What?! How in the world have I managed to post so soon? I am even more shocked than any of you ;) This chapter is probably more fluff than necessary, but I couldn't resist. But don't get used to it! I am afraid that any pleasantness between our couple is short-lived. Let me know what you think. Thank you to all of my loyal readers and reviewers, and welcome all new comers :)

"I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun."―Jane Austen,Pride and Prejudice

On the twenty-sixth morning in September, Signi awoke far earlier than she would prefer. Between the ale she had consumed the night before, and the disastrous conversation with Lord Brasi and the King, sleep was nearly impossible. To make matters worse, anticipation of the day's events to come made Signi most anxious to be far, far away from her family.

Careful to not wake Lifa, Signi quickly dressed and slipped out of their room unnoticed. In the hall, she noted that the morning guards had not yet relieved those who watching during the night. Torches and fires were still unlit, and would remain so until just before dawn. She was up so very early.

Nothing would be open, she mused as she walked quietly down the hall. No library to hide in, no busy market to disappear in. Even the guards at the door would deny her leave at this time of day. Her only hope was to find a secluded balcony watch the sun rise above eastern red peaks of the Iron Hills in the far distance.

Signi remembered her sister mentioning a favorite balcony of Fili's on the eastern side of the mountain, close to the quarters of the royal family. She suspected that it was not open to the general public, but she also doubted that she would be disturbed.

The guard was dozing at his post when she arrived, making Signi praise Mahal for this convenience. No doubt, the King would be quick to release this dwarf from service if he learned that the royal family slept unwatched, but Signi was not concerned for their safety at the moment.

The balcony in question rather easy to find. Wrapping her shawl tighter around her shoulders, Signi slipped through the door into the nippy morning air. It was very dark with the mountain blocking the remaining moonlight, so Signi had only the glow from the braziers near the front gate to find a place to sit against the wall. Fumbling in the low light, Signi squeaked in shock when she found herself nearly in the lap of another dwarf.

"What are you doing?!" hissed a voice in the darkness, as the trampled dwarf reached up to help Signi sit beside him.

"Kili?" She asked, her hand patting his face as though she was trying to confirm her suspicions through touch. "What are you doing here?"

"I should be asking you the same," Kili grumbled, batting her hand away. "This is supposed to be a private balcony. "

Signi wiped her hand on her skirt, discreetly eliminating the wetness she felt on Kili's cheek. "Yes, well your guard did not object to me being here."

Kili grunted, but did not reply. In the faint light, Signi could see him draw up knees to his chest, and bury his face into his arms.

"I thought you would be sleeping," she said, hoping the lead in would give him motivation to spill his troubles.

"Yeah, well so did I," he muttered, leaning his head back against the stone wall, staring off into the darkness. After waiting several moments for Signi's witty retort and getting nothing, Kili sighed and turned toward his friend.

"I can't sleep. Too much on my mind," he finally explained.

"Is Tauriel on your mind?" Signi asked. Her heart ached for the prince and his forbidden love, and she was often surprised that he never seemed forlorn about the topic.

Kili shrugged, looking away again before answering. "My thoughts are always on my sweet Tauriel, but I have grown used to our time apart. I need only look at the stars and I am reminded of her light, of her love for me. It strengthens me and gives me hope that we can finally be together once Erebor reaches its height."

"That is beautiful," Signi murmured, taking her friend's hand in the darkness. "I could only dream of such a strong love."

"Aye," Kili said, the smile evident in his voice. "I am afraid that an elven partner might not be best for you. But a love built in the forges of Mahal himself, I do believe you will be very blessed indeed. Perhaps you are halfway there as we speak."

"Now you are being ridiculous," Signi chided, thankful for the darkness to cover her flushed cheeks. "Tell me then, why do come out here alone and wait for morning?"

"You must really think me childish," Kili muttered, wiping his nose with his sleeve. "I miss him. I miss him so much that I can't sleep."

