Lily loved her children. All five of them. However, if she had one complaint, it would be the number of dishes to wash. Between the five meals that the family had, the washtub was often full.
One morning, Lily was washing dishes when her husband, Deagol, emerged from their bedroom, holding his fishing pole. Lily turned to face him.
"Deagol, where do you think you're going this time of day?" Lily asked.
"Fishing with Smeagol. I'll be back for luncheon."
Lily sighed. "I wish you wouldn't. I understand that Smeagol is your cousin, mind you, but he's such a peculiar fellow. I don't want him to put you in danger."
"Smeagol wouldn't hurt me. Since we were small he's been like my own brother."
After seeing Deagol frown like a sad child, Lily laughed and kissed him.
"Very well. Be back soon though. I'm making radish soup for luncheon." Lily said.
Deagol twirled his finger in Lily's brown curls. "My favorite. I invited Smeagol to join us."
"Why would you do that?" Lily asked.
"It's his birthday. With his parents dead, he gets lonely." Deagol briefly explained.
Lily gave another smile and kissed Deagol again. "All right, I'll set an extra plate out."
Deagol brought his other hand to Lily's cheek. "I love you, Lily."
"I love you. Now, go on, or that pole there will go to waste."
Deagol smiled and then left the home and Lily went back to washing the dishes.
Hours came and went, and Deagol still wasn't home. By sunset, Lily knew something was wrong. By late evening, she had put the children to bed and had just grabbed her cloak to go out and search, when there was a knock on the door. Lily rushed to answer it, only to see her neighbors, Marsh and Susan; they were an elderly couple, who very rarely set a foot outside their home. Something had to be wrong.
"What is it?" Lily asked.
"They're needing you by the fishing pond." Marsh said.
"Oh, what business could I have there? I've not fished since I was little, and I couldn't leave the children." Lily knew she was making excuses, but only because she feared what was at the pond.
"Marsh and I will mind the wee ones. Lily, it's best that you go." Susan said quietly.
Lily nodded slowly and then wrapped her cloak around her shoulders. "Petunia is having a tooth come in; she might wake up, but if you put your finger on top of the gums, then..."
"I've had nine of my own, dear. Go on now." Susan urged.
Lily rushed from the home, and all the way down to the fishing pond where a crowd had gathered. When she heard some whisper her husband's name, Lily raced forward and pushed her way through the crowd. There, laying on the ground, his body only visible by moonlight was Deagol; his lifeless eyes staring at nothing, and hand marks around his neck.
"Deagol!" Lily sobbed, throwing herself on top of his body. "Deagol, please. Please wake up. The children have been worried about you, and I've made your favorite soup."
Lily brought her hand to Deagol's face, stroking his cold cheek. Someone finally helped her to her feet and pulled her gently away from her husband's corpse.
"Who's done this?" Lily asked quietly, but it seemed no one wanted to answer. "Who has killed my husband?" Lily shouted.
"We're thinking it was his kin, miss. Smeagol." A man explained.
Lily felt her head spinning. Deagol thought he could trust Smeagol, he loved him. Why would Smeagol do such a terrible, unforgivable thing? Worst yet, why hadn't Lily stopped Deagol from going fishing? Why didn't she listen to her instinct and tell him to stay home? Eventually, Lily's mind became so clouded that she could no longer think straight and the next thing she saw was blackness as she fell to the ground.
When Lily came to, she was laying in her bed and being tended to by Susan who placed a cold cloth on her forehead.
"Try not to get up so quickly. You've had a terrible shock." Susan warned.
"Where are the children?" Lily asked, able to find her own voice.
"All safe in bed, dear. They've not been told anything; I figured it best to leave that to you."
"Thank you." Lily sat up slowly, and Susan handed her a cup of water.
"Some ginger root in there. It gives a soothing feeling, it does." Susan explained.
Lily took a few sips from the cup and then handed it back to Susan. "Has Smeagol been found?"
"Not yet. The forest has been searched and searched, his home has practically been turned upside down."
Just then, there was a pounding on the door and Susan went to answer it. Marsh stood at the doorway with a lit torch.
"We've found him. He's not in his right mind, crazier than a cuckoo. We've taken him back to his home." Marsh practically mumbled.
"I want to see him." Lily said, standing on her feet.
Susan turned to Lily. "Dear, you need rest."
"I want to see my husband's murderer. If you won't take me, I'll walk myself."
Susan and Marsh looked at each other before Marsh nodded and escorted Lily out of the home and to the house of Smeagol. There was some neighbors with him, talking to him, trying to get answers to their questions. All Smeagol could do was rock back and forth, cradling a ring in the palm of his hand.
"Smeagol, we must know what happened to Deagol." A woman asked gently.
"He...He wouldn't give me my birthday present. I took it from him. We wanted it." Smeagol mumbled.
"Is that it? The ring that you're holding?" Another woman asked.
"It's my precious. We needed it. It's ours, it was."
Lily wasn't sure what came over her. Grief, anger, or a bit of both; but the next thing she knew she was running towards Smeagol, screaming at the top of her lungs.
"A ring? My husband was killed for a ring? You're a monster, Smeagol! A monster you hear! A leech!" Lily screamed.
Lily scratched Smeagol's face, drawing blood, before being restrained by two men and forcibly removed from the home.
"I'll kill you, Smeagol! Your blood will be on my hands, I swear it! I'll kill you!" Lily screamed before the door closed in her face.