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Title<\/b>: Serendipity \u201cDo you really need to do this on your own, Miss Belle?\u201d Hamfast asked, even as he tightened the straps on the pony and handed her the reins. \u201cSurely the Thain can find a bounder or even one of the rangers to take up this errand.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure he could Ham,\u201d Belle tugged the brim of her sunbonnet forward to cut the glare and turned to her gardener, neighbor, and friend. \u201cBut you know that this is something I should be doing as the Master of Bag End. With Dad\u2019s passing his duties fall to me, and while I\u2019ve been able to do much of it by post and through intermediaries over the last year, it has come to the point where I need to go into Bree. I need to meet with our suppliers and check on the trading posts in person, among other things. We\u2019ve always been known for our personal involvement and care in the trade caravans and routes. I\u2019ve been neglecting those details since Dad fell ill. This has been left much too long already, and it won\u2019t do to have the Baggins name thought badly of along the trade routes, not after all the work Mother and Father put into building our reputation.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReputation outside the Shire,\u201d Hamfast took his hat off, slapping it against his leg and ignoring the dust that rose up before putting it back on. \u201cNever heard of such a thing before your mother married your father.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think anyone did,\u201d Belle laughed, adjusting the reins in her gloved hands. She glanced at the sky before looking back down at Hamfast. \u201cTo be honest, I could use the break from the Shire as well. You know how they\u2019ve been getting lately.\u201d She saw his grimace and nodded. She smiled gently at him. \u201cI\u2019ll be back before you know it, but if I want to make it to Grandfather\u2019s smial tonight, I need to leave now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTake care, Miss.\u201d Hamfast nodded at her and stepped back. \u201cDon\u2019t worry about Bag End. We\u2019ll keep her to rights until you return.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have no doubts. I\u2019ll see you in a week\u2013 send to the Thain if something comes up, he\u2019ll know how to get in touch with me,\u201d she told him, slapping the reins to start the pony plodding down the road toward the Greater Smials.<\/p>\n Marigold was an experienced cart pony and didn\u2019t need direction in the journey beyond being pointed in the direction of the smials, so Belle looped the reins over the cart runner in front of her and opened the food basket on the seat next to her. She pulled out a couple of scones to enjoy once they were on the main road.<\/p>\n Without her permission, her mind drifted over the last few months, darkening her enjoyment of the day. The sting that came when she thought of the loss of her parents was still as sharp as ever, but she felt she was beginning to learn how to breathe around it. Her father had held on until Belle reached her majority. So even though there was talk about managing her, nothing could be done without her consent.<\/p>\n \u201cHmph,\u201d Belle screwed her face up at that thought, \u2018manage her.\u2019<\/i> Like she was an unruly kitten who needed to be trained to stay out of the knitting. It was a rare hobbit in Hobbiton who\u2019d understood her Took-Baggins family. They\u2019d seemed to confound them all. \u201cAnd now they all want to fix <\/i>me into a proper <\/i>Baggins.\u201d She sighed and put the second scone back, closing up the basket.<\/p>\n She hadn\u2019t told Ham any falsehoods about this trip to Bree. She needed to deal with business that couldn\u2019t be done through the post or intermediaries. She wasn\u2019t going to have the company built by her parents fall apart just because of her grief or because others thought it unbecoming.<\/p>\n Mostly though, she wanted out of Hobbiton. Away from the looks of pity that followed her around \u2013\u00a0 or worse, the looks of avarice. She knew that many of the hobbits around her were wonderful, kindly, and loving creatures, but the wealth and status that came with Bag End and her family brought out the worst of even the best of people.<\/p>\n Belle was hopeful that she could come up with a solution to the problem while taking care of the last of her dad\u2019s old business before heading back to Bag End and the suitors that would be sniffing around to smother her once she returned. She knew she was being a bit unfair. Most of those around her probably expected her to want <\/i>to get married and start a family soon.<\/p>\n Even her adventurous mother had done so after all.