Frodo Baggins Series
Marriage was always sacred to everyone. It usually meant that you pledged your hand to someone, to live with them forever, to be their friend, and to share in bliss or in grief. It is a very serious subject to consider. More serious than a career or other things like college.
Daisy Gamgee wondered whenever she was making a mistake or not. She and Frodo were getting married in several months. Already everything was set for their marriage, the chocolate cake that Bell, her mother worked on for months on end, and the white wedding dress. Marigold, who was courting Rose's oldest brother, Tolman, or better known as Tom, was happy for her sister, so was May who remained single despite her beauty.
"Daisy?" Daisy turned and saw her younger brother and her favorite companion, Samwise Gamgee. "Aren't you nervous? Just think that Mr. Frodo will become my brother in law."
"Don't worry Samwise. Everything will be okay." With that both of them went to different rooms.
Frodo sat outside his home in Bag End and was nervous about marrying Daisy. Daisy was Samwise's older sister and Gaffer's daughter. He recalled when he first met her, standing on that hill fifteen years ago, with her dark brown locks blowing in the wind, her startling eyes boring into his. Right away Frodo had known that there was something special about Daisy Gamgee. When she was twenty-five years old, they began to seriously court each other. It never has gotten far and Frodo knew the reasons why.
Instantly Merry, his distant cousin knocked on the trunk of the tree, "Frodo." He whispered furiously. "Why are you sitting outside? I'm sleepy." He complained.
Frodo glanced at his younger cousin, fourteen years his junior. "Sorry Merry," he apologized. Merry sat beside him and covered the cloak he was wearing tightly against his body since it was a chilly night.
"Thinking about Daisy?" Merry asked gently. Frodo nodded his head.
"She's a very special girl. She deserves—" Merry, who heard that speech thousands of times, before and after Frodo's engagement, interrupted before Frodo could finish his sentence.
"—You." Merry told him. "Frodo, just like I told you thousands of times, Daisy wants you to be her husband, not someone else's. Why don't you just accept it?"
"It feels as if I marry her, then I seal her doom," Frodo told his cousin thoughtfully. Merry just stared at him.
"You know, never once have you said anything about that."
"I didn't want to worry you Merry." Instantly Merry noticed that Frodo grabbed on to something on his neck that he couldn't see. He wondered what it was.
"What do you mean by you seal her doom?"
"It feels that if I'm going to
marry her, then our marriage will end in failure."
"You probably just got cold feet," Merry tried to reassure him. "Daisy and you will be a good couple. And she won't be like Bell."
Frodo didn't reply and both of them went to asleep inside old Mr. Baggins' home.
Morning came when the sun came through the window. "Morning Mr. Frodo!" Samwise shouted. Instantly Frodo and his Brandybuck distant cousin, Merry woke up. Frodo sat at the edge of the bed and watched the scene with amusement.
"Ugh," Merry moaned. "Its too early to wake up." Samwise, who was older than Merry by three years, chuckled and tossed the blanket off the shivering hobbit.
"Mr. Frodo always wakes up that early," Samwise told him.
"Pardon me but I'm not your employer," Merry grumbled. Frodo actually chuckled. For some strange reason, neither Merry nor Samwise saw eye to eye with each other. They practically disagreed with one another! He turned to his side and fell asleep again, grumbling about what an incorrigible hobbit in his dreams. Samwise, not despairing, shrugged, went to the pantry, got some cold water in the pitcher, came right back to Merry's room and let the water fly on the sleeping hobbit.
Merry jumped up as if struck by lightning and instantly his eyes opened in alarm. Frodo had to laugh when he saw water dripping down Merry's slender face. "Next time wake up early so I wont splash," Samwise told him. He also started laughing even harder than Frodo.
Merry got out of the bed and instantly began chasing Samwise. "You little brat! How dare you wake me up?" Samwise, who was faster than Merry was, took him on nice maize around the house, ducking under the objects, finding different exits, which made Merry ten times angrier than he had ever been.
Meanwhile Samwise was running for his life and his cousin was running for losing his dignity, Frodo had dressed and already had breakfast, Eggs Benedict, in the kitchen that Samwise had cooked for him. He was ready to hang out with Samwise's older sister, Daisy.
