So, all things considered, the examination wasn't as bad as Bilba had feared it would be.
Granted, it wasn't fun by any stretch, but she supposed she should count her blessings where she could find them, right?
Dr. Belarius smiled at her from where she sat at a desk making notes on a tablet. "It'll take some time to get all the results back but-" here she paused as she got distracted writing notes with a stylus. It was a few seconds before she looked back up again. "There's nothing I can see that would prevent you from having a successful pregnancy and, given the family history you provided, I don't expect to find anything."
Bilba hadn't thought she would but, even so, the words brought a rush of disappointment. There had been a hope, a small one to be sure, but a hope nonetheless that this could be her ticket out. Thorin would happily put her on a plane to Gondor if it meant he could get back with Kyra, and Bilba knew Arwen would welcome her with open arms.
It had been a nice dream, even if it had only lasted a short time.
"Thank you," she said quietly. A low churning started in her stomach as her mind automatically began spinning out possible consequences of the news. There was no doubt in her mind that, with test results in hand, the king would confront Thorin in some way, shape, or form.
And then what? She didn't know what sort of relationship Thorin had with his father. Would he bow to his commands? She didn't believe Thorin would force her to do anything, he hadn't laid a hand on her in a month and she doubted he would suddenly start, but that didn't mean he couldn't pressure her and make her life generally miserable.
More miserable. All things considered; she could admit her life wasn't that bad at the moment. Stressful, yes, and she had to deal with the massive amounts of hate being sent her way, and then watching her husband fawn over his ex but, even so, it wasn't terrible. Cerys had been nice to her, and Ori even if she might have ulterior motives, and no one had physically harmed her so…not entirely miserable.
If Thorin started pressuring her for…things, however, because his father was pressuring him, that assessment could soon change.
"Your Highness?" Dr. Belarius' voice broke through her musings and Bilba started in surprise. "Was there anything else? I'm happy to answer any questions you might have."
"No," she answered. "Thank you. You made the whole thing go a lot easier."
That was certainly the truth. Dr. Belarius had taken time to explain everything she was doing, and why, and had taken steps to ensure that Bilba was as comfortable as she could be during the entire thing. It had still been embarrassing, and more invasive than Bilba would have liked but she was grateful the spymaster had sent for a female doctor.
Now if she could just figure out what he hoped to gain from such kindness…
She left the exam room and found the main area empty but for Cerys who was seated at a table with a tablet of her own. She looked up as Bilba entered, smiled and got to her feet. "Your Highness. How did it go?"
"All right." Bilba headed for the exit, wanting to be done with the whole thing, only to draw up short as the doors slid open to reveal two guards on the other side.
"Your Highness," one of them said. "The king sent us to escort you back once you were done."
Bilba tensed, but had no time to respond as Cerys was suddenly standing there. "Great," she said, her voice a little cheerier than was entirely natural. "I'll see to it she gets back."
One of the guards shifted uneasily. "I'm sorry, ma'am. We were told—"
"That she should be escorted back." The cheer was gone, and Cerys' voice now held an ice that was borderline terrifying. "Is there a reason why you'd insist on escorting her over her personal guard?"
"That is an excellent question," a new voice broke in, as Gareth rounded the corner. He raised an eyebrow at the two men. "You're dismissed."
One of the men started to speak again, only to snap his mouth shut as Gareth and Cerys took up position on either side of Bilba and projected an aura that practically begged the two men to challenge them.
The two guards exchanged concerned looks and then, without further comment, turned on their heels and left.
"You know," Cerys said mildly as they vanished around a corner. "I had that covered."
"I know you did, Sweetheart," Gareth agreed genially. "It's just fun to freak them out."
"Well," Cerys said dryly, "as long as you were having fun."
She sent a thousand-watt smile at him, and Bilba bit back a smile of her own, even as a wave of nostalgia washed over her. Her relationship with Bofur had been like that once upon a time. Now she had a husband who spent all his time mooning over his ex and barely acknowledging his wife even existed.
The two stayed in their positions on either side of her as they started down the corridor. Cerys made a few notations on her tablet and then held it out toward Bilba. "Your Highness. I'm ready to finalize your security team. I thought you might like to look at it before I do."
