Hi everyone,
Sorry for the long delay. I have been trying to get multiple chapters ready so there are constant updates.
Hopefully now I can update a little more frequently. Stories should be updated at least once a month maybe even twice.
Please enjoy.
~~∞∞Ω∞∞~~ Chapter 5 ~~∞∞Ω∞∞~~
Dwalin and Kili were immediately in front of the throne with weapons drawn, ready to defend Thorin and Bilbo. Thorin stood from his throne his hand on the hilt of his sword and slightly in front of Bilbo. Fili had his weapon drawn standing beside his brother. The elves and men had their own weapons drawn and everyone faced where the voice originated from. Gandalf stood there before them all weary from travel. He had left shortly after to visit Lothlórien to check on the Lady Galadriel before returning. He had just heard what Thorin planned to do with the stone and to say he was surprised was an understatement, he thought it had already been destroyed.
"Why is that stone not destroyed yet?" Gandalf asked as he stood beside Thranduil, everyone relaxing and putting their weapons away when they realised who it was.
"I was waiting for this meeting Gandalf. I wanted all to see that I was having it destroyed. Fili and Kili I want you to see to it that it is done."
"Of course Thorin." The boys responded.
"Before you go." Bilbo started and everyone looked to him. "There is something I would like you to take with you to destroy as well."
Bilbo handed the Arkenstone to Thorin who covered it so he could not see it. Bilbo reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring. Gandalf muttered to himself before walking forward and knelt down in front of him. He reached his hand out over it before pulling back.
"This is how you were able to move around unseen?" Thorin asked.
"Yes I found it in the Goblin tunnels at the start of the adventure."
"Legolas can you get me that torch?" Gandalf asked.
Legolas nodded and retrieved the torch from its holder and brought the fire close to Gandalf. Gandalf removed a piece of cloth from his pocket and used it to pick up the ring from Bilbo's hand and dropped it into the fire.
"What are you doing?" Bilbo asked, alarmed.
Grabbing the end of his robes Gandalf waited a minute before throwing it over the torch and extinguishing the flames.
"Thorin do you mind retrieving the ring and putting it in Bilbo's hand. Hold out your hand lad. It's quiet cool."
Thorin placed the ring in Bilbo's hands and he turned it over before looking to Gandalf. He watched his eyes widen and he looked back to see markings appear on the inside of the band.
"What is it?"
"It's the language of Mordor. Fili, Kili you need to destroy the ring when you destroy the Arkenstone. We cannot let the ring fall back to its masters hands." Gandalf told them. "Never put it on. Keep it wrapped up with the Arkenstone and throw both straight into the volcano. Do you understand?"
"Yes Gandalf." Gandalf nodded before taking the Arkenstone from Thorin and opened the covering and held it to Bilbo. "Place the ring inside."
Bilbo looked at it one last time before placing it on top of the Arkenstone and Gandalf quickly wrapped it up. Bilbo felt a weight come off his shoulders and leaned back into the chair. Thorin took the parcel from Gandalf and walked over to the brothers.
"Take this and gather the dwarves you wish to accompany you and leave as soon as possible."
"Wait two days, I will lead you there with the help of the eagles. We need this done quickly and quietly so no one knows or tries to stop us." Gandalf said and Thorin nodded and slipped the parcel into his pocket.
"Very well."
"Uncle, I would prefer to stay with Bilbo but also with Fili." Kili said and Thorin walked up to him and pulled him forward so his forehead touch.
"I know. Which is why I know you won't go without someone watching over Bilbo. So if I'm having to leave him alone I will have someone with him." Thorin pulled back and turned to the throne where the group still were. "Dwalin, would you watch over Bilbo when Kili's leaves and I cannot?"
"I would be honoured."
Bilbo was still a little put out. He really didn't need anyone looking after him. Thorin nodded and turned to Kili who smiled and bowed his head to Thorin before looking to Fili who was standing there.
"Shall we adjourn for the day? We can all get some rest and start back tomorrow." Balin said.
Balin had noticed the slight fall of Thorin's shoulders from exhaustion and Bilbo's slumped form on the seat beside Thorin's throne. Both were still recovering and Thorin still had a ways to go before he was fully healed. Bilbo should be in bed resting and not dealing with all this non-sense.
