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***STOP!***

Notice...I have posted twice in one day...DO NOT read out of order.

Fair warning.

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Chapter 25

~X~

Jade wasted no time, and the moment Kili helped her down from the pony, she was off at a dead run towards the healing halls. By the time she reached the second set of stairs, the dark-haired prince had caught up with her and taking her arm, assisted her up the next several flights. When they at last burst into the main room of the healing halls, they were met by Thorin, Dis, Balin and Tauriel.

"How is he?" Kili was the first to demand, with Jade attempting to catch her breath. "Will he heal?"

"Oin is with him now, but he was awake and grumbling as they took him in," Thorin informed them, his arm still around his sister's shoulder in a reassuring gesture. "What happened?"

"We were attacked by orcs," Jade answered, knowing that she would have more information on the subject than Kili. "We were out riding, and Fili was taking me to see some pond, when they just came out of nowhere." It was then that she recalled the soldier that had accompanied them. "Our guard was injured as well…did he make it back to the mountain?"

"Yes, they took him in before Fili arrived," Dis spoke up. "We do not know of his condition yet, however." She then turned and laid her hand on Tauriel's arm, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. "Thank you for getting Fili here so quickly, my dear. You have given him a better chance by your efforts, and for that you have my undying gratitude."

"I was happy to be of assistance, Lady Dis," Tauriel told her with a gentle smile.

It was then that the door opened, and several others crowded into the room.

"We heard that there was an orc attack!" Dwalin shouted, his mighty fists already gripping at his axe handles. "Is the lad all right? Do I need to send out troops?"

"I think we got them all," Kili assured the war chief. "But it wouldn't hurt to scout the area to make sure they were not accompanied." He then gave Dwalin directions to where the slain might be found, causing the bald warrior to storm out in determination.

"But how's Fili?" Bofur questioned, looking at them with fear in his eyes. "Word is he was brought in wounded."

"He is with Oin now, but we have reason to hope for the best," Balin assured everyone, giving Dis a smile. "He is a strong lad, he has survived worse than this."

"Well, he would have been in worse shape if Jade hadn't been there with him," Kili spoke up, giving the now blushing dwarrowdam a wide smile. "From the number of blades sticking out of those dead orcs, it's obvious that she put up one hell of a fight. I would say her skills with a throwing knife even rivals that of Fili."

"You have now saved both my sons from certain death, Jade," Dis sniffled, reaching out and pulling the dam close to her in affection. "First Kili during the cave in, and now Fili from a hoard of orcs." She then turned to gaze up at Tauriel. "And you have now saved my Fili twice…once from Azog and now by getting him here to be healed quickly. You both have my undying gratitude, to be sure."

"I would hope you saved a bit of appreciation for me as well, Lady Dis," came Oin's gravelly voice, tinged with humor. "For it's my pleasure to inform you that due to my skillful tending, your son will make a full recovery."

"Bless Mahal!" Dis cried, now throwing herself in Thorin's arms as she sobbed in relief.

Jade went weak in the knees over this piece of good news, and had it not been for Kili's strong arms holding her up, she might have slipped to the floor. Everyone was smiling, asking Oin questions and eagerly listening to what the healer had to say. They were also grateful to learn that the guard who had been shot in the chest would recover as well…though not as quickly as Fili, it would seem. In the end, he said they could go in to see him as soon as they had moved him to a more comfortable bed in one of the other rooms, insisting they wait just a bit longer before they did.

It was just as Oin left the room, that a guard entered, seeking out Thorin and Balin.

"My King," he bowed. "The Lord of the Grey Mountains has just arrived and is awaiting an audience with you."

"Lord Baldar? Now?" Thorin asked, his tone revealing how unsettled he was by this visitor. In truth, he believed he would much rather deal with Thranduil than this dwarf lord. "While I desire greatly to see that my nephew is indeed on the mend, I dare not keep him waiting."

