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The Coldest Winter (R) Print

Written by Geale

09 January 2009 | 77501 words

You remember where we left off? Good. We’ll pick up immediately after that!

Chapter 20 — Hurting

Explain.

He felt an overwhelming need to explain. The desperate need to shed light on this awful issue was the strongest urge he had ever had – not even during his father’s days had Faramir felt such great a desire to make clear his actions. And Aragorn was still watching him.

Yet, Faramir spoke no words. A heavy, suffocating silence hung in the air and a general state of shock seemed to have caught everyone present in its grip. Despite these slow-passing precious moments, and knowing full well he was dooming himself to a dreadful future, Faramir said nothing. For he would not speak of this in front of Deren and the Council. If Aragorn had any sympathy for him left, he would say nothing either, but would wait until they were alone.

This did not mean he did not feel. He now knew that it was possible for a heart to be ripped out of the chest which guarded it a hundred times over and yet it never became less painful. Even when it was your own fault. He knew too, that his eyes were pleading; the burning anxiety scorched his eyes just as it did his lungs.

When Aragorn turned his gaze away, it worked as a signal for the entire Council.

“We shall have naught of this!” the appointed Elder cried out, his voice slightly wavering but firm enough.

As soon as the words rang out, Faramir lost his focus on the outside world and instead worked frantically to stop the tidal wave of fear that threatened to swallow him from within. From far away came the distinctive sounds of an argument, but he could discern no words.

Then, as sudden as everything else had happened this evening, something in his mind surfaced.

That night.

Something had been wrong that night.

Something.

His memories were foggy, the images blurred, but there was that something nagging in the back of his mind. Diving deep into the misty sea of remembrance, Faramir fought the small voice that told him everything was already lost and there was no need to explore this maze of damnation further.

He had been so lonely that night… Aragorn had not come to dinner. So utterly lonely… Faramir had thought that since the King was not present – the King did not want him and the consequences had been that he had probably drunk more wine that night than ever before… But Aragorn had chosen not to join him.

Or so it had seemed.

It was ironic really, that when Faramir, Steward of Gondor, chose to speak for the first time that night before the High Council, his words were not meant for Aragorn, but for Deren.

“You were in his chambers.”

His voice was immediately drowned in the clamour still surrounding him, so he raised it.

“You were in his chambers!”

They all stilled. Deren raised his eyes to meet him and a smug smile played upon his lips.

“Faramir.” He bowed his head slightly. “I was beginning to believe that you had lost your tongue.”

Fear was replaced by anger, an emotion Faramir seldom encountered in his own body. Striding towards the blond man, he repeated the words once more. “You were in his chambers. It was you who was in the King’s rooms that night!” He stopped short, hindered by the Council members’ chairs.

“Oh, that night,” Deren drawled. “Yes, I was, but not doing what you usually do when you are there, I suspect. Or used to do, I should say,” he added with a glance at Aragorn.

Too angry to pay any attention to the insult, Faramir cursed the chairs which separated him from Deren’s slim throat.

“I see it now,” he cried out, but only causing the smug smile to widen. “You had already attacked the King when you had dinner. And before that you had crept into the King’s chambers and pretended to be him, in order to prevent anyone from looking for him.”

It was a confused explanation to the incidents some nights before, he heard it, but he was discovering what he now firmly considered as the truth as he went along, as he worded his suspicions.

“You called through the door, saying that you – the King – wanted no dinner. That woman…” Faramir thought back desperately to what the servant had told him.

“That woman was easy enough to fool,” Deren stated with a dismissive wave of his hand. “We all know that the King is weak, so feigning his sleepy voice was the simplest of matters. I daresay any child could do it.” Despite his choice of words, there was an icy pride in his voice.

“That is madness!” Faramir shouted with blood ringing in his ears, prepared to shove anyone who hindered him out of the way. “You have gravely endangered the King’s life! He could have died!”

“Yes,” Deren slowly acknowledged. “That was the idea.” His smile gave way to a mask of false sweetness. “But unfortunately you had to interfere, did you not? Not that you will gain anything by it, I think, considering your betrayal of your beloved King’s trust. No, I guess you have seen th einsides of the King’s chambers for the last time. Funny I should be the last one of us, is it not?”

Had Faramir had his sword by his side, he would not have been able to answer for his actions if. The members of the Council must have seen his fury for the Elder hastily interrupted them.