<\/p>\n \u2018But,\u2019 <\/i>Bell thought, sighing. \u2018She managed it all on her own terms, with someone who supported her. I don\u2019t see anyone like that around me, and that\u2019s the issue.\u2019<\/i><\/p>\n Taking the reins back up, she directed Marigold off the path toward the spring. Hopping down, she made sure to keep her skirts well away from the boards or the edges of the cart, not wanting them to get caught and rip or trip her. She looped the reins around the hitching post and pumped some water for the pony.<\/p>\n Belle wandered back to the cart and hoisted out her basket, toting it over to the bench set up next to the spring where she laid out her lunch. It didn\u2019t take her long to finish, her musing\u2019s direction having quashed her appetite. She was on her way before much time had passed at all.<\/p>\n As the sun began to set, she pulled into the yard of the smial to the chatter of children and chickens.<\/p>\n \u201cBellanna! We didn\u2019t expect you until tomorrow.\u201d Adamanta Took shook her apron at the faunts and animals alike in her hurry to cross the yard.<\/p>\n \u201cI finished matters up earlier than I thought,\u201d Belle smiled, climbing down and into her grandmother\u2019s arms, enveloped in the scents of lavender, fresh-baked bread, and vanilla. \u201cI can always turn back around if you don\u2019t have room for me. I saw a lovely place for camping out just up the road.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh hush your mouth girl,\u201d Ada admonished, smacking her shoulder. \u201cGet your bag and get inside, you\u2019re just in time for dinner. Ferdi, come get your cousin\u2019s cart and pony.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cStill ruling your kingdom with vigor,\u201d Belle quipped once she had her bag and was following her grandmother inside the smial. \u201cA queen in all but name.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh shut it,\u201d Ada replied without any heat, \u201cYou sound just like your Da, kings and queens, bah! Fanciful notions for the big folk, leave it to them. We\u2019re hobbits, we\u2019ll be happy with our smials, gardens, families and little comforts.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, Grandmother,\u201d Belle responded just as her father had, carrying on yet another tradition. Peculiarly, the familiarity of it eased the ache in her heart, even without her father in the routine. Perhaps she should have made time to visit over the last few months.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve already aired your room out,\u201d Ada pointed down the hall. Somehow despite the ever-expanding number of children being added to the family every year, everyone always seemed to have their own room in the warren of the great smial. \u201cYou know where it is, put your things away and come back for supper. You must be famished with only basket rations all day.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI managed well enough,\u201d Belle protested, laughing and already heading down the hall. \u201cI can smell the chicken stew and biscuits, though. You know that\u2019s my favorite.\u201d Her appetite kicked in for the first time that day.<\/p>\n \u201cI might have taken that into account. Good thing too, you look like you need a good feeding up,\u201d Ada\u2019s voice echoed down the hall after her. \u201cHurry up, now.\u201d<\/p>\n Belle\u2019s laugh echoed through the hall, and her cheeks hurt a little from smiling by the time she reached her room. Yes, she definitely should have made time to visit earlier.<\/p>\n ****<\/p>\n Belle smiled all the way through dinner, watching her family move around each other in a kaleidoscope of noise and color. The ever-present pain in her heart was surrounded by a well of love and affection that, while it didn\u2019t mute the pain exactly, made it much more bearable the longer she spent with her Took relations.<\/p>\n \u201cHow are you doing, cousin?\u201d Ferdinand asked, his question slipping under the noise of the family.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t think I would be, but I really am doing okay, Ferdi.\u201d Belle looked at him. They were close enough in age to have spent their fauntling years together whenever her mother had visited Tuckborough.<\/p>\n Squinting at her, he ladled another serving of stew into her bowl, \u201cYou do look better than the last time we spoke,\u201d he said, making an oblique reference to her dad\u2019s wake.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been nearly a year,\u201d she said, taking a buttered scone from his plate, something they\u2019d done to each other since those long-ago years. \u201cIf you don\u2019t keep moving, you get mired in the mud.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour mother?\u201d He laughed at her, filling a mug with honey mead and passing it over. He nudged his plate closer to her, even as he plucked a pea pod out of her salad.