Summary: In the spring of 2012, four American children find themselves thrust into an unfamiliar world and part of an unexpected adventure.  This story is AU, and blends Lord of the Rings book-verse and movie-verse.  This story also contains a lot of spiritual and religious content as a part of the AU elements.

Disclaimer: The world of Middle-earth and all its peoples belong to the estate of J.R.R. Tolkien; the three films of The Lord of the Rings​ belongs to New Line Cinema and to Peter Jackson.  This story is not for profit, but is a gift for the enjoyment of those who read it.

Citations: In most chapters, there will be some quotations directly from both the books and/or the movies.  Quotations from Tolkien's books are in italics, and quotations from the movies are underlined.  Occasional quotations from other sources as well as silent dialogue, words spoken in emphasis, and passages from the Bible will also be in italics, and those citations will be footnoted at the end of each chapter in which they occur. We will also footnote research sources and credit the ideas of other people.

Thanks: We would also like to acknowledge the invaluable help of our beta, Linda Hoyland, another well-known and prolific LotR fanwriter, whose many wonderful stories also grace this site.

Chapter 92: I Just Can't Wait to Be King, Part 2

Steve led his family up the bleachers—the "grandstand", as Ondahil had called it.  Megan was having a little trouble; her legs could barely manage the steps.  He reached down and swooped his "littlest" up in his arms.  Gail was right behind Kaylee, who was scrambling up with as much agility as a baby goat; it was only four levels, after all.

Steve settled himself on the far-left end of the top bleacher.  There was nothing on the end to stop a small child from tumbling off, so he would serve as a railing.  He settled Megan beside him, and Kaylee sat next to her little sister.  Gail was on Kaylee's other side, and Mairen sat down at the far end of their small group.

They had barely sat down when Kaylee leaped up.  "Daddy!" she called, as she strained to see the empty field in front of them.  "I can't see anything!"  She put her hand above her eyes and tried to lean forward, but her movement was stopped as Gail grabbed a handful of the back of her dress and pulled her. 

"Sit back down, Kaylee!" Gail said firmly.

Mairen stood slowly.  "I can see them," she said.

Steve smiled.  He had forgotten that Elven eyesight was much keener than human eyesight.

"What do you see, Mairen?" he asked.

"Horses, and their riders.  They are in the front line and have halted.  The riders are dismounting."

"Where's Kevin and Jen and Joey?" Kaylee asked.

Like Kaylee had done a few moments earlier, Mairen put her hand above her eyes.  "In the front, at the centre, I see Lord Aragorn. The hobbit Frodo is at his side.  Now, Mithrandir is dismounting, and is helping Pippin down from the white horse he was riding.  Ah!  I see that Lord Boromir has Joey upon his own horse; they, too, are dismounting.  Now, I see another Lord, whom I know not, but Samwise is with him.  And the Rohirrim King is lifting Merry from their horse."

"Do you see anyone else?" asked Gail.

"Not yet.  Grooms are leading away the horses.  Ah!  More horses!  I see Lady Jennifer!  She is riding with Lord Halbarad.  There is the Elf from Mirkwood, Legolas, and with him the Dwarf Gimli.  And riding on his own horse is your son Kevin.  They are all dismounting now!"

Steve's heart lifted.  That was all his kids accounted for!  Thank you, Lord! he prayed silently, as gratitude surged in his heart.

So intent was the family on what Mairen was saying that they had not noticed the bleachers were beginning to fill up.

"What nonsense!" came a scoffing voice from the other side of the Elf-maiden.  "How can you claim to see all that!"

Mairen turned to face the plump and well-dressed man on her other side.  "I assure you that I most certainly can see that far.  Elven eyes are much keener than those of Men."

The man got a good look at her.  "You are an Elf!"  His face went pale.  He turned to a woman on the other side.  "Elves!  I heard a rumour that there were Elves in the City, but I did not believe it."  The couple stared at Mairen and then scooted further away from her, ignoring complaints from other people seated beyond them, whom they forced to move as well.

Mairen shook her head with an amused smile and turned her attention once more to the far distant sight at the end of the field.

