Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognise.

A/N: Sorry it took me so long to write this, it's been a hectic first week back at work. I also remembered why I hate having allergies to pollen as my eyes are itchy and my sight is a little blurry in one eyes atm :( Makes it a little difficult to look at my screen for long periods of time.

This chapter is multiple POV's so it's a long one, but I hope you like it.

I apologise for any spelling mistakes, I have read through it honest :)

Enjoy :)

Chapter 24

Durin POV

Thorin POV

I stood in the shadows cast by the torches near to the tent Ariana was healing in, the elves had not wanted to move her to her room within the mountain for fear of tearing her wounds open again. I started as Fíli walked towards me, none of the company had really begun to forgive me, but my nephews spoke to me only when necessary. "Kíli would like you to join us for this discussion." He said sharply and I nodded, noticing the red haired elf captain standing guard at the entrance to the tent. Ariana would be safe if I left. I followed Fíli through the familiar halls up to the private council chamber, inside was everyone who had been present when Ariana had died.

Kíli was sat at the head of the table, Fíli taking his place next to him on his right and surprisingly the Elf King sat on his left. I stood at the back of the room in the shadows, knowing I was only here because I had finally joined the battle at the right time. "What I have to say doesn't leave this room, it doesn't get spread around as gossip or a drinking tale." Every being nodded, Kíli smiled slightly and continued. "Our queens injuries are grave, if she can fight off the fever Lord Elrond has assured me that she will make it. Aunty used so much magic in the build up to the battle and on the battlefield that according to Thalion she is magically exhausted."

The raven on the back of Kíli's chair croaked softly, nodding. It was only then that I noticed the Elf King had the pure white dragon curled around his neck, although he did not look overly happy about it. The red dragon was sat curled up on Fíli's lap with the blond elf that had captured us holding the blue one. I titled my head slightly studying the three dragons closely, it was an amazing coincidence that they were the same colours as the eggs Frerin had once brought Ariana. I had a feeling that there was a connection between the two, but until Ariana woke up I wouldn't know if I was correct.

I turned back around as the Elf King cleared his throat. "There is a reason we have not allowed any of you to enter the tent to see the queen. As you are aware the Arkenstone 'melted' for want of a better word into the queen's wounds. As we were healing the wounds we noticed that the bones we could see were beginning to sparkle, in a way very similar to the stone. When I went to check on her just before this meeting the wound on her face had odd bumps beneath the scabs, one of the scabs came off in my hands as I cleaned the wound. The Arkenstone is appearing anywhere she was hurt during the battle, it appears that it is growing out from her bones, I have a feeling that she may be able to describe it better when she wakes, but that is the best I can give you. There is now no doubt where the stone disappeared to, but it will make her a target if this gets out to the rest of the mountain, more so now as she is not awake and able to defend herself."

He paused and looked around the room, his eyes seeming to freeze on me for a moment before moving on. I didn't need to know what he was thinking to know that he thought I was unworthy of even being here and he was right, for everything I did in the lead up to the battle proved just how wrong I was to sit on the throne. It also occurred to me that he thought I was part of the threat to her. "Why did the stone do that though?" Dori asked and Gandalf cleared his throat, turning to look at Thranduil before answering. "After conferring with the elves we came to the conclusion that Ariana's magic is in some way complimentary to the stones. It is also far stronger than the stone, but the magic held in the stone was enough to restart Ariana's heart when it stopped. When Ariana lived here as a child it was noticed by several that her presence seemed to hold the gold sickness in Thrór at bay for a time."

Every head turned to me and I looked at them, noticing the question in their eyes. "I don't think it worked on me because my sickness was worse than my grandfather's had been when Ariana arrived, although towards the end of our stay in the mountain even her magic couldn't break through to Thrór. Grandfather had a idea that the further we fall into the sickness that whatever Ariana was doing, what we now know is her magic, stopped helping fight the sickness and instead became part of it, became another craving of it. I am not saying that it excuses my behaviour for nothing could, but that is what grandfather thought and I think he is right. I also don't think having a gold mad dragon sat on the gold for over 80 years helped, one clear thought I do remember from when we first entered the mountain after Master Baggins was that the gold felt wrong. Again it does not absolve my behaviour to anyone, least of all the queen."

