AN: I own nothing from The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings.

Greetings, all! I know it's been forever since I updated, and I apologize.

Unfortunately, the job search is not going well (not surprising with what is happening in the world right now), so I decided to take a break, and write.

Please enjoy the chapter, and don't forget to review.

Chapter 45: Ideas and Considerations:

I always keep my promises, so the very next day, I sent a small letter to Rivendell, asking Lord Elrond for permission to breed Shan. I didn't think he would agree, but I also asked if a horse of fine lineage might be found for Bain in the Rivendell stables, if only because he was the son of the Dragon Slayer.

My Raven-friend, Ebony, was happy to be returning to her family, and with how swiftly they were known to fly, I was very optimistic about her returning well before we were due to leave Erebor.

After breakfast, as Ethelwen and I headed out to explore the Mountain a bit, we encountered Thorin and several of his advisors. They all performed perfect bows of respect, which Ethelwen and I returned with curtseys.

"My lady," one of the councilors greeted me, "You are looking well this morning."

I thanked him for the compliment, and inquired as to what the day's topic of discussion (or disagreement) was. Rather than try and distract me from the subject, or say that it would not be of interest to me, the councilors admitted to having a few complaints about a recent group of merchants from the lands of Gondor and Rohan, far to the south.

That sparked my curiosity. I knew many important people would eventually be born in Gondor and Rohan, but that was it. 'What must those lands be like now?' I wondered, feeling guilty for never having thought about the human realms of Middle Earth. It was something I would have to remedy, when I returned to Rivendell.

'But even if I did, what could I do? Would they ever listen to a woman who has lived with, and been educated by Elves?'

Pushing those thoughts aside, I focused my attention on the present. "What troubles have they brought to you and your realm?" I asked, worried it might cause friction when peace and good relations were of great importance. "It cannot be that serious, is it?"

One of the advisors, an older Dwarf with silver streaking through his bright copper hair and beard, grunted. "They only want more than they can have, or carry home with them. And something about exclusive trade agreements, preferring their group over all others, which we would never do."

Thorin, meanwhile, was looking very deep in thought. "Would you care to join me when I meet with the heads of the merchant groups, Lady Alyssa?" he asked. "Perhaps there is something you might notice that we have not. You are also a woman, and they might let their guard down with you present."

The older Dwarf who had spoken looked quite happy with his King's suggestion. "Aye, she's the one who got the Elf King to make a fine trade contract with us and Dale. Perhaps she can get these Men from Rohan and Gondor to be more reasonable."

The other Dwarves in the group nodded and grumbled their agreement, which only made Thorin puff up a little in pride of his idea. "Very well then," he said, effectively silencing those around him. "The meeting is this afternoon, an hour after high noon. I look forward to seeing you there, my lady."

I bobbed a small curtsey and watched the group retreat. As soon as they were out of sight, Ethelwen sighed and gave me a chastising look. "You should not get involved in Dwarf politics, dear one," she said in Elvish. "I know you mean well, but it could make things complicated, if you show favoritism towards realms you are already friends with, and shun others."

"Don't make things sound more sordid than they actually are," I replied, trying to hide my hurt feelings. "I want to do what is best for all of these realms, not one in particular. It would be a good idea for them to be friends. A kingdom can never have too many allies."

Her disapproval melted a little as a smile emerged on her fair face. "Very true, and wise. Perhaps Lord Glorfindel should ask Lord Elrond to allow you on his Council?"

I rolled my eyes at her gentle teasing and turned back towards my rooms. If I was to meet with a group of important personages, I had to look the part.

"That was well done today, Allie," Gandalf said, handing me a glass of white wine. "The merchants of Rohan were quite impressed, and those from Gondor now have quite a bit to think about, on their return home."

Ethelwen passed me the platter of roast goose, while Glorfindel finished spooning roasted vegetables onto my plate. We had gathered for a private meal in my rooms, and just heard Ethelwen describe how our afternoon had gone.

In my opinion, I didn't think I had done much worth noting. I quietly voiced a few ideas, and made a couple suggestions on how Rohan and Gondor could improve relations with Erebor, and involving Dale and Mirkwood on new trade routes, but that was it.

