Only in My Dreams

by Madkat89

They had made it through all the dangers of the quest only for the Line of Durin to fall in the Battle of Five Armies. When given the chance to fix it, even if it removes her from their lives, Bella Baggins jumps at the chance. Now all she has left are her memories of the quest, memories that the rest have forgotten. But fate, it seems, is not quite done with Bella Baggins yet.

33. Chapter 33: A New Erebor, New Beginnings

Chapter Thirty-Three: A New Erebor, New Beginnings

When she woke the next morning, she had no recollection of ever making it to a bed. The last thing that she could remember was the dining hall and cuddling with Fili after talking with Thorin. She lay there quietly, not opening her eyes, but just assimilating the fact that she was actually back in Erebor. Erebor seemed to sense that she was awake and thinking about the mountain, because it sent her a soft hum of greeting. Bella was not gifted with stone sense like dwarves were, but the sound sounded happy and content to her. She smiled slightly, it would make sense that Erebor had missed her dwarves, so she'd be happy to have them back and content once more.

Suddenly her stomach rumbled and she sighed, reluctantly opening her eyes. Sitting up, she yawned and carefully examined her room. Although the company members that had remained here in Erebor hadn't remembered her until last night, it looked like they had still taken care to create a comfortable room for her. She could see small touches from all of them as well as a more feminine touch that could only belong to Dis. It was cozy and she felt at home in it, something that she hadn't felt for months.

Rising, Bella wondered what in the world that she would do for clothes. Everything in her pack needed a good wash and finally being clean, she was extremely reluctantly to put dirty clothes on again. Dis had loaned her a dress the night before, that would probably be her best choice to go with, especially as her items hadn't arrived yet. She wasn't surprised that they had traveled faster than the caravan, especially with Tauriel's help on the last part. And Dori would probably be more than happy to help her craft a few outfits until the rest of her things could arrive, even though he was probably very busy with his tea shop.

Putting on the loaned dress, she was working on sorting out her hair when there was a knock on her door. She called, "Enter."

The door cracked open and Dis peeked in cautiously before opening the door all the way and entering, Dori right behind her. Bella smiled warmly at them, "Good morning!"

Both of them smiled back and Dis spoke, "We thought for sure that you would sleep longer, but Erebor seemed to think that you were up, so we decided to go ahead and check."

Bella shrugged, "I rested enough, now my stomach thinks that it's time to feed it. It's incredible the way that you can communicate so well with her. I get vague impressions, more feelings than anything else."

Dis swiped the comb from her, "That you can actually hear her is impressive in and of itself. Not many non-dwarrow can hear her song and where you were able to hear her even months ago when she was weak and damaged, I think that you're ability will increase in time until you are able to understand her as easily as we can. And I know that Erebor is quite fond of you, calls you her 'earth lass'. Now, it's a good thing that Dori and I are here, you can't go out like this."

Bella shrugged, "It was the cleanest thing available."

Dori tsked fondly, "Now, that won't do at all. It's not the best, but this will do until I can create a proper wardrobe for you." He held out a carefully folded bundle to her.

Bella clutched it to her chest, knowing that it would be exquisite, "Dori, you don't have to do that. I know that you must be busy with your tea shop. I know that it has to be very busy, although I do want to stop by and see it for myself. If you can just help me with a few outfits until the rest of my things arrive, that will be more than enough."

Dori just smiled and shook his head, his expression filled with fond exasperation, "You are family, Bella. This is not an imposition but a privilege to help take care of you. The tea shop will last a few days without my direct supervision I would've had a wardrobe ready and waiting for you, but as you know, our memories of you were missing until you were actually back in Erebor itself. Now, I'm going to go wait in the hall so you can put on the dress and I can see if any alterations need to be made."

Without waiting for her to reply, he made his way from the room and closed the door quietly behind him. Hastily smothering her giggles, Bella obediently began changing as ordered. She murmured to Dis, "I suppose I should just be glad that he doesn't smother me quite as bad as he does Ori."

Dis laughed at that, "As I'm sure you already know, dwarves are stubborn to the core and one of the things that makes them happy is taking care of their kin. Be prepared for lots of spoiling and care from all of them. They've all missed you, even if they didn't know that it was you exactly that they were missing."

Bella rolled her eyes, "And now they'll all feel guilty for forgetting about me as well, as if that wasn't entirely my choice."

Dis shrugged, "Yes, some of that too, although that will fade in time." She added impatiently, "Now, show me the dress. I'm dying to see it, Dori's work is always incredible but to wear one of his creations is a special kind of privilege, because he only makes the occasional piece for friends and family. To have an entire wardrobe designed and created by him? You'll be the envy of Erebor."

Bella shook out the dress and held it up. It was a breathtaking shade of deep sapphire, one that Bella instantly adored. It was a lovely blend of dwarven and hobbit styles, the unique styles had somehow come together to create a seamless whole. He had to have been up the entire night crafting it, from the level of detail and all of the embroidery on it. She slipped it on, marveling at the fit and softness of the fabric.