I finished and looked up to see Kíli studying me before clearing his throat and turning everyone's attention back to him. "Now that we have all been update on Auntie's condition, we need to start trying to organise the mountain, Aunty fixed it yes but we don't know what needs attention and what doesn't. Fíli has a list of areas we would like you to check, Bilbo and Gloín if you would head down to the treasury and begin to work things out down there, Bilbo is aware of what needs to be done." Everyone began to break off, walking past me with barely a glance which was more than I deserved, as I turned to leave Kíli called out to me. "Can you stay please? I want to talk to you." I nodded, watching as Fíli, Gandalf and Thranduil left the room.

I moved forward slightly, unsure of how to approach my youngest nephew. "Uncle I don't bite and I am not going to shout at you. I just wanted your advice." I snapped my head up to look at him and he gave me an unsure smile, one that I realised he often gave when he had no idea what he was doing. "You would take my advice over anyone else's?" I asked confused. He nodded, "I spoke to Aunty before the battle, she helped me to forgive Fíli. She explained the sickness to me in a way I could understand and it helped me realise that it's not something you could control. I saw you when I arrived though, when Fíli had left me and darted off into the gold. The sickness had changed your eyes, they were glazed and kind of cloudy, but when you saw me they cleared and I could see your relief." He said.

I stared at him and nodded, "That was one of the few moments of clarity I had Kíli, seeing you alive and well even after the wound you had been given. The relief burnt away the sickness for a moment and I could think enough to hug you, but something happened and the cloud came back." I said, confused slightly and he nodded, "Dwalin placed a delicate circlet on your head and called you a pretty queen." I snorted and shook my head, yeah that would put me back into the sickness. "I know that it can't solve anything Kíli, but I am sorry. I want you to know that and I'm praying I can say it to Ariana. "

He shook his head at me and smiled, "Come and help me sort through all this, I always thought I was going to be the spare for another hundred years at least. I have no idea what I'm doing." I chuckled and I placed a hand on his shoulder. "You were never the spare. I was wrong to ever call you that. I would never have called Frerin or Dis a spare so why should I have demeaned you." He chuckled and hugged me tightly, lightly bumping his forehead against mine. "It's alright uncle, you should save up your honeyed words." I turned to look at him as we sat at the table and he grinned widely, "Amad and Uncle Frerin should be here within the next few days. Apparently amad bullied Nori into writing to her when we reached somewhere around Rivendell." I froze, now I was going to die.

Kíli POV

I was quietly creeping down the corridor away from the council chambers that I had spent the day in, smiling widely at the memory of Thorin's face when I had told him about Amad coming. That was not a reunion that could go well, especially after she found out everything that had happened. I turned the corner and walked quickly towards the tent that Aunty was healing in, having not seen her in the three days since the battle. Tauriel and Legolas were stood outside the tent talking quietly to Fíli, all three turning when I walked up beside them. "Can we see her?" I asked eagerly, clapping Fíli on the shoulder and smiling up at Tauriel. Legolas shook his head, "Ada is in there at the moment and I would not disturb him for anything. Also we were here first so we should get to go in first."

I smirked up at him and glanced over at Fíli who nodded, grinning. "Really you think you could stop us from seeing our aunty?" I asked, teasing him and he sniffed looking down his nose at me, a smirk caught on the edge of his lips. "She is my nana, I should get to see her first." Tauriel clapped a hand over her mouth to quiet her laugh as Thranduil's voice reached us through the tent. "If you cannot be silent none of you will see her, besides I am older than all of you so I get to go first." We all stared at each other in shock at the teasing tone in Thranduil's voice, "Better, the four of you may come in."

As soon as he said it, the four of us scrambled madly to get inside the tent. Bifur and Nori coming to stand watch at the front of the tent, I nodded at them and they bowed their heads back. I didn't doubt that they could keep anyone unwanted out of this tent. I moved inside and sat on auntie's left side with Fee, while Legolas and Tauriel sat on her right, each of us being careful to mind the wings that had been carefully folded around her. Thranduil sat on a low stool beside her head, gently combing through her hair. I turned to look at him, "Where did the beads go that were in the small braids?" I asked and he gestured absently to a dish by my side. I nodded and when he had brushed out the sections of hair I needed I took them from him and began braiding the beads back into her hair.

