.
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Now, let's see what Réann thinks of all this...
Oh, and I have a question for you at the end too.
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Chapter 18
~X~
Fili practically ran all the way to his uncle's council chambers, nearly knocking over several dwarves in his rush to get where he was going. After pounding on the door twice, he entered with a wide smile.
"I did it! I lived through each meeting with the other five dams," he announced proudly, taking note that his mother, Dwalin, Balin and Kili were already present. "Now, can we end this sham and let me propose to Réann?"
"You have fulfilled your part of the bargain," Thorin nodded, appeased that his form of punishment had been carried out. "Thus, we will call the dams together in just a few hours, putting us all out of our misery."
"You? What misery have you been suffering?" Fili questioned. "I'm the one who's been parted from my Réann!"
"Your mother and I had to meet with each dam as well, you know," Thorin reminded him. "And while we may not have had to entertain them like you, speaking with a few of them was indeed quite painful."
"Or down right impossible!" Dis added, apparently having had no more luck in making Feren talk than he did.
"Well, just for the record, it wasn't me who suggested this whole mess in the first place and forced them to come to Erebor," he reminded them, his eyes unconsciously drifting to Balin.
"That may be so…but if I hadn't, you would never have met your One, as you claim you have. Would you, Lad?" Balin said in his defense.
"True," Fili grinned, unable to remain upset at the mention of Réann. "You are officially forgiven, Balin. In fact, all of you are, and I harbor no ill will in connection with this marriage agreement. Just as long as I am able to place my betrothal bead in her hair tonight, I will die a happy dwarf."
"There will be no dying, if you please," Dis ordered. "I expect you to live a long and happy life with your One…and give me plenty of grandchildren."
"I could stand a few nieces and nephews myself," Kili spoke up, also eager for the day they called him uncle.
"Let the lad ask the dam first, will you?" Thorin laughed, feeling as if everyone was putting the cart before the pony, so to speak. "Now, since we cannot let on that you and Réann have met, other than during the scheduled interview, nor can anyone suspect that she thinks you are not the prince, here is how we will proceed. It might come as a bit of a shock to the lass at first, but her reaction will be genuine and thus convincing to the others. Understood?"
"I don't know, Uncle," Fili hedged, not quite sure what he was getting at. "Care to explain this in more detail?"
This he did, laying out exactly what was going to take place…much to Fili's worry and concern.
.
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So it was that the royal family, as well as those required to witness the prince's choice of bride, filed into the throne room, Thorin was a bit shocked to see Nori, Bofur, Ori and Oin already there waiting.
"And what might you all be doing here?" the dwarf king asked with a raised eyebrow. "I don't recall announcing this an open court."
"Come now, Thorin," Nori said in a pleading tone. "We just thought such an auspicious occasion as the naming of a bride for the royal heir was not something to be missed," he smiled, then slyly adding, "Unless of course you have something to hide?"
"Of course we have nothing to hide, and you three are quite welcome," Dis quickly interjected, fearing that the council members entering in behind them might overhear and become suspicious.
"Thank you, Princess Dis," Nori replied with a stately bow, his amused expression never leaving his face. "Your hospitality is always appreciated."
Fili, however, wasn't fooled for a moment.
"You're just here to see if I screw things up, aren't you?" Fili hissed as he walked past them, heading for his spot near the throne.
"What? You wound me, My Prince," Nori answered, though not bothering to deny it. Yet, since Thorin hadn't tossed them out on their ear, the four dwarves quickly found a place off to the side, eager to watch the spectacle.
Fili walked over to stand beside Thorin's throne, giving the group of council members a sour look. Even if he had found his one during this whole fiasco, he still found he resented them for manipulating his life this way.
"I hope this satisfies them," he whispered to his uncle, jerking his head towards the line of stuffy looking dwarrow. "And that they will stop making trouble for you as well."
"From here on out, you let me worry about myself and my rule," Thorin told him. "You have already done more than enough to see that Erebor is secure, and for that I will be forever grateful. I'm just happy that you found a dam you can love in all this."
"So am I," Fili grinned. "I just hope after she hears the prince's choice, she won't hate me forever."
"Show some faith, Son," Dis instructed, leaning forward from her own seat beside Thorin, apparently having overheard their conversation. "I don't see Réann as the flighty sort, though you might have to do some fast talking to get yourself back in her good graces."
"I'll do whatever it takes, Amad," Fili promised. "You can count on that."
