Author's Note:

Sorry, this was supposed to be the race chapter but I looked at the calendar and realised that Mid-year's Day came before the last day of Lithe, and so the confirmation had to come first. Thanks for your patience.

Chapter 43. Confirming the Thain

Mid-year’s Day dawned bright and promising. Diamond stretched and turned over, and then sat up in alarm. Pippin was usually an early riser, taking his beloved Socks out for a ride in the pre-dawn stillness, returning only after he had greeted the Sun—or her light, anyhow, on an overcast day.

 ‘Pippin?’ she said anxiously. ‘Love?’

He groaned and burrowed deeper under the pillows.

Diamond arose, pulling her robe around her. ‘I’ll call Woodruff,’ she said.

That was enough to rouse her husband, and he emerged, blinking. ‘No, don’t,’ he said.

 ‘You never lie in,’ Diamond said, but he caught at her hand and pulled her down to sit beside him.

 ‘I asked Hilly to exercise Socks this morning,’ he said. ‘I didn’t know that I’d have time, what with all the ceremonies and things.’

By ceremonies and things of course he meant his confirmation as Thain of the Shire. He sounded more as if he were going to be cast out of the Shire and sent into exile, than one who was about to be exalted above all other Shire-folk, save perhaps the Mayor.

Diamond looked at his sombre face. ‘Are you well, my love?’ she asked anxiously.

Pippin sighed. ‘As well as can be expected,’ he said. He let go her hand to lie back upon the pillow, throwing an arm over his face. ‘Truth be told, I’m perfectly miserable.’

Diamond lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. ‘You don’t have to go through with this, you know.’

He peeked under his arm at her. ‘What do you mean?’ he asked suspiciously.

 ‘We could run away to Gondor, my love. How exciting that would be!’

 ‘It would be lovely,’ Pippin said gloomily, ‘right up to the point where Strider asked how things were going in the Shire and Queen Arwen looked into my mind and heart. There’s no escaping that one... she’s as bad as the  Lady Galadriel ever was.’

 ‘We could go to Sea,’ Diamond said. ‘They’d never think to look for us there.’

 ‘You? In a boat?’ Pippin said.

 ‘Well, perhaps not to Sea then,’ Diamond conceded. ‘Tom Bombadil?’

 ‘We’d have to go through the Old Forest,’ Pippin warned.

 ‘Out of the question!’ Diamond said flatly. ‘I don’t care if you never go into that Old Forest again!’

 ‘O it’s not that bad, once you get to know it,’ Pippin mused.

Just then there was a tap at the door. Diamond hastily pulled the bedcovers to her chin as the door opened to admit the head of escort.

 ‘Aren’t you two dressed yet?’ he demanded. ‘I’ve been waiting to escort you to the breakfast celebration!’

 ‘Too late,’ Pippin said under his breath. ‘Should have made our escape while we could.’

 ‘Look on the bright side,’ Diamond whispered back. ‘The hobbits of the Shire may take one look at you and decide they really didn’t want you for Thain after all.’

 ‘They’ve never disputed the succession before, or the choice of the Tooks,’ Pippin said, rather louder than he meant to.

 ‘And they’d better not have the cheek to do so this time,’ Ferdi said stoutly. ‘The Tooks have made the bed, and the Shire-folk are going to have to lie in it!’

 ‘A goodly notion,’ Pippin said, pulling his pillow over his head once more.

 ‘Go on, Ferdi; I’ll see to it that he’s up, washed, and dressed in good time for breakfast,’ Diamond said.

 ‘Good,’ Ferdi replied with a nod. ‘Mercy knows, I hate cold breakfast!’

***

And so Peregrin I of the Tooks was confirmed as Thain before the entire Shire, or all who’d travelled to Michel Delving, anyhow. There was the festive breakfast, with many tiresome speeches, and the grand nooning, with yet more interminable speeches, followed by a time left free for many of the fair-goers to walk about and see the sights—though there was no rest for the Thain. He had to meet with a great many notables, to hear their opinions on how he ought to conduct the affairs of the Shire in general and Tookland in particular.

It was a good thing Reginard was behind him, taking notes, for while Pippin seemed to be attending to the many points in these portentous conversations, he really was desperately trying to remember the names of all the hobbits being introduced in clusters and groups, for he did not want to call anyone by the wrong name and insult them. That would certainly not be starting off on the right foot.

