1.1 Sam's Tale

Reviews coveted and appreciated!

"I asks, yes, I asks. And it that isn't nice enough, I begs!"

Author: Nilramiel@aol.com, aka RosieCotton

Rating: G, PG

Genre: General/Romance

Setting: The Shire, year 1420

CHAPTER NOTE: Tolkien is quite silent on the subject of weddings, other than some limited discussion of eldar weddings, and a few isolated mentionings such as Aragorn's wedding. However, Tolkien did allude to the fact that Hobbits were very much like humans, and I choose to believe that their wedding traditions, like others of their traditions, were very similar to our own. This wedding is how I imagine Sam's wedding.

SPECIAL THANKS and HUGE HUGS to Divastar79, also an author on this site, for her suggestions, ideas, and priceless assistance into the wee hours of the morning, regarding this most blessed event!

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1.2 Chapter 18: Wedding

Rating: G

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The morning of April the first dawned clear and beautiful, as if the sun and the earth were as joyful as the hobbits about the coming day. Hobbit weddings are generally simple affairs, filled with flowers and followed by plenty of joviality. Sam and Rosie's wedding was no different.

By early morning, the Party Field was already busy with hobbits, setting up the food and tables for the feast to follow, and laden with armloads of flower garlands to decorate the mallorn and the surrounding area.

Rosie and her mother arrived shortly before the hour of 10:00, and Rosie was ready. She was in the dress that her mother had made for her, and it was wondrous fair to see. It was embroidered all over with images of flowers and birds, and trimmed with delicate lace. Marigold bustled around her, pinning flowers into Rosie's hair and laughing merrily.

The groom was up at Bag End, with Frodo and his Gaffer.

"Do ye have the rope?" he asked his Gaffer, for the third time, smoothing his weskit.

"Yes, lad, I have it," said the Gaffer. "Don't worry yourself. Getting married is not like slaying great spiders or climbin' fire mountains. Just say the words and it's over."

Sam took a deep breath. Frodo clapped him across the shoulders and said, "He's right, you know. Let's go, Sam."

As Sam walked from Bag End to the party field, flanked by Frodo and his Gaffer, his heart resumed it's hammering against his ribcage. He tried to go over his wedding promises in his head, but could not focus his mind.

"This is it, Samwise," he said to himself. "Just you calm down and keep yer head. It'll be done soon enough. Just…"

At that moment, Sam came to the edge of the field and saw that it was filled with hobbits, and tables laden with food, and with gifts, and all was bedecked with bright flowers. He looked about, but did not see Rosie, at least not yet. He did not realize he had stopped walking until Frodo put his hand on his elbow and pulled him back into motion. A cheer went up from some of the guests as Sam approached the Party Tree, and sensing that the wedding was about to begin, the hobbits began to seat themselves on the grass.

Sam, Frodo and the Gaffer reached the tree. Farmer Cotton was there, and Gandalf, who winked at Frodo. He had a special surprise planned. Sam continued to look about, not seeing Rosie but knowing that she was there, and hungry for the sight of her. Frodo's voice brought him back to himself.

"Are you ready, Sam?"

Sam looked at him. "Well, yes sir, as ready as I'll be gettin', I suppose. Let's start."

Frodo nodded, and stepping forward, waited for the guests to be silent. When nothing could be heard but the breeze in the mallorn, he spoke.

"Sam has asked me to be chief witness today of his wedding to Rose Cotton. As such, it is my duty and privilege to welcome you all and thank you for coming." At this point the guests gave a cheer. Frodo continued, "As Deputy Mayor, I also have the great honor of presiding over the ceremony. Sam and Rosie mean a great deal to me, and I would like to thank Mayor Whitfoot for this opportunity."

The mayor, who was seated near the front, waved his hand graciously towards Frodo.

Frodo turned and hugged Sam, then stepped back behind him. As he did so, Sam suddenly saw Rosie.

She was standing behind where the guests were seated, and she was clothed in flowing white. Her hair was full of flowers, and upon her face was the most beautiful smile that Sam had ever seen. Tears sprang to his eyes unbidden, and as she came towards him he struggled not to weep.

She walked slowly, mainly because she had several small hobbit girls dancing around near her feet and throwing flowers into the air, into her path, and among the guests. But she seemed not to notice them, as her eyes were fixed on Sam's face.

After an eternity she reached the mallorn, and coming forward, offered her hand to her father. Farmer Cotton took it. He reached out for Sam's hand and placed Rosie's into it, covering them both for a moment with his own. Sam looked at the Farmer with his face full of gratitude, and ducked his head in a slight bow. Tolman Cotton turned and kissed his daughter on the cheek, then returned to stand near Gandalf.