Soon Samwise ran into the kitchen, with Merry hot on his heels and climbed underneath the table, Merry following him, somehow upsetting the balance and throwing eggs at his cousin's face. Frodo stood up and knew that it had gone too far. "Meriadoc Brandybuck!" Frodo shouted. "Come out of here and get out of the house! Sam! You also do that!"
"Sorry Mr. Frodo," Samwise apologized with embarrassment. He didn't mean to do that, but it was the only to lose Merry.
"And also, Meriadoc, Samwise, for climbing underneath the table, both of you will be spending the day outside! Is that clear?" Both of the nodded their heads. "Good. Now Samwise, there better not be any episodes like this in the future again." After making sure that his cousin and his future brother-in-law were working in the garden, Frodo changed into fresh clothes, wiped the eggs of his face, and grumbled a bit about those two hobbits. Soon, there came a knock at the door.
Frodo opened the door and noticed Daisy standing there, wearing a blue dress and her brown locks in loose blue ribbons. Frodo found her a pleasure to look at. "Hello Frodo, are you ready for our walk?"
"Sure. How about we also got to the market and buy some supplies that I need?" He asked her.
"I thought Samwise was your servant." Daisy frowned. "And also, I thought that he did your shopping work."
"He's also your younger brother Daisy. And besides he and Merry are punished." He told her, remembering the early morning scene.
"Whatever for?" Daisy asked as Frodo stepped out and locked the door behind him.
"You know how he and Merry don't get along pretty well, right?" Daisy nodded her head. "Well, today, while I was eating breakfast and your brother was running for his life, he climbed underneath where I was eating and threw the eggs that Samwise had cooked for me on my face."
Daisy chuckled. "I know, I know, Samwise can be a little bit gregarious." Frodo took her hand in his and they began walking toward the market. Frodo liked spending his days with Daisy. She always seemed to be in a good mood in the mornings and at the evenings. She also was a better cook than Samwise would ever be.
"Really Daisy, that's an understatement of the century." Frodo told her as Daisy laughed. "Here's a rose for you," Instantly Frodo handed Daisy a rose that grew in his garden.
"Oh Frodo, that's very sweet of you." Instantly they entered into the market where many hobbit wives were shopping for their families.
"I asked Samwise to cut it for you, knew you liked roses despite your name being Daisy," Frodo confided to her.
Majority of the wives were plump, Frodo noticed, but for some strange reason, his friends and most of his cousins were unusually thin.
Instantly a plump hobbit wife came over to them. "Why Frodo! Daisy! How are you two doing?" They looked at each other in puzzlement then realized that it was Eglantine Took, Pippin's mother. "My, my, I always said to Pippin that you have a good taste."
"I've got to be going," Frodo told her curtly, startling Daisy. She brushed back her brown locks and looked at Eglantine Took with venom. Instantly, Frodo left Daisy with Eglantine, much to Daisy's displeasure.
"So Mrs. Took, how's Pippin doing?" Daisy asked uncertainly, trying to control her temper. She never liked being alone with her.
"Peregrin? He's fine, Daisy. He sends his love to Frodo."
"I'm glad to know that," Daisy told her in a cutting voice. God how she hated that woman!
"How is your family doing?" Daisy never liked gossiping with other families. When she was younger, eighteen years old, she wanted to be in a sewing circle. Three years later, her mother finally allowed her to come to the ladies' sewing circle and Daisy didn't like it one bit. There the ladies were nothing but a bunch of snoops and told everything about their families, who's married to who, Who's expecting children, and so on and on. What embarrassed Daisy was the fact that Bell told everyone that Daisy is friends with Frodo and will probably marry him sooner or later. Everyone cast envious looks at the fair Daisy and said that she was lucky and unlucky because their children will also be odd. Daisy still shuddered from that moment, even if it was in the past.
"My family? They're fine." Eglantine was frustrated that she never was able to crack Daisy from her juicy gossip. In the Shire, she was notorious for gossiping and ruining reputations.
"Come on child, are you and Frodo are planning on having any children?" Eglantine asked desperately. For a minute, Daisy thought about lying, but decided not to, since she'll probably twist a simple story into millions of lies.
