That morning Shobha had been roused early with hurried knocks on her door. She quickly muddled out of bed and threw a robe on over her billowing nightgown, and rushed to the door tying it up.

As she opened the door, Kili burst in followed by Fili.

"Quick! Quick! We don't have much time now, she will be here anytime." Kili explained.

Shobha stood at the door still rubbing her face and blinking half asleep.

"How do we look?" Fili stood straight, pulling his shoulders back – very much a handsome Prince!

They were both dressed in formal suits, with navy blue linen trousers and tunics, with silvery edging (that must have been Mithril) and rich velvet jackets with Silver embroidered edging. They both wore simple leather buckles to set everything off and appeared to have had their hair re-braided.

Realisation swept across her face – Dis was due to arrive this morning.

"Very handsome my Princes!" Shobha managed a curtsy.

"Don't mock us, my Lady," Fili replied. "Amad will be here anytime now…"

"No I really mean it – you both look very handsome. It will be a welcome sight for Lady Dis after her long travels… Who braided your hair?"

"Uncle, of course." Kili replied. "Why is it not good?"

This came as a surprise to Shobha. She couldn't imagine Thorin braiding hair, it was another gentle side to him, as she had seen on occasion. At the same time it was rather impressive, as the braiding was very intricately done with twists and neat plaits.

"No its very nice!" She smiled.

"Well… maybe you should let him braid your hair one day…?" Fili stated, quirking an eyebrow and watching her blush at the thought of having the King braiding her hair.

"Oh…um… I'm sure he has better things to do with his time…" she quickly concluded.

"Now off to the entrance – the two of you! Quick! Quick!"

The two princes looked at her for a moment thoughtfully, and then gave her a mock bow and bounded through the door. Shobha rolled her eyes and shut the door, with the aim of getting ready herself.

Later that evening she walked over to the private royal dining room, with Balin and Dwalin. They were all housed within the same royal wing. Shobha continued to be impressed with just how vast Erebor was.

They walked through a set of large impressive dark wood doors with the Durin Crest carved on the front and gilded. The room itself was rather large, and must have been designed to entertain the more formal stately dinners. A very long solid dark dining table stood all laid out with place settings to the length of the room it had similar chunky lines and angles hand carved as was often seen in all the furniture in the royal wing. An impressively large fireplace at the far end, which was surrounded by a number of comfortable looking armchairs and sofas, very likely for after dinner and large intricate tapestries. This large room was also very well lit from another unknown source, although there were many decorative candles lit around the room.

Shobha wore a deep bottle green dress in silk, with long fluttering sleeves and a velvet bodice embroidered in gold. It was the only formal wear dress that she had made for her when Balin had suggested she had something for a formal dinner or event during her stay. The seamstress, Denin, was an experienced dam who tailored for both Dwalin and Balin, and the colour, cut and style were all what she had suggested. She had even been extremely helpful in fitting and supplying Shobha with undergarments as needed for women, given that they were very different to what she was used to. Denin had laughed at her, claiming she had the bosoms of a still developing dwarfling and she had even offered to pad out her undergarments, which Shobha had politely declined!

The three of them appeared to be the last to join the group. All the company and Gloin's wife, Mara and Bombur's wife, Elin were present. As they walked through Kili came bounding over, excited, an enormous grin on his face.

"Shobha! Come on you have to meet Amad!" he exclaimed, then looking back at Dwalin commented slyly. "She's disappointed that you're late."

"No… We're on time," Dwalin groused in return, blushing. Shobha had never seen this formidable warrior blush before, and was curious what was behind that. She made a mental note to inquire later.

Without warning Kili grabbed her wrist and pulled her across the room towards where Dis and Fili stood together talking to Mara and Elin. Mara was noted as an exceptionally beautiful dam. She had chestnut hair and a rather full beard and sideburns that were intricately braided. Her hair was curly and pinned up with little curls escaping out elegantly. Dis on the other hand was stunning, she truly was a female version of Thorin. With wavy raven hair and electric blue eyes. She didn't have a beard, but impressively long sideburns which were braided and twisted. She was tall for a dwarrowdam, and although she was lean in build, she still appeared strong and carried herself with a very regal air.

She looked over to her younger son and Shobha, and immediately shot a dazzling smile.

"Ah! This must be Shobha!" She stepped forward and placed her hand on Shobha's shoulder, which she reciprocated.

"Lady Dis!"

"Please just call me Dis" She ushered Shobha through to join them. "I've heard so much about you!"

"Oh dear… it wasn't all my fault, I assure you, my Lady," Shobha cringed, as Dis, Mara and Elin all chuckled.

"I have to thank you for helping my sons that day when you were returning from Dale.." she placed her hand gently on Shobha's shoulder again. "You really are family to us now."

"Really, it was nothing – its what they would have done for me after all."

Dinner was quite a feast with a variety of platters of food laid out on the grand table and while there was much meat, they had also provided rather appetising vegetarian options. Thorin sat at the head Balin and Dwalin sat to his right, while Shobha had been placed to his left, and Dis and the Princes next to her.

"I hope you've had better company than Thorin, Dwalin and Balin at meal times…" Dis had chuckled. "Put them together and conversation is like what you would get at a funeral! Dwalin of course can be entertaining… and at least my sons will make light of anything."

"I can't complain – they have all been very kind to me."

"Thorin says you miss your home land…" Dis looked at Shobha with her piercing blue eyes.

"Well… I was brought here without any real warning. So for them I must have disappeared without a trace. And more than anything else, I feel guilty about the worry I must be causing my poor parents," Shobha admitted. She could tell Thorin was paying close attention to their conversation, although he was pretending to eat.

