Aurelia stirred from her sleep early in the morning feeling giddy, happy from dreams she could not remember. She had dreamed of Kili, of that she was sure. But the particulars were evading her.
She shuffled to the edge of her bed, swinging her legs off the side and reaching for the glass of water on her bedside table. She sipped at it as she thought about what had to be done that morning.
It was the weekend, and she had finally caught up on orders for the Meragel, thanks to the tireless work of her Adad and Sigrid. Sigrid had felt so guilty for leaving early on her first day that she had stayed in their spare bedroom for the rest of the week, working late into the night with Aurelia to get everything done. Their hard work had paid off now, and Aurelia could finally let herself relax. The shop was closed to orders now until after the feast, and she was glad for the holiday.
Bard had been uncomfortable with Sigrid's extended stay, but had eventually agreed. Fili would be meeting Sigrid at the shop and accompanying her home so she arrived safely. While dwarves may value their women, men were less inclined to protect or respect the fairer sex. It also gave them the added bonus of time together after a busy week.
Aurelia hurried to get ready so she could see Sigrid off. She brushed her teeth and dressed, before combing her hair into submission. Her braids were starting to look unkempt, and she wondered if Kili might do them again for her.
Aurelia could see the sun filtering in through the gates as she made her way to the main hall. It was a beautiful morning, sunny and bright outside, and she wondered if Kili might fancy a walk. They hadn't seen each other since their dinner the other night, and she felt positively giddy at the thought of seeing him again. They had both cleared the whole day to spend some time with each other, and though she knew she had to hurry up and finish making her own dress for the feast, she was happy to be procrastinating with him.
They had agreed to meet in the main hall. She arrived early, and decided to sit at one of the long tables in the hall while she waited for Kili to arrive. She looked up to the royal table where Thorin sat eating breakfast, and still couldn't believe that she would belong at that table soon. It was a surreal feeling, and she wondered if they felt on show seated up there in front of everyone. She wasn't sure if she could ever get used to that.
She busied herself thinking about her dress as she waited for Kili, but found herself overhearing the conversations around her.
Familiar voices called her attention to a group of Dwarrowdam sitting at another table close by. It was the women she had confronted about their unfriendly gossip about Kili. She knew eavesdroppers never heard anything good, but couldn't help herself from listening anyway. It seemed they hadn't given up their favorite hobby of gossiping about the royal family.
"Did you hear that Prince Fili is going to marry Sigrid? A Dwarf and a human.." One of them said, giving an exaggerated shudder at the thought.
"I know. A royal Dwarf no less. I can't believe the King is letting them marry. Can you imagine? Muddying the royal bloodlines with a Daughter of Man?" Another scoffed.
Aurelia shook her head in disappointment. To think her own kind could be so judgmental of race when they themselves had fallen victim to it time and time again. She contemplated interjecting her thoughts into the conversation to defend her friend, but was frozen in place when the first woman spoke again.
"Well, it wouldn't be the first time one of the Princes was with someone of a different race. Remember Prince Kili and that redhead Elf?" She pointed out.
Aurelia felt her stomach drop. Kili had been with an Elf? Why hadn't he told her about that?
"Her name was Tauriel." The third woman interjected. "It's no surprise though, Kili looks more Elf than Dwarf. No self-respecting Dwarrowdam would want him. You know, I heard she will be here for the feast. That seamstress that's been attached to his hip will be in for a rude shock."
They all laughed, standing to leave. They filed past her, and Aurelia was frozen in place. She felt torn between her desire to follow the women and give them an earful, and between the sinking feeling that Kili had not told her about Tauriel for a specific reason.
As she was deep in thought, someone approached the table and sat opposite her. She looked up abruptly, thinking it was Kili, and was relieved to find Nori. She wasn't quite done processing her reaction to what she had just heard, and didn't want to say something rash. Her fingernails traced the grain of the wood atop worn table in front of her as she waited for him to speak.