'Well, I also pointed out that, if you leave out one of the three monarchs, you risk angering their allies,' I thought with a mental shrug.

True, Thorin and Thranduil weren't friends with each other, but they were friends with Bard. Just because Bard was 'common-born' and inexperienced in the role of governing, Rohan and Gondor thought they could bully him about giving them exclusive access to trade routes and local goods. They firmly believed if they 'won' Bard to their side, Thorin or Thranduil would follow suit.

The merchants knew better now.

Bard was far cleverer than they anticipated, and he flat out declared that even though Dale would be happy to send goods to other kingdoms, Erebor and Mirkwood had first pick in everything. They were not only his closest allies, they were his friends, and they had armies to stand against any dangers that might approach any of the three realms.

The implication that lingered in the air was a reminder that Gondor was too far away to really do anything to Dale. Not to mention, in spite of their magnificent horses, Rohan was not a threat, either. Both of those lands wanted Dale's goods, not the other way around, so if the merchants threatened Dale, it was an empty threat.

Greedy as they were, the merchants saw the scowls on the faces of the Dwarves, and of Bard, and knew they were beaten. However, as a token of their esteem, they had brought a chest of bridles crafted by the horsemen of Rohan, and another of items made by the finest metalsmiths of Gondor.

Bard was offered a bridle for his son, Bain, as they had noticed the young man's love of horses, and wished to present a gesture of goodwill. A goblet made of fine silver was offered to Thorin, and another would go to Thranduil by way of messenger. The Elf King had much finer items, but for the sake of politics, he would accept the gift without complaint.

To me, they offered nothing, but one of the young clerics who served the head merchant from Rohan came to whisper that if I desired to visit their lands, he would make sure I would be welcome. I smiled at the young lad, who couldn't be more than eighteen, and said if the opportunity ever arose, I would be delighted to do so.

And that was it. Oh, the meeting had been quite long, with arguments flying and Dwarf curses cutting through the air, but I had expected all that. At least it had ended positively, rather than with a brawl or a declaration of war.

When I mentioned all of this, including my doubts about my usefulness, Gandalf smiled and shook his head. "Sometimes, it's the quietest voice that makes the greatest difference," he said. "Now, please take praise where it is due, and let us enjoy this meal."

We did so, but as we were indulging in our after-dinner wine, a message arrived. It was a letter from Thorin, and Glorfindel insisted that I open and read it right in front of him. I guess he thought it was a love letter (at best), or another marriage proposal (at worst).

I opened the note, and was surprised at the contents. "In light of my skills in diplomacy, Thorin asks that I serve as Rivendell's representative in Erebor."

Predictably, Glorfindel was unhappy about this. He (probably correctly) thought it an attempt by Thorin to get me to stay in Erebor so that he could win me over. He also declared that Lord Elrond would never agree to such a thing.

"My dear friend and guardian," I said, trying to prevent an angry rant from him. "I'm sure you will be relieved to know that I have no intention of doing as the Dwarf King suggests."

I held up a hand before he could speak further. "I, too, know that I am the wrong person to serve as a representative of any kind. While I might visit the Mountain in the future, it will be as a friend, and nothing more. I will personally go and tell Thorin this in the morning."

That seemed to calm Glorfindel down, and once I had his solemn vow that he would not seek out Thorin for a duel, I sent the males to their rooms for the night. Ethelwen stayed behind to help me prepare for bed, of course, and as she undid my hair, she hummed a soft tune.

"You did well," she whispered, when the song ended. "I am glad you know yourself well enough to realize the Dwarf King's foolishness in all this. He will simply have to accept that you can only offer friendship and the occasional advice, nothing more."

My dearest friend heard me sigh, and placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. "It will not be easy for him to accept, but it is for the best. In this, you must be cruel to be kind."

What she said was true, and I knew it. I just didn't like the idea of Thorin being hurt –I liked and respected him too much for that. But for all our sakes, I would have to force him to accept my choice to merely be his friend.

