Yes, for all of you who remember my promise in His Elanor, here is the
story you've been waiting for! I'm finally trying my hand at writing a
Merry/Estella romance.
I have actually had it done for a while, *ducks as people throw objects* but I wanted to wait until today to post the first chapter, because today is my birthday and I wanted to make it special. :0)
As most of you probably already know, my version of Estella first made an appearance in my other story, His Elanor. She and Merry were there mostly for no other reason than to advance the plot. But I found that it was so much to write her and Merry together . . . it just called for a fic, it really did.
Okay, okay. I'll shut up now. On with the story! Enjoy!
*******************************************************
Giggling, the hobbit lass gingerly covered her mouth with one hand while daintily waving goodbye with the other. Lifting up the hem of her pink skirt, she trotted gracefully away down the lane that ran through the market, all the while fluttering her eyelashes. Right before she turned the corner around a cart of apples, she winked one of her blue eyes at the two hobbit lads bidding her goodbye. Then she was gone. 'Probably off fussing over her hair or whatever it is lasses do in their spare time.' One of the hobbit lads thought.
The two lads continued walking down the market lane. They were indeed a sight, all arrayed in outlandish clothing and the sun glinted off their armor. They were quite a bit taller than anyone else, and carried themselves in such a way that it was near impossible for them to walk by and not draw stares. Stares that mostly came from the female gender, to which they threw many a charming smile.
"So, Merry," Pippin, the younger of the two, asked pleasantly. "What did you think of that last one?"
"Hmm," Merry considered this thoughtfully, while grabbing an apple off of a small wagon. He tossed the owner of the cart a coin and then took a large bite. After he swallowed, he answered firmly, "No, not my type. Too giggly."
"Come on, Merry!" Pippin laughed. "She was awfully cute!"
Releasing an exaggerated sigh, Merry shoved his friend playfully. "You just think that because you can't resist a lass who tosses you a wink."
"You say that as if it's a bad thing."
Merry, who was about to say something back, halted suddenly. Obliviously continuing his sauntering stride, it took Pippin many long moments to realize that his companion wasn't following. He then hastened back to Merry's side in an undignified stumble. He noticed that his friend's eyes were opened wide and were staring straight ahead, unblinkingly.
"What's wrong?" Pippin inquired. When Merry did not answer, Pippin began waving his hand in front of the other's face. "Snap out of it Merry!"
Quickly backing away from Pippin's hand, Merry's eyes blinked furiously. "Watch it Pip!" He said a bit angrily. "What are you trying to do, poke my eye out?"
An amused smile appeared on Pippin's face. "If that's what it would have taken to pull you out of that daze you were just in. Goodness, you'd think you just saw a gorgeous lass or something."
"I did." Merry said under his breath, grabbing Pippin's arm and pointing over near a small stand selling bread.
Leaning over and arranging the bread on the stand was a hobbit lass of average height and who had very dark and very curly hair, so long it kept falling into her face and she kept frustratedly tucking it back behind her ears. Her face was pale, but her nose was painted with many tiny freckles. As she surveyed the display on the stand, she chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully.
"Humph." Pippin snorted teasingly. "I've seen better."
"Oh really?" Merry said lightly, raising an eyebrow. "I think you're just saying that because you don't think you could get her to talk to you."
Merry grinned as Pippin bristled, "I could so get her to talk to me! I just don't see why I should bother!"
"Oh, you could now?"
Pippin's mouth was set in a firm line, as he nodded confidently. "Just watch!" With that, he spun on his heel, leaving Merry behind to watch from the behind the wagon of apples.
As Pippin swaggered over to the stand, the lass looked up, obviously expecting to see a customer. When she saw the roguish smile on his face, she rolled her eyes and ignored him, going back to organizing the rows of bread. When Pippin reached the stand, he leaned against the edge, composing himself with the most dashing pose he knew.
"Hello there," he nodded, conveying his greetings. "Nice day, isn't it?"
The lass met his eyes, her expression indifferent. She spoke in a low irritable voice. "Please do not lean on the stand."
Backing away slowly, Pippin mentally kicked himself for getting off to such a bad start. He could almost hear Merry laughing at him. "My apologies, Miss." He said quickly, looking for a way that he could salvage the situation. "May I inquire your name?"
"I don't see why you would want to know." She muttered harshly. "Are you here to buy bread or not?"
"Er . . . no." He stuttered, unnerved by the fierceness in her gaze. "Actually, I must say that your pretty face drew me over."
"Don't try to flatter me." She waved her hand, obviously gesturing for him to get lost. "Now, please do me a favor. Say good day and go away."
