healer. Now that she knew Boromir would never return, Pharazphel found herself in despair that would never see her nor would he meet his child. She did not know how to endure knowing that her child would be left fatherless. For Pharazphel, everything seemed hopeless without Boromir.
Do not dwell on these thoughts, Pharazphel told herself. I have endured many long months without Boromir by my side. I have faced Saruman's hordes and survived. I must endure. Boromir would want me to endure for our child.
Pharazphel's thoughts then turned to her mother, Pharazpher. She had lost her husband Urithor when Pharazphel was born. Pharazpher had carried and raised Pharazphel all those long years without Urithor by her side. It was in this moment that Pharazphel understood why her mother was so strong through it all. It was all for the sake of her child. Pharazphel knew that she had to be strong for her child as her mother had been for her.
"Pharazphel, I beg you," cried the healer.
Pharazphel opened her eyes and faced her healer. "I must be strong for my child."
"Yes, my lady," the healer said. "Now, deep breaths, chin to your chest, and bear down when I say."
Pharazphel did as she was told. Her breaths were slow and steady as sweat rolled down her forehead. Then, Pharazphel felt another contraction shake her like an earthquake.
"This is it, my lady," the healer said. "On my count: one, two, three, push!"
Pharazphel sat up to her knees and pushed, screaming at the pain. Once the contraction was passed, she sank back to her pillow.
"Good, my lady," the healer said. "Do it again. Again: one, two, three."
Pharazphel sat up again, fighting the pain as if it were one of Saruman or Sauron's hordes. Just then, Ioreth entered the room and was surprised to find Pharazphel, soaked in perspiration from her labor.
"It appears you are doing well," Ioreth said, taking a seat in front of Pharazphel.
"I would welcome torture from Saruman's hordes compared to this," Pharazphel groaned. "Those creatures were gentle compared to this child."
"Well, that is a good thing," Ioreth laughed.
"Not from my perspective," Pharazphel said. "I know Lord Denethor would happily throw me to Saruman's monsters if he could."
"He does not get to do so, Boromir or no Boromir," Ioreth said. "Come on, my lady. Give us another push, come on. Push!"
Pharazphel screamed through another round of pushing.
"Well, I will say this: women in Rohan must be made of steel if they can endure pain like this," Ioreth said.
"I am made from the same steel as my mother," Pharazphel said. "She lost my father when she gave birth to me."
"Well, you are both valiant women, then," Ioreth said. "Now, you're getting closer. Push hard, now."
Pharazphel shouted through another push before sinking back to her pillow. She could feel sweat falling like a waterfall. She only hoped it would not be too much longer.
"This is it, my lady," Ioreth said. "Only one more push. Just one more and your child is born. One more. Push!"
Pharazphel was exhausted. She was sweating as if she had a fever, she could not catch her breath, and her knees were trembling. She had only one more push before her child would be out. Spurred on by Ioreth, Pharazphel summoned the last of her strength to shout through one last push. Pharazphel gave all of her strength in this last push and collapsed back to her pillow, depleted. New cries of a child filled the room, and the sound of her child's cries were like music to Pharazphel. Ioreth smiled at her and wrapped the baby in swaddling clothes.
"What is it?" Pharazphel asked.
Ioreth handed the now clothed baby to Pharazphel with a smile. "It's a girl, my lady. A girl as strong as her mother."
"Pharazith," Pharazphel whispered, "My golden Pharazith. You are all the strength I need. I shall love you for all the ages of this world."
Just then, Faramir entered the room. His grin was brighter than all the jewels beneath the earth.
"Praise your strength, my sister," he said merrily.
He stepped forward and kissed the top of Pharazphel's head and then leaned down to kiss the child.
"This child gave me strength," Pharazphel said. "I present your niece, Pharazith, daughter of Pharazphel."
Pharazphel handed Pharazith to Faramir's waiting arms. Faramir could not help but smile at the child.
"She is truly a treasure," he said. "She is more fair than any jewel in this earth. She's as fair as an Elf-maid."
"You do not need to tell me twice," Pharazphel said proudly.
Faramir handed Pharazith back to his sister-in-law. "I have no doubt that one day she will be as fierce and strong as her mother."
Pharazphel was not smiling when Faramir turned to her. The room was eerily quiet. It was as if the temperature had dropped. Faramir turned to find Denethor standing at the foot of Pharazphel's bed.
"My lord, I bore you a granddaughter. She is Pharazith, daughter of Pharazphel and Boromir," Pharazphel said.
Denethor was seaming with anger. Pharazphel could tell that he was displeased.
"So you have," Denethor said coldly. "This is your child, not a child of Boromir."
"Father!" Faramir said, aghast.
Denethor simply stared coldly at the child before quitting the room.
Faramir glumly turned to Pharazphel. "One happy moment. Could he not give us that?"
"No, he cannot," Pharazphel said. "but it matters not. I care not. I will not pay heed to what your father thinks of me or my child."
Pharazphel stared into the sky-blue eyes of her daughter, Pharazith. The child's eyes were so bright and full of life. Pharazphel smiled proudly at her daughter.
"She's perfect," Pharazphel said. "She is a true daughter of Boromir."
Faramir smiled. "She is, indeed. What shall you do about father?"
"I will find my own path to his favor, or I will not," Pharazphel said. "but that matters not. Pharazith is the perfect daughter of Rohan and Gondor. I shall love her as I loved Boromir. In this way, Boromir will live forever."
A/N: And there she is, Pharazith, daughter of Boromir. I hope that you like the name. I apologize if the ending seems a bit cliched. I am so happy with all the support this story has received. Thank you to everyone who reads and reviews my story. I appreciate you all. Thank you and enjoy!
