Summary: Dain reflection after the Battle of the Five Armies.
'Who would ever want to be king?' Dain wondered as he placed the crown upon his head. It felt heavier than it should, almost as though the dead held it in their grasps as they were laid to rest in the ground for there was no time to make thme coffins of stone as they should.
Dain of the Iron Hills wondered how it had come to this, how it had become him about to be crowned the King of Erebor with Thorin gone, Fili and Kili with him.
He'd never wished for kingship, not even when they were all children at play, their king had always, always been Thorin, or on the occasions that he was too busy being crown prince, Dis or Frerin, should Dis think their play beneath her that day.
Dain expected Thorin's company of Thirteen, ten, to leave soon after his coronation. The Hobbit, the lucky number, and Thorin's Hobbit, his betrothed if the beads in the Hobbit's hair were to be believed, possibly his husband had they the time to exchange vows before Thorin had left them, the tears that fell from the Hobbit's eyes when the Wizard had taken the Dwarf from his arms and carried him away, had left already for his little hill in the Shire, unwilling to see another crowned in the King's stead.
Dain could find no anger or blame within him at the Hobbit's absence.
The Hobbit had after all followed Thorin, had regained Erebor, no doubt, to see Thorin Oakenshield as it's King, as King Under the Mountain. Dain could not fault the Hobbit for not wishing to see another take Thorin's place, Dain wished he was not taking Thorin's place.
But the rest, the remaining ten, had vowed to see Dain crowned but none had accepted the Lordships offered, nor their promised 14th share of Erebor's treasure. Instead they took a single 14th, to be share between them, Bilbo's share they claimed. It would be more than enough for them and they split it further, claiming the gems of Starlight and gifting them to a shocked Elven King and offering some of the treasure to Bard Dragonslayer to held rebuild Dale.
There was little rejoicing with the Crowning of Dain as King of Erebor and the Dwarrow would have it no other way, for though they had gained their home they had lost the one who had gained it for them.
And there were no whispers of disrespect when ten Dwarrow refused to bend their knees to the new King Under the Mountain and when they turned heel as he began to speak of rebuilding Erebor to it's Glory, Dwarrow, Elves and Men parted for their passage, a young red haired elf lass joining their departure.
And they left Erebor and did not look back, nor did any return to the Lonely Mountain.
A loud pounding made Bilbo Baggins look up from his scrubbing of his bathtub, he was not expecting and visitors, indeed his only visitors he had had lately had been curious little faunts that sought his tales.
Another knock had Bilbo sighing.
"Yes, yes, I'm coming!" He cred wrenching the door open seconds later, "Dwalin!"
"Aye." Dwalin grunted, setting his pack down as Bilbo stepped aside for him to enter.
"Oh!" Bilbo cried, "Thorin is at the forge and Kili is out hunting, Fii is still bed bound so you can go see him before fetching Thorin, I expect the others are not far behind?" Bilbo questioned.
"Aye, they'll arrive soon enough, though the elf has gone searching for Kili in the woods, claimed she could sense him as we passed them." Dwalin told him.
"Well, I wasn't quite expecting your arrival today or indeed anytime soon, but the pantry is full so you'll all help yourselves." Bilbo smiled.
Dwalin nodded and went to see Fili whose two broken legs kept him in bed most days.
Bilbo had been surprised when Thorin, as he lay dying in Bilbo's lap on the ice, had asked if Bilbo would have taken him home to the Shire had Thorin not been mortally wounded.
Bilbo had told him: 'In a heartbeat, you'd love it there, no orcs, no danger, it would just be us, surrounded by greenery and children begging for stories.'
'It sounds perfect.' Thorin had whispered before his eyes had fallen shut.
Gandalf had arrived in time to save Thorin's life once more but Dwarrow did not abdicate thrones, they held kingship until death and so when Thorin had reaffirmed his desire to follow Bilbo to the Shire it had been decided that he needed to die and when word came to Fii and Kili, the two had wanted to come along and so the Heirs and King of Erebor had perished from wounds sustained in battle, when in reality they had been spirited away by Beorn and Gandalf to the Bearman's home with Bilbo staying just long enough to explain everything to the Company before following after them, guided by King Thranduil's son who had left him after they arrived at Beorn's.
Radigast had helped them return all the way to the Shire, Fili and Kili riding upon the man's sled while Thorin and Bilbo had shared a Pony, a gift from Beorn, a wedding gift for the little Bunny, the man had said.
Bilbo was pleased that the loss of his arm was not halting Kili's use of his bow, though Thorin had made Kili a prosthetic to help him.
It saddened Bilbo that his Durin's had been so injured but it gladdened him that they were still fourteen, they could have been fewer.
Bilbo hummed and wandered to his study and made a sign: Dwarrows welcome, let's have a very merry gathering. Pantry's full, help yourselves. Don't blunt my knives.
He then took the sign and put it on his gate and smiled at Balin as he arrived with Ori. And Bilbo left his green door open and welcomed his Dwarrows.
It was quite the unexpected party, but Bilbo would have it no other way, just as long as they were fourteen all together.
Perhaps Gandalf would make the next one.
A/N: I always intended the Durins to be alive in the Shire but sorry for your hearts at the beginning.