Disclaimer: I have no creative rights over the characters and places you can identify in this story and have no way profited from this work.
26/11/2013
This crossover's end is rapidly approaching. I can't believe it's almost a year since I started writing the first chapter.
Lord Edric: It'll be interesting to see what sort of challenge Ultron presents to Thor and Hulk in the Avengers sequel.
Point Mann, gunman & SeanHicks4: The clashes at Dol Guldur and Erebor were too good an opportunity to pass up unleashing Thor and Hulk once more.
Chapter 44 – Crowning Glory
The Great Eagles bearing the Fellowship members to Minas Tirith had long departed by the time Hulk and Gimli had returned to the Morannon. The pair of them had returned to a routine that the Fellowship had grown accustomed to but still disliked.
The Army of the West had started burying its dead immediately after those of the Fellowship had departed for Lothlorien and Erebor. Over a third of the Army had fallen on the Morannon. These Gondorians and Rohirrim would be jointly laid to rest in a burial mound like their compatriots buried in the Mounds of Mundburg. The two slag hills offered a convenient source of material to cover their remains.
Thor returned to the Army well before Hulk and Gimli did. Once all the Army's fallen had been accounted for, Aragorn requested Thor clear the Morannon of the limitless number of enemy corpses that littered it. Thor took to the air before summoning a powerful northerly wind. The wind blew the corpses of Sauron's minions through the remains of the Black Gate into the Udun. The wind eventually deposited them into the massive sinkhole created by Thor during the battle. Like he'd previously disposed of enemy remains, Thor commanded a torrent of lightning bolts to ignite the corpses contained within the sinkhole.
By the time Thor returned, he'd noticed Banner was present among the Army. Banner had just finished changing into a Gondorian nobleman's outfit. The outfit comprised of a navy blue tunic with the White Tree emblem emblazoned on the chest. Banner took the outfit with him when the Army departed Minas Tirith over a week ago. It was one from the several that Boromir had organised to be loaned to him.
After the Mornannon had been cleared, the Army of the West began marching back to Minas Tirith both weary and triumphant. Some months later, a cairn of stones was raised on the burial mound of the Army's dead. It was marked with a bronze plaque written in the Common Tongue. The plaque's text referred to Aragorn's action after the burial mound was completed. Those actions followed in the footsteps of one of Isildur's most infamous deeds. The text read as follows:
Buried within this mound are the heroes of the Morannon - sons of Gondor and Rohan both. Each of them gave his own life so that Middle-earth could forever live free.
A curse is placed on any that desecrate their remains -
"You will suffer the same fate as the Hosts of Mordor on Pelennor Fields. You will understand the Men of the Mountain's battle-cry before meeting your end – 'The dead do not suffer the living to pass'."
Plaque and cairn erected on 25 June 3019 T.A by order of Elessar, High King of Gondor and Arnor.
During the Army of the West's return to Minas Tirith, Gimli told Aragorn about the coronation gift he'd discussed with his kin. The Dwarves of Erebor offered the soon-to-be-King Elessar their expertise and materials to help rebuild Minas Tirith. A number of the Fellowship couldn't help but laugh at how far Aragorn's jaw dropped in response to Erebor's generosity.
Aragorn and Boromir had earlier conversed about the seeming impossibility of rebuilding Minas Tirith to how it was before its siege. Much of the knowledge and skill used by Faithful of Numenor to build the White City had longed been forgotten. But the Dwarves of Erebor still possessed the genius in construction that had been a hallmark of their ancestors. Gimli had briefly told his kin his observations about the damage suffered by Minas Tirith. They agreed that a rebuilt Minas Tirith would rival Khazad-dum as a monument to Dwarven ingenuity. The Great Gate would be the centrepiece with gates made of steel and mithril.
It was now over a week since the Battle of the Morannon had been fought. The force led by Elfhelm and Imrahil had returned two days before. Despite suffering similar losses to the Army of the West, their force had triumphed over the several thousand orcs launched as a diversionary attack into Rohan from Cair Andros. No enemy incursions had been made against Minas Tirith during the Army's absence.
Fast-riding heralds from the Army arrived at Minas Tirith the previous day. The heralds advised that the Army would be arriving sometime this morning. The heralds also had the melancholy duty of providing the names of the fallen.