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course,\u201d Belle smiled softly, watching him and remembering meals where they\u2019d traded bits back and forth, thinking they were being so sneaky under their mothers\u2019 eyes. \u201cShe wasn\u2019t someone who liked to dwell on what couldn\u2019t be changed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are your plans after this trip Bellabee?\u201d Adelard asked from her other side, sticking his long nose into the conversation like always and his cheery smile softening any insult before it could be taken. \u201cWe heard that they were lining up over in Hobbiton.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHa!\u201d Belle snatched up the mug Ferdi had barely let go of. She took a long drink before slamming it down. \u201cThose idiots, they can line up all they want. I\u2019m not something that is given out like a gift at a birthday party.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHere, here!\u201d Mugs thumped on the table as cheers of agreement went around the table at Belle\u2019s shout.<\/p>\n \u201cYou tell them that no daughter of Belladonna Took is going to fall for one of those softhanded, cowed little faunts who\u2019ve never had a trace of garden dirt under their nails,\u201d Ada stood on her chair at the end of the table, her cup raised in a toast to her granddaughter.<\/p>\n \u201cNo granddaughter of Adamanta Chubb either,\u201d Alexandrine shouted from her end of the table in support of her sister. \u201cOr my great niece.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBy Yavanna.\u201d Gerontius Took looked up at his wife and then down the table to his granddaughter. Then again to his sister-in-law. \u201cThe women in this family have always been fierce, every generation. I wonder if something will happen to dilute that spirit. I\u2019m happy to say that it hasn\u2019t happened yet, even when my fiercest daughter married the stuffiest of the Baggins\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDad wasn\u2019t so stuffy in the end,\u201d Belle laughed, calming down at the show of support from her Took relations. She still didn\u2019t know what she\u2019d do when she went back home, but here tonight, it didn\u2019t matter.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, he surprised everyone,\u201d the Thain agreed. Conversations began to pick back up around them, quieter now. \u201cHimself most of all, I think.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019d do anything for Mother,\u201d Belle said softly, but she didn\u2019t disagree with her grandfather.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t let any of those stuffed shirts tell you that you have to marry,\u201d her grandfather told her as she headed off to bed later that night. \u201cI\u2019ll support whatever choice you make, Bellabee,\u201d he said, the old nickname from her faunt years making itself known again.<\/p>\n \u201cI have no intention of marrying anyone right now,\u201d Belle assured him. She let herself be drawn into his embrace. Closing her eyes, she could smell the Longbottom leaf he\u2019d been smoking earlier lingering on him. \u201cDefinitely not one of those fools simpering around Bag End right now.\u201d She knew she was being unfair, really she did. Most of them were probably good lads, they just weren\u2019t good for her<\/i>, and she didn\u2019t feel like being fair right then.<\/p>\n \u201cGood, not a one of them deserves you anyway,\u201d he said, patting her shoulder. \u201cYou\u2019re the granddaughter of a queen, remember?\u201d<\/p>\n They snickered in the dimly lit hallway at the huffing sound behind them where Ada was getting Belle a few more blankets.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are no queens in the Shire and definitely none in Tuckborough,\u201d she snapped at the two of them, but Belle could see her lips twitching upwards as she fought a smile. \u201cIf you\u2019re quite done acting like faunts.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you saying I\u2019m not a princess, Grandmother?\u201d Belle forced her eyes wide, feeling them begin to water.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, pish tosh,\u201d Ada thrust the blankets at Belle huffily and sashayed back down the hall. They both heard her muffled chuckles as she disappeared around a corner.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I think you\u2019re a princess, sweetheart,\u201d Gerontius said, pulling her into one more hug, awkward around the bulk of the blankets. \u201cDon\u2019t let anyone treat you as less.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI won\u2019t. Goodnight, Grandfather,\u201d Belle replied, kissing his cheek and then watching him make his way after Adamanta, wondering if she would ever find someone that matched her the way that her grandparents were or the way her parents had been. \u201cI doubt I\u2019ll ever find anyone to match me. Definitely not here or back home. Too much of an odd duck, I think.