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 93: I Just Can't Wait to Be King, Part 3

Kevin stood with the rest of the Fellowship.  He was right behind his sister and brother, with Pippin next to them.  He had never seen Aragorn look so royal; the Chieftain of the Dúnedain was clad in black and silver and mantled in white.  The brooch that Lady Galadriel had given him gleamed at his throat, and a chain with the Star of the North hung upon his forehead.  Kevin felt so much pride for his friend and leader—he had worked so hard for this day!

He noticed that Frodo looked nervous.  Both Gandalf and Frodo stood right next to Aragorn, and the hobbit was really pale.  Kevin saw Frodo wipe his hands on his trousers and take a deep breath.  Kevin knew that he was worried about carrying the heavy crown.

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

Now Lord Denethor spoke loudly for all to hear.  “The last Steward of Gondor begs leave to surrender his office.”  And he held out a white rod.

Aragorn took the rod and gave it back, saying: “That office is not ended, and it shall be thine and thy heirs' as long as my line shall last.  Do now thy office!”

Then Lord Denethor stood up and spoke in a clear voice: “Men of Gondor hear now the Steward of this Realm!  Behold! one has come to claim the kingship again at last.  Here is Aragorn son of Arathorn, chieftain of the Dúnedain of Arnor, Captain of the Host of the West, bearer of the Star of the North, wielder of the Sword Reforged, victorious in battle, whose hands bring healing, the Elfstone, Elessar of the line of Valandil, Isildur's son, Elendil's son of Númenor.  Shall he be king and enter into the City and dwell there?”

Even though Kevin wasn't really a citizen of Minas Tirith, he yelled out, "Yes!" along with everyone else.  He knew this was all just a formality, since all of this had been planned in advance, so the people would know that this was happening with everyone's consent.  After a moment, Lord Denethor continued.   

“Men of Gondor, the loremasters tell that it was the custom of old that the king should receive the crown from his father ere he died; or if that might not be, that he should go alone and take it from the hands of his father in the tomb where he was laid.  But since things must now be done otherwise, using the authority of the Steward, I have today brought hither from Rath Dínen the crown of Eärnur the last king, whose days passed in the time of our longfathers of old.”

Then one of the guards brought forward the black casket they had been carrying.  Lord Denethor raised the lid of the box the Guardsmen held and brought the Crown forth and held it high over his head, so everyone could see it.

Kevin was surprised when he saw it: it did not look anything like what he’d ever imagined a crown would look like. He thought it looked really heavy, for one thing, and it certainly didn’t look like the pictures he'd seen of Queen Elizabeth’s crown.  Instead, it was more like the helmets he’d seen on some of the Guardsmen, but much higher, and it was white, not silver.  There were wings on it, embellished with pearls and silver.  He saw no fewer than seven diamonds set in the circlet.  And the jewel on the top glowed with a light of its own, even in the daytime.

Lord Denethor placed the crown in Aragorn’s hands.  He held it up and chanted, almost singing, in Quenya: “Et Eä rello Endorenna utú lien.  Sinome maruvan ar Hildinyar tenn’ Ambar-meta!”*  His voice carried over the people clearly.  Kevin wondered what the words meant.

Now, instead of putting the crown on his head, Aragorn handed the crown back to Lord Denethor, and there was a gasp from the assembled host—none but those directly involved in the coronation had known of this part.

Kevin smiled to himself, as he saw the surprise on the faces of many in the crowd, some of them looking upset, and others murmuring to their neighbours.  A few seconds later, Aragorn said: “By the labour and valour of many I have come into my inheritance.  In token of this I would have the Ring-bearer bring the crown to me, and let Mithrandir set it upon my head, if he will; for he has been the mover of all that has been accomplished, and this is his victory.”

Frodo reached out to take it, clasping it firmly, and gave a brief nod.  Lord Denethor took his hands away, and Frodo turned, and Kevin watched as he walked a few steps to place it in Aragorn's hands.  Then Frodo stepped back as Aragorn knelt before Gandalf, who then took the Crown in his own hands and set the White Crown upon Aragorn's head, and said: “Now come the days of the King, and may they be blessed while the thrones of the Valar endure!”