Turning towards Frodo, Sam and Rosie clasped hands as if they were holding one another upright.

"Mr. Frodo, Deputy Mayor, sir," said Sam, unsure of the correct title for such a situation, "Miss Rose Cotton and I wish to be wed. Will ye hear us?"

"I will," said Frodo, his eyes merry.

Sam turned to face Rosie again, and he took her other hand in his own. This was the difficult part, and it was so very hard to concentrate with his heart pounding in his breast louder than Moria drums. Sam took a deep breath and looked into Rosie's eyes. Clearly and openly she looked back at him, and Sam suddenly felt calmer, as if they were sitting together by the lake, having one of their long talks, and not standing in front of half the Shire.

"Go on, Sam," Rosie breathed in a whisper too quiet for any but him to hear, "It's just us, love."

Sam took another deep breath.

"Rose Cotton, " he said, speaking loudly so that all of the assembled could hear, "I love you. And I promise to love you - for as long as there is breath in my body, or strength in my limbs, or thought in my mind. I don't ever want to be parted from you, and I promise to be faithful, and true to you, and to defend you if you ever need it, and to care for you for as long as ye live, weather you be well or ill, strong or frail." Here Sam paused, struggling again against tears, and swallowed hard. "I pledge myself to you, Rose Cotton, by all that I am, for ever." He stopped speaking, looking deeply into her eyes, and ran his thumbs lightly across the backs of her soft hands.

Rose smiled at him, returning the caress before she spoke.

"Samwise Gamgee," she said at last, " I also love you. I have loved you for as long as I can remember. I have never loved another, and I never will. I waited a long time, Sam, for your return, but I would have waited a lifetime for you to come back to me." At this point Sam lost his battle with himself, and did begin to weep. Rosie smiled sweetly at him and continued. "I promise to be faithful to you always, Sam, and true to you with my whole heart and soul, and to care for you in every way I can for as long as I live. I pledge myself to you, Sam."

With an effort, Sam turned his head slightly toward the Gaffer, who had not missed his cue and was coming to stand near them. In his hands he bore the ornate rope sent from Mirkwood by Legolas. They had decided to use it, though not precisely how it was used in elvish weddings. The Gaffer was profoundly nervous when he learned that as the father of the groom, it was his role to play, but he agreed regardless.

Hamfast gently uncoiled the beautiful cord, and he wound it around first his son's, then Rosie's hands, which were still clasped together. When he had finished, he laid his hand on top of theirs and cleared his throat. "Let all witness that these have been bound together, body and soul, for all their lives." He kissed Rosie on the cheek, then stepped back to his place.

Sam and Rosie looked up at Frodo, who was beaming.

"Heard and witnessed," said Frodo, his voice full of laughter. "And as Deputy mayor of Hobbiton, I officially declare that Samwise Gamgee and Rose Cotton are wedded together!"

Sam slipped the rope from his hands, and lifting both palms to Rosie's face, he kissed her. Rosie kissed his mouth, and then his tears, for Sam continued to weep, unashamed. A huge cheer went up from the hobbit guests, but Sam and Rosie did not hear it, so lost were they in one another.

At that moment a bright phalanx of birds launched themselves from the branches of the mallorn tree. They rose singing into spirals over the Party Field, swooping in beautiful arcs of red and yellow and blue and green. Then suddenly they burst into showers of sparks, and fell like jewels over the hobbits, who jumped up and at once began the after-wedding celebration.

Sam, who had pulled back from Rosie when the flock had appeared, twined his arm around her waist and turned towards the wizard. "Well, that was something special, Gandalf," he said with a grin. "Do you have any other surprises up your sleeves?"

"We shall see, good Samwise, " laughed Gandalf. "But for now, you two have at least eleventy-one guests to greet - so get on with you!"

Rosie and Sam turned, and handing the rope back to the gaffer, went as husband and wife to join the feast.

~tbc~

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Acknowledgements: The characters, setting, and much of the dialog belong to J.R.R. Tolkien, and I give full credit to him. This story focuses on the relationship of Samwise Gamgee and Rose Cotton, and it is how I imagine the events following the Hobbits' return to the Shire following the War of the Ring and King Aragorn's coronation and marriage. If you have read the book, The Return of the King, you will find the events familiar. I have tried to "fill in the gaps," regarding Sam's courtship to Rose Cotton. Sam is my favorite character in Tolkien's work, and this is written with the deepest respect for both Tolkien and the noble Samwise. There are some slight departures from the timeline of The Lord of the Rings, for which I apologize; however, creative license is a part of fanfic, right? smile