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All right...how about we see if our newlyweds are ready to emerge from their honeymoon suite. ha ha.
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Chapter 86
~X~
"More, my love?" Thorin asked, having already fed Marigold half a dozen of the small honey glazed treats.
"Mmmm, perhaps just one more," she hummed in pleasure, opening her mouth for another bite. They had spent a full week locked away in the royal chambers getting to know each other…intimately. "Then I swear I may never eat again."
"Oh, I hardly believe that," Thorin laughed, plopping one last morsel into her mouth, then taking one for himself. Bombur truly had outdone himself with the small honey cakes. "Especially since you will need to keep your strength up for the sake of our child."
"Now stop!" Marigold giggled, swatting his arm playfully. "We do not know that we have created a child just yet."
"True," Thorin nodded, still grinning wickedly. "Yet if we didn't, it's certainly not from lack of trying."
"Thorin! You need to stop saying things like that," she blushed. "I am already embarrassed enough just thinking about facing my parents and the others again after being locked away in here for so long. I can only imagine what they think we are doing in here."
"We are doing exactly what we are supposed to be doing, Marigold," Thorin said, throwing his head back with laughter. "Why on earth should you feel embarrassed?"
"Well…they're my parents!" she hissed.
"Exactly, and if they had not also done what we have been doing, then you and your brother would not be here today," he pointed out. "No one is going to look at you funny or judge you, my sweet. Least of all your parents. Do you think that your brother, Saradoc, was afraid to face your parents after his and Esmerelda's wedding night?"
"Knowing Saradoc, he probably strutted around like a proud peacock for days," Marigold laughed. "And I know you are right, I have nothing to be ashamed about. Just please don't say anything suggestive in front of my mother…or my father!"
"I assure you that I am not burdened with a death wish," Thorin agreed, a touch of fear in his eyes at the mere idea of offending Marigold's father. "I will be the epitome of discretion around them, I promise."
"Thank you," she grinned. "Now…how about just one more of those little honey cakes, and then I think we will both need a bath. They have made us very sticky."
"I am all for that," Thorin grinned, liking the idea a great deal. "Hmmmm, maybe that was the reason Bombur sent them to us?" he mused, slipping the last morsel between her parted lips. For as unassuming and quiet as his friend could be at times, the ginger bearded dwarf did have three children. He apparently had a few secrets up his sleeve.
"See, things like that are what you will have to be careful about saying in front of my parents!" Marigold huffed in irritation. Yet her ire turned to squeals of laughter as Thorin scooped her up in his arms and carried her towards the washroom.
"If a bath is what my wife desires, a bath is what she shall get," he promised, the grin on his face never faltering.
"Will you scrub my back too?" she teased, reaching up to stroke his short beard.
"Your back, your front, and even your adorable little feet if you ask nicely," he assured her.
"Careful, I thought it was only Dwalin who had a foot fetish," Marigold giggled.
"Oh, no, my little jewel, I love everything about you," he told her, his tone turning serious. "Every inch in fact. And I will forever cherish the past seven days I have spent getting to know you better."
"As will I," she nodded. "I am just sorry that it has to end."
"Our time alone might be coming to a conclusion, but our love never shall," he assured her. "I promise that we will always find time for just the two of us. That we will spend endless nights in each other's embrace, and I will never let you out of my arms or my thoughts."
"I will hold you to that, my king," she grinned. "Now…about that bath?"
"Your wish is my command, my queen," Thorin assured her.
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And so it was, on the eighth day, the king and new queen of Erebor emerged from their seclusion. As they walked, hand in hand down the corridor, they had not gotten far before they were descended upon by friends, family, and other officials, all requiring an audience with the long absent king. As Thorin and Marigold were pulled in different directions, they gave each other a slight shrug and a wistful look, before turning and giving their full attention to their subjects.