“Enough of this! Lead him away.”

Someone laid a hand on his shoulder and assured Faramir they would look into this latest discovery, but that the Council for now was adjourned. With his breathing gradually returning to a normal pace, he watched the members exit the room one by one, taking with them the piles of documents and parchment.

As his rage dissipated, the unwelcome sense of fear crept closer and slid its long, slippery fingers along his skin. Unable to move, Faramir understood that he soon, very soon, would be left alone with… Aragorn.

“Leave us.”

The words were soft and tinted with weariness. Before Faramir could even begin to hope they were directed at him, there was a reluctant rustle behind him. The healer passed by him with jaws clenched and a hard gleam in his eyes. Faramir watched as he too, crossed the room, opened the door, stepped through, and was gone.

The door slid closed without a sound, except for the final click that preceded the ultimate silence.

Long moments passed. Dreadful moments during which Faramir stood nailed to the floor. He swallowed. He hardly dared to breathe. For all of his thoughts and plans and explanations, Faramir could not even open his mouth. Not even the flames in the fire-place had the courage to chatter. The floor shifted ominously beneath his feet.

“Have you so little faith in me?”

Faramir slowly turned around. There was pain everywhere: in his chest, in his stomach, in the air, in Aragorn’s voice.

In the voice of the man he loved above all others – the man who should never have to live through pain at all. But so it was now, and it was he, Faramir, who was the cause of this pain.

Aragorn was leaning against the pillows, but Faramir doubted that he was resting. Despite his closed eyes, his whole body looked tense.

“Meleth nin2?”

The words drifted off the King’s lips in a drained whisper. Gradually they blended with the silence until their breathless hiss was nothing more than a faint echo in Faramir’s mind. They released him from his frozen posture though, and he cautiously slid across the floor to Aragorn’s bed.

He had hoped to never see the King like this again. His skin was pale, even with the red marks the snow and the cold winds had bestowed upon him, and his breathing shallow. Unmoving he lay, but the creases on his forehead could tell anyone he was far from sleep.

“Have you so little faith in me…”

The question that had become a statement became the blade that was twisted around in Faramir’s already worn heart.

When the tears came, at least they brought words.

“No,” he protested, as his vision blurred and his voice broke.

When Aragorn did not answer, Faramir forced his thoughts back to that dreadful night. Replaying the scenes again he remembered, and he knew he was wrong.

“Yes,” he finally whispered.

Aragorn let his head fall to the side and sighed. To see him thus scared Faramir extensively.

“I lost all faith,” he admitted quietly as his King would not speak. “But it has little to do with you. It has everything to do with me.” He rubbed the back of his hand harshly against his eyes. “For many long years I did not believe I was worthy of anything… Love being the very last gift I expected to be granted.”

He hated himself for slipping into bitterness while he spoke, but old habits die hard as he knew well by now.

“Then suddenly, there you were – the man who was to become our King and you were… beyond every dream I had ever dared to dream. And you were a man and that frightened me… It frightened me to the very depths of my being, for even if I never held my father’s attention for many a minute, he had somehow managed to announce to me that he expected me to raise a family of my own. Should Boromir somehow fail… which he did, in a way… in the end.”

He trailed off, lost his words to the evening. There was a deep furrow on Aragorn’s brow, but he lay still without appearing like he wished to speak.

“I fell in love with you,” Faramir whispered, feeling new tears well up in his eyes. “But I never thought that you would… that you might… I was nothing.”

Goheno nin…3

Again, the elvish words floated around Faramir like an autumn mist, and equally impossible for him to grasp. He had only picked up on a few phrases when communicating with the elven realms, always thinking he should learn more, but unprepared, the words escaped him, indistinguishable. When Aragorn fell silent once more, Faramir resumed his tale.

“I have been living in a dream these past months. I always knew I was reaching for something I was not made to have… It was finally settled tonight. I could never give you the heirs you need… A King needs more than simply a Steward and I thought that night…”

He swallowed. Now the time had come, but he was in no way prepared for it. “I thought you had finally made the decision to end things, and that was why you did not come to dinner. I was…”

He had meant to say ‘devastated’ but that made it sound like it was Aragorn’s fault and since it was not so, he chose another angle. “I was there, I had dinner and I drank too much wine.” Even though he knew he was not famous for drinking, it still caused hotness to race to his face. Or maybe that was exactly why.

