Title: Prince of the Halflings
Author: Rowan aka Sue DeNimme
Summary: Frodo takes note of Pippin's new title.
Disclaimer: No copyrights were harmed in the making of this fanfic.

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"Ernil i Pheriannath?" Frodo inquired as a beaming Pippin turned away from the pastry-seller's cart, with a basket full of tarts, cakes, and pies.

"Oh, that's just something they call me here. It means -- "

"I know what it means, Pippin. Here, not so fast, lad!"

Pippin slowed, belatedly remembering that his cousin's feet were still recovering from Mordor, and they had been at the market for a couple of hours already. "Sorry."

Frodo caught up, and took the tart that Pippin offered him. "Are you going to tell me why they're calling you the Prince of the Halflings?"

Pippin picked up another tart and bit into it while he pondered his answer. Finally he shrugged. "I'm not sure exactly why, to tell you the truth. It was a notion that some of the people here took into their heads, that's all."

"And you didn't encourage that notion in any way, of course."

"Of course not!" Pippin managed to look offended and amused at the same time. "I told them and told them I wasn't a prince. But they insisted that I must be one. They were saying I had come out of the north to offer our allegiance to Gondor, and five thousand swords, if you can believe it."

Frodo raised his eyebrows. Clearly he could not believe it.

"I know!" Pippin nodded vigorously in agreement. "I think maybe it was just that the times were so desperate, they were latching on to every tiny bit of hope they could find."

"Even an army of hobbits?" Frodo shook his head, but he was grinning, much to Pippin's relief.

"Well, if you think about it, cousin, they weren't far wrong in the end, after all. It was hobbits who saved them, wasn't it? And we didn't even need five thousand swords to do it. Just one silly Baggins."

"Oy!" Frodo protested. "If I'm silly, then how silly were the three of you for following me?"

A light swat on the back of his head was his reward, and the two of them passed laughing out of the town square.

~end~