"Then go, Uncle," Kili urged. "Fili will understand, and he has the rest of us to check on him. You can see him later after you have greeted your guests. I know what a trade agreement with the Grey Mountains means for Erebor."

"Yes, go," Dis nodded, understanding more than her son about the history between Thorin and Lord Baldar. "It would be best not to give him reason to find fault with you, Brother."

"If he finds my loyalty to my family a fault, then I say to Mordor with the old goat!" Thorin growled.

"And that's exactly the attitude we need to avoid, Thorin," Balin insisted, taking his king by the arm and leading him out of the healing halls. "You can visit Fili later, right now, you have diplomacy to master and an ally to make."

"Exactly who is the king here?" Thorin huffed, not liking how Balin often treated him like a willful lad and not the ruler of Erebor that he was.

"I often ask myself the same question," Balin answered glibly, the two of them disappearing down the hallway.

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Once in the throne room, with his regal robes and crown in place, Thorin gestured for his guests to be admitted. He was still a bit hesitant to see this particular dwarf again, the last time having been during his unwanted betrothal. Granted, he had never laid eyes on Lord Baldar's daughter, the Lady Lila, but the contract had been binding, and they had indeed been promised in marriage. Yet, when the message came, not long before the Dragon attacked, telling Thorin that the betrothal had been called off – without even a word as to why – he couldn't say he wasn't relieved. He would have gone through with it, for his grandfather had seen it as a good and prosperous match, gaining them access to all the coal they needed to keep Erebor's forges burning bright. And now, as he watched the older dwarf enter his throne room, Thorin knew that they were now just as much in need of the fuel sources as they once were. He would have to play nice.

"Lord Baldar," he greeted, doing his best to sound pleased, though he was anything but. "It has been a long time."

"Aye, it has…" Here he paused slightly, as if uncertain how to address him now. "…King Thorin."

"I do hope we can put the past behind us and form a strong allegiance, as you once had with my Grandfather Thrór," Thorin continued, putting his best foot forward. "I am still unsure what transpired that caused you to end the agreed upon marriage between your daughter and myself, yet I do not find fault in you doing so. I highly doubt she would have been pleased to be tied to a wandering prince with no kingdom to his name. Thus, I believe it was all for the best, and I trust there are no hard feelings on the part of the lass or yourself."

Lord Baldar stood there silent for a moment, before he broke eye contact, looking away as if in regret.

"No, King Thorin. There are no hard feelings over the incident, not from either myself…nor my daughter," he said in an oddly quite voice. "And I thank you for your understanding."

"Might I invite you and your company to take your ease in the chambers we prepared for you?" Thorin offered, rather taken aback by Lord Baldar's subdued actions. He had expected the dwarf to fuss or yell, or at least accuse him of some atrocity that had caused him to rescind the hand of his daughter. Still, Thorin was not about to look a gift pony in the mouth, so to speak. "I invite you to join me at dinner tonight, yet at present I beg your forgiveness, for I have extremely pressing matters I must attend to."

"More pressing than seeing to a guest of such rank as Lord Baldar?" Hakim spoke up, seeing the king's words as a slight to his lord and friend.

"While I consider Lord Baldar's presence an honor and would under normal circumstances personally see that he is welcomed and entertained to the best of my ability. I fear that only a few hours ago, my nephew and heir was attacked by orcs and is still under care in the healing halls." Thorin informed them in a stern tone. "Thus, I consider his welfare my top priority at the moment."

"Yes, of course," Baldar was quick to speak up, placing a hand on his councilor's shoulder to quiet him. "You are right in seeing to your kin first, and we are sorry that he has come to harm. Please, do not tarry any longer, we understand your necessity, King Thorin. Family should always come first."

"My apologies, Your Majesty," Hakim said with a reverent bow, looking appropriately chastised. "I spoke out of turn."

