Shadow Years

by Freline

Shortly before Bilbo disappears at his 111 birthday, Frodo is planning to get married, but then his future wife disappears without a trace, leaving him heartbroken as he thinks she ran away from their marriage. Years later, Merry and Pippin find her at Isengard, as a slave to Saruman. When she tells them her story, both are shocked about hearing what really happened to her.

1. Chapter 1

Lotho Sackville-Baggins watched the dancers from his seat, his hatred towards his cousin Frodo growing with every second. Seeing him together with Loreana Proudfoot, the prettiest girl in all Hobbiton at his own birthday was more than he could take. He remembered too well the day he had asked her to dance with him, but she had refused him and later he had heard her say to her friends that she would rather dance with a hedgehog than with him. One year later she had met his cousin and the rumours had started. Until now Lotho had not really believed it, but now that both Loreana and Frodo were coming of age in the next month, he realized that it was all true and both families would soon start the preparations for their marriage. Silently he promised himself that he would do everything in his power to stop it from happening. Even if he could never have Loreana for himself, he certainly would not stand by and watch her getting married to Frodo Baggins.

He quickly left the party behind to write a letter to one of his friends in Bree, a man that could surely do with a hobbit slave. No doubt his parents would be furious at him for disappearing without a word, but he did not care anymore. His cousin had gotten everything that should have been Lotho´s, even Bag End, the hole that should have rightfully gone to his parents after old Bilbo died, but the mad hobbit had to go and make that half Brandybuck his heir, something which Lotho would never forgive him.

He hid the letter in his room after he heard his parents come home. He got the speech he had waited for and let it go without saying anything, knowing from experience that it would be over much sooner then. After he was finally alone in his room, he went to bed and fell asleep, looking forward to the next day. Soon Loreana and Frodo would both be in for the surprise of their lives and it would be far from a happy one.