The White City and its inhabitants were well aware of Sauron's defeat by the time the heralds arrived. A few days ago, Gwahir and Landroval dropped their passengers before the Othram just outside of bow-range. The sentries posted along it at the time assumed this was a good omen before Mithrandir and Rogers confirmed the Army's victory. Frodo and Sam were immediately taken to the Houses of Healing. Sam was discharged the following day. Faramir welcomed the opportunity to renew their acquaintance while he had Gondor's finest tailors measure Sam for new clothing.
Gandalf and Rogers currently stood atop the Great Gate. The gates battered down by Grond had been removed but the damage it suffered from fire and catapult was still visible. It was about mid-morning when the pair spotted movement towards Minas Tirith along the road from Osgiliath.
"Your eyes are younger and sharper than mine, Steve," Gandalf self-deprecatingly remarked to him. "Do our friends return to us?"
A happy Rogers rhetorically answered, "Is there any other Gondor-Rohan force we're expecting today?"
One of the sentries atop the Great Gate heard this. A confirmation about the Army's return from Captain America was as good as any. The sentry passed on the news to a herald waiting in the courtyard behind the Great Gate.
"Send word to Lord Faramir!" the sentry called out the herald below. "Tell him the Lords of Gondor have returned!"
A smile came across Rogers' face upon hearing this. He recalled when the Fellowship rested in Lothlorien. Boromir's spoken desire had come to pass.
Aragorn lead the Army of the West towards Minas Tirith just like it departed a week ago. Boromir again insisted on carrying the Banner of Elendil for the journey.
Thor could have easily flown back to Minas Tirith. But the God of Thunder wanted to remain with his friends and comrades in the Army for its final journey. This included Shadowfax who trotted riderless with the Army. Thor quietly took it upon himself to make sure the Lord of the Mearas safely returned to Gandalf. The only time Thor took to the skies was when Aragorn asked him to scout Minas Morgul when the Army passed close to it. Thor reported that the Witch-king's lair had fallen into ruin and the sense of terror within the Mogul Vale had largely dissipated. Nonetheless, Aragorn thought it best to defer reclaiming the vale until that terror had completely vanished.
Before today, the Army rested the previous night in Osgiliath. The ruined city got Gimli thinking about another potential construction project for Durin's Folk. Ivory was greatly prized in Erebor. The main reason being the distance between the Lonely Mountain and Harad from where ivory was largely sourced. Perhaps Gondor might be willing to trade some of the mumakil tusks salvaged from Pelennor Fields in exchange for rebuilding it's former capital?
The Army had been wearied from its journey and travails. But seeing Minas Tirith gave all its members a second wind. Many Gondorians were particularly excited they would be home and reunited with their families. The vast majority thought they would never see both again when the Army departed more than a fortnight ago. The Army resolutely marched the final part of its journey without a trace of tiredness. The Fellowship was pleasantly surprised seeing who was waiting to welcome the Army just outside the Great Gate.
Rogers held his shield while standing in front of a small company of Tower Guards. The guards were arrayed in two columns. Aragorn ordered the Army to halt as soon as he came within a few feet of Rogers. Isildur's Heir asked Captain America what many in the Fellowship had been unsure about for over a week.
"How's Frodo and Sam?" Aragorn asked with some trepidation.
"Frodo's alive and well," Rogers simply stated.
All the Fellowship that had accompanied Aragorn from the Black Gate gave relieved sighs at this. Rogers injected a note caution though.
"He still hasn't woken from when we left you guys," Rogers continued. "Gandalf said his recovery has to be carefully managed. It's a combination of the Ring's destruction and the effect of Mount Doom on his wound from Weathertop. But Gandalf said we're welcome to join him when he wakes Frodo tomorrow."
"What about Sam?" Pippin piped up. In Gandalf's absence, Pippin had shared a ride with Banner.
"Sam was released from the Houses of Healing the day after we'd arrived," Rogers informed while smiling at the memory. "Faramir asked him if he needed anything. No offence to your people, Legolas. But after eating lembas for months, the first thing Sam wanted was some fish and chips!"
The Fellowship shared a short laugh at this before Thor resumed the conversation.
"Did you volunteer to lead our escort into Minas Tirith, Rogers?" Thor knowingly asked him.
"Um, not really," Rogers replied seemingly embarrassed. "According to city ordinance, any noteworthy dignitaries are to be given an escort led by a senior officer." Rogers self-deprecatingly asked, "I hope those of you that are heirs to thrones don't feel insulted that your escort's led by a lowly Autherdir?"
