These characters all belong to the estate of J.R.R. Tolkien. This story was written for pleasure and not for financial gain
Warning – This chapter contains violence and may distress sensitive readersO Lord our God arise,
Scatter her enemies
And make them fall;
Confound their politics,
Frustrate their knavish tricks,
On Thee our hopes we fix,
Oh, save us all! - British National anthem
With grateful thanks to Raksha, who helped me a great deal with this chapter and wrote a considerable part of it. Also thanks to Julia for her support and helpful suggestions.
Beckoning to his followers to be silent, Aragorn and Faramir melted into the crowd. Pulling up their hoods to veil their faces, they found a vantage point behind a pillar, from which they could see everything, while remaining unobserved from the platform.
Imrahil must have noticed the excited and cheerful demeanour from some sections of the crowd. He shot them a stern and disapproving stare, which failed to remove the joyous smiles from their faces.
The musicians of the Tower Guard blew a mournful dirge on their silver trumpets and silence fell upon the crowd.
"People of Gondor, we are gathered here together on a sad day for us all," Imrahil began. "Our beloved King Elessar has been taken from us his prime. This is indeed a dark hour for our beloved land that these things should come to pass. We were blessed to have beheld one who shone before us like the sun in splendour. Now again, we are in darkness, the glory of the heir of Elendil has been taken from us. On this day, however, let us remember our liege, Aragorn Arathornion Elessar Telcontar.
He led us to victory over the Dark Lord and brought healing in his hands to so many. Truly, he restored the glory of Gondor, though for all too brief a time! Today we are gathered together to pay tribute to our late lord."
Eomer was weeping now, as if his noble heart would break. Many of the common folk wept too, ignorant still that their King was there amongst them.
The members of the Council silently filed to take their places beside Imrahil who continued, "Today, we shall lay our beloved King Elessar to rest besides his ancestors in the Rath Dinen. May the Valar grant him bliss beyond the circles of this world! The King is dead, long live the King!"
"But, alas, we have no King!" Dervorin of Ringlo Vale interrupted, "Prince Eldarion has not been seen for months now and extensive efforts have failed to find him. And he is a mere infant; too young to take the throne.Since the people are all gathered here today, I thinkit would be a good time to inform them that until a new king be found, the Council will rule in his stead!"
Imrahil looked annoyed at the interruption. "I am acting leader of the Council unless the Queen decree otherwise, my lord, and I say that we shall await Queen Arwen's word regarding who shall act as her son's regent before doing any such thing."
"Pah!" Dervorin exclaimed rudely. "We all know she has vanished without trace and how the Steward, Lord Faramir cuts his jib these days. That is, when he is even here. Has he even bothered to leave word of when he will return while this land lies leaderless?"
"We all appreciate your loyalty to the House of Telcontar; My Lord Imrahil, but for how long can Gondor be left without a ruler?" Meneldil, the Lord of Lebennin said, coming forward to stand beside the Prince of Dol Amroth. "We should tell these good people that we shall rule over them until a King return, or maybe an heir to the Stewardship if he does not!"
"Have you no sense of decency?" Imrahil countered sternly. "Our Queen has not finished the mourning rites of her people. We need not disturb her until those rites are done, as well as this sad rite we perform today. And the only heir in the direct line of the House of Hurin is an infant girl."
"But where is Queen Arwen?" protested Dervorin, " We cannot leave our beloved land waiting on the whims of an Elf and her half-breed son!"
A shocked gasp went up from the crowd at such dire insults to the royal family.
"Silence!" Imrahil thundered.
"We are pleased to tell you, my good people, that Lord Boromir was secretly married and sired a son and heir!" the Lord of Lebennin announced, ignoring Imrahil.
"What, my cousin had another hidden heir?" Imrahil's son Elphir interjected. "Just a few weeks ago, you spoke of a girl-child born in wedlock. How curious that Boromir never mentioned these children to his own family, much less his marriages to their mothers."
At that moment Hanna, furiously strode from her place beside the Lord of Lossarnach's wife protesting loudly, "My daughter is Lord Boromir's rightful heir!"
