"But how do you truly know?" Estel pressed the dwarf once more.

"Know what?" Thorin sighed, halting his work for the third time, wiping his brow with the back of his hand. He should have suspected that the young Lord had an ulterior motive for agreeing to help him in the forges, and dismissing both Celebring, the elven smith, and Dwalin.

Estel gestured at the bellows again but Thorin shook his head. The metal was already cooling down, and he was certain he would be interrupted again anyway.

"Whether a lady returns your love?" Estel shrugged trying to look nonchalant. "How did you know with Lady Shobha?"

"In truth, I believed she missed her home land for many months." He set the sword down allowing it to cool, reminiscing of how he longed to hold and comfort her then.

"And there was nothing she did which made you believe she harboured feelings for you, my Lord?" Estel smiled lightly at the angst that momentarily washed across the dwarf King's older, but handsome face. It appeared despite the number of years one lived, the uncertainty of early love was the same for all!

"Aye, there were certain things which she did, but perhaps unknowingly," the corners of Thorin's lips pulled up ever so slightly into the faintest of smiles, as he wiped the grease and sweat off his arms, and began clearing his work counter. "She once gave me flowers, while she played with the younglings. This is only done amongst courting dwarves – but then I wasn't sure whether she intended it…"

Estel listened with baited breath, as the dwarf cleaned and set aside some of his tools, not wanting interrupt in case it silenced him.

"Every evening for a while she would read in my study, books from my library. We spoke little but it was a comfort to me that she felt at ease in my company." He had even allowed his mind to run wild, imagining her sitting there reading to perhaps one or two of their own younglings. A wish he hoped Mahal would be kind enough to grant them still. "But she put herself in harms way for me on several occasions…"

He thought back to the few times when they had touched, the time she had run into him as he tried on some clothes, or how he touched her bare skin on Durins Day when she wore a Sari for the first time, and she didn't shy away from his touch.

Then his thoughts drifted back to when he kissed her for the first time that day after the cave-in, he had been so desperate to taste her. And despite the number of times he had her in so many different ways, he still craved her with the same intensity.

"Every love story is different. Perhaps, Lord Estel, you should start by seeking permission to court Lady Arwen… tell her how you feel. If she accepts your courtship, then get to know her, and with time you can let her know – that you love her." Thorin wrapped the shards of the sword carefully.

"Very well my Lord –" at first Estel nodded emphatically, and then paused, suddenly shock written across his youthful features. "How – How did you know my Lord?"

Thorin tilted his head, carrying the pieces back to be returned to the library, overnight. He would have to make up for lost time from today, but would not permit the lovelorn young Lord to accompany him to the forge again! At least he would enjoy more time in his One's arms today.

"My wife, is… blessed… with certain gifts of her own…" and then he added before carrying on to reassure him. "Fear not though, for your secret is safe with us."

"But I only met Lady Arwen this very week. Merely days ago!" Estel still couldn't believe it. The Queen must have been a seer of sorts to have known, surely!

Thorin groaned inwardly, he was ill equipped to have such conversations. He had not done so even with his own nephews. He would be grateful as soon as he returned the shards to their temporary housing and rejoined the safety of his wife's company.

"Aye, but you are here asking me after her like a youngling that truly noticed a lass for the first time." Thorin winced at his own tone, and then softened slightly, imagining his wife's chastising look at him in this very moment. "What I mean to say is, young Lord Estel, it is not easy to talk to a lady let alone admit to her how you feel when you truly love her…"

Estel lifted his gaze from his feet up to meet the dwarf Kings eyes, realising that he too had felt this for the first time not long ago himself, despite being vastly older!

Thorin sighed and sat down on the steps to the library and gestured for the young Lord to take a seat beside him. Immediately uplifted by his openness, Estel bounded up the steps and eagerly took a seat beside the King under the Mountain.

"I had lived a life on my own, happily. Not that there weren't lasses. There were plenty that threw themselves at me, pretty ones… attractive ones. I even had several of the best courtesans in the Kingdoms also – so…" Thorin cleared his throat a little bashful. "What I mean to say is that I knew what pleasure was. But I was happy on my own. And through all the hard times, the battles, the exile, the loss, and the fight to reclaim what was ours… never for even a moment did I ever doubt myself, or second guess anything."

