Chapter Twenty-Five
"Let him out now!" Nina pounded through the front door of her parents house, making them all jump from fright. "Give me my Frodo back!" Holly ran in, cradling Lömadia in her arms and trying to stop Nina at the same time. Tears streaked Nina's pretty face and Friagrin and Sogrin jumped up.
"What's the matter sis? What's wrong?" Sogrin asked, jogging towards her. "What's happened?"
"They took him away from me!" she sobbed, staring at her father and Friado with hatred and coldness in her eyes. "You lied, you filthy dirty scoundrels! You lied!"
"Calm down, calm down, what did they do?" Friagrin put an arm around her shoulder and turned to his family for some sort of explanation.
"They told the sheriffs Frodo raped me! How can you be so low and selfish?! All you want is for me to marry this pig and make you all look good! I hate you! I hate you!" she screamed, trying to release herself from Friagrin's grasp. "You took him away from me!"
"Nina, darling, please, do not over excite yourself . . . what's done is now in the laws hands" Friado reached for her but she took a pounding fist and punched him in the face.
"That's all you'll ever get from me Friado Broadbeam!" she hissed. Meruda looked ready to explode and pulled Nina from Friagrin.
"You disobedient rat!" he yelled, grasping his daughter's wrists tightly as she grew scared at his flamed eyes in anger. "He is your fiancé and you disobeyed him! We go to all this trouble to get you to be happy, find you a husband and you give us no thanking! You run off and have an affair with that . . . that Baggins! And now you have his children! We do not expect Friado to take you back but he has?! And why?! Because he loves you! You ungrateful little whore!"
"Mr Roper, please . . ." Holly pleaded, trying to break this raged hobbit from his daughter. Nina began to tremble, never seeing her Papa in such a raged and scary manner. And never had he called her names like that . . . but that wasn't going to make her stay here . . . she wanted Frodo.
"You give me back my Frodo" she said sternly, not letting her papa get to her. "He never did hurt me and he never will . . . not like this so called 'gentlehobbit' you have chosen for me. I hate him, and I'll always hate him - I'll never be his bride!"
Meruda shook her again. "Do not speak such nonsense again . . . you're never going to see that Baggins again and you will marry Friado. The wedding is tomorrow evening . . . and you will be there!"
The rest of the Roper's looked on in shock . . . Lilla held her other two daughter's tightly as they couldn't bear watch. Nissa had her hands over her ears and her eyes tightly closed. Portia just watched in silence . . . her conscience getting the best of her.
"Please . . . just listen Mr Roper . . ." Holly started but stepped back as Meruda turned to face her and walked towards her. "You were n this too, weren't you?!"
"I was only doing what was right!"
"You disobeyed me as well! Well . . . that's you invitation to the wedding going into the fire! And you can tell that rapscallion brother and cousin of yours that they ain't invited either! And those Gamgees . . . don't want anyone else trying to ruin my family! I want no Brandybuck, Took, Gamgee's and certainly no Bagginses there tomorrow" he reached forward and pulled Lömadia away. "Now get out of my house!" he yelled.
"I'm not leaving Nina!"
"Out!" he opened the door and pushed her out, locking the door. Turned back to Nina with anger, he looked to the baby in his arms. "Devils child" he muttered. "Not fit to be in this family"
"You give me my daughter this instant!" Nina leapt forward, reaching for her little girl. Meruda held Lömadia up so Nina could not reach.
"This child is not a Baggins. She'll be a Broadbeam. And her name shall be Claudia"
"That shall never be her name!" Nina yelled.
"Her name shall be Claudia . . . representing Claudia Roper who got murdered by her 'love'. The same Claudia Roper who made her father so upset and raged he made a vow that any daughter of a Roper must have a husband chosen only by her father!"
"Her name is Lömadia Baggins!" Nina yelled her arms out stretched. "Give me my daughter!"
Meruda swiped her across the cheek. Portia ran up to her sister who lay on the floor clutching her cheek.
"Leave her alone Portia," Meruda warned.
"No Papa, I know she did wrong but you cannot treat her so"
"She does not deserve our pity or sympathy. She doesn't even deserve this fine young gentlehobbit. Friado?"
Friado looked up and stepped towards Nina and kneeled down beside her, trying to embrace her.
"You leave me alone" she hissed.
"I still love you Nina Roper and I shall still marry you . . . no matter what" Friado smiled at Meruda, who handed him Lömadia.