“I inquired after you but was told you did not wish to be disturbed. I really did ask… I missed you,” he said, his voice failing. “I longed for you, all night.”

Aragorn made a small movement, but did not interrupt.

Faramir took a deep breath. “Deren said he would walk me back, and in that moment I trusted him. I trusted him – the man who had attacked you and spent the whole evening waiting for you to… die. I will never forgive myself.”

He was so utterly tired. The day had been one of the longest he had ever known. Not even in comparison to battle could he say that he had often been more drained. Raking a hand through his hair, he exhaled. His eyes stung with the saltiness of his tears, and his head felt as heavy as one of the beacons in the tower.

Gathering the last amounts of energy he harboured, he finished his story. “Deren guided me to his room. I was not aware of it then. Not completely anyway,” he added when he recalled how he had woken up and not been surprised about his strange whereabouts. “But I only slept there. Fully clothed, I slept on his bed, not in it, if you see my point… And I woke up a few hours later and went back to my own room, only to find no peace there either. I left for the corridors and so it was that I found you.”

It was a short tale, in some sense, but it was all of him. The only thing left he had to offer.

Silence enfolded them once more as Faramir sunk down in one of the chairs that were adorning this room to an extreme extent.

“A long time ago, it seems now…” Aragorn’s voice was merely a sigh when he spoke. “A long time ago it seems since I told you I saw some confidence growing within you.”

Faramir bowed his head in a twinge of shame.

“Do you remember that I said I liked it?”

All words stuck in his throat, Faramir could do nothing but nod and not daring to move, he could only hope that Aragorn was looking.

“I have not changed my mind, Faramir. To see you open up has been a wonderful gift to me. Come here.”

Uncertain of what was happening, Faramir pulled his chair closer to the bed. Aragorn’s eyes were still closed, but his hands searched for something. With an urgent prayer to whatever gods that might still be listening to him, he nervously offered his own hand for Aragorn to hold on to. Relief washed over him as the King’s fingers curled around his.

“There is so much to say,” Aragorn sighed. “You think you are worth less than the sands on the plains of Mordor, and yet I believe that a part of you knows it is not so. What can I do to make you understand?”

Faramir felt like he was breaking for the thousandth time that day. “I do not know,” he honestly admitted. “No one has ever asked me before… I and have not asked myself either.”

The ghostly hint of a smile briefly passed over Aragorn’s lips. “I would not think so,” he said, but in no evil way.

“I understand your frustration,” Faramir said quietly. “I am sorry.”

“I will not have you beg for forgiveness. Promise me instead that you try to see your unnecessary insecurities for what they really are: unnecessary.”

As much as he doubted his capacity to do this, Faramir had no intention to let Aragorn know that. “I will try,” he said instead, inwardly wondering how on earth such a thing was possible.

“Can I trust that?”

Twisting in his seat, Faramir bit his lip. “Maybe.”

“That will do, for now,” Aragorn said, another faint smile crossing his features.

The King’s body had visibly relaxed during their conversation. Now he looked like he was drifting off to sleep.

Faramir had to do it. If he did not, he would never know.

“Aragorn?”

“Mmm?”

“Forgive me for joining Deren in his room. Forgive me for causing you all this pain.”

The older man stirred as if he was trying to stay awake. “Faramir…”

The Steward held his breath, hoping against the darkness that had claimed him, that there might be a light somewhere in his misery.

Aragorn let out a long, fragile breath. His grip on Faramir’s hand strengthened temporarily and then lessened.

“There is much to say, so much… You could never hurt me… never hurt me, meleth.”

Faramir let his head fall forward to rest on the bed. He was not sure what he had been gifted, but it healed his torn soul a little.

“Lie down by me?”

The words were so faint his first reaction was to ignore them, but a slight tug on his hand emphasised their essence. Warily, Faramir stood and kicked off his boots. He gave Aragorn several minutes to change his mind but when nothing happened he sat down on the edge of the bed and carefully slid down into a lying position.

As Aragorn’s breathing eased and deepened, Faramir covered his hand with his own yet again. The smallest of true smiles captured the King’s lips and that gladdened Faramir so, that he dared to snuggle closer and even pull a part of the blanket over himself.

