And onwards! I hope you enjoy this chapter - thanks as always to everyone who commented on the last one, I always love reading your thoughts. Please, let me know what you make of this one!

As the days passed and slowly got warmer, Fili made a conscious effort to spend more time outside of the council chambers and his study in the hopes of being able to spend more of his time with Arinna, rather than running into her at random moments as had been the case most of the time so far. He thought that, seeing as how they had begun to be on good terms once more – even friendly with each other – if they could spend more actual, casual time with each other, it would be easier to get used to each other's company again. If anything, Fili wished to be her friend again, to be able to talk to her freely as he once had. He missed it a lot. He didn't have many people in his life with whom he could freely share all of his thoughts, with whom he could be entirely himself, without fear of there being any unwanted consequences or ulterior motives at play.

His plan, however, was not working out quite as he had envisioned. It seemed that whenever he was on his way to find the druid, he would run into Lady Lilya instead. He might be passing the great hall, and she would be there by coincidence. He might be on his way to the healing chambers, and she would cross his path incidentally, asking him to walk with her for a bit. Fili wasn't stupid. He knew that there was a reason why Finnur had brought his niece along, and he was very aware of what that reason was. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to just turn her down every time, as Lilya was a nice girl, after all. She seemed polite, even a little shy, yet she always carried herself with thoughtfulness and grace during their small conversations. It wasn't her fault that her uncle had brought her here to present to the wifeless king like some kind of prize, Fili thought. He might not have been interested in her in that way, but that did not mean that he intended to make her stay in the mountain unpleasant by being rude to her.

It was late in the evening one day, when he made his way through the halls of the mountain. He'd spent the past two hours discussing recent events around Erebor and Dale with Dwalin, after having received a letter from Bard that the bandit attacks had risen in numbers once more over the past weeks. Now, he was tired but his mind was still too active to think of sleep, mulling over these news. It was for that reason that he was making a short detour to the library, intending to grab one of Ori's latest recommendations from the shelves and take it up to his chambers to read until his eyes were too tired to keep open any longer.

He entered the library quietly, finding the hall lit dimly, the many great shelves casting large shadows across the room. Slowly making his way along them, he tried to remember the title of the book Ori had recommended, so he would know where to look for it. It was then, as he let his fingers brush over the spines of a few old books, that he heard quiet humming coming from somewhere further down the hall. Curious, he followed the sound, halting by the edge of one of the large shelves in surprise, as he found its source.

At one end of the library, enclosed by several bookshelves, was an old fireplace. Two large armchairs were standing in front of it, with a small table in between them. Fili was well aware of this place, knowing that Ori sometimes could be found here when he wanted a bit of peace and quiet from his scholars. Now, however, he didn't find the scribe sitting there but Arinna, who was sat on the ground with her back leaning against one of the armchairs. She was humming quietly to herself, Fili recognising the tune as Bilbo's song, while she was playing a game of cards against herself. There were several piles of cards stacked up in front of her and Fili watched for a moment as she moved them around on the table, adjusting their position. She seemed utterly engrossed in her game, not noticing him standing only a few feet away until he cleared his throat quietly, and she jumped.

"My apologies," he said quickly, holding up his hands as she looked at him in surprise. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's alright," she answered, breathing out slowly. "I didn't expect anyone to be here this late, that's all."

He let out a small, understanding hum, letting his gaze roam across the cards splayed out before her again, before he spoke quietly. "Would you care for some company?"

He could see that she was surprised by his question, though her features soon turned into a small smile, as she gave a nod. Pushing himself off the shelf he had been leaning against, Fili slowly made his way over to the table, sitting down opposite her, choosing the ground instead of the more comfortable armchair as well. She watched with the small smile still playing on her lips, as he adjusted his position on the floor, folding his legs beneath him.

They looked at each other across the table for a moment, before Fili motioned toward the cards. Arinna took the hint, gathering them up in her hands and shuffling them quickly, before she began to deal them out between them. They didn't have to discuss what they were going to play, both of them instinctively leaning toward the game that they had sometimes played in a small group during the journey to Erebor.

"Do you remember how to play?" Fili asked quietly, as he picked up his cards, assorting them in his hand, before he glanced up at the druid, who returned his gaze with a slight tilt of her head.

"Yes," she answered with a calm smile. "I also remember how to beat you."

