It was to be the second-worst party that she had ever been invited to. And, as a Dwarve, Nadi was generally very fond of parties.

The news of her wedding had been announced the very morning following Fili's rather abrupt proposal. The Lake-town citizens had been delighted by the news, not the union. To them, it was yet another excuse to get drunk and forget all of their worries. She'd never forget standing at the end of the dock, watching as the men surrounded Fili and clapped him on the shoulders. Their voices floated back to her as they congratulated Fili for reeling in 'a nice, young buck' and other salacious things that made Nadi want to barrel across the avenue and shove them all into the water. Then, of course, there had been Khurza's off response. Upon hearing the news, she had fallen into a raucous fit of laughter that had forced her to bend down at the waist. At the time, Nadi had no idea what the woman could have found so funny.

And then there was Kili.

There hadn't been time to tell him properly, even if she wanted to. He had stood at the front of the crowd as his brother had made the announcement upon his grand balcony above the street. Kili had not moved an inch nor said a single word as he listened. It was only when the crowd began to disperse did he finally turn around and seek Nadi out with his eyes. The sheer betrayal mixed with wrathful disgust on his face was unforgettable. Even after all was said and done and their journey came to a close, she would not be able to free her mind of that terribly stormy expression. But there was nothing that he had to say to her. The matter was closed - she had seen it on his face - and there would be no further attempts at seeking reason or reconciliation. Nadi's sudden marriage to Fili was a slight to Kili's honor, if only because it made him feel as if he had been used and lied to.

So why didn't she explain the truth of the matter?

The answer was simple and yet painful for her to bear. That very morning, Fili had reminded her, in a cold voice, that they - Fili, Nadi, and Kili - were emblems of royalty and representatives of their race. Any sort of scandal on their part would not be a good look, he said. Loyal or not, the citizens of Lake-town would be more than willing to cast unfair judgment upon catching even the smallest hint of instability. Even if this judgment was not outwardly shown at the moment, it would be harbored and held against them for years to come.

"And that is also why I am marrying you," Fili had informed her as she stood at the back of his room, watching him braid his hair in the mirror. "Because having an unwed woman running around town with two unwed men doesn't leave a very good impression. You remember what happened in Erebor."

"So why don't you let me marry Kili?" She had asked. At the sound of this, Fili had dropped his fist so hard on the table that the entire surface had shaken.

"Are you perhaps deaf as a mole rat, Nadi, or has that child in your belly made you dumb as a cow? Kili...is not…the one. Haven't I warned you of this before?"

"I'd rather be deaf and dumb than heed the warnings of a jealous man," she had muttered back. He had turned around in his chair and thrust his finger towards the door, a gesture that had quickly come to mean I'm tired of your obstinance, leave my room.

It was true that Kili would never be the one to marry Nadi. But it wasn't because he didn't love her, or because his brother had stolen his chance. Neither Kili nor Nadi had ever placed any faith in rigorous unification rituals. Though they had often had their fun dreaming up grand wedding parties and drawing up festivity plans, they would have never gone through with it. A simple kiss on the cheek and a promise in the moonlight of a forest would have been enough for them to consider themselves unified forever. Their wedding gift to each other would have probably been the shared discovery of a pregnant toad beneath the mulch along a creek, or some other secretive forest wonder.

If only.

These were the things that Nadi thought about as she was pushed and prodded through her day like an ancient packhorse. She would have no hand in the proceedings if it was possible to avoid and instead let the women of Lake-town make all of the decisions for her. She sat in the corner with her bottom lip between her teeth and her hands balled between her thighs as they discussed her unusual measurements and crafted for her a simple layered wedding dress. It took the entirety of the day. Nadi watched the sun fall and the moon rise over the people beyond the window. The men of the town were busy transporting tables and furniture into the renovated dining hall as children ran around and got tangled up beneath her feet. It worried her to see that Kili was not among them, and she wondered where in the town he had made off to. The thought of him sitting alone in some darkened corner, brooding upon his solemn fate as he watched the wedding proceedings take place caused her an inexplicable sense of pain. More than once she fantasized about leaving the women to their whims and finding him, if only to share one last moment of heavy silence.

