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My thanks to RedTaz35 for helping catch my spelling mistakes before any of you see them and think badly of me! And she is working extra hard to keep ahead of my posting schedule too...so points to her for that!

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Here is another long one to get you through the weekend.

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Chapter 20

~X~

Over the next few days, Sier made a point to work extra hard on completing the king's coat. Her new duties with Dis had been taking up a lot of her time, yet she spent every spare moment she could stitching on it.

Just as she had promised, Sier accompanied Fili and Flinn to the practice ring and watched from a safe distance as the prince and Mister Dwalin continued the lad's training. At first she had not been able to keep her eyes off of them, flinching and cringing every time her son picked up a weapon – even if it was only made of wood. He had been running around Himros with his little toy sword since he had learned to walk, yet somehow this felt different to Sier…this felt real. Still, as the days went on, she soon realized just how careful and protective Fili and Dwalin were being with him, and that he was never in any danger of getting hurt. In fact, with the schooling he was getting in weapon safety, she came to suspect his chances of being injured were actually becoming less.

By the end of the week, Sier was able to spend the hour in the weapon room sewing and not constantly monitoring the lessons going on before her. Only once or twice had she let a mock battle catch her attention and stab herself with the needle. Thankfully, hers was the only injury that occurred during the instruction times.

It was early the next week when Sier tied off the last thread on Thorin's coat, holding it up as she eyed it with pride. It was indeed her finest work, each stitch painstakingly done with care, the finest fabrics used, and the shiniest gold buttons gleaming in the firelight. She only hoped the king would be as pleased as she. Unable to wait to show it to him, Sier wrapped it up in paper, tying it with string and placed it by the door. Hurrying into Flinn's room, where he had been playing quietly with the many toys that Bifur had gifted him, she asked if he was up for a walk. Always eager to go and do, the little dwarfling was quick to agree.

Sier did not know where the king was currently located, yet after inquiring of his whereabouts from a few guards, she was soon told he was in his conference room. With the wrapped coat tucked under one arm, and Flinn's little hand in her other, she made her way down the halls and corridors until they were standing before the great doors. For a people of smaller stature, dwarves were really keen on building things tall and massive. The two sentries posted at the door bowed to her and Flinn, but made no attempt to hinder their progress. So, reaching out, she knocked loudly, waiting anxiously for leave to enter. When she heard the king give her permission to come in, she pushed open the doors and stepped inside, with Flinn slipping around her as he rushed forward, his little eyes anxiously seeking out his uncle.

"Uncle Thorin!" he called, sprinting to where the king sat, wasting no time in crawling up into his liege's lap.

"Flinn!" Thorin laughed, eagerly accepting the enthusiastic embrace he was given. "And what have you been up to today?"

As Flinn launched into a detailed description of the fierce battle he had been staging with his toys, Sier was shocked to see that the king was not alone. Far from it, in fact. Not only were Kili, Fili and Dis standing nearby, there were two others in the room with him…and these were of the race of men. A tall man with shoulder length hair, a neatly trimmed mustache and no beard to speak of, watched Thorin and her son with a wide smile. Beside him stood another, not quite his age, and from the striking resemblance, possibly his son.

"My apologies, Your Majesty," Sier said, feeling foolish for interrupting an apparent council meeting. "If I had known you were in conference, I would not have come."

"No, my lady, I am glad that you did," the unknown man spoke up, turning his kind eyes towards her. "For weeks now I have wished to meet the new princess and prince of Erebor."

"Sier," Fili spoke up, sidestepping the long table they had all been crowding around, and walking over to stand beside her. "May I introduce King Bard, the leader of Dale, and his son, Prince Bain?"

"Indeed a pleasure," the tall king said, as both of them bowed to her.

"I am honored," Sier replied, giving them both her best curtsy.

"You're a king?" Flinn spoke up, instantly enthralled by the idea. "Do you have a crown like my adad and Uncle Thorin?"

Bard laughed at the lad's exuberant question and cast his gaze upon the proud crown prince.

