Bring me to life

Chapter 5

“How do you feel?” Kreshen smiled at Faramir when she peered into the room opposite to Boromir’s.
"Much better today, and I'm awfully hungry" Faramir replied, drawing himself up to sit with his back propped against the wooden headboard, and returning the smile.
"I'm almost ravenous, I would say" he continued in a grave pose, nodding solemnly."So much so that I was in fact pondering about the opportunity to nibble at the cover of my book.. or even the headboard here. But now I could also sample you, since you're here. Would you mind?"
“No, I wouldn’t” she whispered, smiling, once sitting on his bed, gently caressing his hair.
“Boromir will bring us lunch. I’ll stay here with you for I know you hate to stay in bed…”
"I do" he agreed, raising an eyebrow. "But I'm happy to see that you two seem to get along much better than before, and that's enough to make my day."
He smiled again, fixing his blue eyes into hers, and reaching to caress her cheek in a tender, affectionate way. "Kiss me. Right now."
Without thinking twice, she smiled, leaning to gently caress his lips with hers, nibbling at his lower lip now and then.
Just when the kiss was growing more and more intense, the door opened, and Kreshen turned to see that Boromir was entering, carrying a trolley where the servants had put their meals.
"May the Valar reward you for this, brother mine" Faramir chuckled, "I'm starving!"
Boromir merely hinted a strained smile in return, bringing the trolley to the bed. The other didn't seem to notice his unease, though, too busy scanning and surveying the food in the plates. "Will you join us for lunch?"
"No." Boromir replied, shaking his head. "Father wants me to dine with him."
It was a lie, of course. He had yet to see his father that day, but he just couldn't stand that. Not after what had happened between him and Kreshen, not so soon. He had to be alone for a while, and try to recollect his thoughts.
The girl noticed his strange behaviour, and looked intently at him, trying to understand if she had done something wrong.
But she hadn’t the possibility to investigate, for a moment later he was walking to the door. Once they were alone, the girl looked at Faramir, a sad expression on her face.
“Was it my fault?”
Faramir shook his head, forgetting the food for a while, and shifted his gaze to her. "No, it was not your fault. I'll need to speak with him, there are a few things that I'd like to ask him. Eat now, do not bother yourself. There is no need."
The girl served him his meal, but she ate very little, for she was still thinking about Boromir.
It had been pure bliss between them, but maybe he wasn’t so eager to spend some time with her. Maybe it had been another illusion, another one of her stupid dreams.
Sighing softly, she noticed that she wasn’t angry anymore, and putting her plate on the trolley, she stood up and sat on the windowsill to look outside.
Faramir, too, stopped eating, and sighed deeply. "Kreshen" he said softly, "Please sit here with me, and tell me what is that troubles you."
“Nothing” she immediately answered, feeling that it wasn’t a good idea to tell him how she was feeling.
But she walked towards the large bed, sitting at his side and resting her head on his strong shoulder.
“You should eat. I want you to recover quickly…I miss you…”
"I miss you too. Very much" he said softly, taking the plate to lay it on the nearby trolley. "And I'm already feeling much better, I'll probably get out of the bed in a couple of days or less." Having said that he shifted to circle her shoulders with his arm, and placed the most tender of kisses on her forehead.
"Lean on me, when you're sad. Even when you don't feel like talking about it, just lean on me."
“You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me” she confessed then, even if she knew that he would most likely misunderstood her words. But she had to tell it.
“I’ve never had a real friend, or someone to take care of me…”
At those words Faramir hugged her tighter, thinking about how very lucky he had been, if compared to her. He was noble born. He'd had a good education, teachers, tutors, trainers, he had a caring and affectionate brother, a luxurious dwelling, so much money to cannot even count it.
And a human being as a birthday gift. Merciful Valar. That was possibly the worst part, except that he had grown to be very fond of that girl, she was like the sister he'd never had, somehow. She was also a faithful friend and counselor, a tender and passionate lover, his sunbeam breaking through the clouds.
"I will always be here for you." Faramir whispered, "Always. I really care about you, Kreshen."

When Kreshen came back to Boromir’s room, to let Faramir have some rest, she was hoping to find him there.