I watched as Legolas, Tauriel and Fee absently began stroking her feathers, smoothing them gently down. "I thought braiding someone's hair held a specific significance to dwarves?" Thranduil muttered as I braided and I nodded, looking at Fee who shrugged, this elf had helped to save aunty we could at least provide a few answers. "The braids themselves hold as much significance as the person putting them in. The first braid I put in is one that is usually done by the head of the family, amad told me that Thrór was the person who originally placed it in auntie's hair, it signifies that she's a member of the line Durin. This one was put in by grandfather and is to show that she is the daughter of Thrain. This one was from Thorin and means she is his sister, this one Dwalin put in her hair and shows the bond of warriors. "

I told him and he nodded, "Elves have similar ways I suppose." I nodded and let him have the rest of auntie's hair back, watching from the corner of my eye as he absently began to braid it back in a thick braid, careful to treat each of my braids with care. We all jumped as the bottom of the curtain shifted and the three dragons and Thalion crawled into the tent, Thalion turning human while the dragons flew up to sit on the bed. "How are they now small?" Tauriel asked and Thalion looked down at the bed, sitting crossed legged on the floor. "Mistress. Her magic soaked into the eggs before they hatched and it has only grown since, they do it by their own thought now, where once they, like me, would have needed mistresses help." He croaked out softly watching us as we stroked the feathers on auntie's wings.

He shifted slightly, "Don't stroke yer hands too hard, the feathers are delicate there. Imagine it like teasing a snarl from yer hair, ye don't want to pull to hard for it hurts. Feather's are the same. Such pretty feathers." He seemed to sigh the last words out and we all looked at him, "Have you never seen them before?" Fee asked quietly and Thalion shook his head, "I saw them once a long time ago. She keeps them hidden, is ashamed of them I think. I was with her when she met her father's family. The old crone at the head of the family laughed, as did the rest of them, they laughed for a good long while. The oldest Fae amongst them could not remember a time when any Fae had had feathered wings. They called her freakish, ugly, deformed and disgusting. They told her wings should be delicate and gossamer. Pile of shit if you ask me." We nodded.

Auntie's wings had the most amazing colours in them, the brown glinted with copper, red and gold, just like her armour had. "How could anyone say anything about this woman is ugly?" Thranduil said and we all looked at him, he was absently stroking the left side of auntie's face, almost like he was unable to stop touching her. The little white dragon cooed softly and looked up at Thranduil causing Thalion to chuckle. "It seems you have won Dracarys over. He is the most special of mistresses dragon's. He is a first born, his abilities to breath something change on his mood, the day before we arrived at the mountain, he was breathing fire. The day we arrived he decided he want to be a water dragon, yesterday it was the wind he wanted. Cináed is a fire breather and Alina a water, the colours help ye work out which is which." He said and they cooed again, but Dracarys simply glared at him and Legolas began to laugh.

We all turned to stare at him, "He looks like ada." Thranduil stared at him, before looking down at the dragon who blinked its icy blue eyes back up at him and he tilted his head. "I look nothing like him." Thranduil bit out and Legolas looked up at him suddenly, "Not like that ada, you both share the same skill in glaring, is what I meant." I had a feeling there was more behind that story than we knew, but it was the elves story to share. We all looked away from the dragons as there was so gruff Khuzdul spoken outside the tent. "That's Bifur and he doesn't sound happy." Fee muttered and I nodded, rising even as Thalion changed form, a large wolf appearing at the foot of the bed. I moved to the door and slipped out, keeping aunty hidden from view.

Next to Bifur and Nori stood a group of dwarves I didn't know. "Can I help you?" I asked politely, knowing that Fee would be giving a translation inside the tent. "Yeah ye can, ye see we were promised gold if we came here and we ain't being paid gold. So understandably we're upset and want to see the queen." I nodded looking towards Nori who shook his head and signed out that they were not involved in the battle. I agreed if they had they would have had some injuries and at the least bruises. I tilted my head before shaking it, "The queen is still in recovery and at the moment will not be taking any visitor's outside of close friends and Kin. I am acting in her stead until such a time as she is well enough, if you have any issues with this, then you can take them up with Lord Daín who is probably the one you should be talking to about payment as I would assume you came with him. If that's too much of an issue I can find Balin Fundinson." I said and they sneered at me.

One of the dwarves reached for something attached to his belt, but froze as a very familiar, angry voice cut through the air. "Or you can deal with me if you have such an issue with my son." Amad's voice rang out in the silence of the small cavern and the strange dwarves twisted around to see her, Uncle Frerin and Tristahal stood in the archway. I grinned widely, hearing Fee slide out of the tent to stand next to me. One of the dwarves sneered and spat at amad's feet, we all froze and watched as amad smiled and walked forward, before pulling her fist back and punching the dwarf. We all flinched as his nose broke, "Get out before I decide to feed you to the dragons I hear my sister has." The dwarves picked their friend up and ran, darting looks and curses back towards us. I doubted it would be the last time we saw them, but I was too happy that my amad was stood in front of me to care.

