This ended up coming out so short I actually feel ashamed of it, but this chapter ended up kicking my butt. As cute as Tauriel and Kíli are, the fact of the matter is there is just NOTHING with them in the movies. They don't bond over that much except starlight and there was little interaction with them as characters to cover things like interests or what they'd have in common. "Because it was real," just… Yeah. I found myself on such a stumbling block because I didn't know what to honestly do with them. Like I knew in my head the direction I wanted them to take, but actually writing it fought me every step of the way.

So I do sincerely apologize. This feels far from my best work, but I did my best. Hopefully the next one will be better.

Chapter 12: Start of Something New

It was a bright day outside. The sun was shining strong and not a single hung cloud in the sky. Kíli tried to take it as a sign, some show of good fortune for today's proceedings. Winter would no longer wait despite the bright day, one could easily feel the cold in the air. They had days, at best, before the first snow fell and blanketed the land. This respite in the weather, blessing or not, would be a brief one.

There was no doubt that's why the gathering was happening today, in the middle of Dale. Kíli looked around at the three races all here, talking over a long table with papers laid out so all could see. Thrandruil and Bard were present, as was Dáin right next to Fíli. There was still debate among the dwarves on who should lead them so of course they both had to be present. Kíli was glad that he'd abdicated the throne himself shortly after getting his answer from Tauriel. He hadn't even waited a day after she'd left to announce that he would forsake any future kingly duties in order to have her without issue. Despite popular opinion, he wasn't an idiot. Naive, maybe. Rash and bold, most certainly. He was not stupid though. He understood having a future with an elf would mean certain sacrifices, but he'd never thought he'd get the title of king anyway. The young dwarf didn't even much want it.

Speaking of which, he felt a little fidgety in the crowds. There were plenty of people to witness the signing of the treaty between the three races, well trade agreement but it was only a matter of time before it grew. Among them were wagons of food, and carts of gems and gold, all waiting to be exchanged. He wasn't looking at any of the people though, instead glancing over at the elf-maid in question who was currently on his mind. She was standing among the humans, particularly Bard's children, making her relatively easy to spot.

It had been three days now since he'd seen her when she'd visited him. Her need to return to her temporary home in order to pack had been necessary but once this was all over she would be returning home with him to Erebor. Honestly, he would be happy when this was all over and he could take her back with him.

Craning his neck a bit in an attempt to catch her gaze, he grinned wide when she glanced in his direction and their eyes met. He couldn't resist the urge to wave at her a little, not obvious enough to drag attention to himself but a slight raise of his hand and wiggle of his fingers. She glanced away for a second as if to check if anyone was looking before waving slightly to him as well. Grinning wide at the attention, it only lasted a second before he found himself elbowed roughly in the gut.

"Pay attention," Dwalin hissed as the younger dwarf did his best to force himself to try to breathe again after the wind had been knocked out of him. The warrior sure did know how to put some force into his blows, no doubt about that.

"Sorry," he grumbled as he rubbed at his stomach, though he did catch Tauriel smile just a little bit. The show of it was faint, only a slight curl of her lips upward and it was gone after a moment, but he enjoyed the look all the same. He hadn't seen her smile much yet since most of their time together had been complicated, dangerous or both. Being able to witness it now was worth the whole ceremony as well as the blow from the grumpy dwarf right next to him.

While it would be best to pay attention to what was being said between the three parties, he wasn't all that interested. It wasn't that it was even boring or anything like that. It was simply... well he kind of expected it would be like what had been in place before. He'd grown up hearing older dwarves talk about the mountain and what life had been like there. Though he'd never seen Erebor before they had arrived on their journey, everything had been recounted to him and all the other young ones time and time again by those that remembered it. Thorin had always put a dark twist on it, moody whenever he spoke of his old home, though Balin and some others had been more kind and grandiose about it. The treasures and payments, trade and everything else would probably all be the same. For the exception of the Men, just about everyone else here had been alive ages ago when there had been peace in the valley before the dragon. There wouldn't be much sense to go for anything terribly different than the same trading that had been in place before Smaug.

He wanted to catch Tauriel's eye again, but he knew better than to risk it. He'd probably get caught again anyway. One slip up could be excused or explained away but another would no doubt earn him a talking to. Worse yet, it might end up making his brother look bad. Kíli was really pulling for Fíli to become the next King Under the Mountain. Not that he thought his removed cousin didn't deserve it but it had always been understood who would inherit after Thorin. All his brother needed was a chance to prove himself and things would work out for the best. Of course, that did mean as good as Fíli would have to look to the other dwarves, Kíli himself would have to be careful too. It wouldn't do the older brother any good if rumors started to spread about Kíli being a bit of a wild child.

Which was tough, seeing as how he kind of was. He was pushing his luck enough by taking an elf as his wife. There was no illusion to him that it would be completely smooth sailing, but he hoped some goodwill would help that along. The last thing he wanted was for his intended to be uncomfortable in the courtship. He supposed he'd have to learn to start seeming more regal and responsible for a lot of people's sake.

Still, he really wanted to see her smile again.