"It is not hard to guess whose son he is, Prince Fili," the king of Dale stated, going down on one knee in front of the grinning dwarfling on Thorin's lap. "I do indeed have a crown, young Flinn, however, much like your father and uncle, I find wearing it on a daily basis rather tedious. I save it for only special occasions."

"My adad says I will get one too, but first he has to make it for me," Flinn informed Bard, puffing out his chest proudly. "I will show it to you, when I get it, if you promise to show me yours!"

"I would be honored to see such a thing once it is crafted," the king of Dale assured him. "And I will make a point to wear mine when I come to celebrate Durin's day next month. How does that sound?"

This pleased Flinn greatly and he clapped his hands in delight.

"What was it that brought you here today, Lady Sier?" Thorin asked, passing his littlest nephew over to the eager arms of his sister, Dis.

"I…oh, it is nothing important, My Lord," Sier insisted, suddenly embarrassed. "It can wait, I assure you."

"Nonsense, please speak your piece. Besides, I could use a distraction from the long winded words of our guest here," Thorin muttered, sounding serious, but even Sier could see the twinkle in his eye as he spoke.

"Yes, by all means continue, Lady Sier," the kindly man insisted, taking a seat beside the king as he raised an eyebrow at the stoic dwarf. "A change of subject, as well as the speaker, would be very much appreciated."

With an encouraging look from Fili, Sier cleared her throat and stepped forward, placing the package she brought in front of Thorin.

"I have finished it, My King," she announced, unable to keep the pride out of her voice. "The winter coat you requested is completed at last."

Thorin leaned forward and quickly untied the string, pulling the garment from the paper with a pleased smile on his face. A few gasps were heard from those around him, including Bard and his son Bain.

"Splendid work, Sier," Thorin complimented, standing up and slipping his arms into the sleeves as he put it on. It was a perfect fit. "No king could ask for a more regal coat."

"Do you like the buttons?" Flinn asked with excitement.

"The buttons do indeed make it shine," Thorin nodded, noting how pleased his comment made his little nephew.

"I was going to make sport about how the King Under the Mountain allows no one to sit idle, even putting his royal family to work. But now that I see the skill of your craft, Lady Sier, I do not begrudge him at all," Bard laughed, obviously impressed by the coat Thorin now wore. "You are truly an artist, Princess. I might have to employ your services as well, if this is the quality of product you produce."

"Nay, Bard, for I am next on that list!" Kili spoke up, already picking out the color in his mind that he would like to be wearing.

"Not so fast, Nadadith," Fili said, putting a halt to his brother's warm, winter fantasies. "As the crown prince, and Sier's husband, I do believe that I should be the next one to benefit from her talents. And if you all wish to have a coat made by my clever and crafty wife, you will be expected to pay good coin for the privilege." He gave Kili a playful look. "No family discounts!"

"Fili, stop," Sier scolded good-naturedly, blushing at his complimentary words. "I would be more than happy to take orders for more coats, for the work is enjoyable, and I would like to be of service."

"You have already proven your worth as the Lady of the Mountain in training," Dis assured her. "And we all know that looking after this little scamp is more than a full time job." She tickled Flinn's tummy with her finger, watching him wiggle with laughter.

"Might I suggest that you come to the bazaar being held in Dale in two days' time, Lady Sier?" Bain spoke out, also eyeing the fine coat Thorin had just received. "There will be tradesmen of all sorts selling their wares, and you will be able to find more than an ample supply of fabrics, threads and a wide array of buttons."

"My son is correct," Bard interjected, sounding pleased by the idea. "The little prince might also enjoy some of the entertainment we hope to have as well. There will be jugglers, puppet shows, exotic food and even demonstrations in archery and sword fighting." He turned his attention to Sier, his kind eyes warm and engaging. "My daughter, Tilda would love it if you came, Lady, for she has sorely missed female companionship since her sister, Sigrid, left for Rohan a year ago. She would indeed enjoy making your acquaintance, especially when she learns how talented you are. In fact, we hope you will all find time to attend, it will be a three day event."