"Don't listen to those women." He advised, without so much as a hello. "Tauriel healed his leg in Laketown, but they were never involved. She's engaged to Legolas."
"Oh." Was all Aurelia could manage. "Thank you Nori." Well, that sorted that then. The kingdom's spymaster would know better than anyone what was what.
"Don't mention it." He said with a wink, though she knew he meant it literally. "Kili's only young, but he's a good lad." He said. He nodded once and stood to leave without a further word.
Nori's reassurances didn't solve the problem of these horrid women spreading nonsense about her intended, but it did make her feel a lot better. She resolved to put the whole thing to the back of her mind as best she could, though she knew that something had to be done about those horrid women before they spread more harmful gossip.
Before she could stew for too long about the things those women had been saying, and how best to approach the situation, Kili arrived with a bright smile, and she forgot she had even been upset.
"Aurelia!" He greeted happily, planting a kiss on her forehead and hugging her firmly to his chest. She hugged him back, enjoying the feel of him close to her. Her soulmark tingled pleasantly at the small contact; a physical reminder that she need not worry about redheaded elves and petty women.
"Hello." She greeted happily, sure her smile must be as wide as his by now. She caught Thorin's amused eyes on them as they broke their hug, and smiled in return. Kili's eyes followed hers to find his smiling Uncle, and he blushed a brilliant shade of pink.
Kili cleared his throat, returning his gaze to Aurelia. "It's such a beautiful day outside. I thought we could go for a walk?"
"That is exactly what I was going to suggest!" She replied with amusement.
"Truly? It's almost like we're soulmates!" He said with a wink, and offered her his arm.
She laughed and accepted his arm gladly, reveling in the close contact again. They set off for their walk, heading for the gates. Outside the city, they could be as affectionate as they liked - within reason and boundaries or propriety - without the prying eyes of the general public, or their King.
"How has your week been?" He asked as they walked together.
"Oh, so busy. But we have finally finished all of our orders and the shop is officially closed until after the feast." Aurelia said with a sigh of relief. "I'm that glad for it, too. My fingers were about to fall off for all the sewing!"
"We can't have that." Kili tsked. "I'm happy they survived." He said solemnly, lifting her hand to press a kiss to her knuckles.
Aurelia laughed. "I appreciate the sentiment. How was your week?"
"Oh, terribly lonely." He joked. "I was kept busy in the forges, though. Oh, that reminds me. Amad said that you were working on a dress for the Meragel, and I should ask you to help coordinate our outfits."
"Oh, of course! I can't believe I forgot to tell you!" She could have slapped herself in the forehead for her lack of forethought. This was supposed to be her job! "I have a tunic for you, but I want to see how it looks and how you like it before I finish it off."
"Worry not, I'm sure it will be fine." Kili said good-naturedly. "I trust your judgment."
They were announcing their engagement to be married officially at the feast, and an important part of royal custom was for couples to coordinate their formal attire.
"Are you free tomorrow? You can come to the shop if you like, and we'll see how it fits." Aurelia offered.
"That sounds like a good plan. For now, let's just enjoy our day together? We can worry about our responsibilities later." He suggested as they approached the gates.
"Sounds perfect to me." She agreed, and they stepped out into the sun. "Where to?"
"There's a pond nearby?" Kili suggested. "It's where Bilbo does most of his gardening, but it's not very well known. We should be the only ones around."
"That sounds perfect. My braids have seen better days. Would you mind fixing them up for me?"
"Of course not." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, and they continued on their walk.
Later, when they sat amongst the blooming flowers of Bilbo's garden by the waterside, Kili brushed through her hair with his fingers. He deftly twisted her hair into neater braids as she leaned back against him, and she suddenly remembered what she had been dreaming about last night.
"You know, I had a dream about this last night." Aurelia said, and Kili laughed.
"You know, it's the strangest thing, but I did too."