Title: Denethor's Word
Author: Dragonette Lass
Author's Email: Cberlioux@aol.com
Pairings: Pippin/Denethor
Rating: R. This has a bit of violence in it, and some painful situations.
Summary: Denethor shows that he means he 'rewards disloyalty with 
vengeance'.
Author's notes: This is my first piece, but I willingly welcome comments to help 
me improve my writing so… BRING IT ON!


"Hope is kindled…" Gandalf whispered softly as the beacons blazed to life, one 
after the other, on the mountaintops. Many of the soldiers on duty and the 
citizens of Gondor stopped in wonder at the lights in the distance, pointing and 
talking excitedly. But not only were the soldiers and people watching as the 
beacons lit one after the other to disappear from even the keenest sights.

Denethor scowled angrily from behind the glass as the beacons on the 
mountains flared an angry red. He fumed, wondering who would have had the 
gall to disobey him. But then he saw a small figure on the rock tower of the 
beacon. It was a child, clinging the wall like some huge lizard. He scowled. It 
was probably another boy on a dare from his friends. This sort of thing wasn't 
unknown, but he had seen at least one boy loose his grip a mere five feet from 
safety. The boy had lain in the houses of healing for a week before waking, and 
even then, he never seemed to have his head completely together. He was about 
to call the guards to get that foolish child down before he hurt himself, but then 
he saw that this child's motions were too sure and too precise to belong to one 
still testing his body. It was that halfling Gandalf had brought with him; 
Peregrin Took. Denethor scowled darkly as he withdrew from the window.

Pippin gulped as he struggled to put his foot on a bit of rock below him. The 
height of the beacon tower made his head swim, but he shook his head to clear 
it. If he allowed himself one instant of fear, he knew he'd end up as no more 
than a red splat on the ground below, like a fallen tomato.

He had once dropped an apple from a high treetop when he was climbing trees 
(against his father's will) in the shire. to him, it had taken an incredibly long 
time to fall before it had splattered in a remarkably wide radius on the rocks 
below, coating the gray stones with pale applesauce. The sight had brought 
home to pippin the true meaning of his father's warnings of 'falling to one's 
death' and he had clutched at the tree, refusing to move even when his father 
threatened him with a sound whipping. In the end, Merry had had to climb up 
and help him get down.

Pippin allowed himself a brief grin at this memory. Looking back on it now, he 
doubted he would have moved for anyone but merry. He loved that Meriadoc 
Brandybuck, and knew beyond a doubt that he was loved back. He had lost 
count of all the times they had tumbled together, and he missed having another 
warm hobbit in bed to snuggle with. He sighed softly and paused in his climbing 
to look out at the green fields so far away. Merry was out there somewhere and 
probably still mad at him! Why had he looked at that dark globe? He couldn't 
put the reason to words and sighed again.

But then a gust of wind pulled at him, startling him out of his thoughts. 
Frightened anew, he steeled himself against the rocks, pressing tightly to the 
cold surface. But when the wind died down, he gulped and carefully made his 
way down to the courtyard where he lay, panting on the stones. After a few 
minutes to get himself together he went off to look for Gandalf.

*****

Pippin remained kneeling after saying his pledge. Denethor was smiling for 
some reason as he had spoken and now he seemed positively giddy for some 
odd reason. Especially after pippin hesitantly kissed the red stone on his finger. 
When Denethor put his fingers under pippin's chin, pippin worked hard not to 
pull away. Denethor's hands were so cold!

And then there had been that strange look in his eyes when he had spoken of 
'rewarding fealty with love and disloyalty with vengeance'. It made pippin 
nervous, but he forced himself not to fidget. He was in the world of men now, 
let them act as they wanted. As long as he did nothing to upset them, he should 
be fine. Right?

*****

Denethor fumed on his chair. Faramir was gone and fighting to reclaim 
Osgiliath. It would never have had to happen if Boromir was here! But no… 
Boromir, his beloved first-born, was dead. And all because of that little halfling! 
He glanced out the window again, and saw the beacon Peregrin had lit a few 
days ago. The flames burned Denethor's pride as well as the wood. By lighting 
that pile of wood, the halfling had basically forced Gondor to call for help.

