Author's Notes:

I have this story posted in AO3 as well, under a different username (Meztli).

I have Moonraykir to thank for being both my Beta in this first chapter and inspiration for writing something other than KenshinxKaoru (which is the otp I normally write for). She also has an account on AO3 under the same pen name, and her stories are wonderful so please check them out.

Please enjoy and comment if you like.

Within a private chamber of Erebor, the angry voice of Thorin Oakenshield echoed off marbled walls.

"I will not allow the Durin bloodline to be grafted to that of an elf."

Kili, second heir and youngest nephew, had admitted an elf into the halls of Erebor, and evidently had allowed her to slip and wreak havoc into his senses as well. The boy and the she-elf had come asking for Thorin's blessing in their union, and Mahal strike him down if he would give it to them.

His impudent nephew rose from his knees to face him, unwavering."Her name is Tauriel. I'm sure you remember it's because of her and her kin we're not dead."

Thorin had not forgotten. Tauriel had healed Kili right after Bolg had driven a mace into his chest, and prior to that, she had healed him from poison inflicted by an arrow through his leg. The same elven magic had restored Thorin as well, except it had been the Elvenking's subjects who had worked spells on him and on his other nephew, mending the near-fatal wounds they had sustained during the Battle of the Five Armies. Less than half a year had passed since then, and here they were, alive.

Thorin felt his facial muscles relax slightly, gathering his temper. He could not allow himself to react vehemently, addled as he was. Perhaps he was partially to blame for being too lax on his youngest nephew's recklessness for as long as he had. "We owe them gratitude and recompense, not our love and legacy."

"No, uncle. Do not reduce my affections for Tauriel to mere gratitude. You may not understand them, and I can't say I completely understand how myself, but I know what I feel, and that to me is more precious than all the gems and gold of Erebor, as is your blessing, if you should give it to us."

Kili had a gift for using his youthful charm and crafty words to disarm those he had troubled, often sparing him from receiving any true consequence for a misdeed. But this was not a matter of pardoning pranks or mistakes, this was the Durin legacy on the line.

He shifted his attention to Tauriel, who had remained mostly silent since she and Kili had made their intentions known. She was a beautiful elf, but then, all elves were fair in their own foreign way. She was perhaps more than others, for her hair was a rich auburn, rare in her kind and revered by his own kin, and her eyes were as deep a green as the emeralds of Girion. He could see why her beauty and her generosity had ensnared his nephew with hopeless infatuation. She had proven herself a competent warrior as well, a talent which his spirited heir would find appealing. Even so, the long and troubled history between dwarves and elves could not be bridged by the incomprehensible union of two distinct races. He believed that such a union would only setback or completely undo the peace that had only begun to take root between Erebor and Mirkwood, however tenuous it may be.

He did not miss the ring encircling her pale finger, and had no doubt Kili had forged it for her.

"When I said you could ask anything of me as a reward for your courageous acts, I did not mean for you to take my nephew."

"With all due respect, Your Highness, Kili gave me his affections out of his own free will, as I gave him mine." She did not drop her gaze, as withering as his might have been. The she-elf was stouthearted, to be sure, but that same boldness had earned her banishment from the Woodland Realm

"With or without your blessing, uncle, Tauriel and I belong to each other."

The implications of his words crashed onto him like an avalanche from the highest peak. "You have given in to your desires?"

If the subject were an innocuous one, Kili's mortified expression might have been amusing "No... We haven't consummated our love, if that is what you mean."

Then there was still a chance. He could reason with him yet, Thorin thought as he lied to himself.

"Where would you go if you do wed? To Mirkwood? The Elvenking would not sanction your union any more than I will. You will find no place that would accept a... an abnormality such as yours."

"My intention is not to leave, uncle" Kili said, "I'm only asking that you at least accept our decision, if not approve of it."

"So you intend to keep an elf here, in Erebor? I don't think the lady would like that anymore than I would. Elves do not do well inside mountains." said Thorin, casting Tauriel a look of admonition.

"I do not wish to stay anywhere I am not welcome," was her response. She did better in keeping herself poised than his nephew.

"Uncle-"

"Your brother knows doesn't he?" The thought dawned on him. "I should have known."

He should have known all along. He had heard whispers about a supposed fondness between his nephew and the elf who had saved him that went beyond amicable terms, but he had thought them merely rumors invented by men intended to distract him as King. After all, even the slightest display of cordiality between an elf and a dwarf would be considered an anomaly, and could be easily be exaggerated. There were those who still blamed him and his company for rekindling Smaug's wrath, and would invent foul rumors to defame his legacy. But in truth, he begrudgingly admitted, it was because he been a short-sighted fool.

