Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings, or any of these characters.
They all belong to J.R.R. Tolkien, the greatest writer to ever live. In my
opinion anyway. ( Please, read and review this story.
I remembered the first time I saw her. Well, not really the first time seeing her, but the first time I saw her they way I see her now. As the most beautiful being in Middle-Earth.
So it is a bit cliché, but it was true. She laid there cuddled next to my chest, her curly hair spread out on the pillow. I smiled and stroked her arm softly, wishing we could spend more mornings like this. Just relaxing.
She sighed in her sleep and I grinned, leaning down and kissing her gently on the forehead.
The first time I saw her, when I realized I cared deeply about her, was when Pippin, Sam and I traveled back from the Grey Havens. Frodo had tried to give Pippin and me the slip again, but Gandalf had come to warn us that Frodo was leaving. Frodo could never find his place in the Shire, being shunned by most of the hobbits. They didn't seem to know what Frodo went through for them; they were enthralled by Sam's story, and Pippin and my story, but not his. He could never fully recover from his wounds the journey had scarred him with, so he decided to leave the Shire and sail to Valinor. That was a very emotionally draining time, coming to face the fact that Frodo had left and I would never see him again. I remember coming back from saying good bye to him, feeling solemn and empty. I rode home on my pony, and I was tired and sad as I climbed off and led the pony to the stables behind my house that I shared with Pippin in Crickhollow. He had rode home with Sam, to peek in and say hello to Rosie and Elanor, Sam's wife and daughter. And probably went to see if they had any dinner to share with him. That's Pippin, always thinking with his stomach.
Darkness had fallen over Buckland as the sun set against the horizon. I had reached the stables and had put my pony away and started to feed him when I heard soft footsteps behind me.
"Meriadoc?" A female voice asked behind me. I turned around and found Estella Bolger standing there, wringing her hands and looking worried.
"What's the matter, Estella?" I asked, concerned. I had known her for a long time, because we were basically neighbors all our lives.
"I just thought that you had left again." She blushed and looked down at her feet. "I'm glad you're back." She looked back up at me, into my eyes and I saw all the loneliness she felt when I was gone. And the relief crept back into her face as she realized that I wasn't leaving again.
At that moment I realized that she cared about me, and to my surprise, I discovered that I cared for her too. "I wouldn't leave the Shire again, Estella." I said, reaching out and touching her elbow. She looked up in surprise. Then gave me a smile I will never forget. The smile that I knew everything would be all right in the world if she was there with me.
She began to say something, but then a harsh voice interrupted our conversation. "Estella!"
Her eyes filled with fear. "I have to go." She said, and was off like a flash. I was left standing there, watching her disappear into the shadows.
I promised myself something that night. I was going to marry her.
Her eyes then fluttered open sleepily. "Merry?" She asked, reaching up and wiping sleep out of her eyes.
"Yes, it's me." I grinned. "Go back to sleep, sweetheart."
"But what about breakfast?" She yawned.
"I can handle breakfast for one day, my love." I grinned and pulled myself out of bed.
"You keep telling yourself that Merry." She teased me as she rolled back over.
"Are you feeling all right?" I asked, pulling on a shirt and searching for my trousers.
"A little hungry." She admitted. "Go make me some breakfast!" She ordered and threw a pillow at me.
"Will you keep it down this time?" I teased her, ducking the pillow.
She sat up and crossed her arms. "Don't you start with me, Meriadoc Brandybuck, or you won't be having any more children, if you know what I mean." She had that mischievous glint in her eye.
I winced playfully. "I shall do your every bidding ma'am." I said, making an elaborate bow out the door. I grinned to myself as I thought about fatherhood, because we were expecting our first child. Exciting news for us and only our really close friends knew. I had to hit Pippin over the head so he'd stop congratulating me in public, and only then did he did figure out I wanted it to be a secret until we formally announce it. Pippin could be quite dense sometimes. Still love him like a brother though.
On the way to the kitchen I picked up an apple to munch on. As I peered into the pantry to see what could be cooked up this morning, I could hear Estella's soft voice singing something from the bedroom. I paused to listen.
"Out of doubt, out of dark, to the day's rising
he rode singing in the sun, sword unsheathing.
Hope he rekindled, and in hope ended;
over death, over dread, over doom lifted
out of loss, out of life, unto long glory."
A smile came back to me as I listened to my wife sing the song I so long ago taught her. I learned it well, for it was performed as a lament for King Theoden, whom I grew to respect and honor. I knew him for too little of time, but he was almost a father to me, at least for a little while.
As I started to clean the potatoes for a good first breakfast, my mind wandered back to the night when I first realized my feelings for Estella. What had made her eyes fill with fear like that? Who had called her name so harshly and angrily?
There was only one answer for that. Her father. I shuddered at all the memories that flooded back to me about that painful ordeal.
