May you enjoy reading this chapter as I enjoyed writing it XD


"Do I really have to go?" Helga asked as she changed into a dress that Tamara gave her. The queen just sat outside of the Dragon Rider's bath chamber. Ever since that breakfast with the king, he had comissioned a room for her -one that had her own bath chamber and her own living room.

"It seems that the king is pampering you. Hosue and I have to sleep on the floor just to give Amren and Alvor a place to sleep in." Malkus joked, and Helga used to let a small part of her believe that, until she learned from Kili and Amren that the king and her did not get along.

"Unfortunately, there will be no backing out," The queen said, crossing one leg over the other and swinging that foot back and forth as she leaned back on her arms. "They will not start until you arrive, and you know how cranky we dwarves get when we are hungry."

"Can you say that I have my own womanly problems? Like the Red River's time?" Helga asked, and Tamara let out a loud laugh. Red River.

"Is it?" Tamara asked, and there was a short pause, followed by an answer.

"No." Helga answered, which was followed by a sigh.

"Then get out of that bath chamber and let me see how you look!" Tamar exclaimed, followed by a click from the bathroom door. The door opened, and Helga came out, wearing an emerald green dress, which suited well with her hair and with her personality -and earthly color for an earthly woman.

"I am not wearing a corset." Helga said, holding the corset on one hand, and Tamara smiled.

"You will wear a corset!" Tamara, who took the cream colored corset from Helga's hand and wrapping it around the dragon rider's waist. "This will make the dress hug your body in all the right places!" She said, as she started lacing and Helga started fidgeting.

"And who am I supposed to attract there? If your idea even works, then it will be like chatting with old friends, plus one dwarf who doesn't like me." Helga said, and Tamara ignored the last comment.

"Bofur's been friendly to you." Tamara stated.

"He has a lass -her name is Astrid."

"Bifur?"

"You've got to be joking."

"Nori?"

"He's too silent and there's something secretive with him."

"How about Dwalin?"

"Bathala, no!" Helga exclaimed as Tamara finished lacing her corset, and both women laughed. "Dwalin's idea of courting a woman is to give her weapons and knuckle dusters! He'll crush me in bed!" And that was enough to make both women laugh until they could not manage to breathe anymore.


When Helga opened the door, she found the dwarves and her nephews scattered in their own parts of the room, some holding pints of the mead that Beorn gave, and some just chatting with whoever they were talking to. What Tamara said was true -they really would not start without her.

"Ah, here's our favorite lass!" Bofur said, who probably had a pint or two, now, exclaimed, and everyone cheered. They might have known her for a long time, but she has just known them for a week, and it flattered her to know that they cared for her in this way. Bofur was the first one to go to her and drag her by the arm. "Don't be shy! We were just waiting for you!"

"Aye, lass," Dwalin said, as the dwarves and her nephews crowded the table set in the middle of the room. "Let us eat!" The room was actually pretty cozy. It had a fire place, and there were carpets, plushy chairs, and barrels of what seemed like the honeyed mead beside the chairs. And there were only three walls, the supposed fourth one being open and leading to a balcony. Her eyes scanned among the group of dwarves, looking for a raven haired dwarf, and it was not long enough until their eyes found each other.

But only for a while, before he turned away.

They decided that the table they would be using would be a round table, for despite Thorin being a king and a leader, he wanted all of them to treat each other as equals -no using of titles and formalities, just like how old friends were supposed to treat each other.

Dinner had been more than excellent. Bombur's apprentice had been the one to handle the kitchens for this meal, and the rotund dwarf had been more than proud with his apprentice. During their meal, they talked, laughed, and drank over their stories and fond memories, and Helga was starting to remember each of them, as if she was seeing the memories in front of her.

"I remember when your auntie had it with you in Beorn's house!" Dwalin said, pointing his pint to the Alvor, who just hid behind his hands as he laughed with the Company.

"Valar, do not remind me." He said, and the Company laughed even more.

"Why, afraid to remember the time that I handed you your arse?" Helga asked, her head buzzing with the two pints she had consumed. The Company cheered at this, and Helga even saw the Dwarven king smile.

He looks so much younger when he smiles.

Once dinner was done, the Company settled in the softer chairs, either gambling, smoking their pipes, or retelling old war stories. That was when Helga brought out his flute and started to play a familiar tune. Helga looked up and she smiled impishly at the hatted dwarf.

"Oh, not this again!" She exclaimed, and the Company laughed and cheered at her.

