Aragorn, Arathorn's Son

“Rope, we’ll need rope on that quest” Sam strolled down a hallway, entirely lost in his musings on what he should pack for the quest, despite the fact that the Company would not set out for a couple of weeks yet. He had passed a sideway when all at once he crashed into something, or rather someone and found himself sitting on the floor “Oi ! Ouch !” Sam was rubbing his forehead which had made a painful acquaintance with the hilt of Aragorn’s sword. “Master Samwise, forgive me, I did not see you” Aragorn was aghast and held out his hand helping Sam to get up again. “Obviously not, Longsh....” Sam halted. A thought had crossed his mind, an echo of what he had heard at the Council the day before. “ Begging your pardon, Lord Arathorn” “...gorn, it’s Aragorn – Arathorn’s son” came the man’s reply. “ Oh ! Begging your pardon, sir, that name is still so new for me....” Sam looked up at the man he thought he knew but apparently not. “Why are you called thus anyway ? ” “ Why am I called what ?” Aragorn looked puzzled. “Arathorn’s son ? See, nobody calls me ‘Samwise Hamfast’s son’. My Da is just my old Gaffer, that’s all. Plain ‘n sensible. And is it just Aragorn ? I mean, don’t you have a family name like we do such as Gamgee, Baggins, Took? ” “ I am called thus, Master Samwise, because I’m a descendant of” – he hesitated for a moment and his voice dropped “ of a line of kings” “Oh! Yes, I heard that.” Sam pulled himself up straight realizing he was talking to a king. But something was bothering him yet. Strider did not look like a king. Well, he did not wear his filthy smelly garments any more but something was missing. Sam thought about what he knew about kings. They were rich, imposing and they had....yes, that was it ! : “ Do you have a crown, Lord Aragorn ?” No, I haven’t....yet” that last word almost came as a whisper. “ Oh, so that’s what Bilbo meant by ‘the crownless again shall be king’”. Aragorn just sighed. Something else crossed the young Hobbit’s mind at that moment. He grinned at Aragorn and said “ But you know what, Lord Aragorn ? That Lady Arwen would make a fine queen for you and no mistake.... “