A chapter today and one more tomorrow, and then I will settle into a more normal posting schedule.

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Chapter 3

~X~

"There is a chance you did nothing at all," Thorin was quick to state, looking at Oin for confirmation. "Is there any way to know for sure if it was Fili…could he indeed have awakened?"

Oin gave a grim nod. "Fili?" he said quietly, attempting to get the lad's attention. "If you would care to step into the other room…"

"What?" the distraught prince sounded even more distressed than before.

"We need to know, laddie," Balin said in a sad tone, resting his hand on Fili's shoulder. "Your reputation and position as crown prince might depend on it."

If Fili had thought things were humiliating before, he was truly mortified now. Yet seeing the concern and worry in the eyes of both his uncle and brother, he bowed his head in consent, rising to follow the elderly healer into the next room.

Not much was said during their absence, most just paced and gave each other hopeful, yet fearful looks. When at last they returned, both wore downcast expressions and Fili refused to meet anyone's eyes. His posture said it all.

"For whatever reason, the lad has indeed been awakened," Oin confirmed.

Stalking forward, Thorin came to stand in front of his shell-shocked nephew. "This was not your doing," Thorin stated firmly, resting his hand on Fili's shoulder. "None of it!"

"How can you say that?" Fili countered, staring up at his uncle with haunted eyes. "I disgraced a maiden! Ruined her, and with no memory of the event having taken place!"

"Because you were not in your right mind," Balin was quick to offer, feeling badly for both Fili and the lass. "That is not how you are, lad. You were raised to have high morals and we all can vouch for your character."

"You were obviously not in control of your actions," Dwalin agreed, crossing his muscular arms over his chest with a low growl. "They took that from ya when they spiked your wine. So you cannot be held accountable."

"Tell that to her!" Fili groaned, once moving to sit down, burying his face in his hands.

"Fili, don't do this," Kili begged, taking his place next to him in an effort to offer some comfort. He could tell that his brother was hurting, and that it would take more than a few consoling words to wipe away the shame he was now heaping upon himself. Yet the blond prince shrugged off Kili's hand and leapt to his feet.

"I want to see her," he stated, his eyes fixed on the door Oin had just come out of. "I need to look upon the face of the one I have wronged."

"She is still asleep," Oin argued.

"I will not be swayed," Fili replied firmly.

"Very well, lad," the old healer nodded, leading the way, followed by the rest of the somber group.

Oin pushed open the door and allowed Fili to enter, the young prince appearing tense and unsure, but determined nonetheless. Yet the moment her sleeping form came into view, he stopped short. He knew her!

"Sier?" Fili gasped. Until now his uncle and the others had been referring to her as the lass, or the maid – never had he suspected that the one he had despoiled was the pretty little servant girl who had caught his eye just the day before.

"You know her?" Thorin asked, shocked by this news.

"I…I met her once," Fili answered, his voice almost a whisper. "She served me lunch, but I never spoke to her… hardly even noticed her at all, until…" There he stopped, shutting his eyes and letting out a low moan of misery. "It is all my fault! I brought this upon us both!" Turning on his heel, he exited the room, returning to the bench for fear of collapsing over the weight of the guilt crushing in on him. The others quickly followed, anxious to know more, yet in their haste they failed to fully shut the door to the healing room behind them.

"You have to tell us everything, lad," Balin insisted, sitting next to the devastated prince. "Why do you claim to be at fault?"

"Because I am!" Fili groaned. "I not only insulted Bina…I implied that I would prefer any dwarrowdam over her…even her maid, Sier! I not only incurred that viper's wrath…but I pulled that innocent lass into her evil sights with me. I am to blame, yet she was the one made to suffer!"

"Yet how could any of this have happened?" Kili questioned. "Unless she was Fili's one, why would his body have woken up to…to…well, you know?" The young dwarf's face turned several shades of red as he attempted to get the words out.

"Sadly…there are ways," Oin replied in a harsh tone, revealing his feelings about such things.

"What?" Fili gasped, suddenly feeling even more betrayed.

"There is a potent elixir, known about for centuries, yet its use has only been approved in the most dire of cases," Balin informed him.

Fili let out a low moan, shutting his eyes and shaking his head. "Then Bina did not lie…there truly is such a thing."

"She mentioned this potion to you?" Thorin growled, her guilt even more solidified in his mind.

"She said that she knew of something that would allow me to choose my own wife instead of waiting for the one Mahal had chosen for me," the prince revealed, now even more revolted by the idea, since it had apparently been used upon him. "Why would such a thing have ever been concocted…what possible good could come from it?"

