To The End Of Her Days - A Fanfiction Sequel to The Lord of the Rings

Prologue

Many have heard the tale of the One Ring of the Dark Lord Sauron and how Frodo Baggins of the Shire brought the Ring and its master to their destruction at Mount Doom, but there is much more of this story to tell. Another part of this story has remained untold to its completion, until now.

This part of the story began long before Frodo's part was even known. Gandalf was in Minas Tirith, studying the scrolls of Isildur. Among the accounts of Isildur finding the Ring of Power, there was an account of a prophecy of old that among much else read:

A Female Halfling will rule them all,
The child of the one who makes the Dark Lord fall.
Young and beautiful, but wise and just she shall be,
She shall bring the Age of Peace when she reigns from over Sea.
And this Maiden Fair shall reign as we sing,
That she will forever be the Lord of the Ring.

Despite his vast wisdom, Gandalf was astonished. Not only was Frodo to success in a quest to destroy the Ring of Power, but his daughter was prophesied to bring peace to all Middle-earth. How can Frodo succeed at such a task, Gandalf thought to himself, and how can this child of his bring such peace? She would be so great and powerful, she would earn the title of lord, a right reserved for the most noble of Men. As Gandalf continued to read, he found it described the finding of the Ring, and the passing on of the Ring to the Ring-bearer's kin. It described the great journey this young Ring-bearer would soon endure, but it also described the journey his daughter would endure to ransom Middle-earth, and how she would come to be the greatest and most just ruler ever known. It also described the return of the Heir of Numenor to the throne of Men. This must mean that Aragorn son of Arathorn is destined to reign over Gondor, Gandalf thought to himself, and he will marry Arwen Undomiel. But how? It told how the King's son would redeem the remnant of Numenor eternally, and how he would become the greatest King known to Men.

Gandalf was astounded by everything he had discovered, almost doubting everything written could be true. It predicted obstacles that seemed so insurmountable, he was not sure what to believe. In the end, he decided to keep everything to himself until he began to see more of it unfold.

~

Frodo did succeed at his quest and Aragorn did reclaim the throne of Gondor. It was beyond what anyone would have hoped for, especially from a Halfling or a Ranger of the North. Gandalf had his moments of doubt, believing he had sent Frodo and Sam to die in vain, but now the only thing in vain was fear. They could now be free of fear for a time, but Gandalf knew a time would soon come when they would be relieved of all other fear forever, according to the prophecy.

After the Ring had been destroyed, Gimli's father Gloin came to Minas Tirith to see his son, with his adopted daughter, Palin Moria. But Frodo quickly learned that her real name was Mirabella Cottontree, or Mira for short, and she was actually a hobbit. When she was younger, she escaped her father's abusive wrath by fleeing towards the Misty Mountains. Gloin and Gimli found her in poor health and decided to nurse her back to health. When they learned her story, they chose to keep her as a part of their family. However, they had to deceive the dwarves in Erebor to avoid questions and keep her hidden. Since she was larger and taller than most hobbits, they covered her feet and claimed she was a dwarf unable to grow a beard. (Almost all dwarves, both male and female, had beards. Beardless dwarves were rare, but not unknown) She quickly adapted to dwarvish customs and changed her name from Mirabella to Palin Moria. Eventually, everyone forgot she was adopted, but she never really quite fit in among the dwarves, so she always felt out of place.

Mira was beautiful for her kind, but her beauty was misunderstood by the dwarves, who were not attracted to her because she didn't have a beard. This did not stop Frodo from recognizing her beauty. They fell in love at first sight and were married soon after. However, they had to do so in secret because they feared Mira's father discovering her, so they could not return to the Shire together or tell anyone they were married. The only ones present at the wedding were Gandalf, the King and Queen, Gimli, Gloin, Legolas, and Samwise. Mira had to return to Erebor that same day, much to the newlyweds' dismay. Despite the distance between them, their love for each other never died. They wrote each other often and hoped they would someday be able to be together.