.
Purple Hyacinth – I am sorry, please forgive me, sorrow.
Orange blossoms – Innocence, Eternal love, Marriage, and Fruitfulness
.
Well, let's take a peek and see if things just might start going Thorin's way for a change. ha ha.
Keep your fingers crossed.
.
.
Chapter 56
~X~
Much to Dwalin's displeasure, Bergie had chosen to stay the night with Marigold in their old chambers, doing her best to persuade the little hobbit lass that it had all been a big misunderstanding. When she arrived, Bergie had found the offensive bouquet of marigolds half burned in the fireplace, and a weeping lass packing her clothes in preparation to head home. It had taken almost a good hour to stem the tears and get her to reconsider leaving Erebor. They stayed up until very late, talking and feasting on tea and warm biscuits, something that always proved a comfort to hobbits when in distress. And as the miniature figurine of a dwarf miner came out of the door on the little clock, striking the bell with his hammer five times, they realized they had stayed up all night.
"Everyone will soon be rising," Bergie surmised, letting out a little yawn.
"I am so sorry to have kept you from your new husband, Auntie," Marigold lamented, just now realizing the time as well.
"He will survive," the older hobbit laughed. "Besides, he needed a good night's sleep, if you take my meaning."
"I do, but if it is all the same to you, I would rather not be forced to picture such things," Marigold giggled, blushing at her relative's frankness.
"You might want to start, especially if this whole courtship thing with Thorin ever gets settled," Bergie warned, giving a little waggle of her eyebrows. "Courtship often leads to marriage you know, and with marriage comes a measure of responsibilities…as well as pleasures."
"Bergie, stop!" Marigold insisted, turning even redder. "It is far too soon to think of such things, especially when I am still not fully convinced of your words. I have yet to hear anything from Thorin himself, so how do I know for sure that it was a mistake, and not how he truly felt?"
"I can only give you my word that I heard his regrets from his own lips," Bergie insisted, not for the first time. "But I am certain that come morning, you will be receiving some word from him personally." She leaned over and patted her niece on the shoulder affectionately. "Thorin wishes to court you, my dear. He simply has no idea about how to go about doing it correctly. But from what I have witnessed, he is eager to try and willing to put forth the effort…even if he makes his share of mistakes. Be lenient with him…he is honestly trying."
"I do hope you are right," she sighed, trying not to yawn herself. "Because if things do not get easier between us, I fear he might just tire of me and give up."
"I hardly think that will happen," Bergie laughed, recalling the sheer look of horror on Thorin's face when he learned of the unintended message he had sent to Marigold.
"Still, love should not involve this many tears," Marigold sniffed, dabbing at her eyes in order to stem any more unwanted moisture from leaking out. "It should be beautiful and easy…shouldn't it?"
"Oh you silly little hobbit," Bergie said with a shake of her head. "Have you not read any of the stories written about the great romances from the past? Why do you think their tales were worth writing down? Because they all had insurmountable obstacles to overcome, and yet through it all they persevered and held true to their heart's desires. In the end, and often through a river of tears, they came out victorious and lived happily ever after. You and Thorin stand just as great a chance for such bliss…if only you would have faith in your feelings and stay the course. You will see."
"I hope you are right, Auntie," she said, snuggling down into the pillows on the sofa. "Because…I really do think I like him a lot. And I hope he feels the same for me." And with that one happy thought, she let her eyes drift closed, giving way to some much needed sleep.
"I'm certain he does," Bergie whispered, reaching over to pull a light blanket over the sleeping lass, before tiptoeing towards the door to leave. "Rest up, my dear…for if I am any judge of dwarf character, I will wager that you have a very big day ahead of you."
.
.
Promptly at nine bells, Dis sent Thorin's improved letter, along with a bouquet of purple hyacinths and orange blossoms to Marigold's chambers – on Bilbo's recommendation of course. Granted, it had required that Dwalin be sent to Dale to fetch the needed flowers before dawn, rousting the poor shopkeeper out of bed in order to procure them in time. But since the old warrior's new bride had been otherwise occupied, he had no legitimate excuse not to go…nor would Dis have accepted any.
The little hobbit was overjoyed at seeing those specific blossoms, instantly knowing exactly what message they were meant to convey. The letter however, was what truly set her mind at ease, and soothed her troubled heart like a healing balm. She read it over multiple times, his words bringing a smile to her face, and even a tear to her eye.
"He does care," she whispered, hugging the letter to her chest as she shut her eyes in joy. "It was all just a misunderstanding." She quickly sat down and wrote a note in response, hailing a passing page in order to see that it was delivered promptly.
.
.
