We're off with a new chapter. Thank you very much to Miss J Nori, quantumleap13, Mika and xXCuriousPandaXx for your reviews on the last one! I hope you enjoy this one, and let me know your thoughts.


"Now, this is the royal library," Dis was saying as they moved along the quiet hallway toward a set of large wooden doors, one of which stood open. Arinna gave a small nod, following as the dwarrowdam made her way inside. She had been picked up shortly after midday by Dis, after having spent the morning mostly by herself apart from a short trip down to the stables to check on Lithen, who was being well looked after.

"In the time before the dragon's attack, this library held a great amount of literature," Dis went on, and Arinna listened carefully as they made their way along the high shelves, filled with books, and she let her gaze travel up to the top of the shelves. "You could find books on practically any topic you could think of. A lot of them were destroyed during Smaug's occupancy of the mountain, but we've managed to restore a good bit."

"I hear Ori is in charge of the library these days," Arinna offered up softly as she reached out and let her fingertips brush gently over the spine of a particularly big book. Dis gave an enthusiastic nod beside her.

"Indeed," she answered. "He was the perfect choice. Fili personally appointed him to the job."

Arinna smiled warmly. "I remember how fond he always was of books and writing."

Dis nodded slowly as they walked along, making a small round of the library before they headed for the door again. "He's chronicled your whole adventure," she explained with a smile. "I believe it took him over a year to finish but it is a great piece of work. I've read it several times."

"The whole journey?" Arinna asked quietly and Dis gave her another nod, smiling kindly at the druid.

"Yes. From the Ered Luin, to Bag End, to Erebor. It was a comfort to me to read of these adventures you had, of the success of the quest, after the deaths of Kili and Thorin."

Arinna felt a sharp pang of pain run through her heart at the dwarrowdam's words, inclining her head quickly as she gave an understanding hum. Dis shot her a sideways glance, though she didn't say anything else. Instead, she gave the druid another warm smile as she led her down the hallway, away from the library and to their next destination.

She showed her the kitchens, where Bombur urged them to stay for a moment and upon the display of pastries and tea he produced, they could hardly say no. They ate and drank among comfortable conversation, the druid relaxing slightly in the presence of her old friend as opposed to being alone with the Lady Dis. Although she was a very pleasant woman and had been more than just welcoming, Arinna still felt a bit of trepidation around her, though she tried not to let that show. They said their goodbyes to Bombur a little while later, their path leading them down further into the mountain, where Dis showed her the mines, where dwarves were hard at work. She explained that they were mining for strands of gold and silver, as well as gems and veins of mithril, which were very rare and precious. Dis made sure to mention that even though most of the mine tunnels were perfectly workable, one always had to be careful in such matters. Arinna didn't need to ask, remembering Fili telling her long ago that his own father had died in a mining accident, and so she only gave an understanding nod, which Dis registered with a small smile.

Then their path led them further up again, following the many stairs that led to the level of the main gate, and Dis led her expertly through the corridors, until they came upon a large archway. Arinna followed her through it, looking around with wide eyes at the high ceiling and the great pillars that supported it, veins of gold running along and up the walls. Arinna couldn't help but be amazed at how much the mountain had indeed changed. Last time she was here, the halls had been dark and desolate, every step a reminder of how long and how terrible the dragon's reign over these halls had been. But now, Erebor was filled with life. Its halls were bright with light and restored to their former glory, and its people living their lives much like they had done before the dragon's attack.

Arinna had been so lost in thought that she hadn't noticed exactly where Dis had led her this time, and it was only when she felt the dwarrowdam's hand on her arm that she looked up, her eyes falling immediately upon the throne that stood elevated at the far end of the hall and the dwarf that was sitting on it.

Fili's gaze was set on the dwarf before him, listening carefully to what he had to say, while Balin and another dwarf stood by his side, doing the same, though Balin sent the two women a small smile, having seen them enter the hall. Arinna couldn't help but stare at the blond dwarf, the young king with the crown as golden as his hair. She noticed, now that she had a moment to really look at him, that he was wearing more braids in his hair than she remembered, and that his beard had thickened over the years. His pale blue eyes looked tired but attentive and there was a small crease between his eyebrows as he gave the dwarf before him a thoughtful look. He looked stern, she thought, the grim expression on his face making him appear older than he was.

She had barely registered what was being discussed and was only ripped out of her thoughts when the dwarf, which had been addressing the court, was dismissed, Fili's voice echoing loudly through the throne room as he gave a nod. He watched the dwarf as he left the chamber, before his gaze suddenly fell on the two people who stood by the edge of the hall. Arinna swallowed tightly as she was met with his familiar gaze, though it took her a moment to avert her gaze, as he got up and slowly made his way over to them. Balin and the other dwarf were following on his heels.

