Chapter Thirty-Four: Happily Ever After
Bella slipped easily through Erebor, deftly carrying a loaded tray in her hands. It was late enough in the evening that most of the dwarves had gone home to their families, but not so late that the corridors were entirely deserted. She smiled at the dwarves that she did pass and many of them smiled back at her. In the nearly three months since she'd been in Erebor, she'd become well known to the dwarves and well liked as well.
Reaching her target, she tapped lightly on the door and waited for Fili to call for her to enter. Slipping inside, she used her heel to close the door gently behind her. Fili looked up from the document that he was reading, surprise crossing his face when he saw her. "Bella, what are you doing here?"
She grinned at him, "Bringing you dinner. I knew that you'd get busy and forget to eat. And it looks like I was right."
She waited while he cleared aside some of the papers before setting down the tray in the cleared area. Standing behind him, she gently rubbed his shoulders, trying to ease the tension from them. "Trying to get all of your paperwork done? It won't work, you know. I swear that paperwork multiplies when you're not looking at it."
He sighed, leaning into her touch, "Trying is definitely the key word here. If I'd known that there was so much paperwork in running a mountain, I would've begged uncle to find another way."
Dropping a kiss on the top of his head, she teased, "Ah, but then you wouldn't have met me and then where would you be?"
He pretended to think about it and Bella laughed. Moving away so that he could concentrate on eating, she shuffled through the paperwork to see if there was anything that she could handle for him. He took several bites before asking curiously, "What are you doing here anyway? Not that I'm not glad to see you, of course, but I thought that amad would've had you locked in your chambers for the rest of tonight and tomorrow morning."
Bella offered him a tired smile. "She wanted to, so I proposed a trade. Since tomorrow is sure to be insanity and we won't really have a minute to ourselves, I was allowed to bring you dinner. However, I promised to return to my room as soon as you are done eating." She pouted at him, "If I'd known what a trial weddings are, I would've eloped with you in the Shire like you originally offered."
He offered soothingly, "It's only one more day and then we'll be all done with it. I, for one, am looking forward to no longer having to tell you good night and leave you. And to think, this is a short betrothal. Some dwarven couples court and wait for over a decade before they officially marry."
She rolled her eyes, "I still think that's ridiculous. And it's been over three years since we first met. Most hobbits would be married with a couple of babes by now and possibly even a third on the way."
He just shook his head and laughed, "So we're neither hobbit nor dwarf, but we're perfectly us. You know, most dwarves would think that you're lying about hobbits. It was even hard for me to believe at times and I saw it myself."
Carefully sorting the piles into different piles, she just shrugged, "If it's any consolation, I found dwarves very odd as well. Only one or two children per family and most of them male. It's odd to be so pampered just because I'm a lass."
He said wryly, "Oh yes, it's because you're a lass. It has nothing to do with the fact that you are Dwalin's daughter or a future princess of Erebor."
She shot him a stern look, "You know what I'm saying is the truth. You all spoil women, not that I can complain. All of you are very sweet, it's just odd is all."
He rolled his eyes, "You have a very strange idea of spoiling. Most of what we do is just common courtesy, what anyone would do for any other dwarf. Although I do admit that Dwalin and Balin do dote fully on you, but that's only to be expected of an adad and irakadad with their natha and iraknatha."
She smiled warmly at that, "I always knew that Dwalin was a protector and caretaker, but I didn't realize what a soft heart he was hiding. He's so adorable at times, I love it. Yavanna has blessed me greatly in my second family." She sighed and set aside the papers carefully, finally meeting his eyes firmly for the first time since she'd entered the office. She asked softly, "Did you ever think, when we first met, that we'd ever end up here, together?"
He shook his head immediately, "I could've never imagined the richness and color that you would bring into my life. I never thought that I would meet the love of my life while on an impossible quest to rid the world of a fire breathing beast, a quest that was almost guaranteed to fail." He reached out and picked up her hand, running his thumb soothingly back and forth over her knuckles. "But if you're asking if I would change a thing? The answer is no. Every moment we went through brought us to where we are today, helped shape us into who we are today. And you are a precious treasure that I would pay any price for. What we have is worth waiting for and worth fighting for."
