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Dragons.
Dragon were a beast, yes, but dragon was also a term; a term often used to describe kings with a LOT of gold, it could easily count as a dragon's hoard.
"Absolutely Not!" Bilbo yelled.
"But Bilbo, this isn't a simple proposal," his mother said. "The king of the mountain has asked for your hand."
"Yes mother, I am aware." He groaned, before looking at the envelope, his tail flicking in frustration. "I am aware that the Dragon of Erebor wants me to be his for all eternity." He said as he looked back to his mother, upset as if he thought the proposal was insane. The king had stated he wanted Bilbo to be his, and they could be wed when both were ready to although he didn't hear that part.
His mother sighed. "Bilbo, you can't live alone forever. We all knew this would happen," She said, trying to reason with the angry hobbit. "Besides, he must see something great."
Bilbo scoffed. "Yes..., he Really must see something valuable about me." He scowled before storming off.
His mother sighed. She knew the king asked for his hand, but when she told Bilbo this, he reacted negatively. It was almost like Bilbo thought marriage wouldn't work for him; it was like Bilbo was afraid of being hurt by the idea of simple settling down.
Bilbo slammed the door to his room in a huff, before laying on his bed.
Marriages in Hobbit terms were either usually Safety Marriages. Safety marriage was when a marriage occurs because something tangible, mostly materialistic, is decided to be given in return. They were rarely ever out of love.
'If the Dragon of Erebor wants me...'
His tail shifted as he tried to just forgot about it. He wasn't going to marry someone who wanted something from him, he wanted to marry someone who wanted him for... him.
He didn't read the letter, he didn't want to. But then again... He did wonder, he wondered why the king proposed.
What could he have that the king liked? What could he possibly offer a royal that would warrant a proposal of marriage as a response?
What did he possess that a dragon wanted?
What... did the king see in him?
"I haven't heard from Baggins End. There's no reply." The king said, semi-impatient.
"Give it time, my liege. They will respond." Bofur said. To be fair, it had only been one week. Letters from Baggins End to Erebor and vice versa took time. But they were surprised the king was eager for a response.
Ever since King Thorin read the book written by Bilbo Baggins, ever since he's spoken the author's name, he's felt a chill down his spine and he's been calmer, more reasonable, and he feels happy every time he says the name. In Dwarven tradition, Dwarves will feel a gentle chill down the spine once they say the name of the person they will marry. The person who the dwarf will spend the rest of their life with. The person's name can change them, for better or for worse. There is no changing the name or the partner. Dwarves know that once they say it, the name of your partner, they become their soulmate for all of eternity, until the end of time.
Thorin was less greedy and more resourceful, more wise than he was used to being. He acted like a small tot being given their favorite treat every time he read the name. He never got tired of saying it either. He looked so happy.
He wanted to meet him so badly.
He had sent a letter to the shire, addressed to Bilbo Baggins one week ago, his nephew Kili helping him write the letter, although Fili protested.
He should've responded.
"Maybe you should go to Baggin's End and meet him." Kili suggested. Thorin considered it but he didn't know if Bilbo would even want to see him.
Fili glared. "It's not worth going, besides we need to wait for a response." Fili said, disagreeing.
Kili looked back to meet Thorin's face. It had a spark of determination and hope. Dwarves were known from their stubbornness. Kili's statement worsened his uncle's impatience on the matter.
Thorin knew it was too impulsive but he had a plan in mind.
"I can wait no longer." He said, his impatience getting the better of him as he stood up. "Dwalin. Watch the boys, and hold the fort. I'm going out." Thorin said. "Let us come!" Fili and Kili said but Thorin shot down their pleas. "No. You two are to stay put until I return."
Balin attempted to follow only to be met by a look given by Thorin. "Alone." He said, grabbing his bag and turning to leave.
Dwalin looked at him and nodded. He waited till Thorin left and then looked at Kili. "Listen here, Kili, go follow your uncle. Make sure nothing bad happens." Kili smiled before running after Thorin.
He then turned to Fili who crossed his arms and looked at Dwalin.
"You too Fili."
