And now we get to meet Thorin Stonehelm :) Due to the utter confusion of writing about two Thorins, I will be using the name Stonehelm to denote Dain's son for a majority of the story.

Thank you for all of the wonderful reviews! I hope this chapter pleases as well.

I borrowed heavily from Jane Austen once more in writing the Mr. Collins dinner scene (love it!). Hopefully some of the character connections are making more sense. Let me know what you think :)

"A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us."―Jane Austen,Pride and Prejudice

For the first time since arriving at Erebor, Signi and Lifa took supper in Gloin's family dining room. Signi was not sure she even knew that the room existed. It was a relief to be away from the king's stares and his sister's cold shoulder, but it also meant that they were to be dining in close quarters with their father's "friend".

What little conversation she had with the dwarf gave Signi adequate insight to deem him a fool. He spoke grandly of small matters, freely gave opinions that contradicted his previous statements on nearly every topic, and clung most ardently to the belief that his position granted him leave to address nobility as though they were brothers. Even when Mikel reminded him that his lack of title barred him from dining with the king, Vifil stated with a dignified sniff that his employer, Lady Katlin of Ered Luin, never slighted him because of his lowly stature.

Vifil spent a great portion of dinner conversation discussing Lady Katlin and her home, Tourmaline Hall. It seemed that she had hired Vifil a year before as book keeper for her estate. Managing massive holdings such as hers were a great undertaking and Vifil was more than willing to serve as the responsible dwarf. The more Signi listened to him describe the splendor of her home and the great care she had taken in setting up his humble rooms, the more she suspected that the lady desired not a dwarf to take responsibility, but rather one to order about. Dwarrowdams were rarely trusted to manage their own estates in Ered Luin and Signi suspected that hiring a simpleton to do just that was Katlin's way of making due.

"Her ladyship has deigned to sup with me on two occasions, both in her private dining room at Tourmaline Hall. You really must see it. Rivulets of silver are threaded in the granite walls. Such an expensive feature for a simple dining room," Vifil boasted, oblivious to the shared looks of contempt between Signi and her father.

"Thorin has veins of gold in his dining hall," grumbled Gimli. The table jarred suddenly and Gimli winced, casting his mother an injured glare. Signi smirked, suspecting that he had just received a boot to the shin.

Unfortunately for the other diners, Vifil continued as though he had not heard Gimli's comment.

"She has advised me that it is time I found a wife, particularly if I wish to continue dining with her. She is worried that rumors will circulate if I keep coming to visit unchaperoned." Laughing at his own joke, he turned a leery eye on Lifa. Signi straightened in her seat to call him out on his lewd behavior, but her father shot her a warning glance.

"She sounds like a wise patroness indeed," Mikel said slowly, his tone belying the disdain in his eyes. "She is a widow, is that correct?"

Vifil nodded vigorously, his mouth full of potato. "Aye, she is," he said, only swallowing half of his mouthful. "She lives alone with her daughter, Ana."

Signi recognized the name instantly. Ana was the king's cousin. Ana was his betrothed.

It was suddenly very hot in the dining room. Signi tugged at her collar and gulped her wine, but it only seemed to make her face flush more. Vifil was still prattling, unaware that the temperature had suddenly spiked, but Lifa noticed Signi's change in behavior and gave her questioning look.

"Later," Signi hissed, not wanting to explain her strange reaction in front of the others. In all honesty, she was not sure that she could explain it.

"…she is a great beauty, much like Lady Katlin was in her youth. It is a pity that her health is so weak. She would be ever so accomplished if she was in better health…"

There was a brief interruption in Vifil's monologue when Gimli was kicked once more by his mother. It seemed that he had fallen asleep and his snores had reached a volume that forced their guest to shout to be heard.

Settling his tone again, Vifil continued his discussion. "I have observed more than once to Lady Katlin that her charming daughter was born to be Queen. These are the kind of little things which please her ladyship, and it is the sort of attention which I am bound to pay in my position."

"A sound judgment indeed," said Mikel, his teasing tone cleverly disguised so that only his daughters caught it. "You possess the talent of flattering with delicacy. Are these pleasing attentions borne from the impulse of the moment, or are they the result of previous study?"

