"Gandalf!"

The wizard hurried along to the sitting room where Thorin was being held back by four guards. Even without his sword, he looked wild, as he thrashed about at the guards who formed a wall in front of him, holding him at bay with great difficulty.

"Gandalf! Where is she?!" He yelled from behind the wall of dol Amroth men.

His clothes were torn, his face had cuts and bruises, and he stared at the men with murderous eyes.

"We have been very busy attending to your wife, King Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror!" Gandalf spoke calmly, holding his hands up. "She is most exhausted after giving birth. And if you are to be of any use to her, then you should let us tend to your wounds, clean up and mind your babes for a while..."

Whatever enchantment he seemed to cast appeared to be working, as all parties involved seemed to calm down immediately.

"Very well. But I must see her as soon as possible." Thorin agreed before the Wizards words finally registered with him. "Babes?!"

Gandalf began to lead Thorin away.

"Yes, that is right. Your wife has given birth to triplets..." Gandalf smiled. "Two boys and a girl..."

"Triplets!" Thorin exclaimed. "Mahal! Is this possible?! I have never heard nor.."

"It was fortunate that the Druedain clan of Ered Nimrais found her, for they have looked after her well indeed." Gandalf smiled.

"A daughter too," Thorin repeated quietly. The words carried as much pride as they did utter surprise. They were the musings of a dwarf who finally felt the responsibility of the world upon his shoulders that he should now protect not only a wife but also a daughter!

"Yes," Gandalf smiled turning to him, still careful to conceal the entire truth. It was sad that she had perished labouring, but it was not within his control.

"And her hair? How did the travelling merchants come about it?"

"She traded it in exchange for clothes for herself, and some bathtubs to help her hosts."

"This had not been passed on to us. And Fili was led to believe the hair had been taken from her body..." Thorin trailed off, the pain still palpable from having believed it to be true, and his world had shattered in that moment. The stark contrast he felt now was indescribable. "I can imagine her doing this."

Thorin grumbled about it, but it was not a true discontent for the news he had been informed had placed him not as King under the Mountain, but as King of all Arda!

"Tell me, Gandalf? How long should she rest for? Surely the babes will need feeding?" Thorin replied as they turned a corridor. "I recall this with Dis. Mahal! And triplets! Perhaps we shall need a wet nurse also?"

"Yes... That maybe a wise idea..." Gandalf agreed, hoping the dwarf did not suspect any problem. "Now you must be quiet, as they have all settled down..."

Gandalf stopped them outside a grand door, gently pushing it open into a bright room.

Inside, a strangely dressed, small woman with short curly hair and tanned complexion, scurried about clearing up while sniffing, when she saw them both arrive, she bowed her head.

"This is Mistress Ghia," Gandalf introduced. "Please could you get us some towels and dressings for King Thorins wounds, and arrange for a bath to be drawn up."

Ghia looked perplexed at the dwarf King at first, expected him to be filled with Grief, and then realised Gandalf had not revealed the truth yet. She did not trust elves nor the miar. Her impression of these races was a false sense of elevation and thought that they possessed the highest knowledge, when they were just as fallible as any other.

"Yes, Master Wizard." Ghia quickly left the room, glad to be free of this charade. "Do not wake them, my lords. They are all tired..."

Gandalf quietly ushered Thorin closer to the large crib, to peer inside.

There laying huddled together were all three babes, now swaddled well, their little faces like angels, with dark lashes resting on their cheeks, and a light scattering of fluffy dark hair on their heads also.

The most amusing thing about the three was that they had all huddled together, two wrapping their arms around the one in the middle!

Thorin smiled as he observed them, and then suddenly felt impatient to clean himself up so that he might hold them!

And then he spotted the grand armchair by the crib, in which a well dressed man, tall, lean and muscularly built, lay asleep. He was clearly of a high birth and Thorin couldn't help but wonder what role this man from dol Amroth played in their children's lives.

"That is Prince Adrahil," Gandalf whispered. "He rescued your bride from the White mountains and brought her here in the last few weeks of her gestation... He was also there for her through the labour and now refuses to leave the babes...until you are here of course..."

"That is a most generous deed he has done, and it shall not be forgotten, but I should perhaps not wake him, until I am cleaned up and my wounds tended." Thorin spoke decisively. "It appears that my One has been fortunate in those who have loved and cared for her in my absence."