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Soon, each of the seven dams were escorted into the royal throne room, all a mixture of excitement and trepidation. Some were feeling very confident, assuming they would be the one chosen, others were nervous, while Réann still prayed that nothing would go wrong and she would be completely overlooked by the prince. She was also anxious to see Dwalin again, imagining that the commander of the army would be present at such an occasion, to protect the king if nothing else. Réann was glad that Amara was at her side, for all the lady's maids had accompanied their mistresses, also standing in as witnesses to the event.
When they arrived, the guards directed the seven to line up before the throne. Réann stood between Dola and Jorhild, with Mirev, Gorta, and Estur to the left, and Feren on their right. She felt Dola reach out and give her hand a quick squeeze, drawing her eyes to the dark-haired lass who winked in encouragement. It gave Réann the boost she needed, and squaring her shoulders, she raised her head and scanned the room.
To the far right, each of the lady's maids waited anxiously, all hoping that their mistress would be the one chosen…well, everyone but Amara, that was. She even spotted Nori, Ori, Bofur, and an older dwarf with a small brass trumpet pressed to his ear, standing in the back. Yet, it was the group on the platform that held her attention, and once Réann's eyes locked with a particular dwarf, she couldn't look away.
There was Dwalin, standing beside the king, looking almost too good for words. He was dressed finer than she had ever seen him, but what else would a commander wear when in service of the king? Beside him sat King Thorin on his throne, the tall stone seat inlaid with gems, gold and all kinds of intricate runes. The raven-wing crown he wore only added to his magnificence, leaving no doubt in anyone's mind who was in charge.
To his left sat Princess Dis, her throne a bit smaller, though no less regal. Next to her stood a dwarf that Réann could only guess was Prince Fili, for the dwarrow was so alike in looks to the king that it could be no one else. She found it odd that he bore such a resemblance to Dwalin's brother, Galin - yet far younger than the aged dwarf she had been introduced to. Still, even King Thorin had commented on the family resemblance, had he not?
There was also Lord Balin, the other dwarf she had met who was also named Dwalin, as well as a number of white-bearded council members…or Réann assumed. After all, everything would need to be done by the book and with as many witnesses as possible to see that it was handled properly. There would be no room for error, especially if King Thorin wanted each dam and her clan to be appeased. Still, the only thing Réann really cared about was getting this over with so she could be with Dwalin again. And from the way his eyes never left hers, she could tell he felt the same way.
But for now, she would wait patiently, then politely congratulate the bride that was chosen, wishing them both much happiness. Réann had been practicing her look of disappointment all morning, followed by humble acceptance, so as not to seem out of character. She only hoped she could pull it off, for she didn't want anyone to suspect her true elation at not being chosen.
"Ladies of the seven clans, I bid you welcome," Thorin's voice interrupted her thoughts, drawing all eyes to the king. Here he stood up, the royal fur-lined robe he wore framing his impressive figure well. "I want to thank each of you for leaving your homes and families to journey here and present yourself as the future bride of my nephew and heir, Prince Fili. The choosing of a wife is no small affair, and though each dwarrow desires to find their One, we also know that not all are fortunate enough to do so. Thus, we appreciate your willingness to forgo Mahal's blessing in order to see that the line of Durin continues, and the throne of Erebor is secure."
Here Fili watched as most of the dams grinned widely, each one now anxious to hear Thorin speak a name…preferably their name. Yet he couldn't take his eyes off of Réann. What would she do, and what would she say, when she learned the truth? Would he be forced to give up the crown in order to keep her? He would, though he knew it would break his family's heart, as well as alienate him from his brother, who would then be forced to take his place. Still, as he looked into his One's eyes, he knew he could do no less in order to keep her. He just prayed that it wouldn't come to that.
"Thus, it is with great rejoicing that I announce that Prince Fili has indeed selected a bride from among you, choosing the one who will stand beside him as a princess and then a queen," Thorin continued in a loud and booming voice. "And that dwarrowdam is…"
Everyone in the room held their breath, some waiting to hear their names, some waiting to learn Fili's choice, and one lone lass simply eager to get things over with. Yet, all knew that the next words spoken would ultimately change the lives of a great many, Prince Fili's most of all.
"…the Lady Réann, from the Grey Mountains," Thorin finished.
There was utter silence for the space of a few heartbeats, followed by a chorus of moans, groans and a few very unladylike words from Mirev and Gorta. Yet, not a sound came from Réann, as her mouth dropped open and all the blood drained from her face.
