How it Happened in Dale

by Whackedgourd

What if Smaug had never come to the Kingdom under The Mountain? What if Thror didn't succumb to the greed of gold? What if his Kingdom had never fallen? This isn't about him, but it is about his great-grandsons.

2. There Was A Lass

They searched around until they found the bed frame, it was still intact, with a sheet of wood creating a box to hold the feather mattress. It also disguised the hidden compartment below the flat. Fili looked at the sheet of instructions, then looked at the headboard quizzically.

"Your father had a dirty mind." Fili said dryly, Meadow giggled, he was right. The heads of the dragons were set so that neither of them could press more than two at a time. It also took a great deal of strength to push on the heads. Fili took one side of the headboard and Meadow the other. They pushed the heads in and heard a clunk. Fili felt for the popped hatch and pulled out the key, then hunted for the keyhole. He found it under the spot where a head would lay on the pillow, and put the key on the hole, then turned it. There was a metallic grinding and a part of the headboard popped out. Meadow reached into the small box and pulled out a leather pouch and a shingle with Dwarven Runes on it.

"I can't read this." Meadow said, handing the shingle to Fili.

"This is ancient. Your father was a genius if he could read and write in runic." Fili said studying the instructions. "Perhaps Balin will translate this for you." Fili suggested.

"Who?" Meadow asked as she tried to unknot the strings to the bag. Fili handed her his belt knife to cut the strings. "Who is…Oh my." Meadow trailed off as she held out what appeared to be a dragon made of crystal clear glass.

"The Diamond Dragon. Your father's greatest creation." Fili said in awe as he looked at the statuette.

"It's my dowry." Meadow pointed out, handing Fili the dragon.

"It's fit for a queen's dowry. The King would trade Thorin, Thrain, Kili, and I for that dragon. It was made to hold the Arkenstone in its wings. See how they curve to form a cradle?" Fili said, handling the dragon carefully. "Keep it in that bag. Don't let it out of your sight or your hands. Unless you plan on buying a husband with it." he said with a grin. Meadow didn't smile back, she was staring at the shingle.

"He said, my dowry and my inheritance. He would have mentioned the vault if he thought there was a chance it was untouched. Where is my inheritance?" Meadow asked, holding up the shingle. Fili felt his breath leave him in relief, she wasn't considering buying a husband.

"Let's go see Balin. He'll translate that for you." Fili said, and led Meadow from the storehouse.

"Well, Master Fili. It's good to see you again. Here to finish that last assignment I gave you?" Balin asked with an indulgent smile.

"I have something for you to do, actually. How is your Dwarven Runic?" Fili asked brightly, Balin gave him an odd look and sat down at his desk. Fili motioned to Meadow and she put the bag with the diamond dragon. Balin looked amused then visibly shaken when he saw the dragon.

"How did you get this? It's been missing for over a hundred years." Balin gasped in shock.

"How old was my father?" Meadow asked, mentally adding up the age she thought he had been and what Balin had just said.

"Nearing the end of his lifetime even without the lung sickness. Balin said with a nod. "He was a good friend of mine. Often asking my thoughts on how gems and metals would react with heat and chemicals. He had great ideas that almost always proved fruitful." Balin would have continued waxing on about his old friend, but Meadow handed him the shingle. He had stood up and then sat down again, then stood grabbed a sheet of paper and a quill and began to write as he translated the shingle. A couple of tears pattered onto the paper before he could stop them.

"Your father knew I was proficient in the ancient runes of our people. This is an explanation of how he came up with the formula for melting the gems, and the diamonds. He was a genius when it came to things like this. Yet he was always so modest. That was why, when his parents arranged a marriage with a princess, he ran from the hall. Leaving the princess to marry Fili's father." Balin said with a grin at the goggle eyed looks on both Meadow and Fili's faces.

"You didn't think the King would let a talent like that get away did you? He was livid when he found out Brun had taken off and then found out he was to be a godfather to Brun's half-breed child. I think it was the only time I ever saw Thror both livid and happy beyond reason. Thror wanted a daughter as much as his sons. You were only brought by a few times long before your mother passed and your father was occupied with keeping you fed and his sickness under control." Balin said wiping his cheeks. "He was my great good friend. To see his child and his greatest achievement in the same room, is more than I can bear at the moment. Send for tea, if you please, Fili."

"Of course Teacher." Fili said with a slight bow and went into the corridor to send a servant to the kitchens. Balin looked after him and then grabbed Meadow.

"Keep this close. It's your inheritance. Don't let anyone take it from you. You could get almost anything in this mountain just for this secret." Balin whispered furtively and shoved both the shingle and the paper into Meadows hands, "If you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to ask me. It would be my pleasure to help Brun's only child." Balin said, and sent Meadow on her way with Fili, not bothering to invite themselves to Balin's teatime.

Fili kept casting glances at the paper in Meadow's hands. She wouldn't let him see it or touch it, and she had put it in the pouch with the statuette. The shingle was kept out of reach and she kept quiet, thinking over what Balin had told her. They walked to Fili's apartment and sat in the small library he kept.

"What did Balin tell you about the instructions?" Fili asked, after ringing a bell for food.

"He said to keep it safe and out of sight until I need it." Meadow said, she has gotten into the habit of telling Fili everything, he could ferret out secrets faster than anyone else she knew. Fili nodded approvingly.

"I thought you should know, your old landlord is going on trial soon. Do you wish to attend?" Fili said, diverting the topic of discussion neatly.

"No, I've had more than enough of that foul creature. Let him hang." Meadow said darkly, she still hadn't forgotten or forgiven what the man had done to her.

"I thought as much. I'll send someone to testify on your behalf." Fili said and suddenly found himself smiling at Meadow. She was curled up in the padded leather chair, quite snug, and reading the stack of books he had left the last time he had been in his library.

Fili pulled out his pipe, grinned at the dark look Meadow gave it, and went to the other room to smoke. He heard Meadow's derisive sniff as he left the room.

Meadow returned to Fili's townhouse late that evening, an occurrence that would have the neighbours tongues wagging. She sighed and locked the door behind her. She'd have to put up with rumours now that she was actually Fili's mistress. Her life would be difficult for a fair long while. But she had the lifespan of a dwarf and could outlive the rumours. She climbed into bed, alone. Fili had been called to attend to his duties in the castle. A low ranked guard had seen Meadow home.

Fili sat at supper with his family, wondering if he could leave before midnight and get to Dale for some time with Meadow, before he had to attend the last meeting for Durin Day. It would be only a few hours, but he found sleeping between warm sheets relaxing now that the air was getting cold. He was preoccupied with Durin Day and what to do with Meadow. After the first blizzard, the Kingdom under the Mountain closed up, only a few supply trains and hunting parties were allowed. He knew it would be difficult to visit Meadow more than once or twice a week. His great grandfather would not allow a mistress into the private sanctum of his family.

He didn't get to visit Meadow until the next day and he still had no plan for what to do. She needed a real reason to leave the townhouse for the winter and he needed one to bring her under the mountain and settle her into his household. She was in the kitchen with the housekeeper, going over the days menu. The housekeeper had warmed up considerably after word had come from the castle staff that Meadow was Fili's fiancé. Fili had been late, he had stopped in the market and picked up some flowers for Meadow.

Meadow beamed at Fili when he walked into the kitchen with a bouquet of wildflowers and ivy. The housekeeper produced a vase to put the flowers in, while Fili and Meadow went into the sitting room to talk.

"Will you move under the mountain for the winter? You'll be in my household, so no one can interfere with you. Not without my consent, and that is not forthcoming." Fili asked, taking a cup of tea from the tray the housekeeper had brought in. Meadow sat next to him on the settee, and accepted her cup from Fili.

"I don't know what to say. I've lived my whole life out of the mine. I'm more like my mother than my father. I would miss the openness of being above ground." Meadow said quietly. "Would we be able to come out to the town every so often?" she asked hopefully.

"Of course. We wouldn't be prisoners. We could come to the house for the holidays, and spend the worst of the winter, warm and snug underground." Fili said.

"Most dwarf babies are born in the summer and early fall." Meadow observed with a sigh. Fili missed the sigh, and chuckled in amusement.

"Some are born even earlier than that. But yes, we would spend a lot of time between the sheets. Which are silk from the south. I have the softest wool blankets and linen coverlets. Silk covered feather pillows." Fili said, trying to persuade Meadow.

"We have all that here." Meadow said with a smile, Fili grinned and hugged Meadow to him. "I'll go under the mountain with you." Meadow said, giving Fili what he wanted. She would just stock up her supply of contraceptive herbs. She was slowly losing herself in trying to keep Fili happy, and it was starting to hurt when he thought only of himself.