The understanding in the young man's eyes slowly creeping in was evident. He sat silently urging Thorin on.

"And then one day when we were out hunting, we found her, lost, hurt, hungry, vulnerable… and that was it." He swallowed with difficulty forcing the rest out. He hadn't even spoken to Dwalin with such honesty about Shobha, although it couldn't be clearer that his closest friend understood too well how he felt. "I knew what I wanted, but I feared with all my life that she wouldn't wish for the same… I would rather have faced Smaug or Azog hundreds of time over than be crippled by the fear I felt that she might not return even a fraction of my feelings towards her. Or that she might wish to return home – leaving me."

"So how did you find out….?" Estel eagerly asked.

"I asked her." And then Thorin smiled to himself. It was strictly not true. "Well I sort of asked her… and then I kissed her – and to my surprise she kissed me back…"

"So I should kiss Arwen?"

"No! Not just like that!" Thorin slapped his hand to his forehead. "Talk to her a bit more, ask her about herself... Take your time. You are both young… if she has time to listen to what you have to say, then she most likely holds some feelings towards you."

Estel beamed, a slight blush tinting his cheeks at the thought of talking to his Tinuviel once more.

"Now go and get yourself washed and dressed for the feast this eve. I imagine your lady will be there, perhaps you might steal a few moments with her." Thorin stood up and winked at the young man. "Either way, you must present your best self to her, so off with you to the bath."

…..

"Focus… harder!" Elrond took a firmer tone with the young woman.

Shobha took another breath slowly, and her thoughts cleared once more. Then she could see it, as the image cleared into view.

A dark room, dimly lit with dark stone walls surrounding. The lines of the architecture were sharp, straight and austere. And the floor was marbled, but also dark and smooth. Before her was a large, grand stone desk. Also dark, made of severe lines. And on it lay a book, the writing was not clear, but a withered hand turned through the pages.

"Nothing is mentioned of the Heir of Durin taking an Easterling woman as a bride…" the voice rumbled on sceptically as the pages continued to turn.

But the turning was interrupted by a frustrated growl, and her view turned towards a medium sized table in the centre of the room behind.

Weakly the figure stood and moved towards the table on which there was a bolus shape under a silken shroud. The pale, spidery hands reached out to the shroud and pulled it back to reveal a smooth, dark, and perfectly round crystal ball. The swirls in the marbled markings of the crystal began to move slowly, speeding up as they went.

An image began to come into view. Again, slowly she could see the patterns merging and parting and there on a bed she could see an image of herself, face pale, eyes loosely shut, hair undone and dishevelled as she lay there in a large white nightgown. As the image moved further out she could see how lifeless she lay, blood soaking into the sheets below her and over the lower half of her.

Beside her Thorin knelt down by the bed weeping, as he clutched at her desperately. She had never seen his cry like that. And behind him, Dis stood hushing a baby with a small shock of jet black hair, tears silently streaming down her own pale face as the baby seemed to cry swaddled in her arms. Not a single sound could be heard beyond her own pounding heart as it beat out of her chest, while understanding flooded her like a crashing wave.

Immediately, the images disappeared and she gasped for air, opening her eyes to find Elrond by her side again, watching her closely with open worry and fear creasing his forehead and brows. She attempted to stand, half falling into the giant elf's arms, as she madly clutched at his shoulders and upper arms, desperately trying to catch her breath.

"Breathe, child. Take slow, deep breaths," he held her up as she tried to stand, but her legs gave way. "Breathe! Slower! That's it!"

"Window…" she gasped attempting to fight her way over to the open balcony door, which Elrond understood and guided her over with care, as she clawed at her own chest feeling the fresh air from the valley reach her face.

"Slower, now child. Slower…" he urged her still holding tight as she finally battled to bring her breathing under control. "Very good… that's it my lady. Slowly."

After a few minutes, she finally returned to her seat, laying back, almost partially collapsing in the large armchair.

"I do not believe anyone has ever penetrated the thoughts of the white wizard, Saruman." Elrond whispered.