"Its none of your business Mrs. Took. It's my private business. Besides, why should I tell an old gossiping lady who has nothing better to do than ruin people's reputation?" Eglantine looked insulted.
"Well! I never heard such a thing from such an insolent lady who's only a peasant!"
"Goodbye Mrs. Took. Try asking my family what's up, I'm sure Marigold will be happy to hear it from you." Eglantine became enraged and stalked off, leaving Daisy standing on the ground. Daisy picked up a bag she put on the ground and paid for the supplies that Frodo had needed.
Instantly, when she left the spot where she and Eglantine had gossiped, on her left, she noticed Frodo sitting on the chair, waiting for her. When she approached him, Frodo's rose in her silky brown locks, her back straight as a rod, Frodo stood up and sat her. "Is anything wrong my Daisy?" He asked her with concern.
Daisy shook her head. "I just don't like Eglantine. Even if she is your cousin's mother."
"Neither do I," Frodo revealed. Both of them sat down beside each other and held hands.
"Why not you?"
"When I lived in the Brandy Hall, she visited us often and she always held Pippin with a tight leash, much like your parents hold you and Samwise." He shuddered. "Never let him do anything, not even talk or laugh or even smile. That scared me, not having any freedom. Besides once upon a time, you probably must know that I'm Pippin's very distant cousin, she tried setting me up with her daughters when I turned thirty three. It didn't work out. They were too much like the Banks family. Pippin was the only Took in that family. The real Took."
" I see. Eglantine, in the sewing circle, practically ruined everyone's reputation. Once even mine."
"What did she say about you that was so offending?" Frodo asked.
"She said that Marigold was a slut, just because she doesn't look like a typical hobbit. Because of those words, people always looked at me and May as if we also were like what Marigold was. When I learned who caused that misfortune, I became angry and began stalking Eglantine, leaving notes and death threats. Eventually, she panicked and called the sheriff. Unfortunately, I didn't know that fact and imagine how surprised I was when I was arrested. When I told the whole story, however, the sheriff agreed with me and let me go. Eventually, everyone forgot that rumor"
"I see," Frodo told her. "Why don't we go back to The Hill and just have a nice picnic? I'm sure Samwise learned his lesson, along with Merry. And how about as a punishment, we'll also tell them to make our picnic?"
Daisy had to chuckle. "Whatever you say Frodo, and you're evil"
Soon, Samwise and Merry, much to their displeasure, were making a picnic. "It's so not fair that Mr. Frodo had punished me!" he complained.
Merry just rolled his eyes. "If you weren't complaining so much Samwise, then we'd be able to come up with a plan to pay them back." Suddenly he snapped his fingers. "I got it!" He began whispering to Samwise the plan. Both of them started laughing evilly.
After the picnic was done, and unbeknown to Daisy and Frodo, Merry and Samwise were spying on them, and were trying to control their giggles. Soon the fun would begin!
Before long in the evening, Frodo, for some strange reason, began to feel drowsy. Usually he felt sleepy when it was usually a mid-night or something like that. He went into his room and lay on his bed
Daisy, who was also feeling sleepy, decided to also go to sleep. But unfortunately, the closest room to her was Frodo's room, and not knowing that it was his room, Daisy lay all the way in the corner and didn't notice that Frodo lay down beside her.
Merry and Samwise, who were outside the room, lay on the floor and started to cover their giggles. "Man! Merry, never thought you had in you a prankster's heart!"
"Never could've done it without you Samwise. Now let us go to our rooms and remember what we have to do tomorrow."
"Okay Merry," Both of them saluted each other and went to their rooms, laughing very hard.
Next morning, Frodo heard Samwise calling out. "Wake up Mr. Frodo!" Instantly Samwise gasped. "Daisy! What are you doing here?" Daisy? Frodo thought.
Instantly Frodo woke up and looked to his left side. There was Daisy! "Daisy!"
Daisy woke up and screamed. "Samwise! Frodo! Oh dear! What had happened?"
"I was about to ask you the same question!" To their humiliation, Merry ran inside and his eyes grew wide when he saw his distant cousin lying next to Daisy, both of them clothed in their yesterday's clothes.
