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This chapter should help to fulfill part of your request, Lithuiwen2016.

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Onward!

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Chapter 48

~X~

Hours later, just past eight bells, Kili made his way to Fili's rooms once again. This time, in his arms he held a very tired and sleeping dwarfling. Stifling a yawn himself, the dark haired prince understood the feeling. Those two scamps had worn him out! First there was their visit to the kitchen, where no one had been prepared for the rowdy and rambunctious duo…not even him. Then it was off to the stables where they insisted on not only feeding Storm, but several of the other ponies as well. So, after a handful of carrots, and almost a full bag of oats later, they made their way back to Kili's quarters where they played, built a fort, and ate a second…and then a third time, before he was required to have little Frodo back at his parents' chambers, right on time. Now, all he had to do was deliver this little terror to his own room, and then Kili would be officially off duty.

After knocking, and a short wait, the exhausted prince was rewarded by the door being opened by his smiling brother, a very contented look on his face.

"Hope I stayed away long enough," he chuckled quietly, stepping inside as he carefully looked around. Fili appeared properly dressed and when he saw Sier emerge from the bedroom, also fully clothed, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Here, let me take him," Sier offered, reaching out to remove the sleeping dwarfling from his shoulder, carrying him into his own room before he had a chance to wake up.

"Did you have any trouble?" Fili asked his younger brother, noting his disheveled appearance.

"Nothing I couldn't handle," he replied, stretching his sore back and turning his neck to the side, hearing a loud snap. "But I swear they have the energy of a battalion of first year cadets, and they never stop talking! Not to mention that little hobbit can eat, and eat and eat! No sooner were we done with one meal, than he would request a snack…or another full meal!"

"Hobbits do enjoy their food," Fili nodded. "And Frodo is still growing."

"If he is not careful, he will do more growing out than up!" Kili laughed. He then eyed his brother with a sly grin. "And if you and Sier continue on the way you are, Frodo might not be the only one growing around the middle…if you take my meaning."

Oh, Fili understood exactly what his nadadith meant, and rather than look sheepish over the comment, it only made his smile grow wider - the very idea pleasing him to no end.

"That is the plan, little brother," Fili laughed, his eyes unconsciously drifting towards his son's room, where Sier had disappeared. "I love her just the way she is, and would never change a thing, but the thought of seeing her carrying my child…it just sends a thrill up my spine. I know we already have Flinn, and I couldn't love that tyke any more if I tried, but I wasn't around during the time she carried him, or his birth. And if we are blessed with a second child, I want to participate in every moment of its life. I don't want to miss out on one single thing!"

"I am happy for you, Fili, truly I am," Kili grinned. It did his heart good to see his brother so very pleased, especially after all those years of being guilt-ridden and somber. The Fili who had been quick with a grin, a laugh, or a humorous tale was finally back, and if Kili had anything to say about it, he would make sure he never left again. "But now, I need some rest. I honestly don't know how you and Sier do it. Dwarflings are exhausting!"

"Well, first of all, we usually only have the one to deal with…at least for now," he winked. "And with two of us, it makes it a bit easier, being able to pass him off to the other when one gets tired. But we really appreciate you taking him for the afternoon, it meant a lot to us."

"No problem," Kili laughed. "However, next time an army of orcs show up on our doorstep, just send those two out to greet them, and within minutes I guarantee that they will have the horde on the run, screaming for mercy."

"I will suggest that to Thorin at our next council meeting," Fili laughed, showing his weary brother to the door. "Thanks again, and have a good night sleep."

"I will," he answered back, stumbling down the hallway to his own chambers, currently in a state of disaster, but he did not care. Sleep was the only thing on his mind at the moment.

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The next week went on pretty quietly, compared to the one that preceded it. The hobbits were settling in, the first group of miners had left to begin the coal extraction process in Himros, and no one tried to abduct any of the royal family…not even once!

Yet, even with things somewhat back to normal, Thorin was unsettled, uneasy and anxious. And try as he might, he knew it had nothing to do with the running of the mountain…no, it was all Miss Marigold's fault!

