Bralyan woke two days later with pale light filtering into the room through the curtains. Her lungs felt like they were on fire and nothing would come into focus, but at least her back was not hurting as much as it had been. Her eyes closed and Bralyan fell back into the blissful darkness where there was no pain or anything.
Meanwhile, Merry was pacing the kitchen floor. With every step he glowered at Pippin. "You could have been killed! Why did you just go off on your own without any word to anyone? How would that have looked to everyone in Tuckborough? You are their ruler, Peregrin, you have a duty not to go out into danger, at least not without telling someone," Merry whispered. His voice cracked and Merry had to swallow hard so that he could speak properly. His mind kept going to the thought that Pippin could have died and Meriadoc did not like to think about it. "Why did you bring her here? Why didn't you take her to her parents? It is not your duty to care for her. Tuckborough will be talking," Merry said. He peered down at his cousin. "Do you love her? You do, Pip. I can see it." Merry closed his eyes wearily. "You can' love her. You are getting married in jus' five days. As soon as she is well, you must forget her. I know that is harsh, but I am trying to save you from heartbreak. You are marrying Ms. Longcleeve, not Bralyan. I'm sorry." Merry patted Pippin on the head. "I best be goin' off. Think about what I said." Waving slightly, Meriadoc left the home.
Pippin stayed mostly silent through their conversation. Well, more like his lecture. Pippin wanted to deny the fact that he loved Bralyan – he wanted to deny it very badly, but he couldn't. Perhaps, his mind eventually could, though his heart never would. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He knew Merry was right. He always was. Pippin also knew Merry wasn't mad at him. He was just worried to death. But honestly, give a poor hobbit a rest! The more the hobbit thought about the situation, the more his headache grew. Pippin decided it would be wise to stop thinking about it and just leave the thinking till his headache wore off. Like tomorrow or the day after that.
Standing up from his chair, Pippin stretched his tired and sore, but recovering body. He grunted. The battle with the orcs had left him with many bruises and more cuts than he could count. Though he is on the recovery now, his body is still complaining on his sudden movements and ones that strain him too much. Pippin blinked and blinked again. Then opened his mouth in a huge yawn. Valar, he was tired. But before he could turn in for bed, he still had one more thing to do. Check up on Bralyan.
With determined steps, though quietly as to not wake Bralyan, he walked to the room where she slept. Pippin muttered a curse as he bumped into a table corner. Focus, Pip, focus! Finally, he made it to Bralyan's temporary room in one whole piece. Though how he did it, was beyond him. His head was starting to go fuzzy with sleep and memories just did not seem to be such an important thing for the moment being. Walking through the door, his eyes fell on the sleeping hobbit. Bralyan was sleeping soundlessly and with the last rays of sunshine still falling on her face; it made her look like an angel. Pippin smiled. He didn't care if this was his sleep fuzzed mind talking, or his heart, he just knew that at that moment, he was content just to watch this beautiful image. Silently, he crept closer and stopped by her bed. Carefully, so he wouldn't startle her from her sleep, he tucked the blankets around her tighter and stood back up with a big grin. "Good night, Bralyan," Pippin mouthed soundlessly and he slipped back out of the room. Valar, he really needed his sleep, now!
Bralyan woke suddenly. The sun had long set and now the beams of the full moon filtered through. Her eyes looked around in panic. She felt as if her lungs were exploding. Silent coughs wracked her body and she was drenched in a feverish sweat. As soon as the coughing had stopped, she weakly got out of the bed and walked silently down the hall and to Pippins room. She pushed the door open and started in. She stopped as a wave of dizziness hit her because she was so weak and ill and Bralyan blacked out. She landed on the wood floor with a small thud. Her face was ghostly pale and very clammy.
As the days passed, her condition did not worsen nor did it improve. For nearly four days, Bralyan came in and out of consciousness and her high fever. By the night of the fourth day they had been home – six days after becoming ill – she was well, except weak, and had returned home. The hobbit lass had made up her mind and when everyone had fallen to sleep, except for her mother, she packed bag and left Tuckborough. She only stopped for just a moment and that was to look at Peregrin's home. A single tear trickled down her cheek as she turned and fled.
The next morning, Bralyan's mother was at the stall. She was selling her wares and wondering about her daughter. The town was still a mess, but the shopping centre was back in business. As a customer left, she saw someone she had been expecting – Peregrin Took, Thain.
Pippin was very nervous the closer he got to the store of Bralyan's parents. On one hand, he was reluctant to go, for he did not want to accept the fact that Bralyan had perhaps left him, lied to him or what ever the scary truth was behind her disappearance. On the other hand, this 'not knowing' was killing him and he knew he just had to go find out the truth. So drawing a deep breath, he continued determinedly his stroll towards the stall. He saw a kind looking woman out there and after a few more steps, bringing him closer to her, he could also see the resemblances between her and Bralyan.
Pippin cleared his throat and his fingers were twitching nervously in his pocket. "Eh, excuse me ma'am. Are you, perhaps Bralyan's mother? My name is Peregrin Took, I'm a friend of hers."