"Thorin why don't you take Bilbo back to your chambers. I will see to it that our guest are given rooms and cared for." Balin said.
"Very well. We will see you all at dinner." Thorin said.
He stood from his throne and turned to Bilbo who held out his robe. Thorin took his robe and placed it over one arm then helped Bilbo stand. Bilbo was tired and his legs nearly collapsed under him but Kili and Thorin caught him and helped steady him. Bilbo nodded to say he was fine.
"If you would excuse us." Thorin said, looking at their guests.
Thranduil and Bard nodded having seen Bilbo was getting tired. Bilbo let Thorin lead him out of the throne room. Bilbo sighed when they left the throne room and were alone walking through the halls. Thorin heard the sigh and looked down at Bilbo trying to figure out what was wrong.
"Bilbo?"
"Yeah?"
"What's wrong?"
"Huh? Oh nothing."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. I'm just glad to be out of there. I'm a little tired."
"Why didn't you say something?"
"Because you were busy. Besides I knew it was almost finished."
"Bilbo if you have to come to meetings, I want you to tell me if you are tired. Meeting can wait."
"Thorin you can't just finish meetings because of me."
"Yes I can. Promise me that if you need something you tell me."
"Thorin…"
"No Bilbo listen to me." Thorin pulled them to a stop and gently forced Bilbo to look at him. "You are more important to me than those meetings, or that stupid stone, or this kingdom. Both of you are. I just don't know how to convince you of that after what I did."
Thorin looked defeated at that moment. Bilbo not wanting to do this in public grabbed Thorin's hand and dragged him back up to the room. Thorin followed after Bilbo till he reached the room that Bilbo had been staying in. Thorin shut the door before he was dragged once again to the bed. Bilbo pushed him so he sat down before he stood in front of him, hands on his hips.
"Thorin I need you to listen to me." Thorin looked at him. "I care about you. I do. If I didn't I wouldn't have stayed for the battle. I wouldn't have gone up to Ravenhill. I care about you. I may have forgiven you." Thorin's eyes widened at that. "But it doesn't mean I trust you. I worry Thorin. I worry that all the gold in the mountain will bring back the dragon sickness. I worry that the Arkenstone that is still in your pocket will bring back the dragon sickness." Bilbo deflated a little once he got that out. "I know you care about us. If you didn't you wouldn't have stayed here when I am in pain because of the child. I lo… I love you Thorin but I just don't know if I can trust you yet." Thorin was both happy and sad at that. "You have convinced me you care. If you hadn't before the meeting you have now with destroying the Arkenstone."
Thorin looked at him and could see he did love him but was scared to trust him. He couldn't blame him it was something he was constantly worried about. That was why he was destroying the stone.
"You aren't the only one to worry over the dragon sickness. My nephews, Balin, Dwalin, the whole company worry. I worry. I don't want to fall to it again, that's why I am going to destroy it. It wasn't till my grandfather had the stone that the sickness took hold. We dwarves love gold I won't deny that but it was never as strong as when my grandfather had the stone. I love you Bilbo and I hope that one day you will be able to trust me again."
Bilbo smiled and stepped closer and wrapped his arms around Thorin and let him rest his head on his chest and belly. Bilbo felt Thorin shudder before he pulled away and moved beside him on the bed. Thorin moved over to his side and pulled Bilbo against him as they rested on the bed.
"Thorin there is something I have been meaning to check with you about."
"What is it?"
"Have Fili and Kili come to see you yet?"
"About what?"
"Themselves."
"No they haven't. What's wrong?"
"I think it would be best coming from them. I have told them to see you in the last week and if they didn't I would send you after them. I think you should go see them now while you aren't busy."
"Will you be alright for a little while?"
"Yeah. I'll be fine I'm thinking of taking a nap anyway."
"Alright I'll have them come to my chambers and that's when I'll leave you be."
Thorin got up and walked to the door catching a dwarf that was walking by. He had them send for Fili and Kili before going back to the bed and wrapped his arms around Bilbo.
"There is something else I want to talk to you about." Bilbo looked to him. "Given that you are now pregnant, something I never thought would happen for me. What do you want to do about the rights to the throne?"
"I don't understand. I thought Fili was heir to the throne?"