That, or she would have liked to be in Bilbo's presence just one more time. As the women peeled her clothes from her body and set about wriggling the wedding dress over her broad shoulders, Nadi imagined Bilbo sitting across from her with a pipe clamped happily between his lips. In her mind, his legs were kicked up upon a cushion and crossed happily, his scarf wound tightly around his neck and his round cheeks ruddy with the cold.

Something funny, burglar?

I just never thought I'd see you in a wedding dress.

Well, aren't you just one lucky fellow?

You're the lucky one, he said as his phantom image stood up and brushed the tobacco from his trousers. There's just something about you, isn't there, Nadi? Life can force you into the worst of battles, and yet you will always come out victorious.

What does that mean?

It means that you will be fine, bâheluh.

I should have never left you behind, she thought as her lips began to tremble. I miss you terribly.

My dear, sweet lady. Don't you know? If your tears should sting like nettle, save them for the morning's kettle. Goodbye, for now!

Bilbo, wait-

"Here we are!" One of the women suddenly exclaimed. Nadi shook the dazedness from her head and found that she had been propped up in front of a mirror. The women moved away respectfully and watched with pitying eyes as she moved from side to side, trying to comprehend what she was seeing.

The dress itself was rather simple, having been sewn together from an array of silk slips and cotton blouses donated by the women. But there was a certain rugged charm to its asymmetrical patchwork and varying hues of white and grey. An intricate lace cape - probably hewn from an old curtain - had been cut to mid-back length and hung delicately upon her shoulders. It was the kind of dress that could be found upon the breast of a warrior princess freshly risen from the grave with an intent to seduce men to their demise. Though it was thin and rather nonfunctional with its heavy display of cleavage and tight white bodice, Nadi found herself enamored by it. A string of thick pearls had been looped in four coils around her neck. She tugged at it anxiously and then pressed her finger to the exposed skin directly beneath her breasts.

"I look-"

"-beautiful," one of the women said to her. "Like a real woman! I mean, it's not to say that you didn't look like a real woman before, it's just that-"

"-your travel clothes were a bit too well-traveled," another woman finished for her. "You know, every woman deserves to look like a queen on her wedding day."

"Where I come from, queens celebrate their wedding day with a battle ax and the cleaven head of an enemy by their side, often reeking of sweat and brandy," Nadi said. "Must this bodice be so damned tight?!"

"Remember, dear, you are not becoming the queen of Erebor." One of the women said with a wink and a nudge. "You are now of Lake-town royalty, courtesy of your handsome Dwarf suitor."

Nadi immediately thought of Kili and then realized, with a sinking heart, that the woman had been referring to Fili. She quickly unlaced the silk bindings of the bodice with one finger and then unrolled it from her stomach. There, finally, she had room to breathe and her breasts didn't look so vulgar at the neckline. The rest of the fabric fluttered out and flushed around her in a much looser, if not slightly bedraggled manner.

"But what to do with all of this hair?" One of the women asked as she gave Nadi's hair an observant yank. "Should we perhaps wet it to try and get it to lay straight?"

"Nay, wetting it will only make it thicker," Nadi informed them. "And I quite like it as it is, thank you very much."

"But what about when he tries to kiss you?" One of the women whispered in an uncomfortable display of concern for Nadi's private business. "He'll get tangled up and lost on his way to your lips!"

"Aye, that is the point," Nadi mumbled. The women laughed and fanned themselves, having had no idea that Nadi was completely serious.

"Quite the fiery ones, you Dwarven women are," a woman said. "But I have an idea."

There was an old chest in the corner bearing materials for sewing and other such crafts. A heavy strip of faded gold cloth with fake coins sewn into the end had been pasted to the top. One of the women retrieved a small blade, cut the cloth free from the wood, and beat the dust away with her fist. Nadi was too busy sneezing to try and stop them from winding it around her head. In the end, they managed to situate it just so that it covered all of her hair and left the faded trinkets hanging around her forehead.