"Fili?"

"Yes," he said, shaking his head. "It is so silly. I know he will be back, but we have never been apart this long."

"There is nothing wrong with missing your brother," Signi said gently. "Lifa and I may not always get along, but I couldn't bear being separated from her."

"Maybe," Kili agreed. "I just can't let Thorin see me weak. It is the last thing he needs to be worried about. And mother is already enough of a mess with him leaving…"

Signi felt a twinge of guilt. It had been a while since she visited with Dis. She had no idea how she was handling Fili's absence again.

"Don't worry," She said, wrapping her arm around his shoulders. "Your secret is safe with me."

Kili leaned his head appreciatively against her shoulder. "You still haven't told me what you are doing out here," he said, a certain slyness creeping up in his voice.

"I couldn't sleep as well, though not for such affectionate reasons," she said, hoping to keep his digging questions at bay. But Kili was not fooled.

"I'm sure your lack of affection for Brasi certainly is not making you lose sleep. Could it be affection for a certain King that is keeping you awake?" He asked, grinning as Signi tried to turn away. "You did not expect him to take your side, did you?"

"No," she admitted. "I still expect him to find me alone and chastise me good about going into Dale amongst all of those 'dangerous' men."

"He won't do that," Kili said with a chuckle. "Although I wouldn't put it past him to want to. Dawlin says that last night was the first time he has heard Thorin contradict Brasi to his face. Apparently he has had quite enough of his meddling."

Signi rolled her eyes. She could not understand why Thorin had tolerated Brasi for as long as he had. "I don't know why he caters to dwarves like that. Is he not the king?"

"Uncle is doing everything that he can to get Erebor back to where it was in the age of Thror. I wish you could see the sacrifices he has made, not just for the people of Erebor, but for his own family. He does not want us to suffer as he has all these years, and he doesn't want us to have to fight his battles. The seven dwarf kingdoms have always paid homage to a stone rather than the king that holds it, a tradition that they refuse to budge on. Thorin knows that it is going to take the Arkenstone to become the true king under the mountain, but he wants to find his own strength without relying on something that can be so easily stolen."

Signi chewed her lip as she listened to Kili speak so passionately about the King. She knew that Thorin was doing his best, but still she felt like he could do more. Was his willpower so weak that he could not hold the Arkenstone in his own hand? With all the sacrifices he made, could he not enter his own treasury and hold his own gold?

"But something tells me this is not what is keeps you awake," Kili said when she did not reply, the slyness returning to his voice. "I am guessing your sleeplessness has more to do with the date than anything else. How does it feel to be seventy-nine?"

"Bloody Mahal," Signi cried, swinging a futile kick at the giggling prince. "How did you know about that?! I was careful to not tell everyone about it…"

"I just heard it from a little bird," Kili sang, dodging her foot once more. "Something about you hating your birthday."

"I don't hate my birthday," she groaned. "I just hate all the…fuss. Everyone spends the entire day talking to me, pestering me. And then my mother cries all day about 'her babies growing up and not even married', and my sisters get jealous of any presents I receive…I would just prefer if everyone forgot about it and let me hide in peace!"

"Oh please," Kili snorted. "Everyone goes through this on their birthday. Did you know that my mother still insists on cutting my meat on my birthday?" The incredulousness in his voice made Signi snicker. "I've slain hundreds of orcs, but Mama still insists that I have to let her feel useful as a mother, even if it is one day a year. She doesn't do that to Fili! Just me, since I am the youngest. Dwalin never lets it go for days afterwards."

"And does your mother spend the day telling you that you really should quit smiling because the lines on your face are making you look old?" Signi countered. "Mahal forbid, I look old before 100. I will never get a husband that way."

"Something tells me you can handle it," Kili chuckled.

"Perhaps," she agreed reluctantly. "But I don't have to like it."

