Although she was partially awake, Kaleria kept her eyes closed, wanting to spend a few more minutes in her dreamlike state. She shifted her body to make herself more comfortable, but as soon as she moved she felt herself falling. Her eyes shot open and she clutched at what she thought was her bed. As she took a deep breath to calm herself, Kaleria scanned her surroundings, trying to figure out why she wasn't in her bed.

When she saw the blue eyes of the king staring at her, she remembered where she was, and her cheeks tinged pink.

"Bad dream?" He asked, a smirk crossing his lips.

"No," Kaleria sat up, "just a rather small chair."

Thorin chuckled, hinting at his improved mood and health.

Kaleria smoothed her hair back. "How long have you been watching me sleep?"

Thorin shrugged. "A few minutes."

"Okay, well," Kaleria stood from the chair, "I'll go get Oin. You need to be examined."

"I feel fine." Thorin tried to sit up, but his strength failed him and he laid back.

"I see," Kaleria walked toward the door, "but I'm still getting Oin."

"Kaleria," called Thorin.

She turned around and faced him.

"Thank you." He met her eyes, attempting to convey his sincerity.

"You're welcome, Thorin," said Kaleria." I'm glad you're feeling better."

As soon as Oin had finished checking him out, Dis burst through the door and marched to the opposite side of the bed. She looked at her brother, then at Oin packing his things.

"I assume he is alright, if you are packing?" She questioned.

"Yes, your highness. I believe he has recovered," replied Oin.

"Good." Dis turned to Thorin and smacked him hard on the arm. Oin took that as his cue to leave the room, closing the door behind him.

"Ow!" Thorin winced at the sharp pain. "What was that for?"

"For scaring me half to death, Thorin! You disappear for days, then you pass out and fall into a long sleep. What were you thinking?" Dis had her hands on her hips waiting for his answer.

Thorin looked at his sister. "I was thinking I needed rest." He attempted to joke with Dis, but when he saw the rage across her face, he knew he had misspoke.

"Then tell me you need rest. Don't disappear for three days and expect us to believe you are alright."

"If I remember correctly, it was Lady Kaleria who came to visit me when I disappeared."

"Don't!" Dis pointed her finger in his face. "You don't get to blame the rest of us for your actions."

Thorin wanted to shoot back a reply, but words failed him, and he realized Dis was right. He was the one who had shut himself away. He was the one who had made his illness worse. It was time to set aside his pride, and apologize.

"I'm sorry, Dis."

She recoiled, thinking she had misheard him. "What?"

"I said I'm sorry. It was my fault that I locked myself away, and it was my fault that I didn't ask for help. I have gotten so used to the idea that I have to provide for everyone, that I forgot I have help." Thorin looked away, not wanting to see the disappointment on his sister's face.

Dis surprised him by taking his hand and squeezing. "You're not alone, Thorin. I am here for you. I'm sorry I didn't make that clear to you."

Thorin squeezed her hand in return. "We can start anew. I feel like a different man now."

"A new start. I love it," Dis moved toward the door," but first you need a bath. You're starting to smell as bad as the boys."

She disappeared out the door to summon a few maids to bring Thorin enough water for a bath. He appreciated the gesture, and promised himself that he would lean on Dis more when he needed it. He had a family, and they were safe within the mountain. Thorin realized he had to stop carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, and learn to trust that others would be there for him.

Sitting at the vanity in her room, Kaleria rubbed a towel down her hair to dry it. The long strands released the excess moisture into the towel, bringing out the waves in her hair as it dried. After sitting for so long in the same clothes, Kaleria felt refreshed from the long bath and the food Dis had ordered to be brought to her room. Although the bath helped with her mood, the thing that made her feel the happiest was seeing Thorin awake this morning. For days Kaleria had sat with him, hoping he would wake up, but prepared to tell Dis that her brother was gone. Kaleria didn't know what would have happened if Thorin had died, but she didn't want to imagine the kingdom without their king.

A knock brought Kaleria out of her troubled thoughts, and she went to the door. She opened it to reveal Dis standing on the other side.

"This is a surprise. I thought you would be with Thorin," said Kaleria.

"Can we talk?" Dis asked.

"Yes, come in." Kaleria moved aside to allow Dis into the room. Dis walked to the chairs by the fire and claimed one as her own, waiting for Kaleria to join her. Kaleria sat and waited for Dis to speak.

"I want to thank you for taking care of my brother," said Dis, in a serious tone Kaleria had never heard.

"You're welcome, Dis."

