Follow the Starlight
A Hobbit Fanfiction
Set in an AU where Kili and Thorin live, but Kili still died in the BotFA.
Kili and Tauriel's romance was one for the ages, a love forbidden by both houses, but inescapable, and, against all odds, they found their happily ever after. Of the union, a unique child was born, a little girl named Jodis. This is her story. (I own NONE of the characters from the hobbit, the only main character I lay claim to is Jodis.)
Chapter 1: So Like Your Mother
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
"Father?"
CLANG! CLANG! Dark hair flopped over a par of once warm brown eyes, his mouth a grimace as he swung the hammer down again onto the heated metal. The sweat beaded off of his nose and dripped onto the red-hot steel below, evaporating as soon as it made contact. He swung is hammer again, making another loud CLANG that rang through the forge, and appeared not to hear the voice from the door.
"Father."
He hesitated, and looked half over his shoulder. "What?" His voice was gruff and almost a snarl to the woman in the doorway.
"You haven't eaten today."
"So?" He resumed his hammering, and swung again. CLANG!
"You need to eat, to keep up your strength. I brought you—"
"It doesn't matter. Nothing matters. She's gone, my girl." CLANG!
"But Father, she wouldn't want—"
He threw his hammer down and tossed the glowing blade in a barrel of water, violently splashing the liquid over the sides as the metal hissed in protest. "DO NOT SPEAK OF HER TO ME!" His face was livid as he looked up at his daughter, who looked too much like her mother, too much like the one he had lost. He could hardly bear it, wouldn't bear it, the pain was too much. "I WILL NOT BE DICTATED TO; I AM YOUR FATHER, AND THE CROWN PRINCE OF EREBOR, NOT YOUR EQUAL! NOW GET OUT!" his voice rang through the forge, into the hall, and echoed around them. The girl in the doorway did not falter, but calmly placed the tray of food she'd carried with her on a table by the door, curtsied, and with a quiet "Yes, Uzbadu men" turned back up the stairs, and left the room.
His ears ringing, Prince Kili looked at the steaming bowl of stew, and sighed. "Amrâlimê, how do I do this without you?"
Jodis made it to the top of the stairs and further, to the hall in front of her room before she started to tremble. She knew her father's fury was not truly hers to bear, but she still felt it upon her shoulders like the weight of the mountain itself. It was not the first time he had shouted, nor would it be the last. But as her bottle green eyes filled with tears, she wanted to run into her mother's arms for comfort and never leave again.
For 14 months, that had been her dearest wish.
Everyone had said it would get easier, that Kili would come snap out of it, and resume his duties as crown prince soon enough, and to just give him time. But time was running low, and she wasn't sure she could take more of his misdirected aggression. As she turned a corner, her knees gave way, and she fell in heap to the floor, and she began to cry. Not the loud, racking sobs that had choked her at her mother's funeral, but the quiet, heartbroken cries of a daughter abandoned.
"Jodis? Lass, are ye hurt?"
She turned to the concerned voice, and looked up to see Bofur coming to her side, ready to help her up. She felt immediately ashamed for having fallen apart in the hall, and pushed herself up to a sitting position. "No—"she hastily swiped the tears off her face with her palm, trying to turn her face from him "—I'm fine, Master Bofur, thank you. I tripped." She hiccuped as she made up the poor excuse, and he nodded sadly, knowingly. "Ye tried to bring him a meal again, didn't ye, lass?"
Her shoulders sagged, and she took his offered hand, rising so she was standing. She had, thanks to her mother's heritage, grown to be five and a half feet tall, so it was more the gesture than the assistance that she accepted. She nodded, adjusting her skirts, and swiping again at her face. "Yes. He needs to eat."
Bofur started to argue, but thought better of it, and withheld his comments. "Well, may I escort ye to your chambers, so you don't, err, trip, again?" he offered, bowing slightly. She smiled, and nodded. Bofur had been a good friend and confidant to her since she was very young, and she appreciated that he didn't push her to speak of what had happened. She was fairly certain that half the mountain had heard her father's roar, and a part of her was embarrassed by it, not because it reflected poorly on her, but because she did not want her father thought poorly of. Lost in thought, she almost missed Bofur speaking again.