The sun was finally starting to peep over the horizon, sending streaks of red and pink shooting across the dusty blue sky. Thick fog rose from the lake, and muffled sounds of fisherman pulling in their nets for the morning catch floated to where the pair sat. Beneath them, the mountain was starting to hum with life as dwarves awoke for the new day.

Kili stood slowly and stretched, breathing in the fresh morning air. Reaching down, he helped Signi to her feet and pulled her into a brotherly hug.

"Happy birthday, Signi," he said into her hair. "May you find many blessings throughout your day, and may Mahal silence your mother's tongue. You look perfectly young to me."

With most of the mountain in the great hall eating breakfast, Dis took the opportunity to slip into the raven keep unnoticed. Hfran was there, scribbling frantically as one of his ravens croaked its message.

"Is it word from Fili?" Dis asked as the raven flew away, alerting Hfran of her presence. The withered old dwarf started when she spoke, and only after he raised a monocle to his eye with a shaky hand did he recognize the princess.

"Oh! Your majesty, I did not hear you come in," he cried, bowing as best he could with his stiff back.

"Come now, "she said, helping him stand up straight again. "No need for formalities. So? Was it a message from Fili?"

"What message?"

"The one you just wrote down. It's still in your hand!"

Hfran seemed genuinely bewildered as he slowly raised his hand and noticed the piece of paper he was still clutching.

"Oh!" he exclaimed after reading the message. "This is from the Prince. You must surely want to see this."

Dis breathed deeply through her nose in an effort to remain calm. It would be nothing short of a miracle if her plan managed to work.

"Yes, I would like to see the message."

Just like all of his previous notes, this one was short – just a couple of lines. Fili had been in Ered Luin for nearly two weeks and everything seemed to be going as planned. Thorin will be pleased, she thought.

Looking up from the paper, Dis realized that Hfran had already forgotten that they were in the middle of a discussion and had wandered off to attend to the ravens. "Hfran," she called, startling the ancient dwarf once more. "Can you do me a favor?"

"Of course, Princess, anything," he said, scrambling back to where she stood.

"I need you to write a message for me, exactly as I say it to you, and make sure it gets delivered to the King. Can you do that?"

Hfran wrinkled his brow in confusion, but did not let that deter him in agreeing to her request. Whipping out his pen, he wrote out the message that Dis provided, signing Fili's name to it as she requested. When the ink was dry, the note was folded, Thorin's name written on the outside, and Hfran promptly forgot all that he had written.

With a quick goodbye, Dis slipped out of the raven keep with Fili's original note still in hand.

King Bard's office, as Thorin observed, was just as unremarkable as the rest of the wooden King's House in the center of Dale. The two story structure was certainly functional and would keep the royal family warm through the winter, but it left something to be desired from an authoritative standpoint.

The chair he sat in was too tall, clearly built with Bard's lanky frame in mind, but Thorin did not allow the man to see the discomfort he felt as his toes could not reach the floor. Bard sat across from him, his teenage son sitting to his left. It would be many years before young Bain was expected to take his father's place, but it was never too early to start preparing him for his role - Thorin secretly commended Bard for this. The dwarf king brought no one but his guard to this meeting.

"My council has considered your offer this past month," Bard said, gesturing for the servant to pour a glass of wine for his guest. "It took far longer than expected, but they wanted to see how things were progressing with our current projects before agreeing to something further."

"I understand their caution," Thorin said, politely taking a sip of the offered wine.

"There are concerns," Bard said slowly, gauging Thorin's response as he spoke. "Particularly about some sitting on your council."

"Oh?" Thorin asked, raising his eyebrows in a feigned expression of surprise. Inside he was felt the early rumble of anger threatening to surface – anger at himself, rather than the man before him.

"Aye," Bard nodded. "While we have found Lord Balin, Lord Mikel, the princes, and even you most agreeable to work with, Lord Brasi has been interfering more than he should with both the construction project and Dale's markets.