Vifil seemed positively giddy in his response. "Oh they arise chiefly from passing the time. Although sometimes I amuse myself by arranging such compliments that may be used in ordinary situations, I always try to give them as unstudied an air as possible."

Lifa had the misfortune of choosing that moment to take a sip of wine. Sputtering into her glass, she provided an adequate distraction to allow Signi to contain her laughter that threatened to escape.

"Believe me, no one would expect your manners to be rehearsed," Signi said, not quite masking her teasing tone as well as her father.

Vifil seemed pleased with this response and graced her with the same leery grin he shared with Lifa moments before.

Dinner stretched far too long. After their moment of fun, Signi and her father remained dutifully silent and allowed Vifil to control the conversation with his absurdity. Save for the occasional shared glance and Signi's humored snorts masked in her napkin, the meal was an utter bore. Gimli nodded off at the table once more, and only after he fell heavily from his chair in the middle of Vifil's detailed retelling of the previous month's treasury ledger did they all agree that it was time to bring the dinner to a close.

Thorin watched from the balcony in silence as Dain's soldiers milled about the camp they had set at the base of the mountain. For some unfathomable reason Dain had agreed to this half-cocked plan and marched 500 dwarves across the plain without knowing which direction they would be heading from there.

There were two possible uses for these soldiers and Thorin was torn with which plan to follow. The dwarves on his council were shocked to learn that Dain had been summoned without their advice. After he described the two possible scenarios in which the soldiers would be of assistance, the council fell into a frenzy of contention. Even Balin, who was like a brother to him, always standing beside him when he scraped rock bottom, had accused him of slipping into madness again before the entire crowd.

Only Lord Brasi, his newest member on the council, had pledged his unwavering support and offered to oversee negotiations. Thorin trusted Lord Brasi as far as he could throw him, and he liked the dwarf even less. There was an air of deceit about him that Thorin could not shake. It could be heard in his slippery tone of voice and his smarmy grins, which he gave too often with unnervingly long eye-contact. The king grit his teeth in the council chamber as he accepted Brasi's allegiance, reminding himself that allies were too few to refuse since reclaiming Erebor.

Thorin did not want to be disturbed in his watch. His thoughts were too tangled, too confused to share at the moment, and only blissful silence high in the mountain could relieve his throbbing temples. But silence was not to be had as he was joined at the ledge by Mikel Wordsmith.

Mikel was a dwarf of few words and often cut to the chase when he spoke so as to not waste the time of himself or his listener.

"You have the dwarves you need. Which of my daughter's impetuous plans will you be following?"

Thorin whipped his head around to meet the dwarf with his piercing glare. He did not know how Mikel had discovered that Signi was the source of these plans – he had been careful to not reveal their conversation in an effort to keep his advisors from immediately dismissing the ideas. The king had not spent more than five minutes with Mikel, but in that moment he was instantly reminded of Signi. Like his daughter, he placed little stock in rank, speaking his mind to any who would listen, king or not. As much as the trait riled Thorin, he placed far more respect in it than the two-faced groveling he saw in his council members.

Meeting the dwarf with equal frankness, Thorin said," I do not know. I have two possible uses for the soldiers, both of which would be beneficial to the dwarves within the mountain. Neither plan is practical, but they are better than any solution my advisors have been able to supply."

Mikel nodded as Thorin spoke. "Signi's heart is as deep and wide as Sea of Rhun, but she lacks the sense and experience to tackle her ambitions. Perhaps I indulged her too much as a child, but she has great potential."

"I wouldn't say it is sense she is lacking," Thorin grumbled, remembering their most recent disagreement. Sense she had plenty of, it was control she lacked. Control of her temper, control of her tongue, and control of her willful pride.

"I take you have been on the receiving end of one of her rants." Mikel said with a knowing chuckle.

Thorin snorted. "A time or two."

"Consider yourself lucky then. Dain found himself felled by her sharp tongue on a regular basis."

"That does not surprise me," Thorin said with a smirk. "Dain is as big a fool as any."

Mikel laughed in agreement. Pulling out his pipe, he slowly set to work filling the bowl with sticky pipe weed.

"Did Dain ever tell you what happened after you left the Iron Hills for your quest?"

