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Chapter 6

~X~

Fili hurried to his room, followed closely behind by Kili, and headed straight for his small box of treasures. Long had he kept it safe, often taking out the very special bead that his uncle had forged for him years ago, wondering if he might ever be fortunate enough to use it. Some dwarves weren't, never finding a mate and instead choosing to focus all their attention and energies on their craft. Once they had retaken Erebor, Fili realized that his duty would now consist on carrying on the line of Durin, be it with a lass of his choosing, or one for political reasons. Yet he had always secretly longed to place a courting bead in the hair of a lovely lass who would look back at him with that elusive emotion of love in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Nadad," Kili moaned, throwing himself down in a nearby chair, appearing guiltier than Fili had ever recalled his brother to be…even when there had been just cause.

"It wasn't your fault," Fili insisted, turning to look at him with a touch of compassion. Kili had always been overly sensitive, and he never felt worse than when he thought he had got Fili in trouble, or somehow let his brother down. "I was the one who decided to enter her chambers, not you. No one put a sword to my back, and once my mind was made up, even you couldn't have stopped me."

"No, that's not what I meant," Kili corrected, still looking guilty. "I'm sorry for suggesting that you should pretend to court her! I honestly didn't think it through. Now just look at the mess I got you in!"

"The mess you got me in?" Fili repeated, his voice taking on a shocked tone. "Kili, I'm far from upset about this whole thing…believe me! I mean, yes, I feel badly that we'll be lying to everyone and pretending that we're truly seeking marriage. However, in my opinion, things couldn't have worked out better!"

"How so?" the younger dwarf was now curious as to why his brother was actually smiling. For him, this would be tantamount to a death sentence. As a young, hot blooded dwarf, Kili enjoyed the ladies…but lately, the only female that dominated his thoughts was the lovely Tauriel. A lass he knew was completely off limits. Thus, being forced to court someone at his uncle's request, well, that sounded almost like work!

"What was my goal in gaining access to Jade's room in the first place?" Fili asked, crossing his arms over his chest and giving his little brother a wide grin.

"To speak with her? To find out why she was in your bed?" he responded, his brows furrowing as he tried to see how this answered his previous question.

"Right. I wanted to talk with her, to perhaps spend some time with her," Fili nodded. "And now what must we both do, by order of the king no less?"

"You two have to be seen in each other's company!" Kili was at last catching on, his own face breaking out in a wide grin. "She'll have to talk to you, and you can ask her anything and she can't just run away from you like before."

"Exactly!" Fili smiled, opening the little box in his hand and pulling out the small silver bead, engraved with the crest of his family and studded with the brightest sapphires. It was the perfect shade of Durin blue, easily identifying to all just who had claimed the maid who would wear it.

"But…what if you should find another dwarrowdam you like better while pretending to court Jade?" Kili asked, still worried about his brother's happiness. "I mean, don't get me wrong, Jade is very pretty…"

"Jade is beautiful!" Fili corrected, not quite sure why he felt the need to defend her so adamantly.

"All right, fine, she's beautiful," he agreed, giving a roll of his eyes as he continued, "but what if another dam you really like comes along in the meantime? Then what?"

"You know what Uncle says; the chances of either of us finding our perfect mate, especially at such a young age, is highly unlikely. Look at him, he's already almost two hundred, and has yet to find a dwarrowdam to turn his head," he pointed out, having heard Thorin's opinion on the subject more than once. "And who says that I won't come to like Jade? Ever think of that?"

"Wouldn't you already know if you did?" Kili questioned.

"Not necessarily," Fili mused, sitting down in the chair next to his brother, a faraway look in his eyes. "From what I've been told, love can come on suddenly, or sneak up on you all quiet like. That's why there's the courting period, to make sure it's not simple infatuation…or lust. You heard Amad, even she allowed others to make a suit for her hand before her heart was set upon our adad. Apparently before the courtship is over, both parties should know for sure, and they will either cleave to one another for life…or choose to end things in hopes of finding the right one next time." He was speaking very matter of factly about it all, yet inside his stomach was twisting in knots. When he first saw Jade, Fili assumed his reaction to her had been mostly due to his heavy drinking that night. But that feeling that had not gone away or lessened, in fact, if anything…it had grown! And while even he was not yet ready to attempt to define it, it made Fili's heart race and his blood pump wildly within him to think that he would have the next several months, or more, to find out what it all meant.