Dis circled her, looking her over carefully, before exclaiming with satisfaction, "Oh, this is just perfect. This will make the perfect statement, he's a canny dwarf."

Bella tilted her head, puzzled, "What do you mean? I mean, the dress is exquisite and fits like a dream, but what does it say exactly?"

Looking like the cat that ate the canary, Dis said smugly, "That particular shade of blue is called Durin Blue. That in itself is nothing remarkable, although it is more often used as an accent color than a full gown in and of itself. But with Fili's braids in your hair as well as Dwalin's? It will declare you as fully accepted into the line of Durin. The embroidery proclaims your gardening gifts as well as proclaiming your bravery and wits. It makes you look alluringly female but you'll notice that it's cut in such a way that your movements will not be hindered at all. I'm sure that both Fili and Dwalin have worked with you on self defense, so this will not hinder that. This will make an excellent statement to the mountain exactly who you are."

There was a soft knock on the door and Dis called for Dori to enter. His face lit up when he saw the dress on her, hurrying over and looking it over critically. She beamed up at him, "If you're looking for flaws, you won't find any. This dress is gorgeous, Dori! It is mind boggling that you were able to get it done in just a night. And such a blending of dwarf and hobbit styles. You are a true master."

She could tell that he was pleased, even though he fussed about a few tiny things in typical Dori fashion. Once he was satisfied that everything was just so, he left to go get started on the rest, telling her to swing by the Ri home that afternoon.

Once he was gone, Dis steered her over to the vanity and insisted that she sit. Picking up the comb, Dis said happily, "I always wanted a daughter to dress up and do her hair. Don't get me wrong, I adore my boys, but neither of them would've been happy with my fussing."

Bella laughed at that, a picture of Kili with his hair all braided and bowed, a ridiculous pout on his face, popping into her mind. She managed to force out between giggles, "No, I can't imagine that they would have done that. What about your brothers when you were little."

Dis had to think it over for a moment before bursting into laughter, "You know, I'd quite forgotten, you're right. They were most patient with me, but I'll never forget the time that they got such a dressing down from Fundin who was the royal guard master when they showed up late to a training session with all the gems and braids in their hair from where I'd decorated them. However Thorin was stubborn, as I'm sure that you already know, and refused to take it out, saying that I was waiting for them to come back for a tea party after training was over and that he wouldn't make me cry by showing up without it. Fundin really put him through his paces, but I think Thorin won some respect that day."

Bella smiled, just picturing it. "Did you have the tea party?"

Dis frowned before laughing, "You know, I don't remember. But that day of training became such a family legend that we've told it time and time again."

They chatted idly while Dis started doing her hair, pulling something every so often from a bag that she wouldn't let Bella peek into to weave into her hair. Finally, Bella scraped up enough courage to ask the question that was truly weighing on her. "Dis, I need to know, but I don't dare ask anyone else."

Dis's fingers tensed in her hair before relaxing and continuing her task, "And what would that be, natha?"

Bella swallowed hard, "What happened to the Arkenstone? I'm assuming that Bard gave it back in the end, but I still worry about it. The obsessed gleam in Thorin's eyes when he was looking for it. How much of that was the ring and how much was gold sickness, I don't know. But how much was the Arkenstone itself?"

Dis paused and moved so she could met Bella's eyes, her expression somber. She said quietly, "Ah." Bella nodded, her eyes a mixture of fear and uncertainty. "It's good that you asked this when we were alone. You must never speak of this to another person, do I have your word? Fili, Kili, Thorin, and I are the only ones that know of this, no one else."

Bella nodded, "I won't say a word. I just have to know, for my peace of mind."

Moving back to her hair, Dis said softly, "Although he didn't remember them, your words about how the Arkenstone was the literal heart of the mountain had resonated deeply with Balin. He waited until after Thorin had healed and I arrived at the mountain to discuss what to do, making sure to keep the Arkenstone safely locked away where no one would find it. We were, understandably, horrified at the thought that in our greed, we had dealt Erebor such a grievous wound. After much discussion, we returned the Arkenstone, the heart of the mountain, to Erebor. They way that she sung that day was the most dazzling thing that I had ever heard, so breathtakingly beautiful that every dwarf wept unashamedly. It took time for her to regain her strength, but now she is stronger than ever."

The tension in Bella's body eased when she learned that the Arkenstone had been restored to Erebor. Then she frowned, something occurring to her, "But if the entire mountain knows that the Arkenstone was returned, what is so secret?"

Bella could hear the approval in Dis's voice, "The location. For if it had already been dug up once by happenstance, we could not take the risk of it happening a second time, especially if someone is looking for it deliberately. But you have proven that it has no hold over you, beyond the possibility of safety for those that you claimed as yours. It took us a long time to figure out where to place it that it would be safe from being disturbed. However, after much discussion, we found the perfect place. It's buried under the throne. None shall be told of it's location beyond the ruler of Erebor and their heir. There is should be safe from being dug up, for who would dig under a king's throne? And it also serves as a reminder that the throne of Erebor serves the mountain and her people, not the other way around. This is our vow."