Dis POV

I had not expected to be welcomed into the mountain, especially as I hadn't given a clear time of arrival, but the greeting I did get was worth it. A double hug and head bump from my boys, who looked only a little worse than they had when they left me. They pulled Frerin into a hug as well before gesturing for the three of us to come closer, "I need for you to be prepared, aunty doesn't look the same as when you last saw her. She looks different. She is also isn't awake at the moment." Kíli whispered out and I frowned, why wasn't my sister awake. I nodded and we all slid into the tent, the three of us freezing as we came face to face with three elves. "We will join Nori and Bifur in their guard duties." The she-elf said, causing Kíli to smile widely over at her. I raised an eyebrow, clearly my son and I needed to have a talk.

It was as I looked at the third elf in the room I realised there was a bed, a bed that had my very still baby sister on it. The curtain shifted and Thorin moved in behind us, I wanted to turn and greet him, but I was still stuck on the sight in front of me. Fíli took my hand and led me to sit on the right side of Ariana, Frerin joining me at Kíli's nudge. Trist' sat gently on the floor at the base of the bed, while the remaining three sat on Ariana's left. The Elf King shifted uncomfortably, his hands gently stroking over Ariana's braided hair and I knew then that he had done the larger braid, as it was very different to the way Thorin would have done it.

I looked up and found that Kíli was sat in the middle, surprisingly with Fíli closest to the elf. "One of you needs to explain this and quickly." I bit out and Thorin's flinch and refusal to meet my gaze confirmed what Frerin and I had been fearing. "You fell to the sickness." Frerin snapped out and Thorin nodded, "Actually everyone did, but your youngest son." The Elf-king injected and I snapped my gaze to Fíli who nodded, "Kee, Bofur, Oín and I were later in coming up to the mountain than the others, but the gold took hold of me just as much as it did the others." He said, his gaze worried. I sighed, I couldn't be angry with him, my blood was also part of him. "Why were you late to the mountain?" Frerin asked and the three of them flinched.

Kíli cleared his throat, "That was my fault. As we were leaving Mirkwood, I got shot with a poisoned arrow. The day we were meant to sail with the others the poison had reached most of my body and I was not good. The others went on and we stayed in Laketown. Ariana showed up a little over a week later and healed me." He was clearly leaving a lot out and I would get it from him later, but for now that explanation would do. "What do you mean Ariana healed you? Why does she have wings now?" Frerin asked and I nodded, really only just noticing them. The three gazes flickered to the Elf and he sighed, "Your sister is a Fae and is amazingly gifted with magic. I have never seen so much power in another being in all my years. She is truly astounding." He murmured the last bit running a finger across the scab on the side of her face, drawing something else to my attention.

"Would someone like to explain the injuries? And why there seems to be a gem in her face?" I asked and again the three across from me flinched, but Kíli began to weave a story for us of the recent battle, the elf and Fíli interrupting every now and then. I noticed that Thorin didn't say anything, but I would get that out of him later. "We lost sight of her after that view of her on the waterfall, from the distance she looked unharmed. However, we were wrong." Kíli went silent for a minute, looking up at the elf who sighed, but nodded, rising to pull back the blanket that had been delicately placed over Ariana's torso, he then carefully unwrapped the bandages. I gasped, tears filling my eyes at the angry red wound that cut through Ariana's chest. The wound had clearly been stitched up and was clean, already beginning to scab over with the same raised scabs as her face.

The elf gently placed a hand over the main bulk of the wound, before he covered the wounds back over after he had washed his hands. Frerin started at the position of his hand, practically cupping one of her breasts, but I hit him. Despite what the elf clearly felt for our sister, this was the hand of a healer. "I am not as skilled as others of my kin who are here, but I do have more knowledge than your healers. The wound seems to be less inflamed than when I last checked, as we told your kin earlier, if your sister can beat this fever, she will live." I stared up at him, it was that bad. "So this time you've decided to lend us the healing we need?" Frerin snapped out and the elf's eyes flashed, his mouth tightening.