"There's a great feast tonight. Did your lady tell ye?"
"Yes, she had mentioned it. I suppose the king sent you to make sure I was planning on attending?"
"Aye, that, and to make sure your father would too."
"I wish you luck with him. His temper is particularly sour today." She said with dry humor, the words an understatement at best.
"So I heard. I'll take my chances." He said, puffing out his chest, and smiling broadly up at the lady next to him. She chuckled, and nodded, turning to face him as they stood in front of her door.
"Thank you for seeing me safely back, Master Bofur." She said with a curtsey, and he took off is hat and bowed respectfully. "It was my pleasure, Princess. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, if you have need of me, you need but to ask." He looked up at her with earnest eyes, and she nodded, turning to her door.
As Bofur donned his hat, he said to her retreating back "Make sure to save a dance for your old friend, lass."
She grinned, and nodded again. "I always save a dance for you, Bofur."
Shutting the door, her lady-in-waiting, Sigrun, began fretting, confirming her concern that her father's voice had carried. "Princess, are you alright?" A short, stout dwarrowdam with a kind, honest face and intricately braided beard, she was new to Jodis's service, but proving to be a good and trustworthy companion in her time. "I'm alright, Sigrun, really. Just thinking." Her tone in her reply left no room for interrogation, and Sigrun fell silent as she helped Jodis prepare for the feast.
It was the Midsummer Festival, and this was the first of several days of feasting, dancing, and general merriment to be had. The first night, the whole of the royal family was expected to attend, and that meant Jodis would need to prepare to face her father's people again. Most likely Thranduil would be an honored guest as well, and she dreaded having to mingle with him. He looked at her like a bug that deserved no better than the bottom of his shoe. He had never approved of her unorthodox heritage and made sure she knew it with sideways compliments and snide remarks.
Sigrun had laid out a selection of gowns, and Jodis chose one of brown silk with trailing sleeves, the insides of them a deep blue, and edged around the collar with sapphires and gold thread in a vine pattern. She also donned a belt of the same blue as her sleeves, beaded in a more intricate mimic of the vine pattern about her neck. On her right hand she wore a band of mithril, the stone a diamond that sparkled with inner fire—one of the gems that Thranduil had given to Thror before the dragon came. About her neck was a long gold chain that held a rough blue crystal pendant wrapped in copper wire.
Sigrun wove Jodis's fine auburn hair into an intricate braid, adding the blue, silver, gold, and green beads that had belonged to her mother to the strands so her hair clinked musically when she moved her head. The braid was loose enough to cover the point of her ears, though it caused her some discomfort—the points of ears are very sensitive to elves and hers were as well, albeit to a lesser extent. The braid done, they added a tiara of silver filigree and fine, lacey green leaves to her brow, marking her as a princess of Erebor. She lightly lined her eye with kohl, and applied some strawberry juice to her lips to bring out the color. She had no beard, and according to Oin, she would likely never grow one as her mother's legacy seemed to be stronger than that of Durin's folk. At near 80 years old, if she was going to grow facial hair, she would have sprouted some beard fluff by now.
She stood and stepped into a pair of brown slippers, smoothing her skirts once more before looking at her reflection in the mirror. She may have the height and ears of the elves, but it was there that the similarities ended, for she bore none of their willowy grace. She was solidly built, with somewhat broad shoulders and wide hips. Her height lent her to a curved figure, and her arms were almost pure muscle, difficult to hide even with a silk gown. She sighed a she toyed with the ring on her hand, wishing again that her mother was there to help her through this. Last year she had been excused because she was still in mourning, but this festival she had no excuse. She had to appear, looking for all the world like a younger, stockier version of her mother.
There was a bellow that she heard faintly from outside her door, and then a knock at her door. I suppose Bofur found Father… she mused with a dry smile, and motioned for Sigrun to answer the door.
