[Orual]

The sun streamed in through the windows of Bag End, where Sam, Rose, Bilbo, Cami, and Maura sat around the table in the den. "Of course we'll host the party," Sam said. He glanced at Rose, and he could see in her eyes and in the way she was suddenly glancing around the room that she was already making plans for the festivities. "We can have a welcoming ceremony for Piosenniel's twins, then we can have the wedding."

"Cami, what would you like for the wedding?" Rose asked, turning slowly in her chair. It was becoming more and more difficult, and she was looking forward to her own little one coming.

"Something simple," Cami replied. "Maybe an exchange of vows in the garden."

"Do you have a dress to wear?" Rose asked, obviously going over all of the possible dresses that she knew of, in case Cami did not.

Cami smiled. "I have a green and yellow dress that used to belong to Bilbo's mother, so that's taken care of."

"Good, good. Now the dinner? Shall we have it catered from somewhere? I know of a couple of places, but the best place I know of is a little far away. We could get word there, but we'd have to do it soon."

Cami looked thoughtful for a moment. "Actually, I'd prefer
something of a pot-luck. Everyone could bring a dish. We wouldn't have to go out of our way to get the catering done, and it always tastes better from home, doesn't it?"

Rose nodded approvingly. "That would be wonderful. And Sam, you'll bring the register, won't you?"

"Of course," Sam replied, looking up from his own conversation with Bilbo and Maura. "I'll bring it here and you and Maura can sign it, Cami. That can come whenever you wish--just a little civil ceremony."

Rose smiled at Cami. "We want this to be perfect for the two of you. Now, let's talk about flowers. What kind of flowers do you like best?..."


Child's post

Rose had taken Cami on a short stroll through the garden to point out some of the flowers they might consider using. To Cami, the gardens at Bag-end looked much the same as they had when she was a child. She remembered helping Sam clean out the beds a few times, and getting a stern reprimand from her friend for managing to pull out the flowers instead of the weeds.

She and Rose chatted back and forth until they finally reached agreement on what they would use for the party. The selection of flowers was considered a serious matter among most hobbit brides. Some even argued that a couple's future happiness was dependent upon the choices they made. It was not only the beauty of the blossoms that needed to be kept in mind, but what every flower symbolized or meant.

Cami would take her vows under the old wicker trellis at the side of the house where white and red roses grew intertwined. These traditional blossoms were seen as a harbinger of unity and marital love. At the tables in the garden where folk would sit to eat, Rose would set out small pots with primroses and wood sorrell in honor of the birth of the twins and the love that Pio bore for them. Finally, on the larger table inside where the food would be placed, they'd have an arrangment with branches of white hawthorne, the universal representation of hope. Cami's own bouquet would be simple and small, a few blue and yellow violets tied with a ribbon to symbolize faithfulness and the sweetness of a life spent in the countryside.

When Cami and Rose finally finished their tour of the garden and all their deliberations, Maura and the others came out of the house and indicated they were ready to leave. The hobbits said their goodbyes, thanking Sam and his family, and set out on the return path to Bywater, promising to meet again at Bag-end for the party in just six days' time.

[ May 13, 2003: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]