*** Authors Note: Hello! This is my first FanFiction! I will add more chapters to this story if people like it. I would like some nice constructive comments! Thank you and enjoy! ***
*** Chapter One: Tell Me Why? ***
I always knew I was never going to marry or fall in love. I was in the understanding that the only people I would ever love, and be loved for in return, is my adopted deceased parents and my adopted brother, Bilbo. That does not mean that I am rude or unfriendly to other people, it is just that I can not trust anyone else. Probably has to do with my being abandoned on my adopted parents door nineteen years, so it came as a huge surprise, when three months ago, thirteen Dunedain men and a Wizard came barging into our home and our hearts. At first after we joined their quest, I especially had a hard time warming up to all these strange men (as I am the only woman here), but I soon began to care for them deeply, and the men with me and Bilbo. Some took longer, but they all accept the two of us now. So deeply, that now I would do anything to protect each and every man in this company. But I found out all of a sudden in Laketown that my feelings for Thorin went much farther than that of a friendship. I love him, so much that it now hurts to be around him as he will never love me, as I am just a plain boring girl, and he is to be a King. He deserves much more than me.
We are now near Erebor, my Dunedain companions home. Their mountain is the most beautiful, breathtaking thing I have ever seen. Its peak rises high above the clouds and it truly does looks lonely. I have left the men to be alone with my feelings (as this is the first chance I have had since we all left Laketown), and have now walked a fair ways away to a river. I never would have done this back before I started this journey, walk somewhere I do not know by myself, but now I know how to fight and fend for myself so I can. Of course Bilbo thought I shouldn't go alone (always such a worrier he is), but he knows that when I set my mind to something, nothing stops me. I turn my face down to look at my reflection in the stream. My plain face stares back and I grow angry and splash my image in the water till it distorts away. Maybe, just maybe, if I were pretty, not shy, and brave I would have a chance that he would love me.
"Something troubles you." Thorin's voice rumbles behind me and I jump. It is not a question, it is a statement.
"Why would you think that?" I say quietly. Glancing over my shoulder quickly at him and I see his arms are crossed and he is leaning against a tree. I look away quickly. It is too painful to look at him.
"You have been silent and distant since Laketown. And I have never seen you angry like this. Tell me why." He says.
I shake my head no.
He sighs and comes over and helps me off the ground so I am standing and staring at him. "Tell me why?" He says. I look at him and I see he is not wearing all his armor and furs, just a loose white shirt, pants, and his sword. He is so handsome, nothing like the ugly I.
"I cannot." I whisper and look at the ground. And against my will I find myself crying. I am surprised as I have not been able to cry since my adoptive parents died.
Thorin looks at my face alarm in his eyes. "Please tell me, no matter what it is I will understand, support, and protect you. Did someone hurt you?" He says rubbing my arm reassuringly. His voice rose at his ending sentence.
I've had enough, I have to tell him, although it will end up hurting me much more, he has the right to know. I look at him, straight in those striking blue eyes of his and say "T-Thorin, I love you! Even though I know that you will never love me! A-and, that is why I am sad a-and angry!" Once I say all that I yank my arm from his grasp and run blindly away through the trees. I can barely see from the tears in my eyes, and I am vaguely aware that he is running after me. Why would he be running after me? I feel him grabbing my arm and he twists me towards himself. He pushes his lips against mine and kisses me roughly on the lips. I melt into him. We fit together so perfectly, how can I be experiencing this? Why is he kissing me?
"Is that all you are worried about? You must know how I feel... Tamina Baggins, I love you!" He says breaking apart. His voice has pain and longing in it. I stare at him wide eyed and we kiss desperately again. Our bodies push together, desperate to touch each other. He puts his hands on my waist and I clutch at his shirt trying to keep from fainting from joy.
He pulls apart and we stand there gasping for air. "Tamina, I am yours heart and soul. In Durin's name I love you! Please, I must be the only one to ever have you, you are my one and only Queen!" He says kissing me and begins lowering us onto the grass.
"Thor..." I begin but he silences me with his mouth on mine.
I know what he wants, and I won't lie, I want it as well. We are now sitting on the damp grass on our knees kissing.
"Thorin... wait." I say pulling away.
He puts his head on my shoulder, his voice husky. "Tamina, I have been waiting for you for over 200 years. I think I have waited long enough. Unless, you don't want too...?" He trails off.
"I really want to too, but Bilbo will kill you if you take away my purity without his blessing. Both of us know that Bilbo would. When it comes to me, he is so protective." I say breathlessly and my cheeks, I am sure, are pink.
Thorin laughs "You, my love, will keep me in check and honest, won't you?" He says kissing my nose.