Dis sighed. "No, you don't understand. I spent months believing he was going to die on his quest, and believing my boys were going to die with him. But, We've built a life here in the past year, and we've become a true family. When Thorin got sick, I thought I was losing the family I just gained."

A single tear slipped down Dis' cheek as she spoke. The strength of the princess of the Durin line faltered for the first time, and Kaleria took her hand.

"It's okay, Dis. Thorin is going to be fine. Your family is strong and healthy, and they're going to live for a long time." Kaleria squeezed her hand to reassure her.

Dis nodded her head, but couldn't find the words to thank Kaleria. Instead, Dis squeezed her hand in return, and sat in the chair crying. Kaleria continued to comfort Dis, until the princess released her hand and stood up suddenly.

"Well, on to my next task. I hope to see you for dinner tonight." Dis began walking toward the door.

Kaleria followed. "Yes, I look forward to seeing Thorin back in his seat."

Dis smiled, then disappeared through the door, closing it behind her.

Kaleria returned to her vanity to dress for the rest of the day. She dressed in her chemise with a dark blue skirt and corset over the top, and her ankle boots to cover her feet. She braided her hair back in one, long braid. Kaleria decided to visit Hedina since she hadn't seen her in days, and she knew her friend would want the entire story of Thorin's illness.

The royal dinner table was full for the first time in a long time. Thorin had returned to his seat at the head of the table, and he had invited some of his friends to join the celebration of his recovery.

When Kaleria entered, she was surprised to see so many dwarves sitting at the table. She started toward her regular seat next to Dis, but before she could sit down, Thorin called for everyone's attention.

"My friends, I must introduce you to Lady Kaleria of the Blue Mountains. She is a guest to our family, and is Dis' personal advisor." Thorin pointed to the dwarf sitting next to Kili. "Kaleria you know Oin, that's Gloin, Dori, Nori, Ori, you know Balin and Dwalin, Bombur, Bifur, and Bofur is sitting next to you."

All the dwarves bowed their heads to her as Thorin introduced them. She tried to memorize all their names, but she knew she would forget by the end of the first course. The one next to her, Bofur, she thought, stood from his chair and pulled hers out for her.

"Allow me, my lady," he said with a large smile.

"Thank you. That's very kind." Kaleria took her seat and looked around the table. "It's nice to meet all of you. I must commend you on your bravery in taking back the mountain. You are true heroes."

"We would take back one hundred mountains, if a fine lass such as yourself would thank us for it," replied Bofur, earning a cheer from his friends.

Kaleria smiled as her cheeks tinged pink, and she looked toward Thorin to see him smiling at her.

Dis gestured for the food to be served, and soon it was controlled chaos as the dwarves reached and clawed for each bit of food they could fit into their mouths. Kaleria laughed at their savagery, recognizing the influence of a hungry stomach. Fili and Kili joined in the wrestling match for food, while Thorin remained his impassive self, chewing his food completely before swallowing.

Once the first plates of food had been eaten, the dwarves settled into conversations, and Bofur turned to Kaleria.

"So, my lady, how does a lovely woman like you become the personal guest to the royal family?" Bofur followed his question with a large bite of food.

Kaleria wiped her mouth. "My father and I hosted Thorin in the Blue Mountains, and when I came here, Dis asked me to be their guest as a thank you for dealing with her brother. Those were her words, not mine." Kaleria looked at Dis who shrugged nonchalantly.

"Oh, our king can be very difficult." Bofur looked at Thorin, who raised an eyebrow, quizzically. "But we love him for it! It's part of his character."

"I wouldn't describe Thorin as difficult, just particular." Kaleria looked at Thorin to gauge his reaction.

"Particular? Do explain," said Thorin, challenging Kaleria to create a good explanation.

"Particular in the sense that you want things done in a certain way. There's nothing wrong with that, but it limits your vision. If you're only looking in one direction, you miss the attack coming from behind you." Kaleria finished, hoping he was satisfied.

Bofur didn't give Thorin time to answer. "I think she hit the nail on the head with that one."

The men gave a rowdy agreement, laughing at how exact Kaleria was in her opinion of Thorin's character. Thorin shook his head, but the corner of his mouth twitched into a near smile. Kaleria turned her attention back to her food as the men began telling stories from their travels, and revealing information about each other to embarrass one another. Kaleria enjoyed listening to each dwarf tell an outrageous story, only for another dwarf to tell an even better one. She had missed this kind of entertainment, and she hoped her future included more dinners with the heroes of the mountain.