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Well, you all wanted Thorin to do something. Ok...here is comes!
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Chapter 53
~X~
It had been nearly a week since anyone had seen hide nor hair of Dwalin and Bergie. And while that was not unusual, Thorin found that he missed his kinsman more than expected, eagerly waiting for him to resurface so he could discuss a very important matter with him…namely, Marigold Brandybuck.
Dwalin and Bergie's wedding, along with Dis' stern, yet heartfelt, talk had left the king in a quandary. On one hand he still felt a bit hesitant to court the little lass, due to what he feared his people might think…but on the other hand, he knew in his heart he could not go on like this, torn in two and yearning for Miss Marigold. It was affecting his sleep, his eating habits, and if the way everyone seemed to be walking on eggshells around him was any indication, his mood as well. He knew he was reaching his limit when he snapped at little Ori the other day, the poor scribe having done nothing to deserve such a stern censure.
Yes, it was time to act, and even if things did not turn out the way he hoped, at least Thorin would not be left in this tumultuous windstorm of worry and wonder. He still wanted to wait until he could speak to Dwalin though, thinking that perhaps his friend might now have some insight on the best way for him to proceed. And if not, then Thorin could at least pose the same question to Bergie, seeing as how she would be the most knowledgeable on her niece's mindset. Yet, both appeared determined to frustrate his plans by sequestering themselves in their chambers for an inordinate amount of time. At least they knew the happy couple were still alive, for the food Balin left at the door disappeared on a regular basis, being replaced by empty plates and dishes and the occasional written request. Still, this delay was becoming very inconvenient for Thorin, and he would be certain to voice his displeasure to Dwalin…whenever they came out!
So, like he had for the past six days, the king under the mountain, rose from his fitful slumber, washed, dressed and headed to his council chambers – ready to forge through another day of mental frustration. Yet when he arrived, Thorin found the room already occupied…by Gandalf.
"Good morning," the wizard greeted the grumpy looking king. "I was beginning to wonder if I would see you at all before I departed."
"Departed?" this had Thorin's attention. "Where are you going?"
"To check on a few important matters," Gandalf replied, giving a vague wave of his hand. "I shall not stay gone long, for I wish to see how our industrious hobbits fare with the planting project. I should be back around springtime…early summer at the latest."
"You do tend to disappear, and then reappear, at the most unexpected…and inconvenient times," Thorin groused, though knowing full well that one could not contain the grey wizard for long.
"Well, at the moment there are others in Middle Earth who need my help more than you do, Thorin Oakenshield," Gandalf chuckled, giving his friend a wink. "Before I go, however, allow me to offer you some words of wisdom. While I have not known your sister, Dis, for long, even I would not wish to get on her bad side. And if you fail to make up your mind soon about a certain little hobbit lass, I fear it will be your funeral, and not your wedding, I'll be returning for."
"MY WEDDING?" Thorin roared in shock. "What are you talking about, old man?"
"Oh, come now, we have known each other far too long to play such games," Gandalf chided. "Anyone who cares about you can see that you are in turmoil over Miss Marigold. And while I will not be the one to influence you one way or the other…a decision must be made. You are not getting any younger, Thorin, and if the chance to take a wife is laid before you, I say it is best that you do not delay much longer."
"But…" and there Thorin stopped, since he had no other words to say.
"I understand," Gandalf continued. "You fear what your people will say about you taking a hobbit for a wife and queen. Well, my advice is to show some faith. You are their king, and if you can persuade twelve dwarves to follow you on a quest to kill a dragon…you can certainly convince the rest of Erebor that Marigold would be a fine queen." He could tell that his words did much to alleviate Thorin's concerns, yet he still appeared torn. "I wish I could stay and nurse you through this, but time is of the essence, and I fear I must go." He stood up and placed his hand on Thorin's shoulder, giving him one of his sympathetic, yet fond looks. "I have already said my farewells to Bilbo and the rest of the company – except for Dwalin, of course. Be well, my friend. And I hope things work out for you, I truly do. I will see you in the spring."
And just as wizards were inclined to do, Gandalf swept from the room, and all but vanished from the mountain, leaving behind a very confused king.