"Samwise!" Merry shouted. Instantly they began laughing very hard, rolling on the ground, clutching their sides, and were starting to laugh harder and harder each time they glanced at the engaged couple's looks of terror.
"I'm going to get you breakfast," Samwise told them evilly. "Try not to make noise."
Frodo, who was very upset, stood up and looked at Samwise and Merry. "Don't bother, we'll be going out for breakfast."
Samwise shrugged. "Okay. Have fun lovebirds." Frodo threw his servant a dirty look. Samwise only grinned evilly. Daisy decided to go and stay in a different room until Frodo was ready. Soon both of them were ready and had decided to go to a casual restaurant where you'll be anonymous.
"You know Frodo, it's my fault."
Frodo looked at her tiredly. "How is it your fault Daisy?"
"Well, last night I felt horribly sleepy and your room was the closest, and I didn't—"
"Hold it. You were sleepy? I was also sleepy." They looked at each other as if coming upon a horrible possibility.
"The picnic! You had Samwise make it, didn't you?"
"Yes. You don't think--?"
"He never liked Merry, so I assume yes."
Both of them decided that Samwise had slipped a sleeping powder into their food with the help of Merry to give them payback for their morning and afternoon punishment. Since it was even, Frodo decided not to punish them.
Instantly Eglantine noticed them sitting close to each other. She was passing by to get something for Pippin when she noticed the waiter give them some Caesar salad with two forks and two plates. They both had decided to drink water since they had had enough of wine, due to the night's experience.
Eglantine remembered Daisy's insolent words and left the restaurant. She had some new plans, and this time, she will fully destroy Daisy's reputation, along with Frodo's.
Meanwhile, the waiter appeared and gave Daisy and Frodo two invitations. "For the Dancing Party," he told them as he winked. Soon he left.
"Oh Frodo! How about we go there?"
"Why do you want go here Daisy?" Frodo asked her critically.
"I just love dancing! And it's so rare that I get invited to a party!"
"How about we have a—"
Daisy made a face. " If you're going to say 'picnic' how about we do not? I've had enough of them to last me for a lifetime." Soon she became excited. "Come on Frodo! It's so rare that we get invited! You because people think you're a queer Baggins, me because I'm only a peasant girl."
"Daisy, I don't want to go to a dancing party."
"Why not?"
"Because I don't know how to dance."
"Don't worry, I'll teach you," Daisy tried to assure him. "Marigold knows how to dance so she can give you dancing lessons. So can Samwise. Among us peasants, he's popular for his dancing skills."
"But the dance is tonight."
"It doesn't matter Frodo. We'll have a spectacular time anyway." Instantly she opened her invitation. It was a blank cared with only an address written on the top, and it wasn't this restaurant. It was a public place where bonfire festivals are held.
"Very well. Why did I agree to be engaged to such an incorrigible hobbit?" He dejectedly agreed.
"Because you love me." Daisy replied. They both kissed each other on the lips for a very long moment.
Later on in the night, both of them came out and went to that place. When they came, many hobbits were playing musical instruments and many married hobbit husbands and wives were dancing with each other. To her disappointment, Daisy noticed that Eglantine Took was there, dancing with her husband, Pippin's father, Thain Paladin II.
"Come on Frodo, don't be shy! Its easy," Daisy called out over the music. Somehow, much to Frodo's annoyance, she dragged him to the dancing floor. "You put your left hand around my waist, and just step from side to side." She showed him how to do that. "Then your right hand goes to my right hand and we just shuffle back and fourth." Soon, Daisy taught Frodo how to do majority of the dances. While teaching Frodo how to dance, Daisy noticed that most of the snobby old ladies were throwing dirty looks at them.
While they were dancing, Eglantine and Esmeralda, sisters in law, were looking at Daisy and Frodo. "Honestly, you should be glad that Frodo finally found someone who loves him Eglantine. Because most of the things are your fault."
"Mrs. Brandybuck, this is the rudest hobbit girl I have ever known. She's very queer, much like Frodo." Esmeralda looked at Eglantine as if she wanted to tear her head off her neck.