After about another hour, it was done. Horns and trumpets blew, filling the air along with cheers from the people. Ir didn't take long for the crowds to break up a bit and start to mingle to talk and discuss what had just been witnessed. The dwarf himself made a beeline for his One, eager to talk to her now that there wasn't a constraint on where they'd be standing of all silly things.

"How's your stomach?" she asked him before he could even say hello. He could swear there was a hint of amusement in her voice.

"Oh, it'd take more than that to bother me much," he assured her, patting his belly under his shirt and coat. He tried not to wince as it stung. Oh well, maybe she'd take pity on him and give him a kiss for it later on if it bruised.

"That did feel like it took a while," Bain said as he stretched his arms over his head. "Do these things always take so long?"

"It's not over just yet. You're going to have to help me catalog what we're putting in for storage," Sigrid informed him, earning her a groan. Kíli didn't envy him the work. "Bring Tilda over to Da. He'll feel more comfortable with all this ceremony with her around anyway. After that, come back to the carts so we can get to work."

"Better than starving this winter, I guess," Bain muttered but scooped up his younger sister all the same and made his way to his father.

"Looks like it never stops for you, does it?" Kíli asked.

"No, but Bain is right. It is better than going hungry. I would know," Sigrid replied before her face going pink. "That is to say… I mean, there was food most of the time. It's just that… Uh, never mind."

Kíli didn't think there was any shame in coming from meager means, but he didn't say anything about it. He wasn't sure if it would help or if it would come off as pity. Even exiled, he had grown up not wanting for too much. His uncle and parents had worked hard to make sure he and his brother had always had what they needed, prospering in the Blue Mountains.

"It will be time for my departure soon, Sigrid," Tauriel told her, maybe to change the subject for the girl's benefit. "A shame we never got to our baking attempts."

"We can start in the spring if you like," Sigrid offered with a smile. "I'm sure we'll see each other lots when the weather isn't so oppressive."

"I… I think I would like that," the elf replied before she suddenly found herself engulfed in a hug. Kíli had to bite his lip to hide his mirth for the surprised look on her face even as Sigrid let go.

"I'll miss you," the human said softly.

For a second Tauriel didn't respond before she nodded her head.

"I'll miss you too," she confessed.

"Well, I better get to work. No sense to dawdle," Sigrid said before she wiped her face. The dwarf couldn't help but notice her eyes were a bit wet. "This is so silly. You won't be gone for that long. I just feel like I'm saying goodbye to a friend I haven't even been able to get to know that well yet. Well, goodbye then. Oh, and please tell Fíli I said hello and I hope everything works out for him."

She turned and ran off before either could respond, leaving Kíli a little confused. Had that girl and his brother been talking or something? One could think he'd have mentioned it. Then again, things had been busy for the both of them. He'd have to remember to ask about that later when he passed the message along.

"Are you ready to go or did you want to wait around a little bit?" he asked Tauriel once they couldn't see Sigrid among the other humans, her figure completely merged in with the other people.

Tauriel glanced over at the crowd of elves and he followed her gaze, seeing the king and prince of the forest among the other elves. There was a hint of sadness to her eyes, an old and quiet sort of expression. He hated the look, wished it could just wipe it away.

"He'll be leaving now. I can tell," she noted. Kíli didn't need to ask who she was speaking of. It was clear the one in question was Legolas.

"Do you want to go over there and say goodbye to him?" he asked, not the slightest bit jealous or worried of her intentions. It was hard to say goodbye to friends and she'd more than proven she'd accepted his own feelings for her. He was even grateful, in a way, to the blond elf so there was no reason for any ill will towards him over any kind of potentially imagined slights.

"I suppose I must or otherwise there might not be another chance for a long time," she agreed. Gripping her hands tightly into fists, she took a few steps forward before looking over at her shoulder at him. "You may come along if you wish… Ah, that is to say, will you come along with me? I didn't mean to make it sound like I would tolerate it. I'd actually like your company and support..."

"You're cute when you're flustered," he chuckled. "Don't worry. I won't hold any flubs against you. We're both new at this after all."

"I'll still try to make sure it's not too often," she stated before taking in a deep breath to steady herself and went forward with him.

In all actuality there wasn't much point to him coming along except to stay by his intended's side for the moral support. Aside from her, they spoke in Elvish and he didn't understand a word of it. While she responded in the common tongue, probably to allow Kíli to be part of the conversation, she really needn't have bothered. With her replies short he wasn't getting much meaning from just what she was saying. There was a bow of her head to the two members of royalty, though he was surprised when an elf standing close to the king smiled a bit at her and held out a dark green bottle with some rose-colored liquid inside. She took it and cradled it to her chest before smiling back at him.

"Thank you. I hope you have a good life," she whispered softly before suddenly turning around and walking away, her free hand gripping the dwarf's tightly.

"What was all that about?" he found himself asking.

"That was… Well, it doesn't matter much now," she confessed to him. "He is the personal servant of King Thranduil, a butler of sorts. He's fond of the wine and we would drink together occasionally. Aside from Legolas he was one of my few friends. He gave me this as a wedding present."