"Hey!" Pippin's face brightened. "That was very clever! You made your words rhyme!"
"Yes, I do believe that was what I intended." Her voice dripped sarcasm.
Pippin could see that he wasn't getting anywhere. Not that he wanted to. This lass was just too bad natured to get along with at all. He supposed that he was left with two choices: He could either admit defeat, and face humiliation in front of Merry, or he could keep trying and risk getting hit with the blow that the lass looked like she was ready to deal him any second.
'Sometimes, discretion is the better part of valor,' Pippin decided.
"Well," He stammered, beginning to back up slowly. "I have to be going. It was nice to meet you, Miss!" When she didn't answer, Pippin decided to press one more question. "Might you tell me your name?"
Her eyes narrowed. "If I do, will you leave?"
Pippin sighed. "Aye, I will."
"Estella Bolger." She said bluntly, and then went back to the bread stand.
***************************************************
Merry was shaking with laughter when Pippin returned to the apple wagon. "That was incredible Pippin!" Merry chuckled. "I'm sure she is smitten with you now!"
"Oh, hush Merry!" Pippin sulked, "You wouldn't believe how nasty she was! She wouldn't even tell me her name until I promised I would leave."
"And what was her name?" Merry asked, curiously interested in finding out the answer.
"Estella Bolger." Pippin nearly spat out.
Merry rested his head on his hand thoughtfully. "Not a bad name," he pointed out.
Pippin just shook his head. "Nice name to go along with a rotten hobbit."
"Pip," Merry chastised gently. "She couldn't have been that bad."
"So you think you could handle her better?"
Merry rolled his eyes. "Now, I didn't say that . . ."
"Ha!" Pippin said, his nearly ever-present smile reappearing. "I think you meant it though!" He looked over toward the bread stand, and to the mean-spirited lass who ran it. "You know Merry," Pippin said, his voice dropping to a lower volume. "We could make this interesting."
"We could?"
"Aye," Pippin chuckled. "You know the Yule celebration in a few weeks?"
"Yes," Merry said, "Of course I know about it, Pip. What are you getting at?"
Pippin grinned. "I would like to see you try to get Estella to go with you to the Yule celebration."
Merry's raised his eyebrows at the challenge. Did Pippin really think that he was losing his touch? Meriadoc Brandybuck the Magnificent, not being able to melt the heart of a lass? How absurd. This would be easy.
"Okay," Merry said confidently. "You're on."
TBC
I have actually had it done for a while, *ducks as people throw objects* but I wanted to wait until today to post the first chapter, because today is my birthday and I wanted to make it special. :0)
As most of you probably already know, my version of Estella first made an appearance in my other story, His Elanor. She and Merry were there mostly for no other reason than to advance the plot. But I found that it was so much to write her and Merry together . . . it just called for a fic, it really did.
Okay, okay. I'll shut up now. On with the story! Enjoy!
*******************************************************
Giggling, the hobbit lass gingerly covered her mouth with one hand while daintily waving goodbye with the other. Lifting up the hem of her pink skirt, she trotted gracefully away down the lane that ran through the market, all the while fluttering her eyelashes. Right before she turned the corner around a cart of apples, she winked one of her blue eyes at the two hobbit lads bidding her goodbye. Then she was gone. 'Probably off fussing over her hair or whatever it is lasses do in their spare time.' One of the hobbit lads thought.
The two lads continued walking down the market lane. They were indeed a sight, all arrayed in outlandish clothing and the sun glinted off their armor. They were quite a bit taller than anyone else, and carried themselves in such a way that it was near impossible for them to walk by and not draw stares. Stares that mostly came from the female gender, to which they threw many a charming smile.
"So, Merry," Pippin, the younger of the two, asked pleasantly. "What did you think of that last one?"
"Hmm," Merry considered this thoughtfully, while grabbing an apple off of a small wagon. He tossed the owner of the cart a coin and then took a large bite. After he swallowed, he answered firmly, "No, not my type. Too giggly."
"Come on, Merry!" Pippin laughed. "She was awfully cute!"
Releasing an exaggerated sigh, Merry shoved his friend playfully. "You just think that because you can't resist a lass who tosses you a wink."
"You say that as if it's a bad thing."
Merry, who was about to say something back, halted suddenly. Obliviously continuing his sauntering stride, it took Pippin many long moments to realize that his companion wasn't following. He then hastened back to Merry's side in an undignified stumble. He noticed that his friend's eyes were opened wide and were staring straight ahead, unblinkingly.
"What's wrong?" Pippin inquired. When Merry did not answer, Pippin began waving his hand in front of the other's face. "Snap out of it Merry!"