Fili got out of bed, he had carried Meadow upstairs after she agreed to move under the mountain, and had spent the afternoon in bed. He had seen the wistful look Meadow had given the flowers a few days before and had thought to surprise her, but she hadn't looked more than twice at them and her demeanour had changed. She was no longer bright and bubbly, she was more calm and reserved now. It wasn't a bad change, but he was beginning to miss Meadow's spontaneity. There were no more nights spent in front of the fire, no spur of the moment picnics on the roof, and no truffle hunting in the mornings. She was spending all her time taking care of the house or him. Fili sat in his chair to think. Meadow needed more to do than just wait for him to come around every few days. He would make her the head of staff for his household under the mountain. She would have work during the day and he wouldn't bother her until the evening. They wouldn't be able to sit at meals together, unless they shared breakfast, which was when she would have to go over the house business and expenses.

Meadow woke up the morning of Durin Day, and stretched luxuriously. She had gained some weight since Fili had taken her in, and it showed when he stroked her backside as she got out of bed.

"No, my darling. There is too much to do. You have to get to the castle and get into your royal robes. I have to get to the market before it closes for the festival. I'll see you at the festival." Meadow said, pulling out of Fili's reach before he could haul her back into bed. Fili pouted, but climbed out of bed as well. He left no more than an hour later after a hurried breakfast in the kitchen. Meadow didn't have to go to the market, she just wanted time to enjoy the outdoors before having to be shut up in the Kingdom under the Mountain. As she walked about, she had her purchases billed to Fili's household accounts. She went over them every month, finding a mountain of inaccuracy, and put the books in proper order. An under steward had been fired for embezzling from Fili's in house safe that held the servants wages and the rest of the money left for running the house. That was the first and only time Meadow had seen Fili outraged at having his trust breached, especially since the young dwarf had been recommended to him by Balin himself.

Meadow held a small shopping basket and was headed towards the festival grounds. She had left not long after Fili to harvest probably the last truffles she could find before winter set in. She had only half filled her basket and had returned to the town. She was walking up a small arch bridge as she headed for the festival grounds, a group of raucous young dwarves were headed towards her. They were laughing uproariously and jostling each other. Meadow veered off to the side of the bridge and waited for the young dwarves to pass by. One of them recognized Meadow.

"Hey! It's the truffle girl!" one of them said loudly and pointed at Meadow. The others looked at her and immediately converged on her.

"I heard she uses her nose to find those mushrooms." said another with a grin.

"I heard she used it to catch herself a rich protector. Like our good friend Prince Fili." sneered another.

"She used more than her nose. Didn't you hear him the other evening? Boasting and bragging about her needs." said the last dwarf, leering at Meadow and leaning into her personal space. "Makes you wonder what he hasn't told us. You know how he is when he gets a new girl. Hides her for a few months and then dumps her on one of us once he gets bored. He'll replace her before the humans new year."

"I'll take her off his hands. If only for a fortnight. She is only half dwarven after all. Wouldn't want a thin blooded child running around. Fili probably uses those bits of sheep gut the human girl gave him in the spring." said the second dwarf with a leer of his own. Meadow leaned away from both dwarves, anxious to get away from the four of them.

"Prince Fili's court women aren't happy about being upstaged by a little town girl. I heard two of them turned up in his rooms the other night and he didn't turn them away. Isn't that just awful truffle girl? A little nobody like you making rich titled women throw themselves at your rich protector. Why, Fili has had more women in the last few months, than he has in the last five years. He can hardly walk some mornings." laughed the first dwarf. They all laughed and moved off a ways, fully planning on following Meadow to torment her further.

Meadow hurried off over the bridge, hearing the dwarves as they followed, taunting her half-heartedly. They were waiting for Fili to show up to see what he would do when Meadow cried to him about their treatment of her. They were certain that he would brush her concerns off and side with them. Meadow was almost at the festival when Fili finally appeared after the opening ceremony. He was dressed in a finely woven lambs wool shirt the colour of old wheat, nearly the same colour of his hair. His trousers and boots were freshly dyed black and brand new. His cloak was royal blue, the royal purple reserved for the direct line of royalty. His cloak was edged in white and black fur. The direct line had straight white on their cloaks and hoods.

Fili saw the dwarves he called friends before he caught sight of Meadow, she had her head down and tried to lose the dwarves between a few stalls. Fili stopped to wait for his friends and listened as the made up stories about Meadow and how she offered herself to them after he removed himself as her protector. This puzzled Fili and made him angry. He did not know if what his friends said was true, but he caught sight of Meadow hiding between two stalls. She was waiting for the dwarves to leave Fili and head away. Fili pulled away and went to Meadow, his friends hooted and leered loudly once they saw where he was headed.

"Are they telling the truth? Did you offer yourself to any one of them?" Fili demanded pained to the heart.

"What? No! They accosted me on the bridge and haven't stopped following me. Is it true you keep women in the castle? Even though your great grandfather forbids courtesans?" Meadow snapped back. "I would never offer myself to anyone."

"Not unless they were rich and royal." Fili said snidely. Meadow slapped him with as great a force as she could muster. Fili looked at her, stunned.

"I took you into my bed because I foolishly fell in love with you! I will never make that mistake again. Good bye Fili. I mean, you highness." Meadow snarled and stormed away, leaving Fili to stew and hear the laughter of his friends. He realised then that he had been lied to, and it wasn't Meadow who had done it. He turned and glared at the young dwarves, before running after Meadow.

"Meadow? Wait! Please!" Fili called plaintively. He caught up to Meadow and grabbed her arm, she hit him with her truffle basket, scattering the mushrooms on the ground.

"I can not believe you! After all this time, you throw what we had in my face and you believe those hooligans over me!" Meadow shouted, not bothering to lower her voice, her reputation was in shambles already.

"I was very wrong. I'm sorry. Please forgive me for my shortcomings. I was overcome by jealousy." Fili apologized profusely.

"Why would you be jealous? You are only using me for a short time." Meadow asked archly.

"I don't plan on giving you up for a very long time. And like you, I also was foolish." Fili admitted sheepishly.

"Foolish, how?" Meadow asked after a moment.

"I fell in love with you. It's what your father told me to tell you on his deathbed." Fili said softly, and was surprised to see rage twist Meadow's face.

"How dare you use my father as a tool to ingratiate yourself to me?! No! Take your hands off me! I don't want anything to do with you anymore, Fili Florenson!" Meadow shrieked when Fili took hold of her and dragged her to the festival grounds again. She kept up a steady stream of invective, and Fili chuckled to himself at the language she was using to describe him on every level possible. He hauled her to a heavily decorated, close sided. gazebo. Fili stopped before entering the gazebo. He turned to Meadow with a hopeful grin.

"Please, trust me on this. I know what to do to set your fears and mine to rest." Fili

"There's nothing you could do that will do that." Meadow growled and was pulled up into the gazebo. Meadow had never bothered with going anywhere near the gazebo in the past, she had had no interest in what happened with the old traditions and her father had never taught her about her dwarven heritage beyond the most basic teachings. She had kept to the more amusing side of the festival since it was only three days long. Fili pulled her into the gazebo, an ancient dwarf and Balin were inside, with an ornate wine glass and a large cask of red wine.

"Master, Teacher Balin. We would like to drink of the wine and fully accept the consequences. Both of us." Fili said with a grin that offset his serious demeanour. The old dwarf and Balin eyed both Fili and Meadow, Balin opened his mouth but Fili used hunting hand signals to silence him. Balin gave him a sceptical look but allowed the old dwarf to fill the wine glass. Fili took the glass and drank half the wine, then handed the glass to Meadow. She eyed it and him warily.

"Trust me. I will never leave you alone and vulnerable again." Fili said, the old dwarf nodded and Balin grinned indulgently.

"Oh very well." Meadow sighed and drank the wine. Fili smiled bright as the sun, as Balin handed over two silver rings. Fili took Meadows hand and put one of the rings on her finger. He made her do the same with the second ring.

"Now we are legally married for a year and a day." Fili said proudly.

"What?!" Meadow shrieked, making all three male dwarfs wince at the volume.

Several hours later, after Fili had his townhouse stripped of anything that had to be stored for the winter and the house closed for the winter. All of Meadows things had been taken to Fili's apartments in the castle under the mountain. He wouldn't need to make her a part of his staff, not after he had tricked her into an ancient ritual for testing couples and their ability to live together. He had found out about this ritual at one of the committee meetings he had actually attended and paid attention to. Meadow hadn't spoken more than a dozen words to him since he had told her about the temporary marriage. He had tried to make it better by saying any children born were as legitimate as any in a proper marriage, but Meadow had burst into angry tears and had tried to leave him in the gazebo. She was now pouting sullenly in his sitting room, all but one of his leather chairs replaced with the linen covered ones from his townhouse. He had also set up one of his smaller rooms as a bedroom for Meadow for when she was unable to be with him. He chuckled a little self-consciously, she wasn't going to forgive him for this easily or quickly.

Meadow sat in the sitting room, trying to figure a way out of being Fili's wife. If he had told her and believed her earlier that day, she would have happily drank the wine with him. What he had told her after the fact, was that she was legally his wife for a year and a day. Between then and now she had access to everything a wife would have. She could take control of his house, empty his vault into hers and use his position as a way to get anything she wanted. Meadow sighed, she wasn't greedy and her vindictiveness ended with kicking Fili in the hammer and anvil.

