Rating: G
Summary: It's S.R. 1436, and an historical meeting is taking place at the Stonebow Bridge...

It was a spectacle, no doubt about it, and the sight was almost enough to make her feel young again: the colourful pavilions, the Big Folk in their finery, the assemble hobbitry in their Highday best, and over it all, the jeweled black banner waving proudly beneath a brilliant blue sky—it made her catch her breath.

“Esme? Are you all right?” Her sister-in-law Eglantine took her by the elbow and gazed at her face in concern.

“I’m quite well, Tina, dear. It’s just, well, did you ever think when we were young that we would ever see such a thing?”

Tina chuckled. “No, I don’t suppose I’d ever thought to see any such thing until the King comes back!” Eglantine arched one eyebrow mischievously as she used the old phrase, now almost two decades out of date.

The jest surprised a bark of laughter out of Esme. “Tina, you wicked thing! We mustn’t disgrace our lads on such a solemn occasion!”

Eglantine gave Esmeralda’s shoulders a squeeze, and said “I think there is nothing we could do to disgrace our lads here and now! Just look at them.”

Esmeralda had been looking: there the two of them stood, resplendent in their finery, their armour burnished and their grey cloaks billowing behind them, as they stood to attention just outside the largest of the pavilions. To one side stood Samwise, looking every inch the prosperous Mayor.

“I only wish our husbands could have seen this day,”

Tina nodded. Both of them still felt the recent grief of widowhood. Saradoc had gone unexpectedly four years ago, and Paladin had gone more slowly but two years later.

Suddenly, there was a silver sound that lifted all their hearts, as Merry lifted the horn he wore at his side and played a liquid call. Then, from the pavilion they emerged: the King and the Queen. A huge cheer rose up from hundreds of hobbit throats.

Esmeralda and Eglantine stood side by side on the Stonebow Bridge. In front of them was a gaggle of children: Brandybucks, Tooks and Gamgees all together, while Estella, Diamond and Rose Gamgee stood in their midst. Estella was holding little Niphredil, Rose held tiny Primrose Gamgee in one arm and had her Daisy by the other hand, Diamond had Faramir by one had and Goldilocks Gamgee by the other. Young Elanor Gamgee was carrying little Hamfast. The other children crowded close to their mothers.

Behind them they were aware of all the other assembled hobbits, family Heads and their wives and children, all awaiting their chance to meet the King.

Samwise made a brief speech of welcome to the King and Queen, and then made a gesture. Esmeralda and Eglantine went up to relieve Estella and Diamond of the children, and the wives went forward to be presented. Esmeralda smiled to see the beautiful curtsey that Estella made—her daughter-in-law had been very nervous about that!

Suddenly, Esmeralda felt a tug at her sleeve. It was her older granddaughter Wyn, who reached up to take her little sister. Perry and Frodo-lad came to take Goldi and Fam from Eglantine, and then Esme looked up into Merry’s twinkling eyes as he offered her his arm. Pippin was doing the same for his mother. This was unexpected! Esmeralda had not thought that she too, would be presented to the King!

She and Merry stood back, as Pippin introduced his mother, and then Merry brought her forward.

“Sire, this is my mother, Esmeralda Took Brandybuck.”

Merry kept a firm grip on her as she made her own curtsey, and considering it was not something she’d done since girlhood, Esme felt she did well enough. It was not hard to rise with her son’s sturdy help. And then she looked up.

The Queen! Oh, the Queen was the most beautiful sight she had ever beheld! She smiled and took Esme’s hand and said warmly, “I am very pleased to meet you.”

And then the King also took her hand. He bent slightly, and raised it to his lips and pressed a kiss on the gnarled back of it, and Esme felt herself blushing like a young girl. “I am honoured to meet you, Esmeralda Took Brandybuck.”

Esmeralda looked into those grey eyes and saw there kindness and wisdom and mercy and, yes, humour. This was the Man who had seen her son and her nephew and her beloved cousin through toil and danger and brought each one of them out of the shadow when they had nearly been snatched away. She felt tears gather in her eyes, but she mustered a smile for him.

At the age of one hundred, she had seen the King come back.