Bella blew out a shaky breath. She whispered, her throat tight, "I think that that's very fitting. I could not have chosen better if I'd tried. I swear on the Valar that I shall never breathe a word of it's location, by either word or deed."

Dis squeezed her shoulder gently, her voice warm, "I wouldn't have told you if I didn't already believe that. You can look now, you're ready."

Bella looked in the mirror, her eyes widening in shock as she took in her reflection. The woman who stared back at her was, elegant. But more than that, the woman staring back at her was serene and confident. Her eyes weren't filled with a haunting loss or a bone deep sadness, there wasn't even any fear lurking there, fear of the past or fear of the future. Instead, there was peace, warmth, and happiness. Looking away, she turned her attention to her hair. She couldn't say exactly what Dis had done, but she had managed to work her curls into elaborate braids, woven through with delicate golden chains and jeweled pins. She had left enough of her curls loose though. Much like her dress, her hair was the perfect blending of hobbit and dwarf.

Reaching up and touching a braid tentatively, she asked shyly, "Where did you find such delicate work? From what I've seen, dwarves tend to favor much bolder jewelry." Bella nodded at the gorgeous jewelry that Dis was wearing that would've totally overwhelmed Bella if she had tried to wear them.

Dis raised an eyebrow, "Fili never told you?"

Wondering what exactly Dis had thought Fili had told her, she shook her head, "I'm not sure?"

Dis laughed, "That was rather vague, wasn't it? I'm a master goldsmith."

Bella nodded, "Yes, the boys are so proud of you. I've been wanting to see your creations." It suddenly sunk and she gasped, "You mean, this is your work? How could you even know what would suit me? This is some of the most gorgeous jewelry that I've ever seen."

Dis's smile was pleased as she answered, "When the dreams were happening, Fili kept getting just glimpses of you. He started sketching them until he finally had a cohesive picture of you. When he finally opened up and shared about what was going on, he passed the sketch around. That triggered Ori's memory and he drew a sketch of you as well, although he couldn't remember you either. Between the two of them, I got a good feel for how you looked and your bone structure. I've worked on a few other pieces as well, although I was waiting until I actually met you to do bigger pieces. Plus I'm sure that the other family members will vie for the honor as well. Fili probably still has the sketches if you're curious. Now come, the others will be waiting for us to eat breakfast."

Her stomach chose that moment to grumble again and she rose, laughing. She was glad that Dis guided her to the common room for the company, having not remembered how she got to her room the night before at all, although she had the sneaking suspicion that she had been carried to bed. Something occurred to her and she asked, "Will Dwalin be upset that I'm not with them?"

Dis shrugged, "I don't think so, for two reasons. One, we would've had quarters prepared with Balin and Dwalin if we'd known that he'd adopted you, but he chose to keep it secret to surprise us. Two, you are past your majority so it is your choice whether or not to have rooms with your kin or not, but that is a discussion for after we've eaten."

Bella's stomach agreed heartily and the two women entered the common room laughing. The company had been waiting for them anxiously, almost as if they still thought that it was a dream that Bella had returned and was amongst them once more.

Fili had turned towards them upon their entrance and managed to take two steps towards them before freezing entirely, his eyes wide as he slowly took her in. Bella fought hard not to blush as warmth, awe, approval, and something hotter entered his gaze. Dis cleared her throat smugly and they wrenched their gazes apart. Bella just knew that her cheeks were flushed, but managed to keep her hands at her sides instead of hiding her face like she was tempted to.

Fili managed to get his body under control and came the rest of the way. He bent and kissed Dis on the cheek, murmuring, "Good morning, amad."

Dis smiled at him and straightened his tunic slightly. Her tone was very pleased as she asked, "What do you think?"

Fili's eyes met Bella's once more and his smile was tender, even as his eyes were blue flame, "You've managed to accent her beauty perfectly. You and Dori are wonders, thank you."

Dis laughed, "My, what a charmer you've become. Bella has been good for you, I'm happy to have her as a daughter."

Dwalin came over and snagged Bella, "You can't have her yet, I just got her."

Bella laughed, happily allowing Dwalin to lead her over to the table, "You'll always have me, adad. When I marry Fili, you won't lose me, but simply gain a son. When it comes to true kin, the more there are, the more blessed we are."

Dwalin grumbled, "That may be the case, but I still think you should wait a few years to marry him."

Bella laughed, "I have already waited a few years, adad, since I first me him."

Fili had claimed the chair on the other side of her and Dis had moved over next to Thorin. She called curiously, "Have you picked a date? I'm sure that the whole mountain will want to join the celebration and festivities."