WHAT? This couldn't be happening! Réann didn't know what to do, and she certainly didn't know what to say. King Thorin had promised that she would not be chosen! Or had he? Her brain worked frantically to recall his exact words. He had said she need not concern herself about it…that all would be well, but not once had he actually said the prince would not choose her! Oh, what a fool she was! And now Réann was caught between a mountain and a hard place, and not knowing how she was going to get herself out of this!
Dola, however, turned to face her, pulling her in for a quick hug, and whispered into her hear.
"Don't worry, everything will be made clear in time," she said encouragingly, before pulling back with a smile. "This is all for the best, I promise."
Yet in Réann's mind, there was no way that was possible. For she loved Dwalin…not Prince Fili!
"Again, I thank each of you for coming, and if you will follow the guards out, you will be well compensated for your time and trouble," Thorin instructed, waving for all the dams, and the maids, to exit the room…all but Réann, who still stood there like a stone statue, looking as if she would either cry or faint any moment. He then signaled for the odd assortment of council members to leave as well, each one having apparently fulfilled their needed purpose and were no longer necessary.
Amara's eyes were wide as saucers as she too left the throne room, wishing she could instead go to her mistress and offer her some measure of comfort in this distressing moment. For she could see that Réann was now envisioning all her hopes and dreams going up in smoke.
When the doors shut at last, leaving Réann trembling and alone, Thorin spoke again.
"I know this came as quite a shock, Lady Réann," the king assured her, his tone kind and understanding. "But it was necessary to continue the charade until the very end. Yet, now that the formalities have been seen to, and all the regulations met, we can all be honest with each other at last." Here he sat back down on his throne and gave a wave of his hand. "Fili…go and claim your bride. If she will have you, that is."
Réann stared at the dark-haired dwarf at Thorin's left, desperately trying to find the words she could speak to reject him kindly, and not bring war between the Grey Mountains and Erebor. Yet, the kindly looking dwarrow didn't move, he simply stood there smiling at her as if he had some secret he refused to share. It was then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Dwalin step forward, coming down the stairs towards her. As their eyes locked once again, hers screamed for him to save her. To say something that would fix this horrible mess. Maybe he planned to snatch her up and run? And if he did, Réann certainly wouldn't resist, so eager was she to get out of there as quickly as possible.
"Réann," Fili began when he was at last standing before her. "I am so terribly sorry for this whole mess. It is all my fault and I take full responsibility for it. I never meant to deceive you, and you have every reason to hate me if that be your ultimate choice."
"Deceive me?" Réann questioned, attempting to wrap her mind around what he was saying. "How? What do you mean?" And then it hit her…he didn't love her at all! He'd been toying with her all along and was now handing her off to the prince to be his bride, simply to get rid of her! "YOU SNAKE!" she screamed, pulling back her hand and letting it fly. The sound of her palm making contact with his cheek caused a resounding crack echo through the hall.
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Thorin and Dis cringed and gave a hiss as Fili's head whipped to the side from the blow.
"He's not doing very well, is he?" Thorin whispered, ashamed to admit that he was slightly amused by all this.
"No…no he is not," Dis agreed. She then looked over and gave his arm a little slap. "And stop enjoying my son's suffering, you clod!"
"Do you think I should go help him, Amad?" Kili asked, leaning in so his words wouldn't carry.
"No, best let the lad find his own way," Dwalin suggested. "He got himself in this mess…let him dig himself out as well."
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Fili had not seen the slap coming, though in retrospect he probably should have. Not only had he lied to her, but he had now managed to make everything worse by choosing the wrong words to explain things.
"I deserved that," he mumbled, his left hand coming up to cover his now reddening cheek.
"I'll say you did! And much more, if you think you can treat me like this and get away with it!" Réann continued, though her eyes were quickly filling with unshed tears. "I trusted you, Dwalin! And worse yet…I loved you!"
"And I love you too!" Fili was quick to assure her. "I have from the moment I laid eyes on you, and I will love you till the day I go to wait in the Halls of Mandos."
"But…but you just said you deceived me," Réann stammered, even more confused now. "How can you deceive me and love me at the same time?"
"The truth is…I do love you. But the deception is that I am not Dwalin, son of Fundin, Commander of the king's army," Fili confessed.
This left Réann speechless once again, trying to decipher what this all meant for her and the dwarf before her. But before either one could speak, another voice spoke up from the dais.
