Hello again Lovelies! 3 chapters in three weeks isn't it? I just felt the urge to write. I hope you enjoy it!
XxOxX
Kili entered the chamber and the scrape of stone against stone echoed through the small chamber as the elder dwarves around the table stood, bowed, and then sat back down. Kili took his east around the table and nodded to each of them before he gave a wave to being the meeting. "My Prince. I hope you fare well today. Have ye by chance learned anything from the elves about our trade routes?" Dreas had started speaking before Kili's hand settled onto the table.
"Yes. I just received a missive. I am to go to Dale in two days' time to meet with a representative…-."Kili began before another voice interrupted him.
"Representative?" Sirdoic intoned. "Does the coward Elven king wish not to show his face?"
"Unacceptable." Another huffed.
"Tis too elate fer a message to be sen' back. How do we ken tis no trap or test?" Dunri added.
Kili, of course, hadn't yet though about any of this. His mind did not easily snatch at the web or politics and deceit. It was a grand game of lies, posturing and coin. Had he more time to think about it these concerns might have come up, or that is at least what he wanted to think. "I doubt such a trap would take place in full view of our allies."
"They were once elvish allies as well, if you don't remember."
"You speak as if I were not there, atop the battlements when Thranduil and Bard came to the gates, one demanding and one asking to receive a share of the treasure." Kili's voice had taken a sharp edge which was directed at the speaker who had the capacity to look at least a little sheepish at his statement.
"Apologies. It was some time ago and my memory is not what it used to be."
"Well as to what they were, now they are our allies. Bard and I know one another and I don't think he would easily betray us. We have aided the city in far greater ways than the Lord of Mirkwood." He thought it best not to mention Tauriel at this moment and her relationship with Bard and his children as addition evidence. They adored her, or at least the little one did.
"Be that as it may; you cannot possibly go the this meeting." Dreas argued.
"I agree. It would put Thranduil in a place of power if the future king under the mountain dealt trade business with any but another King." Sirdioc leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers, looking thoughtful.
"I can see your point." Kili agreed. And he could, in fact, see his point. He had to start actually stepping up, despite the fact that he was not yet a King and his coronation was only two weeks away. "But how will we keep the peace then? Thranduil is already in a position of power as he controls apart of the route. He could get by without his gems."
"From what Bofur and few of the others told me, the King was ready to keep you imprisoned for life unless Thorin agree to return the gems. He wants them quite badly I think."
"I agree, my lord. I also believe that this is a test. We must gain leverage."
"So I should send one of you in my place?" Kili's eyebrow arched. It was not that he didn't trust his advisors but he was of the mentality that if you want something done right you must do it yourself.
"Don't sound so skeptical. You are not a barter or merchant. You have no experience with things such as this. Whomever you would choose would take a list of what we agree on to be terms of this agreement and what have you and bargain with this representative for a real meeting." Sirdoic explained carefully.
"Would the elf be willing to help us?"
"Thranduil specifically demanded that she not attend. He also wished a sample of the gems to verify authenticity and as a gesture of goodwill." Kili sat back in his chair, feeling a bit better about this whole mess already. This was technically most of what a king did anyway, right? It consisted mostly of big decisions on his shoulders and delegating to others.
There was some muttering and grumbling as each dwarf weighed his newest statement in their heads and seemed to come to an idea at the same time. "Agreed."
"Really? I expected more of a fight."
"I believe that it shall be our gesture of goodwill. And I think we all would want a sample of the goods we were wishing to purchase to verify worth. It is bad business not to."
"I need a scribe!" Kili called out the door to the guards. "Now how do we go about doing this?"
"Firs' my lord, we need boundaries I thin'. An maps to draw the route." Dunri explained. "Amoun' o' goods and timin' and 'ow often they woul' be travellin'."
"We also need a demand and receive list as well. Things we could gain from trade with the elves while using the route and where they could write down what they needed as well."
