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A Maid Waiting  by Larner 14 Review(s)
Grey WondererReviewed Chapter: 4 on 12/16/2007
Elves, Dwarves, Halflings, Men of Arnor, and Mithrandir.

I think someone is a bit nervous and a bit of a snob as well. This will not go well at all I think.

Author Reply: No, Canelmir isn't quite certain what to expect at this point, for it appears representatives of all races are a bit down on him at this point! Not quite the day he'd envisioned, I'm certain!

So glad to see you back! Were you also caught in the ice storms as was Dreamflower?

AndreaReviewed Chapter: 4 on 12/3/2007
I don't think Aragorn will be fooled by those false accounts.

Canelmir is far too arrogant. His Lord King will notice that, and he will not be amused ;-)

However, I won't have to wait for the next chapter. I can just read on. That's great :)

Author Reply: As, wonder of wonders, I have this entire story completed ahead of time, I am trying to schedule updates to Mondays and Fridays, God willing and the creek don't rise--and the ISP cooperates, of course.

No, Aragorn isn't going to be fooled or amused at all. Hope that the next chapter is as pleasing! Heh!

Baggins BabeReviewed Chapter: 4 on 12/3/2007
Hmmmm. I don't think it will be a good idea for Canelmir to produce false accounts to Aragorn! I think that will result in more trouble.

I'm delighted to see that Ivormil has become so attached to the King and Frodo - and the pretty chambermaid, of course!

Author Reply: Oh, I agree. Canelmir is nowhere as intelligent and clever as he considers himself, and will reap the harvest he's sown all too soon.

As for Ivormil, he's finding he's at last building his own priorities, and that they are ones of which he might find himself proud.

Thanks so much for the comments.

Linda HoylandReviewed Chapter: 4 on 12/2/2007
I fear the father will be less willing to learn than the son. I'm quite sure Aragorn will not be fooled by the amended accounts!

Author Reply: Oh, I agree completely, Linda. Canelmir long ago gave up his integrity, while his son has just had his awakened. No, no question of Aragorn and Faramir being fooled by the amended accounts!

harrowcatReviewed Chapter: 4 on 12/2/2007
Hmm meethinks cooking the books isn't going to fool Elessar nor his advisors!
True love and respect know no artificial boundaries but peoples' perception of those boundaries can cause such unnescessary difficulties!
I hope that Canelmir can change as much as his son seems to have begun to but I don't think so. Ivormil already shows so much more honour than his father. I am looking forward to hearing more about his mother as you have hinted a lot about her influence.

I am getting quite fond of Galador! I am very glad to see that, in spite of his irritating ways he is also a man worthy of respect and honour. of course, the King saw it even if I didn't! *g*

Sorry to hear that the ISP from Mordor is still causing problems. Mum is home safe and sound and seems to have really enjoyed her week. I didn't enjoy the 90 minute drive back that took four hours on Friday due to rain, wind and a bad accident.

Author Reply: No, not going to fool Aragorn at all. Ivormil is finding his own integrity just as he realizes his father dismissed his own years ago. And we do make such difficulties for ourselves when we accept "class boundaries"--I can see Bilbo, Frodo, and Aragorn all three becoming very dismissive of them, as you know.

As for Galador--he's a rigid sort, but knows his job and does know his proper worth, I think. Certainly he has more integrity than Canelmir has! One doesn't have to be close friends with someone else to admire and respect the other's abilities and innate honor. It's only it's hard for many of us to become close to those who have tendencies toward inflexibility and lack of imagination.

I'm so glad your mother had a good time. I certainly appreciate the traffic thing. I got stuck at work and ended up doing a whole additional ten-hour shift as snow and wind isolated my relief in their own driveways. And one time we arrived at Heathrow in the midst of a terrible windstorm--we saw lorries being picked up by the wind and rolled over on the motorway, one of them hitting John's car a glancing blow near the petrol fill. One van with fiberglass side panels was picked up and literally impaled on a light post. It was rather scary. We were only driving from Heathrow to Banbury, and it took us hours and hours and hours!

But that landing was the smoothest I've ever known. We passengers stood to give the pilot a standing ovation!

HalrohirReviewed Chapter: 4 on 12/2/2007
Enter the antagonist.

Not everyone, it seems, is optimistic for the future of the Kingdom. Lord Canelmir fears loss: loss of position, of prestige, and now he sees the loss of his son's esteem, as well.