Now, the woman that stared back at her from the mirror seemed haggard, overburdened, and much older than Nadi remembered. It was at that moment that Nadi realized she had finally crossed a threshold, one from whence there would be no return. Gone was the child that had made up a raunchy song to impress the Goblin King. Gone was the child who had laughed and screamed as she made her way in a barrel down the river leading from Mirkwood. Gone, gone, gone was the child whose only fear in the world had been the nightmares conjured up by her own lovelorn mind.

"Who are you," the lips on the reflection traced out. She pressed her hand to her stomach, feeling suddenly very sick as the women began to clap and sing and dance around her. "And just what have you become?"

X

If any were surprised to see the bride-to-be sitting as far away from her groom as possible, none showed it. Fili had placed himself at one end of the table and was trying his best to maintain a cheery attitude. Nadi had placed herself on the complete opposite end of the table, as far as marital courtesy would allow. She watched the expressions of the others and did her best to mimic them: when the crowd laughed, she smiled politely. When they leaned into each other with attentive expressions as one or another told some story, she let her face fall into passive disinterest. Fili had been glancing her way all night. Upon seeing her wedding attire, he had fallen into a fit of coughing that was eventually remedied by a slap on the back from one of the men. But, aside from that, there had been no exchange between the two. For his part, he had dressed in a rich red velvet tunic with thick patterns woven across the front, with smart brown trousers and high, polished boots. A fur cape hung off of his shoulders, with golden clasps that matched his ill-fitting crown. Someone had taken a stick of charcoal and lined his eyes quite heavily, bringing out the sapphire in his irises from across the room. The Arkenstone hung bold and beautiful in front of his chest, strung around his neck by a thin leather rope and encased in silver mesh. He truly was a handsome king but whenever she looked at him, she felt a sense of disconnectedness. This was not the Fili that she knew: this was someone older and bolder and, quite honestly, frightening in his brash resplendence.

But, in her mind, she was not there. She was back home in the forest, practicing archery with Kili. Her mind replayed the sound of the bubbling creek and swishing leaves upon the branches as the crowd around her grew drunker and rowdier. She imagined herself lifting an arrow, fitting it to the notch within her bow, and firing it across the table. The image of Fili recoiling with his hand upon his bloodied neck was not an unwelcome one.

"I hate you."

The words tumbled suddenly from her lips, but none but her heard it. Fili was looking at her, questioning her with his eyes as he spoke to the men nearest him. Perhaps he had been able to read her lips, and perhaps that was why his expression suddenly darkened. He lifted a mug to his lips and took a long sip as they watched each other, sizing each other up like tense dogs on the verge of a scuffle. Then, he set his mug down with a loud 'thunk' and braced his hands on the table.

"A word, if you will," he called out as he pushed himself up. The crowd around them fell obediently quiet. Khurza dropped the bone flute from her lips and stared at Fili from her corner of the room. The bone ornaments above her chest clattered as she leaned back, tucking her working limb into herself like a recoiling spider. Not for the first time, Nadi was inclined to wonder why she always seemed so fixated on the blond-haired Dwarve.

"I thank you all for joining us on this wonderful night," Fili said. He pushed his chair back and began to walk around the table towards Nadi. "It truly means a lot, and I am glad that you are all here to witness yet another miraculous moment in the new Lake-town's history. And I promise you, there will be many more to come."

The crowd cheered. Several men beat upon the table and Nadi twisted her lips as Fili placed his hand possessively on her shoulder. "See here my beautiful queen-to-be! So enamored is she by this moment that she can barely speak!"

"Saving her breath for tonight, I imagine!" One of the men called and the men laughed. From the corner of her eye, Nadi saw Fili give a humbled smirk. She couldn't help it. The feel of his hand on her shoulder was wrong, and she shrugged it off. Immediately, he put his hand back on her and tightened his grip until his nails dug into her skin. There was the sound of the grand double doors opening behind them, but she was too distracted to turn around.

