Near the end of the feast, Aragorn found himself growing tired. I am half
inclined that it had nothing to do with me and the herbs I mixed in his
wine, which were enough to fell a horse, but somehow I doubt it. When
Legolas observed Aragorn's exhaustion condition, he sent me a wry,
reproving look, to which I shrugged. Then he and I helped him to his room,
where he slept for quite a long time.
I spent much time with Merry, who had woken, and Pippin, and they told me much of their adventures, and marvelled that they came nearly to my shoulder as a result of the ent-water.
I noticed also the growing romance between Faramir and Éowyn, who had woken from her coma feeling caged. She had been restless for days before she met Faramir, and now they spent barely any time apart.
Two weeks after Frodo and Sam were brought to the halls of healing, they woke. I had been down the hall, tending to Éowyn's broken arm, when I heard the peals of laughter echo down the halls.
"Well? Don't stand there like a fool bandaging my arm!" Éowyn said sharply. "Go on!" I grinned at her and hurried down the hall.
I slipped into the room to see everyone already there. The entire room rang with laughter, as Frodo greeted his friends and relished in his survival. He spotted me and grinned, picking up the ring from the bedside and holding it out to me. I came forward and knelt before him.
"It's yours, Frodo. Keep it." He nodded, slipping it onto his finger. I ruffled his curls and he grinned up at me. I don't think I have ever been so happy in my life.
*&*
I stood in the crowds, watching as the crown was placed on Aragorn's head. My voice rose with the rest of the crowd's, and when he sang, I smiled. Everything that had been done, in my eighty years and his eighty-seven, had all led to this. This had been the goal of the world: the crowning of the heir of Elendil, the restored king of the west. Kera grinned at me from my side, where she held the silken flag of Anorondor on the pole.
"Two crownings in a day." She said with a smile.
"Though mine will be distinctly less public." I retorted. Then I focused on Aragorn again. He was walking down through the throngs now. He came to us first, and I curtsied deeply, my curling black hair falling over my shoulders and my gold-orange silk skirts swirling around me. He raised me, and kissed my cheek.
"My lord." I murmured.
"Your highness." He returned with a smile. Then he moved on, greeting Legolas where he stood as Prince of Mirkwood, and then he met Elrond. I grinned when I saw the flag bearer move the flag away from her face to reveal Arwen. I realised I had never told him she had not sailed. Oops.
He kissed her full on, in front of everyone, and the crowd let forth an appreciative shout. Then Aragorn took Arwen with him, and when he came to the four hobbits, which stood alone in a small raised area. They bowed slightly, and Aragorn frowned.
"My friends. You need not bow to me." He said reprovingly, and then he and Arwen sank to one knee before them, and the entire crowd followed, and I saw the four look around apprehensively, obviously not expecting this. Then we rose, and festivities commenced.
There was a great festival and celebration outside on the high court, but inside the hall, it was cool and quiet as I knelt before Aragorn.
"You swear to live by your country, to put it before yourself in everything, no matter the difficulty?" I felt a pang of guilt at this – having put my heart before my sanity.
"I do." I answered. Aragorn continued for some time in this vein, explaining my obligations as Queen of Mordor.
"Tanyra na'quel." I answered the final question in old Mordor, and it was the sealing answer. Aragorn nodded, then placed the gold crown on my head. The crown was simply a circlet of gold, with alternating gold and bronze waving spikes coming from it. The bronze spikes were about half as tall as the gold ones, and the whole thing had been polished so it shone like the sun it represented. Then Aragorn raised me.
"Men took the crown from your people, and so now I return it to you, Queen Jané of Anorondor." I nodded solemnly.
"May our people work together in peace and prosperity." I answered. It was the proper response to this – the crowning had been scripted from almost the moment Queen Janira had had it taken from her.
Then Aragorn hugged me, the crowning over. Finally, I could relax!
"What a pair we make, eh?" he asked with a grin. I laughed. All of my friends came forth to congratulate me, mostly with hugs, but then Legolas just grasped my shoulders and kissed me, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, and we were almost oblivious to my brother's laughter.
A week later, I entered Mordor rather carefully. The place had been wrecked, that was for sure. I frowned, and Legolas took my hand. A dry wind blew black ash around in small cyclones that played with our clothes.