"And here is your daughter, Claudia Broadbeam" Meruda said, more calmly.
"You're out of your minds!" Nina stood up. "All of you!" she looked around at her mother, her father and Friado. "You're obsessed . . . you need treatment, the lot of you! You're all cracked!"
"I'm only crazy about you . . ." Friado said gently. "I cannot believe that I still love you, even after what you've put me through"
"You liar! Give me *my* daughter!" she snatched Lömadia back and kissed her forehead. "You'll never father this child, she only has one father!"
"Unless you want us to press more charges onto that Baggins, I suggest you shut your mouth and do as you are told!" Meruda said, opening Nina's bedroom door. "Now get in there, and stay in there . . . you're not coming out until the wedding, do you hear?!" he slammed the door.
Nina sniffed a sob and looked around her old room; she noticed a wedding dress laid out at the bottom of her bed. It was beautiful, she had to admit, but the anger and hurt inside her made her push it off onto the floor in a giant pool of heap. She sat on her bed and nuzzled her face into Lömadia, sobbing quietly.
//
"Nina?" Portia and Nissa crept into her bedroom during the late night. Nina sat up gently, as not to wake Lömadia.
"What do you want?" she sniffed.
"We're so sorry," Nissa cried. "We didn't know what Papa was capable of"
"And we know the true personality of Friado" Portia added, putting a hand on Nina's shoulder.
"Finally," Nina wiped her eyes. "I was afraid I was alone now . . . will you help me fight Papa? Will you tell him?!"
"Again, we don't know what he'll do . . ." Portia said. "We were just as shocked as you were this evening . . . we did not know Papa had such a strong temper"
"Friado has worse"
"We do have a plan, well, it's not much but we figured-"
"Tell me!" Nina said, interrupting Nissa.
"It is not much . . . but I know where Frodo is" Portia sighed. "And I know how much in love the two of you are, I can't deny that I want you and Frodo to be together . . . but there's nothing I can really do . . . well, I haven't thought of anything yet, I plan to see Holly as soon as possible - she always ahs the brightest and brainiest ideas"
"What's the plan?!"
"I can take you to the Locks, to see Frodo tonight. But I'm afraid it can only be brief . . . and you'll be in disguise"
"This means no opening your mouth and hitting the guards trying to set him free. We can't do anything at the moment . . . so you'll have to be patient and act like a preacher" Nissa added.
"A preacher? Who'd believe I'm a preacher?" Nina frowned. Portia pulled out a long black clock with a huge hood.
"You wear this . . . keep your head down and say nothing. Let me do the talking. As I said, the visiting will be brief but at least you'll get to see him one last time"
Nina smiled weakly. "What about Lömadia?"
"I'll stay and look after her," Nissa answered, taking Lömadia into her arms.
"Thank you," Nina mouthed. "Just . . . thank you. I honestly do not know what else to say, I-"
"Say nothing, come on, let's get this clock on you" Portia helped her on in the clock and put a chain with a cross around her neck. "There, you'll pass for a preacher. Remember let me do the talking"
Nina quickly hugged her sisters then she and Portia jumped out of the window.
"Portia?" Nina whispered as they hurried towards the locks on foot.
"Yes?" Portia whispered back, stopping for breath.
"How could you tell Frodo and I were in love?"
Portia smiled. "I confess - I was spying on you all in Bag End one evening. You were all drunk, singing, dancing, making merry . . . I'd never seen you so happy Nina. And when Frodo put his arms around you and kissed you . . . I just knew you were both in love. I saw that twinkle in your eye"
Nina smiled. "Maybe you'll have the chance to have that feeling one day"
"Perhaps" Portia concluded, grabbing Nina's arm as they approached the Locks. Guards surrounded it.
"Poor guys," Nina whispered. "Bet they all just fall asleep standing there for most of the night. Jeez, it's almost midnight"
"Remember, act normal and casual. They may think it strange that a preacher would visit a prisoner at this hour. Just keep your head down so they cannot see you face and say nothing. Leave it to me. And as /Nissa said . . . no pranking or hitting the guards!"
Nina chuckled at that remark but pulled herself together when she and Portia emerged from the bushes, walking slowly towards the gate.
"Good evening," A guard stopped them in their path. "And who might you be?" he raised an eyebrow.