She let out a huffed sigh, her eyes glowing with love, "How is it that you know exactly what my fears are?"
He offered her a crooked grin, "Because you are my heart and I am yours. Also, your fears are mine as well. I often wonder if you regret this or if you would change anything. Then I meet your eyes or you smile at me and I know that you don't regret a thing, that you are happy here, with me, and I can breathe again."
She flipped her hand that he held so she could catch it with hers and brought it up to her mouth for a gentle kiss. "Forever, dear heart, you and me forever."
He nodded and added quietly, "Until the world itself is remade."
She had to break her gaze away, her heart so full that it was overflowing. "Now I know why your mother didn't want me to see you until tomorrow when we are wed. She told me that the deeper dwarves love, the more their hearts and minds are filled with tender poetry and sweet words. She was right and it's a heady combination, especially when the sweet words come from the heart and mouth of one that I adore." Taking a deep breath in order to get herself firmly under control, she turned back to Fili and smiled, "I think that I'd best return to my chambers before I abandon all common sense."
He nodded, his eyes gleaming a bright sapphire, "Just one more night, love."
Standing, he walked her to the door, brushing the barest kiss over her lips before pulling back and returning to his desk. Slipping out into the hallway and shutting the door quietly behind her, she muttered firmly, "Just one more night, you can do this, Bella."
She ignored the guard that grinned as he passed her muttering to herself. It was far from an uncommon occurrence to see her muttering to herself about one thing or the other and all of the guards seemed to have a soft spot for her because she was Dwalin's daughter, so she knew that he wouldn't spread it around, although it would probably get back to Dwalin that she was talking to herself again.
To her surprise, she rounded a corner and almost ran right into the dwarf that she'd just been thinking of. He steadied her and she smiled up at him and asked, "Adad, what are you doing in this part of Erebor? I didn't think that I'd get to see you until tomorrow because of your shift."
He shrugged turning and strolling down the corridor with her, "I was looking for you, got someone else to cover my shift. Dis said that you'd gone to take dinner to the pup and promised to come right back, so I thought I'd join you while he ate, haven't seen either of you in days it seems like, getting all the security set up for the wedding tomorrow."
She linked her arm through his and rested her head on his shoulder, enjoying the way that she always felt so safe with him. "We both decided that it was prudent to keep our meeting brief. And I know that this had been a nightmare to handle in such a short time, adad. What all of you have done is nothing short of a miracle. And after tomorrow, everything can go back to normal." She chuckled, "Although as to what exactly normal is, your guess is as good as mine."
He grumbled but there was no true heat behind it. "I've no idea, been so busy trying to keep one fool Durin or another out of trouble for so long now that I have no idea what normal looks like either."
She laughed, the sound echoing off the walls of Erebor and she heard the mountain hum happily back to her. "And now you have to add me in to the fool Durin's as well, poor adad." She hugged him, smiling when he hugged her gently back. "Hey, since you're off duty tonight, do you want to come and spend the evening with me? We can talk and you can tell me embarrassing stories about Thorin and the boys when they were young, if you want."
He grinned widely at that, "Now that's truly a tempting proposition, how could I possibly say no to that?"
They walked slowly back to her rooms, chatting about how their days had been and what they expected the morrow to be like, coming up with increasingly impossible scenarios. They found Balin waiting at her rooms, having a last little bit of paperwork for her to go over, so they invited him to stay as well. Much to Bella's surprise, he accepted with alacrity.
Dis was still waiting in her rooms when they entered and the four of them spent a wonderful evening filled with tales and laughter. Balin and Dwalin took the opportunity to fill her in on some of their ancestors and all of them took great joy telling tales about Thorin, Fili, and Kili. Bella shared stories about herself and growing up in the Shire, as well as her parents and her many, many relatives.
