Chapter Three
Despite Portia's pleas, Nina jumped out of her bedroom window and landed on the soft grass below. Nothing would spoil this night, and no thoughts of the Broadbeams would enter her mind, for she was going to be with Frodo Baggins.
She darted from tree to tree, hiding behind the thick trunks to avoid being spotted. She knew that any wanderer-by would ask what she was up to, and Nina had no good excuses for a cover-up.
Frodo was already on top of the hill, and smiled when he spotted Nina sprint up the hill, struggling to keep her balance.
"Good evening," he smiled; an amused look upon his face.
Nina smiled and brushed all the stray grass off her dress, her pretty blue dress she had worn specially for the occasion. When she looked back up at him, she was amazed to find he was looking straight at her, with those beautiful sapphire eyes that seemed to swim through her soul. Nina never knew what made her fall in love with him that one special day, but somehow it had just happened, like magic some would say.
The day itself she remembered perfectly; Bilbo Bagginses 111th birthday, and Frodo's 33rd. There was such celebration and joyfulness in the Shire, and Nina remembered perfectly dancing with Holly, Merry and Pippin, laughing, making merry…and all the while her eyes darted back to the young Baggins. Her mind had drifted when he asked her to dance, and it was then; dancing around, staring into those blue, blue eyes…distant from reality and the world fading into just a blur around them that Nina felt her heart skip a beat and twang creep up in her heart full of feelings of warmth and love. She knew right there and then that she loved him.
But years had passed and Frodo was not the same hobbit he once was. Of course, he was beautiful, kind, friendly, wise, handsome…but the Quest seemed to have worn him out slightly. He had been stabbed, more than once and had lost a finger. After spending a year back in the Shire, full of darkness and pain, he slipped away one night and didn't come back. The pain was unbearable to Nina and wept silently every night, pining for him to come home, to come back to her.
And he did. After spending only six months away, Frodo had returned and the first person he saw was Nina herself; walking through the woods, picking up flowers and picking off the petals. She remembered looking up and glancing at the figure walking towards her, feeling the same feeling she only felt when Frodo was around. It was Frodo.
"Nina? Nina…are you here lass?"
Nina shook her head out of her thoughts. "Um…yes I am…I'm sorry Frodo…I…" she paused as he fixed her with his gaze. "…I was somewhere else"
"So it seems" he let out a small laugh, "You really are an amazing hobbit Nina Roper, I wish I knew what is often going through your head!"
Nina blushed, not quite sure if he would accept what exactly * was * going through her head at that moment. She had no reason to believe that he was in love with her. All she knew was that she loved him with her heart, body and soul.
"No," she said, her cheeks still pink in the dim light. "You are an amazing hobbit Frodo. To have encountered a journey like that, and still be able to tell the tale. You fascinate me and I would give anything to meet Elves"
Frodo smiled again, knowing that he could always count on Nina to make him smile. "You sounded so much like Sam; and maybe you will meet Elves"
"Not just Elves" she decided. "Dwarves and humans and wizards and –"
"Gandalf? You've met Gandalf"
"More wizards" she answered. "And dragons and Ents"
"How do you know about the Ents?"
"Pippin and Merry" Nina replied. "I know all about Treebeard – I even know his song!"
Frodo looked amazed. "I wish I could have met him, how does the song go?"
Nina began automatically:
"When spring unfolds the beechen leaf, and sap
is in the bough;
When light is on the wild-wood stream, and
wind is on the brow;
When stride is long, and breath is deep, and
keen the mountain-air,
Come back to me! Come back to me, and say
My land is fair!"
Nina topped there, blushing slightly as Frodo smiled.
"You have a beautiful voice" he commented, "I bet you sing beautiful in Elvish"
"I'm afraid I know no Elvish songs" Nina answered, putting her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms tight around them.
"I could teach you…" Frodo paused, "Someday"
"Yes…"
Nina wanted him…enough was enough; her heart was aching and playing games. But it was Frodo who moved closer to her and held her chin up with a finger and a thumb. He looked into her eyes and Nina's breath caught.
"Renich i lú i erui govannem? Nauthannen i ned ôl reniannen."
Nina didn't understand a single word, though it sounded beautiful. And somehow, the whole world was falling into oblivion when Frodo moved closer to her, intent on kissing her. Her heart fluttered and her blood raced around her body as her heart beat faster. Her arms and legs began to send tingles running all the way to the tips of her fingers and toes. Her cheeks flushed and she tried to keep straight. He was going to kiss her…this was what she had been waiting for, pining for ever since the party, she wanted his kisses, she wanted her gentlehobbit, she wanted Frodo Baggins.