Bella glanced at Fili and smiled tenderly before calling back, "We'd thought about just doing a small ceremony with the company. But since Fili is the crown prince and will one day be king, and since Erebor has been reclaimed with all it's wealth and traditions, we knew that that wouldn't go over like it might have during your years outside of the Lonely Mountain. I don't know what a ceremonial royal wedding looks like and neither did the others, so we were hoping that we could be wed in three months time, six months at the absolute most."

Dis thought hard for several minutes before sharing a significant glance with Thorin. He sighed and nodded, but everyone could see the grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. Dis nodded firmly and declared, "Three months it is, we'll find a way to make it work. You two have gone through enough and have been separated for too long as it is. So here's what we'll do. After breakfast, everyone is to go about their business as usual. Those of you who have just returned, you have the day off to rest and recuperate before jumping back into work. I'm sure that you'll want to show Bella around, Fili, show her how much Erebor has been restored in her absence. Ori, I know that you just got back, but I'll need your help today to scour the library for all the information about royal weddings and ceremonies that we can find. We'll all meet back up at dinner and figure out where to go from there."

Bella gaped at her, but the rest of them just nodded like this was an everyday occurrence. Bombur placed a loaded plate in front of her and teased quietly, "Close your mouth, lass, before the others start making bets about landing something in there."

Bella immediately snapped her jaw shut and nodded her thanks to the stout dwarf. Nori pouted on the other side of the table and she winked cheekily at him, he would be one to actually try something like that. He just grinned and saluted her back, mouthing 'later' at her before turning his attention to his youngest brother.

As the low murmur of conversation rose as the company dug into their breakfast, Fili murmured to her, "You think that it's a waste for us to just stroll around the mountain while the others work and research."

Buttering a roll, Bella asked just as softly, "How did you know?"

He winked at her, "Because you are my very heart, Bella mine. But this actually serves a purpose. It will show the mountain that the heirs are back home. Also, we were very closemouthed about why we left, didn't know after all why you had left, if you were coming back, or whether you were just a figment of my imagination. This will allow the people to become acquainted with you, plus show off our status as betrothed. It will reassure the dwarves of Erebor's security and prosperity for the future. And yes, it'll be nice to show you Erebor properly, what she should look like instead of what Smaug had reduced her to."

Bella grinned happily at him, "Ah, politics, now those I do know. I can't imagine that dwarves are all that different than hobbits and I shall learn quickly. You'll probably have to help me at first though."

Fili tilted his head slightly, trying to judge her sincerity, then grinned back at her, "I have to admit, dwarven politics seem to be much simpler than hobbit politics, that's for sure. I'm sure that you are going to do splendidly. Especially after meeting your mother's family."

Dis frowned at Fili, "And just what is wrong with her mother's family?"

Everyone that had fetched Bella and Bella herself burst out laughing at that question. Bella explained merrily, "Oh, there's nothing wrong with her family, they're just Tooks. Tooks tend to have large families and a very lively bunch, especially when compared to the rest of the hobbits. Still, they're a fair and hardworking bunch, my grandfather will be stepping down as Thain this year in favor of my uncle. Says the role and duties require a younger man's touch. I personally think that he's going to drive grandmother crazy within a week of being retired, but that is not my problem and grandmother can handle him well enough if he gets antsy."

Her careless words caused a minor battle to break out amongst the dwarves. Since there had already been a smaller version of this scene when the dwarves had actually met the Thain, Bella just continued to eat her breakfast calmly. The dwarves that had been in the Shire were laughing and making bets like they hadn't been just as freaked out when they first found out about her relationship to the Thain.

Bella had just finished her meal when Dis finally gained control of the situation, "It's not important that she's related to the Thain other than in a peripheral way. She is not in direct line for the Thainship, which means that there was no crime committed by taking her on the quest for Erebor. In fact, it only strengthens the approval for her and Fili to wed as a female who's part of a ruling family. We'll make the adjustment to the ceremony as needed. Now all of you, scat."

As they made their way out of the room, Bella murmured to Fili, "I take it that it's a no-no for female royalty to go on quests? Is that why your mother didn't go to reclaim Erebor?"

Fili shrugged, looping her arm through his, "Well, yes and no. Someone did have to stay behind and oversee Ered Luin and mother was the best candidate. But there are a couple of reasons that female royalty doesn't go on what's practically a guaranteed suicide mission."

She was able to shrug that off, the events long enough past that they didn't terrify her like they once had. "Let me guess, the first reason is because of how rare females are in dwarven society?"

He nodded, "Yes, although trying to stop a dam when she's set on something is nigh on impossible. Thankfully amad was eminently practical and agreed to stay behind. The second reason comes down to bloodlines, as petty as that may seem. Any child of a royal dam is guaranteed to have royal blood, no matter who the father is. If we had fallen, it would've been her duty to have another child to carry on the line of Durin. Thank Mahal that was not the case."

Bella sighed, inching closer to him, "Well, that didn't happen. So why don't we talk about something else?"

