Minas Tirith - Legacy of the Ring Bearer
Under the King's Nose
Chapter Name: Under the King’s Nose
Pairing: Faramir/Boromir, Faramir/Frodo, Faramir/Aragorn, Aragorn/Frodo, Faramir/Denethor
Rating: NC17
Beta: The wonderful and stouthearted HEL!
Timeline: During the War of the Ring, in the final days and the year afterwards.
Synopsis: Faramir learns from Gandalf that he is pregnant with Frodo's child though love does not exist between them, or so the Prince of Gondor believes.
Disclaimer: I don't claim to own anything or make any money. Suing me will not do any good; you'd get a quarter at the most. Tolkien owns all the pretty men and hobbits.
ARCHIVE: Yes, but please let me know.
AUTHOR’S NOTE: Sorry this took so long, my wrists have been in a lot of pain.
Chapter 19 “Under the King’s Nose”
Legolas and Aragorn arrived in the royal hallway quite swiftly despite attempts to stop their progress. Not far behind, Frodo was catching up. Aragorn flung open the door to Boromir’s old room and looked around quickly. Then he swore. The guard was gone too. Who could he trust in Gondor anymore???
“Alert the guard! Call out the Watch! Don’t let him get out of the city!” kin king had never truly lost his temper before, but this time, this time he would wring Faramir’s neck! The King’s bellow had reached his guards and word began to spread, action resulting as the heavy city gates began to close.
Frodo came to a stunned halt by the room, staring in shock at the fuming King. “He did not…” tears sprang to the hobbit’s eyes. “No!” Frodo rushed into the room, panicking as he desperately sought for signs of his lover. “Faramir1” He swayed, steadied by thezledzled elf.
Legolas kept a hand on Frodo as Aragorn kicked over a chair to release his anger. “I should never have trusted him! It was too soon to leave him on his own!” Aragorn raged, “He must have bribed the guard. When we catch up with him I’m going to put him in chains!”
Legolas could not understand it, if Faramir had left of his own accord, if there was no danger, then why had Boromir’s spirit come to them. “Estel.” The elf’s voice cut through his friend’s angry tirade. “Something is not right here. I can feel it. Something is very wrong.”
“You’re damned right. I can’t trust my own people to do what they are told!” The King ranted.
“That’s not what I meant.” Legolas let Frodo go when he had calmed himself, even though the hobbit’s hands were still shaking.
“How could he just leave like that after all Frodo and I have done trying to convince him that he is loved?”
“Please, my friend.” Legolas said carefully, “Something more is at work here.” The elf glanced warily about the room. “Faramir was sitting there..” he pointed at the table. “Look, the papers are still out. The ones he must have been looking through before…”
“Before what?” The normally shrewd ranger-king was not even remotely calm at the moment.
Frodo made his way over to the bed where the tunic Faramir had been wearing earlier that evening lay. He fingered it, sighing.
“Look there!” The elf’s sharp eyes had found a vital clue. He pointed to a mug on the other side of the hallway, jammed under a pillar. He strode over to it, and kicked it out. Gingerly, the elf picked it up and studied it, sniffing. “Whoever drank from this did so recently. See for yourself.” Legolas tossed the mug at Aragorn.
Aragorn caught it, finally understanding what the elf was trying to say. He sniffed at the remnants of what it had held, and swore again. “Some kind of draught.”
“Not just a draught.” Legolas scowled. “Some kind of potion. It was mixed with mead.“
“Faramir does not drink mead either. He once told me that he did not take well to certain kinds of alcohol.” Frodo frowned, “So you think…” he began.
“Someone kidnapped him?” Aragorn’s scowl darkened as if that was possible. “But why?”
Legolas’ eyebrows twisted together. “Boromir’s spirit came to us for a reason. Someone did take him.”
Aragorn dashed out into the hallway to issue new orders for the city to be searched top to bottom. Every last nook and cranny. The steward has been kidnapped! He must be found!
***
Later that evening, Frodo sighed, his fingers had not yet stopped trembling since he’d found out that Faramir was missing, and this time not of his own accord. Each moment that went by filled his heart with fear and dread for his beloved. Who had taken Faramir and why? Did they know about his disease? Questions ran through his head over and over again.