"You see, Lass," Dwalin called out. "I'm Dwalin, son of Fundin, and I'm in command of the king's army and guards." He then gestured to the white-bearded dwarf at his side. "And this be my nadad, Balin, also son of Fundin. Not this strip of a lad here, all dolled up to look a mite older than he truly is." At this he threw his arm over Kili's shoulder, nearly knocking the prince off his feet from the weight of his muscular bicep.
"You…you mean you're the dwarf whom my father knew?" she asked, pointing at Dwalin in shock. Yet, suddenly, the comment her adad had made about his odd hairstyle actually made sense.
"That I am, Lass," Dwalin confessed. "Met your father when we fought together at Azanulbizar, near the gates of Moria. Fine dwarf if I recall, and quite handy with an axe too."
Here Réann looked at the dwarf standing in front of her, seeing him as if for the first time. If he wasn't Commander Dwalin…
"Then…who are you?" she demanded, though her somewhat numb brain was formulating a theory, one she needed to hear confirmed by his own lips. The very same lips that had kissed her, confessed words of love…and apparently lied to her as well. "What is the true name you go by?"
"I am Fili, son of Flinn, heir to Thorin Oakenshield, and crown prince of Erebor," he introduced, giving her a bow at the waist, though not once breaking eye contact. "And though my name may have changed, my feelings for you have not. I desire nothing more than to take you as my wife, to love and care for you till the end of my days, and perhaps beyond, if it be Mahal's will. You are my One, Réann of the Grey Mountains, and I will do everything within my power to earn your forgiveness for the wrongs I have done in leading you to believe I was other than who I truly am."
Réann didn't know what to say. In the space of a few moments, her life had been turned upside down, backwards, and now completely sideways. She didn't know what to think or what to believe, but one thing she did know…she wanted answers and she wanted them now!
Looking over Dwa…er…Fili's shoulder – this would take some getting used to, Réann realized – she gave the king a pleading look.
"Might I have a few moments of private speech with your heir, Your Majesty?" she asked, not wishing to be rude.
"Of course," Thorin agreed, gesturing to the far end of the room where they could speak without being overheard. "By all means, Lady."
Taking Fili by the arm, she pulled him with her, stopping only when they were as far away from everyone else in the room as possible.
"Why?" was her one and only question. "Why did you do it?"
"If you'll recall, I was forbidden from making contact with any of the dams until Dola had arrived," he began, laying the groundwork for his entire explanation. "And when I just happened to run into you on the battlement, I first mistook you for your maid, remember? It was only after reading your letter that I found out you were actually the Stiffbeard dam from the Grey Mountains."
"Yes, I recall that very clearly," she nodded. "Yet, why would you pretend to be Dwalin?"
"His was the first name I thought of when you asked who I was," he confessed. "I couldn't tell you who I really was, for fear word would get back that I was breaking the rules. Not to mention the fact that you thought the prince was a spoiled dwarf with the manners of a troll, or too ugly to catch a lass' eye on his own." Here Fili noticed Réann flinch at hearing her words repeated back to her. He had long ago committed them to memory, fully planning on telling their children exactly what their mother had first thought of him. "Then, when we parted, I hadn't exactly expected to see you again…but I did. And by the second and third time we met…well, my window of opportunity to come clean had shut tight."
"So, you just continued to pretend to be someone other than who you really were?" Réann was flabbergasted. "Wasn't that difficult?"
"More than you can imagine!" Fili laughed. "Not only did I feel terrible about lying to you, but all the while I kept attempting to soften your opinion of the prince…of me! But you wouldn't budge. And somewhere during the whole mess, I fell in love with you."
"And I fell in love with who I thought was a commander…not a prince," she added. "I wasn't looking to gain a crown in all this, just you."
"Can't you take on both?" Fili asked hopefully. "For this prince would still very much love to be your husband, if you could only find it in your heart to forgive me."
"Was your family in on this all the time?" The idea shocked Réann, for it was hard to imagine the king going along with such a thing.
"Not the whole time," Fili confessed. "At first it was just me…and my little brother, Kili." Here he nodded his head towards the young dwarrow standing between Dwalin and his mother. "Or as you know him…Galin. You see, because I had let it slip that I had a brother, and told you he was my nadad, we had to make him appear older so you wouldn't become suspicious."
"We who?" she questioned. "Who is we?"
