A/N: What's this, a somewhat delayed update? We'll see how long I'll be able to keep up these regular updates once work starts in a week. Two things before we dive into it:

I've been thinking about how to take this fic in a different direction as I'm planning on it to be slightly AU, especially closer to the Battle of the Five Armies. When I did my research on the House of Elros and Amandil, I didn't realise that him being Riley and Maggie's dad means they are a direct descendant to Aragorn and therefore also the throne of Gondor. Let me know if you have any ideas or suggestions?

I know I haven't mentioned how long it takes for them to travel between places but between Rivendell and the Goblin tunnels at least a few weeks (Maggie does say something about it taking ages) but when they arrive in Lake Town it's early October so they've been on the road for a while.

Anyway, on with the show. Enjoy, folks!

Mimûn: Little one

Chapter Nineteen: Of Many Discoveries...

The last thing Riley remembered before blacking out, was Sauron's enormous shadow holding his body, using nothing but the force of his evil. Riley tried his best to fight it with every bit of strength he had left, but nothing helped. To Sauron, he was just a mere fly on the wall. Something he could kill just as easily. As Riley regained his senses and looked around him, he thought that perhaps Sauron had succeeded. Gandalf had barely been able to fight him, so what use could possibly be? The next immediate question Riley asked himself, was regarding the matter of his current whereabouts. As far as his eyes could see, there was vast fog of white. Riley thought he hinted an old Oak Tree and walked towards him.

"I wonder if this that creepy Silent Hill void-space, Maggie saw before." Riley asked. "In which case, am I...dead? Wonderful, some bloody hero I turned out to be. I never even got the chance to tell Bilbo how I feel about him."

"You still have that chance, son."

I know that voice, Riley thought, but it cannot be. Riley paused for a few moments, too afraid to turn around because even though he knew deep down, he wasn't ready for it. His father had been dead for eight years. It had taken time but Riley and Maggie had both finally accepted that he was gone and had moved on with their lives. Then, the Valar had dragged them from their world and dropped them straight into Middle-Earth, at one of the peak moments of its history. Riley still didn't understand all of it and he still wasn't sure if their presence made a difference for the better or not.

"What in the whole entire fuck?"he whispered to himself. His dad still looked the same as before he'd gotten sick. Long brown hair and familiar, handsome face. Riley half-expected him to wear some sort of other-worldly clothes, but instead he wore his usual shirt, trousers and tweed waistcoat. Hell, even his pocket-watch was there. Riley had always thought his father someone who was stuck in a different time from how he dressed.

"Dad?" Riley was almost too afraid to touch his father but he when he finally did, he was overcome by a mix of happiness, relief and sadness. Alan Spencer embraced his son and for the first time in a long while, Riley allowed himself to cry.

"I know Maggie said she'd seen you, but I'm not sure I…" Riley stammered "Not that I doubted her..I just didn't want to believe. Oh god Dad, I've missed you so much."

"It's alright, son." Alan said and then he sighed. "Although I am terribly sorry. I never meant for this burden to fall upon the two of you. All I ever wanted for you was to have a normal life. A life lived with laughter and with love. Mind you, seems you've done well in that department."

Riley chuckled, "You've got a good sense of humour for a dead guy."

In that moment, two things struck Riley. If this was the same voidspace Maggie was in, then that meant he wasn't dead. At least not entirely, which was a relief. The second thing that struck him was that his father's appearance could only mean that was the bearer of news. Whether they were good or bad news, was a different matter entirely.

"Dad, when Maggie saw you, it was because you told her about us and our family, who you really are. That the Valar sent us here to help Thorin and the company reclaim Erebor, which by the way is not as lighthearted as the Hobbit made out. " Riley said. "I mean we have been hunted by orcs, the necromancer was able to physically hurt Maggie in her bloody dreams and Sauron nearly killed me. Actually, still not entirely convinced that he didn't. You're seriously telling me that this was sold as damned children's book in Waterstones for £7.90? I am going to have nightmares for literally the rest of my life and they teach this as adventures being fun?"

