Disclaimer: I do not own anything.
Two Days Later
"Hello Gandalf," Lord Balar said. "The Lords and Ladies should arrive soon and it should be an interesting evening."
"I'm sure it will be Lord Balar," he replied with smiling eyes.
Lord Balar and Gandalf turned and watched as the King and Queen descended the grand staircase when their presence was announced.
The King wore black boots with his black pants tucked inside. He coat jacket was gold that came to his knees and has a high collar with a leather belt around his waist. The elegant light-weight rich fabric was intricately designed and his crown looked magnificent around his head.
The Queen wore a magnificent flowing cream colored gown and her long black hair was swept up and her stunning circlet kept her hair in place.
Lord Balar and Gandalf thought the King and Queen looked regal and gave a deep nod to the Royal Couple after they descended the staircase.
xxx
When the Lords and Ladies arrived at Elan's home she introduced them to their King and Queen.
Gandalf watched as the Lords and Ladies sized up their new King and heard a few distasteful words about the King's coloring. He saw many envious looks from the Lords and their sons when they looked at him and knew they all wished they were in his place, but none of them earned the Kingship. He also heard a few Ladies asking why their King would marry a foreigner and not one of them.
"My Lords," the King said when he walked up to two Lords who were talking to each other.
"Your Majesty," Lord's Erik and Casmir replied and gave a nod to their liege.
"Lord Erik, I've appointed you to my Court as my Royal Administrator for the West and you're now Lord of the West," Adair told him.
"Thank you your Majesty," he said.
"This is Lord Uri whose also part of my Court and he's my Royal Administrator for the East and he's Lord of the East," Adair told Lord Erik.
"My Lord," Uri said with a nod of his head.
"My Lord," Lord Erik also replied with a nod.
"Lord Casmir, I've appointed you to my Court as my Secretary," Adair told him.
"Thank you your Majesty, it's a great honor," Lord Casmir said with a nod..
"I know the two of you live a few days ride from here and we'll be leaving for the castle in two days; however, I'll have a contingent of my Royal Guards escort you to your homes and then escort you to the castle after you're finished taking care of your affairs," Adair told him.
They both thanked the King before he walked away with Lord Uri.
Adair heard murmurs when he walked away from the Lords, but didn't see the nasty looks directed at Lord Erik. They know Lord Erik will speak for the King in all matters concerning the West.
Gandalf thought Elan made a wise chose after studying Lord Erik.
Elan also recommended Lord Casmir to Adair.
xxx
Gandalf sat on the Queen's left during dinner at the high table.
"You look very lovely Queen Amie," Gandalf said to her.
"Thank you Gandalf," she replied beaming.
"What do you think of the Lords and Ladies in the North?" he asked.
"They remind me of the Lords and Ladies of Gondor. It seems no matter where you go the Nobility is the same," she answered laughing.
Gandalf also laughed.
"Did you enjoy your tour of the grounds?" Amie asked.
"Yes," Gandalf answered. "The grounds are much larger than they look from the outside. This is a magnificent estate and there's a small lake on the grounds and a river in the distance. They're trees and flowers everywhere and some of the trees are fruit trees. They're also many lovely cottages on the grounds."
What Queen Amie nor Gandalf knew is that this will become King Adair's and Queen Amie's daughter's home after she marries.
xxx
Mir and Caldor bowed to the Royal Couple when they entered Elan's study the next morning.
"Why there?" Adair asked with a raised eyebrow, looking at the drawings Mir brought with him.
"It was Elan's idea," Mir answered.
"Trade with Gondor," Amie said.
"We already trade with the East," Mir replied.
"That takes a long time," Adair said.
"Our ships can't travel all the way to Gondor," Caldor told them.
"They can travel to Lond Daer," Amie said.
Caldor smiled at his Queen. "I want to sail to Lond Daer and inspect those buildings and the harbour.
Amie then told them about Gondorian ships.
"How long does it take to build a Gondorian ship your Grace?" Caldor asked.
"A few years," she answered.
Before the meeting was over Adair told Caldor he's now a Lord and Master of Ships and his wife Estella is Lady Estella. He told Mir he's now Lord Mir and his Master Builder and his wife Galinda is Lady Galinda.