Her father had tortured her, then in turn me. All just because I fell in love with his daughter. Only he could strike fear in my beloved Estella's heart. And I never forgave him for that.
I remembered the first time I saw her. Well, not really the first time seeing her, but the first time I saw her they way I see her now. As the most beautiful being in Middle-Earth.
So it is a bit cliché, but it was true. She laid there cuddled next to my chest, her curly hair spread out on the pillow. I smiled and stroked her arm softly, wishing we could spend more mornings like this. Just relaxing.
She sighed in her sleep and I grinned, leaning down and kissing her gently on the forehead.
The first time I saw her, when I realized I cared deeply about her, was when Pippin, Sam and I traveled back from the Grey Havens. Frodo had tried to give Pippin and me the slip again, but Gandalf had come to warn us that Frodo was leaving. Frodo could never find his place in the Shire, being shunned by most of the hobbits. They didn't seem to know what Frodo went through for them; they were enthralled by Sam's story, and Pippin and my story, but not his. He could never fully recover from his wounds the journey had scarred him with, so he decided to leave the Shire and sail to Valinor. That was a very emotionally draining time, coming to face the fact that Frodo had left and I would never see him again. I remember coming back from saying good bye to him, feeling solemn and empty. I rode home on my pony, and I was tired and sad as I climbed off and led the pony to the stables behind my house that I shared with Pippin in Crickhollow. He had rode home with Sam, to peek in and say hello to Rosie and Elanor, Sam's wife and daughter. And probably went to see if they had any dinner to share with him. That's Pippin, always thinking with his stomach.
Darkness had fallen over Buckland as the sun set against the horizon. I had reached the stables and had put my pony away and started to feed him when I heard soft footsteps behind me.
"Meriadoc?" A female voice asked behind me. I turned around and found Estella Bolger standing there, wringing her hands and looking worried.
"What's the matter, Estella?" I asked, concerned. I had known her for a long time, because we were basically neighbors all our lives.
"I just thought that you had left again." She blushed and looked down at her feet. "I'm glad you're back." She looked back up at me, into my eyes and I saw all the loneliness she felt when I was gone. And the relief crept back into her face as she realized that I wasn't leaving again.
At that moment I realized that she cared about me, and to my surprise, I discovered that I cared for her too. "I wouldn't leave the Shire again, Estella." I said, reaching out and touching her elbow. She looked up in surprise. Then gave me a smile I will never forget. The smile that I knew everything would be all right in the world if she was there with me.
She began to say something, but then a harsh voice interrupted our conversation. "Estella!"
Her eyes filled with fear. "I have to go." She said, and was off like a flash. I was left standing there, watching her disappear into the shadows.
I promised myself something that night. I was going to marry her.
Her eyes then fluttered open sleepily. "Merry?" She asked, reaching up and wiping sleep out of her eyes.
"Yes, it's me." I grinned. "Go back to sleep, sweetheart."
"But what about breakfast?" She yawned.
"I can handle breakfast for one day, my love." I grinned and pulled myself out of bed.
"You keep telling yourself that Merry." She teased me as she rolled back over.
"Are you feeling all right?" I asked, pulling on a shirt and searching for my trousers.
"A little hungry." She admitted. "Go make me some breakfast!" She ordered and threw a pillow at me.
"Will you keep it down this time?" I teased her, ducking the pillow.
She sat up and crossed her arms. "Don't you start with me, Meriadoc Brandybuck, or you won't be having any more children, if you know what I mean." She had that mischievous glint in her eye.
I winced playfully. "I shall do your every bidding ma'am." I said, making an elaborate bow out the door. I grinned to myself as I thought about fatherhood, because we were expecting our first child. Exciting news for us and only our really close friends knew. I had to hit Pippin over the head so he'd stop congratulating me in public, and only then did he did figure out I wanted it to be a secret until we formally announce it. Pippin could be quite dense sometimes. Still love him like a brother though.
On the way to the kitchen I picked up an apple to munch on. As I peered into the pantry to see what could be cooked up this morning, I could hear Estella's soft voice singing something from the bedroom. I paused to listen.
"Out of doubt, out of dark, to the day's rising
he rode singing in the sun, sword unsheathing.
Hope he rekindled, and in hope ended;
over death, over dread, over doom lifted
out of loss, out of life, unto long glory."
A smile came back to me as I listened to my wife sing the song I so long ago taught her. I learned it well, for it was performed as a lament for King Theoden, whom I grew to respect and honor. I knew him for too little of time, but he was almost a father to me, at least for a little while.
As I started to clean the potatoes for a good first breakfast, my mind wandered back to the night when I first realized my feelings for Estella. What had made her eyes fill with fear like that? Who had called her name so harshly and angrily?
There was only one answer for that. Her father. I shuddered at all the memories that flooded back to me about that painful ordeal.
Her father had tortured her, then in turn me. All just because I fell in love with his daughter. Only he could strike fear in my beloved Estella's heart. And I never forgave him for that.