"Bilbo!" His mother shouted, trying to reason with Bilbo, but was losing patience. This wasn't going to kill him. "No! I refuse. You may tell the king I am not interested!" He replied. His mother finally lost her temper.
"Stop acting childish, Bilbo. It's not that bad." She said, finally starting to lose her temper. "We're doing this for you."
"Childish?" He scoffed. "Well forgive me for being cautious. Dragons are kings that have so much gold, it makes them ill. I will not marry a man who is selfish and lets greed ensnare him."
"Bilb-" His mother tried to speak but was cut off. "No. I don't want to get married, because if I accept, if I commit to this, it will end badly for me! Of that, I am certain. SO, if you could kindly tell The King of The Mountains, The Dragon of Erebor, if you could please tell Thorin Oakenshield, I cannot marry him, I would be ever so grateful."
"What do you mean by it will end badly?" She asked, to which Bilbo looked at her, eyes filled with an unending sadness; he didn't know how to tell her. "I can't do it." were the only response he got.
"Bilbo, please, you have to try! Think of it as an adventure!" She said. Bilbo didn't look at her but he had tears threatening to flood his eyes. He couldn't.
He couldn't.
He couldn't do it. He knew, if he did, the marriage would be something that ends up with his heart broken and his whole body aching with pain, of that, he was certain. If he made a promise, he didn't know if he could commit to it. King Thorin could be nice but he could also hurt Bilbo. Besides, a commitment was a lifetime. That lifetime could go south real quickly.
"...I can't." He said before running out of the house, out of the shire. He could hear his mother calling for him to come back but, he did not. He couldn't do it. Why couldn't he?
Simple.
It would just be heartache.
Thorin disguised himself as a lumberjack. He knew his nephews were not far behind. He walked, as the leaves crackled under the weight of his boots. His disguise as a lumberjack worked for him as the hobbits didn't recognize him.
He knew well that Bilbo Baggins wasn't ignoring him.
"I'll be damned if I marry that man! I can't marry him! It'll just-" A voice caught Thorin's attention. Thorin or the lumberjack walked over. Standing there was a hobbit, brown curly hair, dressed pretty decent and a tail that flicked up and down with frustration.
Bilbo was angry with the idea of marriage but he snapped out of thought when he heard the leaves rustle so he turned to see a dwarven lumberjack.
"Oh. Hi. Sorry." Bilbo said, noticing "I just am angry with something." The lumberjack walked over, sympathetically, "What's wrong?" He asked. "Well you see..." The hobbit paused.
"I've been asked to marry someone." He said.
The lumberjack looked at him. "Who?"
"The King of the Mountain." Bilbo responded. "There's a problem... I don't want to..." Bilbo said. Didn't want to? Why? Thorin told him he could take as much time as he needs. The lumberjack sighed internally. 'Be polite, Thorin. He doesn't know it's you.'
"Why not? The king doesn't ask for just anyone." The lumberjack said, as he smiled. Bilbo's tail lowered, indicating the hobbit's nervousness and fear. "Because... It will go badly. Dragons, are selfish and greedy, they do not care about anything but themselves. They take and they take, not considerate of what happens to others." He said, to which the Dwarf fell silent.
“What did you say?” Thorin asked, staring daggers at the hobbit that stood beside him.
“He is greedy… and selfish.” That last part was a little hesitated. Bilbo knew that the dwarf be very unhappy to hear his king being insulted. But he wasn’t wrong!
…was he?
The dwarf turned and faced him as he practically scoffed. “If he was so selfish, the nephews he cares for would not be cared for out of love.” He argued. “Still! It doesn’t change the fact that he’s called The Dragon of Erebor. I’m pretty sure most dragons, beast or not, are very greedy beings with their mounds of gold.” Bilbo said, crossing his arms in a huff.
“He is not greedy and you would do well to mind your tongue.” The lumberjack hissed. Bilbo glared.
"You dwarves aren't hesitant to speak your mind, are you?" Bilbo hissed. "Not at all, in fact, let me tell you what I think." The lumberjack said.
"Hobbits are thoughtless creatures who struggle with emotion, they act before thinking. It's almost as if they are allergic to showing how they feel, so they rather act dull and stupid." He said, and Bilbo turned around, aghast.