He sat back down in a cloud of green robes and went back to soothing Ariana's head. "I made a mistake all those years ago. When you asked for aid for Ariana I froze. I could not imagine any being truly wanting to hurt the kind-hearted child that I knew. I had no idea her injuries were so grave, I have since been very publicly informed and scolded for that. Your sister was and still is one of the most important people to me in this world and had I been informed that her injuries were more than what the rest of your party had then I would of course have granted you the aid." He sighed and looked at us, his eyes boring into mine. "I felt what I thought was your sisters last breath out on the battlefield, do you have any notion of how difficult that is for an elf to understand. Death does not come to us very often and it very seldom occurs in ones lap." He whispered out and we all darted our gaze over to Kíli, who nodded.

Aunty died. Her heart stopped because of the wound. Bilbo, our burglar, had the Arkenstone on him and we placed it auntie's hands. We all agreed it was better it was buried with her. We were speaking and only Fee noticed that it melted away into her blood. That's the gems you can see. The Arkenstone is literally growing out through her skin. Kíli signed to us and I stared at him. Fíli nodded, "We won't truly understand everything until aunty wakes up. She has a way of explaining things and making them sound so simple. We just don't know when she will wake." Thorin, still was suspiciously quiet through this entire conversation and I recognised the look in his eyes, it was one he hadn't worn since we had lost Ariana all those years ago. Guilt. "Nadad, do you have nothing to say to this?" Frerin asked and he shook his head. "I have nothing to say to this. I trust that King Thranduil and his kin know how to treat her wounds and I trust my nephews to run this mountain until my sister is back on her feet."

We all stared at him and then looked at Fíli who shook his head, "Aunty invoked the right to stewardship by combat. She won, everything that happened before the battle was aunty. Before she left the mountain she made it very clear that Kíli was the first dwarf to obtain her stewardship should uncle still be affected by the gold, I was to come after, if Kee fell in battle." We all stared at Kíli who shrugged, "Aunty never really gave me a reason, but we think it was because I wasn't affected by the gold." I nodded that would make sense, "But your not affected by the gold at the moment nadad." I said and he flinched, "How could I be? Watching my little sister get so badly hurt and… No I am not affected, but I am not worthy of the throne at the moment. If ever." He muttered out before giving Ariana one last glance and walking out of the tent.

Frerin shook his head, "He's still a drama queen I see." Kíli and Fíli looked at each other, then shook their heads. The elf sighed, "I feel that your brother is quite serious. He will not take to the throne. I spoke to him about it briefly yesterday when he asked me of your sister's condition." The boys stared up at him, clearly they hadn't know about that. He looked around at us all, "Your brother feels incredibly guilty, but that is his story to explain. In our only civil conversation, he told me that he would not take back the crown until he could prove to everyone he cared about that the gold in your treasury no longer affected him. He also stated that he would only accept the crown back if Ariana gave it to him. If she doesn't then one of your sons may be King well before he thought he would."

Fíli POV

I stared at Thranduil for a moment, Kíli would be likely to become King as Aunty had been in charge rather than Thorin, a quick glance a Kee told me he was no more ready than I was to rule Erebor. "So basically what you're saying is that regardless of whether or not Ariana wakes up, one of my boys is going to rule?" Thranduil looked at amad, nodding slightly. "One of your boys will rule until Ariana wakes up. If she can confirm that Thorin is free of the sickness and he takes the crown, then it will go back to the way it was before this. If not that either Ariana will rule or your boys will."

I shook my head and looked at him, "You seem to be so sure that Aunty is going to wake up." Thranduil sighed, "I have to believe she will, I have already lost one woman I loved to death in this long life of mine. Before I married Legolas' mother, I had given up on ever finding my one. Legolas' mother was my best friend and I mourned her passing, but ours was a marriage based on friendship and convenience, Legolas was the best thing that came from our marriage. I always felt drawn to Ariana, I never knew why until she appeared in my throne room. She was feisty and I am sure some of the things she said to me were not that polite, but she treated me in a way that no one else had done in over 500 years." I stared at him as he spoke, watching as he absently stroked the feathers on the tops of aunties wings.

Uncle Frerin cleared his throat, "If my sister is your one as you're suggesting, what do you intend to do about it?" We all looked at Thranduil, watching as he glared at Uncle Frerin. "There is no if. Ariana is my one, there will be no other for me. I would like to court Ariana properly, I owe her several apologies and I just hope she will accept." Amad coughed, "What if we don't give you our blessing?" I tensed, feeling Kíli do the same beside me. "It doesn't matter amad, Fíli and I give our blessings to it. We've already spoke about it." Kee said from beside me, enduring the looks that would normally have sent him hiding behind me. "Thorin had also given his blessing for my courting of your sister. I would have proceeded regardless as the only blessing I truly need is hers." Thranduil stated and amad and uncle Frerin just glared at him.

