Sorry about this being such a talky chapter. You get Fili and Bard in a room together and somehow it turns into jabber jabber jabber, yak yak yak. Who knew?
"I look like a twit."
Sigrid bit her lip to hold in her giggle at Fili's discomfort. "Don't be silly," she chided, reaching across the space between their ponies to take his hand and squeeze.
The crown prince glanced at her through the fur that edged his hood. "I'm bundled up like a dwarfling who's not yet grown his first beard," he complained, though he didn't release her hand. Indeed he was dressed in thick layers of suede and fur, with gloves and warm, lace up moccasins over his regular boots. His golden hair was all but swallowed by the hood of his cloak.
Sigrid grinned, straightening her own fur-lined traveling cloak with her free hand before re-taking the reins. "And what do you expect? It's still chilly as winter here in the valley. I'm not about to let you go gallivanting down to Dale in naught but a spring coat and breeches so that you can come down with a fresh chill when I've just gotten you well from the last one."
Fili grumbled under his breath but didn't argue anymore, choosing instead to lace his gloved fingers with hers as they rode.
They'd departed the mountain earlier that afternoon and Dale was already beginning to rise on the horizon ahead of them, gleaming gold and terracotta in the April sun that hung low in the sky. It hardly seemed possible that it had only been that morning when she and Fili had been found curled up in his bed. She'd been convinced then that she'd be making this journey back to Dale on her own, courting beads removed and Fili stolen away from her.
A warm flush of happiness rushed through her as she swung their joined hands. Her fears had been quickly laid to rest, first by Fili's mother, then by the King Under the Mountain himself. Dwarves, she'd discovered, were quick to anger, but that anger could cool just as quickly given the right circumstance. Apparently the opportunity to see her married to Fili was just such a circumstance.
"Ah, I wish we had a portrait-maker here!" Sigrid glanced over her shoulder to see Dis beaming jovially at them between her pony's ears. "You two look sweet as a painting in a picture book, holding hands and riding along like the prettiest lovers the world ever did see."
"Certainly one of us is pretty," Fili agreed with a smile. Sigrid blushed as he raised her hand to his lips for a gentle kiss.
"And my prince is devilishly handsome," she teased, letting her knuckles brush over his cheek before taking the reins with both hands and spurring her pony to go a little faster. She heard Fili laugh as his pony passed hers, and soon they were in an all-out race across the lush green grass of the spring valley. Dis shouted after them to slow down, though her laughter belied her tone.
Soon enough they reached the outskirts of the city. Townsfolk called out in greeting as their Lady rode by, and Sigrid returned each greeting with a friendly bow of her head or hello of her own.
"Hallo, Lady Sigrid! Fine weather this day!"
"Aye, master blacksmith! Be sure to come out of your forge and enjoy the air, else I'll be telling your wife you're working too hard again!"
"G'day, Lady Sigrid! Bless ye, and yer young man!"
"Thank you, mistress milliner! My best to master milliner, too, and your little grandbabies!"
"Nine and counting, milady!"
Dis chuckled as she urged her pony to catch up to Sigrid and Fili. "The people love you, lass," the dwarrowdam noted with approval.
Sigrid blushed. "They are good people," she said. "They have much love and kindness in them. I think they must pity me and think me still the little girl from the lake shores of Esgaroth, who must be coddled and treated gently lest I break."
"Nay, lass. I think they love you because you are easy to love," Fili argued, giving her a brilliant smile that made her heart flutter. "You are made to be loved, my Sigrid."
"Aye, and the Khazad shall love you, too, lass, when you wear my Fili's braids in your hair, a princess and future queen." Dis beamed proudly.
"I hope that I shall not disappoint them," Sigrid murmured. "There is still much I don't know of dwarf custom."
"Don't worry, my Sigrid," Fili assured her in a soft, rumbling voice. "I'll teach you." She smiled gratefully and reached for his hand again.
"But before we can be planning that we must settle this matter with your father," Dis remarked. "I must say I look forward to seeing the Lord Bard again. He's a smart man, your father, and thoughtful. Far more level-headed than Thorin, and a damn sight less pompous than that trumped up fairy Thranduil."
Sigrid didn't think she'd ever be able to face the elven king again without picturing him with a pair of iridescent wings and a spangled wand, like the fairies from her storybooks. Oh dear. That could prove embarrassing...
"Ah, here we are!" Dis crowed happily as they drew up in front of the Lord's Manse at the center of the city. "It's been too long since I've been to your city, Sigrid. It's looking fine, very fine."