"It was not a secret for Fili to reveal," Kili said.

Thorin remained still for a moment, his hand clenching around the arc of a chair, feeling sharply betrayed by another person he loved yet again. "You belong here, you belong with us, with your brother."

"Do not use him as leverage," Kili said, sounding as nettled as Thorin felt that he would assume he was using Fili as such.

"I'm reminding you of what you will lose should you decide to unite yourself with the elf- with Tauriel," he added, deciding he did owe her that much respect for her role in saving Kili's life, even if she was now threatening to undo it. " I cannot force myself to sanction your marriage anymore than I can force you to choose otherwise."

"So the choice is, stay here and renounce her, or leave with her and renounce my inheritance?"

Thorin nodded, knowing the ultimatum was severe but necessary to preserve his kingdom. He once told Fili, when Thorin had no choice but to leave a wounded Kili behind in Laketown and Fili insisted on staying with him, that he could not risk the fate of the quest for one dwarf, even for one of his one kin. The same principle applied to this situation. He would not risk losing the respect and prosperity of his dominion for one wayward nephew, no matter how much it pained both parties to come to this conclusion. If Thorin did give into Kili's whims, the elves and men would think the dwarves, and particularly those of the royal line, to be overstepping their boundaries by marrying one of the immortal.

If the prince of Erebor took an elf as his wife, how long ere another of theirs took more and it became a trend? And hadn't the ginger she-elf been a guard on duty during their imprisonment? Did the princeling seduce or bribe an impressionable young elf into helping them escape? If so, these dwarves were not to be trusted, for who knew what other cunning they had up their beards. Accusations such as these were what Thorin loathed outsiders may come to believe. Thorin knew that the elves would never consider mortals, especially dwarfs, their equal or worthy of their affections, regardless of diplomatic relations. Moreover, his own subjects would lose respect for him as King of Erebor if he sanctioned a marriage between their prince and an elf, and allowed for Tauriel to stay in the mountain. She had saved Kili, yes, and for that he was grateful, but he and his kin could not pretend to dismiss what she was.

A weight seemed to have pressed down onto his nephew, for his shoulders dropped and his face lost its hopeful glow. "If that's your decree, then I will go this very night."

"Then I have no more to say to you except that you have forsaken all we have accomplished. You have forsaken your own heritage."

Kili's jaw clenched, as if grinding down whatever feelings were going through him at the moment. "Farewell, Thorin Oakenshield, King Under the Mountains," the derision in his tone was not subtle as he spoke those last words. He was angry. He was hurt.

Thorin turned his back to them as they exited his study, knowing he had last youngest nephew, who was more like a son to him than the boy realized.

"You still can go back to him," said Tauriel, her tone revealing a hint of desperation. "Apologize, say you were not within reason. A life of exile... I do not want that for you, and neither do you. We will have our chance to be together, in time." He knew she spoke out of interest for him, not for lack of wanting to be with him. They had considered the likelihood of being denied, and banishment was a possibility they had not ignored. And yet, he had clung on to hope that his uncle, if not give them his blessing, would at least begrudgingly accept that they could not be apart. Exile would be an extreme measure, even for his uncle, he believed, but life seemed to gravitate to the worse possible outcome.

He took a pause from packing his belongings and took her hands, placing a kiss on her knuckles.

"Amrâlimê" he spoke the word in reverence. "You yourself told me that love and duty are not to be compromised, nor are they isolated from one another. That is why you cannot return to Mirkwood any more than I can stay here. I may be a dwarf, but I don't value gold over love. You are my treasure."

Tauriel smiled at him, and it pleased him to see the same light he felt for her in her eyes.

Kili had believed that Thorin had learned and cherished the lesson Bilbo Baggins had unknowingly bestowed upon him, the lesson of finding friendship and loyalty in the unlikeliest of people. He was abject in finding his faith in his uncle had been for naught.

"You dwarves are truly stubborn," She said, lowering her face so that the tip of her nose brushed his. She kissed him, and he thought he would lose himself in that kiss when there was a knock at the door.

As one recognizes the footsteps of someone so familiar to them, Kili recognized the knock as his brother's.

"Come in," said Kili, bracing himself to face his brother.

Fili stepped in, carrying a diffident expression. He must have seen their flushed faces, for he immediately averted his gaze, where it stopped on the knapsack on the bed. "So it's true. You're leaving. I was afraid it'd come to this."

