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| The Acceptable Sacrifice by Larner | 16 Review(s) |
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| PIppinfan1988 | Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 6/17/2006 |
| The meeting between Aragorn, the lords and princes, and the amusing Galador was excellent. Its always difficult to guess the rules of the new regime, but I must admit that I smiled more than once at Galador being knocked off his toes a few times. ;-) PF Author Reply: Yes, the inflexible ones such as Galador are fun to see wrong-footed as their expectations for proper pomp and circumstance are knocked for a loop. And now we begin to see that Aragorn will not be a slave to protocol, but will see it used properly and not as a chain binding him to his office. | |
| Grey Wonderer | Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 11/18/2005 |
| Lord Aragron was very kingly indeed in this chapter. I loved how he took charge and made his orders known. I enjoyed seeing Frodo's pride in him also. You could just feel it and also in Aragorn's foster brothers. I am sure it takes a great deal to make the first born proud. Author Reply: At least Aragorn has done his best to be worthy of the care, training, education, and love given to him for so long; and he seeks to be worthy of that which he hopes one day to hold to himself. Yes, he's coming at last fully into his own, and now comes the time for the First Born to give all over to him and his line. May they always remain worthy of the great investment made in them! | |
| Inkling | Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 11/11/2005 |
| What a clever chapter! Of course Aragorn’s claim to the throne would have to be examined, but I’ll bet you’re the only one who has written such a scene. The reading of the Roll was described so well…the scroll, the rods, the carrier…I could picture it all. Frodo’s interest in it was a nice hobbity touch, too. Loved the exchanges between Aragorn and Galador. And this made me laugh out loud: “You may find it easier to coax the statue of Isildur in the Hall of Kings to whistle, my Lord.” Author Reply: I am surprised no one else appears to have thought of the need for some documentation for the one claiming rule, as it seemed obvious to me. And am so glad you appreciated the details given. Of course Frodo would be interested! He is, after all, one of the Hobbits most interested in the outer world to have been born to the Shire--and it's only right he should be a witness. And glad you love the exchange about Isildur whistling. That was fun to write. | |
| grumpy | Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 10/31/2005 |
| Galador is in for quite a ride, trying to figure out the ways of the new king. I liked it when he wondered about heirs, as Aragorn is 88 years old, and Aragorn told him that he retained the ability. Loved the twins, and the comment about Isildur's whistling. Author Reply: I love to think that those so long ago had some simple, MORTAL accomplishments, more than just being superb warriors and all, and that at least ONE of them could whistle. My whistling was never good, but any more it's nonexistent. And there would be concern about having a new King but not perhaps him being capable of begetting an heir. I think it would be a question of importance to the realm. Glad you enjoyed the images. | |
| Linda Hoyland | Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 10/29/2005 |
| Poor Aragorn,he and Galadorn are going to find each other rather a trial.Whatever would Galadorn have said if he's seen him caring for Frodo earlier ?And the cheek of the man asking can ARagorn beget heirs! I'm glad I'm not a king ! Author Reply: I suspect that Aragorn's interest in healing will be made manifest to the entire household of the King and his court VERY soon. This is quite a different lord than Denethor was, after all, and definitely a descendant of Earendil. And the question as to whether Aragorn was able to sire a child would be one which would have to be answered for the good of the realm; but I agree asking this soon is impertinent indeed. But I suspect that Aragorn will settle him out pretty swiftly. | |
| SlightlyTookish | Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 10/29/2005 |
| Then there was a moment of--apartness--and he felt as if he stood two paces behind himself and a half pace to the left; and he looked at the woman and saw her standing beside Captain Faramir--the Lord Steward Faramir--with his arm about her shoulder, and he knew the source of the mantle. That was my favorite bit of this chapter. You do such a wonderful job of describing Frodo's perceptiveness and ability to see and know. I adored that moment. Author Reply: We know that as time passed Frodo began to have prescient moments, and I thought to experiment with when the realization that this gift had been granted him might have first come to his awareness. He's had some prescient dreams in the past, of course; but maybe now he'd begin to realize that such moments are likely to come while waking as well. As for the moment of disassociation--I've been prone to such experiences for as long as I can remember, particularly when I'm ill or when, as a child, I was overstimulated; I've spoken to others who've described the same feeling, so tried to describe it as this experience is actually felt. | |