"My lady, it's the Dowager Princess."
"Dowager Princess, indeed. Jodis, let me in."
Jodis smiled and nodded, and a noble dwarf woman entered her room. Her dark hair and beard were heavy with beads and streaked through with shocks of white. Despite her four foot height, her presence dominated the room. Her gown was dark blue and black, and she wore several beaded belts around her waist. Jodis dipped into a curtsey as she came into view. "Hello, Grandmother."
Dis came up to her, and lifted her chin so their eyes were meeting. "Please, no need for that. Now, let me look at you child. Turn around." She waved her hand and Jodis did a turn for her, and Dis pursed her lips. "You look so much like Tauriel. It's uncanny, child." She murmured, nodding her approval. "Very pretty. Come on, then. We'd best be going." She headed to the door, and Jodis followed, her head held high.
The feast hall was a marvel, decorated with garlands of oak leaves of both metal and plant, and tables lavishly decorated in green, red, and gold hues. It was already quite full when Jodis and Dis arrived, and they made a grand entrance, Jodis taking smaller steps so she would not go ahead of her grandmother. Looking up at the head table, her father's place at Thorin's right side was empty, and she let out a small breath in disappointment. Bofur's message may have been delivered, but it didn't appear that it was heeded. Thorin stood as his mother and grand-niece entered, inclining his crowned head and gesturing for them to sit to his left. Seated at the high table on the right, Thranduil settled his cool grey eyes on Jodis with distaste, his long pale hair partially braided in a simple fashion down his back as he leaned back. She nodded to him as she sat down, and proceeded to pay him no mind as Thorin leaned over towards her.
"Jodis, where is the prince?"
"Last I saw him he was in his forge, Thanu men. Bofur went to see him, but I don't know if he was well received." Her answer was quiet, and Thorin grunted in reply. He felt it was high time Kili begin resuming his duties, and had told him as much on more than one occasion. Jodis had not been in the room, but the volume with which the conversations were held made them impossible to miss.
"Well. I'm glad you're here, Azbad. You look very pretty." The compliment was said as if to an unruly child, and Dis nudged him lightly with her elbow. He was never good at speaking with his youngest kin, but he tried, and that was what mattered to Jodis. "Thank you, Thanu men."
Following the arrival of all the necessary guests, the feast began, and Jodis was able to watch as the hall chatted and ate and drank, noticing the pointed fingers in her direction, and catching a few snippets of comments directed at her.
"She looks so like the Princess—"
"Shame she's got no beard—"
"—her father must be devastated—"
"Bloody half breed thinks she's going to rule—"
"—sure she's the prince's daughter? I don't see much dwarf in her."
Jodis took a quick breath and sipped at her wine. She knew the comments would come, she'd been missing from events for some time, but the harsh reality of what was being said cut into her and made her want to run from the room.
But she was a Princess of Erebor, and so she could not run. She looked out into the crowd and smiled at those with whom she made eye contact. She looked down the table, and caught Thranduil watching her intently. She smiled at him politely, and raised her glass in salute. He sneered, and looked back to his food.
"Pay him no mind, my girl." Dis murmured. The interaction was not lost on her. "He's always been like that. You just keep being the charming maid you were raised to be, and he'll have nothing to complain about."
Jodis thanked her grandmother, and shortly after the meal finished, the musicians began to play a jaunty tune, and couples lined up to dance. The plates were taken away, and Jodis watched her kin dance and laugh as they moved together in the circle. She clapped along with the beat, and laughed as the mirth in the hall began to take rot in her as well. She heard a throat clear next to her, and she turn to see Bofur grinning at her side.
"You owe me a dance, princess."
"I certainly do. Lead on, Master Bofur."