"Thank you your Majesty," they replied.
xxx
"What do you think?" Adair asked Amie after the Lords left.
"It's looks beautiful and I can't wait to see it," she answered.
"Neither can I," he said. "I never thought I'd live by the sea."
"You're going to love it," she said and gave her husband a passionate kiss.
xxx
"I want to show you something Gandalf before we ride out later this morning," King Adair said to him after breakfast early the next morning.
"Of course your Majesty," he replied and followed the King.
"These belong to me," Adair told Gandalf sitting next to him on the bed.
Gandalf looked at the two large chests filled with gems and knew they were made by the dwarves.
"I grew up a servant and a poor boy, yet, I had all this and didn't know it," he said.
"Would you have done what you did if you had all this at a younger age?" Gandalf asked.
"No. I would be like the other Lord's sons," he answered.
"Yes you would," Gandalf said. "The Lord's of the North never realized the Kingship for these lands had to be earned and not given by birth. Everything you now have you earned – and you can relate to your people in ways the Lord's can't, because of your upbringing."
Adair nodded his head. "By the way Gandalf, Elan gave me the titles to all the Lord's lands in the West."
Gandalf laughed.
xxx
"Let's ride," King Adair said a few hours later.
People watched in awe when they saw their King and Queen and the Royal Party ride-bye. It was a sight they never forgot and they told their children and grandchildren.
The Royal Party stopped at an inn before nightfall and rose early the next morning to continue their journey westward. When they arrived at the Icebay they stopped so Gandalf could see it.
Gandalf knew the Icebay was once part of the Dor Daidelos (Regions of Everlasting Cold) which was North of Angband and was changed after the War of Wrath. That's why it's very cold in the North and why the Icebay freezes in the winter, Gandalf thought.
The Royal Party stopped at another inn close to the Icebay that evening and Gandalf saw how happy the people were to meet their King and Queen. The next morning they again rose before sunrise and Gandalf recognized the Blue Mountains in the distance and finally realized where they were headed.
"Welcome to your new home your Majesty," Lord Balar told him when they arrived. "You castle is on the other side of these mountains."
King Adair and Queen Amie looked South and saw how beautiful the lands are and Lord Mir told them how far South some of his Majesty's subjects had settled. Then they turned their horses North and rode around the mountains. Gandalf saw how beautifully the homes were built and noticed elvish influences in the designs.
The people greeted their King and Queen as they rode past and they smiled and waved in return. They stopped at an inn that evening and the following morning continued their journey South.
"It's beautiful Adair," Amie said to her husband when they saw the castle in the distance.
"Yes it is," he replied with a smile on his face.
The people continued to greet their King and Queen and they responded in kind until they reached a large forest.
"All the homes in the forest belong to your Royal Guard and their families, your Majesty," Lord Mir told him.
King Adair and Queen Amie looked around the forest and both thought it was beautiful. They rode until they reached a bridge and the guards bowed to their liege before they rode across an elevated stone bridge – which was also guarded on the other side – and continued riding through the forest until they arrived at the front door of the castle. The King helped his Queen off her horse and the stable hands lead the horses away.
"Right this way your Majesty," Lord Mir said with a slight bow when the large wooden castle door opened.
Gandalf didn't know the door had Mithril underneath.
The doorman bowed to his King and Queen when they entered their new home and they saw many of the household staff waiting for them when they walked into the large foyer. The staff bowed or curtsied when they walked passed.
"Hello mother," Adair said when he walked up to her. "I understand you're in charge of my household staff."
Katrina looked up and saw a smile on her son's face and his beautiful crown.
Gandalf smiled when the King embraced his mother while she wept in his arms. The Queen also embraced her mother-in-law.
Katrina gave orders to the staff to take everyone to their rooms. "I'll show my King and Queen to the Royal Wing," she said to her son and daughter-in-law and lead the way.
The King and Queen noticed all the floors, doors and furniture were made of wood and the wood beams on the ceilings were curved in an elegant design they'd never seen before. Two guards stood at the entrance to the Royal Wing and bowed to the Royal Couple when they approached. After Katrina opened the door to the Royal Wing they walked to a large sitting room with has a fireplace, large windows, an adjacent dining room and the kitchen. Then she showed them the King's study. Adair looked around his study and saw a desk and chair and two chairs facing the desk. She also showed them the cozy sitting room adjacent to the study with a private water closet.