But he wasn’t. Sighing, she took off her boots, curling up in a ball on the couch.
Still she couldn’t believe at what had happened the day before. Not only he hadn’t tried to force her again during the night, but they had also talked, trying to know each other better.
Boromir was too hard on himself. Kreshen didn’t know if he had behaved so roughly before, but if he had always been as harsh as their first time together, it was almost obvious to believe that he had never had someone to take care of him except for his brother.
Yet he had been a tender lover to her that morning, allowing her to take control of the whole situation, asking now and then for her consent.
It was indeed something unexpected, and at the beginning Kreshen couldn’t believe that he was the same man that had entered Faramir’s bedroom some nights before.
The way they had made love had been passionate yet sweet and tender, and it has been as if they had shared a particularly intense experience that had completely changed their relationship.
At lunch, she would have asked him why he was so upset, if he was angry at her. But what if he wasn’t feeling the same towards her?
Sighing again, the girl started to softly sing some Gondorian love songs, as if trying to dispel her fears and her doubts.
She was still there when Boromir entered the room, carrying his sword and cloak. When he saw her so forlorn, curled up on the couch and staring at nothing in particular, he couldn't help but frown worriedly.
"Are you well?" he asked, closing the door. "Do you feel sick?"
Snapped out from her reverie, the girl raised her eyes to look at him.
“No, I’m fine. Thank you” she just managed to say, incredibly confused now that he was so close.
She found nothing else to say, for she didn’t know how to behave.
"It's not raining anymore." he said, placing both the sword and cloak on the table, and then walking to the wardrobe. "I'm out for a little sword practice with my teacher. I can't wait for Faramir to get well, it's a lot more fun to parry with him." said that he smiled and looked at her, while opening the large armoire, and added: "You'll see that when he recovers completely. I am to challenge him on his very first day out of the bed."
“I’ll see you from behind the window if you stay in the courtyard” she smiled faintly, thinking that she would have to spent a lot more time alone in that room.
"You'd get a better view from the courtyard, and it ain't good for you to stay always ridden in that room. I'll take you out for a ride one of these days. Or I'll ask Faramir to go with you."
“Your father has forbidden me to go out” she muttered sadly, shifting her gaze on the fireplace, sighing again and embracing her knees.
"Did he? Well, then I'll have a word with him." Boromir said, while slipping off his tunic. "Faramir, too, is quite worried about the matter."
“Is he?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. He had told nothing about the matter. “He shouldn’t be worried about me. He should just think to his well being. And when you’ll challenge him, Boromir, please…don’t tire him too much."
Then she glanced at him, at his powerful body, and immediately averted her gaze, not wanting to analize the way she was feeling.
“Boromir…your father is…very harsh. He had argued often with Faramir and I don’t want you to have words with him. He could fight with you and that’s not what I want…”
"Father is not so.. well disposed towards Faramir sometimes" Boromir explained, sighing softly. "But he listens to me. We won't fight, don't worry."

Alone in that room, Kreshen almost drifted to sleep, bored to death and not wanting to wake up Faramir to take one of his books.
Ahren had seen Lord Boromir came out of the white tower, and followed him with his gaze until he had disappeared into the stables.
He knew all too well that Lord Faramir was weak and almost couldn’t step out of his room. There was no one else into the tower.
It was the perfect occasion to go and search for her. The young maiden he had spied when Denethor had left her naked in that room. He had thought to her perfect body from that moment.
She was a sexual slave, Ahren was more than sure that his lords had taught well her task, and the only thing he wanted was to feel her tremble and moan under his touch.
Painfully aroused, he quickly climbed up the stairs to Lord Boromir’s room, where he knew she was sleeping.
Once inside, he tried to hide his hunger, smiling and telling her that he had to retrieve some dirty clothes to take them to the servants.
From the look in her eyes, he immediately understood that there wasn’t time for those things. She hadn’t believed his lie.
Kreshen widened her eyes in fear when she saw him closing the door and walking to the couch. Scared, she backed away, trying to think clearly, but finding that she wasn’t able to do it.
A split second later, the man had crossed the distance between them, and she found herself trapped between him and the wall.
The man smiled at her, but she could clearly see the lusty looks he was giving her.