Riley stopped his ramblings and exhaled a breath of air. He turned back to his father who had a calm smile on his face and he was used to his son's rants.

"Feeling better?" Alan asked

"Yeah, I guess I had to get that off my chest." Riley replied. "My point is dad, as great as it is to see you, I know you're not here to just say hello. Did we screw up? Things haven't exactly gone according to plan."

"That's the point isn't it? You're here to change the course of things to come because by doing so, the enemy's hold on Middle-Earth will weaken. At least, some things."

Riley blinked, not liking the sound in his father's voice. "What do you mean some things?"

Something changed in Alan Spencer's eyes then, he didn't say anything but Riley knew exactly what he meant and that's when his heart broke into a thousand small pieces.

"Thorin still has to die, doesn't he?"

Alan only nodded and Riley wiped the tears running down his face. This placed Riley in an entirely different situation. He had to tell his sister and knowing Maggie, she was not going to be happy about it. Riley tried to understand the Valar's reasoning behind this decision and could find none. Did Thorin's death carry some significance that he had missed out on? Or was it simply one of those fixed points in the timeline that you weren't supposed to change? Either way, Maggie wasn't going to have any of it and judging by the look on his father's face, there was more.

"There is the matter of your heritage, son." Alan said

"Yeah, Maggie said that you're Amandil and you were a Lord of Andunie who served under King Ar-Pha..."

"Ar-Pharazôn."

"Ar-Pharazôn, thank you." Riley said "She also said that you had another son before us, Elendil."

"What else did she tell you?"

"I don't really remember the Silmarillion that well, it was always Maggie's favourite. Elrond told her some of our family's history. Apparently, after you vanished, Elendil still managed to arrive in Middle-Earth, where he settled in Arnor and then founded Gondor of which he became…"

Riley's voice trailed off as the realisation hit him like a tonne of bricks.

"Holy shit." he whispered. "No, no, no...we can't be...are you seriously telling me that Maggie and I...that we're-"

"Heirs to the throne of Gondor."

"Okay, I need to sit down."

Maggie had never known the difference between having sex and making love until that night. Nor had she ever known a feeling so beyond what words were able to describe. She didn't just love Thorin Oakenshield, but she needed him, as much as the air she breathed. Last night was the first real time that Maggie was sure Thorin felt the same. It was that love and need for each other, which made the night all the more intense. Within seconds they were both naked, their bodies encompassed by heat and lust. Usually, Thorin was rough when it came to sex but with love-making it seemed, he was more gentle. Firm, but gentle nonetheless. Eventually, after Maggie had let out a cry with her release at the same time as Thorin, they both collapsed on the mattress in a mix of sweat and ecstasy. Maggie had fallen asleep with the King Under the Mountain pressing his nose against her neck, his steady breath leading her into a deep slumber.

It was daylight again when Maggie opened her eyes. Beside her, Thorin was still breathing heavily and the memories of the night brought a smile to her face. All her previous anxiety was gone and for the first time in a long while, Maggie Spencer was happy. Perhaps, she thought, this was the real reason the Valar had sent them. To change things for the better and give Thorin a real chance for a life in Erebor. It made sense, she thought, and she was going to make sure to fight for it. Maggie listened for a sign of Brenna, but the house seemed empty. Maggie felt a bit guilty for taking up so much of Brenna's personal space after she'd been so kind to her. But, both Bard and Brenna had assured her that it really was no problem. It wasn't Brenna's kindness that surprised Maggie but Bard's. The bargeman had shown such skepticism towards the dwarves at first, but it seemed like with Maggie and Bilbo's presence, some of that initial worry had been put aside. At least temporarily. Carefully, Maggie removed Thorin's arm from her waist but as soon as she was about to get out of bed, a strong hand grabbed her.

"Where do you think you're going, givashel?"

The Khuzdul nickname made Maggie blush and she turned around to Thorin. His voice was drowsy and he stifled a yawn.