To breathe in Aragorn’s scent, to be near him like this after the day they had just experienced was more than he could ever have asked for. Outside, the first stars were beginning to pierce the evening sky, but no matter the time of day, Faramir would be ever grateful for this moment. His eyes finally drifted shut and he had almost lost himself to dreams, when a drowsy voice spoke in low tones.

“’… if you see my point?’ You sound like a hobbit.”

And that made Faramir smile.


Too fluffy for ya? :D

2 Meleth (meleth nin) is Sindarin for ‘love’ (‘my love’) as I presume a lot of you already know.

3 Goheno nin means ‘forgive me’.

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

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51 Comment(s)

OMG—all I can say is WOW

— Liv    Saturday 19 July 2008, 14:29    #

Started to read a chapter or two and read eight chapters! I love the variety of emotions they experience as the story progresses.

— trixie    Wednesday 23 July 2008, 5:13    #

Thank you for reading and liking! Makes me very, very happy!

— Geale    Wednesday 23 July 2008, 8:48    #

Love the turn this story has taken: very different from the usual and yet very credible within the context you have created for the two of them!

— Ebbingnight    Wednesday 13 August 2008, 21:44    #

Still reading and enjoying. Absolutely love the interaction between the two of them!
I do believe poor Faramir thinks more than I do ;)

— trixie    Thursday 14 August 2008, 17:55    #

Thank you, thank you!
Hehe, yes, our dear Faramir certainly has an active mind. The story continues… I don’t seem to have the heart to end it, so please, do continue reading! :)

— Geale    Thursday 14 August 2008, 19:40    #

I so often see this pairing portrayed in a way that makes it seem like they are in a relationship because it is convenient. That or Aragorn tolerates Faramir’s adoration.
It makes me so happy to read a story where they are so clearly in love!

— trixie    Thursday 28 August 2008, 15:30    #

OMG! JERK! how do you just go whacking the king i hope faramir kicks deren’s ass next chapter coz we all know that he’s the one who did it.

magos    Friday 12 September 2008, 18:10    #

Haha! Instead of writing another chapter, I should just send you over to Minas Tirith to straigthen things out! ;)

— Geale    Friday 12 September 2008, 18:28    #

This is fantastic! It’s been quite a while since I hit a ‘TBC’ and actually groaned aloud. :P You’ve got a real talent – thank you so much!

— Lasselanta    Tuesday 21 October 2008, 5:29    #

Gods, thank YOU! I don’t know exactly what made you groan, but it must have been the lo-ve-ly Deren! ;) Have faith, all of you – there will be a new chapter arriving, hopefully this week. This season is alway hectic so I don’t have that much time on my hands right now. Thank you for your patience!

— Geale    Tuesday 21 October 2008, 20:03    #

Oh I love this story. I want to take Deren out myself. I hope Faramir gives it to him when he finds out he’s the one. These two need some happy time. I cant wait for more.

— Kelly    Thursday 23 October 2008, 19:38    #

Ugh! I almost yelled out loud when I realized this chapter ended here! I cant wait to find out what happens next!

— Kelly    Monday 27 October 2008, 14:15    #

evil! that is an evil ending! man! totally dyin to know what happens here.

ange    Monday 27 October 2008, 21:11    #

Cliffie? What cliffie? Who, me? NEVER! :D Imagine instead how horrible it would have been if the whole story had ended here and now… Oh, I am so happy to see you engage in this! We have holidays over here this week so I’ll probably do some writing sooner than later this time around. Keep those yells coming ;) I DO love you all!
//the author who is feeling just a tad bit evil tonight

— Geale    Tuesday 28 October 2008, 0:08    #

Oh this vile little man! I’d like to teach him a lesson. I hope he gets his. Poor Faramir. I just knew he was going to be in trouble in the next chapter. Awesome work. Can’t wait for more as always.

— Kelly    Monday 10 November 2008, 23:19    #

Ouch! That was low. Deren doesn’t miss a trick, does he? Please don’t let Aragorn be merciful with this one like he was Grima. This is no time to be noble.

Thanks!

— Vanwa Hravani    Friday 14 November 2008, 16:29    #

Aaw, he’s a sweet one, isn’t he? So… what would an appropriate punishment be?

— Geale    Saturday 15 November 2008, 17:35    #

OMG! Poor Faramir – this one truly makes my stomach hurt. Awesome job! I feel so bad for these two. I hope the Valar grants them some happiness soon and some swift, and hopefully painful, punishment to that horrible creature.

