Solatiri sat in a corner of the throne room as they ate their late lunch. Denethor sat in the steward's throne as he continued looking at the broken horn of Gondor mourning over the loss of Boromir.

"Will Faramir be alright?" Pippin whispered.

"I hope so", Solatiri answered. "I honestly hope he will return to us alive."

They nibbled their meal in silence occasionally glancing at Denethor to see he had not moved. He continued to sit and stare at the horn. The room echoed as the door at the end of the hall slammed open. Denethor stood as he watched a guard running into the throne room.

"My lord!" he said bowing. "Lord Faramir, he has returned!"

"He has?" Denethor asked. "Where is he?"

"The courtyard, my lord."

Denethor ran past the guard with everyone following him. Solatiri and Pippin got to their feet and followed Denethor out to the courtyard where guards were carrying Faramir on a stretcher.

"Faramir!" Denethor called out when he saw the guards laying the stretcher down. "Say not that he had fallen."

Solatiri gasped as she saw Faramir. He looked completely lifeless. There were holes pierced into his armor where he had been hit with arrows…just like Boromir. She took Faramir's hand into hers as tears came to her eyes.

"Faramir, not you too!" she said.

"They were outnumbered," the guard said. "None survived."

Solatiri glared at Denethor knowing this was his fault. If he had just listened to Faramir. Faramir said Osgiliath was overrun and he had too few soldiers.

"You did this", she said in a low voice. "You did this to him. You sent him to his death."

How dare you say such a thing?" he asked. "What authority do you have to say that?"

"Faramir told you the enemy's numbers were too great. You paid his words very little heed. You sent him out there."

Denethor looked at her before looking at Faramir laying motionless. He got up and stumbled away to the edge of the courtyard.

"My sons are spent", he tearfully said. "My line has ended."

Pippin knelt beside Faramir and noticed he moved for a second.

"He's alive!" he said.

"Pippin, are you sure?" Solatiri said.

"Yes, he's alive."

"The house of Stewards has failed", Denethor said continuing to mourn.

"He needs medicine, my lord!" Pippin called to him.

"My line has ended!" Denethor yelled.

He stopped as he reached the wall at the edge of the courtyard. He looked over the edge to see the city surrounded by the army of Mordor. The army started launching boulders at the city beginning their attack.

"Rohan has deserted us", Denethor said in horror. "Theoden's betrayed me…ABANDON YOUR POSTS!"

Everyone looked at him frightened and shocked that he was giving such an order.

"FLEE! FLEE FOR YOUR LIVES!"

The soldiers looked at Denethor and to everyone's surprise, began abandoning their posts and running. The people of Minas Tirith screamed and cried in fear. Gandalf frowned at Denethor and suddenly used his staff and hit Denethor across the face. Solatiri couldn't help but smirk at the shocked look on Denethor's face as Gandalf hit him again in the stomach and across the back, bringing him to the ground. Gandalf turned back to the soldiers who watched.

"Prepare for battle!"