"At the time, I thought you were greatly honoured when I commissioned you with that rank!" Boromir wryly jested in response. "I'm nonetheless relieved you're still upholding your sworn duties."
Rogers gave a nod to Boromir's wit before saying, "Well, you can thank Faramir for drawing my attention to it. He's waiting for you in the Citadel with Sam, Gandalf and Eowyn."
It was the sign for the Army of the West to complete the last stage of its journey. The Tower Guard quickly turned heel as Rogers walked to the head of the escort. None noticed the wide smile across Captain America's face. A surprise awaited the Army in Minas Tirith.
The Army of the West closely followed behind the escort through the Great Gate. The courtyard behind it was abandoned except for a couple of sentries. The Army's marching echoed through the ruins currently surrounding the courtyard. Aragorn compared the state of Minas Tirith to what it was when the Army departed from it. He meant no offence to the city's work crews. A large amount of rubble and wreckage had been cleared during the Army's absence. But Aragorn concluded it could have taken decades to repair the White City if Erebor hadn't offered its aid.
Rogers and the Tower Guard led the Army around the corner where the main road commenced. Aragorn and the rest the Army was startled by what their escort had led them into.
Throngs of residents of Minas Tirith lining both sides of the main road erupted into loud cheers upon first catching sight of Aragorn. Even the most disciplined soldiers within the Army broke into smiles when the crowds starting throwing bouquets of flowers to line their path. Nearly every member of the crowd bowed to Aragorn when he rode past them. Unlike when Aragorn departed, their acknowledgment wasn't tinged with uncertainty. Now, there was no doubting that the rightful King of Gondor would soon be restored and they would live to see that day.
Maybe from having done so in front of other adulatory crowds, Thor couldn't help but sharply thrust Mjolnir into the air. His gestured was greeted with loud shouts of approval like the two previous times he'd done this. Legolas and Gimli were riding alongside Thor and Merry.
"You Avengers shouldn't be too bold in your acknowledgments," the Elf playfully chided Thor. "Or the next generation of Men will only wish to be armed with a war hammer and round shield."
Banner and Pippin were immediately following the four. After hearing Legolas's remark, Banner's pacifism came to the fore.
"Hopefully they can in engage in something less destructive," Banner quietly reflected to himself.
Pippin overheard Banner's hope and more than agreed with it. Nonetheless, this was supposed to be a happy occasion. Pippin engaged in playful teasing to successfully raise Banner's spirits.
"Such as experimenting with gamma radiation?"
The following morning, the Council of Gondor formally swore Boromir in as Steward. The ceremony took a special poignancy when Boromir swore to yield the rule of Gondor when its King returned. The whole Fellowship was present for the ceremony with one exception.
Not long after Boromir had been sworn in, the Fellowship had anxiously milled outside Frodo's room in the Houses of Healing. They were waiting on Gandalf who first went in alone to wake Frodo. To pass the time, Sam told what had happened to Frodo and himself since Amon Hen. Sam wasn't all surprised by the reactions when he said Gollum had been his and Frodo's 'guide' for their journey. He was about to tell them what happened when he and Frodo reached Mount Doom but was interrupted by a loud wooden creak.
All heads snapped in the direction of Frodo's room when its door swung open. The joyous smile on Gandalf's face was all they needed to know about Frodo's well being. Merry and Pippin shot past Gandalf into the room followed by the rest of the Fellowship with four exceptions. Rogers, Aragorn and Sam noticed Boromir standing still as if hesitant to be reunited with Frodo. Rogers was the only one of them completely unaware of the reason why.
"What's wrong, Boromir?" a concerned Rogers asked him.
Boromir's eyes flickered between Aragorn and Sam. Aragorn was the only one in the Fellowship he'd told about his attempt to take the Ring at Amon Hen. And given what Faramir said happened in Osgiliath, Sam was aware about it also. Boromir was relieved the incident hadn't seemed to have leaked out to anyone else in the Fellowship. With Sam and Aragorn present, it was pointless to not to tell Rogers the truth. But Boromir still felt uneasy about answering the question of the Avenger he was closest to.
Boromir and Rogers had been a great source of mutual advice and support in the time they'd known each other. A small part of Boromir feared being diminished in Captain America's eyes after being told the full truth about Amon Hen. It was then that a small understanding dawned on the Steward.