Fili couldn't help but chuckle at her words, raising his eyebrows at the challenge. With a smile, he put down the first card on the table, waiting for her to make her move. The druid studied her cards for a moment, aware of his gaze resting on her as she did. There was a strange atmosphere surrounding them, comfortable but loaded with a slight tension, as though they were a little too aware of each other's presence. Arinna had noticed that same kind of feeling every time she had been around Fili these past weeks. It wasn't unpleasant, she had decided. In fact, it filled her with joy to finally feel comfortable in his company again. When she had first arrived back in Erebor, every minute spent with Fili had been uncomfortable, confusing and tense. Now, it felt like they were slowly beginning to let down their guards around each other, and talk like they once had as friends.

It was a familiar feeling, and Arinna recognised it easily enough, the kind of tension she felt in his company these days, having felt the same way towards him before. Arinna withheld a small sigh, as she thought about it, while she played one of her cards and the game continued. Arinna put her thoughts aside, when Fili spoke up again, all the while keeping the game going.

"Will you be attending the feast with the old Company this week, then?"

He asked it casually, though he was curious to hear her answer. His mother had organised the upcoming supper after Lord Finnur's suggestion, though he knew it had taken her a while to gather all the companions together. They had been quick enough to gather spontaneously for Arinna's arrival a few months ago, but attending a formal dinner with a dwarf-lord they barely knew, well, that was another matter entirely.

"I suppose so," Arinna answered slowly, while she laid down another card on the small pile between them, causing Fili to draw one from the separate, reserve stack in turn. He drew his mouth askew as he put it with the others he was holding. "Your mother has invited me, anyway."

"She'll be happy to have you there," he said honestly, while studying his cards, before he sent her a small smile. "She likes you. And, I suspect, she's glad for any person that offers a distraction from conversation with Finnur."

"He cannot be that bad," Arinna chuckled in return, though her smile quickly turned into a surprised and slightly indignant expression, as Fili played a card that allowed him to steal two of hers. The druid made a small grimace as he reached for them with a sly grin. She let out a small huff. "Oh, you always were a pain in the arse, Fili."

Fili's surprised laugh cut through the comfortable quiet between them, and Arinna shot him a pointed look as he grinned broadly. "I am the king," he reminded her, still smirking and obviously amused. "You can't address me like that."

Arinna merely let out a small hum, before she played another card. "A royal pain in the arse, then."

As the dwarf kept chuckling quietly to himself, she couldn't help but smile as well, his amusement contagious. She shook her head, concentrating on her cards again, while his laughter slowly died down. It was only once he had quietened down that she glanced back up at him, feeling his gaze on her once more. For a moment, she was caught by surprise at the soft expression on his bearded face, his blue eyes studying her quietly. They stared at each other in silence for a moment, before Arinna could no longer take the intensity in Fili's eyes and dropped her gaze, clearing her throat lightly.

"Your turn."

Fili blinked at her quiet words, ripping himself out of his momentary stupor as he picked another card to play. He wasn't sure how long they'd been sitting here, though he was fairly certain that he could have kept playing all night if it meant he could spend that time with her. He wanted to tell her that, or convey his thoughts in some way, but wasn't sure whether this was the right moment to say something.

"I am curious to meet this Lord Finnur," Arinna finally uttered into the silence, as she followed up his move with one of her own, stealing one of the cards from his hand.

"His niece will also be there," the blond dwarf answered slowly, while deliberating his next move. "She is rather more agreeable than him."

"The Lady Lilya?"

Fili glanced up at the mention of the dwarrowdam's name, sensing a strange change of tone in the druid's voice, though it was so subtle, he couldn't quite place it. "Aye," he replied with a small nod. "Have you met her yet?"

Arinna didn't answer for a few moments. All she had seen of the young dwarrowdam had been her entrance in the throne hall a few weeks ago, though she had caught a few glimpses of her throughout the mountain since then. A few times, as she had been on her way to or back from the healing chambers, she had even seen her walking along one of the many corridors alongside Fili. Of course, it was neither her place to observe them or judge in any manner. Yet, as she had talked with Marla about Lord Finnur's visit and her friend had informed her that she did not think there was anything subtle about the way the young lady was booing for Fili's attention, as Marla had worded it, a slight tinge of envy had emerged in the druid's heart and stayed there, even though she tried to suppress it.

"Arinna?"

The druid flinched slightly as she was ripped out of her thoughts, glancing up at Fili, who had raised his eyebrows at her questioningly when she still hadn't answered his question. She quickly shook her head.

