Chapter 54: Coronation
The woman that looked back at Allie in the mirror was someone who she didn't recognize. There were dark circles under her eyes and her hair had lost all of its shine. Her blue eyes usually sparkled with mirth now only showed the constant grief that she was experiencing. She had completely changed from that radiant woman that she used to be.
It had been three days since the Battle of the Five Armies, as it was being called, had officially ended. Almost immediately arrangements were being made for a funeral for Thorin, Fili and Kili somewhere deep in the tombes in the mountain. Allie's coronation to become Queen of Erebor was supposed to occur once the ceremony had ended which was a fearful thought.
Allie had shunned away from everyone else and had locked herself inside the chambers that she had been staying in. She had hardly uttered a word to anyone since this all had happened. All that Allie needed was to be alone without any of these interfering dwarves so that she could probably grief the loss of her kin by herself without being disturbed by someone.
Allie didn't want to think about becoming Queen in less than an hour. She had resigned her rights to the throne after all and now it had turned out that she couldn't escape that inevitable fate. It had drastically changed everything in her life because she was supposed to be leaving the Shire with Bilbo.
Bilbo. At the thought of the endearing Halfling her heart ached even more. She hadn't spoken to him at all since the battle and she had assumed that Bilbo needed some privacy to grief on his own and would come for her whenever he was ready for it. Allie could only hope that would be soon because she secretly desired his presence and perhaps they could comfort each other.
There came three knocks on the door which disturbed Allie's thoughts and she knew that it was time. "Allie, are you ready?" she heard Bofur ask.
Allie went to open the door and saw how Bofur gave her a solemn look as he took in what she was wearing. She had chosen to put on a dark blue dress that was a sleeveless lace with top ruffles and a long royal blue skirt that had belonged to her great-aunt which was why it wasn't fitting her figure properly. Allie couldn't care less about what she was wearing for this event because she had been dreading this moment for days. She had to say farewell to her family after all.
"I wish I didn't have to," Allie admitted as she stepped out of the room.
"We all understand that, Allie. I'm nothing but sorry about what you all have to endure these days," Bofur replied as he hooked his arms through hers so that they could walk away. "It's been nothing but cruel."
"There's nothing that you or anyone else can do about it, Bofur," she said.
Allie dreaded every step that she had to take as they got closer. It wasn't that they were walking fast, but they had made it to their destination within a matter of minutes. As Allie stepped inside the large tombs her breath haltered. There were many dwarves from Dain's army present there. The remainder of the company also had gathered there and stood alongside Gandalf and Radagast. Even Thranduil was there with Tauriel and Yldris.
Allie couldn't bring herself to make eye contact with any of them because she knew that she would burst into tears if she would. Instead she kept her gaze focused on the three daises that stood in the centre of the tombes. Her father's body was placed in the middle with Fili and Kili at his sides in a sort of circle.
Bofur let go off her as Allie approached the dais where Kili was resting on. He was wearing some armor that he had found inside the mountain only a couple of weeks ago. He looked as if was about to wake up at any second now, but Allie knew better than that. She got closer and placed her hand on his shoulder as the first tears spilled from her eyes.
Kili had always been rambunctious one of the Durin's. Everyone back at the Blue Mountains had known him like that. Allie had often wondered what Kili's life could've looked like once Fili had been crowned King of Erebor. Surely he would be a close council to his brother.
Allie placed a gentle kiss on her cousin's forehead to officially say good bye to him. She turned around to Fili's dais and felt a sharp pain in her chest. Not too long ago she had had a good conversation with her cousin about his future as a King. She had never envisioned that he would be dead before that day had arrived. Fili would've made a much better ruler of Erebor that the people would absolutely adore. He would surely put everyone's needs first as he had always done.
Allie thought of their mother Dís and how often she had warned her sons to be careful. Dís had even made them promise that they would be reunited again once they had safely made it to Erebor. Dís would never see her sons grow old or get to hold them in her arms again. That was a cruel thing to think about.
Kili and Fili had died trying to reclaim the home of their kin before they were ever able to call this place a home themselves. Allie lay a kiss against Fili's forehead and held his hand for a moment or two as her throat tightened. She was stalling because she didn't want to say goodbye to her father next. She wasn't ready to never see him again.