So it was that Thorin, upon leaving his chambers, was presented with an invitation from Marigold to join her for breakfast - in the main hall of course, where it was fitting and proper for a courting couple to be seen. This caused Thorin to lean against his chamber door with a sigh of grateful relief…Marigold had forgiven him! He had not messed everything up with his blundering ways after all. With a surge of renewed vigor, the king headed directly towards the hobbit lass' chambers, determined to escort her to the dining hall personally.
Yet at the look of shock and dismay on Marigold's face when she opened the door, Thorin suddenly feared that he had somehow overstepped once again. Was coming to escort her not permitted in hobbit courtship? Or perhaps he should have thought to bring along a chaperone…or more flowers…or jewels?
"Forgive me, have I done something wrong…again?" he asked, fully prepared to fall to his knees and beg forgiveness if needs be.
"No…not at all," she quickly assured him, still looking a bit alarmed. "It is just that…well, I'm…I'm not ready yet."
"Oh, I see," he nodded with a sigh of relief, though thinking that she looked perfectly wonderful to him. "I shall remain here and wait for you. Please, take your time."
"No, that is foolish," she insisted, opening the door further and stepping aside. "Please, come in. You can wait in the parlor while I finish with my hair. There is nothing improper about that."
Thorin only hesitated a moment before accepting her offer, entering and sitting down in the first chair he saw, wondering if he looked as stiff and uncomfortable as he felt. Why was this so hard? He wanted to appear at ease and impress her with some witty banter, but all he could do was swallow nervously and try his best not to stare openly at her lovely form. Oh, but how he wanted to.
"I will only be a few minutes," she promised as she disappeared back into her private room.
This left Thorin alone, and while he did not relax, he did allow his eyes to wander around, taking in each detail with great interest. There were plenty of books on tables and shelves, but from the titles he could see, they appeared to be mostly about agriculture. There were scarce few knick-knacks, for Marigold had not been in residence long enough to acquire any, and he was certain that with limited space, she had not brought many on her journey. He did take note of a prominently displayed bouquet of flowers on the table, ones he quickly deduced Dis had most likely sent along with his letter of apology. He could not recall what those particular blossoms meant, and was not even sure what type they were, but he could only assume they spoke of his regret.
Something that did catch his interest however, was a piece of parchment rolled up on the table beside them. He didn't wish to invade her privacy, but he was almost certain it was his letter, and since he had penned the missive himself, he didn't think Marigold would mind if he took a peek. He hoped she had received it well, having been satisfied by his words. And since he was here now, at her request…he had to assume it had.
Yet as he unrolled the parchment, he was perplexed to find words that were not his own…though penned in what appeared to be his hand. This was not the letter he had written! His note had been concise and to the point, not this flowery drivel that rattled on and twisted his meaning into something rather sappy. His eyes narrowed in anger as he imagined his sister behind all this.
"I loved it, by the way," Marigold spoke from behind him, causing him to spin around and hide the parchment behind his back, much like a child caught snitching sweets. "There is no need to be embarrassed about it," she giggled, noting his look of embarrassment. "I was deeply touched by your words, especially your offer to be more keenly aware of any cultural differences that might be of importance to our future happiness," she assured him, quoting the final line of the letter almost word for word.
"You…you liked the…my letter?" he asked, bringing it forward and scanning the contents once more, his anger towards Dis slowly melting away.
"I loved your letter," she corrected, walking up and taking it from him with a shy smile. "Bergie tried to convince me last night that you had intended no offence," she continued.
"I didn't…I swear," he broke in. "I had no idea that flowers held hidden meaning, and I had simply chosen them because they were your namesake."
"I know that now…after reading your heartfelt words," she was quick to assure him. Marigold then looked down at her feet repentantly. "And I am sorry for being so quick to assume the worst. The only excuse I have is that I am dealing with a jumble of emotions…and I feel completely out of my element. I do promise to not jump to any such conclusions again, and keep in mind that we are from different cultures. What something might mean to you, could have a completely different meaning to me. I will be sure to ask next time, and not just assume."
"And I will do the same," Thorin swore, his hands itching to reach out and touch the soft skin of her cheeks, yet he respectfully kept them at his side. "While I am reluctnt to share the details of our courtship with others, I have received the kind offer of assistance from both Bilbo and your Aunt Bergamot in understanding where I might go astray when it comes to hobbit customs."
"That is very nice of them," Marigold smiled. "I received the same offer from the Lady Dis."
"My sister thinks very highly of you," he informed her, watching as the news made her smile even more. Yet, when she turned her eyes back to him, he could see a measure of doubt lurking there.