"I am aware that you all might be unfamiliar with Dwarves and the customs of our kind," Fili continued as she grit her teeth back and forth. "Let it be known that we are a resilient and, sometimes, obstinate race," he paused and gave a toothy smile: a victorious attempt to woo the masses with his charm. "But none among us are more obstinate and insistent as our womenfolk. Ah, Nadi: the Dwarve who cheated death just to prove a point. She, truly, does not know how to shy away from a challenge. And for that we are grateful. And yet, despite all this, I am ashamed to say that I was surprised when she approached me and demanded that I marry her right away-"

"WHAT?!" Nadi said with a jump. Fili increased his pressure on her shoulder, forcing her to stay seated. The footsteps behind her were getting louder. A group of people was walking toward them, and quickening their steps.

"Aye, our beautiful, blushing bride would not see me rule this spectacular land on my own," Fili said with a laugh slightly tinged with lunacy. "Oh, no - she insisted that I marry her the very next day or else. I'm sure the men among us know the repercussions of denying a woman when she claims, 'or else.' Looking at her - seeing the regal flare of her eye and hearing the magnificence behind her demands - I knew, then, that I was looking at the woman who would stand loyally by my side for the rest of my life…a woman that I could proudly call my q-"

A slight tingling at the back of Nadi's neck made her turn around. She gasped, as did several people, at the sight of Kili running full force at Fili, a group of young men at his heels. His hair was streaming out freely behind him, but in his eyes was a cool steadiness as he heaved a bucket along behind him. Recognizing trouble, Fili turned and braced an arm across his face but it was too late. Kili stumbled to a stop before him, swung the bucket back with a great force, and upended the contents over Fili's head.

Silence reigned as Fili stood there frozen, his clothes darkened with dampness. Then the smell hit her all at once and she was quick to pinch her nose before she became sick.

It was latrine waste, and a lot of it judging by the smell.

Having also recognized what it was, the crowd gasped again and began to rise from their seats. Fili stood there with his arms outstretched, glaring daggers into Kili's soul as soiled muck ran across his face and dripped from his beard. Kili stood there panting, glaring back at his brother with just as much venom as his clique of newfound friends surrounded him.

"What?" Kili finally said, his voice ringing out through the hall. "Suits you better than that damned crown, don't you think?"

Fili roared and launched himself at Kili. The two men fell to the ground with Fili's hands wrapped tight around Kili's neck. Nadi jumped from her seat and tried to pull him back, but he was simply too strong. Even as several men attempted to pry Fili away from his brother, he maintained his strangling hold. Kili coughed violently, his cheeks turning red as he struggled to hold his brother's eye.

"You can fool all these people, but you can't fool me," he rasped in a frighteningly breathless voice. He dug his fingers into Fili's wrists and cringed. "That mask that you wear only serves to make you look like an arse to those that know you."

"Hyeh!" Fili swung his fist back and would have no doubt struck his brother had Nadi not grabbed his arm. She, along with several strong men, hauled him away and placed themselves between him and Kili. Fili struggled violently for a moment before falling still and glaring at his brother from behind them. Nadi used the moment to pick up her skirts and rush towards Kili. As Fili watched with palpable loathing, she took Kili's face in her hands and observed the welts rising on his neck with worry. Kili shook his head at her and gently pushed her away.

"Do not for a second think that I will not have my retribution," Fili said between breaths. "You dare to assault me? On the night of my wedding?!" This last part he nearly screamed but Kili was unphased.

"If you continue to play the part of the bully then I will assault you as many times as is necessary-"

"Hold!Speak to me in our mother's tongue or not at all!"

"Why?" Kili countered. "Are you afraid to be besmirched in front of your people, in the same way that you have besmirched Nadi?"