"Frodo is half Brandybuck. Are you implying that I'm queer? I love Saradoc very much, and my son Meriadoc." Eglantine knew she was in deep trouble.
"No Mrs. Brandybuck. But Frodo is much like Baggins. Like that old Mr. Baggins."
"He's half a Took Mrs. Took, or did you also forget that unknown fact?"
"But most of the Baggins are very queer!"
Esmeralda appeared to be thinking. "You're right about that Mrs. Took, but Bilbo wasn't queer, he was just an odd dear little hobbit." She signed longingly. "I used to visit him when I was little. He always told me tales from the Red Book. It's a shame he has disappeared." With that Esmeralda brushed back her long dark brown hair and her emerald eyes stared at Eglantine. "Sorry. But I really have to leave."
Many hobbit boys, who weren't
married, asked to dance with Daisy. They nicknamed her
Soon they went back home. Both of them had great time. This time, ladies didn't believe Eglantine when she told them many false things about Daisy and Frodo. She was lying, was the opinion of many.
A year later, after their marriage, Daisy conceived and gave birth to his son. They named him Bilbo, after Frodo's uncle. She moved in with her family with their newborn son, since lately Frodo began to get restless. She was beginning to get very worried about him and practically grilled Samwise everyday from his work. Everyone in the family thought that her behavior was very unusual. Little Bilbo looked very much looked mostly like his mother, and only had his father's blue eyes.
Soon, three years later, after they were married, Daisy moved back in with her husband and conceived again. But to Daisy's grief, their second baby had died on it's day of birth, and Frodo wasn't there for her, because he was talking to a strange wizard named Gandalf, who began visiting Frodo frequently and at times she noticed that strange people, dwarves, elves and even big people, began moving through the Shire to go to Grey Havens. Something about that name clicked to Daisy, but she kept it a secret.
Years passed like fleeting leaves and their son grew up and soon Daisy had conceived for the third time. The year was 1419, according to Shire Reckoning and Daisy was sewing on buttons for her husband. Lately he had seemed to be upset and Daisy hoped that the fact that she was pregnant would cheer him up. Both of them agreed that the young Bilbo would need a sibling if they wanted him not to run around so much, and not get into trouble.
"Frodo dear, is anything wrong?" Daisy asked him gently.
"I'm just getting restless Daisy,"
"Whatever for? You have a wife and a son and another child on the way,"
"Look Daisy, I'm not going to lie to you. Soon I'll be moving away to live with Merry and Samwise is going with me." For a minute, Frodo didn't notice what his wife had said. "You're pregnant?" He asked her in a joyful tone. "That's wonderful!" He sat down on the carpet and they kissed each other.
"Can't I move in with you?" Daisy asked him, after the kiss was over.
Frodo shook his head. "No. You'll be happier here, my jewel of the Shire."
"But we are married! Doesn't that mean anything to you?" She noticed that Frodo was fingering something that was on his neck.
"There are some secrets that are meant to be kept," he whispered to her. Neither of them spoke that night. Soon, Frodo's birthday came and went and Daisy knew that the very next day, Frodo would be leaving her forever, perhaps. Samwise also left with Frodo and so did Merry and Pippin. Daisy was much aggrieved but that wasn't the end of her troubles. Somehow Lotho Sackville-Baggins, Frodo's cousin, became a mayor, or better known as the Chief.
Daisy, believing that Frodo had died, delivered his son and named him after his father. Somehow, supplies became very scarce and a lot of people, including Daisy and her two sons, were taken to the jail. She stayed in jail and managed, with the help of Lobelia, to take care of their second child. Although she didn't like Lobelia much, but desperate times called for desperate measures, as her father used to say.
"What a sweet baby boy you have Daisy," Lobelia told her one day. "He looks very much like Frodo."
"Thank you Lobelia," Daisy whispered sadly as she held on to her son as if she was holding on to her own husband for dear life. This went on for three more years and as months passed by, Daisy gave up all hope that Frodo will be ever come back to her alive.