\u201d<\/p>\n Shaking off her melancholy thoughts, she headed off to bed. She had the second leg of a long trip to finish tomorrow, and she\u2019d need her wits about her in Bree with all the big folk.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0****<\/b><\/p>\n Despite her protests, Belle didn\u2019t quite make it out of the smial without breakfast. Her cart was hitched and ready when she woke up, but Ada just plunked a bowl of porridge on the table in front of Belle and stood in front of her until she sat down and finished it.<\/p>\n After promising to stop on her way back home, Belle was sent on her way before anyone else was up. Plucking a plum up out of the overflowing basket repacked by her grandmother, Belle nibbled on it as she rumbled her way down the road to Bree.<\/p>\n She expected to make it to the town shortly before the gates were shut for the night. She\u2019d sent a message to the bounders so they could send ahead to let the inn know that she\u2019d need a room for the night and room in the stable for the cart and pony.<\/p>\n The day wore on, the sun sharp and warm. She paused twice to water the pony and herself, grateful that it was already early fall. Traveling in the summer heat would have been unbearable. Still, she kept her sunbonnet on. The last thing she wanted was a burnt nose when she arrived in town.<\/p>\n She\u2019d been correct in her timing: the sun was just setting when she saw the gates of Bree. Her cart rattled through, pausing only to state her business and get direction to her inn. The guard didn\u2019t give her much of a glance. Big folk rarely did when it came to hobbits.<\/p>\n \u201cAlways overlooked, always underestimated,\u201d Belle murmured as she navigated the narrow streets to her inn. Her mother had always said that, and Belle supposed that she\u2019d been correct.<\/p>\n Passing off the cart and pony to the stablehand, she made arrangements for her bags to be brought to her rooms and headed into the inn.<\/p>\n \u201cHello,\u201d Belle stepped up to the desk, untying her bonnet and giving the area a glance. She waited patiently for the gentleman to look over the desk at her. \u201cYou should have a room for me under Baggins.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d he coughed, looking down at the desk, then back over the top at her, \u201cMissus Baggins?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d she said, nodding firmly and smiling. She tried channeling a mix of her grandmother and mother to hide her nerves. This was her first time in Bree on her own. She was determined not to look too out of place. \u201cI\u2019ve made arrangements to have my bags brought in.\u201d She raised her brow at him when he continued to stare at her. \u201cIf you could direct me to my room and a meal, that would be wonderful.\u201d She smiled, feeling very tired suddenly.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, of course,\u201d he scuttled out from around the desk, grabbing a key. \u201cFollow me, we have only a few – smaller rooms – for our esteemed neighboring citizens when they visit our fair town. Luckily one is available for the next week.\u201d He glanced over his shoulder at her.<\/p>\n \u201cA week should be fine,\u201d she said smiling. \u201cI\u2019ll be sure to let you know if my business will take longer than that.\u201d She looked around as they moved through the inn, approving of what she saw.<\/p>\n \u201cHere, we are,\u201d he unlocked the room and gestured her in with a dramatic motion. \u201cDinner is served in the main dining room all evening \u2013 it gets rowdy in there the later it gets though.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll be down for something as soon as I settle my things then,\u201d Belle said, nodding. \u201cThank you for the advice.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHere is your key,\u201d he said, handing it over. \u201cBreakfast and luncheon are served in the dining room as well, times are posted on the board, but the kitchen will serve something all day for an extra fee.\u201d<\/p>\n She thanked him again. Belle watched as the boys from the stable brought her bags in almost as soon as he left. She tipped them and sent them on their way as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n She shut the door after them, leaning against it a moment before gathering herself and setting her things to rights.<\/p>\n Taking the desk clerk\u2019s words to heart, she decided to head down to the dining hall and get her supper out of the way before going straight to bed.<\/p>\n Waking to the sun in her face was not pleasant, and Belle made a note to close the curtains that night as she crawled out of bed all out of sorts, sore from two days in a cart and in beds not her own.