"Halien, wait." He said, then saw the baby in her arms. "You had the child?"
Halien smiled. "Aye, brother. He came early, but yes. This is your nephew, Frerin."
Legolas looked at the baby and smiled, looking at the dark-haired little nephew. His smile widened when he saw that he had pointed ears, just like his mother. "He is so small," Legolas commented.
Halien laughed. "He was four months early, Legolas. But he is healthy and that is what matters."
Legolas looked at his sister. "Halien, why did you choose a dwarf? Why would you marry him and have his child?"
"Ever since Father made me the ambassador between the Men of Dale, the dwarves of Erebor, and our Woodland Realm, I have grown accustomed to being away from home. I spent much time with Thorin and his family. I knew his mother, his father, his brother, his sister. I knew his grandfather the king. I even met his cousin, Dain, once. The dwarves of Erebor fascinated me and I was treated with respect and loved by the people." Halien explained. "Back in the Greenwood, everyone scorned me. I could not ride an elk, I could not play with the other children. I was looked at as an outcast because of my magik. It made me different, unworthy of the attention of my kin. But in Dale and Erebor, it was different. Perhaps it is because Thorin has been there for me more than my own people ever had been, but whatever the reason, I love Thorin Oakenshield with all my heart and I chose to spend my life with him."
Legolas smiled and embraced his sister. "You have changed, Halien. You have changed so much, for the better, I think, in the years you have been away. But even still, you are and always will be my little sister. I still do not like dwarves, but I do not hate them. I have you to thank for that. You have shown me a different side to them."
Halien sighed and smiled at her brother. "When this is over, you must visit some time. Come see the mountain once we rebuild. Come see Dale once we rebuild. Perhaps you can see what I saw in the days of old and understand better. But you and Tauriel have business to attend to, so I will take my leave. Be careful, brother, wherever you are going."
Legolas nodded and helped Halien into the boat. "Be careful, sister. You know there is a sickness that lies upon that treasure. I know you have faith in your husband, but do not be surprised if it has overtaken him."
Halien nodded and they shoved off from the shore to head to the western side of the lake. Halien sat with her son and watched as Legolas and Tauriel turned away. 'I love you, Legolas. Never forget that.' She called to her brother.
Legolas turned to look towards her for a moment. 'I love you too, little sister. Take care of your family. I will see you soon enough.'
As they made their way across the lake, Halien heard Bard calling for her. 'We're almost to the western shore. We'll be fine, Bard.'
'Be careful, Halien. I will see you again soon.'
Halien smiled and looked towards the mountain. "We're almost home, Frerin." She said to her son. "Soon you will meet your father and everyone else."
It did not take long to reach the shore and not much longer to make the trek past Dale and to the front gate of Erebor. Halien felt tears in her eyes as she looked upon the ruin of the gate and even still within the halls. She looked around as Bofur called out to everyone, trying to get an answer. They began to search the halls until they found Bilbo.
"No, no, don't go down there," Bilbo said. "Thorin has been down there for days."
"What do you mean?" Halien asked. "What's wrong with him?"
Fili noticed a glow of golden light and hurried to find the source. Halien and the other quickly followed behind him until they reached a walkway that overlooked the sea of gold. They watched as Thorin came out and began welcoming them.
"Thorin?" Halien said, calling to her husband.
"Halien, you made it home," Thorin said. "Look, my love. This is what we fought to reclaim."
"No, Thorin, we fought to reclaim Erebor, not the gold," Halien said. "But that does not matter now. Do you wish to meet your son?"
Thorin looked up at her at that. "My son?"
Halien smiled and nodded. "Aye, little king. Your son was impatient and came early." She said and slid down onto the gold coins. She carefully walked over to Thorin.
Thorin looked at his son as he lay in his mother's arms. He looked up and seemed to smile when he saw Thorin. "This is my son?" he asked, almost in disbelief.
"Aye, love. This is Frerin." Halien said.
"Frerin… Named after my brother?" he asked, looking at her.
Halien nodded. "Aye, I met Frerin only once, but he was a great man and looked up to you. I know he meant a lot to you and I thought it'd be fitting to give our son his name. This is Frerin II, son of Thorin Oakenshield, heir to the line of Durin."
Thorin asked if he could hold him and Halien let her husband take their son into his arms. Thorin seemed to be returning to normal, though Halien hoped it was only weariness from fighting the dragon that was making his act as such. Thorin held his son for a few minutes, then Frerin began to whimper. Halien took him from Thorin and smiled.
"Sounds like he is hungry. We will find the others." She said, looking down at Thorin. "Come join us later, little king. We need to celebrate, still, remember?"
Thorin suddenly became very distant and ignored what she said. Halien watched as he turned back towards the gold and murmured to himself.
Halien sighed and went with Bilbo to find the others. When they reached the others, Halien stood there with Frerin in her arms. She used the cloak Tauriel gave to her to cover as she breastfed her son. She looked around at her companions, her kin, and she smiled in relief.
