(A/N) Well, I keep trying to do these fairy tales as one shots, but they just keep getting longer. This one will be a fairy tale in three parts. As the title hopefully indicates, this is a Snow White story (with maybe a few elements of Rapunzel thrown in for good measure), and the main pairing is Fili/Kili, but there's also some side Dwalin/Ori and BagginShield.

Some warnings for you: This story contains incest, voyeurism, rape, mpreg, and a healthy amount of gore, among other things. You have been warned. For those not suitably horrified, I hope you enjoy…

Red as Blood, White as Snow

Part One

Once upon a time, which is all times and no times, but not the very best of times, there lived a dwarf king who had gone quite mad in his old age.

The race of dwarves had long been dwindling. No females had been born to them for many years. As far as it was known, the only woman among them who could still bear children was the king's granddaughter. Unfortunately, the princess died giving birth to only her second child. As far as the dwarves knew, their race was reaching its end, for neither of the two children born to the princess had been female.

Shortly after the baby prince was born, the royal family was dealt a terrible blow. The dwarf nation was still caught up in the devastating Goblin Wars and the king's son, youngest grandson, and the princess' husband were all lost in battle, leaving the two princes orphaned and the king with only one heir…his oldest grandson, and even though the young dwarf was greatly burdened with grief, the care of his two nephews fell to him.

The king, though, succumbing to grief, finally slipped into madness. He took as an advisor a mysterious white wizard, who claimed he could grant the dwarf king immortality. All he would need was the heart of a child with lips red as blood, hair black as ebony, and skin white as snow. His granddaughter had fit that description exactly, but neither of her sons seemed to, although the youngest was certainly the most beautiful child anyone had seen in a long time.

In his mad quest to consolidate his power, the king withdrew his people from the wars, leaving the fight to their former allies. If the dwarf the wizard had prophesied still lived, he certainly couldn't risk that one dying in battle. The kingdom of the dwarves was cut off from the rest of the world. No one could enter and no one could leave…not until the king had claimed his prize.

Years passed and the kingdom fell into disarray. The royal court was split into two factions: those loyal to the king's grandson, who wanted to try and build a future for themselves, even where there was none…and those remaining loyal to the king, with the wizard's power at his side and the belief that perhaps he could gain immortality and somehow become a strong ruler again, someone who could forge them a future out of their ruin. All that would be needed was the life of one child.

None of this mattered very much to the two young princes. Their uncle tried to raise them far from the politics of the court, thinking that if there really was no future for their race, the best he could do by his adopted sons was to see that they were happy. The two brothers were raised together and saw very little of anyone else. The beauty of the youngest prince became renowned, especially since their uncle would allow few people to lay eyes on him. His brother's loveliness was something the older prince came to prize as his own…as the two were beginning to grow closer than any pair of brothers before them had.

XxX

Growing up sequestered from the rest of dwarf society could sometimes get tiresome for two young, active dwarves. So Fili and Kili would sometimes sneak out of the castle to explore the woods at night. On this particular night, though, Kili decided that exploring wasn't enough. They were going to play another game instead.

"Fili," he called softly to his brother, offering him a mischievous grin when the blond dwarf turned to look at him. "Catch me if you can."

Then he disappeared into the trees, hearing Fili break into a run behind him. He ran for several minutes before swinging a circle around a large tree, coming up just behind his brother and catching him in his arms.

"Hey! No fair!" Fili laughed as he turned in Kili's embrace. He could feel his smile as his little brother pressed his lips against his.

The two brothers moved to lean against the tree, reveling in the press of their lips. Fili and Kili had kissed many times, playing at intimacy, since Kili wasn't quite of age yet. Fili, however, had decided in that moment that tonight was going to be different.

"You want to play?" Fili whispered heatedly against the younger dwarf's lips. "All right. We'll play."

With that, Fili slipped a hand inside his brother's tunic, running his fingers teasingly over his chest and stomach. Kili groaned his approval, bucking lightly against his brother's body. They moved together like this for several more minutes before Fili's wandering hands suddenly undid Kili's belt and slipped inside his trousers.

"Is this what you want, little brother?" Fili asked, hand hovering just over where Kili really wanted it to be.

"Hngh…Fili…touch me," he pleaded, hardly able to breathe. When Fili's hand finally wrapped around his sex, he just about swooned with the sensation of it. He had dreamed about this for so long…dreamed of the whisper of his brother's voice at his ear…longed for the feel of him between his legs…moaned Fili's name as he touched himself. So now, even though he was still a few weeks shy of his majority, he gave himself over willingly…eagerly.

Fili kept him pinned against the tree as he worked between his legs, fondling, rubbing, and squeezing, driving Kili wild with the touch of his now hot skin. It took everything he had not to cry out.

"Hah…oh…oh…Brother…take me. Please take me," he begged, quickly unraveling in Fili's hands. The older dwarf offered him a wicked smile, never once breaking eye contact as he dropped slowly to the ground, until he was on his knees before his brother.

