THE FF SITE IS BACK UP!

Man, what happened there? I have been itching to post for over 24 hours but it would not let anyone log on to do so. Sorry for the delay. Here you go...the next chapter!

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Lady Jessica: So glad I gave you hope! Perhaps this chapter will redeem your faith in them as a happy couple. ha ha. Thanks for your wonderful reviews!

Almara Elf: and I wanted to give you your next chapter in a hurry too...but the FF site had other ideas. ha ha. Hope you like where I am going with this.

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Dwarf words

RKHAS SHIRUMUNDU - beardless orc

sigm rukhas - ogre dung

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Chapter 14

Fili had been working in the armory, cataloging weapons and taking stock of what more might be needed. With the forges now going again, there was no good reason why they should be shorthanded on weapons and armor. Besides, he needed to be sure that he, and his other compatriots, were well equipped for their upcoming rescue of Daeloness. It was now less than a week away and Fili was becoming anxious. Thus far, Thorin, and his mother, had been left in the dark, and that is how he meant to keep it. Their mother would worry, and scold him terribly for taking such risks, while Thorin, he feared, might try and dissuade him from going. He could not risk either outcome.

He had just about finished for the afternoon, his mind quickly turning to thoughts of dinner, when Bofur came racing in, his face flushed and his hat a bit askew.

"FILI!" he shouted, his eyes frantically searching the large room until they landed on the golden prince. "You…you are needed in the…throne room…immediately!" Bofur got out through gasps for air.

"Why?" he asked, replacing the blade he had been holding as he headed for the door, looking at the winded dwarf for further explanation.

"The…the water king of Tellmar…he is back, and he seeks…an audience with Thorin!" he said, knowing just what this news might mean for the young dwarf.

"He…what?" Fili did not wait to hear more, instead he took off at a dead run for the throne room, not even waiting for Bofur to catch up. When he reached the small door that led to the dais at the end of the hall that allowed him to make his way to stand beside Thorin's throne, Fili slowed down so as not to bring attention to himself as he entered. The guard at the door bowed respectfully and gave him admittance, allowing him to slip in and take his place next to the already waiting Kili. Thorin was there, crown on his head and his sword at his side, sitting in his place as he waited for their honored guest to approach.

"Tell me what is going on," Fili whispered to Kili, hoping his brother was more informed than he.

"King Maldor arrived not long ago, demanding an audience with Thorin…that is all anyone knows thus far," Kili told him, keeping his voice low.

Fili could feel his heart beating wildly and a painful fear was now putting pressure on his chest. What if something had happened to Daeloness? What if she had tried to escape and was somehow injured…or Mahal…killed?

Looking to his left, Fili saw that his mother, Dis, stood on the other side of his uncle, as a lady of the court and sister to the king, she was often present when visitors came to seek counsel. He could also see that Thorin wore a scowl on his face, obviously not looking forward to bandying words with the insulting king once again. And yet, now as ruler of Erebor, he had mellowed somewhat, realizing that a good monarch needed to be as much a diplomat as a warrior. Thus he sat there and waited to speak with the king of Tellmar…willing to hear what he had come to say.

The large golden doors opened and in walked the pale water king, followed closely behind by what appeared to be a dozen guards and several of his sons. Fili craned his neck in an attempt to see better, searching the entourage for any signs of Daeloness…yet he could not find her. When the king stood before Thorin, remaining a respectful distance, much in part to Dwalin and his men preventing him from coming any closer, the king under the mountain spoke.

"I did not expect to see you again after our last meeting, King Maldor," Thorin's voice boomed forth. "To what do we owe this visit?"

"I have come for retribution!" the water king barked, anger written across his face. "The dwarves of Erebor have wronged me and I demand compensation!"

Thorin gave a heavy sigh, thinking it would be much easier if he could just kill the orc slime and be done with it, yet that is not what kings were supposed to do. Oh, to only be a warrior again.

"While I do not fully agree with your assessment of the situation," Thorin began. "Since it was by means of the water stone that we were aided in regaining our kingdom, I shall see that you receive the amount I originally offered to you when I first came to your city."

