AN: Still don't own anything from The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings…except for a few posters and figures.
Here is the newest chapter. Sorry for not posting sooner; things have been busy for me lately.
Enjoy, and please review. Thanks.
Chapter 41: Renewing Friendships:
"Okay, that happened," I told myself, staring at the golden canopy above my bed as I waited for Ethelwen to appear.
Since I had no idea what time it was, and we were currently sleeping in a mountain, there was no way for me to determine the hour. My body was too tense for sleep, and my brain busy buzzing from what I'd experienced in the night, so I decided to lay awake and think on about it.
First of all, I had permission to marry Thorin, if I chose, coming from one of the highest authorities. I counted that as a win.
The question was: did I want to choose to do it?
'Well, a girl does like being courted,' I admitted, blushing a little. 'It makes her feel beautiful, knowing there's someone out there who is attracted to her.'
I'd never been courted before, and I really did feel flattered by the idea of attention, gifts, and affection. Anyone would.
But maybe it was all of that together that made me think about marrying Thorin? Was I being blinded by all of that, as well as my supposed 'biological clock,' which made me inclined to rush into this?
'If I'm patient, I'll eventually meet the one with those blue eyes,' I reasoned. 'I just have to wait.'
But for how long? Elves were used to time passing by and not caring about it. Dwarves felt the passage of years the way humans did, but their lives numbered in centuries, so they didn't feel the same sense of urgency that Men did.
'And what if I've already met him?' I wondered. 'Tons of people in Middle Earth have blue eyes. Glorfindel, Gandalf, Thorin, Thranduil, even Bard, just to name a few.'
An image of me marrying Gandalf popped into my head, causing me to simultaneously gag and burst out laughing. No offense to Gandalf, but he really wasn't my type.
"Meluir?" a voice called through my closed door. "Are you awake?"
It was Ethelwen, and she was probably wondering whether I was laughing in my sleep, or being incredibly odd.
I gave one more giggle, then called for her to enter. She did so, bearing a small silver tray with an envelope resting on top. It had my name in a bold, elegant script, and sealed with green wax. I accepted it and cracked the seal.
I was thrilled to find it was an invitation to breakfast with Kili and Tauriel in their quarters. Ethelwen saw my excitement, and smiled as she carefully chose an elegant set of clothing, including a long tunic, shirt, breeches, and boots. The brown material was soft as silk, and shot with thin threads of gold, making it shimmer. Rosebuds were embroidered along the hems of the tunic, as well as the collar.
"I don't think there is a need for any jewelry," Ethelwen declared. "They are your friends; they want to see you and talk about your time apart. Now, go; Gwyn is waiting to take you to them."
A gold ribbon was woven into my braided hair, and I was off, following Gwyn down several hallways into a large cavern that echoed with a child's laughter and a baby's crying.
Gwyn stopped before one of the doors, gave a polite knock, and went inside to announce my arrival. A strained voice replied, and my guide stepped back into the hall, motioning me to enter.
There in the middle of the room sat Kili and Tauriel. Both were dressed in green, their clothing plain, but clean and new. I was relieved to see they looked well-fed and happy, though clearly exhausted from having two young children.
Kili gave a polite bow, but had to rush to catch his eldest, a son, as the youngster unsteadily made his way towards me. The toddler had a big grin on his face as he held his arms out to me, clearly already thinking of me as a friend.
"Forgive him," Kili apologized. "He is a cheerful lad, and thinks well of everyone he meets." He looked over at his wife and gave her an affectionate smile. "He has a good heart, like his mother."
Tauriel's fair face took on a slight pink tinge as she gently bounced the fussy infant in her arms. "Our daughter's name is Amareth," Tauriel said, holding up the baby.
I smiled. "It means 'earth,' doesn't it? Or 'daughter of earth?" It was a very appropriate name for a child born of a Dwarf and an Elf.
The toddling boy gave a small whine, catching my attention. I smiled and knelt down to his level. "And what is your name, sweet one?" I asked, reaching out for him.
Yanking out of his father's grip, the child took three steps and promptly fell into my arms, giggling. I swept the boy up and took a good look at him.
Hair as dark as Kili's made the boy's green eyes, clearly from his mother, stand out even more. His slightly pointed ears, also a gift from his mother, were thus far the only clear sign of his Elf-blood.
And he was unbelievably cute.
"You're adorable," I crooned to the cheerful youngster in my arms. "I think you're going to do your mother and father proud someday."