"Excuse me?! We're not dull and stupid. We're actually pretty good of showing our emotions when needed, it's just a few of us!"
"Well, forgive me for my lack of belief. I thought maybe since you dished out insults towards my king, you could take insults back. After all, you seem to think poorly of his majesty." The lumberjack said.
Bilbo laughed, he didn't think badly of the guy! Not at all, it's just... he wasn't sure he could do it.
"Well, forgive me for my lack of belief? Aren't you something?" Bilbo asked, done with the conversation.
He started to walk off but the lumberjack followed him.
Thorin was not having it. He started this conversation. How dare he? How dare Bilbo Baggins, call Thorin Oakenshield greedy and selfish. Thorin was offended by Bilbo's words, and he had the audacity to walk off? Thank goodness he didn't recognize him, otherwise, Thorin would've gone off.
"Oh no you don't. You aren't going anywhere until you apologize for insulting the king." The lumberjack said pining him to a tree.
"Why should I?" Bilbo asked, hard-headed and stubborn.
"You don't get to insult the king, and walk off like nothing happened. Apologize." He said. "Or, are you hobbits too stubborn to admit your wrongs?" He said before Bilbo said. 'Maybe I went a little too far.' He thought. "You're right. I'm sorry. I apologize for insulting your king, I meant none of it." He said, putting his hands up in defeat. Once let go, he started to leave. The lumberjack looked at him and smiled.
"Good. Now, why won't you marry the king? There's got to be a reason." Bilbo's anger returned. He took a deep breath and turned back around, looking at the lumberjack. 'Too stubborn to let this go...' Bilbo thought to himself.
"Look, I really don't wanna talk about it. Again, I can't." Bilbo replied to which the lumberjack raised an eyebrow. "Can't or won't?" He asked, walking over slowly. "They are similar but not the same."
"I can't... I just can't."
"Why not?" Goodness gracious, this guy was intimidating.
"Is it the weather that bothers you?" He asked, to which Bilbo shook his head. "No! You aren't going to get it. I can't marry him. I'm sorry." Bilbo said. "Why? Are you so afraid that you believe the king would harm you? That the king truly doesn't care?! That he is greedy and values his gold over the lives of his people? Over the life of his loved ones?" He asked. Bilbo stood his ground. "Shut up!" Bilbo yelled.
"What? Do you think the king is the issue?! Is that it?!" The lumberjack shouted in anger. That question finally caused Bilbo to break.
"No!" He shouted before sighing. "It's not... him that's the problem..." Bilbo said, looking away from the man.
"What do you mean?" The lumberjack said, raising an eyebrow in response, to which Bilbo looked at him.
"He's not the issue." Bilbo paused, tears falling down his face. "...I am." He paused, wiping his tears. "I have nothing to offer King Thorin. In hobbit tradition, usually marriage occurs when either one party or parties have something of value that a trade nor negotiation cannot get them. If however, one of the party has nothing to offer the other, it is a sign that the marriage won't work. I don't have anything to give to him, therefore I am not a good pick..."
Thorin realized why Bilbo was upset.
Bilbo had thought he was chosen not out of love but out of necessity or due to the gaining of a desired item. He thought Thorin was going to hurt him, that things would go badly. Hobbits and dwarves were different, some traditions were similar, but he wanted to help Bilbo understand that Dwarven and Hobbit marriages were one of the things that were different from each other, not similar. Thorin paused. "It's different in Dwarven tradition. In Dwarven Tradition, if dwarves say a name, and they feel a gentle chill down the spine, that is the name of the person the dwarf will marry. The name of the person they will spend eternity with. That name will change them for better... or for worse."
"They cannot pick a different person, or a different?" Bilbo inquired, curiosity filling him. "No. That's the name that they will be faithful to... until the world ends. That or they will never feel that chill." He said.
"Well... I'd be a terrible partner. I don't have anything to give, I insulted him, I called him selfish and greedy, plus, I'm scared of of the idea of committing to someone because I worry I'll get hurt." Bilbo said before the lumberjack patted his back.