He took her hand and led her to the floor. There, he took both of her hands in his, and began to spin her around the room at a near frantic pace, keeping up with the other dancers and the rhythm the musician set. She laughed joyfully, and couldn't stop smiling as she matched Bofur's steps, letting go of his hands so she could spin in the dance, then returning to them just as quickly. She felt the eyes of those still seated upon her, and, for an instant, didn't care. She let herself enjoy the dance with an old friend. When the music ended, she applauded the players with the rest, and helped Bofur to a bench so he could rest his legs. "Not as young and spritely as ye are, but I'll have another one with you in a minute if I may." He remarked, and she nodded, a smile reaching her eyes for the first time in the evening.
After ensuring Bofur was settled with a mug of ale, Jodis heard the band strike up a slower dance, and saw Thorin approach her. "Niece?" he asked, extending a hand. She smiled, and stood, curtseying as she took his hand. "Of course, Thanu men." He led her to the center of the floor, and put a hand high on her waist as she placed hers on his shoulder. He led her in a waltz, and she kept her smile in place as they spun formally around the hall.
"I thought I was seeing a ghost when you danced with Bofur." His remark was sudden, and caught Jodis off guard. "You look very much like her." His tone held a hint of humor and sadness, for although he didn't approve entirely of Kili and Tauriel's union, he had grown to respect her, and was sad to see her taken from his nephew and heir. Jodis thanked him quietly, and he nodded. The dance was over quickly, and with a curtsey, Jodis excused herself, and left the hall.
Again, she felt the eyes on her back as she left the hall, going out to the walk along the parapet to see the stars. The air was slightly chilled, but her father's dwarven blood ran warmly in her veins, and she hardly felt it. She placed her hands on the wall and let go of a deep breath, her head drooping as she gave herself a moment to relax. Taking a deep breath of the fresh night air, she looked into the stars, the pinpoints of light winking at her gently. She remembered the nights she had spent with her mother on the wall, learning the names of the stars and their constellations. She looked at them now as old friends, and as she looked, she searched for some sign that her mother was among them.
If someone in Middle Earth deserved to be among the stars, it was Princess Tauriel.
"Your Highness."
Having been lost in thought, Jodis jumped slightly at the sudden voice. She turned, and saw Thranduil watching her with a condescending grin. "My apologies, I didn't mean to startle you." The laughter in his voice revealed that to be a lie.
"It's alright, Thanu men." She dropped into a quick curtsey, and stood back to her full height, although it wasn't much to compare to him. He kept her shoulder straight, and her head level. "Is there something you needed?"
"No. No, I merely saw you leaving the hall and decided to join you. You look very well." He stood next to her by the wall, and looked up at the sky. "The starlight is lovely tonight."
She turned her attention back to the stars, and nodded. "Yes, they shine particularly bright tonight."
"You have a favorite?" he inquired
"Eärendil." She said, pointing to the bright pinpoint of light on the horizon. "And the constellation Soronume." She moved her hand to nearly directly above them. She liked to imagine that her mother was the star riding on the back of the Eagle of the West to challenge The Swordsman to a duel.
"Your mother taught you well about the stars. Those were among her favorites too." He looked back at her hand, and pushed on her elbow to lower it to her side, his gaze lingering on her face. "You look very similar. Just around the eyes." He looked away, and added "A shame you're so broad and bulky. No doubt you have the crown prince and his ilk to thank for that. Where is he, by the way?"
Jodis's lip twitched for a moment into a snarl, and she turned to the stars. "He was working on a project in his forge when I spoke with him last. If you'll excuse me, Thanu men, I promised a friend a dance." She dropped into the briefest of curtseys, and he turned to her with the smirk firmly in place. "Of course. Assuming there's another waltz, I should be honored if you'd favor me with a dance as well." Jodis nodded, not really hearing him, and turned on her heel, leaving him and his smirk alone on the wall.
As she entered the hall, the eyes returned to her, some surprised she had returned alone, others disapproving, but she hardly cared. She took a goblet from a passing tray, and took a sip of wine, The cool liquid helping calm her sudden temper. As she made her way to the high table, dwarves and other guests bobbed in curtseys and bows, and she acknowledged them with a nod and a smile. She almost missed that her father was seated at the high table.