"All right," Kili sighed, still looking a bit skeptical, yet quite pleased that Fili was not angry or blaming him. "If this is what you want…who am I to argue?"

"Right! So let's get going, we don't want to tarry too long and further anger Thorin or Amad," Fili reminded his little brother, who nodded in agreement, as they both headed out the door. Yet before they could take three steps, they were stopped by the sound of their uncle's voice, calling from the doorway of his own chambers at the end of the hall.

"Fili, I would like to speak with you…alone," he told him in a gruff voice. "Kili, you are excused until dinner…and do not be late!"

Kili gave his sibling a look that conveyed not only his sympathies, but also carried a silent farewell - should this indeed be the last time they met. And with that, the younger dwarf scurried off, not daring to linger any longer and risk Thorin's wrath.

Fili watched him go, wishing with all his might that he could follow, but instead he lowered his head and did as his king bid. The fretting dwarf joined his uncle in the large living area that often doubled as his private council chambers, but only to those closest to him. When Thorin went to sit behind a stone desk, carved out of solid marble, Fili felt more like he was on trial than speaking with his kin.

"I take it you located your courting bead?" he began, his eyes stern and his tone a bit threatening.

"I have, Uncle," the young dwarf nodded, holding it out for him to see.

"It grieves me that you will be using such an important item for the first time on a mere farce," he told him, sounding a bit sad. "The courting of a dwarrowdam is not something to be taken lightly, and if there were any other way to salvage our family's honor, I would have happily chosen it over this. Not only to spare you the trouble, but avoid hurting the young lass as well. Thus, I will warn you to be on your best behavior, no more of this foolishness that got you into this predicament in the first place." He paused there and gave Fili an almost sympathetic look. "I realize that you are still young; more than an adult by dwarf standards, yet still young in years and knowledge of the world. And often it might appear that I ask too much of you. However, I do so only because as your uncle and the one who raised you, I know exactly what you are capable of. Both you and Kili. Still, you are the crown prince of Erebor now, and I expect you to act like it! You will conduct your courtship with honor, integrity, and decency at all times. I will not have you trifling with this dam's feelings or dishonoring her in any way. I can see that your mother has great affection for Jade, and should you two part as anything less than friends, your amad will make your life a living nightmare…trust me, I know! Are we clear on this?"

"Yes, Uncle," Fili nodded, keeping his eyes lowered in humble submission.

"Good," Thorin said with a sigh. He then got up and walked around to stand in front of his nephew, placing his hand on his shoulder in an accepting manner. "Now, go place the bead in her hair and get ready for the performance of your life, for all the eyes of Erebor will be upon you tonight. I, on the other hand, must go explain all of this to our four guests, who were unfortunate witnesses to your embarrassing display. Let's just hope that I'm equal to the task and can spin a very believable yarn myself."

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Meanwhile, Dis had taken Jade to her own quarters, deciding that having the young couple meet on neutral territory would be best. No more visits to private chambers for them, not if she had anything to say about it! It still angered her that Fili and Kili had been so thoughtless, putting poor Jade in such a position as this and causing all this worry. Dis remembered just how frightened and nervous the young lass had been when she first attempted to reconnect with her kin. She truly hoped that this would not set the poor thing back in her efforts to assimilate, only wishing for her to be comfortable in her new home. The princess was determined to see that this happened, and she would promise her sons a world of hurt if they did not see things her way.

"I'm so sorry, Lady Dis," Jade moaned as she sat down where the older dwarrowdam had indicated.

