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Chapter 14

~X~

The following day, Réann was called to the community room in the Lady's Chambers, surprised to find two new dams waiting there. They was surrounded by the other five, each peppering them with questions - all except Feren, who stood off to the side keeping silent.

"And you must be the seventh candidate? Réann of the Grey Mountains?" the older dark-haired dam spoke up when she caught sight of her.

"Yes, My Lady," Réann answered, giving a polite curtsy in greeting.

"I am Princess Dis, and this is Dola, from the Blue Mountains," Dis introduced. Here the other newcomer, a very stout looking auburn-haired lass gave her a cordial nod of her head. "It is a great pleasure to meet you all, and I look forward to getting to know each of you before my son is expected to choose."

"So, does this mean we get to meet with Prince Fili at last?" Mirev asked in a demanding tone. "So far I feel we've just been wasting our time, being cooped up in here."

"Yes. Now that all seven of you are in residence, we will be setting up times for you each to meet with the prince," Dis told Mirev, her tone revealing her immediate dislike for the forward Firebeard lass. "But until then, I do hope you will make the Lady Dola welcome. It has been a very long journey and I'm sure she would like to see her chambers and freshen up."

"Of course, Your Highness," Jorhild smiled, stepping forward and linking arms with the newest dam. "We'll see that she fits right in."

"That's very kind of you," Dis nodded, glad to see that at least some of the lasses had some manners. "However, if you will excuse me, I must go meet with the king. I will be seeing you all later." And with a curt nod, she left the room, leaving the seven dams alone to get acquainted.

Sadly, though hardly surprising, the moment the door shut, both Mirev and Gorta turned and disappeared into their private chambers without a word. Feren too slipped away, though not in the insulting manner of the other two dams. This left Jorhild, Estur, and Réann alone with Dola.

"Well, I see they're not very sociable," the pretty auburn-haired dam chuckled.

"Unfortunately, no," Réann confirmed. "Yet, we're happy you're here, and as the princess instructed, we intend to make you feel welcome."

"That's very nice of you, especially considering that we're all in competition for the same thing…Prince Fili's hand," Dola pointed out.

"Nonsense," Estur chided, picking up the Blue Mountain lass' bag. "Each of us has as good a chance as the next. So no sense in us not being at least civil, right?"

"Agreed," Jorhild smiled, now guiding Dola to the room that had been left for her.

Réann followed along, wanting to learn more of this new dam who already shared a close acquaintance with Fili's mother. Perhaps this familiarity might work in Dola's favor, for a mother's recommendation could go a long way in swaying her son's choice. She seemed nice enough so far, and hadn't taken offense to Mirev and Gorta's rebuff, even though she had every right to.

Once Dola was shown inside, and had a moment to look around, the other two dams went to leave.

"You missed breakfast I fear," Estur told the lass, pausing at the door. "But lunch will be served soon, and dinner will be at eight bells. And don't worry, the cook here is amazing!" And with a friendly wave, she followed Jorhild out.

"I heard that Bombur is the one manning the kitchens now days," Dola grinned, making her way into her sleeping chamber. "And I have to agree with her, he is a very fine cook indeed. Always has been."

"You're familiar with Bombur, of Thorin's original company?" Réann asked, following Dola in hopes that she might elaborate.

"Of course," she smiled, pulling out a few of her things and placing them in the dresser that stood against the wall. "I grew up in Ered Luin, I've known most of them since I was a wee little lass. Bombur is from the Broadbeam clan, as well as his brother and cousin, but they've always been loyal to King Thorin, as well as his grandfather before him."

"Then you must know Prince Fili as well," she surmised.

"Since we were dwarflings," Dola nodded, then stopping, she turned and gave Réann a suspicious glance. "Though I hardly think it fair I tell you anything about him that might tip the scales in your favor."

"Oh, no! That's not what I meant at all," Réann was quick to assure her. "I wasn't looking for inside information to attract him." At this her eyes grew wide and she held up her hands in protest. "Not that I don't want to attract him…I mean, who wouldn't, right? I would be a fool to try and sabotage my chances." By now Réann felt like she was up to her neck and drowning, and covering her face with her hands she took a deep breath. "Just forget I said anything. I don't know what I'm saying in fact, and I think I've gone insane." And where Réann assumed that Dola would toss her out on her ear, just to get such a crazy dam away from her, instead, she burst out laughing.

"You don't want to marry Prince Fili…do you!" Dola accused, sounding very amused by the whole thing. "Why not?"