"Count me in!" Kili said, apparently very intrigued by the idea of an archery contest, as well as the lure of exotic food.

"Your invitation is quite generous, King Bard," Fili told him, giving a polite bow of his head. "And we all might indeed find our way to Dale to see what you have to offer."

"Yayyyy!" Flinn squealed, even happier now than he had been about the buttons.

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On the days leading up to the trip to Dale, Fili did all he could to keep himself occupied, attempting to spend as little time as possible alone with Sier. That was not to say he purposefully ignored her, but he did limit their private moments as much as he was able. Nights after dinner, or when guests left for the evening, however, were unavoidable times when they were left to themselves.

Fili found he looked forward to the nights when Flinn would come slipping in and it would be all three of them sharing the bed. For that is when he got the best sleep, not having to worry about what might happen with just the two of them sequestered alone. He made a special effort to remain on his own side of the large bed, never crossing that invisible line of demarcation he had set up in his determined mind. To him, touching was now prohibited, and he swore he would not allow himself to give in to those amazing sensations again. If Sier noticed his trepidation, she did not comment on it, though he often wondered if she could sense his growing apprehension. The last thing he wanted to do was give her the impression he was displeased or uncomfortable around her…but in truth, he was! He simply did not wish to impose upon her in any way, shape or form, but as the feelings he was having for her continued to grow, his anxiety level did as well.

Still, the days with his little family were always ones filled with joy and laughter. Fili was truly getting into the swing of this father thing, loving every moment spent with Flinn, now completely unable to imagine his life without the little dwarfling in it. His time with Sier too had been very enjoyable, the two of them truly seeing each other as a team when it came to raising their shared child. When Fili came home exhausted, Sier was there to see that Flinn played quietly in his room, or she would keep him busy helping her in the kitchen. When Sier seemed to have reached the end of her patience, Fili would step in and whisk his son away on some adventure, giving the dam a much needed break.

One such occasion occurred two evening's hence. After a grueling day of council meetings, Fili and Dis entered the prince's living quarters, only to find a rather red faced dwarrowdam standing in the middle of the room. Her hands were placed squarely on her hips and her brows were pursed together in frustration as she stared at the sofa, as if it had offended her in some way.

"Sier?" Fili asked, eyeing the innocent looking piece of furniture warily.

"Fili, thank Mahal you are home!" she said with a heavy sigh, one mixed with exasperation and relief. "Perhaps you can convince your son to come out from under there and take his much needed, and long overdue, bath!"

Both Dis and Fili did their best to hide the smiles that sprang to their lips. They knew it was not wise to treat this situation with levity, yet it was impossible not to when a tiny voice was heard from beneath the sofa.

"I won't! You can't make me!" Flinn called, apparently far enough under that he could not be seen at all.

"Do you hear that?" Sier fumed, stamping her foot in irritation. "That is all I have heard the entire day. No – why - don't want to - can't make me! I have had enough, Fili! He is your son…you deal with him!"

"Sier," Dis began, suddenly seeing just how close to tears the kindly dwarrowdam was. "Why don't you and I take a walk, and see if a bit of fresh air might help you regain your peace of mind?"

"Yes, you go and catch a breather," Fili agreed, walking over to where she stood, yet making sure not to touch her in any way. It was something he had to work very hard at, the urge to do so always present, yet the fear equally so. Touching led to that feeling…feelings led to longings, and longings…well, who knows where those might take them? And he dared not find out! So, he did not touch her, he only stood there doing what he could to demonstrate his support. "I will see that Flinn is properly bathed and dressed for bed."

"NO!" Came another call from under the sofa.

"Flinn!" Sier cried, ready to tear her hair out at his uncharacteristically disrespectful attitude.

"Go. Leave him to me," Fili insisted, signaling for his mother to come and take her away.