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Marigold had been feeling rather lonely, not having realized how much she had relied on her aunt to keep her company, as well as her spirits up in regards to a certain grumpy king who appeared to still be ignoring her. She had mulled it over in her mind a million times, trying to determine if she had done something to offend him since arriving in Erebor. He had appeared very amiable towards her when they first met, and then at the Durin's Day party she thought they had become somewhat friendly during the dance. And yet, since then, she could count on one hand the number of times he had seen fit to speak to her…let alone be in the same room as her. Still, the words he had spoken at Bergie's wedding had touched her deeply, seeing a side of the dwarf king that she had yet to glimpse. If only he could say words like that to her. However, he would need to speak to her first…and that did not appear to be happening any time soon!
A sensible lass would just forget him, chalk it up to the fickleness of a male's heart, and move on. And yet she just couldn't! Something about Thorin Oakenshield called to her, and not in a way she had ever experienced before. Marigold was not some shy little waif who had never let her eyes turn towards a lad, or the fancies of romance, after all. Had she not let Olo Miller, kiss her under the party tree last summer? Granted, it was not what she would call overly memorable, but she had been kissed! Yet now, when she even looked at the king, her heart did flip-flops and back-springs in a way that Olo had never encouraged in her. Which truly made no sense at all - especially when Thorin would hardly dare to glance her way! Was she that pathetic? To desperately desire someone who didn't seem to return the interest? They did say that unrequited love could truly grieve the heart…and hers was certainly grieving. Yet Marigold did not know what to do about it! She wished Bergie would hurry up and finish her honeymoon…she really needed to talk to her.
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Bergie stretched her tired muscles and reached over to grab the house-robe that was draped over the end of the bed, slipping it on as she made her way towards the fireplace.
"No," came a plaintive moan from behind her. "Come back to bed."
"We have spent the past six days there, my love, I think it is time we set our limbs to a different use, and try walking around a bit," she laughed, kneeling down as she stoked the coals and added a few more pieces of wood, until the flame danced merrily.
"Walking is highly overrated," Dwalin huffed, sitting up and resting his back against the headboard, watching his lovely bride with a heated gaze. "And I can't think of a better activity to ply ourselves to than the very one we have been. In fact, come over here and let me demonstrate its advantages once again, for you apparently have forgotten."
"You are insatiable!" she giggled, doing just as he proposed, shedding her garment and sliding back under the covers with him once again. Laying her head on his rock hard chest, she closed her eyes and smiled as he began to run his fingers through her hair.
"I could say the same thing about you, my little sugar plumb," he pointed out. "It's a good thing I am a seasoned warrior, for if not, you would surely have worn me down to a nub by now."
"Well, we could always take a break from our bedroom activities if you feel you need a rest," she offered innocently – which did not fool Dwalin for a moment.
"Bite your tongue, lassie!" he growled, pulling her closer to him as he placed a kiss on the top of her head. "You'll never catch me complaining about too much loving, no matter how tired I become!"
"I didn't think so, but far be it from me to wear you out, my brave warrior," she laughed, giving his sides a little tickle. "Seriously though, when do you think we should rejoin the rest of the world? As much as I enjoy having you all to myself, I am sure your brother is tired of leaving us breakfast, lunch and dinner every day outside our door. Besides, aren't there duties that you should be attending to for the king?"
"Yes, I suppose there are," he grumbled, hating the idea of sharing his little wife with anyone.
"I too should be working on getting the storehouses ready for harvest time, not to mention my little project of outfitting one of the rooms for brewing," she added, looking rather excited about the prospect. "Winter will pass quicker than you know, and all too soon harvest time will be upon us."
"Aye," Dwalin nodded, his expression suddenly turning serious. "And I have been wanting to speak to you about that."
"Oh?" Bergie responded, noting the tension in his voice and sitting up. Modestly pulling the sheets up around her, she crossed her legs in front and turned so that she was now facing her husband questioningly. "What has you looking so concerned, my heart?"
"I know we got married rather quickly," he began, his hand reaching out as he absently toyed with the little tufts of fur on the top of her feet. "And we never did discuss such things like…well, like where we plan to live. I know I should have brought this up sooner, but I was not sure how you would react."
"React to what exactly?" she questioned, now becoming a bit concerned herself. "What is it you are afraid to ask me, Dwalin?"
"If…if you are willing to remain in Erebor, or if you desire to return to the Shire," he finished, his words coming out in a rush of worry.
"You are fretting that I will insist that you leave the mountain, your kin, and your king?" Bergie asked, looking a bit shocked by the idea. "Dwalin, my love, I would never expect you to do such a thing, and I would never ask it of you. Of course I will miss the Shire, and I would hope we could visit from time to time, but this is my home now…with you."
"Really?" Dwalin asked, a look of pure joy and relief coming over his weathered face.