— Kelly    Monday 17 November 2008, 18:10    #

Keep writing! I keep loving it.

— Vanwa Hravani    Sunday 23 November 2008, 3:59    #

Excellent! Truly Excellent! That was well worth the wait. Thank you.

— Kelly    Thursday 11 December 2008, 18:03    #

exhaaaaaaales Thank you! (I actually said that out loud a couple of times.) I was honestly quite nervous when posting this chapter since I don’t want to disappoint you and yet… well, I’ve given all of my reasons above. Hah! I feel much more at ease now! resumes breathing

— Geale    Thursday 11 December 2008, 18:56    #

Ilove the way you describe those two, it’s a lovely variation of the more usual fare. Although I got used to the concept of mpreg in fantasy [however could THAT happen? ;-)] I prefer your way, especially in this case. I’m always happy to discover a new chapter. Thanks for sharing!

— Minkicat    Saturday 13 December 2008, 0:37    #

Thank you, thank you! I’m falling more and more in love with this story as I go along and I will be sad to see it end. I’m insanely happy that, so far, you all seem to approve of my decision regarding Aragorn’s future children. Don’t worry, I have it all worked out. I actually do. Hugs to you all! Oh, and cookies!

— Geale    Monday 15 December 2008, 22:02    #

I’m rather glad you have gone with a more canon solution to their issues. It makes it easier for me to think it really happened that way! ;-)

— trixie    Saturday 20 December 2008, 12:47    #

So even as you let Aragorn be merciful, you won’t let the little bastard off the hook? I admit he deserves a bit more than a smack on the fingers…
Merry Christmas and a very happy and content New Year to you!

— Minkicat    Tuesday 23 December 2008, 17:31    #

Geale, still loving every bit of it. So glad Aragorn finally got the marriage thing sorted out (took him long enough, the brute!). And the healer is, of course, loved. But please, please, please, can’t some Ranger skewer Deren with an arrow somewhere beyond the borders, out of loyalty to Faramir and anger at the pain D caused him? Cause the Rangers are the voice of truth and just vengeance, right? Please? He can float down a melting river with arrows in his back – maybe he tried to sneak back in to Gondor? Please?

Will love whatever you do. Thanks!

— Vanwa Hravani    Saturday 27 December 2008, 12:50    #

Trixie: I do get your point ;)
Minkicat: Same to you! I’ve been debating with myself since forever what to do with Deren… and this was my solution.
Vanwa Hravani: I’m considering… I am. I think that maybe you gave me an idea actually. I do hope all of you will endure a never-ending epilogue! I should try to work it into the last chapter though… OK, I’m rambling. Let me see what I can do for you! And, YES, I took him some time to finally ask the big question! Men… ;)

— Geale    Saturday 27 December 2008, 16:51    #

As Always truly excellent. I will be sad to see this story end as well. I anxiously await each new piece. So glad they are finally together forever. I think some copper locked children would be nice also. However, I think Legolas or Haldir could be persuaded to get our dear Deren between the eyes for his treachery. I’d volunteer to do it myself but I’m sure I’m not nearly as good with a bow. Then let the scavengers have him. Cruel I know but I so hate anyone trying to hurt our Faramir. Poor lad has suffered enough. Thanks so much for this story. I have enjoyed every bit of the ride.

— Kelly    Tuesday 30 December 2008, 21:42    #

I’ve loved reading this fic! you portray the relationship so beautifully! It’s tender and sweet and hot all at the same time:)

— minx    Thursday 1 January 2009, 11:43    #

Oh Geale! That was the most beautiful yet, and that’s saying something. I could feel each touch, and every one was so full of pure love. Lust born of love is such a special beast, and so hard to portray. Yet you did it in spades. Now I’m in love with both of them. Sigh. Your Aragorn is the most gentle and loving and truly admirable I have read. These two both have such strength of character. I’ll be awaiting the epilogue with baited breath – as many parts as you like. Write on lady!

VH

— Vanwa Hravani    Friday 2 January 2009, 18:57    #

You’re all so sweet – thank you!
Kelly: I’ll put you in my next story, if you’ve worked up your skill with a bow by then ;) We shall see what happens in the epilogue…
Minx: I’m glad they’re not only fluffy, but hot as well! That’s always so… very nice, I find ;)
Vanwa: I’m blushing over here. You spoil me! Not saying I don’t like it, though! I’m actually curious about what you will think of the epilogue – which will be in two, long parts. And that’s partially your fault! :D

— Geale    Friday 2 January 2009, 22:07    #

Thank you for including me. I shall practice diligently as to be ready for my challenge. This last part was wonderful. My curiosity is piqued for the epilogue. I can hardly wait.

