Here is a little bit more about the original premise of this story and how it came to be.

I was 15 or 16 at the time, and I got a terrible sinus infection that lasted for over a week, maybe up to two. It was from this rather miserable feeling that the story was born from. Many of the original symptoms in the first chapter, especially with the pounding headache, were written when my head felt as if it were going to crack open at any time.

Now I did not respect canon/realism back at 15-16 as much as I do now. The original premise of the story is a bit embarassing to recall now, but it did involve complicated yet unrealistic chains of gangs running the lower levels of the City (think of how gangs controlled major cities in America back in the 19th and earlier 20th centuries) with the upper classes being completely oblivious to the circumstances. When I think about Aragorn and Faramir, and certainly some other competent men of the city council, I do not think "oblivious", so I did not like it when I rewrote the story.

Anyways, Aragorn going into the tavern was in the original, as was the three old men plotline and most of their conversation. Aearhil was also part of the original story. The rowdy drunks, however, were much more important, much more intelligent, and admittedly less drunk than they are now. The written part of the original premise ended when these unsavory folk discovered who Aragorn really was. The original would have continued with rather nasty plotting and the like. In the end, the whole situation seemed rather improbable- almost impossible- so I scrapped it and made it into a simple, almost humorous bar fight. I'll blame Hollywood on that account; they make bar fights look like a fun time ;)

Also in the original Aearhil had two daughters who would have played a minor role. One of the daughters had a 'lover', for lack of better term, who Aragorn had met earlier in the second chapter when he was exploring the city. That whole plot was scrapped; the young man was completely deleted from the picture, and Aearhil is now (from what the readers know) childless.

In the original, Faramir and Arwen had a lesser role, but both of their roles were obviously expanded.

I came back to the story just before I turned 18 and worked on it until it was posted at the end of April, 2008.

While I deleted the whole of the original Chapter Two (which was awful, anyways), I do have a deleted excerpt from chapter three that didn't quite fit in with the rewrite. So here it is now, for your enjoyment. It remains unedited from when I wrote it two years ago. It makes me wince when I read it.

Aragorn is speaking with Aearhil in the tavern.

"But truly, Strider, though meeting all of these people has been great, I`m most interested to see the King."

"Indeed?" Aragorn said, doing his best not to smile.

"Yep. I mean, this man helped take down the Dark Lord and has brought Gondor back to its glory days! He must be extremely powerful. I've heard he's a just, yet kind man. Do you know anything about him?"

"A little," said Aragorn with a small smile that he could not hide.

"Really? What do you know about him?"

Aragorn gave a small shrug. "Just as much as every other man knows about him."

"Oh," Aearhil said, looking a little crestfallen. His mood immediately changed back, and he smiled. "Well, I`m sure I'll see him
one of these days. Can't hide in that big Citadel of his all the time."

"No, he cannot," Aragorn said, holding back a chuckle.

"I'd like to see his family too. I've heard his wife's a beautiful lady. And an elf. Imagine that, eh? D'you know if he has any
children?"

"Not yet."

"Really? That's surprising. He's been on the throne for a couple years now… thought he'd have at least one by now."

Aragorn looked down in his soup bowl and did his best not to laugh. However, he could not prevent a large smile splitting his face. "One day he shall have an heir," he managed to say without bursting into laughter.

"Well, he has to, seeing as he is the King… people wouldn't want the line to die like that, would they?"

"Indeed not." Before the man could continue with his rambles, Aragorn put a gold coin on the table. "For the ale and soup."

"Oh, I cannot accept that much-"

"I insist. I enjoyed the conversation. Thank you, master Aearhil." Aragorn stood and gave a small bow to the innkeeper.

Thanks again for reading! I hope you all enjoyed. I hope to have my next fic up by summer 2008.