Chapter Twelve
Friado Broadbeam tapped his fingers lightly on the table in the Green Dragon Inn, expecting Meruda Roper at any time. He had called on this meeting as he was concerned . . . about his fiancée.
Meruda finally entered and quickly ordered an ale before walking over to the small table in a quiet corner where Friado was seated.
"Good day Friado, what seems to be the trouble?" Meruda asked after shaking the young Broadbeam's hand.
"Well, Sir, I called on this little meeting because I am deeply troubled"
"About what?"
"Nina"
Meruda frowned, but listened on nonetheless. "What's troubling you about my Nina?"
Friado sighed. "I love your daughter Mr Roper, make no mistake on that matter, but I fear Nina does not love me back"
"Ah . . . of course she does!" Meruda smiled. "She's just a bit shocked over all the excitement!"
Friado's expression did not change. "I try to hold her hand, cuddle to her, talk to her . . . but all she does is move away and talk of . . . places I have never heard the names of before. Tell me, how close is she to this Frodo Baggins?"
Meruda shrugged his shoulders. "They are quite close . . . they have lots of conversations and friendly chats. Nina likes to visit Bag End a lot . . . you see, if you have not already guessed, my girl is very adventurous and ambitious!"
"Yes, yes I have guessed"
"Frodo tells my Nina tales of his adventure which I am sure you have heard of. She loves listening to stories like that . . . in fact they make her a lot happier by the time she arrives home! I'm sure you have met her best friend Holly Brandybuck?"
"Yes"
"Well Miss Holly is Master Baggins' cousin. And they are quite close too. So I guess they all spend time with one another in their own little gang. Why? Is Master Baggins causing you any trouble at all?"
"Well," Friado paused. "I just needed to know that, see, everytime I speak to Nina, she mentions him . . . almost as though she is engaged to him rather than to me. It troubled me slightly. But now you have told me that, I feel more at ease"
"But you certainly do not look it" Meruda frowned. "I do have an idea tp put you more at ease"
Friado looked up.
"I cannot keep Nina away from Master Baggins . . . she is fond of him and their friendship. But, we can put the wedding forward, then you will have your bride"
"Sir, that would be marvellous, truly," Friado smiled. "But I intended on finding a home for the two of us, then trying for a child . . . I would love to marry her with our very own son or daughter there to witness it"
"Then forward those arrangements! How about tomorrow? You can look for a house . . . then a child . . . then the wedding. The longer you hold it off son, the longer it shall take to ease your heart"
"So be it!" Meruda slapped his hand down hard on the table in his excitement. "Tomorrow, you shall have your home in Hobbiton with your fiancé!"
They toasted their joy with smiles and happiness.
//
Nina embraced Frodo tightly, smiling to herself as the sun set behind the hills in the distance. That hill, which was once Nina's special spot, was now hers and Frodo's. She wondered why no other hobbit went there . . . but she didn't care. At least there she could spend time with Frodo alone.
Nina had betrayed Portia's wishes, and after leaving the Broadbeam's, had run off to Bag End . . . then to the hill with Frodo.
She laughed when she heard Frodo's stomach growl with hunger.
Frodo shrugged with a smile. "It was your fault I skipped afternoon tea" he smiled.
"And your fault I skipped mine!" Nina added, kissing his cheek lightly.
"I hope your parents aren't getting too worried about leaving the Broadbeam's, then losing you . . . again" he chuckled slightly . . . Nina's disappearance was beginning to get to the Roper's. Lately she had been going off to places.
"Portia knows" Nina blurted out.
"About us?"
She nodded. "She always knew I loved you, Frodo. She tried to get me to promise her that I wouldn't go and see you again. I couldn't promise her that"
"Maybe," Frodo sighed. "But what if she -"
"I don't care what she does . . . I don't know why she doesn't just run off with Friado"
Nina looked to Frodo for a response but he was looking past her.
"I think I can hear something . . . or someone coming up the hill" he whispered.
"No, Frodo, no one comes here" Nina whispered back, placing a hand to his cheek. Frodo stood up quickly and grabbed her hand, pulling her behind a tree, just as Portia reached the top and let out a frustrated sigh. Frodo and Nina watched from the shadows.
"Where are you Nina Roper?!" Portia sighed out loud. "You're wrong, you can't do this!"
To his surprise, Nina started giggling silently behind her hand. Frodo looked at her and frowned, placing a finger to his lips to silence her. Nina buried her face into his neck, trying to muffle her giggles.
"I know you're with him" Portia called out to no one in particular. "Because he's missing too!"
Frodo smirked to Nina, whose face was now so red; she was going to burst out laughing.
"I cannot help it!" she whispered. "I feel like a tween playing hide and seek!"
Portia finally let out a growl of stress and stomped back down the hill. Frodo peeked out from behind the tree, Nina holding his hand behind him.