She hadn't yet, but if he tried to consummate the marriage before she was ready, he would be in a lot of danger. Fili had said something about dressing for dinner and being introduced as his wife. Meadow hadn't answered him, and he went on about having a ladies maid sent to help her dress. After that little tidbit, he had left and gone into his bedroom to dress. Meadow sighed, her new maid was waiting in her room for her to pick a dress and jewels to wear. As soon as she walked into her room, Fili appeared and went for her wardrobe.

He pulled out the blue gown he had bought her for her first appearance at court. He tossed it to the maid and went to the tall safe set in the wall and flung it open. Trays and drawers full of jewellery were in the safe and Fili went through it quickly, coming up with an emerald and pearl choker and matching earrings. He went back to the safe and dug around for a few moments. He pulled out a large gilded cuff set with emeralds and burnished smooth, as if it were old.

"This belonged to my great grandmother, my grandmother, and my mother. It goes back a few more generations, but every woman in the Durin line has worn it when she was either born into the line, or married into it. Kili has the mate to it for when he takes a wife. I'd like you to wear this tonight and every day until our year and a day is up." Fili said softly, taking Meadow's hand and putting the cuff on her wrist. Meadow sighed and felt all her anger drain away. Fili was capable of being absolutely infuriating and then heart meltingly adorable all in a few minutes. Meadow adjusted the cuff and looked at Fili.

"I'm still angry with you. But it's lessened now. Now, leave so I can get dressed." Meadow said with a defeated sigh, Fili scratched his chin and grinned cheekily at Meadow. She glowered at him and he thought better of propositioning her for the moment.

He left Meadow to her love struck ladies maid, who kept sighing and gazing after Fili adoringly. Meadow had to call her to attention twice before the girl finished her hair. Meadow thought about getting an older, married, maid to help her after she caught the maid glaring at her. Meadow didn't know much about court life, but she knew that maids were supposed to be under her control as Fili's wife. He had given up the control of his household to her when he brought her under the mountain.

"I don't know what you think you're going to do. But as my maid, you are here to serve me, not my husband." Meadow said, as the maid tightened her corset too tightly.

"He only did that so he could bring you under the mountain for the winter. You'll be gone by spring." the maid said flippantly. Meadow stared at the girl for a moment, then dismissed her. The girl gaped for a moment then swung out of the room in high dudgeon. Meadow finished dressing herself and went into the sitting room. She knew that being in a closed environment, dismissing the maid would have consequences. She saw Fili emerge from his room, dressed in a white linen shirt, a fresh pair of black wool trousers, black shoes rather than boots as he was indoors and not riding, his hair was washed and braided along with his facial hair. Meadow rather liked the tiny braids, they kept his moustache and beard from being scratchy. She watched as he put his royal pendant around his neck, added his small, unadorned, golden crown. Kili's was the same, only done in silver, as he was the spare's spare heir. Fili turned to Meadow and held up a thin circle of gold. Meadow realized that she was now a princess, thanks to Fili's scheming.

"You'll have some duties now. There'll be training and a lot of it. You have some innate talent. Your modesty, your ability to find solutions to problems and your natural grace. Just, please go back to how you were before your father passed away. I miss that side of you." Fili pleaded hopefully. Meadow looked up at him, and let him kiss her forehead, before he put the circlet on her head. It was set with a very dark blue stone.

"Was this also your mother's?" Meadow asked, looking in the polished metal mirror over the mantel.

"No, she had a crown and was born a princess. This was made for the woman I would marry. I had it sized for you." Fili said.

"You knew I would marry you?" Meadow asked.

"No, but I did know I would marry you. That's partly why I used trickery and an old tradition to trap you into marriage. If you find this life acceptable, we'll have a proper marriage before the year is up. That's why the ceremony is held on Durin Day. The winter is hard to endure, cooped up together with so many other people." Fili explained, adjusting his half cloak so that it fell over one shoulder. "Where is your maid?"

"I dismissed her. She was not suitable. I believe she may have eventually tried to have you seduce her." Meadow said darkly.

"Perhaps, before I had fallen in love with you, I may have tried." Fili said, placing another kiss on Meadow's forehead.

"With the way she was staring after you, you wouldn't have had to try very hard." Meadow pointed out dryly, making Fili chuckle.

"Are you jealous?" Fili asked with a grin.

"Of something that hasn't, and will not, happen? Of course not." Meadow sniffed and tried to walk to the door, only to be pulled into Fili's arms and hugged tightly. Meadow tried to pull away when he started nuzzling and kissing her neck.

"They would understand why we were late." Fili drawled provocatively, Meadow's foot caught him in the shin. Fili grunted in pain. "I wasn't trying to blackmail you." he said with an adorable pout. They got to the meal before getting too deeply involved.

They were presented as the prince and princess, much to the surprise of Fili's family. He was peppered with questions from Kili and Thror. Thrain and Thorin kept their own counsel, Fili would explain his decisions when the family met in the morning. Meadow wasn't yet allowed to attend these meetings as she was an unknown. Fili held Meadow's chair as she sat, at the head table no less, then seated himself on her left. Kili was seated on her right hand, his place setting moved down as his brother had married. Meadow looked lost and confused at the turn of events.

She didn't know that the family sat in ceremony at a feast for Durin Day, and was getting a crash course in protocol. She was shaking so hard, she could barely get a forkful or spoonful to her mouth without losing it all in the journey from the plate to her mouth. Fili hooked his ankle around hers, a way to relay calm without being overt, after all, the cloth on the table draped and folded onto the floor and off the dais the table was placed on. Meadow steadied a little, and was able to finish the final dish and dessert completely. Kili had kept quiet after the initial storm of questions, and was now curious again.

"So, why didn't I meet you before a week ago? Fili and I are as close as brothers can be." Kili asked.

"I didn't want to share her attention, dear brother. You know that." Fili said with a bit of a growl in his tone.

"Yes, but it would have been nice to know she was going to be my sister in law before your wedding day." Kili pointed out with a mischievous grin and a wink at Meadow. He was trying to needle his brother, not imply anything about her.

The rest of the ceremony was Thror knighting young dwarves who had finished their training and rewarding those who deserved rewards. Usually they were praised for their battle prowess and bravery. Then there was the mass blessing of all the hand fasting and trial marriages. Fili proudly led Meadow to the small group of couples for his great grandfather's blessing. They were last and a murmur arose as their names were announced. Thror observed them as Fili had to pull Meadow before him, she kept trying to hide behind him. Thror smirked when Fili's brows drew together, Meadow may have pinched him in retaliation for his rough handling of her.

"Will you care for, and be cared for by this dwarf?" Thror asked, Meadow nodded then hissed at Fili when he poked her in the back.

"Does that include injuries acquired by being stupid?" Meadow snapped, looking at Fili mulishly.

"It does. Stupid is slow to fix, but he'll learn eventually." Thror said with a snicker at the look Fili gave him.

"Fine." Meadow said, sticking out her lower lip in a sulky pout. Fili grabbed her by the shoulders and kissed her until she pinched him again to let her go. This brought roars of approval and laughter from the assembled dwarves. Thror finished the ceremony by blessing the union of his great grandson and his new favourite great granddaughter in law. Whoever Kili brought to wife would have quite a lot to do before matching Meadow's example.

The festive atmosphere continued well into the wee hours of the morning, Thror retired early, leaving Thrain as his representative, which only meant an increase in the drinking games. Fili took part in several of the games, but was keeping an eye on Meadow. She was sitting in a small, by dwarven building standards, alcove with several of the other newlywed female dwarves. There had been more, but once some of the more traditional had found out Meadow was only half-dwarven, they had voiced their disapproval and had left to sit away from her.

Meadow wasn't too bothered by this attempt at shunning, she had lived with it her whole life, so it wasn't a new thing to happen to her. Besides, the girls who had stayed were clearly attempting to get into the new princess' good graces. Social climbing wasn't unheard of, and being the good friend of a member of the royal family was still a door open to a high position in the court. Some would become Meadow's closest friends and others would be dismissed from her private court permanently. But for now, she was with other dwarves who weren't deliberately unkind.

Fili decided it was time to retire and went over to Meadow to tell her so. As her husband, he had more control over her than he had previously, although Meadow didn't seem to know this. She gave him a glare and tried to go back to talking with her new friends, leaving Fili to stare at her blatant dismissal of him. His temper and stubbornness rose, and he flung Meadow over his shoulder and marched off with her shouting at him and pounding on his back for him to put her down. Raucous laughter followed them out of the hall, making Meadow turn beet red and give up on any chance of being respectable. Fili carried her to the lift and set her down once they were safely locked in and moving downwards.

"I apologize." Fili began, trying to pull Meadow into a hug, she resisted and leaned away from him as much as she could with his arms around her.

"You've been doing that a lot today." Meadow muttered in a sulky tone.

"And I can only do it so often before it becomes meaningless." Fili pointed out, he was beginning to get frustrated with Meadow's reticence. She had been somewhat sullen and sulking since that morning and he had attributed it to the hasty wedding. "What will convince you that this is for the best?"

