A/N: AHHH! Oh by Mahal's beard, you guys! 18 favorites?! Y'all are the best! And 32 follows too?! Ahh! I'm so thankful for y'all taking the time to read this story and for some of y'all to review it. It's a surreal experience and I couldn't be more thankful.
Now onto other matters. I have started college classes back up again along with sports and work. I have an extremely busy schedule now and I'm going to try and do an update per week. Now sometimes, this will cause each chapter to be around 3,500-4,000 words and maybe, I might have one be around 5,000 once in a while. But do expect the former for now.
Also, ask anything you'd like in the reviews! Make predictions! Write what you would like to see in the next chapter. I'm gonna start answering any of those things in your reviews next chapter. You don't have to, but I think it'd be fun!

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit nor the Lord of the Ring trilogy. Trust me, if I did, A LOT of things would be different. Like, my OC and her race, would be in all the books! But ya know, fan fiction can be my way for now.

Anyways, thanks again y'all and here's the chapter!

Chapter 3

Khadinah walked alongside Kili slowly. The dwarrowdam in front of them, leading them, was quiet and walked with a stride only gifted to those of higher status. It made Khadinah feel slightly self-conscious. Here she was, walking with a slight slouch and some mud was scattered about her body (mainly her lower body). And then there was Dis (whom Kili had introduced as his mother), who walked with her back straight and was in only pristine condition. She was also beautiful, especially for a dwarrowdam. Long, raven-black hair cascaded down her back. Khadinah had seen her face and she had to stop herself from dropping her jaw. A lot of dwarrowdams did not have the luck of beauty, and Khadinah could see why now. Dis must've stolen all of it at her birth.

Dis, like stated earlier, had beautiful black hair. Clasps were found amongst her locks, braids too. Khadinah noticed how Dis seemed to have long scruff at her chin and along her jawline, braids fell from her beard. Each braid was intricately done and done well at that. Khadinah had to squint at first, but she kinda understood what each braid meant. There were four in total, two on each side that conjoined with its partner on either side. Khadinah had to guess that two represented her children: two sons. Another represented being royalty, and another represented lost loved ones. Khadinah found the braids beautiful.

But it made her wonder, where was Dis' other son?

Khadinah looked up as she heard the ceasing of walking. Her blue eyes searched the area in front of her to simply find Dis turned towards her and Kili. She seemed to have a hesitant look in her eyes, which were also a bright blue that went well with her fair pallor. Khadinah looked at the way Dis held high cheekbones and saw who Kili took after in his family.

"My brother," she said, as if contemplating if she should say something helpful. Khadinah only had to hold her breath slightly, a little worried if this is what Dis was doing. She let out a sigh of relief as Dis continued, "My brother is a little…nosy at times, for lack of a better word. So please, do not be offended." Khadinah only smiled lightly at the sister of Thorin Oakenshield. She knew of Kili's family history. She knew of his lineage. It was quite obvious and not hard to realize it once you took a good hard look at the facts in front of you.

"Oh come now, maamr,"* the voice of Kili causing Khadinah to twitch an eyebrow up. A corner of her lips twitched up slightly at the sight of her friend. Kili had one hand on his hip and his other hand was raised a little, much like an annoyed human girl. It took everything in Khadinah not to laugh. "Uncle Thorin isn't that bad. And, Khadinah here could handle him. She's like, the strongest dwarrowdam I know!" he spoke with such conviction that it showed just how young he truly was mentally. And the look his mother gave him showed it. He then realized his mistake and covered it up quickly, "Behind you of course, maamr."

Khadinah couldn't help but snigger slightly at this and covered it up with a cough. "While I appreciate the high regards towards your friend, I'm afraid I'm right Kili," Dis spoke, rolling her eyes slight at Kili's behavior. She was obviously not impressed whatsoever. This made Khadinah wonder if princes were held so tightly on their leashes, even in the presence of a friend. Her curious turquoise eyes watched as the king's sister gave a sigh and pointed her words at Khadinah herself. "My son," she threw a pointed look in Kili's direction, "is not to be permitted in the hall whilst you are there speaking with my brother. And unlike what Kili had stated, my brother can be too nosy sometimes. So, for the sake of all of us, just go along with it and sate my brother's curiosity."

