Faramir Fiction Archive

In case you were ever curious (Letter #3) (G)

27 January 2009 | 1442 words

Title: In case you were ever curious. (Letter #3)
Rating: G
Fandom: LOTR
Word count: 1360
Character: Haldir, Faramir, Rúmil, Orophin
Beta: The smoochable and ever so talented minxkat

Author’s Notes:
1. Written for 10_letters Prompt: 003: Broken
2. No money was made from this. All characters belong to JRR Tolkien and his estate.
3. SUMMARY: Haldir informs his brothers of his progress
4. Totally AU – follows neither bookverse nor movieverse.

Letter #1
Letter #2

Dear Orophin and Rúmil,

Were you aware that in Gondor, stealing the steward’s son away is punishable by imprisonment? And that while imprisoned, the one who dared commit such an act may be flogged daily in the lower levels of the city?

Yes. These laws are recorded in Gondor’s archives.

Just in case you were ever curious.

No, I am not writing this from a cell, nor have I been flogged. But for a while, things were decidedly not looking up.

It was a simple misunderstanding. It all started when I took the citadel cook for a long walk and told her of my plan. She loves Faramir dearly (though really, how could one not?). I could tell by the way she always managed to give him the best pieces of meat and the ripest fruits at dinner, or slip him a small napkin full of his favorite sweets before he went to bed every night. After Faramir’s mother passed, she watched over him, and when I confessed my feelings…well, she thought I would make a fine mate for her ‘precious boy.’

One thing led to another and she and I came up with a plan. I would wait in Faramir’s favorite garden and she would pack a grand lunch and bring to me. She would then convince Faramir that she needed some apples from the tree in that garden and that she trusted only him to pick them. He would go (for he loves her as much as she loves him), find me there, and I would explain everything over a picnic. He would understand, fall in love with me at once, and…

Well, suffice to say, that things did not work out as well as we had hoped.

His second in charge, who apparently took a dislike to me when Faramir told him I was following him, saw me in the garden, and I suppose, from the look of excitement on my face, guessed that Faramir would be joining me before too long. And so, he hid in the bushes behind the pear trees and watched.

Sure enough, Faramir came for the apples. He didn’t see me right away, because I was sitting up in the tree, where I felt most comfortable. The Ranger who was spying did not like the looks of what was happening, so he threw a rock…

At me.

It hit me just in the back of my head, and I fell from the tree as ungracefully as any human would (well, except Faramir, who, I am sure, would not be falling, nor would it be ungraceful if he did – I expect he would drift to the ground with perfect dignity and poise, perhaps like a feather).

The next thing I knew, I woke up in a small cell beneath the citadel.

It was the best thing that has ever happened to me, sore head notwithstanding.

You see, Faramir sat by my cot, studying me intently.

I pretended to sleep, though I watched him through barely opened eyes. He was frowning, and his exquisite blue eyes traveled up and down my body again and again. It was only when I felt the cool air on my skin that I realized my tunic had been removed. (It was only later I found out that it was in preparation for my punishment).

“They were going to flog you,” my lovely one said softly, not fooled in the least by my deception. (He is brilliant, my brothers, so brilliant that not even an Elf could fool him!) “Erandil, my captain, thought you had planned on stealing me away from the city, and so he brought you here, with orders that as soon as you woke, you would be whipped for your insolence.

“I stayed in the garden for nearly an hour,” he continued. “I thought about you dancing with the other Elf at the farewell party. I remembered you speaking of playing with so many other Elves. And for a while, I wondered how you could profess to care for me, when obviously, as Erandil claimed, you were merely trying to spirit me away from my home and all that I know.”

I finally opened my eyes fully and stared at him, for despite his words, he did not look like he despised me. He looked…sad. Confused. Heartbreakingly innocent and so vulnerable. I wondered if I had once again hurt him.

“I came here to watch them flog you.” He paused, dragging his gaze from somewhere just above my head to meet my own. “But then…when I saw you, I…” His lovely face colored a light shade of pink and his voice lowered. “I had always believed the Elves were good and kind and pure until I met you. The way you danced that night, with the other Elf’s fingers in your hair more often than not, the way he held you so comfortably and you laughed with him as if you hadn’t a care in the world; then the way you left him inside to tell me you had feelings for me…no, that you loved me. I tried to make it make sense.

“I have been sitting here for nearly half the day wondering if I could possibly have been wrong because…” His voice trailed off and my heart nearly stopped. Even I had to strain to hear his next words. “You are so lovely, Haldir. I find it hard to believe that one so beautiful could be as deceitful as I have made you out to be.”

My brothers, I thought I was dreaming! I pinched my side just to be sure, and made a very undignified noise when it hurt (as of course, I had not moved, so I was unaware of the broken rib I had sustained in my fall from that traitorous tree).

Faramir, my sweet, compassionate Faramir, winced, whispered, “no” and quickly put his hand over mine to stop me from hurting myself further.

His touch was like fire against my skin, and I know he felt it as well. He pulled his hand back almost immediately and almost toppled from his chair (gracefully), he was in such a hurry to break our contact.

“What was that?” His voice was a mixture of anger and surprise, almost as if he thought I had done this on purpose.

I spoke the first words I had had the opportunity to speak since I had awoken. The five simple words made his eyes widen and his wonderful, delicious-looking mouth fall open in a perfect “O”.

“That, Faramir, is our bond.”

He stood, backed out of the cell and hurried away.

Had I not possessed such keen hearing, I would have missed his words to the guard and thought I had lost him for good. “Free him, and you are not to lay a single hand on him,” he ordered. “Give him his clothes and escort him back to his rooms.” I heard the door open then, but the guard stopped him.

“Shall I tell him to pack his things and leave Gondor?” he asked hopefully.

My heart swelled with happiness at my love’s answer. “Gods, no! He’s not going anywhere!”

And that, my dear brothers, is where we stand.

I was indeed escorted back to my chambers and Denethor himself came to me to express his regrets for the confusion. He looked at me differently. Almost kindly. I would say, (though perhaps it was only wishful thinking) in a nearly fatherly way. He had talked to the cook, you see, for Faramir refused to explain it all, and he understood that I had meant no harm.

When he left, he was, I venture to say, beaming.

That was three days ago. Since then, I have watched Faramir from my balcony. He walks the gardens alone and often glances up at my window. His normally smooth, perfect skin sometimes wrinkles as if he is deep in thought. And then he walks again.

I stay here in my rooms, waiting.

I will wait as long as it takes.

If anyone is worth waiting a lifetime for, it is my dear, sweet Faramir.

All my love,

Haldir

On to Letter 4

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