"How is it for the best? You accused me of being a whore, and then threw in my face our whole acquaintance, when all of this was your idea, and all your doing. I only let you into my bed after my father died because I was lonely and scared over what would happen to me if you decided to leave." Meadow said in a rush. "And then you, as you always do, ran right over everything in your way. You expected me to be only for you. What happens after this marriage dissolves? I don't want to be a princess, I don't even want to be rich. I want to be secure in my life and in the knowledge that my husband won't take a dozen mistresses because he can, or will if I'm carrying his child. What will I do when you decide to take a proper wife? Will I be your mistress or will you allow her to malign me for your wanton ways? Will you even think of me and your promise in a few months?" Meadow asked plaintively, and then burst into tears.

"I don't know what to say, beyond the fact that as of today, all your fears are no longer founded in fact. I won't give you up. Come spring, we will have a proper wedding, with all the flowers and food and all your friends from the vineyards. This was the only way to make sure you didn't have to stay in the village during the winter and I was locked under the mountain for weeks at a time. I did this to make sure no one could harm you once it got out that you were my favourite mistress. I would much rather be married to a kind, generous, girl like you, than some inbred, whey faced, spoiled little brat from a high ranking family. I told you the truth earlier, when I told you your father asked me to marry you and take care of you. You are a princess, my princess and I love you." Fili said sternly, hugging Meadow to his chest as she kept weeping. He pulled open the doors to the lift and led her back to his apartment. Theirs would be finished and furnished within the week, Fili had ordered the construction weeks ago.

Meadow sat on Fili's enormous bed and tried to stop crying as he went into the bathing room to fetch a cloth for her to wipe her face. His words began to sink in, and she found herself believing his sincerity. She heaved a shuddering sigh and stood, if Fili was serious and wasn't going to set her aside, then she'd make sure of that. Fili came out of the bathing room with a basin and cloth. He looked at her and brightened up with a relieved smile.

"Good, you've stopped. What is it about a woman crying, that causes a man to lose his ability to control himself?" Fili said inanely as he set the basin on the night stand. He hugged Meadow again, she didn't return it.

"If you're serious about this marriage, then there are going to be no secrets between us." Meadow said coolly, Fili eyed her, and figured it was best to humour her in the hopes of salvaging his wedding night. "Have you been with any other women since we started sleeping together?" Meadow asked suddenly.

"No, there was a courtesan in the spring, but once I was smitten with you, I turned her away." Fili explained, after a moment of surprise.

"What about when you were out with your friends? Were there any then?" Meadow asked, watching Fili closely.

"Only in tales I told to keep them from laughing me out the door in humiliation. A man's ego is a fragile thing." Fili said with a wry grin.

"So I have learned. Will there be any other women while we are together?" Meadow asked, with a touch of wry in her tone.

"No." Fili said immediately.

"Even when I can not be with you as your wife?" Meadow prompted.

"How do you mean?" Fili asked blankly.

"My courses and when I am carrying your child. A friend of my mothers' found out we were together, and informed me that in the final few months of carrying, a woman is not advised to ride a pony, or be with her husband to prevent an early birth or a miscarriage." Meadow explained to a now wide eyed Fili.

"That can happen?" Fili asked incredulously.

"More often than you'd think. Early births are the main cause of a woman being accused of infidelity and her children's paternity called into question. According to the midwife, once a woman has carried near to the end of her term, in the final two months, the baby is strong enough to survive and can handle an early birth. But you have not answered my question, will you take a mistress when I am enceinte?" Meadow asked, her tone hard and her face set in concentration.

"Never. I can handle a few months of celibacy." Fili said staunchly.

"Try nearly a year of celibacy. A woman can not be with her husband until a baby is almost three months old. Her body has to heal from the birth. You may wind up begging me for permission to take a woman." Meadow grinned wickedly at Fili's sudden paling.

"You have hands, you can use them." Fili said flippantly and grunted when Meadow pinched him. "I am going to have to do something about your proclivity for pinching me." Fili said with a hungry leer. Meadow suddenly realized she had pushed a little too far and bolted for the door to her bedroom, Fili caught her before she got more than a few steps.

Meadow shrieked and found herself bouncing on Fili's bed with him trying to untie her dress. She struggled and tried to push him off, but he captured her hands and pinned them above her head. She kept wriggling and trying to shove him off as he laughed wickedly and simply snapped the laces and pulled her dress down to her waist. Meadow started laughing hysterically at his face when he saw her corset and wraps. Fili wasn't to be stopped so easily, he pulled out his eating knife.

"Hold still, and we won't see any blood." Fili said, twirling the small sharp blade.

"This is the only corset I have." Meadow protested.

"You have an allowance as a princess now. Buy five more." Fili said with a shrug as he attacked the corset, slicing it down the front. He pulled it off Meadow and looked at the imprint the corset had left on her skin. "On second thought. Never wear them again. If you need to look thin, delicate, and fashionable, have a corset made without the boning in it. You will not wear this torture device when you are carrying my children." Fili said, he didn't like the contraptions that women had to wear to be considered fashionable and respectable. The corset had to be the worst he had ever seen. Certainly girls who sold themselves wore them, but laced loosely. High born women had them laced so tight, that humans had come up with furniture for the sole purpose of holding a woman after she fainted from being unable to breathe because of her too tight corset.

Fili ran his hands over Meadow's reddened skin gently. The imprints may not bruise and he desperately wanted his new bride. Meadow breathed in deeply, enjoying the feeling. Then looked at Fili as what he said sank in.

"Children? As in more than one?" Meadow asked slowly, not daring to hope.

"Of course. Did you think I'd stop at one? We'll have six." Fili said with a grin.

"A dozen. I've always wanted a large family. It was awful growing up without siblings." Meadow said with a wistful sigh, Fili's grin widened.

"I had my brother. It was fun having a best friend so young. But we'll start with making one tonight." Fili said, and chuckled when Meadow hugged him to her chest. Giving her what she really wanted was a guaranteed way to getting what he wanted at the moment. Fili got what he wanted, eventually, the only thing Meadow was wearing, was the emerald and pearl necklace and the gold cuff he had given her.

Morning was a lesson in torture for Fili. Meadow refused his advances, and before he could wear her down, the head steward arrived to introduce their new household staff for their new suite of rooms. The two ladies maids were quickly whittled down to one, once it was determined that Meadow wouldn't need more than one as she wouldn't wear a corset. Fili's old butler had been training his replacement and saw fit to retire now that his prince was married. The housekeeper was the same one from Fili's townhouse, as was the under steward, who didn't seem to mind the demotion, as the head steward was also Kili and Thorin's main steward. After the staff had left, with the exception of the butler and maid, Fili and Meadow had gotten up and dressed. Meadow was in her own room with her maid.

"I have never been so humiliated." Meadow muttered, with her face in her hands. The maid snorted, trying to hold back laughter.

"It's not the first time the steward had walked in on a royal or two. I think he does it deliberately, to prove that the royals aren't any different than us normal people." the maid, her name predictably was Hilde, said with a chuckle. "It's not the first time we've all seen his highness' pale, bare, bottom before either. His and his fool brother's. They used to run down as many halls as possible, 'till Prince Thorin chased them down with Master Dwalin after them too." she added with another laugh and making Meadow giggle as well.

"How long ago was that?" Meadow asked with a gasp.

"The last time they pulled that off, was a few days ago. They try it at least once a month." Hilde said, both women started laughing, until Fili came in. They stared at him for a moment, then burst into hysterical laughter again.

Fili looked from one to the other and thought it prudent he leave the room. He sat in the sitting room, going over his correspondence, he received a lot of mail, mostly love letters from dwarf maids, but once in a while a proper letter came. One such was from a dwarf lord in the Moria Mine. His father had signed a marriage contract when Fili had been a child, before Kili had been born. Fili read the letter, it explained that the girl who had been named in the contract was missing and presumed dead. Another girl, just as well connected, was being sent for his approval. Fili snorted, he wasn't going to marry a brainless bit of fluff and nonsense that had been spoiled into uselessness by an overindulgent family. Besides, he already had Meadow and there were no laws against a mixed blood dwarf or her children sitting on the throne. His family cared about healthy, strong children, and didn't believe in inbreeding.

The more diverse the blood in the Durin line, the stronger the family. Of course, newlyweds were often sequestered in an enclosed place until the first child was born to prevent any questions of the children's paternity, but that was usually done in the spring and summer. Fili chuckled, his plans were approved by his grandfather, as effective. Not many dwarves would disturb him and Meadow in their new suite. He had also elected to leave behind his royal suite in the palace proper, along with most of his furniture.

Meadow finally came out of her room, still smiling brightly, Fili smiled back at her.

"There is the Meadow I first fell in love with. I do love to see a smile on your face." Fili said sweetly, a giggle escaped Meadow and her maid was red faced from laughing. "I'm afraid to ask why you are smiling."

"Hilde was just telling me some of your more interesting antics, here in the castle. Like running naked through the halls, and wearing your mother's clothing."

"That was all when I was a child." Fili said, his cheeks reddened in embarrassment.

"Not running around naked, apparently." Meadow said with a grin. Fili groaned.

