Chapter Sixteen
"Nina, darling, if I may ask . . . where were you last night?" Friado asked as Nina sat opposite him at the breakfast table.
"I was with my friend Holly Brandybuck"
"But I thought you were packing . . ."
"Well, I was on my way too, but . . . on my way home I caught up with Holly. Ell we got chatting about this and that and then I forgot about packing as she offered to buy me a few ales at the Green Dragon Inn"
"Ah, so you thought that the Inn was more exciting than moving into a household with your fiancé?!" Friado looked at her coldly, a stare that Nina had not seen on him before.
"Well . . . I . . ."
"And I suppose the subject of that did not come up. I suppose you can reside the whole of the quest that Frodo Baggins has been telling you about . . . I bet you know every minor detail, but when it comes to moving into a house with me - well, that's another story - it's not anything to do with fighting, and elves and . . . and whatever other creatures there are out there! So you forget it in an instant! Just what kind of woman am I marrying?!"
Nina looked down, not wanting to look up. Friado walked around the table towards her and started kissing her neck harshly. Nina tried to get away but he held her tightly to him.
"I'll tell you what kind of woman I am marrying," he said into her neck, "A beautiful one who is going to learn that Frodo Baggins is nothing but a taker. Trying to pry my fiancée away by trying to reel her in with those . . . ridiculous stories! You're also going to learn to love me Nina Roper, because I know you don't right now, but I shall make you love me"
Nina was frightened now - she'd never seen Friado speak so aggressively.
"What has Frodo got to do with this?!" she managed to say as he moved her face away from her neck.
"That's what I wish to know," Friado stared at her. "See, whenever we speak, you mention him as though he is some God. As though he is *your* God. Your father tells me you are both merely friends . . . tell me, have you had any relationship with him before?"
"No," Nina answered, looking away. "We are merely friends as my Papa says. He speaks his word and you must believe it"
"Settled then," Friado smiled, though this smile was . . . evil and sent a cold shiver down Nina's spine. "However," he added. "I do not wish you to speak of him again in my presence. He has caused me a lot of confusion and I dislike being confused of my own fiancée."
"Yes, Friado," Nina said quietly.
"And . . . tell me that you love me, tell me I am your God"
Nina looked at him - no this could not be happening. She thought of Friagrin and Sogrin and how they lied to get themselves out of trouble, though sometimes they usually got found out . . . Nina took that chance.
"I love you Friado" she whispered.
"That's better," he said, cupping her chin with his hand so she was forced to face him. "Now prove it to me," he crushed his lips against hers. She whimpered and tried to pull away. "Love me" he said against her lips, grasping her tightly to him.
"But Friado . . ." Nina muffled as he kissed her again. She wanted to hit him . . . hard. She didn't want him touching her like that. She grew afraid and put her hands on his shoulder and pushed him off.
"Leave me alone!" she screamed, standing up, seeing her dress was torn.
"Nina, forgive me . . . its just that I've been . . . craving for your lips for so long" Friado mumbled. "Forgive me; I just want to have a child put within you"
"I'm not ready" Nina said quietly, her hands shaking. "Besides, if you *must* put a child in me, do not ever scare me like that and take me completely off guard!"
"I'm sorry . . . I had no idea"
//
Frodo sat in the garden of Bag End smoking on his pipe deep in thought when he saw Nina run towards him . . . a little off herself. Frodo stood up and ran towards her.
"Nina?" he frowned as she threw her arms around him desperately, sobbing lightly into his shirt. "Nina, what has he done to you?!" Frodo cupped her chin so she faced him, although his touch was gentle and light.
"He . . . He made me . . . he tried to . . ." she stuttered.
Frodo held her hands and found they were shaking. "Tried to . . . rape you?" he gulped.
Nina shook her head. "He wanted to sleep with me, but his intentions were not rape. I just panicked on how forceful I have found him to be. He made me say I loved him, he made me promise not to speak of you in front of him again"
"Why?" Frodo frowned.
"Because he says that I talk too much of you . . ."
"Nina, you shouldn't" Frodo sighed. "It'll increase his suspicions . . . do you want that?"
"Yes," she admitted. "I want to have a proper relationship with you Frodo; I want to speak out to everyone that we are in love. I'm sick and tired of pretending!"
"Then so be it," Frodo answered, with a smile.
"But we can't . . ." Nina added quietly. "Portia said . . . well Papa might . . ."
"I'm sick and tired of pretending too Nina!" Frodo called. "This is about me also!"
"Yes! Yes I know! That's why we can't! I don't know what Papa would do to you, I don't want you to face terrible things again . . . please, Frodo, wait a little longer. I'm as desperate as you to admit to others . . ."
"I'm sorry, I shouted" he whispered, kissing her softly. "I just can't stand it . . . knowing that you are now living with him, and just as you said, he tried to kiss you . . ."
She smiled gently and put her hand to his cheek. "I sharn't let him," she whispered. "Besides . . . he can't do anything to us now"
"Why not?" Frodo frowned. Nina looked down, avoiding his gaze.
"Well . . . he intends to place a child within me, but that has already been done . . ."
"Nina," Frodo started. "Are you telling me . . .?"
Nina nodded her head, a slight smile on her lips. "I'm pregnant Frodo. And it is your child that's within me; it cannot be anyone else's"
Frodo's eyes widened as he hugged her. "A child?!" he gasped. "Nina that means we must leave . . . as soon as the child is born, we must go. You cannot travel in your condition . . . you need medical attention here where there are doctors. As soon as our child is born I promise you we shall leave. We just have to figure out what to do until then . . ."