"Not yet, baby brother…but soon…soon you will be of age…then I will make you mine," he hissed, his gaze dropping down as he laid Kili bare, causing him to shiver at the sharp contrast between the cool night air and his brother's heated skin.

"You won't…just…leave me like this…will you?" Kili asked, feeling fear for the faintest of moments.

"Never. I will spill you all over these woods, you imp."

Kili groaned yet again, eyes glued to his brother's lips as his mouth slipped over the tip of him, sucking gently as he slowly took every inch of him in. The younger dwarf began to gasp as his brother started to take it a little rougher

Little did the young lovers realize, though…they were being watched.

Thror had been out walking himself and had hidden when the boys passed by, leaving him curious. So he'd decided to follow…and was very glad he had. He'd had no idea his two great-grandsons were so…close. The old dwarf was enjoying their show almost as much as they were…thinking perhaps he might summon the boys to his chamber some night…when he saw it.

As Kili writhed against his brother's talented mouth, caught in exquisite positions of both bliss and agony, the moon shone down on him, lighting his features. In the moon's pale light, his skin shone pure and white, just like new fallen snow. His normally brown hair appeared even darker, the color of the blackest ebony. Last of all, the final trait, that he could never seem to find, Kili's lips were red and swollen from where Fili had kissed him senseless…where he had bit his own lip…red as freshly spilled blood against the glorious snowfall of his face.

Kili was the one…the promised child he had been searching for. The rumors were true; the young prince really was more lovely than any other dwarf alive, and it was the beauty of his soul…his heart…that would grant him eternal life.

Thror watched with glee as Kili reached climax against Fili's lips, his head falling back as his kiss-stained lips opened wide in a silent scream of ecstasy. Fili swallowed every drop of him, groaning in pleasure against his brother's body. Then, coming down from the high, Kili slowly collapsed to the forest floor. The two brothers cradled each other close, sharing gentle kisses as they lay against the tree. The old dwarf finished his own pleasure silently, leering at his prize through the dark.

Enjoy it while you can, my fair one…for soon you will be mine.

XxX

Fili and Kili stood before the throne, both of them nervous. Thror had never called for them before. The whispers were thick in the air: the king was displeased with his granddaughter's sons. The royal court, all gathered to hear the old monarch's judgment, was tittering with worry and anticipation. What had the princes done? Were they to be punished?

"Fili and Kili, sons of Dis and Vili," Thror began in a stern tone. "In front of these witnesses, I declare you have committed an act of treason. What say you?"

Kili looked confused, but Fili just looked angry.

"We protest this accusation, my king. We have done nothing to betray the crown."

"You deny, then, that you have known your brother…lain with him as with a lover?"

For a moment, both brothers looked shocked, but Fili was the first to recover himself.

"I deny it. Kili is not yet of age. No one has known his body," the older prince declared vehemently.

Despite his denial, the court erupted with heated whispers. Both brothers could feel the penetrating gazes of those around them.

"Fine, then…but can you deny, in good faith and in the memory of your parents, that you have taken pleasure of each other…that you meant to defile him?"

Fili was ready to deny it, to lie…to impugn his own honor in order to protect his baby brother's virtue…but then Thror threw the memory of his parents at him. He could not speak a falsehood on their grave…not even for Kili. He looked to the floor in shame as he answered.

"No. I cannot deny that."

"Well, at least you have that much honor," Thror said, his voice mocking as he stepped down from his throne.

"My lord," Thorin attempted to intervene from where he stood beside the throne, "I would remind you that the act of incest is not taboo among our people. It is a human concept…to take shame in the lover you choose. How is what they have done treasonous?"

"Lesser dwarves may take pleasure in an incestuous bed, maybe even a prince and princess, but for two princes, last of our house, to take their seed from a woman who might continue the line…and waste it on each other…that is treason. It is a sin," he hissed, his gaze fixed on the two brothers.

"My lord, there are no women, none who can bear any longer, at least. Surely the circumstances could be counted as being different," the crown prince continued to press.

"No, I don't think so. A woman may yet make herself known. In the meantime, Fili and Kili will be punished for their actions."

"My lord, please," Fili began to beg, dropping to his knees as the king walked toward them, "I am the older. Kili does not know any better. I led him astray. If anyone is to be punished, it should be me. Let my brother go free. I will bear any punishment we have earned."

Thror chuckled as he watched Fili's display of contrition. He offered his great grandson a lascivious sneer as he seized his chin and forced him to look up.

"So noble, so willing to sacrifice yourself for the one you care about…but you needn't fear. You will not be harmed," he said quietly to the blond dwarf, but his next words were addressed to the room at large. "It is my decree that the brothers be separated. They will be kept apart, not permitted to speak to nor see each other again. Kili will be locked in the North tower. Perhaps he may yet be rescued from the path his brother has led him on."

For a moment, it did not sink in…but then-

"NO!" Fili screamed, instantly leaping to his feet. His first instinct was to reach for Kili, who also made a grab for him, but they were both immediately restrained by guards. The last thing Fili saw as they forced him back to his knees was Kili's terrified face as he was dragged away from him. He fought, he fought so hard, but he just couldn't break free.

