As he wakes up in the early morning, Thorin sees his wife is still sleeping, looking almost as white at the sheets. He wants to hold her, make sure that she is alright, but he is afraid to wake her. He looks at the midwife, who says:
"Go on, get washed up. You don't want her to wake up and see you like this."
He does not want to use Noor's bathroom, afraid he will make too much noice, and as he steps out of the room, he sees to his surprise there are seventeen people sleeping on haphazardly thrown down blankets and sheets in his corridor. He quietly steps over them, not ready for questions yet, and washes himself in one of the tubs in the bathroom. As he is done, he dries of, gets dressed in clean clothes and rebraids his hair, wanting to look as well as possible as he presents his son in court later today. Then, he goes to the nursery so see his son. As he looks down on the perfect little boy peacefully sleeping, he feels like the name 'Thoor' does not suit him, it is too rough, too plain somehow. He will have to think of another name, hoping Noor will consent.
He walks back to Noor through is own rooms, thinking that he might not be so lucky to sneak past the sleeping people in his corridor the second time. Just as he enters, he sees that Noor is starting to open her eyes and quickly kneels next to her.
"Are you alright? Do you need anything?" he whispers.
She tries to say something, but her throat is too dry.
"Shall I get you some juice?"
She nods. And as she is drinking, Thorin says: "I was so scared you wouldn't make it. But we have a boy." She smiles, seeing the pure happiness on his face.
"But I saw him, and I don't think Thoor is the right name for him."
"Call him Durin." She whispers.
"Durin?"
"Yes, Durin. He is born on Durin's day, just when the sun and moon switched places. Durin is the right name for him."
"How do you know when exactly he was born?"
She shrugs her shoulders. "I just know." And she tries to get up.
"No no, you really can't get up yet!" Thorin almost yells.
"Stop fussing Thorin, I need to use the bathroom."
Thorin looks at the midwife. "Come on love" she says. "We will help you to the bathroom and clean you up."
Together they lift her up and support as she walks. When they are in the bathroom, she starts blushing. "Thorin, I have to pee."
"O, right" he says. "I will be right back." And he walks out only to return less than a minute later.
He runs the bath full of hot water and adds special oils used after childbirth her mother has sent to her that she has ignored. They help her into the bath and he sees she is already starting to get a more healthy colour. Then, he sits next to her, starting to circle every part of her skin with a wash cloth soaked in soap. He starts at her finger tips, slowly working his way up to her shoulders, and continues with her back and neck. He asks her to stick a leg out, and then the other.
The midwife is looking at him, surprised to see the normally stern looking king take care of his wife so lovingly. As he has finished with her legs, she says. "Thank you your highness, shall I do the last part? Perhaps you can call for breakfast; ask for a lot of red meat, that will do her well."
As he has left, waking all that are sleeping in the corridor and avoiding their questions by saying he will present the child at court later in the morning, she washed Noor's private parts. "You will be happy to know that you did not tear at all, my lady."
"That must be one of the few good things that can be said about yesterday, can't it?"
"I am afraid you are right. You gave us all quite a scare."
"I just remember going back to my fondest childhood memories, and then looking at myself as I lay on the bed, giving birth. It was nice"
"We had to get your brother to translate what you were saying. We had no idea what or to whom you were speaking."
"My brother was here, and has seen me?" Noor puts her hand in front of her mouth sheer horror.
"Don't worry, he did not see anything."
"Who else was present? You said 'we'."
"Dis was here, and Balin, and your husband of course."
"Thorin was in the room with me?! I specifically said I did not want anyone present."
"Don't be upset about it my lady. I could hear the poor man sobbing as he stood on the other side of the door everytime you screamed. I had never imagined him to be so sensitive." The midwife pleads.
Noor has to laugh a bit as she imagines how Thorin has been fussing over her. But she does not know how close she was to death, so she can not imagine why everyone is making such a big deal about is.
The midwife continues. "We actually thought you were dying, my lady. There are still people sleeping in the corridor outside your rooms, waiting for news."
"I really can't imagine that. Apart from being a bit dizzy, I feel fine."
"My lady, it was so bad that I would advice you not to have anymore children, and if you get pregnant again, getting a surgeon to cut the child out of you instead of giving birth the normal way!"
Then they hear Thorin coming back with her breakfast and Noor gets out of the bath, refusing any help, and gets dressed. "I think I want the red lace dress. I should fit into it again."
As she puts the dress on, she sees that she not only fits in it, but that the dress has become a bit too big for her frail body. She walks into the bedroom and sees Thorin looking at her in utter surprise.