<\/p>\n \u201cNothing to do but to do,\u201d Belle told herself as she rummaged for her toiletries. She laid out her clothes for the day and wrapped her dressing gown around herself before heading down the hall to the women\u2019s bathing room.<\/p>\n Quickly going through her morning ablutions, she was glad she\u2019d taken advantage of the baths the night before to wash the travel dust off so she could get an early start on her errands this morning.<\/p>\n She carefully coordinated her outfit:\u00a0 her nice green dress,\u00a0 gold anklets with emerald charms, and a matching umbrella meant to keep both rain and sun at bay. The sharpened point at the end would keep other things at bay as well, to say nothing for the daggers hidden in various places on her person. Belle may not have left the Shire since she was a small faunt, but her parents had prepared her as well as they could to take over their trade business. Nobody had expected it to be this soon though.<\/p>\n She stopped first for breakfast and some tea, taking a few scones with her for later. The very idea that the big folk didn\u2019t have second breakfast would always be a mystery to her.<\/p>\n Heading out, she stopped first at the trading post.<\/p>\n \u201cMr. Brindle,\u201d she dimpled prettily at the man behind the counter. \u201cI had hoped to find you here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYoung Miss Baggins,\u201d he said jovially, coming around to crouch in front of her. \u201cWhat brings you by my shop?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, business,\u201d she said, frowning now. \u201cYou\u2019ve heard, I\u2019m sure, of my father\u2019s passing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, terrible thing,\u201d Mr. Brindle said, shaking his head. \u201cHe was a good man, an honest hobbit.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, he was,\u201d Belle agreed. \u201cHe left his business to me and, while I\u2019ve been taking care of matters through the post over the last year during his illness and passing, I felt it was time to handle things personally. I\u2019ve come to Bree now to check on everything, settle any debts that might have been missed, that sort of thing. You know how my parents insisted on a personal touch for the caravans and the people who worked for them. I feel it\u2019s my duty to continue that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery like your father, you are, Miss Baggins.\u201d Mr. Brindle nodded, standing and going back around the counter and gathering some books. Coming back, he led her to a table and helped her into a chair. \u201cI\u2019ve sent copies of papers over the last year, but these are the books. I have a copy that I had made for your father before he passed. I wasn\u2019t sure what to do with them, but I suppose they\u2019ll go to you now. I didn\u2019t send it on because I wasn\u2019t sure if you would be continuing the caravan in the same fashion.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt will,\u201d Belle nodded. \u201cI\u2019ll take them with me when I go and we\u2019ll keep up the same arrangement for now.\u201d<\/p>\n She spent the next few hours going over the books with Mr. Brindle and setting up the last trade caravans for the fall. She made arrangements to have the new books delivered to Bag End when they were finished and took her leave.<\/p>\n \u201cYou do your father proud, Miss Baggins,\u201d Mr. Brindle said as she left.<\/p>\n \u201cI plan to, my mother as well,\u201d Belle replied, heading off to get some luncheon.<\/p>\n She found herself in the trade district near the shop and bought a hand pie off a vendor, eating it as she wandered around. Belle drifted to a shop displaying weaponry in the window. It had a lovely set of throwing knives that she just had to have if the price was right.<\/p>\n Belle’s obsession with weaponry hadn’t been very becoming in Hobbiton, but both her parents had indulged her over the years.<\/p>\n The bells jangled when she entered. Dusting the crumbs from her fingers, she shut the door behind her, closing out the sounds of the street. She was surprised by the counter in the shop. It was still above her head, but not by as much as usual.<\/p>\n \u201cHello,\u201d she called, \u201cI was wondering about the throwing knives in your display.\u201d<\/p>\n There was a thump, some clanging, and some disgruntled grunting before the cloth hanging that concealed the backroom was thrust aside, and a well-built dwarrow stepped out.<\/p>\n Belle\u2019s breath caught. He was the most attractive being she\u2019d ever laid eyes on. Dark hair, piercing eyes, and even his proud bearing made her knees tremble. He was also the most disagreeable-looking person she\u2019d ever seen. Disagreeably handsome, handsomely disagreeable \u2013 she couldn\u2019t decide. She locked her knees and firmed her mouth, lifting her chin.