After the councilors had dispersed, Frodo bid farewell to Beregond before the great hall, then went inside and up to the Steward's chambers. He'd expected to find Merry there with Eowyn, and instead found only Faramir. While Frodo had not been deliberately avoiding the young Steward, he'd been relieved that they hadn't seen each other since the beginning of his investigation. Given Faramir's friendship for his principal suspect, any meeting between them was therefore awkward.
"I- ah- I thought Merry would be here," Frodo explained rather weakly.
"He and Eowyn have gone to the Queen's boudoir," answered Faramir. "You will doubtless find them there." But before Frodo could retreat back out the door, Faramir put out a hand to delay him. "Before you go, a word, please, Frodo. I wish to speak to you on Cirandil's behalf."
This was precisely the conversation Frodo had been dreading, but there was no escape. He stepped into the room, and shut the door.
"I know that Cirandil is suspected by his fellow guards, and I know the King thinks him the most likely suspect too. You've looked about you now, Frodo, seen the citadel and the people within it," said Faramir. "Do you believe Cirandil committed these murders?"
"He is among the people I am considering," Frodo admitted circumspectly. "I've also found others with reason to want Lord Carathir or his son dead. I promise you I will examine all the information I find with great care and make no hasty judgments in this matter. I will accuse no one until I have certain and undeniable proof of their guilt. But, Faramir, you must admit that your friend Cirandil does have a good motive for these murders."
"Perhaps he does," Faramir admitted, "but I can never believe he'd kill his uncle, who was like a father to him, and a cousin who was dear as a brother. And he was miles from the city when they died."
"Yes, but I believe that whoever committed these murders did not act alone. At least two were involved--one to order the deaths, and the other to dispense the poison. If it is Cirandil, that other might be one of two people." Frodo took a deep breath, and said the names: "The herbalist Bregilde, or Tharya."
"Tharya? Larengar's daughter? But she was betrothed to Caradan."
"Never-the-less, Cirandil is in love with Tharya, and she with him. I've seen them together, Faramir."
Faramir was stunned by this information. "Cirandil and Tharya, lovers? Murderers? No, I can't believe that!" but he spoke with less conviction now. For the first time, Frodo saw a flicker of doubt in his friend's eyes.
"It may not be so, but it is why I suspect them. People will do a great many things, some of them quite horrible, in the name of love. I'm sorry, Faramir. I know it's never easy to think someone you care for capable of such crimes," Frodo said gently. "I've had to consider members of my own family, hobbits who are like brothers and sisters to me, as possible murderers." He thought of them now: Melilot, Milo, Dodi and Ilbie, not to mention several prominent Tooks. "It's always the worst part of an investigation, and I've had more than one bad night because of it."
"Were any of them guilty?" Faramir asked him.
"One... but I didn't see it until it was too late." He looked up to meet the eyes of the tall Man standing over him. "If you wish to aid Cirandil, please tell him I must speak to him--about her. If he isn't guilty, no harm can come to him by telling the truth."
"And if he is not-?"
"Then the most he can hope for is mercy. I don't know what punishments you have here for such crimes. At least, it will put an end to this terrible suspicion cast upon innocent people." Frodo knew there was at least one person Cirandil wanted to protect; if he was guilty and Tharya was not, would he confess to spare her?
When he left Faramir, Frodo went to the Queen's boudoir on the other side of the great hall. Merry was there, entertaining the ladies with tales of the Shire and making them laugh as they worked at the tapestry. Since his cousin was busy being the unabashed center of attention, Frodo sought out Eowyn to ask, "Have we settled our plans for tomorrow?"
"We'll go riding in the morning," she answered. "Will you and Merry meet me at the citadel stables after breakfast? I'll have the ponies saddled and made ready for you."
"That would be wonderful! Thank you!"