"Hullo, good Sir," Portia said gracefully. "I am Portia Roper, daughter of Meruda Roper, and this here is a preacher. My Papa recently had a hobbit jailed for raping my younger sister and he would like a preacher to rid the devil out of the prisoner in cell 555."
The guard looked to Nina who kept her head bowed, out of sight. "At this time Miss Roper?"
"Well, he wanted me to bring the preacher tomorrow morning . . . seen as though he is too upset to do so . . . but with my sisters wedding to Mr Friado Broadbeam being tomorrow and all . . . there seems to be much planning and excitement. He wanted this over and done with so that our happiness will be re-gained for after the ceremony and we can continue with our happy lives. So may we enter?"
"This preacher . . . does he talk?"
"Oh no" Portia answered. "He has taken a vow of silence, I have been told, and has kept this vow for a many good number of years. And we Roper's, who have vows ourselves, respect his. He talks with only hand movements and silent prayers"
"Well . . . fine, I'll take you to the prisoner. Which cell was that again?"
"Cell number 555" Portia answered.
"Ah, Frodo Baggins," the guard led them inside. "Never thought we'd have the likes of him in our cells."
Nina looked from left to right, hearing the moans and groans coming from each cell. And the sounds of whips being used.
"You use whips?!" Portia spoke up, having seen it too.
"Well, yes, we feel every criminal deserves some torture for their crimes. It's just not proper what some hobbit folk do. Stealin', murderin', even rapin'. Yep, they deserve all the hits and whacks they get"
Nina bent her head lower, closing her eyes tightly praying to herself that Frodo had not been hurt in any way. She'd heard about Cirith Ungol and what those blasted Orcs had done to him. He had told her when they were lying in bed together one early morning, and she had comforted him when he began to cry with the horrid memories. He had asked her how she could love him after that . . . after what those Orcs had done to him; raped him, whipped him, tormented him . . . but Nina still felt the same way about him, and always would.
"In here," the guard said, getting out the keys and unlocking the door. "Wait here a moment"
They obeyed. Portia grasped Nina's hand and looked at her comfortingly, but that dyed down when they heard the guard in the cell . . .
"Enough, Mungo, enough!" the guard said. "There's a preacher here to see him - rid the devil from his soul"
"Ah, god dammit, I'd better start on the next ay? Last one for tonight" they heard another guard say . . . then they heard another blood tingling crack of a whip and the cry of a hobbit from the cell.
"Tie him up to that post. Quickly now, the preacher won't wait forever"
"Goddammit!" the other guard swore again. "At this hour! He must be as mad as us. I hate this job"
"Well you get paid, ain't that enough?! Now hurry up!"
"Ok, Chief, I'm done. He's tied up good and proper"
The guards stepped of the cell and Nina felt Portia tense up when they both noticed the other guard, holding a long, thin black whip.
"He's just had his moment of justice done" the guard said to them. "You may both go in now"
"I shall wait out here and talk to you if you do not mind" Portia said. "The preacher may go in alone"
"Unassisted?" The guard frowned.
"Yes, the preacher will be fine. My Papa knows him from long way back. We trust him"
Portia gave Nina a quick shove and the guard locked the door behind her. Nina tensed when she saw Frodo; his back to her. He was shirtless, so Nina could see the red, sore marks on his back which the whipping had caused. He sat was down, leaning back against a long post, his hand tied up around the back of the post, so he could not get free. Nina let a tear fall on just seeing him like that. She walked around the other side of him and knelt down. Frodo opened his eyes, revealing a pale blue this time.
"Who . . . who are you?" he said weakly.
Nina pulled off her hood and Frodo's eyes widened.
"Nina?!"
"Shh . . ." she put as finger softly to his lips. "They think I'm a preacher. Portia got me here"
"I'm so happy to see you . . . I just wish you couldn't see me . . . like this. I've let you down again"
"No, no you haven't," she whispered, putting a hand to his cheek and caressing it lightly. "*They've* let me down - those pigs"
"But from tomorrow," he gulped. "You'll be a Broadbeam . . ."
Nina ran a hand through his curls softly. "I'll always be a Baggins" she choked, as tears fell from her eyes. She moved closer as he nuzzled into her neck, placing soft kisses as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He tilted his head up and kissed her lips with passion. She responded, trying to pull him closer to her but the fact that he was tied up stopped that.