"That is not the offence I am referring to!" Maldor raged on, his face turning an unhealthy shade of red.

"Then for what do you demand reprisal?" Thorin was just about at the end of his patience, and there had been so very little to begin with.

"For this!" the water king yelled, reaching back amidst his guards and grabbing hold of a cloaked and hooded figure, pulling them forward to stand beside him. With one swift jerk, he pulled the covering off, revealing the figure of Daeloness.

Fili gave an audible gasp as he beheld his love for the first time in over five months. She was just as he remembered – her long golden hair flowing down her back, framing her delicate face. Her eyes were lowered but he could still see her rosy cheeks, her full and luscious lips – oh, if only she would raise her head so he could look upon her beautiful blue eyes. Yet as his gaze dipped lower, his mind ceased to function…for that is when he saw her midsection. It was rounded and extended, with one hand below and one on top, her palms cradling her stomach gently.

Daeloness was with child!

Fili must have made some sort of noise and apparently looked about to fall, for he suddenly felt Kili's hand beneath his arm, attempting to steady him. He dared to take his eyes off of Daeloness for a moment, turning to see Thorin's reaction, and while he noted that the king was hot with anger, he was not looking at him…yet his mother was!

Dis had heard Fili's cry of disbelief and saw his reaction to the girl's condition, prompting the wheels in her mind to start turning. It did not take her long to realize that her eldest son was neck deep in all this…much to her shock and dismay.

"You and your dwarf scum defiled the girl while she was your prisoner! She was to be given in marriage as means to unite two houses, yet now she is worthless to me!" The king turned his eyes on Thorin with a menacing glare. "And here you claimed to have honor. I thus demand compensation for what has been stolen from me!"

Thorin rose to his feet, his hand grasping at his sword in rage.

"You dare accuse a dwarf of having no honor when you stand here and refer to your own daughter, your child, as worthless?" His voice boomed throughout the hall, causing a few of the water king's men to take a step back. "Yet I can guarantee that none of my men would have dared to do as you suggest. We are the dwarves of Durin, and as such our ethics and standards are above reproach. None among us would have defiled a lady, even if she was a prisoner! Did you not think to search for the transgressor among your own people, surely the girl has been in contact with men of your race! She has, after all, been living within your city walls for the past five months, has she not?"

"Aye…in the dungeons!" Maldor spat. "When we arrived home, she was placed under lock and key in the jails beneath my keep, as penance for her treachery against her people. No one has been allowed to visit with her, and the guards I placed to watch her were my most loyal subjects. They would never have crossed me. Thus, I am left to conclude that she came to be this way during her time in your custody!" He then reached into his robes and pulled something out, holding it in his fist as he shook it at the mountain king. "And when I found this…I knew I was right!"

Thorin gestured to one of the guards standing close to Maldor and he stepped forward, taking the object and bringing it up to Thorin. When the dark haired dwarf saw what it was, his face became hot with anger. Grasping the chain in his fist, he let the silver medallion dangle there, turning to his right and holding it up for his nephews to see.

"FILI!" he fumed, noting the almost ashen look on the young prince's face.

"No!" Dis cried, knowing every intricate detail of the pendant her brother now held. "Fili…how could you?"

"Then you admit it! He is the reprobate responsible!" Maldor seethed, pointing his long bony finger at Fili. "I therefore not only request compensation for the riches I would have gained as payment as bride-price for the girl, but I also demand the head of the one who defiled her. The dwarf pig who dared to lie with an unwilling maid."

"I was not unwilling," came the voice of Daeloness, her head still bowed, never once daring to look up or meet Fili's eyes.

"What did you say?" her father asked, his voice coming out in a strangled gasp.

Any murmuring by those around them was instantly silenced, everyone stunned by the girl's confession. Fili made a move to step down, aching to go to her, but Kili held him back and the stern look from Thorin caused him to cease his struggle.

"I said that he did not take me unwillingly," she repeated, turning her head so that her eyes met the water king, the look of defiance unmistakable. "In fact, if truth be told, I begged him to lie with me, to be my first so that should I ever be forced to wed King Palnish, I would at least have had one night in the arms of someone kind and gentle. I gladly went to his bed and would do so again if he asked!"