"You wouldn't be a terrible partner." The lumberjack responded sympathetically. "Commitments can be scary." He said before looking at him. "Besides, Dwarves don't choose partners because of tradition or items, they choose them because that's the person who makes them happy. And while yes, you insulted him, it's nothing that hasn't been said of him before. He'll understand you apologized and didn't mean it." The lumberjack replied.
"Come on, I wanna show you something." The lumberjack said, to which Bilbo gave him hand. The lumberjack guided him to a field in the forest where flowers bloomed and the mountains could be seen. "Woah." Bilbo whispered. It was beautiful, lively, and prospering. A little river, a little stream, surrounded the center of the field in a protective circle, fish swam in the river. There were flowers blooming in the trees and near the stream, and the air felt cool, but not chilly.
Thorin chuckled at the hobbit's amazement. "This is my favorite spot of the forest as it's quite and it's... relaxing. The flowers, were pretty, and the lavender hidden in the field made things all the more relaxing. "It's beautiful..." Bilbo said and the lumberjack smiled. "It is."
Bilbo smiled. Despite how tired he was, this place felt relaxing, calming and safe...
Bilbo clung to the lumberjack. The lumberjack held him, and cooed at the poor cranky hobbit. He knew the hobbit didn't quite understand tradition but that was okay. They'd get through it together.
"Do you think the king would like me despite me having nothing to give him?" Bilbo muttered.
Thorin looked and him and just smiled. He couldn't do it... He couldn't hide it any longer.
"You have given me something... you've gave me your trust and listened to me. You didn't think me a monster, you apologized and you trusted me to guide you here. You, genuinely are something, Master Baggins." He said. He had to try to hold back the laughter of amusement when he saw Bilbo's face go red with shock and embarrassment.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Bilbo asked in shock, and Thorin smiled. "You didn't ask and I didn't wish to upset you more."
"IcantbelieveIjustmadeafoolofmyselfandinsultedyouIamsosorryIfeelawfulThorin-" Bilbo said, which resulted in the king bursting out with joyous and amused laughter. "Calm down Nogazen. I understand your frustration. You knew nothing about me and you're right, most of the time, Dragons are greedy. I just happen to be one of the few that is not."
Thorin sat down near a tree near the field and Bilbo sat down with him. Thorin relaxed as he rested on the tree, but then felt a bit of weight fall on his chest. It wasn't heavy, but it was surprising. He looked down to see the cranky hobbit resting on Thorin's chest.
Bilbo laid on Thorin's chest, he was so tired; he was tired and just wanted to sleep. "Can we just rest? Just for a few minutes." Bilbo asked, yawning. Thorin nodded and opened his bag and took out his coat, which he draped over the hobbit. The hobbit's tail could be seen slowing down as Bilbo fell asleep.
The clouds cleared and the moon's light shined through.
Thorin was relaxing when heard rustling in the bushes and looked up. Once he saw what was making the noise, and what, or rather, who it was, he sighed in disappointment. "Damnit. Kili, Fili, I told you I was going alone. Did I not tell you two to stay put?" He called. The two nephews came out and waltzed over.
"Blame Dwalin." Kili said, and his brother nodded. "Yeah. He sent us to ensure things didn't go sou-" Fili stopped, looking down at the sleeping hobbit. "That's Bilbo Baggins? I told you it was a bad idea letting Kili help you write the letter." Kili elbowed his brother in the shoulder in response. "I'm right! I've been studying hobbit culture, Kili barely understands half of it." He quietly spoke, to which Thorin looked down.
Bilbo was sleeping. "You both will be the death of me..." He muttered. He picked Bilbo up, as he knew he had to get him home. Kili and Fili followed their uncle as he left the fields.
Bilbo woke up on the walk there. "Hmm?" He looked up and saw the two. "I take it those are your nephews." Bilbo said, inquiring. Thorin chuckled. "Yes. They are."
"Hello!" Kili said. Bilbo only waved, too tired to hold a conversation. He looked at Thorin. "You really aren't so bad." Fili heard that and looked at the tired hobbit. "Can I-"
"No." Thorin looked at his nephew glaring at him, before he looked at Bilbo. His sleepy little hobbit helped him for better, and Thorin... was more than glad to return the favor.