Thorin's lip curled at the mention of Brasi. "Yes, I too have found Brasi to be most disagreeable of late," he snarled. "And I am afraid it will not get much better after a recent disagreement between him and I."

Bard frowned as he considered his next words. "I am afraid that this concern about Lord Brasi is large enough to prevent my council from agreeing to your proposal at the moment. This does not mean that we cannot consider it at a later time, but the others would feel far more comfortable if Brasi was not a part of this arrangement."

Thorin groaned in defeat, slumping in his chair and pinching the bridge of his nose. No amount of persuasion, pleading, and conversation would convince Bard to take his offer of retribution. Building trade with Dale now would not only help the city reach its potential, but would help Erebor be free of Ered Luin and Brasi's influence.

"But how do you expect your people to survive the winter if you cannot feed them?"

Bard's frown deepened as he too felt defeat. "I don't know. It is not a lack of trade offers that keeps us from having food enough. It's our desire to be free of corruption at all costs. My people have lived on even less for a number of years across the lake in Esgaroth. I must consider their opinions on this matter as well."

Thorin was desperate for something to convince Bard. Frantically he replayed Signi's descriptions from their conversation the night before, searching for anything that Bard could not refuse.

"And what of the sickness within your city?" Thorin countered. "How have you dealt with it?"

Bard sighed, his eyes glancing to his son before answering. "I am afraid we are at loss," he admitted. "The heat just grows the closer we get to winter. We have never seen anything like it and none are equipped to stop it."

It was just enough to fuel Thorin's spark of an idea. "I have seen a summer and fall like this once before," he said pointedly, leaning forward in his seat. "The year that Smaug came was the hottest we have ever seen with near constant rain. The marshes around Long Lake filled for weeks until they reached the edges of Erebor land. The heat lasted long into October, and those marshes became thick with insects and pests. Our healers at the time said this was the cause of the sickness that overtook Dale. Only those too poor for glass windows and those who worked past dusk seemed to be afflicted with the illness."

"That would be all of my people now," Bard said bitterly. "What can be done in such cases?"

"At that time the affliction did not seem to affect the dwarves. My mother led a group of dwarrowdams to Dale to treat those who were sick. They used ancient treatments to combat the fever, and robust food to build nutrition. They made veils to cover the windows and taught the people how to use fire around the city to keep the pests away at night."

Bard sat back and steepled his hands in thought. Bain whispered something in his ear, to which the king nodded in agreement. "This sounds like a solid approach to combat the sickness, but my son wonders how does this benefit the dwarves?"

"Can we dwarves not extend a hand to those in need? Can we not also ease our aching hearts by giving our neighbors the help that they deserve?" Thorin growled. "We are not so greedy that we expect repayment for every venture."

"You must forgive my son, Thorin," Bard said. "He has simply not experienced this sort of charity from the dwarven folk. Nor have I, for that matter."

"It is not too late to start,"Thorin replied, the growl still creeping into his voice.

"If we do accept such an offer, what role will Brasi have in it?"

Thorin stood quickly, determined to make his point with his feet firmly on the ground. "Lord Brasi will have no part of this arrangement, nor will my council. I will place the responsibility of this endeavor in the hands of a worthy dwarf whose heart takes precedence over their pockets."

"I take it you have the perfect dwarf in mind?" Bard said with a quirked brow.

"Aye," answered Thorin. "And you will not be displeased."

As she planned, Signi managed to spend most of the day in hiding, away from her infernal sisters and mother. Several hours were spent walking along the edge of the lake, skipping stones and feeding bits of bread to the crayfish hiding under rocks in the dark shallows. It was nice to spend some time outside of the mountain and all of the worries it carried.

When at last she was too hot and hungry to remain outside, Signi slipped back into the mountain, and went directly to the kitchens to get lunch. Bombur was more than happy to feed her the equivalent of a five course meal, despite her numerous protests that it was more than enough.

