I actually got this chapter out in a more timely manner. Yay me. Hope you all enjoy.

XOXO Mels


Adaira's POV

Standing in the middle of a tent with Dwarves running around this way and that was not exactly how I wanted to spend my morning. For the upteenth time I had to stop them before something ended in disaster as I directed them in how to set up the tent where the meeting with Bard and Thranduil was supposed to take place on the morrow.

After Dwalin and I had returned from Erebor, Balin had snatched me away from him so that we could finish planning for the meeting which involved me making friends with the Elves and begging off them for some of Thranduil's favourite wine. This turned into a much harder task than I initially thought it would be as the Elf who worked in the kitchen tent decided he would give me some wine for a trade so I had to run around to acquire what he wanted, unique Dwarven herbs and spices.

The problem was in order to get the Dwarf who worked in our kitchen tents to give up some herbs and spices I had to procure some Elven rope for him as he had heard that the knots would never come undone unless you wanted them too. This turned into a long chain of me trading for things until everyone was satisfied and I was run ragged, absolutely hating my job.

Balin only smiled at me and told me that sometimes the only way to get things done was by getting and giving as he called it. By the time I walked into my tent that night my feet were covered in blisters and I was deeply annoyed. Thank Mahal for my husband however. Dwalin, ever the sweetheart hidden behind a rough exterior, had the braziers lit and the tent warm and after we had dinner he rubbed my feet and put me to bed.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, about done with everything and everyone when I heard Balin call my name and my head turned in his direction and I saw him beckon for me. I made my way carefully through the mess of workers and over to his side, Ori's nose buried in a list beside him and sighed out a deep breath as I tried to calm myself.

"What is it?" I asked Balin, raising my eyebrow slightly in askance and Balin looked up from his list and towards me.

"Ah, yes we still haven't decided yet who is to attend the meeting from our side. We know that Thranduil and Bard will not likely arrive without a formal escort," Balin informed me and I frowned as I mulled that over in my mind.

He was right after all. After all of the animosity between our people, Thranduil and Bard were hardly going to attend a meeting without some sort of guard. It had sort of been drilled into my mind over the last several days that as Heir to Durin's line, I was to go nowhere without a guard myself as I was, as Balin put it, the hope of our people. Especially during this time with Thorin still on the mend and Fili and Kili still in a healing sleep, their conditions unknown at this time.

"Obviously Dwalin is my first choice," I told my brother in law who nodded, a knowing smile on his face.

"I already knew you were going to say that, namad," Balin told me before chuckling slightly at my slight blush that began to spread over my cheeks and he patted my arm. "As if Dwalin would let you be in a room full of Elves and Men armed to the teeth without him by your side," Balin added and I nodded, the flame in my cheeks subsiding.

"Mahal told me once that I could not do this without my One by my side and honestly, I feel stronger with Dwalin there with me. It's hard enough trying to figure out how I'm going to do this. At least having Dwalin there will give me someone to look to when I start stumbling over my words," I told Balin before I put a hand on my lower back and another on my forehead, rubbing my brow before I moved that hand to my chin as I thought.

"Obviously I want you to be there as my advisor and Ori should be there as well. We need someone to record the meeting for posterity's sake. That way no one can say later that they were cheated out of anything or can renege on their words," I said, lowering my hand from my chin and Balin smiled widely.

"Aye lass, I like the way you think," Balin told me and I nodded, feeling a bit more encouraged that I was at least thinking about things in the right direction.

"I think Bilbo should be there as well. He isn't a Dwarf, or an Elf, or of the race of Men. Being a neutral party he might be able to act as a mediator between us all or at least help Gandalf with that. I'm hoping Gandalf will lead these proceedings," I told Balin who hummed and rubbed his chin.

"Aye, that might be for the best, lass," Balin said after a long moment.

"I just think that someone needs to stand in and try to get us to work together. There are bound to be arguments between us. I don't expect Thranduil to be all gung ho to work together, not after Dain started a fight with him and his people. If it wasn't for Azog's army arriving when they did a war between Dain and his army would have begun with Thranduil and his army and there would have been nothing I could have done to stop it," I told Balin before I shook my head and pinched the bridge of my nose.