"Besides, you will want to be in Rivendell when Estel comes of age," Ethelwen said as she put my clothes away. "You know Lady Gilraen will want you there for such an important occasion."

Quickly, I did a mental calculation. Estel would soon reach his majority, and I knew that she would have to tell him who he really was, as well as the illustrious line from which he descended.

'No doubt things will probably become very messy at that point.'

Estel would not like knowing everyone had hidden such a big secret from him, least of all his mother, his foster father, and me, his big sister. He would feel betrayed and angry -and probably the urge to take a fist to something.

'Although, this might be the one thing that causes him to fully dive into becoming a Ranger, which will give him all of the skills he will need to help the Fellowship.'

That was a tremendous revelation to me. I had not studied much about Aragorn's life back in my world, but I did remember him talking with Eowyn about fighting in battle alongside her grandfather. That could take place within the next decade or two, and as such, Estel (as he was now) would need to grow skilled with knife, sword, bow, and armor. For that, he would have to leave Rivendell, and soon.

'And when he does, Gilraen will be crushed.' She would also be lonely, and there was no way I could leave her to suffer alone without her son.

So no, there was no way I could stay in Erebor after this visit. If I guessed right, next year would be when Estel would be told the truth, and after that, leaving Rivendell would be almost impossible for a long time. Even if I did return, I would be determined to bring Gilraen with me, to at least take her mind off of everything.

I had some very long decades ahead of me.

"Yes, you're right," I said aloud, as Ethelwen placed a lit candle beside my bed. "Estel and Gilraen will want me there, and they are my family."

I then wished her goodnight, and lost myself to sleep.

"If you weren't my brother and I didn't love you as much as I do, I would slap you and call you a fool," Dis said, crossing her arms. "As things stand, I will simply settle for calling you a fool."

At least she was enough of a hostess to offer him wine. But she was also a good sister, and came to put a hand on Thorin's. He had just informed her of what he had done to try and convince Alyssa to stay in Erebor, and now waited for the usual lecture to flood his ears. In that, Dis was very like their mother.

The short of it was, after receiving his invitation to be Rivendell's representative to Erebor, Alyssa had come to talk to Thorin in person. With her doting handmaiden hovering close behind her, she had spoken gently, but quite firmly of the reasons behind her rejection of his offer.

"My younger foster brother will come of age next year, and I must be in Rivendell when he does," she had said. "I cannot tell you why, for that is my business and none of yours. But I will need to stay in Rivendell several years after that. That will make my staying here as Lord Elrond's representative impossible. I hope you can understand that."

Alyssa then gave her word to try and visit in the future, as a friend to him and his kin. She also spoke of her fondness for everyone here, and that she would always look forward to returning to a place that had welcomed her so warmly.

Now, five or ten years is truly nothing to a Dwarf, but Thorin had truly hoped to have her at his side as a friend and confidant. True, he had Balin and several others, but having a female friend who could offer soft words and sympathies was different.

'Though, when I truly think about it, she might also unleash a sharp rebuke or stern lecture whenever she was angry, like Dis does.'

The loss of Alyssa's presence did not break his heart, as it would have done weeks before, but it did hurt. It also left a bit of emptiness that he had hoped to fill with her warmth and friendship.

Dis seemed to sense this, for she put a gentle arm around his shoulders in a hug. "Thorin, you must stop this," she said firmly. "You have tried and failed to keep her, and she has been far more patient with you than I had been with my suitors."

That brought a small smile to his lips, as well as a small chuckle. He remembered how his sister had literally threatened her most stubborn and idiotic suitors with an axe in one hand, and a large knife in the other. The ones who had not taken her threats seriously had come away with cuts, bruises, and a large lump on their heads.

Dis saw his amusement and smiled as well. "Yes, well, that's an entirely different matter altogether. But in all seriousness, brother, Alyssa has given you her answers, and you have accepted them, often in full view of her most trusted friend and handmaiden, or other friends. It is now time to put this to rest, and go forward with your life."

That hurt him greatly. "I made the offer in friendship, Dis; not courtship. I truly do wish she would stay and be a friend, not only to me, but to you and your boys, as well as Kili's family."

