Hello everyone! Here's the 13th part of the what is marriage? series. It's a little on the short side but another part is coming soon. :)

A week had passed since Kili announced that he wanted to marry Tauriel and Thorin had given him his disapproval. A week had passed since Sigrid and Kili's relationship had changed. Sigrid knew that her relationship with her brother-in-law would take some time to repair and she knew that Kili had the same understanding. Sigrid had a better understanding of it than Fili did; he had been harsh to his younger brother for what he had said. It was only after Kili had made a heartfelt apology to him did Fili begin to forgive him.

Sigrid knew that Fili wouldn't have been able to stay angry at his brother for long.

"Evening, lass."

Sigrid smiled at Balin as he exited from the council room. She had been hoping that Balin and Thorin were done with their meeting and that she may get a chance to talk to him, as she had promised Kili she would.

"Good evening, Balin," she replied. She gave him a concerned look, "how is he?"

Balin sighed, "as good as one can be when one's nephew and him are not speaking."

"They still haven't spoken?" Sigrid asked.

"Aye," he nodded. "The stone silence at dinner is just the beginning of it, I'm afraid."

Sigrid sighed, she rubbed her forehead with her fingers, "I'll talk with Kili."

"Is that before or after to talk to that one?" Balin nodded his head toward the closed council doors where Thorin was.

"After."

Balin nodded, "probably best."

"Dwarves," Sigrid teased.

"No, lass," Balin shook his head, "this is all Durin's stubbornness."

Sigrid nodded in agreement, although she thought that stubbornness didn't cover it. Dwarves as whole were stubborn but her husband, his brother and Uncle seemed to set a whole new bar for it. It was an endearing trait as much as it was frustrating.

She gave Balin one last smile before she knocked on the wooden doors and entered into the council room. As she closed the wooden door behind her, she saw Thorin sitting in his chair at the head of the table. He was focused entirely on the scattered papers in front of him on the table that one would believe, that her entrance had been unnoticed.

Sigrid knew better.

"Is this the conversation where you tell me that I was completely wrong in my decision?" Thorin asked without looking up from the papers.

Sigrid laughed softly, "no." She clasped her hands in front of her.

"No?"

"I understand your decision," Sigrid said. "Elves had betrayed you in the past. King Thranduil himself and since Tauriel is an Elf from his realm, you worry about her betraying Kili."

Thorin looked up from the papers, his stare sharp and intense, "you understand but you don't agree."

"No," she shook her head. "I do not."

"Why?" Thorin leaned back in his chair, his focus solely on her.

"You don't choose who you fall in love with. Your heart does," Sigrid said, she moved toward the long wooden table. "My marriage to Fili was arranged. I knew that marrying Fili would help my people and it would help my father." She placed her hands on the back of one of the wooden chairs. "I did not expect to fall in love with him but I did. We both married each other out of love for our younger siblings. As heirs, we performed our duty so that they would be spared of an arranged marriage."

Sigrid pulled the chair out and sat, "Kili is truly in love with Tauriel. Tauriel has proven her love for him. She defied her King in order to help Kili, and the rest of the dwarves during the battle. I remember her caring for him after the battle as I cared for Fili." She leaned forward and reached her hand toward Thorin. "Please, Uncle. They deserve happiness. I ask you as your beloved niece, please give Kili your blessing to marry his love."

"You are very much your father's daughter," Thorin said after a moment of silence.

Sigrid smiled, "so I've been told."

"You trust Tauriel?" Thorin asked.

"With my life."

Thorin nodded. Another moment of silence passed before he went back to staring at the papers on the table. Sigrid smiled, knowing full well that Thorin had changed his mind.

"Do not spend all night in here," Sigrid said.

"I am the King, I will do as I please," Thorin scoffed. He looked up at her, his gaze soft, "but I will try."

Sigrid smiled, "thank you, Uncle."

Thank you for reading! :) I hope you all enjoyed it!