Chapter Fourteen
Nina had to admit truthfully to herself.the house that she and Friado had decided on was beautiful. Though, never would t match up to Bag End but still.she had to admit, she liked it.
Friado walked around the house, his hands folded behind his back as he strolled.
"Fit for a queen, a very special queen. Which is why I bought it for you" he smiled, kissing her hand as she tried to back away.
"Nonsense, it's a perfect house . . . for a couple" Nina tried to sound enthusiastic . . . but it sure was difficult, especially as she felt like her whole life was in tatters, completely ruined.
"Nina . . ." Friado walked closer to her. "You know I love you, I tell you I love you, but I can't help but wonder . . . you're father tells me you love me back, but how can I be sure unless you say it back?"
Nina looked away. "Because . . . it is difficult unless you truthfully know what love is. How can I be sure that you truly love me?"
"But I do love you, and I'd feel more at ease if you told me it back. Will you?"
He lowered his eyes at her face . . . Nina closed her eyes and had to force the words through her mouth.
"I . . . do . . ." she said quickly, not looking at him. He smiled - she could see it out of the corner of her eye. She tensed when Friado edged closer to her, trying to kiss her. Just as he got close enough, Nina turned her head away so he was forced to kiss only her cheek.
"Um . . . can you just excuse me for a few moments?" she said uneasily.
Friado frowned. "But . . . we just found our house? Where do you want to go?"
"That's it!" Nina cried. "I need my belongings . . . and so do you! Why don't I go home, pack up . . . and you do the same. We'll meet back here soon"
"I love the way your mind works darling" Friado smiled. "I shall walk you home"
"No, no!" Nina said. "I mean, I'm a big girl, I can walk myself home. Besides you live on the other side of Hobbiton . . . it'll take longer for you to get home and pack"
After Friado went the opposite way, Nina walked through Hobbiton, singing silently to herself, hoping she could make it back to Frodo in time. She knew he would wait for her.
"O mor henion I dhu, Ely siriar, el sila, Ai! Aniron Undomiel, Tiro! El eria e mor, I 'lir en luitha uren Ai! Aniron . . .' she sang. Of course, spending as much time with Frodo could only be the answer to her sudden knowledge of the Elvish language.
As Nina climbed up the hill, her feet broke into a run, a smile on her face.
"Frodo!" She called. "I'm here! I've come!"
No one was there . . .
//
"Surely there must be some explanation" Pippin said. "She wouldn't just not turn up"
Frodo sat silently, not knowing anything either way. "Maybe I rushed it" he said finally. "Maybe she just wasn't prepared for the risks and all the pressure"
"But she loves you Mr Frodo" Samwise replied. "And she's already taken on all the risks for you, surely this would not have put her off"
"Well, at least Holly ahs gone to the Roper's to find out" Merry took out his pipe, but then gingerly put it away when Rosie folded her arms and glared at him. "Sorry!" he squeaked.
Holly soon ran back into Bag End; everyone stood up at once, eager to hear.
"Friado carted her off this morning," Holly started. "Nissa told me he just took off with her to find a new home for them both. She tried to explain she had other plans but her father would not have it"
"See?" Pippin said, sitting back down. "I told you there would be a good explanation"
Just as the young Took finished his sentence, a knock came at the door of Bag End and Rose went to answer it. Nina rushed in and threw her arms around Frodo, sobbing.
"I'm sorry!" she sobbed. "He took me away, I couldn't get out . . . I . . ."
"I know, I know" Frodo held her tightly. "It's ok now . . ." "But, how will we . . .?" she paused. "Don't worry about it" Frodo soothed her. "There'll be other times, I promise . . ." "I don't want any other time" she cried. "I want to marry you now" // Friado Broadbeam smiled as he approached the household of the Roper's. A few of his belongings perched in the back of the cart. He stopped the pony outside the Roper's and jumped off the cart as Portia walked outside.
"Ah! Good day Miss Portia," he smiled as he greeted her. "Where is your beautiful younger sister?"
Portia frowned. "She's with you . . . is she not?"
"No, no," Friado smiled. "We found our sweet home"
"Congratulations"
"Yes, and Nina came back to pack, she told me. I have packed and I am here to claim her"
"Well . . . she is not here" Portia started.
Friado looked at her questionably. "Well she should be, has she already packed and left?"
"She has not been here at all"
"Ah, well, I suppose she stopped to chat to her friends about it! She likes to chatter! Fear not, I'll find her!" he jumped back on the cart and started the pony. "Goodbye"
"Goodbye . . ." Portia watched the cart go out of sight. With a cold glare, she turned her head to Bag End . . .