"I thought I'd see where Brenna went." Maggie said. "I want to thank her for being so kind to me."

Thorin sat up and nuzzled his nose into Maggie's neck, placing a gentle kiss on her warm skin. Somehow, Mahal had blessed him with this incredible woman and Thorin swore than he was going to do everything in his power to keep her safe, treasured and loved. Besides, if he didn't Thorin was certain that Riley would keep true to his word and harm him. Which, Reminded the king that he would have the same word with Riley about Master Baggins.

"It seems to me that since we are to stay in this town for a few days, I see no rush to get up. Besides, Ms Brenna is already out, so come back to bed."

Maggie allowed Thorin's hand to lead her back between the sheets and she relaxed as she rested her head on his hairy chest. As she lay there, Maggie felt her breathing slowing down as Thorin gently ran his fingers through her hair. She wished that all mornings would be like this one, but Maggie also knew things wouldn't stay that way for long. So, she decided to enjoy it for as long as possible.

"Did you mean what you said last night?" Maggie asked after a while

Thorin seemed lost in his own thoughts for a while until he replied. "You'll have to be more specific, sweeting." he said "Many things were said last night. Some of them by you, I recall. I didn't realise you had quite the mouth"

His teasing made Maggie blush and she looked up at him. Thorin was a very handsome dwarf, Maggie already knew, but every time she glanced at him, she discovered new things she liked. The dimples on his face, the expression in his eyes whenever he was deep in his own thoughts.

"I meant the part where you said you're in love with me."

Thorin glanced at her, somewhat confused by his question. Had Maggie not known love before or was she afraid to believe someone would love her? Perhaps, Thorin thought, it was a combination of the two. How could he assure her that his feelings were true? That he knew in his heart that he wanted nobody else. "I love you, more than I can express with words." He kissed her hand.

"I love you too." Maggie said and she really meant it.

Thorin felt flutter in his heart and sighed in relief. She loved him too. The son of Thrain pulled her so that she was once more at his mercy, under his body. "Now then, if you are to be my queen, I think it is only right that I court you properly."

Maggie blinked. "That you what-now?"

Maggie had heard of courting, of course, but all she knew was that it was a very old-fashioned and to some extents dead tradition. In Middle-Earth it seemed, that was not the case and Maggie knew nothing of what courting meant to the people of this world, or specifically to dwarfs. At her baffled expression, Thorin chuckled.

"Do people not court each other in your world?" he asked

"I mean..sort of." Maggie said,"Just not in the way you probably think. In my world, we just call it dating."

"And how is...dating different from courting?"

"Well for one thing, I have a feeling it's much less romantic. Although, it depends entirely on the person. When you date someone it usually starts with one person asking the their crush out."

"What in Durin's name is a crush?" Thorin asked as he briefly stopped kissing Maggie's shoulder. "And what is the purpose of ...asking someone out? Why would you need to step outside?"

At this Maggie laughed. Sometimes, she forgot all about the cultural and interdimensional differences. She had done many strange things in her life, but explaining modern day dating to a Thorin Oakenshield, was a new one for the list.

"Okay so, a crush is a person you like and when you ask them out, it can be for a coffee or going to dinner or the cinema. It's basically a way of showing someone that you're interested in them. If the feeling is mutual, they'll say yes."

"So it is courting then?"

Maggie shook her head. "Not really, you can have a few dates with someone and then decide you're better off as friends. Sometimes, if things go really well, that person becomes your boyfriend or your girlfriend. Some people also prefer to date casually.."

Thorin raised an eyebrow "Casually? What does that entail?"

Maggie realised she had opened a completely different can of worms. "Casual dating is when you have no intentions of becoming seriously attached to that person and you just sleep with them. For fun."

"What would be the point in that?" Thorin asked, his voice serious. "If you do not love the person you share a physical union with, then it loses all purpose and becomes meaningless. There is no greater declaration of love than sharing your mind, heart and body with your One. Why would you give such a thing to just anyone?"