"Mother," he greeted Dis with a small nod, his eyebrows raised slightly as he looked from her to the druid. "I did not expect to see you here."

"I told you that I was going to give Arinna a tour of the mountain," Dis replied matter-of-factly, watching as her son's eyes roamed over the druid's form for a second before he gave another stiff nod.

"Of course," he muttered, clearing his throat slightly, before he addressed her. "I trust you've received an appropriate welcome?"

Arinna stood silently before him for a few seconds, drawing in a small breath at hearing him talk to her directly for the first time. The first time in over eight years, she thought momentarily, before she gave a quick nod.

"Yes," she uttered softly, as she met his gaze, though she wasn't entirely sure what he meant by appropriate. "I could not have asked for a warmer welcome."

"Good," Fili answered, his voice quiet and sounding overly formal even to himself. He averted his gaze for a moment, looking at something invisible over the druid's shoulder, before he nodded his head again. "That's good. I'm glad to hear it. Be sure to let someone know should you be needing for anything."

Arinna inclined her head as the blond dwarf looked back at her, answering quietly. "I will. Thank you, Fi… Your Majesty."

The druid kept her gaze on her own boots as she corrected herself quickly, trying to ignore the feeling of Fili's eyes resting on her. She heard him clear his throat slightly, and when she looked up next, his gaze had found his mother once more. He excused himself quickly, saying something about the next meeting he had to attend, before he waved for his two companions to follow him as he left the throne room with swift steps. Arinna let out a deep breath as they disappeared from her sight, only realising that Dis had been watching her, when the dwarrowdam laid a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Come on, dear," Dis muttered, giving the druid a kind smile that helped calm her nerves slightly. "I still have much that I wish to show you. Unless I've tired you out already?"

Arinna couldn't help a small chuckle at the dwarrowdam's teasing tone. She shook her head with a smile. "Of course not," she answered. "I think I can manage a few more of those stairs."


Arinna had been in the mountain for three days now, and had gotten herself mostly accustomed to her surroundings. With the help of Dis and further help from some of her old friends, she had managed to learn her way around the halls of Erebor rather quickly. She mostly kept herself to places where she knew she would find a familiar face or two, finding it slightly daunting to face the curious but nevertheless suspicious looks of the rest of the mountain's folk.

Tonight, however, she was out roaming the hallways after having had a small dinner in her chambers, where she ate most nights. Although Dis had asked her if she wanted to have dinner with her, Arinna had declined gratefully. She wasn't really in the mood for company tonight, she thought, as she walked along the dimly lit corridor, the torches on the walls leading her way. Though she had not been there before, Arinna knew exactly where she was going, and her path led her down several large sets of stairs, deeper into the mountain.

It didn't take her very long to reach the last set of stairs that led down to the tombs. The druid took a deep breath, as she stood at the top, gazing down into the cave that was lit by a few torches. Her gaze drifted shortly up and down the hallway, but she was alone. She hadn't met anyone on her way here, though it was hardly a surprise, as it was already late into the evening. Arinna released the breath she had been holding and took the first step, making her way slowly down the stairs and past the intricately carved archway that led into the hall.

Her heart felt heavy in her chest as she looked around, taking careful steps forward as she approached the tombs. There were several, most of them looking to be very old. The stone they were made of was adorned with a thin layer of dust and Arinna walked along them slowly, her eyes taking in the dwarvish runes that were engraved on each one. Then, she looked up and saw two tombs on which no dust had gathered. She took a few steps closer, taking in the polished stone that had their names engraved in it. The druid did not need to be able to read these runes to know that these were the ones she had come down to visit.

A small, shaky breath escaped her as she came to a halt in front of them. Thorin and Kili had been buried next to each other, a burning candle adorning both their tombs. Arinna stood motionlessly for a few long moments, simply staring at their resting place as she tried to breathe normally. She was finding it hard to be here, memories of the past filling her mind, as she wiped a stray tear from her cheek. Finally, she moved forward the last steps and put her hand softly against the cold stone of Thorin's grave.

"Be at peace, my friend," she spoke softly, lingering for a moment before she turned her head slowly toward the other tomb. She turned around to face it, both of her hands shaking, as she laid them on the polished stone.

She breathed in sharply, a sudden wave of tears threatening to make their way down her cheeks, before she blinked them away quickly. A few still fell from her eyes and she closed them for a moment, her palms pressing against the stone of Kili's grave. She took a deep breath.

"I miss you, Kili," she whispered, her thumbs brushing against the cold surface as she opened her eyes again. She shook her head, continuing to speak quietly, her voice breaking slightly. "I'm so sorry. I… I…"

The words did not come to her and she drew in another shaky breath, shortly pressing her eyes closed again, before she brought one hand up to wipe at her wet cheeks.