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d He barked out the command like a general at war.<\/p>\n She straightened her spine, pressed her lips together, and raised her brows, gripping her umbrella. \u201cThe throwing daggers in your window. I would like to look at them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHmm,\u201d he looked at her tilting his head, then smiled.<\/p>\n Belle felt his smile like a physical blow, \u201cOh dear, you shouldn\u2019t do things like that to a poor hobbit.\u201d<\/p>\n He raised his brows this time, \u201cLike what?\u201d He moved to the window and pulled the daggers out, walking them to a low table to lay them out for her.<\/p>\n \u201cSmile like that, it\u2019s bound to give a lady the wrong idea,\u201d she huffed at him, making her way over to study the daggers and the dwarrow.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat would be the wrong idea?\u201d he asked, laughter in his voice now.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, never you mind.\u201d She hooked her umbrella on the table and lifted one of the daggers, weighing it in her hand, flipping it around to get a feel for it. Pulling her gloves off, she set them aside and tested the blade. Giving the daggers a thorough inspection, she turned to the dwarrow to find him looking at her.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know your daggers, Missus,\u201d he said, eyes intense on her face. \u201cA fine hand for them too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou have quite the way with words, Mister \u2013\u201d she turned to look up at him, still holding a dagger. \u201cI never did get your name, and it\u2019s Miss.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThorin,\u201d he replied, catching her gaze and holding it. A slow smile curved lips under a dark beard that Belle\u2019s fingers itched to touch. \u201cMy name is Thorin. What should I call you, Miss<\/i>?\u201d<\/p>\n Belle felt her cheeks heat. For the first time, she felt the fluttering in her stomach and the dizziness in her head her mother had always spoken of. Despite her disdain for the male population in the Shire, she knew when she was being flirted with.<\/p>\n \u201cBellanna Baggins,\u201d she said, dipping her head, partially to hide her blush. \u201cThese are lovely work. Do you know the maker?\u201d She glanced up at him from under her lashes.<\/p>\n \u201cI do,\u201d Thorin said, smirking at her. His gaze was full of laughter. \u201cI know him quite well, actually.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have a feeling that you\u2019re going to tell me that you\u2019re not just a shopkeeper,\u201d Belle huffed, looking at Thorin\u2019s arms. Even covered by the tunic and jacket common to the area, they were impressive, stretching the fabric just enough to give Belle\u2019s imagination fertile ground. She swallowed dryly.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019d be right,\u201d he laughed, and when she huffed and flapped a hand in his direction, he reached out and – giving her time to retreat – took her hand in his. \u201cYou\u2019re a firecracker, aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n Heart skipping, Belle tugged experimentally at her hand, not really trying to take it back. \u201cYou\u2019re awfully courageous, you know?\u201d She kept her eyes on his.<\/p>\n \u201cHow so?\u201d Thorin murmured, leaning down, not crowding her, just close to her.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m still holding one of your daggers, Master Thorin,\u201d she said, letting what light there was glint off the blade.<\/p>\n \u201cIt looks good in your hand,\u201d he replied, stepping back and releasing her hand slowly. \u201cI\u2019m surprised to find a hobbit in this shop; usually I see your kin at the smithy or in one of the booths with our more general wares.\u201d<\/p>\n Belle looked at him from under her lashes as she tried to decide if he was insulting her or not. She nodded finally and set the dagger down with the others.<\/p>\n \u201cI like sharp and dangerous things,\u201d she said. \u201cI have plenty of pots and pans for now.\u201d Her smile felt sharp and dangerous when she turned back to look at the handsome dwarrow.<\/p>\n \u201cHmm, but not enough daggers?\u201d Thorin sounded amused as he leaned back against the store counter.<\/p>\n \u201cOne can never have too many daggers,\u201d Belle agreed, stepping closer to him feeling daring, her heart beating in her throat. She felt drawn to Thorin like a hummingbird to honeysuckle. \u201cDespite what my – kin – might believe.\u201d She searched his face to see if she was unwelcome so close.