Khadinah simply nodded, "I will do as ya wish." She knew not to disrespect the woman who was both the king's sister and Kili's mother. She was to be held in the higher of regards and Khadinah knew this. At Khadinah's approval to do as the higher dwarrowdam asked, Dis seemed to let out a sigh of relief and grateful nod of her head.

Khadinah turned her head to the side and saw Kili with a pout covering his face. His arms were crossed over his chest and he seemed disappointed in the fact that he would not be in the room with her and his uncle. Khadinah rolled her eyes and ruffled the younger dwarf's hair. "Oh lighten up, litt'e sprout," Khadinah spoke to him playfully, a smile stretched over her lips. Kili made a grunt of annoyance and pushed her hand off of his head. "Oh by Mahal, Kili, I'm simply goin' in for a few questions per your sister's-brother's request. Ya need to lighten up a litt'e," she rolled her eyes at Kili's behavior, a tad bit annoyed like his mother. He really was a younger dwarf. But with all younger dwarfs, you have to make compromises. "Listen, litt'e sprout, I'll make ya a deal, yeah? Leave me with your uncle for as long as necessary, and you can hold my attention for as long as you want. I won't even look anyone else's way but yer own fer an entire day." she offered up, knowing the young dwarf couldn't resist such a tantalizing offer.

"Ya promise?" a look of suspicion was prominent on the brunette dwarf's face, his chocolate eyes holding the most. Khadinah simply nodded her head and smiled up at the dwarf, who happened to be an inch or two taller that herself.

"I promise on my father's grave," she held her left hand up and placed her right hand over her left breast. She knew it was going over the top, but she would do whatever to make sure Kili believed her. Kili was like the best friend/little brother she never had and she would please him to her best abilities just as such.

Kili's eyes widened substantially and a dazzling smile formed on his lips, exposing his near perfect teeth. A similar smile appeared on Khadinah's face as the younger dwarf engulfed her in a hug. Kili was a little over five feet tall, only having around two inches on the darker pallor dwarf. But his body was surprisingly broader for his lithe form and overshadowed Khadinah's substantially. A laugh escaped her lips as she gave a few pats to her best friend's back. The large arms around her tightened and Khadinah found it a bit suffocating.

"All 'ight Kee, don't suffocate me before we can strike a deal," she joked around playfully. She felt his fur-covered arms retract from her waist and his hands placing themselves upon her slightly broad shoulders (a dwarven trait, even in the females of the race).

"Sorry, Dinah," a smaller smile was on his lips now and he gave a shrug of his shoulders. Khadinah simply shook her head lightly while chuckling.

"Sure ya are," she patted his shoulder in return, a mischievous glint in her turquoise eyes. A smirk played across her lips before she stepped away from the brunette's hands. Her eyes focused then on Dis, who held a small smile on her lips. Envy towards the dwarrowdam began to fill up Khadinah. Dis was so beautiful, had a beard (even if it was maintained close to her jawline), and was respected. Khadinah could only dream of being all three things at once.

Khadinah nodded her head towards the woman, signaling that she was ready to go meet Thorin Oakenshield. She needed to rid her mind of jealousies and wishes, simply so she could have a clear mind for the task at hand. Answering questions about her personal life was certainly abound and Khadinah needed to be prepared for such an occurrence. Jealousies and wishes would only distract her and perhaps make her come off as suspicious, as she wouldn't be able to answer fully nor clearly. She had learnt in her years of traveling that one is most likely guilty of something if they cannot hold your stare with their own, if they cannot answer calmly and clearly, and if they cannot answer at all. She knew that if her mind was foggy during this questioning, she would be doing all three.

