'Master Gandalf!' Dori, the oldest of the brothers Ri greeted the grey wizard at the gates of Erebor. While Nori had taken over the intelligence under the mountain, Dori had taken over diplomatical duties and his youngest brother Ori had become the head scribe of the kingdom. 'It has been too long!'

'Indeed, master Dori!' Gandalf smiled weakly. 'May I ask for a cup of chamomile tea? We need to discuss something.'

'Of course!' Dori frowned at the wizard's worried expression. Something was wrong. His king always said that Gandalf's appearance always ended in trouble. Maybe he was right.

#

'I am surrounded by lunatics!' Balin, son of Fundin, advisor to the king of Erebor exclaimed in despair. He looked at Gandalf and Dori with wide eyes. 'Have you brought the halfling to bring her to her deathbed for good? Thorin is not the dwarf he was anymore. He was strong, but the curse was stronger. Nobody can defeat the curse, Gandalf! Not even you, not even the dearest mistress Baggins.'

'She is determined to try.' Gandalf muttered. He knew how Balin felt, for he felt the same way, but Basil firmly stood with her belief that she could save Thorin's soul and she would try even without their help. 'You know her, Balin. If she wants to achieve something, she will do so or die trying.'

Balin let out a long and heavy sigh. 'Fine. But I know that we will all regret this. We have stood by and watched as Thorin banished our burglar. I guess we owe her.'

'Indeed, you owe me, master Balin.' Basil's voice whispered out of nowhere.

Dori looked around in fear and Balin took a step back. Gandalf shook his head in despair. 'You could have waited.' he stated and looked in front of him. A mere instant later Basil appeared out of thin air and made both Dori and Balin jump.

'What is this? What kind of magic is it?' Dori stepped back from Gandalf and Basil.

'Do not be foolish, master Dori.' Gandalf scolded the oldest Ri. 'Our burglar should tell you that herself.'

Basil sat down at the fireplace, smiling softly at her old friends.

'Do you remember our escape from the goblin tunnels shortly before we ran into Azog? That dreadful day on the cliffs, where we were rescued by the eagles? That day I found something in the goblin tunnels. A ring. A golden ring. I stole it from the creature Gollum, who was living in the deep below Goblin town. This creature has a poisoned mind and a malicious character. He played me in a wicked ridle, my stake being my life. I won the game and he had promised me to show me out of this dark world full of goblin cries and shrieks. But he did not, instead he attacked me and I slipped the ring onto my finger as I fell to the ground. And then I disappeared. That ring made me invisible to the world of the living. This way I could escape. I escaped with the help of the ring in Goblin town and then again in Mirkwood. I slaughtered orcs in battle with the help of this ring. It was not me or my intelligence that brought us out of these perils, it was this tiny little ring. And today it brought me into the Lonely Mountain. Back to where I have to be.'

It took Balin some time to speak again, it was so much new information. But maybe this ring could save Basil when things went wrong.

'I do not know how he will react to this.' Balin shook his head. Everyone knew who he was talking about. 'If he threatenes to kill you, you could still use the ring and...'

'No. I will stay at his side and cure him, or I will die trying.' Basil stated determinately. 'This ring has done enough.'

'Very well.' Balin looked at Dori. He had a plan.

#

Basil did not recognise herself in the mirror at her wedding day. She was wearing a beautiful and pompous white dress and a thick white veil. Her shorter golden locks fell over her ears freely and thick golden bands were laying around her neck. Her golden ring was under the care of the White Council now. She had been told that his ring was the long lost One ring of the dark lord Sauron, who had tried to enslave all of Middle Earth in the First Age. Galadriel, the only one who could resist the ring, kept it in custody and it would be destroyed soon. Basil had felt strange to give it away in the first place, but as it was gone a feeling of relief had rushed through her body. This ring had not been good for her and Basil had been strong enough to part from it. With one last glance into the mirror, Basil left the bridal rooms. Dori and Balin accompanied her on her way to her husband to be, the mad king under the mountain. To Thorin.

Gandalf, Dori and Balin had told nobody that the halfling was back in Erebor. They had told Thorin that his new bride was from the south of Middle Earth and the king had accepted without asking. He did not care whom to marry, for his heart was unable to love anything but the gold. He trusted his advisors and his friends and Balin hoped that this would not backfire on them.

The wedding would take place in the throne room and only the council of Erebor would be witness to it. Weddings were no joyous occasions under the mountain anymore. Nobody even cared about the new bride's life, for the dwarves of Erebor had lost all hope to save the sanity of their king. Basil was grateful for the veil, which would cover her face until she would stand before the king. Balin hoped that Thorin would have enough restraint left to not kill the hobbit in front of the whole council at his own wedding, even when he found out who she was.

