~@-/Pains in the Heart\-@~
I don't own the characters, just the plot. However, I do have virtual voodoo dolls with which I do evil things muhuhahaha!
To Common Welsh Green: Thank you! [My cousin says 'confussticated' :)]
To Calleigh: Actually, Egleriel has a good piece called Tolkien's First Draft - it's very informative.
To Writerbrat: No prob. I do that, too.
To Kiki: Damn right! The Arwen ending was SO forced. I was like, where'd that come from?
To Rosa Cotton: Just you wait and see... well actually, I'll be the one to wait and see. I'm making this up as I go along :)
===================
--+-- Minas Tirith --+--
A month had passed since Aragorn and Éowyn's engagement; the City was teeming with guests from all across the West, all clamouring for a look at the new King. Today was his coronation.
Faramir was ready for the ceremony. This was one ceremony he would not begrudge Aragorn; indeed it would be his last duty as Steward. He stood on the road just beyond the Gates in a long courtyard formed by soldiers of both Gondor and Rohan; behind him were countless citizens of the West.
At an undetectable signal, the Dúnedain detached themselves from the rear of the Gondorian soldiers. Ranged like a regiment, Aragorn led them up the broad aisle between the two armies. The people were breathtaken; they had expected a man somewhere between a young lad fresh to war and a battle- scarred old fellow. Few recalled the tales of the Númenoreans, and their lifespan that is thrice that of lesser men. So indeed they saw both a man of 88, and a man in the prime of life.
He was clad in black mail, trimmed with silver, with a long white mantle held with a green jewel at the neck; and that jewel was the Elessar. He wore no helm, but a slender silver circlet that bore a white gem. And as the guard of Aragorn progressed, the people realised that his company was made up not solely of Dúnedain; also among the party were the Hobbits Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee (and rumour rippled through the crowd that these had cast down the Shadow), and Meriadoc Brandybuck subject of Rohan, and Peregrin Took Guard of Minas Tirith; and King Éomer of Rohan; and Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth; and the wizard Gandalf, whom many present called Mithrandir.
And a trumpet rang out over the Pelennor, calling for silence; Faramir's time had come. With a brief glance backwards, he saw four high-ranking members of the Guard carrying an ancient black casket like a coffin. It had not been seen by the people of Gondor in almost ten centuries, not since the reign of King Eärnur, the ill-fated last king of Gondor. Faramir felt a twinge of pride that his family had ruled Gondor for 969 years; and a twinge of regret that he would never rule. Faramir was not power-hungry, but curious. He had had so many ideas for Gondor... but then again, it had been a long time since he had been in control of his life. Faramir drained the thoughts from his head and stepped forwards.
He met Aragorn halfway through the crowd and sank to one knee. This was the moment Boromir had longed for; that Denethor had said would never happen. Thinking of his lost family sent a stab of grief through his heart; and he looked up at Aragorn, offering up the white rod of the Stewards.
"The last Steward of Gondor begs leave to surrender his office," said Faramir.
A sudden remembrance struck him like a blow as he spoke.
--+-- F L A S H B A C K --+--
He had been quite young - at the awkward age between childhood and the teens. An older member of the Guard sat in the mess hall, slowly gnawing an apple.
"Long ago, it was," said Aldacar, "too long ago for my liking. He was a tall man, clad most often in black; and he was a great leader, and a great loremaster, though there was little time for tales on the battlefield and that was where I knew him. He was always in the van, but never in danger somehow. We would have followed him to the ends of Middle-earth."
"Who was he?" young Faramir had said.
"Called himself Thorongil," mused the older man. "Eagle of the Star, if my memory still serves me."
"What an odd name."
"Indeed. I seem to recall a great green gem he wore everywhere, pinned to his cloak... it was set in a great silver brooch like an eagle, and it glowed, as though it captured the light of a thousand leaves..."
--+-- E N D . F L A S H B A C K --+--
Faramir looked up again, gazing at the brooch Aragorn wore. It was exactly as Aldacar had described.
He remembered the rest of that conversation, how Thorongil had been an adviser to your the Lord Ecthelion; Thorongil's popularity, matched only by Denethor's jealousy; how Thorongil was perfectly happy to serve under Denethor's Stewardship. How the people had wanted Thorongil to take the white rod instead.
And here was Faramir, kneeling before his father's rival. His father was dead; Thorongil would succeed him after all. He wondered if Denethor had ever discovered Thorongil's true name and lineage; Faramir had no doubts that he had. And then he realised the king was speaking.
"That office is not ended," said Aragorn, giving the rod back, "and it shall be thine and thy heirs' as long as my line shall last. Do now thy office!"
Faramir smiled and stood up. He looked to the crowd. "Men of Gondor!" he cried, "hear now the Steward of this Realm! Behold! One has come to claim the kingship again at last. Here is Aragorn, son of Arathorn, Chieftain of the Dúnedain of Arnor, Captain of the Host of the West, bearer of the Star of the North, wielder of the Sword Reforged, victorious in battle, whose hands bring healing, the Elfstone, Elessar of the line of Valandil, Isildur's son, Elendil's son of Númenor. Shall he be king and enter into the City and dwell there?"
