Belladonna Took by Belladonna Took

Belladonna Took

by Belladonna Took

Chapter 9: Queen Thèya

As Bella entered the hall of Meduseld she was awestruck. The hall was huge. Straight ahead of her, on a throne of gold, sat a tall, thin woman with golden blonde hair and startling gray eyes. Bella followed King Folcwine to the lady and was presented to her. “Belladonna and Hildifons Took, this is my wife, Queen Thèya. Thèya, my love, these are two friends of Gandalf Greyhame. They have come to stay with us for a while.”
Bella approached the queen and curtsied as her mother had taught her. Hildi also approached the queen and bowed low with his hand over his heart. With their gestures of courtesy they received a laugh from Thèya. “There is no reason for such formality. My husband forgets I have a strong dislike of titles. Thèya would do just fine as a name. I am thrilled to meet two such marvelous young halflings as you. As I told Folcwine days ago, you are quite extraordinary in manners. I am the queen of Rohan but my lovely husband found me in on the outskirts of Minas Tirith. So I am quite familiar with the legends of the halflings.”
Bella was dumbstruck. She didn’t think such a regal woman would have ever heard of hobbits. This, Bella could tell, was an amazing and educated woman. “How is it that you have heard of halflings? I didn’t think anyone ever knew that we were lurking in the Shire. Until I met Gandalf I never knew there was anything outside the boarders of the Shire. If you would like Thèya, you may call me Bella and this is my older brother, Hildi. We call ourselves hobbits, though, not halflings. It doesn’t sound as derogatory or belittling. I am delighted to be in the presence of such intelligent and caring people, as you and King Folcwine.”
“Ah, my dear Bella, you and I are going to be very good friends I can tell already. I have no daughter of my own but had I one; I would like her to be just like you. Please do not refer to Folcwine and I by our titles, but by our names. It makes it too stuffy and we should be friends. I would like you to meet our sons, Folcred, Fastred and Fengel. Fastred and Folcred are twins and they are 17 years old and my little Fengel is only 5 years old.”
Bella looked at the boys and was amazed at the startling resemblances between Fastred and Folcred and their father and Fengel’s resemblance to his mother. They twins were very tall and stern looking, but there was a humorous glint in their eyes. Telling them apart was no major problem for Bella, she immediately noticed Folcred had bright blue eyes like his father while Fastred’s eyes were closer to the gray of their mother’s. Fengel was nothing like his father, he had a bright smile on his face that matched his mother’s, his father’s blue eyes and his mother’s thin build. She loved him instantly. “Welcome to our home” stated Folcred. “ And if you need anything let us know” finished Fastred with a slightly impish gleam in his eyes.
“Well now that everyone is introduced I will have the twins show you to your rooms. I hope they will suit you, we have none like the rooms that you are used to but I hope they will be comfortable. When you are settled in and wash, if you care to, please join us for dinner as we are expecting Turin II, Steward of Gondor, to join us. It seems they are having a few problems and would like my advice.”
Folcred showed Bella to her room and made sure that she had everything she needed and then left her to do as she pleased. As she stood in the middle of her room looking around she was amazed. The room was beautiful. It was done in hunter green and creamy white, with a very large four-poster bed situated in the middle. Bella unpacked her bags and laid out the light blue gown that Arwen had given her and the jewels that went with it. She washed her face using soap that was a scent that she had never smelled before. She brushed out her hair and tied part of it back in a ribbon that matched her dress and then finished getting dressed. As she exited the room she tried to remember which way they had come, but Folcred had used so many different passages that she could have easily gotten lost. Regaining her hobbit sense she listened for the chatter from the hall and soon was walking towards the hall. As she walked her elven slippers made no sound and she entered the bright and lively hall unnoticed at first.