"You are forgiven," Thorin replied graciously. "Now, please, follow my aid and he will see to your care. I will join you at dinner. Until then, I hope you enjoy your stay in the mountain." And with a final nod of respect, Thorin quickly left the room, eager to return to the healing halls and Fili.

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"I'm fine, I tell you!" Fili grumbled, pushing Kili's hand away for the fifth time. "Between you, Amad, Oin, and of course those mangy orcs, I think I've been poked and prodded quite enough today, thank you." And while the blond prince tried to sound stern, he couldn't hide the appreciation in his tone. "I've had far worse injuries, and since I've been assured the arrow that struck me was not poisoned, I should recover quickly."

"Aye, the lad is right," the old healer agreed with a look of relief. "Yet, had it been a morgal shaft that struck him, I believe a certain elf lass here knows the secret of caring for such a wound." At this he gave Tauriel a wink, eliciting a shy smile from her.

"Well, regardless of that, you will be remaining here in the healing halls for as long as Oin deems necessary, and no arguments!" Dis instructed firmly.

"Yes, Amad," Fili conceded. His shoulder still ached quite a bit, but the herbs Oin had given him had taken most of the initial pain away. He would be sore for days, to be sure, but he also knew that dwarves healed quickly. They were strong after all, for they had been crafted from stone.

There was more discussion about his injury, as well as further investigation into the reason a band of orcs had been so close to Erebor, yet through it all, Fili only had eyes for Jade. She had grown rather quiet, and was now standing against the wall, her arms wrapped around her midsection as if attempting to hold herself together. And from the pale look of her skin, he wondered if she might suddenly topple over in a faint.

"Amad," Fili broke in, getting everyone's attention. "Might I ask to be left alone for a moment…I wish to speak to Jade in private."

The older dam glanced from her son to her former maid and nodded in understanding, silently ushering everyone out of the room as requested. When it was only the two of them, Fili reached out his good hand towards her, beckoning Jade to come closer.

Needing no further encouragement, she rushed to his side, sitting on the edge of his bed as she all but collapsed, her forehead resting on his undamaged shoulder as tears began to flow from her eyes.

"I…I thought you might actually die!" she wailed, gripping his hand in her own as if it were a lifeline. "When I saw…all the blood…I feared the worst."

"What? This little thing?" he asked, doing his best to make light of the situation. "It's hardly a scratch." It hurt his heart to see her so broken up, yet it gave him hope that perhaps she was more invested in this relationship that he formerly dared believe. "Don't cry, Jade. I'm fine…truly."

"But what if you weren't?" she persisted, unable to get the imagine of him lying on the ground with blood all over his tunic. "I…I don't know…what I would have done if…if you…" Jade found she couldn't even voice such a thing out loud, it truly being unthinkable. If she ever had any doubt of her feelings for Fili, they were more than clear now.

"I felt the same way," he confessed, urging her to lift her head so that he could look into her tear-filled eyes. "I would have never forgiven myself if you had come to harm today. I would have gladly laid down my life if it meant saving yours. Yet, it would appear that you were the one who saved me. Your skills with a blade certainly came in handy, as did your recently acquired knowledge of how to use a sword. Dwalin will be rightly impressed with you, even if you never got a chance to use an axe during the fight."

"I was scared out of my mind," Jade informed him, wiping at her eyes as she attempted to compose herself. "I acted purely on instinct and can't believe I actually did all that."

"You are a true warrior," Fili stated with pride. "You let your training take over and didn't freeze up when it really counted." And though this was probably not the time or the place for such a declaration, Fili couldn't help but wish to confess his true feelings for Jade at that very moment. They had just lived through a life and death situation, and only Mahal knew when another would present itself, thus prompting the young prince to want to speak now. However, before he could, the door opened, and Thorin came in, not even bothering to knock or check to see if he might be interrupting something.

"They told me you were out of danger, Fili," he stated with a wide smile, seeing that he had been informed correctly. "It is good to see you alert and with more color in your cheeks than when they brought you in."