"What have those bastards done to you?!" she said, pulling away and moving round to the back of him. She let more tears fall as she desperately tried to release his hands from the rope. When she had done, she noticed chaffing and rope burns around his wrists. "Oh, Frodo," she cried, kissing them lightly, then running her fingers along his back, trying to caresses those marks.
He turned around to face her, cupping cheeks in his hands. "I love you, you will remember that won't you"
She nodded, kissing him again. "I love you too . . . and so does Lömadia"
"Where is she?"
"Nissa is looking after her . . . don't worry she's fine" she caressed his cheek again.
"Preacher!" the guard called from behind the door, banging on it. "Times up!"
"Can't the preacher stay longer?" they heard Portia plead.
"No, the boss says I must lock up now . . . it's nearly half past midnight, I need my sleep ma'am"
"Ok, come on out Preacher," Portia called.
Frodo took one last look of her with his eyes shining.
"I'll get you out, I won't let them do this to us" Nina said, kissing him quickly.
"Don't marry him . . ." Frodo whispered, kissing her lightly.
"Don't worry," she smiled, as she heard the guard get out his keys. "I have to go, we'll think of something . . . we will get married Frodo, I won't let them ruin this" she kissed his forehead tenderly and then put her hood up. Frodo kissed her again until she forced herself to stand up. Frodo quickly sat up against the pole as the door opened.
"Alright, come on preacher. Hope you rid that devil out of him" Nina put her head down and walked out. "Did you have to untie him?!" the guard groaned, tying Frodo back up quickly. Portia saw him and gave him a weak smile as comfort.
As they got out of the Locks and ran as far away . . . Nina chucked off the clock and Portia saw the tears.
"Nina?"
"They've hurt him Portia!" she cried.
"Don't worry, come on, let's get on home and we'll think of something!"
"I'm not going there . . . they'll make me marry him for sure"
"You can't run away again!"
"Why not?!"
"Because it'll be Frodo who'll get hurt again!"
Nina knew she was right. "I . . . I just don't know what else to do"
"You can't keep running away . . . we'll have to facer the problems before doing so. Come on, we'll get you home to your daughter and we'll think up something. Don't worry, Nissa and I will find Holly, Sam, Merry and Pippin, and find a way to keep you away from that alter!"
"Let him out now!" Nina pounded through the front door of her parents house, making them all jump from fright. "Give me my Frodo back!" Holly ran in, cradling Lömadia in her arms and trying to stop Nina at the same time. Tears streaked Nina's pretty face and Friagrin and Sogrin jumped up.
"What's the matter sis? What's wrong?" Sogrin asked, jogging towards her. "What's happened?"
"They took him away from me!" she sobbed, staring at her father and Friado with hatred and coldness in her eyes. "You lied, you filthy dirty scoundrels! You lied!"
"Calm down, calm down, what did they do?" Friagrin put an arm around her shoulder and turned to his family for some sort of explanation.
"They told the sheriffs Frodo raped me! How can you be so low and selfish?! All you want is for me to marry this pig and make you all look good! I hate you! I hate you!" she screamed, trying to release herself from Friagrin's grasp. "You took him away from me!"
"Nina, darling, please, do not over excite yourself . . . what's done is now in the laws hands" Friado reached for her but she took a pounding fist and punched him in the face.
"That's all you'll ever get from me Friado Broadbeam!" she hissed. Meruda looked ready to explode and pulled Nina from Friagrin.
"You disobedient rat!" he yelled, grasping his daughter's wrists tightly as she grew scared at his flamed eyes in anger. "He is your fiancé and you disobeyed him! We go to all this trouble to get you to be happy, find you a husband and you give us no thanking! You run off and have an affair with that . . . that Baggins! And now you have his children! We do not expect Friado to take you back but he has?! And why?! Because he loves you! You ungrateful little whore!"
"Mr Roper, please . . ." Holly pleaded, trying to break this raged hobbit from his daughter. Nina began to tremble, never seeing her Papa in such a raged and scary manner. And never had he called her names like that . . . but that wasn't going to make her stay here . . . she wanted Frodo.
"You give me back my Frodo" she said sternly, not letting her papa get to her. "He never did hurt me and he never will . . . not like this so called 'gentlehobbit' you have chosen for me. I hate him, and I'll always hate him - I'll never be his bride!"
Meruda shook her again. "Do not speak such nonsense again . . . you're never going to see that Baggins again and you will marry Friado. The wedding is tomorrow evening . . . and you will be there!"
