Disclaimer: I don't own any familiar characters, and or anything pertaining to the world of the Hobbit. All, but my ocs, are owned by J.R.R Tolkien
Just some housekeeping real quick. This is a sequel to my first fanfiction Under the Mountain. If you haven't read that story I would recommend reading that one first, but you don't have to :) This story takes place about 27 years before the events of LOR.
Chapter 1
Child of Trouble
Claudia knew two absolutes; she was going to be arrested, and her parents were going to kill her. These were the only thoughts that consumed her as she raced through the crowded halls of the lower market district of the mighty mountain kingdom. Muttering a silent prayer to Mahal, Claudia only hoped that she would be thrown in the deepest darkest cell in Erebor before word of her arrest reached the royal family. She could only imagine the whole kingdom bursting into flames once rumors of her arrest were out.
She could hear the other nobles now; She's been nothing but trouble since she was born.
She is unfit to even be considered royalty.
The disappointment finally got what was coming to her.
Claudia supposed it wasn't any worse than what people already said about her. At least in a cell, Claudia would be alone for once in her life. Perhaps she could persuade the council to ban her from the mountain for the rest of her days. Though the mere thought of her being labeled a criminal made the corner of her lips tug into a smug smile. She imagined the twin looks of horror on her parent's faces as she was named a thief . Mist already saw her as a disappointment, why shouldn't she give them a reason to believe so.
But even the passing notion go Claudia being blessed by Mahal was laughable, the Valor had lady ignored her since birth. It had seemed to her that the Valor had spread themselves thin when it came to the rest of her family, why waste a blessing on someone so ordinary like herself. Claudia didn't need the Valor or Mahal. If they were so happy to ignore her, then she would happily ignore them.
Glancing over her shoulder Claudia spotted one of the red-faced guards muscled his way through the heavily trafficked marketplace. Huffing in annoyance, Claudia began picking up her speed, dodging in between crafty merchants, and belligerent drunks. A chorus of grunts and shouts followed her like a shadow as she made her way through the bustling corridor.
Claudia kept a quick pace, hoping that two guards would lose her in the thicket of the crowd. Claudia felt her throat begin to restrict as she pushed past people, feeling the collision of a stone bodies around her as she squeezed past. Hearing the commotion behind her, Claudia focused on her surroundings. She had never been this deep into the lower district, she wondered for the briefest of moments of she was even in the marketing district at all anymore. The cool crisp air she was accustomed to higher in the mountain, was replaced by the horrid stench of rotting meats and cheap ale making her stomach churn violently.
Claudia was never meant to be here.
No, she was meant to be far above the lower levels that evening preparing for an important dinner her parents insisted she be present for. She could have been enjoying fine elven wine, sweet berry cakes, and jovial music. If Claudia had an ounce of sense her parents had tried so hard to instill in her, perhaps she wouldn't have been chased through the streets like a common criminal.
But Claudia was not such a sensible creature.
"Grab that thief!" Yelled a disembodied voice a hundred yards behind her.
Her brisk trot soon became a hasty sprint. The eyes of filthy ne'er-do-wells that sat on the stone stoops of abandoned buildings and boarded up shops watched her hooded figure move swiftly between cramped stands that lined the narrowed tilted passages. The colors of once brilliant orange, blue and red merchant stands flew by her in blur. Melting into a living painting.
This had just been a big misunderstanding, really. Claudia had been at the wrong place at the wrong time. Maybe said the wrong things to the wrong guard. She had noticed the young dwarfing when shows speaking to an elderly merchant. From the corner of her eye, she watched as the boy strolled past the stand, casually his chubby hand slipped on the wooden toys into the depths of his cloak as if it were nothing. Claudia had only meant to give the boy some money when she approached him, but when one of the guards watched as she exchanged the stolen toy for a few coins he had assumed the worst of Claudia. After she had called the lowly guard a few words that shouldn't come out the mouth of any person of respect, the guard had decided he had enough of her mouth and attempted to arrest her. Now she was slipping through the sea of bodies, gaining over her shoulder Claudia found the two guards closing in on her. It was only matter of time before they caught up with her, a small part of her wanted them to catch her.
In the midst of her descending thoughts, a hand reached out from a darkened ally catching her wrist before plunging her into the darkness. A small yelp of surprise escaped her lips as she stumbled back, her balance wilting as the heel of her boots caught the uneveny laid cobblestone beneath her. Claudia felt her body flush against a broad body. A hand clamped around her wrist tugging her deeper into he alleyway ducking behind the skeleton of an ale barrel with the pungent small of sured year soaking the air. Her heart placated as she tried to regain her senses. Within a second another hand covered her face, muffling her screams, the taste of salty skin falling on her lips. With bulging eyes Claudia watched as the two idiot guards rushed past, passing just at the ending of the alleyway.
"Where did the thief go?" Roared the shorted dwarves guard.
His companion guard turned in circles trying to find any trace of her. "They must of- Wait there they are!" Shouted the guard before taking off down the corridor followed by his companion.
