Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. They belong to J.R.R. Tolkien. I just like to write about what could have been.

Man of Quality

Chapter 5

        King Aragorn took Gandalf's advice to finally speak with Faramir, leaving Sam to tend to Frodo as he slept. Aragorn had always wondered if he made the right decision to let Faramir keep his appointment as Steward of Gondor. As he brought the young brother of Boromir back from the brink of death, he perceived his soul as caring. Now, this incident with Frodo. There had to be some misunderstanding. The King never pushed the issue as to what took place in Ithilien, as to what led Faramir to bring the Ringbearer so close to Minas Tirith, then letting Sam and Frodo go. It was what Gandalf said that disturbed him the most. The Wizard knew of Boromir's failure, but also knew that Aragorn let him die with dignity. He never spoke of it, not even to Legolas.

        Of course Strider knew himself the very danger that Frodo would be in if left on his own with Boromir. That is why he took it upon himself to keep Frodo and Sam at his side especially after Gandalf fell in Moria, never losing sight of either one.

        He came upon Faramir's room, but the absence of the guard put him on edge. Even though Faramir was on house arrest, there should have been a guard at the door. He also noticed that certain sconces were not lit. Particularly, the ones down this hallway, making useless if shadows were to creep upon him.

        Taking a deep breath, Strider placed his right hand on Anduril's hilt, quietly sliding it out of it's sheath while his left slowly turned the handle to Faramir's room. As soon as he heard the telltale click that the latch had disengaged, Aragorn through open the door, storming into the room ready for a battle as a beam of light glinted off an opponents sword, metals clashing.

        After an excellent parry his swordsmaster would have been proud of, the attacker had managed to rid his opponent of his sword, knocking it out of loose hands, the sound of metal sliding across the stone floor, finally coming to a rest by the fireplace.

        "Now, who are..." Faramir asked, his sword at the intruder's throat, raising it's head to look into the intruder's eyes before killing him. Faramir looked into those steel gray's peering back at him and quickly laid his sword down bowing on one knee the moment he had realized it was the King's face. 'Oh, this does not bode well' he said to himself keeping his head down.

        Aragorn rose to his feet praying quietly to Elbereth that it was a friend not foe that had just disarmed him. He had to admit that Faramir was good. Just as good as his brother as memories came flooding back when he fought by Aragorn's side in Moria and when Boromir died giving his life to save "the little ones".

        Taking a deep breath, not letting Faramir see how shaken he actually was, he placed a hand on Faramir's shoulder and spoke,"Please, rise. You did not offend me. You did well to protect yourself."

        Faramir looked up into his King's face, pondering the praise, then shook it off as he rose to meet him at eye level. "Why were you armed, if I may ask?"

        "The guard is not at his post, and it is very dark down this passageway. I thought that there might have been trouble in here," Aragorn explained crossing over to the fireplace to retrieve Anduril from the floor. After carefully inspecting the blade for any imperfections and found none, the King resheathed his sword.

        "I have heard no sound at my door, My Lord. As for the guard, I sent him on to get dinner. He had missed it," Faramir lied as he knew the said guard was the same that had delivered him a message just before Eowyn left.

        "'I' did not give him permission to leave his post. Do you truly wish to be in the dungeons, Captain Faramir?" Aragorn schooled his anger, his eyes conveying to the young Captain that he wanted to believe him, but his actions were speaking louder than words.

        "Sorry, my Lord," Faramir apologized,"but he had not eaten yet. I am not about to leave my own home. I will do nothing to make you throw me into the dungeons. You have my word," he added as he walked to the divan and sat by the fire. His own sword had also be re-sheathed and now hung loosely about his side.

        Silence hung thick between the two men as the minute that ticked by seemed an age. They were both at a loss for words. Since his arrival, Lord Aragorn had barely spoken more than a couple of paragraphs to the former Steward. His time had been occupied to the well being of the hobbits, as well as seeing the mighty stone city rebuilt. Only by word of mouth that the King was relieved that Eowyn had found her true love with Faramir. She had been spending most of her free time with him. Lord Aragorn found himself sitting on the divan opposite of Faramir, just moments before that Eowyn had occupied.

        "How is Frodo faring?" Faramir asked, wanting to be the first to break the ice. Frodo was common ground. The men's paths had crossed Frodo's and his servant, Sam. It was under different circumstances that the Ring had become known to them.

        With hesitantcy in his voice he answered with his own question,"That is why I have come this eve. I wanted your account as to what happened on that balcony between you two. May I warn you, Frodo is very dear to my heart. Sam has not told me what had transpired in Ithilien. He respects Frodo's wishes to not speak of it. Ever. So," Aragorn continued his eyes capturing Faramir's gaze,"I am asking you."

        Faramir knew it was inevitable to keep his near treachery a secret no longer. He had come clean with Eowyn, but now, he had to relive his near fatal lapse of control to his King. He had to remember that this was not his father. That Lord Aragorn would surely have not already formed an opinion of him. Unlike his father that loathed the ground he walked upon.

        Clearing his throat he began to weave his tale from his encounter with the Hobbits to the ultimate end when he had made his decision to let Frodo and Sam go. "When the Nazgul was hovering above Frodo, him not realizing what he was doing, my mind went back to the cave where I had envisioned the Ringbearer becoming a hideous creature like Gollum. What a terrible hold it must have had on Gollum for him to pursue the Ring itself for the last sixty years after having it for so long, but what an incredible creature like Frodo to resist such power. I did not want for the Ringbearer to endure that. His kind a gentle soul would not survive. It was then that I realize our only hope was this Hobbit from the Shire. I fired my weapon at the Nazgul as Sam leapt, bringing Frodo down.