"Kili! Kili! No! Kili!"

"My lord, surely there's no need for-"

"You ought to be grateful I choose not to punish you for this travesty," Thror interrupted his grandson. "These impressionable young lads have been in your care. This happened under your watch."

Thorin didn't press the issue. In truth, he had known about his nephews' dalliances, and it didn't really bother him. They were young. Maybe their romance would be brief…maybe it wouldn't. Besides, what sense was there in finding fault with it when their world was literally coming to an end around them? It wasn't Fili and Kili's nighttime activities that worried the crown prince now, though. His grandfather had never taken an interest in his youngest kin. As far as he was concerned, they may as well have never been born. Why should he care what they did now? Thror cared nothing for the moral wellbeing of his great grandsons…so why was he keeping them apart? What did he want with Kili? Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do, no way he could challenge Thror's authority without risking open conflict…something they couldn't afford just now. For the moment, even though it would break both his nephews' hearts, they would have to go along with whatever Thror was plotting, hopefully discover some way of thwarting him and rescuing Kili.

XxX

The old king made good his decree. The youngest prince was locked away inside the North tower, with no one but the king allowed access to him. While his quarters in the tower were lavishly appointed and he could not possibly have asked for any other physical comfort, the young prince was still heartbroken without his brother.

During the weeks leading up to his birthday, he was kept in complete isolation. He could sometimes look down from the tower and see his brother below, but the distance was too great even to risk calling out to each other. They could each see how the other suffered. The older prince was just as miserable without his brother. He spent the weeks plotting and finally, on the night his brother was of age, with the blessings of his uncle and his advisors, he scaled the tower where his brother was being held, while the younger watched his ascent with bated breath.

XxX

The moment Fili was up the wall and through the window, he was in Kili's arms. The younger dwarf held him impossibly close, covering his face with kisses.

"You fool!" Kili hissed between kisses. "You were always such a fool! You could have died! Someone might have seen you! If Thror finds you here-"

"Shhh, sh, sh, sh," Fili hushed his little brother. Then he pressed a kiss to his lips, just holding him for several minutes, calming him down. When they finally separated for air, Fili just rested his forehead against Kili's, smiling at him as his grip loosened slightly. "Happy birthday, Kili."

Kili's relieved anger quickly turned into annoyance and he pulled himself from his brother's grip, giving his shoulder a none too light punch. "Oh, yes, a very happy birthday indeed. Locked up for weeks with nothing but my shadow for company…no one to talk to…no one to touch me. Sometimes I thought I might just go mad," he said, his frustration slowly cooling as he moved away from the older dwarf. His shoulders were trembling slightly when Fili laid his hands on them from behind him.

"Gods, but I've missed you horribly, Brother," Fili whispered in his ear. Without even thinking about it, he leaned back into his brother's embrace. He just couldn't stay angry with him…not after having been so long without him. Slowly, he turned to face him and Fili's arms fell away. For a long while, they just stared at each other. Then they fell into each other's arms once more, kissing hungrily, tearing at each other's clothing.

"Fili…" Kili groaned as his fingers pulled desperately at fine cloth. "You…you promised me…"

"Yes…yes, I did," Fili moaned right back, hands running appreciatively over his brother's now bare chest. "I'll keep that promise tonight."

"Fili…Fili…"

It wasn't long at all before the younger brother was practically thrown on the bed, completely divested of his fine clothing. Fili stood over him as he removed the last of his own clothing, retrieving the one item he brought up the wall with him: a bottle of sweetly scented rose oil.

Fili fell upon his brother as a starving man falls upon an offering of bread, desperate and ravenous. The two princes kissed each other senseless, the moon through the lone window their only light as they touched and moved together, intent on making up for every moment they had gone without.

Finally, when their skin was slick with sweat and oil, Fili took his brother. It had happened that the elder ended up on his back on the sheets with Kili on top of him, straddling his hips as they became one. At first, their movements were awkward and clumsy, but it wasn't long before they found a rhythm, moving against each other in time to the beating of their own hearts.

Sadly, as had happened on that night several weeks ago, the moon was not their only witness.

XxX

"You see it now, don't you?" Thror demanded of his sorcerer, Saruman, as he watched his two great grandsons make love in the large mirror mounted in his chamber. The mirror in Kili's prison had been connected to his own by a spell Saruman had cast, allowing the king to keep an eye on his prize at all times.

"Indeed, I do," the white wizard said, stroking his beard thoughtfully. Once again, the moonlight had revealed the truth of Kili's near unearthly beauty. Snow white flesh, long hair black as ebony, and lips the rich color of blood from his brother's frantic kisses. Kili was the child he had foreseen…though a child no longer from the looks of things. "Your great grandson is the one whose heart will bring you everlasting life."