Shobha simply stood at the window finally able to support herself, taking deep breaths, slowly making sense of what she had witnessed.

"That was the Palantir… so this is what is yet to come." She whispered, not knowing what to think. Thorin had been nervous about her, and she recalled the way in which Thranduil had addressed her, as though she was about to die. At the time she imagined it was to do with the impending attack on Erebor. There was always a risk of dying in childbirth, and here it would probably be much worse. There were certainly no drugs or intravenous fluids, no resuscitation algorithms… they were on a wing and a prayer. But she wouldn't go back, or do anything differently. She would willingly sacrifice her life for their baby, and regret nothing.

"There is something you need to know of the Palantir, my lady." Elrond frowned, as he walked back towards a bookshelf, reaching up to a large volume. He carried it over to his desk and set it open, releasing a cloud of dust, as he opened up to a specific page. "It's power is too great to be wielded well by any that walk this Earth. It is true that the images it shows maybe true, but even like the white lady's mirror in Lorien, the future it shows is one possibility of many."

Shobha slowly walked over to stand by him looking at the open pages. There were detailed drawings of the magic stone, and a lot of writing, but it was clearly in sindarin.

"So those who are powerful enough, like Saruman and Sauron who might use the Palantir, can control what images are seen, manipulating the truth."

"Oh. I see." It was all she could manage. There was still every chance that she would die of childbirth, and now that didn't bother her anymore. What she did need to do, was to prepare for such an eventuality. She would write her story, and her thoughts for her baby, in case they never had the chance to meet her. That would be the only way she could die in peace, when the time came.

He watched her deep in thought, glossing over the foreign words written neatly across the pages.

…..

Thorin walked his wife silently along the open stone walkways towards the grand hall where the feast had been prepared. Something had very subtly changed in her, that he had noticed. She clearly did well in hiding it, but he knew her too well not to notice. There was no point in asking her, for he knew she would deny anything was the matter.

The evening was warm, and pleasant, a sign of summer arriving.

"My lady," he paused at a terrace wall, and pulled her gently into his arms, letting one of his hands gently drop to the growing swell of her belly. "Are you tired, perhaps Lord Elrond should allow you some respite?"

"I'm ok, for now, Thorin." She leant into him, brushing her lips against his softly. "I am enjoying this. We don't always get time for each other like this at home…"

Beneath them the whole of Imladris was in view, the small lights that lit each walkway, room and hall dimly illuminated the pale stone that build the elven city. With their archways, lean lines, domes and slim pillars, Rivendell looked like a magical city indeed, even if it was not to his taste.

"Are you enjoying being back in the forges?" She had never seen him smithing. Perhaps she would need to visit one day.

"These are not my royal forges, but they are suitable, now I have my bearings. Celebring, their master blacksmith is most helpful also…" he felt as though he were fumbling again. Like when he first met her, and at times found himself tongue-tied.

She watched him and smiled softly. Her thoughts were back on him, and what it was that worried him, that he clearly was struggling to talk with her about.

"Something worries you." She ran her hands up his chest and watched him shut his eyes appreciatively.

"You worry me, Amralime." He groaned, clutching her hands in his, to stop her gentle touches having their effects on him. "But if you keep doing that I will want to take you right here."

"Well now, my horny husband… you are the one that introduced me to the thrill of public sex and getting caught." She smiled, kissing him quickly before slowly and oh so gently sucking at his bottom lip. "And maybe now, I too, have a little taste for it."

He blushed, suddenly and very profusely, no longer able to control either his thoughts which had strayed to where he had been resisting earlier as he secretly watched her get dressed. Nor was he able to control the effects she had on his body, which had a mind of its own with her. She was indeed very good at making him forget about his worries temporarily. Growling, he picked her up in his arms and turned back towards their room. They could afford to be a few minutes late.

…..

Dinner had been a lavish vegetarian affair, but she hadn't heard any of the dwarves grumble at the lack of meat, only to be secretly informed that they had already filled up on their meat stash from previously! Thorin of course, had filled up on other satiating activities, and found himself ravenous regardless of the lack of 'brown food items' on his plate!

