Sorry that this is on the short side and I spaced and posted the next part before this one. Whoops. I hope you all enjoy this one though! :)
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The corridor that led to the council room was longer than Sigrid remembered; or at least it seemed that way to her. Sigrid couldn't help but to play with her hands as her nerves couldn't be calmed. She had been walking through the lower levels of the mountain, observing the miners at work; as was her duty as Crown Princess, when a messenger arrived saying that she had been summoned by King Thorin in the council room.

I'm a mess Sigrid thought to herself as she continued on her way to the council room. Her long hair had been braided by her sister earlier that morning and pieces of her hair, that escaped from said braid, framed her face. Her cheeks had been smudged with coal as had the front of her day dress.

I'm not properly dressed Sigrid frowned as she pushed away the hair from her face.

Finally Sigrid arrived in front of the wooden door that led to the council room. Taking a deep breath she knocked and then opened the door. As she peered around the edge, she was not shocked to find Thorin standing beside the long wooden table, appearing troubled as he stared down at the numerous papers that covered it.

Upon hearing the door open though, Thorin looked up and away from the table. "Sigrid."

"You wanted to see me?" Sigrid asked quietly, wishing that her hands would stop shaking.

"Yes," Thorin nodded, his voice holding it's usual gruffness, "come in, close the door."

Sigrid was quick to follow his direction and closed the door swiftly behind her. She took a few steps forward, away from the door and looked around the council room before her eyes landed back on Thorin, who still remained standing beside the table, staring at her with his ice blue eyes.

"Is everything well with Fili and Kili?" Sigrid asked.

"Yes," Thorin nodded, "they should be arriving back in Erebor the day after tomorrow."

Sigrid nodded, "that is good news."

"You have missed your husband?" Thorin asked, although to Sigrid it sounded more like a statement.

Sigrid nodded, a small smile appearing upon her face, "very much so."

Thorin nodded his head, turning his attention back to the papers on the table. Sigrid stood in the same place, unsure as to why Thorin had summoned her. Her nerves still remained and she looked over her shoulder at the closed door.

"Do I make you uncomfortable?"

Sigrid's head snapped forward as she looked at the King Dwarf. She shook her head.

Thorin raised his eyebrow in disbelief.

"Intimidated perhaps but not frightened," Sigrid answered.

"Not frightened?"

"I am married to your nephew, my lord," Sigrid replied, "I can not be frightened of a man who rolls his eyes at the dinner table when he is teased by his sister."

Thorin frowned although Sigrid could see a spark of amusement in his eyes before he turned away from her.

"Please," Thorin held his arm to one of the chairs at the table, "have a seat."

Sigrid, with a hesitant smile, walked toward the chair; that sat directly across from where he stood and sat down.

"I summoned you because I wanted to speak with you," Thorin said after a moment of silence.

Sigrid nodded.

"Not as a King," Thorin said, "but as an Uncle."

Sigrid's eyes widened slightly at the statement and her cheeks flushed when she saw Thorin's shoulders deflate slightly.

"I know that I haven't seen you much," Thorin began to explain.

Sigrid shook her head, "do not trouble yourself. You are the King, you have important matters to attend to."

"Duties," Thorin snapped, "as we all share."

Sigrid flinched slightly at the statement and averted her eyes to her hands that laid in her lap. She knew about duties and hers as the Crown Princess of Erebor, she couldn't help but to feel she was failing in those.

"Forgive me," Sigrid looked at Thorin as he spoke; his voice soft, "I did not mean..."

"It's alright," Sigrid shook her head.

It had been two months since she miscarried and the pain was still raw and fresh within her. Sigrid had slowly begun to move on from it; both her and Fili had. Oin had examined Sigrid a week before and had announced, much to the relief of everyone, that she would be able to bear more children.

"It is my duty to produce an heir," Sigrid whispered. "A duty I have failed at."

"No," Thorin objected, "you have not… you are not failing. Your duty, Sigrid, is to be a good ruler of our people, a good and loving wife." Thorin stared at her, "you are excelling at both of them."

Sigrid watched as Thorin moved around the table to stand beside her, only allowing a little distance between the two of them. His focus was now on the stone floor instead of the table.

"It is not that I don't have a heart," Thorin turned his attention away from the floor and looked right at Sigrid, "it just has been pained before. Some," he sighed, "would say broken."

Sigrid could feel a knot form in her throat.

"You make Fili so happy. I have not seen him that happy before in all his life," Thorin spoke. "Sigrid, I am sorry and I wish that you did not have to know that pain. When I thought I lost my nephews..." Thorin shook his head.

Sigrid reached out one of her hands and clasped one of his, offering him a smile as a few tears rolled down her cheek.

"I've never been more proud to call someone my niece," Thorin offered her a small smirk as he squeezed her hand back.

"Thank you, Uncle," Sigrid smiled as Thorin reached out and brushed away one of her tears with his thumb.

Thank you for reading. I hope you liked it. (:

-K xo