"Aye, we weathered the winter very well," Sigrid agreed proudly, letting Fili help her down from her pony (she could have done it herself without trouble, the pony being so much smaller than her usual horse, but it was an opportunity to have his hands on her waist for a stolen moment).
"SIGRID!" The front door of the manse flew open and Sigrid found herself nearly bowled over as Tilda threw herself at her sister's waist.
"Hello to you, too, little one!" Sigrid laughed, crouching down to hug her sister. She'd only been away for a few days but she'd still missed the younger girl dearly. "Where's Bain?"
"He's off at the guardhouse, learning to be a soldier. He won't be back till tomorrow."
"Does Da know?" Sigrid asked, standing up and smoothing down her skirts.
"Oh aye. He doesn't like it much but Bain's been a pill about it, so Da let him go."
"And who's this then?" Sigrid looked up to see Dis smiling at them.
"Ah, of course! Lady Dis, this is my sister, Tilda. Tilda, this is Fili and Kili's mother, Princess Dis of Erebor."
Tilda offered an awkward curtsy to the dwarrowdam. "Hallo, Princess Dis. Thank you for bringing my sister home."
"It was my pleasure to spend time in her company, Miss Tilda," Dis remarked with a majestic curtsy of her own. "But I admit we've come for reasons beyond simply accompanying Lady Sigrid home."
"Oh? Why then?"
"I'm here to win your sister's hand once and for all," Fili said with a grin.
Tilda glanced up at Fili as if seeing him for the first time, and her eyes widened. "Fili! I thought you were a little boy!"
Sigrid covered her mouth to hide her laughter at Fili's pathetic expression, hidden though it was inside his fur hood. "See!" he protested. "I told you I look like a twit!"
Dis hooked her arm through Tilda's, ignoring her son's complaints. "Will you show us in to your father, Miss Tilda?" she asked.
"Da's just got back from the granary, but I'll let him know you're here," Tilda said with a nod as she led the dwarrowdam into the manse. "Do you want a cup of tea?"
"That would be lovely, Miss Tilda, thank you."
Sigrid let them get ahead a ways before hooking her own arm through Fili's. "Are you ready, my love?" she asked.
He patted her hand on his arm as they followed his mother and Tilda. "Of course. Are you?"
"I am glad you're here, and Lady Dis," she admitted.
"Mother will make sure that all goes well," Fili assured her.
That made Sigrid laugh. "Aye, that I believe. She is very hard to ignore."
"I told you that our dwarrow ladies rule their homes with an iron fist, didn't I?" Fili grinned. "Now you know what I mean."
By the time they'd all settled down to tea in the parlor they were joined by Bard. His hair was pulled back from his face and he looked freshly scrubbed. He clearly hadn't been expecting royal visitors and had hurriedly cleaned up when Tilda told him who'd arrived.
"Highness, it's a pleasure to see you again," the Lord of Dale said with a practiced bow to Dis. He was getting better at it, and it came out looking more and more refined each time. "And you as well, Prince Fili." He smiled at Sigrid. "My Sigrid."
She hopped up from her spot on the sofa and hugged him. "Hello, Da. Did you miss me?"
"Every day, my girl. You look well."
"Aye, so do you. Dame Meera has been ensuring you eat properly, I see."
Her father laughed as she pulled away. "I am capable of feeding myself, Sigrid."
"I know that," she chastised with a smile. "It's just that you so rarely choose to do so."
Bard let her return to her seat beside Fili as he turned his attention once more to their guests. "To what do I owe the honor of your visit, Highnesses?" he asked. "I assume this is more than a simple social call."
"You assume correctly, Lord Bard," Dis said, gesturing for him to sit. She was shorter than her son and her feet dangled well off the floor, but while her stature was childlike her bearing was every bit royal. "As you know, my son has been courting your dear daughter. And a fine daughter she is, Lord. You have raised her well, and it's clear she is much loved by your family and your people."
Bard smiled and bowed his head in assent. "That she is, Princess. She has been among my dearest treasures since the day she was born."
"I believe it, Sir, I believe it." Dis smiled kindly. "We dwarrows know a little something of treasure, and it is clear that Lady Sigrid is a precious soul. My son has fallen quite desperately in love with her." Fili took Sigrid's hand and gave her a warm smile and she took the opportunity to lean into him, grateful for his solid presence at her side.
"I can tell that they are much enamored of each other," Bard remarked, his eyes on Sigrid and Fili for a moment before returning to Dis. "But you must understand my trepidation, Highness. Love, while precious, can be fleeting. My daughter is very dear to me, and while I have nothing but respect for your sons, I nonetheless must look to experience for guidance in these matters.