Maggie wondered what Thorin meant by being someone's 'One' and would ask at a later point. Hearing him speak about love and sex as something so sacred surprised her a little. She imagined that in Thorin's youth, perhaps he would have had previous lovers and slept with them too.

"Thorin Oakenshield, are you secretly a hopeless romantic?" Maggie teased and sat up so that she was facing him. "I agree with you, though. That's why I was surprised to see my brother so completely smitten with Bilbo Baggins. He's never really been one for long-term relationships."

It was true, Maggie knew. Riley had had maybe one serious relationship in his life, that she was aware of. It wasn't because her brother didn't fall in love, but she guessed because he was afraid of it. Since their dad had died, Riley had a difficult time opening up to anyone else. For months, he wouldn't speak to their mother and barely even Maggie. To deal with his grief and pain, Riley had turned to some less than legal substances and became a shell of his former self. Maggie remembered those days as if they happened yesterday. The overdose that nearly killed her brother had been both a curse and a blessing. After that narrow escape of death, Riley changed his path in life and after years of hard work, he was the same, witty self he had always been. It took a while, Maggie and Riley's bond mended eventually.

"I'm sorry to interrupt this...uh...moment."

Gloin's voice snapped Maggie out of her thoughts. She turned around to the dwarf who stood in the doorway to the bedroom. He looked both a little embarrassed and amused to have walked in on such an intimate moment. Immediately, alarm bells went off in Maggie's head because there was no way the other dwarves would interrupt them, if it wasn't serious.

"What is it Gloin?" Thorin growled, less than happy about having their morning cut short. "Out with it!"

"It's Master Baggins." Ori said "His fever is getting worse. Much worse."

"Okay, let me get this straight."

Riley paced back and forth, trying to wrap his head around what his father had just revealed. He didn't doubt the truth of it, but it was still ridiculous. Him and Maggie, heirs to the throne of Gondor? It was absurd, yet there was no reason for his dad to lie to him about any of this and Riley had just about accepted the strangeness of their current situation. This was something else entirely to get used to. Did Gondor even have a king now, Riley wondered, or was it still run by stewards? Did the stewards know of Maggie and Riley's existence, because if so that would cause a whole other political struggle that they were not ready to deal with. There was already so much going on that took priority over this new revelation.

"You're telling me that Maggie and I are what a prince and princess of Gondor?" he asked

"Crown prince and princess, seeing as Elendil was your brother it makes you next in line. But yes it is true. Gondor is now ruled by their steward Ecthelion II and he will not take lightly to a threat to the throne."

"Isn't that the whole point of a steward, though? To guard the throne until the heir is ready to claim it? In this case, the heir is Aragorn, I mean Estel."

"Yes but that is sixty years from now." Alan watched his son who was, as expected, not taking the news well. The valar had blessed him with a rare moment to see his son and he felt guilty that this was the reason. "Right now, Gondor has neither a king or a queen on its throne. Echtelion likes it this way and would rather not see it change.""So what? Are we supposed to step forward and suddenly claim a throne, that we had no idea was ours until just now? I can solve that problem really easily and Ecthelion will have nothing to worry about. I sure as hell do not want to be king of anything. I can almost certainly guarantee you that Mags feels the same way. I get that you had life before us, and I'm still furious that you kept it from us. But dad, you can't just come back from the dead and tell us to change the course of our entire goddamn lives. I mean, Jesus, that is not fair. None of this is fair. I have a life back home. I have family, friends and a PhD in Science Communication that I would really love to complete. When all of this is over, I just want to go home to how things were before all of this."

Is that truly what he wanted though? Riley asked himself. The question stirred unknown feelings inside him and he wasn't sure what to make of it. Did he want to go back to his normal life and forget everything he had come to know here? Did he want to forget all about Thorin Oakenshield and the company, the adventures they'd had so far and Bilbo Baggins? That bloody hobbit had nestled his way into Riley's heart and his thoughts often wandered to him. The answer was yes, a part of Riley did just want to go home and live his life as he had always done. But another part, a much stronger one, knew he wouldn't be able to do so. His moral compass told him that he was needed here and there was a greater purpose to all this.