"Hush now, you have nothing to be sorry for," she soothed. "What's done is done, and while I assign no blame to you, neither is it helpful I suppose for me to try to place it on others." Although if she was being honest, she blamed all three of her male kin for this. Kili for obviously dreaming up the idea, Fili for foolishly going through with it, and Thorin for…well, she was not sure why she blamed him, but she was positive there must be a sound reason to do so somewhere. Had he not had a hand in raising them? Hence she could blame some of this on his fatherly influence! "The most productive thing we can all do now is make the best of it and try to get through with our heads held high."

"But, Dis, I don't have any idea about how I should behave," Jade pointed out. "What is required of me…what is expected? How do I act when such customs are foreign to me?"

"Mostly it's up to the male to perform the rituals of courtship, while the maiden need only respond to his overtures," she explained as she retrieved a comb and quickly sectioned off a piece of Jade's hair at her temple, directly above her left ear. As she continued to speak, Dis began to weave it into a very long and intricate braid. "When two dwarrows decide that they wish to court, the male will place a braid in the female's hair, capping it off with a promissory bead, signaling to all that he is looking to stake a claim. During the courtship, he will offer his intended three gifts that show his willingness to please her, to provide for and protect her, and to love her. You will be expected to take the first two, but if you should do so with the third, it will signify that you have accepted Fili and his proposal of marriage."

"OH…I won't do that!" Jade gasped. "I promise!"

"There is no set time limit to this," Dis went on, not quite sure how she felt about her young maid being so adamant about refusing her son's suit…even if it was only pretend. "So, no one will think anything about you appearing to take your time to decide. And like Thorin said, when all the delegates are gone, you may remove the bead, return it to Fili, and no one will think badly of you for doing so. With so few dams left to our race, the consideration of marriage is a very serious matter, for once a dwarf takes a mate…it's for life."

"What if a dwarrow's spouse dies?" Jade questioned, all this very new to her.

"If our husband, or wife, should die, we will not take another. Even should the match be made for political reasons, once the bond is made, there will never be another for us. Should the marriage be a strong one, based on pure love, it often causes those without family or obligations to this world, to simply fade away from grief." When she saw Jade turn towards her with a horrified look and questioning eyes, she quietly continued. "Yes, my pain was long and deep for my Flinn, after he fell in battle. Yet I had two small sons to raise, who needed their mother to be strong, and I could not afford to let myself sink into despair and follow him to the Halls of Mandos. I still miss him terribly, yet I see him every day when I look into my sons' eyes. They gave me the will to go on," she then got a very sassy smile on her face, "That and the fact that Thorin needed someone with common sense to see that he muddled through somehow."

This statement had the desired effect, and left both of them chuckling slightly. Yet all too soon a look of concern clouded Jade's eyes once more.

"I feel badly that I'm causing your kin so much trouble, especially after you've been nothing but kind to me," Jade told her in a low voice. "I'm sure that this is not something you ever wanted either of your sons to endure…a false courtship, when you would surely wish to see them truly in love with a respectable dwarrowdam."

"And who says I don't consider you a respectable dwarrowdam?" Dis argued, playfully tugging on the braid just a bit for emphasis. "I hold you in the highest respect, Jade. I have watched you blossom into a fine lass as you bravely embraced your dwarf heritage. No small feat for one, who up until a year ago, had never even met another dwarf. Try not to think too hard on all that will happen over the next several weeks, time has a way of working things out for the best."

"I'll do all I can to bring honor to your house, Lady Dis," Jade assured her, lifting her chin in a defiant manner. "I shall not let you down."

"I never feared that you would," she smiled back at her, leaning in to kiss her gently on the forehead.

Just then there was a knock at the door, followed by Fili cautiously sticking his head in, looking questioningly at his mother for permission to enter.

"Come in, Fili," she bid him. "I assume you brought your courting bead?"

"Yes, Amad," he nodded, but stopped in his tracks when he saw the braid already fixed in Jade's hair. "What have you done?" he almost cried, his eyes shifting from the braid in Jade's hair to his mother and then back again. "I was to place the courting braid in her hair!"

"The act of doing so is a gesture that conveys affection and commitment on the part of the suitor," Dis reminded him sternly. "The braiding of Jade's hair is a privilege you have not earned. Thus, I have taken the liberty of performing the tradition for you. Now, bind the end with your bead and let's not have another word about it."

