"As you said before you know you need the king's permission but also mine and kind Éomer. Do you know what truthfully is ultimately needed in terms of requirements?"

He looks deeply into Faramir's eyes. He wants to ensure Faramir knows which requirements apply to him. Just as he already determined he needed to do only recently. And also to ensure Faramir knows what will change if Gil is crowned. All so Faramir will not be disappointed once he officially asks for permission. Something which thankfully has not yet been done. He does not want Faramir to work based on requirements which will prevent him from gaining what he wants. Or complicate it in any way. Faramir frowns and tilts his head moments before he responds.

"I am not sure what you mean father. I need permission from all three or …?"

"My permission will only be a formality for our own house. It will not matter for whatever decision will ultimately be made."

"May I ask why?"

"Are you aware of what the future will hold for us based on my actions?"

"Your actions? Father, I do not understand what you mean. I know you acknowledged Isildur's heir but how does this connect with my plans?"

"My actions regarding Gill will allude to the return of the king. I already publicly acknowledged him as my lord on multiple occasions. One of which you mentioned."

"I am aware the king may return. Your letter clearly hinted at it. But how does this truly affect my marriage plans? Yes, I need his permission instead of yours based on what you said. But still your words hinted at something more. What is that?"

"Are you aware of the ancient laws which govern marriages for nobles?"

"The ancient law? It has not been used in centuries. Why bring it up?"

"No, it has indeed not been used as there has not been a king for equally as long. It is also the reason why I bring it up. In that time, the kings wanted to ensure that marriages with foreign nobles were to the benefit of the people. Or more likely, to their benefit. As such, they held the last word in those discussions. And more often than not involved themselves in all marriage arrangements of the nobles."

"I have read about it a few times. It did not end well then. And I cannot imagine it would have ended well at the other times."

"No, there are also records of lords protesting or trying to circumvent the king's wishes. And that definitely did not end well. Even if there are no records of it."

"I can imagine that. It would certainly have given the gossipers more fuel than they need. Do you think he will make a problem of it?"

He nods, convinced Faramir knows all he needs about this. Well, except how Gil will act based on his question. Something he can answer easily enough. As he looks at Faramir, he is met with a worried look. He frowns wondering where it came from. Then he slaps himself mentally.

"I doubt he will make much of a problem about it. That is not how I know my old friend to be. So there is no need for you to worry."

"But you cannot be sure, can you father?"

"No, I cannot. But as I said before; do not worry about it. I am sure everything will work out in the end."

"That is good to know. So what should we do right now?"

He looks at Faramir because his voice clearly tells him Faramir does not share his confidence. Even if he is not told so. He smiles well aware of what Faramir is trying to do right now.

"Determine which lords are more likely than others to be vying for permission or Gil's ear soon."

"Do you have some ideas? I am afraid I do not know them well enough as I have not been in court often enough to know the current state of affairs."

"Oh, what you know will suit well enough as the court has not changed that much. And I do have some ideas and you have enough insights to help me make a good plan to handle them."

"You are afraid they seek to use the king."

He laughs. The idea is just ridiculous even though he knows that is their intention. Something which is bound to fail. He shakes his head to stop himself from laughing. He looks back at Faramir who is looking at him in complete confusion.

"Using Gil, that is bound to fail. He never allowed himself to be used once he knew. And especially when he didn't agree with it. So no, I am afraid they will be causing problems if they do not get what they want."

"Mhh, that accounts for all lords then. Some will be more careful than others though."

"Yes, so who do you particularly think about?"

"Uncle will most likely try and get some influence but he will be highly careful in how he proceeds. He already has a lot of influence and I doubt he will want to lose it."

"Yes, I agree with that. I just doubt he will cause problems for us."

"Not if we cause him problems, I think."

"You are right. In fact, it can even work to our advantage. Any other people, you think about?"

"A few, but lord Lathron is the one most clearly in my mind besides uncle."

"Lord Lathron is not someone to bother with. I will be dealing with him as soon as I can."

Faramir laughs and shakes his head.

"Of course, you will. He has been getting on your nerves for a long time."

"He has."

"But I think he knows that. And he will try to get out of whatever you have planned for him. For that, he will be trying to influence the king as well as painting a good picture of himself."

"Gil knows how he can be. He already showed his true face during the march."

Faramir nods. And thus for the remainder of the hour, they talk about every lord they expect to attend the Council of Gondor. They discuss how to handle them which includes their reaction to the claim. It is a slow process as they have different opinions or suspicions. It is something they need to clear up first. Nevertheless, plans slowly take shape. And with the passing of time, more details are worked out. Without either being aware of it, they already make plans for how to handle the upcoming council. Once an hour has passed, Denethor looks out of the window.