“So this is the little wicked creature that has been given to Lord Faramir” he started, putting one hand at each side of her head. “You’re incredibly beautiful my lady…do you mind showing me some of your abilities?”
“N-no” she babbled. “Let me go…Lord Boromir will be here soon”.
His only answer was a deep laugh.
“Don’t think I’m so stupid! He’s outside. We are all alone. And now undress yourself, or I’ll have those clothes ripped away!”
When she refused to accomplish, he slapped her face, hardly squeezing one of her breasts, and founding his way to her secret places with the other hand.
He could barely hear her screaming and begging, for he was even too aroused to pay attention to those details.
Mere moments later the door burst open. And a wrathful Boromir stepped into the room, sword unsheathed and ready to kill or maim anyone who would be such a fool to attempt at Kreshen's safety.
"Back off!" he almost snarled, walking unhurriedly towards the two, his grey eyes as cold as steel.
“I was just having fun” babbled the other man, retreating his hands.
“And you shouldn’t be so angry. She’s a whore, she likes it! I am sure that soon she would have begged me to give it faster and harder!”
Boromir didn't bother to answer this time, but just grabbed him by the tunic and dragged him away from the girl in a quite rough fashion. Said man was then shoved against the wall, one of Boromir's strong hands closing around his throat in order to keep him still. "I will have you wriggling and begging for me to stop, long before I'll be finished with you" he hissed, and then turned to look at Kreshen, fuming with rage and offence.
"Did he hurt you? Did he? I'll kill him here and now if so."
Said girl had the presence of mind to shake her head, before falling limp on the floor, passing out due to the fear.
Ahren almost started to tremble when he saw her body on the floor, and looked again at his lord.
“I just slapped her!” he tried to explain, as if it was the right thing to do. “I don’t know why she didn’t like it! I was just trying to…”
His babbling was cut short by a pale and limping Faramir, suddenly appearing on the doorframe.
"What happened?" he asked, his eyes growing wide when he saw Kreshen lying senseless on the floor. "Dear Valar!"
"This worthless bastard tried to take advantage of her" Boromir explained, eyeing the man with a mixture of fury and disgust. "Take care of her as I take care of him." he added then, shoving the other out of the door and then towards the stairs.

The first thing that Kreshen saw when she opened her eyes was Faramir’s face.
Her head hurt, and she felt her face bruised where he had hit her. But the most important thing was Boromir.
He had saved her. If he hadn’t arrived, most probably that man would have raped her. And if Faramir had arrived before Boromir, that man would have hurt him, for he was still weak.
“Where’s Boromir?” she asked, trying to stand up. “Is he well?”
Faramir nodded, pushing a lock of hair away from her cheek and urging her to lay down again. "He had a couple of things to take care of. I had never seen him that.. furious before, I know not what he could be up to, but.. I don't think that you'll be bothered again by that.. wretch."
“Oh, Faramir” she whispered, shaking her head in an attempt to register all the facts that had occurred.
“I’m so sorry… so sorry…I’m just able to create you problems…”
Unable to restrain herself, the girl embraced him tightly, sobbing quietly and feeling safe within his arms.
"Don't even say that." Faramir kindly scolded, cradling her and stroking her hair. "The only thing that matters is that he didn't hurt you. You have been very lucky, Kreshen."
“I know…” she muttered, her body still trembling.
“What if Boromir hadn’t come back? And…what if you would have come here before? He could have hurt you…And I would ever forgive myself if something should happen to you…”
"It didn't happen, though." he tried to reassure her, smiling. "Let us not think about it any more, agreed? We'll stay here together until Boromir comes back, and then we'll dine together in my room, just the three of us. Do you like the idea?"
“You should go to bed now” she whispered, raising her eyes to his face, knowing all too well that in that particular moment she should be horrible, with her hair a mess and her eyes red for crying.
“But…do you think that Boromir will be angry at me now?”
"And why should he be?" Faramir asked, raising an eyebrow and staring curiously at her. "You did nothing wrong, and he was as a matter of fact very worried about you.. not angry, at all."
“He thinks I’m a mistress” she muttered, her eyes wet again with the tears. “Now he’ll think that…that I’m just giving him troubles, and will think poorly about me…He was…furious… What if he will think that…that I encouraged that man?”