"Oh." Bilba took the tablet and looked down to see a grid on the screen filled with names and photos. "I don't know. I-"
Her voice trailed off and her steps slowed to a stop. Her eyes tracked over the photos once, and then again. Sixteen. There were sixteen photos, and every one of them was a woman.
"They'll operate in rotating groups of two in the palace," Cerys was saying, "and four or larger outside, as the situation warrants. Gareth and I will oversee and join the rotations. Is that all right?"
Bilba nodded, not trusting herself to speak. It wasn't just that her team was all female, it was that Cerys had clearly noticed how uncomfortable she was around male guards, and then intentionally set up a team designed to make her feel at ease.
She couldn't remember the last time anyone had considered her wishes, or noticed she had any to begin with.
"This is fine," she said, voice shaky. She handed the tablet back, and let out a breath, trying to rein in her emotions. She didn't want to give the king the satisfaction of seeing her with red rimmed eyes, no matter the cause.
As they neared the king's office, Bilba spotted Ori leaning against the wall. From inside the office, she could hear a loud voice raised in anger. The king's guards, posted outside, were shifting uncomfortably and clearly wishing they were anywhere but there. A second pair of guards leaned casually against the wall across from them, looking bored.
All four straightened as Bilba approached, which was probably one of the first signs of respect she'd gotten from any guard outside of Gareth and Cerys, and it was probably due to their presence that she got it at all.
"Hey Bilba!" Ori bounded over and hugged her. "Are you doing all right?"
Bilba nodded, eyes flickering toward the door, where the raised voice was still going strong. It was a female voice, and not one she'd heard before. "What's going on?"
Ori gave a mock guilty look. "I may have tattled."
Bilba's eyes widened. "Tattled? About what? To whom?"
"You'll see!" Ori said brightly. She darted to the door and, before Bilba could say anything, knocked on it sharply. Inside, the raised voice cut off.
"We'll wait out here for you, Your Highness," Cerys said as she and Gareth took up position next to the two bored looking guards. Ori joined them as one of the men standing next to the door opened it and announced Bilba's presence.
Bilba's nerves immediately went on high alert and her stomach, which had calmed somewhat, began to churn once again. She clasped her hands in front of her, tried to convince herself she wasn't walking into the lion's den when she most definitely was, and entered the room.
The first thing she saw was Thrain seated behind his desk, arms crossed, and a look that could only be called petulant on his face.
On the other side of the desk, back toward Bilba, was a tall, statuesque woman with dark hair piled in an elaborate, braided style with what looked like diamonds threaded through. She wore black, flared leggings with a lace overlay and a silver, short sleeved, cold shoulder top.
As the door shut, the woman whirled around, revealing a set of ice blue eyes that made Bilba immediately think of Thorin.
Which meant this was most likely Dis, his sister.
Bilba didn't know all that much about her other than she was the mother of the two spider seeking boys, and her husband had gone missing shortly after Erebor was retaken. Past that, Dis rarely gave interviews and, when she did, simply ignored personal questions as if they hadn't been asked.
"Ah," Dis announced, her voice a little too bright. "There you are. I believe my father has something to say to you."
She whirled back to her father who glared at her with a mulish expression. A stare down commenced which lasted an uncomfortably long time, before Thrain finally grumbled under his breath and spoke, all the while keeping his eyes on his daughter. "I won't apologize for ensuring the future of my bloodline." Dis made a low growling sound, and Thrain scowled at her. "However, that being said-" He shifted in his chair, making the wood creak alarmingly. "I could have gone about it better."
His eyes finally shifted to meet Bilba's, as if daring her to do…something.
Bilba, in turn, could only stare back at him in confusion. Was that an apology? She was fairly sure it was an apology. Was she…was she supposed to accept it? Would it seem patronizing if she did? If she didn't, would he take it as an insult?
She clenched her hands tighter and tried to ignore how hard her heart was beating. She swallowed. "I'm sure you'll be happy to know the doctor found nothing wrong, Your Majesty." She opened her mouth to speak again, shut it and then, without thinking, shot a pleading look at Dis.
"There," Dis said, churlishly. "You see? Now you can relax and get it through your head that she's barely been here a month! She could have been pregnant, and probably wouldn't have started to suspect for another month."