"Based on what we have discussed so far we have some work to do. Or more likely I have some work to do."

"Of course father, but I will do what I can to assist. But, if you would excuse me, I will go for a walk and allow you to inspect my work."

"Something I doubt will take me long. I will have time to do the city inspection by myself. You should do that and then take some rest. And you do not have to assist me overly much, I will be taking care of everything from now on."

"But father, I …"

He stares intensely at Faramir. It takes a while but Faramir bows his head. Then Faramir bows to him before turning around and leaving the room. He knows Faramir will now rest for as much as he will allow himself. It is more than he could hope for. Any bit of rest Faramir allows himself will be appreciated.

Sixt level, Minas Tirith

Angbor (Lord of Lamedon) POV

Angbor looks up when the door opens and footsteps enter the room. His eyes meet those of the next attendee as he enters the room.

"Ah, Lord Angbor, it is good to see you."

"It is. You are looking better than I expected, lord Hwínor. How were your travels?"

"Yes, well? I had time to freshen up before coming here. I see I am not the last one to arrive."

"No, a few have not yet arrived. How was your journey to the city?"

"I went alright considering what all occurred. We had fewer losses than I expected honestly. It was also a pleasure to see the heir of Elendil in action."

"Yes, I can imagine that."

"Have you seen Captain Faramir recently?"

All eyes turn to the door when the new voice echoes through the room. He has not heard it opening as he was too distracted. Most likely, no one has noticed it. As his eyes reach the door, lord Pedwegon enters the room with strong steps. He immediately sits down in one of the still empty chairs, without any form of greeting or anything. Angbor stares at him for a moment before he responds.

"I have when we met to discuss the defenses of the city. Unfortunately, I arrived later than when the first meeting was held."

"What did he say about the king?"

"Shall we leave that for when everyone has arrived, lord Pedwegon?"

"Of course, my lord Angbor."

He nods and his attention turns to all the other conversations starting up. He wanted to meet with them. However, he is not sure if he will support their decision. A decision, he has suspicions about. He did meet lord Aragorn and was greatly impressed by him. Also, he prefers to have some say to ensure these lords do not cause too many problems. Not as if they have much influence considering they are all minor lords. About fifteen minutes later, everyone has arrived, greets each other, and sit at the table.

"Does everyone know why we agreed to meet here at my house?"

"Yes, lord Angbor, we know; we want to discuss the implications of our steward's actions. Those from before the host left, at least, in my case. I have heard there were also actions before the host but I did not witness them."

"I would like to do the same as well as those before the host itself. I have seen them."

"What did he do then?"

"Acknowledged that lord Aragorn stands above him for one. He deferred to him. He should not have done that."

"No, he should not have. And what more?"

"Well, he almost acted as if he already had accepted a claim which has not been made yet."

Murmuring breaks out in the room. Angbor looks around and listens as the lords begin to discuss all the actions they have personally seen or heard about. He waits for a moment as r the servants bring in refreshments. Once everyone is served, he is about to tap his glass with a spoon. Only Hwínor is faster.

"So from what I gathered so far, we need to determine what we will do with these actions."

"Whether we support the return of the king or not, you mean right?"

"Yes, we need to decide what to do. There is no other option for us considering our steward's actions."

"Do any of you know why he acted that way? I never thought he would."

"No one would have been able to ever consider it. He was always such a vocal opponent of having a king once more. It makes me wonder what this lord Aragorn has on him."

"I think they know each other. They must. there is no other explanation possible."

"Yes, lord Hwínor I completely agree with you. So what are the implications?"

"Severe. Every noble was shocked while the commoners seemed quite pleased. Lord Aragorn has proven himself to be a natural leader and healer. I would say he shows the qualities of the kings of old."

"Yes, yes, lord Angbor, you are quite taken with him. Considering lord Denethor acknowledged him, we will be discussing his claim to the throne. Is that even what we want?"

"I do not want it. A foreigner does not know our ways. He will want to change things too much. We cannot risk our culture."

"I agree with lord Pedwegon. I want things to remain as they are. Our stewards have ruled us for years and should continue to do so."

All around the table lords nod. Angbor keeps his head still, unsure if this is the right thing to do. He listens as the conversation continues but does not contribute to it in any way. From time to time tempers flare. A few lords are highly opposed to the return of the king while some others do not mind so much. They are willing to give lord Aragorn a chance. The majority though seems to be somewhere in between. Those he can work with. After another flaring of the temple, Angbor finally speaks up.

"What do you truly fear?"

"The house of Húrin has long served Gondor and the king will take their rightful place away from them. That is something we need to prevent. And besides, it has been denied in the past so why change the precedent which has been set."