"She'll be terribly upset when I go home later on looking happy!"
"Don't tease her so much Nina, she is within her rights to be like this"
Nina frowned, her hazel eyes filling with confusion. "But . . . but I thought you loved me?"
"I do" Frodo frowned, wondering how she could think otherwise. He kissed her gently. "Even though we don't like the idea of this marriage business . . . Portia believes it is right . . . so-"
"So nothing Frodo" Nina snapped. "Just because someone says its right, and everyone believes them . . . it doesn't make it right"
Frodo looked down on her, grasping her had tightly. "I know," he finally said. "But is what we're doing right?"
"Yes," Nina looked at him. "No matter how wrong everyone says or thinks it is. I love you Frodo, is loving you so wrong? Is finding happiness and living it so wrong?"
"No"
"Then it's right . . . you know how much I love you"
"I love you," he whispered, caressing her cheeks lightly, then sealing it when a gentle kiss. "I'll take you away Nina, take you to Rivendell"
Nina's smile widened. "And Lothlorien?"
"I'm afraid Lothlorien . . . is too far, and Galadriel no longer resides there so I assume left over Orcs reside there now, trying to survive"
"Oh . . . well, Rivendell is just as fantastic. Imagine it Frodo, we could live in Rivendell forever, leave all these troubles behind . . ." "Hmm . . ." Frodo hummed as Nina rested her head against his shoulder. "And get married . . ." he added. Nina looked up at him, eyes wide. "Elrond still resides there I believe . . . he was on the ship to the Undying Lands . . . he could marry us . . . in Rivendell"
Nina grinned and pulled Frodo into her tight embrace. "Of course I'll marry you!" she said happily. "Again and again and again and again and again!"
"Then pack up some of your belongings . . . we travel light. I'll inform Sam, Pippin, Merry and Holly that we're leaving"
"Holly . . ." Nina sighed. "I always wanted Holly to be a bridesmaid at my wedding . . ."
"We'll take her with us, and Merry, Pippin and Samwise. Must be secret though . . . meet me here on this hill tomorrow after 2nd breakfast."
"Oh Frodo!" Nina beamed with excitement. "It's like our own little adventure!"
She hugged him again, thinking about how happy she would be, becoming Mrs Baggins. Not Mrs Broadbeam . . . Mrs Baggins. From tomorrow, there would be no more troubles, no more suitors, no more Broadbeams and silly family histories. From tomorrow she would be free . . . and the wife of Frodo Baggins.
Friado Broadbeam tapped his fingers lightly on the table in the Green Dragon Inn, expecting Meruda Roper at any time. He had called on this meeting as he was concerned . . . about his fiancée.
Meruda finally entered and quickly ordered an ale before walking over to the small table in a quiet corner where Friado was seated.
"Good day Friado, what seems to be the trouble?" Meruda asked after shaking the young Broadbeam's hand.
"Well, Sir, I called on this little meeting because I am deeply troubled"
"About what?"
"Nina"
Meruda frowned, but listened on nonetheless. "What's troubling you about my Nina?"
Friado sighed. "I love your daughter Mr Roper, make no mistake on that matter, but I fear Nina does not love me back"
"Ah . . . of course she does!" Meruda smiled. "She's just a bit shocked over all the excitement!"
Friado's expression did not change. "I try to hold her hand, cuddle to her, talk to her . . . but all she does is move away and talk of . . . places I have never heard the names of before. Tell me, how close is she to this Frodo Baggins?"
Meruda shrugged his shoulders. "They are quite close . . . they have lots of conversations and friendly chats. Nina likes to visit Bag End a lot . . . you see, if you have not already guessed, my girl is very adventurous and ambitious!"
"Yes, yes I have guessed"
"Frodo tells my Nina tales of his adventure which I am sure you have heard of. She loves listening to stories like that . . . in fact they make her a lot happier by the time she arrives home! I'm sure you have met her best friend Holly Brandybuck?"
"Yes"
"Well Miss Holly is Master Baggins' cousin. And they are quite close too. So I guess they all spend time with one another in their own little gang. Why? Is Master Baggins causing you any trouble at all?"
"Well," Friado paused. "I just needed to know that, see, everytime I speak to Nina, she mentions him . . . almost as though she is engaged to him rather than to me. It troubled me slightly. But now you have told me that, I feel more at ease"
"But you certainly do not look it" Meruda frowned. "I do have an idea tp put you more at ease"
Friado looked up.
"I cannot keep Nina away from Master Baggins . . . she is fond of him and their friendship. But, we can put the wedding forward, then you will have your bride"
"Sir, that would be marvellous, truly," Friado smiled. "But I intended on finding a home for the two of us, then trying for a child . . . I would love to marry her with our very own son or daughter there to witness it"
"Then forward those arrangements! How about tomorrow? You can look for a house . . . then a child . . . then the wedding. The longer you hold it off son, the longer it shall take to ease your heart"
"So be it!" Meruda slapped his hand down hard on the table in his excitement. "Tomorrow, you shall have your home in Hobbiton with your fiancé!"