<\/p>\n \u201cYou-\u201d Thorin stopped and looked at her \u2013 looked into her in a way no one had ever done before. She felt stripped bare before him and shivered, her stomach clenching,\u00a0 her head buzzing with delight. \u201cAre you in town long?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA few days,\u201d Belle said, coming to a stop in front of him. \u201cI\u2019ve finished most of my reasons for my visit, though, and I should head back to Bag End.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t sound enthusiastic about that,\u201d he pointed out, tucking a curl behind her ear. Belle was startled by how natural his touch felt. \u201cYou could stay a few days, unless there is someone important waiting for you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Belle replied, grief welling up, a wave overtaking her before she caught her breath. \u201cNo, no one is waiting for me anymore. My parents have both passed on now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c[I]<\/sup><\/a>Bless those who mourn, creator, shield them from the pain with your hammer and guide them to a new day.<\/span><\/span>Umh\u00fbdizu tadaizd ku\u2019 adr\u00fbth\u00eezd, Mahal , murukh\u00eezd udu charach bakhuzizu ra udn\u00een izd ana ghiluz nur,\u201d<\/i> Thorin murmured, pulling her unresisting body close.<\/p>\n Belle didn\u2019t understand what he\u2019d said, but the guttural language and the comfort offered was a soothing balm over her battered heart. She\u2019d been shoring herself up alone since her father\u2019s death. She\u2019d been unable to show any weakness to the hobbits of the Shire and give them an opening to get a foot in the door, and too far from her Took relations to be able to lean on them safely.<\/p>\n \u201cOh \u2013 oh dear,\u201d she sniffled, tugging a handkerchief out of her sleeve. \u201cThis is a fine kettle. I do apologize, how unbecoming \u2013\u201d she pulled back and dabbed at her eyes. \u201cWell, that\u2019s just wonderful. I do apologize, Master Thorin. The last thing you need is a lady weeping all over you, I\u2019m sure.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t say that you are just any lady, Lady Bellanna,\u201d Thorin replied, stopping her from twisting her handkerchief into knots and tilting her chin up to meet his gaze. \u201cI was going to ask if you would spend the next few days with me. I have little to offer, but I find I can\u2019t let you go if you are amenable.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh,\u201d Belle felt herself flush from something other than embarrassment. \u201cThat sounds lovely and please, call me Belle.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019d like you could join me for supper this evening,\u201d Thorin offered, gesturing toward the ceiling. \u201cI live above the shop. After I close up if you come back by-\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Belle declared, and feeling emboldened once again, she stood on her toes to kiss the dwarrow on his cheek. \u201cI\u2019ll come for supper, and I\u2019ll buy those daggers.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Thorin said suddenly after a moment where he\u2019d just stared at her, his hand touching the spot she\u2019d kissed. \u201cLet me \u2013those daggers \u2013 I wish to gift them to you.\u201d<\/p>\n Belle cocked her head to the side, anticipation causing her breath to catch in her throat. \u201cGift them to me? In the Shire something like this \u2013 it would be considered a courting gift.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll wrap them and present them at dinner,\u201d Thorin replied. He reached for her hand, turning it over and kissing her palm.<\/p>\n Belle felt the tingling warmth shiver from her fingertips all the way down to her bare toes.<\/p>\n \u201cYou didn\u2019t answer my question, Sir,\u201d she replied breathlessly, allowing him to tuck her arm into his elbow and escort her to the door.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t remember hearing a question, my lady,\u201d Thorin said, an amused tilt to his lips beneath the beard. He had definitely regained his equilibrium after her surprise kiss on his cheek.<\/p>\n Belle huffed, pulling away from him once they reached the door to the shop. She hooked her umbrella over her elbow and crossed her arms, glaring at the dwarrow.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you asking to court me, Master Thorin?\u201d she asked with deceptive sweetness. \u201cOr am I free to look around for another suitor?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou are going to be the most confounding dam,\u201d Thorin huffed at her, reaching for her once more and pulling her to him, cradling her against his chest. \u201cYes, you little firecracker, I am stating my intention to court you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell,\u201d she sniffed, reveling in the feel of his strong arms around her. \u201cThat\u2019s quite alright then.