Gandalf and Dori had tears in their eyes as they laid eyes on Basil. The hobbit lass looked beautiful, if not for the sad look in her eyes. They all had hoped that Thorins and Basil's wedding would have been an union of love, peace and friendship. But now it was the last desperate measure to save all their lives, their consciences and their souls.

Basil walked down the aisle to the throne, her eyes set on the king who stood before his throne with his back to her. Thorin was looking at the arkenstone which had been placed above the throne for everyone to see. He was still tall and had a proud bearing. His hair was still mostly black and fell over his back in soft curls. And he was wearing Orcrist. Basil saw Dwalin stand at his side as the captain of his personal guard and Ori was to his left to write down this wedding for the dwarven history books. All dwarves of the company were there, all safe Fili and Kili. Tears fell down Basil's face as she remembered Thorin's nephews. Two young dwarves full of life and energy. Good hearted and honorable dwarves, who had died on their uncle's quest. Oh, how she missed them. Maybe, if they would still be in the world of the living, Thorin would not have sunken so deep.

Basil took one step at a time until she stood beside Thorin. On their quest the dwarf´s body heat had always warmed her, as well as the warm gleam of his eyes. But now neither his body, nor his eyes radiated any warmth. The halfling waited silently until Gandalf begann to speak. The wizard would perform the wedding ceremony and Basil felt a slight feeling of safety as she stood before him. As Gandalf spoke, Thorin's attention switched to the present. He looked at his bride and Basil could see him frown. It was obvious to Thorin that the new bride was a halfling, due to the small frame and the bare feet, but the face was still hidden behind the veil. But Thorin did not wait for the ritual words to be spoken. He walked close towards his bride and lifted the veil. A gasp went through the dwarves of the company and Balin and Dori held their breaths. Thorin's hands had frozen in midmotion and his face had turned to stone. His eyes went from cold to ice and Basil suddenly felt the cold creep into her very soul.

'Thorin.' a whisper left Basil's mouth and reached the king. Her love. Thorin.

'You.' the king's voice was a faint and hoarse whisper. 'You came back.'

Basil lowered her gaze. Thorin was angry, his voice shivered with fury and his eyes started gleaming dangerously. But there was also hurt and sorrow in his eyes for a short moment, a moment which awaken hope in Basil's heart. Before the former burglar could say something, Thorin bellowed for Balin.

'Did you know of this?' he asked his closest advisor, who nodded. 'Then, I see that you have all turned against me.'

'Thorin, you need somebody at your side. Basil volunteered.' Balin tried to explain.

'The last time our burglar volunteered for something it did not end very well.' Thorin muttered under his breath. He looked from Balin to Basil and ripped the veil of the hobbit's face. 'Why did you come back?'

Basil remembered the day when he had asked her the same question. It had been after they had escaped from Goblin Town. Back then, she had an answer ready for him. Today, she knew not what to say - she could not tell him that she still loved him in front of the entire court and she was sure that Thorin would not understand the sincerity of her words.

'I came, because the king of Erebor is in search for a bride.' Basil lied. 'Please see me as a tribute from the Shire. A tribute honoring your strong and just reign. Even though I may just be a halfling, I am sure that I can be the queen you need in Erebor.'

'So, the Shire sends me a burglar and a thief as a queen? I´d rather see it as an insult.' Thorin growled.

Basil felt her Tookish side rumble inside of her. She decided to trust her gut feeling, she had nothing to lose. Nothing but her life.

'I was banished from Erebor, my king. I am aware that the punishment for the violation of this banishment is death. But as I see it, becoming your queen already is a death sentence.'

The entire throne room held their breaths at her answer and Gandalf closed his eyes in defeat. Thorin looked at Basil in surprise and did not move. Then he tilted his head and a hint of a smile appeared on his face. But his blue eyes remained icy.

'Continue, wizard.' Thorin adressed Gandalf. 'My people expect a wedding.'

Gandalf looked at the king in surprise, but he quickly regained control and spoke the ritual words for the dwarven wedding. Balin and Dori exchanged uneasy glances and the atmosphere inside the throne room was as icy as the look in the king's eyes. Ori did not dare to breathe and even Dwalin felt an icy shiver run down his spine. Moments later, Erebor had a king and a queen. The dwarves of all seven kingdoms began placing bets for how long the new queen would stay at the side of the mad king before he killed her, like all of his wives before.