"I was the one who invited Thranduil and Bard into Erebor and tried to offer them peace, tried to tell them there was no reason to go to war and I couldn't even get Dain to listen to me. That doesn't really say much for me. It shows that no one really respects me enough to listen to me. Hardly what you want for a leader," I said and Balin shook his head then.

"Dain didn't know who you were, lass. He came to Erebor expecting to find Thorin to be King. He wouldn't have stood down his armies for anyone but Thorin," Balin told me and I nodded in agreement.

"Even so, Thranduil might not see it that way. I can only hope to convince him that I had no knowledge that Dain and his army were even coming and if I had I would have done all I could to head them off before they could have arrived in the first place. Granted if they hadn't have arrived we all probably would be dead," I said before rubbing my forehead.

"Adaira," Bofur called then from where he was keeping guard at the mouth of the tent and I looked up towards him, seeing his head poking through the tent flap.

"Aye?" I asked, raising a brow at the toy maker.

"There's two Elves who've come here askin' for you," Bofur answered me and I frowned in confusion wondering who in Mahal's name would know me and be asking for me, especially Elves.

"Elves?" I asked and Bofur nodded before pulling his head back through the tent flap as I made my way towards him. At that moment two tall Elves ducked into the long tent together and when my eyes alighted upon them a smile lit up my face as I recognized them both.

"Elladan! Elrohir! What in Mahal's name are you both doing here?" I asked the two brunette Elves as I made my way to them and pulled them both into a hug which seemed to surprise them both as they each froze before hugging me back. I stepped back and had to crane my head up to look at them, the two smiling at me almost mischievously.

"We heard there was going to be a battle," Elrohir answered me, his smile faltering only a little.

"So we hastened this way with our armies and the armies of Lothlorien," Elladan added and I made and ah face as I recalled that armies from Lothlorien and Rivendell had helped in the battle.

"Wait hold up," I told the twins, putting my hands up and it was their turn to frown in confusion at the unfamiliar expression. "You brought the armies from Rivendell and Lothlorien here? I didn't see you in the battle," I said and Elladan nodded.

"Unfortunately we arrived late," Elladan informed me, looking annoyed. "We joined those who were routing out Dale and continued to help those routing out the lands before the gates of Erebor," He added and Elrohir nodded in confirmation of his brother's words.

"Some of our forces joined the wizard Radagast in destroying Azog's second army. We have heard you slew Azog himself. To slay such a foe is a great feat," Elrohir told me and I blushed at his words.

"I really wasn't thinking about killing Azog at the time so much as getting him the hell away from Thorin," I said and Elladan grinned widely.

"You must learn to take compliments mellon nin, we do not say this in jest," Elladan told me and I nodded before clearing my throat slightly.

"Well...uh thank you then," I told the twins and they both nodded before placing their hands over their right breasts and bowing slightly to me.

"They should call you Adaira Orcbane," Elrohir said then and I glared at him, unamused before I smacked him on the shoulder as his eyes glimmered mischievously.

"Now I know you mean it in jest," I told him and he shook his head.

"I would never," Elrohir said, trying to act all serious and I pointed at him, sober as the grave.

"Don't make me write to your father," I told him and the brothers rolled their eyes in unison. "While I'm very glad to see you both, I have a meeting to plan…," I began to say, both brothers feigning hurt that I was trying to get rid of them before a lightbulb went off in my head.

"Actually," I said, looking back at Balin. "As Lord Elrond's sons perhaps you could act as my advisors. You know more about the Greenwood after all than we do," I said and Elrohir and Elladan smiled back at me.

"We'd be delighted to attend you, hiril vuin," Elladan and Elrohir said in unison, bowing low to me and I rolled my eyes at them chuckling slightly as they righted themselves.

"The meeting is one hour past dawn tomorrow," I informed the twins who nodded in understanding.

"We will be there. Just tell us where you would like us," Elrohir informed me and I nodded, sighing out a deep breath that I didn't know I had been holding before unconsciously putting a hand over my slight bump as I turned to look about the room.