"No," she said quickly, clearing her throat. "No, I cannot say that I've met her officially."

"Oh, I think you'll get on well enough," Fili announced with some confidence, causing the druid's brows to furrow slightly, though she merely gave a small nod in return. "She's rather pleasant to talk to. And unlike her uncle, she actually thinks before she speaks."

Arinna merely gave a small hum in reply to his explanation. She wasn't entirely sure how she felt about sitting at the same table as the young dwarrowdam, but she would not let that deter her from following Dis' invitation and spending a nice evening with her friends. Perhaps, she should simply banish Marla's words from her head once and for all. It was none of her business, after all, whom Fili gave his attention to or who he was being wooed by. Picking up another card, the druid suppressed a small sigh, before she looked back up at Fili with a smile.

He watched as she laid down all her cards on the table, spreading them out into a winning streak with a smile that turned into a satisfied smirk when he let out a defeated huff. He laid his own cards bare on the table, just a few short of getting to a perfect hand himself.

"I've got you," Arinna uttered triumphantly, her eyes sparkling slightly in the warm firelight as she held his gaze. Fili smiled.

"Aye, you have," he uttered, humbly lowering his head as he spoke. He let his gaze roam across the cards that were splayed out between them, before he looked back up at her with a small sigh. "You have, indeed."

Raucous laughter rang through the long hallway, echoing off the stone walls as the druid approached the dining hall, where Dis was holding the feast in honour of Thorin's Company, that Lord Finnur had requested. Even though she had been cordially invited, Arinna still felt a bit of hesitation at spending a whole evening with a dwarf-lord from another kingdom and his niece. The nervous feeling in her chest subsided slightly though, when she made her way further down the corridor and a few of her friends came into view, no doubt the source of the laughter she had heard.

Ori waved happily at her, the first to notice her approaching among the small group that consisted of him and his two brothers. Alerted by his action, Dori and Nori turned around, sending her welcoming smiles as she reached them. Arinna returned the gesture with a smile of her own, glad to see their familiar, friendly faces.

"Perfect timing," Ori said. "We were just about to go in."

The druid gave a small nod, still smiling as she glanced at each of them. "You seem to be bringing all the fun with you," she uttered. "I heard you laughing all the way from down the hall."

"Oh, it wasn't very funny at all," Dori pointed out with a stern expression on his face, causing the druid to raise her eyebrows in question. He sent one of his brothers a dark look. "I just reminded Nori here that he ought to refrain from stealing silverware or any other trinkets from his own king."

Arinna suppressed a chuckle, instead bringing her gaze to the dwarf in question. "And I am sure he took that to heart."

"Oh, very," Nori assured her with a broad grin that conveyed the exact opposite, and which made Dori huff in annoyance. In fact, Nori wasn't planning to steal anything at all, but the mere pleasure it gave him to agitate his brother with the possibility was worth the doubt he was sowing.

"You are incorrigible," Dori grumbled quietly, before he raised his hand to knock on the heavy wooden door they were standing in front of, his action accompanied by a few quiet chuckles from his friends. It only took a few moments, before the door was opened and they were let inside, stepping into the large dining hall one after another. They were met with the noise of the people greeting them and the smell of delicious food filling the air.

Arinna walked with Ori, the dwarf gallantly offering up his arm to link hers with, and she took a moment to look around the already gathered group, as he led her towards the table. It seemed they were the last ones to arrive. Her gaze first found Fili, who, she realised with a bit of surprise, was watching her coming closer from where he stood by the end of the table together with another dwarf, whom she recognised as Lord Finnur. The blond dwarf sent her a small smile, which she returned quickly, before her attention was drawn toward Dis, who was waving her over toward her. Ori quickly led her toward the seat that the dwarrowdam pointed out next to her, before he reserved the one to the druid's other side for himself.

"Arinna, my dear," Dis greeted her, enveloping her in a small hug, before she smiled brightly at her. "It's good of you to come. Sit, sit."

"I wouldn't have missed it," the druid assured her with a small smile of her own, though she felt the small, nervous knot in her stomach tighten slightly, when her eyes fell on the young dwarrowdam that was sat down opposite her across the table. Dis had followed her gaze.

"Arinna, meet Lady Lilya of the Orocarni," she introduced them swiftly, slightly waving her hand between them. "Lady Lilya, this is Arinna of Evendim."