"Yes, really," she assured him, leaning forward and giving him a kiss on his lips. "The Shire might be where I was born, but my heart now lies in Erebor. And while I might feel a bit out of place after everyone else goes home, being the only hobbit in the mountain, I will have you, and that is all that matters."
"Well, if a certain king I know will get off his majestic high horse and just admit his feelings, I have a hunch that you will not be the only hobbit lass in Erebor for long," Dwalin admitted with a wicked grin.
"What?" Bergie asked, her eyes growing wide. "Then Thorin does have feelings for Mari? How do you know? Did he say such things out loud?"
"He has been going through pretty much the same thing I have with you, my sweet," Dwalin informed her. "He was struck the same as I, when he first laid eyes on Marigold. But being the king, and also from the line of Durin, Thorin can't do anything the easy way. So he is avoiding her and fighting his feelings, in hopes that they will just go away."
"Well that is just foolish!" Bergie pouted, crossing her arms over her chest in a huff. "Nothing good ever comes from running away from your heart's desire!"
"Don't I know it," Dwalin chuckled, grabbing hold of her left foot and giving it a quick tug, tipping her over on her back with a squeak of surprise. He planted a little kiss in the tips of her toes, and then crawled forward until he hovered above her, enjoying the dreamy look that came to her eyes as she stared up at him. "Now, before we do relent and leave this room to face the world…how about I show you once again what I deem the most important use of our limbs, as well as other parts of our bodies?"
"Oh, yes," she hummed, grinning from ear to ear. "I am your eager student…do instruct me, my wicked husband."
And that is exactly what he did…with great vigor.
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Dis had been waiting almost as anxiously as Thorin and Marigold for Dwalin and Bergie to resurface, and when Nori found her later that day and announced that the newlyweds were out and about, she was quick to hunt them down, pulling them into a private room for a chat.
"What is the matter?" Dwalin asked, concern covering his face.
"Thorin is the matter!" the royal dwarrowdam announced, looking rather perturbed. "I had hoped I had gotten through to him the other day, but apparently he is still set in his stubborn ways."
"Still avoiding Marigold?" the war-chief guessed, shaking his head sadly. "Do you want me to speak to him?"
"I had been hoping that after seeing how in love the two of you are, it might set him in motion," Dis stopped here and took hold of Bergie's hands, giving them a joyful squeeze. "I am truly happy for you, my dear. I am so thrilled that you both found each other."
"As am I," Bergie nodded, glancing up at Dwalin as he returned her look of delight. "But I would be even more pleased if I could see my dear niece just as happy. Is there anything I can do to assist in all this?"
"I have a feeling that it will take many heads to figure out a solution to the predicament my brother has gotten himself into," Dis assured her with a sad shake of her head. "I just worry that all his pig-headedness might have already caused Marigold to lose interest."
"Oh, I doubt that," Bergie told her with a knowing smile. "Still, he has managed to wound her feelings a bit, and that will take some time to repair…assuming he wishes to make the effort. A lass can only take so much rejection before there is no going back."
"And that is exactly what I hope the four of us can rectify," Dis huffed.
"The four of us?" Dwalin asked, looking around the room questioningly.
"Yes, I have Bilbo on board as well, we will simply need to stop by and collect him," Dis nodded, heading for the door. "And then, the mighty King Under the Mountain will be getting a visit he will not soon forget!"
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Meanwhile, Marigold had made her way to the chamber set aside for the planning stages of the planting project, determined to not even think of Thorin Oakenshield. Unfortunately, not ten minutes into her and Balin's discussion about the guard rotation, meant to keep those tilling up the earth safe from possibly marauding orcs, the king's name arose.
"I will need to confer with Thorin on that subject, as he is the one who will need to assign such things," Balin informed her, not realizing he had just touched on a very sore subject.
"If it is so all fired important to get his opinion on these matters, wouldn't it be helpful if he were actually here?" she huffed, placing her hands on her hips and stamping her foot in frustration. "I mean, he wants to be in charge, and yet he never even bothers to meet with us to discuss any aspect of the project!"
"I…I have been keeping him informed of our progress," Balin offered, trying to soothe the angry hobbit's temper. "He knows what is going on."
"But I do not!" Mari all but screamed, throwing her hands into the air and waving them around for emphasis. "I feel like I am the only one being kept in the dark here! And what grand excuse does he have for not being able to join us today?"
"Thorin is currently in conference with several of his officials," the elderly dwarf informed her, somewhat confused by her sudden burst of fury.