Denethor raised his fist and smashed it down on his chair, ignoring the pain he 
received. That witless halfling had destroyed the pride of Gondor! The white 
city had never called for air before in Denethor's rule and this completely ruined 
him! But he leaned back, relaxing as he comforted himself with a single 
thought. The halfling was his now. By kneeling that day at his feet, that Peregrin 
had turned himself into Denethor's possession. And he planned to get his 
revenge.

*****

Pippin was in his room, putting on his uniform. The chain mail was icy cold, but 
he bore it and reached for the vest. He wrinkled his nose at the smell he found in 
the fabric. It was like this bit of clothing hadn't been used for a long time. He 
put it on anyway and it wrinkled on his shoulders. He flexed his shoulders as a 
link of chain caught on the inside of his shirt. The link twisted under the fabric 
and plucked a few hairs off his arm, making him scratch at it madly to ease the 
discomfort. He growled in annoyance as a few more hairs were harshly taken 
from him. He finally made it stop, but had ruffled the shirt. He fixed it with a 
sigh, straightening the tree on his chest so it was smooth and tall instead of 
crooked and bent. He looked at his chest and almost wished he could do the 
same to the real tree outside. The poor thing was broken and battered. Just like 
the city, he mused to himself. He exited his room and walked the hall, trying to 
get used to the weight.

He sighed and then felt a tap on his shoulder. It was another guard. Pippin 
remembered his manners and bowed. The guard smiled, saying, "You don't need 
such formalities with me. Lord Denethor has asked to see you in the throne 
room." Pippin nodded and after thanking the man, walked on. He entered the 
cold throne room and saw Denethor over by the side windows, staring out.

Pippin approached and was about to ask what Denethor wanted with him when 
Denethor spoke. His tone made the hair on the back of pippin's neck stand up. 
Without turning from the window, Denethor whispered, "Do you know why I 
have called you here, Peregrin?"

Pippin shook his head, answering truthfully, "No, my lord. I don't."

Denethor turned to him now, and to pippin's surprise, looked angry! Denethor 
then said sarcastically, "Oh? And I suppose that means nothing to you?!" With 
strength that pippin didn't know he possessed, Denethor gripped pippin's 
uniform by the shoulder, lifted him up and slammed him to the window. Pippin 
let out a squeal of surprise and then a soft whimper as he felt blood trickle from 
his nose. He tried to speak, but was slammed again and the breath was knocked 
out of him. Some of the blood had trickled into his mouth and his exhale had 
blown it all over the glass, misting it with hobbit blood. He looked out and saw 
though the red glass the beacon he had lit. Then came Denethor's words in his 
ear, "Why did you shame me?" Pippin tried to answer, but felt himself flying 
through the air. He hit the ground hard on his right side and lay gasping, stared 
fearfully at the man towering over him.

"Shame you, lord?" Pippin asked in shock. "Never!"

"Silence!" Denethor roared and with the back of his left hand, struck pippin's 
cheek so hard he twisted on the floor. Blood from his nose smeared on the white 
marble. Pippin touched his stinging cheek in surprise as Denethor whispered in 
a voice that dripped hate, "You have shamed me, and the whole of this city!"

Pippin stood up, giving Denethor space as he protested, "But, My Lord! I was 
helping Gondor!" He decided not to mention Gandalf as he wasn't sure how 
Denethor would react to that.

"Helping?!" Denethor suddenly shouted. Swiftly, Denethor bent over pippin and 
grabbing his clothes, picked him right off his feet and slammed him to the hard 
stone of the wall. Pippin yelped as Denethor said in a low, cold voice, "By 
lighting that beacon you have told not only that horse-lord, Théoden, but the 
whole of middle-earth that we, fair, strong Gondor, are not capable of defending 
ourselves!" He pulled pippin towards him and then smashed him to the wall and 
pippin jerked in pain. Denethor then whispered angrily, "You, with a single 
foolish act, have shown the world and the heavens we are weak!" Denethor 
smacked him against the wall again.

Pippin squirmed, grabbing at Denethor's hand with his own as he whimpered, 
"Lord! You're hurting me!"

"You have condemned this city!" Denethor shouted, his cries echoing off the 
high ceiling as he forced pippin to hit the wall again and this time, and this time 
pippin heard and felt a crack from behind him. He felt a warm liquid travel 
down his back and knew with grim certainty he was bleeding.

"My Lord, please!!" he begged, not daring to kick the man away from him lest 
he get an even worse punishment.