A younger female dwarf with spectacles and ink stains over her fingers walked in carrying sheaves of paper and a writing palette with feathered quill and inkwell. "You called for a scribe?"
"Yes, sit please." Kili motioned to an empty chair next to him and turned his attention back to his council members. "So, what does this document need to say?"
$#$#$#$#
Kili was mentally exhausted by the time he exited the room. His mind filled with words that were unfamiliar and sentences both complex and simple. But at the end of it they gained a parchment that would be taken to Dale and fought over. He had ended up choosing Sirdoic for his representative, much to the chagrin of the rest of them and he would be heading to Dale for the meeting with a small satchel of white gems and parchment in hand. Despite the distrust he had of any politician and noble that were not family he knew that he would at least not be betrayed as he was mostly certain that Bard would have to be there as Lord of Dale. The long stone archways and corridors made Kili feel as if he had known this place all along and when he reached his destination he was greeted with a hearty hello and a pair of gloves throw at him, which he caught, rather proudly at that.
"You're late."
"How can I be late if we hadn't agreed on a time?" Kili turned to face the owner of the voice and grinned as his arm was grasped and he was pulled into a quick embrace.
"Late to me." Bofur clucked his tongue at the younger dwarf while wagging a finger, "Not that you've been here to grace us with your presence, oh great King Under the Mountain." He then gave an exaggerated bow while his brother Bifur chuckled from his table near them.
"Shove off." Kili pushed him away while he was straightening causing him to fall flat on his backside with a grunt.
"Now that was rude." Bofur used his hands to push himself back up and dust off his clothes, "I think I should have you banished, you know."
"You could try. I might just have to fight you." The younger dwarf was grinning madly now.
"I'm so afraid." Sarcasm dripped from his words.
"You should be. My head is about ready to split open. You may see horrors that you aren't ready for." The foreboding tone he used only earned a sideways 'are you serious' look.
"All that high and mighty nonsense will make it do that, you know." Bifur's eyes darted up from the project on the table and met Kili's glare.
"So if I decided to leave all this behind to spare my poor mind would you come?"
"I'd have to think about it." Bofur had quickly moved out of arm's reach as he said that and pulled out several tools.
"I wouldn't blame you. It's paradise here for some of you." Kili crossed the room to sit at a bench.
"Stop complaining. You are disgustingly rich and powerful. It must be such a burden." He handed a few of the tools to Kili and bent down to pick up a rather large covered item and placed it onto the table as well.
"There's more to life than being rich and powerful—ow!" Kili was cut off as he was struck by a small wooden rod on the back of his head.
"Take that back!" Bifur waved another stick in warning from across another table.
"Fine! Ouch." He uncovered the large rectangular package and smiled. "Anyone bother it? Come looking around?"
"Nope. Everyone is pretty particular about their tools and projects around here. Not many are going to touch something that isn't theirs for fear of getting paid back in a nasty way."
"Where is everyone?"
"Break I think." Bofur scratched his head, "I really don't know. They'll be back."
Kili looked down at the clay mold and carefully parted the two halves. "It is nice to be just us."
Bofur whistled as he stared at the carving that was nestled in the center of the soft clay, "That's some fine work you've done to that."
"And it's still not done yet." Kili gently caressed the intricate dips of his design before picking up the slim shaping and carving tool, "Just a little more and it will be ready to fire."
"I never thought of you as a designer, you know."
"I am a smith, if you forgot. I know how to make molds for weapons."
"If you think that is just a weapon you are daft. It's a work of art. And with your arm still not working quite a full strength it is especially brilliant."
"How are you healing up, Kili?" Bofur was still chipping away at his own project.
"Well enough I think. I still get painful twinges and the skin is still fairly tender and I can't pull a bow yet but Tauriel says that I have to be patient. I did die."
"Terrifying, to be dead, then not I think."
"Sometimes I lay awake at night and think about the fact that it shouldn't have been me, you know? That it should have been Thorin or Fili who lived and not me."