The rest of the Roper's looked on in shock . . . Lilla held her other two daughter's tightly as they couldn't bear watch. Nissa had her hands over her ears and her eyes tightly closed. Portia just watched in silence . . . her conscience getting the best of her.
"Please . . . just listen Mr Roper . . ." Holly started but stepped back as Meruda turned to face her and walked towards her. "You were n this too, weren't you?!"
"I was only doing what was right!"
"You disobeyed me as well! Well . . . that's you invitation to the wedding going into the fire! And you can tell that rapscallion brother and cousin of yours that they ain't invited either! And those Gamgees . . . don't want anyone else trying to ruin my family! I want no Brandybuck, Took, Gamgee's and certainly no Bagginses there tomorrow" he reached forward and pulled Lömadia away. "Now get out of my house!" he yelled.
"I'm not leaving Nina!"
"Out!" he opened the door and pushed her out, locking the door. Turned back to Nina with anger, he looked to the baby in his arms. "Devils child" he muttered. "Not fit to be in this family"
"You give me my daughter this instant!" Nina leapt forward, reaching for her little girl. Meruda held Lömadia up so Nina could not reach.
"This child is not a Baggins. She'll be a Broadbeam. And her name shall be Claudia"
"That shall never be her name!" Nina yelled.
"Her name shall be Claudia . . . representing Claudia Roper who got murdered by her 'love'. The same Claudia Roper who made her father so upset and raged he made a vow that any daughter of a Roper must have a husband chosen only by her father!"
"Her name is Lömadia Baggins!" Nina yelled her arms out stretched. "Give me my daughter!"
Meruda swiped her across the cheek. Portia ran up to her sister who lay on the floor clutching her cheek.
"Leave her alone Portia," Meruda warned.
"No Papa, I know she did wrong but you cannot treat her so"
"She does not deserve our pity or sympathy. She doesn't even deserve this fine young gentlehobbit. Friado?"
Friado looked up and stepped towards Nina and kneeled down beside her, trying to embrace her.
"You leave me alone" she hissed.
"I still love you Nina Roper and I shall still marry you . . . no matter what" Friado smiled at Meruda, who handed him Lömadia.
"And here is your daughter, Claudia Broadbeam" Meruda said, more calmly.
"You're out of your minds!" Nina stood up. "All of you!" she looked around at her mother, her father and Friado. "You're obsessed . . . you need treatment, the lot of you! You're all cracked!"
"I'm only crazy about you . . ." Friado said gently. "I cannot believe that I still love you, even after what you've put me through"
"You liar! Give me *my* daughter!" she snatched Lömadia back and kissed her forehead. "You'll never father this child, she only has one father!"
"Unless you want us to press more charges onto that Baggins, I suggest you shut your mouth and do as you are told!" Meruda said, opening Nina's bedroom door. "Now get in there, and stay in there . . . you're not coming out until the wedding, do you hear?!" he slammed the door.
Nina sniffed a sob and looked around her old room; she noticed a wedding dress laid out at the bottom of her bed. It was beautiful, she had to admit, but the anger and hurt inside her made her push it off onto the floor in a giant pool of heap. She sat on her bed and nuzzled her face into Lömadia, sobbing quietly.
//
"Nina?" Portia and Nissa crept into her bedroom during the late night. Nina sat up gently, as not to wake Lömadia.
"What do you want?" she sniffed.
"We're so sorry," Nissa cried. "We didn't know what Papa was capable of"
"And we know the true personality of Friado" Portia added, putting a hand on Nina's shoulder.
"Finally," Nina wiped her eyes. "I was afraid I was alone now . . . will you help me fight Papa? Will you tell him?!"
"Again, we don't know what he'll do . . ." Portia said. "We were just as shocked as you were this evening . . . we did not know Papa had such a strong temper"
"Friado has worse"
"We do have a plan, well, it's not much but we figured-"
"Tell me!" Nina said, interrupting Nissa.
"It is not much . . . but I know where Frodo is" Portia sighed. "And I know how much in love the two of you are, I can't deny that I want you and Frodo to be together . . . but there's nothing I can really do . . . well, I haven't thought of anything yet, I plan to see Holly as soon as possible - she always ahs the brightest and brainiest ideas"
"What's the plan?!"