"Oh, of course he is," she drawled, apparently not believing a word he said. "I bet he has locked himself in his chambers, just killing time until he knows I am done for the day, and then he will sneak out like some nocturnal animal just to avoid me! Well I am done with that! He will see and speak to me whether he wants to or not!" And with that she spun around and stormed out of the room, leaving Balin looking quite flabbergasted.
During her time in the mountain, Marigold had become rather familiar with certain areas of Erebor, and all the places she might chance to run into Thorin were high on that list. So it took no time at all for her to march herself right down to the king's council chambers, approaching the thick wooden doors as if she were declaring war. And instead of sitting outside on the small bench like she had done the last time she wished to speak with him, Marigold grabbed the handles and gave them a forceful turn, thrusting the doors open with a bit of a growl.
"Thorin Oakenshield, I have had just about enough of your foolish…" Marigold began, her voice strong and brave. Yet at the sight of a full table of white bearded dwarves, all who turned to stare at her with startled irritation, her words died on her lips and she suddenly prayed for the earth to open up and swallow her whole. No one spoke, no one moved, and much to her horror, no holes in the floor appeared to be opening anytime soon.
"Miss Brandybuck," Thorin spoke up at last, rising to his feet at the far end of the table. He could read the mortification on her face at her abrupt entrance, apparently not having realized he was otherwise engaged. Had it been anyone else, he would have called for the guards to have them forcibly removed from the room for daring such a rude intrusion. Yet, it wasn't just anyone…it was Marigold. And the last thing he wanted was to cause her further embarrassment, so he chose instead to intervene on her behalf. "Please forgive me, it must have completely slipped my mind that we had arranged to speak at this hour. My apologies for allowing the council meeting to run long." He then turned to the older dwarves around him and gave a polite nod. "If you will all excuse me, I am sure any additional discussion on the matter can wait until tomorrow."
It appeared that several of the dwarves thought otherwise, but one stern look from Thorin silenced any further debate, causing all to stand and shuffle out of the room, still eyeing Marigold with suspicion. The little hobbit lass did not dare lift her head, choosing to give all her attention to her feet, which were shifting nervously from side to side. When the last dwarrow had exited and the door was closed, a heavy silence filled the room…which only made Marigold feel worse.
"You were saying, Miss Brandybuck?" Thorin prompted, leaving his spot at the front of the table and walking closer to where she stood. He leaned back on the end of the table and crossed his arms over his chest, giving her a questioning stare. "Might I enquire as to what foolishness of mine you have had your fill of?"
Marigold knew that Thorin had fabricated the lie that they had made plans to meet in order to help her save face, and she had originally had every intention of rattling off a string of apologies for her rude entry. But at hearing his rather sarcastically worded question, her head came up - and so did her dander. She was the one in the right here, not him! He was the one ignoring her, not the other way around! Marigold had come to speak her mind, and speak she would.
"While I am sorry for barging in like I did, I will not apologize for the reasons that prompted such actions!" she informed him, placing her hands on her shapely hips and glaring at him with ire. "I am sick and tired of being ignored and having to beg for a moment of your precious time. I came here to help your kingdom, and yet all I seem to be getting from you is the cold shoulder. Have I offended you in some way, Your Majesty? Does the fact that I am not a male cause you to shun me and my ideas on the planting project? I can assure you that I am more than qualified for the job, and yet you have not even given me the opportunity to prove it!" Here she stopped and took a deep breath, hating to voice her next words, but feeling as if she no longer had a choice. "If that is truly the way you feel, Thorin Oakenshield, then I see no reason for me to continue to force my services upon you any further. It will be with deep regret, but I shall pack my things immediately and be gone from your mountain as soon as I can arrange an escort back to the Shire. I am confident that Hamfast Gamgee will be able to follow any directions I leave him, and see the job to completion. It is just a pity that things did not work out as I had hoped, or that you could accept me in the role I was assigned." With that she bowed her head in defeat and turned to leave the room, only to be halted by a stern and somewhat desperate call.
"No!" Thorin shouted, pushing off of the table where he had been leaning and taking a hesitant step forward. "No, you cannot leave!"
Marigold was not sure what she had expected, or hoped for, but this was not it. Instead of some denial of her wild accusation, or a plea that she remain, the dwarf king was in essence forbidding her to leave…not even giving her a choice!
"I most certainly can leave, and there is nothing you can do to stop me!" she argued. "I am a free person, you cannot order me around!"