"I'm not asking you again!" Bofur said, as he stood up on the table, flute in hand. All of the Company cheered on her to sing, and Helga, laughed, stepping on her chair and standing on the table. The Company bursts in cheers as Helga flipped her hair back and took the sides of her skirts in her hands, ready to dance. As Bofur started to play the first note, Helga's voice started to fill the room.

I'll swim and sail on savage seas

with ne'er a fear of drowning.

And gladly ride the waves of life

if you will marry me.

No scorching sun, nor freezing cold

Will stop me on my journey

If you will promise me your heart.

And love me for eternity.

With that, Helga pointed her toe downwards bending a bit towards that side, waiting for a dance partner. She was surprised when it was Dwalin was the one who stepped up, stomping up the table as he sang.

Valar, Dwalin was drunk.

My dearest one, my darling dear,

your mighty words astound me.

But I've no need of mighty deeds

when I feel your arms around me.

Helga smiled as she started to dance with Dwalin, going in circles as they sang.

But I would bring you rings of gold,

I'd even sing you poetry!

And I would keep you from all harm

If you would stay beside me!

I have no use for rings of gold,

I care not for your poetry.

I only want your hand to hold...

At this point, Helga was holding one of Dwalin's hands as they danced together

I only want you near me!

To love and kiss, to sweetly hold!

For the dancing and the dreaming!

Through all life's sorrows and delights,

I'll keep your love inside me!

I'll swim and sail on savage seas

with ne'er a fear of drowning!

And gladly ride the waves of life

If you will marry - aah! Put me down!

Dwalin ended up carrying Helga over his shoulders as he spun around, and the everyone was laughing, and Fili and Kili laughed so hard, they ended up falling backwards from their chairs. Dwalin hopped off the table and set Helga down, who was laughing hard. She placed a kiss on Dwalin's cheek, and giggled when he turned red as a tomato. She sat back down on her chair, downing what was left from her pint, before Bofur started a new song. However, Helga noticed someone who was missing from them -there was a lack of raven haired dwarves in the room, and Helga spotted him by the balcony, talking with Balin. She approached them, just in time for Balin to leave the king be. Helga, who had two pints in her hands, approached the brooding dwarf.

"Can't the state matters wait?" Helga asked, and she swore she saw him jump, even just for a bit, but there was no response from him. Helga went beside Thorin, placing a tankard on the stone railings and pushing it towards Thorin, but he did not accept it. Not this time. "Have I done something wrong, Thorin?" She asks, and Thorin still does not speak. He just stares straight into the horizon, as if he was more interested in seeing that. "You have to help me out here, I don't exactly remember everything -especially not about you, since you never speak to me." Helga said, trying to make light of it, but they both know that there was nothing funny or amusing about what she said.

"I heard from our nephews that we had some disagreements during the journey. I understand that, being a Dragon Rider, but -"

"It would be better if you stayed away from me, Helga." He simply said, looking at Helga, and it broke his heart to see disappointment in her eyes. Was she expecting something from him? Something romantic, perhaps, if not friendly?

"Why? Can we not settle our differences? I know your people might think that my people had caused Smaug's attack, but that does not mean that we can't at least be friends." Helga argued, and Thorin was about to walk away, when Helga held his arm.

"Hey, I have a right to know!" Helga said, going around to face Thorin, stopping him from entering the room. "I have a right to know why it is you stray from me as if I were the plague! Am I that displeasing to you?" Helga asked.

You have no idea how untrue that is. Thorin thought. But Helga saw neither anger nor annoyance in his eyes, but some form of deep hurt. Thorin did not answer her once more, and simply went around her to rejoin the Company. After their small confrontation, Helga and Thorin seemed to be in a more gloomier mood. Thorin let himself go this one night and drank more than what he usually drank during parties, and Helga just sat with the Company, although her smile and laughs did not reach her eyes. By the time that laughter died down and drowsiness seeped in their minds, Helga took this as her cue to leave. Bidding those half conscious goodbye, she left the room, going down the same hallway she came from. Somewhere further down the hallway, she heard a loud crash. Helga half jogged towards the sound and found the dwarf king kneeling there, a broken vase and turned over side table lying beside him. He looked up at her and placed a finger on his lips.

"Shhhh." He said, and he started to laugh.

He was drunk.

Helga sighed in frustration and went around him, not even making a move to help him up. She really planned on leaving him there until dawn came, until he grabbed her foot, although he did not look up. He seemed to be dizzy.

"Please help me."


Thorin and Helga stumbled down the corridor, one drunk and the other one being weighed down by the other who tried to help. Unfortunately, it is not the woman who was the damsel in distress at the moment, but the mighty King Under the Mountain -who was brought down by pints of ale. Thorin had his arm around Helga, as she half walked and half dragged the drunk king towards his quarters. The rest of the dwarves were either passed out drunk, or too inebriated to understand her, so it was all up to her to bring the king to his quarters where he was safe, lest an assassin drops by or a passerby makes a scandal of the scene.

