The royal family's rituals and music were arranged from the foot of Guard Mountain to the top of the white tower. Knights wearing silver armor and black capes lined up in two rows on both sides of the avenue.
Their eyes were full of reverence and their armors were bright, looking at Ecthelion who was rising above the crowd.
Flowers are constantly falling. Pink, white and red roses rained down one after another, resting on the bodies of the heroes who returned victoriously.
The people were cheering. Not only the streets, but also the balconies of the buildings were crowded with people.
Finally, the warriors passed through the final gate and entered the fountain square, where the withered white trees were.
Ecthelion pulled on the reins and stopped.
At that time, all the rituals and music stopped.
Everyone looked at him with reverence and at this glorious warrior. Regent Turgon II stood under the white tower and looked at his son with a smile.
A strange light flashed in Ecthelian's eyes. He turned over and dismounted, and gave his father a smile, but most of his face was still hidden in his helmet.
He came to his father, drew out the sword from his waist, knelt down with respect, and stood the sword in front of him, with the sharp point touching the white tree emblem carved on the rocky ground.
It was the symbol of the Lord of Gondor, but not of the Prime Minister's family. This made Ecthelion feel uncomfortable inside.
"Ah, my son. I'm glad to see you come home safely." Turgon II said happily, his body seemed a little unsteady.
All the drastic changes that have taken place in the past few months have made this big man look much older. His hair is now all white, and his eyes are full of exhaustion.
But before long, everything will be fine.
Ecthelian looked at his father's old face, and the idea in his heart became more determined. You no longer have to sacrifice for your people.
You no longer need to bear the weight of this crown.
I'll take care of everything.
Ecthelion stood, his armor clanking as it moved. He raised his hand and took off the gorgeous helmet from his head, revealing his handsome but heroic face.
"victory!"
He turned his head, raised his sword, and announced to the people in the Fountain Square and to the huge Minas Tirith.
As a result, the people within the seven-story city wall cheered, and the huge sound almost overturned the clouds in the sky.
Seeing the flame called ambition in Ecthelian's eyes, Sauron, who transformed into Orendil, smiled proudly.
He knew that the humans of Gondor had fallen into his power.
On the balcony of the hut, Gandalf watched all this worriedly.
That night.
A very grand celebration dinner was held in Minas Tirith, and almost all the soldiers of the expeditionary force were invited. The northern lords also sent envoys, and together with some big shots in the city, the whole city fell into a carnival.
Commoners, knights, and nobles all cheered loudly, drank wine, and danced throughout the city to celebrate this great victory.
In the main hall of the royal court, the lords of the north and south and the foreign kings of Umbar (the pirate king Angameti II also came to Minas Tirith as a prisoner) were drinking in the brightly lit hall. They may be chatting excitedly about anecdotes from the war, or they may be plotting some terrible plans.
No one knew, just before the feast began. Our hero Ecthelion had a violent quarrel with his father, the regent (chancellor) of Gondor.
"We hold this staff in the name of the King and rule the kingdom until the King returns."
The angry voice of the ruling prime minister sounded in the room, seeming to convince Ecthelian, and also seemed to convince himself, "In other places where royal power is not so important, my son, your terrible idea may be over in just a few years." Yes; but in Gondor even ten thousand years will not be enough."
"People call us prime ministers, the king's deputies! But this authority is not ours after all! Ecthelion, don't forget this!"
Ecthelion also replied in a colder, even angry voice: "Elendil's bloodline has been cut off long ago! This position has been vacant for thousands of years! It is our ancestors who have maintained Gondor with great trembling and diligence. Kingship! Maintaining the noble human bloodline! When our ancestors used blood and courage to repel the invasion of the Eastern Chariot People, where was the king? When our ancestors led the people of Gondor to fight against the terrible shadow of the East , Where is the king? And I am the one who can restore the glory of the people of Gondor! I am also the enemy that I have conquered for thousands of years! Why can't I..."
"Give up your terrible thoughts!" Turgon II begged: "My son, I know that these are not the truest thoughts in your heart! You have been away from your warm and pleasant home for too long, and your heart has been destroyed by the outside world. Wind, frost and rumors have deceived you! The people of Gondor will not support a person without royal blood to ascend the throne! The nobles will not! Your ambition will only lead to boundless war and eventually destroy our family!"
"Under my blade, no one can object!" Ecthelion said horribly.
This shocked Turgon II so much that he angrily drove his son out of the prime minister's palace and asked the guards to imprison him.
Facing his father's opposition and the cold swords of the guards, Ecthelian's eyes revealed an extremely terrifying light. "Then let's wait and see!" he said, then turned and left the royal court.
The Royal Guards in silver armor and black cloaks did not dare to stop this hero of Gondor who had just established an honor that only a few kings could match, and could only let him leave.
Ecthelion mounted a tall horse, looked back at the brightly lit hall, and drove away with a cold face.
No one knows where Ecthelion went that night.
All I know is that when everyone was preparing to celebrate the hard-won victory with enthusiasm and excitement, they discovered that the "conqueror" Ecthelion, who was supposed to be the protagonist, was not present, and only Turgon II was dragging him more and more. The old body dealt with the nobles and Umbar's subordinates.
Thus, this added a touch of shadow to the festive dinner.
It was at this time that a man found the gray wizard.
He looked like a thief in the shadows, a stranger wearing a dark cloak and hiding his face in the shadows.
Gandalf, who was prepared, opened the door to the room and let him in.
After casting a small but extremely useful "little trick" and making sure that no one was following him, Gandalf closed the door.
The visitor lifted up his cloak, revealing his handsome and handsome face.
It's Ardrasil.
"Adrasil from Do Amroth." Gandalf said with a smile: "Visiting late at night and dressing up like this is not the etiquette that a noble person should have."
But the swan knight Adrasil did not pursue the wizard's teasing. He said hastily: "Lord Mithrandir, I have something urgent to do here, so please forgive my rudeness!"
Gandalf stopped smiling, and his sharp eyes suddenly stared at this young man who was also famous. It wasn't until he confirmed that the person coming was a trustworthy person that he nodded slowly.
So Adrasil told Orlandil's origins and expressed his uneasiness.
He said: "That man made me extremely uneasy. He made the enemies of Gondor surrender for thousands of years with just one mouth! Under his bewitchment, Ecthelion became extremely radical! Along the way, he dealt with many people who followed him. The reason for the generals in the battle was that the battle was unfavorable! But we all know that the stalemate in the war was not due to our laziness. But Ecthelian did not listen to the advice. He and the guy with mysterious origins hid in the camp all day long, plotting something. , the killing intent in his eyes became more and more intense. He...he..."
Forced by the original oath, Adrasil could not oppose his friend and his master like a villain, but he became more and more worried about Ecthelion, who was bewitched by Orlandil.
Gandalf understood his concern.
"I will test that mysterious man." He said, "But I need you to send someone to keep an eye on his mansion! It's best to stay around day and night. If you find anything wrong, send a message to me immediately."
Adrasil breathed a sigh of relief.
The two discussed for a while, and then Adrasil put on his cloak again and left secretly.
But even so, they were still a step too late.