"YOU WHORE!" the king screamed, grabbing her by the arm and jerking her to him.

"I would rather be whore to a dwarf than the legal bride of anyone you chose for me!" she spat.

"You are no better than your deceitful mother!" the king yelled, shoving her away from him with such force that she stumbled and fell, hitting the floor hard as her hands wound around her stomach, attempting to protect the child within. "And since you are so much like her, you might as well be reunited…in death!" With that, the water king, who had been stripped of all his weapons before entering the hall, held out his hand towards the small fountain nearby, the liquid leaping up and flying across the expanse and into his hand. Instantly it took the shape of a sword and before everyone's stunned eyes, froze solid to become a deadly weapon…one that the water king raised high over his head and aimed at Daeloness.

"NO!" Fili cried, and feeling Kili release him, he leapt forward, drawing his own blade as he ran towards Maldor.

The rest of the dwarf guards moved in, attempting to overpower the king's sons and sentries who had accompanied him, yet no one could get to the king fast enough. Daeloness saw the blade descending towards her and she rolled onto her side, curling into a ball and displaying her back in an effort to shield her stomach from the blow. She cried out and braced herself for the painful strike, yet it never came.

At the last possible moment, Fili came sliding across the polished floor, his sword coming between Daeloness and the frozen blade, causing it to shatter on contact, breaking into a thousand tiny shards which fell harmlessly all around them. Leaping to his feet, Fili grabbed the water king by the front of his robes and forced him to his knees, pressing the tip of his sword into the now terrified monarch's neck.

"YOU RKHAS SHIRUMUNDU!" Fili roared, digging the tip in a bit more as his victim squirmed and leaned farther back, trying to avoid the blade. "You will never touch or see Daeloness again! You and your kind do not deserve one as kind and gentle as she! Prepare to die, scum!"

"FILI!" Thorin shouted, suddenly at his nephew's side. "Release him! I will not see blood on your hands…not over someone as worthless as this." When Fili appeared to not be listening, Thorin laid his hand on his shoulder and spoke his next words softly. "Look to the girl, Fili…she needs you now. Let me take care of this filth."

It took a few more tense moments before with a growl of compliance, Fili let go, shoving the water king to the floor as he whirled around, dropping his blade, and scrambled to Daeloness' side. There he gently uncurled her from the fetal position she was in and cradled her head in his hands, laying the now sobbing girl across his lap and bent forward.

"Shhhhh, my heart," he whispered, running his hands over her hair and face in an attempt to calm her…or perhaps to calm himself. Either way, he kept speaking, rocking her a bit as he did and keeping his face near hers. "I am here, my love…you are here with me and I will never let you out of my arms again. Hush, my love…do not cry."

During all this, Dwalin had grabbed hold of Maldor the second Fili had dropped him, he and another guard each taking one of his arms and forcing him to his knees. Thorin's anger had grown to monumental proportions, causing him to tower over the squirming water king.

"YOU WOULD DARE TO RAISE A WEAPON IN MY KINGDOM?" he roared, causing the water lord to instantly freeze and look up at him in fear. "You would have the unmitigated gall to threaten not only your own daughter, but a possible heir to the king of Erebor and the line of Durin? For this you should die!"

"No…No…I…I am the one who has been wronged!" the king stuttered, almost shrinking before Thorin's rage. "By the law of my people, the girl is mine to do with as I choose! Her marriage to the king of Ekmus was to ensure the uniting of our kingdoms, to strengthen our forces so that we could not be overpowered…now…now all is lost. Once he learns about…about this shame…Palnish will no longer want her!"

"That is quite fortunate then…for it would appear that my nephew does," Thorin informed him. He then raised his sword and placed it on King Maldor's shoulder, the sharp blade just kissing his neck as it lay there in a threatening manner. "Thus…you will leave this land, return to your pitiful city and forget that you ever had a daughter – a feat I do not think will be very difficult for you. And if you ever show your orkish face within the borders of my kingdom again, I will take it as an act of war and see that you and your entire kingdom are wiped from the face of Middle Earth."