"You may need a new maid if this one is going to tell you tall tales." Fili muttered, glowering at Hilde, who had the temerity to grin wickedly at him. "You served my mother, didn't you?" Hilde nodded, Fili grimaced.

"She has to go. She knows far too much about me." Fili said.

"I like her. Please let her stay? That other girl wasn't trained and the last one had designs on you." Meadow said, pouting prettily. Fili looked at her, she was actively trying to flirt with him. "Please Fili?" she begged.

"I'd better get something out of this." Fili said, Meadow stopped pouting and smiled hopefully. "Fine she can stay. My mother would come back from the dead if I treated you badly. And the household is your responsibility now." Meadow flung her arms around Fili's neck and kissed his cheek, until he kissed her on the lips.

After breakfast, Fili was informed that their suite was finished and they could inspect it at their leisure. Fili took Meadow up past the storerooms, and above the highest residence.

"Where are we going, Fili?" Meadow asked a bit breathlessly. Fili had demonstrated his ability to perform anywhere, and the long ride in a locked lift was easy enough for him to introduce Meadow to a swift and satisfying round of lovemaking. The lift stopped and Fili opened the gate onto a long hall with several doors. He knew which door opened where, but Meadow hadn't been this high in the mountain before, and she enjoyed opening doors even if there was only a broom in the room behind the door.

"This is the door to our personal suite of rooms, there is a kitchen, a parlour, two bedrooms, a few more rooms for storage, and a solar for you to use as you please. We're close enough to the face of the mountain for you to have windows in your solar" Fili said, opening the heavy oaken door onto the main sitting room.

"Only two bedrooms? How will we fit a half dozen children into one small bedroom?" Meadow asked as she looked around and peeked into the other rooms.

"It's your bedroom." Fili said, he thought this had been made clear to Meadow in his old suite below ground. "And it's not small. It's a good size for a large bed and furniture."

"We'll share a bedroom Fili. Like any other married couple. Like we did at the townhouse. Could we use it as a summer house?" Meadow asked as she looked into Fili's bedroom.

"We don't have to share a room like commoners anymore. We have all this space and we don't need to share." Fili pointed out, Meadow looked at him.

"We'll share a bedroom. Why nobles think it's better to be separate, I will never understand. How do you plan on fathering children if it takes you an hour to get to your wife? And what if I want you in the middle of the night? Do you really think I'm going to leave my nice warm bed to run through a freezing room only to stay for an hour, and then have to run back? I'd only use the spare room if I need the relief of my own bed, or if I'm angry with you. We'll turn it into a nursery. Along with the solar room." Meadow kept talking as she went into Fili's room. "Is that my father's bed frame?!" she shouted, making Fili jump in surprise, he had tuned her out as she rambled on.

"Yes, I thought it would be a touch of home for when you shared my bed. But if you plan on keeping yourself in here, we may need a bigger bed." Fili said, coming into the room.

"No, it'll do fine." Meadow said, "Do you wish to test it out?" she asked, looking at him with lowered eyelids and red cheeks.

"I'll beat the modesty out of you sooner or later." Fili said, grinning and going to Meadow with intent. Meadow rolled her eyes and giggled as he approached. They spent the next few hours in bed and eventually the night. Fili would come to agree that sharing his bed was a good idea.

The days went by quickly, time moved differently in a sunless environment. Meadow was trained in comportment, court presence and conflict resolution. She knew how to read and had pillaged Fili's library often. Once she was shown the Great Library, her tutor lost her in the stacks and had to call in a couple guards to look for her. The tutor had to retire for the rest of the day, to calm his nerves from the stress of nearly losing the new princess. Her comportment tutor was twice changed because two of them were cruel and overly critical of her where Fili and Thrain could hear. Thrain had become her interim tutor, his wife and daughter had both been noted for their grace and calm under fire. He was patient, but didn't allow interruptions, Fili was kept out of the room whenever Thrain would be teaching Meadow. Fili did not take the separation lightly and resented the two hours apart enough to drag Meadow to an empty cupboard and make love to her against the door. She had protested at first, but Fili always managed to convince her.

Near the winter solstice, Meadow began to suspect something was wrong. She was sure Fili was planning something for the Solstice celebration. She had, at first, been overly suspicious, since his old courtesan had been spreading rumours about why Fili had hand fasted with Meadow. Kili had intercepted the woman on Meadow's behalf. The woman hadn't been seen in the high court since. Meadow also thought her schedule was too full, she was always tired now, and she had to be woken in the afternoon when it was time for her new comportment tutor finally arrived. Her stomach started growling, and she was suddenly reminded that she had missed breakfast that morning, she had slept late again and her morning routine took too long for her to be on time for the family's meal, so she wound up usually toasting some bread and eating it with butter.

Fili sat up in bed, it was late at night and Meadow was sleeping in her room again. The doctor told her she was ill and should have her own room, to avoid Fili catching her sickness. Fili sighed, he had yet to catch his wife when she wasn't tired or ill, and it had been nearly a month straight. He hoped whatever was wrong would resolve itself soon. He missed sleeping with Meadow, and not just for lovemaking. His bed felt too empty and much too quiet. He had plans for the solstice and needed his wife healthy for it.

He fell asleep, moping after his absentee wife.

Three days before the solstice, and the Kingdom was as an anthill, everyone hurrying to finish preparations in time for the celebration. The Great Hall where visitors were received and the great balls were held, was transformed into a festive place. Meadow had been asked to help with the decorating, before she had become ill. She had made plans that reflected her human upbringing. Ivy and holly had been brought in to adorn the thrones and tables. A great fir tree had been uprooted and placed near the largest fire place in the hall. Some of the handier ladies and young nobles had been enthralled by the tradition and had either made their own decorations or hired seamstresses to make more. Thror was tapped to make a tree topper, he being the highest ranking person in the hall and the family patriarch. Meadow had made several of her own ornaments. One was extremely special and had to be put on the tree last.

Meadow had gotten out of bed, feeling very well now that she had gotten a full week of rest. Thrain had told her to take it and that she needed the rest, he had also sent his own doctor to her, the one that had seen to his wife, himself and Thorin when he had been a child. Thrain had given no reason but had quietly smiled to himself when the doctor had reported to him, thinking he was Meadow's husband. The elderly dwarf was still a very good doctor, but his mind was ranging back in time. Thrain sat back in his chair and lit his pipe, it would be nice to hear a child's voice in the hall again.

Meadow sat in Fili's room hugging his pillow, he and the rest of the family had gone out of the mountain to deliver coal to the town. It was free, their gift to the town for helping to sustain them through the winter. The coal would keep the town warm, while the town would share their supplies when the kingdom began to run out. It hadn't happened in over a hundred years, but the dwarves had a long memory. Meadow breathed in the scent Fili had left on the pillow, the chamber maid was forced to work around Meadow as she sat in the middle of the bed, on the bare feather mattress. Fresh bed linens sat on the edge of the bed, for when Meadow left the room. The doctor had told her why she was tired and ill in the mornings, and Meadow was unsure how Fili would react to the news. He spoke a pretty spiel, but she didn't know if he meant what he said.

Meadow went into the small room and looked around. The safe and the wardrobe would have to go. She thought for a moment, then went to the sun warmed solar. She looked at the room hard, drapes would filter the sun in the summer and keep out drafts in the winter. A big, thick rug would cushion the floor, in fact all the rooms would have large soft floor coverings put in. The wooden furniture would be repainted a lighter colour, and the walls would be whitewashed. Meadow's mood picked up as she envisioned the new nursery and how it would adjoin hers and Fili's bed chamber. A door would be easy to put into the wall, along with a small cradle in the bed chamber on her side of the bed. Fili insisted on her being on the side furthest from the door. He had explained that it was an old dwarf tradition so that the husband could jump out of bed and defend his wife in the event of an invasion. Meadow had scoffed at that, until Kili, at Fili's bidding, came in screaming like a banshee. He had ended up on the floor, laughing hysterically when Fili had jumped out of bed, stark naked.

Meadow got the idea, and hadn't questioned the tradition. She did question the broom cupboard tradition however, and the other empty rooms traditions Fili had told her about. She had made the mistake of asking Kili, and he had turned red as he explained that even his great grandfather and his wife had adhered to the unspoken tradition. It was something newlyweds did, according to Kili. Meadow had apologized profusely for embarrassing Kili, and after a few months he was able to look her in the eyes again. Fili had never been told what had made Kili avoid Meadow for weeks, but he never doubted either of them.

As she made her way down to the castle proper, Meadow began to wonder if it was best to move back to Fili's old apartment in the castle. It was large, furnished and had more rooms than the private suite up in the summit of the mountain. Also, it was closer to the family, Kili and Thorin were down the same hall, Thrain was a staircase up, and down that hall was the King's Wing where Thror still lived. As an added bonus, the rock between the suites was soundproof, but in case of a problem, there were others nearby.

Meadow sipped the watered wine her maid had provided for her morning drink and immediately felt ill, she couldn't eat apples or cherries, even dried. Straight wine, even Elven-made, made her ill, and she was willing to bet beer and ale would do the same. Meadow groaned and went to the privy, just thinking about apples made her feel even worse now.

