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Bilbo glared at the thing. Seriously. Why was it just sitting there?
He quickly peeked around the room, the little line between his brows growing deeper with every child he saw.
Honestly? Even thirty year olds are managing this! What is wrong with me!
The instructor approached him with a concerned but friendly smile, somewhat pitying, but Bilbo attempted to ignore that part.
“Master Baggins! I see that you are still having a little trouble?”
Bilbo nodded, attempting not to flee in mortification, then straightened his waistcoat, “A Baggins always sticks by their word, Master Barun. Even to themselves.”
The teacher smiled, “Well, let us see if we can just work out where the problem lies?”
Bilbo nodded again, mumbling under his breath, “I’m a hobbit. Thats the problem.”
-
The trouble had all began some months ago, at the harvest festival, when Bilbo had arrived in Erebor as requested.
Fili and Kili had written to him many times, and since their mother was bringing the final troupe of dwarrow from the Blue Mountains to Erebor, a caravan would be conveniently passing Bree, and Bilbo just let his feet carry him away.
At least this time he had left proper instructions and information, and packed accordingly.
Meeting Dis was a moment henceforth etched in his memory. Shockingly alike to Thorin, but with golden hair, mirroring Fili’s and a frankly astounding beard.
She had taken Bilbo quite under her wing, and shooed away any thoughts of secrecy.
“You saved my idiot of a brother and two most precious treasures from harm! Don’t think I will forget that, little Burglar,” she smiled fondly.
On the way to Erebor the two had become close, and she had explained all about dwarrow courtships, as Bilbo had a scholarly interest of course. Nothing more. Don’t be silly.
Circumstances being awkward as they were, lasted only a scant two days, until Dis, quite enamoured with Bilbo’s sharp tongue and kindly face, informed Thorin that “If you don’t get your kingly head out of your hairy arse and court the hobbit, I will do so myself!”
What had meant to be a private talk between siblings had somehow been overheard by the entirety of the guard, half of the kitchen staff and three men from Dale.
Thus began the tentative courtship of one Bilbo Baggins by the King Under The Mountain.
Bilbo did enjoy the holding hands and soft whispers of affection.
Thorin praised his hobbits skill at wordsmithing and cooking to anyone who would listen, once Bilbo had made him dinner and let him nosey at a few of the books he had brought to Erebor.
What had them both in a bit of bother was the traditions surrounding Yule.
Dwarves, it seems, celebrated the season at its peak, on one day.
One single day, spent with family and close friends, sharing food and drink and gifts and merriment.
Hobbits did not.
Bilbo was quite accustomed to spending the days surrounding Midwinters Night cooking and baking and preparing for the Feast of Yavanna and Aule.
But trying to explain something so far ingrained into their cultures was difficult, and awkward.
At first Thorin had assumed Bilbo simply did not want to spend the day with them, then that Bilbo wanted to go somewhere else, and that Bilbo did not hold him in the same adoration that he felt for his hobbit.
Dis made him remember that this was clearly not the case, and told him in a fit of pique, that if he was so insecure about his lover, perhaps he should propose and have done with it.
Thorin thought this was a marvellous idea and brought it up with Bilbo who cried and agreed happily, and this is where the trouble began.
-
“I am a King.”
Bilbo raised an eyebrow and nodded at Thorin, who was pacing before the fire nervously.
“What my idiot brother is trying to say-” Dis said, rolling her eyes.
“Is that he needs your beads!” Kili interrupted, smiling gleefully.
Bilbo frowned, “But I don’t have any beads.”
When Fili placed his hands on Bilbos shoulders, the hobbit tried not to jump and froze at the seriousness of the Prince’s tone, “That is why you will attend smithing class.”
Bilbo found the class quite pleasant.
At first.
You see, at first they learned how to make a mould for their bead, and how to carve details after it had cooled.
They practised with the softer metals first and they were not a problem.
Bilbo had a handful of beads of different colours and shapes and knew what he wanted for Thorin's hair was an inch long bead with an oval shaped opening, letting him have more space to decorate it.
He decided upon adding two rings of grandidierite and had somehow managed to keep the colour, materials, and gems a secret from the royal family.
Bofur grinned as he looked over the mould and materials for him, nodding his approval.
“I would melt it down in one of the supervised crucibles. If you run into trouble at that temperature-” the toymaker winced and Bilbo nodded.
“I was planning on it. I know everything I need to do, its just getting right thats the problem.”
And so our hobbit found himself for the third day in a row, attempting to melt down a chunk of mithril that he had paid an extortionate amount for.
Master Barun had suggested practising as much as possible, and now Bilbo was staring down at a simply non melted piece of metal and fretting.
“Aha! Here we are!”
He blinked up at his teacher, and raised an eyebrow.
“You just forgot to turn this on here-” he turned around a knob on the side of the large bowl shaped device, “- that’ll be you now!”
Within two minutes, the mithril had melted, and Bilbo was carefully pouring it into his mould.
Master Barun watched on, eyes gleaming in excitement.