Why did she continue to torment his thoughts? He had been doing his best to avoid her, changing up his eating schedule in hopes of missing her at meal time, and he purposefully refused to be available for any consultations that involved the planting project. He left that to Balin, figuring that they were only in the beginning stages anyway - planning, mapping out the area, and deciding on what would store best over the winter months. Perhaps, by the time early spring came around, Thorin would be over this strange and annoying infatuation, and working with the little hobbit lass would not be such a trial for him. At least he hoped so…for right now things were near intolerable!

Dwalin had not spoken to him in days, giving his king sour looks and rude grunts whenever they met up, and while Thorin was in no more of a mood to speak with him, it was beginning to grate on his nerves. Had he not given his friend good advice? The very kind he was employing himself for a similar situation? The only difference between the two was that Bergie seemed to be actively seeking Dwalin's attention, while Marigold was not. Sure, he gave her little opportunity to do so, but even if they spent all day together, would it truly matter? He was the king, a dwarf, and many years her senior. She was a hobbit lass, who had her whole life ahead of her, and probably had a dozen or more lads back home vying for her hand in marriage. Why would she ever be interested in a grumpy old cuss like him?

Still, whenever he could, Thorin would find himself spying on Marigold, watching her from an upper balcony or a hidden alcove while she and Balin discussed the project. He loved how her long slender fingers would glide over the map of the fields, describing which crop would go where. She was so enthusiastic about the subject, that more often than not, she had Balin wrapped up in her infectious exuberance as well.

Oh, how he envied his advisor.

Thorin might have chosen to go riding, hunting, or even just a day trip to Dale, in hopes of letting off some steam, or working out his frustrations. However, the weather chose this rather inconvenient time to dump the first few inches of snow all around the mountain, covering everything in a blanket of white. Dwarves were not normally affected by the cold, yet the awkwardness it brought to travel and other activities kept many inside the mountain. Usually that would not have bothered Thorin…but that meant he was now trapped inside the walls of Erebor with her. And that did bother him…very much.

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When the second week came around, the king began to run out of excuses not to speak with his little hobbit lass when she requested it. Especially when, one day, she cornered him as he came out of his conference room – apparently having been waiting for him for several hours.

"Your Majesty?" she began, rising from a chair by the wall and stepping forward. "I…I was hoping to have a word with you. It will only take a few minutes, I assure you."

Thorin, knowing that he had nowhere pressing to be, gave a small sigh of defeat and pasted on his best diplomatic smile. He could do this.

"Of course, Miss Brandybuck," he nodded, waving the others he had been in council with. "What can I do for you?"

"You can start by calling me Marigold, like we agreed upon," she insisted shyly.

"We also agreed that you would call me Thorin," he reminded. "And since you addressed me by my title, I chose to do the same."

"Well…then, Thorin," she nodded, giving in to his logic. "I was wondering if I might schedule some time with you tomorrow, to ride out and take a look at the planting site. I wished to go sooner, but the storm made it nearly impossible to leave the mountain. But with it now a bit clearer, I would very much like to get a lay of the land, so to speak."

"Will it not be pointless while the ground is still covered with snow?" He was hoping to find a way to dissuade her.

"I am not going out to look at the ground itself," she explained, "but to map out the area, get a feel for the space and discover the dips and valleys, as well as the borders of the territory. Maps are all well and good, but I need to see it with my own eyes. Could you not spare an hour or so? Please?"

Thorin was torn…and yet her imploring tone and beseeching eyes caused his resolve to crumble.

"Of course," he nodded, his heart leaping as he watched her break out into an excited smile. "I would be most pleased to join you on the morrow." And before he could say anything more - most likely something that would embarrass him greatly - he gave her a bow and strode away.