In one of those naturally occurring lulls that happen in any conversation, Bella asked worriedly, "I'm so glad that you're all here, but what about Fili?" Dis raised an eyebrow lazily in inquiry from where she was sprawled comfortably in a chair, her feet propped up, so Bella elaborated, "He's as bad as I am about fretting. I don't want him to work all night in an effort to distract himself."
Dis laughed and waved her concerns away, "Don't worry about Fili, Kili and Thorin promised to drag him away at a reasonable time and keep him from fretting."
Bella sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose and muttered, "I will KILL them if they somehow mess this up, see if I don't." Letting her hand drop, she huffed out a laugh, "Well, too late to fret about it now, we'll deal with whatever happens tomorrow. After all, things can always go sideways at a wedding. There was this one time when..." And with that she was off, telling about the time that one of the Shire weddings had to deal with an invasion of frogs released by mischievous faunts in an attempt to score a coup on the wedding feast table.
By the time she finished, both she and Dis were laughing so hard that tears were streaming down their faces while both Dwalin and Balin were watching them, deeply concerned. When they finally managed to compose themselves, Dis climbed to her feet. "We all had better get to bed, we're getting rather loopy and it's going to be a long day tomorrow." She hugged Bella, "Get some rest and I'll see you in the morning, love."
Bella hugged Dis back fiercely before going and hugging Balin and Dwalin just as tightly, thanking Yavanna once again for blessing her with her second family. She closed the door softly behind them, smothering a yawn as she glanced at the clock. Almost midnight. Goodness, she'd been going since dawn, no wonder she was exhausted. But like she told Dwalin, after the wedding things would calm down and life would be easier.
Changing into her nightgown, she crawled into her bed, thinking absently that it would be her last night spent here. After tomorrow, she would be sharing rooms with Fili. All of her items had already been moved to their new suite, the only items left was her wedding dress hanging in her closet and the items that she would need in the morning. She sighed happily as she snuggled into her pillow. She couldn't wait for the morning.
She had just risen when there was a soft knock on her door. Shoving her unruly curls out of her face, she wrapped her robe tighter around herself and peeked out the door. Dis and Tauriel were standing there, carrying a loaded breakfast try. Biting back a yawn, her nose twitched as she drank in the delicious aromas, "Is that coffee?"
Tauriel grinned at her, "Yes. And if you let us in, we'll let you have it."
Realizing that she was keeping them standing in the hallway, she hastily opened the door and beckoned for them to come in. Tauriel grinned and handed her a cup of coffee as she passed, Dis following and closing the door firmly behind them. Setting the tray down on a low table, Tauriel turned and examined her, "What in the world is going on with your hair?"
Bella sighed, "Every so often it does this and totally rebels. Usually I just throw a handkerchief over it and wait until it relaxes a bit, but that obviously won't work today." She took a sip of the coffee and sighed happily.
Dis circled her, eyeing her hair carefully and picking up a curl here and there before letting it fall. Finally she said firmly, "This is fixable. You should've seen the mess the boys hair would be after some of their adventures. And of course they would squirm and refuse to hold still while I tried to sort it out. I can't even begin to count the number of times I had to threaten to shave them bald before they would sit still long enough for me to fix their hair properly."
Both Bella and Tauriel giggled at the thought of Fili and Kili as pebbles fussing and squirming while Dis tried to fix their hair from where it was filled with leaves and twigs from their adventures. Dis sighed but couldn't stop her own wry smile. "Just wait until your pebbles are big enough to get into everything and then see how amusing you think it is."
Bella choked slightly on her coffee while Tauriel spluttered wordlessly. Finally Bella managed to regain her composure enough to say, "Amad, we aren't even married yet! Give us a bit to adjust to that before you start talking about children."
Dis's sapphire eyes sparkled, "Well, a mother can hope, can't see?" She eyed Bella's hair again, "I'm going to go get some more tools to help with that hair, neither of you are to leave this room." With that, she slipped out of the room and was gone.