"Nori, Ori, Bofur, and Oin…the older dwarf over there with the ear trumpet," Fili explained, jerking his head in their direction. "Besides me and Kili, they're the only ones who knew about all this. Oh, and King Bard and his family, after he discovered us in the woods together."
"And he simply went along with it all? Pretending that you were Dwalin? Why?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Because he's an orc of a man who loves to watch me squirm," Fili supplied, though even he couldn't say it with a straight face. "As you learned, we've known each other since before I was an official prince, and he was only a poor bargeman. That and I think it's how he gets his laughs now that he's supposed to be all serious and kinglike."
"Well…he sure had me fooled," Réann admitted. Here she lifted her hand and let her fingers rake through his hair near the crest of his brow. "And truth be told, I'm rather relieved to hear that it wasn't you who once shaved the sides of your head and wore your hair sticking straight up across the top. It was rather hard to picture you that way, you know."
"Me…sporting Dwalin's old hairstyle?" At this, Fili let loose a bark of laughter. "I think he learned his lesson the hard way about doing such foolish things, and I can guarantee that I will never be cutting these locks."
Réann was happy to hear that, for she found she loved Fili's hair a great deal, just the way it was.
"And exactly when did the king and your mother learn the truth about your charade?" she persisted.
"Well, that would be when you confessed it to them," he replied.
"Oh…yeah, sorry about that," she murmured, looking down at her hands. "I did kind of let the cat out of the bag, didn't I? I really hope you didn't get into any trouble because of it. I had no idea I was outing the prince."
"I got a stern talking to, that's for sure," Fili admitted. "Yet, I was glad that everything had been revealed at last. To say that my mother and uncle were happy over the news is an understatement. For both had already dog-eared you for the position before you even confessed your love for me."
"They had?" This shocked Réann, for though they had been kind and accepting during her petition for the trade agreement, she was certain she had lost all their favor after the whole Dwalin fiasco.
"Very much so," he nodded. "For just like me, they saw your fine qualities right away. One of them being your amazing ability to overlook foolish mistakes made by well-intentioned dwarves." This last part he said with a hopeful look on his face.
"Well…only if that well-intentioned dwarf is willing to overlook a few mistakes made by me as well," she replied, scrunching up her nose repentantly. "I mean, I snuck out of the Lady's Chambers, and I wrote all those horrible things about you in my first letter to my father." Here she reached up and covered her eyes with her hands. "Oh, what you must have thought of me for calling you the troll-prince!"
"Actually, I thought it was rather funny," Fili laughed. "No one has dared speak so bluntly to my face since we retook Erebor, other than my family that is. It was kind of refreshing to hear such honesty." Then suddenly he turned serious. "Unless you still feel that way."
"No! I swear!" she gasped. "I mean…I don't think you are troll-like at all."
"Well, that's good to hear," he grinned, reaching into his pocket and pulling forth a small wrapped package, which he held out to her expectantly.
"I made this for you," he said. "I wanted to give you something special, something that held some meaning for the both of us. Partially in hopes that you might forgive me, but mostly because I love you." He then urged her to open the gift, loving how her eyes lit up and began to water at the sight of it.
"Oh, Fili! It's amazing! I had no idea you were so talented," she marveled, recognizing her beloved owl immediately in his design. "It looks just like Jareth."
"I figured he was the one that brought us together in the first place…if you don't count Thorin, Balin, and all those blasted council members pushing me into a political marriage," Fili said with a roll of his eyes.
"Fili, this is both beautiful and personal," she gushed. "Exactly what I always imagine a gift should be. It means a great deal to me and I will treasure it always."
"Does that mean I'm forgiven?" he asked hopefully.
"Yes, I'll forgive you, if you will forgive me," she bargained. "Here she reached up and lightly touched his cheek. "I'm sorry I struck you."
"No, I totally deserved it," he argued, lifting his own hand to cover hers. "But from here on out, I will attempt to not do anything that might merit your disapproval. You pack quite a wallop."
"I just hope King Thorin doesn't toss me in the dungeons for striking the crown prince," Réann chuckled.
"Are you kidding! He probably got the biggest kick of it than anyone here," Fili assured her. He then became serious once more. "And the fact that I am the crown prince, and not a commander, is something you can live with? Preferably for a very long time…as my wife?"
"Oh, Dwal…I mean…Fili," she blushed. "I don't care what your name is or who you are! You're the dwarf I love and that's all I need to know. But…I'm not certain I would make a good wife for you. I've never aspired to be royalty, nor do I feel qualified."