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m glad,\u201d Thorin laughed. It sounded a bit rusty but lovely, resonating and deep. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t want to go against my One.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour One?\u201d Belle wondered, tilting her head back to look up at him.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll talk more at dinner,\u201d Thorin smiled at her, bending and pressing his lips to hers.<\/p>\n His beard was soft, and his lips warm and demanding against hers. Belle heard her umbrella fall with a light thump as she raised her hands to clutch Thorin\u2019s shoulders. She sighed when a hand cradled the back of her head and he deepened the kiss, his tongue sweeping over her lip, teeth nipping slightly.<\/p>\n \u201cThorin,\u201d Belle sighed, pulling back, her eyes fluttering open to meet his. Thorin\u2019s eyes were almost entirely black, with just a thin ring of blue around them.<\/p>\n \u201cYou undo me, ghivashel<\/i>,\u201d he murmured against her hair after pulling her close again. He held her tight \u2013 she could hear his heart beneath her ear, his breath quick but steady. \u201cYou\u2019re going to need to go if I am to have things ready for this evening.\u201d He ran his hands to her shoulders and set her back from him. Bending down, he picked up her umbrella and handed it to her.<\/p>\n \u201cWell,\u201d Belle said and then stopped when she couldn\u2019t think of anything else to say. She felt like she\u2019d just spent a lifetime with Thorin. Some part of her recognized him, and it should frighten her. It would shock any other hobbit, she was sure, but Bellanna Baggins was the daughter of Belladonna and Bungo Baggins. She wasn\u2019t like any other hobbit. \u201cI\u2019ll be back later on then?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor dinner, yes,\u201d Thorin agreed, opening the shop door for her. \u201cI\u2019ll have your daggers ready.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll look forward to it then,\u201d Belle replied, tilting her face so she could look up at him from under her lashes. She was sure she looked a rumpled mess after her tears and then the delightful kissing, but she couldn\u2019t find it in her to care.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll be waiting,\u201d Thorin said, using a finger to tilt her face up and lay a chaste kiss on her lips before he stepped back in the shop and let the door shut.<\/p>\n Belle watched him move to the display window out of the corner of her eye, and she felt his eyes on her until she was out of sight.<\/p>\n Lost in thought, she made her way back to the inn and up to her room. Sitting on the bed, she thought about what would happen at dinner when she officially accepted Thorin\u2019s courting gift.<\/p>\n She hugged herself with a smile, feeling warm all the way to her toes as she wriggled them. She hadn\u2019t been this happy since before her parents had passed. The thought brought a small bite of grief, but there was also the idea that they\u2019d both be thrilled for her.<\/p>\n This was not how she\u2019d imagined her trip to Bree would go, and she was still unsure how this would play out. A hobbit and a dwarrow courting \u2013 she felt a thrill shoot through her thinking about Thorin.<\/p>\n She was highly looking forward to what was coming.<\/p>\n The courting, getting to know Thorin, more of those fantastic kisses. Then to top it all off, the reactions of the Shire to her courting partner – well, that would be delightful as well. Just the thought of it made her laugh. It was all going to be absolutely wonderful, however it played out. Belle was sure of it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n References<\/span><\/p><\/div>
\nAuthor: <\/b>Sibyl Moon
\nFandom<\/b>: The Hobbit
\nTheme\/Genre:<\/b> Chance meetings, Fantasy, AU, Romance, Female Bilbo
\nRelationship<\/b>: Belle\/Thorin
\nWord Count: <\/b>5800
\nAlpha\/Beta: starlitenite<\/em><\/b>
\nWarnings: <\/b>None
\nSummary:<\/b> Bellanna Baggins heads to Bree to take care of business after her father’s death and to get away from Hobbiton for a bit. A set of daggers and a handsome face turn her world on end.
\nAuthor Note:<\/strong> The Khuzdul phrases in this fic have been translated through google and google searches to the best of my ability, any mistakes are my own. The Dwarrow Scholar website was also a great help.
\nPrompt:<\/strong> Thorin Oakenshield is working in Bree the first time he meets the Baggins of Bag End. (From Just Write 2021 Prompt Calendar<\/a>)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sibylmoon.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/chapter-break-Serendipity.jpg?resize=760%2C100&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\nChapter One<\/h1>\n
<\/p>\nChapter Two<\/h1>\n