Glancing around, he carefully whisked them into a hidden alcove. His voice dropped, becoming deep and husky, "Ok, let's talk about how you look today. You're an absolute vision and somehow I'm the dwarf lucky enough to have caught your eye. I want to both show you off to the world and hide you away so that no one else can see your loveliness." He pulled her slightly closer and leaned forward to murmur in her ear, "It made me wish that we were already wed."

She sucked in a shallow breath, her hands coming up to rest lightly on his chest, "You shouldn't say such things."

He got a wicked sparkle in his eyes, so she leaned up and kissed him to silence him before he was able to say anything else. He seemed disinclined to protest her method of silencing him, pulling her closer and deepening the kiss. They kissed for several minutes until the sound of loud voices passing their alcove startled them apart. Trying to catch her breath and resist the temptation of continuing their kissing, Bella moved a few steps away and smoothed an imaginary wrinkle from her dress. Fighting to keep her voice even and ignoring the way that Fili looked ready to pounce on her again, Bella said softly, "Your mother said something about a tour?"

He gave a long-suffering sigh but nodded, "Aye, I suppose we'd better get moving before any of our relatives come looking for us."

She smirked at him, her heart rate finally starting to slow, "Don't want to have to admit to my adad that you were stealing kisses?"

Fili mock shuddered, "I was thinking more along the lines of Kee teasing us, but I think that we'd better get moving on that tour that I promised you."

She laughed and he smiled warmly down at her. Looping her arm through his, he led them out of the alcove and started down a hallway. After several minutes, she nodded at yet another group of dwarves that they passed and murmured to Fili, "Erebor is so alive. I don't know if I'll ever get used to the sheer amount of people here."

He tucked her slightly closer, trying not to smirk at the speculative murmurs that he could hear, "I know, it's quite different from the last time you were here, isn't it? Erebor isn't quite where she was in her glory days, but she will get there once again, I think."

She offered him a smile that was almost a grimace, "You mean that this isn't as grand as it used to be? I never believed that there could be anything half as grand as this."

He shrugged, "It will never be the Erebor that it once was. Truthfully, Thror's taste towards the end was overblown and gaudy. Since everything happened, with uncle and reclaiming Erebor and all of that, we've been reassessing a lot of things that we once took for granted. However, most of the damage from Smaug has been repaired and all of our people are comfortably housed and fed. That is a blessing that we will never take for granted, especially after so long scraping out a meager living as best as we could. But now we can start focusing on beauty once again instead of just basic survival."

She could hear the underlying tension in his voice when he spoke, knew that he was thinking about the goldsickness. Resting her head briefly on his shoulder for just a moment, she said softly, fondness layering her words, "You know, as beautiful as Erebor is now, I still have good memories of before."

He looked at her incredulously, "What good memories could you possibly have? That time was a nightmare."

She shook her head firmly, "Not all of it. I still remember the day that you rejoined us at the mountain. My heart that had been broken was healed in that moment and I could breathe again. And what about the time where you took me outside of Erebor and proposed to me again, offering to walk away entirely from Erebor if that's what I wanted." Her voice lowered slightly, not wanting anyone to overhear her words, "And that time that you found a working bath for me so that I could get cleaned up? If that's not true love, I don't know what is. Even though I don't know what the words were, the songs that you sang that night wove themselves into my very heart." She smiled up at him and gently brushed his cheek, "There were other bright spots, of course. But my most treasured memories all seem to revolve around you."

The tension in him relaxed slightly and he smiled tenderly down at her, "Right as always, amralime. When Smaug came down from Erebor, I was convinced that the company had perished beneath his flames. When I saw you again, it was like the sun came out and I could finally breathe again. Never had I been so scared in all of my days until that moment." One corner of his mouth quirked a little deeper and his smile morphed into a roguish one. "As for what I was singing, I'll share that with you after we're married."

She said tartly, "It's a miracle that your mother's hair is not entirely white, between you and your brother, I swear." They entered the marketplace and Bella looked around with fascination before she realized that everyone was watching them and whispering. She started to frown before catching herself just in time. Inching closer to Fili, she murmured, "Why are they whispering about us?"

He listened carefully to the whispers for several seconds to confirm what he thought it was before grinning happily, "They want to know who you are, the beautiful, exotic stranger with their crown prince. They've never seen me walking with a woman, one whom is obviously familiar and close enough with me to smile and tease me. They say that they've never seen me look so happy and content. And they are trying to examine your braids, figure out who exactly you are without being too obvious about it."

Bella laughed, "You're making that up."

Nori spoke from right behind them, "He's not. Curiosity is practically oozing from all of these dwarves. I'm sure that by now you've come to realize what a nosy lot us dwarrow are."

Bella laughed again, not noticing the way that this sparked another wave of whispers, "Yes, but you lot have nothing on hobbits. What brings you to our side, Nori? Please tell me that you don't have to steal Fili away for crown prince duties already."

Nori grinned at her and shook his head, "No, not at all. It's my duty as spymaster to be where interesting things are happening in Erebor. And you, little one, are the most interesting thing in the mountain today by far. I'm just here to watch and observe, nothing more."