"No one ever said it would be easy." Legolas commented.
"This place is definitely going to need redecorating." I commented, and then he and I continued into the heart of Mordor. My country. My Mordor.
The Queen had returned.
*&*
I spent much time with Merry, who had woken, and Pippin, and they told me much of their adventures, and marvelled that they came nearly to my shoulder as a result of the ent-water.
I noticed also the growing romance between Faramir and Éowyn, who had woken from her coma feeling caged. She had been restless for days before she met Faramir, and now they spent barely any time apart.
Two weeks after Frodo and Sam were brought to the halls of healing, they woke. I had been down the hall, tending to Éowyn's broken arm, when I heard the peals of laughter echo down the halls.
"Well? Don't stand there like a fool bandaging my arm!" Éowyn said sharply. "Go on!" I grinned at her and hurried down the hall.
I slipped into the room to see everyone already there. The entire room rang with laughter, as Frodo greeted his friends and relished in his survival. He spotted me and grinned, picking up the ring from the bedside and holding it out to me. I came forward and knelt before him.
"It's yours, Frodo. Keep it." He nodded, slipping it onto his finger. I ruffled his curls and he grinned up at me. I don't think I have ever been so happy in my life.
*&*
I stood in the crowds, watching as the crown was placed on Aragorn's head. My voice rose with the rest of the crowd's, and when he sang, I smiled. Everything that had been done, in my eighty years and his eighty-seven, had all led to this. This had been the goal of the world: the crowning of the heir of Elendil, the restored king of the west. Kera grinned at me from my side, where she held the silken flag of Anorondor on the pole.
"Two crownings in a day." She said with a smile.
"Though mine will be distinctly less public." I retorted. Then I focused on Aragorn again. He was walking down through the throngs now. He came to us first, and I curtsied deeply, my curling black hair falling over my shoulders and my gold-orange silk skirts swirling around me. He raised me, and kissed my cheek.
"My lord." I murmured.
"Your highness." He returned with a smile. Then he moved on, greeting Legolas where he stood as Prince of Mirkwood, and then he met Elrond. I grinned when I saw the flag bearer move the flag away from her face to reveal Arwen. I realised I had never told him she had not sailed. Oops.
He kissed her full on, in front of everyone, and the crowd let forth an appreciative shout. Then Aragorn took Arwen with him, and when he came to the four hobbits, which stood alone in a small raised area. They bowed slightly, and Aragorn frowned.
"My friends. You need not bow to me." He said reprovingly, and then he and Arwen sank to one knee before them, and the entire crowd followed, and I saw the four look around apprehensively, obviously not expecting this. Then we rose, and festivities commenced.
There was a great festival and celebration outside on the high court, but inside the hall, it was cool and quiet as I knelt before Aragorn.
"You swear to live by your country, to put it before yourself in everything, no matter the difficulty?" I felt a pang of guilt at this – having put my heart before my sanity.
"I do." I answered. Aragorn continued for some time in this vein, explaining my obligations as Queen of Mordor.
"Tanyra na'quel." I answered the final question in old Mordor, and it was the sealing answer. Aragorn nodded, then placed the gold crown on my head. The crown was simply a circlet of gold, with alternating gold and bronze waving spikes coming from it. The bronze spikes were about half as tall as the gold ones, and the whole thing had been polished so it shone like the sun it represented. Then Aragorn raised me.
"Men took the crown from your people, and so now I return it to you, Queen Jané of Anorondor." I nodded solemnly.
"May our people work together in peace and prosperity." I answered. It was the proper response to this – the crowning had been scripted from almost the moment Queen Janira had had it taken from her.
Then Aragorn hugged me, the crowning over. Finally, I could relax!
"What a pair we make, eh?" he asked with a grin. I laughed. All of my friends came forth to congratulate me, mostly with hugs, but then Legolas just grasped my shoulders and kissed me, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, and we were almost oblivious to my brother's laughter.
A week later, I entered Mordor rather carefully. The place had been wrecked, that was for sure. I frowned, and Legolas took my hand. A dry wind blew black ash around in small cyclones that played with our clothes.
"No one ever said it would be easy." Legolas commented.
"This place is definitely going to need redecorating." I commented, and then he and I continued into the heart of Mordor. My country. My Mordor.
The Queen had returned.
*&*