"I can take you to the Locks, to see Frodo tonight. But I'm afraid it can only be brief . . . and you'll be in disguise"
"This means no opening your mouth and hitting the guards trying to set him free. We can't do anything at the moment . . . so you'll have to be patient and act like a preacher" Nissa added.
"A preacher? Who'd believe I'm a preacher?" Nina frowned. Portia pulled out a long black clock with a huge hood.
"You wear this . . . keep your head down and say nothing. Let me do the talking. As I said, the visiting will be brief but at least you'll get to see him one last time"
Nina smiled weakly. "What about Lömadia?"
"I'll stay and look after her," Nissa answered, taking Lömadia into her arms.
"Thank you," Nina mouthed. "Just . . . thank you. I honestly do not know what else to say, I-"
"Say nothing, come on, let's get this clock on you" Portia helped her on in the clock and put a chain with a cross around her neck. "There, you'll pass for a preacher. Remember let me do the talking"
Nina quickly hugged her sisters then she and Portia jumped out of the window.
"Portia?" Nina whispered as they hurried towards the locks on foot.
"Yes?" Portia whispered back, stopping for breath.
"How could you tell Frodo and I were in love?"
Portia smiled. "I confess - I was spying on you all in Bag End one evening. You were all drunk, singing, dancing, making merry . . . I'd never seen you so happy Nina. And when Frodo put his arms around you and kissed you . . . I just knew you were both in love. I saw that twinkle in your eye"
Nina smiled. "Maybe you'll have the chance to have that feeling one day"
"Perhaps" Portia concluded, grabbing Nina's arm as they approached the Locks. Guards surrounded it.
"Poor guys," Nina whispered. "Bet they all just fall asleep standing there for most of the night. Jeez, it's almost midnight"
"Remember, act normal and casual. They may think it strange that a preacher would visit a prisoner at this hour. Just keep your head down so they cannot see you face and say nothing. Leave it to me. And as /Nissa said . . . no pranking or hitting the guards!"
Nina chuckled at that remark but pulled herself together when she and Portia emerged from the bushes, walking slowly towards the gate.
"Good evening," A guard stopped them in their path. "And who might you be?" he raised an eyebrow.
"Hullo, good Sir," Portia said gracefully. "I am Portia Roper, daughter of Meruda Roper, and this here is a preacher. My Papa recently had a hobbit jailed for raping my younger sister and he would like a preacher to rid the devil out of the prisoner in cell 555."
The guard looked to Nina who kept her head bowed, out of sight. "At this time Miss Roper?"
"Well, he wanted me to bring the preacher tomorrow morning . . . seen as though he is too upset to do so . . . but with my sisters wedding to Mr Friado Broadbeam being tomorrow and all . . . there seems to be much planning and excitement. He wanted this over and done with so that our happiness will be re-gained for after the ceremony and we can continue with our happy lives. So may we enter?"
"This preacher . . . does he talk?"
"Oh no" Portia answered. "He has taken a vow of silence, I have been told, and has kept this vow for a many good number of years. And we Roper's, who have vows ourselves, respect his. He talks with only hand movements and silent prayers"
"Well . . . fine, I'll take you to the prisoner. Which cell was that again?"
"Cell number 555" Portia answered.
"Ah, Frodo Baggins," the guard led them inside. "Never thought we'd have the likes of him in our cells."
Nina looked from left to right, hearing the moans and groans coming from each cell. And the sounds of whips being used.
"You use whips?!" Portia spoke up, having seen it too.
"Well, yes, we feel every criminal deserves some torture for their crimes. It's just not proper what some hobbit folk do. Stealin', murderin', even rapin'. Yep, they deserve all the hits and whacks they get"
Nina bent her head lower, closing her eyes tightly praying to herself that Frodo had not been hurt in any way. She'd heard about Cirith Ungol and what those blasted Orcs had done to him. He had told her when they were lying in bed together one early morning, and she had comforted him when he began to cry with the horrid memories. He had asked her how she could love him after that . . . after what those Orcs had done to him; raped him, whipped him, tormented him . . . but Nina still felt the same way about him, and always would.
"In here," the guard said, getting out the keys and unlocking the door. "Wait here a moment"
They obeyed. Portia grasped Nina's hand and looked at her comfortingly, but that dyed down when they heard the guard in the cell . . .