Marigold was taken to Dis' chambers, where the monthly meeting of the dams was being held…quite conveniently. Everyone was thrilled to see the new bride out and about, and looking so vibrant. Menegilda pulled her daughter into a warm embrace and then ushered her into the seat next to her own, giving her hand an encouraging squeeze. Everyone else greeted her warmly as well, though they oddly appeared to be more interested in the tray of biscuits than making the usual small talk. After several more minutes of no one doing anything but complimenting the tea and edibles, Ilin finally had had enough.
"What's wrong with everyone?" she asked, setting her cup down with a huff. "Just because our friend here married the king, suddenly we all clam up? Since when is talking about anyone's love life off limits?"
"But…it's Thorin!" Dena hissed, her eyes darting from Marigold to Dis and back to her friend.
"So what!" Ilin said with a roll of her eyes. "Are you saying just because he is our king that we can't think him handsome, or that Marigold is one lucky hobbit to have snagged him?"
"We can think it all we want," Dena argued. "But dare we say it out loud?"
"Why not? I will," Marigold spoke up, shocking everyone in the room…most of all herself. When everyone turned and looked at her, she blushed and stammered a bit. "I mean…well, Thorin is a very handsome dwarf, and I will be the first to admit that I consider myself the luckiest hobbit this side of the Misty Mountains."
"Hey! Speak for yourself," came Bergie's protest, followed quickly behind by Prim, Esme and Menegilda.
"Now, this is more like it," Ilin beamed, rubbing her hands together and leaning in conspiratorially. "So, tell us, Mari…is Thorin as magnificent horizontal as he is standing up?"
"Ilin!" Dis gasped, turning red at the idea of such a question about her brother.
"Hey, I told everyone about what Bombur and I did under the kitchen table!" she huffed. "And what are these tea parties for, if not to find out what is on the minds of our fellow dams? Can I help it if that is what my mind wants to know?"
"But he's…my brother!" Dis said with a visible shudder.
At this point things could have gone sour, but instead, Marigold began to laugh heartily, apparently all of her embarrassment and timidity having flown out the window.
"Now, ladies, I am not willing to divulge any personal details, so as not to embarrass myself or Thorin…as well as spare the ears of my sister-in-law," Marigold told them, looking at the expectant faces around her. "But I will say this…no one can argue the point that Thorin sits on the throne of Erebor for a very good reason. He truly is king…in all ways."
This revelation got both Ilin and Dena squealing with glee, while the hobbits, Menegilda included, all began to laugh hysterically. Dis and Sier were the only two who seemed a bit embarrassed to have heard such things, but even they had happy smiles on their faces.
"Well…" Dis said at last, clearing her throat and trying to regain her composure. "I'm just glad to hear that you are happy, Marigold. Perhaps my brother is not such a dunderhead when it comes to love after all."
"That he is not," Marigold agreed, trying to hide her wide grin behind her teacup. She, however, was fooling no one, and soon all the stiffness had left the room and they were back to talking and laughing like old times.
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Thorin was not faring much better, for after he had signed over a dozen documents, and heard from an equal number of council members, he was at last left alone with Dwalin and Balin…both eyeing him expectantly. Finally, after several minutes of trying to ignore their quizzical stares, he laid down his quill and glared at them.
"What?" he growled, already missing the arms of his wife, and wishing for nothing more than the chance to escape back to his chambers…and her.
"Are you not going to say anything, laddie?" Balin asked, looking almost hurt that they had to even ask.
"About what?" Thorin shot back, narrowing his eyes at them.
"Oh, come on now, Thorin," Dwalin chuckled, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. "You know good and well what we want to hear, so you might as well just give in and throw us a bone."
Yet before he could say a word, good or ill, the door opened and two heads poked inside. Bofur and Nori's grinning faces eyed the occupants of the room before they rushed in, both looking like the fox that stole the prize goose.
"Has he said anything about the honeymoon yet?" Bofur asked.
"Have we missed anything?" Nori added, glancing between Dwalin and Balin expectantly.
"I have said nothing, nor do I intend to," Thorin told everyone, still looking irritated at their persistence.
Nori opened his mouth to protest, yet just then the door opened again and three more dwarves hurried inside, this time Ori, Dori and Bifur. They all came hustling up, standing there expectantly, as if they were waiting for a story.
