Faramir had awoken quite early. Well, in truth he had been awoken. His brother would be gone for a few days at least , unexpectedly and quite suddenly summoned to lead an expedition to the southwestern areas of the kingdom, down past Lossarnach, Aredhel's city. A party of orcs had been sighted in the vicinity of the city, and since most of the local soldiers were guarding the inhabited areas, someone else had to take care of the foul creatures. Aradhel's father himself had asked for Boromir, knowing all too well that his army was far better than his own, and of course Denethor wasn't likely to deny such a request from his ally and Boromir's future father-in-law.

So Boromir was gone, leaving when the sun had yet to rise, with a small company of soldiers. He had meant to leave a written note to Faramir before his departure, but his heavy boots and the faint rattling of his chain mail had managed to awaken the young man even before Boromir had actually reached the bed, and thus he had had the chance to hug his little brother and properly say goodbye . Furthermore, he had made Faramir promise that he was going to look after Amarie while he was away from home; to take care of her and see to her needs in his stead.

Faramir had watched his beloved brother ride away with his men and fade into the darkness from the window of his chamber, and once in bed again he'd found that he wasn't sleepy anymore. And so he was still there under the covers, in company of one of his favorite books, when the sun rose from behind the mountains and seeped through the courtains, showering the room with the pale light of the new day. The young man was just blowing out the candle set on the nearest nighstand when someone knocked lightly at the door. "Come in."

"Good morning milord" Amarie bowed her head and entered the room, carrying dusters, brooms and dustpans.

It was early in the morning but she had guessed that Faramir would have been wide awake. For everyone in the palace had heard the gondorian army exit the gates.

The girl had looked at Boromir while he was leaving, riding away with a proud and noble composure. A perfect warrior. That's what he was. But as soon as he had gone, she had found difficult to sleep.

"I hope you don't mind if I'm coming so early..."

"I don't mind." Faramir smiled, closing the book and setting it on the nightstand. He followed the girl with his gaze as she busied herself here and there in the room, sweeping and dusting, until he eventually decided to get up. He slipped into his dressing gown and stretched briefly, smiling when his eyes met Amarie again.

"Do you need help to make the bed?"

"No, milord" a baffled Amarie spoke as quietly as she could, thinking that maybe he was joking.

"I'll manage. But if you want to stay over I can come back later and settle it..."

"No.." Faramir replied, shrugging. "I'm just a bit restless, I need something to do if I don't want to die of boredom."

Another small smile appeared on his face as he pushed the curtains aside, gazing outside the window. A ride, perhaps. That's what he needed. A little time in the open fields.

"How do you feel today?"

"Much better, thank you" she smiled brightly, glancing at him before returning her attentions to the bed.

"I've already finished Lord Boromir's room, so when I'm finished with this one, I'll be totally free" the girl explained, then suddenly realized that she could have been misunderstood. "Oh... well, if you don't need me, milord".

"Well, I'll need you for lunch" he chuckled, still standing in front of the window and turning around to look at her. "I don't want to eat all alone... would you mind keeping me company? I would have asked Boromir to, if he was here.. so I wouldn't have to bother you, I'm sure you have better things to do than deal with me."

"It would be an honour, milord" the girl smiled, finally facing him, having finished her work.

"And...well I've nothing to do. I'd just be going to my room to sprawl myself onto my bed to wait for something amusing to happen anyway. I much prefer your company".

"Stay with me then." Faramir suggested gently, "If you can wait for me to get dressed, we could even spend the whole morning down in the library. Or we could read a book in the gardens, 'tis quite nice weather today.. or draw something, or have a ride, whatever you want. Just ask."

"Am I allowed to?" Amarie then asked, suddenly disconcerted by his words.

Not even Boromir had asked her to have a ride with him, or spend the whole day together.

"What if someone should see us? Your father wouldn't be pleased at all, and it would be disreputable for you, milord. I don't want to create problems for you..."

"Don't worry" he replied with a smile and a shrug, walking to the wardrobe to look for some clothes to put on. "I'll say that I was bored and needed some company because Boromir is away, they won't blame it on you."