"I am glad to see you all safe." She said.
"It is good to see you again, Halien," Balin said. "You had the babe early?"
Halien nodded. "With all the excitement, Frerin didn't wish to wait."
The others who had not yet heard her son's name smiled. They knew he was named for Thorin's brother. They knew Frerin I to be a good man and it was a great loss to all when he died. They began catching up, sharing their sides of what happened. As they did, Balin waited until the babe had finished feeding, then pulled Halien aside.
"Lass, there is something you need to know." He began.
"It's Thorin, isn't it?" she asked, looking at him sadly.
Balin nodded. "I fear it's the beginnings of dragon sickness. For sixty years that dragon slumbered, hoarding that treasure. There is no way that the gold in those halls did not absorb the greed and madness that comes with it. Thror had it too, but I had hoped that Thorin would not succumb to it. I fear he may already have."
Halien felt tears welling in her eyes. "Balin, is there no way to stop it? No way to keep him from suffering Thror's fate?"
Balin shook his head. "No, lass, I fear there is not."
Someone called out that the Lakemen were flooding into Dale and Dwalin went to seek out Thorin. When Thorin and Halien, alongside their kin, stood in the doorway looking out at Dale, they watched as all the survivors marched into the ruined city, seeking any shelter they could.
Thorin ordered the front gate sealed by first light the next morning and began to walk away. Halien, dumbfounded, turned to her husband.
"Thorin, are you really turning away from the people of Laketown? Are you really not going to help them?"
Thorin glanced back at her as he came to a halt. "It is none of my concern. It is none of your concern, either."
Halien glared at him. "Thorin Oakenshield, you and I made a promise. A promise to the Men of the Lake that we would help them rebuild. You tried to slay the dragon here in these halls but failed to. The dragon then in turn came and destroyed Laketown, destroyed their homes. I tried to protect them and only Bard was able to fire a Black Arrow -the last of its kind- and bring the beast down. It was because we failed in our quest that those people now suffer. Bard warned us of this and like fools, we did not listen."
"You speak very highly of the Bowman, for someone you've known only a day," Thorin noted, turning to look at her.
Halien looked at him and saw something unrecognizable in his eyes. She gave Frerin to Bilbo for a moment, then went to stand face to face with her husband. "Thorin, of course I do. Bard has helped us more than anyone else. He gave us food, shelter, warm clothes. He helped keep you and the others hidden from the guards. He protected us and risked everything for us. How can we turn away now when we can help him and his people just as he helped us?"
Thorin smirked. "You speak as if you love him, Halien, daughter of Thranduil. Are you to betray me as your father before you did? Will you leave me to be with that failure of a Man?"
Halien was taken aback, unsure what to say or do. Thorin had not spoken to her like this since they first began their journey and now he seemed to be doubting her feelings for him.
Behind her, the dwarves could not believe their ears. For as long as they had known Halien, she had never once shown another the kind of affection she gives Thorin, and never once has she ever strayed from his side. They were meant for each other and there must have been something wrong with Thorin for him to suggest otherwise.
"Now see here, Thorin…" Bofur began.
"This is none of your concern!" Thorin snapped.
"You are wrong, Uncle." Kili retorted. "Halien is our aunt now. She is our queen. We would follow her as much as we would follow you. How can you be so blind and not see that she only has your best interest and the interest of the people of the Lake in mind?"
Halien stepped back from her husband. "Thorin, answer me this: do you love me? Or do you love that gold more than your own family?"
Thorin would not look at her and turned away.
"Very well, then, sire," Halien said, taking her son from Bilbo. "I see that I nor your son are wanted here. I am taking Frerin and we are going somewhere we can help. I will not risk my son's safety for your whims. When you have come to your senses, I will be in Dale."
"You go to that Bowman, you will never be welcomed back in Erebor," Thorin said, still refusing to look at her.
Halien felt the tears brewing in her eyes. "You would turn me aside now? Turn your son aside now? After everything that we have been through?" She waited for Thorin to answer, but when none came, she began to walk away from the company, her son tightly held in her arms.
"Halien, wait! You cannot go!" Kili tried to say.
"Lass, if you leave, we may lose Thorin forever," Dwalin said.
Halien looked at him and tried to smile. "It is his choice. If he wishes to send us away, then I will oblige him." Hearing the dwarves' clear concern for her in their minds, Halien felt the tears slip from her eyes. "I will be fine. I will make certain that at least one of us keeps our promise." She looked at Thorin. "Thorin, whatever you may think, you must never forget that I have and always will love you. Nothing will ever change that."
Halien turned away from her husband and king and the dwarves watched as she walked away, headed towards Dale. Bilbo looked in her direction as she silently told him that she knew he had the Arkenstone, but asked him to keep it from her husband. She knew it would not help Thorin's condition in any way. Bilbo promised to keep it a secret and turned to look at Thorin. The dwarf king did not seem troubled by his wife and queen, his son, leaving. He was clearly not himself.