Thorin shook his head, bristling in remembrance of his cousin's slight. He was slow to forgive Dain his refusal to support him in the quest, even after the Battle of Five armies, which would have been a massive defeat if Dain had not come to their aid.

"Signi was in a right fit when she learned that Dain refused to support you on your quest," Mikel said, his eyes trained on the pipe as he packed. "She called him more names than I dare repeat – coward and craven were among them. She questioned his loyalty to the line of Durin and told him that only a fool would grant fealty to a stone rather than a king."

Mikel's words hit Thorin like a punch in the chest. Never had he heard Signi speak so vehemently on his behalf. She spent so much of her time resisting his authority that he was sure that she was one of many under his reign that did not see him as a king.

Unaware of the impact of his words, or perhaps ignoring Thorin's reaction, Mikel continued with his story. "Signi was so convincing in her argument that Dain had half a mind to meet you at the gates of Erebor himself, but the other advisors warned against it. When the raven came requesting assistance, Dain did not even bother seeking advice from the council."

"But why would she fight so hard on my behalf? I was not her king and I was rude to her," Thorin wondered aloud. He did not like the whine his voice had taken in memory of their disastrous first encounter.

Mikel fixed his withering gaze on Thorin. The king felt like shrinking in his boots, but remained standing tall and proud.

"My daughter may behave childishly from time to time, but she is no fool. Young she is, and spirited, but she knows right from wrong better than any dwarf I have met. When Signi says that the people of Dale are suffering unnecessarily, she is not wrong. You have heeded her advice far enough to summon Dain's soldiers, what are you going to do now?"

Thorin did not know how to answer this question. Somehow his paper-thin plans to build Dale's army beside his own seemed weak in comparison to the proposal Signi had told his sister those weeks before.

"I suggest," continued Mikel when Thorin did not answer, "that you ask Signi how to address this. It is her idea after all; surely the two of you can form an effective strategy."

Signi bounced impatiently on the bench as she waited for her sister to finish eating breakfast. The sun had been up for a few hours already and Signi did not want to delay her morning walk outside any longer.

"I am still not sure it is a good idea," Lifa said, tearing her toast into small bites before she ate them. It took everything within Signi's power to not throw her sister's plate to the ground. Lifa was purposely stalling and it was driving her sister absolutely mad with annoyance.

"We aren't doing anything wrong," said Signi in an exasperated tone. They had been over this three times already that morning. "We are going to see our kin. The king cannot stop us from that."

Lifa shrugged and picked up a second piece of toast. "I still don't think it is a good idea."

Rolling her eyes, Signi said,"Kili and Gimli are going with us, so we will be well protected. We are simply going on a walk, it is not like we are donning armor and marching on the frontlines."

Lifa said nothing as she finished her toast and meticulously wiped the crumbs from her mouth. She seemed completely unconcerned that her sister was on the verge of tearing out her own braids. Satisfied with her breakfast, she finally rose and began to walk toward the Great Hall exit.

"Thank Mahal," muttered Signi as she hurried after her.

Their companions were waiting just inside the front gate, but it seemed a third dwarf had joined them. Judging by Gimli's sheepish expression and Kili's murderous glint, Vifil had happily invited himself on this excursion.

Signi groaned inwardly as she was met by his deep bow and rapturous greeting, Lifa receiving nothing more than stiff nod. It was an unfortunate turn of events the night before when Vifil learned from Gloin's wife, Galen, that the eldest sister had captured the attentions of Prince Fili. As an ever efficient dwarf, Vifil found this inconvenience to be a small matter and promptly turned his schemes on Signi. It seemed that he was determined to follow Lady Katlin's ridiculous advice and the daughters of Mikel Wordsmith suited him just fine.

Yanking her hand from his grasp before his lips could brush her knuckles, Signi stalked ahead of the group, desperate to get away from their most unwelcome guest.

"I'm sorry, Signi," Gimli said as he caught up to her. "I tried to escape, but your father agreed that he should come with us."

"Traitor!" Signi hissed. Betrayed by her own father. He would pay for this.

Kili fell in step on her other side. "Don't blame your father," he chastised. "He has dealt with him since the Iron Hills."