"No!" Thorin roared, before any questions could be asked. "I am not going to tell you what happened! It is private!"
This caused looks of disappointment on all the dwarve's faces, but before anything more could be said, there came a knock at the door.
"For the love of Durin's beard, just come in!" Thorin shouted, figuring it was the last of the company…and he was right. In came Fili, Kili, Gloin and Bombur, all looking rather confused by their king's irritated mood.
"And I assume that you too are here to ask me to regale you with tales of my honeymoon as well?" he demanded, shooting the last four a withering glare.
"Mahal, no!" Kili gasped, taking a step back and covering his ears in horror. "Why on earth would we want to know that?" The idea of knowing what his brother had done with his wife was bad enough, but to imagine his uncle in a compromising position…well, that was far too much!
"We only came to have you look over a few documents, Uncle," Fili explained, holding up the papers in his hand. "But it would appear that we have stumbled onto another kind of meeting completely."
"Indeed," Thorin huffed. "These ninnies here are all demanding that I divulge the details of my honeymoon. Yet I refuse to kiss and tell!"
"Ahhh, so there was kissing," Bofur laughed, elbowing Nori in the side suggestively.
"Now lads," Gloin broke in, giving all a scolding look. "What Thorin and Marigold did in the privacy of their chambers should remain just that…private! You know that our dams are not to be spoken of in regards to such intimate affairs…it is unseemly and disrespectful. You would certainly never hear one of them talking this way, would you? Shame on you all for your ill manners!"
"That's right," Bombur nodded solemnly. "Our women folk are precious gems, delicate flowers, to be treasured and held in high esteem. Just think how scandalized they would be if they knew you were asking about such things behind their backs!"
Everyone appeared justifiably chastised, all of them hanging their heads in shame…except for Dwalin, who continued to smirk.
"Now, if you are all done embarrassing yourselves, how about you get back to work and leave me to mine?" Thorin ordered, pointing at the door. Most complied, filing out the door with Gloin and Bombur ushering them out, still shaking their heads in disgust. Only Fili, Kili, Balin and Dwalin stayed behind, still having legitimate business to attend to.
"You know, Thorin," Dwalin spoke up after the room had cleared. "Marigold is at one of Dis' tea parties at this very moment. And you know what goes on at those gatherings, don't you?"
"They have tea and discuss matters that are of concern to the families of the mountain," Thorin said, having heard this explanation many times from his mother and grandmother in the past.
Fili gave a snort and tried to hide his smile behind the parchments he was holding.
"From what I have heard, from my Bergie, those tea parties are nothing more than a reason for the dams to all get together and gossip about everything they can think of," Dwalin laughed, enjoying the look of shock that came over Thorin's face. "And I am willing to bet that right now the only thing they are thinking about is grilling Marigold on just what kind of lover you are."
"NO!" Thorin barked, finding that extremely difficult to believe.
"Umm…" Fili spoke up, looking a bit sheepish. "Actually…Dwalin is probably more right than not. According to Sier, Ilin and Dena questioned her on my…er…performance as well."
"Ewwww!" Kili grimaced, really wishing he had left the room with the others now.
"Marigold wouldn't!" Thorin stated firmly. "I mean, she couldn't possibly…could she?"
"All I am saying is that dams talk," Dwalin shrugged. "Thankfully, Bergie tells me that I always come off right well whenever she chooses to divulge anything." He seemed rather proud of that.
"I…I think I would as well," Thorin added, looking nervous but hopeful. "I mean…Marigold did say that I was rather magnificent."
"Ah ha!" Balin said with a clap of his hands. "I knew we would worm it out of you yet, laddie." At this he gave a laugh of glee, looking rather smug. "Magnificent you say…well, now, that is quite high praise for your first go around."
Thorin sat there looking at the faces in front of him. Some on the verge of laughter, others looking smug, while one just looked sick to his stomach. He had played right into their hands and divulged exactly what they had wanted in the first place.