"Hush, woman! You will ruin everything!" Dervorin hissed, "Your daughter is nowhere to be found whereas we have the boy."
"You promised my daughter would be queen, you lying scoundrel! I will not be quiet!" She laughed wildly and lashed out at him with her fists, the light of madness in her eyes as she refused to be silenced.
"Witless trull!" Dervorin yelled, then shoved the enraged woman with such force that she fell at his feet, her feet entangling in the folds of her gown.
"My lord, this is an outrage! "Imrahil complained, "We are honouring the dead! This is not the time to decide who shall rule Gondor. "
"It has been decided. I your rightful King, Elessar Telcontar, son of Arathorn, heir of Elendil, bearer of the Sword that was Broken, victorious in battle, have returned to claim what is mine!" Aragorn finally came forward, brandishing Anduril. Faramir followed a few steps behind him. The Star of Elendil gleamed on the King's brow and his eyes burned like flame. In a firm and commanding voice, he ordered: "Arrest Dervorin of Ringlo Vale, Meneldil of Lebennin, and Fontos of Lossarnach, for murder most foul, and acts of abduction and assault upon their King!"
The four who had formed the Guard of Honour drew their swords at their King's word and came forward to take hold of the Lords of Ringlo Vale and Lebennin. Confusion flared as the lords' families, supporters and men-at-arms struggled and cried out in rage.
Screams rang out, and several women fainted, both in fear of the commotion and horror at the return of a King they believed dead. Imrahil stood there dumbfounded, hardly able to believe his own eyes. He blinked hard, wondering if this were some apparition and then paled as he realized it was not. Eomer gave a cry of joy and leapt to his feet.
"What is the meaning of this?" Imrahil asked in bewilderment.
"Uncle, it is I,and our Lord King who was not slain as we all believed!" Faramir called urgently, "Hold all the traitors before they escape!"
"I have no nephew," Imrahil said coldly. He still looked bewildered but called to his men to assist Aragorn.
Eomer drew his sword and ran forward. "Aragorn, my friend, you live!" he cried, "This is indeed a joyous day!"
With the Rohirrim now accompanying him, Aragorn, Faramir and Eomer advanced upon the rebel lords and their men and arrested them. Imrahil stood as if rooted to the spot, hardly able to believe the sudden turn of events.
Hanna apparently forgotten, struggled to her feet and then turned on Dervorin once more. "My daughter should rule!" she repeated." How many times did you promise me that when you lay in my arms? "She started to pummel him furiously with her fists.
"Fontos, help me!" Dervorin pleaded to his son-in-law, who, still free, hovered uncertainly in the background.
Fontos hesitated for a moment. Then he turned his back on Dervorin and threw himself at Aragorn's feet.
"I am sorry, my Lord King. I wronged you," he cried. "It was all a lie!" Fontos looked up at the other Council members, and said, as loudly but more clearly: "My lords of the realm, and my Lord King, the claim of the woman Hanna to have married Lord Boromir is false. I forged my father's hand on the marriage document, at the urging of my kinsman Dervorin of Ringlo Vale. The child Elbeth may be Boromir's daughter, but she is not his lawful heir. Nor did Boromir ever wed anyone. The boy, we found in an orphanage. We conspired falsely, so as to seize the throne by marrying the young lass to the King's heir. I am guilty as well, and surrender myself to the King's justice." He quieted, and bowed his head in shame.
A contingent of Imrahil's Swan Knights had appeared, apparently by Elphir's command. They approached Aragorn and bowed their heads to him.
"Thank you, Elphir." Aragorn said. "By your leave, Imrahil?" he asked, looking at Imrahil, who nodded. "Escort the Lord Fontos to the Hospitality Room and guard him well and apart from all others." Aragorn commanded the Swan Knights. "See that he is not harmed and does not harm himself. I will deal with him later." Four of the swan-plumed knights took Fontos and raised him, then, escorted the disgraced lord toward the Royal apartments.