"I don't want them to blame it on you either. " she said softly, but then she noticed the bright smile on his face. Faramir was indeed craving to go out. And craving some sort of company.

"All right, all right" Amarie smiled openly. "I'll go and put on my throusers and boots. Then we'll go to Istion and tell him to prepare two horses, milord. I'll be back in a moment..."

Before Faramir had the chance to nod, she was already out of the room. He smiled to himself and dressed carefully, thinking that it would have been good for her to spend a little time out of the palace, especially since in all those months she had gone out to walk in the gardens only a couple of times, probably fearing Denethor's reaction. And it would have been good for him, too. It was much too beautiful of a day to waste it being indoors.

Amarie put on her leggings and a dark red tunic, and sat on her bed to lace her boots and comb her hair.

Some moments later, smiling, she knocked at Faramir's door. It seemed an eternity since the last time she had gone out.

"Ready!" he grinned upon opening, though in fact he had yet to fasten his quiver, but he managed to do that along the way to the stables. Amarie's brother was in there, busy grooming a large stallion and obviously not expecting to see her in company of one of their Lords. So much so that Faramir had to struggle to hold back a smile when he saw the look on the young man's face.

"Good morning, Istion." he greeted him then, nearing the stall with his horse, "Can you prepare a horse for her, please?"

"For...her?" the young man asked, quite baffled and wide eyed.

When Faramir had entered the small cubicle to prepare his horse, Istion turned to look at his sister.

"It's not what I'm fearing...you two..."

"Don't be silly!" Amarie scolded him, shaking her head. "You know I'm not that kind of girl! Please just prepare my horse and do not offend me!"

A somewhat relieved Istion did what she had asked, a little smile on his face.

Minutes later Faramir and Amarie were trotting side by side, the young man obviously quite pleased by such nice weather and by her company. And he was pleased to notice that she seemed quite relaxed, too, obviously needing to distract her mind from her job, even if for just a little while.

"Boromir will probably be back in a few days," he stated suddenly, casting an eye over the girl. "I'm sure it would be quite pleasant to have a ride together. The three of us, I mean."

"Oh, I don't think he's fancying it," Amarie answered, sighing softly. "He has never asked me to ride with him. His girlfriend probably wouldn't be pleased, at all either. She would even tell her father.".

Amarie didn't know why, but the thought of Boromir with that vixen had saddened her beyond any measure.

He wasn't happy. He didn't love her. But he was going to marry her anyway, just to please his father.

The mere thought had upset her, but yet she couldn't understand why was she feeling like that.

Faramir, too, didn't seem pleased. As a matter of fact, he was grimacing slightly, as if disgusted by the very thought of how his brother had been forced into engagement with Aredhel. Thinking that he was probably going to marry her within the year, was even worse.

"I don't know how he manages to cope with that.. that..." he stopped halfway, sighing, obviously restraining himself from calling her something much less than pleasant. He eventually shrugged. "I can't stand her, either. And she has always been rude towards me; usually she's only kind with Boromir or father because she has to."

"He should do something about her." Amarie said after a while, glancing at him.

"I think that Lord Boromir deserves better than her. To cope with that woman until the very last one of his days would really destroy his happiness. And... I think that to love someone is important too. Something primary for a marriage..."

"He's only doing what he thinks is best." Faramir tried to defend him, his lips curving into a bitter smile. "I've tried to talk him out of it a bunch of times, and he always says that there is nothing he can do...that the kingdom is much more important than his fancies and things like that. Yet he's doing anything he can do to delay the wedding, he should have married her a couple of months ago already."

"A---couple of months ago?" Amarie asked suddenly, wide eyed.

Was he going to marry her? If he was, that vixen would surely have her sent her away.

But she didn't care anyway, really. She felt suddenly uneasy and upset. Why?

It was foolish. It was madness.

He was a Lord. And she wasn't going to let him think she was interested in him, because she wasn't. She really wasn't.

Maybe she was only grateful to him, right?

"Yes, that was the date her father had proposed. It seems he's very eager to see them married..."

Yet Faramir had not missed the look in Amarie's face, and he suddenly wondered if there could be something more than a simple friendship between his brother and the girl. He censured such thought at once, though. Boromir would have told him. Boromir always told him everything.