I sighed and stood. "Perhaps this is a conversation that can wait until we've all settled in and have gotten a better chance to rest after the activities of the last few days. It will probably be better to not have this conversation over the top of aunty, especially when she can't speak for herself." I watched as Kee flashed me a grateful smile, he hadn't wanted to be the one to break the tension and everyone rose. Thranduil saw us out of the tent, but made no move to leave. "I'll explain in a moment amad." I whispered as she went to complain and she nodded, glaring up at him, before Kee and I showed them up to their rooms. I looked back to see Legolas and Tauriel ducking back into the tent and smiled, they needed the reassurance of Ariana's life just as much as Kee and I did.

As soon as we had ushered them up to the royal quarters and moved into the room that uncle Thorin had told us to take Amad began to talk. "You will explain everything that just happened. Now." She demanded and Kee flinched slightly, causing me to move in front of him, he had enough people snapping at him without adding our amad to the mix. "We let Thranduil stay in the tent as aunty is running a high fever, that's also why he was sat by her head. The elves have this weird way of being able to tell just by touch if a fever is cooler or hotter, so for the time being either King Thranduil, Lord Elrond or the Lady Galadriel will be staying with aunty in the tent. They are also the ones who healed most of her injuries." I told her and she blinked looking at me.

Kee stepped up beside me, "Also we were made very much aware of Thranduil's feelings for aunty when we had a meeting the other day as a company. Balin and Daín overheard Thranduil talking about his potential feelings at the table one night. Bilbo also had an idea of Thranduil's feelings. We talked as a company and we all agreed that we would let Thranduil court aunty. She deserves some happiness, her life since she was taken from you has not been the best nor the nicest." Amad scoffed and Frerin frowned, I sighed. "There will be no happiness with that elf, my namanith is not being courted by an elf, ever." Amad bit out and I groaned.

The door opened and shut silently behind them, Thorin walking in. "It is up to Ariana if she wants to be courted by Thranduil. If she accepts his proposal, then they both have the blessing of the entire company and Daín. She is old enough to make her own decisions, I have learnt along the course of this journey that she is not the little girl that we lost, she has grown into a formidable warrior. She beat me when I was mad with gold sickness and that was after she had driven a dragon away. She continually amazed us on the way here and the relationship she has with the elves has my blessing." Thorin bit out coming to stand beside us.

Amad stared at him before glaring. "My son got hurt 'leaving' Mirkwood, nadad. Would you like to explain that to me?" Thorin nodded, "Bilbo helped us escape from Thranduil's dungeon in the empty barrels that had been in Thranduil's cellar. They had shut the gates on the river and trapped us in, as they went to capture us a second time we were ambushed by the orcs that had been tracking us since the misty mountains. During the commotion Kíli got out of his barrel and went to open the gates for us, before he could an orc shot him with an arrow. He still managed to get the gate open and free us. You should be proud of him, he has grown so much on this journey." Amad stepped forward and promptly smacked Thorin around the face.

We all stared at her. "Amad there was no need for that. Uncle didn't command me to open the gates, I did it because I thought I could. None of us knew that the arrow was poisoned, we treated and dressed it as we always did when I got hurt hunting in Ered Luin. None of that was uncle's fault." Kee tried to explain to her, causing her to round on him. "Really? Well then I guess I can forgive that, but if he hadn't filled your head with all those stories you would never have left and gotten hurt in the first place. Now you can explain something to me. The she-elf that was in the tent." I watched Kee tense next to Thorin. "Her name is Tauriel, she is the captain of the Mirkwood guard and my one." Kee stood proud at that announcement and I watched amad.

She tensed and then frowned, shaking her head which caused the beads in her beard to jingle together. "I forbid it. You have no blessing from me." I stared at her, moving to come up beside Kee who had frozen. Uncle wrapped an arm around his shoulder and pulled him into his side, whispering quietly. "You have mine." I kept my eyes on amad as I heard what he said, she hadn't luckily. Kee shrugged off uncle's arm and tossed his head back, looking like the ruler he was. "I don't need your blessing. Nor do I care if you forbid it. I have Ariana's blessing and that is good enough for me. If you can't accept that I am happy with Tauriel as my one and Thranduil could make Ariana happy, then I don't want to talk to you any further. Good night."

