Hello again!
The events of this fic occur between chapters 18 and 19 of All Will Be Well, a few days after the Battle of Five Armies. In the beginning of chapter 19, Kíli laments having had to rest and recover while Erebor was being rebuilt. This fic describes a snapshot from that period.
Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit.
"I feel fine, Tauriel!" Kíli protested. Tauriel arched an eyebrow, standing next to his cot. "It's been four days since Elrond healed me, and my leg feels almost as good as new."
"I know that to be an exaggeration," Tauriel remarked dryly. Kíli shrugged.
"Alright, perhaps, but I'm sure I'm well enough to leave this damned tent and help with the rebuilding of Erebor."
"We may walk later, if you wish," Tauriel replied, sitting on the edge of Kíli's cot. "So long as you bring your staff. And Fíli will be arriving before too long."
"Yes, but Uncle will wish to speak to him," Kíli muttered. Thorin, on the other side of the tent, was trying to act as king to the rest of the dwarves, despite the fact that he couldn't yet leave his bed. At the moment, he was deep in conversation with Balin, their talk hushed enough that Kíli couldn't hear it. He saw Thorin look up a few times, shooting Tauriel highly suspicious glares before turning back to Balin. It was clear he still didn't trust Tauriel, despite all that she had done for them, because she was one of Thranduil's elves. Kíli didn't care; he wanted Tauriel by his side as often as possible, and if Thorin disliked that, then so be it.
"Your uncle has important things he wishes to do," Tauriel replied mildly. "Has he chosen when to do the coronation yet? Last I heard, he was still deciding whether or not to wait for the rest of your kin from Ered Luin."
"I think he's chosen not to wait," Kíli replied, frowning. "They won't arrive for quite some time, and it wouldn't do any good to leave this hanging for so long. The lack of a king on the throne of Erebor is a power vacuum that can't be allowed to linger."
A mischievous glint appeared in Tauriel's eyes. "And once he is crowned, you shall become a true prince in the eyes of the law."
"Yes, what I've always wished," Kíli replied dryly.
"You would be a good prince," Tauriel remarked. Before Kíli could ask what she meant by that, Legolas entered the tent, a slight curl to his lip.
"Tauriel. My father requests your presence," he stated, pointedly not looking at any of the dwarves. Tauriel nodded, squeezing Kíli's hand unobtrusively before stepping out of the tent.
"I cannot believe the disrespect of that elf princeling," Thorin muttered. Kíli rolled his eyes.
"Legolas saved my life, Uncle. I've told you that already."
Thorin's expression twisted slightly, but before he could say anything, Balin stood and bowed deeply. "I must leave, Thorin," he stated. He bowed again to Kíli, who made a face, then left the tent.
"You must accept your position, Kíli," Thorin scolded, his annoyance over Legolas apparently forgotten. "You are a prince of Erebor, soon to be officially crowned."
"And that means I have to lord that over my friends?" Kíli retorted. Thorin looked surprised.
"No, not at all. But you must understand it and know the power that comes with it, and know that things will change."
"I don't want things to change!" Kíli protested. Aware he sounded like a child, he tried to control himself more as he continued. "Power means nothing to me, Uncle. Authority means nothing to me. What I desire is companionship, happiness. Those mean more to me than any position in the world."
"And yet you were born into this position, and you will hold it, no matter whether you wish it or not," Thorin replied sternly. "You cannot avoid your power, Kíli, only learn how to properly use it."
"By your standards, not mine, you seem to think," Kíli retorted. Before Thorin could speak again, Fíli entered the tent.
"Is something wrong?" he asked, looking from Kíli to Thorin. Only then did Kíli realize how nearly tangible the tension was between them.
"Not at all," Thorin replied gruffly.
"Have you come to free me from this tent?" Kíli asked eagerly. Fíli rolled his eyes.
"Tauriel and Óin have told me that you may come with me for a walk, but that is all. You overused your leg so in the time since you were shot that-"
"That I now must rest it and allow it to heal itself again, I know," Kíli finished with a sigh. "You're stealing Tauriel's words. She tells me that daily."
"If you listened, we could stop," Fíli countered. He turned to Thorin. "Do you need me for anything, Uncle?"
"Later," Thorin replied, to Kíli's delight. Fíli's lips twitched into a smile as he turned to Kíli.