"Yes, this is true...but she always had that draw about her..." Gandalf suddenly felt the burden of his deception, as he watched the dwarf King sounding hopeful. "Let us get your wounds tended to now..."

...

Ghia bandaged his arm and then stood back to look at the various dressings she had applied to the cuts and bruises he had sustained on his torso, while he was still bare bodied.

"You dress now, my king," she commanded. "I put ointment only to face."

Thorin tilted his head in thanks and stood to pull on his tunic.

"My Lady, I must thank you for looking after my wife..." He spoke while getting dressed. "We owe you a great debt -"

But the Druedain healer had angrily turned to Gandalf, silent tears falling down her freckled cheeks at the dwarf's words.

"Master wizard, you most cruel!" She scolded him. "You lie bad, but now expect Ghia to keep silent! Me cannot!"

Gandalf looked at her sternly, but she could not longer hold it back. It was like a dam being broken.

"You must tell truth Master wizard! Ghia cannot carry on like this!" She cried. "He does not know - look he still hopes!"

Thorin who was looking entirely bewildered, suddenly turned to look at Gandalf too. He had some suspicions before, but had been overwhelmed and trusted the wizard implicitly. Now he worried.

"What does she mean?" Thorin frowned. "Tell me Gandalf?! What is it that I do not know?"

Gandalf sighed.

"There are things you need to know..."

"I need to know about what Gandalf?!" Thorin spoke sternly. "That my nephew's and I risked our lives and the lives of those dearest to us on this quest for Erebor once, upon your advice - nearly meeting our end for it! And now how this quest has been yet another suicide mission; once again putting the lives of my unborn children in danger -"

Gandalf calmly gestured, attempting to settle everyone down, as Thorin stood looking bewildered and the Druedain woman fell into a chair heavily, openly crying now.

"It is important to consider all matters and about what must be known -"

"What must be known?" Thorin repeated again. "Do not speak in riddles to me Gandalf -"

And then he watched the healer woman as she appeared to be sobbing her heart out. This should not have been an occasion to be overcome with such sadness!

Something seemed to finally connect in Thorins head. The confusion on his face clearly shifted to utter horror, as he regarded the wizard, his sapphire eyes widened!

"Where is she?" Thorin suddenly asked Gandalf, who's reactions were painfully slow. "Where is my WIFE, Gandalf?!"

"I must tell you first -"

Thorin had no time for Gandalf any longer, as he rushed across the room and out of the door.

The guard in the corridor looked down at the dwarf as he shouted.

"Show me where my wife is?! Your guest!" He shouted, half crazed.

The guard was quick, he moved over to block the door that he guarded, but Thorin physically shoved him out of the way, grabbing the handle and wrenching the heavy door open.

But behind it was the nursery where his newborn infants all slept.

Suddenly his heart began to pound, as he considered what an ordeal his wife must have suffered to give birth so many times back to back!

He knew what a strain just a single birth was for his sister on both occasions, and he also remembered the dam who died of childbirth after she had twins, soon after they settled into Ered Luin!

He could feel a sickness gathering in the pit of his stomach as he opened the next room, to an empty suite.

"I shall kick down every door in your kingdom until I see my wife!" He finally roared out of frustration!

Ghia, still sobbing, had run into the corridor now, and Thorin ran towards her.

"Please, for Mahal's sake take me to my wife!" He spoke gently to her, in a desperate plea. Even with his anger and frustration, this woman deserved none of it. "Please! For all that she meant to you?! If she stayed with you for so long, I am certainly you would have loved her as we all do!"

Ghia looked up, still crying and nodded silently.

"We love girl! Like girl, Ghia own daughter!" She sobbed harder, nodding.

He knew nothing was right.

All he wanted was to hold his One - his wife! But this woman's heart seemed perhaps as broken as his!

He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket. It was tattered, but it was all he had, and perhaps was more than what she had.

Slowly he offered it to her, gently patting her arm.

"Yes, to know her is to love her." He pleaded softly. "Please...I must see her..."

After initially hesitating, she took his hand with hers, and shakily led her to another door very close by.

All she could bring herself to do now was to put her hand on the knob and open it, before she slid down to the ground softly sobbing again.