Again, everyone nods. He also understands the argument. It causes another question to arise in his mind.

"Is that why you allure so venomously opposed to the return of the king."

"Yes, lord Angbor. That is one of the reasons."

"And the others?"

"Well, I would say …"

Whatever Hwínor wants to say, he is prevented from doing so by another voice speaking up. A voice which is tainted with fear and uncertainty.

"What shall we do then, my lord Angbor."

"What do you think we should do?"

"I believe we need to oppose the claim."

"No claim has been made as of yet, Hwínor so do not move too fast."

"But it will be made soon enough. And thus we need to prepare for it."

"Yes, and thus we oppose it. It is that simple."

"Oh is it?"

"Yes, lord Denethor will see reason if we convince him. As you said, Hwínor, it has been done before. The precedent needs to be followed. We cannot make a new precedent. Who knows where we will end up. Then a lot more precedent will be in danger."

Angbor has to struggle to keep a wry smile off his face. Convincing Denethor has always gone right. Not at all. If they choose to pursue this course of action then they will be in a lot of trouble.

A lot.

His head turns towards the window on his left side. He looks outside towards the trees in the courtyard which are lit brightly by the sun. His thoughts move back to the topic of conversation. A precedent does not need to be carried on in the future when new circumstances or facts call for a change in the decision. He wonders how many times they used precedent to justify an unjust decision. He is afraid to consider the number.

"Lord Angbor, what is your opinion?"

"My opinion? That you all are planning a very dangerous game. One I doubt will end well for you if you are not very careful. And in my opinion, a precedent is not set law as it can change based on new circumstances or facts."

"Blasphemy!"

"I only gave my opinion. You are entitled to your own. lord Pedwegon."

He is met with many frowns. It is as if everyone has joined Pedwegon in his opinion. Or have they? He sighs, knowing there is nothing he can do at this time. As he realizes this, he speaks up once more.

"So what will you all do?"

"You will not aid us?"

"I will reserve my decision for after having heard of your plan. So what have you gotten planned already?"

"Our plan?"

Lord Pedwegon looks around the room. He follows his example. It allows him to see the other lords nodding. Some are glowering. Whether it is to him or to lord Pedwegon, he does not know. Nor does he care about it. It takes a while before lord Pedwegon finally speaks up again.

"We plan to convince lord Denethor as we said before. Whatever risks you see with it, Lord Angbor, we do not see. We know it is the right thing to do because some Northerner cannot appreciate our land. He will not respect our laws or customs. And besides, this precedent at least needs to be followed."

"And that means?"

"That the claim needs to be denied as was done before in the past."

"Yes. So what will you do, lord Angbor?"

"I will not support you but also will not oppose you. You should just follow whatever plan you have. But I urge you to be cautious."

Everyone nods while a few glare at him. They do not get a chance to attack him as the conversations starts almost immediately. He leans back on the chair and listens to whatever is discussed now. Occasionally, he participates but mostly he stays silent listening.

Faramir POV

Faramir walks through the hallways and looks around. Many warriors are moving around. Some he recognizes from before. He smiles as he sees them. They are recovering nicely. They already move around much more easily. As he walks around, he cannot find the person he is looking for. At least here in the hallways. With this knowledge, he makes his way toward the garden. This is the place where he most likely can find this person.

Soon, he finds himself in the garden and looks around once more. Multiple people are hanging around alone or in groups. As he looks, he notices most are part of groups. The noise coming from them is deafening but also pleasing. It is good to know people are enjoying themselves once more. He walks through the garden towards the parapet. The place where he and Éowyn have been before. More than once. He hopes she is there.

As he nears the parapet, a person clad in white with blond hair becomes visible. The person stands on the parapet. He feels his heart beating in his throat at this sight. At the same time, his heart skips a beat when the wind blows her hair. Her face is turned away from him. He suspects her eyes are trained in front of her. He follows the direction of her eyes. It is focused on the Pelennor fields.

Before he is aware of it he moves forward up onto the parapet. As he steps upon it and next to her, Éowyn turns her head toward him momentarily. She smiles before looking back at the Fields almost immediately. He follows her sight to the field. People are moving around continuing with the work they have been doing so far. A few groups stand together. He is unable to see what they are doing. Éowyn's voice brings him out of his observations.

"How has your day been, Faramir?"

"It has been good. More relaxing as I have less work to do."

"How so?"

"Father is back in the city and has jumped right back into his work. It started with going over the work I have done."

"Does he not trust you?"

"He says he does. And also that it is because I need to rest more but …"

"You are not sure. Why?"

"Ever since the war became worse, he was just falling all over me. He could be that way even before but he also listened to me. He accepted my decision then. I do not know what to think about it right now."