Signi scowled at his teasing expression. How few friends she had at Erebor it seemed. The thought that Kara would sympathize with her that night at the ball gave Signi little comfort.

Despite Vifil's presence and endeavors to remain latched to her side, the walk was fairly pleasant. It was early enough in the day that the air had not reached the steaminess associated with mid-summer, but the sun shone with white-hot light and few clouds were scattered across the sky in thin swipes. The group sang silly songs as they walked, laughing when Vifil stumbled over the unfamiliar words. He was not one for songs, but he would not be deterred in his effort to win Signi's affections.

Upon entering the camp, Lifa cast her eyes downward as she walked, blushing furiously when they passed dwarves half-dressed and washing up at communal barrels. Signi giggled at her sister's discomfort, her own roving eyes eagerly searching out muscled chests and sturdy backs. The males in their company rolled their eyes at her behavior, but made no move to interrupt her enjoyment. Vifil made a few comments about the indecency of these dwarves in the presence of ladies, but ceased his muttering when a soldier twice his height and girth greeted Signi with a cheeky grin and peck on her hand.

"I will never understand dwarrowdams and their need to pair off," grunted Gimil as he watched Signi ogle a group of dwarves wrestling. The soldiers donned nothing but their breeches and their skin was slippery with sweat. Signi's belly simmered hot and heavy as she watched their muscles ripple under rivulets of hair. Kili had to take her arm and jerk her away from the show to keep them moving.

"You clearly haven't met the right dwarrodams," teased Kili with mischievous wink.

Gimli grunted in agreement. "I like a woman that can fight like a man. I need a little challenge in the marriage bed, if you know what I mean."

Signi and Kili roared with laughter, while Lifa fought diligently to hide her maidenly sniggers. Only Vifil seemed rightfully horrified by this proclamation, his disdainful muttering falling on deaf ears.

"Then let me direct you to some dwarrodams that you might find fit," Signi panted, unable to stop laughing long enough to speak.

Turning in the direction Signi pointed, Gimli was immediately taken aback by the sight of five dwarrowdams gathered in a semi-circle. Each of them were stout as oxes, their muscled backs flexed and their heavy bosoms swinging in their tunics as they heaved massive axes.

"Durin's beard," Gimli muttered, his mouth sagging at the sight. After a few gulping breaths for composure, the young dwarf hastened across the green to meet these fighting dwarrowdams.

"I think we have lost him for good," muttered Kili as they watched Gimli's gallant bow, which was met with laughter.

Signi shook her head. "He doesn't have a chance with them," she chuckled. With a nod, she pointed out a group of large soldiers, all cracking their knuckles as they watched Gimli's attempts to woo.

"Poor lamb," said Lifa, her eyes twinkling with mirth. "You have just led him to the slaughter."

The captain's tent was large and ornate compared to the stark white tents surrounding it on all sides. Both sides of the entrance were flanked by guards dressed in Durin blue. Inside, Dain's loud brogue followed by the king's baritone rumble suggested that a heated debate was underway.

"Perhaps we should come back later," Kili said quietly, attempting to draw Signi away from the door.

"Nonesense," she said. "Dain has never complained about me showing up unannounced before."

Just then, the flaps of the tent opened and familiar dwarf stepped through. He stood a moderate height and built like a seasoned warrior despite his youth. With russet colored hair and a skimpy beard, much like Kili's, he was unnervingly handsome. Even his mischievous grin and deeply dimpled cheeks rivaled that of the Durin princes.

Signi shocked Kili and Vifil when she threw her arms around this dwarf. "Thorin!" She shouted as she clung tightly to his neck.

Thorin Stonehelm chuckled at her greeting, scuffing her hair in a brotherly manner until she let go of him.

"It's good to see you as well, Signi," he laughed, throwing an arm over her shoulders. "And you Lifa, looking lovelier than ever." He bowed politely, bringing Signi with him in the process, his lips dusting lightly over Lifa's hand.

Turning his attention to their male companions, he captured Kili's hand and gave it a sturdy shake. "You must be the other prince," he said warmly. "I met your brother just a little bit ago," he added, nodding toward the tent behind him.

"And you must be Thorin Stonehelm," Kili replied with a grin. "Signi has told me a great deal about you."