"And…and you truly do wish to court me, Thorin?" she asked. "You do not feel that doing so is a ridiculous waste of your time?"
"Allow me to apologize again for all my rash words from yesterday," Thorin began, feeling rather ashamed over what he had said. "Please know, I very much wish to court you, my dear," he assured her, his tone leaving no room for question. "I have known from the moment you set foot in Erebor that you were special…though I fear I was foolish enough to try and deny my growing feelings. Yet now I am certain, you are my one." It then occurred to him that he might need to explain himself further. "You see, when a dwarf finds their one, it means…" he began.
"I have since been informed what finding your one means to your race," she shyly admitted, not daring to look him in the eye. "And I am very…flattered that you see me as such." Here she looked up at him with pleading eyes. "But hobbits are not made that way, Thorin. We do not experience this surety of thought, this undeniable clarity like you…we are different. That is why hobbits court one another, to find out if we are compatible and best suited for such a monumental step, like marriage."
"I understand," he nodded, sounding a bit saddened by this, yet still determined to follow through. "I promise to take this into consideration and restrain my dwarfish instincts. Yet, perhaps with everyone's assistance, we both might be brave enough to pursue this…relationship?" Here Thorin's right eyebrow came up slightly, and a rather sinful half smile spread across his lips. "Preferably to its forgone conclusion?"
Mari knew he was alluding to matrimony, and even though she could not help her heart from fluttering just a bit as she stared up at him, she knew she must be strong.
"Slowly," she insisted, holding up her hand in a halting gesture. "I still need time, Thorin. Time to think things over and set my mind at ease. Will you give me that?"
Reaching out and taking her hand in his, he rubbed his thumb over the back of her knuckles for a moment, still enthralled with her delicate fingers. He then leaned forward and gently kissed the back of it, never taking his smoldering blue eyes off of her face. "You may have all the time you need, my dear. I assure you, my desires will not change."
"Oh…" was all she could think to say, for Thorin had effectively stolen her ability to think…and almost to stand as well. "Sh-shall we go to breakfast?"
"It would be an honor to escort you, my lady," he nodded, tucking her trembling hand in the crook of his arm as he led her to the door.
.
.
Breakfast had been a delight, and even though he noticed they received a few questioning looks, no one dared say anything negative about Marigold dining at the royal table with the king…alone. Or at least no one dared speak any objections aloud, but Thorin knew they would come - he only hoped they would not arrive in large quantities. Still, such negative thoughts had been few, and Thorin had been easily distracted by Marigold's smile and stimulating conversation. They talked of many things, but he was most impressed by her ideas on the planting project. He had been kept up to date on things by Balin, but to hear them straight from Marigold's mouth, well, things really began to take shape in his mind.
By the time they parted, him wishing to seek out his sister for a little chat, and Marigold heading off to find Bergie and check on the renovation of the storage facilities, they were both flushed with joy and excitement. Meeting again for lunch would have been quite impossible with Thorin's schedule, so they made plans for dinner that evening. Much to the king's pleasure, Marigold agreed, giving his hand a little squeeze before hurrying off.
"Yes…" Thorin muttered to himself as he watched her go. "This is how things are supposed to go."
"Supposed to go where?" Dwalin asked, having walked up beside him without his notice. Thorin all but jumped at his words, collecting himself quickly though as he glared at his kinsman.
"To work, you worthless old badger," Thorin huffed, upset about being caught in his reverie. "You have been neglecting your duties far too long, there are dwarrow to train, weapons to tend to, and an army to whip into shape. So get to it."
"And here we thought you would be less cantankerous once you and Marigold worked things out," Dwalin muttered sourly, though he could not completely hide the little upturn of his lips at the corners. Deep down he was extremely pleased to see his cousin back to his usual self…irritable and cranky.
.
.
"Dis!" Thorin bellowed, walking into her private meeting chambers later that day. "I have a few choice words to share with you."
"So what else is new?" she asked, not fazed at all by his gruff greeting.
"Did you, or did you not, completely rewrite my apology letter to Marigold?" he asked pointedly.
"I did not," she stated, crossing her arms over her chest with a smug smile. When she saw his confused look, she added, "Fili and Kili did. With some help from Sier and Ori."
"Fili and Kili?" This surprised Thorin to no end. "How on earth did they find out…and why would they do such a thing?"
"They found out when I told them," Dis responded. "Or at least I told Kili, Fili figured it out all on his own. And they did it because I asked them to." She gave him a sympathetic look. "Thorin, I am sorry to say that while your letter was full of information and facts, there was no…romance in it. None. You are a wonderful king, and your ability to write a diplomatic letter is legendary, but when it comes to writing to a lass…you are utterly hopeless. So, seeing as how Fili is newly married, and Kili…well, he is an adorably big flirt, I figured that they were the perfect pair to spice it up a bit. And from the scuttle I heard coming from the dining area this morning…it must have worked."