Her turquoise eyes darted to Dis' hand as it stretched out and grabbed hold of the door handle. Khadinah felt her nerves begin to bundle up and bunch together slightly, knots forming from stress. She did not know why she was so nervous. She had known this day, the day when she met Thorin Oakenshield, would come to pass. In fact, she had known for years. Gandalf summoning her to her father's grave, miles away from Khänshólē, only proved this knowledge. She had tried to prolong it for as long as she could, but she knew one thing no matter how much she ran.

Running from something inevitable will not allow you peace. It will only bring the event much quicker.

Khadinah's eyes traveled to the now opened door, its dark oak coloring shining under the natural light let in by a hole in the stone walls. The hole was somewhat big, purposely placed where it was. It was smoothed and trimmed neatly, a sign of its purpose. Two metal bars stood vertically in the hole, enough room in between each that Khadinah could probably fit her arm through. Then, two other metal bars stood horizontally in the hole, crossing over the vertical ones. It reminded her too much of how trapped she could become in Ered Luin if she was not careful.

Taking a breath and swallowing down a lump in her throat, Khadinah began walking through the door. Her dark boots made small sounds as they trod across the stone floors. Her ears twitched at every sound. Her eyes darted quickly, taking in every detail around her. Her nose scrunched up slightly then smoothed itself down as it picked up a foreign smell. She knew what it was though once she thought about it. Her knuckles popped themselves due to how tightly her fists were clenched. Veins popped out lightly from her arms due to the bundled up tension housed in her body, but this was covered by the furs that lined her skin and covered her flesh.

Khadinah spun around quickly when she heard the door she had entered through shut nearly silently. A sigh escaped her as she turned around once again and continued walking. Now, she had realized she was walking on some sort of rug. It was a royal blue coloring with threads of silver laced into it. The color was beautiful really, and Khadinah only wanted to lie down on it and sleep. A small chuckle bubbled up inside her at this thought. Sleeping on the royal rug? Really Khadinah? she smirked at her thoughts.

She tilted her head up and stopped where she stood. Only a few feet in front of her was a throne. Nothing too fancy or great about it. It was carven from the blue-ish stone from the mountains. It was plain, probably only used when necessary really. The arm rests were flattened, the surface of them smooth. The backing had a line a few inches in, adding more depth to the stone throne. A small step, also carved out by the pretty stone, surrounded the throne. Plain and simple was the chair, but the purpose of it was neither.

"Frelin made this piece of art," a low and booming voice said in the silence of the hall. Khadinah spun her body to her left, where the voice originated, and was taken aback by the sight. Thorin Oakenshield was walking with his hands clasped behind his back. Khadinah could see the resemblance between him and Dis clear as day. They held the same crystal blue eyes, the same raven black hair (though Thorin seemed to have a few gray strands). Thorin was taller as well and his beard was bushy but kept close to his face. It covered nearly the entirety of the bottom of his face and Khadinah found it strange that his beard was short. Perhaps he did so to make Kili feel better about his own, and if that was the case, Khadinah felt a swell of respect form inside her.

"Seventy one years ago," Thorin spoke, his eyes seeming stuck on the throne, "your father carved this entire chair, from the first signs of morning light till the moon was at its peak in the blackness. He swore over and over again that it would be completed before Dis was to be married. I would laugh and tell him that that was a fool's dream. Carving thrones is not a funny business and can take years if done right. But he was intent on proving me wrong.

"Frelin worked to the point of exhaustion one night, the night before my little sister's wedding. I had found out that the healers had taken him into the healing room right after the moon started to fall from its reign in the sky. I was so worried that I hadn't noticed it. Frelin lied there, a crooked smile on that dumb face. And do you know what he said?" Thorin turned to her, snapping her from the daze she had been left in due to the story. "He said," he continued on without waiting for an answer, "I finished that damn chair of your's Thorin Oakenshield."

Khadinah's lips turned up into a smile at this, realizing that Thorin and her father had been very good friends. It was something she wished could continue to this day. But the pale Orc had stripped her of that wish and anger boiled inside her veins at this. The pale Orc would pay one day.