Réann's head whipped up, stunned that this lass would call her out like this. She was a shrewd one, that was for sure. Still, she was not sure if she should confess her secret so easily, even if the truth was apparently written all over her face. The two had barely met, and yet for some reason, Dola radiated an aura of trust. Besides, if the Ered Luin dam was keen on the idea of winning the prince, learning that she had one less competitor would make her happy, right?

"I…I actually don't," she admitted in a quiet voice, almost cringing at the thought of coming clean. "Not that I find him objectionable, it just that…that…"

"You love another!" Dola once more guessed correctly. "That, or you're craft-wed."

"Now why didn't I think of that?" Réann moaned, the idea having never occurred to her, but it would have been the best way to halt any matchmaking for her. Oh well, so much for that idea.

"Then I take it my first assumption was the correct one?" Dola pressed, taking Réann's hand and leading her over to the bed where they both sat down. "But if you loved another, why did you agree to come here and be presented as Fili's possible bride?"

"I didn't fall in love until I arrived in Erebor," Réann confessed. "And I had already planned on making myself as unattractive as possible to the prince, thus ensuring that he would pick another." Here she looked at Dola hopefully. "You said you knew him. Maybe he'll pick you! I mean, I know we just met, but you already seem like the best choice as far as I'm concerned. You're beautiful, funny, and smart as a whip. My money is on him choosing you. Then I won't have to worry at all."

"Sorry to disappoint you, Réann," Dola said with a sympathetic smile. "I'm only here for show. Fili knows not to pick me, for if he did, the other clans might say it was all arranged from the start. King Thorin feels it's important that he choose a dam not from the Longbeards. I came here knowing this, and do not desire to be Fili's bride any more than you. For I am indeed craft-wed."

Réann was stunned, and she gaped open mouthed at the dam before her.

"Then…there are only five for him to choose from," she whispered despondently.

"Indeed. If you are truly wishing to be courted by another," Dola pointed out. "I suppose we can only hope that a viable candidate can be found among the rest. Might you have a preference? For I would hate to see my old friend forced to join with someone unworthy of him."

"I…I suppose my first choice would be Jorhild? Then maybe Estur," Réann suggested. "Yet, I wouldn't presume to know the prince's mind, and choose for him. He is the one who must decide who is right for him, as well as all of Erebor."

"Oddly, the fact that you say that with such conviction, only convinces me more that you would be his best option," she said with a sad smile. "Yet, as you say…you are already taken."

"I didn't mean for it to happen," Réann protested. "I came here in good faith…well, sort of. I mean I was unattached, but I had no desire to marry the prince."

"Then why did you come?" Dola questioned.

"To petition the king to initiate trade between the Grey Mountains and Erebor…for steel," Réann revealed. "And he has agreed to meet with me!"

"Then your offer must truly be of benefit, for King Thorin is a perceptive ruler, and knows a good deal when he sees it." Here she reached up and placed her hand on Réann's shoulder. "Still…he does not tolerate deception. If you feel your suitability as a potential bride has been compromised, I would urge you to inform the king at once. It's the honorable thing to do."

"But what if he becomes angry? What if he banishes me before hearing my offer?" Réann moaned.

"King Thorin is nothing if not fair," Dola assured her. "He can seem gruff, hardheaded, and stubborn as a mule." Here she giggled at Réann's wide eyed look over her remark. "Those were his sister's words, not mine. But besides that, he would never treat you unjustly. Be honest with him, and he will be honest with you."

"I should have just said I was craft-wed as well," Réann sighed in defeat, knowing that Dola was right. "I'll tell him. Though I fear what he will say when I reveal the name of the dwarrow I am currently in love with."

"Oh? Is it someone of any consequence? A soldier? Or maybe a blacksmith?" Dola pressed eager to know.

"Ummmm, well…" Réann hedged, afraid to speak Dwalin's name out loud. Thankfully, she was spared from doing so by Estur, knocking on the bedroom door and poking her head inside.

"Lunch has arrived! Come get it while it's hot!" she called out, a wide grin on her face. And with an eager smile, she left as quickly as she came, expecting the other two to follow.

"I suggest we don't delay," Réann warned her new friend…or at least she hoped she might consider her one. "Estur is very fond of food…of any kind. So, if we want any, we best get going."

"Duly noted," Dola said, standing up and following Réann to the door. "Yet I do hope we have more time to talk about this later. And please be assured, I will do all I can to help you in any way."

"I appreciate that," the Grey Mountain lass nodded. "I will take your advice, however, and speak to the king as soon as possible."

"I'm glad," Dola smiled. "Now, let's hurry before there's nothing left."

