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A New Reckoning  by Dreamflower

CHAPTER 68

Frodo stepped forward as Rose and Marigold approached. The lasses stood to his left, and Merry and Sam to his right. He looked at Sam and Rose, and felt a great swell of love and gratitude. His Sam was finally going to get the chance at all the happiness he deserved, and there was no lass better than Rose to give it to him. He watched as they fell into one another’s eyes, and the moment seemed frozen in time.

Merry cleared his throat.

With a start, Frodo gave his cousin a grateful, if rueful, smile, and began.

“I have before me two hobbits who have come with a petition of marriage. Who will vouch for them?”

Merry spoke up, using the words of the ancient formula. “I am Meriadoc Brandybuck, a hobbit of Buckland. I present Samwise Gamgee, a hobbit of Hobbiton, known to me as a hobbit of good character, who is of age, with no reasons why he should not be wed.”

Then it was Marigold’s turn. “I am Marigold Gamgee, a hobbitess of Hobbiton. I present Rose Cotton, a hobbitess of Bywater, known to me as a hobbitess of good character, who is of age, with no reasons why she should not be wed.”

Frodo turned to Sam, beaming. “Samwise Gamgee, is it your intent to wed Rose Cotton, of your own free will?”

Sam looked briefly at Frodo, and then back at his Rosie. “Aye, it is,” he answered firmly.

“Rose Cotton, is it your intent to wed Samwise Gamgee, of your own free will?”

“Aye, right willingly,” she exclaimed clearly.

“Samwise Gamgee and Rose Cotton, you have declared before witnesses your intent to wed. The duties of marriage are to honor and support one another; the blessings of marriage are to love and respect one another. These duties and these blessings are meant to last for a lifetime. Are you prepared to take on these tasks, through such joys and sorrows as may in time come to you?”

“We are!” Their voices rang out together in perfect unison.

This was the point in the ceremony for which Frodo had waited. The formalities almost out of the way, it was where the officiator had the chance to make a small speech if he chose, usually about the couple in question. Frodo had thought long and hard about what he would say.

“I have known Samwise Gamgee for most of my life. This is a hobbit whose love of growing things has been his delight since he was a small child. This is a hobbit whose roots go deep into the Shire; I don’t know of any hobbit who loves the Shire more, or who feels a greater connection to this small land of ours. Yet for all of that, he was willing to lose it all, out of love and loyalty to a friend. He followed his friend into mortal danger, over and over, and might never have come out alive. Yet under it all was his hope to come home, to his Shire, and to his Rose. He could have stayed in a far place where he would be honored as one of the great ones of the land, yet still he chose to come home and become once more a simple gardener. And when he came home and found the Shire had been marred by the very evils he had tried to prevent, he turned his hand to repairing the damage. We stand here beside this tree, the seed of which was the gift of a great Elven lady. But the tree is the gift of Samwise to the Shire, and a symbol of his love for this country.”

Frodo reached his hand to the side, and placed it on the trunk of the tree, pausing for a few seconds before he continued.

“And while he was gone, doing all that was in his power to save what was good and lovely in the world, there were those here who doubted he would ever return. But there was one who never doubted, never wavered, never stopped looking for his return. Rose Cotton waited through a long and lonely year, with no knowledge of his whereabouts, nor any real reason besides the love and loyalty in her heart to think he would return. And when he did return, she was here for him.

This marriage is the reward that both of them deserve, to be happy with one another for a lifetime. I am proud to be their friend, and happier than I can say, to see this result of their loyalty and devotion.

Sam and Rosie, may the Valar always smile upon you, and shower you with all the blessings you deserve!”

There were tears running unheeded and unchecked down Frodo’s face; Sam and Rosie also were silently crying, and Merry had to brush his own eyes. Among the assembled, there were quite a few sniffles being heard.

Frodo took a deep breath, and blinked.

“Would the designated witnesses step forward: Halfred Gamgee; Tolman Cotton the younger; Wilcome Cotton; Fredegar Bolger; Meriadoc Brandybuck; Saradoc Brandybuck--

In the front row there was a stir as they prepared to step up. Pippin suddenly found his elbows being taken by his uncle Saradoc and his father.

