Ch 1
"And they lived happily ever after."
"But Uncle said these stories are silly." The young princess said with a pout.
"While Uncle Kili isn't a princess is he?"
The little girl giggled.
"Mommy, I love you. Is baby Thorin asleep yet?"
The queen nodded as the three year old princess looked at her sleeping brother.
"When will daddy be home?"
"Soon, he just went into Dale to talk to-"
"Uncle Bard. Momma, why can't we go to Dale anymore?"
"Oh honey, it's not safe right now. Your father doesn't want to risk you and Thorin getting sick."
"But we haven't seen Auntie Elizabeth in a long time."
"Soon, I'm sure the sickness will pass soon. Rowan, get into bed."
The little girl followed her mother's directions and climbed back into bed and pulled the covers up.
"Want me to tell you another story?"
"No, I'm sleepily." She said yawning.
"Ok, I'll wait here till you fall asleep."
"No, I'm a big girl now. I'm a big sister. Put baby Thorin to bed, I can sleep on my own." She said trying to keep her eyes open.
"Ok, night night princess."
"Night mommy."
The Queen quietly made her way out of the room and as she exited all of the candles went out except a small light by the door. She had just put down the young prince for his nightly sleep when she sensed a change in a mountain.
"He's home." She said softly before kissing her son goodnight and walking quickly towards the entrance. As she reached the top of the stairs she saw him.
"Your home. Rowan was worried about you."
Fili smiled at his wife.
"She always worries. Are they asleep?"
"Yes, Thorin feel asleep quickly and Rowan just fell asleep."
"Good. Come there is much I need to tell you." Fili explained the sickness that was running rampant through Dale and Laketown.
"I will try and make some more cure satchels tomorrow."
"Bard asked for you to visit the people yourself but with Thorin so young he understands that you can't risk it."
"If I only knew the cause. I won't risk our children but I will do what I can to help them."
"The people of Dale adore you. They were asking of our prince and if you were well."
"When the sickness passes I will visit. Rowan misses Elizabeth, Bard, Bain, Sigrid, and Tilda."
"They miss her too. Tilda was begging to spend the night in the mountain but Elizabeth got her attention on something else. Bain is courting a merchant's daughter that moved to Dale from Gondor."
"Is he? I can't believe it's been 4 years. He's still a child to me."
"He is almost 20 years old, isn't that an adult in the world of men?"
Maggie huffed.
"Yes, here it is an even younger age then the time I am from. How is my sister?"
"Elizabeth is always well. She's doing well as Queen of Dale and Bard is also doing well. He has only officially been king for a year but the people do love him."
"As the dwarves in Erebor love you."
"Well… most." Fili muttered.
"All of them respect you."
"They still see me as Thorin's young nephew."
"You are Thorin's heir and the rightful king of Erebor. Some of the dwarves still do not accept me but that has nothing to do with you and at least they accept Rowan as a princess and Thorin as a prince-"
"Maggie, they do accept you. It's been four years and you have proven yourself to be a good and fair queen to our people."
Maggie frowned.
"They still see me a just a witch and I think they fear me more then anything else. I know the company accepts me as well as your mother but I still see some of the dwarves form the Blue Mountains looking at me strangely."
"It's because you are beautiful without a beard." Fili said grinning at his wife causing her to smile a bit.
"Have you eaten?"
"No, I was waiting to eat till I got home."
"Good, I was hoping that. Dinner should be in our rooms."
"You know me so well." Fili put an arm around his wife as they made their way to their rooms.
After eating Fili went to go speak with Balin about setting up a council meeting for the following day. When Fili returned to the rooms he shared with his wife Maggie was sitting on the bed reading a book.
"That took longer then expected. Oin was with Balin and asked lots of questions. He is going to go to Dale tomorrow to see if he can help." Fili started undressing as Maggie put down her book.
"Rowan is still asleep and Thorin woke up and needed another feeding. I brought him in since he was fussy."
"Just like his namesake." Fili said with a chuckle as he walked over to the bassinet which was a few feet away from Maggie's side of the bed. He put a hand on Thorin's little forehead and bent down to kiss his forehead.
"I wonder when he'll sleep through the night." Fili said smirking at his wife.
"Soon enough, he's only a little over a month old. We got spoiled with Rowan, she was always a good sleeper."
"I forgot to mention Dain will be visiting us in a week."
"Lovely. He still hates me since his daughter choose to live here." Maggie said thinking of the red haired dwarf lord of the Iron Hills.
"But you do scare him." Fili said with a laugh.
"Yes and I should. He was trying to separate us and Thorin was going to let him."
"I wouldn't have let that happen. I never wanted to marry someone I did not know."
"I know it's dwarf custom for royalty to be betrothed but we're not doing that to Rowan or Thorin. They can choose who they love and want to marry."
"I agree. No doubt that it why Dain will be here. He'll want an engagement for Rowan to Thorin Stonehelm."
"Like that would ever happen. He's a grown dwarf now." Maggie said crossing her arms.
"Maggie, I agree with you and if this is why Dain is visiting then you will be there and I will let you tell him yourself."
"Good."
"Balin is the one who suspects this is the reason for his visit. I thought if Dain was going to bring up the topic it would have been shortly after Rowan was born."
"That dwarf, I'm not letting him or his son anywhere near our daughter."
Fili nodded in agreement and climbed into bed. Maggie snuggled into his chest as the lights in the room all went out.
"I wonder when Oin-"
"Very soon." Maggie said giving her a husband a kiss as she smiled. "I miss our personal time as much as you do."