This delightful pastime was followed by a fancy tea and reception, during which a long line of hobbits filed past Pippin and Diamond, wringing his hand, offering congratulations and best wishes, and tipping their hats to the Mistress of Tookland whilst their wives simpered and made elaborate courtesies. The Thain and Mistress were the closest the Shire-folk came to having royalty, and they made themselves quite silly over personally meeting these exalted hobbits amidst all the pomp and circumstance. When they met Pippin at a later date, in the field or farmyard or town, of course, they’d be sensible once more. But it was quite a trial this day.

When Merry and Estella came through the line, Pippin yanked his cousin to his side.

 ‘I only wanted to offer congratulations,’ Merry protested. ‘We haven’t even had our tea as of yet!’

 ‘Join the party,’ Pippin said. ‘I may never eat again, at this rate. Just how many hobbits are there in the Shire, anyhow?’ He gazed down the long line and put on a smile for the hobbit farmer and his family following the Brandybucks. ‘Nice to see you,’ he said. ‘So happy that you could come.’

 ‘Right fine polite fellow that new Thain,’ Merry drawled in Pippin’s ear. ‘But is he truly son to the old Thain? That one were a sharp and surly sort, I heard!’

 ‘Enough to dispute the succession,’ Estella whispered with a wicked look. ‘Why, this fellow must be an imposter! I heard he came from Buckland! Nothing good can come from there!’

 ‘What about the brandy?’ Merry asked innocently.

 ‘That might be good,’ Estella said. ‘We’ll have to sample it, I suppose, before we can make a determination.’

 ‘That Master of Buckland fellow is said to have brought a great deal of brandy to Michel Delving for this evening’s banquet,’ Merry said.

 ‘That would be something!’ Estella returned. ‘But I’m sure it’s quite undrinkable, after journeying over the Road. We ought to take it off his hands, and drink it up before the Thain is put out by being offered such.’

 ‘Indeed,’ Merry said, disengaging his arm from Pippin’s grip and bowing to his cousin. ‘Just a little matter of business, cousin. We need to make sure the brandy is potable.’

 ‘Let me not keep you,’ Pippin said sourly. He’d hated ceremony from the time his father had become Thain. He’d tolerated ceremony in the Southlands, for the feasts that invariably followed quite consoled him for his detainment. But to be the centre of it all, with no retreat! He understood Frodo a little better now, locking himself in that tower room with the excuse of writing down a record of events before the details began to fade.

Merry laughed and patted his younger cousin on the back. ‘Take heart,’ he said. ‘It’s no worse than being tied hand and foot and being given orc draughts.’

 ‘I’m not so sure,’ Pippin retorted, and then turned with a smile to a party of Bracegirdles, to express his delight in seeing them once more. He’d never live it down if they came away insulted by some imagined slight. They’d probably double the price of Longbottom Leaf, for starters.

He quite thought his hand would fall off by the time the banquet was announced. As it was he used his left hand more than his right for the rest of the evening. He scarcely enjoyed the many courses of sumptuous food, served to the large pavilion-full of the hobbits from the heights of Shire society. In the meantime, the rest of the hobbits spread blankets all around the racecourse and ate a picnic dinner as the sun proceeded with appropriate dignity westwards.

At last the banquet was over, and Pippin had to stand to give a speech.

The crowd waited breathless to hear what the first public words of their Thain would be. Pippin swept the assembled hobbits with a glance, cleared his throat, and said clearly, ‘Thank you very much.’

If it was good enough for Bilbo Baggins, being feted by the people of Laketown all those years ago, it was good enough for Peregrin Took here and now.

As the hobbits filed from the pavilion, there were approving murmurs and much nodding of heads. Short and to the point, just the sort of speech hobbits appreciated. It looked as if the Tooks had chosen well.

All that was left was for Pippin and Diamond to stand in the centre of the racecourse to be introduced once more to the entire Shire, as the sun painted the sky with bright and festive colours, and then Pippin knelt before Mayor Samwise, the chosen representative of all the Shire-folk—it was his last day as Mayor, if the election went against him, but he rejoiced to spend it so well, to administer the oath that the Thain would swear before the People, Pippin's promise to protect and defend the Shire in all circumstances so long as he be found faithful. For life, in other words.

Pippin rose and Sam held out his arms, crying, ‘Behold your Thain!’

A great cheer arose, and Diamond took Pippin’s hand and squeezed hard.

He returned the squeeze, smiled briefly, and said, ‘Well, I guess there’s no turning back now.’