Once they were sure that she was gone, they stared at each other, aghast. Bella muttered, "Sweet Yavanna! It's not like we don't all have plenty of time. We're not even married yet. And can you imagine Kili as a father?"
Tauriel paled a shade, "Eru! I love him with all my heart but it's not yet time for that. We haven't even picked a date for our wedding yet, Thranduil is just now starting to accept our relationship."
Bella's eyes widened as she realized something else, "Not only that, Tari, but you know how protective dwarves are. Can you imagine how everyone will react when we're expecting? Green Lady, I'll never be able to get a moment of peace."
Both of their eyes widened at this and they wordlessly agreed to change the subject. Feeling more awake now that the coffee had started taking effect, Bella observed Tauriel closely. The elleth had on a lovely, elegant green gown, her bright hair pulled back from her face with silver hair ornaments that allowed the rest to flow freely down her back. Studying the hair clasps closely, she discovered that they were intricately wrought into what she assumed were constellations, the fine touch clearly Kili's work. "You look lovely, Tari. Kili's not going to believe his eyes when he sees you like dressed like that."
Tauriel lit up at that, although her smile was shy, "You really think so?"
On the journey home, Tauriel had confided in Bella that she had never really had any close female friends, too busy training to become a forest guard and Legolas had been her friend as well, so she wasn't completely alone in the world, but it was close. Bella grinned at her, "I know so. He loves you so much, Tari, that he would give you the world if he could. As it is, he's done his best to give you your stars. And I think that he's very lucky too. Of all the women in Arda, I'm blessed to have you for a sister."
Tauriel sniffled and then scowled at Bella, "None of that now. I refuse to cry on your wedding day. I look a fright when I cry, my skin turns pale and blotchy and my nose gets all red. No, everything must be perfect."
Dis chose that moment to bustle back in, "Don't worry, Tari, everything will be marvelous, it wouldn't dare be otherwise. Bella, you need to eat up so we can start getting you ready!"
Not willing to risk Dis's ire, Bella obediently at her breakfast, even as her stomach was churning with excitement. Today was her wedding day!
As soon as she was finished eating, Dis settled her at her vanity and got to work on her hair. Knowing exactly how frustrating a task that was, Bella felt sympathy for her. But no matter how much the hair fought back and Dis snarled increasingly dark things in Khuzdul, her touch was gentle and she never pulled or yanked it. Instead, she just kept coaxing it along until she was able to braid a section and then moved onto the next.
Dis was just putting on the finishing touches about mid-morning when there was a quiet knock on the door. Frowning at it suspiciously, they'd left strict orders that they were not to be disturbed, Dis motioned for Tauriel to go and see who it was. Just barely cracking it open, the elf maid found Kili standing on the other side. They spoke quietly back and forth before Tauriel told Dis, "Kili says that he has a wedding present for Bella from Fili."
Dis sighed, but her smile was fond, "Well, go ahead and let him in then." Once he was inside, she said firmly, "If you breathe one word about how Bella looks to your brother, I'll make sure that you're stuck on archive duty with Ori for a month."
Kili swallowed hard and nodded to his mother, "Yes, amad, I won't say a word, promise."
Turning, he made his way over to where Bella was sitting right at Dis slipped the last hair pin in. He studied her closely, "You look lovely, namad. Fili is a very lucky dwarf indeed."
Bella smiled softly at him, "Thank you, Kee. That means a lot. How is he?"
Kili shrugged good naturedly, "Calm but impatient. He misses you. He sent this for you." He carefully held out a wrapped package.
She took it curiously, thanking him absently. The package was light and not very big. Setting it into her lap, she delicately unwrapped it, covering her mouth when she saw what lay there. It was a delicate silver crown crafted to look like a flower crown made of moon flowers. She gingerly reached out and traced a blossom, murmuring, "It's beautiful. I've never seen such delicate work."
Dis picked it up and settled it gently onto her braided hair. Turning Bella so she could see her reflection, she declared, "Perfect for the princess that you are."