"Your father was one of the most reckless dwarves I had ever had the pleasure of knowing," Thorin spoke proudly, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. This made the anger in Khadinah wash away to a point of nonexistence for now. "So when my sister tells me my youngest sister-son is with a dwarrowdam who doesn't not look like any normal dwarrowdam with a pallor like that of dark elves, you can probably understand my knowledge that you are Frelin's daughter." he said quite calmly, the opposite of Khadinah's obvious shock.

"Ya can deduce that by my skin tone?" she asked, shock overriding her system.

"Of course. Dark elves may not be around any longer but I knew many in my lifetime. Their distinct features are known throughout the civilized and wild lands," Thorin stated simply. "Now at first, I was wary. I thought you were a full blooded dark elf, but my sister's description of you proved that wrong. After that, all I had to think was when a dwarf and a dark elf would come in contact. And I remembered Frelin. I had sent that crazy dwarf to infiltrate Khänshólē nearly sixty-three years ago," he spoke more, now standing next to Khadinah, staring at the throne as a glaze covered his eyes due to memories resurfacing.

"Ya sent him to infiltrate that hell?" she asked, a subtle venom in her voice. She knew what happened in that location in the mountains. Stories, rumors, truths had all filled her knowledge of 'Purgatory'. She never needed to live there to know the horrors that occurred.

"I needed to send someone," Thorin defended lightly, turning his head to face her. "Everyone had their suspicions about the happenings there. No one wanted to confirm them though. My kingdom was scared, and as their king, I needed to make peace. There were many I trusted, though only one volunteered," he said, turning and facing the door to the hall, his head held high.

"Your father volunteered his services and I agreed to his wishes. He had always had a knack for adventure and he said that this could be his adventure, of course, it would be his quiet adventure," Thorin chuckled at this. "He went and informed us of everything that was occurring, from messy battle plans all the way to the birth of another dark elf. He kept sending ravens inconspicuously for around eleven moons. Then he said that he could no longer betray the dark elves. We all at first thought he had been discovered and then forced to write this last letter. But I knew better. For sixty-two years I had my suspicions and you standing here only confirms them. I had a feeling that Frelin stopped due to his emotions, his very specific emotions towards a dark elf. But I had never been sure."

"Why would ya think that?" Khadinah asked, curiosity tugging at her mind. "I mean, my father gave no reason to believe he was in love, did he?"

"He didn't need to. I knew Frelin like the back of my hand. He would never inform us if he was caught, no matter who tried to make him do so. It would only expose our position due to the raven having to travel. He informed us on his own terms and Frelin was a man who was usually controlled by his emotions. His sense of loyalty and friendship with me pushed him to finish this damned chair. His sense of love and loyalty to a dark elf pushed him to wish to no longer betray them," Thorin stated, a faraway look in his crystal blue eyes. A sense of sadness pushed into Khadinah's heart as he spoke of her father. No one, not even Gandalf had spoken so highly of the simple dwarf who fathered her.

"H-how did ya know he died?" Khadinah tested slightly, the want to know her father more pushing her.

Thorin sighed at this and his head tilted down slightly. Khadinah caught it though. The glossiness over his eyes was now water. She knew that look, but only few times had she experienced it. So seeing a king, one who was respected and held highly in the regards of dwarven folk, hold back tears at the thought of someone dead, made her question how she had been able to do such a thing for so long (well with the exception of leaving Eziluk of course).

"I just knew."

A/N: So this is a shorter chapter. I kinda wanted to have a chapter purely dedicated to Frelin and Khadinah learning more about him. I feel it gives her a sense of getting closer to him. Like, it reminds me of Fili and Kili with their father. They really only have stories to go by as they were too young to remember him fully. Also, I feel like Thorin is much "kinder" in this period of time as well, seeing as he is not worried about being on a quest to reclaim Erebor. So yeah! Hope y'all enjoyed this filler and have a great day my little mints!

Love,
P❤