"Well, thank you for finally acknowledging that. I was beginning to fear Fili would never come to him," he said, allowing himself another moment to watch the two boys writhe together on the disheveled sheets. "But you…you keep saying he isn't ready yet? What do you mean?"

"I mean what I said. He is not ready. Taking his heart now would be like plucking an apple before its time. He is not yet ripe. You must wait."

"But how long?" Thror pressed. "My time on this earth is not long remaining."

"Soon enough. The boy will be ready before your time is done. For now, enjoy your show. I think they're nearly finished."

Chuckling, Thror leered as he turned his attention back to the mirror. Fili and Kili were rocking quickly now. Fili gripped Kili's hips tightly as he gyrated above him, driving his brother a little deeper with every move. Kili's head was thrown back, his face the image of wild abandon. Their words had long since devolved into incoherent moans and cries of passion. Kili leaned forward slightly to tangle his fingers in his brother's sweat-dampened hair. They were both ready to burst. The old king let out a low groan of anticipation.

"Yes…yes…come on now," he urged. "Fuck your baby brother."

Fili was the first to come, his body going rigid as he cried out his brother's name. Kili finally came as Fili raked his fingers across his hips, leaving slightly red furrows in the flesh.

"Fili!" he cried out, his voice half-strangled in his attempts to keep quiet. His body trembled and his toes curled as a small spurt of semen left his body, painting his brother's stomach with the sticky fluid. No longer a virgin, Kili slowly collapsed on top of his brother, and the two lay there for several minutes, tangled up in each other and sticky with sweat, oil, and semen.

After a time, Fili slowly disentangled himself from Kili and began to dress himself, preparing for his descent from the tower.

"No," Kili pleaded as he reached out for his brother's hand, his voice small and distorted by the mirror. "Please…don't leave me."

Fili gazed upon his debauched brother with sadness in his eyes, seeming to squeeze his hand a little tighter. "They can't find me here. They may punish you even worse if they find us together. Don't worry. I will come back. I'll come and see you every week…and I'll find a way to get you out of here."

"I can't leave," Kili said sadly. "If I leave…Saruman will find me…and kill you."

"I know…but we'll find a way to defeat him. We'll run away together…just you and me," Fili promised, kneeling beside the bed and drawing Kili's hand to his lips.

"You promise?"

"On our parents' grave, I swear it. We will be together, Kili," he said, leaning in to press a last kiss to his lips. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

"Unfortunately, it's a promise you will have to break, young one. You and Kili will never be together. Kili belongs to me now," Thror declared as he watched them. He would enjoy seeing them both break.

XxX

The young prince was kept in the tower for several months, and true to his word, his brother came to see him at least once each week. They had their nights together…and each time the king watched, waiting for the moment when his sacrifice finally ripened.

It was also during this time that the young prince seemed to sicken. Seemed to because his bouts of nausea only struck him in the mornings. Throughout the rest of his days, he was bounding with pent up energy and constantly craving exotic foods that he'd never had a liking for before…and unfortunately, in his view, all of the excess eating was making him put on a little more weight than was normal. His brother would tease him about his eating habits, but also consol him by reminding him that it wasn't his fault he was being forced to live a mostly inactive lifestyle. Things would be better when they finally managed to escape.

The reality of what was happening to him didn't descend on the young prince until one night, after nearly six months in captivity, when he suddenly felt the quickening.

XxX

For once, Fili was surprised to not find Kili waiting for him when he ascended to his window. Instead he found him curled up on his bed, his face streaked with tears and a look of shock in his eyes.

"Kili? What's wrong?" Fili asked, sitting down beside him on the bed, taking a moment to brush his bedraggled hair from his face.

"I…I don't…it didn't…I can't…it's…Fili, I…my brother…please…I don't know how…don't understand-"

"Brother, calm down," Fili soothed him, slowly helping him to sit up as a fresh wave of tears began to spill down his face. "Just tell me what's wrong."

"You…you'll think I've gone…crazy! Maybe…maybe I have. I don't know."

"Kili, I can't help you if you won't tell me what happened."

"Well, I…the sickness…and the eating…my…my stomach," he struggled to explain, finally just pulling up his tunic and showing Fili the small swell of his belly. "I…I thought I was just…gaining weight, but I…I felt it."

"You felt what?"

"Kicking!" the distraught prince half-screamed, his eyes wide with fear. "I felt kicking! Fili, I…I'm with child."

"Oh…oh, Kili, you can't…you're not-"

"I know. I know. Believe me, I know, but I felt it. Here. Here," he said, frantically seizing his brother's hand and laying the palm against his belly. "It's happening right now. You can feel it."

Sure enough, Fili felt the tiny kicks against his palm, and for a moment he was just as shocked as Kili. When he looked up at his brother with wonder in his eyes, the fear on his face began to shift to hope.

"You…you feel it, too?"

"Yes…I do."

"Then I…I'm not crazy?"

"No, you're not. This…this is real," Fili whispered, moving to his knees beside the bed and laying his head against Kili's stomach. "We…we're going to have a baby."

"I…yes."

