Disclaimer: Alas, Legolas is back! YAY! Hey wait, where are you going! Oh, noooooooo! My precioussss isssssssssss losssssssssst! Again!…………. I own nothing.

Chapter 26: It Is All Your Fault!

We walked down a paved passage, long and empty, and as we went I said to Pippin the following – or at least something like the following: "Be careful of your words, Pippin! This is no time for hobbit pertness. Théoden is a kindly man. Denethor is of another sort, proud and subtle, a man of far greater linage and power though he is not called king."

Miguelito nodded and added, "But he will speak most to you and question you much – since you can tell him of his son Boromir."

"Yes," I said in a sigh, "he loved him greatly: To much perhaps; and more so because they were unlike – if that makes sense."

Pippin shook his head to say no but my uncle ignored him and said, "But under the cover of this love he will think it easier to learn what he wishes from you rather than me."

I stopped and turned to look Pippin in the eyes, "Do not tell him more than you need, and leave quiet the matter of Frodo's errand. We will deal with that in due time."

He nodded and turned to go in, but my uncle turned him towards himself and said to him in the same manner I did, "And say nothing about Aragorn either – unless you must."

He nodded and I turned him towards me again, "In fact, I think it would be best if you do not speak at all."

"But-"

"Do as we bid!" I interrupted.

"It is scarcely wise when bringing the news of the death of his heir to a mighty lord to speak over much of the coming of one who will – if he comes – claim the kingship!" My uncle said from beside me.

Pippin looked incredibly surprised, "Kingship? Strider….a king?"

"Yes!" I said starting to get annoyed, but I was interrupted by Miguel's own calm statement, "If you have walked all these days with closed ears and mind asleep, wake up!"

With a sigh, Miguelito pushed open the doors.

We walked into the cold dark halls slowly and cautiously – or at least I did. My uncle, Gandalf, and Pippin walked in quickly and with purpose.

"The courtesy of your halls have--" Miguel began, but I quickly interrupted in his mind.

'That was for Théoden! This is Denethor!'

'Oh yes,'

"Ahem, Hail Denethor, son of Ecthelion, lord and steward of Gondor. I come with tidings in this dark hour and with counsel." His voice in an almost boom like way and with complete authority – yet still with great wisdom ringing in his voice. If it was all Gandalf's wisdom passed to him, I did not know.

Without looking up from his lap, Denethor rasped out, "Perhaps you have come to explain this!" He then lifted up Boromir's split horn. I could distantly hear Pippin gasp as tears stung my eyes and I looked down, the memory of the first arrow hitting him dancing before my eyes.

"Perhaps," he said, "you have come to tell me why my son is dead!"

"Umm….how did you know?" my uncle asked.

"I guessed as much," the steward held up Boromir's horn and continued, "I heard it a few days back, it was blown by my father, and his father, and his and his and his and his and his and-" he stopped when my uncle raised his eyebrow, then started again with a slight cough, "and so far so forth. Now it shall blow no more."

My uncle looked bewildered, then angry as Pippin stepped forward while saying, "Boromir died to save us, my kinsman and me. He fell defending us from many foes."

"Pippin!" I hissed, but it did not stop him from saying what he says next.

"I offer you my service, such as it is, in payment of this debt."

Denethor watched him in surprise, when he snapped out of it he told him, "This is my first command to you. How did you escape and my son did not, so mighty a man as he was?"

Pippin swallowed slightly before answering, "The mightiest man may be slain by one arrow and Boromir was pierced by many."

I sighed and kneeled down next to Pippin, "Pippin, come on, stand up." I whispered softly to him before helping him stand. He looked up at me with tears threatening to overflow; I sighed again and pulled him into a hug.

"My Lord," my uncle began, "there will be a time to grieve for Boromir, but it is not now. War is coming. The enemy is on your doorstep. As steward, you are charged with the defense of this city. Where are Gondor's armies? You still have friends. You are not alone in this fight. Send word to Théoden of Rohan. Light the beacons."

"Do you think you are wise, Mage?" Denethor hissed out. "Yet for all your subtleties you have not wisdom. Do you think the eyes of the White Tower are blind? I have seen more than you know. With your left hand you would use me as a shield against Mordor. And with your right you would seek to supplant me. I know who rides with Théoden of Rohan. Oh yes. Word has reached my ears of this Aragorn, son of Arathorn. And I tell you now, I will not bow to this Ranger from the North, last of a ragged house long bereft of lordship."

I could feel my uncle's anger and disgust rising as he replied, "Authority was not given to you to deny the return of the king, Steward."

Denethor suddenly stood up and cried out, "The rule of Gondor is mine! And no other's!"

They both stood there glaring at each other. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

When Denethor could no longer hold Miguel's angry gaze, he looked away. My uncle scoffed and turned away while telling us, "Come. All has turned to vain ambition. He would even use his grief as a cloak. A thousand years this city has stood." By now we were outside and stopped to look at the dead white tree, which in some way still held beauty and made the on looker become one with awe.

"Now, at the whim of a madman, it will fall. And the White Tree, the tree of the king, will never bloom again." I sighed at my uncle's words before following him.

"Why do they still guard it?" Pippin asked.

"They guard it because they have hope. A faint and fading hope that one day it will flower, that a king will come and this city will be as it once was, before it fell into decay. The old wisdom borne out of the West was forsaken. Kings made tombs more splendid than the houses of the living, and counted the old names of their descent dearer than the names of their sons." I answered him when my uncle did not – obviously still trying to calm his anger.

