Hello all! Just a few fun facts about this story. It takes place about 18 years after The Battle of the Five Armies, everyone survived, and Dwarf Women aren't bearded. Sorry if you like your ladies hairy but I couldn't get past it hahaha. I kind of picture them like the women in the Disney movie Brave, fierce but not manly. Anyway enjoy!

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In the Kingdom of Erebor next to the Lonely mountain in the city of Dale a young woman sat with her sewing. The light of the room faded slowly as a dark cloud drifted in front of the sun.

Enya sighed in exasperation as she put her sewing down. Casting it into her nearby sewing basket. The sudden change in light had brought her out of a sort of sewing stupor. She reached her arms out in front of her and then pulled them back in a stretch. She had no idea how long she had been sewing, but it was long enough to make her fingers stiff as they stayed curled around her needle.

"No time for breaks my girl. These dresses are due today." Her mother chastised from across the room.

"I pricked my finger." Enya lied. "I don't think that the Lady Nadine would care for a blood stained dress." She explained rising from her small arm chair, her joints popped pleasantly. Her mother gave her an exasperated look, but didn't argue. Enya quickly retreated upstairs. Sewing could give her the worst headaches when she did it for too long. Unfortunately with the Fall equinox approaching women all over Dale where buying dresses for their various parties and festivals. While most people looked forward to holidays Enya dreaded them, she often wished she had sisters instead of three brothers. There was simply too much work in their shop for just three seamstresses, especially now that their shop had become one of the most popular in Dale.

Enya darted into her small bedroom and flopped down on the bed, she would have like nothing more than to read one of her books, but her eyes hurt too much to do so. Instead she opted to rest her eyes for a few minutes. Her thoughts wondered aimlessly as she lay there. She often wondered why her family had chose to stay here after the chaos and pain the dragon had brought here. Both when he first came and when he left. She was born in the fire and death on the day of the dragon's death almost 18 years ago. It has taken Dale nearly a decade before it became even remotely stable again, now it practically thrived. Humans and Dwarves flocked from all over middle earth to live and to see. But many of its people were still haunted, or at least the ones who had been here through it all. She could see it in their eyes during parties and joyful occasions, like they expected to end again in some calamity. And then there was her mother.

"Enya!" She called from down stairs. "Get down here! We have to go into town, you have to watch the shop." Obediently she got up to go follow her mother's request. Entering the front of their residence where customers would come to pick up orders or commission dresses. She saw her Aunt, Mother, and young cousin Beth waiting by the door. They had several parcels between them.

"Man the shop, and try to finish Lady Nadine's dress before sundown, she has many friends that would pay highly for a nice dress." Her mother ordered. Enya nodded.

"Yes mother."

"Hopefully we can get everything done before the festivities, I would hate for you to miss the fun that other young people are enjoying." Her mother exclaimed. Enya cringed inwardly. She knew her mother wanted her to go to things and meet friends and young men, but Enya wasn't exactly a very social person. It made Enya feel bad when her mother tried so hard to get to get her out of her shell, but it just wasn't in her nature.

As soon as they departed she went back to their 'sewing' room, which was really just a sitting room that her brothers weren't allowed to enter. Technically the whole first floor of their building was dedicated to their sewing shop. Sitting room in the back, shop up front, storage and changing room on the side. Their kitchen, bedrooms, and bathrooms were all on the second and third floor. She gathered her sewing and an armchair and grudgingly went back to work. Her mother was right, it wouldn't do to have their orders being late. So she carefully went about her job of embroidering, she did very little of the actual sewing. Instead her small hands allowed her to do elaborate detail work.

She was almost done embroidering the waist band when she realized she wasn't alone in the room anymore. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw her friend Jax lounged out on their small sofa.

"Jax! You nearly gave me a heart attack! How did you get in? I didn't hear the shop door open!" Enya exclaimed. He laughed happily at her startled appearance.

"I came through the back door. You know you'd make a terrible warrior, I've been sitting here for five minutes and you didn't even notice." He said jokingly.

