Eldacar
His name was Eldacar, fourth King of Arnor, proud scion of Númenor. It was the four-hundred and forty-first year since Elendil's Landing.
Currently he was seated upon the White Throne as he heard the daily requests and complaints of his subjects. Eldacar had done this for 50 years now, but he had never quite gotten used to how tedious the daily demands of court were. His son Arantar was far more suited to this job than he was, hence why Eldacar often had him rule in his stead as he journeyed on many progresses around Arnor.
The current matter brought to his attention was a dispute between Lord Westerling and Lord Reyne over the boundaries of their respective territories. The two men had initially been courteous but their complaint had slowly but surely devolved into a furious argument that had lasted near 10 minutes by now.
His patience gone, Eldacar had to keep himself from shouting when he informed the two lords that he would send a trusted courtier to survey the land and determine the best compromise before summarily dismissing them.
"Arantar my son, please tell me that is the last matter to be dealt with today."
"It was Father," Arantar answered, amused.
Before either of them of could say anything more however, the side doors of the throne room burst open and one of the Citadel Guard came running in.
"Your Majesty, It's the stone, someone is waiting for you."
Eldacar knew what he meant. The palantiri had been gifts from the legendary Eldar of old to his grandfather's grandfather. They were all of them the possession of the King of Arnor but three had been placed at Fornost, Minas Anor, and Minas Ithil, for the purpose of communication and the defense of the realm. Wardens attended to the stones at all times.
'Very well then," Eldacar said.
The journey to the secret room in the Tower of Elendil took him up a number of staircases. Even now he marvelled at the Seeing-stone. It was a perfect sphere, dark in colour and over two feet in diameter. It was too large for a single man to lift.
Eldacar stepped toward the stone. The only indication that it was connected to another stone was a slight golden glow. He placed his hand on the stone and immediately his thoughts connected to the other side.
"Your Majesty, I apologise for the disturbance, but I bring an urgent matter that requires your attention immediately," his cousin, Aramir, the Lord of Minas Ithil said.
Ah, so it wasn't a social call then. Aramir only called him 'Your Majesty' when they were both interacting in their respective roles as king and lord.
"Very well then. What matter is this, Lord Artenosse?"
"A number of giants have been sighted in Ithilien and the people are becoming nervous."
"These giants, have there been any incidents with them?"
"No Your Majesty. The giants have been keeping to themselves, along with their mammoth herds, but their presence is terrifying the people. I beseech you to give us permission to drive them out."
"No Aramir, if there was ever a lesson I learned from my father, it was to always use violence as a last resort. If you speak true and the giants have yet to do any harm, then it would be better to speak with them first and ascertain their intentions. Prepare your forces, they will be needed if there is a confrontation. However, you are not allowed to attack or provoke them in anyway unless they do so first. Until then, move the people within Minas Ithil and do not allow anyone near the giants."
Aramir looked a bit reluctant but he obeyed his king, "As you wish, Your Majesty."
The journey to Minas Ithil from Annúminas was 10 days with a good horse. Eldacar knew that his predecessors had done well in building a large network of paved roads in Arnor, it had allowed them swift and easy access to the entire kingdom from the capital and all roads lead out from Annúminas.
His musing on the roads was cut off when his uncle, Valandil, informed him they were now in Ithilien. To lesser men the idea of one's uncle being far younger than you was unthinkable and yet to the Adunaim, such a concept was considered normal. Valandil had been over a hundred and thirty years younger than Eldacar's father Elendur, and Eldacar himself was a good three decades his senior. As a result, Eldacar had often treated him as more like a younger brother than an uncle.
Eldacar looked to the land around and realised Valandil was indeed correct. The lush lands, rolling hills, and broadleaf forests looked no different than they did in the province they had just left. But the Dúnedain had far sight and in the distance, beyond the view of any ordinary man, stood Minas Ithil on the shores of Lake Naruael. Knowing they would reach it within the day, Eldacar urged his horse to a gallop, his escort following behind him.
