A/N: Happy Friday! This means another update! Also, I can't believe I have nearly 40 reviews already! Thank you so much for sticking with the story, even though I feel as if it isn't very interesting at times! Although, I guess I did say it would be a slow burn with more focus on being more character driven!

Also, I've been using the Dwarrow Scholar's blog on Tumblr as a resource for Dwarrow tradition, but there isn't much written on the yuletide traditions, which I know are celebrated in the Shire but not so much amongst elves and dwarves. So, I'm going out on a limb and making up my own traditions, based on what I've read online and what other authors have done, so I do hope you will forgive me.

Chapter Fourteen

Contemplation

If it wasn't for Eira, I'd have spent that whole day in a sour mood. Thranduil seemed to have that effect on me recently and he decided to deal with the whole incident by avoiding me. I suppose I was to blame, in part, for what had happened because I was the one who had drunkenly stumbled into his room. Out of all the rooms in Erebor, which was a damned big mountain, it was his that I just so happened to end up in. Another one of the strange coincidences that seemed to be a part of my life. However, Thranduil's reaction upon Elrond walking in still stung for more reasons than I was able to explain or understand myself. He seemed almost disgusted at the thought of Elrond assuming something had happened between us. Not just because it was me but because I was human. Thranduil may not have completed his sentence, but that is what he'd been about to say.

I'm not sure why his words hurt so much because obviously, I wasn't some drunken floozy who crawled into bed with people I barely knew. Nor did I seek his approval for my behaviour or validation of my personality. Yet, rather annoyingly, the elvenking crossed my mind a lot these days. With the exception of Maggie and Elrond, as well as Tauriel and Kili, I understood that it was rare - if not unheard of altogether - that elves sought romantic companionship outside of their race. Understandably so, given their immortality and how terribly they seemed to deal with heartache.

Nevertheless, King Thranduil was the very definition of an enigma.

Truthfully, I found the whole thing very frustrating. Before leaving for Erebor, we reconciled our previous grievances and seemed to be getting along fine. Admittedly, we hadn't been able to spend much time together because things had been busy. Now, because of the daft incident this morning, we were back to square one - me annoyed and he reclusive. I wondered if this was going to be a common theme in our growing friendship.

Thankfully, Eira was able to keep me busy with all her mischief and believe me there was plenty of that. For being a child so young, she was remarkably alert and clever, which I had explained was due to her half-human/half-dwarrow heritage. Maggie had explained that as she grew up, Eira would look more human than dwarf, albeit with slightly pointed ears. However, she would age almost the same as dwarves, which meant that she would look a lot younger than she was. Just like her brother Theo, who at the age of 67, only looked as though he was perhaps in his early 30s, just like his mother. Maggie had taken my suggestion about spending time in Rivendell to heart, which meant she and Fili were spending a lot of time training Theo and Nat in the ways of ruling the kingdom in their place. Theo was Prince Regent after all and would become king, so it made sense that he understood everything that it entailed. If it was one thing I had gathered during my short time in Erebor, it was that dwarrows have a rich history of culture and traditions, each one more complicated than the next.

So, on the days when everyone else were otherwise occupied, it was Eira along with Master Óin who kept me company. He was a kind old dwarf with plenty of stories to share, which I found I rather enjoyed. He told about the quest to Erebor and the war of the ring, to which I listened with great interest. Óin told me about Bilbo Baggins who seemed to be at the centre of all these events but who had sadly passed away some years ago.

Children could often be shy around people whom they didn't know, but Eira was curious. I was told it was a personality trait she shared with her father. She asked me a million questions about who I was and where I came from and if my home was the same as her mum's. Middle-Earth was the only world she had known, but Eira did seem to have an understanding that her mother, Nat and their two other friends whose names I found were Laura and Felix, were not from Middle-Earth. Luckily, I remembered that I kept some chalk and a small bag of marbles in my satchel, mainly as a way to entertain the children who sometimes visited the hospital. So, I taught Eira how to play marbles and hopscotch, both of which were incredibly popular with her. I did have a feeling I would have to apologise to Fili and explain why there were traces of chalk everywhere, including all over his daughter's face.