Robin Pickthorn, mother of Bralyan, looked up as the Thain approached. She nodded slightly to the hobbit. "Aye, I know who you are," she said quietly, "Aye, I am her mother." Robin's eyes mist up for just a moment as she paused. "I know why ye are 'ere, Master Took. Bralyan left las' night. It wasn' my doin' sir, it was her. She loved you very much, bu' she knew she had to leave cos it tain't proper for a man of your stature to be wit' a hobbit lass of hers. An', well ye're getting' married in a few days." Robin started to straighten the goods of the stall. "I ain' goin' to tell you where she is. I can'. I don' know where she wen' any ways. She didn' say. I am sorry."
Pippin looked down to the floor with a defeated sigh. He was sure his ears would droop if they could. But seeing as they couldn't, his ears stayed perfectly straight on his head. Pippin raised his eyes again to meet Robin's. "It's okay, ma'am. Thank you for your help," he replied and turned to walk away. But before he got any further, he turned back to the other hobbit and hesitated. After a moment of inner struggle, he decided to just say it. "Mrs. Pickthorn, if, I mean, when Bralyan comes back, can you tell her for me that... 'I'm very sorry', and 'thank you for saving my life'." Pippin smiled a regretfully smile at the older hobbit.
Robin shook her head. "I don' think me daughter's coming back, Master Took," she said. A tear trickled down her face and then another. She closed her eyes and a shudder came from her lips. "Go now, Master Took," she whispered.
So Pippin went home. He felt the back of his eyes prickle with tears, but he refused to let them surface. He has accepted his life years ago, he wasn't about to deny it now.
The day of the wedding came and everyone was in uproar about it. Preparations had been made the previous day and today was the time for all the last-minute tidy ups. Peregrin Took, the groom, stood in his room and he stared at his reflection in the mirror. It was time. After years of knowing that this day will come, it was finally time. Pippin was going to get married. He should feel happy about it. Everyone else does. Yet Pippin could not bring it up to himself to feel elated by it. In a way, he felt relieved. Relieved that the day had finally come and that the tension will be over soon. Relieved, because he knew that things would become a certainly now. Relieved, that things would become permanent, unchangeable.
A knock on the door startled him out of his reverie. Pippin sighed. "I'm coming!" He called out to whomever it was outside the door.
Merry opened the door. He smiled at his cousin. "Are you ready," he asked. Merry was dressed in his finest yellow vest, cream colored shirt, green velvet pants and jacket. "You look quite handsome," Merry said and cleared his throat, "Well, we had best get out there. I am afraid Miss Diamond might run off." The hobbit winked at his cousin.
I wish she would, Pippin thought humorlessly, but instead he said, "Thanks. I'm ready now. Let's get this, eh done." Pippin looked in the mirror one last time, straightening the invisible wrinkles out of his grey vest and black jacket. Suddenly, he heard the sound of the flapping of wings. Looking around in the room, his eyes fell on a bird perched on the window sill, crying out softly to Pippin before flying away. The soon to be married hobbit suddenly felt the longing to be that bird, flying away whenever he wanted, to wherever he wanted. But he knew he that couldn't. He has duties to perform - a wedding to go to. He can't just fly away from his home; he can't just fly away to Bralyan. Looking back at his cousin, he wants to. But he knows he can't. He's got duties to perform. A wedding to go to. He can't just fly away from his home, he can't just fly away to Bralyan. Looking back at his cousin, he put on his cheery face again. "All ready, Merry! Let's go!" He linked his arm through Merry's. Together they walked out of the room and headed towards the place where the wedding would be held.
Merry frowned at his cousin. He knew what Pippin was thinking and those thoughts were wrong. Shaking his head slightly, he lead Peregrin to the door and down the hill. The day was sunny. It was beautiful and bright. There were two tents set up. One for where the reception would be, the other where the wedding would take place. Garlands of daisies, roses, lilies and fern were draped over every surface they could find – someone had even put some on the water. Merry shook his head slightly – that seemed just slightly frivolous to him. Below, in the wedding tent was many people – Sam and his family, Merry's wife and child and her parents and his and Peregrin and Diamonds family, minus Diamond and her mother. Giving a slight shove, Merry urged his cousin on.
Pippin smiled at his cousin and he took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. 'Well, here goes nothing!' He straightened his back and with his head held high, he started to move forwards. The soft music on the background changed into a different tune - the Wedding March. Well, a variation of it anyway. Pippin's limbs were trembling, although he hoped that no one noticed. By some miracle, or curse, he managed to make it to his destination without collapsing and he faced the person before him with a lopsided grin. "Hello, Mr. Longcleeve." He greeted his wife-to-be's father, his nerves clearly showing.
Mr. Longcleeve nodded to Pippin. He stood tall and proud next to Pippin. He was dressed in a blue shirt and dark brown pants and jacket – his finest clothes. He watched as his daughter made her way down the isle with her mother. She was dressed in the palest of blue dresses and upon her head was a wreath of blue and yellow flowers, the same she carried. She stood in front of Pippin, looking down at her feet in a shy manor. Her mother, dressed in light yellow, went behind her. Diamond looked up at Pippin. Tears streamed down her face, but she made no sound. Her hands shook slightly as she took Pippin's hand.