Faramir Fiction Archive

Human King, Elven King and one Stubborn Steward

Written by KC

05 November 2004 | 20383 words

Part 10

Early on the morrow Maglor came to the room of the inn occupied by Legolas and Faramir to wake the sleeping Princes. The elven Prince, as was his way, came back from his reverie quickly at the Seneschal's light touch and greeted the morning with a smile, despite the ache he could still feel in his hind region. Faramir on the other hand, was not a morning person. At the Seneschal's light touch, Faramir ignored the summons and buried his face further into his pillow. Legolas, who was now sitting on the edge of the bed in which he had slept, smiled brightly at Maglor's bemused look, as it was obvious the Seneschal was used to being obeyed immediately. Maglor pulled the bed covers off the young human. Still with his face in his pillow, Faramir groped behind him to retrieve the covers at the same time he muttered a very inventive elvish curse.

"Owww! Owwwwww! I naegrant (that hurt)!" Faramir yelped, waking suddenly at the very hard swats to his exposed posterior and turning over to glare at the perpetrator, then groaning at the pain his sudden movement caused in his head.

"I have warned you before, pen-neth, to keep a civil tongue in your head," Maglor admonished the young human. "Now get you ready - for we ride out soon," Maglor instructed as he left the room.

`Oh why, why, why, why, do I drink', Faramir berated silently as he buried his face yet again in his pillow. Legolas laughed merrily at his brother's current difficulties.

"You do realise brother," Faramir grumbled into his pillow emphasising the word `brother', "that you have a very unelvish - almost orchish steak that is as wide as the Anduin!"

"Aur Vaer (good day)," Legolas greeted in his most musical tone as he ran for the doorway, laughing, thus narrowly avoiding the pillow that followed him out the door.

King Thranduil had planned to visit the site of the elven haven and then Minas Tirith but given the change in his human son's demeanour, decided to visit Minas Tirith first so that Faramir could put the meeting with Estel behind him, so to speak.

The remainder of the journey to Minas Tirith was without further incident. On reaching the White City the bells of the city rang out clearly, heralding the return of the Steward of Gondor. Faramir was at once embarrassed and touched by the people and cheers that greeted him as he and the Mirkwood elves wove their way through the city to its highest level. In the courtyard at the front of the palace, it seemed to the young Steward of Gondor that all it’s current occupants were there to greet them. Faramir could see The King and Queen, Lord Elrond and his sons, Elladan and Elrohir, Gandalf and the remaining members of the fellowship.

Dismounting and giving the reigns of his horse over the waiting stable boy, Faramir strode over to where the King and Queen were standing and went down on bended knee before his King.

"Greetings my King and Queen," Faramir said, rising from his kneeling position.

Shaking his head and smiling at Faramir's formality, Aragorn embraced his Steward.

"I am glad you are back, my Steward. You have been sorely missed," Aragorn greeted as he maintained his grip on Faramir's shoulders but pushed the Steward away slightly so that he could look at him. "You look well and you have gained some weight, though still not enough I judge."

Faramir blushed and ducked his head in shyness at his King's comments.

"We have done our best Estel but it would have taken more food than was available in Mirkwood to put weight on him. Your Steward can put more away than a hobbit when the mood takes him, can you not, ion-nin" Thranduil teased, looking at his human son.

"Ada!" Faramir whispered chagrined. Legolas smiled from ear to ear.

Elven, human and wizard jaws dropped, eyes widened and eyebrows went skywards. The elven King and the other Mirkwood elves laughed and Faramir blushed spectacularly.

"Mae Govannen, King Thranduil," Aragorn was finally able to get out when he had recovered from the shock. "It seems we have much to discuss," Aragorn added as he released Faramir.

Arwen took the opportunity to embrace Faramir and kiss him on the cheek. The young Steward found himself, all of a sudden, surrounded by elves, hobbits and a dwarf, all greeting him. Legolas greeted Gimli and introduced his friend to his father. Both he and Faramir had worked on Thranduil arguing that if the elven King could accept a human for son, then he could accept a dwarf as a friend of his sons. Both elven King and dwarf eyed each other with something akin to suspicion but were at least civil to each other. Legolas and Faramir - who kept as sly eye on the exchange, shared a knowing glance and sighed in relief. Thranduil smiling at his human son's discomfiture at being surrounded took the opportunity to greet Elrond and Gandalf. Aragorn invited all to join them for refreshments in the King and Queen's private rooms.