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Elsewhere, while all this was going on, Amara was just returning from the laundry with a basket of fresh clean clothes. She was humming to herself, and thinking of Gimrin, when she approached the Lady's Chambers, taking note of the two dwarrowdams guarding the door. She had been meaning to assist her mistress in learning more information about Commander Dwalin, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. Thankfully, neither one of the dams minding the door were the ones on duty when Nori had brought the letters, so hopefully they wouldn't think anything about her asking after another dwarrow.

"Good afternoon," she greeted them, putting on her best smile. "And how are you today?"

"Doing well, thank you," the one on the left, a sturdy lass with brown hair, replied in a friendly enough tone. "Out doing laundry?"

"Yes," she nodded, patting the neatly folded clothes. "Can't have my mistress looking bad in front of the prince, can I?"

"No, that would never do," the dam on the right agreed. This one sported dark hair, as well as a pretty smile.

"I've been meaning to thank you for all your hard work in protecting us while we're here," Amara said, doing her best to steer the conversation in the direction she wanted. "Not that we believe there would be any true danger inside the mountain, for I hear that your warriors are very well trained and experts in battle."

"That we are," the brown-haired lass agreed. "Our commander has seen to it that all his soldiers are experts with both sword and axe, battle tested and ready to fight."

"Your commander? Would that be a dwarf named Dwalin, by any chance?" she asked, feigning ignorance on the matter. "I heard his name mentioned a few times. Is he really that good?"

"The best!" the dark-haired dam assured. "King Thorin wouldn't trust any but Commander Dwalin with the training of his soldiers."

"I'm glad to hear he lives up to his reputation," Amara continued, happy to hear such things. "I bet every dam in Erebor has been vying for his attention."

"Quite a few," the dam on the right revealed. "In fact, I think Isa here has had a crush on him ever since she joined the ranks."

"SELA!" the first lass squawked, her face turning red at her friend's revelation. "I do not!" She then hemmed and hawed a bit, before adding. "I simply respect him very much and admire his fighting prowess."

"Not to mention his bulging muscles and rugged good looks," Sela continued, laughing at Isa's embarrassment.

"Just stop!" Isa huffed, looking back at Amara. "Needless to say, he would be in high demand, if he wasn't so busy in the king's service. As it is, I can't remember the last time I saw him sporting a dam around…well, anywhere."

This was good news, as far as Amara was concerned. Réann had already mentioned how strong and handsome Dwalin was, but to also learn that he was not the flirt of the mountain spoke well of him. Still…she had one more question burning a hole in her mind.

"If you don't mind my asking, I heard someone say that Commander Dwalin once had a rather…strange hairdo," she asked. "Do you know what they meant?"

"Strange hairdo?" Sela laughed, covering her lips with her hand. "You mean stranger than what he currently has?"

"Well…yes," Amara was confused by this. Did all the dams in Erebor find mustache braids that odd?

"I think she means back when he used to wear his hair in that strange crest, sticking straight up, right down the center and shaved on both sides," Isa explained, also giggling at the idea. "It was rather…well, strange to say the least. Some say he lost a bet or something."

"You mean his hair stuck up like this…on the top of his head?" Amara asked, using her hand to demonstrate, fingers pointed upwards in a spikey manner.

"Yep," Sela nodded. "Damnedest thing I ever saw."

"But you know…on Dwalin, it kind of worked," Isa was forced to admit.

"Again, you only say that because you have a crush on him!" the dark-haired dam accused.

When the other dwarrowdam opened her mouth to protest further, Amara thought it best she excuse herself and leave them to their argument. So, with a nod and a word of thanks, she slipped inside the Lady's Chambers, eager to tell Réann what she had learned.

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"How was your trip, Sister?" Thorin asked, giving Dis a kiss on the cheek. He had asked her to meet with him in his private chambers after delivering the final dam to the Lady's Chambers – not wishing for any to overhear their conversation. "It was quite dull here without you in the mountain. I hope you had more fun than we did."

"If you call traipsing all over Middle Earth on a fool's mission fun…then, yes, I had a great time," she said sarcastically. "Yet, I had to make sure that Dola understood what was going on and agreed to this farce before she set foot out of Ered Luin. She came out of respect to you, Thorin. And for the treasure you promised each dam. Dola will not be expecting an offer from Fili."

"Good," the king nodded, bringing her over to a set of comfortable chairs in front of the fireplace. "I simply do not see any way for this to go over well should Fili have chosen from his own clan. Still, according to Balin, there are a couple of lasses in the group that will do."

"Just do?" Dis barked. "I don't want my son to simply settle…I want him to fall in love!"

"You can't expect to get blood from a stone," Thorin reminded her. "And if you ask Balin, only one is worthy. We will simply have to hope that Fili chooses wisely."