When Bilbo was sixteen, and Frodo three, she heard that Sharkey was killed. By then, the supplies became even more rare than ever before and Daisy felt very depressed that she just sat beside her sons and patiently waited for her death. She wondered whenever Samwise alive, or Pippin, or even Meriadoc. Later on in several days later after Chief was killed, Daisy was released and noticed four hobbits that she thought were dead. "Merry! Pippin! Samwise! Frodo!" She cried as she ran into Samwise's arms. They embraced each other.
"I'm glad to see you sister," Samwise whispered.
"Where were you brother?" Daisy whispered.
"You don't want to know," Samwise replied. Suddenly she noticed that Merry and Pippin were taller than most of the hobbits.
"Oh my goodness! Since when were hobbits that tall?"
Neither of them answered Daisy.
"Frodo," Daisy whispered when she saw her husband. He looked wearier than his years, and one finger was missing from his hand. "Frodo, my sweet husband, what has happened?" Suddenly she began crying loudly. Samwise came up to her and gave her a hug.
"Its all right Daisy, he's going to be all right,"
Daisy didn't believe him. Instantly their three-year-old son came out. She smiled when she saw Frodo. "My husband, this is your new son, named after you." Frodo didn't smile. He seemed to be grim.
"Daisy, nice knowing that my new son is still alive." Frodo finally whispered, wearily.
"Lets go home," Daisy told him. Somehow she managed to sit down on the horse and held on to Frodo's neck and then she felt their two sons also holding on to each other, afraid of the horse.
They got home and in several hours, after relaxing and eating, Frodo began his frantic work on the Red Book, trying to organize notes and dates and he even wrote his account in the story, including the new king and other tales. He even did the family trees, wrote about the Baggins, Took, Brandybuck and even Sam's family. Everything seemed to be accurate aside from the fact that Frodo forgot to include his family. His marriage to Daisy and their two children. Daisy confronted him about it.
Daisy was looking through the red book when something startled her. In the book, there was no record of her and Frodo's marriage! Lately, Frodo hadn't been feeling well and seemed to be weary beyond words. Samwise, just like his new wife, Rose Cotton, seemed to be worried about him. She noticed that her husband was inside and was looking thoughtfully at outside the window. "Frodo?" Daisy asked. "Why didn't you include me and yourself to be married?"
Frodo turned to her and looked at her with weary blue eyes. "I'll be gone soon Daisy. I don't want you to remember this bitter marriage." Daisy came over and sat beside him.
"Oh Frodo, this isn't a bitter marriage. I love you very much and I carried three of your children and gave you sixteen years of my life so why is this marriage bitter to you?"
"I thought I might be happy if I could see your face again Daisy. But I'm not. You remind me of the place I don't wish to remember. Three years is too long to be holding on to a lost memory. I want you to be doing a favor Daisy. Once I'm gone, I want you to marry someone else and forget about me. I don't want you to miserable." Daisy started crying and brushed back her brown locks.
"It's a hard errand Frodo. But I can't do it. I love you, I don't want you to leave me again."
Frodo signed wearily. "Think of it as a memory to me Daisy. I'm going with elves to Grey Havens."
Daisy began crying louder. "You don't care for me at all Frodo. You never did. I can't marry anyone else and I won't. I will not!"
Frodo could only sigh wearily. "I love you Daisy, and I don't want you to see me suffer. If I stay here, I'm going to make you see things you never wanted to see, hear things that you don't want to hear."
"Please Frodo, reconsider this decision again."
"I'll try to Daisy."
Four months later, Frodo stayed on
his decision that he'll go to Grey Havens and Daisy knew that this time he'd be
gone forever and ever. She also conceived for the fourth time.
Three years, when Bilbo was nineteen years old, Frodo six and Samwise, their new and last son, three, Daisy, unable to live without Frodo any longer, committed suicide, remembering Frodo.
She knew that she wouldn't be able uphold her promise. She recalled their first meeting, when she was eighteen, her stolen kisses with Frodo and their second baby, who would've been a beautiful girl. Frodo wanted to name her Daisy, after her, and Daisy wanted to name her Primula, after Frodo's dead mother. She remembered everything that had happened between her and Frodo.
It was said that she jumped off the cliff and her body was never found. Only her three sons by Frodo knew how upset she was, and where her body was located.