Stories of Arda Home Page
About Us News Resources Login Become a member Help Search

The King's Commission  by Larner 6 Review(s)
TiggerReviewed Chapter: 72 on 3/9/2005
Wow...What a heartachingly sad chapter. I feel horrible for the brother of the one. You could tell right away he did not share in his brother's quest for dominance of others. Still, he is his brother and...So sad. Loved how first Hardorn and then Aragorn gave him comfort after the plot was revealed. Please tell me Liana's former husband will not be causing any problems? I certainly hope not.

So...The trial of Varondil awaits. This has already been an emotionally draining day for Ruvemir and those he cares about. More to come. I only hope Celebgil can handle it.

As always, looking forward to the next installment!!

Author Reply: I'm hoping that Aragorn can handle it. He's the one who has to deal directly with all this and its aftermath.

But, yes, it's going to be hard on all.

As for Liana's former husband, I think he has some growing up to do. Whether he'll do it before or after he finds himself in trouble is the question.

Mysterious JediReviewed Chapter: 72 on 3/9/2005
Loved the quoting Sam part, although it struck me as odd that Aragorn would ask him about it in the middle of a questioning. Oh, well, he certainly had the authority to do so! The next chapter should be satisfying (as long as there are no unnecessary details-I'm sure you agree it's sick and twisted).

Author Reply: I've tried not to get too detailed, so hope you don't find it too disturbing.

As for noticing the smile on Ruvemir's face, I think a smile in those circumstances would stand out; and Aragorn's going to notice such. He'll also be likely to be looking for some reason to distract himself, if only for the moment. I don't think he liked having to see folk condemned to death.

Thanks for the feedback.

EruviluiethReviewed Chapter: 72 on 3/9/2005
Another excellent chapter! I'm glad Harad is cementing their relationship with Gondor by setting up an embassy. And the rest of the intrigue is just incredible! It is good the Bedui have one who is honest as their leader, not one bearing one of Sauron's rings, even a lesser ring. I was really surprised that the ring was of Sauron's craft. Explains a lot. I'm glad he took it off himself. I feel bad for that poor Rhun boy, finding out his brother is dead and where his former wife now lives all at once. I hope something good comes out of the situation. Armanthol seems to have lost all his skepticism at once - kind of hard to maintain it now that he knows for sure his father is dead and not going to get him out of any trouble. I think he'll come along well now, seeing as he had a decent start before he knew for sure about his dad. I'm getting really impatient for the next chapter - Varondil's judgement! Keep up the excellent work!

Author Reply: I'm glad Armanthol got a bit of Elvish healing there, myself. But, yes, I too think he'll do well from here on in. As for the Rhunish guy--don't know about him as yet.

I was myself a bit surprised to find Abduleram is basically a pretty decent chap at heart, and suspect he is capable of some intrigue of his own, but not to the point of hurting the majority of his people. Am glad he turned down that ring, myself.

And I note that Rustovrid has managed to one-up Rhun--he's brought his own staff and family, where the folk from Rhun have had to hire staff or send home for more. However, I've felt for a long time Rustovrid and Sohrabi are far more sophisticated than Ifram and Moritum.

HarrowcatReviewed Chapter: 72 on 3/9/2005
What a treat to find two chapters posted in one day - thank you Larner. And what great chapters. I was wondering when Ruvemir's services as a 'collector of information' would be called upon.
I loved him recalling Sam's words and Aragorn's thoughts and feelings about the lesser rings - what a great gap-filler!

Author Reply: Sam's words are from the chapter "Knights in Arms and a Tale of Leaving", of course. But thought that somewhere those lesser rings mentioned by Tolkien must have found a home. And, yes, it was time for Ruvemir to serve as requested by Aragorn before.

Next chapter will be sometime tomorrow, I fear. This was one of my long days.

KittyReviewed Chapter: 72 on 3/9/2005
Oh - a chapter to start work and another chapter for the lunchbreak - I could get used to this! (I know, that is impossible, and I am quite greedy, but I love this fic so much!)

And what for chapters! It was great how the intrigues were unraveled. Poor Armanthol, it must have been hard for him to hear how and why his father died. Fortunately he is with some persons who will help him. And I feel sorrow for Abduleram, too. He obviously didn't know anything and probably doesn't deserve to see another relative die for such crimes. May I hope Moritum and Ifram do not hold the misdeeds of his brother and son against him but care a bit for him in this time of need?

I loved the part concerning Beregond. Yes, this is surely how Beregond would act, he is so devoted to his lords. And Aragorn risking the injured arm to keep Beregond away from the danger ... truly a great king.

The idea with the lesser rings was intriguing, I hadn't thought of this possibility before. No wonder Abdurin was a traitor if he still wore this ring.

Now I look forward to the next chapter and the trial for Varondil. But I am anxious then is not so much left to tell and I don't want this fic come to an end any time soon.

Author Reply: So glad you enjoy it. Today is one of my long days, and so the next chapter will be posted tomorrow, I fear--that was why I posted the last one a bit early.

So many seem to have forgotten Tolkien spoke of lesser rings, and I thought that probably both the Elves of Eregion and Sauron himself might have played with making such. Just made sense they would have done so to me, especially Sauron himself. So this is what came of that thought. And I think Beregond would have done much to make certain his Lords and his country were safe, even to injuring the King to keep him out of greater danger and to force him to use his talents and charisma on Peveset.

Varondil is coming up tomorrow.

DreamflowerReviewed Chapter: 72 on 3/9/2005
And now this chapter: even more of an amazing revelation--one of the lesser Rings of Power in the possession of one of the plotters! You have come up with some amazing use of some canon ideas that have been very little explored! As in the previous chapter, this is not something that had ever occurred to me: what were the lesser Rings, and what were their disposition?
I have said it before: this story just gets better and better!!!

Author Reply: Am so glad you are enjoying it so. I was just going with the idea that either before or afterward Sauron was likely to have tried more rings on his own, making sure he had it right before approaching Celebrimbor or possibly seeing if he had the touch after his return to Mordor, looking for more slaves. And I'd always wondered about the lesser rings, too, the ones Gandalf almost prayed Bilbo had managed to find. Where had they disappeared to over the years.

Only ones not taken in the end by Sauron were the three Celebrimbor made by himself. And I find myself wanting to find out what happened to the possible fourth. We have Air, Water, and Fire--what about Earth, the fourth element? Am thinking of that for a future work, or a nuzgul for someone else to work on, possibly. Watch out, it might have teeth.

Return to Chapter List