"The crown prince may have told you, but my Sigrid has been the object of courtship of many failed suitors for the better part of a year. While some were bad men, there were nonetheless a fair few who were good men and who could have given my daughter a safe home and the promise of prosperity. While there was no immediate affection, you and I both know that sentiment is cold comfort on an empty stomach beneath a leaky roof. But where security is assured love can grow, and such might have been the case for any of the good men who sought my daughter's hand these last six months.
"But I did not force my daughter to marry any of these men, because I never wish to see her eyes lose the sparkle that have been their hallmark since she was a babe in the cradle."
"Then surely, my Lord Bard, you can see how the match with my son is ideal," Dis commented before he could continue. "For in my Fili your daughter will find safety, security, prosperity, and a heart full of love."
Bard raised a hand to stop her. "That is why I worry, Princess," he continued. "While your kin have been our neighbors since the fall of Smaug, and the dwarves of Erebor have been generous with both their gold and their manpower to rebuild our cities, nonetheless our individual relationships are tenuous at best. Your other son, Prince Kili, is perhaps the best known to our house, and has proven a good friend and a finer gentleman.
"But the Crown Prince..." Bard trailed off and turned his gaze to Fili. Sigrid squeezed the prince's hand as he met Bard's gaze head on, unflinching. "I am sorry, Prince Fili, but I do not know you well enough to believe that the love you bear my daughter will last so long as she deserves. I intend to see her live a long life that is never wanting for the love of her family, including her husband, and this love that has sprung up between the pair of you has flared too quickly and too bright to be trusted to endure. And while affection may blossom where comfort is established, there is nothing so painful as a broken heart that has known love and been abandoned. We Men do not live so long as dwarves do, and our every moment is that much more precious as a result. I will not have my daughter withering beneath the mountain, starved of love, if you should decide upon reflection that she is not the one you desire. Not for all the gold in Erebor."
"Da," Sigrid chided, mortified, but her father gave her a firm look and shook his head to silence her protests.
Fili bowed his head in acknowledgment. "I understand your concerns, Lord Bard," he said. "I told you once that I have been in love with your daughter since our company first encountered your family in Esgaroth, before the fall of Smaug. I assure you, that was not an idle remark. At the time I did not recognize the feeling that burned in my breast for what it was, and it was such a small thing that I did not even know it was there. In the years that have passed since then I've scarce had opportunity to examine my own heart to focus on that little ember, but it has continued to smolder unabated since that winter day. And now that the rebuilding of Dale and Lake-town has all but finished, and the rebuilding of Erebor has been more than half completed, I find myself spending more and more time consumed by that little ember; so much so that it's fanned itself into full flame.
"My Lord, I love your daughter. I cannot imagine binding myself to another. Any such bond would find itself burned away by this blaze of love that has turned my blood to fire. I have spent the past week abed with fever and scarce able to breathe, and it did not abate until Sigrid came to my side to cool my blood and soothe the ache in my chest. If she leaves me again I know I will fall once more into sickness, and I will not be revived except by her presence. It is more than a chill; it is a sickness of the heart, and Sigrid is my cure. Without her I may live, but it would not be a life worth living."
Sigrid touched his cheek. "Nor would mine be worth living without you, my Fili," she murmured, before looking to her father. "Da, Fili understands me. He understands how... odd it has been for me, to go from a girl in hand-me-downs to a noblewoman. And he doesn't care." She looked at Fili again, hopeless and besotted. "He fills a space I didn't know was empty. I did not even know I wasn't whole until I discovered my other half with him." She bit her lip and pressed her forehead to Fili's. He smiled and toyed with her courting braid, his blue eyes bright with conviction.
"Lord Bard," Dis added kindly, and Sigrid glanced up to see her father looking conflicted. Clearly Fili's speech hadn't convinced him and neither had hers, which was enough to drive her mad. "My Lord, I know that you find it hard to trust my son's words. No, don't apologize; I understand. It is easy to make proclamations of love when you're young and feel invincible. You and I have lived full lives already; we know the hardships our children may face. It is hard to hear them speak so plainly and so openly about love and happiness without worrying that they are forgetting the difficulties that life will throw at them that no amount of love can prevent.