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Marigold was ecstatic! Thorin had said yes! For the past two weeks she had been trying to convince herself that all his excuses were legitimate, that he was not truly avoiding her, but simply busy. He was a king after all, and his time was in high demand. She could hardly expect him to drop everything just because she had hoped he would join in on the planning discussions. Yes, it had been his idea to begin with, and she had been led to believe that Thorin would have more of a hands on position, but as long as he agreed to go riding with her tomorrow, she did not care.

As she headed back towards her chambers, the ones she shared with her Aunt Bergie, she could not help the little skip in her step or the smile on her face. Granted, she was having a marvelous time in Erebor, everyone being so kind and the work thus far had been exhilarating, but she also could not help but attribute some of her joy to Thorin himself. Ever since she had first met him in the grand entryway, where he had kissed her hand in such a gallant fashion, she had been smitten. Or, at least that is what she assumed it was, having never had her head turned by a lad before. At first she assumed that she had just been too busy to catch another's eye, always working hard at the business that she and Saradoc ran together, and then when this project arose, well, that had quickly become her main focus. Yet one look at the magnificent king of Erebor and suddenly he was all she could think about. And tomorrow she would be going riding with him!

"Bergie, I'm back," she announced as she entered their chambers, a very lovely two bedroom suite with a shared living area, private bath, and a small kitchenette. They were both extremely comfortable here and the fact that they were on the lower levels made a world of difference.

"How was your day?" the older hobbit asked as she came out of the kitchen, with a tea set in her hand and a Bilbo Baggins at her heels. "You are just in time for tea, and look, we have company."

"Hello, Cousin Bilbo," Mari greeted the smiling hobbit. Even though their relationship was only through marriage, and then to an almost ridiculously distant degree, they were both happy to call each other such. "And what has been keeping you so busy these past weeks that we have hardly seen hide nor hair of you?"

"Oh, just catching up with everyone in the company," he revealed, sitting down and taking a cup as Bergie filled it with the steaming liquid. Next she poured for herself and Marigold, and they all sat back to enjoy themselves. "With thirteen, it does take a while to get around to visiting with each and every one. Gandalf also takes up a good share of my time, as does Thorin."

"Thorin?" Marigold questioned, not sure if she should pursue her interest in the topic - for fear of letting something slip. Bergie was already fully aware of her fascination, and seemed eager to push her at the handsome king whenever possible. But Mari was not like her aunt…she was far less bold and forward. She preferred to take things slow, and was not about to state her intentions at only their second meeting. "How is the king doing these days?"

"Fine, fine," Bilbo nodded, sipping at his cup and sampling one of the delicious tea biscuits Bergie had provided. "He is rather happy that Durin's Day is over, and that both the mining operations in Himros have begun, as well as progress on our gardening project. He is very pleased…if not a bit bored, he says."

"Bored? How so?" This time it was Bergie who asked, yet Marigold sat forward just a bit, anxious to hear Bilbo's words as well.

"Well, he says with no party to plan, no orcs attacking, and all us hobbits settling in, he is often left with a great deal of time on his hands," the older male hobbit explained. "So Gandalf and I have been doing our best to entertain him, when we can."

"Is that so? How interesting," Mari muttered, wondering if she should be upset about this or not.

Bilbo, who had been lulled into easy conversation, completely forgot the reason he had come. Dis had sent him to test the waters with Marigold, to see if she in turn may have feeling for Thorin. Yet, suddenly the hobbit realized he might have just put his foot into it by what he had said. Bilbo was not sure why revealing Thorin's lack of things to occupy his time would set his cousin off, but apparently it had.

"Ummm, I mean…that is to say...ummm..." he stammered, trying to decide how to dig himself out this.

"Well," Marigold cut in, not allowing him to finish. "I do hope his accepting my invitation to ride out to see the planting area tomorrow will help fill his excess time."

"Oh?" Bergie grinned, giving her a knowing wink. "So our illustrious king said yes, did he?"

"That he did," she smiled triumphantly, though she quickly schooled her expression, for fear that Bilbo read more into it than she hoped. It still bugged her that Thorin had apparently been less busy than she had believed, but perhaps Bilbo was exaggerating, or Thorin had simply not explained his schedule clearly. Either way, he had agreed to go riding with her, and she was not going to let anything diminish her joy over that.

