Faramir Fiction Archive

Tales from Gondor (R)

Written by Minx

23 September 2012 | 36179 words

Title: The Council
Author: Minx
Characters: Aragorn/Faramir
Rating: PG
Disclaimer All of them belong to Tolkien. Nothing’s mine:(
Author’s Notes: This was written for the 25fluffyfics prompt – holiday.
Much thanks to Iris for her suggestions

---

“Faramir… Faramir…!” Aragorn called out exasperatedly to his distracted Steward.

Faramir looked up, blinking in confusion, “Y-yes?”

“That must be an extraordinarily interesting pattern on your reins, love,” Aragorn teased him gently, smiling.

Faramir looked at him blankly.

“You’ve been so lost in thought, gazing at your reins,” Aragorn explained, feeling a little worried now.

“Oh!” Faramir flushed a little, “I was thinking…”

Faramir was a good rider and excellent with his horse, and Aragorn felt that was all that had kept him astride in the last hour or so that they had been riding this morning in Ithilien. He’d watch the younger man and noted his distraction and sudden tension, and wondered about it. It was a beautiful morning, and the weather was fine and warm as it was wont to be in Ithilien at this time of the year but Faramir did not appear to have noticed that.

“What is it?” he asked gently now, “You’ve seemed worried about something all day.” And tired too, he thought but that was nothing new. Faramir always seemed tired nowadays.

“I’m not worried,” Faramir said a little hastily, “Well not very! I know he’s your friend, but –“

Aragorn glanced at him in confusion, “Who?”

“Legolas,” Faramir explained hurriedly, as they neared the elven settlement in Ithilien. A part of their escort had already ridden ahead, so the gates were open.

“I don’t understand,” Aragorn said, completely confused now, “I can’t imagine what Legolas have could have to do with your distraction…well, I can imagine something but I should hope surely not that!” he smiled as he said that. Faramir tended to be too overawed by the elves, to ever feel for them in the passionate way he did for Aragorn.

Faramir looked even more confused now, so he continued hurriedly, “What is it about Legolas that worried you?” he asked gently, raising a hand in greeting to the elves who were on guard.

“This council he has called us for,” Faramir said hurriedly, “It’s so sudden! It cannot be to do with any matter relating to our neighbouring realms, else we would have heard of it. All has been cordial on the borders these days. And he has called me as well, so it has to do with Ithilien! I can’t imagine what it must be. Perhaps, they want-“

Faramir didn’t complete, letting his words trail off, suddenly feeling scared about giving voice to his fears. What if Legolas and the other elves weren’t happy with what they had got in Ithilien? What if they felt they had got less of Ithilien? Faramir hoped that wasn’t so. So many of the old settlers were returning to Ithilien.

Or what if they wanted to settle elsewhere? What if they wanted to move? Aragorn would be disappointed, no he’d feel much worse. Legolas was Aragorn’s dear friend, and it truly meant much to the king that he dwelt so near him. And the elven settlement, Faramir knew, brought back memories of a childhood in Imladris.

What could Legolas want that he called them so suddenly, sending forth a letter summoning them so formally, yet cordially to meet with him in his home for a most important council? It had arrived the previous day, while they had been at Emyn Arnen. Faramir had been trying to juggle the builders’ problems in Emyn Arnen, and the woes of the craftsmen’s’ guild in Minas Tirith, and the military requisitions for all of Gondor, and the interest aroused among the settlers by Aragorn’s visit.

“Is that what you’ve been worrying about all this while? Legolas’ message?” Aragorn demanded in a tone filled with exasperation and something else that seemed almost like unhappiness to Faramir. He hoped he hadn’t insulted Legolas somehow.

“I didn’t mean to –,” he started nervously, but broke off when he noticed Legolas riding up towards them. The elven prince wore a hunting outfit, and was smiling broadly from across the clearing they were riding through.

Aragorn suddenly leaned towards Faramir and squeezed his arm gently, “It’s all right. Don’t worry. I promise you.”

He reined in his horse, dismounted and walked briskly over to the elven prince who had also dismounted. Faramir dismounted too, and waited. Their escort rode ahead with their horses so that soon only the three of them were left in the small glen.

He watched apprehensively as Legolas greeted his king, and was glad to note that all seemed perfectly well between them. They hugged, laughed and talked as they always did. And then Aragorn seemed to ask Legolas something in an elven tongue that Faramir hadn’t mastered yet. Legolas glanced towards him, almost appraisingly, and Faramir felt the worry creep back inside him. Whatever did Legolas need a council for? Weren’t they all friends? Legoals smiled brightly at him as he caught this eye, and Faramir smiled back, a little queasily.

“Come,” Aragorn called out.

He walked up to them, greeting Legolas politely.

“Come with me. We must hurry,” Legolas said, “We can walk. I was hoping you would reach earlier. Nearly all this day is gone.”

Faramir bit his lip worriedly, ready to apologise but Aragorn forestalled him, “There are still a few hours left, Legolas, do not worry.”

Legolas probably wanted to start the council now itself, Faramir realised, and then suddenly he also realised how exhausted he felt. All he truly wanted was to perhaps have a warm bath, and then slip into bed, with Aragorn for a while and then sleep. But he mustn’t think of that now.