"It's not permanent, at least... not entirely. It depends on if our Great King Under the Mountain finally loosens his crown and gets full circulation back into his head," he said.

His brother arched a perfectly blond eyebrow. "You cannot expect for him to change his view by simply running away."

"What else am I supposed to do, Fi? Wait for him to come to his senses? How long will that take? Am I supposed to in the meantime go on pretending that titles and gold mean more to me than love and honor?"

"I thought love and honor would be reason for you stay. For your family. What would mother say?"

"We are going to find that out."

Fili started, his mouth dropping in incredulity. "You're going to Ered Luin? With..." He made a nod in her direction, the word elf kept in his tongue. He pretended the implications didn't bother him. He had too much to be upset at already.

"Among other places, yes. And why not? I think mother would like Tauriel," he said, sounding more confident of the prospect than he felt.

Fili fixed his eyes at Tauriel, and Kili did not miss the accusatory look he shot her. He was angry with her, he knew. For Fili, she was the reason for this mess, for taking him away from his elder brother. It was unfair. This was not Tauriel's fault. The look was soon gone and replaced with something else, something like regret.

"Not you too, brother. Do not be angry with her. You are not uncle. Besides, you are to be king. Thorin doesn't need me, he needs you."

Fili sighed in exasperation. "You are no less important to him."

He was not sure what else to say. After an awkward pause, Fili added. "I don't know if I can do this alone, Ki. You've never… We've never been apart for much long except in... in private matters." At that, a ghost of a smirk dusted across his mouth. Kili did not have to guess what he was thinking about. Back in the Ered Luin, Fili was much more popular and experienced with the ladies than he was. Not that Kili had minded. None had ever roused and intrigued him even a hundredth as much as Tauriel did. He at first questioned if he was defective for harboring physical and emotional desire for an elf, but stopped when he discerned there was nothing wrong with what he felt for her. It was everyone else who was misguided in their belief that what he and Tauriel had was wrong.

"You'll do fine without me. All I ever did was get us in trouble, anyway. I still am doing it now."

Fili frowned. "He's furious isn't he? At me too, probably."

"Most likely, but he wouldn't do anything to you. You're the only direct descendant now. You can do no wrong." The bitterness in his tone came out unexpectedly, but not for his brother. When he saw Fili's hurt expression, he quickly nullified his statement. "What I mean is, you'll be a great king, and that's regardless if I stay here or not."

"Don't leave things as they are. We don't have eternity to make amends with our loved ones."

The statement seemed directed at Tauriel, and again Kili was miffed that she was being the recipient of undeserved resentment.

"I know, and that's why what limited time I have left in this life will be spent with her, not in trying to convince others that our love is pure."

Tauriel had been staring intently at the talisman Kili had given her at the shore in Long Lake, repeatedly turning the stone over in hand as if it held the answers they were all seeking. She looked up at him, unsmiling but with a softness in her features that told him she believed in what he spoke.

Fili exhaled, resigned. "Fine. There really is no changing your mind. I suppose that's nothing new. Just try not to get yourself killed."

"I'll do my best. I love you, Fi." He hugged him, kissing his cheek, a gesture he had not done since they were mere boys. "When we have a home, you're welcome to visit us. Who knows? You might even be an uncle by then."

What sounded like a squeak emitted from Fili's throat, making Kili chuckle.

From over Kili's shoulders, Fili addressed Tauriel, their eyes meeting in mutual uncertainty. "Take care of him."

She nodded. "That I can promise you."

Abruptly, Fili chortled. "I don't know what I'm worried about. You've rescued him from certain death more times than I can recall."

Kili cuffed him in the head, hard but affectionately.

They were on their way out when Fili paused.

"I forgot to mention," said Fili, opening the door to reveal they were not alone. Minus Thorin, all of the original company of dwarves were present, carrying a mixture of expressions on each of other distinctive faces.

"We heard you were leaving, lad," said Balin, the eldest and wisest of the company. A sad smile was upon his kind face.

"Are you here to convince me to stay?" He did not mean for the words to sound harsh.

Dwalin, the older man's impetuous brother, answered him. "That was supposed to be Fili's job. We figured if he couldn't get through to yer wee brain, then none of us had no chance to either. And by the looks of it, he didn't," Dwalin said, giving Fili an admonishing look.

"We're here to escort you. We'll take you through the less busy route," added Bofur, speaking to both he and Tauriel. He was smiling, as he ever was, melancholy tinging its corners. It occurred to him that they meant to be their guards, should anyone give them any trouble.

On sturdy corridors made of stone and gold and rock, twelve dwarves and an elf-maiden made their way to the door that had before been hidden until Bilbo's cleverness solved the riddle and allowed them entry.