Thrain's eyes narrowed. "Did the doctor check for a pregnancy?"
"She did," Bilba said quickly. "I'm not."
Obviously. Cold washed over her at the thought of them finding out that she and Thorin hadn't consummated. She didn't want to imagine how the king would react to that.
"Great, questions answered." Dis stalked over, grabbed Bilba by the hand and pulled her toward the door. "We'll be leaving now."
"I will see you for dinner," Thrain called out. "And all family meals from now on, I presume?"
His tone of voice suggested he was not presuming but ordering. Bilba stumbled to a stop. "I –" she stammered. "I don't – I just – it'd be awkward…wouldn't it?"
"Awkward?" Thrain repeated, voice sharp. "In what way?"
"Well-" Crap, if only her mind would stop racing and she could take a second to think, and process what was happening. Everything was just moving so fast. "With Kyra," she managed to get out. "With both of us there-"
She cut off, unsure of what else to say, and far too terrified to try. Kyra was the family favorite. The childhood friend and maligned ex-fiancée. Bilba was just the interloper. Thrain's eyebrows drew together and Bilba tensed, prepared to withstand a tongue lashing for daring to say anything against Erebor's apparent darling.
Thrain slapped a button on his desk, the same one he'd used to summon the guards to take her to the medical center. "Have Ambassador Lundair sent to me at once."
Oh, Yavanna, Bilba thought, this was so much worse. She'd thought he would just berate her, not summon Kyra. Did he plan to berate her in front of the other woman? Or have Kyra do it? Almost frantic, she looked at Dis, but the other woman was studying her father with a blank expression.
Without warning, she resumed pulling Bilba toward the door. "Let's go. We don't need to be here for this."
Bilba hesitated, but the other woman was ridiculously strong, and easily drew her out into the hallway. As she did, Cerys, Gareth, Ori and the two guards that Bilba assumed belonged to Dis' detail pushed away from the wall.
"Well?" Ori asked, stepping forward. "How did it go?"
"Fine," Dis said, voice flat. She frowned back at the door in concern.
"I'm sorry," Bilba blurted. "I didn't think-"
"You're fine." Dis frowned at her. "You're a tiny thing, aren't you?"
Bilba blinked in surprise. "Only in comparison to Ereboreans," she said without thinking. Granted, Ori was small as well, but she seemed to be the exception, not the rule. Even Dis towered over her, with an intimidating aura that, to this point, Bilba had thought only Thorin and his father possessed. Apparently, it was simply a Durin family trait.
"What's wrong?" Ori asked, as Dis glanced back toward the door again.
Dis started to answer, only to stop as Kyra appeared from around the corner. The woman's steps slowed as she caught sight of the veritable crowd in the hall, and a wary look entered her eyes. Bilba focused on the floor and tried to shift her balance so that Gareth blocked her view from the other woman. She was flat out of energy for confrontations for the day, possibly the entire week.
"What's going on?" Kyra asked as she drew nearer. "The king said he wanted to speak to me."
"He does." Dis hesitated. "Do you want me to go in with you?"
Kyra frowned, and then shook her head. "No, that's quite all right. I'm quite capable of speaking to the king on my own."
The words were innocuous enough, but Bilba strongly suspected they were directed straight at her. A part of her, a long dormant part, bristled but the rest of her tamped the emotion down. Kyra was hurting, she reminded herself firmly. Hurting, and had all Erebor firmly on her side.
The woman vanished inside the room, and Ori addressed Dis. "What's that about?"
"Something long overdue, I think," Dis said slowly. "It won't be pretty, but it's necessary. She needs to move on." She clapped her hands. "And we should too. I don't think she'd appreciate us being here when she comes out." She addressed Ori. "You mentioned Bilba needs a new wardrobe, right?"
Ori nodded happily. "Hers is way too small, and it's not right for the weather. She'll freeze to death on her first outing."
Bilba considered telling them she'd already been on her first outing, but then remembered how it had turned out and mentally conceded the point.
"Great." Dis whirled to face her. "Off to see Dori then, and then the mall to see how much of my brother's personal finances we can blow through in a single afternoon."