On that cold December afternoon, I walked through the orchards with Óin, while Eira ran ahead of us, hiding behind the tree trunks and pretending to scare us whenever we passed by. Christmas was a few days away and while the big days were Christmas Eve (or Yule) and Christmas Day, I'd been told the celebrations carried on throughout the whole week up until New Years Eve. On December 20th, there would be a grand ball, marking the beginning of Yuletide week. Apparently, it was customary for men to ask a lady of their choice to accompany them to the ball. For the rest of that week, leading up to Christmas Eve and Day, it was expected that the pair were to spend time together and also exchange gifts on Christmas Day. Dwarrows, it seemed, were hopeless romantics at heart.

The whole thing made me rather nervous. I didn't want to insult their traditions, because after all, they had graciously invited me to stay in their home for as long as I wanted. But, there was nobody who would accompany me to the ball and I hadn't the slightest idea of what to do for gifts. I wanted to give something to Maggie and Fili to thank them for their kindness, and of course to Elrond and Eira. I knew Elrond was a talented healer and I had an idea that could work, but I would have to ponder that further. Then of course, there was Thranduil. Considering how tense things were between us, I wasn't sure if gift giving was a good idea, but I did want to show my appreciation somehow. If anything, maybe something that would help mend the every growing cracks in our..relationship...if you could call it that.

Maggie had also told me there would be some traditional dancing to be expected at the ball, not unlike those held at medieval courts in England. Unfortunately, I was one of those people cursed with two left feet and could not dance to save my life. Once upon a time, it had been my great-nan's wish to train me as a debutante, but I had always refused. Thankfully, my dear mother always backed me up and eventually my grandmother became bored of nagging me, albeit also disappointed.

"What troubles you, lass?" Óin asked as we made our way back towards Erebor. "My hearing may not be what it used to, but I can still see that something is on your mind."

I sighed and realised given that all dwarrows and elves had keen senses, there was little point in keeping anything from them. Master Óin was kind though and I didn't mind confiding my worries with him.

"It's just this whole thing about the Yuletide Ball." I replied "I'm told there's going to be some dancing and I….I don't dance."

"You mean you've never learned?" Óin asked "Or that you don't like it?"

"A bit of both. Charlie tried to teach me foxtrot at one point, but it ended up in a total disaster and a small fire in the kitchen."

In fact, looking back at it, it was rather lucky that we didn't need to call the fire brigade to put the fire out. Despite the accident, I remembered that night fondly, but even Charlie learnt that there was no way I would be able to dance.

"Is the only thing bothering you about the ball?" Óin wondered "It wouldn't have something to do with other aspects of the occasion?"

"Nothing escapes you does it, Master Óin?" I said "I know that men are supposed to ask a lady of their choice to accompany them to the dance. I know everyone is expecting Thranduil to ask me, and I normally I think I'd be happy if he did, but things are a little...shall we say tense between us right now. I think I'd feel a little embarrassed attending the ball without a partner, as silly as that is."

As I explained my concern to Óin, I realised how much anxiety I had over the whole thing, which surprised me. A part of me expected to feel guilty at the potential of a man other than Charlie taking me to a dance. To my surprise, Charlie hardly crossed my mind and my main worry is what people would think if I was there alone.

"His Royal Broodiness will come around," Óin chuckled "But, if he doesn't, I can guarantee you that there are others who would gladly ask you to accompany them to the dance. There's always Master Dwalin and also Lord Elrond."

"Surely Elrond would attend with Maggie, would he not?" I asked "Given they are partners."

"They are partners, yes, but Maggie will be attending with Fili as is their royal duty, which leaves Elrond without company. Elrond is a kind elf who would not let Thranduil's stubbornness stand in the way of you enjoying such a celebration. I would not be surprised if he asked you to accompany him."

I must have had quite a look on my face because the grey-haired dwarf burst out laughing and it even made Eira stop and stare for a moment. I wondered how Thranduil would react if Elrond asked me to the ball. Would he care at all? Would I be comfortable with Elrond potentially asking me to accompany him, especially as it meant I would be expected to spend time with him throughout the week. Did that mean Thranduil would have nobody?

"I seem to have caused quite a conundrum in your mind." Óin said "I do apologise, that was not my intention. I must ask though, why does Thranduil's opinion trouble you so?"

"I don't know to be honest." I sighed "Everyone seems to think that I've been sent here on some sort of sacred quest to help him heal."

"And what do you think, lass?"

"I thought our time here might help me understand him better and that maybe by spending time together, I would get to know him. Every time I feel like we are making progress, something happens and we end up back at square one. Admittedly, I'm partly to blame for this one and I know I was quick to react."

