Disclaimer: I don't own Merry, Estella or any other of JRR Tolkien's masterpieces. I'm just playing with them for a time.

All For Love

(a.k.a. The Tale of Merry and Estella)

Chapter 8

Since Merry had rejected Estella she was even more depressed and felt her life would be over as soon as Mardo became her husband. She didn't even think she would ever learn how to fall in love with such a hobbit as he. And on top of that the future Master of Buckland hated her now, and that was the worst part of all.

Mardo became even more insufferable in the meantime, he insisted on taking Estella out on several occasions in order to get to know his fiancée better. She secretly thought he was just trying to torture her, he would tell her boring stories, and then snap at her if her attention wandered. Not to mention, if she said something that infuriated him, he would hurt her, usually by gripping her arm tightly and threatening her. She became terrified of him, and loathed him at the same time.

Pippin and Melilot's attempts to get Estella and Merry back together wasn't going as planned. Pippin was having troubles in dealing with Merry. For one Merry didn't want to hear what Pippin had to say about Estella. For Merry the hurt was still too much for him to take. Melilot also had similar struggles with brokenhearted Estella who never wanted to hear the name Merry again. The two best friends decided that an intervention was needed, but how they would do it was their new dilemma.

Estella was once again out with Mardo again against her will. It seemed that the more time she spent in his company, the more she disliked the hobbit. Her mother had told her that there was good in every hobbit, she couldn't see it in Mardo Bracegirdle. Her other problem was that she missed Merry so much it felt like her heart was being ripped in shreds.

On this particular outing, Mardo was taking Estella for a walk, all the while clutching her hand possessively and painfully. He was talking to her about all the lasses who wanted to marry him, and why she was so fortunate he'd picked her. All the lasses he mentioned, Estella knew would never have anything to do with the likes of him.

"Are you even listening?" Mardo asked angrily.

"Why would I want to?" Estella irritably replied.

"This is why," Mardo reached his other hand back and was starting to bring it down on Estella when a shout startled him.

"Don't you dare harm her!" Merry said stepping out of the nearby woods, the armor of Rohan gleaming on his chest. Mardo dropped Estella's arm to look at the intruder.

"Estella is my fiancée, I will do as I please Brandybuck," Mardo yelled, his face turning red as a tomato.

"You may be her fiancée as you say, but I will not see you hit a lady. Be a gentlehobbit for once in your life," Merry replied.

"You're not the boss of me," he yelled.

"No I am not, but my uncle happens to be the Thain, and my cousin is the Deputy Mayor. You will not harm Estella again," Merry threatened.

"Stop it both of you!" Estella snapped angrily, not being able to control her temper any longer. "I can hear everything the both of you say," she turned to Mardo. "Please leave me alone Mardo, I shall speak with you later," she said. Mardo

"You had better," Mardo said sulkily walking off giving Merry a glare as he went.

"Merry, you need to stop trying to protect me. I can hold my own, you bully," she said.

"No Estella, he was going to hurt you," Merry replied.

"So I would've had a sore shoulder. Plus it's not as if you really care for me, you just want to protect me. I am a lost cause, and I will marry Mardo Bracegirdle," she said tears starting to flow down her cheek.

"That can't be what you want!" Merry shouted.

"Even if it is not, I will do what I must. Goodbye Mr. Brandybuck, don't follow me," she said silently walking in the direction of Budge Ford. Merry watched her go, a silent tear falling down his cheek.

Estella wished she could've given Mardo a piece of her mind before running into Merry's arms. But then she had her family depending on her. Here she was, the sacrificial scapegoat so that her family would keep the Budge Ford hole. She wished there was some other way.

Merry entered Crickhollow silently, hoping not to have to explain himself to Pippin. One thing about best friends though, they always seem to be there when you are upset, and Pippin was no exception to this rule.

"What happened?" Pippin asked softly, seeing the look on his cousin's face.

"It's Estella, she hates me now. And she's going to marry that Mardo Bracegirdle," Merry replied sadly.

"Well Merry. I've been trying to tell you for days now, Estella is in an arranged marriage. Her family owes a large debt to the Bracegirdles, and she accepting Mardo's hand pays all so to speak," Pippin said.

"I had no idea," said Merry, astounded and shocked.

"I tried to tell you, but you wouldn't listen," Pippin replied.

"I'm sorry," Merry said ashamed of himself.

"No problem friend. But listen to me, you need to fight for her, fight for the lass you love," Pippin said.

"You do know the war is over, right?"

"Of course,"

"Have any ideas?"

"I have a few," Pippin replied with a smirk on his face.

Quickly the two formulated a plan, and soon Merry had just the plan that would hopefully get the Bracegirdles to leave Estella and her family alone forever.