“--Paladin Took; Peregrin Took.”

There was a buzz among the hobbits. That was *eight* names--and everyone knew Peregrin was not of age yet. What was going on?

Pippin wondered the same thing. He was in daze. He noticed Frodo, Merry and Sam grinning at him.

Frodo spoke out. “It has been brought to our attention by those who are in a position to know, that in the event a hobbit who has not come of age needs to sign a legal document, it will be allowed, provided that a parent or legal guardian also witnesses the signature. In such an event there will be seven adult witnesses in addition to that of the minor.”

The others had all signed, Pippin stood there, eyes wide, and with trembling hand took the quill from his father. He dipped it into the red ink and wrote beneath the other names, “Peregrin Took”. Paladin took back the quill and wrote next to it, “attested by Paladin Took.”

Then Paladin handed the quill to Frodo, who gave it to Sam. Sam wrote his name, and gave the quill to Rose. The marriage document was the only legal document a female hobbit could sign. Finally, Frodo wrote beneath it all, “Frodo Baggins, Deputy Mayor.”

Frodo spoke once more. “With the signing of this document, and by my authority as Deputy Mayor, I now declare these two hobbits are husband and wife.” He took Sam’s and Rose’s hands and placed them together. “I present to you: Mr. and Mrs. Samwise Gamgee!”

Sam reached out to embrace Rose, and give her the first kiss as his wife. It was intended to be a nice, respectable kiss for the public to see, but Rose had other ideas. There was a chorus of laughter and cheers, when Sam finally was able to come up for air.

Merry came over to the table to take charge of the marriage lines and keep the document safe, until it could be taken to Bag End. Pippin came up with tears in his eyes. “Merry--how? How?”

His cousin grinned at him. “Well, after our little chat the other day, I did a bit of checking; actually, I asked old Grubb to check for me. He had to look through a lot of dusty old law books, but he found me an answer. It‘s not done very often--in fact it‘s usually reserved for when a couple of tweenagers put the dessert before the main course--” This was the usual hobbit euphemism for a hobbit lass and lad who anticipated the delights of matrimony without the formality of it. “but not always.”

Frodo was smiling at him fondly, and Sam with his arm around Rose. “Mr. Merry asked me about it, and I told him that if there was any way at all, I wanted your name on our marriage lines. Rosie agreed.”

Rose leaned forward and gave Pippin a kiss on the cheek. “Mr. Pippin, I would have sorely missed not having your name on there. It’s only right, you being so dear a friend!”

Pippin sniffled, and wiped his eyes. Merry laughed. “Don’t you have a job to do? Aren’t there some musicians around here that need to start playing?”

He looked at Merry with a sweet smile. “Indeed there are, and I’ll get right to it. But thank you, Merry, for reminding me why I love you.”

Merry laughed. “Why because I’m perfect in every way, of course, cousin!”

Pippin shook his head, and gave his cousin a playful swat before heading over to the stand where the band he had engaged was set up.

Marigold headed down to check on whether the wedding luncheon was almost ready. She was sure Lily had things well in hand, but as the one who had stood with Rose, it was one of her responsibilities to see to it.

So far, all had gone well, with no unpleasant surprises. Mr. Pippin--now that was a *pleasant* surprise. Mari recalled only too well what a scapegrace lad Mr. Pippin had been before he went away. But he had returned all grown up. He had been a dangerous warrior when it came to those ruffians, but a fair-spoken gentlehobbit now, all the same. He still liked a joke, and probably always would, if Mr. Merry were anything to go by, but he knew now when it was time to be serious. She had scoffed once when Sam had told her that Mr. Pippin had stood to attention for hours on end when he was guarding the King. “I can’t believe he would stand still for five minutes, much less hours.” “Believe it,” Sam had answered. She did now. Though when he didn’t *have* to be still, he fidgeted just as much as ever he did. It must be a sore trial to him not to be of age yet.

Funny, she thought, how things had turned out for her brother, with his three best friends being gentry, and him being honored by the King and all. But her Sammy deserved it if anybody did, and in spite of all their father had been afeared of, over Sam making friends above his station, they had all proven themselves to be true friends, and not just childhood playmates.