He trusted his kinsmen to rebuild the ruin Smaug had wrought in their kingdom, and already the transformation could be seen, but there was still much to do before it was fully inhabitable again. In the meantime, Thorin had insisted that his sister stay in the Blue Mountains until Erebor was restored to its full splendor. It would be his gift to her.

In truth, Kili did not feel so much that he was leaving home as he had the day he left the Blue Mountains and his mother. She was going to be furious, he knew, but also relieved to see him return, that was unless he got himself killed, which he would not allow himself to happen (and neither would Tauriel). He made them both a promise, and so far he had managed to keep it.

They drew the attention of some of the dwarves scuttling about in their tasks, eliciting stares or unkindly whispers that were quieted whenever Dwalin shot them a murderous glare. Even sweet young Ori gave them a frown to have them mind their own business. Others were too engaged in their toils to notice them, or rarer still, were too polite to openly show interest. Nobody else but the company knew of his exile, but with an elf in their company and his bow and belongings in a knapsack, they took guesses of what her presence might mean.

Kili was beginning to feel like lancing someone with an arrow when he felt Tauriel's hand slip into his, and he looked up at her and saw her give him a side-glance and smile, as if she was reading his thoughts. There was no doubt he had made the right choice. If they had to leave their homes and could not find another, then he would make one for them. What kind of dwarf would he be if he could not craft something of value for someone he loved?

They all lingered at the threshold, Kili saying his goodbyes to each of the dwarves he had journeyed with, bestowing hugs and even kisses to those who wouldn't mind being kissed (Ori, Balin, and Fili being the only ones who wouldn't), while Tauriel stood silently aside out of respect for their camaraderie. The memory of Bilbo Baggins bidding them a heartfelt farewell came back to him, and he wondered if this is how he had felt. He must have had a mixture of relief and sadness and anticipation for returning to his comfortable hole in the ground. In a way, Kili was also going home, but where that was was his to discover. He hugged his brother goodbye once more, and with his elf-maiden, descended the winding steps of the Lonely Mountain.

The sun had not completely sunk by the time they reach the gates to Dale, where two guards stood watch. They recognized Tauriel as their unofficial captain of the guard of Dale, a position she took to keep herself busy and useful in the aftermath of the fires. Kili was no stranger to them either. They remembered him from his sojourn in Laketown prior to the reclamation of Erebor, as well as his visits from Erebor to assist in the reconstruction of Dale. His motives were not entirely diplomatic, as it was rumored that he and their captain were courting one another, however much discretion they tried to keep.

The watch let them pass without any resistance.

Bard's residence was up a cliff looking out into the River Running, where the former master of Dale, Girion, an ancestor of Bard's, had resided before Smaug obliterated him and most of the once-glittering city. They took many narrow passageways and flights of stairs to get to it, yet again drawing unwanted attention from residents, a few of whom still held a bit of a grudge on the Durin heirs for disrupting the dragon and leading him to set fire on their home and loved ones. Smaug would have eventually done it anyway, and many believed they were better off now under the rule and wealth of Bard then they had been with Master Double Chin, as some called him. Like Erebor and the new chapter of Laketown, Dale was still under repair, and remained only a shadow of its once former glory.

Tauriel stayed in a room in the east of the building, a show of Bard's appreciation to Tauriel for her role in getting his children to safety.

"Aren't we going to greet Bard?" Kili asked as she drew out the key to the room.

Tauriel shook her head. "Best leave it for tomorrow. He is ever busy, and as the hours go by he gets more and more weary. I have learned that it's best to leave him be by the time evening comes around. This responsibility is new to him, and has cost him much unrest."

"I guess you're right."

Her room was modest yet comfortable, and it had been spared much of the damage because of its location. She lit two sconces on either side of the doorway, then lit a lamp on the bedside table. Very few other furnishing she owned, only a bed and a table and a chest to keep the few thing she had acquired. She did not want to build too much of a life here, she had known right away that her stay would only be temporary. She did feel sorry that she'd soon be trading a bed for the ground, but she was not sorry it would be with Kili.

"Should I uh-" Kili shifted awkwardly on his feet. "Should I give you some privacy? To change, or whatever."

His bashfulness was endearing, and yet she was not much less so herself. In the five months leading up to their betrothal and decision to announce their intentions to Thorin, she and Kili had only once discussed what being intimate in their respective cultures meant, and learned that his kin did not regard coupling with the same commitment as her own kin did. While he had been stunned with the knowledge, he had not seemed daunted. He had even offered her a coy yet impish smirk and said, "If that's all it takes to marry you, I'll be happy to do it right now." Of course, his statement had earned him a playful swat on the arm, but she was glad he hadn't been discouraged in continuing his secretive courtship with her.

