Wandering through the streets, the Elves talked together in their native tongue, drawing a few stares from curious inhabitants. Most, however, glanced only once at them. These days, there were so many strange people in the city that it was almost to get accustomed to. Those Rohirrim, Elves, Northern Rangers, wizards, Halflings, and even dwarves...
As they passed a stall selling a wide variety of fabrics, Uruviel stopped. �Wait a moment, Aldamir,� she said, going toward it. He followed her over. The woman at the stand looked a bit nervous and startled at an Elf visiting her stall. She did her best to be business-like, but Aldamir noticed with a little smile her hands wringing her apron intermittently. Uruviel returned her timid greeting with a smile and began looking over the fabrics, stroking them and running them through her fingers.
Aldamir waited patiently, watching her. Glancing upwards, he gazed at the city rising up above him, circling upwards, finally ending in the spur of rock thrust out from the mountain. Birds were wheeling high above, their cries mingling with the many sounds of the city; voices, shouting, horses� hooves, amour clinking. The sun was shining, pouring down on the white stone and giving it a light, almost invisible golden hue. Aldamir thought of the golden light in Lothl�rien, sparkling in the little streams...
A hand touched his arm and he turned. �All right, we can go on,� Uruviel said. Over her arm was draped the folded mass of a dark blue material. �I have what I need.�
�What will you use it for?� he asked, taking her hand.
�You could use a new tunic, for one thing,� she answered, smiling. �The one you�re wearing now has been through a lot.�
Aldamir glanced down at himself. Though having been washed and patched as best as possible, his tunic was rather worn and stained. He squeezed her hand appreciatively. �Trust you to think of that,� he said, silently thanking the Valar for his beautiful wife and the fact that they were together again. �I don�t think I would have.�
She merely tightened her grip on his hand and they continued their walk.
Three days later, the coronation of Aragorn as King took place on the topmost level of the city. The entire level, from the steps of the Citadel to the point of the spur of rock, was covered with people from all the reaches of Middle-earth, from the Shire to Pelargir. The White Tree, rising above them, had revived once again; white blossoms covered its boughs.
On the steps of the Citadel knelt Aragorn, clad in kingly robes and with the White Tree on his breast. His head was bare; Anduril hung girt at his side. To the right stood Gimli, bearing the winged crown on a wine-red pillow. Gandalf, clad all in shining white, reverently lifted the crown from Gimli�s hands, held it aloft as it glinted in the sunlight, and lowered it gently onto Aragorn�s head. Then the Ranger, now the King Elessar in name as well as blood, stood and turned to face his people.
A great cheer arose, rising and growing until it flew away on the wind with the gulls above the city. Tears stood in the eyes of many as they cried out for gladness; now the days of darkness were over and the King who they had so long waited for had returned.
White petals began falling from the White Tree, falling like a drifting, dancing rain among the people and settling in their hair. Aragorn lifted his face as they brushed softly against it. Uruviel, standing at Aldamir�s side, reached up and caught one of them in her hand.
�Now come the days of the King,� said Gandalf, in a strong voice. �May they be blessed.�
Aragorn gazed out at the multitude before him. �This day does not belong to one man, but to all.� He spread his hands, as if accepting them all not just as his subjects, but his people. �Together, let us rebuild this world, that we may share in the days of peace.�
Glancing upwards into the white petals swirling through the air, Aragorn drew a breath and sang in the Elven tongue a line spoken long ago by his forefather Elendil. �Et Earello Endorenna utulien. Sinome maruvan ar Hildinyar tenn� Ambarmetta!�
Again the people cheered, clapping happily, and Aragorn turned to walk down between them, on a carpet laid out before his feet, amid the still-falling petals. Along the sides stood a row of Citadel guards, and beyond them Rohan�s King, �omer, his sister �owyn, Faramir of Gondor, Imrahil of Dol Amroth, and the Elves of Rivendell and L�rien. They stepped forward and bowed in turn as Aragorn passed. Then, as he reached the Elves, he paused at the sight of a cream-colored banner, with Elrond standing next to it.
He hesitated as he saw Arwen standing there. Aldamir saw the pain and love mingled on Elrond�s face as he nudged her gently, whispering to her. Slowly, she came forward, and with a sudden sadness on her face, bowed her head. Aragorn lifted her chin gently, and Aldamir could see that the pain and uncertainty of accepting her choice was still in his heart. For a moment they gazed into each other�s eyes, and then at last he accepted her, and she nearly threw herself into his arms, embracing him and returning his kiss. Her happy laughter sounded silver in the ears of the people, and again they cheered, now for both their king and his queen.
Aldamir let his gaze take in the White Tree, the Citadel, the sunlight, Elessar. His heart was full of emotions, glad and otherwise. He thought of Haldir and the other slain, and his heart ached for the fallen Elves, who should by rights be standing here celebrating the downfall of Mordor. He looked at Frodo, clad no longer in worn rags but clean garments, and wondered what was going through the hobbit�s mind. All this � Elessar�s crowning, the great victory, was greatly due to his hours of agony and suffering in the dark lands of Mordor. Now all he had fought for was fulfilled, and yet Aldamir saw in his eyes a sort of pain, and his heart went out to the hobbit. Even though the Ring had been destroyed, there remained a piece of that darkness within him. Again, Aldamir marveled at so great a courage in so small a heart.
Aragorn, too, was gazing at the four hobbits, Frodo, Merry, Pippin and Sam, whom he loved and whom he had traveled so far with. They stood before the White Tree, only half the height of the rest of the people, but now known throughout Gondor. As Aragorn gazed at them with love and wonder in his eyes, they bowed as one.
�My friends,� interrupted Aragorn, and they looked up. He shook his head. �You bow to no one.�
Then, as King, with Arwen at his side, he bowed his head and knelt before them. Behind him, the Elves knelt as well, and with them, the entire multitude knelt down before the hobbits, honoring the small people who had brought about the great victory now being celebrating throughout all of Middle-earth.