Promises

By songspinner

Author's note - This is a combination of book and movieverses. As I glanced at various screen captures from ROTK, I noticed that during his crowning, Aragorn was no longer wearing Boromir's vambraces. And then I remembered Pippin telling Frodo in the book that he and Merry were knights...

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Disclaimer: The usual...these characters don't belong to me but to J.R.R. Tolkien and to New Line, Peter, Fran, and Philippa. I make no profit from this story except any positive feedback that happens to wander in my direction...

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(The day that Frodo and Sam awoke in Ithilien, early morning...)

Pippin was pacing back and forth in the hallway, so lost in thought that he hardly noticed the cold stones under his bare feet. A slight limp still marred the otherwise regular stride, and he winced occasionally from still-healing injuries hidden under his tunic.

"Pippin? Were you waiting for me?" Aragorn's voice from the now open door startled the young hobbit.

"Your majesty." Pippin's formal bow only made the former Ranger smile.

"Not quite yet, you know. After I am formally crowned you may do that, but please, for my sake, do not do it now. I should like to be Aragorn, even Strider for a while longer before I am Elessar." With a sigh, Aragorn drew him inside the chamber.

"Now then, what has you looking so troubled, my friend?"

Pippin fidgeted with the hem of his sable and silver tunic for a long moment, struggling to find the right words. He felt Aragorn's hand tip his face upwards so that he had to look at the man's face.

"Pippin, whatever it is, on this of all joyful days, it surely can't be too awful."

"It's just..." Pippin paused briefly and then plunged on. "It's just that Denethor swore me into his service and then told me to...well, he released me from his service, so I suppose it wasn't treason to follow Gandalf, but...now you are to be the king in Gondor." He took a deep breath before he continued. "Aragorn, I do not know if I should be wearing the uniform, or for whom, or if I am in service. Do I serve Faramir, or you, or no one? Shall I help you ready yourself for this afternoon, or do I...Beregond was not sure when I asked him, and..."

"Pippin!" Aragorn's firm voice interrupted him.

"I'm sorry..."

"Ah, no, you have nothing about which to be sorry, Pippin. I am the one who should have noticed, but I'm afraid I have been a bit overwhelmed myself these past few days." His kind smile made Pippin relax a little, and the hobbit could see a bit of the old Strider as Aragorn went and sprawled out on a nearby bench.

Grinning back tentatively, Pippin was relieved to see the understanding on Aragorn's face. "I've felt a bit lost in this large city of yours." He climbed up onto the bench beside his friend and swung his legs back and forth as he spoke. "I was afraid to ask you what I was to do, and I was so worried about Frodo and Sam, and so happy to see Merry..."

"And healing from having a troll fall on you, don't forget. You've only just been out of bed yourself." Aragorn arched on eyebrow at him, and Pippin barely refrained from sticking out his tongue.

"Yes, well, that did take up some of the time. The bruises are fading and it doesn't hurt too much, not really. No, truly!" Pippin insisted when Aragorn gave him a look of mild disbelief. "I've feeling sort of useless not being on duty with the rest of the Guards."

"You know," Aragorn replied. "I think I had that part of this conversation with Merry once recently. Something about feeling as though he were a piece of baggage being lugged along."

"I understand that." Pippin heard his own voice get smaller, and felt Aragorn's strong arm tug him close in answer.

"Peregrin Took, you are still a Guard of the Citadel. Denethor released you from his service, not the service of Gondor, and that means to me. I know that Faramir plans to make you a knight later this afternoon. And I sense that you would ask him to do the honors?"

"A knight? Oh...yes, I would, if you wouldn't mind it..." Pippin said softly, a bit worried that Aragorn might be insulted.

"Certainly not. My Steward has much to thank you for, including his life, and I would have him give you that honor. But perhaps with my sword?"

"Oh!" And Pippin leaned his face briefly into the burgundy velvet of Aragorn's tunic, almost dizzy with joy and then raised his face to his friend's. "Yes, please."

"Well then, my knight-to-be, I need help preparing for this ceremony, which will undoubtedly last for far too long." A wink from Aragorn completed Pippin's contentment and made him giggle. "But I suppose I cannot look the part of the scruffy ranger for this..."

"Aragorn," Pippin said a little while later, after handing over a pair of formal boots. "I know someone else helped you with your gear before the last battle, but there are two sets of vambraces here. Which are you to wear?" He held up one of each, thinking how odd it was that he knew so much now about armor and weapons, and suddenly froze, staring at the one in his left hand.

"Is this...it looks like...this is Boromir's. I didn't really notice before." Pippin's head swam with sudden images of their fallen companion. "Did you wear them?"

Aragorn sat down heavily, taking the worn and battered piece of leather from Pippin's hand. "Yes. I did." Pippin watched through tear-blurred vision as Aragorn ran his fingers over the embossing of the white tree and stars. "I took them," the man clarified softly. "Before we sent him down the Anduin in his funeral boat. I felt...I suppose I felt as though I needed..."

"Needed what?" Pippin asked cautiously when his friend paused and laid the vambrace down.

"A reminder of what I promised him as he died, that I would see his city and people, our people, free and safe. So I wore them until the final assault on the Black Gate."

"You kept your promise, keep his city safe and free, and I'm sure he knows it." Trying to reassure him, Pippin laid a hand on Aragorn's larger one.

With a wistful smile of his own, Aragorn looked down at the hobbit acting as his esquire. "We did that, Guard of the Citadel." He laughed as Pippin blushed a little. "Oh, come now. He would be pleased to see us both wear the formal gear of Gondor. His we will put aside where they can be seen by all. He will be remembered as valiant, Pip, do not fear. So," he added. "Hand me the others then. And when we are ready, you and I will go meet Faramir. I assume that you would prefer our friends to be there as well?"

"Oh, yes. I would." Pippin said, trying not to sound too excited as he helped Aragorn fasten the shining vambraces emblazoned with wings.

He'd snuck into the hall behind Gandalf to see what the wizard was doing, just before breakfast, and seen him lovingly polishing the crown that matched the rest of the armor. He could scarcely wait to see Aragorn crowned in it.

"Well then, Peregrin Took." Aragorn sounded stern, but his eyes were twinkling as he looked his friend up and down. He brushed unruly curls back from the neck of the hobbit's tunic. "You seem presentable yourself. Enough to become a knight of the realm."

Pippin watched as Aragorn buckled Anduril around his waist. "Well, we hobbits do clean up nicely when we're not in battles and on the road, you know." Pippin answered, trying to keep a straight face and not quite succeeding.

"I do know." Aragorn said with a wink and then his voice went serious again. "And Pippin, Faramir is not the only one who owes you a great deal. Please remember that."

Pippin lifted his eyes up once more to meet Aragorn's calm, grey gaze, knowing this promise to be just as important as the one he would shortly make in the Hall. "I'll try. I will."