"Wife, you needn't drag me- I can walk," Thorin said, his speech slurred as he tried to stand up properly, but ended up falling down on his knees. "S'there an earthquake?" He asked, and Helga sighed at this impossible dwarf. She went to Thorin's side and squatted down, trying to help him kneel.

"Come on, on your feet." Helga said, wrapping his left arm once more around her neck. Thorin tried standing up, falling once more without Helga's help. Helga let out a frustrated sigh before helping him stand up, half carrying and half supporting him and grunting from his weight.

"Bathala, you're heavy." Helga said, and Thorin gave her a smirk.

"Are you saying that I'm fat and ugly, wife?" He asked, and Helga huffed as she started walking with him and guiding him down the hall.

"First of all, I am not your wife! She's in your room, down the hall, probably worried sick why you haven't showed up yet," Helga explained. "And second, I'm not calling you fat and ugly! But I sure will if you don't get your arse moving! King or not, if you don't start walking properly, I'm leaving you." Helga said, and Thorin let out a loud laugh, and Helga realized that she never heard him laugh like this. It was a true laugh, as if he was really having fun.

"There's the woman I love," Thorin said, leaning towards Helga, who didn't know how the next events happened. It all happened so fast. He leaned towards her and managed to pin her to the wall, his body closer than what propriety demands. The hand that was hooked around her neck for support was now wrapped around her shoulder. One of his legs stood in between hers, and his other hand was cupping her jaw. "My feisty Dragon Rider." He murmured, before he pressed his lips to hers. He was devouring her as if he were a thirsty man. He, in fact, is a thirsty man -he longed for the taste and the warmth of her lips once more, and oh how long he was deprived from it. Helga was too shocked to do anything else, for what the king did made her jaw slack. Thorin took this as a sign that she was enjoying it, and plunged his tongue into her mouth, licking her upper lip and pulling her closer to him. For a moment, Helga forgot about propriety. She forgot about her guilt for having these feelings for the king, despite not knowing why. For a while, Helga felt something within her take over her whole body. One hand cupped the king's jaw as the other one tangled itself in his dark, wavy locks, pulling at it as she kissed back. She found herself closing her eyes, the taste of Honeyed Mead on the king's mouth giving her visions of the king's mouth on hers flashing before her. Visions of a starry night outside a cabin, where she first had a taste of the king's lips. It tasted of the same Honeyed mead they consumed awhile ago. The sensation of Thorin's lips on hers made a though pop out at the back of her mind -she had a feeling that the king kissed her more than once in this manner, and in different areas of her body. It made sense to her now, why he was avoiding her the past weeks -to prevent things like this from happening.

Helga knew that this was too good to be true -all of this, including the visions she saw, were nothing but the results of her imaginative mind and her small puppy love for the king. Helga knew that this had to stop before she could get him and Tamara hurt -before she gets herself hurt. As hard as it was for her to do it, she pulled at Thorin's hair, and she didn't notice how his kiss managed to travel down to her neck. She opened her eyes and she looked at Thorin straight in the eye, both of them panting heavily from long suppressed desire and lack of air. For a moment, Helga saw longing and love in the king's eyes, and Helga couldn't bring herself to believe it. She thought up of many reasons why she shouldn't: it's just her imagination, it's just the alcohol, she'll just get hurt if she believes in it and realizes that it wasn't real. As she came into a realization in what she did with the king -with Thorin, she did the only thing that she knew was plausible.

She pushed Thorin, enough to release her from his grip, and fled, wiping her tears away.


So that just happened XD

Anyways, I've been thinking about another story after this one. Lately, I've been obsessed with two ideas; Boromir and a dark!Helga. So for the Boromir thing, I was thinking about the child of Thorin and a certain blonde beauty (but which blonde am I talking about? Helga or Tamara :D ) during the time of Lord of the Rings. Then as for dark!Helga, I was thinking that what if Thorin did something to hurt Helga, and she fled with hatred in her, and Sauron captured her, used this hate and twisted it to make her an ally -especially with the newfound dragon eggs in Ithilien. The she bred the dragons of the Nazgul, the Fellowship and Erebor were finding these dragons to be a nuisance, and then they realized that it was all Helga's doing and all eyes turn to Thorin XD I don't know, what do you think?

Anyways, tell me what you think about this chapter, too! :) I know a lot of you have been waiting for this moment. I know, finally, Thorin did something! XD

~Gabrielle