"So all that stuff about Dis' tea parties being female bull sessions was just a ruse?" he demanded, leaning forward with a look of betrayal.
"Oh, no, that was all true," Dwalin insisted, backed up by Fili's confirming nod. "But it still got us what we wanted to know."
"Remind me to throw you in the dungeons again the very next chance I get," Thorin growled. "All of you!"
"Why me?" Kili asked, looking appalled. "I never asked anything…and I can promise I don't want to know either!"
"Fine, you are off the hook," he nodded, making Kili grin like a loon. "But the rest of you," Thorin warned, pointing his finger at the remaining three and giving them his most threatening glare, "I would suggest you all sleep with one eye open."
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Much had been done under Saradoc's direction in the week that had passed and Marigold was anxious to hear how the harvesting of the first crop had gone. Though, now with her duties as queen, she was only too happy to allow her brother to continue overseeing the project, so that she could get a firm foothold on her new role. Dis and Sier were true to their word and helped guide her during the first few weeks. Yet soon, Marigold was handling many things on her own, her good hobbit sense and love for Erebor's people putting everyone at ease. From the way she tended to her duties and interacted with the mountain's subjects, it was easy to see that their new queen was genuinely interested in the welfare of others, earning their respect and winning their love at every turn. Thorin could not have been more proud or pleased, and on many occasions he was informed that he had made a very fine choice in mates. Not that he didn't know that already.
Bergie had been overjoyed to finally have something to start preserving, ordering around both men and dwarves alike as she instructed them on the best way to store things. Dwalin had been watching her carefully, making sure his very pregnant wife did not overtax herself, yet there seemed to be no stopping her.
Both she and Sier went to see Oin for regular check-ups, making certain that the greatly anticipated bairns were in the best of health. So far, the elderly physician had pronounced the dam and hobbit in tip-top shape, though even he could still not pinpoint the exact time of Bergie's due date.
"We will just all be surprised when our little one decides to make its appearance," she told Dwalin when he seemed unsatisfied with the prognosis. "Don't you like surprises, my darling?"
"Some, but not all," he huffed, recalling the last one that had been sprung on him, landing him in the dungeons. "I just like being prepared is all, and not knowing when our child intends to arrive is very disconcerting."
"I know, but there is nothing we can do but wait," she soothed, reaching up to stroke his bushy sideburns lovingly. "In the meantime, we have plenty to keep our minds occupied, so try not to dwell on it. All right?"
"And here I thought it was I who was supposed to be the one calming you down," he chuckled, loving it when she touched him…anywhere.
"Oh, you will be doing just that when I am in the grips of labor pains, my valiant husband, trust me!" she laughed. "I will need you right there holding my hand every moment."
"Holding your hand?" Dwalin repeated, sounding shocked. "You…you expect me to be in the room when you give birth?"
"Of course I do," she stated, sounding surprised that he would even ask. "Why…do you not wish to be?"
"By rule, dwarf men are barred from the birthing rooms," he explained. "We wait outside and only come in once the deed is done."
"What kind of nonsense is that?" Bergie all but barked out. "You were an equal participant when this child was created, and I fully expect you to be a part of its birth as well."
"I don't know if the healers will let me," he continued to protest, not at all sure he could stand to see his beloved in such pain.
"I don't give a flying fig what they say!" Now the hobbit lass was angry. "You will be in the room with me, Dwalin, and if you can't find a way to convince everyone of this, then I will…just refuse to give birth!"
"You can't do that," he protested, the ridiculousness of her words making him smile.
"Oh, no?" she challenged. "Just you watch me! Either you are there when this baby comes out, or it will simply have to stay in. And that is final."
"Fine," he grinned, always loving her feisty ways. "I will do as you ask. Even if I have to battle my way past a dozen healers with drawn swords, I promise to be in the birthing room with you."
"All right then," she nodded triumphantly. "I am glad we have that settled."
Yes, it was settled, but Dwalin still had to convince everyone else involved to allow it. Not to mention he was still a bit uneasy about the whole thing. Maybe he would talk to Dis, she would know how best to handle such a delicate situation.