“Now I just leave it, yes?” Bilbo asked, still eyeing the little mould.
His teacher grinned and nodded, “Three days in here, then two more in the ice cooler.”
Bilbo nodded, tidying away his tools and turning off the crucible with a wry smile to his teacher.
Barun clapped him on the back, somewhat painfully, and smiled, “Well done, Bilbo Baggins.”
Bilbo walked back to his room with a smile on his face and a skip in his step.
-
Thorin had prepared himself for his very public proposal to his very lovely partner.
He had prepared himself for the cheers and jeering, all in good humour and fun, and even for the possibility that some grim faced elders may oppose the union.
And so he dropped to one knee, in the fashion of hobbits, and pledged his troth to his beloved.
“Bilbo Baggins, son of Belladonna and Bungo, would you do me the profound honour of becoming my Consort?”
He offered up a shining silver ring, mithril, his mothers, resized, and swallowed nervously as the room, silent as the grave, watched on.
Bilbo smiled, bright and stunning.
Before he dropped to one knee himself, reaching into his pocket and offered out a little box.
Thorin could not process what he was seeing.
“I will become your Consort, if you will become my Husband.”
Thorin’s nerves cleared and he grinned, “Yes, yes Bilbo!”
The hobbit offered his hand to the King who slid the band up his finger, and then opened the box, revealing one beautiful bead.
-
Midwinters night, The festival of Yule as the dwarrow called it, came about swiftly.
Bilbo found that awakening to Fili and Kili jumping on his bed and insisting that someone named Kerstman had been.
He was astounded to enter into the common room of the royal apartments to see a great fir tree, decorated far beyond how his parents would have decorated the oak above their home, and helped decorate the party tree.
There were little jars, brightly coloured glass, with candles made of sweet smelling beeswax.
Bright baubles, beautiful strings of glittering shards of gems, twinkling and bright and - “Oh my!”
The Company grinned at him.
“How do you like our Yule tree?” Nori asked, appearing from the corner.
“It is – I – It is beautiful!” Bilbo managed to say, battling his speechless tongue.
The day passed in a merry way.
Bilbo was pulled into the centre of the room beside his beloved, and gifted various bits and pieces from each member of his, now quite extended, family.
He, in turn, offered them the traditional gifts he had prepared – Jars of jam and pickles for the adults; Dried fruit in pretty, brightly coloured handkerchiefs, tied with red ribbons for the children; And dried fruits, soaking in various sweet wines for Fili, Kili and Gimli.
“Now don’t be eating them all at once! One or two at a go!” he called after them as they took turns sampling each others flavours.
Thorin chuckled, pulling Bilbo closer to him, “Thank you for agreeing to this. I know it is very different.”
Bilbo shrugged, the turned to face the king with a smile, “I don’t mind. Really, its wonderful! The feasting and fellowship is, well, I think its wonderful.”
Thorin grinned, “So, what happens once thee sun goes down on Midwinters Night, my hobbit?”
-
Bilbo ushered them all out onto the great battlements, smiling as they settled themselves on the large pillows and blankets he had brought out.
“Well, a merry Midwinter to you!” he called, feeling warmed from within as they called back various greetings and cheers of their own.
“The Feast of Yavanna and Aule begins with a toast to the year past.”
Bilbo looked around, making sure everyone had a drink.
Thorin stood beside him, giving a small supportive squeeze to his arm.
The hobbit sighed, “Valar, we thank you for the past year. Thank you for our health and happiness. I would like to thank you for my new family.”
He took a drink and Thorin nodded, “I would like to give thanks for the health of my sisters-sons.”
Dis followed, giving thanks to the Maker for her family’s survival.
The drinking and thanksgiving finished with Bombur's youngest smiling, missing her two front teeth, and giving thanks to Yavanna for the pretty flowers growing on the mountainside and Aule for the pretty sound the hammers made, echoing up from the deep forges.
With a smile and a cheer, the group finished their drinks and looked expectantly at the hobbit who just laughed and gestured to the tables.
If Bombur hadn’t made it clear by this point that he was looking forwards to trying the rich and tasty fare, it would never have been made clear.
Bilbo had baked and prepared as much as possible in the days beforehand.
There were spicy chillies and rice.
The cold boar and apple stews were surprisingly delicious.
However, the children soon spotted the hundreds of tiny puddings.
The night passed quickly and the feast was drawing to an end as the sun began to come up.
Bilbo rang a little bell, drawing attention, “The long night draws to a close. I wish to give thanks to the sun, for coming back to us after her long rest. My last request, is that the Valar pass judgement on our joining of hearts.”
Bilbo swallowed and nodded to Thorin and they reached out, braiding a section of the others hair and fixing their beads in the seven stranded braid.
The sun broke over the trees, the sky bursting into a glorious golden dawn, making the little group burst out with a great cheer.
Thorin pulled Bilbo close, pressing his forehead tenderly to Bilbo’s own, and wiping the tears of joy from his hobbits eyes.
The sun rose on the first day of their marriage and all was well with our hobbit and his king.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year everyone!