Elrond had seated himself between Arwen and a very smartly dressed Estel, who spent much of the evening with eyes only for one another, much to the elven lord's ire. Although Shobha had engaged the beautiful young elleth in discussion over what Lothlorien was like, as she had been staying there for some time prior to this. Thorin had silently listened to his wife engaging in conversation, trying to gauge her mood. Despite their intimate time, he had been unable to coax her worried out of her.

After dinner they had all moved to the large sheltered gazebo where several elves had played gentle music while they all conversed quietly in little groups. Arwen and Estel once again moving towards each other, while Thorin and Dwalin kept Elrond engaged in various conversations involving state business and army matters. Although her husband had indeed confessed to her earlier after their 'quickie' that he had intended to run a small mount of interference on behalf of the young man to keep Elrond occupied. Shobha had found it very sweet when Thorin had confided in her that Estel had sought out his advice on matters of the heart, although he was such a matter of fact and grumpy dwarf that she would have loved to have been a fly on the wall at the time. Dwalin, who had also grown to be rather fond of Estel over the last few weeks, had been in on his best friend's plan to help the young couple also.

And so Shobha found herself seated with Bilbo and Gandalf at the back. The wizard and hobbit had sat there smoking a greatly reduced amount of pipe weed, so there was almost no smoke, making it almost pointless, in order to protect her.

"So how is your writing coming along Bilbo?" Shobha asked quietly.

"Oh! Marvellously! I find myself truly resting here and my memories and words finding my pages so easily here." Bilbo smiled. "How are you feeling, my lady? You certainly look better."

"Yes, I haven't been sick much at all since arriving." She nodded enthusiastically. "And its so pretty isn't it?"

"Hmmmm… it's certainly given you both a LOT more private time!" Bilbo winked mischievously, making Gandalf burst into a fit of coughing.

"I trust, your nightmares have gone away for now…" Gandalf quietly muttered, in between further coughing as Bilbo dashed off to get the old wizard a glass of water.

"Yes, is that some sort of enchantment?" Her accusatory look was followed by a grateful nod. "Not that I am not appreciative of being rid of those horrid nightmares… it's just that I saw –"

"I know. Lord Elrond informed me." He confessed reluctantly and chuckled as he spoke the rest. "At first we had placed a protective spell on you, but it has been lifted for some time. Elrond believes the very vivid memories of your rather enthusiastic intimate activities with the King under the Mountain, will either distract or deter Sauron's attempts to invade your thoughts."

She could feel her face flushing at his words. Despite her best attempts, when her mind had been turned to painful thoughts, her automatic response had been to seek refuge in the pleasurable memories. In her case apparently, her most pleasurable subconscious memories had been a thorough seeing-to by him!

"Gandalf, I need you to do something for me…" she changed the subject after a moment of awkward silence, when she wished Bilbo were here still. "If I die during labour –"

"I think you read into too much into what you saw." Gandalf looked at her seriously. "It is impressive that you were able to enter the thoughts of the great White Wizard. However, I highly doubt that he was unaware. Perhaps you saw what you were meant to see?"

"Then you know he may have been corrupted by Sauron?"

"You cannot make such an accusation against a member of the white council, and I will warn you against making such accusations so lightly." Gandalf spoke sternly to her. "There is no suggestion that his allegiance lies elsewhere!"

Bilbo arrived then carrying a glass of water for Gandalf.

"Ah! Thank you Bilbo."

"Here they are –" Bilbo called out as Arwen followed.

"Lady Shobha, please sing us a song." Arwen moved over gracefully, extending her hand towards Shobha's.

"Oh my! I'm not really a singer…"

"That's not true! Ye sing well when ye think no one hears ya!" Oin called out. The gruff old healer, wore a cheeky smile of betrayal.

"Please, my lady!" Estel joined Arwen.

"Aye a song from your lands!" Nori encouraged the young lovers from where he sat with his brothers, who grinned encouragingly.

"Yes! A song from your lands about love!" Arwen smiled, pulling on her hand now, gently attempting to usher her towards where the musicians stood almost statue still.

"And we have seen you play, King Thorin. It would be a great honour if you would accompany your Queen." Lord Elrond invited him.