"Not much, lad," Balin said with a weary shake of his head. "The first time I heard of such a situation where it was needed, was ages ago when one of the kings of the Firebeard clan failed to produce an heir before his wife fell sick and died. Leaving no one to pass his crown to - no nephews or male relative of close lineage - and with with his one gone, his body had essentially returned to stone. He agreed to take the elixir to reawaken him, in hopes of siring children, having found a dwarrowdam willing to take on the task. It was not an optimal situation…but it got the job done. However, since then, I have heard many a tale of woe from other dwarrows who had been slipped this potion by greedy dams looking to entrap a rich mate, not caring if they were slated to be their true one or not. Perhaps along with the sleeping draught they gave you, they added some of this elixir as well. I would not put it past them."

"Then…while I was…out of it, they forced my body awake so that I might…might…" Fili's tone was full of disgust and self-loathing. "What kind of monsters are they?"

"The ambitious kind…which makes them most dangerous kind of all," Nori nodded, having dealt with such power hungry types before. "It is my guess that they thought once you were suspected of such atrocities, perhaps even accusing you of taking the potion of your own free will, no other dwarrowdam would agree to have you. Leaving Bina as your only choice, and her in line to be queen someday. Greedy dams have done a lot more for less."

"That's one theory," Dwalin spoke up, having been silently contemplating this for a while. All eyes turned to the captain and war-chief of Erebor as he explained himself. "What if Colm, and that sorry excuse of a daughter of his, were not behind this at all? What if the lass in there dreamed up the whole thing, in hopes of forcing Fili into marrying her, just like my brother said other dams have?"

"We all know it would not be the first time a ruthless maid tried to rise above her station through use of her feminine wiles," Gloin nodded in agreement. "We cannot discount the possibility that she is the mastermind behind all this."

The room grew silent, as all contemplated both dwarfs' words.

"And if it turns out that she is?" Kili asked, hating to even think such a horrible thought, yet with his brother's name and reputation on the line, he was willing to entertain the possibility. "What will become of the girl then? It would have been a very risky plot, and even if Fili was given this awakening elixir…who is to say it would have worked like she planned?"

"I do not know the answer to that, nor will I know, until I have had a chance to question the maid thoroughly," Thorin broke in, still preferring to believe that Lord Colm and Bina were the ones to blame. "But I swear by Durin's beard, that whomever is responsible will be locked away in the darkest dungeon I can find and never see the light of day again!"

"In the meantime, I can mix up some herbs that will counteract what you might have been given, Fili," Oin informed the miserable prince. "It will effectively return your body to stone once more, allowing you to continue on your natural path to awakening…when you find your true one, and the time is right."

"And we stand behind you, Fili," Balin assured him. "We all do. While this has been a terrible violation to you…as well as the young miss, it is nothing you cannot overcome. We will remain by your side and help you through it. You have our support and loyalty. No matter what."

"I…I just wish it would all go away," Fili moaned, leaning his head against the wall and shutting his eyes. "I wish I had never opened my big mouth, and that I will wake up to find that this was all some horrible nightmare."

"Fili," Thorin spoke up, stepping forward and staring down at his nephew. "You are of the line of Durin. Our lives have never been easy, yet the blood that flows through your veins is hearty stock indeed. Durin was not named the deathless for nothing, he proved strong in the face of trials…and so shall you. You will rise above this, you will stand tall…and I will be at your side."

Fili was overcome with emotion, not only due to his distressing situation, but by the love and support of his friends and family. Perhaps in time he would be able to get past this…but what plagued his heart now was the sudden worry for the dwarrowdam asleep in the other room.

How would he face her when she awoke? How could he ever apologize enough for the things he had done - be it without his knowledge or consent. He felt so helpless, so violated…and yet, that was nothing to what he was sure she would feel when she learned the truth.

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Inside the room Sier squeezed her eyes shut and fought back the tears that threatened to fall. She had woken from her drug induced sleep only minutes before Prince Fili and the other dwarves had entered the room. Still unsure as to what was happening, she had pretended to be unconscious, yet hearing everything that was said from that moment on. The realization of what had happened to her was indeed a blow, for while she lay on the soft bed, clothed in a crisp clean nightgown, the odd sensation and unfamiliar pains in her body more than confirmed what she had overheard. She had been despoiled. She was no longer a maiden, no longer pure, and ruined in the eyes of all who might have ever seen her as a viable mate.

And yet, she could ascribe no blame to the obviously repentant prince, for she knew exactly who had orchestrated this whole scheme! Her memory was a bit hazy, but Sier distinctly remembered Bina strolling into her room with an evil grin on her face, only moments after she had finished her dinner. Sier had risen to her feet, prepared to accept any punishment that was to be metered out for her disrespectful outburst at the prince's offensive words, yet she had found herself unexpectedly light headed and unable to remain standing. And before she could even question the reason for her unexplained condition, she had blacked out. The next thing she recalled clearly was waking here in the infirmary, hearing voices that both frightened and accused.