"That's not the only reason I'd be a terrible warrior." She agreed before returning her eyes to her sewing. After seeing her two older brothers go through training to be in Dale's guard she had a deep respect for all warriors. Jax also had a great respect, or fear, of warriors which was why he rarely saw her when her brothers were over. They and her father were quite intimidating towards any man who looked her way. But, her relationship with Jax was..interesting. He wasn't exactly anything romantic with her, as far as she knew they were just friends, but he did things that pointed to romance. Like bringing her flowers and paying her compliments. Enya's mother didn't care for Jax though, her mother thought him to be overstepping boundaries. She wanted Enya to marry well too and Jax wasn't exactly anyone's first pick for their only daughter. He was a little strange. Dressing oddly and saying whatever popped into his mind, even foolish thoughts. But that's what she liked about him, she didn't talk much, but he talked more than enough for both of them. From the day he picked her out of the crowd of the market, he talked to her like they had been longtime best friends. She wasn't sure how she felt about being more than friends, but he was certainly the only boy who had paid her any attention.

"Are you going to the equinox festival?" Jax questioned lazily as he played with one of her cousin's toys.

"Yes, I promised Connor I would take him." She replied. Connor was her little brother. She was probably not his first choice on who to go with to the festival, but she was the only one who agreed to take him. If Connor had his way he would be glued to their older brothers sides all day. Much to his dismay though he often got left at the sewing shop doing menial tasks while their brothers went to training fields. Such was the life of the youngest child in a family.

"Really? Well maybe I'll see you there at some point." He said slightly disappointed. She just nodded into her fabric.

"You know Enya." He began again. "We should-" he didn't have time to finish as the shop door opened, the small bell attached to it rung poignantly. Enya shot out of her seat to the door and away from Jax, whatever conversation he wanted to have she wasn't ready for it. She bounced into the front room to greet the customers.

Much to her shock they were not just any customers though, Enya made a small strangled sound in the back of her throat as she saw who it was. None other than Lady Dis and her Prince sons Filli and Killi. Right outside the door she saw two Dwarven Guard, Lady Dis's maid hovered in the shop entrance. Enya of course knew Lady Dis had ordered a dress, but it never occurred to her that she might have to talk to her or interact with her sons. Heat flushed her face in self consciousness as all eyes moved to her.

Enya closed the door to the sitting room hoping Jax would get the message to stay out. She then bobbed a small curtsey to Lady Dis. Enya was thoroughly surprised by Lady Dis' appearance. She had heard rumors that Dwarf women were as bearded as their husbands, but she was actually quite beautiful. She had a maternal look to her and long thick hair, she also had plush curvy figure without being fat. Enya immediately liked her.

"Lady Dis. You are here to pick up your order." Enya stated mimicking her mother's manor of speaking to customers. Lady Dis smiled and nodded at Enya. She left the room swiftly to go collect the dress. Enya and her mother and Aunt had worked tirelessly on this dress, it wasn't everyday that royalty came to have a dress made. Enya didn't really know why the Dwarf Lady had come here in the first place, surely there were dwarf seamstresses? Then again Enya's mother always stressed that tiny hands did the best needlework. Maybe Dwarf women had large hands? Enya scooped up the deep plum dress off the shelf and carried it into the front room.

"If you'd like to try the fit the dressing room is right there." Enya said indicating towards the small dressing room. She quickly retreated behind the counter as Lady Dis went to try the dress with her hand maid following her. Why had they come to the shop? She wondered, surely it was easier to send some maid. Or perhaps Lady Dis was worried about the fit? It didn't really matter either way because they were here now. She was keenly aware of the two Dwarf princes watching her. She busied her hands by putting odd bits of thread and paper into the cabinet.

"I like your hair color." The younger one, Killi, said noticing her strawberry braid hanging over shoulder. She looked up to find him on the other side of the counter. She blushed lightly knowing that his lover had red hair also. Tauriel had purchased wool socks here last winter, it was the first elf Enya had ever seen.

"Thank you." She said quietly bobbing her head respectfully. Oh how she dearly wished her mother was here. Then again her mother would probably make it worse and parade her around to them like a favored pet. Killi tilted his head at her.