"You…you would not dare!" he gasped, tipping his head to the side as he felt more pressure being put on his neck by the razor sharp sword. "Dwarves fight for their homeland and gold…not on the spiteful whims of their king!"

"You forget that dwarves also go to war when their kin are threatened," Thorin pointed out. "And you did exactly that when you attempted to strike down the mother of my nephew's child. Dwarves take that kind of threat very seriously." He then got a contemplative look on his face, as if thinking something over. "However, on second thought, why bother with going to war when all I need to do is to supply your enemies with weapons and the means to overthrow your paltry kingdom instead. Yes, that is what I will do. Should you ever darken my door, or make any move to reclaim or harm your daughter again, I will see that one…or all…of the other water kingdoms receive my full support and backing in an all-out war against you, Maldor the pathetic. And if you doubt my word…I urge you to test me on this matter and see just how serious I am! Have I made myself perfectly clear?"

The water king was thoroughly intimidated by now, Thorin's murderous tone and the look of death in his eyes telling him that he was not bluffing. Shutting his eyes, Maldor nodded his head in defeat.

"Dwalin, see that this piece of sigm rukhas is evicted from our mountain," he instructed the head of his guard, as he turned away in disgust…yet just as the whimpering king was hauled to his feet, Thorin held up his hand, wishing to add something to his order. "Oh, and Dwalin…do not feel you have to be gentle in any way." This made the large baldheaded dwarf grin with sadistic pleasure, giving a deep laugh that caused Maldor to pale in fear. And so he, and all who came with him, were tossed out of Erebor and told never to return, upon pain of death.

When the large golden doors had slammed shut behind them, Thorin turned and stared down at Fili, who still cradled a wide eyed and stunned Daeloness in his arms.

"Are you hurt, lass?" He asked, squatting down to look at her, much the same way he had when they had first met so many months ago.

"I…I do not think so, my lord," she stammered, gripping Fili's hand tightly for strength.

"Then we best get you off the floor," he nodded. "The cold, hard stone cannot be good for someone in your delicate condition." Thorin then looked over at his nephew. "Fili."

Knowing what he meant, Fili got to his feet and reached down to aid her in standing, keeping his arm securely around her waist in an effort to steady her. Yet the moment she was required to support her full weight, Daeloness grabbed hold of her stomach, bent forward and let out a cry of pain.

"Daeloness!" Fili immediately scooped her up in his arms without a moment of hesitation.

"Get her to the infirmary, quickly!" the Lady Dis cried, suddenly at Fili's side, a stricken look in her motherly eyes.

"No, that is too far," Thorin argued, his own face now pale with worry. "Take her to your chambers, Fili." He then turned and grabbed Kili by the arm, the young dwarf having come to stand by his brother during all the excitement. "Find Oin and have him meet us there…Go!"

In a flash the dark prince was off, eager to fulfil his assignment and assist the woman that his brother loved. The rest of them headed down the short hallway to where the royal chambers lay, rushing into Fili's room as he laid her down on the bed, doing all he could not to cause her any more discomfort.

"Daeloness," he spoke, taking her hand and bringing it up to his lips as he begged her to look at him. "Please, my love, tell me where it hurts…tell me how to help you."

"Just…stay with me, Fili…don't leave me," she sobbed, squeezing his fingers tightly while her other hand held on to her belly. Her eyes were a bit glassed over from the pain, but she still stared up at him, trying to focus on him and not the agony she was in. "I…I tried to get away…I wanted to come find you. But this time I was locked in the dungeons…there was no escape…no way out."

"I know, my love…I know," he was in tears by now, both from imagining the hell she must have gone through, as well as fearing the pain she was now in as well.

"Where the hell is Ori?" Thorin growled, having been pacing the room this whole time, running his fingers through his grey streaked hair. He was certain he would be sporting a few more white strands by the time this was all over.

"Here, my dear, take a sip of this," Dis offered, bringing a cup of water over and handing it to Fili, urging him to try and get her to drink it.