She soon came to the kitchen tent, where the food was being readied. Lily was there, and Daisy and May and Halfred’s wife Holly, and a number of other lasses, friends and cousins. They had slipped away while the marriage lines were still being signed.

Nearly all the food was on the tables now, and Marigold got her first look at the beautiful wedding cake that Lily had made. It was huge, covered in marzipan, with a crown of sugar paste roses.

“Oh, Mistress Lily! What a beautiful cake! It’s going to be a shame to cut it!”

Lily laughed. “Well, ‘twould be a shame not to cut it, as I hope it is as good on the inside.” But she blushed at the praise. Lily had spent her tweenage years working for her uncle, who was a baker of some renown, and her cakes were famous for both their beauty and their taste.

“Did you put the silver penny in?” asked Marigold.

“Well, of course I did. It wouldn’t be a wedding cake otherwise!” In Shire tradition, a silver penny was baked into the cake. If a child or tweenager, or an adult over eighty, found it, it simply meant good luck--which, as many said, was only reasonable, seeing as how it made them a penny the richer--but if an older lass or lad, still unwed, found it, it meant they would soon be wed. If they were already wed, it meant a child would soon be on the way. But if the bride or groom should find it, it meant they would have a child within the year. And some said, if the groom found it, it meant a daughter, and if the bride found it, it meant a son. But Marigold had never yet heard of a wedding where the bride or groom found the penny.

Pippin, still a bit bemused over the surprise his friends and family had pulled on him, had made his way to the bandstand, and was checking to see if they were ready to begin playing. There would be some lively music to listen to during the luncheon, and he wanted to make sure the musicians had already eaten. After luncheon there would be some special songs in honor of the bride and groom, and then the dancing would begin. Bergil and Anwynd were there.

“Sir Pippin!” exclaimed Bergil, “they’ve said we might play with them!”

Pippin laughed. “Well, Bergil, if they do not mind, I do not. But wait until after you have played your special piece for Rose and Sam!”

Anwynd nodded gravely. “That is what I have told him, Sir Peregrin.”

“Well, that’s good then! Are you coming down to the luncheon?”

His friends nodded. Pippin looked up at the grinning musicians, and told them “Play the guests to the table then!”

Merry was doing his best to usher Frodo, the bride and the groom, through the crowd of well-wishers, and towards the tables. The sound of the music signaling the food was ready helped, as suddenly everyone found reason to be heading in the same direction.

Sam and Rose were seated together at the head of the table, with Frodo to one side of them, and Merry and Marigold to the other. At the far end of the table, a section had been left with no chairs, so that the Men could sit on the ground there and be of the right height for the table. The rest of the guests at this table were close family and friends. There were three other long tables set up for all the other guests.

For some time, the hobbits concentrated on the food. Plates were filled and dishes passed. As with most hobbit meals, table conversation centered around the food, though there was some talk of the ceremony, how lovely it was, and of the little surprise at the end. A few of the older, more conservative hobbits were slightly offended at the idea that an underage hobbit had been allowed to sign the marriage lines, but they were out-numbered by those who thought it only fair that Captain Peregrin be allowed to put his name down.

As the food began to dwindle, and the eating slowed, Merry tapped the table for attention, and stood to make his toast to the bride and groom. He stood up, and holding his tankard high, exclaimed: “To Samwise the Stout-hearted and the Lovely Rosie Cotton--now Gamgee--Love! Luck! And a hole filled with many Little Blessings!”

“Hear! Hear!”

“I’ll keep my speech short--” There was much applause at this. “It’s been an honor for me to stand with my good friend today as he wed. This marriage has been a long time coming, and all I will say is that no two hobbits deserve one another more than our Sam and our Rose!”

Merry sat down to even greater applause, and this was the signal to bring the cake in.

There were “oohs” and “ahhs” of appreciation as it was set in front of the bride and groom. Sam and Rose stood up to cut it together, and the first piece went by tradition to the officiator, Frodo. The rest of the pieces were passed down the table, and the bride and groom took the last two slices.

There was a bit of silence as folk began to eat, many carefully picking throught their cake in hopes of finding the lucky penny.

Suddenly, there was an exclamation from Sam. In amazement, he reached between his teeth, and brought out the silver penny!

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