— Kelly    Monday 5 January 2009, 17:36    #

What I will think about the epilogue? Ah…Sigh. Big long exhale. Love it. Love them. Love your writing. Thank you!

Very happy to see Deren get an arrow in his back, in his gullet, in wherever else he got them. Really like the way Eachann tries to be merciful, yet flashes on Elessar’s ‘unspoken wish,’ how when he finally lets fly, it’s without thought but with the smooth immediacy of both necessity and justifiable honor, targeted by the unseen voice and years of skill. Just as I would picture one of Faramir’s Rangers. What a strong and touching legacy of his command, followed by scenes of his continuing grace as a parent. Also like how Eachann went back the next morning to retrieve his arrows, both covering his tracks and not wasting even good iron on the trash that was Deren. In few words, shows that both the man and what happened to him are unworthy of further notice. The ultimate vengeance. He is only a blip in the past.

The parent sex scenes (early morning, curious children) were oh so well written and so true to life without being either saccharin or unrealistically feral. They speak of deep and abiding love, strengthened, rather than interrupted, by the presence of children. And what to say about the final gifts of naming and of cradling in one another’s arms and Creation? Well, I’ll have to follow Aragorn’s advice here. The words would never do. Know that I’m smiling and content and so enjoyed the journey. Thank you.

— Vanwa Hravani    Friday 9 January 2009, 15:42    #

Phew, I’m glad I did justice to the rangers! Since I’m not very used to writing – any of – them. But I do happen to like Eachann actually, and I figured that he should be the one to… bring matters to an end.

I’m certainly not used to writing family scenes either, but after I had sorted out Eldarion’s character, I just couldn’t stop! (If I’m allowed to say so myself – I love him!)

But, no matter how many children Aragorn concieved, I don’t want his and Faramir’s relationship to change into either a boring one, or a chokingly fluffy one. They are still individuals, and they have their own story – the children, as you say, are adding to it, simply.
And thank YOU for coming all this way with me. New journeys await. Let us see where they take us.

— Geale    Saturday 10 January 2009, 17:05    #

Ooh! That was quite the perfect epilogue. I am glad their relationship endures with the same quiet intesnity. I love how sweet and loving these two remain with each other, and how perfect they are with the kids! I also liked the little bit where Faramir feels for the mother as well. I tink he certainly would be cognizant of her feelings.

Quite a perfect ending, and the sequel is most looked forward to:)

— Minx    Sunday 11 January 2009, 17:01    #

Thank you Minx! Perfect, you say? You won’t hear me complaining… ;)
No, I can’t see Faramir punishing the mother or the kids like that. Ah! He’s so noble it’s endearing!

Now, I am working on a new story, but it’s not a sequel, and has nothing to do with TCW. Primarily because presently I don’t know what a sequel would be like. But who knows, one of these days maybe I will? Thank you again!

— Geale    Monday 12 January 2009, 12:30    #

Absolutely wonderful!!!!!!! Eachann is my hero!! I love that Deren got what was coming to him. And there will be some slightly copper haired children after all. I’m so glad with how everything turned out. I love Mirairael’s name. That was perfect! What a great story! Thanks for sharing it with us.

— Kelly    Monday 12 January 2009, 18:13    #

Oh I forgot to ask before. I was wondering on the pronunciation of Mirairael’s name. I made the assumption that the ai will follow the long I in pronunciation. Is that right? That is a beautiful name. Just wondering for my own amusement. Thank you

— Kelly    Monday 12 January 2009, 20:16    #

Finally got caught up in a timely manner! I have truly enjoyed this tale. It is romantic without being cloyingly sweet. I adore the teasing and banter between the two along with the dry wit.

I have been intrigued by your use of personification and especially liked,’ Her white apron immediately drew the attention of the firelight which excitedly coloured it orange.”

I thought it added a sense of realism that Faramir experienced hurt at Aragorn’s determination that his line must continue. (Doubt if Aragorn would have been thrilled if the situation were reversed either ;-)

Finally, the scene back in chapters 8 and 9 with the under the table seduction was one of the hottest things I have ever read. Wow!