For a while, they just held each other, both feeling the baby kick, but then Fili looked up at Kili again, realization in his eyes.

"Kili…do you know what this means?"

"…no."

"If you can bear children…there's no reason for Thror to keep us apart. Our misery can end. He'll have to let you go. We can finally be together. Maybe…Kili, maybe this is the beginning of new hope for our people."

For a moment, Kili looked happy, but then a shadow darkened his face. "How…how could it have happened, though? I'm male. What if this child doesn't survive? What then? We will be reviled worse than ever, Brother."

"You mustn't talk like that. The child will survive. I'll protect both of you. Nothing will happen. It's going to be all right; you'll see. Thorin and the others are in council tonight. I'll go to them right now and tell them what's happened. The people will never stand for one who can bear children to be imprisoned. We'll have you out of here by this time next week."

Fili couldn't have known it, but it was a promise that was already broken even in the moment of its making, for something was about to happen…something horrible.

XxX

"Well, this is…unexpected," Thror said as he watched Fili depart through his mirror. "Is this what you spoke of…when you said he was not yet ripe?" he asked Saruman.

"This is part of it. The boy is certainly beginning to ripen. The question now becomes…are you willing to take away the hope of your people for a future?"

"Absolutely. One child will make no difference in the end. As for myself, though, I will outlast our end. What must I do to speed this ripening?"

"Something I have no doubt you will very much enjoy," the wizard said, his gaze shifting between the king and the mirror. Then he fixed the king with a vicious sneer.

"Break him."

XxX

"Uncle, there is wonderful news!" Fili announced as he burst into his uncle's secret council meeting. Thorin scowled at him.

"We weren't expecting you until later, boy. Why aren't you with your brother?"

"I've just come from him. Thorin…Kili is with child."

For a moment, the crown prince just looked shocked.

"What did you say?"

"Kili's going to have a baby…my baby. He's pregnant."

"That…that's impossible, lad," Balin tried to interrupt him. "Your brother's…well, he's-"

"I know. I know it's impossible, but it happened anyway. It's true. I felt the baby kicking. It's real. It perfectly explains what's been happening to him."

"Perhaps…it is an omen," Oin said softly, his expression pensive. "A sign that our people are not forsaken after all…perhaps Prince Kili is the miracle we've prayed for."

"Uncle…the reason this punishment was exacted is because Kili and I could not produce heirs. But once we tell Thror of this, surely he will have to let Kili go free."

Upon seeing the hope in his nephew's eyes, Thorin's expression became pitying. He sighed as he placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"No, Fili, I'm afraid that isn't so. Now that Thror has Kili…he will never let him go."

"What? Why?"

"We've only recently discovered the true reason the king had yer brother imprisoned. It had nothing to do with what was between the two of ye," Dwalin told him. The burly dwarf was loyal to Thorin, but served as Thror's chief huntsman, acting as their eyes and ears in his court.

"What are you talking about?"

"Thror believes Kili is the one…the child his sorcerer prophesied…whose heart will bring him immortality," Gloin explained to him.

"But that means…he's going to kill him," Fili said slowly, horror beginning to fill his gut and stop his throat. The five dwarves just sat in their somber little circle, their expressions all the confirmation he needed. "Well…why hasn't he made his move yet? It's been months!"

"We don't know. We can think of no reason," Balin said.

"Then what are we waiting for? He could come for him any minute. We have to do something!"

"This isn't the time to be rash, lad. If we just take him from the tower, the sorcerer will find him and bring him back. Thror will not relinquish his prize so easily," Gloin said.

"Even though his prize…my little brother…the one carrying my child…my love…might be the only hope for our entire race?" Fili asked, rage beginning to boil beneath his horror.

"Even so. Thror is mad. The wellbeing of his people no longer means anything to him. We would have overthrown him long ago, but that he has the power of the sorcerer on his side…and those who believe in his ascent to immortality," Thorin said, his voice full of bitter frustration.

"If we are to rescue Kili and the child, we will have to find someway around Saruman's power," Oin said.

"I…I'm going back, then…to warn him. Kili should know what Thror intends to do to him," Fili said, quickly turning on his heels and heading out of the chamber…not knowing he was already too late.

XxX

Kili was still standing at the window when he heard the sound of his door being unlocked. Feeling fear squeeze his heart, he looked out the window one last time…and was relieved to see that Fili was down the sheer wall and had disappeared into the night. Quickly, he turned to face the intruder.

"Saying goodnight to your lover?" Thror asked as he strode into the chamber. Kili wasn't sure how, but he heard the door lock behind him.

"What are you talking about?" Kili asked, putting on a confused face.

"Please don't play stupid with me, little one. I know about everything. I've been watching you," he said, tapping the mirror as he passed it. Kili backed up against the wall, but there was nowhere else to retreat to as his great grandfather bore down on him. He seized his throat with one hand while the other pressed up against the small swell of his belly. "And I know about this, too. Fili's little child. Our dear little prince is to be a mother."