Did they honestly believe she had anything to do with a plan that would rob her of her innocence? Was she now to be thrown in prison, or worse, for being suspected of such treasonous acts? Even if they did believe that she had been an unwilling victim in all this, what then? She could never return to her position serving Bina…she would rather die than spend another moment in her employ! Yet staying in Erebor was out of the question as well, for the shame and humiliation attached with seeing the prince on a regular basis was too much to imagine. Still, she had to do something, she could not simply lie there and allow others to decide her fate. She was innocent of this crime…but she feared that no one would ever believe her!

Pulling back the lightweight cover, she gently eased her body in motion, placing her feet on the stone floor as she attempted to stand. Her mind was still fuzzy, and her body now ached in places it had never done so before, once more confirming their shocking words. There was a small closet at the far end of the room and after stumbling towards it, she discovered an array of clothing, possibly left over from past patients. They were all male garments, yet Sier did not care. Slipping into a pair of ill-fitting trousers and a long tunic, she quickly dressed herself and donned a pair of sturdy boots. A frumpy old hat made quick work of hiding her hair, and grabbing a cloak that hung on a nearby peg, the still dazed, and somewhat traumatized Sier, silently made her way to the closed door at the other end of the room. This led into another healing room, then another, and still another, until that one filtered into an empty sitting room which exited to the main hallways.

Dressed as she was, no one took any note of her, thinking she was just another miner ending his shift. She had no idea where to go or what to do, but facing the prince, or Mahal forbid, the king, was out of the question. She had no money, no friends and no knowledge of how she might survive - but the alternative was unthinkable…and so Sier headed for the main gates.

The guards only seemed to be interested in stopping those entering the mountain, and didn't give her a second look as she made her way across the bridge and took the road that led to Dale. She began to feel a bit more at ease when she became lost in the crowd of men and dwarves going about their business on the busy streets. The late fall breeze nipped at her skin and Sier pulled her pilfered cloak closer as she tucked her chilled fingers into the inside pockets. There she made a shocking discovery…a money pouch!

Startled by her find, Sier quickly steered herself into a small alcove and inspected the contents of the small leather bag. It was not a fortune, yet it was more money than she had ever seen at one given time. A pang of guilt struck her, knowing that the money did not belong to her, and that the honest thing to do would be to return it. Taking a cloak and some clothing was one thing…but stealing money, that was a crime worth being punished for. And yet, was she not already suspected of treason? Of luring the prince to her bed in order to ensnare a rich husband? Of the two, she would rather be guilty of theft, and refused to risk going back and stand accused of the other crimes. So tucking the money pouch back in her pocket, Sier trudged on.

Still unsure what she should do next, providence smiled upon her when she came across a caravan of men and women of Dale, heading south to the lands of Rohan. Sier had heard of this place, where horses were valued higher than gold, and the men were veritable giants compared to her kind. Still, Rohan sounded just as good as any other place, and she quickly approached the man who seemed to be in charge. After a bit of questioning over why a lone dwarf might wish to travel to a city of men, Sier paid her money and found a place atop the wagon carrying the baggage and supplies. The elderly man at the reins appeared agreeable to her company, though she kept her voice low and her face hidden as much as possible to continue the ruse about her gender, her lack of a beard having already drawn a few curious looks.

As Sier turned and looked back, watching the great mountain of Erebor grow smaller and smaller in the distance, she found herself wondering what might become of the handsome crown prince. With her gone, there would be no one to substantiate Bina and her father's claim that he had done any wrong, his future and reputation were safe. Of that small fact, she knew she could at least be proud. Yet as she turned around and stared ahead, she wondered what fate now had in store for her.

Yet one thing was for sure…there was no going back now.

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Meanwhile back in Erebor, a small and close knit band of dwarves were frantically searching everywhere for the dwarrowdam that had slipped away. Unable to make their search, and reasons for it public, they soon gave up in frustrated defeat. She was gone, having vanished from the healing rooms while they sat only yards away debating over what to do with her. This of course only strengthened Dwalin's suspicions that Sier had been embroiled in the plot, or possibly behind the whole thing.

Out of them all, Fili was the most frantic over her disappearance. For while he had dreaded the moment he would have to face her, and beg her forgiveness…the idea that the lass he had so heinously wronged was out there all alone, stabbed him to the core. And no matter how much his friends and kin claimed that he was not to blame…the young prince knew he would never be free of the guilt, or the sight of her soft doe brown eyes. Drugs or no…he had altered her very existence in the span of one night, doing her irreparable damage. And with her gone, having flown from the mountain to disappear into thin air, Fili knew he would never truly be able to make amends.

Fili is such a kind hearted dwarf. I wonder what could possibly turn this all around for him, and let him see a silver lining? Hmmmm, what could it be? (wink, wink)

Poor Sier, she is so confused, frightened and now on the run. Hope she finds a place to land soon.

I suppose we will find out in tomorrows chapter!

Guest Reviews:

Mjean: Thanks, we are at the end of the "meet and greet" part, the next chapter will set the tone for the rest of the story. Glad you are enjoying it!