When she did, placing her arm around Sier's shoulders, and steering her towards the door, Fili gave a sigh of relief. It was becoming very difficult to be so close to her and not have any physical contact. How long could he possibly keep this up? As the door shut behind them, he turned his head towards the sofa and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Flinn!" he called, his voice mimicking the commanding tone of Thorin. Fili had heard it many times in the past when he was growing up, so it was not difficult to simulate now. "I would suggest you come out of there, right now."

"NO!" the lad replied, using what was apparently his favorite word of the day. "I don't wanna take a bath. I'm not dirty!"

"Perhaps you were not earlier, but I am willing to bet that after spending time under there, that is no longer the case," he pointed out. "Now, this is your last chance…come out."

"Can't make me!"

Fili took that as a challenge.

Striding over to the sofa, he took hold of the end with his right hand and lifted. With the one end now raised, he reached out with his left hand and grabbed hold of the stout little dwarf leg that came into view, pulling him out as his stubby little fingers scrambled to make purchase on the smooth stone floor.

"Nooooooo!" he squealed as he suddenly found himself hanging upside down by the one leg, his tunic falling down over his face and head.

"Flinn, I will not have you showing your mother, nor me, such disrespect," Fili warned, setting the sofa down before righting his son, holding him to his chest and looking at him with a warning glare. "I have no idea why you continue to fight us on bath time. What exactly is it that you detest so much?"

"It is wet!" he whined. "And cold! And the soap gets in my eyes," were the list of reasons he gave for avoiding this duty like the plague.

"It also gets you clean, removes any unsightly smudges," Fili countered, reaching up to brush away a smear of dust from the lad's cheek he assumed came from under the furniture, "and it stops you from smelling like a stinky old troll…and trust me, I know what a troll smells like!"

"Tell me the story about the three trolls again," Flinn begged suddenly, his face lighting up with a wide grin. "Or the one about the goblins…or the eagles!"

Fili knew that his son's desire for a story was simply a stall tactic, hoping to divert attention off the topic of the bath he was so eagerly trying to avoid. And yet…requests for tales of their great journey suddenly gave Fili a wonderful idea.

"Flinn…how about you and I take a little trip down to the store rooms," he offered, causing the little dwarfling to look at his father with curious eyes. Yet anything sounded better than a bath, so he was instantly all for it.

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Dis and Sier had taken a long walk around, talking and laughing as the younger dam's frayed nerves began to knit. Tales of the horrors that Dis and Thorin had gone through wrangling both Fili and Kili at Flinn's age went a long way in making her realize that she truly did not have it that bad. Flinn could be a handful, but on the whole he was generally well behaved and polite, only acting up when he was overly tired, or far too full of energy…which unfortunately was more often than she would like. Still, she was glad that Fili had stepped in, offering her the much needed respite and an hour to cool down. When at last the two had made their way back to the royal chambers, Sier was feeling much better, ready to go in and tackle the job of loving parent once more.

"Thank you, Dis," she told her mother-in-law, giving her a warm hug. "I don't know what I would do without you, and Fili, here to keep me sane."

"Oh, my dear, what is family for?" she laughed, recalling that she had said the very same words to her the day of her wedding. "And if you ever get overly stressed again, I know of twelve other dwarrow, besides myself, who would be more than happy to occupy the lad for a while and let you have some time alone. In fact, we would love to take him off your hands even if you are not in need…we all treasure our time with the little prince."

"Even if sometimes the little prince can be a royal pain?" Sier laughed.

"Especially then…since that is when he reminds me the most of Fili," Dis joked, causing both to laugh even harder. "Besides, it is good for newlywed couples to have some time alone now and then," she added with a bit of a sly grin. When she noticed the sudden look of worry on Sier's face, and how she turned her head away, Dis became concerned. "Are things well between you and my son?"

"Oh, yes!" the younger dam quickly assured her. "Fili is a wonderful father, and he has shown me nothing but kindness and consideration. I could not be happier."

"But…I sense that you have concerns," she wisely deduced, taking hold of Sier's hands and giving them a gentle squeeze. "I will not pry, but if you ever wish to speak about them…about anything at all, I have two ears and a shoulder at your service."