Neither Tauriel nor Kili wanted to make a spectacle of their union, so they agreed to eschew frivolous banquets and festivities and instead have a quiet ceremony, with only the stars and moon as their witnesses. She and Kili had known that if need be, they were prepared to forego formalities and consummate their love without further validation.

She was glad for the dim glow of the lamps, or he may have seen a blush creep up to her face. "I will go into the wash room. I have to clean up."

She took her nightgown and left Kili alone to change. She hadn't realized how warm she'd been until she dabbed her face and neck with a wet cloth, finding relief as it cooled her. Slipping the nightshirt over her head, she realized this would be the first time Kili had seen her in something other than her usual fighting garb. Tauriel did not wear gowns or dresses except on very special occasions, and the celebrations she'd wear them for were not customary here. The folk were still grieving over their lost friends and family and too busy repairing both their hearts and the city to engage in such trifles.

When Tauriel stepped out, she saw the Kili was only in his trousers, tugging the sleeves of a nightshirt up his arms. He paused when he saw her, his arms still bound in the sleeves. She could see the apple in his throat bob as he gawked at her. He abandoned the nightshirt on the bed, seeing that it was pointless to put it on now she'd already seen him half-naked.

"Ah, you look... Ah. Very beautiful. I mean, you always do, but this is different. It makes you look..."

She chuckled nervously. "It's just a nightgown."

"Ethereal," he finished. "You truly are starlight."

His back stiffened as she padded towards him, her heart thundering so loud in her ears she wondered if he could hear it. He regarded her with wide eyes as she lowered herself onto the bed, sitting at the edge and beckoned him to sit next to her.

The soft glow of the light cast on his features, making him look, to her wonderment, slightly elvish. Tauriel was not blind to see that Kili was handsome, even in Mirkwood forest when she had first seen him, she had thought, to her dismay, that if he hadn't been so small and hairy and dirty, he could almost be good-looking. She believed something may have been wrong with her to be attracted to a dwarf, that she had been sheltered for far too long. But no, it was not simply his looks that she came to appreciate.

"I'm sorry if I'm... If I'm disappointing." He looked down at his hands, self-consciously, as if misinterpreting her awe of him.

She reached out and cupped his face with her hand. "You are beautiful."

Her hand traveled down to stroke the hair on his chest, for it had been inviting her the moment she had seen it bare, and she wanted to know if it was as delightfully coarse as the stubble on his chin and lip. It was coarser, but not any less satisfying. She felt a shudder go up him as her hand roamed and explored down further, pausing at his midriff, unsure if she should go much further, but not unwilling to.

"Tauriel," he said, shakily, his voice as thick and husky and sweet as the sap from trees. He took her mouth in his, tasting her with his tongue, drowning her with a fire she felt blossoming within her center. Surprising even herself, Tauriel pulled him fervently down to him, their bodies aligning and pressed against each other. She gasped as he moved from her mouth to her jawline, and further down to her neck, his beard prickling her skin in a most rewarding way. Her hands dug into his shoulders as his lips traced their way on the curve of her shoulders and his hands tugged at the obtrusive fabric of her nightgown to reveal more skin for him to shower kisses on.

She was awash in heat and desire when he stopped, and then felt his frame shake and then understood why he was shaking when she felt dampness on her shirt.

"Forgive me, Tauriel. I- I can't."

"There is nothing to forgive, my darling dwarf," she said, taking him into her arms to cradle him.

He had lost much in one night. His home, his uncle, his brother. For her. He had lost them all for her.

She pet his hair affectionately with her hands, gently smoothing out the knots her fingers found.

He nuzzled her chest. "I want you. Mahal knows I do, more than anything I've ever wanted in my life. But I can't. Not like this, not here so close to..."

"I know."

"I want to wed you proper. As proper as we can make it in our situation."

She smiled wistfully, "I know. We will get to that, my love. For now, let's sleep."

He did not shift from his position, nestled in the crook of her arm, finding tranquility in the warmth of one another, in being alone together. He had stopped crying, and now made content noises and he again nuzzled her in his sleep. Yes, they would have many more nights alone. And many days, or as much as he could give her. She knew her time with him was limited, and after he was gone, she would live on, but it was moments such as these that they would cherish, even the ones tinged with a little sadness. She would rather have that than live a millennia worth of lifetimes without him.