"Nina, darling, if I may ask . . . where were you last night?" Friado asked as Nina sat opposite him at the breakfast table.
"I was with my friend Holly Brandybuck"
"But I thought you were packing . . ."
"Well, I was on my way too, but . . . on my way home I caught up with Holly. Ell we got chatting about this and that and then I forgot about packing as she offered to buy me a few ales at the Green Dragon Inn"
"Ah, so you thought that the Inn was more exciting than moving into a household with your fiancé?!" Friado looked at her coldly, a stare that Nina had not seen on him before.
"Well . . . I . . ."
"And I suppose the subject of that did not come up. I suppose you can reside the whole of the quest that Frodo Baggins has been telling you about . . . I bet you know every minor detail, but when it comes to moving into a house with me - well, that's another story - it's not anything to do with fighting, and elves and . . . and whatever other creatures there are out there! So you forget it in an instant! Just what kind of woman am I marrying?!"
Nina looked down, not wanting to look up. Friado walked around the table towards her and started kissing her neck harshly. Nina tried to get away but he held her tightly to him.
"I'll tell you what kind of woman I am marrying," he said into her neck, "A beautiful one who is going to learn that Frodo Baggins is nothing but a taker. Trying to pry my fiancée away by trying to reel her in with those . . . ridiculous stories! You're also going to learn to love me Nina Roper, because I know you don't right now, but I shall make you love me"
Nina was frightened now - she'd never seen Friado speak so aggressively.
"What has Frodo got to do with this?!" she managed to say as he moved her face away from her neck.
"That's what I wish to know," Friado stared at her. "See, whenever we speak, you mention him as though he is some God. As though he is *your* God. Your father tells me you are both merely friends . . . tell me, have you had any relationship with him before?"
"No," Nina answered, looking away. "We are merely friends as my Papa says. He speaks his word and you must believe it"
"Settled then," Friado smiled, though this smile was . . . evil and sent a cold shiver down Nina's spine. "However," he added. "I do not wish you to speak of him again in my presence. He has caused me a lot of confusion and I dislike being confused of my own fiancée."
"Yes, Friado," Nina said quietly.
"And . . . tell me that you love me, tell me I am your God"
Nina looked at him - no this could not be happening. She thought of Friagrin and Sogrin and how they lied to get themselves out of trouble, though sometimes they usually got found out . . . Nina took that chance.
"I love you Friado" she whispered.
"That's better," he said, cupping her chin with his hand so she was forced to face him. "Now prove it to me," he crushed his lips against hers. She whimpered and tried to pull away. "Love me" he said against her lips, grasping her tightly to him.
"But Friado . . ." Nina muffled as he kissed her again. She wanted to hit him . . . hard. She didn't want him touching her like that. She grew afraid and put her hands on his shoulder and pushed him off.
"Leave me alone!" she screamed, standing up, seeing her dress was torn.
"Nina, forgive me . . . its just that I've been . . . craving for your lips for so long" Friado mumbled. "Forgive me; I just want to have a child put within you"
"I'm not ready" Nina said quietly, her hands shaking. "Besides, if you *must* put a child in me, do not ever scare me like that and take me completely off guard!"
"I'm sorry . . . I had no idea"
//
Frodo sat in the garden of Bag End smoking on his pipe deep in thought when he saw Nina run towards him . . . a little off herself. Frodo stood up and ran towards her.
"Nina?" he frowned as she threw her arms around him desperately, sobbing lightly into his shirt. "Nina, what has he done to you?!" Frodo cupped her chin so she faced him, although his touch was gentle and light.
"He . . . He made me . . . he tried to . . ." she stuttered.
Frodo held her hands and found they were shaking. "Tried to . . . rape you?" he gulped.
Nina shook her head. "He wanted to sleep with me, but his intentions were not rape. I just panicked on how forceful I have found him to be. He made me say I loved him, he made me promise not to speak of you in front of him again"
"Why?" Frodo frowned.
"Because he says that I talk too much of you . . ."
"Nina, you shouldn't" Frodo sighed. "It'll increase his suspicions . . . do you want that?"
"Yes," she admitted. "I want to have a proper relationship with you Frodo; I want to speak out to everyone that we are in love. I'm sick and tired of pretending!"
"Then so be it," Frodo answered, with a smile.
"But we can't . . ." Nina added quietly. "Portia said . . . well Papa might . . ."
"I'm sick and tired of pretending too Nina!" Frodo called. "This is about me also!"
"Yes! Yes I know! That's why we can't! I don't know what Papa would do to you, I don't want you to face terrible things again . . . please, Frodo, wait a little longer. I'm as desperate as you to admit to others . . ."
"I'm sorry, I shouted" he whispered, kissing her softly. "I just can't stand it . . . knowing that you are now living with him, and just as you said, he tried to kiss you . . ."
She smiled gently and put her hand to his cheek. "I sharn't let him," she whispered. "Besides . . . he can't do anything to us now"
"Why not?" Frodo frowned. Nina looked down, avoiding his gaze.
"Well . . . he intends to place a child within me, but that has already been done . . ."
"Nina," Frodo started. "Are you telling me . . .?"
Nina nodded her head, a slight smile on her lips. "I'm pregnant Frodo. And it is your child that's within me; it cannot be anyone else's"
Frodo's eyes widened as he hugged her. "A child?!" he gasped. "Nina that means we must leave . . . as soon as the child is born, we must go. You cannot travel in your condition . . . you need medical attention here where there are doctors. As soon as our child is born I promise you we shall leave. We just have to figure out what to do until then . . ."