Dis sighed. "Children are a rare gift among the dwarrow, my Lord, and a girl child to a dwarf is as precious as mithril. Please believe me when I say that I would not ask you to pledge your daughter to my Fili if I did not recognize the depth of feeling he holds for her. I would never take a child from her family if I could not guarantee her happiness. It is not in me nor in any of my line to be so cruel, nor to speak empty words when we speak of love. You said yourself Sigrid is a treasure, and I promise you that my Fili will treasure her above all else, until such time as Mahal takes us back into the halls of our fathers to wait for the rebuilding of the world."
"Above all else?" Bard said, a little sharper than he'd probably intended, though he didn't back down. "Above even the wishes of the King Under the Mountain?"
"Yes, Da," Sigrid said, surprised by her own voice. "He has already stood up to King Thorin on my behalf. He was ready to give up the throne to be by my side."
Bard's dark eyes turned to Fili with confusion, and Sigrid instantly recognized her mistake. "What?" her father demanded, seizing on the opportunity to find a chink in the armor of Fili's love confession. "What is this my daughter speaks about? Why should such a confrontation have been necessary?"
Fili, bless him, only looked mildly panicked. "My uncle was not well pleased by my... closeness to Sigrid as she aided my recovery these past few days," he answered awkwardly.
Bard's face turned stormy. "Not well pleased? I send my daughter to the Lonely Mountain to tend to his sickly nephew, to heal her suitor in the midst of their courtship, and the King Under the Mountain is not well pleased?"
"Da, it's not like that!" Sigrid protested. Already she could see all the progress they'd made in winning his favor begin to whirl away like water over a dam. He was so overprotective! So ready to see the worst to keep her from being hurt. If he'd just listen!
"No, Sigrid, I'll not have you defending this behavior!"
"Da, please!"
"Lord Bard, let me explain-"
"I've heard enough!"
"SILENCE!" Dis's voice boomed through the parlor, loud enough to rattle the teacups in their saucers. When she was sure she had their full attention she smoothed her skirts and turned to Fili and Sigrid. "Children, would you give Lord Bard and I some time to speak privately? I feel that this is a situation that requires the frank discussion of one parent to another. My dear Sigrid, perhaps you could set my Fili to cooking up some supper. He is not well-versed in fancy meals, but he's a fine hand at the rough fare of the road. Give him a pot, some meat, a few vegetables and a pinch of salt and he'll make a meal fit for a Lord's house." She smiled and gestured to the door, her expectation clear.
Sigrid took Fili's hand and stood quickly, grateful for the opportunity to escape. "Of course, Lady Dis. As you wish." They both made hasty obeisances before Sigrid all but dragged Fili from the room, closing the door behind them.
"Cor, Da sounds mad!" Sigrid nearly jumped out of her skin when Tilda peeked her head around the corner by the stairs, beaming ear to ear. "What did you two do!"
"It's nothing," Sigrid said, blushing furiously. "Come along, Fili, I'll show you to the kitchens."
"Oh, yes, please." Fili sounded eager to be as far away from the parlor as possible.
They'd almost reached the flagstones of the kitchen when they heard Bard's unmistakable bellow from the parlor. "THEY DID WHAT!"
"It doesn't sound like nothing!" Tilda trilled from the staircase.
"Oh, Valar," Sigrid groaned.
+%+%+%+%+%+%+%+
Shockingly, despite his roar of anger, Bard did not emerge from the parlor to lay waste to Fili, which the dwarf found simultaneously good and bad. It was good, of course, because it meant he'd get to live a little bit longer. It was bad, however, because it meant his mother had somehow distracted Sigrid's father from seeking vengeance. That probably meant she was sharing some awful, embarrassing anecdote from his childhood that she thought would make him appear to be a playful scamp instead of a dreadful lecher. That was itself a double-edged sword.
They'd dispatched Tilda to go tell Dame Meera and her daughters that Fili would be preparing their evening meal, as much to stop Tilda eavesdropping on the conversation in the parlor as to save the tavern matron from making an unnecessary trip. Now Fili and Sigrid were busying themselves preparing Fili's specialty – a thick, rich stew that could keep a dwarf full and happy for a whole day of traveling over even the worst terrain.
"This is all my fault," Sigrid bemoaned from the cutting board, where she was dutifully chopping carrots and onions to add to the stew pot that bubbled away above the fire. "Clumsy, stupid Sigrid. What was I thinking, bringing that up?"
Fili set aside his own knife and abandoned his little pile of potatoes to round the counter and press a kiss to her cheek. "Stop that," he said, smiling up into her unhappy face. "No more insults, understand? You've done nothing wrong."