"Enough, Mungo, enough!" the guard said. "There's a preacher here to see him - rid the devil from his soul"
"Ah, god dammit, I'd better start on the next ay? Last one for tonight" they heard another guard say . . . then they heard another blood tingling crack of a whip and the cry of a hobbit from the cell.
"Tie him up to that post. Quickly now, the preacher won't wait forever"
"Goddammit!" the other guard swore again. "At this hour! He must be as mad as us. I hate this job"
"Well you get paid, ain't that enough?! Now hurry up!"
"Ok, Chief, I'm done. He's tied up good and proper"
The guards stepped of the cell and Nina felt Portia tense up when they both noticed the other guard, holding a long, thin black whip.
"He's just had his moment of justice done" the guard said to them. "You may both go in now"
"I shall wait out here and talk to you if you do not mind" Portia said. "The preacher may go in alone"
"Unassisted?" The guard frowned.
"Yes, the preacher will be fine. My Papa knows him from long way back. We trust him"
Portia gave Nina a quick shove and the guard locked the door behind her. Nina tensed when she saw Frodo; his back to her. He was shirtless, so Nina could see the red, sore marks on his back which the whipping had caused. He sat was down, leaning back against a long post, his hand tied up around the back of the post, so he could not get free. Nina let a tear fall on just seeing him like that. She walked around the other side of him and knelt down. Frodo opened his eyes, revealing a pale blue this time.
"Who . . . who are you?" he said weakly.
Nina pulled off her hood and Frodo's eyes widened.
"Nina?!"
"Shh . . ." she put as finger softly to his lips. "They think I'm a preacher. Portia got me here"
"I'm so happy to see you . . . I just wish you couldn't see me . . . like this. I've let you down again"
"No, no you haven't," she whispered, putting a hand to his cheek and caressing it lightly. "*They've* let me down - those pigs"
"But from tomorrow," he gulped. "You'll be a Broadbeam . . ."
Nina ran a hand through his curls softly. "I'll always be a Baggins" she choked, as tears fell from her eyes. She moved closer as he nuzzled into her neck, placing soft kisses as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He tilted his head up and kissed her lips with passion. She responded, trying to pull him closer to her but the fact that he was tied up stopped that.
"What have those bastards done to you?!" she said, pulling away and moving round to the back of him. She let more tears fall as she desperately tried to release his hands from the rope. When she had done, she noticed chaffing and rope burns around his wrists. "Oh, Frodo," she cried, kissing them lightly, then running her fingers along his back, trying to caresses those marks.
He turned around to face her, cupping cheeks in his hands. "I love you, you will remember that won't you"
She nodded, kissing him again. "I love you too . . . and so does Lömadia"
"Where is she?"
"Nissa is looking after her . . . don't worry she's fine" she caressed his cheek again.
"Preacher!" the guard called from behind the door, banging on it. "Times up!"
"Can't the preacher stay longer?" they heard Portia plead.
"No, the boss says I must lock up now . . . it's nearly half past midnight, I need my sleep ma'am"
"Ok, come on out Preacher," Portia called.
Frodo took one last look of her with his eyes shining.
"I'll get you out, I won't let them do this to us" Nina said, kissing him quickly.
"Don't marry him . . ." Frodo whispered, kissing her lightly.
"Don't worry," she smiled, as she heard the guard get out his keys. "I have to go, we'll think of something . . . we will get married Frodo, I won't let them ruin this" she kissed his forehead tenderly and then put her hood up. Frodo kissed her again until she forced herself to stand up. Frodo quickly sat up against the pole as the door opened.
"Alright, come on preacher. Hope you rid that devil out of him" Nina put her head down and walked out. "Did you have to untie him?!" the guard groaned, tying Frodo back up quickly. Portia saw him and gave him a weak smile as comfort.
As they got out of the Locks and ran as far away . . . Nina chucked off the clock and Portia saw the tears.
"Nina?"
"They've hurt him Portia!" she cried.
"Don't worry, come on, let's get on home and we'll think of something!"
"I'm not going there . . . they'll make me marry him for sure"
"You can't run away again!"
"Why not?!"
"Because it'll be Frodo who'll get hurt again!"
Nina knew she was right. "I . . . I just don't know what else to do"
"You can't keep running away . . . we'll have to facer the problems before doing so. Come on, we'll get you home to your daughter and we'll think up something. Don't worry, Nissa and I will find Holly, Sam, Merry and Pippin, and find a way to keep you away from that alter!"