Seeds of the White Tree

Chapter 28 - Hail to the King

The king was holding court from upon his throne, and Gondorian citizens thronged within the great Tower Hall of Minas Tirith. Their many chattering voices rang to the hall's vaulted ceilings, with its shining mosaics of marble and gold and soaring black stone pillars. The banner of the House of Telcontar graced the arches of every alcove; one white tree on a field of black beneath seven stars an a winged crown. Citadel guards flanked the doorways, and those who had been granted an audience with the king wondered at the soldiers' shining mithril helms and white gull-feather crests as they passed.

The crowd stopped six paces back from the foot of the dias, held in check by the watchful presence of two more guards on either side of the throne. A herald announced each petitioner as their turn came, and one-by-one they approached the dias. The black seat of the Steward sat empty for now; Lord Faramir was away with the queen and her daughters in Annúminas, the northern capital. Even if the Chair of the Stewards had been occupied, all eyes were instantly drawn to where King Aragorn sat in state.

The king was not a young man, but neither was he old. Winter's frost threaded through his hair and neatly-trimmed beard, and the lines set around his clear grey gaze told the story of both wisdom and endurance. The set of Aragorn's shoulders still suggested strength though, and his frame was as long and lean as it had been the day he stepped through the city gates to claim his crown. It seemed to his people that he had reigned for a lifetime, and yet was still fit and sound to reign for another lifetime to come. How quickly Gondor had forgotten the long years of the kings of Númenor. They were beginning to remember though; the prosperity brought by decades of stable leadership was even now re-awakening the pride and dignity of Gondor's elder days.

As for Aragorn himself, he was listening to the case being put forth with interest. Matters of taxation law and public policy tended to bore Aragorn, even as he made a valiant effort to engage in them for his people's sake. This particular case had to do with both justice and horsemanship, two arenas in which Aragorn was happy to debate.

"And so, Your Grace, even after months of my telling him to keep that fence mended, his stallion still was able to jump clean through the gap and into my pastures. My best mare grazes in that field. What happened next doesn't take much figuring..."

A low murmur of laughter traveled through the crowd. The two men standing before the dias were not laughing though. The second man eyed the first sourly.

"I mended the fence, Your Grace! It's him that insisted on pasturing a mare next to my stallion in the first place. Putting temptation right where it shouldn't be, small wonder my lad Thunder couldn't stay put! My family has been keeping horses on our land for generations, and we've ne'er had troubles until he set up shop."

"I have every right to use my land how I wish," snapped the first man. "It's much ado over spilled milk now though. The mare dropped her foal a fortnight ago, and I say it's my property now. Proper compensation for injury owed and all."

"Your property, the nerve! My Thunder sired that little colt, and he's going to be a one in a million horse if I ever saw one! You paid me no coin for stud service, so I say the foal is mine by rights."

Aragorn held up a hand for silence before the arguing built up steam. He looked to the official who had been sent to arbitrate for the dispute initially. Such mediation attempts had thus far failed, and so the two land-owners had been brought to Minas Tirith for royal intervention.

"You have seen the colt in question, Master Forlong. Tell me, is it really such a fine creature as to inspire such wrath between neighbors?"

Forlong, a rather horsey looking fellow himself, bowed. "I am not a perfect judge of horse-flesh, Your Grace. However, from what I can tell, it's a strong little animal with long, shapely legs and a sleek coat. Once grown, I imagine it could fetch a handsome price."