Thank you for sharing!

— trixie    Monday 12 January 2009, 20:39    #

Kelly! Thank you dear! It’s lovely to see so many exclamation marks in a row ;)
I was quite happy with her name too. As for the pronunciation… Well, since I made it up myself (sort of, not stealing the light of glory from Master Tolkien who created the languages) I could not say for certain. Also, I’m far more used to Sindarin than I am to Quenya. However – bear with me now – this is my guess:

‘Mir’ – ‘meer’, as we know already from Faramir’s name.
‘ai’ should be pronounced ‘ai’, as in ‘rye’, which here I would rather see pronounced as ‘a + i’, to tell you the truth, ie as separate vowels.
As for the vowels that are not any of the six diphthongs ( ai, au, eu, iu, oi, ui), I’ve heard that they are to be pronounced separately.
So that should give us: Meer-ai-ra-el?

Anyone who knows this better is welcome to share their knowledge – I have an email address!
I hope I managed to shed some light, though. Perhaps…

— Geale    Monday 12 January 2009, 21:05    #

Trixie, you too have made it to the end! And with some very nice comments as well. I like those!

Yes, I am the person who personifies a lot. But it does make the world so much more interesting! And I highly suspect I will carry on with this winning (?) concept in the future.

And, actually, now that you mention it… I think Aragorn would have been most displeased, had it been Faramir who must take a lover in order to continue his bloodline… That is a very interesting thought indeed!

Ah, the chapters 8 and 9… As a dear reader of mine put it: “The good old under the table action”. I guess that I should include some “on top of the table action” next time ;)

And thank you for reading! For my part, it’s been a pleasure writing!

— Geale    Monday 12 January 2009, 21:23    #

That was kind of what I was thinking. Thank you for the assistance. I think its a cool name. Also I agree wholeheartedly with the under the table seduction scene. I know I read that several times, especially the hallway parts when Aragorn informed Faramir he didnt like to share “anything”. If I had Faramir I wouldn’t share him either.

— Kelly    Monday 12 January 2009, 21:45    #

No, our King doesn’t like sharing… and it now it has served to inspire me further. Give me a couple of days! ;)

— Geale    Tuesday 13 January 2009, 15:22    #

Well now, this sounds intriguing! Since I have some free time this week, I’ll be waiting to see what you come up with ;)

— trixie    Tuesday 13 January 2009, 17:07    #

Oh I just love when you are inspired. Means good reading for me! I’m on the edge of my seat

— Kelly    Tuesday 13 January 2009, 23:17    #

what a wonderful story! i couldn’t stop reading it! PLEASE WRITE MORE!!!

— HugeFan!    Tuesday 22 December 2009, 15:41    #

I think my favorite parts are the perspectives of the elements (the dawn light and the temperature), but I loved the whole story.
The healer was definitely my favorite character, that old dude was awesome.
I’m also very glad Aragorn got his rug, he seemed very happy.

— Anna    Tuesday 17 August 2010, 23:09    #

Thank you! This universe still has a special place in my heart…

Anna, the healer takes his work very seriously ;) And rugs are important! I was pleased that you made the rug connection :)

Thank you for reading!

Geale    Wednesday 18 August 2010, 8:47    #

WOW – a bit tired now after reading for the whole night, but I just couldn’t stop. – WOW

Congratulations on the characters you have written for us readers.
The relationship between Aragorn and Faramir sounds far more convincing than most of the other fanfics have them.
The under the table scene gets full points – not for originality, but for very well written indeed.
The healer is a gem – I’d love to see more interaction with him – perhaps some more stories about the royal family?

BTW I was missing the lecture on positions given to Aragorn and Faramir by the healer…. but one can’t have all, can one ?;-)

Thanks for sharing this great story,

— Kathurien    Thursday 30 September 2010, 1:22    #

Thank you so much! It’s great to hear that you enjoyed it!

I’m afraid the healer’s lectures are closed to the public and I can do very little about that. He’s a stubborn one…

I feel very comfortable in this universe but I will honestly say that I have no ideas for another sequel right now (one already exists – Tale Telling). Although, pretty reviews, such as yours, always make me want to write more :)

Thank you again!

Geale    Wednesday 6 October 2010, 19:19    #

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