There was an awed silence.   Kevin felt tears of joy gathering in his eyes, and he blinked them away.  Silently, he prayed, Thank you, Lord, for allowing me to see all of this.

Then Lord Denethor cried out, “Behold the King!”

-oo000oo-

All of the people in the seats had stood up as they saw Aragorn and Gandalf and everyone coming to the front.  Kaylee couldn't see over the heads of the people in front of her, so Gail allowed her to climb up to the seat from where she was standing.  She glanced at her daddy, who had simply picked Megan up and put her on his shoulders.

She did understand all the words.  At one point, she heard Aragorn singing in Elvish, but she didn't understand what he was singing.  She had learned some words, but she wasn't very good at understanding them if they were not spoken very slow.  But she sure understood when Gandalf put the beautiful crown on Aragorn's head, and Lord Denethor said, “Behold the King!”  And so, along with everyone else, she squealed and clapped her hands, jumping up and down, until Mommy grabbed her arm.  But Megan was still bouncing up and down and cheering on her daddy's shoulders, her fingers tangled in Daddy's hair.

When all the racket kind of died down, lots of the people decided to start leaving.  But Daddy and Mommy just sat down, so the girls did, too.  It was just like when the movies were over.  They always stayed put until the crowd got smaller.

"We need to wait.  Master Ondahil said we'd be going back in the coach we came down in, so we have to wait here for a while."

"But Daddy!  I wanna go down and find Kevin and Jenny and Joey!" Kaylee whined.

Steve shook his head.  "We have to be patient, sweetheart.  We probably won't get close enough to even talk to them before we get back to the Citadel.  Remember what the Bible says about patience?"

Kaylee gave a snort and crossed her arms with a pout.  "It's a fruit of the Spirit," she answered sulkily.  "I think patience is grapefruit!"

Steve stifled a laugh.  Kaylee hated grapefruit.  He put on a serious face and shook his head.  "But sometimes grapefruit is good for us.  And so is patience."

Kaylee sighed.  "I know," she said, and deflated.  "I just want to see them again so bad!"  She shook her head and said, “I wish I was you.  You're always patient, Daddy!"

This time, Steve did laugh.  "Oh, Kaylee!  I wish that was true.  Sometimes it just looks like I am patient, but I am still impatient on the inside."

"How come?" she asked, surprised.

"Well, because I have to set a good example for you children.  Besides, sometimes, if you act like you’re patient on the outside, and you pray, sometimes you start to feel patient inside as well."

Just then they heard a voice calling out: "Master McCloud!"  It was Master Ondahil.  Kaylee noticed that now almost everyone in the bleacher was gone.  There was just their family on the top, and Radagast and Master Ondahil on the bottom, and a few straggling people who were almost gone.

The five of them stood up (for Mairen stood up, too) and made their way down, with Steve carrying Megan, and this time Kaylee was holding her mother's hand.  I'm glad, Kaylee thought.  My legs feel a little wobbly from sitting on that hard board.

As they reached the bottom, Master Ondahil said, "The coachmen have gone to fetch the coaches.  Our group will fall in just behind the Steward and Lord Faramir.  We will be right behind the King and the Fellowship, as all now call those who journeyed with the King from Rivendell.”

Sure enough, they saw that all of them had re-mounted their horses, and were going to ride right past them, although they were also surrounded by guards.

But as they did, Kaylee shouted at the top of her voice: "KEVIN!  JEN!  JOEY!”

Several eyes in the procession turned their way, including Kevin, Jennifer and Joey.  They all three turned and for a moment locked eyes with their family.  Kaylee and Megan were waving wildly at their sister and brothers, and with a grin, Joey raised his arm and waved back, and Kevin and Jennifer smiled at them.

Then the procession moved beyond the barricades into the city street, and a coach followed them.  Master Ondahil shooed them all into their coach, and they, too, fell into the parade.

-oo000oo-

A/N: *This is a quote from ROTK in Quenya.  "Et Eärello Endorenna utúlien sinomë maruvan ar Hildinyar tenn' Ambar-metta.”  It means: “Out of the Great Sea to Middle-earth I am come.  In this place will I abide, and my heirs, unto the ending of the world."