"This is your bedroom," Katrina told them when she opened the door.
When Adair and Amie walked inside their bedroom they saw a large wood bed, a fireplace and chairs. Then they followed Katrina to their separate dressing areas and wash rooms. She showed them where the King's squire and the Queen's maid will enter and leave. Their wash rooms were identical and they both had a elegant curved wood bathtub, sink and a private water closet. Then they walked to the Royal children's wing upstairs.
"This is the Royal Garden," Katrina told them after their tour of the Royal Wing.
The view took Amie's breath away. "This is stunning," she said.
They both walked to the large stone terrace and looked out at the sea. There was a table with chairs on the terrace, along with a bench.
"I didn't realize we were this high," Adair said looking around and saw many trees surrounding them. "It's more lovely than I could ever image mother."
Katrina smiled at her son. "You're be shown the rest of the castle and grounds tomorrow. It's time for the two of you to take your baths and change. Dinner will be ready in two hours," she told them.
xxx
Gandalf knew the lands the Northmen settled on was once known as Lindon – the home of Gil-galad in the Second Age – and knew they'd been here for years. He knew men would settle on elvish lands once they left Middle-Earth for good and they all have, except a few. When he saw the castle from a distance, he knew it was built in a forest. The stone is lovely and there's a watch tower and each side of the castle. When they entered the castle he notice all the wood is elven and wondered where Lord Mir got it. He noticed the windows are large and let in plenty of light. His room had a bed, fireplace, a few chairs, wardrobe, wood floors and ceiling. Quite cozy, he thought. Then he took a hot bath.
xxx
"Lord Mir where do you get the wood and your ideas for the castle?" Gandalf asked when he walked up to him during the reception.
"We found the wood and many other materials in more than one place after we arrived and also many drawings. We also found plenty of stone in the same places. I took the ideas from the drawings we found and incorporated them with mine," he answered.
"You're a find builder Lord Mir," Gandalf told him and thought his work can match any elf or dwarf.
"Thank you Gandalf," he replied.
xxx
King Adair and Queen Amie chatted with each guest during the reception. When they were told dinner was ready everyone followed the Royal Couple into the King's Hall. The King's Hall had a high table and can easily seat two hundred guests. Before dinner King Adair told everyone his mother was the guest of honor that evening and he' given her the title of Lady. Lord Balar, Lady Katrina, Lord Raj, Lady Amara, Lady Jaya and Elan sat at the high table that evening. All are Adair's relatives.
After dinner there was dancing and they sang the songs from the East.
"I see Amie has immersed herself in the culture of the East," Elan said to Gandalf.
Gandalf smiled. He saw the Queen dancing with Lady Katrina and the other Ladies and having a grand time while the men clapped.
"I wonder how others will view our Queen when she returns home one day?" Elan asked Gandalf.
"She'll be a very different person than what they knew. She's also very young and was able to change and adapt," he answered.
"That's true, but what about the others in the South who're going to meet Adair and some of his Court. I heard some of the nasty remarks made by some of the Lords and Ladies about Adair at the feast in my home," she told him. "I wonder if the ones in the South will react the same way?"
Gandalf looked around at the different races in the room.
"I thought so," she said looking him in the eye. "When you return South prepare the others for their arrival one day."
Gandalf nodded to Elan.
xxx
One Month Later
Gandalf was escorted into the Throne Room by Lord Casmir and two Guards and noticed more guards in the room. This is the first time he'd been in the Throne Room. It's not as large as the Throne Room in Minas Tirith – which he thought had a cold feeling to it – but much smaller and warmer. They're large windows on one side of the room and the floors, steps and Throne are made of wood. They're seven steps to the Throne and the King sat on a cushion with his banner hanging above his head on the wall. Gandalf gave a deep nod to King Adair when he walked up to him.
"Thank you for everything Gandalf," the King said smiling down at him.
"You're welcome your Majesty. I was happy to help in any way I could," he replied with a twinkle in his eyes.
"Have a safe journey South," he told him.