Thorin stared at his sister for a moment before he gave a heavy sigh of defeat. "I am reluctant to admit it…but yes, the letter worked." He then shot Dis a stern glare. "Which is not to say that my original note would not have netted the same results, had it actually been delivered. But I will say that Marigold seemed very pleased by a few of their revisions."
"I am glad you feel that way," she smiled, walking over and engulfing her brother in a warm embrace. "You and I are all that is left of our original family, Thorin. I love you dearly, and only want to see you happy."
"As I do you, dearest of sisters," he assured her, placing a kiss on her forehead.
"So you won't argue or fuss if I keep meddling in your love life?" Dis asked hopefully. "Just a little?"
"To a point," he warned. "I do not wish to look back and wonder if Marigold might not have accepted me at all, if it had not been for you and my nephews painting me out to be something I am not. I desire her to choose me on my own merit, flaws and all."
"At least you are willing to admit you have some," Dis laughed. "And I promise to only enhance what I know is already there, hiding beneath that tough-as-leather exterior you choose to display. It is up to Marigold to dig deep and discover what lies within. Those are the qualities that are certain to win her heart."
"I hope you are right," Thorin sighed. "I certainly hope you are right."
.
.
"Thorin is in love?" Nori asked for the third time, still unsure he had heard his little brother correctly. "Thorin Oakenshield…the king?"
"I saw the written proof with my own two eyes," Ori chuckled, having thoroughly enjoyed the looks of shock on Nori and Dori's faces when he told them where he had been all night. "I do have to say, this at least explains Thorin's quick temper over the past few weeks. He has apparently found his one and desires to marry her, but she is insisting that they take things slow and that he court her proper."
"Oh, this should be vastly entertaining!" Nori stated, clutching his side as he nearly doubled over in laughter.
"Now you stop that," Dori ordered, giving his wily brother a scolding look. "He is our kin, and our friend, not to mention our king. Show some respect."
"Oh, respect is the first thing that goes out the window when you are in love," Nori joked, doing his best to sober.
"Oh, and how would you know that, brother dear?" Ori asked, his usually innocent eyes full of mischief. "Have you been seeing someone on the sly, not daring to bring her home to meet your beloved family?"
"Not on your life! No dam is going to hog tie me, or drag me to the altar," he insisted, now completely serious. "And if I ever were mad enough to ever give a dam a second look, you can be sure that I would never in a million years dream of inflicting the two of you on such an innocent lass. Dori would smother her with his mothering ways, and you would drive her insane with your childish questions!"
If he had expected his two brothers to be offended by his words, he was sadly mistaken, for both of them only grinned wider. Yet it was Dori who spoke up, not chatty little Ori.
"Oh, if any lass was considering taking you for a husband, she would already have to be touched in the head!" Dori teased, tossing a damp rag at Nori's head. "But since you don't have a wife, what say you take that and clean up the lunch dishes yourself? For I am far too busy mothering to do it, and Ori would only bother you with too many childish questions if he were to help. So it looks like you are on your own."
As the two walked off laughing, leaving Nori grumbling over a sink full of dishes, one would think that the middle brother's feelings had truly been hurt. But within a minute, both Dori and Ori could hear a happy tune being whistled in the kitchen, accompanied by the splish-splash of dirty plates and cups being washed in soapy water.
Yes, all was well in their happy, though often dysfunctional, family.
Awwwww, looks like Marigold and Thorin made up! And they had breakfast together! And no one died!
I think under all the bluster, Thorin is very happy to have his sister on his side and all his kin in his corner helping him along. But he would never admit it.
Did you like my little Nori, Dori and Ori bit? I do try and give all our dwarves a bit of face time. ha ha.
More on Monday - but did you notice I left you on a very good note? No cliffie. Yep, I am just nice that way.
Guest Reviews:
Guest: I agree...although technically, it was not a LOVE letter, just an apology letter. I am sure Thorin would suck at those too, though. And yep, it is the thought that counts. ha ha.
Guest: What are families for, if not to pull your fat out of the fire? ha ha. As for what Marigold said...was it what you thought she might?
Aranel Mereneth: Thorin needed to check a book out of the library on how to write to dams. I mean if you type in love letters into Google, you can see a zillion examples...why did he not think of that? Thorin will start to SEEM a bit smarter as the chapters go on, though he is still going to rely on his helpers to make sure he does not slip back into dumb-dom. More Fili, Sier and Flinn moments on the horizon.