He had been scouring every possible part of my Middle Earth in search of her for so long, and yet he hesitated outside the door for a little. He had done this for his own father, and even held on hope for so long!

The moment he walked through the door it would all be over.

His thoughts flashed back to that first time he had set eyes on her, and the first summer she had spent with them in Erebor - when she had handed him a small posy of wild flowers... He had always known she was his One. And now she had given him so much more than just all her love.

She had given him the gift of new life.

Heart broken, and almost unable to take those last few steps, he forced himself to walk through the door.

There inside the warmly lit room was a grand bed. He could see a sleeping form laying on top.

Slowly he took another agonising step, and another, and another, until he could see her.

She lay there in a white gown, like one of the Vala, her long dark hair flowing down in rivulets around her shoulders.

Her eyes were closed, and her pretty features relaxed. She could have looked as though in a deep slumber, but for her hands which were arranged together over her abdomen with a small bouquet of flowers placed in her hands.

Tears falling from his eyes silently, he hurried over to her, the final steps he took on his knees, before collapsing at her side sobbing silently into the white dress she was in.

Thorin had led a hard life, with much loss, hardship and suffering but he had always found the strength in himself to carry on.

Today, he felt all this was gone. He felt old, worn and tired. And he barely had the strength in him to get up.

He knew he would have to somehow find his strength again for their children. But for now, he just wanted to be here by her side.

Time stood still where he sat next to her bed, when the sound of the door opening made him look up.

To his complete surprise, the visitor was not one he had ever expected - Thranduil!

"Come to gloat?" He wanted to be angry. To rage and rant at the Elven king, but the fire in him was gone. He didn't give him a second glance as he sat leant against the bed.

"I come to grieve." Thranduils reply was unexpected and soft. "I must offer my unreserved apology, that I did not trust my instincts, and bind her life to mine sooner..."

It made Thorin look up at him this time. Thranduils flamboyant sense of dress, was more effeminate than kingly, even by Elvish standards, as far as Thorin was concerned. But in stark contrast to his loud attire, the elf looked so worn out, he looked almost like a mortal man.

"What do you mean?" Thorin frowned. "With exception to the healer woman, no other will speak of what happened... And I cannot bring myself to ask her, for she is as much affected as I..."

"I am sorry. You deserve to know what happened... And that she thought of you and your children always," Thranduil moved near him and placed a hand on his shoulder. It was a strange gesture from the usually cold and repulsive elf. But it was now clear that his wife had moved even this soul. "She had lost much blood during child birth. The first babe was a struggle, and the second babe needed an enchantment...It was entirely unexpected that she had a third babe to deliver...a terrible twist of fate even."

Thranduils words were strangely pained. He had never seen this cold self-centred elf like this before!

Thorin fell silent listening as the elven king came to sit on the floor beside him by her bed.

"She said that she had received visions from...Mordor..."

"Aye, we spent time with Elrond trying to help her close the connection, for all were certain she had some ability to communicate through her thought." Thorin looked down at his hands as he recollected their time in Rivendell. It had not been the most pleasant of places for him, but she certainly seemed to enjoy it. And it had been the first time in a long while that he had enjoyed being free of his daily duties in Erebor. "It was between Rivendell and Lorien that we were ambushed."

"We are all to blame in this," Thranduil closed his eyes. "Had we not revealed word of this prophesy, then she would have no reason to make such a journey -"

"It was always in her heart," Thorin sighed remembering how she had been distant ever since the attack. "I think she had a longing to see her parents once more..."

They both sat in silence, side by side. It was strangely unnatural, but not in any way uncomfortable. Each one contemplated the life that had been given up for the three lives that lay sleeping next door.

"Do you believe it to be true then?"

Thranduil finally asked, not that it mattered to him. "She believed with complete certainty, that the dark lord was...her...father..?"

Thorin blinked in disbelief at first.

"Perhaps it may explain why she was transported here...?" Thorin mused. "She believed the darkness was gathering strength... So I imagine Gandalf had some inclination of this..."

They both fell silent again, wondering how much Gandalf truly knew or believed.

"And yet you would bind yourself to her?" Thorin raised an eyebrow at the elf.

"Yes." His reply came without hesitation. "My only regret is not doing this earlier..."

Once again each sat in silence contemplating the others words.

"You should know that she wrote her final wishes before..." Thranduil tailed off. "And they were not to be entombed in stone..."