        The King sat listening intently to every incredible word. 'So, the Ringbearer was starting to falter and the roles reversed as Sam became a steady rock for Frodo' Aragorn thought to himself. The Ring was taking hold of Boromir, true, but it had no other choice but to whisper falsehoods to the Ringbearer when there was no one else around to listen. It was a miracle that Frodo resisted as long as he did. He remembered all to well the time when the Ring tried to call out to him. Before he had let Frodo go off by himself to continue the journey, and second when Sauron himself tried to will him to the Dark Lord's side.

        "I believe you, Captain, but what about the balcony. What happened then? I had noticed Frodo avoiding you since his awakening in Ithilien. And the day of my coronation," he pressed.

        "I just wanted to apologize to the...Frodo that I was wrong. We had little conversation before I showed him the secret passage out of Osgilith. When he was determined to go to Cirith Ungol, unbeknownst to what danger awaited him, all I could do was for him to be wary of Gollum. That he was up to no good," Faramir explained then chuckled covering his mouth with his hand.

        "What is so funny?" Aragorn said finding no humor of Frodo's impending demise.

        "No, sorry, my Lord. It is just that Frodo thought I wanted to dual with him over Eowyn. Eowyn explained to me that the Ringbearer kept winking at her, and oh, he thought I was defending her honor. Believe me, I am not the jealous type. When he had turned around on the stone step, he lost his footing. I tried grabbing his cloak to prevent him falling. That must have been when Master Gamgee had seen me and presumed I had pushed his master," Faramir declared recalling the events that led to the tragic fall. "I had asked him if he needed an escort to his room. He did not look well. He kept flinching as if he had a headache. He denied that anything was wrong," Faramir said, then lifted his head as he heard a snickering coming from the divan that held the King.

        Now Aragorn had to explain,"He never says anything is wrong, even when he was buried under six feet of snow, or when the creature from the lake shook him like a ragdoll, or even when the Troll stabbed him. Of course he was wearing his Mithril shirt, but..." the former Ranger said as he reminisced. "He will drive poor Sam into an early grave."

        They both laughed, knowing that the stubborn streak that runs in the Baggins line had run the poor Gardner ragged since their journey started.

        Something had dawned on Faramir as to why the late visit by his King. "Did Lady Eowyn visit with Frodo this eve, before you came here?" he asked.

        "No. Something that Gandalf said made me come down here instead of on the morrow. I have not seen the Lady Eowyn. I had sent her off to see you before I tended the Ringbearer," Aragorn said, worry creeping into his very soul.

        "I did speak with her, but she was most adament about seeing Frodo and you, if I may add. When she puts her mind to it, there is no stopping her," the former Steward confirmed as he wiped sweaty palms against his leggings. He too was becoming anxious about his bride to be not being where she said she would.

        Before the conversation could continue, there was a rapping at the door, then a thunderous pounding, as if something had been thrown against it.

        With reflexes as quick as fox, Aragorn and Faramir stood side by side with swords drawn, ready to face any enemies should they enter. Aragorn quietly stepped to his left, approaching the door, as Faramir stepped off to his right, following his King's lead.

        Sweat beaded off the Captain's brow, letting it sting his left eye for if he was to let down his guard now, it would be the moment an enemy needed to disarm his opponent as it was distracted. Looking towards Aragorn, Faramir could see a line of perspiration gleaming off his cheeks. Aragorn was dousing candles as he walked passed them, making it difficult for an intruder to spot its target. Faramir did the same with the candleabras that were along his side of the room.

        Finally standing at one side of the doorjam, the King signaled to the Captain that he was going to open the door. Faramir nodded.

        In one fell swoop, Aragorn grabbed the latch that released the door, swinging it fully opened. What the King beheld in his sight made Aragorn's stomach lurch. There, pinned to the door by his sword through the chest, was the missing guard who was supposed to be going to fetch his dinner. The poor guard of the Citadel had been gagged, with his chainmail hung about his face used as a blindfold. 'At least he did not see it coming' Aragorn said to himself, checking for any signs of life, knowing it was useless. As his hand traveled down the guard's front to the sword that held him in place, a parchment had been attached to his chest before the sword skewered its flesh. Ripping the parchment off, all that he could think of why would anyone need to kill more. Did not anyone learn from the battle that life was precious. What was the reason for such an action?

        The King read the parchment, his hands trembling at what was written. Faramir witnessed the King's hands turning white gripping onto the parchment with force. The King seemed frozen. Faramir approached the still figure, gently unprying clenched fingers from the parchment. At last, the King's hands were separated from the paper as his eyes stared off into space. Faramir took it upon himself to read what had upset his Lord so.

        The King will release our warriors from the

        South. --If you would like to see your Queen again and the Steward's Lady,

        then you will follow our demands. If not, the blood that will be shed

        will be theirs.

        After reading, Faramir too clenched the parchment and heard a voice speak to him from behind. It was Aragorn. He had come out of his tranch.

        "They will regret the day they crossed my path," the King swore as he headed out into the main hallway.

        "My Lord," Faramir called out, but getting no response. Then he tried something else, "Strider!" That got his attention as he witnessed Aragorn turn on his heel heading back to Faramir.

        "Please, let me help. Do not forget, they have Eowyn!"

        "And Frodo," a small voice said laying in the darkness.

        Aragorn and Faramir spun around to witness a curly headed halfling, dressed in the Gondor livery, crawling from the darkness along the stone floor. He was holding his arm across his shoulder as blood seeped between his fingers.

tbc...