Fili felt robbed, for he had indeed been looking forward to the ceremonial braiding with great anticipation. Yet, seeing that he had little room for argument, he did indeed step forward and hold out the beautiful silver and sapphire bead.

"With your permission, Lady Jade?" he asked, not wishing to take any further liberties.

"Oh…yes, of course," she nodded. "Though I'm no lady, Prince Fili, only a lowly maid…with a problematic tendency to sleepwalk."

"And I'm just a foolish dwarf with a habit of getting myself, and others it would seem, into trouble," Fili chuckled, noting that she was attempting to lighten the mood with a bit of levity. His fingers shook just a bit as he slipped the bead in place, finding he liked the way it looked in her hair very much. "As for you not being a lady…well, that is where you are wrong. For while we are seen as courting, that is how you will be addressed and referred to by all who greet you. Best get used to it."

Jade's eyes grew wide and she turned to stare at Dis for confirmation.

"It is true. For were you to eventually accept Fili's suit, you would indeed become a lady by marriage. It is only polite for you to be addressed as such in the interim," Dis explained.

"Uncle has gone to speak with the delegates and then we are to join him in the main dining hall at his table," Fili went on to explain, feeling a bit nervous now that the bead was in place and he had nothing left to do.

"Must our first outing together be so public?" Jade asked, not caring much for the idea.

"It would be expected, especially if we are to perpetuate the idea that we are now a couple," Fili told her kindly. Yet seeing the fear written across her face, he once more went down upon one knee as he looked up into her beautiful jade green eyes. "If you have changed your mind…if you no longer wish this, please speak now. It would be completely understandable if you did."

"No, I will not back down," she insisted, taking a deep breath and bravely raising her chin. "I agreed to this and I will see it through. I refuse to be the one to bring shame upon the house of Durin."

"Oh, no, my dear," Dis told her, giving Fili a knowing side-glance. "I have already birthed two sons who seem dead set upon doing that all by themselves." And while the words might have been a bit scolding, they were tempered by a smile and a quick wink at her oldest child, assuring him that there was a chance he might soon be forgiven.

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The next half an hour was taken up by Dis helping Jade find the perfect dress for the announcement, while Fili hurried off to locate Kili and make sure they were both properly attired as well. Jade's stomach was a knot of nerves by the time they reached the doors to the dining hall. Throughout Erebor, there were many such rooms set aside for communal eating, since most of the dwarves had no mates, they chose to take their meals socially. However, most of the married couples would eat in their private chambers, especially those with young ones, hence the need for apartments with small kitchens attached. The largest dining hall was where the king, his kin, and those looked upon with favor or of high rank, chose to dine each morning and evening. Lunches were often taken while at work or privately elsewhere, but the first and last meal were usually shared.

As they now stood outside the large doors, the din coming from within telling them that dinner was in full swing, Jade's nerves began to get the better of her. This was it, if she passed through those doors, she would officially be labeled as Prince Fili's intended. Was this a title she could live up to…even if it was only for a short period of time? Yet, her inner voice scolded her for such cowardice. She was Jade, daughter of Ursa and Gunnar, and she would not cower before anyone, man or dwarf! And from this moment on, she was determined to make that clear.

"Are you ready, My Lady?" Fili asked, noting Jade's slight hesitation.

"I am," she replied, nodding firmly, though she could feel her palms begin to sweat just a bit, and rubbed them on the skirt of the elegant dress Dis had dug out of some long-forgotten trunk of hers. The fit was passable, and the style might have been a bit out of date, but it was the color that had been the deciding factor. The rich blue of the fabric set off Fili's courting bead perfectly, showcasing his token of affection for all to see.

"Kili and I will go in and alert Thorin to your presence. When you hear him announce you, then you may enter," Dis instructed, taking her younger son's offered arm and allowing him to escort her inside.