Allie couldn't avoid the inevitable and slowly turned to the dais in the centre where her father was resting on. The last time Allie had been at a funeral had been that of her late mother and Thorin had been the one who had to comfort her. He had arms wrapped around her and she had appreciated it enormously. This time he couldn't comfort her. She grabbed his hand as she sobbed hysterically and didn't care that everyone could see her. She had lost her kin after all and she had every right to properly say goodbye to her late kin and to mourn their losses.
"I don't know how to live without you, Khagam," she whispered in Khuzdul. Thorin was also wearing some armor that he had never before worn in battle. The Arkenstone was placed on his chest and he was holding Orcrist on his centre. There were some scars on his face which he had gained during his fight with Azog. "Please, wake up and tell me that this is all a bad dream and that everything is going to be fine. I'm aching so much inside. I don't know if I can do this."
There was no respond which caused Allie to let out even more sobs. She was never going to feel her father's strong arms around her anymore or his kisses when he tried to tell her that she was loved. Allie wasn't sure if she could go one day without that.
Allie didn't want to say good bye because then it would really be over. She wanted to prolong this moment as long as she could because then she could still touch her father he even though his body felt cold under her touch. Only Allie wasn't foolish enough to stay here the whole day. She had to say it.
More tears escaped from her eyes. "I'm not lying when I say that I don't want to say farewell to you, but I have to do it, Khagam. I hope that you're finally with my mother again. You've been nothing but a wonderful father to me and I'm thankful for that. There will not be a day that I will not think of you. I love you and I'm going to miss you. We will see each other again."
She oh so slowly placed a kiss on his forehead and made it last. Allie squeezed his hand one last time before she stepped aside so that the rest could say finally farewell. Allie had her back turned towards them so that she wouldn't have to witness their personal moments, but she knew that everyone was struggling and that many tears were being shed. Everyone in the company had had a rather close bond with Thorin, Fili and Kili after all.
After a while Alllie turned her head when everyone finished saying their farewells. It was a custom for dwarves to sing an eulogy whenever a dwarf had fallen and that was why Allie wanted to do it this time. She wasn't someone who had a rather good singing voice, but she wanted to pay her last respects by singing one last time.
" A king he was on carven throne
In many-pillared halls of stone
With golden roof and silver floor
And runes of power upon the door
The light of sun and star and moon
In shining lamps of crystal hewn
Undimmed by cloud or shade of night
There shone for ever fair and bright
The world is grey, the mountains old
The forge's fire is ashen-cold
No harp is wrung, no hammer falls
The darkness dwells in Durin's halls
The shadow lies upon his tomb
In Moria, in Khazad-dûm
But still the sunken stars appear
In dark and windless Mirrormere
There lies his crown in water deep
Till Durin wakes again from sleep."
Once she was finished she saw that her singing had brought some tears into the eyes of most of the people that were present at the tombes. Allie knew what was to happen next as Balin approached her with a solemn expression on his face. He obviously wanted to spare Allie from this moment, but he knew that he couldn't do it. He had no power to change anything about this.
"I'm truly sorry, Allie," he said quietly to her and she could only give him a faint smile because this wasn't his fault at all. "The King is dead!" Balin bellowed louder so that everyone could hear him. The dwarves all grabbed their weapons to brandish those in the air as a form of respect for their leader and friends.
He looked at Allie who knelt down on the ground in front of him and closed her eyes in the hope that she could escape her destiny, but she couldn't prevent it from happening.
"Allie Fairchild, do you solely swear to protect your people and leader that your people can look up to," Balin asked her.
Allie swallowed loudly. "I solemnly swear to do so." That was it. She had sealed her fate entirely and she couldn't go back on it anymore.
Balin brought out a silver crown that had once belonged to her great-grandmother when she had still been a Queen. It was a simple looking crown, but it was still endorsed with tiny sparkling jewels all over. "I pronounce you Queen of Erebor!" Balin said firmly as he lowered the crown on her head and Allie could feel the the weight of responsibilities that came with it. "Long live the Queen!"
Everyone at the tombs rose their swords once more to show respect for their new leader as they joined in the chime alongside with Balin. Allie Fairchild was officially Queen Under the Mountain and of Erebor.