Chapter 10: Fengel’s Big Sister

As her eye’s adjusted to the light Bella noticed the dozens of men and women that now filled the spacious hall. Candles were lit on every table and the fire in the middle of the hall was now blazing. Bella expected, with the fire and candles lit, it would have been stifling in the hall but it was extremely comfortable. It was like a warm spring night in the Shire, with just a hint of a cool breeze.
Before she could take too many steps into the hall young Fengel had come up behind her and grabbed her hand. “Can I sit next to you tonight, Bella? My father is very boring, always talking about war and killing. Will you tell me about your home?”
“I would love to have you sit next to me Master Fengel, my dear. It would be a great honor to be seated next to a prince of your magnificence.”
Quite unexpectedly, Fengel wrapped his arms around Bella and hugged her close. “I’ve never had a sister. Will you be my sister and teach me everything you know? I am a very good listener”, he stated quickly. “Well, I’m a good listener when people will talk to me, at least. No one really talks to me because I am too young and I will not be king.”
Bella hugged the little prince tighter and kissed the top of his golden head, as she often did to her sisters. He reminded her so much of herself and the sadness in his eyes was heartbreaking.
It was about the time that Fengel first hugged Bella that Folcwine and Thèya noticed that the little hobbit lass had made her way to the hall. They sat transfixed as they watched the interaction between their youngest child and the hobbit. “I believe that Bella’s arrival here is perfect for Fengel. He needs someone who will teach him how to interact with people other than those here in Meduseld.” Folcwine stated with his affection for the lass. “And it will temporarily give you the daughter you have longed for.”
“Oh the things I can teach her and she can teach me. I shall have a wardrobe built for a princess made just for her. And Folc, my dearest, I want crowns made for both her and Hildi. They are to be treated as if they were our own children.” With that Thèya rose from her seat and approached Bella and Fengel. It was at that time that Hildi appeared at Fengel’s side and he stood in silent awe of all the people in the hall.
The hall had gone silent when the queen had risen from her chair and all watched her proceed across the expanse of the hall. Now all eyes rested on Bella, Hildi and Fengel, who had yet to relinquish Bella’s hand. What a sight the three were to behold, Fengel, the golden haired, blue eyed prince of Rohan, dressed in a navy blue jacket and trousers, with a cream colored shirt and his small golden crown. He was clutching the hands of two strangers to the people of Rohan. One appeared to be an elf maid dressed in a pale crystal blue gown of a floaty material not ever seen in Rohan. Around her neck was a silver necklace set with blue jewels that matched her gown, matching earrings and a silver headdress that curved across her brow and tucked back into her hair just behind her pointed ears.
The other appeared odd; indeed to the men of Rohan, wearing a black jacket and matching trousers, a bright yellow tunic and a dark green velvet vest.
“My dear guests, I would like to introduce all of you to Belladonna and Hildifons Took, son and daughter of Thain Gerontius Took of Tuckborough in the Shire. And they are my friends and should be treated with the same respect you would afford our children.” Thèya stated as she lead Bella, Hildi and Fengel across that hall to the head table.
Bella, Hildi and Fengel were seated directly across the table from Folcred and Fastred. Both boys had shocked expressions on their faces. It was all Bella could do to keep from laughing out loud at the two of them. She raised an eyebrow at the boys in a knowing look. For that knowing glance she was rewarded with huge grins from both boys.
When Bella looked up towards the head of the table attempting to see Folcwine and Thèya, she noticed the man sitting next to Folcwine. He looked to be just as tall as Folcwine but he had black hair. He had the same gray eyes that Thèya had but there was none of the humor contained within. He had a very serious and stern expression on his face. Bella guessed that this man must be Turin II Steward of Gondor. There was interest in his eyes when his eyes made contact with Bella’s.
It was Gandalf that broke the eye contact between Bella and Turin. Bella felt as if Turin was looking into her mind. She felt a small tug on the sleeve of her dress and turned to look at Fengel. “How many brothers and sisters do you have, Bella? Do you have any horses? What do your dad and mom look like? Is your house big? Do you have a boyfriend or husband?” Fengel fired off these questions and many more so fast that Bella lost track of them.
“Oh my, you are a curious little man aren’t you, Fengel? I have 12 brothers and sisters. I have my pony, Nessa, that Lady Arwen of Rivendell gave me but no horses. My Da has short curly, light brown hair and light brown eyes. My mum has long, curly dark brown hair and bright green eyes. I don’t live in an actual house like Meduseld, I live in the Great Smials. They are similar to tunnels and caves but they aren’t nearly as dirty. I’ll draw you a picture if you want. We have circular windows and doors instead of square or rectangle. Yes, it is very large. No, I don’t have a boyfriend or husband and I just lost my best friend. He is very angry at me for going away with Gandalf.”
Bella tried her best to answer all of Fengel’s questions. She now needed to draw pictures of the Smials, Rivendell, her parents and siblings and Bungo. Sitting next to Fengel made a possibly boring dinner fly by.
When dinner was finished Thèya came to and got Bella and Fengel. Hildi started to rise but Thèya told him he needn’t leave. So Hildi sat back down and continued listening to the talk. Bella was indignant at having to leave. “I’m sorry you had to leave, Bella. But it is the men’s time to talk and have after dinner drinks without having to maintain proper manners.” Thèya informed her. “I know it seems barbaric and sexist but it will give you and I some time to talk outside.”
Her evening outside with Thèya and Fengel was just as pleasurable as her evenings in Rivendell with Arwen.
About an hour after Bella went to bed she heard her door open. She sat up in her bed and saw Fengel standing next to her bed. He had tears in his eyes and his tiny shoulders were shaking. Bella climbed off the bed and hugged him tightly. “What is wrong, little one? Why are you crying?”
“I’m scared Bella. I had a bad dream. I dreamt that Folcred, Fastred and Hildi rode off to Gondor and when they came back they were dead. I don’t want our brothers to die!” Fengel sobbed.
“Don’t you worry, love. Our brothers are fine. They are too young to go off to Gondor alone. They aren’t going to die. I won’t let them go.” Bella said as she helped him onto her bed.
When Thèya checked on Bella after helping the drunken Hildi, Folcred and Fastred to bed she was surprised and delighted to find that the sleeping Bella was holding her youngest son tight. Fengel had always had night terrors. They had gotten worse since he had fallen down the front steps of Meduseld. His dreams were not really dreams though. He knew when Folcred had fallen and broken his arm. He also knew when she was going to miscarry her daughter and that she would not ever be able to become pregnant again. She worried what had scared him out of bed. She sighed, kissed both Bella and Fengel on the head and went to join Folcwine. She would ask him about it tomorrow.