"I-I'll try." I whisper hiding my flaming face in his warm safe chest. He chuckles.
We sit there in the darkening evening, enjoying each others company, while still keeping Bilbo at mind. A while later after we break apart I try to smooth out my hair and clothes.
Thorin stares at me intently as I fix myself and says "Tamina? I want to do your hair if you don't mind."
I look at him startled "Of course I wouldn't mind, I would love for you to do my hair, if that's what you want." I say. It is a sign of great love and trust for a Dunedain to braid another's hair.
He runs his fingers through my hair and begins. "It is my greatest wish to braid your hair. Your hair is beautiful. I have never seen such shades." He says.
I look at him "I've never liked my hair. I thought it was ordinary." I say.
"Not ordinary at all. No part of you is ordinary or ugly." He says kissing my neck. A hotness spreads through my body as he does that. This closeness with him will take some getting used to.
"You are flattering me too much. I am no beauty." I say thoroughly embarrassed.
"I do not exaggerate. You have known me long enough to know that." He says. And I hate to say it, but he never exaggerates. So does he truly believe I am Pretty, or even beautiful? Most defiantly not the second one.
"I am finished." He says later leading me to the stream to look at the braids he did.
I look at myself in the water and gaze speechlessly at the intricate braids he put in. There is a small one that hangs down on the left side of my face and has a bead in it. A braid that goes down the whole right side of my head and hangs down on my shoulder. Then there is two large braids that entwine, and go down the whole length of my head and rest between my shoulders. I also notice that he put beads in one of the large braids. I cannot believe how he put so much detail in these braids, and I sit there, awestruck.
Before I can say anything he says "This braid here, is your own braid I designed it for you. All Dunedain have their own personal braid." He points to the braid that is on the right of my head to me "This small braid, is the Durin family braid, I put the Durin family bead in it." He points to the small braid on the left side of my head. "And these two long braids that entwine each other are courting braids. The beads I put in that one courting braid symbolizes me and that you are mine."
"Courting?" I whisper.
"Yes. I want to court you. As long as that's OK with you?" He asks.
I throw my arms around him unable to say yes because I am so happy and my face in his neck.
"I take that as a yes." He says a smile in his voice.
"Yes, yes, yes! A million times yes!" I splutter out.
I thought you might want to know, a Dunedain man is very protective of his wife, or promised one. So be ready if I get jealous when you spend time with other men. The other men in my company will be sure to protect you and take care of you as loyalty to me." He says.
"Don't they already do all that?" I say grinning.
He smiles at me "Yes, you have already charmed them into caring for you. Almost as much as you have charmed me." He says.
"Why don't you have many braids?" I say trying to change the subject off of me.
"I have the Durin family braid exactly where I put yours, Fili and Kili have it too, and then I have my own braid with my beads in it." He says pointing each one out as he says it.
"But most of the other men have so many braids." I say.
"It is your own choice on how braids to have. Me, I don't like to be too... extravagant." He says.
"But you are a King!" I say.
"And you will be my Queen." He says slyly putting his hand around my waist.
"Don't tease me." I say exasperated removing his hand. "We aren't there yet."
"I am. And I believe you are as well. The only one who is not ready is Bilbo." His says sliding his arm around my waist and pulling me closer.
"I guess you are right." I say flustered letting him keep his hands on me. "You know, Bilbo will have a heart attack when he finds out about us."
"I don't think he will. Knowing Bilbo, with the way he knows and studies you, he already knows. But yes, he will yell at us and watch us closely. So we will find it hard to find times completely alone like this." He says.
"Fili, Kili, and Bofur will make our lives interesting as well." I say smiling up at him.
"Well, that is an guarantee. So now I have two more braids to put on me, the courting braids." He says and begins making them.
"But I have no beads to give you. How does that work?" I ask.
"Balin usually has a few unmarked beads hanging around. I will get you to carve a few to put in the braids, your own braid that I made you, and then our two empty courting braids. There I am done." He says.
"Well, I guess we need to head back to everyone." I say reluctantly before he can reach for me again. Because I know that when he does, that I won't want to leave him for a long while.
"Yes, Bilbo must be getting worried. I don't want my future brother-in-law to kill me before our wedding." He says.
"Stop it! Your just saying that to get me worked up!" I say blushing as he pulls me up. He laughs at me.
Awhile later, we are almost at the camp. I look down at our clasped hands.
"How do we approach them?" I ask.
"Together." He says looking at me encouragingly. I take a deep breath and we step out into the camp.
*** Authors Note: Oh my, how will Bilbo react to the two of them? ***