"Nina!" she felt a huge amount of force drag on her arm, pulling her away from her moment. When their lips were so close the atmosphere was becoming almost unbearable, someone pulled Nina up, away.
"Come away!" Portia called, dragging her sister up. Frodo stood up, disappointed and above all confused.
"Let go of me!" Nina cried. "Leave me alone!"
"No!" Portia looked to Frodo angrily, but spoke politely. "I am truly sorry Master Baggins, but Miss Nina must have her sleep for tomorrow is the day when we meet the Friado Broadbeam."
Frodo just nodded and looked to Nina who struggled in her sister's grasp like a young child.
"I don't want to!" she called. "I hate him! I hate him!"
"Come along Nina! Mama and Papa are expecting you this instant!"
Portia pulled her down the hill so fast and back towards their home.
"Let go!" with one swift pull, Nina tugged her sleeve from Portia's grasp.
"Don't act like a little girl Nina!" Portia called, "I cannot believe how you are behaving!"
"Why did you follow me?! Why couldn't you have just left us alone?!"
"Because you're not destined to be with him! He is not your fate"
"How would you know?!"
"Because you are a Roper, you cannot marry whom you wish"
"Then maybe I don't want to be a Roper anymore!" Nina felt tears spring up in her eyes.
"You are a stubborn hobbit if ever there was one!" Portia sighed, grasping hold before her younger sister ran off again. "But you can never have Frodo – no matter how much you want him. Tomorrow, if you are chosen, you shall be a Broadbeam. But if you are not chosen, you'll be in line for the next suitor, and so forth. How many more times must I explain?!"
"Make that your last – I will not need that explanation no more. I'm not getting married"
"If Papa heard you talking like this he'd tear the roof down. I sharn't tell him of this matter, but mark my words Nina Roper, if it happens again…"
"Your threats won't tamper with my feelings!"
Portia sighed and dragged her into the house.
"Ah! There you are my precious daughter!" Meruda called happily, holding a letter in his hand. "I have news! Glorious news! I was going to announce it earlier to your sisters, but I wanted to wait for you"
"You go ahead Papa, I shall sleep" Nina turned away to walk to her room.
"Oh no you don't" Lilla grabbed her daughter. "You shall listen to what your father has to say young lady"
"Well," Meruda began. "The Broadbeams will be arriving tomorrow evening, and I am arranging a surprise party for them the night after that – a party of special magnificence!" Meruda nearly died with the excitement written on his face and Lilla kissed his cheek and praised his idea.
"The only party of special magnificence that The Shire has had was Bilbo Bagginses 111th birthday. Since then, parties have been such a bore"
"But Bilbo Baggins is dead" Nissa commented.
"No he most certainly is not!" Nina retaliated, angrily. "He is in the Undying Lands! Where Frodo went last year for six months!"
"But surely he must be dead now"
"No, impossible, the Undying Lands is a place of healing. That's why Frodo went – to get his Morgul scar healed and the darkness inside of him taken away"
"There's no such thing!"
"Yes there is! Elves, Nissa, Elves! Beautiful magical people that live forever, and heal people. First creatures of Middle Earth!"
"You talk nonsense Nina, nonsense" Nissa shrugged it off with a laugh. "Do you really believe that Bilbo Baggins, a small simple hobbit fought a dragon and claimed back treasure for dwarves?"
"Yes! You heard the tales! And Frodo encountered a similar adventure but much more dangerous. Haven't you heard of the Fellowship?! Four hobbits, two men, one elf, one wizard and one dwarf. You seem to be the hobbit talking nonsense Nissa Roper because the Bagginses are amazing, brave and wise"
"Excuse my girls" Meruda interrupted the little argument. "But why have we suddenly gone from talking about the Broadbeams, to talking about the Bagginses? It's not as if you're marrying a Baggins is it? No, one of you will be marrying a Broadbeam, and that is that"
Nina sighed with defeat. Why couldn't she lead a simple life?
"If you'll please excuse me, I'm going to my room" she said quietly, making her way towards her bedroom. Closing the door behind her she ran and laid on the bed, silent tears sliding down her cheeks, her mind encountering the kiss she had nearly received from her love. She had once asked Frodo what my love meant in Elvish but he didn't seem to catch the hint. 'Melamin' he had answered.
But the kiss…Frodo had tried to kiss her…and before hand had whispered to her something in Elvish. What could it mean?! She desperately wanted to know. Was it a friendly gesture? Was it a compliment? Or was Frodo trying to confess his feelings…? Was she his 'Melamin'? Was she beautiful to him as he was to her? Did he think about her often as she did of him?