Faramir smiled, shaking his head. "You will learn to know him better, Boromir is very.. protective at times. He won't think that you're giving troubles, but he'll rather be worried about your well being. Had he arrived too late today, he wouldn't have been able to forgive himself. He would have thought to have failed you."
“He hasn’t failed me” she immediately remarked. “He’s been… a hero to me…he had saved me. It’s just that…I don’t like to see him that angry…he scares me…”
"He wasn't angry at you" Faramir grinned, "I'd rather say that he was right in the middle of one of his protective outbursts, and happened to stumble upon the one man that was bothering you. And then Boromir saved the world, once again. He's quite good at it."
A moment later, while Kreshen was wiping her tears, Boromir appeared on the doorframe.
The girl just looked at him, her eyes red for crying and her lower lip quivering as a little child.
But she didn’t speak. She wasn’t able to do it. She just hoped that Faramir was right and that he wasn’t mad at her.
Faramir, too, turned to look at his brother, in his eyes a question that he wasn't able to ask. And Boromir understood.
"He'll be put to death at dawn." he said flatly, nearing them, all the while staring worriedly at Kreshen and then sitting on the bed.
"How do you feel?"
“He’ll be killed…because of me?” she asked, her face showing horror, and her trebling began again.
“Oh, Valar…it’s all my fault…it’s all my fault”.
She was mentally cursing her damned beauty, that had always given her throubles. This was the last one of a long list, and she felt terrible guilt for a death that could have been avoided.
If she wouldn’t have been so beautiful, he wouldn’t have noticed her.
And she couldn’t bear it.
"It's not your fault" Boromir said gently, shaking his head. "I can't abide such disrespect, Kreshen. It's like you're part of our.. well, our family, somehow."
"Aye, 'tis true" Faramir agreed, exchanging a glance with his brother. "He should have known better."
“Thank you…” she then said, looking at Boromir and taking his hand, squeezing it gently.
“If…if you hadn’t arrived…” she began, sighing softly at that thought. “I was so scared, for I knew you were away to practice, and Faramir was sick…he…he was strong and I hadn’t been able to free myself…”
"I heard you" Boromir said, fixing a pair of still concerned grey eyes into hers. "The window was open, I was down in the courtyard."
“Thank you” she just whispered again, caressing his strong hand with her thumb, and giving him a sweet smile.
Boromir hinted a smile in response, and took her hand into his for a moment before he stood up. "I'll have a bath" he said, stretching, and gazing out of the window. "Will we dine together tonight?"
"Aye" Faramir smiled, "We'll wait for you in my room."
"It's a deal."

They came back to Boromir’s room very late that night, and once inside, Kreshen couldn’t help but tremble slightly when she saw the spot were the man had assaulted her, remembering his rough hands on her body.
She had felt lost. But Boromir had come to rescue her.
Said man was taking care of the fire, kneeled in front of the wide fireplace.
"Faramir is recovering quickly. He'll probably be out of the bed in no time at all now." he said once finished, standing up to walk towards the red canopied bed, and unbuttoning his tunic on the way.
“I’m glad to hear it” she answered, walking to the bed and taking off her boots and leggings, preparing herself to go to bed just with her tunic.
Then she laid down on the soft pillow, sighing.
“But I’ll not be so…happy…to leave this room…to leave…you…”
"I'll be here at home anyway" Boromir replied, kicking off his boots and then unbuckling his belt. "We'll spend a lot of time together. At least until I'll leave."
He sighed softly at the thought. In fact he wasn't all that happy to leave his home for who knows how long, to leave her for who knows how long.
Once he was finished with the belt he unlaced his leggings, and then slid the garment off. He stared at her all the while, a mischievous grin crossing his features for a split second.
"Take that pretty tunic off."
Raising an eyebrow in surprise, the girl grinned back, unhurriedly starting to unbutton her tunic, all the while looking into his eyes, as if trying to understand what he had on mind.
Once finished, she rested her head on the pillow, waiting for his move.
Boromir nodded his approval and smiled, but he didn't get under the covers yet. "Now that's better." he said solemnly, still standing next to the bed while surveying the girl with interest, stark naked and with his strong arms folded across the chest.