"Perhaps you are both more similar than either of you are willing to admit."

Óin had a point, even though I didn't really want to admit it. It did make me wonder why I had really been so upset over Thranduil's words. Why did I care if he for some reason was appalled at the thought of being romantically involved with a human?

"No matter who asks me to accompany them to the ball, I have to think about what presents to give them." I said "Elrond is quite easy, I have a few things in mind that I think would fascinate him. Thranduil however, I don't know. I'd like to give him something personal and something that he won't just be able to put away in a box. Something that matters."

"Do you have any ideas?" Óin asked

"I feel like I don't know him well enough, but I know the one thing he cares about is family." I replied "He talks about Legolas quite often, but I don't know how that's supposed to help me."

"Well, I happen to know that Legolas plans on traveling to Gondor and perhaps, Thanduil would enjoy seeing his son over the holiday."

"As a surprise you mean? How would I go about arranging that? Legolas doesn't even know who I am?"

At that point, a mischievous grin tugged at the old dwarf's lips.

"Luckily, my dear, Erebor has the best ravens for carrying letters cross country."

An idea had sparked in my mind. Maybe it was utterly daft and not to mention I felt as if I was crossing a very private line, but even so, I couldn't shake the thought out of my head. Who would I speak to about sending letters from Erebor? Only one person came to mind and I knew what I had to do. A few moments later, we arrived back at Erebor and I thanked Óin for his advice and gave him a kiss on the cheek. The kind dwarf's face turned red and we parted ways as he took Eira's hand to go on a hunt for Dwalin's famous oatmeal cookies. December in Middle-Earth was just as chilly as back home and I decided to return to my room for a warmer change of clothes. A series of knocks brought my attention to the front door, and I wondered if it was one of the dwarrowdams reminding me of supper, but to my surprise, it was Lord Elrond at my front door.

"Have I come at a bad time?" he asked "I did not mean to intrude, although I seem to have a habit of doing that recently."

"I was actually just going to see Fili." I replied, "I also realise I don't know where his study is. Maybe you could show me the way and tell me what's on your mind at the same time."

Elrond offered me his arm and just for a brief moment, I hesitated before I accepted it. Just like all other elves, Elrond had an air of elegance about him, but he carried himself with a different kind of grace. I knew he was impossibly old and I dared not ask his exact age, partly because I was frightened. Not necessarily frightened of Elrond, although I did hold him in extremely high regard. There was no doubt in his mind that despite how kind he was, Elrond could also change in a heartbeat. Just like I had seen in Thranduil back in Mirkwood. It was sometimes easy to forget that elves were not human, even if they acted much like we did. They were the very essence of otherworldly beings and almost godlike in some ways. Yet, I had never felt threatened or afraid of Elrond.

"I wanted to apologise for the other day, when I walked into Thranduil's study." Elrond said after we had walked in silence "It was not my intention to make a joke of such a situation and I know it caused a rift between you two."

"There's no need to apologise, Elrond." I assured him "I was embarrassed because I drank far more than what was sensible and didn't know how to react. I'm sure Thranduil was also surprised, which is why he said what he did."

"You were still hurt by his words, is that not so?"

There was clearly no escaping my own feelings on the matter and I knew Elrond took my silence as an answer. As I looked around, I noticed we were in a part of the mountain where I had not been before. In the distance, I could hear the sound from the mines and I wondered if at some point, I could see them for myself. I'd heard such incredible tales of the dwarven mines that it would be a shame to miss out on such a sight.

"Do not let Thranduil's words and folly cause you unrest." Elrond said "He does regret what he said, but as is his way it may take time to reach out."

"You think I should reach out to him?" I wondered "Or would that make things worse? I feel like a schoolgirl, getting upset over something so silly."

"If it upsets you then clearly, it is not silly."

Elrond's words made sense and perhaps he was right? My head was spinning and I had so many different thoughts in my mind that I could not make sense of.

"There was another reason for coming to see you," Elrond admitted "Would you like to accompany me to the Yuletide Ball? I would consider it an honour and a chance to get to know you better. I hear you're a good healer and I would like to know more about it."

"I don't want to sound rude, but do you not think that would cause more problems with Thranduil? I mean, you all seem sure that I'm here because of him."

