A descendant of the lost line of the ancient kings of Men, Aragorn saw before him a high doom. He was fated to one day claim the empty throne of Gondor, should he prove himself worthy of that office. Closer to Aragorn's heart was the love he bore for the Elf maiden Arwen, daughter of his surrogate father Elrond, Lord of Rivendell, though Arwen was fated to leave Middle-earth for the Undying Lands in the distant west. Carrying these heavy burdens, Aragorn swore himself to the protection of Frodo in the quest to destroy the One Ring.