Belladonna Took
by Belladonna Took
Chapter 11: Folcred, Prince of the Mark
Three days after the feast held in honor of Turin II, the steward and
his advisors left Meduseld. Before he did he pulled Bella aside and
told her that she and Hildi were welcome in Minas Tirith and would be
treated with the utmost respect. “I hope the two of you will force
Mithrandir to come soon. His wisdom is much needed. I could tell that
first night I met you that you were meant to be here in Rohan and you
are meant to come to Gondor as well. Your coming is like a breathe of
fresh air for Queen Thèya and also for Fengel. I am looking
forward to introducing you to my wife Rìana and my son Turgon.
Turgon does not believe anything that he cannot see with is own eyes
and has always thought that periannath did not actually exist, that you
were just an old wives tale. But you are as real as he is and I think
you would be a good influence on him.” With that Turin mounted his
horse and rode off in the direction of Gondor.
Bella was sad to see Turin go. He was very much like her own father. He
was stern of face at first but was quick to laugh and even quicker to
make a joke. She would miss him and couldn’t wait to go to Gondor.
“Bella, are you ready for your next horseback riding lesson?” Folcred
asked, leading his black horse, Night over to where Bella now stood.
“Do we have to? I already know how to ride Nessa. What is the
difference?” Bella asked hotly. “Night is a very big horse but seems to
be no different than Nessa other than size. I am no child, Red and you
are treating me like Fengel. I have ridden before and know how to
control an animal.”
“Fine, Bella, let’s see you ride him alone then.” Red responded with a
smirk on his face. “If you think you know so much lets see how you do
without me.”
Bella was determined to prove to Red that she could rid Night without
him, although she would miss having him there behind her. Red helped
her onto Night’s back and gave him a slap on the rump. Red was
horrified, he had only meant to slap him gently but the force at which
he had hit Night caused him to panic. Night bolted with Bella holding
onto the reins for dear life. At the far gate of Meduseld Night stopped
dead, causing Bella to go flying off of his back.
When Red made it to the gate Bella was lying motionless just four feet
outside of the gate. “What have I done? Oh no, what have I done?” Red
cried as he reached the apparently lifeless form that was Bella.
“Please, Bella, say something. Yell at me; slap me for hitting Night.
Please just wake up. I need you.”
Folcred sat there holding the little hobbit for what seemed an eternity
before she stirred. “Red, what happened? Why did you hit Night that
hard? Don’t you like me anymore?” Bella said with tears welling up in
her eyes.
The tears never made it to her cheeks. Bella had barely had the
statement out of her mouth when Folcred kissed her. She had never been
kissed by someone that was not a relative before and especially not
like that. She thought it was pleasant enough but it made her sad. It
made her think of Bungo. She missed him terribly. She had always
thought it would be him that would kiss her first. Red was a beautiful
young man; but he was a man and she was a hobbit and she didn’t think
it was right. “Red,” Bella breathed as he lifted his lips from hers.
“We really shouldn’t do this. It isn’t right. You should be looking to
women here in Edoras for companionship, not to me. I am just a simple
hobbit from the Shire and I could never make you happy. We are too
different.”
“I know Bella, but you are unlike any woman I have ever met. You are
opinionated, passionate and stubborn. You are the one and only person
my father will take criticism from. I have never before seen a woman
with features like yours. Next to you all of the women of Rohan seem
very…plain.” Folcred said dejectedly. “I will never find a woman like
you here. You have spoiled me by fighting with me every step of the
way.”
Folcred stood abruptly sending Bella sprawling on her back. “ I have to
get away for a while. Will you let my parents know I went out for a
ride?”
With that he vaulted onto Night and rode off leaving Bella still
sitting on the ground. It took Bella half an hour to hobble back up to
Meduseld, and by the time she got to the steps she was tired, sore and
very angry. Her ankle had swollen up to three times the normal size and
was turning a horrible shade of purple. The first person she came upon
was Fastred. “Oh my goodness! Bella! What happened? Where is Red?” He
looked horrified.
“Off riding off a cliff I hope! He is fine. I was riding Night and Red
slapped him very hard and he threw me off.” Bella said, leaving the
last part of their encounter out. “Could you help me to my room Fas?
Please, my ankle really hurts.”
Fastred scooped Bella up as easily as if she was Fengel and had barely
made it three steps into the hall when Folcwine caught sight of her.
“Bella, what happened?” Folcwine asked as he took Bella away from
Fastred.
So Bella recapped her story about how she fell off Night and he bolted
so Folcred would probably be a while before he came back. She explained
that she had prodded him to hard and he was startled. Bella didn’t look
at Fastred because he was told a different story than what was now
being told to his father. He had a sneaking suspicion that she was
keeping something from both of them and he was going to find out.
“Father, why don’t you let me take Bella to her room and then I will go look for Folcred?” Fastred asked.
“That’s a good idea, son. I’ll go find your mother, she will want to tend to Bella herself.”
Folcwine took off out of the hall and Fastred carried Bella down the
hall to her room. “So are you going to tell me what really happened or
do I have to make my own assumptions?”
Bella then told him everything, from her arguing with Red about riding
to his slapping Night to her fall and then the kiss. He didn’t seem
surprised at all. “I had a feeling that he had deep feelings for you.
He was always worrying about his appearance when he knew you would be
around. It was very unusual for him. You seem to have a strange affect
on him. Just be nice to him. Even if you can’t return his feelings, he
adores you and would do anything you ask.” Fastred kissed the top of
Bella’s head and left her room.