They toasted their joy with smiles and happiness.
//
Nina embraced Frodo tightly, smiling to herself as the sun set behind the hills in the distance. That hill, which was once Nina's special spot, was now hers and Frodo's. She wondered why no other hobbit went there . . . but she didn't care. At least there she could spend time with Frodo alone.
Nina had betrayed Portia's wishes, and after leaving the Broadbeam's, had run off to Bag End . . . then to the hill with Frodo.
She laughed when she heard Frodo's stomach growl with hunger.
Frodo shrugged with a smile. "It was your fault I skipped afternoon tea" he smiled.
"And your fault I skipped mine!" Nina added, kissing his cheek lightly.
"I hope your parents aren't getting too worried about leaving the Broadbeam's, then losing you . . . again" he chuckled slightly . . . Nina's disappearance was beginning to get to the Roper's. Lately she had been going off to places.
"Portia knows" Nina blurted out.
"About us?"
She nodded. "She always knew I loved you, Frodo. She tried to get me to promise her that I wouldn't go and see you again. I couldn't promise her that"
"Maybe," Frodo sighed. "But what if she -"
"I don't care what she does . . . I don't know why she doesn't just run off with Friado"
Nina looked to Frodo for a response but he was looking past her.
"I think I can hear something . . . or someone coming up the hill" he whispered.
"No, Frodo, no one comes here" Nina whispered back, placing a hand to his cheek. Frodo stood up quickly and grabbed her hand, pulling her behind a tree, just as Portia reached the top and let out a frustrated sigh. Frodo and Nina watched from the shadows.
"Where are you Nina Roper?!" Portia sighed out loud. "You're wrong, you can't do this!"
To his surprise, Nina started giggling silently behind her hand. Frodo looked at her and frowned, placing a finger to his lips to silence her. Nina buried her face into his neck, trying to muffle her giggles.
"I know you're with him" Portia called out to no one in particular. "Because he's missing too!"
Frodo smirked to Nina, whose face was now so red; she was going to burst out laughing.
"I cannot help it!" she whispered. "I feel like a tween playing hide and seek!"
Portia finally let out a growl of stress and stomped back down the hill. Frodo peeked out from behind the tree, Nina holding his hand behind him.
"She'll be terribly upset when I go home later on looking happy!"
"Don't tease her so much Nina, she is within her rights to be like this"
Nina frowned, her hazel eyes filling with confusion. "But . . . but I thought you loved me?"
"I do" Frodo frowned, wondering how she could think otherwise. He kissed her gently. "Even though we don't like the idea of this marriage business . . . Portia believes it is right . . . so-"
"So nothing Frodo" Nina snapped. "Just because someone says its right, and everyone believes them . . . it doesn't make it right"
Frodo looked down on her, grasping her had tightly. "I know," he finally said. "But is what we're doing right?"
"Yes," Nina looked at him. "No matter how wrong everyone says or thinks it is. I love you Frodo, is loving you so wrong? Is finding happiness and living it so wrong?"
"No"
"Then it's right . . . you know how much I love you"
"I love you," he whispered, caressing her cheeks lightly, then sealing it when a gentle kiss. "I'll take you away Nina, take you to Rivendell"
Nina's smile widened. "And Lothlorien?"
"I'm afraid Lothlorien . . . is too far, and Galadriel no longer resides there so I assume left over Orcs reside there now, trying to survive"
"Oh . . . well, Rivendell is just as fantastic. Imagine it Frodo, we could live in Rivendell forever, leave all these troubles behind . . ." "Hmm . . ." Frodo hummed as Nina rested her head against his shoulder. "And get married . . ." he added. Nina looked up at him, eyes wide. "Elrond still resides there I believe . . . he was on the ship to the Undying Lands . . . he could marry us . . . in Rivendell"
Nina grinned and pulled Frodo into her tight embrace. "Of course I'll marry you!" she said happily. "Again and again and again and again and again!"
"Then pack up some of your belongings . . . we travel light. I'll inform Sam, Pippin, Merry and Holly that we're leaving"
"Holly . . ." Nina sighed. "I always wanted Holly to be a bridesmaid at my wedding . . ."
"We'll take her with us, and Merry, Pippin and Samwise. Must be secret though . . . meet me here on this hill tomorrow after 2nd breakfast."
"Oh Frodo!" Nina beamed with excitement. "It's like our own little adventure!"
She hugged him again, thinking about how happy she would be, becoming Mrs Baggins. Not Mrs Broadbeam . . . Mrs Baggins. From tomorrow, there would be no more troubles, no more suitors, no more Broadbeams and silly family histories. From tomorrow she would be free . . . and the wife of Frodo Baggins.