AN: Re-watching LOTR movies (in Blue Ray!) may not be the best idea for my holiday, because now I am hopelessly stuck in this fandom once more. But since I came back from reading/writing a hell lot of historical fiction, I wanted to insert those things that really intrigued me in history into LOTR as well, namely: politics and political structure, economics, trade, technology and its progress and spread, etc. So this story is mostly about running the Reunified Kingdom in the Fourth Age, featuring Aragorn and Faramir prominently, with a good dose of Eomer, Imrahil, Arwen, and the rest. It's also more of a collection of little stories than a complete huge thing, though I try to be chronological. Hope you enjoy.

PS: Gondor is most definitely feudal by Tolkien's descriptions in the LOTR. I try to maintain the Prof's basic structure for Gondor, but I also want to give Gondor a more centralized/imperial spin.. So the King has more stuff to do, hence more stories.

1. A Queen's Price

As the debate wore on, Faramir grew more and more anxious.

Convincing the Council to accept Lord Aragorn as King was no walk in the park, but it seemed easy enough now. After all, how many objections could be made against one who led a mighty fleet to Minas Tirith's defence, whose healing hand returned many from the shadows, and then rode at the head of an alliance of all Free People of Middle-Earth and emerged victorious against the Dark Lord? Indeed, not that many. And there were still many lords and captains of Gondor who remembered the Eagle of the Star and were only too glad to welcome the legend back into the White City.

Convincing the Council to accept an unknown, unseen, and utterly foreign (she was not even human!) Queen was another matter. Which lord would not want a daughter or a sister upon Gondor's throne beside the new King of the Reunified Kingdom? Which lord would be willing to surrender that position to some mystical fairy creature from the north? It seemed that only Imrahil and Faramir seemed to be defending the King's choice whole-heartedly. Imrahil was growing angry with the other lords, voice slowly rising. Faramir had to wonder about his uncle briefly; after all, Lothiriel was of marriageable age. Was Imrahil not tempted at all by the prospect of becoming the new King's father-in-law?

It was remarkable that Aragorn continued to look calm and relaxed throughout the debate. He wrapped his dark cloak around him, wearing the silk-and-fur finery embroidered with the White Tree and the Seven Stars as easily as his shadowy ranger gear. An enigmatic smile hung on his lips, as if he found the whole debate mildly amusing.

"Now, Lord Beleg," the King began after the said lord finished a rant about Gondor needing a high-born Queen of good Numenorean breeding, "You can hardly complain about the lineage of my affianced wife. She is, after all, daughter of the twin brother of Elros Tar-Minyatur."

The Council room became very silent for a few moments. The name of Elros Tar-Minyatur inspires pride in all descendants of the west, but if one was talking about someone being his niece, it may inspire some terror too.

"But my lord, the elves have diminished over the years," Someone finally protested after a protracted silence, "I hear they will be leaving our world forever. Surely Gondor needs a powerful ally, who is present, near, and will answer our call and lend us aid in times of need."

Faramir frowned. As much as he loathed to agree, this person does make a valid point. He was always grateful that the one who claimed his heart also happened to be the Princess of Rohan, whose connections and significance of alliance more than made up for the lack of Numenorean blood. (By Eru he hated himself for thinking thus, but being the Steward and a Prince of this realm, how could he not?)

"Indeed, the Eldar are departing our shores," Aragorn murmured softly. For a brief moment he looked aged and sad, and a heart-wrenching sorrow stole his grey eyes. But for a moment only. He raised his head a little, and continued on, "Yet the Eldar will not be leaving with all of their worldly possessions, and these must go somewhere. Have I not mentioned the size of my lady's dowry, gentlemen?"

Silence again, and Faramir blinked slowly. That was one very powerful argument, but one he also did not expect at all from his liege.

"I am sure there is enough to coat Minas Tirith in gold," Aragorn said, voice smooth as velvet "Not that I would put elven treasures of so many generations to such flagrant use. But the gold will be more than adequate to back a new mint, I deem, a new road or two, and for some much needed irrigation project on the southern plains. It would not do to ask a House of Gondor, no matter how noble and well-established, to produce such after so much war and destruction, no?"

And that was that. The Queen's throne was a coveted prize, sure, but who could outbid one who inherits the combined fortunes of Elu Thingol and the High King of Noldor?

After the Council concluded, Faramir walked with King, who said to him, "You look somewhat dumbstruck, my Steward."

"You said few words, but put forth reasons that brooked no argument," Faramir replied quietly, "I only did not expect that you would argue thus, Your Majesty."

"Surely you do not think I love the Lady Arwen for her Luthien-like beauty alone?" The King said with a laugh.

Faramir did not respond, for he could not really discern whether that was meant to be a jest. So instead he said cautiously, "Though my liege, there is not, or there should not be, any need for you to put forth personal wealth to back a mint, or to build new roads. The King's Vault is for the King alone."

Aragorn laughed once more. "Good Faramir, if you are saying that I should not take a single penny from Gondor's taxes and levies for personal use, I assure you I understand that point perfectly. It is so in the north also. As the Chieftain, I earn my wage."

"No, my liege, you mistook my meaning!" Faramir was rather flustered, and also somewhat terrified by the idea of his King earning a wage. He continued a little breathlessly, "All I am saying is that Gondor's treasury should provide for these things, not the King's. We may be running low, but now that the war is over, with good management, we should do. What would the Lady Arwen think of us when her gold is put towards mint and roads?"

"I assure you she would not begrudge this," Aragorn said teasingly, "And her treasure chest contains enough Dunedain gold as it is. By and by, who do you think pays Lord Elrond compounded interests on his loans anyway?"

And at that Faramir choked.