“No news, Sir?” Samwise Gamgee stood at the doorway, hands shoved into his pockets.
Frodo shook his head miserably. “I’m afraid not, Sam. I can’t help but think that we are missing something, something we are overlooking. I keep looking around here, but I’ve not found anything!”
Samwise hated to see his master upset, but what he hated even more was the idea of poor Lord Faramir in the hands of uupulupulous ruffians. And ruffians capable of spiriting him away under the very nose of the King of Gondor! He wracked his brains trying to figure out how it could have been done. “I recon things will turn up to reveal his…” Suddenly the Gamgee’s eyes lit up. “Mr. Frodo! Why, I should have thought of this before! Do you remember Lord Faramir telling us about the passages under Osgiliath? Don’t it seem to be reasonable that the same might be true for Minas Tirith?”
Frodo’s eyes widened, “Sam! Samwise Gamgee you are a genius. That must be why they haven’t found them yet! Come, we must tell Aragorn! Oh! I could kiss you!” The excited hobbit leapt to his feet and hugged the startled gardener who could only blush.
“Oh, come. Mr. Frodo.” He shook his head. Nevertheless, he followed Frodo to the king’s chambers. Aragorn was not there, naturally, but he would return soon.
***
Frodo was impatient. Anything could be happening to Faramir. He paced Aragorn’s chamber while Samwise studied him. “You really ought not to be up and about like this, Mr. Frodo. It’s too soon, after y’know. You ought to be resting.”
“Later, Sam. I’m fine, really.” Frodo was anything -but- fine. However, he did not have time to waste in bed. After about the sixth time of pacing around Aragorn’s rooms, Frodo finally sat heavily at the king’s desk, sighing. “Oh -why- can’t he hurry up!!”
“It does take time to get through the city, Mr. Frodo. Here, let me get you something to drink.” Samwise fetched the pitcher of water and a mug from the bedchamber and brought them to Frodo. So focused on his task he did not notice the corner of a carpet that had been turned up. The poor Gamgee tripped, skidding forward gracelessly and watching in horror as the pitcher and its contents crashed on the floor, drenching the rug. “Oh dear…oh dear…” Samwise stuttered.
Frodo didn’t answer; he was staring transfixed at the carpet. He could not believe his eyes. It seemed to have been covering a trap door! And from the sound of trickling water…could it be? Of course! He just knew it. The Ringbearer jumped to his feet to go help Samwise get up and beamed at his confused friend, clapping him on the back. “Sam! Look at that! I’ll bet you Great Aunt Lobelia’s bloomers that’s how they got him out! Help me open it!”
“I don’t think this is a good idea.” Samwise ventured reason. Frodo however, did not listen, shoving the carpet aside and beginning to tug at the slab of stone. Sighing, Sam bent down to help him, and between the two hobbits they managed to lift the door. Frodo gave a shout of triumph and pointed to a nearby candlestick.
“We’re going to need that, stairs! Lets go! There’s not a moment to lose!”
“Begging your pardon, Mr. Frodo but shouldn’t we wait for the King?” Samwise tried, but Frodo was already testing the first stair.
“No time. Come on Sam…one more adventure?” He smiled ruefully, “Is this the brave Gamgee who defeated Shelob all by himself? What’s a fuffiuffians?”
“Alright, Alright.” Another blush crept across Sam’s nose. “Lord Faramir needs us.” Sam went to get the candlestick and in afterthought, grabbed a dagger from Aragorn’s desk. “Bet this’ll come in handy.” He mused, following Frodo into the darkness below. For that -was- his duty after all. He couldn’t very well let Frodo do this alone, after all. Gandalf would shake him.
Frodo silently trd dod down the stairs, forcing away evil memories of Cirith Ungol. These stairs were going down however, so it was not as bad. It was still dark and horrid. Still, Sam was with him. And…Faramir…Frodo quickened his pace.
He would not abandon the man he loved to the darkness that he had fought so hard against for so long.
**TBC**