"Childless lords sat in aged halls, musing on heraldry or in high, cold towers, asking questions of the stars. And so the people of Gondor fell into ruin. The line of kings failed. The White Tree withered. The rule of Gondor was given over to lesser men." I said when we reached the end of the wall and looked down at the city.

"Mordor." Pippin whispered to himself as he looked out over the mountains to the dark cloud growing there.

"Yes," I said, "there it lies. This city has dwelt ever in the sight of its shadow."

"A storm is coming." He said in a small voice.

I took a deep breath before answering, "That is not the weather of the world. That is a device of Sauron's making. A broil of fume he sends ahead of his host. The Orcs of Mordor have no love of daylight, so he covers the face of the sun to ease their passage along the road to war. When the Shadow of Mordor reaches this city it will begin."

"Well, Minas Tirith, very impressive. So where are we off to next?" He turned to me with a hopeful smile and before I could reply, my uncle said:

"Oh, it's too late for that, Peregrin. There's no leaving this city. Help must come to us."

Later that day, when I came back from requesting a bath I heard my uncle telling Pippin, "Yes, we used to tease her about it all the time! How could everyone else in our family be able to play at least five instruments when she can only play two – well three if you count her singing – then that would mean everyone else plays six!" they both laughed heartily.

I went in with a mock glare and said, "You are never going to let that one drop are you?"

He smiled widely as he replied, "Nope!"

"Well, forgive me if I was not blessed to be multi-talented!" I said with pure sarcasm.

He rolled his eyes and said, "I am not multi-talented!"

"Yes, you are! You know how to play almost every instrument! Your writing and poetry are wonderful! I have never seen a picture or a portrait – besides a few select ones - as wonderful as the ones you have made! The songs you write are some of the best ever! You have an uncanny ability for learning a language by just listening to it! You know everything there is to know in science and history! You have more patience then anyone I have ever met – hence being great around children. Yet with all this you are still humble! Have I left anything out?"

"Animals love me?"

"Thank you! Yes, animals do love you!" I said as I threw myself on the couch.

My uncle simply laughed and sat in front of me with a smile, "I am not perfect, I hate math and sports!"

I laughed, "Yes, but you are still talented at them, it is not surprising Éowyn loves you so much."

At that moment a knock sounded at the door. Pippin opened the door and I looked over to see the maid I spoke to about my bath.

"Master Miguel and Master Peregrin, Lord Denethor requests your presence. Lady Phryne, your bath is ready." After a short bow she turned and left.

I jumped off the couch with excitement, "Well, good kind sirs, I must go and take a bath!" I gave a dramatic bow and left the room.

As I put on my recently washed clothes, after taking the bath, I thought of all that had happened since we got to Middle Earth.

I paused in the act of putting on the necklace the boys and Legolas made for me. I gently traced one of the petals of the amaranthine. What happened the night before it was given to me? What did Legolas say when he spoke in Elvish?

The door suddenly burst open and I turned quickly, drawing my sword.

"You are under arrest, under the order of Lord Denethor."

"What?" I asked the guard, but he ignored me and said, "Drop your weapon, we do not want to hurt you, woman."

"Don't call your men women, although I have to agree, they do look like their opposite sex." I said to the stunned men behind their leader, "Don't worry men, women happen to fight better than men - take me for example." Without another word, I made quick work of disarming the man in front of me. Unfortunately, he did not give up and came after me. I simply moved to the side and hit the side of his head with my elbow, before turning and blocking a blow from one of the other men. Soon we were all in a full out fight.

Suddenly someone grabbed one of my arms pulled it behind me in the most painful position imaginable – yet I did not give up the fight so easily. I was able to kick a few of the men in their most vulnerable part before one of them managed to grab my legs and twist them so I would stop moving.

"Argh, let me go you bastards!" They carried me twisting and turning down the hall until they stopped before a scene that made me freeze in my painful position.

My uncle stood up from his chair in so much fury and speed that it fell back against the floor with a loud bang. The fire in his eyes would have made Sauron himself quake in fear.

"You said you would not harm her!" He shouted at the steward while Gandalf jumped on top of the table and hissed at the soldiers.

"YOU HAVE NO SAY IN MY HOME!" Denethor yelled as he got out of his seat.

Suddenly everything grew dark and Gandalf turned to menacingly walk towards Denethor with a growl of a lion. Pippin who was cowering near the end of the table also suddenly stood up and walked between them.

"Milord, please, understand that she did not kill Boromir, she was there to try and protect him – to help him!" he said in a pleading voice.

Everything went back to normal as we all waited for Denethor's reaction.

He scoffed and said, "A woman helping my son! It was a trick, she was his murderer! Do not let your affection for her blind you! She is a spy!" He turned to me and yelled, "It is all your fault that my son is dead!" then to his guards said, "Take her away, do what you wish to her!"

The last thing I saw were my uncle's eyes widening in fear before becoming the fiery depths they were before. Then everything went black.

Now I need all of your opinions, so please review! I tried to reply to as many as possible, but sometime my computer for some reason decided to be my enemy and not let me send my replies. Please forgive me if you did not receive a reply! Review for this chapter and I shall not rest until I reply to it!

P.S. Forgive me for any mistakes!