She rolled her eyes, "What you're saying is that you've made lots of bets with the company and you're here to monitor the outcome. Very well, have your fun." Turning to Fili, she grabbed his hand and laced their fingers together, "C'mon, show me the marketplace. I've never seen a dwarven one and I'm dying of curiosity."

Exchanging one last grin with Nori, Fili allowed Bella to drag him off into the market, following her indulgently as she flitted from stand to stand. He obediently examined the different objects that she showed him, patiently answering her million and one questions. They spent a large chunk of the morning examining the market, even buying a meal from a vendor cart that had set up there.

Finally when she had examined every last inch of the market, and given the dwarves a lot more to gossip about, she told Fili to show her to the archives. He laughed at her, "You're bossy, aren't you?"

She laughed but didn't let go of his hand, "Tomorrow, everyone is going to be busy. I want to pack as much into today as I possibly can. Who knows when we'll have another day just to ourselves."

He chuckled, "I'm the crown prince, I can take as many days off as I want."

She scoffed at that, "We both know that you're much too honorable for that. As it is, I'm scared that I won't see you for a month with as many things as I'm sure have piled up in your absence."

His hand tightened on hers and he said firmly, "I don't care if there's a decade's worth of work waiting for me. I will never again go a day without seeing and being with you. Because being without you is pure torture."

She squeezed his hand reassuringly, "I was just teasing, dear heart. Worse comes to worst, I'll just help you wade through all of your work. We are stronger together, after all."

He chuckled at that, "I don't know if that would be a help or not." When she just frowned at him, he elaborated, "I find you, distracting, amralime."

Her face heated slightly but she grinned cheekily at him, "There is that, that's true. Ah well, we'll find a way to make it work."

They stopped in front of a set of large doors. She sighed, "I suppose that the library is behind these doors. How in the world am I ever going to get in there if I don't have a dwarf with me?"

He grinned at her, mischief sparking in his gaze, "Why don't you try and see?"

Preparing to battle the large door, she firmly on the door, surprised when it moved easily under her hand. Fascinated, she asked Fili, "How? Something this large should not move so easily, it took barely any effort."

He reminded her, "We're dwarves, love, we like to make things work well, otherwise what's the point?" When she just continued to look at him, he sighed, "I suppose that you want to know exactly how it works."

She nodded and they entered the library as he quietly explained exactly how the doors worked, a series of balances and counter balances working together to easily move the door's weight and how they could be turned off with the quick flip of a lever, returning the doors to their normally immovable state so that the library could be safely barricaded.

Hearing their low voices, Ori bustled over grinning widely, "I didn't know if I'd see you today or not."

Bella beamed at him, "I want to see as much as I can with Fili today. This is incredible, Ori. There's been so much progress made in restoration, you can't even tell that it was in total disrepair."

Breaking in before they could get caught up in scholarly enthusiasm, Fili asked, "Is amad still here?"

Ori nodded, "She's consulting with the head librarian in the emerald study room."

Fili turned to Bella and she grinned at him, "Go ahead, dear heart. Ori and I will probably be quite busy for a bit. And this way you can see if your mother has any questions that we need to answer for the ceremony."

Grateful that she wasn't going to make him go through the entire library, he liked books as much as the next person but Bella and Ori took it to another level, he gave her a quick kiss and a warning look at Ori to watch out for her before striding off in search of Dis.

Bella watched him go, a fond smile on her face, before turning her attention back to Ori, "Sorry about that, you were saying?"

Ori grinned at her, "Never be sorry for the love between the two of you, it truly is a gift. Now, what do you want to see?"

She laughed, "Everything! There's so much knowledge and learning here. However, I suppose that we have to start somewhere, so I'll defer to your judgement."

Ori lit up at that, "All right, we'll start in the restoring room then and go from there. You'll have to come back, there's no way that you'll be able to see everything in one day, but I can show you the highlights."

They had fun exploring the library like faunts, wonder and excitement over everything that was going on. Ori was especially excited about all of the progress that had been made while he was gone, looking forward to explore all of the new knowledge that had been restored or brought back to light. It wasn't until they had reached the section where the dwarven histories were stored that they ran into a snag. Or rather, a very unpleasant dwarf, the first that Bella had encountered since her return to Erebor.

Ori had been avidly describing the different histories to her and she was trying her hand at pronouncing a few of the runes that she thought that she'd recognized from her lessons, although their forms were a little older than the version that she was used to. They were laughing over her horrible pronunciation of one when trouble arrived. A middle aged dwarf with a pinched expression stormed up to them and started berating them.
"How dare you make light of our most sacred histories? This is a library, not a tavern common room!" He glanced at Bella and his face turned red and he rounded on Ori, "And you! How dare you bring an outsider here and share with them our most guarded secret! Some common stranger from who knows where. I know that you're no great catch, but how dare you reveal everything when some * lass bats her eyes at you. You are a disgrace and the king will hear of this! You'll be lucky if you're even permitted to dwell in Erebor after this and you'll never be granted access to the archives again."