We stopped in front of a large door, at the end of another endless corridor. I could only assume that this was the door to Fili's study and suddenly I felt my heart begin to beat faster. I had only spoken very little to Fili since my arrival because he was always busy with his royal duties, understandably and I had never been alone with a dwarf king before. I turned to Elrond who let go of my arm and smiled in a rather smug way.

"Well, if Thranduil wants a chance to get to know you," Elrond said "Then he shall also have to play his part. Why don't you consider it and if you decide against it, I shall not be offended."

I nodded and as Elrond's footsteps eventually faded away in the darkness, I found myself alone and none the wiser than I was before. I raised my hand and carefully knocked on the door, while holding a breath in my chest, which I exhaled upon hearing Fili's voice from inside.

"Enter."

Carefully, I walked into the study, which was entirely different from Thranduil's in Mirkwood. This study was rather a mess truthfully, with parchments and books haphazardly spread out over the desk, Fili looked up from his desk and seemed surprised to see me, which I couldn't blame him for. This was the first time I'd been able to take a closer look at Fili, because usually he was never around for more than a few moments at a time - except for at supper. Maggie told me that Fili was 149 years old, which was roughly the same as a middle-aged human. It was difficult to determine Fili's age, but some of the grey streaks in his otherwise blonde hair gave it away.

"Millicent, to what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?" Fili asked "Everything is alright, I hope?"

"God, am I that easy to read?" I replied and suddenly felt embarrassed "I'm so sorry to bother you, I can always come back?"

Fili got up from his chair and walked around to the other side of the desk. I noticed that he had several braids in his hair and his beard. Some of them had different coloured beads in them and others looked much older than the rest. I wondered if braids carried a significant meaning in dwarrow culture that I was still unaware of, because I noticed all dwarves had them. In fact, even Maggie and Nat had braids in their hair and at a guess, I thought it might symbolise relationship connections.

"No, don't be ridiculous." Fili assured me "How can I be of service?"

"I know Yule is coming up and I was thinking about gifts." I stuttered "Specifcally, what to give Thranduil, when I had an idea. Actually, it was Óin's idea really."

"Well, my interest has certainly peaked and also a mild concern. Óin's ideas can sometimes be dangerous."

"I'll keep that in mind. I wanted to send a letter to somebody and I was told that nothing transports mail as quickly as the Erebor ravens, except I obviously have no idea where to find them or how that works, so I thought I would ask you."

Fili crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow, as he leaned against his desk.

"And who might I ask, are you planning on sending a letter to?" he asked "I do not wish to sound rude, but if I am not mistaken, you don't know many people in this world?"

"I want to send a letter to Thranduil's son, Legolas." I explained "I understand he's been travelling and that he's near somewhere called Gondor...whatever that is? Anyway, I know Thranduil doesn't share emotions easily, but the way he talks about his son, I can tell he misses him and even though it's not my place, I have a feeling that seeing Legolas might cheer him up a little."

"That's your Yuletide gift for him?"

"Silly, I know."

Although, the more I thought about it, the more I felt like it was the right gift for him. I had no idea how Thranduil would react, considering how unpredictable he could be, but I figured it was worth a try at least.

"No, not at all. I think that's a wonderful idea." Fili agreed "Were I Thranduil, I would be extremely humbled and glad."

"Well, it's a family holiday." I said "It would be a shame to celebrate it without your loved ones."

"You are very selfless, especially given how...complicated his lordship can be to deal with. After you have written the letter, give it to me and I shall arrange for it to be sent to Legolas."

"Thank you, your maj-Fili. I really appreciate it."

Fili nodded and I felt relieved that he had agreed to help. I walked back towards the door, ready to get back to my room, but just as I reached for the door handle, Fili spoke again.

"What about you, Millicent?" Fili said "You are also spending this holiday without your family. Do you miss them?"

"I don't have a family anymore, Fili." I replied "It's just me."

I turned back to face the dwarf-king and I realised a heavy feeling weighed on my chest. I was once again reminded that this was the first Christmas without Charlie.

"Ah, see that's where you're wrong." Fili told me, "You do have a family now. Don't you forget it."

Fili's words and the smile the accompanied them caught me off guard and all I could do was not before I saw myself out of the study.

To be continued…

Another chapter that was longer than I intended! Things are moving on a little bit. We have a yuletide ball coming up and Elrond asked Millie to accompany her! Did he do it to stir the pot a little perhaps? And what about Millie's gift for Thranduil? What do we think about that? Please let me know in the comments/reviews!