Thorin sees her walking in in one of her old dresses. He can not believe that the woman who almost died last night, is walking around and getting dressed up again. The only woman he has ever been around that gave birth was Dis, and she stayed in bed untill ten days after Fili was born. He shakes his head again in utter disbelief of the strength of his wife.
"I thought we would go meet our son and then you present him at court." She says, pulling him out of his thoughts.
The midwife interjects. "You may my lady, but after that you have to rest again, you still look very pale."
And as she has done her hair and make up, they slip through Thorin's rooms to the nursery, not wanting to be disturbed by anyone. The nurse has just finished feeding the baby and hands Noor her son. As she sits and finally holds the child, Noor is utterly mesmerized at his beauty. He has dark hair that already shows sign of his fathers curls, but instead of having his father's piercing saphire eyes, he has her intense emerald coloured eyes. She touches the sift skin of his upper lip, and says to Thorin: "I think Durin is a good name for him."
"Are you sure? It is a very traditional name for our line, but it may not suit you."
"It suits me perfectly."
"Then Durin it is."
And Noor brings her mouth to Durin's ear and starts whispering wishes in his eyes, smiling peacefully as she kisses him on the forehead after she has finished. Thorin wants to take him from her to present him, but she stops him:
"Let one of the nannies carry him and have him covered up. It brings bad luck if a stranger sees him before he is presented."
He looks at her with a raised eyebrow, but does as she asks, putting a lace vail over the boy as the nanny holds him. Together they walk to the throneroom where everybody has already gathered and Noor takes a seat. The nanny hands Thorin the child, and he carefully removes the lace vail and holds the child up.
"I hereby present to you my son, prince Durin the seventh, healthy of body and mind. Will you accept him?"
They all cheer and clap as a sign that they do, and not long after they gather around Thorin and Noor to see the newest addition to the royal family. After several toasts to Durin's good health and fortune, Thorin hands him back to his nanny and Noor goes to bed to rest a little more. The midwife is already waiting for and checks if she does not have a fever before she goes to sleep.
Four weeks pass in a haze of caring for Durin and getting used to the new situation. Then, exactly one moon after Durin was born, it is the day of the party at which he will be presented to the outside world. Guests come from all over Middle Earth to pay their respects to the newest son of Durin.
Noor is feeling like herself again and is in her element, welcoming guests and making small talk to everyone of them. Then, she sees Legolas and Thranduil entering and although she is very happy to see them, she is afraid of Thorin's reaction, but makes sure no one sees it. Legolas hugs her, with a smile broader than she has ever seen him with.
"My dear Noor. How are you? Djabriel told me that everyone surely believed your last hour was upon you as the baby was born, but here I see you standing, radiant as if you were 20 again."
"You flatter me Legolas, but I don't mind." She laughs. "Come see my son."
"I heard you have called him Durin. That was very thoughtfull of you, Thorin must be happy."
"He very much is." Noor says.
Legolas picks Durin up and looks at the child with a tenderness that Noor has never seen in him before. He starts whispering in the child's ear with a faint smile on his face, unknown to anyone but the two of them what he is saying. But then Thorin stands next to his wife and looks at Legolas holding his son with piercing eyes. Noor sees the intimate moment has passed and Legolas gives Durin back to her.
"Congratiolations Thorin, may your son live long and prosper." He stiffly says.
Thorin nods his head in thanks and walks away.
"Don't let the animostity between the two of you get the better of you." Noor says to Legolas. "I just wish for the two of you to get along."
"I do not think I can give you that." Legolas laughs. "But I do have a present for you, and for Durin of course. They will be delivered later."
"Thank you Legolas, you really did not have to."
"But I want to. Now go and talk to your guests."
Noor smiles at him and walks to master Bard, who is talking tos ome nobles from Dale. "Master Bard, may I have a moment of your time?"
"Of course my lady."
"Noor. Call me Noor, Bard."
"What may i do for you?"
"Well, I was wondering if your daughters have already found husbands or if they are still occupied with other duties?"
"My daughters?" Bard asked surprised, not knowing what the queen might interest in his daughters. "Well, the oldest has started courting, but the youngest has not shown any interest yet. I am trying to find a suitable gouverness for her, but that turns out to be more difficult than I thought."
"Would you consider sending her to me four a couple of years as my lady in waiting? Her duties will only be to dress me and keep me company, but it will teach her good manners and introduce her to suitable men."
