Chapter Three
It had been a few days on the road, and the company arrived in Ered Luin. Bernadette looked around in awe and amazement. She never seen anything like it before. She shortly found herself entering the dwarven fortress. "These are my halls." Thorin said, turning to Bernadette. Bernadette smiled. "It is very beautiful." said Bernadette. "I will have a room made for you. Come, I know just the room. Follow me." said Thorin. Thorin turned to Dwalin, Balin, Fili and Kili, and spoken to them quickly. "We'll meet up with the rest of you at dinner. Tell Dis, I'll be alone shortly." said Thorin. Dwalin nodded, and they left.
Thorin showed Bernadette to a room where she will be staying. "Nice, I like it." smiled Bernadette, flopping on the bed in her room. "Shall you join us for supper?" asked Thorin. "I don't know. I'm not dressed appropriately, Thorin." said Bernadette. "You are okay with what you are wearing now, Miss Baggins." said Thorin. Bernadette smiled. "Okay. I'll join you for supper." smiled Bernadette. Thorin extended his arm, and Bernadette took it. He guided her down a large corridor, and shortly, they entered a large dining hall. All eyes turned on them. Seeing this, made Bernadette feel a little nervous.
The place was crowded with dwarves, and they eyes fixed on them, especially Bernadette. They were curious on why a hobbit entering the room, arm in arm with their dwarf leader. Suddenly, a female dwarf, dressed in a dark blue and white dress, her raven hair falling passed her shoulders, as she smiled brightly running towards them. "Thorin, you made it back! I see you brought a friend with you!" said the dwarf woman. Thorin smiled. "Dis, this my friend Bernadette Baggins. I met her at the Prancing Pony. Bernadette, this is my younger sister, Dis." said Thorin.
Bernadette smiled. "Its nice meeting you, Dis. You have a lovely gown!" smiled Bernadette. Dis smiled back. "Come, lets sit down to eat. Supper is about ready to be served!" said Dis. And they followed Dis to a long table where they will be seating. Bernadette noticed a few dwarves glaring at her. "Thorin, why are some of the dwarves glaring at me?" whispered Bernadette. "Don't pay any mind to them." Thorin quickly replied. Bernadette nodded, and she took her seat in between Dis and Thorin. Bernadette didn't really know what to say or do, as she sat and ate her meal.
She was in the presence of Royalty.
"You are quiet, Miss Baggins. Is everything okay?" asked Thorin. "Oh, everything is fine, quite peachy in fact." grinned Bernadette. "Peachy?!" laughed Fili. "Uncle, your new friend is funny!" chuckled Kili. "There will be dancing and music afterwards. I'm sure you wouldn't mind sharing some dances with my nephews?" said Thorin. "What of you? Do you dance?" asked Bernadette. "I don't dance." said Thorin. "Oh come on. Everybody dances." said Bernadette. "I don't know how to dance." said Thorin. "I can teach you. Its not that hard, you know. It was I who taught my brother how to dance." said Bernadette. Fili laughed.
"You had to teach your brother how to dance?" asked Kili. Bernadette nodded. "Just this past Midsummer's Eve celebration." grinned Bernadette. "Fine. You can teach me. As long as you don't step on my foot." said Thorin playfully. "You know I wouldn't do that." said Bernadette. Later, when supper ended, everyone migrated into the Great Hall for dancing, music and socializing. She noticed Thorin had made his rounds talking to some of the other dwarves, socializing with them. As Bernadette walked around for a little bit, she walked by some dwarves, and they were gossiping about her!
Two of the dwarves that mainly gossiped was an older male dwarf and a young dwarf female. The female was very beautiful. She had fair skin, brown hair, a small beard on her chin. Her green eyes flickered in the fire light of the room. "I've been hearing that this new friend of our King's is more than just a friend." said one dwarf. "They cannot be possibly courting. She's not even sporting the braids." said the female dwarf. "If they are courting, the King has broken the laws of betrothal that he promised for my Estelle here." said the older male dwarf. "This woman, Bernadette of whatever her name is, should've not been brought here. Her place is in her own home." said another dwarf.
Bernadette's heart sank at hearing these words. The people were talking cruel of her, cruel and untrue words of her. Now she wasn't much in the mood for dancing now. Bernadette decided she wanted to go to her room for the night. But no sooner as she was about to leave the Great Hall, Thorin approaches her. "How about the dancing you want to teach me?" asked Thorin. "Thorin, I'm tired. I need to rest. Good night." said Bernadette, and she quickly left the Great Hall. "Is she okay?" asked Dis. "Something's troubling her." said Thorin. "Should I go and talk to her?" asked Dis. "No, I will." said Thorin.
Thorin left the Great Hall, and he shortly found Bernadette's room. He knocked on her door. "Miss Baggins? May I come in?" asked Thorin. "Sure." called back Bernadette from behind the door. Thorin opened the door, and walked in. He noticed Bernadette had been crying. When she looked up at Thorin, he saw her eyes are puffy. "Have you been crying?" asked Thorin softly, sitting down next to the hobbit. "People been saying some unkind words about me down there, Thorin. They are also saying that you and I are a couple, and I had no business being here." said Bernadette.