Denethor never admitted or showed vulnerability to his sons as a father or Steward. It was from the unfounded fear that his sons would feel ashamed of him if he did. But such pride almost led Gondor to disaster. One of Boromir's proudest achievements over the last few weeks was helping his father overcome that fear before it was too late. Boromir would honour his departed father by showing the same courage in face of the same fear.
"At Amon Hen, I tried taking the Ring from Frodo." Boromir stoically answered.
Boromir continued after noting Rogers' neutral expression to this revelation.
"I was so afraid for Gondor and my people," the Steward explained his action. "I thought the Ring was the only way I could save them."
"Along the Anduin, the Ring played on some of my fears at the time," Rogers offered in understanding. "It almost succeeded in destroying my trust in Bruce."
"But you didn't try and harm Frodo in response," Boromir pointed out after a guilty sigh.
"I told you how Loki escaped from custody," Rogers reminded him. "Barton wanted to blame himself over the SHIELD personnel he killed. But like Nat told him, resisting powerful magic isn't something we soldiers are really trained for."
"Steve's right, Boromir," Aragorn added in support. "There was no insincerity when I said you're of the greatest ever Captains of the White Tower. The Ring targeted you for this, not because you were weak. It sought to deprive the Free Peoples of you when they needed you the most."
"And if Mister Frodo condemns you, Boromir," Sam intervened, "I'll be the first to tell him he's the last one who should do any condemning."
Sam continued the story of his and Frodo's travels after receiving confused looks from the three men.
"Frodo lost a finger because he didn't want to destroy the Ring at the end," Sam recalled events within Mount Doom. "He claimed it for his own before putting it on and vanishing. But it was Gollum – aye, Gollum of all people – who proved to be the villain and hero of the piece!
"After knocking me out from behind, Gollum was somehow able to find Frodo and bite his finger off. I woke just in time to save Frodo from falling into the mountain's fire. But Gollum fell into it holding his 'precious' to the very last.
"Feel how you want to, Boromir. But the only person in Middle-earth blaming you for what happened at Amon Hen is yourself."
The three Captains of Men all softly smiled at the gardener's simple wisdom. The four joined the rest of the Fellowship a few seconds later. Rogers was among the Fellowship members that shed tear when Frodo and Boromir reconciled with heartfelt embrace.
It was a glorious morning a month after Frodo awoke within Minas Tirith. The morning wasn't glorious just because of the weather. Thousands of Minas Tirith's residents had crammed into the Citadel for a truly historic occasion. Banners of Gondor flew proudly aloft on the Citadel's wall.
No one could recall the last time so many representatives of the Free Peoples had all come to the White City. The representatives included the mysterious Lady of the Golden Wood that many in the crowd had only thought a legend. The embassy from Erebor now understood what Gimli meant when he told them Galadriel was fairer than all the jewels found beneath the earth.
Over the last month, the White Tree had miraculously come into bloom again. The petals from the flowers that grew on it fluttered around the Citadel. The petals reminded Rogers of confetti. He and the other Avengers stood with the Fellowship's four hobbits among the crowd. If the petals were confetti, they were marking an even greater miracle than the White Tree's return to life.
Aragorn and Boromir stood beside each other at the foot of the stairs leading into the Tower of Ecthelion. Both were dressed in full regalia as one of the Tower Guards solemnly strode towards them. The guard was carrying with both hands a black wooden casket lined with silver. The guard stopped before Boromir and held out the casket for him to take. But Boromir surprised all but one by what he did instead. The exception was Galadriel who'd picked up on the Steward's thoughts.
"Something needs to be settled before this coronation can proceed!" Boromir shouted for all to hear.
A murmuring swept over the crowd including those closest to Boromir. Was the Steward his father's son after all? Was he now going to publicly dispute Aragorn's right to rule?
Boromir turned to face Aragorn. Murmurs turned to gasps when Boromir instead knelt before Aragorn and offered him the Steward's white rod instead. Silence reigned as the crowd strained to hear Boromir's next words.
"The last Steward of Gondor begs leave to surrender his office," Boromir requested to Aragorn with a weary smile.
Aragorn took the white rod before giving it back to Boromir.
"Rise, my friend," Aragorn assured him. "That office is not ended and it shall be yours and your heirs as long as my line shall last. Now do your duty as Steward!"
Boromir then stood up and began citing the formal words for the coronation.