"Now…I have heard a bit of scuttle going around," Bilbo began again, eager to change the subject and avoid any more blunders on his part. "And from quite a few in the company, as a matter of fact. Though I chose to confirm it with you instead of Dwalin himself." At this he eyed Bergie with a playful gleam. He was not about to tell her that he had witnessed a bit of this interaction himself, and he and Dis had been discussing it at length. "Might the rumors be true?"

"If you are referring to my avid pursuit of Erebor's War Chief…then the answer is yes," Bergie admitted, without a hint of embarrassment or apology. "Can you blame me? I mean, he is just so scrumptious!"

This caused Bilbo to burst out laughing. "Scrumptious?" he repeated, going off into another gale of laughter. "I can honestly say I never thought to hear Dwalin described thusly."

"Well, you are not a lassie, now are you?" Bergie pointed out. "But trust me, there is a lot there to please my eyes."

"Oh, I don't doubt you," Bilbo nodded. "Dwalin is one of my oldest and dearest friends, and I could not wish better for him. You have my blessings, and then some, Bergamot."

"Well, right now, blessings are not what I need," she said with a heavy sigh. "It appears what I require is luck! I don't suppose in all that scuttle, you might have heard a hint as to whether he feels the same in return?"

"He would be a fool not to!" Bilbo started, sounding a bit aghast by the idea. "Just give him time…he has never been the type to embrace change quickly. But sooner or later, he will sit up and take notice, I am sure of it."

"I hope you are right, Cousin," Bergie nodded, knowing that all her hopes hinged on one thing…and one thing alone. And so far…it remained stone.

"And what about you, Marigold?" Bilbo asked, turning his attention back to the quiet lass to his right. He hoped his previous blunder had already been forgotten, since he somehow needed to glean the information Dis had sent him after. "Might anyone have caught your eye since arriving in Erebor? After all, you do know that the population is over three-fourths male. So odds are that you must have a few young lads paying you a bit of attention."

"I…I really have not noticed," she stammered, wondering if Bilbo truly knew anything…or if he was merely speculating. "I have been so busy working on the project, spending most of my time with Balin, that I have not had any time to even raise my head from my work."

"I heard you took a tour with young Kili," Bilbo persisted, having been specifically assigned by Dis to make sure she had not accidentally fostered some affections in the lass for her youngest son. That had not been the plan, and she needed to be certain that Marigold still favored only Thorin, and that her brother did not suffer needlessly. "Did you not enjoy his company?"

"Oh, yes, he is a very fine dwarrow," Marigold was quick to assure him, though showing no signs of more than fondness in her tone – much to Bilbo's relief. "Yet, I must say that his taste in locations to visit left a bit to be desired. Would you believe he took me down to tour the crypts of his ancestors?"

"He did?" Bergie asked, sounding a bit jealous of this news. While all Bofur insisted on showing her had been the gem rooms and the crafting halls!

"Well, that was a bit…odd," Bilbo commented, making a point to tell Dis that she needed to be more specific with Kili, if she expected to use him to make Thorin jealous.

"Don't get me wrong, I did learn a few things from the visit," she insisted. "But thankfully Thorin showed up and reminded us of the time, ending the tour there. I shudder to think where he might have taken me next."

"Thorin came and found you two?" Oh, this was news to Bilbo…and possibly to Dis as well. Could be a step in the right direction. "Did he say why he sought you out?"

"Not really…perhaps simply to remind Kili that he had made some commitment to Fili, one he did not wish to be late for," Mari admitted, sounding a bit puzzled herself. Why had Thorin been down in the burial chambers that day? Perhaps she would ask him when they went riding.

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Thorin fretted about his appointment with Mari for the remainder of the day, avoiding everyone who seemed to want an audience with him, for fear he would bite their heads off in his frustration. Yet, retiring to his own room proved little better, for even when he allowed slumber to take him, the tempting hobbit lass plagued his dreams as well.