"He is by title. Bilbo my first born is the rightful heir to the throne. I named Fili my heir because I never thought I would find my one or have a child at that. Fili has already said he would renounce the claim to the throne. I told him to wait. I wasn't sure if you would be staying or not after the child is born."
"Thorin I would never take you away from your child. I know you have been training Fili to take your place and if he really wants the throne than I'm happy for him to have it. But otherwise I think maybe wait till our child is old enough to decide if they want it. Unless you would prefer for our child to have the throne."
"Bilbo I don't care if it is our child or my nephews that take over after I'm gone or unable to any longer."
"Well I think till they are old enough we let Fili keep that title."
Both looked up the door when they heard a knock and two heads poked inside. Fili and Kili walked in and stood by the door.
"You wanted to see us Uncle."
"Yes I did. Come with me." Thorin said.
Thorin sat up and grabbed his robe from the end of the bed laid it over Bilbo before kissing him on the forehead and leaving the room with his nephews. Bilbo smiled at them and Kili narrowed his eyes at the innocent smile. It didn't seem all that innocent to him given he was the one that gave everyone innocent smiles when they weren't. Fili and Kili followed Thorin into his chambers and closed the door. Thorin looked to them with his arms crossed making them feel dread.
"Is there something you want to tell me?" Thorin asked.
Fili and Kili looked at each other. They couldn't think of anything they wanted to tell their uncle. They hadn't caused mischief for a week so they had no idea what they could possibly need to tell their uncle.
"Not that we know of. Have we done something wrong?"
"You tell me. Bilbo said you needed to tell me something. Something concerning the two of you." Kili paled and Fili shifted his feet. "So there is. Boys there is nothing you can say or do that would make me hate you, I might be angry but I would never hate you."
"Well…" Kili started.
"It's just that…"
"We have…"
"Found our One." Both finished together.
"Ok so who are they?" Thorin frowned and Fili and Kili looked at each other with dread.
"Uncle, Kili is my One." Fili said finally.
Both couldn't look at their uncle both horrified that they had to tell him and what is reaction would be. Thorin was shocked but not overly surprised given how the two interacted with each other.
"It that all? Boys I don't care. You know how hard it is to find your One and once you do it's impossible to love again. I'm glad you have found your One. This has happened before with other families."
"You don't hate us?" Kili whispered.
Thorin walked up to the both and wrapped his arms around them. Both relaxed into his arms and wrapped their own around him.
"No I don't hate you. Why would you think that?"
"It's just it's not common and we can't get pregnant."
"There is a secret I have yet to tell you both." They pulled back slightly to look at their uncle but still held onto him. "There are some in the Durin line that have been able to get pregnant though it is hard and very stressful like any other pregnancy but it is possible."
"Really?" Kili said.
"Yes. So there is always a possibility. Though I'm sure you don't want to the possibility of getting pregnant every time you have sex, so there is something you can take to drink to make impossible to get pregnant while it's in your system."
"Do you take this drink Uncle?"
"I haven't but I will. Didn't have the time to do so when we were on the road and I didn't have the ingredients to make it anyway and I wasn't in a relationship at the time we started the quest. I will be taking it now. I'll make some up and I'll teach you so you can learn to make it yourselves." Both nodded. "Though I'm glad you found you're One please keep anything heavy in the privacy of your own chambers. The whole mountain doesn't need to see anything."
"UNCLE!" Both said in horror.
"Now I know this isn't comfortable to talk about with me, would you rather talk about it with your mother?" Both looked at him horrified at the thought. "That's what I thought. Now who is the one being taken?" Both blushed horribly. "You can have this talk with your mother if you like."
"Kili is mostly, Uncle." Fill said. "We kind of take turns."
"Ok well it would be best for the next few weeks to refrain from doing anything to make sure neither of you are pregnant. Then you both can start taking the drink."
"Ok Uncle."
"Have you told your mother about you both?" Both looked at each other and shook their heads. "Well you had best tell her before she finds out some other way. She will not care."
"Ok."
"Come."
Thorin led them back to the room Bilbo was in and found him lying on his back staring at the ceiling and frowning. Thorin walked in and the boys shut the door behind them making Bilbo look to them with a smile.
"You ok?" Thorin asked.