And all the people - men, women, children, soldiers and civilians alike - cried "Yea!" with one monstrous voice. Faramir smiled again and continued:
"I have today brought hither from Rath Dínen the crown of Eärnur the last king, whose days passed in the time of our longfathers of old."
The guards behind Faramir knew what to do. They came level with Faramir; and he opened the Lebrethon chest, and he raised the crown of the kings of Gondor. It was shaped like a helm of the Citadel, but it was all of white, with the wings on either side wrought of pearl and silver like that of a seabird, which was the emblem of the kings of Númenor.
As he took in the seven diamonds set in the circlet and that single bright jewel at the top of the crown, an ancient rhyme ran through Faramir's head:
Tall ships and tall kings
Three times three,
What brought they from the foundered land
Over the flowing sea?
Seven stars and seven stones
And one white tree.
Every Gondorian child learnt that rhyme from its nurse, and here was the Steward Faramir II, son of Denethor II of the line of Mardil Voronwë, singing it at his king's coronation. And then Aragorn spoke the words of Elendil in the High-Elvish tongue, and every person in the crowd knew its meaning, for it, too, was a line learned in early childhood:
Out of the Great Sea to Middle-earth I am come.
In this place will I abide, and my heirs, unto the ending of this world.
The crowd held its breath. There was not a sound. Aragorn was not succeeding a king, so protocol was being compromised, but he did not put the crown on himself, though his hands trembled with excitement.
"By the labour and valour of many I have come into my inheritance. In token of this I would have the Ring-bearer bring the crown to me, and let Mithrandir set it upon my head, if he will; for he has been the mover of all that has been accomplished, and this is his victory."
And so it was done. Aragorn knew that his request could be seen as vanity, trying to draw out the ceremony as long as possible, but the weight of the crown upon his head would feel sweeter if his old friend was to set it there. And when Gandalf placed it on Aragorn's head, he turned to the people and said, "Now come the days of the King, and may they be blessed while the thrones of the Valar endure!"
Aragorn Elessar arose. It seemed to the people that for the first time he was revealed to them. Tall as the sea-kings of old, he stood above all that were near; ancient of days he seemed and yet in the flower of manhood; and wisdom sat upon his brow, and strength and healing were in his hands, and a light was about him.
"Behold the king!" cried Faramir.
The crowd exploded, and trumpets sang, and the King of Gondor went forth into his city.
===================
I don't own the characters, just the plot. However, I do have virtual voodoo dolls with which I do evil things muhuhahaha!
To Common Welsh Green: Thank you! [My cousin says 'confussticated' :)]
To Calleigh: Actually, Egleriel has a good piece called Tolkien's First Draft - it's very informative.
To Writerbrat: No prob. I do that, too.
To Kiki: Damn right! The Arwen ending was SO forced. I was like, where'd that come from?
To Rosa Cotton: Just you wait and see... well actually, I'll be the one to wait and see. I'm making this up as I go along :)
===================
--+-- Minas Tirith --+--
A month had passed since Aragorn and Éowyn's engagement; the City was teeming with guests from all across the West, all clamouring for a look at the new King. Today was his coronation.
Faramir was ready for the ceremony. This was one ceremony he would not begrudge Aragorn; indeed it would be his last duty as Steward. He stood on the road just beyond the Gates in a long courtyard formed by soldiers of both Gondor and Rohan; behind him were countless citizens of the West.
At an undetectable signal, the Dúnedain detached themselves from the rear of the Gondorian soldiers. Ranged like a regiment, Aragorn led them up the broad aisle between the two armies. The people were breathtaken; they had expected a man somewhere between a young lad fresh to war and a battle- scarred old fellow. Few recalled the tales of the Númenoreans, and their lifespan that is thrice that of lesser men. So indeed they saw both a man of 88, and a man in the prime of life.
He was clad in black mail, trimmed with silver, with a long white mantle held with a green jewel at the neck; and that jewel was the Elessar. He wore no helm, but a slender silver circlet that bore a white gem. And as the guard of Aragorn progressed, the people realised that his company was made up not solely of Dúnedain; also among the party were the Hobbits Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee (and rumour rippled through the crowd that these had cast down the Shadow), and Meriadoc Brandybuck subject of Rohan, and Peregrin Took Guard of Minas Tirith; and King Éomer of Rohan; and Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth; and the wizard Gandalf, whom many present called Mithrandir.
And a trumpet rang out over the Pelennor, calling for silence; Faramir's time had come. With a brief glance backwards, he saw four high-ranking members of the Guard carrying an ancient black casket like a coffin. It had not been seen by the people of Gondor in almost ten centuries, not since the reign of King Eärnur, the ill-fated last king of Gondor. Faramir felt a twinge of pride that his family had ruled Gondor for 969 years; and a twinge of regret that he would never rule. Faramir was not power-hungry, but curious. He had had so many ideas for Gondor... but then again, it had been a long time since he had been in control of his life. Faramir drained the thoughts from his head and stepped forwards.