We all stared at him as he stalked out of the room, shutting the door softly where once he would have slammed it. "What did you do to my son?" Amad shouted and I shook my head, moving to follow Kee. "We haven't had anything done to us amad. We grew up is all that happened. I thought you would be happy when you saw us again, we both survived with minimal injuries, we have Erebor back and we have aunty back. I'm sorry that you're not. Now if you'll excuse me I need to go and find my brother." I told them politely, clapping uncle on the shoulder and moving past amad and Frerin. I hoped they weren't too hard on Thorin, he really was trying to make everything right. The company had mostly forgiven him, even if her couldn't see it. Kee most certainly had and after his speech in our rooms, I was beginning to.

Frerin POV

I stared as my nephews left the room, Tris' following shortly after as he knew whatever was said next was purely between the three of us. Dis rounded on Thorin. "You will tell us everything. Now." Thorin sighed and sat down heavily in the chair by the cold fire place. The tale he told us began in the shire with him lost trying to find a specific hobbit hole in the dark. He told us about the Bilbo Baggins that he had first met, then how he had first met the new Ariana. He told us the whole truth about the journey, I could see it in his eyes. When he came to the last week he said it was mostly blurry, like it was being seen through a fog and from someone else's eyes. "I am so ashamed of the way I behaved, to my company who had stood by me through everything, to my nephews who had done nothing wrong, but mostly I am ashamed for the way I treated Ariana. She was the most important thing in this mountain, next to my nephews and my one and I broke her heart."

I frowned at him and then it clicked, "You forgot every promise?" I asked and he nodded, "I attacked her, when she came to challenge me. I fucking well nearly killed her Frer'. I tried to choke the life from her and when she beat me, I said I had wished she was dead. That the orcs had taken her not adad. I told her I would kill her to keep the gold. I sunk lower than Thrór ever did and when she came to me on the morning of the battle I said that I hoped she died. I could see myself saying these things, unable to stop them from pouring from me and hurting the most precious thing in that treasury. That is why I do not deserve the crown and why I won't take it until Ariana gives it to me."

I stared at my proud, stoic brother as he broke down into tears, sitting with his hands over his face and leaning on his knees. Dis stayed where she was but I went to sit by him, "Can you remember when you came back to us, the day before Ariana disappeared and I told you what I had inadvertently done with my actions, how I had made her fear me and think that I wanted her gone?" I asked and he nodded, "Do you remember what you told me? You told me, 'Actions prove who someone is, words just prove who they think they want to be.' You told me that I had to use my actions to show Ariana that she was truly wanted, that they were worth more than any words I could say to her. Take your own advice brother." I told him.

I sat next to him, watching as Dis finally came to sit down next to us. She looked at Thorin and her gaze was cold. "You did all this and expect her to forgive you? Expect any of us to forgive you? You nearly cost us our little sister. You can't possibly be that stupid?" Thorin froze and I blinked swearing that I had seen a shadow move near the door, but I couldn't see anyone. "I am aware that I do not deserve forgiveness Dis. I am not stupid, I am hopeful. I am hopeful that I can win back the trust of everyone I've hurt, that I can repair the relationships I built on the journey here with the company, with my nephews, my one and my sister. I am hopeful that Ariana will wake up." He looked over at the dark fireplace.

I placed a hand on his shoulder. "I think you can. You've already started with the boys, the company may take their cues from them. Ariana will have to wait until she is awake. I haven't met your one and I am intrigued by that, but I am sure if they feel for you what you feel for them, they will forgive you. I can forgive you." I looked over at Dis and she shook her head, "I can't deal with this right now. Good night to you both." She exclaimed and turned on her heel, walking from the room. "Come on nadad we are in the boys rooms and I think they would like to come to bed at some point." He nodded, but knelt to light a small, banked fire for the boys. I smiled he was trying to ask for forgiveness without even asking.