"If you know…why do you still keep me imprisoned?" Kili demanded, fingers scrabbling at the king's iron grip. "A miracle has happened. Fili and I…can have children. We can produce heirs. Don't you see it?"

Thror laughed uproariously at this, squeezing Kili's throat a little tighter and cutting off his voice. "Such a naïve child. It was never about the two of you. It was just about you. You see, my fair one, you're a very special child."

"What?" Kili rasped.

"Of course you know of Saruman's prophecy…of the child whose heart will grant me life eternal. Well…you are that child, Kili. You are the one I need."

"That's…impossible. I'm…nothing like that child."

"Oh, but you are, dear Kili," Thror breathed against his ear. The feel of his hot breath against his skin caused the young dwarf to tremble in fear. "The moonlight reveals you for what you really are. Skin white as snow," he began, pressing a kiss to his jaw, "hair black as ebony," he continued, burying his nose in his dark hair, "and lips red as blood," he finished in a reverent whisper as he forced a harsh kiss on his lips, biting down hard on the tender flesh. The shock of pain was so sudden, Kili didn't even think to resist when Thror forced his tongue inside his mouth. Momentarily, the taste of blood and the old dwarf's foul breath completely overwhelmed his senses. Kili wasn't able to master himself until he felt Thror suddenly thrust a knee between his legs, grinding harshly against him.

"N- NO!" Kili shouted, tearing himself away from the old dwarf and collapsing to his knees several feet away, the vile taste in his mouth making him want to vomit. When he glanced down at his hand, which really did look white in the dim light, he saw that three drops of blood from his bleeding lip had dripped onto it.

As red as blood…as white as snow…

"You cannot escape your destiny, Kili," Thror said, easily following his retreat. "You belong to me. You were always meant for me…to die so that I might live. That precious heart of yours is mine. Fili was just borrowing it for the brief time you were among us. You are mine…and tonight I will prove it to you," he said, seizing Kili and flipping him onto his back, straddling his hips and pinning down his wrists. Kili struggled hard against his hold, but the king was deceptively strong for his advanced age.

"What…what are you going to do?" he asked, hating how pathetic his voice sounded. He knew what Thror was going to do to him. Of course he did…but if he could stall the inevitable for even a second more…

"We're going to do what you and your brother do, of course, and I know how much you like it," he said, leaning down close and pressing his lips to his ear. "Did you know I've watched you? Every time you've been with him, I've watched you. Every time he's come inside of you, I've seen your face. I know exactly what you like. I know just how to touch your body to make you writhe for me. I'm going to take you…and make you enjoy every minute of it…because I know what a little whore you are."

At hearing the hideous truth, something inside the young dwarf broke. The thought that he'd never truly been alone with Fili, that this monster knew all their secrets, that something that had been sacred to him had been little more than a brothel show for this dwarf, something to excite him and get him off…all of it…it was just too much to bear. Finally losing the battle against the sickness that had been roiling in his stomach, Kili turned his head to the side and retched.

It spoke to Thror's determination to have him that he didn't leap back in disgust. He just shook his head.

"Now look what you've done. I suppose we'll have to take this to the bed now."

For the few moments it took for Thror to carry him to the bed, Kili was too much in shock to struggle. His mind didn't come back to him until he was tossed unceremoniously onto the bed.

No! No! He couldn't let this happen! What had happened on this bed was special…it was where he had consummated his love for Fili. He couldn't allow Thror to defile their love like this. He fought back, fought like a warg, struggling to get free of his attacker's hold, but he possessed one distinct disadvantage Thror could make use of. Kili's battle stopped almost the moment Thror laid a threatening hand over his belly.

"Don't fight me, Kili. Just one good hit and you lose this child forever. Who knows if there will ever be another?"

"If you're going to kill me anyway, what difference does it make?" Kili snapped at him, going in for one last punch, but his hands fell still yet again when Thror's grip tightened just that little bit more.

"I can still be merciful. I could allow you to live just long enough to deliver your child, so that Fili might have someone…after you're gone…but more than this, my fair one, if you struggle…I will have your brother killed."

"F- Fili?" he whispered in horror.

"Yes. The decision is yours. Give yourself over to me…or lose your brother and your child. What will it be?"

It was a choice that was no choice at all. Kili didn't even have to answer. He simply stopped fighting…slowly lay back down on the bed and allowed Thror to strip him, fighting another bout of nausea at the feel of the old dwarf's hands on his body.

"That's a good lad," his great grandfather whispered to him as he spread his legs open, gently rubbing his thighs…like Fili always did for him…like they both knew he liked. Kili couldn't help the groan that came.

Go away, he pleaded with himself. Go away inside yourself. Don't see, hear, or feel. Gods, don't betray Fili like this!

He couldn't quite manage to shut his mind down, though. His own horror would not allow him to let go…his shock that he was actually lying back and just letting Thror do this to him…lying unresisting as he sullied flesh that had only ever been touched by one other dwarf.