From the way that Ori bristled and his eyes filled with rage at whatever the dwarf had called her, Bella decided that it was time to step in. Lightly placing her hand on Ori's arm to keep him from snapping the other dwarf like a twig, which he could easily, she cleared her throat delicately. When the dwarf turned back towards her, she took a moment to carefully inspect his braids. Like she'd thought, although she was no expert by any means, his braids indicated that he was only a low level scribe and the second son of a family line that she was unfamiliar with. Putting on her coolest smile, she said politely, "I don't believe I caught your name, master dwarf."

He bristled and spat out, "I don't have to give you my name, you interloper."

She shrugged, "No, you don't, but it is the polite thing to do."

With ill grace, he forced out, "Durn, son of Lorn."

She was not surprised that he left the 'at your service' bit off. She allowed a hint of disapproval to color her tone, something that would've made any faunt immediately uneasy, knowing that they were in trouble. "Master Durn, may I offer you a bit of advice? I know that Erebor has only been reclaimed for a couple of years now, many of the years before spent trying to survive. However, Erebor is secure and thriving and will undoubtedly become a thriving center of trade, so I recommend brushing up on your manners and etiquette as well as learning discretion."

If she thought that his face was red before, Durn's face was downright apoplectic. He growled, "You beardless hussy, how dare you?"

He added several more words that she didn't know, although from the way that Ori's arm was tensing under her hand, they were extremely derogatory. She cut in when he showed no sign of stopping, "That's enough!" When his jaw snapped shut and his eyes filled with extreme anger, she spoke before he could, her voice in the tone that the company had dubbed as 'scary Bella'. "I tried to have a dialogue with you, but it seems that you are bent on your own self destruction. Very well then, we'll do this your way. You are a scribe in the great kingdom of Erebor. You are one that is supposed to be drawn to knowledge and learning, examining each thought and person critically to try and divine it's true nature. You, sir, are a disgrace!"

She gestured sharply at herself and Ori, "If you had taken a moment to observe the visitors to the library, you would've noted our braids, which spell out plainly everything that you need to know in how to deal with us, as well as how to approach us with either a quiet reproach or an offer of assistance. Instead, you charged in like an enraged bull when we did not meet whatever imaginary criteria you have decided upon. And if that is not bad enough, you had the gall to verbally attack a higher ranking dwarf than yourself with foul accusations. Ori of the line of Ri is not only a royal scribe apprenticed under the royal advisor, Balin, son of Fundin, he was also a member of the company of Thorin Oakenshield. Your declaration that the king will hear of Ori's misdeeds are laughable. Ori has traveled with the king himself, chronicled the company's journey, and even fought by the king's side. Who do you think that Thorin will believe when it comes down to it?"

Durn had paled several shades by this time, but held his ground stubbornly, hissing, "Who do you think you are?"

Bella's expression morphed into a sharp grin, one that made Ori flinch back slightly. She said pleasantly, her tone so sharp that it could cut the very air, "Oh, I'm so glad that you asked. Since you are incapable of reading braids, I'll be happy to spell it out for you. I am Belladonna Baggins, heart daughter of Dwalin. I am the fourteenth member of the company of Thorin Oakenshield and have faced down both the white orc and Smaug himself. I am the One of Fili, crown prince of Erebor and he is my heartsong in return. I helped reclaim this very mountain with only my wits, blood, and courage alongside a company of thirteen incredible dwarves, none of which were you. So if you have an issue with my presence in the mountain or my learning Khuzdul, then by all means, feel free to take it up with Thorin himself."

A delighted peal sounded from Erebor, singing warmly through the air and wrapping happily around Bella. Moments later, arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her against a firm chest. Fili's voice rumbled through her, "Problems, ghivashel?"

Repositioning herself so that she could see Fili's face without leaving the circle of his arms, she thought carefully before answering. She didn't want Fili to have to fight all of her battles, she knew that she would more than likely run into more ignorance, especially if Fili weren't by her side. However, she wanted to make it crystal clear that she and Fili were an impregnable unit. Smiling up at him, she nodded slightly, "Yes, I have it under control, but I would appreciate your thoughts on this matter. Without bothering to offer us any courtesy or even ascertain who we were, Master Durn overheard me trying to pronounce some Khuzdul. It was a poor attempt, I must admit, but it was not done mockingly. He then had the temerity to threaten to have Thorin throw Ori out of the archives and possibly even out of Erebor entirely. When I suggested that Durn should take a minute and assess his audience, using proper manners and etiquette, he devolved to name calling. You'll have to ask Ori what was said, I'm afraid that my Khuzdul in that area is lacking."

Fili turned to Ori and spat something in rapid Khuzdul. Ori answered just as rapidly, his expression furious and a muscle in his jaw working overtime. From the quiet gasps behind them, Bella suddenly realized that they had grown an audience, but didn't bother looking. Once Ori finished speaking, Fili growled, "What happened next?"

