abnormal tragedy

Chapter 53: coronation

Frodo woke up in a soft bed. The sunlight was glistening through the curtains. At first he wondered where he was, but then he sat up and saw Gandalf, for the first time since Moria.  Frodo smiles and laughs.  "Gandalf?" He questioned still not believing what he saw in front of him as Gandalf laughs. Frodo hears busting outside of the small room in Rivendell, then the friendsly faces of Merry and Pippin as they enter the room and run to the hobbit.  "Frodo!" Merry cheers as he jumps onto the bed.

Gimli enters, waving his arms. "Gimli!" Frodo beams and Rowan nearly trips up as she walks through the door muttering to herself. "Rowan!!!" The little hobbit shouts as he through his arms to the side and he ran towards her- slowing down as he saw a bandage around her lower abdomen from where she was squashed by the troll.  Legolas follows, and then Aragorn. "Aragorn." Frodo smiles. Sam enters last, exchanging a knowing look with Frodo.

...

The day was finally here. The coronation. Rowan had spent the last hour twirling around in a beautiful long silver gown that she gotten tailored to fit her perfectly. Rowan was so used to going bare face with no makeup due to being a ranger so she had very little make-up on. Her hair was let down, curled, and decorated with a single tiny silver head-piece which made Rowan feel like a Queen herself. 

"Frodo, don't you think it's time you ought to be getting ready?" Rowan's soft voice calls out and pulls Frodo from his reverie. He'd been resting on the cushioned seats near his palace bedroom's window all afternoon, looking out at the fields below Minas Tirith. The fields that had run red with blood several weeks before. The bodies had been cleared and they'd gotten rain a handful of times since then so the grasses finally seem like new.

"Frodo?" Rowan's closer now and the midday sun catches the edges of his brown hair, making them appear golden. Frodo's heart settles just by her presence. "I'm sorry, Rowan. The time must've escaped me," Frodo admits. It's been happening a lot more regularly, despite the Ring being destroyed. Rowan smiled, "Gandalf assures it's normal." Rowan places a reassuring hand on Frodo's shoulder. "It can happen to the best of us, and you've been through a lot. You shouldn't be so hard on yourself."

"I suppose. I'm glad I have you though, Rowan." Rowan almost seems taken aback, as if it's not a sentiment Frodo expresses frequently. "You'll always have me." Frodo looked up. "I know."

Not unusually, their gaze's stay locked for more than a few moments before Rowan rubs the side of Frodo's shoulder and offers up a lop-sided smile. "Though we best be getting to it. We don't wanna be late for my brother's coronation." Frodo nods and wordlessly stands, following Rowan over to the spacious wardrobe that appears even vaster from the sparse clothing selection for hobbits. Just then Sam opened the door with a loud thud, which he tried to cover up with an awkward scratch of his arms.  "Right. So this is what I've got." Sam sports a pair of grey pants, a blue-grey shirt, and a vest that is toeing the line between white and gold. He holds his arms out to present his outfit selection in full. "Reckon I look fancy enough?"

His nervous laughter is apparent and Frodo seeks to reassure him. "You look great. You—" He almost speaks too much, and yet Sam looks so expectant for what Frodo had censored that he has to add, "The colours work nicely with your hair." "Oh," Sam looks away and Frodo delights in bringing a smile to his face. Especially after causing him so many tears. "You don't mean that." "But I do," Frodo continues to smile, dragging Sam over to the mirror. "You look very handsome." He runs his hands over Sam's shoulders to accentuate his point, dropping his gaze towards the shirt under the pretence of smoothing out any wrinkles.

"Thank you, Mr. Frodo." Sam's cheeks are properly pink now and Frodo can't help his small sense of satisfaction for causing that reaction. Rowan returns from the wardrobe and smiles at Sam, "Oh hello Sam." She smiles and Sam smiles back. "Hello Lady Rowan." Rowan notices that Sam's cheeks are pink so she gave a look to Frodo who look equally flustered. "Okay-" Rowan said trying to defuse the awkward silence "Have you picked an outfit?" Frodo continues scanning his options, eventually holding out a brown vest paired with an off-white shirt.

"Sam, Rowan, what do you think of this?"

"Perfect. Brown always did look good on you. Just get yourself a pair of trousers and you'll be good to go." Sam smiles as he turned his haze back to a basket of pastries which had been delivered early that morning. "I think you will look like a very handsome Hobbit." Rowan gushed as Frodo held up the vest towards his chest. Between the other options of black or olive, Frodo ends up with the dark brown. Sam continues eating his treat while Frodo moves behind the privacy wall to change into his coronation outfit. Rowan is now looking out of the window, her silver dress is enhanced by the sunlight and Sam smiles as it reminds him of a disco ball back in the Shire.

"Feeling nervous for today?" Sam pipes up, his mouth still endearingly full of sweet roll. "I am. I know we're not even part of the ceremony, but this is a big deal. I've never been to such a giant event before." Frodo replies as he walks back into the light. 

"I don't think any of us have." Rowan replies, "It will be a first for almost everyone."

"No, I suppose you're right. But still. How are you feeling?" Sam asks turning back to Frodo. "...a little numb," Frodo answers truthfully. After everything they've been through, he doesn't wish to lie to Sam. "But I'm happy for Aragorn, he deserves it." he adds, his voice a bit higher.  "Yeah, he seems a good man. Middle Earth could use that, I reckon." Rowan chuckles to herself. Frodo hums his agreement as he steps back around the divider in his change of clothes. "Oh now you see, Frodo. You don't look half bad yourself." Rowan rises from the table, brushing a few crumbs from his vest.

...

It was a captivating and exquisite ceremony. Minis Tirith was decorated with silver and gold and the courtyard was full of people. Rowan smiled over at her brother and then at Éomer who had recently been crowned King of Rohan. He looked back with his usual smirk which always caused Rowan to smile. The ranger turns back to watch as Gandalf places a crown on her brothers head. "Now come the days of the king. May they be blessed." Rowan claps and cheers making everyone else follow pursuit. 

Aragorn turns to address the crowd. "This day does not belong to one man but to all. Let us together rebuild this world... that we may share in the days of peace." The crowd, which includes a healed Faramir and Éowyn, applauds. Then Aragorn starts to sing to the song that their mother used to sing to them as children. "Et Eärello Endorenna utúlien. Sinome maruvan ar Hildinyar tenn' Ambar-metta." (Out of the Great Sea to Middle-Earth I am come. In this place will I abide, and my heirs, unto the ending of the world.)

The king is greeted by Faramir and Éowyn, King Éomer, and then Legolas, who stands with a group of elves. Legolas and Aragorn place their hands on each other's shoulders. "Hannon le." (Thank you.) He whispers as Legolas smiles before he  steps aside to reveal Elrond and Arwen. As Aragorn stands amazed, Elrond motions Arwen towards him. Wasting now time, Aragorn grabs Arwen and kisses her. At last the king comes to the four hobbits of the fellowship, who bow to him awkwardly. "My friends! You bow to no one." He says as he bowed before the four hobbits, followed by everyone else present. This was his first Kingly deed.

The new King then walked, still holding hands with Arwen, towards his younger sister who quickly threw her arms around his shoulders. "You did it!" She cried and he pulls her closer. "We did it little sister, mum and dad would have been so proud." He whispers the last part as he didn't want his sister to cry even more. The ceremony carried all night, thanks to the food and the drinking and a lot of laughter and jokes.