"Please, my lady?" Arwen implored again.

Feeling obliged, and moved more by the young lovers, Thorin extended his hand out to Shobha, who took it and followed him towards the large harp, where the elven musicians had moved away.

"I will follow you, my lady." He whispered to her as they sat on the stone seat together, and he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Just sing to me and ignore everyone else."

She looked at the elves and dwarves who watched them both eagerly, a captive audience, and then felt a pang of guilt. She would need to think of a song that she remembered all the lyrics to, and slow it down, adjusting the tone. As she scanned the small gathering she spotted even Elrond was so engaged himself that he had failed to notice how Arwen and Estel had moved to stand close together.

She had no grand love songs for elves and dwarves. It would have to be an old simple indie song, that could be easy to sing. So she pushed her nerves back, then began soft and slow.

"We can fight our desires, oooh,

But when we start making fires,

We get ever so hot,

Whether we like it or not,

They say we can love who we trust,

But what is love without lust?

Two hearts with accurate devotions, oooh,

What are feelings without emotions.

I'm going in for the kill, doing it for the thrill,

Oh I'm hoping you'll understand, and not let go of my hand."

Thorin had accompanied her with a gentle set of chords perfectly, and while she didn't dare look at the group, her eyes moved towards Estel and Arwen. The tall, beautiful elleth leant against Estel as he held her hand, smiling at her, lost in their own world. It made her feel sad thinking of the way their love story ended.

"I hang my hopes out on the line, oooh,

And they'd be ready for you in time,

If you leave them out too long,

They'll be withered by the sun,

Full stops and exclamation marks,

My words stumble before I start,

How far can you send emotions? Mmmm,

Can this bridge cross the ocean?

I'm going in for the kill, doing it for the thrill,

Oh I'm hoping you understand, and not let go of my hand."

As she finished, the small crowd cheered them both and Thorin kissed her hand gently. But she had come to realise just as she felt sad for the way in which Arwen and Aragorn's story would end, there was likely to be a similar sad ending for her and Thorin. For all things would finally come to an end.

That night they would take their time and make love slowly, enjoying every moment so that even if they had a sad ending, there would have been plenty of wonderful moments also.

….

Dear All,

Thank you so much for following. Sorry I've been longer between updates, but things have been too hectic to keep my previous pace up. I am going to take a small rest over Easter, and will be back in a couple of weeks. For readers following Thorins Fate my other story, will try to post one more chapt before the break. otherwise happy holidays!

Until then please do let me know your thoughts xx

Special thank yous to –

Redhouseclan – thank you so much! Thorin and Shobha are enjoying a little break from erebor for now. I think it is helping him as much as it is helping her (of course he won't admit it). As for the pregnancy, more will be revealed in time ;) hope you enjoy this chapter too :)

Dragonegyptianblue – Soooo true - sadly the growing powers will have some consequences. As for the sword, it won't affect the timelines. In the books it was reforged by the time Aragorn leaves with the fellowship anyway (which makes sense because he introduces himself to Eomer as Isildurs heir when they first enter Rohan)… but I felt the dwarves were never given a fair shot, so I wanted them to reforge the sword originally made by their craft... All will be revealed in time ;) hope you ejnoy this chaptwr too :)

UnaLouise – lol! I soooo imagined Elrond to be a prude too, which is why I wrote that bit in! And I love Dwalin, so I imagine he would be badass funny, with very colourful language lol! Hope you enjoy this chapter too :)

ColdOnePaul – Thorin's attempts to reforge the sword are being hindered at the moment by a lovestruck Aragorn at the moment (haha!), so we may indeed see him get help from an elf… Elrond is a bit of a dad! (Aw!) As for Galadriel… she will have her input, but she will have a special entrance! ;) lol! I remember when I used to eat meat, christmas holiday used to feel like a continuous period of excess meat and the pain that came with it! Lol! Unfortunately, nuts, roast spuds and Christmas pudding makes me feel the same (and just for further torture I still put a cheese board out as well! Why? I don't know! Ugh! Easter is death by chocolate!) hope you enjoy this one too :)

Priya24626 – thank you so much. Hope you enjoy this one too :)