"I said speak to me in Khuzdul, damn you! Damn the very earth that you walk upon! DAMN EVERYTHING THAT YOU TOUCH!" Fili bent down to his knees and struck his fist against his palm in fury. When he stood back up again there was a wild look in his eyes. He had completely lost control of himself and this frightened Nadi terribly. She looked at the Arkenstone resting upon his heaving chest and wondered if he had begun to suffer the same sickness as his uncle. Sensing her fright, Kili put his arm around her shoulders and grinned mirthlessly at his brother.

"I've been thinking, Fili. And I realized this: I know Nadi," Kili said. "And I know her well. She would never agree to marry you, much less propose the matter. I saw the look on her face when you touted your supposed union upon your pretty little balcony. By my beard and everything that I love, I am willing to bet that you forced her hand by some devilry. And I will not stand for that, I will not stand by as you push her around as if she was your little plaything!"

"Oh, grow up," Fili said. "This matter is beyond your childish sense of chivalry. You understand nothing."

"I understand that once you were a gentleman, and now you have become a cur. Heed my words. I am your brother, Fili."

"And I am your king!"

"That crown on your head and stone upon your chest mean nothing to me. Our blood bond is stronger than your petty sense of status. I was there with you when you were running around Erebor with fake wooden swords and no care for the world beyond your cradle. Think of our mother. What would she say to you, if she were to see you now?"

This forced Fili to pause. The crowd watched him with bated breath as he took a deep breath in. Then, in the following silence, he slowly adjusted the crown on his head and smoothed the wrinkles from his tunic. After a moment, it seemed as if he had collected himself completely. The red flush disappeared from his cheeks as he slid the braids in his beard along his fingers and wiped the spittle from his chin.

"What would she say?" He repeated curiously. "Well, she'd ask me to forgive your brash antics. She'd remind me that you are still young, and worthy of forgiveness. You do not understand the ways of the world and I, as your brother, cannot fault you for that. I am sorry that I have failed to instill in you a sense of respect. But," he added in a low growl, "starting now, I will do better. I will teach you humility, even if I must force it upon you. Your mistake tonight has been pardoned, dear brother. After all, you are only a jealous young Dwarve. But understand this, Kili: if you make one more mistake, I will show you no mercy. You have been warned."

"As have you," Kili said bravely. "You do not scare me."

"Therein lies the problem. Nadi," Fili said, holding his hand out to her. "Come."

It was only when everyone turned to look at her did she realize that she was still cowering behind Kili's back. He turned his head to look at her over his shoulder, and she was surprised to see the pride in his eyes as he gazed down at her.

"I am sorry that I doubted you," he whispered to her as she clutched the back of his shirt. "I did not know, back then, that your hand was being forced. No matter what you do now, you will always carry the burden of my love. Even if you feel that you must go to him."

"Kili-" she stuttered with trembling lips. "I am sorry, too."

"What? For looking utterly ridiculous in a wedding dress? Although I rather appreciate the plunging neckline-"

"Nadi," Fili said slowly. He hadn't been able to hear their words across the room. "My patience has long since waned. Come here, now."

"I will find my way back to you," she whispered, giving Kili's hand a soft squeeze. "When all has settled. Will you wait for me?"

"What else am I going to do in this derelict town?"

"Alrigh'," she said. She let his hand go and drifted towards Fili as if in a dream. She allowed him to put his arm around her neck and pull her in close, knowing in her heart that her complacency was necessary to keep the peace within the town. Fili pulled her close, still smelling of the feces and urine that had been dumped upon him as he nestled his nose against her hair and kissed her forehead. Kili looked at them for a moment and then gave a smile and a nod of his head, his signal to her that everything would be alright. He turned on his heel and made for the door, followed by the group of loyal young men who had attached themselves to him life flies upon honey. She was left standing with Fili and their small group of amused subjects. The prickly feel of his beard upon her neck made her shudder as he leaned in closer and whispered something in her ear, something that she had no choice but to acquiesce to even though it caused her great pain. And she watched Kili walk away, never once suspecting that the coming days would bring horrors that she could have never imagined.