Arya was in the same room with Denethor, and for once, she did not feel like leaving the room, or asserting her loyalty towards Gondor and Minas Tirith. In fact, she was already tired of doing this. What was important to her now, was that Denethor called off all attempts to defend Osgiliath, and evacuate the people in Minas Tirith. But this time, Boromir was not by her side, nor was Faramir. There was a time when the three of them, and Diva, would fight side by side in the defense of Gondor, but in recent years, she had distanced herself from that great land, knowing the conflict she would add to the Steward's family, leaving only her sister to give aid, and now Diva was in Rohan, perhaps riding towards Minas Tirith with the Eorlingas, leaving her alone to deal with Denethor.

"As much as I loathe to admit it, Lady Arya, you are the single most capable warrior to defend this city," Denethor told Arya as she stood in his study, upon the velvet carpet, looking at a great tapestry depicting the alliance forged between the Queens and the realm of Gondor an Age ago. "Your kind has always been our greatest allies, and I know that you of all people would not falter in what was charged by your foremothers..."

He was cunning, that much Arya knew, and for him to speak in words of compliment, she knew that there was something else up his sleeve, she just did not know what it was. She always had trouble reading Denethor even with her experience in dealing with Men, and she was not about to dare to say that she had succeeded in doing so. "And what would you have me do, my lord?" she asked, sapphire eyes fixed now to the Steward. There had been a time when she had fought by his side as well, but that was a long time ago to Denethor, and even then, he was living in her shadow and that of Thorongil's, who was revealed by the Palantir to be Aragorn, son of Arathorn...

Denethor looked at Arya and said, "I want you to defend this city as best as you can, but also, I want you to respect the decisions that my son would make." His son? Was he talking about Boromir, or Faramir? If he was talking about Boromir, perhaps, he was referring to the possibility of him falling in love with Diva, her sister? But what about Faramir... It was only then did she realize which son was he referring to. Faramir had failed to defend Osgiliath, and his lord and father was prepare to order him to retake the fallen city at all costs...

"I will not allow you to ask that of Faramir!" she exclaimed. "Has he not given enough to Gondor? Osgiliath cannot be retaken permanently, I thought that you would have at least some measure of wit to realize that!" She did not care that she might offend the Steward of Gondor, she did not care that with every new generation of Queens, the leader of Gondor would hold vials of the blood of each Queen, meaning that he held Diva's blood with him, and he could kill her in any second. "If you really want to save your people, Denethor, you will evacuate the citizens of Minas Tirith immediately, anywhere, Lossarnach... Dol Amroth even!"

"I am the Steward, and you, as a warrior of Gondor will obey my orders!" Denethor spat, "You will have no say in how I defend my own people, and in time, you will know that it is all for their welfare."

This time, Arya could not hold back her words. "The Orcs have already taken Osgiliath, more are crossing the River, and when they begin to mobilize, none can escape! Send your people to safety now, when it is still dark, before the Enemy knows that they are leaving, you cannot risk the lives of so many!"

However, the Steward was adamant with his decision. "If Osgiliath could be retaken, there would be a chance that we can repel the Orcs before they can reach Minas Tirith!" he shouted, hoping to intimidate the Queen. "Or would you rather let the former jewel of Gondor rot in the black hands of the Orcs?"

"There will be a time to reclaim Osgiliath, but it is not now, Lord Steward," Arya replied, "But now, the survival of your people is of utmost importance, and to do that, we need as many men as we can get." A city could never be defended with only a handful of people, they had already lost enough in the previous skirmish. And if Minas Tirith fell, the world of Men would have no hope to survive the dark age that would come, should Sauron gain victory. "What you have now is the largest and most sophisticated stronghold among the Free Peoples of Middle Earth, and you must do what you can in defending it, here and now!"

But as always, Denethor refused to listen, not even when the Orcs would soon be knocking on the gates of Minas Tirith. He dismissed her, and she quickly left the room... Surely, there was something she could do to help the people... As she was walking towards where she sensed Boromir to be, she bumped into Pippin and Faramir. They were talking to each other, and Pippin was even in uniform already, and it surprised her, for that suit belonged to Faramir, when he was a child, it was a day that she remembered clearly.

"Arya, Arya, come slay the dragon with me!" a seven year old Faramir exclaimed when Arya was reading atop a tree in one of the many courtyards in the city, a habit she had gained from the Elves, particularly the Prince of Mirkwood.

The Queen, who was too immersed in her book, said lazily, "Faramir, go back to your tutor and continue your history lesson, or Denethor would be sure to punish you again..." She did not need to look down from the tree to see the human child frown and sit himself at the roots of the tree, with his toy sword by his side. "You're no fun at all..."