"No, that is not what I meant," Thorin countered, realizing how she must have taken his words. "I mean…I do not want you to go. I have no issue with you being the head of the project, in fact, I am fully aware that your talent and skill won you the position."
"You…you do?" Well, this was a shock to the confused little hobbit. Might she have been misreading the king's actions all along? "Then why will you never meet with me, or join in on the planning sessions? Why have you been ignoring me? I don't understand."
"Why should you understand?" he responded with a heavy sigh, raking his fingers though his hair in frustration, "When I still don't understand it all myself." Thorin had wanted to speak to Dwalin about this before acting on his feelings, however it would seem that Marigold was forcing his hand. It was either come clean, or lose her forever…and that was unthinkable. Still, Thorin, the mighty king of Erebor, had no idea how to act or what to say. So in the end, he did the only thing he could think of.
He took Dwalin's advice…and he kissed her!
Marigold was stunned. One moment she was shouting at the King Under the Mountain, and the next thing she knew he had stepped forward, grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her to him in a very strong and passionate kiss. This was nothing like the kiss Olo Miller gave her under the party tree…oh no, this was something different entirely! Every nerve in her body was tingling, and though she had lost all control of her arms or legs, her own lips apparently knew just what to do…even if she did not. The kiss was amazing, bringing forth visions of a future she had only dared dream about, and as she felt his hands snake around to her back and pull her in even deeper, she couldn't help but wish for it never to end. Yet, end it did – after a bit – leaving Marigold gasping for breath and struggling to open her eyes. When at last she was able to focus on the dwarrow before her, she couldn't help but smile.
"That…that is a rather odd way of explaining your reasons for ignoring me?" she managed to get out, her voice barely above a whisper. "But if you would care to elaborate…I think I would love to hear more."
Her teasing tone and light banter made Thorin's lips curl into a wide grin, as he stared down at her with a sudden clarity he had never expected. Marigold was his one…his only. And he would never allow them to be parted, not now, not ever. Dwalin had been right, skin on skin had told him all he needed to know…and then some! The touch of her lips, the scent of her hair, and the way her petite body molded against him so perfectly, had sent lightning bolts through his body, waking up all his senses…as well as a few other things! Thorin had never felt so much alive, so in tune with another being, so…happy! Marigold Brandybuck was destined to be his queen, for it was now perfectly clear to him that no one else in all of Middle Earth would do.
"I would indeed love to explain myself in more detail, little Mari," Thorin assured her, reaching up to stroke the side of her cheek with his calloused fingers. "Yet I fear if we were to continue in this line of conversation, things might get out of hand. And I would not wish to compromise your reputation in any way before the wedding."
"Wedding?" she asked, her eyes still partially glassed over from the heated kiss. "What wedding?"
"Ours of course," Thorin laughed, assuming that she was teasing him. "I shall have it arranged as soon as possible, though I doubt it can be done at the same speed as Dwalin and Bergie's. There are certain important guests that will need to be invited, as well as time allowed for them to travel here, and then there is the…"
"Wait…what?" Marigold's eyes were wide open now. Well, things had certainly gone from a dry spell to a torrential flood in seconds. It was either hot or cold with Thorin…there was apparently no middle ground? "What are you talking about? We are not getting married!"
"We most certainly are!" Thorin countered, shock and horror in his tone. "I will not take you as anything less than my legal bride! I do not know all the customs of hobbits, but you shall be my wife, Marigold Brandybuck. I refuse to take you as some type of consort."
"Consort?" the little hobbit squealed, now wiggling her way out of his embrace. "I would never agree to be anyone's consort! As for being your wife…we hardly know each other, Thorin Oakenshield! And the last time I checked, you did not even bother asking me to marry you…let alone taken the time to court me properly!"
"Court you?" he gasped. "What on earth for? You are my one, why do I need to court you? As far as dwarves are concerned, it is Mahal's will, and you are destined to be my bride. Simple as that."
"Well, perhaps it has escaped your notice, oh mighty king, but I am not a dwarf!" she spat, taking yet another step back from him. This was all too much for Marigold. Yes, she had spent the last few weeks trying to get the king's attention, but now things were moving far too quickly for her tastes. These things took time, or at least in any other traditional hobbit relationship she had ever known. No one did things quickly in the Shire, time was given to make sure it was proper and meant to be. Yet here was Thorin, already arranging the marriage, this was all a bit overwhelming. "And while I do admit that the kiss was rather nice, and I might indeed have some feelings for you, they have not yet reached the point of marriage…not by a long shot! So, if you would like for this – and I do mean any of this – to continue, you best start thinking about a long and proper courtship!"