"But he needn't have ever known! And me, the dumb cow, goes and blabs-"
"STOP." He laid a hand over her mouth to stem her tide of self-recrimination.
Sigrid's shoulders slumped and she gazed at him pitifully over his fingers.
"Your father is a good man," Fili said. "He is a kind man, and he is a fair man. I would not like to think that you feel you have to keep secrets from your own flesh and blood. That is something I never want for you, my Sigrid. I never want you to think you have to hold something back for fear of the consequences. Your father is angry, but I feel certain that he will come to the right decision. Have faith in him, and in me, and most especially in yourself. Understand?"
She nodded.
"If I take my hand away, are you going to keep cursing your own name?"
She shook her head.
"Do you promise?"
Nod.
"All right then."
He slowly took his hand away and Sigrid smiled tearfully. "I know it's silly," she said. "But I still feel responsible. What if he forbids the marriage?"
"My mother won't let him."
"My father is very stubborn."
"So is my mother."
"Even if he says yes he might take a strong dislike to you. I couldn't bear that."
"Then I will win him back to my side with my charm and wit."
Sigrid giggled, and Fili was glad to see some of her worry dissipate. "You think very highly of yourself, Master dwarf, for one whose hands smell like potatoes."
He laughed and kissed her chin. "Just you wait till you've tasted my stew, my Lady. You'll see why I have fair reason to boast."
"I'll hold you to that, dwarf." Her eyes sparkled as she returned to her slicing, and if it was possible to cut carrots jauntily, that's what she did.
It was another hour or two before the stew was done. Tilda had just finished setting the table and Fili was debating whether or not he should buck up the courage to go knock on the parlor door to announce that supper was ready when Bard and Dis emerged on their own.
They were laughing.
"So you see, he was running around like a little naked squirrel, covered in leaves with a mouth full of acorns!" Dis laughed, and Bard wheezed with laughter beside her. Fili flinched as he recognized The Squirrel Story. Durin's beard, he'd been three! That was eighty years ago! Was his mother never going to forget that story?
"Ah, he sounds much like my Tilda when she was a little one," Bard said brightly. "All mischief, all the time."
"Aye, but we'd have been the poorer without them in our lives," Dis remarked with a fond smile.
"That is true, Princess. Truer than most could know."
"Da?" Sigrid stepped nervously out of the kitchen to intercept them. "Is everything all right?" It didn't escape Fili's notice that she was positioning herself between him and her father.
Though judging by the smile on Dis's face, and Bard's own expression of fond exasperation, maybe he wasn't about to die. Maybe he'd at least get to have dinner first.
"Yes, my dear, everything is fine," Bard said, taking Sigrid by the shoulders and offering her a smile. "Princess Dis has... explained the situation. And while I'm not happy about what I've been told, her royal Highness has reminded me that it is in the nature of young lovers to indulge in a little youthful indiscretion now and then." There was a faint blush on his cheeks that led Fili to believe that Bard's experiences with his wife might have featured one or two such 'indiscretions' of their own.
Fili could only see Sigrid's face in profile, but her smile was radiant. "Really, Da?" she breathed, clutching her hands under her chin. "You... you'll say yes to the proposal?"
Bard nodded.
"So I may marry Fili?"
Another nod.
"Oh, Da!" Sigrid threw her arms around Bard's neck in an exuberant hug, and her father laughed and picked her up to spin her around. "Thank you, Da!"
Dis waved for Fili to join them, and he realized with a jolt of embarrassment that he was gaping at the scene, slack-jawed and addlepated. He quickly wiped his hands on the nearest dishcloth and hurried to join his mother. And Sigrid. My Sigrid. My betrothed.
He didn't think he'd ever stop smiling.
"Lord Bard has been most generous," Dis said as Bard set Sigrid back on her feet. She immediately went to Fili's side and hugged him tightly. "And most understanding. I explained to him a little about the importance of a marriage union in dwarf custom, and about the particular history of your courting beads, my dear. I think he understands now that dwarves do not take matters of the heart lightly." She was beaming, and Fili was almost sure she had tears in her eyes. "He has agreed to end the courtship period and accept the request for Sigrid's hand."
"Thank you, Lord Bard," Fili said, releasing Sigrid so he could grasp the bowman's hand between both of his, hoping to communicate the depth of his gratitude. "Truly, Lord, I cannot... there are not words enough to express..."
Bard smiled and laid his free hand on Fili's shoulder. "I know you will do right by my daughter, Prince Fili," he said. "And more than that, I know that if you hurt her, your mother will give you merry hell on Sigrid's behalf. "
Fili blanched and glanced at his mother. She nodded. "Aye, and I'll do it, too. You know that."