"Shall I release you, then?" he asked. Kíli eagerly grabbed his staff and swung his legs off the cot, carefully trying to act as normal as possible, despite the fact that his leg wasn't particularly happy at how quickly he'd moved it. Fíli seemed to have caught that, considering the look on his face.
"A slow walk," he stated. Kíli rolled his eyes.
"Yes, Mother," he retorted, leaving the tent, leaning on his staff.
"Were you and Thorin arguing?" Fíli asked in a low voice once they were a few steps from the tent. Kíli shrugged.
"It was just the normal discussion about how I need to accept that I'm a prince of Erebor now. If I could give up the position, I would."
"I find that unsurprising, somehow," Fíli replied dryly. "Where do you wish to go?"
"Who's still here?" Kíli asked. Fíli shrugged. People had been leaving to return to their homes, but some still stayed.
"Dáin is here, but most of his warriors left. You know that some of the Mirkwood elves are still here. Elrond and most of his elves are still here. Bard and most of the people of Lake-town have returned to start rebuilding the town. Oh, and the elves from Lothlórien arrived last night."
"What are they like?" Kíli asked curiously. Fíli shrugged.
"I haven't really met them. There aren't very many. I think the lord and lady mostly just came to talk to Gandalf."
"Tauriel told me stories she's heard of Lothlórien," Kíli replied, missing Fíli's eye roll at the mention of Tauriel. "She says the forests there are even more incredible than Mirkwood's, and that the Lady Galadriel is said to be one of the most beautiful women in all of Middle Earth, as well as being one of the most powerful elves to have ever been born."
"Impressive," Fíli remarked dryly. Kíli glared.
"It's probably good to know if we're going to meet her," he retorted. "And Lord Celeborn is said to be incredibly wise. And they're Elladan and Elrohir's grandparents."
"They're Elrond's parents?" Fíli asked, frowning. Kíli shook his head.
"I don't think so. I think they're his wife's parents. I don't know anything else about Elladan and Elrohir's mother, though."
"She must be dead, I would think," Fíli replied. Kíli shrugged.
"I never thought it appropriate to ask."
"Ask what?" a familiar voice asked. Kíli turned, a smile ready on his face as he saw Tauriel. Fíli rolled his eyes again; Kíli elbowed him in the gut.
"How it is possible that someone could be as stunningly beautiful as you," he replied, balancing the line between teasing and true affection. Tauriel rolled her eyes fondly. Behind her, Legolas made a scoffing noise; Kíli hadn't noticed that he was there.
"Perhaps we could both leave our entourages and walk for a time," Kíli suggested. Fíli made an offended noise.
"Leave me behind for this elf maid you barely know? Kíli, I thought you had more honor than that."
"Tauriel would do no such thing," Legolas replied dismissively. Kíli saw it in Tauriel's eyes the second she decided to tease him.
"Or would I?" she countered mildly. Legolas' eyes narrowed. Kíli shrugged when his eyes turned to him.
"I am irresistible," he quipped. Fíli snorted.
"We could all walk together instead," he offered.
"If you will excuse me, I must return to my father," Legolas stated, muttering something to Tauriel in Sindarin before turning and leaving. Kíli frowned.
"What sort of things does he say to you in Sindarin?" he asked. Tauriel smirked slightly.
"He speaks of his irritation with dwarrows, mostly," she replied. Kíli could tell she was teasing.
"He speaks foolishness, then?" he countered. Fíli rolled his eyes.
"If you are merely to continue with your awkward style of courting-" Before he could continue, Kíli elbowed him again, forcing the air from his lungs.
"Shall we leave him behind?" he asked Tauriel. Her eyes were dancing with amusement.
"I believe we must," she replied. "We wouldn't wish for interruptions in our, as he called it, 'awkward style of courting.'"
"Very well, I shall return to Uncle Thorin and leave you two in peace," Fíli sighed. Kíli waved cheekily as Fíli walked off in an overdramatic huff.
"What shall we do, now that we're alone?" he asked Tauriel when he turned back to her. She made a face as if she were thinking about it for a moment.
"Would you like to see what's been done in Erebor so far?" she asked. "I believe you are healed enough to see what the efforts have brought, if not enough to join in them."
"Nothing would bring me more pleasure than to see that with you," Kíli replied, offering Tauriel his arm. Smiling, she took it - a bit awkwardly, given their height difference - and led him off to the mountain.
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