Fili wandered into the hall, looking morose and a little curious as to why his grandfather was grinning at him. He sighed heavily and sat down at his place and noticed that Kili's place had been moved to the other end of the table, next to Thorin, on Thror's left hand. This left more space on Thrain's side of the table, he must have looked too quizzical, because Thrain and Thror chuckled into their beards as they watched him.

"Are we expecting company, grandfather?" Fili asked blankly.

"Soon, but they won't be sitting at the head table with us. The extra seating is for when the family expands from within." Thrain said, Thror wasn't as happy with the news, he had wanted a great big wedding celebration, at least a month long, something he could rub Thranduil's nose in, since the Elvenking's son would not take a bride for many years yet. Fili looked at his grandfather, not understanding what he meant. He picked at his meal for a few moments, glancing at the side door Meadow should be coming through at any moment. He had just started eating when she walked in, looking ill again. Fili's bright smile turned into a look of worry, then surprise, when Meadow glowered at him and sat down without a word in greeting.

"Meadow?" Fili began cautiously, and tried to take her hand, her glower turned to a snarl and she pulled away from Fili as if he was harming her.

"Don't touch me! You've done more than enough!" Meadow snapped shrilly. Fili looked flabbergasted as he tried to remember what it was he had done in the past weeks to warrant this kind of temper from his calm, gentle wife. Thrain and Thror were snickering, while Thorin and Kili, neither were in on the secret, laughed at poor Fili's predicament. "What is it that is so amusing to all of you?" Meadow's voice swooped dangerously as she addressed the rest of the royal family. Thror and Thrain choked back their laughter, but Thorin and Kili didn't understand the danger they were facing. Meadow stared at them, but neither showed signs of repentance, and her anger swiftly turned to sorrow and she burst into tears, right in the breakfast hall, with all the captains and lieutenants watching. Many of the older dwarves figured out right quick what was happening and looked away, but the younger and less informed watched in horrified fascination.

Fili stood up and picked Meadow up bodily, she struggled weakly, but Thrain bid them leave quickly. Fili hurried to the door and vanished with Meadow still protesting that she hadn't had her breakfast. As soon as Thrain saw the door close, he collapsed back into laughter. Thror and the other dwarves who knew the score now, joined in.

"It always turns the girl into a raving shrew with a nasty temper." one old captain chuckled to his lieutenant, who was himself finally ending his own torture.

"The sweet ones turn evil, and the shrewish ones go sweet for a short time. My own was an absolute joy when she got over the illness." added another dwarf, his line was prolific, he had at least a dozen children over the past hundred years.

"My own wife was the same way before Thrain was born." Thror knew both the captains and counted them as his close friends.

"What changes them?" Thorin asked, trying to remain dignified. He was eyed carefully, as was Kili.

"Should we tell them? Before they've taken wives of their own?" asked the first captain with a computational wink at Thror.

"There would be less lines secured as the result." Thror said thoughtfully. Thrain snorted with laughter.

"She's carrying Fili's child. Many girls turn strange for the first child. After a few months, she'll be the same as when she was first brought to the hall." Thrain said, his wife had only turned strange for a few weeks, but they were more than enough for him to decide one child was enough.

Especially when she demanded red berries in the middle of winter and all but chased him out of the kingdom to find some. They had to be fresh, not dried or soaked in water to make them plump again. He had tried bringing her wintergreen berries, but she refused them and sent him out again. He spent a month in the town, afraid to go home again without the red berries she had demanded of him. He returned to find her knitting baby clothing, in pink and yellow, absolutely certain their child would be a girl and would entertain no other notion. Thorin had spent a good amount of his newborn life swaddled in pink, before Thrain had discreetly tossed item after item of pink baby clothing into the river. It had taken him near a month to toss it all, and Thorin had outgrown most of it within his first three months anyway. Thrain chuckled at the memory.

"So I'm going to be an uncle?" Kili asked with a smile.

"If all goes well. We will both be uncles." Thorin said with a matching smile.

"For the love of Durin, pretend surprise and happiness when she tells us. Or we may all be chased away from the table." Thror said, his own wife had done just that. She had taken it into her head that she was more than suitable for running the kingdom and took Thror's throne from him. His father had advised letting her think she was running the kingdom, and she was a good leader, when she wasn't overcome with what had long ago been called the carrying illness. Human women and even the Elven women were all susceptible to this when they were carrying. It was easier with the second child and all but gone by the third and fourth. But the first one always stuck in the mind of the men folk. It was the reason many feared the second child as much as they rejoiced when told.

Fili carried Meadow to the lift and set her down once it was in motion. Meadow kept weeping, and had scared Fili with her persistence. He waited quietly beside her as the lift finally stopped at their suite level. He led her, wordlessly, to their bed chamber and sat with her on the bed. He was still terrified of her and her having another outburst like the one in the hall. He waited while she wept herself to sleep and then just sat with her, wondering what he had done. He would be awake for hours with wondering. He dropped off into a doze, sometime around luncheon, and came awake no more than a half hour later. Meadow had woken up and started stretching, her movement had woken him.

"Meadow?" Fili began cautiously, she looked at him, with a bright smile and expectant eyes.

"Yes? What is it?" Meadow asked sweetly.

"What happened in the breakfast hall?" Fili had to ask.

"Oh, it wasn't anything to worry about." Meadow said airily, and snuggled into Fili's side. He was doubly confused for now she was displaying her sweet temper and gentle nature.

"What did I do, to make you so angry?" Fili asked as carefully as he could.

"Nothing. Why, do you have a guilty conscience? Do you have something to confess?" Meadow asked back with a hint of teasing humour in her voice.

Fili grinned and kissed her, thankful that she was back to normal and that it had been a one off event. Meadow was intent and insistent he perform his husbandly duties, intensely and repeatedly. She became demanding, more than she had ever been. Fili soon found himself avoiding being alone with her during the day, for she would drag him to the broom closets if there were no eyes to see them leave.

He began to wonder if this was somehow a prank or other such jest, when the Solstice celebration happened, three days after her tantrum in the breakfast hall. Fili noted how warm the great hall was after Meadow had gotten her way with decorating it. Instead of the big, long trestle tables, there were now dozens of round, square, or rectangular tables no more than six feet long. Chairs were brought in and covered with families personal crests, so that they might know to sit in that place. Even the head table had been replaced, it was now a round table in the shape of a crescent moon, so that servers were able to bring the platters of food around to each person seated, and so that the family might converse without have to crane their necks to look left or right, or talk over someone's head. The dais had also been removed, putting the royal family on the same level as the rest of the court. The opening of the table faced the crowd and kept Thror in sight of everyone.

Fili was impressed at Meadows skill in decorating. Even the walls were hung with the Solstice banners and tapestries, and many of the spring loom works as well, giving the hall a warm, almost spring time feel to it, to keep it from being cold and dreary. Fili wandered over to the tree and began looking at the ornaments and little presents for the children who were ten years old, or younger. He saw little pieces here and there of couples, new and long married and then realized, he had not thought to put anything on the tree for Meadow. He ran to his suite, passing Meadow on the way, and hurried to his room. She didn't care for jewellery, for clothes, or ornaments beyond what she had to wear to make a good showing to court and be a credit to him. He looked and looked and found nothing that was good enough to give her on such short notice. He had plans to go to the townhouse after the Solstice, but that was weeks away. He looked at his desk and saw quill, ink, and paper.

He could write a poem, or draw her likeness. He gave those up as too silly and just stared at the desk. Then he realized, he could write his gift as an invitation to the town house for the humans new year celebration. It was brilliant, and effective. Meadow would stop pining for the town and the openness for a while, and by the time she started fretting about it again, he could take her back to the townhouse for the humans own holiday that celebrated married couples and sweethearts. Fili got to work, using gold and silver ink along with the red, blue, and black inks. He was a master at the written word and could turn a simple letter into a work of art. It took him nearly an hour and he barely had time to put it on the tree and sit down to breakfast before it was no longer served. The evening meal was when the festivities really began anyway. Fili ate his fill and watched as Meadow did the same, except she was picking all the apples out of her porridge and sent her watered wine back to the kitchen and had a large chilled mug of goat's milk brought out instead.

Fili thought this was unusual, Meadow loved apples, even though, he had inadvertently discovered that, eating them right out of the barrel gave Meadow the hiccups something fierce. He had laughed himself to hiccups the first time this had happened, and it was still amusing. But her sudden avoidance made him worry again. Meadow's concentration on the removal of anything apple like had gone on for a few weeks now. As had her avoidance of any drink that had been fermented in any way. She no longer drank the mulled wine, which she also loved, but drank instead the mulled juice and, only once, the cider made for the children. Fili got the idea that it was the apples that had made her ill, and that the wines and ales were also part of the illness.

Meadow watched Fili out of the corner of her eye. He was amusing to watch when he tried to think something through to make it make sense to him. She had yet to tell him the news, and had saved that as her Solstice girt to him. She wondered what would make him look like he had just discovered gemstones in his porridge. He looked at her suddenly, like he knew her secret, and abruptly, her mood turned sour.