"Thank you so much for the offer," she said, giving her a reassuring smile. "But it is nothing…really. Things are still just new, is all. They will work themselves out in time, I am sure of it. Flinn acting up, like he has been, just sets me on edge is all."

Dis wanted to press for details, wondering if either one had yet come to the same conclusion she had about the status of their relationship…but from what she had seen thus far, she guessed not. The fact that her son had purposefully avoided any physical contact with Sier earlier, had not gone unnoticed. In dwarven culture, it was not a mother's place to interfere in her son's personal life…at least not where this was concerned. Oh, if only her Flinn had lived, he would be the one assigned to take on such a task. She could ask Thorin…but she feared her bother was far too busy at the moment, and would probably be less than thrilled to tackle such emotional matters. Hence, she was starting to wonder if a bit of meddling on her part might not be just the thing to fix this mess. Still…out of respect for their privacy, she would wait a little longer and see what transpired, hoping for the best.

"Well then, why don't you head back in and have a nice night," she suggested, giving her a warm hug. "And hopefully, tomorrow Flinn will be better behaved."

"I don't see how he could get any worse," she agreed with a roll of her eyes, leaving the dwarrowdam in the hall as she headed inside. She had half expected to see Fili still arguing with Flinn as he stubbornly yelled from under the sofa, yet instead, she found her husband sitting in a chair by the fireplace, quietly reading a book as he sipped a glass of wine. "Fili? Where is Flinn?"

Before the crown prince could open his mouth to answer, she could hear noise from the washroom, the half open door allowing them both to hear not only Flinn's voice, but the splashing of water as well.

"Heave ho! Splash, plumb," came a joyful little tune sung by a gleeful lad. "Roll-roll-rolling down the hole!" This was followed by a bout of laughter and more splashing, causing Sier to stare at Fili in shock.

"Is he...bathing?" she stammered. "On his own?"

"That he is. And apparently enjoying himself as well," Fili nodded, setting down his book and giving her a very satisfied grin.

"How on earth did you manage that miracle?" Sier asked, wondering if Fili's association with the wizard named Gandalf had somehow rubbed off.

"Go take a look for yourself," he offered, gesturing with his hand in an invitation. "I left the door open so I could monitor him, and have been checking on him at regular intervals. He has been in no danger of drowning, I assure you."

Still stunned, Sier did just that, tip-toeing quickly to the doorway as she peeked inside, almost bursting out in laughter at what she saw. There, in the middle of the washroom sat a wine barrel, however it was not full of any alcoholic spirits, no…instead it now held a happy little dwarfling as he splashed about, singing merrily to himself. Unable to believe her eyes, she stayed and observed him for a few minutes more, watching as he spun around several times, held his breath and dunked down under the water, and even allowed the slippery soap to touch his skin a few times in the process. It was nothing short of phenomenal!

At last, unable to contain her joy, Sier turned away and ran back to Fili, who had since stood up from his chair, eyeing her with a prideful smirk on his face. When she came within arm's length, she threw both of them around his neck and gave him an energetic hug.

"Thank you!" she whispered, the gratitude and astonishment in her voice more than evident. "I have no idea why that worked, or how you dreamed it up, but I can't tell you what a relief it is to see him willing to bathe!"

Fili froze where he was, too stunned to even think of a response, for suddenly that spark had returned full force. It spread throughout his chest, warming every inch of him in the process as his breathing began to come out in labored gasps. Oh, why did this have to feel so good? Was it truly something that he must avoid, or was it perhaps something he needed to embrace…and to Mordor with the consequences!

"I…I…just remembered that Flinn enjoyed the story about our trip down the river in the barrels…and so I thought…why not?" Fili did his best to explain, the sudden dryness of his throat making it difficult to speak. "He seemed intrigued with the idea…and the next thing I knew, he was begging for a bath."