They were walking up a path through the woods towards the river, Aragorn and Legolas still talking and laughing happily. They came to a stop in a small clearing by the river bank. A small building stood by the woods, on a low slope, overgrown with white and yellow wildflowers. The river lapped by at the foot of the slope, rustling through reeds and rushes.

Faramir looked around wonderingly. Legolas bounded up the slope, and the two men followed slowly, Aragorn’s expression inscrutable, and Faramir’s beginning to look miserable.

The building was a small wood cottage. Legolas pushed the door open, and the two men followed him inside.

Warm sunlight filtered in through the open windows, imparting a pale golden haze to the insides of the hut. It looked cosy and inviting. There were two rooms he could see; the room they stood in with a large hearth, and a huge rug in front of it, a bedroom with a large bed, laid out neatly. From the door, they could see the river shimmering below the slope and the browns and greens of the land across it.

“Where do we have the council?” Faramir blurted out. He could see no tables.

“In the bedchamber,” Legolas told him.

Faramir stared back at him, suddenly feeling very tired. He must surely be hearing things! “In the bedchamber?” he repeated.

Legolas sighed, “Don’t you see, you little goose?”

“N-no,” Faramir replied wretchedly.

Aragorn sighed and hugged him gently, and then steered him into a chair by the hearth and sat next to him. Faramir sank into it, relieved. It was cushioned and comfortable!

“There is no council, my lost little love,” Aragorn said gently, “This is going to be a little holiday for you instead! I’ve brought you here so you can rest a few days. We are here to spend some time together, you and I, in that beautiful bedchamber there, or perhaps at this hearth, that rug looks very soft and inviting! Or perhaps in the grasses outside by the river…would you like that?”

Faramir gazed at him in wonder and nodded dazedly at the end.

Legolas coughed softly, and grinned widely, “After I leave!”

“But the letter?’ Faramir asked. He felt a little dull at not having realised earlier.

“A ruse,” Aragorn said patiently, “To pull your nose out of all your papers. Do you realise, love that you’ve been working so hard these last few months, that everyone has noticed you are looking tired?”

Faramir started at that, “No – I”

“When you’re in Minas Tirith, you have more than enough work to keep you busy through the day, and I keep you awake most nights,” Aragorn flushed guiltily as he said that. He’d known many times that Faramir was tired and ought to sleep but hadn’t been able to keep away, and he’d known that Faramir felt similarly.

“No!” Faramir said hurriedly in confirmation, “I would not have it any other way… I look forward so much to our nights together,” he blushed as he realised Legolas still stood there.

“As do I,” Aragorn admitted, “But you do have so much to do when you come to Ithilien. You have work to do on Ithilien as well as on all that is sent to you every day in the despatches from Minas Tirith.” There were so many matters that needed Faramir’s advise or at least his sensible way of looking at things, and Aragorn had come to rely greatly on him. It wasn’t long before he’d noticed his exhaustion slowly creeping in, and had resolved to bring Faramir on this little holiday.

“You work so much too,” Faramir mumbled. Aragorn sighed but didn’t argue.

“This is going to be our little holiday,” he said instead, wrapping his arms around his steward’s slender body, and working his fingers in through his tunic to touch his chest and stomach, “You will do nothing but eat, sleep, rest and let me love you. I have a lot of plans for you. Would you like to hear them?”

“Plans?” Faramir asked hesitantly.

“Well, we’ll start with a nice warm bath, that was a long ride we had and I’ll wager a good soaking will do us both much good. And then we’ll sup by the hearth, and if there is light, perhaps read awhile. And then we’ll go to bed. And on the morrow, there are some beautiful places here, quiet and undisturbed. All those tall soft grasses by the river, where those yellow flowers grow… I thought you’d look beautiful there. And I brought along that useful little book we found in the library. It has much we can do outside. Especially with those reeds. ”

“Oh,” Faramir said, blushing a little. “B-but what of all the work?” he asked warily.

“Well, the land disputes Húrin can handle, and the rest, Prince Imrahil is visiting and has promised to help,” Aragorn said and began undoing the bindings on Faramir’s tunic, “The scribes can tell him all he needs to know. And Ithilien, well, everyone knows you are here, and if anything comes up that needs your attention, well Legolas will take care of it. You, my dearest love, are going to rest and let me love you.”

“I’ll leave then,” Legolas said smiling gently at them, “We are just beyond the woods behind this cottage, if you need anything!” Aragorn gave him a grateful look.

“Thank you,” Faramir said simply, “This is a beautiful place.”

“You had plans, sire?” he turned expectantly to the king when Legolas had left.

“I do! You my love need a holiday,” Aragorn said firmly, slipping the tunic off Faramir, and pulling him against him, “You must not worry about all this. All I want you to worry about is our dinner tonight. We’ll need to catch some!” He said and then pulled Faramir closer and kissed him gently and lingeringly on the lips.

NB: Please do not distribute (by any means, including email) or repost this story (including translations) without the author's prior permission. [ more ]

Enjoyed this story? Then be sure to let the author know by posting a comment at https://www.faramirfiction.com/fiction/tales-from-gondor. Positive feedback is what keeps authors writing more stories!