"Yeah can't sleep. The little one keeps moving around. So I can't sleep." Thorin chuckle and sat down beside him "Everything go ok?"
"Yeah everything is fine. Do you want to tell them about what we discussed before they got here?"
The two looked between each other and moved to stand by the bed. They didn't know what their uncle was talking about and were not sure if it would be a good thing or a bad thing.
"Sure. Sit." Bilbo said pointing to the bed as he sat up and leaned against Thorin's chest and the boys did as they were told. "Now I know that Fili you spoke to Thorin last week in regards to the heir to the throne now I know you are willing to give it up but knowing you were raised to take over I don't want to take that from you if that is what you wish to do. So when Thorin spoke with me we came up with the idea that till this little one is old enough to understand you will be the heir to the throne. When he is old enough to understand and make his own decisions we can talk about what to do then. That way if the child doesn't want to be king you will be the next king of Erebor. How does that sound?"
"Uncle, Bilbo don't you want your own son to be king?" Fili said a little unsure.
"I don't care who is king Fili." Bilbo said.
"I have already named you as my heir Fili. If later you decide to withdraw the right to the throne than we'll name our child. I have already told you both that I think of you like my own sons. Nothing will ever change that." Causing both boys to smile.
"If you are sure I will be the heir to the throne till the little one is old enough to decide if they want it or not. If so then I will renounce my claim to the throne."
Bilbo smiled and moved from Thorin's arms and knelt in front of the boys. Bilbo reached out and brought Fili into his arms. Fili smiled and wrapped his arms around Bilbo and carefully hugged him back.
"So Mister Boggins can we call you Uncle than?" Kili said with a laugh.
"Sure Fili." Bilbo said when he pulled away from Fili to look to Kili.
"I'm Kili!" Thorin laughed at him.
"Yes I know, as you know my name is Baggins not Boggins."
Kili pouted, crossing his arms before he was pulled into Bilbo's arms. Kili laughed and wrapped his arms around Bilbo and smiled at his uncle.
"But yes, if you want to call me uncle you may."
Kili and Fili looked at each other with a smile. Both laughed happily and wrapped their arms around Bilbo hugging him firmly making Bilbo laugh and Thorin as well.
"Ok you two I think you have hugged Bilbo enough. You are going to be late for your lessons. Then you have to pack for your journey."
"Aww." Causing both to pout at the thought of lessons.
"Go." Thorin laughed.
"Seriously Uncle? Lessons? We haven't even got the mountain fit for everyone to live in and we have to start lessons. Shouldn't we just be getting ready for the journey to Mount Doom instead?"
"Yes, your lessons are with Balin if you remember correctly which will involve going over plans for the mountain. I have already gone over the major ones so far with him and you will go over the minor ones. Think of it as training for decisions when you take over Fili, and Kili it wouldn't hurt for you to know as well. You can get ready after your lessons. The longer your lessons take the less time you have to get packed."
Fili and Kili groaned but got up from the bed making Bilbo laugh at them. Kili looked to Bilbo before smirking making Bilbo look at him suspiciously.
"Ok Uncle Thorin we will go." Kili said making Thorin frown and Kili motioned to Fili to go to the door. "We will see you both at dinner. Bye Auntie Bilbo."
Kili laughed at the shocked look along with Fili before both bolted out the door before Bilbo could utter a single word. The door shut and Thorin chuckled after them. Bilbo gaped after them for a minute before smiling and laid down and rested his head on Thorin's chest and curled into his side.
"You took that better than I thought you would with Kili calling you Auntie."
"Those two are bad." Bilbo said laughing.
"Yes they are but they love you."
"That's why I am not offended I think."
Thorin looked down at Bilbo before wrapping his arms around him. Thorin ran a hand over Bilbo's head before he just started to run his hands through his hair. Bilbo smiled and tried to curl in closer before shutting his eyes. Thorin chuckled at the movement and continued to hold him close and run his hands through his hair.
"Will they be alright?" Bilbo asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Going to Mount Doom."
"They will be fine. They will have Gandalf with them. With the Eagles help it will be a lot quicker and safer. Get some sleep Bilbo."
Bilbo sighed and relaxed in his arms before falling asleep.
~~∞∞Ω∞∞~~ End of Chapter 5 ~~∞∞Ω∞∞~~
Hope you liked it. Please review.