Denethor leaned over pippin, who cringed a little bit, fearing what his lord 
might do to him in this bizarre state of mind. The man leaned over the hobbit 
and asked in an icy tone, "Do you know what it means to be seen as weak, 
halfling? Hmm?" He reared back his foot and pippin coughed as Denethor's 
boot struck his belly squarely and made pippin feel like he would be sick. He 
doubled over, coughing, as Denethor continued with a strange smile on his face, 
"Being too small to defend yourself?" Denethor picked him up again and 
slammed him to the wall, asking, "Like now?" Pippin was about to cry out for 
help--his lord was clearly out of control!--But then one huge hand fastened 
around his neck and began to squeeze.

Pippin gasped and clawed at the fingers, and tried to speak, to cry out, to call for 
help. But all he got out was a barely audible, "My… Lord… p-ple…"

Denethor saw his gasps and grinned. With his fading senses, pippin could dimly 
see the torches flickering in the man's eyes. Denethor gave the hobbit's throat 
another squeeze as he said softly, "You are weak, Peregrin. You are small, weak 
and pitiful." He threw pippin to the ground like he was something revolting and 
not worthy of being touched. Pippin landed on his front again and his forgotten 
nosebleed returned, dripping heavily to the marble floor. He gasped air back 
into his lungs and was about to shout for Gandalf when another kick in his gut 
rolled him to his back, where he lay, groaning softly. Denethor stood over him, 
one leg on each side of pippin's legs, so he was looking right up at him. He 
glowered, saying in that quiet tone pippin was quickly learning to fear, "I could 
kill you, and you couldn't do a thing about it."

Pippin's mind raced as he pleaded, "Please, my lord! I'm sorry!" He had to think 
of a way out of this? Maybe if he got up, he could out-maneuver the man and 
shout until help arrived?

But then Denethor kneeled down, putting his knee right in pippin's abused belly 
and the hobbit squirmed in pain.      Denethor whispered, as if amused, "Sorry 
are you? Well, you certainly will be!" Then he stood up and ordered firmly, 
"Undress."

Pippin lay frozen. What had Denethor just said? He wanted him to do what? He 
lay still, looking at this man above him and was filled with a sudden fear.

Denethor grabbed pippin's collar and forced him to stand, saying fiercely, 
"Undress! I'll show you what happens to those who disobey me!"

Pippin tried to protest when Denethor had grabbed his shirt and ripped it up into 
the air. Pippin could only see the black and silver of his shirt, could only smell 
that old cloth smell, until, with a tearing sensation that felt like his ears were 
going to be ripped off, the shirt was gone and Denethor was already tugging on 
the chain mail. Pippin jerked, trying to escape, but Denethor was on his knees 
now, with one hand firmly attached to pippin's wrist. Pippin tried to cry out, but 
got a terrible slap on his cheek that made him dizzy. When he had recovered, he 
discovered Denethor had him bare-chested and was working on his breeches. 
The hobbit withdrew in terror, crying out shrilly, "No!" but Denethor then 
punched him firmly in his already bruised abdomen and pippin saw stars as he 
collapsed to the floor.

When pippin awoke, he found himself to be very chilly. He sat up and found to 
his embarrassment that he was completely naked in the throne room. For a 
minute he couldn't remember how he had gotten there, but looking down the 
long hall, he saw Denethor by the doors and it all flooded back. Pippin stood to 
run, but then saw that all the doors had huge bars on them. Denethor had locked 
him in.

Pippin gulped and backed up to one of the walls, but Denethor heard him 
somehow and turned his grey eyes on him, staring. Then he smiled, asking, 
"What's the matter, Peregrin? Not cold are you?"

Pippin didn't like the look in Denethor's eyes and acted swiftly. He inhaled 
deeply and cried out as loudly as he could, "GANDALF!"

There was no answer but the echo of his voice. Denethor then filled the silence 
with a sound of his own: laughter. He crossed the hall, saying, "No, halfling. 
Gandalf will not come to save you this time. He left the city this morning and I 
have informed the guards that we are not to be disturbed until you have been 
properly punished."

Pippin didn't dare ask what his punishment would be and tried to run. But 
Denethor had come close enough to him to grab him when he bolted. Pippin 
clawed at the hand engulfing his wrist, crying out, "Let me go!"

