A/N: Hey guys! Ive had awful writing block with my stories but i am working on them once more! Here is a little one-shot that i wrote on a fancy! Enjoy!
The darkness had descended upon the camp for the night and they all sat around a fire tending each others wounds or trying to rid themselves of the chill that had set in since the fight. Many were praying to mahal as they worked, thankful that their lives had been spared once more. The young princes were, as ever, in a good mood and sniggering as they whispered to one another, occasionally looking over their shoulders at different members of the company.
"Oh imagine that! Auntie Bilbo! Would he be queen do you think?" Fili looked thoughtful at this.
"you know im not sure...we'll have to ask Uncle!"
"Wait! What if Hobbits have royalty? And you have to go to them to marry like elves?! From what I heard they were similar!" Both boys 'ooh'-ed at this and looked at their burglar with narrowed eyes. Until Kili got up the courage to speak.
"Bilbo, do hobbits have kings?" Everyone turned to the two princes then back to the hobbit who had, until that point, sat minding his own business.
"of course we do, you halfwits, how else would a whole race follow rules." Bilbo glared at the two offended. The company nodded their heads murmuring their understanding before Bilbo stood up and walked away to the shadows his back to the company.
"I do believe my dear Kili, that you just offended our burglar."
"what?"
"Status is not open for discussion in the shire, you are born what you are born into and you know your place before you can even speak. Whilst the people mix openly in parties and markets different status' never inter marry it is forbidden to do so the penalty is..."
"the penalty is banishment from the shire for life. Only your 5th generation can come back into the fold of hobbits." Everyone turned to stare openly at the hobbit. By lord their rules are more strict then ours! Thought the dwarves. "of course there are exceptions to the rules, the royals for instance, can marry whom they want to stop in breading. And if a commoner was to appeal to the courts and pass trial you maybe allowed to marry above your class but only if you have something to offer is it accepted. And then those who are born with what we call fate marks they can marry their other half no matter of status. But only 50% of us have soul marks these days, those that don't are the ones that married into men somewhere down the line." Bilbo sighed.
"Mr Bilbo? How are kings chosen?" Bilbo looked at the young Ori and smiled softly.
"the same way yours are, it is passed on through blood" Bilbo once again walked away from the company and sit with his back to everyone his shoulders slumping. Everyone looked to Gandalf to explain.
"There are several classes, you have the Royals; quite self explanatory they are the kings queens, princes and princesses, then you get the Thains; they are like the stewards of the throne very close to the royals and pure of blood none have ever married into men or their position would have been lost, next would be the Masters; somewhat similar to lesser royals, then is the middle class or the Kommandants; they are well off yet still have jobs, some have married into men but mainly only through fate marks. The of course you have the commoners; pure of heart at least they hold, they do everything that needs doing, farmers, cooks, maids, gardeners, you get the point, every hobbit lad and lass knows difference and if you look hard enough even you would see the difference, the clothes and the way others move out of the way, it is not just courtesy it is expected that if someone of higher class approaches you, you bow and move out of the way."
"Through blood he said? So who is the current king? We won't get in trouble for taking a hobbit will we?" Thorin cut in slightly concerned.
"Ah well, first of all our Bilbo," a quiet growl could be heard at this, "is of Baggins and Took blood, and Tooks are Thains." Everyone looked a bit panicked.
"wait wait Bilbo is basically a steward?! Oh god we are in trouble!" Ori was fanning himself panicking, his two brothers rushed to sooth him.
"no I said he was of Took AND Baggins blood."
"mixed? So...he's not next in line for Thainship?" Gandalf shook his head smiling.
"Wait...you never answered me, who's line does the Royalty run in?" Here Gandalf stiffened a little and coughed on his pipe.
"Ah, well im not sure..."
"no you must!" Called out Bofur.
"well that'll be the" cough "bag-" cough "-gins" the company froze. Thorins eyes widened and he looked over to where the outline of the hobbit could just be seen.
"tell me you are joking?" Begged Balin. Gandalf smiled weakly. "Oh for Mahals mercy!"
"Are we done talking about me as if I do not exist?" The company jumped in surprise none having heard the hobbit make his way over.
"P-Prince Bilbo?" Fili and Kili said meekly.
"King...King Bilbo..." Gandalf said having regained his voice.
Thorin stood sharply and bowed, the rest of the company followed suit and Bilbo just waved them off.
"Don't start that now it is annoying enough with the elves in Rivendell knowing and treating me different." The dwarves stood wide eyed as instances whilst within Rivendell began to spring to mind that clearly showed there was more to the hobbit than they first thought. For instance elves kneeling down making themselves smaller than the hobbit and asking him if he needed any assistance.
"...What will happen now? That you're gone."
"Believe it or not I am no halfwit, which is more than I can say about some of you. I left instruction with the Thain, my cousin, that he is to rule in my absence, if I am not back in 18 months time then Drogo will be crowned king and Prim the queen."
"don't you have a queen Bilbo?" Bilbo looked up sharply.
"No. And nor will I." Many frowned at that.
"Do you have mixed blood?"
"no."
"do you have a fate mark?"
"yes"
"then why not marry her?"
"..."
"unless its not a her...?"
"..."
"stop annoying the burglar he obviously is fed up with your questions."
"no its fine Thorin. No Kili it's not a her, its a he and...well he..." The company frowned as Bilbo rubbed his temples. "he is not agreeable." Many snorted at that and some gasped wondering who would of turned down a king! Some of the younger ones asked to see the fate mark so they could, in good time go hunt down their burglars other half and knock some sense into them or kill them if they are not agreeable. But they soon learnt that looking at someone's fate mark if they weren't coupled was taboo and a high offense punishable by death if you still tried.
"Master Hobbit the hour grows late, get some rest we start at light." Bilbo nodded gratefully at Thorin when he is relieved of the watch and curls up in the corner of the camp. He lifted up the cuff pf his shirt and slowly traced the lines of the name printed on his wrist. Thorin Oakenshield. He smiled a little and drifted off, but not before pressing a kiss to his wrist. Across the camp Thorin shivered as a feeling of warmth settled over him.