"What is wrong with you?" Meadow demanded harshly. Fili looked taken aback for a moment, then grinned again.

"It's the apples. You can't stomach them anymore. That's why you've been ill, isn't it?" Fili said matter-of-factly, groans and a glare met his statement.

"No you foolish, idiot. I'm carrying your child and can't eat apples because they make me ill!" Meadow snapped loudly.

"Congratulations!" shouted Kili immediately, from his position, safely on the other side of the table, Thorin and Thrain quickly hushed him. Fili's mind went blank and he would swear later that he could hear his mind stuttering to start again, as he stared at Meadow, then her stomach, then back at her face.

"Child?" Fili stammered, shock had rendered him pale and no longer eloquent. "A…A baby? My child?" he asked blank as canvas in the whole affair.

"Yes, your chid. I only have to feed it, carry it, and after nine long months of pain and anguish, I have to birth it as well. And you get all the glory while I'm doing all the work, thanks to your little contribution." Meadow shrieked the last of her tangent, as she was already at the door to leave the hall. Fili didn't register her outburst, he just sat staring into space and grinning like a fool. He finally came back to himself, and went to leave, only to double back, grab his gift for Meadow, and ran out the door. Thror stood up and addressed the crowd.

"It is confirmed. My great grandson, Fili, son of Floren, son of Ferth, is to be a father. We expect a healthy child in early summer. For now, we shall raise our glasses in a toast, to family, happy may they be, long may they prosper!" Thror announced and drained his mug, as every other adult dwarf did.

Fili hurried after Meadow, he had to wait for the lift to reach the top level, come back down and then take him up. Nearly a quarter of an hour was wasted with waiting. He ran into their suite and found Meadow packing all her clothes into a trunk.

"Meadow, my love. Where are you going?" Fili asked softly, it was best not to aggravate her mood.

"I'm leaving this horrible hole in the ground, and moving back to Dale." Meadow said, sounding calm, Fili found that lately, this was not the case, she could bite his head off if he said or did the wrong thing.

"But then that makes my Solstice gift to you useless. I worked hard on it too." Fili said, packing as much guilt into his statement as possible, while pouting at Meadow. She was still a soft touch, even when she was unpredictable.

"What gift?" Meadow asked suspiciously, turning to look at Fili. He held out the envelope and let her snatch it out of his hand. Meadow read the letter and put her hand to her mouth, tears welled in her green eyes, making them shine. "Oh, Fili! This is wonderful. I thought you sold the townhouse." Meadow cried happily and flung herself into his arms.

"I would never sell that house. It means too much to both of us." Fili said, Meadow kissed his cheek. "Now, tell me about our child." Meadow did so, she told him of how Thrain had sent his doctor, of how she had begun to make plans, and that they were going to move back down into the castle.

"I had this suite made especially for us." Fili pointed out.

"It's easier to get help down in the castle, than it is up here. And besides, your grandfather is right there to watch the children if we want to make more. There's also Kili and Thorin to help with watching the children, and Thror would love nothing more than to take an infant everywhere and have it tugging on his beard." Meadow rambled on happily. "Do you want a boy or a girl?"

"Both. A boy first as heir, and a girl second as heart." Fili said, using an old proverb. "But whichever you produce with be fine with me."

"What do you think of the name Feren for a boy and for a girl perhaps, Fala. Sounds sweet, doesn't it?" Meadow asked brightly, Fili held back a wince, those were horrible names.

"Why don't we hold off choosing names, until we have a better idea of what to expect from a baby?" Fili said diplomatically, Meadow tilted her head and then shrugged.

"I don't know many dwarven names, so I was just guessing. What was I doing with my clothes?" Meadow asked, looking at the half-packed trunk.

"You had them put away for safe keeping, and were taking them out for an airing." Fili said swiftly, her calmness was back and he wouldn't be the one to change it. Meadow bought his explanation, she had forgotten why she had rushed upstairs to pack anyway.

After the celebrations had concluded for the Solstice and the humans new year had passed. Thror ordered the mine vents open for a week. This brought in great freezing draughts of air, and swept out the moist, stale air. The airing would happen once every month when the snow wasn't too deep to cover the vents. Fili and Meadow had their retreat to the town house, and Meadow had decided they would spend at least a month in it during the summer, after the baby was born. They returned to the kingdom under the mountain, happier and relaxed.

Meadow's abrupt mood fluctuations seemed to have dwindled in number and severity. There was only one memorable occasion when she had banned Fili from the town house for forgetting to bring her lilies and a southern fruit that wasn't available until summer. Fili had had to wait until Meadow fell asleep and sneak into his own house. He was both relieved and frightened all the time now that she had grown more unpredictable. As soon as they returned to the castle, they had returned to an even larger suite in the palace. They had been closed after Dis had passed away. It was the suite in which Fili and Kili had been born and raised in till they were old enough for their own space, which was still connected to the large suite by doors. Meadow instantly loved the Princess' Wing and began exploring immediately, even though her now swelling stomach often hindered her movements.

Fili was uncommonly proud of himself, as well as Meadow. Dwarves took note of Meadow's condition and congratulated him. He walked around with a swagger whenever Meadow was at his side or in the room. Meadow thought it was adorable how he swaggered like he had done the most difficult task in the whole of Middle-Earth. He'd soon find that she was going to turn tradition on it's head, starting with the nursery. Meadow had found that the dwarven idea of a nursery was strictly function, not form. The walls were as plain as the storage room walls, the floor had only a rush mat on it, and the cradle was nothing more than a box on chair rockers. The man who had decorated the room looked proud of himself, until Meadow burst into tears, and demanded to know if he thought they'd hang the baby from a hook in the wall. She became a wailing banshee when he proudly showed her the hook, complete with a leather bag hanging from it. The old dwarf was quickly hustled out and new dwarves, women, were sent for to help redesign the nursery.

Now it was freshly whitewashed, the cradle would do until a new one could be carved, and a comfortable chair and footstool brought in. A larger crib was put in the corner, for when the baby was too big to remain in the cradle, the hook now held a hanging basket of flowering vines, and a large dark rug was brought in. The one Meadow wanted would have to be hand woven and that could take weeks. All that was left to put in the nursery was clothing, diapers, and the baby.

Meadow sat in the comfortable chair and looked at her baby's room, muralists were coming to paint murals on the wall, and the room just off the nursery would be packed with baby clothing. She had no idea that the room was meant for a wet nurse, as no one had told her that princesses do not breast feed their babies. Fili had wisely decided that this information would leave Meadow an inconsolably weeping wreck, and she was already tired enough as it was. He thought it best to wait until the baby was born to produce the wet nurse and give Meadow a rest during the night.

They were about to sit for dinner one evening, the men were discussing old battles by the hearth when Meadow first felt a strange sensation. She put her hand on her now softly curved stomach and waited. The light fluttering happened again, too light to be felt by her hand, but she smiled brilliantly anyway.

"Fili! The baby is moving!" Meadow said happily, ignoring protocol and informing Fili of his child.

"Ahead of schedule." Thrain mused as Fili hurried over to Meadow, his face alight in delight as well. Neither had heard the mutterings from the more traditional dwarves, about how a woman must be secluded in order to prevent anything from happening to her or the next in line for the throne. Thror had mentioned the seclusion t prevent an outbreak of something, to which Meadow had demanded if pregnancy was contagious. Thror had no reason good enough to convince Meadow to go into a private bower, even if it was the one his wife, Thrain's wife, and even Dis, had used when they were enceinte. Meadow had agreed to use the bower when she was close to giving birth, she hadn't said how close to her time that would be however.

Fili knelt down next to Meadow and put his hand where she had hers. She chuckled at him.

"You won't be able to feel anything for a while, my love." Meadow said with a smile at Fili's exaggerated pout.

"You get to do everything and it's not fair." Fili muttered, earning a wry grimace.

"If I could trade the distended belly, the sore back and aching feet with you, believe me, I would do so in a heart beat." Meadow said, wincing as she arched her back, the ache had began to set in, as had the strange cravings, chief among them, truffles, in every dish she ate or she would dissolve into tears and make a scene in the hall. Young dwarves came more often now that the halls were the place to be to see the royals act like common people, especially the princess when she was in a mood.

She had even overridden Thror once and had the hall cleared of people because she wouldn't dine with animals who had no table manners. It never occurred to her to leave the hall, simple fixes were never on her mind when her mood changed. If she didn't burst into tears at being denied, she turned into a savage raging beast, and no one had the nerve to simply haul her away from the object of her ire. It was tiresome, and most of the men had been considering confining her forcibly until the baby was born, including the ever patient Thorin. He had weathered her tantrums and rages, her heartbreaking tears, and came out the other side with Meadow interviewing the ladies of the court with the idea that he needed a wife. Thorin had to leave the kingdom on a hunting trip to avoid both Meadow and the ladies.