But Denethor's grip only tightened and with a cruel twist of his hand, Denethor 
brought pippin to his knees, moaning in pain. Denethor then snarled in the 
hobbit's pointed ear, "No. I am a man of my word, Peregrin. You have been 
disloyal to me by disobeying me and now you shall feel my vengeance. I do not 
break my word." Pippin tried to pry the iron fingers off him, but every move 
was an absolute agony! Then, unexpectedly, Denethor released him and pippin 
cradled his hand, whimpering in relief. But then Denethor did something much 
worse.

Denethor's hand slipped down to pippin's most intimate place and gripped him 
hard. Pippin froze, inhaling sharply. The man's hand was big enough to grasp 
everything down there, and it was so cold! It was like ice! He shivered and tried 
to push Denethor's hands away, but the man squeezed warningly. Pippin stared 
into Denethor's eyes, asking quietly in terror, "What are you going to do?"

Denethor smiled grimly and gave another squeeze, slightly harder, and smiled 
more broadly on hearing the hobbit's pained gasp. Then he said softly, "You lit 
the torch when I forbid it. You caused the death of my beloved son. You 
deserve the worst punishment I have. But, unfortunately, we do have much time 
so this will have to suffice." At this, after grinning horribly wide at the horrified 
pippin, he squeezed hard. Very hard.

Pippin saw lights explode in his head and let out a howl of pain. He felt the pain 
shoot through his whole body and he swooned, falling to the icy floor. He lay on 
the ground, whimpering as he reached down to try and comfort himself. But 
Denethor quickly grabbed both wrists in one huge hand and the other went 
down past pippin's waist. Pippin struggled weakly, muttering, "No…Please…" 
But Denethor only grinned and squeezed pippin again. Another wail of pain 
ripped itself from the hobbit's throat as he writhed on the stone floor. Denethor 
gave another squeeze, and his murmuring speech was lost in the hobbit's cries of 
pain.

Denethor squeezed yet again, the hardest yet. Fire ripped through pippin's veins, 
making every breath, every heartbeat a thing of pain and torment. Then, in a 
very distant thought, pippin was ashamed to realize he had been sick. Denethor 
released the hobbit, who lay limply on the ground and said softly, "I have kept 
most of my word. The other half will be kept tonight. When night falls, 
Peregrin, you will come to my chamber and we will finish this. Is that 
understood?" Pippin had just enough sense left in his head to nod before passing 
out on the stone floor.

When pippin came back to his senses, he found he was lying on an icy surface 
and that there was a strong animal smell in the air. He looked down at himself 
and groaned in remembered pain at seeing himself, already showing signs of 
heavy bruising. He got to his hands and knees and whimpered in new pain. 
Even breathing hurt! He looked down again and saw he had been sick. Even 
worse, there was blood mixed in the vomit. Pippin groaned and looked away. 
He felt like being sick again, but shook his head slowly, clearing it. He saw a 
bucket and a wash rag nearby and slowly, wincing with each step, cleaned up 
the mess and himself. He finished and stood up. He was unsteady on his feet but 
was able to slowly redress himself. He walked stiffly out the door. The guards 
saw him, but made no sign that they did. He saw the sky was darkening and 
realized with horror that he had to see Denethor again that night.

But when the night arrived, so had the orcs.

*****

Pippin stepped in and speared the orc before it had been able to kill Gandalf and 
had, under Gandalf's order, run back to the citadel. There, he found Denethor 
taking Faramir to the houses of the dead. He had tried to save Faramir, but 
Denethor had grabbed him firmly by the collar, dragging him off his feet. Pippin 
was suddenly afraid the lord would take him back to the throne room for more 
'punishment', but he was only thrown out the door like a sack of garbage.

Pippin had run to get Gandalf and had returned in time to save Faramir, but 
Denethor was too far gone with his own madness to be saved. Pippin watched in 
horror as Denethor ran out of the room, the fire eating him alive even as he tried 
to outrun it.

Pippin then realized with grim satisfaction that Denethor had been true to his 
word. He had punished 'disloyalty' with vengeance, but he had also rewarded 
fealty with love. Denethor had punished pippin for disobeying him, but by being 
loyal to Faramir, pippin knew he had gained the man's respect and love. As he 
watched Faramir's sick eyes watching him, he thought he could almost see the 
thanks and love floating in them

Yes. Denethor had been true to his word.