The body behind Claudia relaxed, losing their grip on her person. Claudia closed her eyes taking in a deep breath after a paused moment Claudia twisted her body bringing her fist to meet her captor's face. Her hand was balled into a tight fist ready to connect with whatever awaited her. Her captor seemed to calculate her moments and effortlessly caught her impending hit. Claudia registered, with wide eyes, a familiar dwarfish face.
"Dag! What were you thinking?" She hissed shaking off the dwarf's grip.
Two golden eyes held amusement as the man relinquished his hold on Claudia.
"I was thinking about saving the helpless princess." An amused grin grew on his squared face.
Claudia rolled her eyes backing away from the crouching dwarf.
Claudia had known Dag since they were children. At the age of five Dag was found at the edge of the human city, Dale, parentless and alone. He was taken to Erebor hoping to find some remaining family. When none appeared to claim the young dwarfing, the captain of the guard, Dwalin, and his brother, Balin, had taken in the boy as their ward. Raised alongside the young royals, Claudia's earliest memories always included Dag. There were few Claudia trusted as much as she trusted Dag. When her old guard retired and it was time to pick a new one, there was none that Claudia championed more than her best friend, Dag. Though he was considered young in the eyes of other dwarves, Dag had been assigned as Claudia's personal guard after much convincing done on the part of Claudia.
Dag had changed a lot in those years. No longer was he the malnourished boy, with far too sharp cheekbones that gave a skeletal look about him. Now he was the self-confident guard. He had grown into those features, his bone structure was fine and perfectly symmetrical. His long oak-colored hair held braids of pride and accomplishments he had earned in his short years. A strange streak of white fell from his left temple and was neatly tucked into a braided bun at the back of his head, keeping his hair from his face. His beard was a similar color to the rest of his hair, with two matching white streaks on their side of his mouth. Though it was not as long as her father, uncle, or grandmother's, his beard was just as thick and barely came off of his squared face.
"How did you find me?" She questioned as she dusted off her cloak glancing down at her full dwarven friend.
Dag groaned as he stood, staring at the Princess with skepticism. "I was picking up something when I heard about a guard chasing a strangely fast thief. Now I only know two people who are fast enough to outrun the guards, and since Queen Magdalen is getting ready for an important dinner right now. I could only come to one conclusion. That the tiny thief running through a place she is most certainly not supposed to be right now would be her beautiful daughter, Claudia."
He smiled proudly at his detective work, Claudia, however, did not smile.
"Truly a genius, I have to give you that Dag." She said sarcastically.
Holding up his hands his face morphed pretending he was hurt by her venom-dripped words. After years of being the butt of her endless teasing, Dag had grown an immunity to her sarcasm.
"Trying to wound me when you are in such desperate need. Seeing that you don't need my help, I'll go." Dag turned his back, heading back into the corridor.
"Wait!" Snipped Claudia, catching Dag's arm pulling him to a stop.
She closed her eyes annoyed that she was asking him for help.
Dag turned a smug smile painted across his face. "Oh, now the mighty Princess wants my help. What should I ask for my gratitude? Doing my reports for the next month? My laundry, perhaps? You could take my place at Dwalin's meetings."
Claudia groaned into her hands, wishing that she had never found herself here in the first place.
"You can decide that later, let's go." She hooked her arm around Dag's, pulling her hood up as they made their way back home.
"You called him that!" Laughed Dag.
"He deserved it." She brushed it off easily.
Dag hummed, knowing his friend's ill-controlled temper tended to lead her headfirst into trouble.
"So what business does the Princess of Erebor have in the market, when she is supposed to be getting ready for the party?"
Claudia flinched at the mention of the party, a movement that Dag did not miss.
"No one is going to miss me." Claudia brushed off her dearest friend and guard's concern.
"Claudia, they will certainly miss you at your own birthday party." Dag pointed out to the princess.
Claudia shrugged at the comment, not so sure about the truth of his words. For a while, they walked in silence slowly making their way to the royal wing that sat high in the mountain. Walking along the long stretches of bridges and stairs, Claudia dreaded what waited for her above. In recent days everyone around her had acted oddly excited for her twenty-second birthday. While she had asked for nothing big, Claudia knew better than to take her family at their words. They didn't know how to have small celebrations.
"It's an important night, you should celebrate it," Dag said mysteriously.
Claudia rolled her eyes. "That's what everyone keeps saying." She grumbled.
"Have you spoken to Kosor as of late?" Claudia quickly cut away from any thoughts of her family.
Dag glared at her from beneath heft brows."You're changing the subject, my Princess."
"And you are avoiding a man you love. It seems we are both running from something, Dag ." She pointed out.
Claudia paused when her eyes caught a particular site on the bridge below her. A tall figure towered over one of the guards scrutinizing every movement around them. Her eyes narrowed at the elf.
"Who is that?" Claudia stopped in her place watching the elven figure disappear into one of the halls below.
Dag leaned over the edge of the bridge seeing elf.
"Perhaps it is one of your party guests." Dag shrugged.
"The Mirkwood elves could not make it." She muttered to herself trying to get a closer look at the mysterious figure as they bent down to speak to the dwarves.
A hand tugged on her elbow pulling away from the edge of the bridge.
"Come on, princess. Your maids are waiting to get you ready." Dag teased.
"Don't call me princess," Claudia warned, her eyes set on where the elf had disappeared
