Through Fire and Water (A Legolas Love Story)

A New Level of Stupid

The great hall is fuller that I think it must have been in a long time. Denethor is sat in his chair, Pippin is knelt before him in his knew livery, Faramir is a few steps behind, and dotted about the hall are a few men in fine clothes, some of which are setting a table for Denethor to eat from later. I am hidden behind one of the statues, I’m not supposed to be here but this is Pippin’s big moment and I felt I should be here. Sometimes my own sneakiness amazes even me, I guess it’s something to do with being an elf, I can move pretty much silently when I want to and I’m also pretty dam good at not being seen. And so now I’m here, peering around a statue as my tiny friend signs his life over to the mad Steward of Gondor, not a good idea in my opinion but it’s his choice.

“Here do I swear fealty and service to Gondor, in peace or war, in living or dying” Pippin says, his voice fairly level so far but now he falters, struggling to get the next words out. Denethor just stares at him. “From this hour henceforth, until my lord release me, or death take me” he continues, slowly, pausing every few words.

“And I shall not forget it” Denethor says, quite cheery now, rising from his chair “nor fail to reward that which is given” he offers his hand to Pippin, who reluctantly kisses the Steward’s ring. He puts his hand on Pippin’s chin and raises his head so that the two of them are looking at each other. “Fealty with love” he then moves away, walking to his table where food is and continuing to talk “Valour with honour. Disloyalty with vengeance” He looks meaningfully at Faramir at the last one and I can tell something has been said between them. He sits down at the table now, helping himself to food. “I do not think we should so lightly abandon the outer defences” He says, speaking to Faramir now “Defences that your brother long held intact”

There he is with Boromir again, the man’s obsessed with his eldest son. I know he loved him and everything but he has another son too. Call me old fashioned but I believe parents should love all their children equally and should not express favourites.

“What would you have me do?” Faramir asks.

“I will not yield the river and Pelennor unfought - Osgiliath must be retaken”

“My Lord, Osgiliath is overrun” Faramir says quickly.

“Much must be risked in war” Denethor says sternly, looking up from his meal to look coldly at his son. “Is there a Captain here who still has the courage to do his Lord’s will?” He asks of no one in particular, his voice is cold and he stares stonily ahead of him. Poor Pippin is stood by Denethor, looking very uncomfortable and I feel sorry for him. Every set of eyes is fixed on Faramir, including my own, everyone is wondering how he will respond to his father’s challenge. Faramir looks lost for a moment but then a sort of sad clarity comes over his face as the truth crashes down on him. He takes a deep breath, looking solely at his father, the man who has caused him so much pain and grief, and, in a quiet voice that somehow echoes around the hall and reaches everyone’s ears, he says “You wish now that our places had been exchanged, that I had died and Boromir had lived”

Every eye turns to Denethor and I can’t help but feel like an intruder in an extremely personal scene, a moment that should be shared between them and only them. We are all watching, waiting for the father’s reply, and I silently beg him to say the right thing, unconsciously hugging the statue I’m leaning around.

“Yes” Denethor says, hesitating slightly before answering “I wish that”

And in that moment I hate Denethor more than I’ve ever hated anyone before. To say that to his own son is an unforgivable crime in my eyes. Faramir is a good person, a kind person, a man who loves his father despite everything, and now he is crying.  I am hidden to the left of Denethor’s chair and I’m fairly close to them so that I can see what everyone else in the hall cannot. Only Denethor and I can see the tears in Faramir’s eyes. But he doesn’t let them fall, just bears the heartbreak with as much grace as he can muster, accepting his father’s lack of love with a courage I don’t think I could muster in his place. He has the right to hate his father right now, to storm out or scream at him, but he doesn’t. Instead he simply says in a voice that is thick with unshed tears “Since you are robbed of Boromir, I will do what I can in his stead” and with that he bows low and starts to walk away, turning back briefly to say “If I should return, think better of me, father”