Thror hadn't been lying. He knew exactly how to make Kili feel good…but that didn't mean he enjoyed it. Each caress that brought pleasure also brought with it a wave of fresh guilt and nausea. How could he do this to Fili? Lie with another? He was so disgusting.

Even though the king copied his brother's movements exactly, it was still nothing like lying with Fili. His brother always had an edge of wildness to him when they made love, but Thror was only gentle, even though he certainly could have hurt Kili…and that somehow made him feel even worse…broke him just that little bit more. It was the old dwarf's words that were truly harsh and rending. He was told over and over again how beautiful he was…and how much of a whore.

"Do you want me to make you come, my fair one?" the king asked after what felt like years of holding him on the edge of his release. Nodding, Kili couldn't stop the tears that came, his thighs quivering as his great grandfather thrust into him.

"Yes…m-make me come…let me…" he begged. Gods, but he just wanted it to be over!

Thror reached between his legs once more and squeezed, drawing a broken, exultant cry from Kili as the young dwarf finally came. The king thrust several more times before finishing in Kili's now limp body.

Kili didn't move when the king withdrew from him…made no response when he leaned down to kiss him and whisper, 'Sleep well'…didn't exclaim how disgusting he felt when he began to feel the sticky, white fluid leaking from his body, coating his thighs with his shame. He just lay completely still, long after Thror had gone. He wasn't entirely certain when it began, but the tears soon started to fall in earnest. They fell without restraint from his dark, bloodshot eyes, painting his cheeks with salt as horrible, strangled sobs escaped his throat.

How had this happened? Had it really been only an hour ago the future looked so bright?

XxX

Fili had felt something was wrong almost the moment he'd left the council chamber. The feeling pressed so suffocatingly upon him, he ran nearly the whole way back to the tower. Something wasn't right.

Fili scaled the tower faster than he ever had before…and the horribly familiar scent of sex struck his nose as he mounted the windowsill…sex and blood.

"Kili?" he called as he jumped into the room, his voice thick with worry. "Kili?!"

His brother was as he'd found him earlier that evening, curled up on his bed…only now he was naked…naked, bleeding, and crying as if his heart were broken.

"Kili!" he shouted, flying to the bed and crashing to his knees at his brother's side. "What happened? What did he do to you? Oh, Kili…Kili…" He reached forward to brush the hair from his eyes, but Kili flinched away from him.

"Don't touch me!" he cried out, turning even further away from him…even though all he wanted to do was curl up against his chest and let his brother hold him close while he cried…but he had lost the right to have Fili touch him ever again.

"Kili…" Fili started, moving to sit on the bed beside his brother, aching to take him in his arms and hold him close, but respecting his wishes. "You…you're hurt."

"I'm not," he murmured through the tears.

"But…the blood-"

"Not mine," he rasped, still facing away from his brother. "His…he…I tried to fight him…I didn't want it." When he spoke those words, Fili had the sense he was more trying to reassure himself than him.

"Of course you didn't," he soothed him, laying a hand on the sheets only an inch from Kili's back.

"He said…if I didn't do it…he would kill the baby…kill you…I had to…oh- oh, gods…I…I let him…I…he was inside me!" he shrieked.

"Kili…please…don't do this to yourself," Fili pleaded with him. He just couldn't bear to see his brother like this. "Don't shut me out. Let me help you."

"But I don't…want you…to see me like this," he groaned, struggling with his words. His stomach was starting to rebel against him again.

"Why not?"

"Because…I…I'm filthy now. I'm not the same anymore. I can't…be with you anymore," he sobbed brokenly.

"That's just not true," Fili said softly, finally laying a hand on his shoulder. Kili flinched, but he didn't pull away this time. "It's what he wants you to think. Thror wants to divide us, but we can't let him. We're stronger together."

"But…it's not…it was never…about keeping up apart," Kili said, finally turning to look at his brother. "He will never let me go."

"I know that," Fili said, his smile sad. "Thorin and the others just told me his true intentions."

"Then you know…that I'm to die?"

"Shh, don't talk that way. We're working on it; we're trying to find a way out. I am going to rescue you," Fili said firmly.

"Rescue," the younger dwarf said, his voice full of bitterness as he gazed up at his brother. "I'm afraid, Brother…you may already be too late."

Before Fili could say anything more, Kili's whole body tensed up and he retched onto the sheets…only he didn't have much in his stomach after the first time, so it was mainly just bile that came back up now.

"I'm sorry," Kili groaned, his stomach still knotted with pain.

"For what? It isn't your fault," Fili said. Being careful, searching for any signs Kili was going to retreat again, Fili leaned down and pressed a tender kiss to his forehead. Then he stood, lighting a few candles before going to Kili's wash basin, where a pitcher of water still stood full. Grabbing this and a wash cloth, Fili carried them back to the bed and set them down. "We need to get you cleaned up, little brother. Will you be all right if I-"

"It's fine," Kili interrupted him, slowly sitting up. "I'll be…okay."