The room chosen by Aragorn was one of his favourites. Whilst large enough to accommodate all, it was still quite homey. It contained a large fireplace at either end had enough lounges and comfortable chairs for everyone to have a seat if they so chose. A very excited Pippin led Faramir to one of the lounges and the rest of the group gathered around them. Legolas sat beside Faramir. Aragorn invited King Thranduil, Lord Elrond and Gandalf into a smaller room adjacent, accessible by a connecting door. The smaller room contained a few comfortable chairs around a small table. The departure of the two Kings, elven Lord and wizard did not go unnoticed by Faramir and Legolas. Legolas patted his brother's knee in a gesture of comfort and both returned to the conversation at hand.

"Aye. I have adopted Faramir formally," Thranduil answered Aragorn's unasked question. "The missive you sent about Faramir intrigued me, although it did take a while for Maglor and I to realise it actually contained writing and not the random prints of a hopping bird. Really Elrond! How could you let him get away with such an untidy scrawl?" Thranduil chided as he turned to look at Elrond who was sitting on the chair to his right. Aragorn blushed to the tip of his ears.

"I did try mellon-nin but I could never get him to sit still long enough," Elrond replied as he looked at his foster son intently.

"I thought you did not like humans," Aragorn said as he studied Thranduil.

"Not all humans, I have always liked you Estel," Thranduil replied with a twinkle in his eyes. The smile turned melancholy as Thranduil remembered first seeing Faramir. "When I first saw him, exhausted, thin and nursing a wound…"

"Nursing a wound!?" Aragorn exclaimed.

"Yes, on their way to the Halls of Mirkwood, he and Legolas encountered orcs gathering at Dol Guldur. The stubborn young fool had been hit by the flat of an orc's sword enough to bruise his ribs severely and did not tell anyone until he almost collapsed upon arrival at the Halls," Thranduil said shaking his head at the memory. "When I first saw him, something in me stirred and I felt immediately protective of him."

"He has that affect on many, although he does not realise it," Aragorn said.

"Such fire and such sadness war within him," Thranduil mused.

"You have seen the fire?" Aragorn asked remembering Beregond blanching at the mere thought of doing something that would stir Faramir's temper.

"Aye! And it is sight to see!" the elven King exclaimed.

"Stubborn I grant but a fiery temper? Gentle Faramir?" Gandalf questioned incredulous.

"Aieeee Mithrandir! I thought you must not have seen your young pupil in full flight. His temper rival's mine!" Thranduil stated as he looked at Mithrandir's incredulous expression.

Thranduil recounted the fight between the young Steward of Gondor and the elf Amras. Aragorn, Elrond and Gandalf could not keep from laughing at the image of Thranduil, covered in mud, trying to maintain his hold on an enraged, mud encased and therefore very slippery Faramir, as the young Steward tried to reach the elf he wanted desperately to throttle. They also laughed at the imaginative revenge taken by Faramir and Legolas in tying a naked Amras to the highest rafter in the great hall. The elven King then recounted the incident a week ago with the youths, Faramir and Legolas' stint in gaol and the panicked Sheriff when he realised who it was that graced his cell. By the end of the telling, human King, elven Lord and wizard were wiping tears of mirth from their eyes.

Turning serious, Thranduil told them of what happened at Dol Guldur, how his young human son doused himself with wine, whipping several dozen orcs into a frenzy, waited until they were almost upon him before turning and running for his very life into the forest whilst the elves waiting in the trees, could only watch in horror.

The young Steward of Gondor was trying to concentrate on what was being said around him and to listen for questions asked of him but his attention kept wandering to the room that Aragorn and his elven father had gone into.

"Faramir?" Arwen asked gently upon seeing the distant look in Faramir's eyes. It took a moment for Faramir to respond to his name. "Are you alright you look pale," Arwen continued when she saw that she had finally gained the Steward's attention.

Faramir was just about to make a polite, if somewhat vague response in the affirmative when…

"HE DID WHAT!!!?

Aragorn, Elrond and Gandalf's voices could be heard shouting the exact same words at the exact same time so that every word was clear as crystal. The room went deathly quiet as all conversation stopped abruptly and all eyes turned as one, in the direction from whence the shouted words had come. Faramir whimpered softly. The silence continued for several long moments when Lord Elrond appeared in the doorway.

"Faramir, can you please join us?" Elrond asked in a deceptively quiet voice that made Arwen and the twins, Elladan and Elrohir, cringe.

Faramir, turning even paler, winced.

"Do you want me to come with you muindor tithen?" Legolas asked in a hushed whisper.

"No, thank you anyway brother. I think there will be enough witnesses to my demise," Faramir replied in a tiny voice as he stood slowly and like a man condemned to the gallows, walked towards Lord Elrond.

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