Flawed Diamond Menu
A Flawed Diamond 3: Damage
The Shire 1428 (summer)
After the healer had gone and the stars were beginning to come out the next day, Diamond lay in her bed and watched the shadows deepen. A miscarriage at five months along was not a minor matter, either to her heart or her body. Rosemary held cloth damp with cool water on her forehead and a tearful Pippin was holding her hand with great tenderness.
Iris, a gentle and well-behaved six-year old, brought in a large bouquet of white roses from the garden for her and said, "Don't be sad, Aunt Diamond. Mama says the baby is over the sea in the West. Da and the elves will take care of her."
Rosemary blushed to be caught in telling her child this bit of fantasy and looked at Diamond with a wordless apology before she turned to the little girl and said, "Now, sweetheart. Aunt Diamond probably needs to rest. I trust she will call if she needs us. Also, you need to get ready for bed."
A somewhat chastened Iris replied, "Yes, Mama. Goodnight Aunt Diamond and Uncle Pip."
Diamond barely whispered a goodnight to Rosemary and her child and found herself alone with her husband. She let sobs wrack her body while Pippin held her.
"Oh, Diamond," he whispered, "I am sorry. Anything I can do for you, I will. I will never leave you."
She sobbed her reply, "I am the one who should be sorry, Pip. I am a poor wife for the Took heir and flawed beyond repair."
Pippin stroked her hair and said, "Never say such things, dearest. You are a wonderful wife and the only one I want."
Diamond got her voice under control and said, "I have a secret. You have always been open with me but I didn't dare tell you. I thought that, if I did, you would discard me."
He held her even closer and said, "Surely you think better of me than that, Diamond. I know that, whatever it is, it was not your fault and could not diminish my love for you. Don't let it worry you now. You should rest."
With quiet determination she said, "I want to tell you now, dear husband. If I wait the moment will pass and I will find new reasons to avoid telling this story." Without giving him enough time to reply or object, she took a deep breath and began her tale, "Pippin, you know I haven't spoken of what happed to me during the occupation. Mother's smial was small, remote, and easy to conceal. We got news of the invasion in time to make sure we wouldn't be spotted easily. Mother begged me to stay hidden with her."
Pippin rocked her a little and said, "But you didn't, my brave girl."
"Not so brave," she said ruefully," and no, I didn't. It surprised mother because I was never an adventuresome lass and always stuck close to her but the Shire was in trouble and I thought I could help. Along with some other foolhardy young hobbits from Tookland, I attempted a raid on a group of the enemy. We were pathetically outnumbered but everyone managed to escape except for me."
Pippin had seen war and hated to think of his wife in even a small skirmish. He also knew the nature of those who had overrun the Shire and the thought of Diamond in their clutches made his hands itch for his sword. "You don't have to continue if you don't want to, my love," he said.
She shook her head and said, "I will finish the story. I was brought before Sharkey, who decided to single me out for special punishment, and was flogged before he gave me to worm. The next morning, they dumped me on the borders of Tookland as a warning to any other hobbits who might defy the occupation. I was barely able to make it home."
A terrible anger gripped Pippin. He held her close and, in a voice that was much gentler than he felt, he said, "None of that was your fault. You are stronger than you look, little wife, to survive that. If I had known, even Frodo would not have stayed my hand. Now, you should sleep. I am here and won't let anyone hurt you."
Diamond relaxed into his arms and went to sleep. The scent of the white roses was surprisingly strong and perfumed the air of the room, soothing her as she fell into a deep and healing sleep.