Nina had to admit truthfully to herself.the house that she and Friado had decided on was beautiful. Though, never would t match up to Bag End but still.she had to admit, she liked it.
Friado walked around the house, his hands folded behind his back as he strolled.
"Fit for a queen, a very special queen. Which is why I bought it for you" he smiled, kissing her hand as she tried to back away.
"Nonsense, it's a perfect house . . . for a couple" Nina tried to sound enthusiastic . . . but it sure was difficult, especially as she felt like her whole life was in tatters, completely ruined.
"Nina . . ." Friado walked closer to her. "You know I love you, I tell you I love you, but I can't help but wonder . . . you're father tells me you love me back, but how can I be sure unless you say it back?"
Nina looked away. "Because . . . it is difficult unless you truthfully know what love is. How can I be sure that you truly love me?"
"But I do love you, and I'd feel more at ease if you told me it back. Will you?"
He lowered his eyes at her face . . . Nina closed her eyes and had to force the words through her mouth.
"I . . . do . . ." she said quickly, not looking at him. He smiled - she could see it out of the corner of her eye. She tensed when Friado edged closer to her, trying to kiss her. Just as he got close enough, Nina turned her head away so he was forced to kiss only her cheek.
"Um . . . can you just excuse me for a few moments?" she said uneasily.
Friado frowned. "But . . . we just found our house? Where do you want to go?"
"That's it!" Nina cried. "I need my belongings . . . and so do you! Why don't I go home, pack up . . . and you do the same. We'll meet back here soon"
"I love the way your mind works darling" Friado smiled. "I shall walk you home"
"No, no!" Nina said. "I mean, I'm a big girl, I can walk myself home. Besides you live on the other side of Hobbiton . . . it'll take longer for you to get home and pack"
After Friado went the opposite way, Nina walked through Hobbiton, singing silently to herself, hoping she could make it back to Frodo in time. She knew he would wait for her.
"O mor henion I dhu, Ely siriar, el sila, Ai! Aniron Undomiel, Tiro! El eria e mor, I 'lir en luitha uren Ai! Aniron . . .' she sang. Of course, spending as much time with Frodo could only be the answer to her sudden knowledge of the Elvish language.
As Nina climbed up the hill, her feet broke into a run, a smile on her face.
"Frodo!" She called. "I'm here! I've come!"
No one was there . . .
//
"Surely there must be some explanation" Pippin said. "She wouldn't just not turn up"
Frodo sat silently, not knowing anything either way. "Maybe I rushed it" he said finally. "Maybe she just wasn't prepared for the risks and all the pressure"
"But she loves you Mr Frodo" Samwise replied. "And she's already taken on all the risks for you, surely this would not have put her off"
"Well, at least Holly ahs gone to the Roper's to find out" Merry took out his pipe, but then gingerly put it away when Rosie folded her arms and glared at him. "Sorry!" he squeaked.
Holly soon ran back into Bag End; everyone stood up at once, eager to hear.
"Friado carted her off this morning," Holly started. "Nissa told me he just took off with her to find a new home for them both. She tried to explain she had other plans but her father would not have it"
"See?" Pippin said, sitting back down. "I told you there would be a good explanation"
Just as the young Took finished his sentence, a knock came at the door of Bag End and Rose went to answer it. Nina rushed in and threw her arms around Frodo, sobbing.
"I'm sorry!" she sobbed. "He took me away, I couldn't get out . . . I . . ."
"I know, I know" Frodo held her tightly. "It's ok now . . ." "But, how will we . . .?" she paused. "Don't worry about it" Frodo soothed her. "There'll be other times, I promise . . ." "I don't want any other time" she cried. "I want to marry you now" // Friado Broadbeam smiled as he approached the household of the Roper's. A few of his belongings perched in the back of the cart. He stopped the pony outside the Roper's and jumped off the cart as Portia walked outside.
"Ah! Good day Miss Portia," he smiled as he greeted her. "Where is your beautiful younger sister?"
Portia frowned. "She's with you . . . is she not?"
"No, no," Friado smiled. "We found our sweet home"
"Congratulations"
"Yes, and Nina came back to pack, she told me. I have packed and I am here to claim her"
"Well . . . she is not here" Portia started.
Friado looked at her questionably. "Well she should be, has she already packed and left?"
"She has not been here at all"
"Ah, well, I suppose she stopped to chat to her friends about it! She likes to chatter! Fear not, I'll find her!" he jumped back on the cart and started the pony. "Goodbye"
"Goodbye . . ." Portia watched the cart go out of sight. With a cold glare, she turned her head to Bag End . . .