"Yes, I am well aware of what she wished for!" Thorin snapped.

"Forgive me." The elf stood up abruptly, pausing to place his hand on his chest. "You have much cause to believe that my word is meaningless, but my offer of help to your consort stands, even now...for you...and your children..."

Thorin tilted his head in acknowledgement, glancing at Thranduil briefly as he left.

And then he was left alone once again with his thoughts.

Thorin had never felt so lost in his life.

...

When he woke up, the room was dark, but for one small candle in the room.

Slowly half sitting from where he lay on the floor beside her bed, he had been woken up by the sound of knocking on the door.

He made his way over to the door and opened it to find Dwalin standing outside.

His friend too had cuts and tears to his clothing, and grazes all over his skin. But he had clearly been informed of the news, for his face bore a sadness that he had not seen since his father had perished in the battle of Azanulbizar.

Dwalin was quick to grasp Thorins shoulder and bring their foreheads together.

"Baheluh..." Dwalin began to weep, as Thorin embraced him.

"I did not make it on time to be with her..."

...

"It is too soon!" Dwalin growled at the women who had arrived in her room. They had commenced wrapping her body in a shroud while Thorin and Dwalin had helped rock the newborns all back to sleep, after the wet nurse had fed them.

"My Lords, it was her wish," one of the women andwered quietly. "Her pyre has been prepared near one of our piers -"

"No! You hear me?!" Thorin pulled the material from her body and threw it at them. "Where is Prince Adrahil?! We will take her back -"

"Her body will not survive the long journey...it will decay, and then your memory of her will be lost completely." Another woman spoke. They were keepers of the dead, working in the crypts of dol Amroth, priestesses and servants of Mandos. And they were used to family clutching on to their dead in the final days, overcome by grief. "It will neither respect her wishes nor her soul. She must either be entombed or immolated..."

...

She blinked as the blinding lights beamed down on her.

A sharp pain pierced her arm making her jolt.

"Well done love, we had to put a cannula in you."

She looked down at her arm to find a man looking at her. He was dressed in green scrubs, which seemed like it was from a lifetime ago, and yet it was so familiar.

But what struck her most was his face! Fine features, and a shock of pale blonde hair poking out from beneath his theatre cap, he was unmistakeable. But was it real?

"I...know you..."

"I am your anaesthetist, honey," he smiled warmly at her. It was a stark contrast to the elf she knew, but it was surely him. "You have lost a lot of blood, so we need to rush you to theatre fast..."

"What about my babies...?" She reached out weakly to hold his hand, but he just smiled at her, brushing her cheek gently with his hand.

"I promise everything will be fine, honey. And we will chat more once you wake up," he smiled again. The large overhead lights in theatre, illuminating around his head, made him look almost angelic. "Now look, sweetheart, you should never have delivered triplets vaginally. We would have preferred to have sectioned you instead. It would have been safer for all four of you. In terms of me - I look after your resuscitation, and anaesthetic, and we won't be able to give you an epidural at this stage. Instead, we are gonna have to go for a full general anaesthetic. I am not asking for consent, sweetheart -this is an emergency, so I am just explaining it to you. "

Could it really be him?!

"Okay - but where am I?"

"Can you remember?" He placed a mask over her nose and mouth. "You are in Greenwood Hospital..."

And then another face appeared - yet another tall, dark haired man came in to sight.

"Hi my dear, it's me, the ER doctor - your OB doctor is getting scrubbed up in theatre there. And I know you would have wanted more say... But we have decided on your behalf - we will need to give you blood okay. It will be life saving."

She tried to say something more, but the trolley she lay on, began to move forward.

"Thats it sweetheart...take a few deep breaths for me..." The blonde one smiled.

Suddenly a third face appeared. He was scrubbed up, with a mask on. And yet he too was immediately recognisable.

"Right, my dear, can you take some breaths and count to ten please?"

His face was one she had studied so much in recent times - with a large scar across his eye and cheek to one side, he looked cruel, and even terrifying, but she had also seen a kinder side to him - it was her father!

"Dad..?"

But that was all she could say before she fell into the darkness.

...

Adrahil walked in on an utter commotion created around the woman.

Thorin had thrown the shroud on the floor, while Dwalin stood there with his axe drawn.