Kili beamed like the proud papa he was. "We've named him Thorin, after Uncle," he said, exchanging a look with Tauriel. "But we know that could be confusing, so we're trying to think of a nickname for him."
"Thorin, son of Kili," I whispered, looking into the boy's eyes. "You're very quick on your feet, like an Elf. But I do not think the Dwarves would accept one of their own with an Elf name attached to him."
I thought a moment. "For now, you can be Thorin Fleetfoot. Then, when you are older, we will see."
Little Thorin's parents seemed to think about it, then nodded their acceptance of the childhood name. "Little Fleetfoot," Kili said, reaching to take his son from me. "Yes, it certainly suits him."
Tauriel then offered me her infant daughter, Amareth. I was much more awkward with infants than toddlers, since babies are more fragile, but with a little bit of shuffling, I found myself holding a beautiful baby girl the exact image of her mother, right down to the slightly-pointed ears.
"Hello," I whispered, smiling as a tiny hand reached up and grabbed at my chin. "There will be some who will look down on you and your brother, for you both come from Elves and Dwarves. But do not let that determine who you are. You come from good, strong, kind people, and I know you will do well in life."
I heard a small sound, like a sigh or a whimper, but it did not come from Amareth. I looked up and saw tears in Tauriel's eyes, and wondered if I had said something wrong. Before I could apologize, she reached out and hugged me, nearly squishing her daughter in the process.
"Thank you," she whispered. "You have always been a great friend to us, Allie."
Pulling away to dry her tears, my friend managed a smile. "We had wanted to name her after you, but not without your permission. If we have another daughter in the future, we would like to name her Allie, daughter of Kili."
I couldn't help but be touched by their offer. "I'm not sure I'm worthy of such an honor," I whispered, looking at the gurgling baby in my arms.
A slim, gentle hand on my arm drew my gaze up to Tauriel's bright eyes. "You are," she firmly told me. "You accepted me, even though I was outcast from Mirkwood by my King. You took me, however briefly, as your guard, and ensured I had a happy life with the one I love. That love brought me two beautiful children, and the possibility of more."
Her hand tightened a little, as though she feared I would flee from her. "And of course, if not for you and your fondness for us, King Thorin would never have brought us back into his favor. It took a few years, but Thorin eventually forgave Kili for his marriage to me, and even blessed our union. People say it is Princess Dis's influence on her brother, but they are wrong."
Kili shifted a little, juggling his eldest from one arm to another. "Uncle said that he could not bring me back into the line of succession, and that my children would be excluded, but he still counted us as part of the family. That means we have a bit of money sent to us, once in a while, which we have used to add on to our house. The young ones will have a good place to grow up, they will never go hungry, and they will have a good life in whatever trade they choose."
He looked a little sad. "Mother had always said that we deserved the life of Princes, but Fili and I never thought so. We have never been afraid of work, and providing for our mother was no great difficulty, but I think it saddens her, that I am not able to live inside Erebor as a member of the Royal Family, as she and Fili do."
Little Thorin reached up and grabbed his father's beard, causing him to wince. "But it's not so terrible. Tauriel and I still take the occasional job, guarding merchant carts until they reach Mirkwood. It gives us something to do, and provides a little time away from the babes. It also lets us make some extra coin, though Uncle says he will gladly give us all we want."
Tauriel rolled her eyes and reached out to pry open her son's hand, releasing her husband. "It does us good, earning our own living and taking a day or two away –it helps us keep our sanity. Besides, it isn't often, or for more than a few days, and we alternate, so that one of us is always home with the little ones."
"Well, as long as you're happy, that's all that matters," I said, gazing down at the now-dozing Amareth. "Everyone is healthy, well-fed and well-housed, and loved. What more could you possibly want?"
Then, Kili's stomach growled, causing him to blush as his wife smirked. "Breakfast," they chorused together.
I enjoyed spending my morning with the young family, though I felt bad that Tauriel had to keep little Thorin from smashing porridge into his hair, and Kili had to hold the baby while he ate. I offered to help with the little ones, but was refused each time.
In spite of the numerous mishaps, breakfast was mostly pleasant, with nothing more serious happening than the baby spitting up once and little Thorin managing to smear jam all over his face. Tauriel looked a bit irritated, but once her son's face was clean, her slight scowl was replaced by a fond smile, and everything was alright again.
Servants came to clear the dirty dishes and replace them with a tray of fruit, as well as slices of cherry pound cake. As Kili struggled to keep his son away from the cake, Tauriel took the baby into the next room for a changing and a nap.