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Thorin had taken Balin with him when he spoke to the dwarf emissaries, doing all he could to repair the damage that had obviously been done. The king explained to them that when they had all caught Fili in Jade's room - on the floor - the prince had been in the process of offering the maiden his courting bead, a ceremony that is usually held in private. And that as he was in the process of placing the piece of jewelry at the end of the braid, her hair had become entangled in his vambrace, causing the two of them to fall upon the floor in Fili's attempt to dislodge himself. Thorin had once heard that the best lies were based mostly on fact, with only enough of a change thrown in so as not to raise doubt. That, and the details of such a falsehood were easier to keep straight as well, thus the king felt more comfortable weaving this tale when the basic truths had not been changed…much.

Thankfully, it all seemed to have paid off, and the suspicious dwarrows were suddenly more interested in the idea that Thorin's heir was already courting, than the fact that he was found lying on top of a maiden in her own private bedchambers. To have the crown prince seeking marriage, and be in a position to strengthen the line of Durin, was apparently a good thing in their eyes. Thus, instead of choosing to scold or berate Thorin for his nephew's reckless behavior, they began slapping him on the back and offering their hearty congratulations.

This had left Thorin in a much better, and forgiving mood, as he entered the dining hall and took his seat at the head table, nodding to and acknowledging all those around him. He had done his part to smooth things over and make peace…now it was all up to Fili and Jade.

Fili, he had faith in, for he knew that the young prince could win over the sternest of skeptics with a warm smile and a few gracious words - much the same way his younger nephew could. The number of scrapes those two had talked themselves out of as dwarflings could fill a book - and be a damn fine read to boot! Yet he knew very little about his sister's young maid. Was she up to the task…would she crumble under the pressure? Dis had related to him some of her past over dinner a few nights ago when he had questioned her attachment to the young lass. And while he admired Jade's strength and fortitude at having struck out on her own in search of her kin, Thorin would still withhold his good favor until the young dwarrowdam had proven herself to him. He did not condone what Fili and Kili had done, and he took pity on the maiden for the predicament she was now in, but had she only confessed her part in all this earlier, the trouble might have been avoided.

Yet, as the saying went, 'if wishes were ponies, then all dwarfs would ride', and there was no way to change things now.

Thorin was pulled from his thoughts by the sight of Kili and Dis entering the hall, both of them looking confident and unrattled as they made their way towards him. Once they had taken their seats, with Kili on Thorin's left, and Dis leaving the two empty chairs between her on his right, he gave a heavy sigh and rose to his feet. Instantly a hush fell over the room, each dwarf and dwarrowdam pausing in their meal and giving their sovereign their undivided attention. At his left, Balin shot him a wink and a nod, offering his support and encouragement on what he was about to say. As he looked out at the expectant faces before him, catching the knowing grins of the four ambassadors, who already guessed what he was about to say, he loudly cleared his throat and prepared to speak.

Here goes nothing…or perhaps everything, he thought to himself.

Time to face the music, it would seem!

So, Fili is excited about this whole idea, Jade is nervous, and Kili...well, he just wishes it were him and Tauriel. ha ha.

Let's see how these two deal with all the attention in the next chapter.

Thanks.

Guest Reviews:

abc: Chapter 1: Oh, good! You found it! When you sent in your review for Enthralled, I had no way of telling you I HAD started a new story, and just hoped you would find your way here. I'm sorry your RL sucks right now, and I hope this will brighten your day. Yes, that poor guard was like "really? the princes think either of them is being quiet? REALLY?" ha ha. Don't give yourself too many facepalms over this story...you might end up with a flap nose. I'm glad you like Jade's name. I struggle so much over naming OCs. That is the worst part EVER! Chapter 2: Yep, he knows that she knows, and she knows that he knows, and Kili knows that both know, but Dis don't know nothing. ha ha. Dis is good at uncovering secrets, she's had lots of practice with her two wayward lads. ha ha.

Emrfangirl: Yep, you guessed it...a fake courtship. How could this plan go wrong? Yes, Thorin said he would never make them marry for political reasons, but for love. Of course he never dreamed in a million years one of them might have the hots for an ELF! Oh, the horror. ha ha. Thanks!