"Do you see anyone else we know?" Steve said, looking at Mairen and leaning slightly in her direction.

"There, I see Lord Glorfindel, and Lords Elladan and Elrohir, and my beloved, Avorn, and the other Elves who accompanied us, and the Rangers of the Grey Company.  Beyond that, I do not know, but it is a host of people.  And all of them are now afoot and forming ranks.  There are banners among them, and they will soon begin to march to the City."

The couple who had moved away from Mairen were nevertheless staring and hanging on her every word.

Steve shook his head.  He couldn't imagine people being prejudiced against Elves!  He turned his attention back to the approaching procession.  Soon enough, he'd be able to see the procession coming with his own eyes.  Hopefully, he would see his other children then!

-oo000oo-

Kevin sat on Bron, right behind Gandalf and Pippin.  He could see they were talking, but he couldn't hear what they were saying.  Behind him were the Rangers of the North, as well as Glorfindel, and Elladan and Elrohir.  Right next to them were all the Elves who had come with them on their journey south, too far to the left for him to make out their individual faces.  

To his own left, Kevin was next to Legolas and Gimli, who looked quite serious.  They weren't bantering or laughing as they usually did.  But beyond, there was Jennifer with Halbarad, and she turned to give him a smile and a wave.  He chuckled to see her hair was done up like Princess Leia in Star Wars.  There was a signal from the front, as Boromir raised his hand and slashed it forward.  Aragorn, who was soon to be King, was not yet, and so far as orders went, he was ceremoniously allowing Boromir to do that, in his role as Captain-General.  It was time to set off towards Minas Tirith.  Kevin knew they would stop some distance from the City and dismount to take the rest of the way on foot.  It had been explained to him by Gandalf that it was to avoid any implication that the new King was coming as the conqueror of the City.

They rode at a sombre walk.  Kevin wished they could gallop, or even canter, because it was going to take forever to get to the Gate (or at least to the barricades), where the swearing-in would take place.  In his effort to get his mind off how long it was going to take to get there, Kevin tried to think of some Bible verses about kings.  Most of them were about bad, wicked kings.  Then one came to him:

‘The strength of the King loves justice;

You have established equity;

You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.’*

That sure describes Aragorn.  I think he will be a really good king.  Kevin smiled at the thought.

Then Kevin started thinking about King David and his rule, as told in Second Samuel and First Chronicles.  David hadn’t always been a good man, but he had certainly been a good king and a man after God’s own heart. Solomon had also been a good king, starting out—he had certainly been the wisest.  And while Aragorn might do some things, he surely wouldn't sin the way David had, not after as long as he'd waited for Arwen.  And surely, he wouldn’t turn to worshipping idols as Solomon had ended up doing.  At home, Kevin had never thought much about kings.  The U.S. didn't have any real ones, and the real ones he knew about in his own time were mostly just ceremonious.  What would it be like to have a real king like Aragorn?  Would it be different than having a President?  Most likely, since presidents didn’t rule as ruling monarchs did.  And some presidents had been awful.  He remembered in history class learning about the Teapot Dome Scandal.  Who was president then?  Warren something…oh, well, that one was long gone.

If they went home soon, it was an election year.  Hopefully, it would still be 2012 when they did.  He wondered who his parents would vote for in November back home.  No one even knew yet who all the official candidates would be, although it seemed like about a zillion of them wanted the job.  But his parents never told who they voted for, because they said that it was a person's right to a secret vote.  At least, with kings, you knew who your ruler was going to be!  And thank goodness Aragorn will be a good king!

Just then Bron tugged on the reins, getting bored with just walking, and Kevin had to pay attention to his riding.

-oo000oo-

Joey was feeling quite familiar with riding in front of Boromir once more.  He had ridden many miles with the Captain-General now.  They were riding quietly, but Joey realized that they were coming near the spot where they were to stop and dismount, in order to walk the rest of the way—he could see men stationed there, to lead the horses to the side and watch over them once their riders had left their mounts behind; most of them were Rohirrim. 

Boromir halted alongside Aragorn, and he gave another signal, raising his arm up, and holding it there while all the others stopped.  Then Boromir dismounted and helped Joey to get down.