"Utu m'err, breur," she finally muttered, wishing for him to find peace in her own language, the words pouring out of her from the bottom of her heart. She took one last deep breath, brushing her hand over the cold stone once more, before she turned around, though her heart almost stopped beating entirely when she did.

She looked at Fili with wide eyes, seeing him standing a few feet away in the shadow of the large archway. He was clad in a simple tunic and breeches, different from the regal attire that she had seen him in the other day in the throne hall. The crown on his head was also missing now, and in the dim firelight, he looked almost exactly like she remembered him. If it hadn't been for the closed-off expression on his face. They looked at each other for a few long moments, neither of them knowing what to say.

"I did not expect to find anyone down here at this hour," Fili finally spoke, his low voice echoing off the walls. His gaze was trained on her, his pale blue eyes piercing her own emerald ones as she stood forlorn in the middle of the room, between the tombs of his uncle and his brother.

"Neither did I. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have… I –" Arinna stammered, without knowing what it was exactly that she wanted to say. Seeing him here had caught her entirely off guard.

Fili inclined his head slightly upon her hesitant and unfinished answer, looking from her to a torch on the opposite side of the room. "There is no need to apologise," he uttered quietly, feeling her gaze on him. "I'm just surprised."

"Nevertheless, I should go," the druid answered in a quick murmur, averting her gaze as she walked a few steps toward him, no doubt meaning to go past him. But Fili didn't move, his bulky frame blocking her path through the archway. She let out a shallow breath. "I don't wish to intrude on you, your Majesty."

"Why do you call me that?"

Arinna looked up sharply at his unexpected question, standing before him with an uncertain expression, while he looked at her with a stern calm, though the druid could not read the thoughts behind his eyes. There had once been a time when perhaps she could have.

"Because you are the king."

Fili's arms were folded over his broad chest and he took in her words with a small frown. He wasn't entirely sure why he was still blocking her from leaving the chamber, his feet refusing to move, even when he ordered them to in his mind.

"I was a prince when we first met and yet you never called me anything other than my name," he said, watching as she inclined her head. He didn't know why he was saying these things to her. What did it matter what she called him? But something within him refused to let up, almost as though he needed to hear his own name fall from her lips to finally believe that she was actually standing here before him.

Arinna struggled to answer, a heavy lump having built in her throat at his words. "That was a different time," she muttered, almost too quietly for him to hear. Fili let out a small breath.

"Aye," he uttered, his own voice low. He looked at her intently, taking in her familiar features in the dim firelight. It was difficult to describe how much he had missed her, he realised now, that she was once more standing before him in flesh and blood. Her gaze was alert, slightly nervous, as he looked at her for another moment, remembering the way she had looked at him that night after the battle all those years ago, after the things he had said to her. The expression on her face still haunted him to this day, the memory sending a sharp, physical pain through his chest. He averted his gaze, wondering how it could be that she was here, that she had come back. That night, he had broken her heart so thoroughly, so viciously, he had never expected her to come back at all.

Arinna was still looking at him when he finally took a step aside, unfolding his arms from in front of his chest, as he motioned for her to pass. She hesitated, wanting to say something else, but not quite knowing what. What was she supposed to say? She somehow felt that there was too much to be said and nothing to be said between them at the same time. Finally, she simply inclined her head and slowly made her way past him, subconsciously holding her breath as she did, as though even breathing near him was too much for her to bear.

She had already made it past the archway and to the bottom of the stone stairs, when his voice rang out behind her once more.

"Arinna," he called after her quietly, and she halted abruptly in her steps upon the sound of her name, falling from his lips for the first time. Her heart was beating rapidly in her chest as she turned around to him, finding him standing in the same spot, with his arms back across his chest. He looked at the ground for a moment, before he glanced over at her, the low firelight reflecting in his pale blue eyes. "There's no need for you to address me as 'your Majesty'. Please, just… call me by my name."

The druid stared at him for a moment, not knowing how to respond to his unexpected words. She breathed in slowly as she gave him a small nod, showing that she understood. The blond dwarf returned the gesture and was already about to turn away when her voice finally returned to her.

"Alright… Fili."

He looked up at her again and she heard him breathing out a heavy sigh, as though something heavy had been lifted from his chest. He gave her another nod, unable to bring himself to smile, before he turned his back on her. Arinna watched him walk further into the chamber, before she turned away as well and slowly began to make her way back up the stairs.

It took her a long time until she was back in her own chambers, and she closed the door behind her carefully, stepping into the dark room. It was cold inside, for the fire had already gone out, but the druid didn't mind. She slid out of her boots and let herself sink down onto the bed in her clothes, staring at the high ceiling above her. It was long past midnight before she finally fell asleep.