Noting how her hairstyle worked flawlessly with the crown, Bella blinked rapidly to keep the tears from falling and accused, "You knew about this."
Dis grinned about her, "Of course. Fili showed it to me so that I could make sure that your hair was properly arranged for it."
Bella rolled her eyes but smiled at her. Turning back to Kili, she said, "It's perfect. Tell him I adore it."
Kili's cheeks turned pink and he sighed, "There's also a message."
Bella's curiosity increasing, she nodded for him to go ahead. Clearing his throat awkwardly, Kili said, "He said to tell you that the first night you met, when he went after you, he found you sitting there in the moonlight, your feet in the stream as you worked on weaving together a flower crown. You were humming as you worked, something soft and sweet." Kili paused and then forced himself to go on, his embarrassment clearly evident, "The moonlight highlighted your dainty features, made you look ethereal. He'd never seen anyone as beautiful as you, you took his breath away. When his memories were first starting to come back, he couldn't remember your face, but he remembered that flower crown and knew that he was missing something infinitely precious."
Bella sniffled, her heart melting all over again. Standing, she hugged Kili, "You're a good brother, you know that? Can you take a message back for me?"
Kili hugged her back and sighed, "Of course, namad, but I refuse to pass on a kiss."
Bella chuckled at that, "Nothing like that. No, just tell him that I love him and that I'll see him at the alter."
Kili assured her, "A horde of orcs couldn't keep him away."
Bella released him and stepped back, carefully wiping her eyes, she said tartly, "Now you've gone and jinxed it. If a single orc shows their face, I will hold you responsible."
Kili just laughed and Dis ordered him out so that they could finish getting ready. Stealing a quick kiss from Tauriel, Kili took off. Once he was gone, Bella hurried into her gown, a gorgeous creation that Dori had created for her. It was a gorgeous mixture of dwarven and hobbit styles. She had shown Dori the portrait of her parents wedding and he had managed to incorporate elements of her mother's dress as well, from the sweetheart neckline to the lace sleeves. Along the cuffs, neckline and hem of the gown, there were dwarven runes for health, happiness, prosperity, and family embroidered in a silvery thread. Although knowing Dori and dwarven craftsmen, it might be literal silver thread. But by far the most stunning feature was the moon flowers embroidered in garlands at the hem of the dress. Dori must've known about the crown as well, although he probably didn't know about the meaning of it.
Bella asked, "Does Fili know about the dress? Is that why there are moon flowers on it?"
Dis shook her head, "No, like the crown was his surprise for you, the dress is your surprise for him. Dwarves aren't allowed to see the wedding dress until the wedding day, it's tradition."
Tauriel helped Bella with her make up and then left to go search out the company, saying that she'd let Dwalin know that they were ready for him.
Once Tauriel was gone, Dis turned to her, her expression serious. "This is a most joyous of days. However, since your parents cannot be here, I want to offer a blessing in their place. Is that all right?"
Bella nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
Dis took Bella's hands in hers, "On this day, your wedding day, as you leave our family to make a new one of your own, we offer this blessing on you. That your house never know hunger, but even during lean times, you are fed by your love for one another. That fear and sorrow never darken your door, but if they do, that the strength and light of your love drive them away quickly. That in good times and ill, famine and feast, may you always remember that they are the other half of your heart. Hard times will come, fights will happen, but tend and nurture your love for one another so that when these storms of life come, your love can survive the battering. And with every year that passes, we pray that your love for one another only deepens and richens, like a fine vintage, a shining example to hand down to your children and their children."
Dis gently brushed away the single tear that escaped Bella's eye with her thumb. "Now, for my blessing. Today, you are to wed my son, my firstborn. But instead of losing a son, I am gaining a most precious daughter. Jewels and gold dim next to your worth. When his father and I dreamed of his future, we could never have foreseen such a beautiful, strong young woman that he would give his heart to. Today, I am entrusting you one of my greatest treasures, for what greater treasure can a woman have than her children? Guard his heart fiercely because he loves deeply and without reserve. Make a home at his side and love him always. But know this, you are our family and blood of our blood. Should you need anything, you only need to speak. Food, clothing, shelter, a safe haven, all that we have is yours. Be glad, my daughter, for today is the start of a marvelous new adventure, one that you and Fili will walk on side by side for the rest of your lives."