A hand landed on his shoulder and gave a squeeze. "We all miss them. But you shouldn't dwell on it. They wouldn't want you to live in the past when you have such a future ahead of you. Thorin reclaimed his mountain and Fili would want you to be happy."
"I know." Kili agreed, "Now no distractions. This has to be perfect."
"She is a lucky girl. Does she even know that you are doing this?"
"No. And I intend to keep it that way."
"But she does know that you are courting her, right? That kind of thing can't be a surprise to women." Bofur looked concerned and Kili waved him away.
"Not sure if she does in so many words, but this should do a lot of the explaining, right?"
"She's an elf. They might have totally different customs. You gotta think about that."
"Well it's not like I can just outright ask her about her courting customs, you know. Because then it would be obvious and possibly embarrassing."
"Would it be more embarrassing than giving her a courting gift and her turning it down without knowing what that means?"
"I can see your point." Kili grudgingly admitted, "But I still can't outright ask her."
"Maybe that friend of hers can lay it out for her and get answers for you." Bifur chimed in again.
"Great idea! That could actually work." He tapped his chin and grimaced at the still abominable lack of a beard. He had expected just a little more growth while he was doing nothing by lying in a bed all day and if it had grown he really couldn't tell the difference.
"And this one right here is going to lead us. Mahal save us all.—Hey!" He narrowly dodged a tool that was thrown in his direction. "Get to your job!"
They all laughed as Kili bent down to continue carving into the molding clay.
$%$%$
"Tauriel!" The squeal came from her right and she managed to turn just in time to brace for the impact of a small child running full tilt into her body.
"Hello, Tilda." She smiled down at the small human child.
"It's been forever since you came to see us!"
"Yes it-."
"Tilda! You can't run off like—oh, Tauriel!" The elder sister whom had been running slowed to a walk and embraced Tauriel as well before looking down at her unrepentant sister.
"It's Tauriel, Sigrid!" The girl pouted. "She hasn't seen us in forever!"
"It's only been a few weeks."
"Forever." The girl stubbornly replied.
Tauriel laughed as Tilda released her, "It must seem like forever to you. When you are small things often take forever."
"Papa is home. Are you hungry, Tauriel? Let's go home." Tilda took her hand and began leading her through the lively city. She heard Sigrid sigh and follow behind them.
The girl chattered on about all the things that were interesting to a small child while Tauriel listened and before too long they were entering the residence of Bard, Lord of Dale. Bard had never been one for lavish tastes and even now his home was functional, comfortable and not overly fine. The master of the house himself was sitting at the table fletching arrows. He looked up and gave a nod and small smile to Tauriel, "Hello, Tauriel. I see my daughters have caught you."
"I did! I brought her here cause she is a trespasser!" Tilda announced and the older people in the room caught on to the game quickly.
"It's a good thing you did. Who knows what a rogue elf could have done to the city." Bard's voice was grave and serious.
"Do you really think so, da?"
"Of course! We will have to interrogate her to find out her intentions. Do you know how to do that?" Her father stood from his chair and got into a cabinet.
"No. How?" She sounded utterly fascinated.
"With…cookies." He pulled out a glass jar filled with the sugary dessert and Tilda laughed.
"Can I be a prisoner too, da?" Tilda hopped over to her father who handed her two cookies.
"You can be a princess."
"I like that better."
"Here. Go give one to Tauriel." He handed another cookie to the girl whom already had stuffed a whole cookie into her mouth. She crossed the room and handed the cookie over to Tauriel before skipping into the living area.
"Thank you." Tauriel followed the girl to the living area before sitting down. Suprisingly Bard also joined them as well as Sigrid. "Where is Bain?"
"He's fishing with some other boys." Bard answered while sitting down on a stool. "Do you know anything about some meeting in two days?"
"If it is between Thranduil and Kili, yes."