"You are a marvel!" Sier laughed, pulling back as she looked up at him, motherly gratitude shining in her eyes. "No wonder Thorin asks you to sit in on all the council meetings, you are a veritable genius!"

"Getting one small dwarfling to take a bath is not exactly a kingly job," Fili assured her, feeling very lost as he stared down into her warm eyes. He had never noticed how rich a brown they were, with small flecks of green on the side, making them seem to dance in the firelight.

"Well, it is to me," she laughed. "I don't know how to thank you."

He did…oh, he suddenly could imagine many ways she might properly show her gratitude to him, ones he would be only too happy to accept. And as his eyes focused on her ruby red lips, parted slightly and turned up in an inviting little smile, he found himself leaning down ever so slightly, the allure of her pulling at him quite against his will. Thankful, or perhaps not so thankfully, Flinn's little voice called out just then, shattering the moment and tearing Fili from his lascivious thoughts.

"Ada, help! I dropped the soap!" he cried, still sounding quite amused. "Ada!"

"It…it would appear that I am being paged," he whispered, doing his very best to sound normal as he pulled away from her, tugging on his tunic a few times before striding towards the washroom, his feet barely able to function. "Hold on…I am coming," he told his splashing son.

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Sier placed her hands on her cheeks, feeling how they had suddenly begun to flush a bit as she had stared up into Fili's eyes. It had all begun as an honest expression of gratitude, nothing more – but all too quickly it had turned into something more. At least for her. There had been precious few opportunities for the two of them to engage in any form of physical contact lately, and up till now it had only consisted of touches of the hands, the shoulder, or that one time he had caressed her cheek. Yet this time, oh, Mahal, it had been full body contact and she had experienced such a rush of joy that she was now hardly able to remain upright. She had hugged Fili…her husband, and she had liked it!

Never before had she felt this way for any dwarrow. Granted she had not had much contact with any in the past five years, but even before that, she had only taken a passing fancy to one or two, and that had been short lived and rather superficial. She had never known desire, never experienced passion, and yet those were the only words that sprang to her mind when she thought of her husband and the way he made her feel. Could it be true? Was she actually attracted to him…in that way? And if that was so…how would she ever cope with the fact that he did not return such emotions?

Yes, they were friends, and they got along very well, but was it all due to the fact that they shared a common goal? Flinn was the center of their little world and both had agreed that all would revolve around him. Oh, what a mess it might become if she now tossed personal feelings into the mix…the potential for disaster was staggering. For Fili to ever experience such things for her…she would need to be his one. And the chances of that happening were as slim as snow falling during the warm months in Rohan. She could not let her own foolish longings drive Fili to feel uncomfortable and destroy the peace they had thus far created. Sier knew she needed to force such thoughts down deep into her heart, and make them stay there. They would not see the light of day again.

No…she could not allow it!

Yes, yes, yes, they are still being idiots, but at least Dis is getting wise to them. She will not hold back forever.

Did you enjoy their visit from Bard and Bain? Gotta stick the hunky Man-King in here too, you know. ha ha. And COATS for everyone!

So...tell me, were you impressed with Fili's idea of how to get Flinn to take a bath? And points to anyone who recognized the song Flinn as singing while he bathed in his barrel. ha ha.

Well, this is the last one till Monday. Going to take the weekend off to write again. Although, I pushed very hard today and got through troublesome chapter 30! Yippee! It was a pesky one, but we are over the hump and into smooth sailing now. See you Monday!

Guest Reviews:

enilorac44: Oh good, I would hate to get you up tooooo early, or keep you waiting. And they will cotton to things as soon as possible...but not until I allow them to. hee hee. THANKS.

Summer Solstice: Maybe you should smack HIS forehead and not your own...ouch. I am glad you are not too upset by the idea of me drawing this out for kicks and giggles. Yep, but look at it this way, YOU are not the only one suffering...they are too. ha ha. yes, Dis knows, and you will know that she knows even more after you read this chapter. Fili DOES take after his daddy a LOT...not only in looks. Enough said. I appreciate your continued reviews!