Gandalf nodded to the King of the North one last time and was escorted out of the Throne Room. When he left the castle grounds he rode North, then East to the Misty Mountains and then turned South. When he accepted the mission to come to Middle-Earth he didn't know people lived in the North, or the Northern Waste as they call it in the South. He also didn't know that Sauron knew about about the people in the North, or that he'd been sending orcs and Easterlings North for a very long time. He wondered if Sauron knew he could never conquer the North because of the weather and the vastness of the lands.
He also thought about what Elan told him and knew what she said was true. He'd heard disparaging words, on many occasions, from many in Middle-Earth about the men from the South and wondered how they're going to accept King Adair. He thinks one of the reasons Eru Ilúvatar chose Amie is to smooth the way for her husband, and who better than a woman from Gondor. Gandalf also wondered what happened to the Cold-drakes that used to inhabit the Northern Waste. No one in the North mentioned them and he didn't sense their presence and he wondered what happened to them.
xxx
Dol Armoth – Year 3021 of the Third Age
"Why are you out here Gandalf?" Aragon asked when he walked out onto the terrace of Prince Imrahil's home. "The wedding festivities are inside."
Éomer and Lothíriel just got married.
"I'm thinking," he answered.
"Thinking about what?" Aragon asked.
"What do you know about the Northern Waste Aragon?" he asked.
"Only that it's extremely cold, icy and a desolate place," he answered. "Why do you asked?"
"You're find out when the time is right?" Gandalf answered.
Aragon raised an eyebrow.
"Don't be surprised to learn that Eru Ilúvatar made other children and those children are very different from you Aragon," Gandalf told him.
"What are you saying Gandalf?" he asked.
"Let's get back inside," Gandalf said.
xxx
When Frodo and Bilbo boarded the ship to the West they were taken below to their cabin to rest.
After listening to Galadriel and Elrond talking about men living in Lindon, Gandalf found it ironic that the former elvish lands where the King of the North rules his kingdom borders the lands his ancestors were driven from long ago and where Elendil was met by Gil-galad when he arrived in Middle-Earth.
xxx
Valinor
The Lord of Mandos sat in his Halls thinking about Ana's prophecy and everything she told King Elendil came to pass. He didn't know mortal females had the gift of foresight until Olórin returned and told the Valar about the seer-witches in the North. When the Valar and their Maiar attendants looked North they found a prosperous people. When they looked to the Far East they saw where Adair's and Khan's ancestors originally came from and other races all the way to the East Sea. After studying Adair the Valar knew he's blessed by Eru Ilúvatar and Oromë told them Wind did not come from Valinor.
Námo knows King Adair's descendants will rise to great heights and King Elessar's descendants will vanish from history.
xxx
The North
With their Queen's help Lord Caldor and his men built a larger ship that can sail to Gondor and back, which took almost two years.
During that time Lord Uri spent a great deal of time in the East recruiting for the King's army – and many of the young men he recruited fought in the war.
A group of young village boys stared in awe when the King's men stopped in their village for the evening.
"Look at their clothes," one young boy said wide-eyed to his friends.
"I want clothes like that," one of his friends replied.
"How can we get clothes like that sir?" the youngest boy asked when they walked up to the soldiers.
"You have to become a soldier in the King's Army?" Uri answered. "I'm Lord Uri, Lord of the East."
"My Lord," they said in unison and bowed.
"Can you teach us how to become soldiers so we can join the King's Army my Lord?' the oldest boy asked.
Uri studied the 3 boys. "What are your names?" he asked.
They told him.
Lord Uri invited the three boys to dinner with him and his men.
They accepted.
xxx
The Castle – King Adair's Office – Two Months Later
"How old are they and what are their names Uri?" Adair asked.
"The youngest is Nicholas and he's 6 summers, Michael is 7 winters and Alexander is 8 springs. They don't know who their fathers are, but I met their mothers and they're willing to have their sons enter the King's Service," Uri answered. "Nicholas' mother is a seamstress, Michael's mother is a cleaning woman and Alexander's mother is a cook, and a very good one. She's the cook at the Inn where we stayed and runs the kitchen."
"And," Adair said with a raised eyebrow.
"They want to go where their sons go," Uri replied.
King Adair laughed.
"Your home in the East will need to be staffed your Majesty and I was thinking..." Uri said.