Joey looked ahead to the City walls.  It was about half again the length of a football field to walk to there, where he could see some people gathered. He wondered if his parents were among those he could barely see.  He could also see a bigger crowd further back.  He had not seen that many people in the streets since the Eagles had announced Sauron's defeat!

He looked to his left, as he leaned forward a little bit, and gave a wave to Sam.  "Hi, Sam," he said, just barely loud enough to get the hobbit's attention.  Sam turned and grinned at him; he also waved and gave Joey a little nod of the head.  On his right, Aragorn stood with Frodo, and both turned slightly and also gave Joey a smile and a nod, before they turned back to the front and looked serious again.  Pippin and Merry were too far for him to catch their attention without being rude, and Kevin and his sister and Legolas and Gimli were behind him, and it would be rude to turn around, as well.  Plus, he might miss when they started to walk.  The sounds of those behind them getting off their horses, and the sounds of the horses being led off to the side-lines lasted for a few more minutes.  Then Joey noticed that Halbarad came forward, bearing the King's big black standard with the jeweled Tree, and suddenly Jennifer was alongside him.  She glanced down with a warm smile, and said quietly, "It won't be long now, Joey."  She gave his shoulder a small squeeze, before she stepped away.  They all had to be dignified today.  It was a very solemn occasion.

He drew back his shoulders and glanced at Lord Boromir at his side.  Dear Lord, he prayed silently, please be with me, and help me not do anything embarrassing, and help me bring honour to Aragorn and Boromir.  He was grateful for all the things he had learned about good manners in Middle-earth, and how to not act silly when things were important.  And please let everything go all right.  Aragorn deserves to have a good day today.  Please let him have one, God.  Amen.

Boromir once more gave the signal to start walking.  They were all supposed to kind of walk solemnly and slowly, which was a good thing, because Joey knew that if the grown-ups were walking fast, he and the hobbits would pretty soon get left behind.  He took a deep breath.  Here we go.  Next stop, Minas Tirith gates.

-oo000oo-

Jennifer knew that Halbarad had to carry the standard after they dismounted, and she was glad that now she could walk next to Joey.  That way, if he got too tired, or got bored, she would be there to keep him in line.  But as she watched him, she realized he probably wouldn't need her.  Her little brother was behaving just as he should.

She realized now just how seriously her little brother took his duty as Lord Boromir's page.  He wanted to make his liege proud of him, just as he'd try hard to make his dad proud of him back home.  Her baby brother had grown so much here, and not just in height.  Joey was far more responsible now than he had been when they had first arrived in Middle-earth.  He still acted his age when he was not "on duty", but he was mindful of his place.  The only lapse had been when he’d accidentally hurt Bergil back at camp, and from that mistake, he had really learned a lesson about rough-housing, and about being careful about weapons.

Jennifer glanced ahead at the distance they still had to go until they reached the place where Aragorn would actually have his Coronation.  He would finally become King, and he would be able to marry Arwen.  It was a shame she wasn't in Gondor yet, but she would come, and as much as Jennifer wanted to go home with her parents, she really wanted to see Lady Arwen's wedding first.  With a happy sigh, Jennifer tried to imagine what it would be like, and to what extent it would be like the weddings she’d been to back home.

I wonder what it will be like.  What sort of dress will she wear?  Will there be bridesmaids and such, or do they have that here?  I am sure their customs won't be like at home.  But the most important thing will be that they will finally be able to be together.  Jennifer smiled at the prospect.  Forty years, they've waited.   Forty whole years!  I'm sure it wasn't easy.  Forty years is such a long time.  I don't know if I could be that patient!  She smiled to herself as she remembered the little song that she'd learned long ago in Vacation Bible School about patience.  Patience was a fruit of the Spirit, and now she had learned a lot about patience since she had come here.  

Walking or riding a horse everywhere certainly made a lot of difference.  As a kid on road trips, the question was always "Are we there yet?"  But now she realized that was because as children, they just sat in the car and didn't really participate in the actual travel.  But when you walked, or rode a horse—or, for that matter, rowed a boat—you had to pay attention to what you were doing.  You were actually doing the journey yourself.

