abnormal tragedy

Chapter 54: sam's wedding

Four years later- 

It had been a year since Rowan had visited Éomer back in Rohan. It had been nearly a year to the day when they fell in love. At this point of time, Rowan was on her way to the Shire for Sam's wedding. Eager to be early, she rode as quickly as she could through forest to fields to the Shire. As Rowan rode closer to the border of the Shire she noticed the change in scenery, the bright coloured flowers, the light green grass and the continuous sound of birdsong. 

Arriving at 2.pm in the afternoon, Rowan was early enough to help set up the wedding. At the beginning the other hobbits were very suspicious of her but they slowly warmed up to her, some even coming up to her to chat about her time outside of the Shire. She told them tales about how she was a Princess of a place called Gondor and how her father was slain during battle and her mother died of grief, and how she was brought up by Elves of Rivendell, when Denethor II told the place of Steward. She also told stories of her travels in The Fellowship of The Ring, especially the one of how she defeated the troll almost by herself as she helped to tie up ribbons and blow up balloons. 

The wedding was set to start at 4.pm and guests started to arrive at around 3.pm, which was really late for Rowan's liking. Rowan loved weddings. It was one of those secret things she'd never actually admit to anyone, but it was true. Most people looked at her and usually saw a ranger who wouldn't know romance if it was an actual bone in her body, and she did nothing to dispel this image they all had of her. She had always dreamed of having her own wedding and having a large family. Tonight's wedding was special, however. In fact, if anyone had bothered to pay attention, her true feelings regarding weddings would have been visible. She helped organize the ceremony, found the most romantic location they could find in the Shire, helped find the best invitations, menu, and flowers.

Rosie was a beautiful bride, her dress cut to flatter her curvaceous figure, and her happiness evident every time she looked at Sam, who hadn't stopped smiling since the ceremony began, his nervous evident when he fumbled with rings and words of vows but his smile never wavering. Rowan found it adorable. The wedding flew by, and within the next hour Rosie Cotton became Rosie Gamgee. Rosie threw her bouquet, to which was caught by Pippin. Pippin caught the eye of a hobbit woman next to him who smirked. Rowan noticed and winked at him who then blushed and then looked back at the hobbit woman was next to him. It was only the second time that he looked at her that he noticed how pretty she was. She had long- for a hobbit- dark brown hair that flowed down her back and she wore a pretty blue dress that just reached her knees. They got talking and he found out that she was called Ruby Whitfoot.

...

It was quite late -- or early, depending on one's point of view -- as Merry and Pippin returned from the post-wedding celebrations. Sam and Rosie were long gone, as was Frodo, who had retired shortly after the happy couple, claiming to be exhausted. Merry and Pippin on the other hand had been among the last guests to leave, both of them having enjoyed the ale, the music and the company until they could hardly stand anymore. 

"Oh, now that was a great wedding!" Pippin exclaimed, holding onto the closest solid thing to keep himself upright. Unfortunately that happened to be Merry, none to steady on his feet himself, so that they both ended up a giggling heap of limbs on the floor. But that didn't disturb Pippin, who simply rolled onto his back and addressed the ceiling, which was spinning slightly. "Not that I didn't enjoy the ones in Gondor, mind you -- all very regal and beautiful, I'm sure, but somehow lacking a certain..."

The right word did not want to come to his mind, but luckily Merry, himself lying quite comfortably with his head on Pippin's stomach, knew exactly what he was talking about: "Sense of fun, hm? Seems to me as if hobbits sill have the best parties." With a grunt he managed to heft himself up on his elbows and peered down at Pippin's grinning.  "Exactly! The best parties in all of Middle Earth!" Rowan barely staggered towards them as she walked from side to side. "Hey.. how are my little hobbits?" She asks extremely drunk. Merry and Pippin burst into heaps of laughter. "Better that your here." Pippin smiled and did a fake bow. 

Merry changed the subject, because he had remembered something that seemed far more important right then: "No, was a good party -- but before that, I seem to remember a certain Took catching the bouquet. Now, were you trying to tell me something, Pip, or did your arms just happen to be in the air at that moment?" He smirked down at Pippin, who looked slightly nonplussed. "You are so full of yourself, Meriadoc Brandybuck! I don't know why I even bother to spend time with you!" Trying to appear deadly insulted, Pippin attempted to raise himself and stalk to his room in a huff, which was on the opposite end of the hallway. But the still spinning ceiling foiled him, and he ended up on his backside again, with Merry and Rowan laughing so hard at him all the time that his little handsome face started to bear strong resemblance to a tomato. "Ohh.. l-little P-Pippin's g-got a c-crush.." Rowan slurred.

Still chuckling, she crawled over to Pippin's spot on the floor. "Aww, don't be silly, little hobbit," she coaxed, settling back down with her head in Pippin's lap, looking up at him with her best imitation of Pippin's own begging face. It was working, too, because Pippin couldn't help but grin down at her. "You're just lucky I'm too drunk to stay mad at you!" he slurred, poking Rowan on the nose -- or at least trying to, because his finger ended up on Rowan's lips instead and was promptly bitten lightly.

Éomer noticed Rowan now sprawled across the grass, oblivious to the fact that she was now rolling around. He quietly walked over and wrapped her arms around her waist as he pulled her up, until he was carrying her.