Nodding, Fili dipped the cloth in the cool water and gently began to wash his brother's body, scrubbing away the sweat, blood, oil, semen, and vomit. Then he helped him to stand and fetched him a nightshirt before starting to strip the bed of the soiled sheets.

"I don't…want to sleep in that bed anymore," Kili mumbled, turning away from his brother in shame.

"Of course not. Perfectly understandable," Fili soothed, taking it in stride as he moved to retrieve a new set of sheets from the closet, using them to make up the couch in the other side of the chamber. Then he tucked his brother in…almost as if he were a child again.

"Does it help any?" Fili asked as he sat down on the floor beside him.

"Yes…I feel a little better. Thank you," Kili said, reaching out to take one of Fili's hands in his.

"I wish I could stay, but…the night is growing older. I don't want him to hurt you if he finds me here."

"You could…stay, you know? He knows…what we've been doing."

"What are you talking about?"

"He's watched us…every single time. The mirror's bespelled," he said meekly, pointing to the deceptively innocuous glass surface.

"What?!" Fili shouted, hot rage nearly blinding him as he leapt to his feet.

"Fili, don't-"

Unfortunately, the older dwarf was already long past hearing him. He strode to the mirror with fury writ into every line in his face.

"Hey! You're watching, aren't you?! I hope it was worth it, Your Majesty!" he snarled at the mirror. "Because it doesn't matter how many sorcerers you surround yourself with. I don't care how much power you have. I will make you pay for what you've done to him! You will not touch Kili again! Do you hear me, Thror?!" he screamed before smashing a fist into the glass, easily splintering it. That wasn't enough for him, though, as he next took down the mirror and threw it to the stone floor, stomping on the glass with his thick-soled boots, raining down his anger until the broken pieces were little more than dust.

"You shouldn't have done that," Kili said, his body trembling as his brother came back to his side.

"I know. I'm sorry. I was just so angry," he murmured, examining the hand that bled from where glass had punctured the skin. "I didn't mean to frighten you."

"It's not myself I'm worried about. I'm afraid of what he might do to you."

"I can take anything that scum can dish out and more. Don't worry about me. I won't leave you alone, though. I'll come to you every night, and we'll keep him occupied during the day. He won't touch you again, not ever," he vowed, reaching out his uninjured hand to take Kili's once more. Then, being careful of the blood on his other hand, he gently brushed the hair from Kili's eyes as he lay back down. Then Fili lay his head next to his brother's, massaging the back of his hand with his thumb.

Kili, for his part, was feeling a little better that he would be able to sleep beside Fili once more. Nuzzling a little closer to him, he whispered, "Fili?"

"Yes?"

"Tell me about our child."

Fili sighed, smiling as he did so. When they were still little dwarflings, Kili had been afraid of the dark. In order to distract him and calm his fears, Fili had started to tell him stories, sing to him, anything to distract him long enough to allow him to fall asleep. It was the same tonight.

"Our baby is a miracle," he began softly, "so it will be a girl child…and because she is your daughter, she will be the loveliest dwarf our people have ever beheld…brighter than gold and rarer than any jewel. She'll have dark hair, like you…like our mother."

"And she'll have your eyes," Kili added in, "and your ears."

"All right. Sure," he agreed. "Got to have something of me, I suppose. I just like to imagine her as a little you. You're going to teach her to shoot a bow just as skillfully as you can."

"She'll be a greater archer than her papa," Kili said with a dreamy smile.

"Yes. She will be a great warrior, like our grandmother was. They will tell tales of her bravery…but she will begin like all of us…with a wooden sword and a toy bow and arrows. We'll help her learn to walk and talk together, and when she cries, we'll both hold her. Our child will have both her parents…always."

"Fili-"

"Always," the elder said, his firm tone clearly stating he wanted none of Kili's talk of dying. Slowly, he moved his hand down Kili's body, coming to rest against the swell of their growing child. "She needs us, Brother. Don't give up now. We'll find a way."

"I…will try," was all he could promise, "…for you…and for her."

Kili could tell that even Fili recognized it as a meager promise at best. The trouble was that Kili knew he had been defeated. Ever since Thror had laid hands on him, he had been dead. Something inside of Kili had been murdered just a few short hours ago. The rest of him was just slow to realize it…

…and Fili knew this. He knew his brother wasn't hearing anything he was saying, so he would have to try a different approach…something that might get through to Kili before it was too late. So, as the younger dwarf faded away beside him, drifting off into sleep, Fili began to sing…an old song that he'd never sung to Kili before. He wasn't really sure where he'd heard it, but he sometimes liked to think he'd heard his father sing it to his mother…a long time ago.

One song

I have but one song.

One song

Only for you.

One heart

Tenderly beating,

Ever entreating,

Constant and true.

One love

That has possessed me.

One love

Thrilling me through.

One song

My heart keeps singing

Of one love

Only for you.

Fili couldn't be sure if Kili had heard his song, as he was finally asleep by the end of it, with Fili not far behind him. At this point, all Fili could really do was hope.

XxX