They had reached Minas Ithil at sunset. His escort had been welcomed and given quarters. Eldacar himself had been assigned a kingly suite. On the morrow he would be accompanied by his cousin, Aramir, his uncle, Valandil, and a host of some 200 guards. According to Aramir there was a tribe of 20 giants camped some 10 miles south of Minas Ithil with a large herd of mammoths.
The next day, their party set out to the giant encampment. Eldacar knew that they were giants but nothing truly prepared him for the sight. They were tall, taller even than a Dúnedain, all of them standing between ten and fourteen feet. They were covered by shaggy pelts of fur, thicker below their waists than above, with squashed in faces and arms longer than their legs.
The giants looked at their party with hostility and Eldacar decided to speak before they attacked with their massive clubs.
"Peace, I am the King of these lands and I desire to know the reason for your presence in my territory."
One of the giants, grey in colour, the leader Eldacar presumed, stepped forward and spoke in a primitive form of the Old Tongue of the First Men, Casterric.
"Humans kill giants. We run from them. Squirrel people tell us humans in these lands are kind."
"Forgive me, Squirrel people?" Eldacar asked.
"Aye, they are small and live in the forests, running around everywhere, like squirrels."
Eldacar realised then that they were referring to the Children of the Forest. He continued the conversation and discovered that these giants were the last survivors of a group that had lived further to the south and had been driven away by the men who lived there. They had heard from the Children that they could find refuge in Arnor.
The king could certainly see the advantage in granting these giants protection. The great boons they and their mammoths would be to his people, even in peacetime. But he was just that, a king, and he could not accept these giants into his lands without their fealty and he had told the giants just that.
The grey giant from before made a deep rumbling sound and Eldacar realised he was laughing.
"If human wants to be our king, he must beat me,' he declared.
"Eldacar, I must protest this. We should leave and gather up our men. A few hundred steelbowmen would end-, " said Lord Aramir but he was cut off by Eldacar
"No Aramir, we will do no such thing I accept your challenge giant," Eldacar answered.
Eldacar instructed all of his men to draw a decent distance back and the giant ordered the same to his followers. He then drew out Narsil, admiring the five-foot blade briefly, before readying for the duel.
The giant attacked first, charging him and bringing his great club down on him. To his surprise however, Eldacar was able to parry his blow with Narsil. The giant however did not appear afraid but rather excited at Eldacar's ability to match him, and smiled a large toothy grin, showing off his many square teeth.
And so they would trade blows for the next 10 minutes, neither able to overpower the other. Eldacar however knew that he would tire sooner than the giant and on the next parry, he deftly deflected the giant's blow, before bringing Narsil down on the giant's arm, severing his clubhand. Shouting in pain, the giant fell to its knees before him and Eldacar pointed his blade up toward its neck.
The giant shouted for its followers who came running forward, causing Eldacar's escort to draw their swords and bows. However, before any more blood could be spilt, the giants suddenly knelt before Eldacar besides their leader.
"Human has defeated me. Human has proven himself worthy to be our king and so shall all his descendants after him, so long as they are strong,' the grey giant said almost reverently, or at least as close to a reverent tone a giant could manage.
"If you are to be my follower, giant, I would have your name."
"I am Wun Weg Mak Dor."
"Very well then. Wun Weg Mak Dor, I name you Chief of the Giants."
And to the awe of all who bore witness, the giants swore an oath of fealty to Eldacar and his line unto the end of time. From that day forth, Eldacar would forever be known as 'Giantking'
Even now, many still struggle to believe that King Eldacar could defeat a giant in single combat. Certainly it serves as a testament to the strength and skill of the Dúnedain people.
King Eldacar granted a number of valleys in the northern mountains, uninhabited by men, to the giants for them to raise their families and mammoth herds.
Wun Weg Mak Dor, the giant chief Eldacar defeated, trained his left hand to be even deadlier than his right. For the remainder of his life, he would hold only the greatest respect for King Eldacar and would later become a good friend of his. To his great surprise, Eldacar named him chief of not only his tribe but all other giant tribes who would later come to Arnor.
The loyalty of the giants to the Kings of Arnor has been forever steadfast, and they would serve their lieges well in the countless wars Arnor would wage later on.