"It's a pleasure meeting you," Arinna added, giving the dwarrowdam a tentative smile, which was met with a reserved one from her opposite. She merely received a small bow of the head from Lilya, but did not have time to think about it, as now Fili and Lord Finnur had sat down, as well, and dinner was starting to get served. It took a while for everyone to get their plates, a small group of servants bringing them in. Out of the corner of her eye, Arinna noticed Bombur keeping sharp watch over his staff that brought in the food, which he had no doubt chosen for the menu himself. The druid smiled slightly to herself, when she saw the large dwarf look down at the plate that had been placed in front of him and giving an appreciative nod.

Her attention was drawn away from the redhead, when Fili cleared his throat, slightly raising his glass to address the party. "Well, this is a fine occasion," he said, smiling at his old companions, who raised their own glasses in return. "Perhaps, I ought to thank you, Lord Finnur, for bringing us all together like this. It happens rather too rarely."

"My pleasure," Lord Finnur grinned, before Fili had even finished speaking. He raised his own glass, clinking it with Fili's, who merely raised one eyebrow pointedly, but said nothing. "To a great evening, in great company!"

The smile on his face faded slightly, when nobody followed his toast, and the others' gazes were instead resting on the blond king, who cleared his throat quietly. He gave a small nod. "Aye," he said, his voice rumbling across the table. "To loyalty, honour, and a willing heart."

"Aye!"

"To Thorin!"

"And Erebor!"

The voices of the dwarves echoed through the room as they returned Fili's toast with proud chests and big smiles. Arinna did the same, raising her glass and toasting, before she took a small sip of the sweet wine, which smoothly glided down her throat. The noise around her settled down, as they began to eat, and was replaced by the sound of cutlery scraping across plates and quiet discussions blooming between the dwarves.

As she ate, Arinna could feel the weight of a pair of eyes on her, and eventually lifted her gaze to find Lady Lilya watching her out of astute eyes. Clearing her throat slightly, when Lilya said nothing but kept staring, the druid decided that the best way to handle this strange look, was polite conversation.

"How have you been finding your stay in Erebor so far?" she asked.

Upon her question, Arinna felt the young woman's eyes roam across her face with some curiosity. The druid wasn't sure why the dwarrowdam was looking at her like that, but she couldn't help feeling uncomfortable under Lilya's scrutinising gaze.

"It has been lovely," Lilya finally said politely, and Arinna nodded with a small smile, content to continue the small talk. The young dwarrowdam gave a slight smile. "It is a great dwarven kingdom, indeed. Do you not agree?"

Arinna halted slightly in her movements upon noticing a strange change of tone in Lilya's last words, the druid's fingers loosely wrapped around the glass of wine she had been meaning to take a sip from. She opened her mouth to reply, though she wasn't exactly sure how for a moment, realising suddenly that Lilya seemed to be watching closely for her reaction. Arinna tried not to take offence at the obvious hint that Lilya had tried to convey. Erebor was a dwarven kingdom, and she was certainly not a dwarf. The druid knew how dwarves could be, secretive and stubborn, and suspicious of outsiders, and she tried not to take it personally.

"You are perfectly right," Arinna cleared her throat slightly, arranging her face into a smile as she replied, holding Lilya's gaze. "Is it much different from the Red Mountains?"

"Not much," the dwarrowdam answered. "Our kingdoms have much in common, that is to say, ours and King Fili's. Dwarves tend to fit in well with their own kind, no matter where we are."

Again, Arinna was very aware of the slight change of tone in Lilya's voice at the mention of their own kind, and this time it sparked some irritation within her. She drew in a small breath as the young woman before her continued casually.

"I suppose it's much the same with healers, such as yourself," she said, still sounding polite. "The mere fact that you were travelling with Thorin's company for such a long time suggests a great amount of… flexibility. On all parts. After all, they already had a healer among them, did they not?"

"Arinna is not a mere healer, she is a druid," someone suddenly chimed up, and Arinna looked over at Ori, who had followed their conversation with a growing frown. He wasn't the confrontational type, but the scribe did not like the way in which Lady Lilya was pinning the druid into a corner, making her out to be some kind of outsider. His words were met with a surprised look from the dwarrowdam in question, and Ori continued swiftly.