He met Aragorn halfway through the crowd and sank to one knee. This was the moment Boromir had longed for; that Denethor had said would never happen. Thinking of his lost family sent a stab of grief through his heart; and he looked up at Aragorn, offering up the white rod of the Stewards.
"The last Steward of Gondor begs leave to surrender his office," said Faramir.
A sudden remembrance struck him like a blow as he spoke.
--+-- F L A S H B A C K --+--
He had been quite young - at the awkward age between childhood and the teens. An older member of the Guard sat in the mess hall, slowly gnawing an apple.
"Long ago, it was," said Aldacar, "too long ago for my liking. He was a tall man, clad most often in black; and he was a great leader, and a great loremaster, though there was little time for tales on the battlefield and that was where I knew him. He was always in the van, but never in danger somehow. We would have followed him to the ends of Middle-earth."
"Who was he?" young Faramir had said.
"Called himself Thorongil," mused the older man. "Eagle of the Star, if my memory still serves me."
"What an odd name."
"Indeed. I seem to recall a great green gem he wore everywhere, pinned to his cloak... it was set in a great silver brooch like an eagle, and it glowed, as though it captured the light of a thousand leaves..."
--+-- E N D . F L A S H B A C K --+--
Faramir looked up again, gazing at the brooch Aragorn wore. It was exactly as Aldacar had described.
He remembered the rest of that conversation, how Thorongil had been an adviser to your the Lord Ecthelion; Thorongil's popularity, matched only by Denethor's jealousy; how Thorongil was perfectly happy to serve under Denethor's Stewardship. How the people had wanted Thorongil to take the white rod instead.
And here was Faramir, kneeling before his father's rival. His father was dead; Thorongil would succeed him after all. He wondered if Denethor had ever discovered Thorongil's true name and lineage; Faramir had no doubts that he had. And then he realised the king was speaking.
"That office is not ended," said Aragorn, giving the rod back, "and it shall be thine and thy heirs' as long as my line shall last. Do now thy office!"
Faramir smiled and stood up. He looked to the crowd. "Men of Gondor!" he cried, "hear now the Steward of this Realm! Behold! One has come to claim the kingship again at last. Here is Aragorn, son of Arathorn, Chieftain of the Dúnedain of Arnor, Captain of the Host of the West, bearer of the Star of the North, wielder of the Sword Reforged, victorious in battle, whose hands bring healing, the Elfstone, Elessar of the line of Valandil, Isildur's son, Elendil's son of Númenor. Shall he be king and enter into the City and dwell there?"
And all the people - men, women, children, soldiers and civilians alike - cried "Yea!" with one monstrous voice. Faramir smiled again and continued:
"I have today brought hither from Rath Dínen the crown of Eärnur the last king, whose days passed in the time of our longfathers of old."
The guards behind Faramir knew what to do. They came level with Faramir; and he opened the Lebrethon chest, and he raised the crown of the kings of Gondor. It was shaped like a helm of the Citadel, but it was all of white, with the wings on either side wrought of pearl and silver like that of a seabird, which was the emblem of the kings of Númenor.
As he took in the seven diamonds set in the circlet and that single bright jewel at the top of the crown, an ancient rhyme ran through Faramir's head:
Tall ships and tall kings
Three times three,
What brought they from the foundered land
Over the flowing sea?
Seven stars and seven stones
And one white tree.
Every Gondorian child learnt that rhyme from its nurse, and here was the Steward Faramir II, son of Denethor II of the line of Mardil Voronwë, singing it at his king's coronation. And then Aragorn spoke the words of Elendil in the High-Elvish tongue, and every person in the crowd knew its meaning, for it, too, was a line learned in early childhood:
Out of the Great Sea to Middle-earth I am come.
In this place will I abide, and my heirs, unto the ending of this world.
The crowd held its breath. There was not a sound. Aragorn was not succeeding a king, so protocol was being compromised, but he did not put the crown on himself, though his hands trembled with excitement.
"By the labour and valour of many I have come into my inheritance. In token of this I would have the Ring-bearer bring the crown to me, and let Mithrandir set it upon my head, if he will; for he has been the mover of all that has been accomplished, and this is his victory."
And so it was done. Aragorn knew that his request could be seen as vanity, trying to draw out the ceremony as long as possible, but the weight of the crown upon his head would feel sweeter if his old friend was to set it there. And when Gandalf placed it on Aragorn's head, he turned to the people and said, "Now come the days of the King, and may they be blessed while the thrones of the Valar endure!"
Aragorn Elessar arose. It seemed to the people that for the first time he was revealed to them. Tall as the sea-kings of old, he stood above all that were near; ancient of days he seemed and yet in the flower of manhood; and wisdom sat upon his brow, and strength and healing were in his hands, and a light was about him.
"Behold the king!" cried Faramir.
The crowd exploded, and trumpets sang, and the King of Gondor went forth into his city.
===================