He sighed and closed his eyes, feeling weary. 'Well, at least Dis isn't insisting that I should move on and focus on finding a wife immediately.'

Somehow, Thorin knew he would live his life unwed, and without children of his own body. 'But there is still Fili,' he reminded himself. And his nephew was more than willing to find a bride of his own.

That was when Thorin found himself another new purpose: to help his sister find a bride for Erebor's heir.

'For if I cannot have my heart's desire, I can at least ensure that my heir has a bride that he loves.' He owed Dis that much, at least.

Besides, his beloved sister had lived many years in emotional turmoil about the future of her sons. This had been especially true after their father had perished during their long search for a new homeland, cut down while defending their people against bandits.

For years after the loss of her husband, Fili and Kili had been Dis's pride and joy. She, Princess of Erebor, had born sons who stood as heirs to Erebor's throne. Both boys had come into the world strong and healthy, and thanks to Dis's influence, they were also good-hearted Dwarves who did what they could to provide a comfortable life for their mother. As soon as they were deemed fit warriors, they had ventured out as guards for traveling merchant caravans, earning good coin. This they brought back to their mother, the three of them housed comfortably together as a family.

When Thorin had informed them of his intention to take back Erebor, Fili and Kili had declared it was their destiny to join him. Dis had been torn –she had wanted to protect her beloved sons, to keep them out of danger and away from the possibility of death. But she was also descended from the rulers of Erebor, and knew that it must be reclaimed.

Dis also knew that such a Quest would bring great honor to her sons, especially if they succeeded. Even if they failed, they would be famous for their bravery in going to face down the dragon. Songs would be sung in great halls, and tales told in houses and taverns. Every Dwarf in Middle Earth would know their names, throughout all history!

So Dis had allowed Fili and Kili to join Thorin on his Quest, and in that time, they had saved his life numerous times. They had served him loyally, and now were receiving the rewards they so deserved.

'Though perhaps I could be more generous towards Kili and Tauriel,' Thorin admitted to himself.

Fili was easier when it came to rewards. He was Thorin's Heir, and had accepted the burden of responsibility with humor and grace. He was clever, strong, a great warrior, and had a kind heart. Thorin was proud of him, and ensured that Fili had the finest tutors, the best armor and weapons, and would have the cleverest advisors to stand beside him. The rewards that came with being Heir were many, to balance out the heavy tasks that came with such a high position of power.

Kili was harder. The younger Dwarf was more stubborn, but no less cheerful than his brother. He also had a fine sense of humor, which had probably helped win him the Elf Maiden's heart.

'If it was just Kili, rewards would be no trouble.'

In the past, it had been simple to give Kili a gift. All Dwarves loved weaponry and armor, and Thorin's youngest nephew had been no exception. Thorin had worked hard to craft or procure the best weapons for them both, and Kili had been grateful for everything he had been given.

Now Kili was husband to a She-Elf, and a father to two lively babes who were quickly becoming the center of their grandmother's world. Thorin had a feeling that Dis would soon be focused on convincing the young family to move to Erebor permanently, but Thorin knew that would be entirely up to his nephew and niece-in-law. That was one argument he was going to stay out of!

'Perhaps convincing Dis that they need their own home and own lives will be my gift to them,' he thought, hiding a smile as he took a sip of wine.

That was a thought –using deeds instead of actual things as gifts. Kili and Tauriel were hesitant to accept money or anything extravagant from Thorin, and he didn't blame them –they probably wondered if anything he gave had hidden strings attached to it.

'I will do better, and do what is right for all of them,' he swore. 'I may not be able to have Kili's children in the line of succession, but I will care for them as they deserve.'

That would be another purpose. He would never have children of his own, but he would do everything he could for Kili's –and Fili's, too, when the time came.

And that was a noble calling indeed.

AN: So, yeah, I know nothing about Dwarf or Elf politics, and just made stuff up as I went along. And I know I've done the Thorin trying to win over Allie thing, but I promise this chapter wraps that whole thing up. After this, we won't be seeing Thorin for quite a while.

Review?