Signi rolled her eyes, but continued to beam at her friend. "Nothing good, I assure you," she teased.

The group continued to visit, Signi and Stonehelm sharing a friendly banter. The pair had been friends since birth, Young Thorin just a few months younger than Signi, and had spent nearly every waking moment in together throughout their childhood. He was like the brother she did not have, much like Kili had grown to be in Erebor.

But even months apart could not explain Stonehelm's lingering gazes or the tingling swoop she felt when his arm drew her tighter against his solid chest. She always knew he was a dwarf in possession of good looks, but in this light she considered him very handsome indeed.

Signi was too distracted by her childhood friend to notice the flaps of the tent opening once more and they were joined by two more dwarves. Prince Fili greeted Lifa straight away with a warm smile and kiss on the hand. He was so dedicated to his ministrations that he nearly forgot to greet her sister as well. Behind him stood the king who remained stoic before them, but supplied a brief nod to each of the ladies.

His expression changed however when his eyes landed on Stonehelm's arm still draped around Signi's shoulders. Lowering his brow, his mouth twisted in a fierce scowl.

Stonehelm remained calm despite the look of sheer hatred he received. Slipping his arm away from Signi, he greeted the king with a stiff bow, smug smirk securely in place.

Thorin made no effort to return the gesture. His fists were clenched at his sides when he turned and stomped away from the group. Fili was as baffled as the others by this odd behavior and he gave them all an apologetic grimace before running after his uncle.

"It was nice to meet you," he called over his shoulder to Stonehelm. "See you at the ball tonight!"

Soon after the strange encounter with the king, Lifa insisted that she wanted to head back to the mountain. She claimed that she was seeking reprieve from the rising heat, but they all shared amused winks knowing that she was hoping to meet with Fili. Kili and Gimli had joined the group of wrestling dwarves and were too drunk on testosterone to accompany her. Signi and Stonehelm slipped quietly away from the group, wandering close to the lake for private conversation. And it was in this manner that Vifil found himself alone in Lord Dain's army camp with nothing but his practiced social code to keep the soldiers taunts at bay. He floundered for nearly half the morning in his efforts to find Signi amongst the dwarves before admitting defeat and returning indignantly to the mountain.

Signi sat beside her friend on the shore of the lake, her boots shed and skirts drawn back to allow the icy waters to nip at her toes. Stonehelm kept his boots on, but lounged beside her on the sand propped on his elbow. It felt like no time had passed between them and they were dwarflings once more, skipping stones across ponds in the Iron Hills.

"What happened back there?" she asked. Shielding her eyes against the light reflecting on the lake, she watched as brown and white fish hawks swooped to catch her prey. She did know why, but she was dreading the answer to her question.

Stonehelm did not ask her to elaborate. Sighing deeply he said, "The king and I have not always got on so well."

Signi glanced at him unamused. "I could see that for myself. Any particular reason why?"

He did not answer right away. Stretching his arm across the damp sand, he allowed his fingertips to trail lightly across the back of her hand. Signi shivered at his touch, but did not pull away.

"Did you know that I fall after Kili in line for the throne?" he asked, raising his eyes to hers. They were a unique shade, a greenish sort of blue, and for a moment Signi considered them almost as handsome as the king's icy blue irises. Shaking her head in both an answer and to erase her strange thoughts, she waited for Stonehelm to continue.

"Well, I was in line for it," he said bitterly. "For some reason this bothered Thorin. Father abdicated his position years ago stating that he wanted no part of this cursed mountain's future. Ever since then, Thorin has excluded me from any decisions on behalf of Erebor."

"That is terrible," Signi said, casting an angry glance toward the mountain looming in the distance.

"That is not the worst of it," Stonehelm continued, drawing his hand away to sit upright, elbows resting on his raised knees. Signi watched his tensed back as he spoke. "When he came to the Iron Hills seeking father's assistance on his quest, I volunteered my axe to save his nephews from going. He refused of course, and accused me of trying to take the throne from him and the princes."

"That is the most absurd thing I have heard!" exclaimed Signi. In all of Thorin's foolish and distrustful behavior, she never dreamed that he would accuse one of his lineage of something so ridiculous. Perhaps, she mused, the dragon sickness had begun long before the journey.

