Summary: Bard Color's verse
So there is some very vaguely implied Rape that happens to Bard's wife. I tried to be a vague as I could to avoid triggers.
He'd loved her and after a time he'd given her colors, mainly purples, but she had never been able to give him any.
He'd always wondered why she'd been able to receive his colors but he supposed that some were born whole, able to receive colors when they truly loved the other.
His wife had been born whole like he hadn't.
Bard looked out the window and thought back upon his wife, it was strange thinking of her now, he knew she would be pleased that he had finally met his Color-match, even if he was male. There were some Men who hated those that were like matched within their Race, they had no say with the other Races and on occasion they couldn't distinguish between them so they said nothing to offend.
But Bard was King of Dale now, and he already had children, it was unlikely that any would protest his Match, especially when they considered that his Match was the Elven King, add to the fact that it had been Bard to end the Dragon and Bard had no reason to worry about his peoples' hatred.
His wife had been beautiful, he'd met her in the market as he'd been selling his fish and there had been a moment after their eyes met that he'd never thought he'd see her again but he had and she'd asked him to marry her. She'd found herself in a spot of trouble, pregnant out of wedlock, through no choice of her own but her father wanted her to declare the father and marry him and she just couldn't.
She had said he looked like a kinder man than the other and Bard, bard had always known that he'd never find his Match in a female but his mother had been speaking about him marrying as well and making him run into young ladies that were more interested in what he could do to them instead of with them. So Bard had agreed to wed her.
Her father had hated him instantly, not because he had ruined his daughter but because he had only been a poor bargeman. After their marriage his wife had had no contact with her father and prefured it that way and when the time came Bard had welcomed little Sigrid as his daughter and swore she'd never know that he hadn't sired her and she didn't.
Three years later and his wife had first gained purple on her arm when Bard grabbed her hand to stop her from grabbing a hot handle and she had smiled at him so lovingly that he had kissed her for the first time, slowly so that she might stop him should she wish but she hadn't and they had soon welcomed their son Bain later that year and Bard had been happy, he knew she'd likely never give him colors on his skin since she hadn't yet but he'd heard that some people got colors years after they met one another, though those were considered myth among Men, but Bard had told the story to his wife and she had smiled.
I am glad I was born whole so I could have your colors, she had said after.
When Tilda was born there had been complications and Bard had been left alone with a newborn baby and two young children. His lovely Sigrid had stepped into her mother's shoes without complaint, taking over the housework and care of Tilda while Bard had worked, and sometimes, late at night with Tilda sleeping on his chest and Sigrid and Bain on either side of him he'd trace over his arms and hands and wish that he'd had a reminder of the woman he had loved, that had given him his three children.
Now, he had yellows blooming on his skin, greens and golds and so many others, and the purples that wound up his arms and as glad as he was to have found Thranduil, how easily they might have missed one another, he was glade he had had the chance to love his wife, to let her love him and to give her colors.
Bard glanced over at Sigrid, grounded for keeping Fili secret, and forced to remain in Dale for a week while Thorin tried to explain Dwarrow courting only to be stopped by a exasperated Dwalin who had scowled and began to give Bard a better idea for Dwarrow courting.
Dwalin had told Bard that Thorin hadn't done his Courting of Bilbo correct and they had all just let it go because Bilbo hadn't complained and Thorin hadn't quiet had time to learn properly given that he'd been taking care of their people for so long.
Bard smiled at her when she snuggled into him, not really mad about her forced separation from Fili, having been told that he was going to allow them to continue their Court.
"Everything is ready for Ada's arrival." Sigrid said softly.
"Thank you, Sigrid, I'm proud of you." Bard murmured into her hair.
"Do you think Mam would be mad that we accepted Ada so easy?" Sigrid asked.
"Your mother was wonderful, she'd have been happy for me." Bard told her, "We discussed it before, when she still lived, I have told you she did not give me Colors, not like Thranduil did, but I never told you that I could give her Color."
"What?" Sigrid pulled back to stare at him.
Bard nodded, "It was three years after we married and she got her first Color, purple and she just smiled at me and I knew that she would forever own a piece of my Heart that not even Thranduil can ever touch.
"We spoke of when I got my colors, how we would still be a family, she would still be called Mam and we'd find something new to call your new parent. It would please her that you accepted Thranduil as easily as she would have." Bard pressed a kiss to her forehead, "You have so much of her heart in you and I am glad of it."
"You're not going to forget her, promise?" Sigrid begged as she threw her arms around his shoulders.
"Never, dearling, I have you and you sibling to remind me, but mostly you, my daughter." Bard promised, "Now, Thranduil should be here tomorrow morning in time for breakfast."
"Do you really think it's a good Idea to leave Legolas in charge of Mirkwood?" Sigrid asked.
"It's only for a while, until Bain is old enough to be king and Legolas has promised to come often for advice and to see his Gimli, they are still courting, it won't be so bad, and there is always the possibility for us to diplomatically visit." Bard reminded her.
Sigrid nodded, "Tilda can't wait for Tauriel to begin her lessons."
Bard shook his head, "She's been begging me to bring her early."
"Kili would kill you."
"Bilbo would kill me." Bard stressed, "And I am much more frightened of Bilbo's wrath than Kili's."
Sigrid nodded, "I think everyone is more afraid of Bilbo, he's the Secret keeper for nearly everything that goes on."
Bard laughed, "To bed, Tilda and Bain as well." Bard shooed her away.
"Good night, Da." Sigrid chuckled suddenly.
"What is it?" Bard asked.
"The Dwarrows really did bring us luck."
Bard joined her laughter but Bard wondered if perhaps he'd always been lucky.