"People of Gondor, hear now the Steward of this Realm!" Boromir clearly spoke to the crowd. "One has come to claim the kingship again at last. Here is Aragorn son of Arathorn, Chieftain of the Dunedain, Captain of the Army of the West, wielder of Narsil reforged, whose hands bring healing, descendant of the line of Isildur. Shall he be our king with the name of 'Elessar' and dwell here among us?"
The entire crowd acclaimed 'Yea!' with one voice to Boromir's question.
Boromir then took the casket before he and Aragorn began climbing the stairs into the Tower. Gandalf was waiting for the pair at the top of them. Aragorn stopped at the stair before Gandalf while Boromir stood exactly to the wizard's left. Gandalf gently opened the casket and removed its contents that hadn't been seen over more than a millennium.
The ancient crown of Gondor was all white with a pair of wings on either side. The wings were a loftier version of the one the Avengers had seen on the front of Boromir's helmet. The crown's wings were wrought of pearl and silver and was symbolic of the kings of the Faithful of Numenor. The crown also had seven gems of adamant set in the circlet and upon its summit was set a single jewel the light of which went up like a flame.
Gandalf had been privately reflecting on his time in Middle-earth during the lead up to the coronation. The Valar had sent him and the rest of the Istari to Middle-earth long ago. Gandalf had to do one more thing to complete his task before he could return to Valinor.
All present held their breath as Gandalf gently placed the crown upon Aragorn's head. The man he'd known as an infant had finally assumed his proper destiny. He had no doubt that King Elessar would steer the Free People's to greatness during the Fourth Age.
"Now come the days of the king!" Gandalf loudly proclaimed to the large crowd. He then smiled at Aragorn and softly spoke to him as a friend; "May they be blessed."
Aragorn took a moment to reflect on the mantle that he'd now assumed as the crowd cheered and applauded behind him. He then turned around and faced the crowd many of whom were now his subjects. The crowd silenced upon Aragorn raising his hands to speak. Aragorn's characteristic humility was again reinforced by his first words as king.
"This day does not belong to one man but to all," Aragorn magnanimously told the crowd. "Let us together rebuild this world that we may share in the days of peace."
Rogers thought Aragorn and a great US President had something in common. Like Honest Abe, Aragorn understood that the best speeches aren't necessarily the longest ones.
Standing tall and proud, King Elessar sang the song his forefather, Elendil, had sung as his feet first touched the lands of Middle-earth. The song was in the ancient Elven language of Quenya.
"Et Eärello Endorenna utúlien. Sinome maruvan ar Hildinyar tenn' Ambar-metta."
None of the Avengers understood the lyrics Aragorn had just sung. Thor imagined himself singing in front of a large crowd in Odin's Main Hall after being made King of Asgard. The God of Thunder concluded he'd prefer being exiled to Midgard again.
The cheering crowd divided to create a path for Aragorn to walk among them. Members of the crowd bowed and curtsied as Aragorn passed by. This included Gamling, Eowyn, Faramir and Eomer who were standing together. Aragorn had earlier told Eomer he would accompany him back to Rohan for Theoden's burial and Eomer's own coronation.
Aragorn soon reached Legolas who was dressed in a manner befitting an Elven Prince. The pair placed a hand on each other's shoulder to acknowledge their close bond. This bond had become even closer from both of them being part of the Fellowship. Thranduil had charged his son to represent the embassy the Woodland Realm had sent to the coronation. Legolas had earlier been advised of this by a herald from his home. Thranduil's message also contained the desire for Legolas to return home as soon as possible. He was especially keen to hear his son's first-hand report about the Avenger that could fly and control the weather. Perhaps an alliance could be created between the Woodland Realm and this 'Asgard'?
"Hannon le," Aragorn simply thanked in Sindarin his friend of many years.
Legolas made no response except to give a small smile and step aside. Standing behind Legolas was Elrond. Left of the Lord of Imladris was a herald holding a White Tree banner that covered their face. For the first time in the pair's relationship, Elrond bowed with pride before his foster son. Elrond's arrival in Minas Tirith the previous day was kept secret so as to surprise Aragorn today. The main reason being was that Elrond had an even greater surprise to give Aragorn.
The herald slowly moved the banner away from their face. Aragorn looked in disbelief at the herald's identity. Curtsying before him was a beautiful female elf with long black hair and bright blue eyes. She was dressed in an exquisite green dress symbolic of Middle-earth's rebirth with Sauron defeated. The herald was none other than Aragorn's betrothed – Arwen Evenstar.