"You are the dam I love, the only one I will ever want or choose, so that makes you absolutely perfect for the job," Fili assured her. "And if you were willing to come here and pretend to be a candidate in hopes of instigating a trade agreement, all to benefit your people…then I say you have the exact qualities one needs to rule. You are selfless, kind, smart, and just the right kind of cunning – not to mention very, very beautiful. You will be a wonderful queen one day."
At this, Réann blushed even more, leaning in until their foreheads met in a dwarven sign of affection.
"Well, even though I might disagree with you on a few of those points, I'll bow to your greater knowledge on the subject, seeing as you are already royalty," she conceded. "And…if you still want me as your bride, after all the mess I've gotten you into, then my answer is…yes."
At this, Fili gave a loud whoop of excitement. Then grabbing her around the waist, he spun her around making Réann laugh at his antics.
"Am I to assume by this display that you two have successfully made up?" came a call from Thorin, everyone across the room having been waiting on pins and needles to learn what might become of the couple. "Has she accepted your betrothal bead?"
"Not yet," Fili answered loudly, setting her down and leading her back to where the rest of the group waited. Here he faced her, his eyes alight with joy, before going down on one knee. Taking a small shiny bead out of one of his many pockets, he held it up for her to see. "Réann, daughter of Lord Darmin of the Grey Mountains…will you officially accept my bead and agree to be my wife?"
Eeep...do you think she will say yes?
Well, she knows at last. And while Fili probably deserved that slap, though not for the reasons she gave it to him, it looks like she was able to find the humor in it all and did indeed forgive him. Was it to you liking?
Now...if that's settled...what do you think will happen next?
Question: How many of you out there are Mandalorian fans? I've never written a Star Wars story before (though I grew up as a big fan of the movies) but recently I've become fascinated with the new Disney+ series and already have ten chapters written about the Mandalorian and his adorable little side-kick. If I began posting a story over there, (which wouldn't be for several more weeks since I like to build up a large stock of chapters first) would it be anything you might all care to read? I'm not sure what the fanbase is like over there, thus I'm a bit hesitant, and I was just wondering if any of you are interested in that particular fandom.
Guest Reviews:
tgo62: Ha ha, you're the first person to ever complain that I post TOO quickly, ha ha. But I totally understand, real life tends to suck up all our time. And this way you can binge read without worrying about cliff hangers! Thorin did have fun hearing about Dola's craft work, it reminded him how much he misses his own. He needs to take time each week and get down to the forge himself. I could have let Fili date the lasses more, and yes, I'm sure if he hadn't already chosen Réann, he would have gone on more than just one date with a few of them. But why waste time now that he knows? Everone got equal time. That and I didn't want to bore you with hearing how Mirev groped him, Gorta scared him, or Feren bored him to tears. ha ha. Thanks and hope you find a nice quiet time to read soon. T.O.W.G.
Guest: Oh, I'm happy that this one is your favorite. I can't pick a favorite though...stories are like kids, you love them all equally and for different reasons. I'm sorry you had a horrible day at work. Glad my story could bring you a bit of cheer. Thanks.
Emrfangirl : Yeah, with her name ending in 'ur' I HAD to make her a distant relative of Bofur's. ha ha. And while Réann never DID meet with the prince, Dis told everyone she did - passing off the time she had spent with her and Thorin talking about the trade agreement as her 'Fili time'. So everyone THINKS she did get her chance to woo the prince. So, how was the popcorn? Did you get butter all over your keyboard and mouse (or tablet or phone) while reading this chapter? But most importantly...did you save ME any?
Travelbug: You must have indeed reviewed twice, thinking you hadn't, but I'm certainly not complaining. ha ha. I'm glad you enjoyed Fili's punishment from Dis and Thorin...but yes, he might be in for a bit more from HER side of the family...if and when they ever get to Erebor. I figured that we ALL knew who he was going to pick, so why waste time on multiple chapters of him having to date these other dams? So, did you re-read one of my old ones in the meantime? If so, which one? And if not, I hope this chapter came soon enough so you didn't get too antsy in the meantime. Thanks.
Guest: I'm sorry you are going through a difficult time in your life - but happy that my silly little story has made your load a little lighter. Often we need a good laugh or an escape from the real world, and I'm pleased that my story can help with that. Yep, just wait Fili...you are in for a world of trouble in the form of the 'in-laws'. ha ha. Whatever will THEY have to say about all this?