"Yes. I received a message about it yesterday. I knew that Kili wanted to start up a trade route but I do not want to be ordered about in my own city."
"That is not what he intended when starting this."
"I know, but at least this might give me a chance to talk to both sides and figure out where we are going to fit in with all this. The city lives because of the dwarves, but the people were alive because of Elvish aid. It puts us in the middle and I don't like it."
Tauriel was about to answer when Tilda interrupted her, "Are you going to visit us again then?"
"No. Not that day."
"Why not? It sounds important."
"It is, but it is also quite boring. It would not be any fun."
"But Kili will be there."
"Yes. Like your father he must do things that are not fun."
"Oh. Well will you come after?"
"Perhaps."
"Is Kili a king?"
"Not yet. He's still a prince." Tauriel couldn't help the smile that was tugging at the corner of her lip in response to the girl's curiosity.
"But he's going to be king?"
"Yes."
"Does that mean you are going to be a Queen? Can I be your princess? Are you going to get married?" Tilda rapid fired the questions in quick succession and Tauriel gave a quick panicked glance to Bard, whom seemed interested as well.
"That is quite a bit more complicated."
"Why?"
"Because he is a dwarf and I am an elf. We are different."
"But if you love each other then why should it matter?"
"Out of the mouths of babes, they say." Bard's response made her pause but she quickly answered the girl.
"It should not, but it does."
"Well how are you going to have babies if you can't get married? Old lady Evenna says that you can't have babies out of wed…lock."
"Kili and I have not spoken about any of that yet."
"Don't you want to get married and have babies?"
Tilda's question sparked a disturbance in Tauriel as she had not given much thought to the situation in that way before. It had been mostly abstract and living in the moment these past few months. She had Kili, but for how long? Her mind which had been quiet began to race. How would they get married? Would that even make her Queen if they did? Would it even be allowed? "I had never thought about it before." She answered truthfully.
"You are so pretty and so is Kili. You would have pretty babies." Tilda was small and didn't think much about her questions and despite the fact that Tauriel had said that she could not have children with Kili aloud it was not until this moment that the true import of those words hit her and briefly caused her chest to ache. Tauriel had never wanted children, being past the usual age for betrothal and childbearing at 600 she had never really felt the urge to be a mother. Being a warrior called to her more than caring for children. Even Legolas and those fledgling feelings had not sparked that want within her. Being around Bard's family made her happy and spending time with Tilda especially, but she did not dwell on it and barely thought much about it at all and what it meant to her. She must have looked troubled because as the girl was asking yet another question her father interceded.
"Enough questions, little one. Go fetch Tauriel a drink for her cookie." Tilda stood and raced into the dining area to pick up a cup and bucket and race outside.
When she was gone Bard studied her, "Are you alright? Did she upset you?"
"No."
"Are you sure? Because you look troubled."
"I am well. She just caused me to think."
"About a family with children?"
"Can you not have them?" Sigrid asked, almost sadly and after glancing at her father she uttered a quick, "Sorry."
"I can, if I choose to, have a child. I am past the usual age for childbearing but it is not unheard of. Kili is also capable of having children."
"But not the two of you together?"
"The instance of half elven children of Men and Elf are rare and few. That of an offspring between and dwarf and elf? Never."
"Just because it has never been tried before doesn't mean it is impossible." The girl observed.
"Dwarves and Elves are made differently. The similarities between Men and Elves are greater. At any rate would the dwarves accept and elven queen?"
"Did you not think of all this before? Why now?"
"I have not had much time to dwell on it, perhaps, or I have been avoiding the topic." Tauriel observed. "Children see to the heart of things, don't they?"
"I know many women who do not have children. They seem happy." Sigrid's words were meant to be a comfort and they were in a small way to Tauriel.
"What is your opinion, Bard?"
"My children are my greatest strength and greatest weakness. I have never known a love like being a father. Others do not feel the same about it. However it is your choice how you live your life."