"Well, we will have chairs set up at some point today," I said as I looked about the room. "We will figure that all out and I will get back to you before the meeting tomorrow morning. I'll be arriving early to make sure everything is set up properly and to get everyone in order," I said turning back to the twins and when I looked at them, both of their gazes were not on my face and when I followed them I realized that they were on the hand that had unconsciously lowered to cover my stomach.

"Mellon…," Elladan said, his eyes still on my hand.

"Your Fae glows so bright," Elrohir said before the twins' gazes raised to my face once more, both still looking shocked and I smiled at them widely.

"Surprise," I said quietly and their mouths fell open slightly. "I don't know if you've been informed, but Dwalin and I are married now and yes, as you might suspect...I'm pregnant. We're trying to keep it secret for now, but I don't know how long that will last," I said and Elladan and Elrohir finally came back to themselves, their mouths falling shut and then they almost pounced on me as they both embraced me.

"Mellon nin," Elrohir said as both he and his brother pulled away from me. "My heart is glad for you."

"May you and your child be blessed along with your union," Elladan added and I smiled at the twins warmly before reaching out to place a hand on each of their arms.

"Thank you," I told them both sincerely. "I almost still can't believe it for myself," I added before shaking my head. "I will send someone from our Company to escort you to the meeting tomorrow morning. I'm sure you remember most of them," I told the twins and each of them smiled mischievously.

"Ah yes, though perhaps we can identify them more easily if they were to undress. I did see the most of them when they were bathing in Lady Varda's fountain," Elladan said and I began to smack the elf repeatedly in the arm, the Elf laughing like a small child as he made hardly any attempt to fend me off.

"You are such a child," I complained, emphasizing every word with a smack before realizing that I was no better than the Elf I was chastising. "Everyone will be keeping their clothes on," I added before I shook my head wondering how I ever got into the middle of this conversation. "Right, you two behave," I told the twins before I looked to my brother in law who looked amused.

"We are behaving mellon nin," Elrohir told me, feigning innocence and I raised my eyebrow at him before shaking my head.

"Uh huh," I told him and Elladan grinned widely before grabbing his brother's arm.

"Well, mellon nin, we shall leave you to plan your meeting," Elladan told me and Elrohir nodded in agreement with his brother.

"Tell us where you want us tomorrow and we shall be here," Elrohir confirmed and both Elves bowed to me before leaning in and kissing each of my cheeks and I smacked at them playfully.

"Off with you," I told them with a laugh, rolling my eyes and the twins laughed before making their leave of the tent and I turned to my brother in law. "Well, that is one problem solved at the very least. With the twin's help we might be able to get Thranduil to consider our propositions," I said and Balin nodded in agreement.

"Aye lass, Lord Elrond was quite a wise man. Hopefully his sons will prove to be equally as wise," Balin told me and I nodded.

"They may seem very playful and jokesters, but I don't think they'll let me down," I told Balin who hummed in agreement before I sighed. "So that is you, Ori, Dwalin and the twins along with Gandalf and Bilbo. I think besides Dain and another few guards we shouldn't have anyone else coming to this meeting from our end. We want to show we aren't intimidated by Thranduil and having too many or too few people could do that. Dain most certainly needs to be there to explain his position and why he didn't listen to me. It's…," I said and Balin cut me off as I continued to ramble on anxiously.

"Relax namadith," Balin told me, putting a hand on my arm. "Everything will be fine," Balin assured me and I took in a deep breath before slowly letting it out.

"I'm just nervous because Thorin is counting on me to make this treaty with Thranduil and Bard for our people," I told Balin and he nodded in understanding.

"You don't need to worry namadith. You've already proven that you know what you're doing. Thorin's right to have confidence in you," Balin told me and I sighed heavily once more.

"I...I will believe that once we come to some sort of agreement and a peace treaty has been negotiated," I told Balin who only sighed and shook his head.

"I think you've done enough for now, namadith. Go and find that brother of mine. I'll take care of the rest of the planning," Balin told me and I worried my lip and fingers as I raised my eyebrow.