Bella's voice was thick with tears as she forced out, "Thank you, amad. My heart is indeed full this day."
A heavy knock on the door interrupted her before she could break down into tears. Releasing Bella's hands, Dis jumped briskly to her feet and headed over to the door. Dwalin was on the other side, raising his hand to pound on the door again. Dis teased, "My, you're impatient. Come in, quickly now."
Dwalin rolled his eyes as he stepped through the door. "It's yer son that's the impatient one. He's about to wear a hole in the floor from his pacing, although I can't blame him. The two of 'em have been waiting for a long time now."
Turning to face Bella, his face softened as he took her in. He said gruffly, "Now, aren't you a picture? Loveliest bride I've ever seen. I still don't think he deserves you, but he obviously makes you happy, natha. I give you my blessing and wish you all future happiness."
Bella came over and hugged him tightly, "Thank you, adad. Love you."
He hugged her firmly, making sure not to use too much of his strength, "Love you too, little one. Let's go get you married."
They paused outside the closed doors of the largest ballroom, the throne room with it's narrow walkway deemed unsuitable for the ceremony. Dwalin tucked her arm through his and she took a deep breath to steady herself. He teased, "There's still time to back out, you know."
Bella shook her head, a dreamy smile on her face, "No, it was too late the day I opened my door and first saw him. I just didn't know it at the time."
He huffed a mock sigh before grinning down at her, "Very well, let's get this done then. Those of the line of Fundin never go back on their word."
Right then, the doors were pulled open and music started. Bella would never remember much of walking down the aisle, too busy looking at Fili, his eyes filled with awe and love as he smiled at her from where he was waiting at the alter. When asked who gave her away, Dwalin replied and then gave her hand to Fili and gave Fili a stern glance before going and sitting down. Thorin married them in a beautiful ceremony that was a mix of hobbit and dwarven tradition. Then it was time to say their vows.
Holding her hands tenderly, Fili started, "Bella, when you first came into my life, I was baffled. Because how could a perfect stranger make me feel such peace, feel like home? But my heart already knew what was going on, that you were my other half, you were my home. All that I am, I offer to you know. I offer you shelter, so that you might rest easy at night. I offer you warmth against the cold reality of life and it's sorrows. I offer a future by my side, where I will act as sword and shield to protect you from all harm, a fire to offer you warmth and security, food so that you will not be weak and hungry but beautiful and strong. Your beauty has drawn me, your strength has captured me, your heart has humbled me, and your love has blessed me. I will walk beside you all the days of my life, through joy and sorrow, good times and bad. All that I am, I am yours." He pressed a kiss to her knuckles to seal his vow.
Gripping his hands tightly, she spoke, "Fili, that first night that we meet, I gave my heart into your keeping, although I did not know it at the time. You are my other half, my heart and home, the only one that completes me. I know that life's storms will come, but I have no fear, for you are with me. Your honor, courage, strength, heart, and laughter are all so bright that they are formed from mithril. For all the days of my life, I offer you my garden, so that we may flourish and grow together. I offer you my heart and home, so that you may always have a safe haven and a place to rest, even should the rest of the world turn against us. I offer you my future. Wherever the path may lead, I will walk it beside you until the end of our days. In this life and the next, I am yours." She kissed his hands to seal her vow as well, her heart so full that it was overflowing.
A proud Thorin beamed at them and declared, "By the power vested in me as king of Erebor, I now declare you husband and wife. My you guard and love one another for all of your days and forge a new life together filled with love and happiness. You may kiss the bride!"
Fili swooped in and claimed her lips, making sure to keep it brief and chaste. Pulling back, he murmured softly, "Later."