She glanced around at her fellow walkers.  All of them looked serious and absorbed in their thoughts.  Then raising her eyes ahead, she realized how much closer they were to their destination.  She stared, to see if she could see her parents.  She noticed there was a set of bleachers, a small one with a number of people sitting there.  Straining her eyes, she saw a figure of a woman stand up—and next to her was a family with two small kids.  Could that be Mom and Dad and Kaylee and Megan?  She could not really see them and was just guessing, but...somehow, she had a hunch it was indeed them.  It was all she could do to remain dignified and not start running towards the bleachers!

-oo000oo-

Gail's attention was caught by the first line of marchers (as she thought of the approaching ranks of the King's party, for though they weren't exactly marching, they were walking in a rather measured and formal way).  But she was certain that the young woman in a blue dress was Jennifer.  They were still too far for her to be certain, but she was quite sure enough for her heart to speed up a little in anticipation.  And there were five shorter figures, and so far as Gail knew, there were only four hobbits.  One of them had to be Joey.  Two of the shorter figures wore smaller versions of the black uniforms of Gondor, so one of those two must be her little boy—she squinted, and then felt a hand on her shoulder, to her left.

"Gail," Mairen said softly, "your gaze is intent?"  While it seemed a statement, her tone was questioning.

"I think the girl in the blue dress is Jennifer, but I can't tell which of the small figures is Joey.  I think I know," Gail replied, "but I'm not sure!”  She shook her head.  “I can’t see Kevin at all.  Wouldn't Joey be wearing black?"

"You are right. Jennifer is next to him, for Pippin's curls reveal him walking next to Mithrandir—Gandalf, that is.  And Joey is walking between Lord Boromir and Jennifer."  The Elf-woman scanned them once more.  "Kevin is slightly behind the front group and is beside Legolas and the Dwarf Gimli."

Gail grinned at the information and suddenly realized that not only had they drawn close enough that she could pick them out for herself.  She gave a short burst of laughter and turned to Steve, who met her gaze and nodded.  "I've spotted them, too," he answered her unspoken question.

Two sudden delighted squeals from their bouncing younger daughters made it certain that both little ones had also spotted the long-missed older siblings.  Steve snaked an arm out suddenly to grab the back of Megan's dress and pull her down.  Kaylee immediately stopped bouncing, but kept on squealing, "I see them!  I see them!" until she saw Gail put her finger to her lips.  "Sorry, Mommy," she said, and tried to calm her excitement.

The procession stopped.  The little family in the top grandstand held their breath.  Suddenly they could see four shining smiles, as their eyes met those of Kevin, Jennifer, and Joey.  

Just then, there was the sound of a trumpet.  And Lord Denethor and Lord Faramir stood.  Another Man came to stand beside them, an older one with grey hair, dressed in white.  Behind them came four Guards all dressed up in their black-and-white livery. They were carrying a big black box.

And Lord Denethor came and knelt with Faramir's assistance.  Then he knelt beside his father.  Both men managed to look both proud and humble at the same time. 

Then the Steward Denethor spoke.  “The last Steward of Gondor begs leave to surrender his office,” he exclaimed.  And he held out a white rod.

There was a great silence.  Gail peered intently at them to see what they were going to do next.

Then Aragorn took the white rod and handed it back to Denethor.  “That office is not ended, and it shall be thine and thine heirs’ as long as my line shall last.  Do now thy office!”  There was a roar, as all the folk gave a mighty cheer, Gail and her family cheering as loudly and gladly as all the rest.

-oo000oo-

A/N: *Kevin is quoting from Psalm 99:4.

Several passages in this story are quoted or adapted from Dreamflower's story, “All Things Were Now Made Ready" (http://www.lotrgfic.com/viewstory.php?sid=2), at the Many Paths to Tread archive.  The story may also be found on Stories of Arda (Stories of Arda - Lord of the Rings Fan-Fiction Archive) and Fanfiction.net (And All Was Made Ready, a lord of the rings fanfic | FanFiction).