"I apologise, that was a painful question to ask," Dis kept her gaze fixed on Shobha. "But when your race marry, do you not leave your parents in any case?"

"Well when most people complete their education and take up jobs, they tend to leave their parents home anyway, and I too lived on my own, close to my place of work." She explained. "And I guess looking at it now, it must be some form of training to run one's own household when you meet your future partner… But even then travel is very easy, unlike in Middle Earth. We have many roads and methods of transport. So we often see our family. My parents would visit me several times a week, often - unless I was very busy at work, of course. Even my sister's family would visit me once a week!"

"Mahal, and how would you protect yourself, living alone?" she seemed genuinely interested. "My sons said they gave you your very first training…"

"Yes, but we have police – like your guards in Erebor. Except they are present throughout the land. And those caught breaking the law and apprehended and placed in prison." Shobha explained. "Of course it isn't to say that there are no criminals and everything is safe. I am still careful travelling in certain areas at night, and travelling late at night in general. There are still opportunistic robberies that take place and assaults against women."

"And do you miss your old way of life, my dear?"

"Well actually, the conveniences of Erebor are very similar to what I had before.. the running water, the showers. And in fact if anything, its nice not to have to cook or clean all yourself…" Shobha continued sincerely. "In fact everyone has been so kind, I feel quite at home now. Which makes me feel a tad guilty thinking about my parents… And I wish I knew more about Dwarven culture – but I am learning now."

"Is it just your family, my dear…" Dis asked subtly taking a sip of wine casually, before turning her gaze back to Shobha. "Have you no husband or betrothed one…?"

"No husband – "

"But surely you must have had many suitors asking for your hand. Look at you!" Dis smiled. "And I hear you are a most skilled healer and artisan…"

"Well, there was a man I was set to marry," Shobha suddenly felt rather self conscious. Thorin, Dwalin, Balin and the princes were now subtly attempting to pay close attention to the conversation once more. They really would have given her mother's nosy friends a run for their money. "But he decided, he would rather be with another..."

"Was it a political alliance?" She asked curiously.

"No - he claimed he loved me…" Shobha could tell Dis was used to people following her every order, and so was used to such a direct line of conversation.

"And did you love him…?" She once again kept her gaze intensely on Shobha.

"I thought I did. But I am not so sure anymore… when I met him I was very young, you see. Looking back I doubt I knew much of love then." Shobha took a sip of wine – she needed a gallon of water after this chat. She could see Thorin was clenching and unclenching his fist, in the periphery of her vision.

"Oh Mahal! And your parents did not object to your being courted when you were underage?" She pressed on.

"Well I was of age, I just had finished my education and started work. It was very difficult work and I suppose I was not experienced in life in general." Shobha finally concluded.

"I'm sorry," Dis suddenly realised. "Have I made you uncomfortable?"

"No not at all- I would have similar conversations with my sister, in a way that you could never have with anyone else."

"I wish I had a sister when I was growing up…" Dis sighed. "Instead I had old grumpy and poor Frerin, who was a complete clown!"

"I never had any brothers growing up…" Shobha said smiling softly at Dwalin and Balin.

"Oh my dear – those two are more like your cranky uncles, I would say!" Dis chuckled, winking at them across the table. "And what of mankind in your land. Do they all look as beautiful as you?"

"Oh no – well they are mostly taller than me. But in the country I come from, called Great Britain, they have a complexion similar to you all here. Where as my parents migrated from a different country, called India, many decades ago. The people there have a complexion similar to me. We are considered of different races.." she tried to explain.

"But you are all mankind are you not..?" Thorin finally joined in, curious.

"Yes. I guess the races there are divided by the way you look…"

"But here both the men of Dale and Rhûn are all one race, even if they look different." Thorin ran his large hand along his beard thoughtfully. "The same goes for our dwarves. The clans are different in appearance, but we are still of one race."

"Ah! In that case we would be considered a different clan then."

"And what about your courting rites..?" Kili chipped in grinning. "We are all curious how that works?"

"Well I guess there is no set method of doing that…" Shobha frowned thinking how to describe it. "I suppose there are certain things that are done, like many people get married after a proposal involving a ring being presented by the man to the woman. But even that is not a set thing."

"And what about the customary dress for your people?" Dis asked curiously as they all rose from their seats around the table to move towards the fireplace. "Although you do carry a dress rather nicely."

Shobha had spent the rest of the evening describing the Sari, designer wear and other clothing worn. She was also surprised to see than even the women enjoyed a pipe, Dis included. The tobacco they smoked was far less potent, and much more mild and fragrant, compared to what Shobha had ever come across so it was not so unpleasant to be around.

Other discussion topics included Durin's Day and the upcoming celebrations. It was truly a big deal. There would be a fair with market stalls, a tournament of skills including archery, axe and sword throwing, their traditional wrestling, a very large feast for everyone, plenty of ale and fireworks courtesy of Gandalf to conclude the night.

Suddenly Shobha felt as though her heart would sink… Gandalf would finally arrive and she would have to say her final goodbyes to everyone. She felt surprised at this. Was she not ready to leave yet?

Dis had then invited her to join them to visit the seamstress to have their Durin's Day dresses tailored, and she was to join them tomorrow morning. Apparently everyone had a new outfit made for this day each year. It was customary. What's more she mentioned that all the nobles would take the opportunity to dress their daughters in revealing and garish dresses in order to get them paired off with other noble dwarrows. And Dis had then whispered quietly that they should make Shobha a Sari.