Bard's face lights up. He knows it is a great honour to be a lady in waiting to a queen, normally reserved for the daughter's of nobles. "I can not begin to explain how honoured I am. I shall come with her to introduce her at your earliest convenience."
"Shall we say the afternoon of the day after tomorrow?"
Bard bows and nods and returns to the Dale nobles.
Noor goes to her husband and stands next to him as he hold Durin while he and the men of the company look at the newborn and are predicting what a great warrior he will be, accrediting him with abilities Mahal himself doesn't even have.
After the party a servant comes to inform her that presents have arrived for her. She can not imagine that there are more presents, as three long tables already lie full of jewelry, gems, prescious metal, rare fabrics and play things for her son. But then she remembers Legolas' promiss and she runs outside. There she finds a horse waiting for her, with a child size bow hanging from it's saddle. As she takes a closer look, she sees that it is the bow she and Legolas used to play with in the Mirkwood, and her heart fills with gratefullness towards Legolas. She orders the stablemaster to take extra good care of the horse and takes the bow to Durin's room where she hangs it on the wall.
That night Thorin and Noor lie in bed together for the first time Durin has been born. Thorin strokes her hair and looks at her while she plays with his chest hair, running her fingers through it.
"You know" he says. "The midwife has said we could be together again after a moon."
"O, really?" she says in a teasing voice. "I thought we had been together for almost two years now?"
He grunts. "You know what I mean woman! The question is just if you are ready for it."
"Ready for what, Thorin?" teasing again.
He quickly lies on top of her and looks in her eyes. "For me to make you scream in pleasure again." He says while breathing heavy. He has seen his wife turn back into the beautiful woman she was before they were married for a month now, but he had to restrain himself, wait untill sufficient time had passed. And now the moment was here, she was teasing him, only enlarging his overwhelming desire.
She smiles and he kisses her passionately, his hands running up and down her body. He sits on his knees and takes his clothes of, almost tearing them in his hurry, and then he tries to take her nightgown of, but she pushes his hand away. She starts to take in of herself, lifting it in a painfully slow way while she puts his feet to either side of him. As the hem has finally gone up far enough for him to see her underwear, he moans. She is wearing a very small thong and he sees she is shaven. She lifts the gown higher, slowly to make him want her even more. The corset she is wearing matches her thong and leaves little to the imagination as parts of it are see through. She sits up a bit and starts unlacing the corset and then, finally takes it of. He leans in to kiss her nipples, but again she pushes him away. She strokes her belly with the tips of her fingers, causing her goosebumps and her nipples to erect. Slowly her hands go down until she hooks her thumbs on the bands of her thong and pulls it down.
He is in agony. He can not wait any longer, but he knows he has to. He sees his wife undress slowly, showing him more of her as she goes. As she is finally naked, him sitting between her legs, he does not know where to start. His hands slide from her belly to her breasts and he moans as he rolls her hard nipples between his fingers. He slowly starts licking them and goes up to her throat, sucking on her skin, while her hands are on her thighs. But then desire takes over and he starts licking her clit, not starting slowly as he normaly does, but immediately fast to make her come as quickly as possible. She moans and arches her back, her hands going through his hair, and within minutes she finishes, moaning loudly.
He lies on top of her again, his dick harder than it has ever been before, precum already dripping out of it. "Are you ready?" he asks as he looks into her eyes, and as she nods, he slowly pushes into her, groaning as he feels her warmth.
Noor had forgotten how satisfying the feeling of him filling her up is, but remembers it instantly as she feels him enter. She is more sensitive to his touch than before, and moans as he enters, her fingers digging in to his back and her legs wrapped around his waist. As he starts moving, she forgets everything around her and tilts her pelvis to allow him to enter her deeper. Everytime his dick touches her sensitive spot she moans his name, groaning it as she explodes. When she opens her eyes again, she sees the intense lust in his eyes, but she notices that he holds himself back and does not go faster.
"Do you not want it yet?" she asks
"I don't want to hurt you." He says.
But she pushes her fingers against his back and ass, encouraging him to increase, and after only three thrusts he comes, his whole body shaking violently.
"That was rather fast." Noor giggles as they lie next to eachother after regaining their breath.
"Don't tell me you are not satisfied!" Thorin says.
"I most certainly am, I just say it was fast."
"Do not forget that I have not has sex for like ten months. It is a miracle I lasted this long!"
"Ten months?! Where there no maids willing to help you?" Noor laughs.
"Aye, they were willing, but I was not. I have you." Thorin says as he looks into her eyes.
She softly kisses him, therewith starting a new round.