No doubt about it, Nina Roper was in love…and it wasn't with a Broadbeam…
Despite Portia's pleas, Nina jumped out of her bedroom window and landed on the soft grass below. Nothing would spoil this night, and no thoughts of the Broadbeams would enter her mind, for she was going to be with Frodo Baggins.
She darted from tree to tree, hiding behind the thick trunks to avoid being spotted. She knew that any wanderer-by would ask what she was up to, and Nina had no good excuses for a cover-up.
Frodo was already on top of the hill, and smiled when he spotted Nina sprint up the hill, struggling to keep her balance.
"Good evening," he smiled; an amused look upon his face.
Nina smiled and brushed all the stray grass off her dress, her pretty blue dress she had worn specially for the occasion. When she looked back up at him, she was amazed to find he was looking straight at her, with those beautiful sapphire eyes that seemed to swim through her soul. Nina never knew what made her fall in love with him that one special day, but somehow it had just happened, like magic some would say.
The day itself she remembered perfectly; Bilbo Bagginses 111th birthday, and Frodo's 33rd. There was such celebration and joyfulness in the Shire, and Nina remembered perfectly dancing with Holly, Merry and Pippin, laughing, making merry…and all the while her eyes darted back to the young Baggins. Her mind had drifted when he asked her to dance, and it was then; dancing around, staring into those blue, blue eyes…distant from reality and the world fading into just a blur around them that Nina felt her heart skip a beat and twang creep up in her heart full of feelings of warmth and love. She knew right there and then that she loved him.
But years had passed and Frodo was not the same hobbit he once was. Of course, he was beautiful, kind, friendly, wise, handsome…but the Quest seemed to have worn him out slightly. He had been stabbed, more than once and had lost a finger. After spending a year back in the Shire, full of darkness and pain, he slipped away one night and didn't come back. The pain was unbearable to Nina and wept silently every night, pining for him to come home, to come back to her.
And he did. After spending only six months away, Frodo had returned and the first person he saw was Nina herself; walking through the woods, picking up flowers and picking off the petals. She remembered looking up and glancing at the figure walking towards her, feeling the same feeling she only felt when Frodo was around. It was Frodo.
"Nina? Nina…are you here lass?"
Nina shook her head out of her thoughts. "Um…yes I am…I'm sorry Frodo…I…" she paused as he fixed her with his gaze. "…I was somewhere else"
"So it seems" he let out a small laugh, "You really are an amazing hobbit Nina Roper, I wish I knew what is often going through your head!"
Nina blushed, not quite sure if he would accept what exactly * was * going through her head at that moment. She had no reason to believe that he was in love with her. All she knew was that she loved him with her heart, body and soul.
"No," she said, her cheeks still pink in the dim light. "You are an amazing hobbit Frodo. To have encountered a journey like that, and still be able to tell the tale. You fascinate me and I would give anything to meet Elves"
Frodo smiled again, knowing that he could always count on Nina to make him smile. "You sounded so much like Sam; and maybe you will meet Elves"
"Not just Elves" she decided. "Dwarves and humans and wizards and –"
"Gandalf? You've met Gandalf"
"More wizards" she answered. "And dragons and Ents"
"How do you know about the Ents?"
"Pippin and Merry" Nina replied. "I know all about Treebeard – I even know his song!"
Frodo looked amazed. "I wish I could have met him, how does the song go?"
Nina began automatically:
"When spring unfolds the beechen leaf, and sap
is in the bough;
When light is on the wild-wood stream, and
wind is on the brow;
When stride is long, and breath is deep, and
keen the mountain-air,
Come back to me! Come back to me, and say
My land is fair!"
Nina topped there, blushing slightly as Frodo smiled.
"You have a beautiful voice" he commented, "I bet you sing beautiful in Elvish"
"I'm afraid I know no Elvish songs" Nina answered, putting her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms tight around them.
"I could teach you…" Frodo paused, "Someday"
"Yes…"
Nina wanted him…enough was enough; her heart was aching and playing games. But it was Frodo who moved closer to her and held her chin up with a finger and a thumb. He looked into her eyes and Nina's breath caught.
"Renich i lú i erui govannem? Nauthannen i ned ôl reniannen."
Nina didn't understand a single word, though it sounded beautiful. And somehow, the whole world was falling into oblivion when Frodo moved closer to her, intent on kissing her. Her heart fluttered and her blood raced around her body as her heart beat faster. Her arms and legs began to send tingles running all the way to the tips of her fingers and toes. Her cheeks flushed and she tried to keep straight. He was going to kiss her…this was what she had been waiting for, pining for ever since the party, she wanted his kisses, she wanted her gentlehobbit, she wanted Frodo Baggins.