"Son of a bitch." Riley sighed and kicked a small pebble. "Alright, what do I have to do?"

Alan Spencer put an assuring hand on his son's shoulder. He was so proud of both his children around for everything they had accomplished. He knew their journey wasn't over and there were far greater trials ahead than they could ever imagine.

At the news of Bilbo's illness, Maggie wasted no time. She quickly rushed to get out of bed and dressed. Within mere minutes she was back at Bard's house. Oin was looking after Bilbo who was burning up with fever and delirious too. He muttered nonsensical things Maggie couldn't quite make out and sometimes he mumbled about the Sackville-Bagginses and what they would do to his house. Tilda and Sigrid helped supply Oin with cold wet towels, but they seemed to have little to no effect. Maggie sat at Bilbo's bedside, putting a new cold tower on his forehead and gently took his hand. Oh Bilbo, she thought, I wish I could do more. Then, as if the thought had just hit her, Maggie realised there was something she could do to help. She shot up from the bed and ran across the room to find her belongings.

"What are you searching for, little sister?" Fili asked curiously as he watched Maggie go through the small pile of her belongs.

"Where is it? I know it's here somewhere!" she asked herself. Desperately, Maggie rummaged through her leather back. It was usually a mess and this was no different. She emptied out its contents; the journal Thorin had given her, some clothes, a modern day pen from IKEA a various small things. She looked its corners and in its pockets until she finally found it. A small packet of paracetamol, with two tablets left. Maggie always kept them with her, in case of a headache or if her period pains were particularly bad. She had no idea if they would even work on Bilbo but she was grateful to have found them. Maggie rushed back into the bedroom. Fili followed her and gestured for the other dwarves to come closer. So did Sigrid and Tilda but with much more caution.

"Pass me a jug of water." she said. "Quick!"

Oin passed her a jug of water and Maggie used a mortel to to crumble the tablets into a white powder which she mixed in with the water. The other dwarves looked on, both fascinated and a little concerned. She sat down on the bed, carefully lifting up Bilbo's head and helped him drink the liquid. The hobbit coughed slightly but then lay back down. Maggie breathed out a heavy sigh.

"There. It might take an hour or so before it kicks in," Maggie said "But he should be alright, thank God."

"What did you give him, lass?" Oin asked "I've never seen such a thing in my life."

"It's called paracetamol. It's a type of medicine where I'm from. We use it for various aches and flus. I don't know if it'll last for very long, a few hours at least. Either way that was my last two tablets so, here's hoping it works."

Thorin embraced Maggie and placed a kiss on her forehead. Although he was uncertain of what he had just witnessed, he was relieved nonetheless. It seemed their burglar would live to see another day.

"You sacrificed a token from home...to help him?" Nori said

"That's very selfless, lass." Dori agreed

"Well yeah, I can't just let him die.". Maggie said. To her it seemed like an obvious choice to her but the dwarves were amazed. "You need your burglar, I need my friend alive and both Gandalf and my brother would undoubtedly kill me if I let Bilbo die on my watch, so it's a win-win situation really. Besides, it's only paracetamol, no big deal."

"Well, I'm sure Master Baggins will be grateful nonetheless." Thorin said.

"Alright, then." Bombur said and rubbed his hands together. "Breakfast?"

Once Bilbo's fever settled down and Bard came back from the market with Bain, it was time for breakfast. They'd use more of Gloin's secret stash of money and with the help from Sigrid, Bombur cooked what could only be described as a small feast. Maggie couldn't recall the last time she'd had such a meal and happily ate the bacon, scrambled eggs and other various bits of food on the table. While still weak from the orc arrow, Kili was able to join them seemed to have a good appetite but Maggie still kept an eye on him. She felt a bit guilty for not using some of the paracetamol on Kili, but a part of doubted it would have any kind of effect on orc poison. After breakfast, the dwarves helped clear and Maggie mused at Tilda's constant pestering of Fili and why he was blonde when his brother was a brunette. She asked why they had braids in their hair even though they were men and all manner of questions. Fili and Kili pretended to be annoyed, but Maggie could they didn't mind. Bard stood at what was supposed to be their kitchen counter, when Maggie watched Thorin get up and walked over to him. The dwarf king seemed to hesitate for a while and then Maggie witnessed something she could never have predicted.