"I agree," Stonehelm lamented. "I had never been so insulted in my life. After they left I went to Ered Luin – you should remember – to care for their families left behind. The nobles there are the slimiest I have seen and I wasn't about to let them take advantage of the women and children while the dwarves were gone."

Signi nodded, remembering the months that he spent away from the Iron Hills. She found it to be an honorable deed and had praised him for his selflessness upon his return to the fort.

"Thorin did not appreciate my efforts in the slightest. When he returned after Erebor was claimed he immediately banished me from Ered Luin with not so much as an ingot of gold for compensation. I went home disgraced by my kin with no connections in the Ered Luin. Only the king's council at Erebor has managed to protect me from banishment here as well."

Her heart wrenched for her dear friend, and as he spoke, Signi found her hand looping through his arm and tangling with his. Stonehelm smiled faintly at the gesture and brought her fingers to his lips.

"Why would he do such a thing?" she murmured, leaning her head on his solid shoulder. "You are his family, what would make him turn on his own family?" Many things could be said about Thorin Oakenshield, but none could claim that he would disown his kin. Even Dis had mentioned in their argument a week before that family was his vulnerability.

Stonehelm glanced down at Signi's sad expression and gave a wry chuckle. "Do not feel sorry for me. It's the king's own pride that gets him every time and my father comes to the rescue without batting an eye. Father funded his establishment in Ered Luin, he came to his aide when he refused to work with the elves and men, and now he is sacrificing good soldiers to save Thorin's precious trade routes. Mark my words, Thorin Oakenshield's weighty pride will destroy him long before it does me."

Signi frowned at his mention of the trade routes. She did not know why the king called for Dain and his army, but she had hoped that it would be for more charitable concerns. Surely he had not followed her advice given that night on the watchtower. Her suggestion was borne of annoyance at the king and his dislike of the elves. She was goading him, backing him into a corner, attempting to make him see that he had to open up to neighboring kingdoms if they expected this one to survive.

Stonehelm noticed her distant expression and frowned, tugging her hand to draw her from her thoughts. "I do not mean to speak so ill of the king," he said, capturing her gaze with a charming smile. "He is surely a perfect gentleman here at Erebor. I have only known him when he was still determining the fate of his people."

Snorting in disagreement, Signi rolled her eyes and said, "I am afraid gentleman-like behavior is lost on our dear king. He is as prideful and foolish as you described. The less I have to see him, the better."

Her friend grinned widely at her response. "I wish I could say that I am surprised, but that is not the case." Turning slightly, he tugged on her arm again, pulling her against his muscled chest, his chin resting on top of her braids.

Signi grinned into his tunic, inhaling deeply the tangy scent of his mail shirt and the subtle smoke of the pipe he had enjoyed that morning. For a moment she was reminded of Thorin's smoky leather smell, but pushed it away in favor of enjoying the moment. She would be lying if she said that Stonehelm's attentions, foreign as they might be despite their friendship, were not welcomed. She was comfortable in his arms and wondered what it would be find herself in them again that night as they danced.

"Are you going to the ball tonight?" she asked, blushing when she realized the question was out of place. "I mean, since the king would be there and all."

Stonehelm chuckled lightly against her hair, his breath tickling down her neck. "Oh I will be there, you can count on that. Thorin's growls cannot drive me away from a ball. If he doesn't want to see me, he can leave. Nobody likes a stone-faced bore at parties."

Signi giggled at the audacity of her friend. Calling the king a stone-faced bore on his own grounds was not for the faint of heart.

The friends remained on the shore for some time after that, talking of silly things and watching the fishermen of Esgaroth cast their nets across the lake. Only when the sun was straight above and their stomachs rumbled loudly for lunch did the pair make their way back to camp. Signi left Stonehelm there, blushing furiously when he kissed her hand, keeping his smiling eyes trained on hers. Long after she was in the mountain and seated at the dining hall table did the fluttering in her belly start to subside, only to renew when she thought back to Thorin Stonehelm's solid arms about her waist. Mahal, she thought bitterly, she was turning into her sister.

For the sake of mental imagery, I have based Stonehelm's looks on a blue-eyed Sam Claflin. Men are difficult to describe!