Thorin was standing outside the mountain, looking over the land they had dedicated for the agricultural project. It appeared to be late spring or early summer, and as far as the eye could see, there were bountiful crops of wheat, corn, barley, and an array of root vegetables. The orchard of trees had grown tall and heavy with all kinds of delicious looking fruit. Thorin could feel his chest swell with pride, not only over the fact that his idea seemed to have paid off, but also because he knew it meant the inhabitants of Erebor, Dale and Esgaroth would not starve. And really, wasn't the welfare of his people always the main concern of a king?

Yet as he stood there, basking in the glory of what lay before him, he heard a voice calling him from behind. Turning he saw her…Marigold, walking towards him, a smile on her face and her soft auburn curls bouncing in the gentle breeze. She was lovely, stunning in fact, and all thoughts of the crops were instantly forgotten as his mind was now consumed by her. But as she neared, he could see that she was not alone, that beside her walked a small lass, just a bit smaller than little Flinn. She had long, straight dark hair and Durin Blue eyes, and when she caught sight of him, she raced forward, her stubby dwarf legs picking up speed.

"Ada!" she called, stretching out her hands in a plea to be picked up.

Thorin complied, pulling the adorable lassie into his arms, and staring at her in amazement. Had she just called him…Ada?

By now Marigold had approached as well, and turning his wide eyes back to her, Thorin noticed something else that took his breath away…she was currently heavy with child!

"Good afternoon, my love," she greeted him, reaching up on her tiptoes as she kissed him on the lips. "Our daughter missed you at lunch and insisted we find you so that she could share her big news."

Thorin, still completely astounded by what he was seeing…and hearing, looked at the charming child in his arms, waiting for her to speak.

"Look, Ada! I lost a toof!" And sure enough, when she grinned widely, he could see that one of her bottom front teeth was indeed missing, leaving an adorable little gap in an otherwise perfect smile. "Ama says dat means I am getting big! Soon I'll be all growed up!"

"All grown up?" Thorin reiterated, looking at the tiny size of the child in his arm, hardly believing it possible.

"Don't worry, you will still have this little mite to deal with," Marigold laughed, rubbing her hand over her extended stomach. "And by the way it has been kicking me today, he or she will be sure to run you ragged, oh mighty King Under the Mountain."

At that, Thorin woke, sitting straight up in bed, his face and chest covered in sweat. What had just happened? Had he just had a dream that he was married to Marigold? Not only married…he dreamed they had children as well! Thorin had never considered the idea of having offspring of his own before, having long since named Fili and Kili as his heirs. He had been too busy trying to keep his people together, see that they were all fed, housed, and cared for. He had no time for love, no time for a family of his own…and he had often barely felt qualified to help Dis with her two young ones. Yet he could not help but feel a sudden pull towards the vision he had just experienced. The feel of that tiny little lass with the dark hair and blue eyes in his arms, smiling at him with her missing tooth, had tugged at his heart.

What if that was what awaited him in the future, a wife, a child…no, two children! Hadn't Gloin and Bombur said that was one of the signs that a dwarrow had found his one? Granted, he had not dreamed of Marigold on their wedding day like Dis said Flinn had with her, but Gloin had not experienced that either. Still his cousin had dreamed of his child, Gimli, just like Thorin might possibly have done only moments ago. Was Marigold truly his one?

Oh, Mahal…what was he going to do?

Well, you know that I have a few ideas, but heaven knows he never listens to ME! Do you all have any suggestions?

So Bilbo and Dis are still on the job...I hope they shove those two in the right direction soon.

Dreaming of marriage and babies, are you Thorin. WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE BOY!

Guest Reviews:

Aranel Mereneth: Oh, I won't forget about Fili and Sier, since they were the whole reason I started this story. They will both play major parts in this section as well. And I already have things all planned out for any future babies, should there be any (sly wink) so don't worry, there will be plenty of spoiling to go around. ha ha.