"Oh. That was kind of him. Did… Do you want to invite him to the ceremony when it happens?" he asked.

"He won't come," she replied, the softness in her voice from before becoming a bit hard. "The king informed me I'd doomed myself to-"

Her voice cut off before she scoffed.

"It doesn't matter what was said. I wanted this choice," she said as she squeezed his hand tightly in her own. She looked down at him and smiled, and he was glad to see it was a genuine one. "Come now. Let's go home. I want you to tell me everything I need to know about your courting rituals."

"If you want, though it's a bit early. I imagine there's a bit of a celebration to be had here," he mentioned, though if he were being honest he wouldn't mind having her all to himself all the sooner.

"We can beat the foot traffic back up the mountain," she reasoned, and that was all the persuading he needed to agree.

It didn't take too long to leave Dale, the elf already having packed most of her things in a traveling pack. Once her things were collected, they headed up the mountain. A few others were heading back early as well, but they were either far behind them or a ways ahead. It left the pair alone for the moment.

"Nervous?" he asked her. "This will be a pretty big change for you, living among dwarves."

"I will do my best, but I have a long memory. I was alive long before the dragon attacked," she informed him. "Though I will confess that I've never been inside except when I came to see you a few days ago. How will this work exactly? Will I be expected to only interact with you or will I be allowed to wander about on my own?"

"You know, I'm not sure," he confessed. "I already arranged a room for the two of us to live together, but I haven't been able to get you your own bed yet."

"I see," she said coyly, causing him to flush a bit.

"I'm not being untoward here," he protested. A shameless flirt he may be, but he was going to do this properly with her. "It's just we don't really have beds your size is all. I had to get one ordered for you, which is going to take some time."

"Is that one of your gifts for me?" she asked him curiously. "For the courtship, to prove you can provide for me?"

"Ah, not officially but I suppose it could count," he said. "I mean, I did buy it for you, and I asked it to be nice with silks and the like to… uh… Well, it's going to be nicely carved. I ordered it with decals like leaves and birds to make it feel more like home to you."

"I'm afraid you have me at somewhat of a disadvantage," she confessed to him. "I've little to no money and there are very few things I can craft at all. I'm not even sure what I would make for you, and you're already going to all this effort for me."

"You know, it's not unheard of for a dwarf to go to the effort of learning a new skill purely for courtship," he assured her. It wouldn't do for her to get discouraged and think she wasn't good enough for him. "I'm sure there would be an apprenticeship you could get. If you're that worried about it that is. Honestly, Tauriel just being with you is a gift for me. You could give me a lump of clay you only spent a few minutes on and I'd be satisfied."

"No. It's important that I treat this with as much dignity as we can manage. I'm no fool. I know there are dwarves in your mountain that won't be happy with me living with you or in Erebor at all. If I'm going to gain anything more than begrudging acceptance then I need to show that I'm willing to honor your way of life."

"Well, I think with that attitude it will all work out," he reassured her with a smile. He stood up on his tip-toes to give her a small peck on the cheek before they continued on. "So is fighting really the only talent you have?"

"Yes. I would have probably learned cleaning and some skills like sewing and the like when I was young if not for losing my parents. The king took pity on me and fostered me, raised me when I was but a girl. To be fair, I didn't want for much, and when I got older I found fighting suited me well. I ended up taking up the bow and arrow, along with other weapons, and eventually joined the guard. Over the years I worked hard and moved up the ranks until I made the rank of captain," she said before she trailed off, seemingly lost in thought. "Actually… maybe there is something…"

"What is it?" he asked her eagerly, but she only poked his nose.

"I think I will keep it secret for now," she stated.

"Aww, no fair. I told you about the bed," he protested.

"You don't even know if the bed counts or not. Besides, it's only a small idea. I'm not sure if it will work as a proper gift or not. Give me some time to think it over before I go any further."

"Alright, fair enough. Making gifts for you will take me some time too, and surprises would make it more fun," he relented. True, he was really curious about what she had apparently thought up, but he supposed he would just have to be patient about it.

Granted, he wasn't a very patient person but he'd struggle through if he had to.

Once in Erebor, he led her to their room, explaining how to get there and what landmarks to look for. The walls were marked everywhere for directions on where the main halls were, but he doubted very much she knew the language and the smaller paths might throw her off.

"For now, just stick with me," he said to her with a grin. He had learned the lay of Erebor fairly quickly but he was used to living in mountain ranges and underground already. "You'll pick it up before too long."

He took the time to help her unpack her possessions, though he couldn't help but notice she didn't have that many. That was going to have to change. She didn't strike him as a very material person but his share of the treasure would set him up for life. He was going to spoil her with all the fine things that he could manage to get his hands on. She deserved to be in the finest clothes with jewels of all shapes and colors to decorate her features, to just be showered with affection, acceptance and love. The dwarf was determined to show her just how deeply he valued her.

Though a greedy part of him was still anxious to know just what she planned to give to him.

End of Chapter 12

Again, I know it's short. I will sincerely try my best to up the production quality for the next chapter.