"Bard." Thorin said "It has come to my attention that perhaps I've been a bit harsh...and ungrateful. I wish to offer you my sincere apologies and I also want to thank you and your children for your hospitality."

Bard seemed as surprised as everyone else didn't quite know what to say for a while, until he finally broke the silence. "Apology accepted, Master Dwarf. You and your company are welcome here."

Maggie breathed a sigh of relief for the second time that day and nuzzled Thorin's neck as he pulled her down onto his lap when he rejoined the table.

"Shall I take it that you kissed and made up?" Bars teased with a grin.

"Shut up." Maggie said and blushed

"Hah! Pay up, lads!"

"I knew it wouldn't take long!"

Some silver coins were thrown across and Maggie shook her head. Of course they'd place bets, what else would they do? Bain looked on with a surprised expression, he still didn't know what to make of their strange guessed or why his father had allowed them to stay. But, it certainly made things more interesting than they had been lately and his father seemed to be in much better spirits.

"Oh god.." Maggie mumbled "You guys will be the death of me."

"This surprises you?" Thorin asked cheekily

"No, I suppose not."

Thorin turned to Nori. "What was the nature of your wager?" he asked

"We discussed whether or not you two would have another argument or if you would...you know." Nori said and Maggie saw his ears pink.

"Yes, I get the picture."

Maggie turned to Dwalin and Fili. "And what side of the bet were you two on?"

As she said it, both Fili and Dwalin caught coins

"I for one, had no doubt that uncle would come to his senses." Fili said with a smile.

Maggie simply shook her head, but nevertheless, she was happy and content.

When Riley opened his eyes again, he knew he was alive. In an awful amount of pain, but alive nonetheless. He was also in cage, hanging off the side of a cliff, with nothing beneath him but fog and darkness. Riley also saw Gandalf hanging in a cage across the crevasse from himself. He couldn't tell whether the wizard was alive or not and tried to get his attention but with no luck. There were no signs of the orcs around them or any wargs, but that wasn't assuring at all. For all he knew, they were waiting for just the right moment to kill them, leaving no trace of their bodies and no hope to join the rest of the company. Riley also knew there was no way there were getting out of there without help. Luckily, he did know a way to get help and as he closed his eyes, Riley hope this would work and not just leave him feeling like a moron.

Elrond, he thought, I know you can hear me. At least I hope you can hear me. Gandalf and I are in trouble and we need help. Radagast is on his way to Lady Galadriel but I don't know if he'll get there in time but Gandalf and I can't leave here without help. He...Sauron will kills for real if we try. If you can hear me, please help us.

"Dori," Maggie said "Can I ask you a question?"

"Hmm? Yes, of course, lass. What's on your mind?"

Some time later, some of the dwarves had set out to find more supplies and figure out what to do about their present situation. While they were stuck in Lake Town for the time being, there was still much to see tee. Thorin had asked Fili, Dori, Nori, Bombur, Gloin and Dwalin to come with him, while the other stayed behind. Oin looked after Bilbo, while Bofur, Ori and Bifur stayed in the house, sorting out the supplies they already had and planned for the journey ahead. Balin kept an eye on Kili who was also resting. Maggie thought about how to phrase her question without sounding silly

"What exactly does dwarven courting entail?" she asked finally.

Ah, Dori thought, so he's finally decided to make it official. "Why do you ask, mimûn?"