"Her ancestors are even mentioned in our old history books," he said. "Arinna's kind hailed from an old druid colony near Dale, the Druids of the East. In fact, it is written that druid magic itself was born in these parts of the world, which is why the druids of the East to this day hold much more powerful magic than the rest of their kin, only there are not many of them left. And, believe me when I say this, Milady, without Arinna we would never have succeeded in reclaiming the mountain. Her joining our quest had nothing to do with flexibility, we can count ourselves lucky that she agreed to join us in the first place."

A heavy silence hung between them as Ori finished, sending the dwarrowdam a pointed look, while she stared at him in utter shock.

"Hear, hear," Dis uttered quietly from Arinna's other side, having been alerted to the strange conversation taking place once Ori had started his little speech. Dis raised her eyebrows ever so slightly at the young dwarrowdam, as Lilya's gaze flew toward her, the shock still clear to see on her face, before she gathered herself and forced her features into a neutral expression once more. It took her another moment to find her voice.

"Well… if you say so," was all she said.

Without another word, she turned her attention toward the plate of food before her, as the servants had by now brought out the main dish. Arinna couldn't help but stare at the young dwarrowdam for a few seconds, before she turned back toward Ori with a small but bright smile. She didn't say anything, quietly conveying her thanks with a nod, which he acknowledged with a tilt of his head. She hadn't expected anyone to take particular note of her conversation with Lilya, never mind noticing how she felt more uncomfortable the more words they exchanged. Having Ori of all people jump to her defence had been not only a surprise but rather touching, as well. He was a quiet dwarf, who did not like to involve himself in matters that he thought didn't concern him or were too confrontational. That he had uttered these words in her support was no small honour, and she was glad to know what he thought.

For a while, dinner continued amicably, and Arinna made an effort not to notice the cool looks that Lilya sent her, instead occupying herself with talking to her actual friends. It was only when dessert was served, delicious honey cakes paired with sweet peaches, that Arinna found herself confronted with Lilya once more.

"Yes, the king and I have been getting along splendidly," she was saying to Bofur, who was sat beside her, looking rather uncomfortable. Yet, he kept smiling politely and nodding along, as she kept going. It seemed as though she had loosened up over the duration of dinner, her cheeks tinged a slight rose colour from the wine. "He has been extraordinarily attentive, showing me around the mountain, making sure I have everything I need… I suppose, one could almost call it romantic, if one were so inclined."

Bofur cleared his throat, as he realised that she had stopped and was waiting for him to contribute something to the conversation. He shortly glanced over toward the druid, who was not looking at them, but who, he was rather sure, was aware of their conversation nevertheless, judging by the tense movement of her jaw.

"Aye," he finally said, not sure what to say and shrugging slightly. "I suppose… if one were inclined."

He didn't exactly want to tell her that he thought Fili was merely being polite. Lilya seemed convinced that there was some deeper connection there, mutually experienced by both of them, and Bofur didn't want to be the one to inform her that the king had already given away his heart a long time ago, and that almost everyone here knew as much, and that the person he gave it to was sitting right opposite her at the table. It wasn't his place to say anything, yet still, the urge to correct her assumptions at least slightly weighed on him.

"I must say, though," he added, mustering up a polite but pointed smile to give the dwarrowdam. "Such things usually take time, don't they? I don't think the king is much inclined to romance when it comes to virtual strangers. No offence, Milady."

"Oh, none taken, Bofur," Lilya assured him with an easy smile and a wave of her hand. "You have a point, but you must realise that a king does not have the time that others do, that he has needs to fulfil, which ordinary men do not. I should not tell you this, but when my uncle received the invitation for King Fili's birthday celebrations, the letter made clear mention of bringing me along. That's the only reason I am here. Who could deny a personal invitation from the King under the Mountain, especially seeing as it concerns such an exciting prospect?"

Bofur stared in utter confusion for a moment, before he regained his voice. "That prospect being?"

"Why, marriage, of course!" Lilya chuckled quietly, shaking her head in amusement, while Bofur merely raised his eyebrows and gave a slow nod, opening his mouth to say something at the same time that he heard a chair scraping against the stone floor. He looked over, not surprised to see that Arinna had gotten to her feet, and was muttering a quiet excuse, before she turned without another word and left the hall.

She left behind a table full of people that were staring after her in surprise and slight confusion, while Bofur merely drew his mouth askew. He looked over toward Fili at the head of the table, who carried a deep frown across his face, as he stared at the door that had by now fallen closed behind the druid.