"Are you sure Balin?" I asked my brother in law in concern as I glanced around the tent and where the dwarves were still setting everything up. "There's still so much to be done," I added and Balin waved me off.

"Not as much as you would think and nothing I can't handle myself. You go get off your feet and rest yourself awhile. Your bairn no doubt could benefit from it as could yourself," Balin told me and I rolled my eyes at that.

"I'm not an invalid just because I'm pregnant," I told my brother in law in annoyance. "I'm not even two months pregnant. You and the others are not going to start now with not letting me lift a finger. You can wait until I'm eight months gone and can barely walk," I said and Balin frowned at me in confusion.

"Eight months?" He asked me and I nodded.

"Yeah," I told him, chuckling slightly. "You know, when I'm out to here," I said, showing him what I meant by holding out my arms out far in front of my belly.

"Well, namad," Balin said as he looked at me, still a bit confused. "Dis was only about that size when she was in her tenth month with each of your cousins," Balin told me and I stared at him, not blinking, my mouth falling open slightly like a fish.

"Ten months?" I spluttered out in shock and Balin nodded in confirmation. "Ten months?" I asked Balin again. "What are you talking about? Pregnancy only lasts for nine months," I told him and Balin shook his head as he reached up to stroke his beard.

"Perhaps for the race of Men namadith, but not for Darrowdams. Perhaps you ought to talk to Oin about this, lass. I'm not really the best one to explain this all," Balin told me and I closed my eyes and shook my head as I contemplated carrying a child longer than nine months.

"Yeah, I'm gonna do that," I told my brother in law in a strained voice before opening my eyes again. "Are you really sure you don't need the help?" I confirmed with my brother in law for a final time and he nodded in confirmation.

"Aye lass. Run along now," Balin told me and I gave him a side long hug before I left the tent, Bofur falling into step beside me as he was my guard for the day.

"Where are we off to?" Bofur asked me cheerfully as he offered me his arm and I threaded mine through his.

"To see Oin, I have a few questions to ask him," I told Bofur who frowned slightly.

"Anything wrong?" He asked me and I shook my head.

"Not particularly, but Balin mentioned something that has me a bit...worried," I said and Bofur raised an eyebrow but didn't question me any further.

Oin had begun to help Rînor care for Fili and Kili so that the Elf could take some time off in order to rest and see to other duties. I had come to know Rînor better and he had told me that his wife also was a healer who had come with King Thranduil's armies. Now that Oin had taken up the slack so to speak, Rînor had time to visit his wife. Fili and Kili were still doing well, each of them healing about a good as we could ask for at the present point in time.

We were hopeful that we would be able to wake Fili within the next week or so and thus be able to determine how he fared when we could evaluate him physically. As for Kili, he would need longer to heal and might not be awakened until we all had moved back into the mountain. We had already sent some healers to scout out the mountain and determine where it would be best to bring the wounded.

Snow flurries had increasingly begun to fall by the day and while they had yet to stick to the ground it was only a matter of time before the first snows of winter gathered on the ground. It was best that we started moving the sick and wounded into the relative safety and warmth of Erebor before winter really began.

Of course, we only were moving our people at the moment. While I had extended an offer to Bard already for his people to live in the mountain with our people and wait out the winter, I was not going to force any decision upon him until we had come to an arrangement tomorrow that was mutually beneficial.

"Here we are!" Bofur said cheerfully as we arrived at the healing tent and I slipped my arm from his as he took up his position outside of the tent as my guard.

"I won't be long," I told Bofur and he waved me off.

"Oh, take as long as you need, lass," Bofur told me offhandedly with a smile on his face and I patted his arm before I ducked into the tent.

"Oin?" I asked as I looked around the tent and I saw him looking over Kili and talking in a low voice to Tauriel as he worked.

"Over here lass," Oin told me gruffly and I made my way over to his side and saw that he was changing Kili's blood soaked bandages.

"How is he?" I asked Oin, frowning in concern as I looked down at my cousin, putting a hand on Kili's knee and squeezing it lightly.

