“Surely you jest, my lords?” Aragorn replied, “Prince Eldarion is not yet six months old and Lady Elbeth is still but a child! The suggestion of their marriage is quite absurd.”

“Where are Prince Eldarion and the Queen, by the way?” The Lord of Lossarnach enquired, “They have not been seen in public for weeks now!”

A murmur of assent echoed round the chamber.

“I am not exposing my wife and heir to the dangers of the fever,” Aragorn answered evasively, “You may rest assured, my lords, that they are safe and well.”

“To marry Prince Eldarion to Lady Elbeth would secure the future of the Royal Line by restoring the House of Hurin to a station worthy of their lineage,” The Lord of Lamedon persisted.

Faramir frowned, wondering why the Council would recognise succession through female lines when it suited them, such as when a long ago Steward had died childless and they had appointed his sister’s grandson to succeed him .Yet Arvedui’s claim to the throne had been rejected even though he was married to King Ondoher’s sole surviving heir! He concluded it was best to remain silent, lest these impudent lords start to next question Aragorn’s legitimacy to rule!

“The idea is outrageous, to marry children to each other! Neither my wife nor myself would ever permit such a marriage,” Aragorn protested. He was beginning to lose patience.

 “Infant marriages are not unheard of,” said Dervorin, the Lord of Ringlo Vale, “Consider how it would please the people, my lord. An heir from such a union would actually be of Gondor! And you my Lord Steward, would you not see your brother’s memory honoured?”

“ Naturally I would have Boromir’s child treated with all due respect,” said Faramir, ”It gladdens my heart she is safe and well but…”

“Such a marriage is completely out of the question!” Aragorn interrupted, finally erupting in anger. “It is not an easy task being King, so my son should at least choose his own Queen to stand beside him as his helpmeet. Would you, my Lord of Lossarnach, have your infant son locked in a loveless marriage? Would you my Lords see your grandchildren thus bound? I would never countenance a union for my son with a girl from a family of such instability either! I will see the child is well provided for and treated with due respect, but that is all she is entitled to. As for Hanna, she must return to the asylum. That is my final word on the subject.”

Faramir flushed with anger. “My father lost his wits in the service of Gondor!” he raged, “Does my lord, then consider me unstable too?”

“Your mother was of good stock as the Prince of Dol Amroth proves,” Aragorn replied, “I will have no more talk of this matter. The Council is dismissed.”

“But, sire, will you not at least consider the matter? “the Lord of Lossarnach ventured to suggest.

Aragorn rose to his feet, his hand gripping the hilt of Anduril. ”I have told you my decision and I never wish to hear this matter raised again!” he roared. “You do not fool me, my lords! I know full well that you resent the extra burden of taxation to help the poor survive the winter, but that you should stoop so low, as to attempt to use my infant son as your tool beggars belief! Now be gone!”

One by one, the lords filed out of the Council Chamber until only Aragorn and Faramir remained. Grey with weariness, Aragorn slumped in his seat now that there was none save his Steward to see him.

Faramir anxiously hastened to his lord’s side. “You were up most of the night again, tending the sick,” he chided, “You cannot go on like this! You will damage your health.”

“ I am so sorry, Faramir I did not mean to hurt your feelings earlier.” Aragorn whispered, all too aware that his Steward was still smarting from the earlier exchange. “I am just so weary today and the lords were past bearing in their conduct!”

”You should arrest them for their insolence.” Faramir said sternly. “My father would not have hesitated. If only Angbor, the old Lord of Lamedon were still alive and Furlong of Lossarnach. Alas, that the flower of Gondor’s nobility were lost in the war!”

“They will pay for their scheming, once this epidemic is over and I can concentrate on something other than healing the sick. I shall insist then that Elbeth is removed from the clutches of that snake,” Aragorn told him. “Please do not hold your anger against me. I did not for a moment mean that you were unstable, only that Hanna’s child could be. More than that, Eldarion needs to choose a bride he knows will love and support him as Arwen does me. However, I will tell you this, should it come to pass that he and your daughter were to love each other, they would have my blessing. I would be most happy if our children were to wed.”