"You're short for a human." He said his eyes dancing. Filli joined him on the side of the counter. Enya nodded. It was true. She had always been tiny, she tried to make up for it by wearing clunky boots stuffed with spare fabric. With the boots she was five foot nothing, without them...well she never went without them. Her father like to joke that Enya must have been left on their doorstep by some Dwarf family

"Kili! Fili! Leave the poor girl alone!" Lady Dis declared ending whatever teasing they were about to give Enya. She was wearing the plum dress which hung off her figure perfectly, making her appear both thin and womanly. It also complimented her green eyes and shining hair.

"Mother not all of the Suns and stars in the universe could compare to your radiant beauty." Fili declared dramatically kneeling before her and kissing her hands. Lady Dis rolled her eyes. She looked to Enya.

"This is beautiful work I must say, tell your mother the embroidery is truly unparalleled." Lady Dis requested inspected the gold trim that created small designed on the edge of the sleeves and bodice.

"Of course Lady Dis." Enya responded. The embroidery was actually Enya's work, but her mother would have her head if she dared to correct royalty.

"How quickly can you make another? I really would like to have one for the more formal parts of the Fall equinox." Lady Dis explained coming to the counter.

"We could make a formal gown within the week if you requested it." Enya replied. They would have to have it done that quickly since this Equinox was a little over a week away. She pulled out several dress designs and fabric samples. She heard Fili or Kili groan at the thought of being in the dress store for very long.

"Splendid! I was thinking something in a very deep green. Yes just like this." Lady Dis said indicating to a small square of fabric. "And perhaps something more intricate through the bodice." She described to Enya who had picked up a pencil and was quickly sketched the dress pattern out.

"If you would like some kind of embellishments we have beads that we could sew to the bodice." Enya said pulling out a tray from underneath a counter. Lady Dis selected a combination of glass beads, while Enya drew up a few embroidery patterns.

"Yes I quite like that." She said gesturing to Enya's drawing. They were discussing thread colors. When Enya's mother arrived back from errands.

"Lady Dis!" Her mother exclaimed reverently. She dropped a parcel in a small wood chair and curtsied elaborately. "What is it that we can do for you?" She asked ready to please their Dwarf client. Lady Dis smiled.

"Well your daughter has been of help to me. We talked about a dress for the Fall equinox. Tell me, when should I return to pick it up?" Lady Dis asked politely.

"Oh none of that! I'll send Enya to bring it to you, dresses like this could take a day or two, or a full week." Her mother stated enthusiastically. If there weren't in the presence of company Enya would've shot her mother a dirty look. She had been a seamstress here far too long to suddenly become delivery girl. No. Her mother was scheming again.

"Excellent. I will see to it that you are let in without fuss." Lady Dis said towards Enya who nodded her head in agreement. And with that Lady Dis and her entourage dissolved.

Enya shot her dirty look to her mother once the room was empty.

"Don't give me that look! It will not hurt you to gain favor from the Dwarf King's sister!" Her mother exclaimed.

"How could it possibly help me! You know I hate new situations like that!" Enya pled. She could already feel shyness creeping into her mind. There were so many ways she could make a fool of herself.

"Just be yourself Enya. You did that here today and Lady Dis seemed to like you just fine." Her mother said calmly. This was a regular conversation between mother and daughter. Enya sighed.

"I don't see why you can't send Connor though." She countered, although she the argument had died from her voice.

"Connor doesn't have a lovely figure and a soft voice." Her mother said as she began picking up the shop and locking the front door.

"What has my figure got to do with delivering a package to Lady Dis!" Enya exclaimed annoyed again. She had been correct about her mother scheming.

"Come now Enya you weren't born yesterday!" Her mother said in exasperation. "The King and the princes are unwed and there are few Dwarf women anywhere. You however are the perfect human substitute. And you're just different enough from Dwarf women to hold their interest." Her mother explained. Enya rolled her eyes. Have really did mean well, in her mother's eyes Enya was only good enough for royalty.

"So I suppose I'll show up and they'll all drop to their knees in proposal?" Enya asked.

"Of course not! You have to decide if you like them or not first!" Her mother said looking at Enya with a wink. She would give her mother that. When it came to marriage she left the choice to Enya alone. Whether she chose poverty or royalty Enya could choose. God bless her if she did choose poverty though Enya thought wryly.