Fili could have screamed in frustration for the interruption, and yet, the look of joy on his king's face tempered his reaction.

"Yes, it would appear that the orcs failed once more to diminish the line of Durin, Uncle," Fili said with a sigh. "Yet, it is all due to the skill and determination of this lovely lass. She stood between me and the oncoming hoard without a hint of fear, taking down many before Kili and Tauriel came to our rescue."

"Yes, your brother already related the tale to us, or at least as much as he was witness to," Thorin nodded, giving Jade a look of pure gratitude. "It would seem we have good reason to bless the day that this lass came to Erebor."

"No more so than I bless the day I did as well," Jade responded with a blush. "For in doing so, I have become acquainted with the bravest, and most kind family I ever met. You have my highest regard, King Thorin, you and all your kin."

Thorin might have said more, but the door behind him opened once again, with Oin poking his head in.

"I think it's time my patient got some rest," he insisted, signaling for everyone to exit. "And he certainly won't do so when his king, or a lovely lass, is present to distract him."

"Just a few more moments, please?" Fili begged, still wanting to confess his feelings to Jade.

"Absolutely not!" Oin commanded authoritatively. As the head healer, he ruled these halls as if he were the king himself, and no one - not even Thorin - dared contradict him. "You can be moved to your own chambers tomorrow and thus do as you please, but tonight you will listen to me. Rest is what you need!"

"Oin is correct," Thorin said, siding with his old friend in this regard. "For the faster you heal, the quicker you can assist me in dealing with Lord Baldar and his delegation. I will need your help in carving out a mutually profitable agreement for the rights to their coal supply. But first you must see to your wound."

"Fine, I will abide by Oin's orders…for now," Fili huffed, knowing he would not win this argument. "Yet, I insist that tomorrow I am allowed to join you for the noonday meal at least, for I will not have the Lord of the Grey Mountains thinking that a piddly orc arrow can keep the line of Durin down."

"If you feel up to it," Thorin chuckled, admiring his nephew's conviction and sense of duty. "I will assign Lady Jade to be your escort, since you seem so determined to join us. Will you see to this, my dear, and make sure he does not overdo himself?"

"Gladly, Your Majesty," she nodded, her eyes becoming like steel, telling Thorin that nothing was going to get past her in the case of Fili's care. He admired that in her, and found he truly hoped his sister-son could convince the lass to accept his suit.

"Then we will bid you goodnight, Fili," the king said, placing his hand on his nephew's good shoulder, giving him a smile that told the blond dwarf he was loved. "Heal quickly and know that you did your king proud this day." He then looked down at Jade. "You both did." With that, Thorin gestured for Jade to accompany him out the door at Oin's insistence.

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Once they were in the waiting area, Dis took charge of Jade. Insisting that she be escorted back to her chambers and given a bath, something to eat, and then put straight to bed. At first the lass protested, but the older dam was more than firm on the matter, leaving no room for argument. Kili too suggested that Tauriel do the same, the two of them having become rather grimy themselves during the whole ordeal, agreeing that they would join Thorin that night to entertain the Grey Mountain delegation in Fili's absence.

"Aye, it would be best that Lord Baldar be informed of our alliance with the elves of Mirkwood immediately, before he finds out on his own and overreacts," Thorin agreed. He was starting to warm up to the elf lass himself, though he was not about to admit it just yet. However, her efforts in rescuing Fili and Jade had gone a long way in raising the elleth in his esteem.

"As if I give one hoot about what that old mule might think!" Dis huffed, linking her arm that was not around Jade through Tauriel's. "My lad has chosen wisely, and I will not have any say a word against my future daughter-in-law!"

This had Kili grinning from ear to ear, truly heartened by the way his family seemed to be taking to his love. And here he had been so afraid that they would spurn her.

"Now, come, let's see to getting you both cleaned up, and allow Fili to heal," Dis stated. "For I'm certain that you will be back here first thing in the morning, will you not, Jade?"

