Chapter 28: The Knighting and Departure


The rest of the evening we spent in the kitchen enjoying some food while hearing stories from the servants on what it was like living here. The one thing they could all agree on was that they wished for a king to command them in these dark times. I told them about my mother's adventure against the dragon Smaug earning the ears of everyone around. Though I knew my mother and father didn't kill Smaug they were the ones to first brave the depths of Erebor despite knowing of the dragon, even if my father was contracted to do so they didn't need to know that.

After a few mugs of mead and plates of food Pippin and I headed back to his room but not before I changed into something that didn't smell of orc. I walked into his room to see him standing outside by the balcony approaching him quietly not to startle him.

I looked towards the lit beacon seeing the embers still burning strong saying, "Won't be long till the others join us, I'd say a day or two now."

"Do you think any of this would have happened had your mom stayed in the shire?" Pippin asked suddenly making me turn towards him seeing the sadness in his eyes.

Staying quiet for a moment I smiled lightly saying, "I imagine they would be making this journey… just the two of them. For them it would be their last adventure and they'd embrace the end together never looking back."

"What about you?" he asked making me scoff saying, "I would rule over the hobbits teaching them how to fight and be better at sneaking. My father was a professional burglar after all."

We both laughed while he said, "You still could, though I don't think many would take kindly to a part elf girl causing mayhem among the shire."

"One must keep things interesting." I said confidently making him laugh muttering, "Spoken like a Took."

We both laughed again until I let out a long yawn stretching my limbs turning toward the bed. With the lack of sleep I had the night before I knew sleep would come easy especially sleeping beside Pippin. He followed my lead going towards the bed as I curled under the covers wiggling my body towards his feeling him place a secure arm around me.

"Will you go with me when I'm knighted as a steward?" Pippin asked sleepily making me nod my head replying lazily, "Of course, I'll always be there when you need me Pipsqueak."

I felt his chest heave for a moment as if he laughed but his heaving calmed feeling him cradle me tighter hearing before I let sleep take me, "And I will always be there for you too… I promise."


The next morning I sat on Pippin's bed after changing and bathing trying not to laugh at how ridiculous he looked in his knighting attire. It only made it more ridiculous that he didn't have any shoes on but I knew that would never happen for hobbits never wore shoes. I often wondered how much they needed to clean their feet, it would surly trek a lot of nasty smells but then again I'd never embraced my hobbit side of my heritage.

"Are you sure you won't try on the shoes?" I said knowing the answer seeing him look down at his feet wiggling his toes replying, "It's fine, no one will be looking at my feet."

I laughed loudly replying, "Everyone will be looking at them, it's the only thing off."

He crossed his arms giving me a playful smirk saying, "Well you'll be stuck looking at hobbit feet for a very long time once we are back at the shire."

I gave a fake shudder making us both laugh when a loud knock at the door interrupted us watching Pippin scurry over to answer it.

Once the door was opened we saw one of the guards look towards Pippin saying, "You will wait in the hall till our lord is present."

"Marina is coming too." Pippin said stubbornly seeing the man eye me for a moment before saying, "If that is what you wish."

He left seeing Pippin giving me a triumphant smile making me roll my eyes standing up linking my arm with him saying, "More power to anyone for giving you what you wish."

"Even if what I wished was you?" he said quirking his eye brow up making me blush looking away shyly saying, "Perhaps not everything."

We both sat in silence in the hall both of our feet dangling on the bench seeing nothing but empty halls seeing Pippin grow nervous.

"What was I thinking… what service could a hobbit offer a great lord of man." Pippin said to himself making me frown hearing footsteps approach, "It was well done."

We both hoped up seeing Faramir approach seeing him smile saying, "Generous deeds should not be checked with cold council. I see you joined the toward guard."

Pippin looked down at the top they gave him with the symbol of the tree saying, "I didn't think they'd find anything that would fit me."

Faramir looked over his clothes saying, "It once belonged to a young boy of the city, a foolish one who wasted many hours slaying dragons… instead of tending to his studies."

I smiled warmly replying, "This was yours?"

He looked toward me proudly saying, "Yes it was mine, my father had it made for me."

Pippin gave him a large smile saying, "Well, I'm taller than you were then though I'm not likely to grow anymore… except sideways."

We all laughed lightly at his joke hearing Faramir say, "It never fitted me either, Boromir was always the soldier."

"They were so alike he and my father, proud, stubborn even but strong." He said seeing the smile slowly start to fade thinking of the both of them.

"I think you have a strength of a different kind and one day your father will see it." Pippin said confidently while Faramir smiled at him saying, "I hope you are right, you hobbits give me courage that one day the world will be a much better place."

Pippin and I both smile seeing his smile widened but falter for a moment saying, "It's time."


"Here I swear fealty and service to Gondor in peace or war and living or dying, from..." I frowned watching Pippin struggling to continue seeing his eyes avert towards me standing beside him as he took a breath saying, "From this hour henceforth until my lord release me or death take me."

The king stood smiling down at him saying, "And I shall not forget it nor fail to reward that which is given."

He held is hand towards Pippin's face seeing him look at the ring for a moment before kissing it softly. The king cupped Pippin's cheek forcing him to look up as the king's attention turned towards me making me perk up worried.

"Fealty with love…" the king began looking away from me and walking back towards a chair saying, "Valor with honor, disloyalty with vengeance."

He sat on the chair and began grabbing some grapes feeling the intensity in the room thicken as his eyes landed on Faramir saying nonchalantly, "I do not think we should lightly abandon the outer defenses… defenses that your brother long held intact."

"What would you have me do?" Faramir said hearing the knowing in his voice as the king said a bit more harshly, "I will not yield the river in pelennor unfought Osgiliath must be retaken."

I went to speak up on the matter seeing Faramir step forward replying, "My lord Osgiliath is overrun..."

"Much must be risked in time of war." said the king cutting him off seeing Pippin give me a sideways look of worry knowing what the king would wish his last living son to do.

"Is there a captain here who still has the courage to do his Lord's will?" the king said as Pippin stood up standing beside me while we both looked towards Faramir hoping he wouldn't do this foolish task.

"You wish now that our places had been exchanged, that I had died and Boromir lived?" Faramir said seeing the heartbreak in his eyes as I could barely hear the king whisper, "Yes… I wish that."

I felt my fist tighten in anger feeling Pippin brush my hand to calm me from doing anything rash hearing Faramir say defeated, "Since you were robbed of Boromir… I will do what I can in his stead."

He bowed slowly before beginning to walk seeing the king do nothing but stare in his direction as Pippin and I felt helpless to change this dreaded outcome.

Faramir stopped for a moment looking back at his father with tears in his eyes saying, "If I should return think better of me father."

He looked towards us giving a sad smile before walking towards the door hearing the king say bitterly, "That will depend on the manner of your return."

I kept looking in Faramir's direction as he calmly walked through the doors praying that despite how little hope for his return, it would be the latter.