Tharya was in the room too, but seated in an angle of the tower, busy knotting a length of golden fringe that would trim the edges of the finished tapestry. Frodo didn't see her immediately, but when she heard his voice, she looked up from her work, set it down abruptly, and rose to leave without a word. With a quick excuse to Eowyn, Frodo followed her out.
"Miss! Lady Tharya!" he called after her once he'd left the boudoir. "Will you stop, please? I only want to talk to you."
She didn't stop, but headed swiftly toward the tower's circular stairwell, and down. Frodo ran to try and catch her.
"It's no good running away!" he called out. "I know all about it already. We saw you and Cirandil last night, Merry and I."
The patter of slippered feet on the stone steps below him had ceased. Either she had gone out of the tower on a lower floor, or had stopped at his words. Frodo went down the stairs. Two turns of the stairwell down, he found her, waiting for him. Tharya was standing on the stairs with her face ashen and her eyes as wide as a startled doe's.
"Cirandil said I must be wary of you," she said.
"I know. We heard him say it. Be wary if you like, but I think it's time we ended this nonsense, my lady." Frodo spoke now from plain, hobbit common sense. "If you don't wish to look suspicious, stop sneaking around in the shadows and rushing away whenever you see me. It only makes me think you've got something to hide."
"I've nothing to hide!"
"Then you might as well tell me the truth about you and Cirandil. You're in love with him, aren't you? I saw how you looked at each other when you spoke."
Tharya nodded her head and whispered, "Yes."
"Even though you were betrothed to his cousin? Or did this happen only after Caradan's death?" Frodo thought they must have fallen in love before Caradan had died; why else would they be at such pains to keep it secret, whether they were guilty of any crime or not?
"Before," she answered, still in a whisper.
"Why don't you tell me about it?" If she'd been a hobbit-lady, he would have taken her arm, but even though he stood a step up from her, her elbow was at level with his forehead. Instead, he tugged on the dangling sleeve of her gown. "If you've done no wrong, my lady, you've nothing to fear from me."
She did not resist, but let him guide her back up a few steps and out through a door they had both just passed in their flight down, into a little alcove beneath the Queen's rooms. There was a seat beneath the windows, where they could sit and talk privately. Tharya seated herself and stared at the hobbit standing before her, incredulous that she was about to confide in him. But confide she did.
"You must see how it was," she began after she had taken a minute to compose her thoughts. "I've known Cir and Caradan since we were all children together. Even as a small girl, I knew that I was meant to wed Caradan. Our fathers long wished it." A wry smile twisted her lips. "Many girls envied me, for Caradan was a brave and handsome youth, and most winning in his manners, but I never truly considered him a lover."
"What about Cirandil?" Frodo asked.
"I didn't consider him as a lover either, not until after he'd been away on his duties for long months. More than a year passed, and I did not see him. He returned last winter, just as I was betrothed to Caradan. Our fathers deemed it was time for us to marry, and there was no reason why I should refuse to consent, for I was fond of Caradan and loved no other. But when Cir returned, it was as if we truly beheld each other for the first time. I would have broken my betrothal vow to Caradan before I made the more binding vows of wedlock, but Cirandil wouldn't think of betraying his cousin. He went away again--he said he would not return 'til after we'd married. He only returned when he heard of Caradan's death.
"Cir and I couldn't think of marriage for ourselves... before. Now, it is different, if only it weren't for this horrid suspicion that hangs over him! You see why we must keep our love secret. If anyone knew, they would think he had put Caradan and his father out of our way, so that we might be together." She looked up suddenly, meeting Frodo's gaze with eyes that were flashing in resentment. "You think so yourself, don't you?"
Frodo didn't answer this. Now that he'd gained enough of her trust to have her talk to him, he didn't want to destroy it. Instead, he said, "It if isn't so, then you've only to wait until this investigation is over. You and Cirandil can wed then, without being afraid of what anyone will say about it."
"And how long will that be?"