Turning to face the cheering audience, Fili and Bella waited as Thorin announced, "I give you Crown Prince Fili and his One and wife, Princess Belladonna. May their marriage be a long and happy one!"
Taking her hand, he led her down the aisle and out of the ballroom. Once they were out of the ballroom, she asked curiously, "Where are we going, husband?"
He froze at that, his back going ramrod straight, before whisking her into an alcove and proceeding to kiss her breathless. He fought to regain control of himself, having to take a step back and move himself out of temptation. "They have the reception set up in the other ballroom. It's our job to get there first and greet the guests as they enter."
Bella teased, tamping down the desire to just skip the reception all together, "I think that we might not make it there first because of this little break."
He gave her a crooked grin, "They wait a couple of minutes because there is some kissing expected. However, I also happen to know a shortcut, wife."
A warm little thrill ran through her at that and she said breathlessly, "You know, I quite like the sound of that."
Pressing a kiss to the back of her hand, he muttered, "Stupid traditions" before tugging her out of the alcove and leading her through some back halls. They made it right before the first guests arrived and greeted each one as protocol dictated before moving onto the next. Bella knew that her cheeks would hurt later from smiling so much, but she was so incandescently happy at the moment that she couldn't bring herself to care.
It was hours later that they finally got a moment to themselves again. Stealing her away from their parents, he whisked her onto the floor for a waltz. Tucking her close, he maneuvered them easily across the floor as her grumbled, "Everyone needs to quit hogging my wife. It's our wedding day, not theirs."
Bella laughed, laying her on his shoulder, "They're just happy for us, love. And we have the rest of our lives ahead of us, let them celebrate." She relaxed further into his hold. "Weddings are exhausting. I'm so tired, Fee."
He smiled tenderly down at her, dropping a kiss on her head, "It's all over now. Kili's going to make us a distraction in just a couple of minutes and then we can slip away and get some rest. We have the next two weeks entirely to ourselves, so there's no need to rush."
She was stretching up to kiss him when a loud crash came from the far side of the ballroom. Without her noticing, Fili had managed to get them quite close to the doors, so while everyone's attention was on what had caused the noise, he grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the room. Giggling madly as they raced through the halls, Bella asked, "What in the world did Kili do?"
Fili shrugged and grinned at her, "I can't say for certain, but if I had to guess, there were several sets of armor displayed in that part of the room, so he must've knocked them over somehow."
Bella laughed even more at that, "Remind me to do something nice for him in return."
Fili slowed until they were walking at a more reasonable pace, deeming that they were far enough away to be safe, "I already have. I promised to help him sneak out early when he and Tauriel wed. Now that we're married, amad will most likely be turning all of her attention on getting them wed."
Bella moved over until she was tucked up against him, "Very sneaky, husband. I approve."
He wrapped his arm around her, tucking her even closer. They talked about the day as they strolled through the halls to their rooms, Erebor's song a contented hum in the background. It had taken two quests, soul dreams, and over three years to do it, but they were finally married. Now their next great adventure stretched ahead of them, the rest of their lives together as husband and wife. They couldn't wait to see what it would bring, knowing that it would be filled with hope, love, and laughter, but most of all, they would be together.
Notes:
Wow, where has the time gone? They're finally married. I almost believed that this day would never come. All that's left is the epilogue. I am both very happy and kinda sad that we're coming to the end of OIMD. When I first started writing this, I never anticipated what this story would grow into. But there was this one very stubborn hobbit lass who insisted upon the story being told right.
I hope that you all have loved this story as much as I have, even though I was often as surprised as you must've been at the twists and turns that it took. Maybe someday there will be a sequel about their life and kids in Erebor. Maybe a companion fic of Kili and Tauriel getting married, I just don't know.
But I do know this. Dearest readers, this story would not have happened without you. I treasure each and every one of your comments and views. Knowing that there were other people out there as invested in Fili and Bella as I was pushed me to keep telling their story. So thank you and here's to many more stories together.
Praying for hope, love, and wisdom. We are strong together! Happy 4th of July!