She listened to him and laughed. "Well, why don't you find Diva to play with instead?" she asked, only to have him reply that her sister had received a letter via carrier pigeon from a great big forest with gold leaves in spring, and she locked herself in a room to reply that letter. Ah, there would be no doubt that it was a letter from Haldir, her beloved.

"Why aren't grownups any fun?" he asked her when she climbed down the tree and joined him in the shed. "All Father wants me to do is to read those history books and learn a language which I probably will never use..." Arya smiled and told him that Sindarin was in his blood, for the House of Hurin was from a branch of the line of Elendil, who was a descendant of the Kings of Numeanor, whose ancestor was Elwing, the granddaughter of Elu Thingol, the King of the Sindar during the First Age. Her sapphire eyes glowed as she told him the ancient tales that she too had learnt during childhood, and the boy happily listened to every single word. "But why must I still learn it, do Elves not speak the Common Tongue as well?"

Arya clicked her tongue. "Silly child, when you have grown up, you would travel far and wide," she told him ruffling his hair. "And who knows, you might bump into some Elves? And when you do so, how are you going to speak with them if they knew not the Common Tongue?" And for some reason, as with all human children, Faramir gained a sudden interest for Sindarin, and quickly ran back towards his tutor, who had been asleep, not even noticing that he had slipped away.

That very evening, as a reward from his diligence and the praises his tutor had given to Denethor, the Steward of Gondor presented his second son with a little uniform made in the likeness of the Tower Guards. "May you be strong before your enemies, Faramir of Gondor," Denethor said to his son, after helping him put on his uniform. "For one day, you will have your own armor, and you will slay many enemies in the name of Gondor..."

Faramir gave his father the brightest smile he ever possessed and said, "I will father!" before reverting back into his usual voice, that was slightly higher than a whisper. "Father, can I play with Arya now?"

"Yes, you may, my son," Denethor replied, "Now run along, and I expect you to obey your governness when she calls you for bath and supper!"

But his words went unheard, as Faramir was already dashing towards the tree where Arya still was, still reading that same book. "Arya, can we go slay the dragon now? I have armor and swords and everything!"

Arya looked at him and said, "Indeed you do, o Knight of Gondor. So, where might your dragon be?" For quite a moment Faramir pondered and said, "The dessert shop! Come on, let us go!"

"Who is going to the dessert shop without us?" Diva and Boromir demanded, and before long, all four of them were walking towards the said venue together.

Arya remembered clearly then that Denethor loved Faramir greatly, and his strange favortism had not started, not until Faramir grew into a handsome, proud warrior, much like his brother, but was wise and cunning, just like his father.

Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by Pippin, who called her name. "Arya, there you are!" the Halfling said, walking to his companion, "Faramir was just talking about his childhood..."

The Queen and the Captain of Gondor shared a smile and a nod before turning their attention towards the Halfling, in a few moments, he would have to swear his service to Denethor, inspired by the many tellings of Arya and Diva's deeds in defending Gondor, somehow wanting himself a part of the action, especially after his part in lighting the Beacons of Gondor.

"Really? Did he tell you that he can finish three bowls of iced sherbets in twenty minutes?" Arya asked him, "and he would have the greatest headaches later... Faramir, you have grown so much ever since then, my friend."

Faramir turned to the Blue Queen and told her, "Ever since I could remember, you were with me constantly, and Boromir also, Arya. Do not worry, I shall be fine with whatever words my Father will spout after Pippin's swearing in."

"I am not afraid of sentimental nonsense like that concerning you, Faramir," she chuckled, "I have known your father longer than you know him, and believe me, the emotional abuse began long before your brother and I discovered one another. Come, now, if we are late, an old bat would surely kill us."

Arya, where are you? Boromir's voice shot into Arya's mind. I have good news and bad news... Which would you like to hear first?

It depends on what do you have to give me, Boromir, she replied as she, Faramir and Pippin walked towards the throne room, where Denethor would be waiting for them.

Well, the good news is that the Orcs have stopped coming, Boromir said, doing his best imitation of Solomon. And the bad news is... they are more than ten thousand of them...

That very mention of the number caused Arya to stop in her tracks. She had faced ten thousand of the Uruk-Hai naught a week ago, but there, in Minas Tirith, where they under a slowly maddening Steward, where their forces were thinly spread, and in the very capital of Gondor itself, where the old, the women and the children were there... She shuddered to even think of the death toll.

Boromir, listen to me now, send out orders, tell the men to evacuate the women and the children, and tell your uncle of what you have seen. Imrahil will be sure to allow the people of Minas Tirith to take refuge in Dol Amroth... And if your father decides to make an issue out of this, I shall bear the consequences.