"To Mordor with what's wise! I want him to pick a lass that makes him act stupid!" she huffed. "One that turns his insides to mush and his brains to jelly. I know he's your heir, and that he must marry and produce children, but can't a mother wish for her son to be happy and find love as well?"

"You can wish such a thing, just as I wish for it as well," Thorin told her seriously. "But we must also be realistic."

Dis was about to pop her brother in the nose, when the door suddenly opened, and in came Fili and Kili, both grinning from ear to ear.

"Amad! We just heard that you returned!" Fili shouted, engulfing his mother in a warm embrace. "We missed you."

"Nothing's been the same without you here!" Kili added, wrapping his own arms around her as they made it a group hug.

"And I missed you as well, my little lads," she assured them, her eyes growing misty at their words. "But I'm here now, and I want to hear all about what's been going on in my absence." She then pulled back and eyed her youngest son quizzically. "Kili…is that a streak of grey I see in your hair?" Here she tugged on a few strands near the back of his head, holding them up for all to see.

"Ummm…" Kili hedged, not sure what to say, for he thought he had washed out all the grey the night before. "I…I was just in the kitchens. Bombur was baking, so I must have got a bit of flour in my hair." Which was the truth… mostly.

"Then be sure to wash it out as soon as possible," Dis instructed. "I won't have you turning grey before your time. Nor do I want you resembling Thorin any more than necessary."

"And exactly what does that mean, Sister?" the king huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"That you're too hardheaded and stubborn…and I don't want my lad taking after you!" she replied, sticking her tongue out at him like she used to do as a child. Then turning away from her shocked brother, she focused on Fili. "Now, tell me…have you learned anything about the dams you are to choose from? Might any of them be worthy of you, my son?"

"Well," Fili began, careful not to give too much away. "Thorin and Balin were kind enough to set up an interview with the dams, allowing me to write up some questions to ask them and learn their answers. That was rather telling, if you ask me. And I have at least eliminated a couple from the list as highly objectionable."

"I do hope the Firebeard lass is counted among those you have rejected," Dis grumbled, recalling the snippy way she had spoken.

"That she is," Fili chuckled. "I take it that she didn't make a good first impression on you either?"

"No, she did not," his mother assured him. "Still…if she had been your choice, I would have learned to live with it."

"Balin said he would be packing up and moving back to Ered Luin if that one was made queen," Thorin informed her.

"I knew there was a reason you made him your chief counselor," Dis laughed. "And I might have been tempted to go with him too."

"Was there any you met that did strike you as acceptable?" Fili inquired, curious to find out what she thought of Réann.

"I only stayed for a few minutes," Dis explained. "Yet, I found three of them to be, at the very least, hospitable. They all appeared very pretty, though. Maybe you should question Dola later when you are scheduled to meet with all the dams and get her opinion. Being forced to live with them might afford her a better understanding of their personalities."

"And when will the interviews start?" Fili asked, knowing it had to be done before he could make his choice. Still, he knew it was all a waste of time, for his heart already knew his One.

"As soon as possible," Thorin dictated. "The council is getting antsy, and most have felt that all this waiting was ridiculous in the first place. Yet, I will not push you into anything. You take your time and choose the one that suits you best."

"I'm eager to meet with them," Fili admitted, shocking both Thorin and his mother. "I mean, why delay. It won't change anything. I'll either find the one I can love…or not. I'd rather get on with it."

"Then we will set up your first meeting tomorrow," Thorin nodded, happy to see that his nephew was no longer dragging his feet on this. Perhaps he had finally come to accept his role as heir and was ready to do his duty. And speaking of meetings, the king thought to himself, perhaps it was high time he learned what the Grey Mountain lass had in mind for a trade agreement.

Yes, Thorin...why don't you call Lady Réann in and talk to her. I'm willing to bet you will find out a lot more about her than her thoughts on the trade agreement. ha ha.

So, how does everyone like Dola?

Oops, Amara found out something more about Dwalin as well. Hmmmm, what will they think of this development?

Dis is happy to be home, and everyone is happy to see her as well. Having your mommy in the mountain always makes you feel better. right?

Guest Reviews:

Emrfangirl: ha ha, if it wasn't so itchy and not actually HIS, Kili might have liked the beard to stay on as well. ha ha. Yep, Dola is in the house! Big reveal coming soon...VERY soon. Poor Fili...the jig is up! Thanks

Travelbug: Thanks! Bard is a fun character, I like writing for him. he's smart, funny, and hot. ha ha. Big reveal coming soon...VERY, VERY SOON!