"I don't know," Frodo admitted. "Thank you for telling me the truth, Tharya. May I ask one last question? Did Caradan ever give any gift to you, as a token of your betrothal--a ring, or gem, or perhaps a bracelet?" He knew Caradan hadn't, but he wanted to see if she knew about the one in his quarters and its mate, and what she would say about it if she did.
Tharya shook her head. "No. He gave me nothing."
Frodo and Merry left the citadel at tea-time, planning to go home and have the pastries Frodo had purchased that morning. They were just passing into the tunnel down to the sixth level, when a voice called out behind them, "Frodo! King's Investigator!"
Frodo turned to find Cirandil walking swiftly across the courtyard. He stopped where he was to let the young guardsman catch up with him; Merry went slowly a few feet farther down the tunnel, but not out of hearing if voices were raised.
"What is it, Cirandil?" Frodo asked when the young Man had come to the tunnel's entrance.
"Faramir said you wanted to talk to me." Cirandil answered bluntly, then spat out, "What did you say to him? I would've thought that he was one of the few friends who remained on my side, but now I see doubt in his eyes as well. What did you tell him, little spy, to turn him against me?"
"I told him about your love for Tharya, your cousin's betrothed," Frodo replied.
"Tharya!" the young Man cried out the name in outrage. Frodo took a step backwards, momentarily alarmed that Cirandil meant to strike him. Merry came closer, ready to defend Frodo if necessary. "Have you questioned her? What did you make her say?"
"I only asked her for the truth, and she gave it me. She told me how you love each other, but that she was going to marry Caradan all the same."
Cirandil laughed. "And now Caradan is dead, and you believe you've found your poisoner? You think you have incontrovertible proof of my guilt because I love the girl who was to wed my cousin? Will the King now send my former friends among the Guard to arrest me at your word?"
"No," said Frodo. "I wanted to ask-"
But he got no farther; Cirandil turned and stalked away, heading across the courtyard in the direction of the guards' hall. Frodo did not go after him. He knew he could never catch so long-strided a creature moving so fast.
"I wanted to ask him about a bracelet," he said to Merry as his cousin came to stand beside him, "to see if he knew about it."
"What bracelet?" Merry looked extremely curious.
"The one the barmaid at the Steward's Arms was wearing. Did you notice it when we were there this morning?"
"Silver," said Merry, "with a little bird-thing across the back of the wrist. An expensive sort of trinket for an ale-keeper's daughter to have, but the Arms is a popular house for drink, and perhaps he's earned enough to buy her expensive things."
"I don't think her father bought it for her," said Frodo. "I saw another just like it in Caradan's quarters when I was there yesterday."
"You think he-?"
Frodo nodded. "Her sorrow over his death may be more deep, and more personal, than her father guesses--he doesn't seem to have any idea that there was anything between the two. It's my guess she's kept it from him. I need to talk to her. That's something we must do, Merry, just you and I. I can't have Captain Beregond standing over it all and making people nervous while I try to ask questions about such a delicate matter.
"If there was something between them, it may also answer another question for me. Councilor Imatibin told me that Carathir and Larengar quarreled over Carathir's son not long before Carathir's death. I thought it only a sly insinuation from Imatibin, but if there was a quarrel as he claims, perhaps it was over Caradan's attachment to the barmaid. He was, after all, betrothed to Larengar's daughter. That would certainly be reason enough to provoke a fight." But was it reason enough for Larengar to poison both father and son? "I must see Ilsethe before I speak to him."
"And what do you want me to do?" asked Merry as they began to walk.
"Provide a distraction. I want to speak to her when her father isn't there to hear her answers. I'm sure you can keep him busy." Frodo smiled. "Early morning seems the best time for an interview, don't you agree?" They emerged from the lower end of the tunnel and headed down the street toward Gandalf's house. "We'll go down to the Steward's Arms before breakfast, when no one else is there, and before Captain Beregond comes to call upon me. But not tomorrow morning. Tomorrow, we're going riding."
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