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.

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 noblest 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 Ringbearer's kin. It described the great journey this young Ringbearer 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.

Despite his vast wisdom, Gandalf was astounded by everything he had discovered, almost doubting everything could happen just as it was written. In the end, he decided to keep everything to himself until he began to see more of it unfold.

~

After the Ring had been destroyed, Gimli's father Gloin came to Minas Tirith to see his son, but he did not come alone. Gloin brought his daughter, Palin Moria. Everyone welcomed them, but Palin was quite shy and kept her face covered with a hood. Only a day after they arrived, Frodo was walking near a garden near the outer wall of the palace, when he saw Palin sitting on a bench. When she approached her, he found that she was running her sore feet, feet with hair on the top like his. She panicked, but Frodo reassured her that he wouldn't tell anyone as long as she explained why she was pretending to be a dwarf.

She told him that her real name was Mirabella Cottontree and she used to go by the name Mira. She lived in the village of Bree and was raised by a man who took her in after her parents died, but this man eventually began to overwork and abuse her. After many years of abuse, she finally ran away. She eventually found herself in the Misty Mountains before she got lost and passed out. Gloin and Gimli found her and decided to nurse her back to health. When they learned her story, they chose to take her in and deceive the dwarves in Erebor to keep her hidden. Since she was slightly taller than most hobbits, they covered her feet and claimed she was a dwarf unable to grow a beard. She quickly adapted to dwarvish customs and changed her name to Palin Moria. She admitted she was grateful to have Gloin and Gimli as family, but she never really quite fit in among the dwarves, so she always felt out of place.

After Frodo learned her story, not only did he agree to help keep her secret, but they continued to meet in that garden privately every night so Mira could share more of her past. Frodo also shared about all he had experienced on his journey. It didn't take them very long for them to fall in love and for Frodo to propose marriage. But they knew they would have to do so in secret to keep Mira hidden. They knew could not return to the Shire together or tell anyone they were married. When they got married only a few days later, the only ones present at the wedding were Gandalf, the king, Gimli, Gloin, Legolas, and Samwise. They didn't even tell Merry and Pippin. Mira returned to Erebor that same day to conceal the marriage. Despite the distance between them, their love for each other never died. They wrote to each other often and hoped they would someday be together.