Story Summary:
The story of Boromir and his
true love (my version at least) and what happens to her when Boromir
never returns to her. Starts four-five years before the War of the Ring
and ends shortly after it. Rated: R |
Chapter 7
Empty Apologies
Within weeks, the city was being attacked and her
execution was not even worried about. She listened to the city being
destroyed and she had no feelings at all. Without Boromir, it no longer
mattered. She had begun to regret that his child would not be born but
she was ready to die so she could be with Boromir in the hereafter.
The battle in the city raged for days as she lay there hoping for
death. When the city grew quiet once again, she heard they had survived
it and Isildur’s heir had come forward and claimed the crown. She cared
not. She wondered about Faramir but thinking he was probably dead as he
had been in Osgiliath before it was overrun and lost to the enemy. She
never asked. She had not spoken since she had been brought there. She
heard that Mordor was destroyed and she wished that Boromir had been
alive to see that.
When her execution date came and went, she was told that the new King
had decided to review every case before he allowed any more executions.
When the time finally came to go before the new king, she far enough
along in her pregnancy that she was very uncomfortable. At this point,
she hoped they would allow her to have her child before they put her to
death. Maybe Boromir’s son could be raised in the king’s care.
~~~
Aragorn was weary. He had found out that Denethor had jailed many
people for small crimes or in his mind, no crimes, and had ordered
death for various crimes not worthy of death. He had started this
morning dealing with all of the prisoners and he was only half way
through. Éomer and Legolas were off to the side with Gandalf doing
something that had to be more interesting that this. Faramir had gone
somewhere as well leaving Aragorn alone with this tedious duty. Faramir
was just out of the Houses of Healing and Aragorn was thrilled to have
him help with all of details of maintaining the city.
When a very pregnant woman was brought in with bound hands, Aragorn was
shocked. He watched her walk up to him as they placed her in the chair.
She was dirty and her hair was tied back in a braid. Her dress appeared
to be the same dress she had been wearing the whole time she had been
there. But there was something about her that screamed out to him that
there was something he needed to find out. When the jailer came up, he
asked what her name was.
“My lord, she will not tell us. She has not spoken since she was brought to me.”
“What is her crime?”
“She has been sentenced to death for trying to kill Lord Denethor two week prior to the attack on the city.”
Aragorn was shocked. He looked at the woman and said “Is it true that you tried to kill the steward?”
She did not answer rather she glared at him with defiance. He noticed
the posture and regal air to her that betrayed the fact that she was
not a simple peasant.
“My lord, I was there when she tried to kill Denethor. She was like a
mad woman. Nothing like the calm demur woman she is now. She was
screaming that he deserved to die because he had sent his son, Boromir
to his death. She is rumored to his mistress but no one is sure and she
will not speak.” Irolas said.
Irolas was one of the men loyal to Lord Denethor and Aragorn was growing quickly to dislike him.
“She is not his mistress, she was his wife.” A solider behind him said.
Lillianna looked up and recognized the soldier from her wedding.
Irolas said, “Impossible. Lord Boromir had no wife.”
The soldier glared at him and said, “I was at there wedding four and a half years ago in Osgiliath.”
“Is this true?” Aragorn asked the woman.
Once again, she would not answer him.
“Begging your pardon, my lord, but should her sentence not be carried out since she did try to kill Lord Denethor?” Irolas said.
“I am not putting a pregnant woman to death. Especially if she is
actually Boromir’s wife.” Aragorn said glaring at him. Looking at the
soldier, he said, “Does Lord Faramir know about her?”
“Yes, my king.”
“Go get him now.”
He observed the spark in her eyes when she heard Faramir’s name. She
seemed relieved about him being there. He noticed Éomer looking at her.
Finally he came over to where Aragorn was sitting.
“I know this woman. She was a childhood friend of Éowyn before she came
here with her father over ten years ago. I was not sure at first but if
her name is Lillianna, then it is her.” Éomer said quietly looking at
the woman who had lowered her head and looked away from them all.
“Hopefully Faramir can settle this matter.” Aragorn said, “Because I do
not want to send her back to prison in her condition. If she tried to
stab Lord Denethor, she probably had a reason.”
“This would not have anything to do with the fact you have no respect for the man, would it?” Éomer smiled.
Aragorn chuckled but said nothing. He too was watching the woman. If
she was Boromir’s wife then more than likely that was Boromir’s child.
He saw Faramir come into the room and he ran to her. Grabbing her up,
he hugged her as she cried.
“Unbind her hands.” He said to the jailer.
The jailer looked at Aragorn and he nodded. He watched the way that
Faramir was touching her face and hugging her and knew she was at least
close to him. He let them have a few minutes before he spoke.
“Faramir, it seems that this woman is accused of trying to kill your father.”
“Lillianna would never do such a thing.” Faramir said as he looked at
her. He saw the guilt cross her features as she nodded. “Lillianna,
what were you thinking?”
“He deserved to die. He was evil and he sent Boromir to his death all
for his own desire for power. I could not stand the fact that he lived
and Boromir did not.” She said simply.
Faramir looked at Aragorn. “Can I please speak to you in private?”
When Aragorn nodded, he hugged her again and told her he would be right
back. The two men along with Gandalf went into an alcove away from the
others.