Bilba's eyes widened and her mouth gaped. Dis linked her arm around Bilba's on one side, while Ori repeated the process on the other. "I don't-" Bilba managed to get out as the women pulled her down the hall, guards in tow behind. "I don't know if Thorin will like-"
"Thorin will be fine," Dis said airily, waving the words off with a hand. "And, if he has a problem with it," here she paused to grin at Bilba. "You just tell him it was my idea."
Bilba sighed, and gave up. It was clear that Dis and Ori fed off one another and there was no stopping them once they were together and united on an idea.
She did, however, make a mental note to tell Thorin exactly what Dis had said, that all monetary expenses had been his sister's idea.
Maybe it would lessen how angry he'd be at her after learning she'd gotten Kyra dragged into the king's office for some reason or another.
One could hope.
Kyra stood quietly in front of her bedroom window; eyes fixed on nothing outside.
She couldn't say how long she'd been there or, even, technically, how she'd gotten back to her rooms. She had little memory past that moment in the king's office, now branded into her memory.
"From this point on, you will take your meals elsewhere."
Krya swallowed, her throat dry, and ground her teeth together against a new flood of tears. She'd already cried herself sick, and that had happened only after the anger had been spent. She knew that were she to turn around, it would be to a destroyed room. Every picture torn from the wall, every piece of furniture broken or damaged, the television shattered in pieces on the ground.
"Eating at the royal table is reserved for immediate family."
The words had cut deep, confirming what she'd already suspected.
She wasn't considered family, and never had been. Family wouldn't abandon her the way they had, left her to struggle through her misery and pain on her own. Family wouldn't have taken the side of the interloper, elevating her to everything that should have been, had been hers.
Family didn't stand in a hall, gathered around the intruder like a shield she didn't need, while Kyra was forced to beard the lion in his den, utterly alone.
"Continuing to allow you to dine with us suggests favoritism amongst my ambassadors. It would be…inappropriate."
Funny, how it had never been inappropriate before.
It was all lies. She wasn't stupid. She knew what had happened. It was that woman. Kyra knew she should never had stood for the little brat trying to put her in her place on the stairs. The princess had gotten herself a taste of what it felt like to belittle her betters and had promptly decided to do it again.
The memory of the rush of sympathy she'd felt seeing the witch in the ballroom swept over her and Kyra felt physically sick. She'd almost fallen for it. Almost bought into the poor little me act the imp put on when she wanted to manipulate those around her. For all Kyra knew, she'd probably set up the entire thing, known Thorin would be there and she could play on his male ego and desire to protect others.
Well, anyone other than his fiancé that was.
Kyra inhaled sharply and reached up to aggressively scrub at her eyes. The little tramp had them all bewitched, even Thorin, and wasn't that a disappointment? She'd always thought of him as untouchable, larger than life, and a consummate leader.
Now it turned out he was just as frail as her father had been when he'd been taken in and fooled by that harpy after her mother had died. Kyra's fingers curled into fists and heat flooded her face. She'd had no power over that, but that didn't mean she had no power now.
She jerked around and stalked to her untouched computer, shoes crunching across broken glass and bits of plastic. She pulled up the messenger and sneered at the last messages she'd sent, when she'd balked at meeting Gandalf, and instead suggested a more careful, measured approach to fixing what had gone wrong.
It was clear now just how naïve and misguided she'd been. She'd been willing to play nice, and all the while that woman had been putting on the innocent little princess act. Winning over her family, and her friends, and all while she stumbled about in the dark, looking for fair and just ways to restore her life.
Gandalf had claimed he had something to show her, was concerned the Shire princess was a threat of some mankind. He'd suggested there was a reason behind why Shire had been so aggressive about getting rid of her.
Kyra typed a quick message and hit send. The message bubble popped up, glowing words shining off the screen.
I've changed my mind. I'm ready to meet.
The response was quick, and Kyra felt a surge of gratitude that at least someone prioritized her.
Excellent. I have much to tell you.
Kyra smiled. Time to find out who the Princess of Shire really was.
Perhaps then Thorin's eyes would finally be opened, and he'd see the little tart for what she was.
When that day came Kyra expected an apology.
A long one.