Quickly backing away from Pippin's hand, Merry's eyes blinked furiously. "Watch it Pip!" He said a bit angrily. "What are you trying to do, poke my eye out?"
An amused smile appeared on Pippin's face. "If that's what it would have taken to pull you out of that daze you were just in. Goodness, you'd think you just saw a gorgeous lass or something."
"I did." Merry said under his breath, grabbing Pippin's arm and pointing over near a small stand selling bread.
Leaning over and arranging the bread on the stand was a hobbit lass of average height and who had very dark and very curly hair, so long it kept falling into her face and she kept frustratedly tucking it back behind her ears. Her face was pale, but her nose was painted with many tiny freckles. As she surveyed the display on the stand, she chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully.
"Humph." Pippin snorted teasingly. "I've seen better."
"Oh really?" Merry said lightly, raising an eyebrow. "I think you're just saying that because you don't think you could get her to talk to you."
Merry grinned as Pippin bristled, "I could so get her to talk to me! I just don't see why I should bother!"
"Oh, you could now?"
Pippin's mouth was set in a firm line, as he nodded confidently. "Just watch!" With that, he spun on his heel, leaving Merry behind to watch from the behind the wagon of apples.
As Pippin swaggered over to the stand, the lass looked up, obviously expecting to see a customer. When she saw the roguish smile on his face, she rolled her eyes and ignored him, going back to organizing the rows of bread. When Pippin reached the stand, he leaned against the edge, composing himself with the most dashing pose he knew.
"Hello there," he nodded, conveying his greetings. "Nice day, isn't it?"
The lass met his eyes, her expression indifferent. She spoke in a low irritable voice. "Please do not lean on the stand."
Backing away slowly, Pippin mentally kicked himself for getting off to such a bad start. He could almost hear Merry laughing at him. "My apologies, Miss." He said quickly, looking for a way that he could salvage the situation. "May I inquire your name?"
"I don't see why you would want to know." She muttered harshly. "Are you here to buy bread or not?"
"Er . . . no." He stuttered, unnerved by the fierceness in her gaze. "Actually, I must say that your pretty face drew me over."
"Don't try to flatter me." She waved her hand, obviously gesturing for him to get lost. "Now, please do me a favor. Say good day and go away."
"Hey!" Pippin's face brightened. "That was very clever! You made your words rhyme!"
"Yes, I do believe that was what I intended." Her voice dripped sarcasm.
Pippin could see that he wasn't getting anywhere. Not that he wanted to. This lass was just too bad natured to get along with at all. He supposed that he was left with two choices: He could either admit defeat, and face humiliation in front of Merry, or he could keep trying and risk getting hit with the blow that the lass looked like she was ready to deal him any second.
'Sometimes, discretion is the better part of valor,' Pippin decided.
"Well," He stammered, beginning to back up slowly. "I have to be going. It was nice to meet you, Miss!" When she didn't answer, Pippin decided to press one more question. "Might you tell me your name?"
Her eyes narrowed. "If I do, will you leave?"
Pippin sighed. "Aye, I will."
"Estella Bolger." She said bluntly, and then went back to the bread stand.
***************************************************
Merry was shaking with laughter when Pippin returned to the apple wagon. "That was incredible Pippin!" Merry chuckled. "I'm sure she is smitten with you now!"
"Oh, hush Merry!" Pippin sulked, "You wouldn't believe how nasty she was! She wouldn't even tell me her name until I promised I would leave."
"And what was her name?" Merry asked, curiously interested in finding out the answer.
"Estella Bolger." Pippin nearly spat out.
Merry rested his head on his hand thoughtfully. "Not a bad name," he pointed out.
Pippin just shook his head. "Nice name to go along with a rotten hobbit."
"Pip," Merry chastised gently. "She couldn't have been that bad."
"So you think you could handle her better?"
Merry rolled his eyes. "Now, I didn't say that . . ."
"Ha!" Pippin said, his nearly ever-present smile reappearing. "I think you meant it though!" He looked over toward the bread stand, and to the mean-spirited lass who ran it. "You know Merry," Pippin said, his voice dropping to a lower volume. "We could make this interesting."
"We could?"
"Aye," Pippin chuckled. "You know the Yule celebration in a few weeks?"
"Yes," Merry said, "Of course I know about it, Pip. What are you getting at?"
Pippin grinned. "I would like to see you try to get Estella to go with you to the Yule celebration."
Merry's raised his eyebrows at the challenge. Did Pippin really think that he was losing his touch? Meriadoc Brandybuck the Magnificent, not being able to melt the heart of a lass? How absurd. This would be easy.
"Okay," Merry said confidently. "You're on."
TBC