Fili obeyed his mother and did as she instructed, helping Daeloness sit up as she gulped down a few swallows before she waved off the rest.

Just then an out of breath Oin came barreling in the room, followed by a very frightened looking Kili.

"Oh!" Oin exclaimed, seeing all the faces filled with fear, not to mention the writhing girl on the bed, who was obviously heavy with child. "Tell me what happened!"

Everyone seemed to speak at once, and how the elderly healer, who was half deaf to begin with, got anything out of their confusing explanation was anyone's guess. But he quickly set to work and examined Daeloness from tip to toe with his one good eye, keeping her modesty in mind as Fili shot him deadly looks every time he had to lay a hand on her. In the end, Oin claimed that she was suffering from the shock of the incident coupled with a bruising from the fall, yet she was not going into labor nor was she in any danger of losing the child. He gave her a mixture of herbs, forcing her to choke down the dreadful concoction, claiming that it would quickly set things to rights. When Daeloness did indeed begin to settle, her eyes starting to drift closed, the anxiety in the room was visibly lessened.

"Fili…don't leave me…please," she begged, hardly able to remain awake.

"Never, my heart…I will never leave you again," he swore. This seemed to ease her mind and at last she allowed sleep to overtake her, drifting off without any further signs of discomfort.

"She will sleep for a bit," Oin assured them, wiping at the sweat that had formed on his brow. Taking care of patients was difficult enough, yet when you had the king, his sister and the two princes breathing down your neck and watching your every move, it was quite disconcerting. "When she wakes I will need to speak with her about…well…the baby and all. I am not familiar with the gestation period for her kind, so for all I know she might be ready to give birth tomorrow."

"You will need to take into consideration that this child is supposedly part dwarf," Thorin informed him in a gruff voice, causing Oin's eyes to grow wide with shock.

"What's this laddie?" Oin was certain he must have misunderstood. For while he was keenly aware that this was the girl that Fili had claimed was his one, it had not occurred to him that the young prince had dared to become intimate with her. Yet, one look at how tenderly Fili was holding her hand and lovingly stroking her face, told Oin all he needed to know. "I...I will do all I can to study up on the subject! And I will confer with all the midwives in Erebor as well, to see if they might be knowledgeable about situations like this." And after bowing to his king and the Lady Dis, he left the room, promising to return a bit later to check on her condition.

"As far as I know…there has never been a situation like this!" Thorin growled, looking down at his distraught nephew grimly. "Fili…I will speak with you outside…NOW!"

"I won't leave her! I promised to stay at her side," he argued, ignoring his uncle's order.

"I will remain with her, my son," Dis assured him, seeing the determination in her brother's eyes and knowing that he would not be dissuaded. "I think it is best that you and your uncle talk…for all our sakes."

It took a few moments, but eventually Fili nodded his head in resignation. He leaned in and brushed the hair off of her forehead and kissed it reverently, letting his fingers slip down her cheek as he stood. Then with the look of a condemned man, he turned and walked out of the room, with Kili right on his heels. Thorin headed after them but was stopped by his sister as she laid a hand on his arm.

"Do not be too hard on him, please, Thorin," she pleaded. "He may be a fine warrior and your heir, but he is still only a boy…one who obviously cares for the girl a great deal." Long ago when her husband had been taken from her, she had begged Thorin to watch over her boys, to help them grow and to be the father they so desperately needed. Yet now, as she looked at her brother, she did not see Thorin their uncle…she saw Thorin the king, and this frightened her. "Do not let your temper run away with you…remember that Fili looks up to you and he would do anything to please you. Try and hear his side before you do or say something you will come to regret."

"I will deal with him the same way I would any lad who has dishonored his family with such disgraceful actions," he growled, not swayed by his sister's plea. And wrenching his arm from her grasp, he followed the two princes out the door, shutting it firmly behind him.

"Yes…that is what I am afraid of," Dis said with a worried look on her face. "Oh, Fili."

WELL? Did I shock you with the sudden and unexpected left turn I just made in the story line? did you expected this? I must know...please share a review and tell me.

Thanks again for all those who take the time to review and make a little writer so happy.