Fili sighed. "Yes, mother."
"But I also know it'll not be necessary," she added, patting his other shoulder.
Fili grinned and looked at Sigrid, who was vibrating with excitement, tears of happiness streaming down her cheeks. "Never," he agreed.
"That said, I have two caveats to my agreement," Bard said, gently disengaging his hand from Fili's grasp.
That made both Fili and Sigrid look up sharply. "Eh? Caveats?" Fili asked.
"Da, no!" Sigrid argued. "You said-"
"Peace, Sigrid, they are simple things." Bard's eyes crinkled in good humor. "The first is that I do not wish the marriage to take place at midsummer."
"Eh?" Fili glanced between Sigrid and his mother before looking back to Bard. "Why not?"
"Because my eldest child will only get married once, and I do not want her marriage to be overshadowed by the Midsummer Festival."
"Oh. That... yes, that makes sense." Fili nodded. "When would you like the ceremony to be held then? Late summer? Early autumn?"
"I was thinking two weeks."
Fili nearly staggered backwards as Sigrid exclaimed, "Two weeks!"
"Aye." Bard and Dis shared a conspiratorial grin. "That should be more than enough time to put together the proper ceremonies and invite the necessary guests."
"Balin's been a very busy bee," Dis added, chortling. "He's already had the seamstresses working on your gown, Sigrid, and your wedding suit, Fili. Clearly he was sure about the outcome of all this long before anyone else. He's always been a keen fellow."
Fili and Sigrid blushed. "Ah, yes," Fili agreed, nodding. "So... two weeks. I think... Sigrid, that should be fine, don't you think?"
"Oh, yes. Yes, definitely. Two weeks. Very fine, yes."
"Good. So there's that taken care of." Bard clapped his hands together. "But I have a second caveat as well, which is a bit more immediate in nature."
"Yes, Lord?"
Bard glanced at Dis, who nodded in acquiescence, then looked to Sigrid. "Sigrid, dear, you may wish to step back."
"Eh? Why, Da?"
"Sigrid."
She frowned but took a step back.
Bard smiled at Fili. "No hard feelings, Highness," he said, before bringing his fist forward in a solid roundhouse right that knocked the crown prince off his feet.
"DA!" Sigrid squeaked, rushing to Fili's side. "What was that for!"
"I'm still your father, Sigrid," he explained, holding out a hand to help haul Fili to his feet. "Fathers look after their daughters. Fili here will understand if you two are ever blessed with a daughter of your own someday." He embraced the dwarf, his future son-in-law, and shook his hand. "Isn't that right, Fili?"
Fili winced as he nodded, shaking Bard's hand. "Aye, Lord Bard, that I will. The lads better watch out if they start looking sideways at my own little girl."
Bard laughed and gave him a hearty slap on the back.
"There then," Dis said with a bright smile. "That's all sorted. I smell stew. Shall we eat?" She took Bard's proffered arm and let him lead her to the dining room, where Tilda had watched the whole scene with eyes as big as saucers, mouth agape.
"Oh, Fili, I'm sorry!" Sigrid crooned, fussing around him as he tried to shoo away the birds that were currently circling his head and tweeting. "Are you okay? Would you like a cold compress? I'll make you one like I did that time I... hit... you with that... rock. Oh, FILI!" She hugged him tightly. "You keep leaving my home with black eyes! Everyone's going to think I beat you!"
Fili blinked, ignoring the pain, then laughed and hugged her tightly. "No, lass, it's fine. Everything's fine. Your father's defended your honor, as any good father should." He rubbed her back. "And we're to be married in two weeks time. That's worth a hundred black eyes."
She pulled back a little and gazed down into his eyes (well, eye – the other one was already swelling shut). "Two weeks," she breathed, her face alight.
"Two weeks," he agreed. He thought for a moment, then laughed again. "Just enough time for this shiner of mine to heal, in fact. Your father's a smart man."
"Come eat, you two!" Dis called from the dining room, where Bard was dishing out bowls of Fili's rich stew. "You can chat later. We've got a wedding to plan, after all."
Fili beamed and pulled Sigrid down for a tender kiss. "Two weeks," he sighed against her lips. And it feels so far away.
Sigrid beamed as they walked hand in hand to the dining room. "So what's this story about you running around naked with a mouthful of acorns?" she asked, eyes twinkling with mischief.
Fili groaned. "Mahal... I was three!"
WOO-HOO! We're gonna have a wedding!