"Ah donnae care if ye are the high priestesses to me arse, I will help ye meet Mados quickly if ye come near the lass!" Dwalin shouted at the women who were now backing away.

"What ever is going on?!" Adrahil called out sternly. "You are all going to wake up the babes!"

They all turned to him, ready to talk at once, when he put his hand up.

"Perhaps you should all leave us? King Thorin and Lord Dwalin clearly wish for some more time - it is the only kind thing we can do." Adrahil walked further in and gestured for the women to leave. The women too did not hesitate, leaving them all quickly with sour looks on their faces. "I am so very sorry...I understand how hard this is. She is not my wife, or my sister, but we all grew very fond of her during her short stay..."

Thorin nodded and knelt down by her bed.

"I cannot bring myself to allow it...to be laid to rest in fire is more than I can bear..." He pressed his face into the long, flowing white gown she had been dressed in. It was not a colour he would have chosen for her, even in death, but it was the custom of dol Amroth. They believed that in death everyone was returned to the innocence with which they were once born. It was a beautiful sentiment in some ways.

"Then let us place her in our family crypt. She will be buried amongst Kings, Queens, Princes and Princesses," Adrahil offered quietly. "Then you have a place to visit in the summer months, with your children..."

Thorin looked up at her, contemplating the limited choices he had to make - none of which compared to the only outcome he truly wished for.

"But this is already the third day since her passing, and soon the decay will set in. And you will not wish to recall her so." He quietly reasoned, knowing what any of them felt was beyond such reasoning. "And Lord Dwalin, you have not rested since your perilous journey here. Why not let the women prepare her in a shroud, while you get washed and have your wounds tended, so that you may join her final journey...?"

Dwalin began to sob silently again openly.

"Third day?! She looks as bonnie as the day we all first met her..." He whispered in disbelief to Thorin.

Thorin sighed patting his dear friend on the shoulder.

"Thank you Prince Adrahil. I shall accept your very generous offer, to allow her final resting place to be among your kin." Thorin bowed his head. "Dwalin let us get you cleaned up, and I must go and check on the babes..."

Thorin began to walk towards the door and then paused beside Adrahil, noticing that the Prince of dol Amroth had too been weeping.

"No shroud though." It was a command from Thorin, King under the Mountain, and not a request in any way. "She was beautiful in life, and is just so even in death. It would be a great crime to hide this."

...

It was Adrahil who had moved her onto the raft created to carry her to the crypt.

The raft had been lovingly made of a particular scented wood found at the foothills of Ered Nimrais, which the Druedain people had used

It was their final gift to her. It had been decorated with the few winter flowers available. It was truly beautiful - a final bed fit for a queen.

Thorin carried his youngest born daughter, swaddled and sleeping soundly in his arms, while Dwalin and Ghia each carried their other two infants.

Two of the keepers of the dead, dressed in white at the head of the small group carried torches. They did not sing their mourning songs.

They all simply walked in silence, with Adrahil and three other guards carrying her raft on her shoulder.

Around them the darkness was now descending.

There was a silent sadness amongst them all. It was as though the very path they took wept with grief for their loss.

The dwarves and the Druedain woman held the infants close against the cold of the evening, for this would be the final journey they took with their mother.

And as they neared the royal crypt of dol Amroth, each one of the small group that accompanied her, found tears falling from their eyes silently.

Finally Adrahil and the three other tall men of Amroth, lay the raft which bore her down on the cold stone plinth which stood before the large crypt.

Night had now fallen completely. But for the few torches that burned by the crypt and the two carried by their group, it was dark.

In the darkness, on the cold stone plinth, she lay on the beautiful raft of scented wood and flowers, draped in the long white dress, on display for one last time.

It was a darkness devoid of hope and life.

And there in that darkness...she opened her eyes.

...

Dear All

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for following, posting - each post made my day btw 💙, and keeping me going throughout.

It has been tough figuring out the end - I hope it is not too much of an anticlimax. And as all my stories all go, there will be a few loose ends left for your imagination.

I have decided I won't be writing a sequel to this story. But I will post the odd one-off chapter.

Otherwise the next chapter will be the last to the main storyline for 'a gift for Thorin'.

Again, thank you so very much for all your support 💙💙💙

Dear JaliceJelsa4eva - thank you so much for your kind review, you really inspired me to post again! Hope you like this chapter too :)