This chapter is a very short one, just an interval I had to put in to keep my plot on track. The next chapter will be far more exciting.

There was great commotion in the throne room where audiences were held when he got downstairs. Fortunately for him, he always kept a set of formal robes in the tiring room behind the dais, so he was able to look presentable for the confrontation. Opening the door the merest crack, he looked out and caught his herald's eye.

The herald nodded and pounded the floor with a staff. "His Majesty, King Elessar!"

Everyone quieted as the king stepped out and sat in his throne. Elessar looked about him and saw that the cause of the problem was two men from Lossarnach. They claimed to have been wronged by the Captain of the guard.

Aragorn raised his eyebrow. "I would hear this problem in its entirety." He said imperiously.

One of the men spoke up, "We had been assigned to stay here in Minas Tirith rather than returning home and were given guard duty. About a week ago we were doing our job keeping out the rabble when the captain told us to let in some grimy family and then gave us punishment duty for doing our job."

The King stared at him grimly. "What do you have to say, Captain?" he ordered. He shook his head slightly, though, that the man wasn't to tell what the king had been doing.

The captain nodded slightly back and said, "I was making my rounds happened upon the gate they were guarding. There was a family requesting entrance that was obviously in need of the healers. Your Majesty has said that all people are to be allowed access to the houses so let them in and assigned these men to clean the stables for a week as punishment for preventing people from having the right to decent treatment when they were obviously desperate."

Elessar sat quietly for a moment as if deep in thought. "This then is my judgment. The captain was in the right. No one is ever to be prevented from seeing the Healers. You guards have clearly fulfilled your punishment now, and are welcome to either resume guard duty with more compassion toward the downtrodden or to return to your homes with my gratitude if you prefer."

The men bowed. "We thank you," said the spokesman, "we have been long away from our families and would like to return to them."

The room mostly cleared, leaving only the council of advisors from all the parts under the reign of Gondor. The king stood. "My lords, I would have you adjourn with me to the council chamber that I might set a proposal before you."

The councilors all bowed and waited for him to lead them from the room. They were a wide variety of men, sons of lords in some cases, and experienced warriors of common birth. Though Aragorn did not need their approval for any law he wished to enact, he did prefer that they knew what he was planning in most situations in case they had a good idea to add.

The whole group went to a nearby chamber that was much more comfortable, being smaller and easier to heat. Seating himself, the King said, "I will not keep you long gentlemen. I simply wish to put a thought before you that we might discuss at greater length tomorrow. There is a large section of the city wherein dwell the poor and downtrodden. I have seen it myself, several times. Now I am working out how best to help them without having to drag each individual to the Houses of Healing and then find them jobs. There must be some more elegant way to do this."

He gestured to a servant, who came up to him. "Give each of us a sheaf of parchment and quill and ink." The servant obeyed. He was well trusted, having been servant to the hobbits when they were staying in the city. When each man had writing implements before him, Aragorn said, "Take a few minutes to write down any ideas you might have right now. I will look them over before our next meeting."

Everyone did so, scratching quickly on the paper to get in everything that had immediately come to mind before they needed to get ready for supper. Aragorn had a few ideas himself, which he wrote down. A few minutes later, he raised his head to look around him. Nodding to the servant again, he sent the man around to collect the papers.

"That is all for now, gentlemen. Go enjoy supper. I know I will." He ended with a secret smile that baffled all of them.