"I am the king of Erebor!" Thorin pointed out, as if that made any difference. "You are my one, and you admit that you have feelings for me - must we truly endure such foolishness just so you can save face?"
"YES!" she yelled, throwing her hands up in the air in frustration. "I am not some servant or some piece of property that you can order around. I am a full grown hobbit who knows her mind, and right now it is not thinking very highly of you! If you want me to even consider you as a worthy mate, you will need to court me like any proper hobbit lad would, do you understand?"
"NO, I DO NOT!" This time it was Thorin who raised his voice, though his tone still betrayed his confusions. "Why must we waste precious time when we both know the inevitable outcome? You are my one, you will marry me and remain in Erebor as my queen. And while it is true that our children will never inherit the throne, I have resigned myself to that fact and will pass the crown on to my nephew, Fili, as planned."
"Ch-children?" Marigold sputtered. "I can't believe that you are already thinking about children when I have yet to even say yes! And I will not say yes to any proposal until I have been courted properly by a male who sees the importance of taking the time to do so! You might be a king, but right now, to me you are nothing but a royal pain, Thorin Oakenshield. So until you decide to get off your majestic high horse and act in a way that will make you more appealing to me…I bid you farewell!" And with that, she spun around and marched out of the room, her hands waving about her as she went, still muttering her displeasure.
Thorin stood and watched her go, unable to figure out how things had gone so terribly wrong. It all made perfect sense to him. Marigold was his one. They would marry and have at least two lovely children together…and he would be happy, truly happy at last. Yet for some reason, Marigold did not see things his way. Had he been so wrong about all this…about her?
Oh, why did love have to be so irritatingly complicated?
Oh honey, it really isn't...you just make it that way. *sigh*
Well, you wanted Thorin to get off the couch and do something...well, he did. Too bad it was maybe a bit too much. ha ha.
Now what are those two lovebirds going to do? Or Dis...and Bergie, Bilbo and Dwalin?
Guest Reviews:
Guest: (this is for chapter 51 since your review came in after I posted 52). Dis did do a very good job talking to Thorin, but I kind of get the feeling she has had a lot of practice...and will get even more as this romance continues. ha ha. Dwalin is pretty happy now. I did want a nice brotherly bonding moment between Balin and Dwalin over their dad's clothes. Yep, there was no way Bergie was going to have brought her mom's wedding dress all the way across Middle Earth in hopes of finding a dude to marry, ha ha. So Dwalin getting the hand-me-downs was perfect. Thanks!
Guest: Dwalin thanks you for the warm welcome to married life. Marigold might be running in the opposite direction at the moment, scared out of her mind. ha ha. But something tells me she MIGHT be willing to give him a chance if he just smartens up here. Thanks and oh yes, there are lots more chapters to come.
ValarenOfGondor: Yummy cake...right? No wonder Flinn and Frodo preferred it over the gold. ha ha. And yes, they are rather cute, feel free to pinch their cheeks if you want. ha ha. I had such fun with Fili getting Dwalin back for what he did at his wedding. ha ha. Glad you liked Bergie's response, I wanted it to be...well, unique to her. Bilbo did not have a clue what was going on and why, and was just following Fili's directions. Yep, Thorin is going to step up...or at least he is thinking about doing something, and that is half the battle. Marigold...well, that is another story. ha ha. That hobbit lass has a mind of her own...but thankfully, it is set on Thorin. ha ha. Thanks (Ps, you do know I respond to your reviews here since you have your PM function turned off, right?)
Mjean: Awww, shucks, Ma'am, you say the nicest things. OH I like that wording better! Let the madness reign would have been much better than continue. But I don't want to steal anyone's words, even if you can't remember who wrote them...even if it is by a dead guy. ha ha. Thanks and I will indeed keep them coming...until I run out...and then I will write more.
Guest H: They are pretty adorable, right? I do like a funny wedding, makes the time go faster until they serve the cake. OH, there will be some chit-chatting in the next chapter, hee hee. Thanks.
Aranel Mereneth: Dwalin and Bergie are MADE for each other...literally. Thorin did do a nice job with his speech. shows he has a heart. And I waited a long time to write Fili getting even with Dwalin! I do like to stick in a few Fili and Sier moments, since they were the ones who started all this. ha ha. As for Kili...yes, he has his moments of deep reflection. More on Monday!
enilorac44: I am happy it was perfect, and I hope you got a very nutritious breakfast. Next one will be heading your way on Monday!