"As my king has commanded that I be his escort, I think it best," Jade grinned. "However, I will admit that a bath and a rest does sound amazing."

"Then let us delay no more," the dam smiled. "It has been one very long and exhausting day."

"One, I fear, that is far from over in my case," Thorin noted, knowing that he still had Lord Baldar to deal with over dinner. "Come, Kili…I will need all the help I can get." And off they went, leaving Oin to care for Fili for the night.

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As it turned out, the Lord of the Grey Mountains was indeed enraged by the pairing of the king's nephew and an elf, but not for the reasons Thorin had anticipated.

"You would force your nephew to endure a loveless marriage simply for political gain?" Baldar growled, acting completely offended by the notion. This confused Thorin greatly, seeing as how the dwarf had once done the same, with his own daughter no less. Yet, the look of pain in the older dwarrow's eyes told Thorin that he obviously regretted having done so, perhaps that having been the very reason the match had been called off in the first place. However, Thorin dared not address the issue, not if doing so would cause friction between them.

"Allow me to assure you, Lord Baldar," Kili broke in, eager to put the dwarf's mind at ease and alleviate the friction over the subject. "This might appear to be a political move on the part of both my uncle and King Thranduil, but it was myself and Tauriel who initially petitioned to be allowed to marry. I am completely in love with her, though some of our kind might find that hard to believe, and I assure you, she feels the same for me. This is a love match, pure and simple."

This not only shocked the elderly dwarf but seemed to please him as well.

"I am happy to hear this…truly I am," he revealed. "And while I understand why some dwarves might hold animosity for the children of the Eldar, we up north are not touched by such prejudice. Thus, I congratulate you, young prince, on finding happiness with your chosen mate, whomever she be."

"Your words are greatly appreciated, Lord Baldar," Tauriel said, gracing him with one of her lovely smiles. "If only more of your kind had the same beliefs."

"I learned the hard way that denying one their heart's desire only leads to sadness and pain," the older dwarf revealed. "I would not wish such a thing on anyone."

Thorin was left rather speechless at Baldar's acceptance of the situation, having fully prepared to argue in favor of his decision. Perhaps there was more to this dwarf than he had originally suspected, his one meeting with the lord of the Grey Mountains having left a bad taste in his mouth. Granted, it had been his grandfather, Thrór, who had originally initiated the match, but Baldar had agreed to it…at least at first. Perhaps before the dwarf left the mountain, Thorin would work up the courage to ask him why the betrothal had been called off, and what the dam in question had done with her life. But until he felt more confident about Baldar's intentions and the possibility of a future alliance, he dared not make waves.

All in good time, Thorin thought to himself. All in good time.

Hmmmm, the plot thickens! And look, Fili will be just fine.

But OH NO! Thorin was the one to interrupt them! Now the circle is complete. ha ha.

Did you enjoy the bonus chapter? It came to you compliments of Aranel Mereneth's sad puppy dog eyes that she trained on me and made me give in. ha ha. It only works once though...so do not try using Kili's secret weapon on me a second time. ha ha.

Guest Reviews:

Aranel Mereneth: Yes, a life or death situation does tend to bring out the feelings in a person. And if it was the worst interruption, then it is only fair it was by Thorin then...he is the king after all. ha ha. Hope you enjoyed the bonus chapter. I would have put it out sooner, but I had to make dinner, eat dinner, then format the chapter, respond to reviews, etc, etc. But here it is!

Emrfangirl: Ah so you knew that was coming, huh? And no, Thorin was supposed to marry Lila, Lord Baldar's daughter...who is sadly dead now. So no late in life romance for our Majestic King. Sorry. Yes, Dis should be heavily in debt to both Jade and Tauriel. Yet, the elf is one up on the dam...she saved Fili twice now. Better even up the score Jade! ha ha. And am I to assume you have read Summerald's stories already, or you are reading them now? Thanks.