Faramir bent over to kiss his King on the brow in token of reconciliation. “You do me great honour!” he said overwhelmed by emotion, “I could never be angry with you for long, mellon nin.”

“ I am truly blessed to have both you as my Steward and Arwen as my Queen.” Aragorn mused, thinking of the first time he had met Faramir and been immediately hailed as King by him. He had sensed even then that they were kindred souls. “The Valar smiled on me to grant me a Steward who has become the brother of my soul to ease my burden as King.”

“No less than they blessed me by replacing my father with you as my liege lord!” Faramir whispered, as he helped Aragorn rise to his feet, “Come, my friend, you need to rest and eat. The heavy burdens you bear will seem less onerous then.

Taking his Steward’s proffered arm, Aragorn made his way out of the Council Chamber. Once they were in public view, he straightened up and walked tall and noble as ever, so that none might guess his weariness and despondency.

Faramir had been one of the first to be stricken with the fever, perhaps because he was still regaining his strength after his ordeal in prison. Aragorn devotedly nursed his Steward back to health. This time he made a swift recovery, the only sign now that he had ever suffered from it, being a slight cough in the early mornings. He was now working harder than ever, dealing with almost all the State paperwork, so that Aragorn would have more time to tend the sick. The King brushed aside fears for his own danger of infection. He remembered catching this kind of fever while he was in the North and knew it very rarely infected the same person twice.

The fever had begun a few days after the execution of Mahrod, who was responsible for Faramir’s severe injuries when imprisoned. Crowds had flocked to see him hanged, amongst them, his wife Alis and her child. Alis and several others from the villages within walking distance of Minas Tirith were the first to fall ill. More and more cases were reported in the City, until the Houses of Healing could hardly cope with all the sick and dying.

This fever was especially unpleasant causing fevers and chills, sneezing, loss of appetite, a severe cough and sometimes breathing difficulties, especially for the very young and very old, which all too often proved fatal.

Faramir and Eowyn had moved to their new home in Ithilien the week before Faramir fell ill and he had sent a message that she should remain there with Elestelle until the danger of infection had passed. Aragorn and Arwen also decided that Arwen and Eldarion should stay with Eowyn while the epidemic raged, for while Arwen as one of the Eldar was immune to such dangers, Eldarion was not and, the heir to the throne was far too precious to be put at risk. Much as Aragorn and Arwen hated to be apart, as always, they considered the greater good and the welfare of their child before any personal feelings.

Aragorn decided to keep the Queen's location secret to protect her from visitors who might carry the infection to his son and also to prevent panic it might cause, if it were widely known that the situation was bad enough to warrant sending the Queen and the heir to safety. So far, no cases of the fever had been reported beyond Minas Tirith and the outlying villages. Aragorn was desperately trying to keep it from spreading throughout Gondor.

Before she left, taking with her many loving messages from Faramir to Eowyn and a promise to look after her, Arwen had asked Faramir to share Aragorn’s room and take care of him lest he overtax himself and neglect his own health since he was insisting on daily using his healing gifts to help care for the sick in the Houses of Healing.

The Queen had confided to him, that after so many years in the wilds, Aragorn found it difficult to sleep alone within the stone walls of the Citadel and would have vastly preferred to be under a hedge with the stars overhead for company.

Although comfortable enough in his own rooms, Faramir was happy to oblige as he enjoyed the companionship of his friend. He was even willing to endure his snoring while they shared Aragorn’s room, where he had cared for his Steward only a few months before.

To begin with, Faramir had found the task allocated to him, far from arduous as both men had simple tastes, both preferring to disperse with a valet unless required to wear elaborate robes for state occasions, both were sound sleepers and both enjoyed each other’s company.

Most of the time, he was hardly aware of the King’s presence at all. When Faramir went to sleep, Aragorn would still be at the Houses of Healing and often he would have left again at dawn the next day.

However, as the weeks went by and the fever raged unabated, Aragorn became increasingly exhausted and withdrawn. Faramir’s companionship became his main source of support and he was grateful to Arwen for suggesting he avail himself of the comfort of having his friend at his side while she could not be.

One morning Faramir had awoken to find the King still wearing his boots, having fallen asleep on top of the covers of the vast bed, too exhausted to undress, eat, or drink.

TBC