"I think we'll try and leave several years between Amareth and our next babe," Kili said, putting the cake plate high on a shelf, out of the toddler's reach. "Our daughter's birth was unexpected, so now I'm thinking we will have to be more careful."
"You should do what's best for you both," I said, offering little Thorin a toy to distract him. It was a stuffed rabbit, and apparently a favorite, since the boy focused his attention on it and forgot about the cake. "Though I'm sure your mother and uncle wouldn't mind a whole mob of children rushing through the Mountain."
Kili chuckled and patted his son on the head as the tot showed him the toy. "Mother certainly wouldn't. I think she still hopes Uncle will have us move here to the Mountain, but we are happy where we are. The house is on open fields, and we have a stable for a few horses. There is space for the little ones to run and play, a place for our cow, and a coop for chickens near the house."
It did sound nice, and I said so. Kili smiled and offered his son another toy, his cheerfulness turning a little sad. "Fili misses me, but he does come to visit. I think my brother will make a good King, unless Uncle finally manages to wed and produce an heir."
The Dwarf's gaze did not meet mine, but I had a feeling I knew what he was getting at. "Well, we'll just have to wait and see," I said, combing my fingers through baby Thorin's dark hair. "Only time will tell."
I left Kili and Tauriel in a fairly good mood, and returned to my rooms to find Ethelwen with a small stack of envelopes in her hands.
"Invitations," she said with a smile. "I suggest you read them and accept accordingly."
One was from Princess Dis. She kindly asked that I join her for tea one day soon, if I was not able to do so today, in the hopes of becoming good friends. Since I was curious about meeting Fili and Kili's mother, I thought it a good idea to make time for her.
Another invitation was from Balin, inviting me on a tour of Erebor. He wrote that he knew I'd already seen the Mountain, but much had changed, and he wanted to show me the finished product of everyone's hard work.
The third was from Thorin Oakenshield, inviting me to a private dinner. Just me.
'So, he's basically asking me on a date.' That was something that could go very poorly, especially if he was trying to do something romantic.
Of course, for the preservation of my reputation, I couldn't attend a dinner alone with the Dwarf King, especially if he still had strong affections for me.
Sitting down at the desk in my bedroom, I wrote out various replies. I accepted the Princess's and Balin's invitations, though I asked Balin if I could bring Gandalf, Glorfindel, and Ethelwen with me. I figured he wouldn't object, since the more people we had, the merrier the walk might be.
Thorin's invitation required more tact. I told him I was willing to accept it, but firmly stated that I would be bringing a few others with me. The Dwarf King could either accept that, or cancel the dinner altogether.
Ethelwen took my replies, and left me to my own thoughts. Nothing had been planned for the next few days, so I had some time today to rest.
Gwyn arrived in the late afternoon, while I was napping. In her hands, she bore three envelopes, each a response to my notes. Princess Dis was thrilled with my accepting her offer, and asked that I choose a day that suited me best. Balin asked that our tour start somewhat early tomorrow, since it was a quiet day, and he had a much to show me.
Thorin's response was somewhat of a puzzle. He agreed that I could bring a friend or two, but insisted that it be Gandalf or Balin, as well as Ethelwen. There was no mention of Glorfindel. Since there was a chance that Thorin might shift the conversation towards courtship, there was a very major chance that Glorfindel would start throwing punches (or Dwarves) during the meal.
There was no way I could keep Glorfindel from finding out about the dinner, and I knew he would insist on attending. As my guardian, he had every right to do so, and I wrote that on my newest message to Thorin.
When I finished, the note went out with Gwyn, who had remained behind to deliver any other notes that needed to go out. She seemed a little nervous when she saw who I was writing to, but she left without complaint.
I was sitting in my parlor with a book and a cup of tea when Gwyn returned. I accepted the envelope, and cracked the seal. Thorin's note was short, but he acknowledged my points, and decided to cancel the dinner. Instead, he asked to take me on a tour of a special part of the Mountain, with Ethelwen and Balin, as well as Gandalf.
A walk in the open sounded better than a possible romantic dinner. And since there would be three chaperones, one of whom was a wizard who knew how to wield a sword, it would probably be enough for Glorfindel.
I waited to accept the change in plans until tomorrow, for tonight's dinner was going to be in Glorfindel's rooms. And since the meal not only included me and Ethelwen, but also Gandalf, I wanted to bring it up with everyone there.