| Kitty | Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 10/29/2005 |
| Galador will have a hard time with this new King and his informal ways after all the time with Denethor’s strong formality. Poor guy. But I found him a bit impertinent for at once talking about arranging a marriage even before Aragorn was crowned King and without any knowledge if Aragorn has his own plans or a betrothed yet! Aragorn will drive him to distraction, but I can’t help to think he needs the distraction. Somehow I’ve got the impression Galador suffers a bit from self-importance. The new broom will do him some good, I suspect. (Or am I mean to think that?) Author Reply: Oh, I agree with you; but the practical questions need to be answered if the future is to be seen as secured as much as is possible. Galador is just trying to see to the interests of Gondor, after all; but you're right--he ought to have first gotten to know the new King and found out of there is any attachment already there. Although such as he is probably likely to imagine any Dunedain maiden of the Northern Kingdom as being too rustic to sit by her husband's side in Gondor's Court. New broom indeed! All is being renewed. | |
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 10/29/2005 |
| Good to see all the characters coming together. Galador is going to have to get used to change, I think. But also to know when he would be wise to keep his mouth shut. (I don't know that the possession of the line of kings really proves anything. Except possession. But hey - the sons of Elrond know exactly who everybody was and is.) Frodo seems to be feeling a bit better now he's got something to interest him. Author Reply: Having something to distract ones attention from the frailty of the body has aided more than one person to start feeling better; and I, too, am glad Frodo has a bit of a distraction for the moment. No, the simple possession of the Roll of Kings proves nothing; but as you say, Elrohir and Elladan both have known the descendants of Isildur probably from Valandil onwards; they saw Aragorn brought to the Vale of Rivendell as a child; perhaps attended the wedding of Arathorn and Gilraen, even; there can be no question that this is the one named in the Roll. There's a better claim, after all, for Isildur's heirs than there was for many of the Kings of Gondor from the time of the Kinstrife onwards. | |
| Radbooks | Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 10/29/2005 |
| Oh, this was priceless. The whole meeting with Galador and Aragorn setting out the way things were going to be done during his reign. It's good to get your authority established right away. The whole roll of the kings was interesting, was that something in canon or an idea that you came up with? Either way I liked it and I would assume there would have been something like that in place. The part about arranging a marriage for Aragorn so that there could be an heir and Aragorn's reaction was very amusing. Galador has a lot to learn! I know he's been mentioned in several of your other stories and so it's fun to meet him in person. :) Author Reply: Yes, I had to meet the distinctly fussy Master of Protocol myself, and so did my best to bring him into this story. The Roll of the Kings is strictly my invention; but it's not that unusual a device, I'd think. And for Galador to look at it and see the direct descendancy, father to son over how many generations, where in the history of Gondor there were several side-turnings, must have been surprising. As for securing the succession--that, too, would be something that would be important to try to see to; and Aragorn would need to let it be known he's taking care of that detail himself. Although there will probably be a bevy of well-bred beauties at the next few feasts, of course.... | |
| French Pony | Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 10/28/2005 |
| I like the legal formalities attendant upon Aragorn's accession to the throne. They're very realistic, and it seems like something that would have had to happen at some point or another. Aragorn handles them with good grace, and Galador seems very reasonable about accepting both Aragorn's claim to the throne and the new folks from the North. He's no Lord Barquentine, this one. I enjoyed Frodo's meeting with Éowyn as well, particularly the exchange between Éowyn, Éomer, and Frodo's astral self about the provenance of that pretty blue mantle. Frodo's not the only one whose life has undergone some profound change here. Author Reply: Galador had become accustomed under Denethor to not question the ONE in authority, and certainly Aragorn is that. But it must be tearing his expectations apart. He's never seen an Elf before and now he's faced with three, and a Dwarf, and four Pheriannath, one of whom, the most honored soul right now in all of Middle Earth, is refusing proper etiquette! And from the "last of a ragged house long bereft of lordship" he gets a Roll of Kings equal to the one he's accustomed to handling already and the voice of command that he doesn't quite expect from such a one, and the assurance that he will have nothing to do with arranging a proper marriage.... All of them sitting before that tent, and probably including even the Healer Eldamir, have undergone profound changes. Not one is as he or she was when the whole affair started. Probably the closest to what they were are Imrahil and Elphir. | |