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And so the days passed, with much laughter, love and busy hands as more of the produce began to ripen, and everyone was needed to harvest the bounty. Just as they had predicted, it was a bumper crop, with plenty for all to share. The wheat, barley and oats were cut, winnowed, and stored in sacks until ready for use.
Next came the ground and vine vegetables, followed by potatoes and all the root variety, each one finding its place into the storage rooms that the dwarves had worked very hard to renovate to the hobbit's specifications. Many items were pickled, salted, canned, or stored in large clay pots sealed with beeswax to keep them fresh. While other goods were dried and placed in cold storage with good ventilation. They would still need to rely on the hunters all winter to supply most of the meat, but Bergie even showed the dwarves more efficient ways to smoke, brine, and cure game for later use.
When the fields of corn began to ripen, most of it was eaten right away, inspiring big feasts in Dale, Esgaroth and Erebor, where everyone enjoyed a meal of delicious corn on the cob. The rest was shucked and dried before the kernels were shelled and either ground into meal or stored whole. They even put the cobs to good use, allotting equal portions for grinding up as bedding for the pony's stalls or soaking them in flammable oils to be used as fire starters. A few of the nicer ones were salvaged and turned into corn-cob pipes by the hobbits, claiming that Old Toby tasted the best when smoked in one of those. Fili and Kili insisted on checking out this theory for themselves!
In the end, Bergie had wonderful ideas on how to use just about every part of the harvest, leaving nothing to go to waste.
And so the busy summer months began to wane, giving way to fall…and sadly, the imminent departure of the hobbits from Erebor.
Yep, it had to happen sometime. Time to bid farewell to our Shire friends.
So, was Thorin and Marigold being grilled funny?
Poor Thorin, he is so deluded about what dams really talk about. ha ha.
Looks like Kili is the only one not on Thorin's short list today!
And Dwalin better brush up on his Lamaze coaching...Bergie is going to expect him to be of some help in there.
Guest Reviews:
Emrfangirl: so glad you enjoyed the prank on the twins. I always have fun with Flinn and Frodo. And thanks for getting the humor behind the name of the pig...Billie. ha ha. Couldn't think of a better one! Yep, black market bacon is rather hard to come by in the Iron Hills, but I know this one dealer who works out of the back room of a tailor shop...he has some nice slabs of the stuff really cheap. ha ha. As for the woodland men...I have no idea. I didn't even know there were these people until I was reading about Beorn. ha ha.
abc: Really, I was more like Kili...too sleepy one night to dream up anything more elaborate, so I went with the 'do nothing' idea...and it worked very well. ha ha. If Thorin is smart, he will make Flinn his ambassador the moment that kid comes of age, his rule would go much smoother. ha ha. Dis is indeed a more than worthy opponent for Thorin. And Dain looks so much like a tusked pig that I can't see him eating one...it would be cannibalism. ha ha. I might never really even touch on Beorn's marital status...but if I do, I wanted to know where he got his wife. I think I agree with you...human woman.
Mjean: No worries, I appreciate everyone's opinions, even if they differ from mine. ha ha. Or my husbands. But yes, I must keep him happy above all else, and he wants Kili to have Tauriel. He even bought me the two little action figures of them and there they stand on the shelf...hand in hand. ha ha. Yes, he got me Fili and Thorin too. As for Beorn...I wish Tolkien would have elaborated on him more...but I might not even go into his story, other than just a cursory mention. Thanks for the info.
Feu d'Argent: As for clarification about Kili and Tauriel, that will be taken care of in an upcoming chapter. But basically, Kili did not get shot with the morgal arrow, so the last time he saw the red haired captain was in the dungeons before he escaped in the barrels. And since he didn't get shot, she did not need to chase after him to heal him, and they did not meet in Laketown. Again, more will be said in just a few more chapters. I am glad you enjoy the Fili and Sier bits...they are still my favorite couple. Oh yes, Fili is the brains behind the operation, for sure, but Kili is the one with all the energy. Flinn will learn at the feet of the masters for sure.