Disclaimers: See Chapter 1 for more info.
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I hope I'm not ruining the story, due to my self-insert. These last three chapters have been a little askew. Hopefully, I can improve and get a good ending. This isn't one of my better works, I know. Here's hoping this chapter and the last chapter of this story turn out all right.
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Darkness was my friend. Here I was searching for something, but nothing seemed to bring me out of it. There was a voice. Aragorn's voice, pulling me out of the shadows and the darkness. Death was so close and as much as I wanted to follow it, life was bringing me back. I searched for it so much, remembering Frodo and how much he loved me. And Sam finally seeing that I was all right on the quest. I shouldn't have been a burden to them, but then I didn't want the focus on me. I was too concerned for Frodo's safety and his well-being.
Why wouldn't I care? Wait. I could feel my spirit return to my body. I was coming back and with it the voices resurfacing. They were telling me I should be home again, home with my family and my friends. I had nearly forgotten about them, too focused on Middle-earth. But this was my home now. I belonged here, where I was safe and protected.
My eyes opened at last. I was lying on a bed, so soft and comforting. I looked around and there was Frodo staring at me with kind eyes. He looked back to normal, but he held a concerned look on his face. His right middle finger was missing. All there was was a stump. And there was Sam, gazing at me.
"Are you all right?" Frodo asked me, concerned.
"I thought… I wasn't important to the quest. I'm so sorry." That was my first thoughts, but then I remembered something. "You two did need me."
"Very much so," he added.
"Well, you did help ease Frodo, as we trekked through Mordor," Sam said, encouraging me. "For that, I give you thanks. You're not useless. I was wrong."
"Does this mean I can still marry him?" I asked, curious.
"You have my blessing," Sam said, nodding his approval.
"We'll discuss it later, other matters," Frodo said, calmly, before turning to me. "Aria, when we're healed, will you marry me?"
I grinned a wide grin. "Of course, I'll marry you." I nodded, giddy with delight. "Yes." He was happy! For the first time, after the quest, I did something right! I could feel excitement stirring up inside me. Maybe I wasn't so useless after all.
"Just so you know," Sam said, breaking the silence and happiness, "I do hope you two pull through all right. I'm happy for you."
"Well, this is a happy moment," Frodo inquired. My expression became sad. He noticed. "What?"
"I didn't carry the Ring, but that doesn't mean I wasn't affected by it," I said, wondering then if I would ever be allowed to sail to the Undying Lands, when it was time to do so.
"You need not worry about that, at least for now," Frodo said, hoping to calm me.
"But Frodo…"
"It'll be all right. You'll see," he said, grinning. "This is a happy moment, and you know it."
I sighed. I hoped he was right about this.
.
Could this really be happening? I stared at the white walls, staring at my blue dress and my bouquet of red roses. Yes, this was really happening. I was getting married to Frodo Baggins. I looked up the moment Sam entered the room. It was time.
"You know, you don't have to do this," Sam said, concerned. "Mr. Frodo will understand."
"Will he?" I asked, my feet turning cold. I looked at him then, wondering. "Will he understand?"
"No. No, he won't," he said, shaking his head. "I'm sorry. This was his decision, too. He won't seek reason. You know you can't go back on this."
I started pacing the floor. "I knew I would get cold feet. How can I do this?"
"You'll just have to trust him. You're not backing out of this now, are you?" Sam asked, concerned.
"No!" I choked out. I sighed. This was the moment I'd been waiting for. I could do this. "I can do this. But… we really should worry about this."
"Only if you're ready." Sam said, adding in with a need, "I'm sorry for my behavior. I hope we can come to an understanding. Why don't you trust me?"
"Sam, you know you'll be praised for your deeds. Frodo will be only a passing thought. I've been trying to protect him, all this time. I want to take care of him, be there for him. You have to understand that."
"I do understand that. I think we've been too hard on each other."
"A truce then." I extended my hand out to him. He took it.
"A truce. This might be the first time we have a friendship between us."
I smiled. "I'd like that."
The door wedged open, enough for Merry Brandybuck, the brown-haired hobbit, to poke his head in. "Hey, the groom is wondering where the bride is." He looked at me, curious, "You don't have cold feet, now do you?"
"You ready?" Sam asked, extending his arm out to me.
"I'm ready," I said, nodding furiously.
This was it. The moment I took Sam's arm and walked out to the citadel, I kept wondering what would become of my life after this. I would be bound to Frodo Baggins in love and in marriage. Would I sail with him to the Undying Lands? What would become of our children? All I knew was that it didn't matter. Frodo looked so handsome and the cold feet started again, but I knew I wanted him, wanted to be with him. Our vows were said and done. That was the moment I became Mrs. Frodo Baggins and what a deserving way for the day to turn out in our favor, just as we wanted it to be in our favor, now and forever, now and for all time.
I wouldn't part with him for nothing. Enough said. It was our time to live, our happiness that mattered most in the world as of this moment we became husband and wife, and we sealed it with a kiss of true love.
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Thanks for reading. :)