"About as good as he can be, lass," Oin told me as he wrapped Kili's wound up tightly. His shoulder wound was still open and raw, trickling with blood and oozing occasionally with puss. We kept it as clean as possible and we had begun to see the tissue regenerate which was very promising. "Not bleedin' as much as he was," Oin added and I nodded as I saw that his bandages didn't look nearly as blood soaked as before.

"I was going to say, he doesn't look nearly as pale as before," I said and Oin nodded in agreement as I looked at Tauriel. "How are you doing, Tauriel?" I asked the Elf and she looked up towards me and away from Kili's face.

"I am...well," She answered me after a moment. "Kili is...peaceful," She added, her hand on his leg and I nodded as I looked down at her.

"He's healing really well, as good as we can be asking for," I assured her and she nodded very slightly before returning her gaze to Kili's face.

"Yah needed me, lass?" Oin asked me as he started cleaning up his mess and I remembered why I had come there to begin with as I turned back to the older dwarf.

"I...uh," I stammered and Oin looked at me and raised a bushy brow at me. "Balin mentioned something and it left me with questions," I finally got out and Oin nodded before he gestured to an empty chair.

"Take a seat lass," Oin told me as he continued to clean up. "I'll be right with yah," He assured me and I nodded and went to sit as he had directed. I only had to wait a few minutes as Oin cleaned up his tools and the dirty bandages and then the older dwarf made his way over to me.

"So yah say Balin left yah with some questions," Oin said as he groaned and took a seat across from me and I nodded in confirmation.

"I said something to him about all of you not starting now with not letting me lift a finger just because I was pregnant because I wasn't an invalid and that you could wait until I was eight months gone and out to here," I began to explain, showing Oin what I meant like I had Balin by gesturing with my arms what I meant by how big I expected to be.

"Then Balin said that Dis was only that size when she was ten months gone with Fili and Kili," I continued and Oin nodded in understanding.

"Aye, Dis was about that size when she was about ten months. I should know. I birthed both yer cousins," Oin told me and I looked at him in shock as he confirmed that Dis carried Fili and Kili for at least ten months.

"Ten months?" I said in shock as I sat back in my chair. "Balin said that only the race of Men carry a baby for nine months. I was under the impression that I would too," I said to Oin and he lifted a hand to his beard and stroked it a few times as he regarded me as he figured out why I had come to see him.

"Well lass, it's true the race of Men carry bairns for nine months or so, but that's not true for Darrowdams. I would have thought you already knew this," Oin said before he shook his head. "Darrowdams show quite early on, but they usually carry a bairn for eleven to twelve months," Oin informed me and I sat there, staring at him in complete shock, my mouth hanging open and before I closed it and shook my head.

"My husband has got a lot of explaining to do," I said and Oin chuckled brightly at that. "Twelve months?" I said as I placed a hand over my little bump, the only visible indication that I was pregnant.

"Aye lass, yer pebble needs time to grow," Oin told me and I nodded at that.

"Just...twelve months?" I said, shaking my head. "I'll be fixing to kill Dwalin by the end of it all," I said and Oin chuckled again.

"Aye, Dis was a right terror towards the end of both her pregnancies," Oin informed me and I nodded in agreement.

"I can understand why," I told Oin, before I shook my head. "Well, thank you for answering my questions," I told the older healer and he nodded his head.

"Anytime lass," Oin told me and he reached out and patted my hand.

"Whelp, I am going to go talk to my husband," I told Oin as I got up from my chair and he chuckled and shook his head. I said my goodbyes to Oin and to Tauriel, looking in on my Uncle who was either asleep or feigning sleep before I ducked out of the tent, Bofur escorting me back through the tent city and back to the tent I shared with my husband.

I looked for Dwalin as we passed through the camp, but I couldn't find him. I dismissed Bofur as soon as we had returned to my tent, knowing that I would be safe and I settled into a chair with a blanket around my shoulders, getting off my aching feet. I took some paper and a quill and began to write up notes for the next day so I wouldn't forget different conversation topics that needed to be brought up in my infinite rambling.