I looked up as Fíli and Kíli walked in, just as Thorin was standing up. "Uncle you didn't have to do that." Kíli said and Thorin shrugged, starting as Kíli wrapped him in a hug, "Did you truly mean it? That you give my potential relationship with Tauriel your blessing?" He asked and Thorin nodded, smiling slightly. "I would be a fool to deny you your one. Also I would be a hypocrite if I said it was wrong because she is not a dwarf." Kíli chuckled and nodded, hugging Thorin again before darting of into one of the other chambers. Fíli just shook his head, laughing. "We went down to see aunty. Lady Galadriel was in the tent when we got there, apparently one of Thranduil's elves had gotten in a fight with one of Elronds and he needed to sort it out. She said that the fever is a lot lower than it was, that aunty is doing very well and should, hopefully, be awake soon."

Thorin's sigh echoed slightly and I seconded it. "She also said it is likely that aunty can hear everything that is being said to her, but to keep that between the four of us. Apparently Thranduil has been telling her certain things he would never if he knew she was awake." Thorin froze, "He's not the only one." I smacked him lightly and Thorin flinched, "No I don't mean it like that, I would have preferred to say the things I've already said if she was awake and looking at me. It doesn't mean I'm not going to say them again and again until I'm forgiven." I shook my head, "You mean until you've forgiven yourself?" He shrugged and we left the boys for the night.

Thorin separated from me as soon as we left entering his room and from the sounds of it bolting the door. I flinched, hoping that he hadn't been sleeping like that since the battle, but knowing that he probably had. I found myself too awake to sleep and wandered down to Ariana's tent, slipping past the dwarf guarding it when he nodded his head at me. I stepped inside and found a she-elf sat by my sister. "Lady Galadriel, I assume?" I asked, bowing and she nodded, dipping her head. "Prince Frerin. I need to deliver a message, your sister's fever broke but an hour ago and she is settling well, so I feel it is safe to leave her for a short period if you are here. I won't be long." I nodded, thankful for the time alone with Ariana, but scared that if anything happened I was the only one here.

I sat in the chair Fíli had on her left and began to stroke her hair back from her face. "The Lady seems to think you can hear me. You need to wake up soon namanith. I don't know how to sort this family out without you. Fíli and I seem to be playing peace keepers at the moment. Don't get me wrong, I am angry at Thorin for what he said to you, but I have never seen him look so guilty, so saddened by what he's done. It worries me, but he is strong even if he can't remember that. Dis on the other hand is very, very angry. She forbid Kíli's relationship with his one, not that he's going to listen, he's got your blessing and Thorin's. Which seems to be enough for him. She's very angry at Thorin for what he's done, she slapped him. She's said she won't allow your possible relationship with Thrandy. I think she's just scared that she's going to lose you all over again."

I told Ariana everything that had happened since we left the tent and then when I had finished that I told her about my life. "You'd like my wife Ariana. She's dragonfire. Her name is Taliara, she's a blacksmith and I have only ever seen one person make better metal work than her, but I may be biased as you're my sister and you were adorable at seven. We had a little girl about ten years back, her name is Kíarina. She's blonde like me, but I swear everything else is her mother. Well except maybe the stubbornness, that's definitely a Durin trait. I told her stories of you and when Nori mentioned that you were back, she was so excited. Their travelling with Britta and 'Ven, on the first caravan here. Tristahal is here with us, no doubt the boys told you about him. He lost his arm in the mines, but he's vicious with his axe now, learned to use the great big thing one handed. You have never seen anything like it."

I chuckled and smoothed a hand over her forehead, starting when Galadriel came back in. "It is nearing the mid point of the night. You may want to get some rest, tomorrow looks to be stressful for us all." She said and I nodded, leaning over and pressing a kiss to Ariana's cheek. "Please wake up mizimith. I've missed you and I want to give you a hug. I love you." I whispered to her and smoothed a hand across her forehead, noting that it wasn't quite as hot as I was expecting. "Your sister is healing well, the more she sleeps the more she heals and the more her magic recovers. We have hopes that she will wake soon, the fever has nearly run it's course." I smiled up at her, bowing again before leaving the tent and walking up to my room with a smile on my face. Hope was sometimes the only thing we needed and in this case, it seemed to be enough.

A/N: So this chapter was interesting ...That shadow Frerin saw was totally Bilbo who may or may not be wearing a certain ring and who may or may not be whispering things in a certain set of pointy ears. Maybe ;) And don't you just wanna hug Thorin and call him an Idiot? Also Thrandy WTF are playing at you goon?

So the next chapter is going to Ariana, I know I only just did her POV a two chapters ago, but I think waking up from nearly dying needs to be in her view and also smacking some sense into people works better if I can type it in first person :)

So I worked out that if I had done what I wanted to this would have been 15,000 words in one go which was a little much.