She leaned into his side for the barest of moments to try and reassure him, "Since he didn't seem to understand the gravity of the situation, I explained that he was actually attacking a dwarf that outranked him, not only that but that he was attacking one of the heroes of Erebor. He then demanded to know whom I was, which I was informing him of when you arrived, I believe."

By this time, Durn was several shades paler and sweating profusely. Dis chose that moment to come forward, smiling warmly at her while she rearranged one of Bella's curls, one of those unconscious touches that mothers instinctively did. "Yes, Erebor is very pleased to have her earth lass back. She claimed you back when you claimed her. The whole mountain heard her joy."

Dis turned and looked coolly at the dwarf before looking back at Bella, "Hadn't your braids already clearly informed him of who and what you are? And I know that word has already flown through the mountain about you. I've overheard at least three dwarves talking about you, and that was just this morning. And to address a dam in such a manner, I'm appalled."

Bella had to bite back a sigh when she heard the familiar sounds of Thorin and Dwalin talking as they made their way through the library. She muttered just loud enough for Fili to hear her, "I just wanted a quiet first day back, but no. Adad and Thorin are looking for us. Is there any way that we can get out of this gracefully?"

Fili's arms around her tightened briefly before he let her go and laced his hand with hers. He drew himself up to his full height, his eyes hard, "It sounds like you have dealt with the issue admirably so far, milady. What is your wish for the consequences of his actions?"

Squeezing his hand tightly and praying that she wasn't about to make a muck out of everything, she said firmly, "Master Durn has been the first dwarf to treat me thus in the mountain. That shows that Durin's folk for the most part are an accepting and gracious people. However, it troubles me that he felt comfortable demeaning a stranger and a dam, as well as a fellow scribe. Especially as he is part of this wondrous library, meant to be filled with knowledge and enlightenment. Still, one cannot know the scars and histories that others bear as well. If possible, I would like him to be removed from his position of scribe in charge of this section. Instead, I wish for him to undertake translating all the laws of Erebor into both common and Sindarin as well be at the service of any scribes that need an extra hand. I also wish for him to enter a training rotation with the soldiers. Life outside of the mountain was chaotic, but maybe routine, service, and discipline will help him understand that Erebor is a safe haven and the library in particular is a refuge for all that seek knowledge."

Fili nodded, his expression pleased, "It shall be as you say." He turned to the dwarf that had accompanied Dis, "See to it, Master Hardin."

The white hair dwarf nodded serenely, "It shall be done as you wish, Lady Belladonna. I am Hardin, son of Dorn, at your service. I oversee the library and you are most welcome here any time that you wish."

Bella inclined her head as well, "Bella, daughter of Dwalin, at yours. I thank you for helping in this matter. I ask that you make sure that he is not abused because of this incident, that the others do not attack him or try to press all of their work onto him. This is an unfortunate incident, but I hope that it's one that we'll all learn from."

Hardin inclined his head, "It shall be as you wish, Lady Bella. If you'll excuse us?"

He waited until both she and Dis nodded before taking Durn and sweeping out of the section. Dwalin and Thorin chose that moment to join them, having obviously heard part of the conversation. Before they could ask, Dis and Ori started filling them in.

Bella tugged on Fili's hand, "Can we go? Dori said to drop by this afternoon for a dress fitting and I find myself in need of some of his tea."

He nodded and lead her out the opposite side of the aisle from where the others were gathered. He murmured, "You know that they'll just want to discuss it at dinner."

She shrugged, "That's fine, I just don't want to air it all in public and you know that both your uncle and adad are going to be upset over the incident." She paused before asking hesitantly, "Did I do all right or was my decision totally undwarven?"

He smiled warmly down at her, bringing up their linked hands so that he could brush a kiss over the back of her hand, "You were utterly magnificent. A little more merciful than a dwarf would've been, but all of the company knows that you are tender hearted indeed. I was so proud of you, you did marvelously, amralime."

She smiled shyly at him, "Thank you, I was worried. But I knew that if Dwalin and Thorin got involved, it would've been total chaos. And should he not change his ways, I leave that totally up to you."

He chuckled at that, "I don't think Erebor is prepared for you. You change things for the better, but in the most unexpected of ways. I know that the company was quite unprepared, but I'm grateful for the way that things turned out."

She groused at him but could quite hide the smile tugging at her lips, "Well, I had to do something. For some reason, half of Arda either wanted to eat or kill you during the quest."

He laughed at that, "Well, it wouldn't have been a challenge otherwise."

Continuing to banter with him as they made their way through the halls, Bella drank in Erebor and the people that now inhabited the Lonely Mountain. This was not what she had expected from her first day back, she wasn't even sure what she had expected, but she was truly happy to be back here. It felt like home, something that she'd been missing for a long time. As she teased Fili, she smiled again, the future was shining so brightly ahead of them. She couldn't wait.

Notes:

Two chapters left - The Wedding and The Epilogue