I absentmindedly rubbed a hand over my little bump as I worked a smile creeping on to my face and I was so engrossed in my work that I didn't hear Dwalin enter our tent. He snuck up behind me and his hands settled over my shoulders and he began rubbing his thumbs over my shoulders and neck before he leaned down and pressed a whiskery kiss to my cheek. I turned and looked up at him before rising to greet him, hugging him as he settled his hands on my butt cheeks, my own arms wrapped around his neck as I pressed myself up on my tiptoes to press a kiss to his lips.

"Hi," I said as I pulled away from him and Dwalin smiled down at me.

"Amrâlimê," Dwalin said and I smiled and pushed myself up on tiptoe again and brushed my nose against his a few times.

"I have a bone to pick with you," I told my husband as I settled back down on my feet and he raised a brow as he looked down at me.

"Oh, do yah?" He asked and I took one of his hands and slid it so it rested over my little bump.

"Twelve months?" I asked him as I raised my own brow and he frowned in confusion. "Nobody told me that darrowdams carry for twelve months, not nine," I elaborated for my husband and a look of understanding crossed his features.

"Are yah mad at me then?" Dwalin asked me coily and I shook my head, pursing my lips slightly.

"Not mad, but I am a bit miffed," I told Dwalin as I made a face. "I know enough women who are miserable from months six through nine and that is a normal pregnancy...well I say normal," I said before shrugging. "The only types of pregnancies I know about are those of the race of Men apparently," I told my husband who chuckled slightly before he wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Well I won't apologize for our bairn amrâlimê," Dwalin told me and I shook my head instantly at that.

"I don't want you too. I love our little bean," I assured Dwalin, not wanting him to feel as if I was regretting anything at all.

"Little bean?" He asked me and I nodded, looking down at my feet and biting my lip before looking back up at him through my lashes.

"I sort of started calling him or her that," I told my husband and he smiled down at me as his hands splayed over my little bump.

"Our little bean," Dwalin said and I nodded at that, my hand coming to cover his.

"A boy with your strength and handsome looks," I said as I grinned up at my husband. "A son you can teach to be a warrior just like you," I added and Dwalin shook his head.

"No, a daughter with yer looks. As beautiful as her mother," Dwalin told me and I blushed slightly as I shook my head.

"I'll love our little bean either way," I said and Dwalin nodded in agreement.

"Aye, we'll raise 'em up right," Dwalin told me in agreement.

"And no battles until they're two hundred at the very least," I added and we both laughed at that. "We'll have all the Company to watch after our little one, I doubt they'll be able to get in much trouble," I said and Dwalin gave me a very firm look.

"We're not leavin' em with Fili and Kili. Those lads are the definition of trouble," Dwalin told me and I thought about it for only a second before nodding.

"Probably for the best," I said before chuckling and Dwalin leaned in and kissed my cheek before he led me over to the table again and had me sit down once more.

Dwalin and I sat down together and I wrapped my blanket around my shoulders again as it was chilly, even inside the heated tent. We called for lunch and ate in relative peace even though everything was going crazy about the camp around us. It was nice to have these little moments to still enjoy time with my husband around my official duties as Thorin's heir, time to be a wife which was sorely needed between the two of us.

Later in the afternoon, Balin stopped by and informed me that everything was ready for our meeting with Thranduil and Balin the next morning and I was to collect myself and be ready for dawn and he didn't want to see me until then. Collecting myself was easier said than done, but Dwalin kept my mind off of what I was supposed to do the next day and we laid in bed together just talking and getting to know one another better as we still needed to talk about our goals for the future as a couple and as parents. We also still needed to get to know one another as individuals as we had had so little time between courting and marriage to actually get to know one another.

With Dwalin by my side I felt like I could do anything. He was my rock in more ways than one. Mahal had said that I would need my One by my side and he had been correct thus far. Tomorrow I could hold my head high with Dwalin by my side, someone I could look to when the pressure and anxiety became too much. He was the one person who truly understood me, my soulmate who I realized now would stand with me until the end. The Duties of a Princess were difficult, but having a loyal and honorable guard and husband by my side made all the difference in the world.


Khuzdul

Namad- Sister

Namadith-Little sister

Nadad- Brother

Sindarin

Mellon nin- My friend

Hiril vuin- My Lady