Kili had gotten away relatively unscathed, as he had gone south to the kingdom of Moria, to meet the ladies who were travelling to Dale and the Kingdom under the Mountain to meet Fili and Thorin with the idea that both would marry. Kili had found both women distasteful and had sent word back to his uncle and brother. He was also going to travel to where the original girl had gone missing and look for any sign of foul play or the girl in general. Kili would not return for months, not until the next Durin Day.

Spring came in with a great wind roaring out of the northwest. It was called the Dragon Wind, as it could make even large oak trees sway with it's force. The ice on the lake cracked with sounds like thunder and great chunks were harvested before it became too dangerous. Meadow was showing her pregnancy quite well now, and couldn't keep Fili away from her belly now that he could feel his child kicking. Thrain and Thror had only once felt the movement, and had demurred from attempting it again. They hadn't done this with their own wives, but now both were retroactively missing the opportunity. Thorin point blank refused to touch Meadow, he acted as if she was going to explode at any second and avoided being left alone with her. His behaviour actually made Meadow laugh at him.

Thorin had managed to avoid the worst of Meadow swings. He and Fili could both call Meadow a fat, ugly, pig, and Thorin would be laughed at. Fili on the other hand would be weeks in reparations and apologies. This proved useful whenever there was news that directly affected Meadow. Thorin was sent to tell anything considered bad news, to Meadow and she'd react as if she was never carrying. It frustrated Fili, and irritated Thorin.

This was the norm when the women finally arrived from the Mines of Moria and made their entrance. Meadow was heavily pregnant, only a few months away from giving birth. She had sat at one of the smaller tables to rest her back and catch her breath from hurrying to the great hall. She wasn't required to be there, but had come anyway. Fili had nodded to her and continued to the head table, he'd keep an eye on her as well as Balin and Dwalin, who had returned from the Iron Hills after his stint as a representative.

Dwalin had been impressed with Meadow, her attitude and firm yet gentle manner were better than many of his training tactics. He also considered her an entertainment. Especially when she flew into a rage at poor Balin, for offering her apple wine, and he had been there to see. Dwalin had laughed himself sick, seeing Balin, gentle and non confrontational as he was, cower in the corner of the alcove as Meadow shrieked nearly incoherently about how she hated apples and couldn't drink wine.

Both older dwarves knew this was temporary and only happened during pregnancy, Dwalin had lost a great many female soldiers to their children, and had subsequently banned married females from joining the ranks. But temporary though it may be, it was still startling to see a delicate looking girl like Meadow stand up and berate some of his most fierce warriors for staring at her. Dwalin idly thought that if this was how grown dwarves behaved with carrying women, he may have to recruit some for training purposes. It was no coincidence that no male dwarf would raise his hand to a women even suspected of carrying. If one did, a dozen more would beat him to a pulp and drag him before a magistrate.

Some historians thought that the longer lived a race, the less prolific they were. The Elves had this knowledge and bemoaned it. For them, a child was rarer than a unicorn. One was a blessing, two a miracle, and three was unheard of, outside the mixed breeds. Most mixed breeds, the ones with human blood at least, were able to produce plenty of children during their long lives. But race purists didn't consider this applicable to the continuation of their races, either dwarven or Elven. This low fertility rate was due in part to the Elven immortality. They didn't need to reproduce in order to propagate their species like the humans did. Dwarves could, and many did, produce quite a few children during the years that their women especially fertile. Some women even allowed what was called a second wife, so that their may be more children, even if those were not of their own get.

Dwalin had once considered what he would do if he should retire as the Master at Arms for the King. He had thought of turning to scholarly work, like his brother Balin, or turning to smith work. He then realized why all human fairy tales had dwarves for toy makers. Almost all aging or elderly dwarves were sought after as toy makers. Dwalin could be a genius at creating toy soldiers and fierce beasts that could move with the addition of clockworks and a turnkey. Dwalin had even begun putting together designs, it was not unheard of for a soldier to turn to another craft and then leave the ranks to pursue that craft. He sat and thought until he thought he should go train. He had another fifty years in his contract as Master at Arms for Thror, he'd keep the toy making a quiet hobby.

Meadow sat, a little stiffly now that her very round stomach protruded too far for her back to remain straight. She had given up hope of ever seeing her feet again, and wearing a dress that did not expose her toes because the seamstress had mistakenly assumed that she wouldn't grow any larger. No one seemed to take the human side of her into consideration, and she didn't know how she should feel about that. Her unruly emotions screamed for weeping, and her less than reliable head was beginning to think the same way. She looked up as the delegation of Elves walked into the hall, they had taken note of everyone in the hall as soon as each had walked through the doors. Jokes had been told about the Elven hearing being better than a bat's, and no one doubted it.

One of the Elves, far in the front had taken great interest in watching Meadow. He had a great fascination and hadn't even turned to look at Thror, the elf next to him had to jostle him to make his bow. The slight interruption in his gaze didn't stop him from looking back at Meadow, very boldly and very rude, especially for an elf. It also didn't help Meadow's mood, as her temper immediately sparked and she glared, ineffectively, at the young elf, her face now in a grimace of supreme temper.

The dwarves knew what this meant and Fili was already hurrying from his spot on the dais. But the young elf had brashly gotten the idea in his head, to approach Meadow, who was visibly getting angrier at his attention, her grimace was now a rather frightening snarl. The head of the Elves, Thranduil the Elvenking, watched with amusement. The young elf was headstrong and listened to no one he thought wasn't important. Thror and Thranduil watched the exchange, Thror with growing horror, and Thranduil with great amusement.

The young elf knelt in front of Meadow and she tried to lean away from him, she had become aware of her shifting moods and tried to mitigate the damage wrought when she couldn't control herself, but this young elf was really trying her control.

"May I feel the baby?" the elf asked politely, ignoring Meadow's obvious distaste.

"Don't touch me." Meadow growled darkly, trying to edge away from him. He disregarded her words and reached for her, a pleasant smile on his handsome face, which Meadow wanted to claw off with her bare hands.

"Please? It would mean a great deal to me?" the elf pleaded, and laid his hands on Meadow's body. She reacted by managing to grab her shoe off her foot, and slapping him in the face with it.

"I said; Don't touch me!" Meadow shrieked at the top of her lungs, and slapped the impertinent elf again, before Fili grabbed her and dragged her to the door, where she burst into tears, angry tears, and had to have him carry her out of the hall.

Silence reigned in the hall. Thror was ready to sink into the rock below his throne in embarrassment and fear over what Meadow had just done to an envoy in the Elvenking's retinue. There was a small sound, quiet at first, then Thror realized what it was. Thranduil was chuckling, near hysterics as far as Elven expressions of humour went. The young elf looked mutinous and sulky as he rejoined the group, all of whom were at least grinning at him.

"That shall teach you to lay your hands on an unwilling woman. Think you long and hard about what to do to apologize for your rudeness and impertinence towards her and her child." Thranduil said merrily as the young elf realized his mistake. His mother would kill him, only child or not, for ignoring a woman's demand.

"The child is of my line. He shall answer to her husband, then his grandfather, my son Thrain, and then, to me. We do not like our women shook up, especially when they are with child." Thror growled, though he was dying to laugh in the most hysterical way possible. "Although I do apologize for her behaviour. She is usually a joy. Bright as the sun, and gentle as a summer breeze." Thror said, trying to appease any hard feelings.

"Even our women change into something we can not recognize, when they have the great blessing of being with child." a female elf said, diplomatically, Thror thought he saw a look of near pain cross Thranduil's face for but a second.

"Your wife also changed drastically?" Thror asked with a grin.

"She was a joy, when she wasn't with child. I both regretted and rejoiced the coming of my son. The end result was a child." Thranduil said with a smile.

"But the journey was long and arduous. Many men, human dwarven and elven, would agree with you. Myself and my son included." Thror said. The kings both remembered the trials of childbearing with less than found memories, before turning back to the matter of the treaties to renew.

Meadow's tears stopped once they reached their home. Fili wasn't aware of the good humour of the Elvenking and Thror, and was very nearly ready to beat sense into Meadow, even as she pulled her other shoe off and sat on the floor with her face buried in her hands. Real tears of fear and sorrow were now pouring down her cheeks.

"The Elvenking is going to demand my death for this insult, isn't he?" Meadow wailed.

"No, the elf wasn't listening to you. Elves have strict codes they live by, and he shouldn't have laid hands on you without your leave to do so." Fili said, trying to sooth Meadow after his anger evaporated.

"I saw what he was doing, and what I was doing. I couldn't stop myself from hitting him with my shoe. Is he hurt badly?!" Meadow continued to cry.

"You little shoe is nothing more than a few pieces of leather sewn together. You stopped wearing your court shoes, with the wooden soles, two months ago. You probably didn't even raise a red mark on his pale face." Fili said, now he was finding this funny. Soon he was laughing too hard to remain upright next to Meadow, and she was beginning to chuckle too. "I have never seen an elf look so shocked before!" Fili laughed. Meadow giggled in agreement.

"He looked as though he had never seen a shoe before." Meadow said with a grin. This made Fili laugh all the harder.

This isn't the end. I have more to write, and plan on following Kili down into the south. Please Read and Review. Thank you, Whackegourd.