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Masquerade  by Elendiari22 6 Review(s)
Hai TookReviewed Chapter: 16 on 9/2/2005
I don't know how I managed to miss TWO chapters! Well Merry and Pippin and Bergil certainly got themselves into more trouble! Of course I didn't expect much less than that. At least Aragorn has agreed to let them alone about exploring as long as they have himself or Gandalf with them. It doesn't seem like Gandalf will be too keen to explore some of this or let others explore it. What might he know? I think these people should just be giving over the answers! But then the story wouldn't be nearly as suspenseful would it? Looking forward to more!

BodkinReviewed Chapter: 16 on 8/28/2005
Aragorn is acknowledging himself beaten, then. He knows his limits! If Arwen is determined to investigate, then so be it.

And Gandalf is giving hints and cryptic clues. I don't know about elves saying yea and nay. They can't beat wizards.

Poor Bergil - I think he's absolutely horrified at the hobbits being so familiar with that mythical figure, THE KING. And then to find that the king is quite understanding about the impossibility of a 10 year old boy resisting the charm and influence of hobbits of 28 and 36.

Mind you, Frodo seems to have mastered the art of terrorising his cousins. Probably just as well, really, considering the amount of time he has had to deal with them, together with their general unmanageability.

Good stuff. I'm looking forward to more.

Shieldmaiden of RohanReviewed Chapter: 16 on 8/28/2005
Ooh, I was wondering when Eowyn was going to get back in on this. And I'm still quite curious to see what Denethor and Finduillas have to do with Alatariel and her story, since it keeps coming up.

And poor Pippin! I'm glad he's ok.

DreamflowerReviewed Chapter: 16 on 8/27/2005
Duh. I meant "The Road to *ISENGARD*! Sorry! My fingers got ahead of my brain.

DreamflowerReviewed Chapter: 16 on 8/27/2005
This is getting stranger and stranger. Obviously, both Gandalf and Aragorn know more about the empty rooms and what happened than they are letting on--it would seem logical that the easiest way to put and end to the hobbits' and ladies' curiousity would simply be to *tell* them...so what there is to tell must be very mysterious indeed if they are not doing that.

That said, I adored the humor in this. There were so *many* lovely lines:

“Bizarre,” Pippin announced finally. “Absolutely batty. Belecthor was quite obviously mad as a fish.”

“I see no argument there. And we thought that Frodo was odd,” muttered Merry.

“The Ringbearer?” squawked Bergil, looking thoroughly shocked at the comparison of the ultimate hero to a mad steward.

Absolutely bang on character for all three: Pip's irreverence about the old Steward, Merry's casual and cousinly irreverence about Frodo, and Bergil's reverent shock at the comparison, LOL!

Merry gave him a small grin. “I don’t think that would work, Strider. Queen Arwen would just take it away from you while you were asleep and give it to us.”

Merry may have been a bit late getting *into* this conspiracy, but he is thoroughly and completely into it now, and exploiting every advantage!

“Why?” Merry asked nervously. He did not like that look on anybody’s face; it could only mean one thing.

“Because I think you are about to get the talking-down of your life, Meriadoc,” the King replied, and beckoned to the door, which Frodo had just silently passed through. The Ringbearer was swelling like a bullfrog, and Merry inwardly groaned.

“I’ll leave you alone,” Aragorn said, stepping quickly towards the door. “Come, Bergil.”

And here comes Frodo, in full senior cousin mode to give Merry what-for and make him feel like a faunt in the process! I love that you did not even show it--just Merry's reaction to it. It made it so much more dire! *grin*

And then we get some more hints about "A Merry War", which I love seeing--I do love when one fic references another.

And finally, all of Gandalf's mysterious warnings to Eowyn. When I was doing a summary of "The Road to Edoras", I mention that Gandalf can be extremely irritating at time the way he withholds information, and doles it out in cryptic hints. I think you have captured that aspect of his personality perfectly here!

Looking forward now to more updates--never satisfied, are we? 8-D





Merry_the_HobbitReviewed Chapter: 16 on 8/27/2005
Wow... I'm not really sure what to say besides... I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS!! Keep writing, I am waiting on the edge of my seat.

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