"THERE SHE IS!" came a slurred voice, booming over the crowd, and startling the distracted girl. "There's my daughter! Pretty as a picture, isn't she uncle? No beard though, but she does take after her mother! HA HA! Come, daughter, come!" Prince Kili had a tankard of ale in his hand, and based on slur in his speech, it was not his first. She came forward to stand in front of him, and looked up at him with nervous eyes. "Hello, Uzbadu men." She dipped into a curtsey, and he scoffed.
"What, so formal now? Weren't you just a few hours ago bossing me around like a dwarfling with no beard fluff? No offense, of course." He took another long draught, and wiped his mouth with a gloved hand. "Come now, it's Father, not this formal nonsense. My girl, my girl, you look so much like your mother, you know that? Like my lady of summer starlight? So much like her. I barely see me in there, except about the shoulders and the nose, but goodness there's her." He rambled on, and stood haphazardly out of his chair, moving to go to Jodis.
"Prince Kili…" Thorin warned, having returned to his seat at the center of the high table.
Kili waved a hand at him, and stood before Jodis, swaying slightly. "Listen, my girl, I am so sorry for shouting at you today. It was uncalled for, and you were just trying to take care of me. Sometimes I forget that you want to help me. But I know you do, and I apologize." He tried to whisper, but it was only slightly quieter than his previous volume as he continued. "Bofur gave me a right earful about having found you in the hall crying. I know you don't want anyone to know, but he told me, and I know it happened, and I know it's been hard on you too. I just, I just miss her so much, and—"
Jodis's cheeks flamed red, and she put a hand on his shoulder to steady him, crouching so she was eye level with him. "Father, it's alright, let's sit you down—"
"I wasn't finished; don't you know it's rude to interrupt when an elder is speaking? Goodness, your mother raised you better than that." He slurred, gestured at her with his drink, sloshing ale all down her front. She turned even brighter red, and her anger began to grow again. "Now where was I? Oh yes, I—"
"You were finished. And if you weren't, I am. Good night, Father." Jodis rose to her full height, struggling to keep her temper in control, and she curtsied to her uncle. "Thanu men, may I please be excused?"
"Hey, I wasn't finished, you come back here—"
"Of course. Bofur, would you see Azbad Jodis safely to her room?"
"Now, just wait a moment—"
"Right you are, Thanu men. If it please you, Azbadu men?"
"WILL YOU STOP—"
"KILI!" Dis slammed a hand down on the high table, glared at her son. "Your daughter is tired. Bid her good night and sit down."
Kili looked like he was about to start bellowing again, then thought better of it. "Very well. Good night, Azbadu men. I hope—" But by the time he turned back to his child, she was already halfway to the door, her shoulder bumping into the smirking Thranduil as she passed with Bofur clearing the way for her.
Once out of the dining hall, and onto the landing for her floor, Jodis slowed her pace, and let a breath come hissing from her mouth. "Drunk." She snarled, her anger starting to come to a head. "Utterly drunk." Hot, think tears oozed from the outer corners of her eyes, and she swiped at the irritably. She knew the dress was likely ruined, and that only added to her ire. "I'm sorry I can't give you that second dance, Bofur." She said, eyes flashing as she remembered having promised him another turn about the room.
"It's alright, lass, I understand. Next time." He said amicably, patting her arm with a smile. She smiled back, and then her eyes went wide, and she cursed roughly Khuzdul.
"I forgot, I told Thranduil I'd dance with him as well." She growled, baring her teeth. "Never mind, I'll have Sigrun send my apologies." Bofur stopped his offer to carry her message and nodded, stopping at her door. "Well, here ye are, Jo. Ye going to be alright?"
She nodded, and favored him with a small smile. "Thank you, Bofur. I'll be fine, just need some time to myself."
"Well, then a bid you good night, Princess."
"Good night, my friend."
A/N: First chapter down! See the translations below.
Uzbad/Uzbadu men – Lord, My lord
Amrâlimê – My love
Thanu men – My King
Azbad/Azbadu men – Lady, My Lady