"Move aside the covers" he said softly then, "Let me see you."
Blushing a little, due to her modesty, Kreshen complied his request.
Her white skin made an almost unreal contrast with the dark blue blankets and her dark hair was scattered over the pillow. Her face showed a great relax, the corners of her full lips were curved in a small smile, her azule eyes were bright and shining.
The candles that Boromir had lit in the room created light effects on her skin and on the walls all around them.
He observed the girl for a good while, saying nothing, until he eventually climbed on the bed to lay at her side, and turned to stare straight into those luminous eyes.
"You are very beautiful, Kreshen." he said softly, limiting himself to reach and caress her cheek without searching for a more intimate contact, despite the fact that he was already hard and burning with desire.
“You’re beautiful, too” she smiled, laying on her side to have a better look, pushing aside a lock of blonde hair from that beautiful face.
He was beautiful, indeed. And she couldn’t understand what was she feeling in that moment.
Everytime he was near she felt her head spin and her stomach clench. The thought that in two or three weeks he would go away for who knows how long made her crazy. It was almost unbearable to think that she would have to lose him.
But maybe he was still seeing her as a mere mistress, and nothing more. He was always so measured when they were with Faramir, and sometimes she thought that it was just her imagination to let him see like that.
Boromir returned the smile and dragged himself to were Kreshen was lying, enveloping her within the tightest of embraces and tangling his long legs with hers, as if needing to feel her closer, as if needing for her warmth. He said nothing for a while, just staring into her eyes and trying to get accustomed to that new closeness, forgetting about anything else for the moment. Deciding that even his lasting erection could wait. And this alone was indeed quite uncharacteristic of him.
"You are so.." he murmured hesitantly, stopping to sigh deeply and search for the right word. "so different."
Kreshen relished the heat emanating from his powerful body, feeling protected from his tight embrace, and looking longingly into those grey eyes she liked so much.
“People at my village said you were an harsh person” she began, gently caressing his shoulder. “And when I saw you…our first time together…I was so scared of you. You…you almost raped me and I thought they were right. But now I know that you aren’t so rogue…you’re a noble man, milord. And my..hero”.
Milord. He didn't know why that word had sounded so cold, when he was in fact used to be called that by almost everyone. It should have sounded natural, in a way. In that moment it just seemed to have put more distance between them.
"Can you say my name, Kreshen?" Boromir asked softly, staring straight back at her. "Just for once will be enough, I won't ask again. Please."
“Am I allowed to?” she asked, eyes wide in surprise, and when he nodded she couldn’t help but smile, immediately kissing his lips.
“You are my hero, Boromir” she whispered, resting her forehead on his. “You saved me, Boromir”.
“And I’ll never forget it…Boromir”.
To say his name sounded strange to her, but she liked it, and the fact that he had allowed her to call him like that pleased her greatly.
Boromir was smiling too, helplessly. Valar, he liked it. A whole lot.
"It has never sounded so sweet before" he stated, reaching to caress her smooth, pale cheek. "Always call me that."
“Even in Faramir’s presence?” she asked, with wide eyes, knowing that with Faramir he was always a little cold with her.
"Yes" he whispered, grey eyes half closed, brushing his lips over hers. "Please."
And then he was kissing her fully, deeply and sensually, his tongue making its way into her mouth. Meeting, caressing hers, then retreating to lave her lips in between quick nibbles and pecks, Boromir's senses revelling in the sweetness of her taste, his hands roaming all over her back.
“Make love to me, Boromir” she whispered when their lips parted. “Please…”
She had never felt so good, she was at ease, relaxed and happy beyond any reason to be cherished by that wonderful creature lying at her side.
Slowly, Kreshen’s hands started to gently massage and caress his shoulders and chest, moving further down a few moments later.
A soft gasp escaped Boromir's lips when her slender fingers grazed over the heated skin of his groin. He suddenly placed a hand on Kreshen's, as if to stop her, and his eyes opened again to stare at her. But he wasn't meaning to stop her hand, only to guide it.
"Will you allow me to return the favour?" he teased, smiling wickedly, his large hand still unmoving, keeping hers in place.
“Yes”.