Thorin sighed. He didn't know what to say or do on this matter. "I will try and make things clear to my people, don't worry Bernadette." said Thorin softly. Bernadette realized he now called her by her first name. "I don't like seeing you upset like this, Bernadette. And I will put an end to this madness. As for us being a couple-part of that is true." said Thorin smiling. "What do you mean?" asked Bernadette. "What I mean is this, Bernadette. I'm in love with you. You are a beautiful, kind and understanding woman. You are unlike any other I've met. Bernadette, I'm asking for your hand in our courtship." said Thorin.
"But Thorin! I've heard some dwarves say tonight that you're already betrothed with a dwarf woman named Estelle." said Bernadette. "I don't love her, Bernadette. This was all a forced thing, which was my father's idea, who is no long with us. My father turned up missing just this past year. I never came to agreement on this proposal, and I was supposed to let them know of my decision tonight." said Thorin. "What is you decision?" asked Bernadette. "I'm declining the offer. And once I do, I will also announce our courtship." said Thorin. "Thorin, I really don't think that's very wise. We should keep this a secret." said Bernadette, who also shared the same feelings for Thorin.
"How can we keep this secret, Bernadette? People are bound to find out anyway." said Thorin. Bernadette sighed. "I still think this is very risky. Thorin I don't know about this." said Bernadette. "Bernadette, everything is going to turn out fine. Trust me on this. If anything goes sour, they will deal with my wrath." said Thorin. Thorin took Bernadette's hands. "Allow me to braid your hair, Bernadette." said Thorin. Bernadette smiled, and accepted his offer to braid her hair. Once he done that, he placed courtship beads in her hair, as a token of their courtship. "They are beautiful, Thorin." said Bernadette. "Come, lets go back and join the first, so I can make the announcement." said Thorin.
As they walked down the corridor, Bernadette still felt uncomfortable, worried that everything will go down hill, especially when Thorin announces their courtship to everyone, and declining the betrothal of Lady Estelle. This would be not a scene she didn't want to get part of. As they entered the Great Hall, Thorin stood up calling attention to all the dwarves. "As you all may know already, I have made my decision on the betrothal of Lady Estelle, daughter of Bwerin Copper Steel. I'm afraid I have to decline the offer. I share no mutual feelings with Estelle , because I know very little of her." said Thorin.
At hearing this, the Copper Steel's felt outraged. They couldn't believe they are hearing this. Suddenly, they began to start shouting in khazadul, cursing Thorin and Bernadette as well. "See, I told you this wasn't going to turn out well." grumbled Bernadette sadly. "Shazara!" roared Thorin. And all the yelling quickly stopped. "I wasn't done with my announcement yet. Those who oppose my decision, I ask you to leave these Halls Now for my next announcement. Tonight, I asked Bernadette's hand in courtship, and she accepted my offer." smiled Thorin, taking Bernadette's hand.
At hearing this, some of the dwarf women fainted, even Dis, stood in shock her mouth opened.
Her expression, and the others were quite unreadable. "And those who oppose my courtship with Miss Baggins, will DEAL WITH ME personally." said Thorin, glaring at all the dwarves. And the room fell deathly silent. "You listen here, you are showing disgrace to our people! This woman should not be welcomed here. And if you love this woman, you should join her, and leave!" barked the older dwarf, and other voices joined in with him. "I can't take this!" yelled Bernadette, and she bolted away from Thorin and the others, making her way back to her room. "Bernadette!" cried out Thorin. "Miss Baggins!" called out Dis and Balin together.
Meanwhile, Thorin yelled at all the dwarves, giving them a lecture they would never forget. As for the Copper Steel's, Thorin banished them from all seven dwarven kingdoms, forcing them to leave Ered Luin. Meanwhile Bernadette made her way to her room, and she packed her bags. She decided that they were all right. Her place was at her home in the Shire. After packing her belongings, she leaves the dwarven fortress, without a word to anyone, not even to Thorin. It really pained her to leave without saying a word to them, but she had no choice in the matter.
Several week later, she arrived in the Shire, and she finally made it home. To her real home.
As she entered, Bilbo greeted her, but gave her a hard look. "What in the world were you thinking of taking off like that, Bernadette? You had me worried! I thought something happened to you! You could've been killed out in the wild alone!" lectured the hobbit, hotly. "Bilbo, I wasn't alone. I befriended some dwarves I met at the Prancing Pony, and they invited me to stay with them with a little while in Ered Luin. I came back, because some of the people there treated me badly, and said some unkind things about me. I didn't want to start any trouble so I returned home." explained Bernadette.
"Bernadette, you should've never left in the first place. A Baggins true home is here. And that is all there is too it. You have just came in time for supper. Now get yourself cleaned up." said Bilbo. "Yes, dear brother. You're starting to sound like our papa." said Bernadette. Bilbo stuck out his tongue at his sister. "Right back at you!" grinned Bernadette, returning the favor, and they both laughed.