The meal was small, but wonderfully prepared. Once the dishes had been cleared and a light wine poured, I decided to tell them all about Thorin's invitation.
Nervously clearing my throat I cheerfully announced, "Thorin has invited me, Ethelwen, Balin and Gandalf on a tour in part of the Mountain. I'm not sure when, but it sounds pleasant, don't you think?"
Glorfindel immediately picked up on the fact that he had not been invited, and looked rather put out about it. "I do not like this," he flatly told us.
Before he could speak further, Gandalf decided to interrupt. "It is merely a walk, my friend," the wizard assured him. "And I will be with her, as will her handmaiden. I think, between the two of us, we will be enough to guard her reputation, and prevent Thorin from doing anything too forward."
Clearly not convinced, Glorfindel crossed his arms. "While it could be that I am overreacting, I do not think I am. I have seen the look on the Dwarf King's face –he clearly still desires you as a wife. We must dissuade him from this as soon as possible."
I cleared my throat a little, getting their attention. "I had a dream last night," I whispered. "Two voices that echoed inside my head said that, if I chose to wed Thorin, I would have several decades of happiness. One, a male voice that sounded like fire and steel, referred to the Dwarves as his children."
Gandalf's face went pale. "You were visited by the Valar," he whispered, causing Ethelwen to gasp, while Glorfindel sat back in his chair. "Child, if they give you permission to wed, or have hinted that this marriage was of significance, then you are free to accept the Dwarf King, should he offer to you again. Even Lord Elrond would not forbid it."
Glorfindel perked up a little, frustration written all over his face. "That is true, though your father would certainly do his best to persuade you to refuse. But if marriage to Thorin is your choice, Lord Elrond might soften enough to allow it."
But again, the question swirling around inside my head was: did I want it?
Yes, I had "divine permission," but with the long lifespan that lay ahead of me, should I marry now, watching my husband and children age while I stayed unchanged? After Thorin's death, would I leave Erebor, leaving behind my child (or children)?
'And if I'm involved in the War of the Ring, would this agelessness be lifted, after it ended? Or would it linger on?'
If it did linger, it meant that my True Love was an Elf. Would an Elf accept a mortal (immortal?) woman, widowed after the death of her Dwarf husband? Or would they be disgusted that a Dwarf had bedded me and created a family with me?
And if I did wed an Elf, would I be given permission to go over the Sea, with the Elves, as the Age of Men began?
I had so many questions, I had to present them to the others. Ethelwen admitted to not being wise enough to offer advice, but she did tell me, quite firmly, that if an Elf was put-off by a previous marriage to a Dwarf, then he wasn't worthy of my heart.
Glorfindel's advice I decided to take with a grain of salt, since he was clearly against even the thought of me marrying Thorin. He asked that I wait for the love he knew would happen, and that my patience would be well-rewarded. His gentle voice asked that I not act rashly for a marriage that would end in heartbreak, even if I might be happy for a while.
I glanced over at Ethelwen, and saw a faint glimmer of tears in her eyes. I knew she was imagining what my life would be like, if I married Thorin and had to suffer after his death. I would ask her to stay with me, of course, but I think the idea of me being sad and weeping was depressing her.
But since he was unbiased, as he was friends with people of most of the Middle Earth races, Gandalf was by far the one I chose to listen to.
"I think, from what I have seen of him, that Thorin does truly care for you," he said, holding a hand up to stop Glorfindel's protests. "He offered marriage out of genuine high regard for you –I know, for he looked thoughtful at several critical points during his Quest to reach Erebor. I think he was wondering what you would think of him if he made certain choices, for the wrong reasons. In that, I think you saved his life, and that of his nephews, a debt which he can never repay."
Gandalf waved Glorfindel silent again. "I do not think Thorin is offering marriage out of obligation. His affections are real, and if you choose to accept him, I think you will both be happy. Thorin will make you feel loved, he will do everything to make you feel comfortable here in Erebor, and you will find yourself a new family in Thorin's sister and nephews, as well as with Tauriel."
Then he reached out and took my hands in his. "I think you will make a good Queen, to Thorin and to his people, for you are not a greedy, proud, foolish girl who set out to catch a king. I think you will rule with careful thought and consideration for Men, Dwarf, and Elf alike."
Blushing slightly, I murmured my thanks before excusing myself for bed. I had a great deal to think about, and a message to send in the morning, which might ultimately change my future.
AN: Review?