Bella was asleep not long after he left. In her dreams, she was as tall
as the women of Rohan and able to love Folcred instead of Bungo. When
Thèya came into Bella’s room she was sleeping with one small
tear slipping down her cheek.
Chapter 12 Arador’s Return
It was several days before Folcred would even attempt to speak to Bella
again, but when he did it was as if Bella had gotten rid of all the
guilt and discomfort he thought would have been there. Bella and Red
stayed locked in Bella’s room for hours discussing what had happened
and in the end both decided to treat it as if it had never happened.
When Bella’s ankle had finally healed she and Red resumed their
lessons. The affection between the two became more like that of a
brother and sister. There was a constant challenge of authority on
Bella’s behalf but no further incidents.
Two weeks into the lessons Red, Fastred, Hildi, Bella and Fengel
decided to travel out onto the plains of Rohan. They rode northwest
towards the Gap of Rohan. As they reached the open plains Bella shot
off across the plain on Nienna, the black female equivelant to Night.
As she crested a small hill she saw a familiar horse and rider, and he
was not alone. “Arador!!” she yelled as she crossed the plain at
breakneck speed.
When she reached him she threw herself off of her horse and onto his.
He grabbed onto the little hobbit and laughed a deep rumbling laugh. He
had missed her energy. “Bella, my dear. I have missed you. How have you
been? I stopped in Tuckborough to see you and was told that you and
your brother had gone off on another adventure with Gandalf. Is it
possible that a little hobbit like you has managed to give him the
slip?”
“No, Arador, Gandalf is back at Meduseld with King Folcwine. I am out
on horseback riding lessons with the princes of Rohan and my brother
Hildi.” She glanced over her shoulder and saw the four of them cresting
the hill. “Oh look there they are now.”
Bella slid off of Arador’s horse and stood next to Nienna. The four
boys approached cautiously until they saw Bella standing and waving at
them. They then knew it was safe to approach. “Folcred, Fastred, Fengel
and Hildi, this is Arador, a ranger from the north. I met him when I
went to Rivendell with Gandalf. He is a very wonderful man.”
The four boys nodded at Arador in acknowledgement, but didn’t dismount.
“What brought you looking for me Arador? Is there a problem at home?”
Bella asked concern plain on her face.
“No, nothing is wrong Bella, I was asked to deliver a message to you if
I happened to see you though. I thought it was a fairly important
letter so I came looking.” He handed her a letter in a creamy white
envelope. It was fairly thin and written across the front was her name
in a familiar hand. It was from Bungo.
Bella sat down where she was and opened the envelope and began to read,
in the back of her mind she could hear Bungo’s deep baritone voice.
“My Dearest Bella,
When we last parted I said some things I didn’t mean. I went home that
night and stewed. I tried to make myself believe that I was right and
that what you did was totally wrong. For two weeks I had myself
convinced that I could live without your spirit in my life, but I was
wrong. I went to the Smials to apologize to you and found that you were
gone. Your father said it was mostly my fault that you left. I am
terribly sorry. I have been so wrong all along. You are a Took and very
much in the same spirit as old Bullroarer. I knew this the first time
we met ten years ago. I have had the pleasure of watching you grow from
that awkward little hobbit to the beautiful lass you are today. I will
never forgive myself if I never get to see you again or never tell you
that my life will never be complete without you. Please, Bella, come
back to the Shire. I need you here. You make me whole.
With my love forevermore,
Bungo.”
She looked up at Arador with tears in her eyes and the ranger stooped
and hugged her close. She cried for Bungo, her parents and her new
friends. She felt so torn between running home to Bungo or continuing
on with her adventure. “Arador, are you going back north soon? If you
are I would like to ask you to take a letter back to Bungo.” She said
with her voice shaking.
“Of course I will take it. I am heading to Meduseld to take counsel with Gandalf and then I will be heading back north.”
All of them mounted their horses again and rode across the plains back
to Meduseld. Gandalf and Folcwine were waiting for them when they
finished climbing the stairs. Arador was welcomed as an old friend as
was his guest. Bella had yet to see this stranger’s face. She ran down
the hallway to her room to wash and change for dinner. She chose her
dress very carefully. Thèya had had her women make Bella a whole
new wardrobe that included many dresses of a heavier material than
those made by the elves. She chose a midnight blue velvet gown that was
fitted at the waist and flowed down slightly past her feet. She was
also given slipper-like shoes that were custom fitted to her feet. As
promised Folcwine had crowns made for both her and Hildi. Hildi’s
matched those of Fengel, Folcred and Fastred. Hers was very similar to
the one that Thèya herself wore. It was gold, with delicate
engraving along the top edge of the point in the center. Set in the
center of the front of the crown was a single stone of deep, dark
sapphire. With this crown came a matching necklace and earrings.
Walking out of her room Bella saw Hildi leaving his; they clasped hands
and walked to the hall together.
As they entered the hall Bella finally got to see the face of Arador’s
traveling companion. “Legolas!!” She yelled launching herself at the
elf.
“Bella, my dear hobbit, I knew that you would need to see the letter
first so I didn’t interrupt you. But I am overjoyed at seeing you
again. Elen sila lumenn omentilmo. Nae saian luume, Mellonamin.”
“Mae govannen, Legolas. I have missed you, as well.”
It was with a happy heart that Bella sat down to dinner that night. She
had a letter from Bungo that said he was no longer angry and she was
surrounded by those she loved.
Elen sila lumenn omentilmo: A star shall shine on the hour of our meeting
Nae saian luume, Mellonamin: It has been too long, my friend
Mae govannen: Well met