"I'm just..curious." Maggie lied

Maggie realised how bad the lie was because Dori just smiled at her. Dori knew that if Maggie was asking about dwarven courting, then it could only mean that Thorin had decided to make things official with her. Since their first meeting in Trollshaw, Dori had thought Maggie and her brother to be strange and that was still very much the case. Nonetheless, he liked her and over the journeys he had come to care for her like and uncle might care for his niece. Both her and Riley were one of the dwarves now and it meant they would always be protected and looked after, even if it meant enduring their banter and teasing. Dori had heard Master Baggin's feverish mumblings of Riley and he wondered if the hobbit was even aware of his own feelings yet. That was another thing they'd be sure to tease him about when awoke.

"Dwarrow courting has centuries of history behind it." Dori explained "As you might know, there are very few dwarrowdams among our kin, so when it comes to matters of the heart, we take it very seriously. Unlike most humans, dwarfs only choose one spouse with whom they share the rest of this life and the next."

"Is that what it means to be a dwarf's 'One'?" Maggie asked

"Yes, I believe humans refer to is as a soulmate."

Balin joined the conversation now. "If Thorin is speaking of courtship, then no doubt he believes that you are indeed his 'One'."

Maggie felt a flush of heat on her face, and butterflies in her stomach. Suddenly, she was nervous and a bit dizzy. She had no doubt regarding her feelings for Thorin but talk of soulmates and courtship was all new to her. Was she really good enough to be his 'One'? Maggie wished her friends, Natalie and Laura were there. If they were, they'd know what to say and what to do. Perhaps, Maggie thought, she could find Brenna for some advice.

"How exactly do dwarves court? Or is it all secrecy?" she asked

"Well, you've already discovered one of the ways we court." Dori said

"How?"

"Sex, my dear." Balin replied. "It's one of the most intimate ways in which we declare our love and commitment to our One. No doubt, Thorin knew you were his before he even really realised it himself. To be quite blunt, it means that he wants to marry you."

Maggie's embarrassment made both of the elder dwarves laughs and she buried her face in her hands. This was one of those conversations that nobody else would ever believe she'd had. Maggie wasn't even sure really believed it herself.

"He hasn't given you beads yet, though." Dori said. "That is when you know, it is truly official. Courting beads are sacred in dwarrow culture. Just like wedding bands, you wear them for the rest of your life."

"Is he allowed to marry a human though?" Maggie asked. "I'm neither a dwarf nor royalty. Doesn't that cause complications?"

"Actually, you're wrong." The next person who joined the conversation was Bard. He had been listening for a while but didn't want to interrupt. He carried a large piece of heavy fabric in his hands and placed on the table before them. "You are royalty."

"Come again?" Maggie asked

Bard hard everyone's attention now. He unfolded the bit of fabric on the table, and it seemed to be an old family tree. Maggie recognised some of the names on it, one of them being her father Amandil and her brother Elendil. There was also Elros and Elerond, as well as Eärendil and even Isildur. Maggie looked at Bard, not really knowing what was going on.

"When you mentioned your father was Amandil, I took the liberty of doing some research. We have some old tapestries and family trees in the old library." Bard said

"What of it?" Dori asked

"Well, Ms Maggie is a daughter of Amandil whose bloodline directly descended from Eärendil himself. Her brother is also Elendil and we know that when he came to Middle-Earth he settled in both Dunedain and Gondor, of which he became king. I know Elendil is dead and Gondor hasn't had a king for many years, they have a Steward now, but if Maggie and her brother are sons of Amandil and siblings to Elendil then that means…"

"...that they are direct descendants for the throne of Gondor." Balin finished his sentence.

Maggie was speechless. After all the history lessons with Lord Elrond and tales from Middle-Earth, it was the one thing which had never clicked for her until then. She heard Bard's words clear as day but she still couldn't believe it.

"Holy shit…" she whispered.

Things, it seemed, were going to get a lot more interesting.

To be continued….

This was another kinda long chapter and I'm sorry if it was a bit filler-ish. I wanted to go into Riley and Maggie's backstory a bit more and the purpose of their stay in Middle-Earth. What did you think of it? Let me know.