Tauriel nodded as the door swung open to reveal a panting child with a water bucket and cup, "I brought the water!"
"That you did my little princess."
Tilda brought Tauriel a cup as she bit into her cookie and let the sweetness explode on her tongue. "Your hair is so pretty. Can I fix it?"
Sigrid gave her a wide eyed look and slight shake of the head but Tauriel smiled at the child and nodded. "Yes."
Tilda gave a squeal of glee and ran further into the house, returning a moment later with a brush and comb. The elven woman let down her hair and the girl went to work. She stayed well into the evening and by the time she had returned to Erebor the gates were illuminated only by torchlight. Tauriel made her way tiredly down to her room. She opened the door, stepped inside and quick as a lighting strike pulled her dagger on an intruder, who squeaked and stumbled backwards into a chair.
"Mahal's mercy!" Iodi panted, "What was that for?!"
"Apologies." She quickly put the knife away and hurried over to her friend to offer a hand up.
"You nearly caused my heart to burst from my chest."
"If there is a strange person in my quarters who means me harm I will ask questions later and act now."
"Remind me never to wait for you in your quarters again."
"Without permission. You may wait in my quarter with permission and foreknowledge." Tauriel corrected, "What are you doing here?"
"We have a problem."
"What sort of problem?"
Iodi took a deep breath before beginning. "There are a startling amount of single dwarven women here."
"From what I know of your people that is not uncommon."
"What is not so common is the fact that most of them have arrived in the past week and are talking about Kili."
An unfamiliar feeling began in Tauriel's chest, a cold sort of dread. "What do you mean?"
"I spoke to a few of them and they seemed to be under the impression that the unmarried soon to be King Under the Mountain was interested in marrying. Or would soon be interested because that is what Kings do. They marry."
"Kili would not ask for dwarven women…"
"You know who would? Dis would. She has been trying from the moment she got here to break you apart."
"She apologized." Tauriel began to sound panicked.
"When?"
"Today."
"But not last week?"
"It cannot be her. It must be someone else." She was beginning to really panic now, the cold feeling growing throughout her body. "They can give him what I cannot. They will never accept me as his wife."
"Calm. Be calm." Iodi reached out to grasp Tauriel's quivering arm, "You said it yourself that Kili would not ask for dwarven women to be paraded around him. You have nothing to fear."
"I have to see him. He has to know." She paused, "I have to find Dis."
"We must deal with one thing at a time. You need to rest and not bang on the royal chambers so late at night. Nothing is happening just yet. And the guards will never let you through without a personal summons. I will stay with you tonight and first thing in the morning we will go together." Iodi spoke in a soothing tone and Tauriel's heartbeat and breathing slowed as she calmed.
"Apologies once again, my friend."
"If someone else were trying to steal my potential husband away from me I might become rather violent with her. Your reaction was quite normal."
"What was it?"
"Probably jealousy and it would not something you might have felt before."
"Are you certain about this?"
"I believe that after his coronation he will be introduced to the prospective wives. The line of Durin must continue and all of that."
"And you wish to go to him first thing in the morning? I do not know if I will be able to sleep."
"Which is why I brought you a sleeping draught." The dwarven woman reached into a satchel and pulled out a small vial. "Shouldn't leave you sleepy in the morning."
Tauriel took the vial and peered into it before uncorking it and swallowing the contents. "You will stay with me?"
"Of course. Now get some rest. We will know more tomorrow."
Tauriel nodded and shed her clothes save the shift she would sleep in. The draught was already beginning to make her eyes heavy as she nestled herself in bed. "Good night."
Tauriel didn't hear her response.
XxOxX
Dun dun dunnnnnnnnnn. Do you guys think it is Dis? Or someone else? Or is it just rumor? This is sort of a record for me at this point but don't expect another chapter next week. If it comes then cool. If not I don't want to disappoint anyone but it will come.
Tell me what you think!