Somehow, during the commotion Dervorin had managed to break free. He bolted, dodging and elbowing through the crowd of confused mourners, his men pushing others aside to clear his way. Hanna, Aragorn, Faramir and a crowd of Tower Guards, Swan Knights, Rohirrim and several hundred Gondorians chased the traitor, tempers rising in their pursuit.When Dervorin reached the White Tower, he realised he could go no further. The door was blocked, and six scowling guards stood before it.
Faramir led a company of guards toward the cornered traitor"You will pay for your deeds with a traitor's death," he said coldly. "It is your choice whether you do so now or after a trial."
"I am surprised at you, Lord Faramir, " Dervorin purred. "No one was more vocal in their support of our cause than you. If I die, the secret of your brother's true heir dies with me!"
"My Elbeth is the true heir!" Hanna protested from somewhere behind Faramir. Then she wriggled out of the crowd of people behind the guards, and scurried to Dervorin's side. " You said if I pretended Lord Boromir married me that I would have everything I could hope for!"
"Silence, you lying whore!" Dervorin spat.
Hanna's only reply was to slap him across the face. Before anyone could stop him, Devorin pushed her forward so that she was impaled upon the point of Faramir's drawn sword.
Hanna gave a strangled moan, while Faramir, horrified, tried to stop her falling any further on the blade. However, she was already dead, her blood spilling on the tower steps.
"Take the Lord of Ringlo Vale into secure custody," Aragorn ordered." Then take the woman away and bury her beside her father the Porter, loyal servant to the House of Hurin." Despite all that he had suffered at the hands of this woman, it sickened him to see her slaughtered like a savage dog by the man who had been her lover. She had borne a courageous and noble child to Aragorn's fallen comrade. Perhaps, she had once been as good-hearted as Elbeth. He vowed that Elbeth would be protected and well-reared, free of her mother's legacy of hate.
Sighing, Aragorn turned and surveyed the scène. The fighting had diminished; though he still had to fell three of Dervorin's armed retainerswith Anduril. However, Imrahil's Swan Knights, and the Tower Guard had surrounded the area; and were making their way through the crowd of ambassadors and genuine mourners.
"He was behind it all, your Steward!" Dervorin snarled at Aragorn as two tall Guardsmen took him by the arms, "No one denounced you more loudly than he did! Fight men, fight for your lives!"
Dervorin's retainers joined in the fray with renewed vigour.
"Seize all the traitors! Justice must be done!" Aragorn shouted, as he despatched another miscreant. Beside him, Faramir was engaged in fighting off two burly men in the livery of Lebennin. Eomer had joined in the fray and was hacking down a particularly defiant, and now unfortunate, liege-man of Ringlo Vale. Behind him, Imrahil, who had now collected himself, faced Lebennin's lord, battling with sword and dagger in a graceful dance of steel.
Reinforcements poured in from all sides and suddenly the battle was over.
"Hail to King Elessar! Our King has returned and Gondor is again under his rule!" Imrahil shouted, raising his blade high in the air. Meneldil of Lebennin slumped to the ground, panting and bloodied, but alive.
Faramir smiled. Aragorn's gamble had paid off and his throne was restored. He was about to kneel to his rightful lord when something caught his eye from atop the Tower of Ecthelion. Just the barest gleam of silver, a faint line glinting in the bright sunlight - he realised that it was an arrow intended for his King!
"Look out!" he shouted, but it was too late as the arrow was already taking its deadly path towards his King.
Instinctively, Faramir threw himself in front of Aragorn, shielding him with his own body.
The arrow pierced his flesh and he sank to the ground, landing with a dull thud on the stone steps.
"Faramir! No!" Aragorn cried heedless of all around them, as his Steward crumpled and lay seemingly lifeless at his lord's feet, an arrow protruding from his chest.
A/N A very grateful thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I was thrilled at the response it received. I have replied to everyone who is logged in.
Apologies for the delay, but as the story gradually draws towards its conclusion, it is becoming increasingly complex to write.
I hope today's chapter will be appropriate for the birthday of our Queen.
I have added an extra and unexpected chapter to "At the Rising of the Moon".