A Face in the Crowd: Faramir

Chapter Nine - Joy and Despair

The fact he's spending his last days here walking for hours with her rather than me is a problem, she often thought to herself.

She had briefly confided in Palen, who had not had the heart to tell her younger sister that all of the Lord Faramir's much anticipated questions to her and Merry the other day had been not of her, but of Éowyn.

Palen was not entirely sure what was going on – she had seen the way he treated her sister with both familiarity and tenderness, but she also knew some details of his conversations with Éowyn, often recounted to her by the lady herself, and she guessed that the two noble folk were growing closer.

That evening Faramir asked Keren to dine with him in his room, having secured her the evening off from the warden, who professionally declined to comment on the inappropriateness of the suggestion. She was, of course, overjoyed at the prospect, and curious as to his motives.

The sun had set by the time she had finished her duties and was able to join him. This time the room was lit by far more than a single candle, and it felt warm and welcoming.

"Sorry I'm late," she said hastily as she almost ran to the chair at his side. "I hope the food isn't cold."

"Entirely congealed," he joked.

She perched awkwardly on the edge of her chair, a decidedly large group of over-sized butterflies threatened to leap from her stomach.

Glossing over her silence, Faramir told her to start before the food was completely inedible. Together they sat and ate, sometimes in companionable silence, sometimes laughing and joking. But once the meal was finished the conversation turned serious.

"My time here is coming to an end," Faramir said gently. "I am almost returned to health. I spoke with the warden - he agreed that in a few days' I will be able to take up my authority as steward."

Keren swallowed, for her mouth had suddenly gone dry. Only a few more days, and then they would be parted – a bittersweet feeling loomed.

"Well, it's - it's been my pleasure to... serve you," she said, knowing that there was far more she could say. "I cannot tell you how glad I am that you've returned to health. But I will miss you."

"Ah, Keren, I will miss you too. You've made my time here bearable - what am I saying? Far more than bearable. I've enjoyed every minute spent with you, when I was conscious that is." They smiled gently at each other. "And I wish to thank you, for everything. We have become good friends, have we not?"

Friends. The word reverberated around her brain.

"And there will always be this...whatever this is...between us," he continued. "For I acknowledge it, it has been there from our first meeting. You may think I don't, but... I feel it."

Keren was silent, knowing that his next words would be very important.

"It would be in vain if I tried to deny that there were moments between us when I was... confused as to what I was doing, how I was feeling, after such a short time. We don't really know each other, and yet I feel I know your soul, and you mine. I assure you that how you're feeling, it isn't unreciprocated."

But... Keren anticipated.

"But..."

She hid her sigh.

"I think it best if when we part, we part as friends," he said. "True and honest ones. For so I think we shall be, for the rest of our lives."

Keren's silence said more than she could have hoped to achieve with speech. She eventually exhaled and looked him straight in the eye with a sad smile.