When Aragorn looked into the palantir a few weeks ago, Sauron showed him images of Arwen. Those images confirmed Elrond's news to him at Dunharrow that the Evenstar was dying. Aragorn gently helped Arwen up and began caressing her face. The pair shared a look of deep love before embracing each other with a joyous kiss. Elrond gave a bittersweet smile as he accepted his daughter's happiness lay in her choosing a mortal life.
The crowd broke into rapturous applause at this with the exception of two Avengers.
Banner was stunned that Aragorn's fiancée was none other than Betty! As far as Banner knew, Betty was still on Earth when he was dragged through the vortex. Did she come to Middle-earth through a different vortex as well? How had she transformed into an elf? More importantly, how had she become so intimate with Aragorn in such a short timeframe? Surely she would have mentioned her life on Earth to Aragorn! So why then was Aragorn completely ignorant of Earth's, let alone Banner's, existence when the Avengers first met him?
Rogers was shocked on seeing Elrond. Aragorn's foster father was none other than Captain America's archenemy – Johann Schmidt or better known as Red Skull! Did Schmidt come to Middle-earth after being dragged through the tear in space and time on the HYDRA bomber caused by the Tesseract? Were all Sauron's machinations just part of a greater plot by Schmidt to become overlord of Middle-earth? How could someone as noble as Aragorn be so blind to the evil that made Red Skull's very being?
Galadriel was well aware of Rogers and Banner's thoughts. She'd anticipated their reactions to Elrond and Arwen from what her Mirror had shown her of the two Avengers. Galadriel was also mindful of who could suddenly appear should Banner be overwhelmed by his current stress.
Be calm, Masters Banner and Rogers! Galadriel telepathically assured them. The Lord of Imladris and his daughter are not the individuals you think they are.
The Rogers and Banner looked at each other upon hearing Galadriel's words simultaneously. Sensing the pair's uncertainty, Galadriel touched their minds yet again.
My words cloak no ill purpose. Even I can't organise conspiracies as well the spy you are familiar with.
Banner and Rogers smiled and steadied from Galadriel's subtle jibe at Fury. The mystery of Elrond and Arwen's appearance could remain unresolved for now. Rogers and Banner only just realised Aragorn had stopped by with Arwen in tow. The pair joined Thor and the four hobbits in bowing to the High King of Gondor and his consort.
Aragorn noted the deference given to him by the Fellowship's Avengers and Hobbits. Both groups had aided the Free Peoples in ways beyond extraordinary. Not even the wisest of Middle-earth (maybe with the exception of Gandalf) had foreseen such contrasting companions being so instrumental in Sauron's downfall. Aragorn doubted that he could ever, even now as King Elessar, fully repay the debt Middle-earth owed his seven friends. But he would still try, beginning right now.
"My friends," Aragorn softly remarked as if undeserving of their respect. All standing close then heard Aragorn regally insist to his seven friends, "You bow to no one!"
Aragorn then promptly knelt in homage before Frodo, Sam, Pippin, Merry, Rogers, Thor and Banner. Arwen and the rest of the crowd quickly followed Aragorn's gesture. The seven of the Fellowship still standing each took a breath at the unprecedented honour the Free Peoples were bestowing upon them. Banner and Rogers didn't take their eyes off the crowd as they talked in hushed tones.
"What're you thinking right now?" Banner asked Rogers.
Captain America had been privately remembering the last time he'd seen a large group of people kneeling.
"Eat your heart out, Loki," Rogers dryly replied.
One challenge I had writing this chapter was Liv Tyler and Hugo Weaving each played characters in both franchises. I had Galadriel attend the coronation (as per the book) to help reconcile their respective characters identical appearance. I didn't want what's really the Free Peoples' day overshadowed by the Other Guy showing up unexpected.
Aragorn's coronation took place on May 1st of 3019 of the Third Age (normally abbreviated as T.A.). I had Boromir use some of his brother's dialogue in the book during the coronation.
Abraham Lincoln took only a few minutes to deliver the Gettysburg Address. It followed a two-hour speech given by Edward Everett, considered to be one of the nation's greatest orators by his contemporaries. Lincoln's address has been immortalised while the Everett's has been largely forgotten. To quote another great orator – Res ipsa loquitur.
[RD: At the time,this chapter had the biggest problem of character doppelgangers. Galadriel attending the coronation was my way around it. On reflection, it's a good thing I published this story well before Ragnarok.]