“Aragorn, I would never ask this of you for any person but you cannot
punish her. She is Boromir’s wife and she is carrying his child. They
had to hide their marriage for four years because of my father. She
hated my father for the way he treated my brother and I and the way he
would continuously send us both on suicide missions. When I last saw
her, she was devastated with grief over Boromir. I thought she was dead
because when I went to their house it had been damaged severely in the
attack. When I saw one of her servants she said that she had
disappeared one day and never returned. I had not had a chance to find
her. She is no danger to anyone I assure you.”
“As much as I can sympathize with her desire to want him dead, she
tried to kill your father. I cannot just ignore that no matter how much
I would like to. I will try to find another way and I would never put
her to death but I cannot let this go unpunished.” Aragorn said.
“How long has she been locked up?” Gandalf asked. After Aragorn told
him, he suggested, “Aragorn, can you not sentence her to stay in the
cells for the time she has already been there plus a week or two? That
way she will have already finished most of her punishment and she will
be out in a week.” He smiled “Besides you are a new king. I think you
can get away with one thing.”
Aragorn nodded his head but turned to Faramir. “She must admit her crime and swear she is sorry. Will she do that?”
Faramir started to answer and stopped. “Can she just admit the crime? I
am not sure I can get her to say she is sorry. I am sure she is not
sorry and she is too proud to say she is.”
Aragorn smiled and said, “Get her to say something to that effect in any wording she will say and I will do as you ask.”
Faramir said “Thank you.” Going back to her, he pulled her aside.
“Lillianna, I have talked to Aragorn and they will set you free in a
week or two if you will admit your crime and say you are sorry.”
“But I am not sorry.”
“Will you say you are sorry? It will make your punishment lighter.”
“No, I cannot say I am sorry. I am only sorry I do not do suceed in doing it. Where is that evil toad anyway?”
“He is dead. I will explain later. You have to say something to the effect that you are sorry.”
She thought for a long time. “I will say I am sorry for attempting to
kill him. Because I am sorry I attempted it and did not actually
accomplish it.”
He smiled and said, “I think that will work but try to sound sincere. By the way, you look terrible.”
She laughed for the first time in months.
Going back to the chair in front of Aragorn, she stood and faced him. He smiled at her and said, “Do you admit these charges?”
She proudly said yes and Faramir shot her a look.
Aragorn tried not to smile. “And are you sorry for what you have done?”
“I am sorry I attempted to try and kill Lord Denethor.” She said with a slight smile.
Aragorn smiled and almost chuckled hearing her put a special emphasis
on attempted. Looking over at the man who was recording the
information, he said, “Punishment is the time she has already been in
jail plus one week.”
Irolas looked as if he wanted to argue but Aragorn gave him a look that said, “Don’t bother.”
The jailer went to bind her hands again and Faramir waved him away. “I
will walk down there with you to make sure she does not attempt to
escape.”
As they were leaving Éomer came up to her and softly said her name. She looked at him confused at first.
Faramir said, “This is King Éomer of Rohan. Have you two met?”
She smiled and said “Last time I saw you, you were getting in trouble
for some mischief that you and Theodred had done. And now they have
made you King. What were they thinking?”
“Look at you. You have little room to talk. At least I was not in
jail.” He laughed. “Come see me when you get out of jail. Éowyn would
love to see you. I will tell her you are here.”
“Éowyn is here?” Her face brightened. “We have much to talk about. I will see you soon.”
Faramir led her out of there and she was glad, not quite happy but glad.
As they were walking he turned to her and asked, “How do you know Éowyn?”
“She was my closest childhood friend.” She smiled.
She noticed a look on his face when he mentioned her name.
“I assume you two have met.”
“Yes. Actually we have more than met.” He smiled.
“Ah, so Faramir has finally fallen in love. I hope you are very happy together.” She smiled sadly.
Looking down, she said, “I assume it is confirmed that Boromir is dead.”
Sadly, he nodded and said, “Aragorn was with him when he died.”
Tears welled up in her eyes and she nodded. “I knew there was little hope. But there was always a chance.”
He reached over and put his arm around her shoulders. On the way by his
chambers, he stopped. He told the jailer to wait for him outside. He
pulled her in and told a servant to bring a bath. He told her that her
clothes and things he could save from their house were in Boromir’s
chambers for now. He offered to get her a dress.
Looking down at her stomach, she said, “Nothing I have will fit.”
He smiled and sent the servant to get a seamstress to bring dresses for a pregnant woman.
She smiled and said, “Perhaps a tent would be better suited.”
When the servants had brought the bath into his chambers, he left her
in his bedroom. She peeled off the grubby clothes and slid into the
scented hot water. It felt so good, she had to smile. She washed her
hair and body and just sat there looking at her swollen stomach. Once
she started crying, she couldn’t stop. Wrapping herself in a towel, she
sat down in a chair and cried for a long time. Eventually she heard a
knock on the door and a servant brought in some dresses. She put on the
one that fit not even caring what it looked like. Tying her hair back
in a braid, she came out of Faramir’s bedroom. He walked with her down
to the jail then reluctantly said goodbye because the king was
expecting him back. She sat in her cell for most of the day thinking.