"You are afraid this change will not last?"

"Yes, but enough about me. How has your day been?"

"Same as yours. It has been relaxing."

Something about her eyes tells him something different. He has seen her distressed or distracted. It is not what he sees right now. He cannot place it.

"What is it?"

"My brother wrote me a letter. He asked me to join him and the men."

"And will you go?"

"No, I decided not to go."

"Why?"

"I admit it was a tempting offer but it would mean I will miss our meetings. I enjoyed them too much to risk missing them."

"Is that all there is to it?"

"No, it is not. My brother will notice how we feel about it and give me endless grief about it. I just know it. I guess I wish to avoid it for as long as I can. And well, he will have me back to doing what I was doing before. I kind of like the relaxed life I have here and …"

"And?"

"I like my training with the healers and our time together, as I have said before. But tell me more about your day. Your explanation was quite unsatisfactory."

"What would you like to know precisely?"

"Mhh, you said your father has returned. When did you meet him and what did you talk about?"

"Well, I met him when he sought me out in his office where I was working on some preparations. As for what we talked about; mostly about the work I have been doing so far. Our marriage plan also came up and was discussed. Regarding it, I've learned something."

"And what did you learn?"

Her eyes reflect the worry she surely must feel. He smiles calmly trying to reassure her. Éowyn tilts her head at this. He reaches forward and grabs her hands before squeezing them.

"We …"

"Hlǣfdige Éowyn!"

They turn around quickly at the shout. Éowyn pulls her hand out of his. On the bottom of the stairs leading up towards the parapet stands a heaving Rohirrim. His clothing looks ruffled and is covered in road dirt. He crooks his head wondering what this young man wants. And also what he shouted. He has some ideas but does not know the answer. As such, he cannot be sure.

Éowyn speaks up but again he cannot understand what is being said. He knows they are speaking the Rohirrim tongue. He has heard it before. He just never had the time to learn the language. So, it does not make it much of a surprise that he did not understand a single word. Nevertheless, he does not like it. He tells himself he will learn her tongue soon enough. He is sure he will have the time to do so. If not then he will make time. It is something he has pushed off for too long. Also, considering that he does not know her thoughts there is only one thing he can do; wait for them to finish and study her reactions. Something he will gladly do.

As he watches her, he sees how her posture stiffens. Her fists clench tightly allowing him to see the white of her knuckles. It is in stark contrast to her earlier conflicted expressions. He frowns again wondering what caused this change. Again, he has to wait. He can only ask her later and hope she will answer. If she refuses then he will never know. He does not like this prospect at all.

Retreating footsteps cause him to look up. The Rohirrim is leaving. Have they already finished their conversation? He turns toward Éowyn. She has turned around and is staring at the Fields once more. He smiles ruefully and moves behind her. Then he places his hands on her shoulders. Immediately, she places her hands on his and leans back into his chest. He places his head on hers for a while. Only then does he finally voice the question which is on his mind.

"Éowyn, what has upset you so?"

"He came at the urging of his captain, a friend of my brother, and informed me they will go to the Fields of Cormallen to join the other men. He urged me to join them and wasn't willing to accept my refusal. He was trying to force me to come along."

"Whatever you will do is your choice. He has to accept it."

"I know. I just suspect he also was not allowed to accept it easily?"

"Why?"

"I think, knowing his captain, that he had orders to ensure I would go with them."

He shakes his head, unable to even remotely understand the captain's reasoning. There are other ways to convince someone. Or at least try to. Such pressure should never be placed on soldiers, in his opinion. All this makes him wonder one thing.

"And who is this captain?"

"Marshall Elfhelm."

"Really? I would not have imagined he would do that."

"I know him much better than you do as I have known him for years. And he has his reason?"

"Mhh."

He wants to ask her about the reasons but he stops himself. Éowyn is looking at him intensely. There is something in her eyes. As if she is unwilling to discuss it. Something he will respect. If she ever wants to tell him then he will listen. But for now, he will not pressure her.

"So what did you learn from your meeting with your father?"

"Well, a few things to be honest."

"And those were?"

"To begin with, his permission will not matter outside of my family. And maybe your family. Only that of your brother and lord Aragorn if his claim is accepted, that is, are needed so we can marry."

"Mhh, you said we might need the permission of all three. So that is not true."

"No, as I said before; only for my own family is my father's permission needed if lord Aragorn is crowned. If not then we need permission from his permission and your brother's."

"So, it can be easier or more difficult depending on who we will be dealing with. But let us take a walk through the gardens so we can focus on something else. I need a break from all of this."

Hlǣfdige Éowyn: Lady Éowyn