The Lonely Mountain Erebor rose high and wide over the northern realm of Middle Earth. A decade ago the mountain had been reclaimed by its former inhabitants, the dwarves of Durins Folk. They had lost the mountain to a dragon a century and a half before, but thirteen dwarves, a wizard and one hobbit, under the command of their fierce leader, the prince of Durins Folk, had crossed all of Middle Earth to slay the dragon and reclaim their home. With the support of the men of Laketown the company had reached the mountain, awaken the dragon and the bowman of Laketown had slain him with a black arrow. A deadly weapon forged by the dwarves of old. The dwarf prince was crowned king under the mountain and the dwarves of Durins Folk returned to their home. Erebor once again became one of the most powerful kingdoms of Middle Earth and Thorin Oakenshield, the former prince, had become one of the most powerful kings.

But like many of Middle Earths great kings, he had one big weakness. He had succumbed to the goldsickness, a curse laid upon his line since the arkenstone, the heart of the mountain, had been found over two hundred years ago. The greedy dwarves had ripped the mountains heart out and the shining stone made them pay for the sacriledge. The line of Durin had become goldsick and soon, nothing more than gold found the way to their hearts. The gold corrupted every king since Thorins grandfather Thror and Thorin had become mad because of the gold as soon as he had reclaimed the Lonely Mountain with his company of loyal dwarves. In his madness he had begun to doubt the loyalty of his kin, he had almost lost his newly reclaimed kingdom and only the courageous action of his former burglar had prevented a war between the dwarves, elves and men. The burglar, a hobbit named Basil Baggins, had taken the arkenstone, in futile hope that it would no longer corrupt the heart of her king as soon as it was out of the mountain and had given it to Bard, the bowman who had slain the dragon. She had saved the company of dwarves that day, but he had lost Thorins trust and maybe even more.

During the quest, the dwarf prince had fallen in love with the hobbit. Although he had fought his feelings in the beginning, he could not deny them for long. Basil had loved him as well and only her love for him had made her steal the arkenstone from under his nose to give it away to the men and elves. She had wanted to force him to reconsider his situation and she had wanted to prevent war. In the end, she had not been successful. Thorin had banished her out of his kingdom and his heart.

Moments after the mad king had sealed his fate by destroying any chance of love and happiness at the side of the hobbit, an old enemy of the dwarven king, a pale orc named Azog, had attacked the mountain, forcing the dwarves, elves and men to unite. Basil fled the mountain after a costly battle, she returned to the Shire with Gandalf, banished and heartbroken, with nothing but her memory of Thorins hatred for her.

#

Now that the kingdom was restored Thorin had to secure his line. He had lost his sister sons during the battle against the orcs, they had fallen defending him. Their death pained him deeply and in his grief and guilt he was even more open to the power of the arkenstone. Now, without an heir, Thorins line would end with him. His sister Dis had never forgiven him for the death of her sons and did not return to Erebor.

Princesses and ladies were sent to Erebor as suitable wives for the king, but soon, his madness showed openly and many did not dare to send their daughters, sisters and nieces anymore. A few kings and lords still tried to send Thorin their daughters, hoping that they would cure the king from his madness with their love, but none managed to fight the power of the arkenstone. Thorin married two dwarven women, but killed them after merely one night. None of the two brides had survived the wedding night. Two dwarven queens died under the mountain and the kingdom of Erebor got isolated from the rest of the world.

The White Council of Middle Earth looked upon the northern kingdom with worry. Erebor needed to stay strong under the rule of the line of Durin for Middle Earth to stay peaceful and stable. Therefore, Thorin needed an heir and first of all he needed to be cured. Gandalf, who had accompanied the dwarves on their journey to reclaim the mountain, knew in his heart that Thorin was a good and honorable dwarf and he did not deserve to leave this world as a dwarf fallen to madness. The people of Middle Earth should remember Thorin as the dwarf who had reclaimed his home from a dragon and not as a goldsick king. Of course, Gandalf already had somebody in mind who could cure the mad king and give him the long awaited heir. As he told lady Galadriel, the head of the council, of whom he was thinking, the white lady smiled faintly and nodded. Even the smallest could change the fate of Middle Earth.

#

The wizard traveled to Erebor one year later, together with the hobbit who had been on the quest to Erebor with them. The hobbit was smaller than a dwarf, gentle and soft, beautiful and intelligent. Her golden curls had fallen over her ears in curls during the quest to Erebor, but after her banishment, Basil had adapted a dwarven habbit and had cut them in shame and grief. She grieved for Thorin's nephews who had been very dear to her. She grieved for her lost love and his cursed soul. She had never grieved for his own fate. Today, Basil Baggins curls barely covered her pointed ears, but that did not tamper with her beauty. Her soft green eyes shimmered in her face and warmed everyone on whose face her gaze fell. Gandalf hoped that those eyes would remind Thorin of what he had lost or better of whom he had lost. The king should be reminded of the things worth fighting for in life.

#

'She betrayed me. They all betrayed me.' Thorin growled and threw his goblet against the nearest wall. His old advisor Balin winced at the king's outburst and closed his eyes in defeat.

'There are no honorable females, Balin.' Thorin sighed and sat down in his armchair by the fire. 'Females are weak and illoyal.'

The two queens had been charged with treason, for reasons unknown to Thorin's subjects. But the king's order was to be followed and so the wives had been executed.

'They only want the gold. And they want the arkenstone for themselves. I can see it in their eyes.' Thorin stood up and began pacing again. 'Loyalty, honor, a willing heart. Why can I not find that in a female, Balin? Even my own sister turned her back on me.'

'You have not found the right one, yet, my king.' Balin answered diplomatically. 'Sometimes a heart must first be broken to add a better half.'

'There is no such dwarf for me, old friend. It is futile.' Thorin looked lost and sad for once. For a moment this sadness banished the mad gleam in his eyes, but this moment vanished quickly. Balin began to lose all hope.

#

'All of this happens because of what I did, Gandalf.' Basil rode on her pony beside the wizard's horse. 'These dwarves died because of what I did. They reminded him of my betrayal. Thorin lost his mind, the arkenstone is corrupting him. I was too weak to stop it back then, but I will not make the same mistake again.'

'The king has banished you from Erebor.' Gandalf sighed. He hoped that Thorin would not kill the hobbit as soon as she entered his kingdom and would hear them out. He had traveled back to the Shire in haste, only to find Basil sitting on the bench in front of Bag End, staring into the distance in silence. Basil had stolen the arkenstone, yes, but she had done it to save her king. The king she had begun to love during their long journey. Thorin had loved her back, but before any of them could act on their love the arkenstone had changed their fate. Gandalf was determined to fight fate and the arkenstone together with Basil, for Thorin.

'He is a good dwarf, Gandalf.' Basil whispered. 'I should not have left. I should have fought more for him.'

'You fought for him in battle, my dear hobbit. You fought for his sanity longer than anyone could have asked from you.' Gandalf frowned.

'But I did not fight long enough for me.' Basil stated bitterly. 'I loved him Gandalf. And I love him still. How can I turn my back on him now? It was a mistake to return to the Shire.'

'He might kill you when you enter Erebor despite of your banishment.' Gandalf told him quietly.

'Then that will be my fate.' Basil whispered and looked ahead, where the top of the mountain came in sight.