Calenmir finds the political deck is stacked against him - i will be a challenge to see how well he maneuvers himself and finds a new position in the birth-pangs of Gondor.

And we also see, the fascination that our good Ivormil has for Systerien, from afar. And also how his loyalty to the throne of Gondor is growing as well. Will the son outstrip the father? Will he find courtship at court? Please, write on!

Author Reply: If Canelmir fears loss, it is because of what he himself has made of his life and position. And I don't think it's as much that the deck is stacked against him as it is that Canelmir is suddenly realizing he isn't the dealer any more, and his own stacking of the deck is now exposed for all to see.

THIS story is complete--it's just that I'm posting new chapters twice a week until it's all posted. So you will be easily able to see just how Ivormil develops as a person as well as how the relationship grows between himself and Systerien.

KittyReviewed Chapter: 4 on 12/1/2007
Canelmir has changed his records to be more presentable? *raises eyebrow* And he thinks he will get away with that? Somehow I doubt it ... and I am waiting eagerly for his comeuppance. Interesting that he dislikes Mithrandir – I take that as a sign that he left an unfavourable impression on the wizard.

Ivormil, on the other hand, I could come to like, I think. Over time, with more experience and education, he’d probably be a better Lord for Bidwell than his father ever was.

Fascinating story – I can’t wait for more!


Author Reply: Yes, Canelmir and his cousin are engaging in some creative bookkeeping changes--don't think they've experienced an audit before. As for leaving an unfavorable impression on Gandalf, I rather suspect he did!

Am glad you are finding yourself liking Ivormil, and thanks so for the feedback.

AntaneReviewed Chapter: 4 on 12/1/2007
“And one thing more--he has stated that all who would serve the kingdom must know the meanings of nobility, honor, humility, and service. And as the exemplar of those qualities he holds forth the person of Lord Iorhael.”

"Some people come into our lives and quietly go. Others stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts and we are never the same." - Flavia

Oh, how much I have learned from "Master Frodo" and his Sam. And much also from their kingly brother.

Advent is coming and I am taking a break until Christmas from hobbity fic reading, though I'm continuing on my book - just to warn you that you won't hear from me for a while. I hope you have a glorious Christmas! Christ is born! Glorify Him!

Namarie, God bless, Antane :)

Author Reply: That is such an appropriate quote, Antane. I think that Frodo would indeed have managed to do just that--leave indelible and treasured footprints wherever he went.

God bless you as you prepare for the Nativity.

SarahReviewed Chapter: 4 on 12/1/2007
A very well written and engaging story. Your story has an air of realism and plausibility about it that is hard to attain. Good characterisation and good knowledge of LOTR on display. Very well done!

Hugs,

Sarah xxx

Author Reply: Thank you so much, Sarah. I've now been imagining Aragorn's court beyond what we see in LOTR for the past four years, and I'm always so flattered when people feel what I write does feel realistic and plausible. Thanks so much for the feedback, and hope you continue to follow the story as it's posted--I'm trying for a schedule of twice a week.

FiondilReviewed Chapter: 4 on 12/1/2007
Oooh... not only greedy but stupid, too. I'm naive about a lot of things, I will admit, but even I know that you don't take a *new* book to present to the king, you make sure it's beaten up some so it *looks* as if it's been around for quite some time and then you do things to make the ink look faded as if it's been years since the first entry was made. Honestly. Some people are too stupid to live, IMHO. *lol*

Glad to see the son has fallen in more than one way. *smirk* And I wonder if he realizes what his adar and cousin are doing with the books and if he'll tell Aragorn or someone about it. That would certainly show that he's not as stupid or as arrogant as he seemed in "Vocabulary Lessons".

Looking forward to the rest, Larner! Off to read "King's Commission" (again) *grin*

Author Reply: Oh, you are SO right about the doctoring of the books! But Canelmir has become unimaginative in his comfortable life as lord of Bidwell, and has his own reawakening coming swiftly. And in his second "falling" Ivormil will find in the end perhaps that very fall manages to increase the lift he's now getting from those about him.

Will be soon doing a major editing job on "King's Commission," by the way. Am preparing it for submission to HASA for review some time after the new year starts, so as I now have a beta reader we're looking at correcting some spelling errors and inconsistencies in naming conventions, etc. Am so glad you like it--Ruvemir still owns a big piece of me, I find.

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