"Nina!" she felt a huge amount of force drag on her arm, pulling her away from her moment. When their lips were so close the atmosphere was becoming almost unbearable, someone pulled Nina up, away.
"Come away!" Portia called, dragging her sister up. Frodo stood up, disappointed and above all confused.
"Let go of me!" Nina cried. "Leave me alone!"
"No!" Portia looked to Frodo angrily, but spoke politely. "I am truly sorry Master Baggins, but Miss Nina must have her sleep for tomorrow is the day when we meet the Friado Broadbeam."
Frodo just nodded and looked to Nina who struggled in her sister's grasp like a young child.
"I don't want to!" she called. "I hate him! I hate him!"
"Come along Nina! Mama and Papa are expecting you this instant!"
Portia pulled her down the hill so fast and back towards their home.
"Let go!" with one swift pull, Nina tugged her sleeve from Portia's grasp.
"Don't act like a little girl Nina!" Portia called, "I cannot believe how you are behaving!"
"Why did you follow me?! Why couldn't you have just left us alone?!"
"Because you're not destined to be with him! He is not your fate"
"How would you know?!"
"Because you are a Roper, you cannot marry whom you wish"
"Then maybe I don't want to be a Roper anymore!" Nina felt tears spring up in her eyes.
"You are a stubborn hobbit if ever there was one!" Portia sighed, grasping hold before her younger sister ran off again. "But you can never have Frodo – no matter how much you want him. Tomorrow, if you are chosen, you shall be a Broadbeam. But if you are not chosen, you'll be in line for the next suitor, and so forth. How many more times must I explain?!"
"Make that your last – I will not need that explanation no more. I'm not getting married"
"If Papa heard you talking like this he'd tear the roof down. I sharn't tell him of this matter, but mark my words Nina Roper, if it happens again…"
"Your threats won't tamper with my feelings!"
Portia sighed and dragged her into the house.
"Ah! There you are my precious daughter!" Meruda called happily, holding a letter in his hand. "I have news! Glorious news! I was going to announce it earlier to your sisters, but I wanted to wait for you"
"You go ahead Papa, I shall sleep" Nina turned away to walk to her room.
"Oh no you don't" Lilla grabbed her daughter. "You shall listen to what your father has to say young lady"
"Well," Meruda began. "The Broadbeams will be arriving tomorrow evening, and I am arranging a surprise party for them the night after that – a party of special magnificence!" Meruda nearly died with the excitement written on his face and Lilla kissed his cheek and praised his idea.
"The only party of special magnificence that The Shire has had was Bilbo Bagginses 111th birthday. Since then, parties have been such a bore"
"But Bilbo Baggins is dead" Nissa commented.
"No he most certainly is not!" Nina retaliated, angrily. "He is in the Undying Lands! Where Frodo went last year for six months!"
"But surely he must be dead now"
"No, impossible, the Undying Lands is a place of healing. That's why Frodo went – to get his Morgul scar healed and the darkness inside of him taken away"
"There's no such thing!"
"Yes there is! Elves, Nissa, Elves! Beautiful magical people that live forever, and heal people. First creatures of Middle Earth!"
"You talk nonsense Nina, nonsense" Nissa shrugged it off with a laugh. "Do you really believe that Bilbo Baggins, a small simple hobbit fought a dragon and claimed back treasure for dwarves?"
"Yes! You heard the tales! And Frodo encountered a similar adventure but much more dangerous. Haven't you heard of the Fellowship?! Four hobbits, two men, one elf, one wizard and one dwarf. You seem to be the hobbit talking nonsense Nissa Roper because the Bagginses are amazing, brave and wise"
"Excuse my girls" Meruda interrupted the little argument. "But why have we suddenly gone from talking about the Broadbeams, to talking about the Bagginses? It's not as if you're marrying a Baggins is it? No, one of you will be marrying a Broadbeam, and that is that"
Nina sighed with defeat. Why couldn't she lead a simple life?
"If you'll please excuse me, I'm going to my room" she said quietly, making her way towards her bedroom. Closing the door behind her she ran and laid on the bed, silent tears sliding down her cheeks, her mind encountering the kiss she had nearly received from her love. She had once asked Frodo what my love meant in Elvish but he didn't seem to catch the hint. 'Melamin' he had answered.
But the kiss…Frodo had tried to kiss her…and before hand had whispered to her something in Elvish. What could it mean?! She desperately wanted to know. Was it a friendly gesture? Was it a compliment? Or was Frodo trying to confess his feelings…? Was she his 'Melamin'? Was she beautiful to him as he was to her? Did he think about her often as she did of him?
No doubt about it, Nina Roper was in love…and it wasn't with a Broadbeam…