With a full belly, Signi was beginning to feel sleepy as she headed to the library. It didn't take her long to find the book she desired – a collection of tales from their eastern brethren. Curled up in Thorin's favorite chair, she managed to read a full chapter before falling asleep. This was the best birthday yet.

Lifa and her youngest sisters were ready for Signi when she finally returned to dress for dinner. She had not been remotely surprised that Signi snuck out long before anyone else arose. But that did not deter the girls from surprising her.

"Happy Birthday!" they yelled as she sleepily ambled into the bedroom, the three of them enveloping her in a huge group hug.

"Eck! Get off me!" she cried as she tried to pry herself from their hold.

"Not a chance," Elin laughed, wrapping her arms tighter around Signi. Even Baila made no move to release her.

"We almost sent a search party out to find you," Lifa chastised. "Mama was quite unnerved by not seeing her 'sweet daughter' all day."

"Ha!," Signi said, "She has never called me 'sweet daughter'."

"On the contrary," Baila said solemnly. "Mama is quite fond of the sentiment in company." Thin and petite, with the flaming red hair of her mother, Baila rarely smiled and was known for her strict adherence to the rules, as well as her disdain for most social gatherings.

As ever impatient, Elin soon grew tired of the conversation. "Come on, Signi, we must dress you for dinner," she said, grabbing Signi's hand and dragging her toward the gown hanging across the room.

"No," Signi groaned and she was pulled. "No, no, no…."

"Yes," said Lifa, her grin growing wicked.

Signi tried to resist, as she always did, but her sisters dominated. Within half an hour, Signi found herself wearing the dark blue gown, her hair braided in one of Lifa's more complicated styles, and a strand of her mother's diamonds around her neck.

She could deny the overall effect as she looked in the mirror. The gown fit her perfectly, albeit a little low cut for her preference. It was one of the few instances in which she looked like a true lady, and for once it was agreeable to her.

Lifa could see the struggle in her sister's eyes as she surveyed her reflection in the mirror. "Just try it, even if for one night," she said quietly. "I don't expect you to dress like this every night, but I want you to see that there is nothing wrong with dressing up and enjoying it."

"Besides, Mama is quite beside herself that you haven't secured a husband yet," added Elin. "At least this will distract her from commenting on it at dinner."

"Don't count on it," muttered Baila.

Signi could feel the tears starting to gather, but she smiled against them and pulled her sisters in for a big hug once again. "Thank you so much, all of you, for the wonderful birthday gift."

True to Elin's predictions, the dress effectively distracted Bara from the fact that Signi had yet to secure a husband at the ripe age of 79. "You look lovely, dear," she crowed as she admired Signi's dress and hair. "Remember not to smile too much, it makes you look old."

Signi rolled her eyes to her father as he smirked in return. Together the group made their way with Gloin and his family to the king's dining room. There Signi was met by enthusiastic birthday wishes from the entire company as they escorted her to the seat closest to the head of the table. For a moment she considered murdering Kili for telling the entire company of her birthday, but one glance at Lifa's guilty grin confirmed the responsible party.

Sitting across from her, Dwalin found it very difficult to keep his grin at bay. "Brother," he said, nudging Balin beside him. "The lass sure does polish nicely, doesn't she."

"Aye, she does,"Balin agreed with a wink.

"Spare me from any 'diamond in the rough' comments," she said with an eyeroll. "I have heard it far too often before."

"Testy, I see," Dwalin muttered as he and Balin held up their hands in a defensive manner. "Well happy birthday, lass. It's not every day that you turn 79."

Down the table, Signi could see Baila sandwiched between Bofur and Oin, clearly distraught by Bofur's constant attempts to elicit a smile and Oin's inability to hear anything being said. Further down, Elin had planted herself next to Kili and was determined to maintain his attention for the meal. After a few minutes of polite conversation, Kili suddenly choked on his ale, reaching down to remove her hand from his thigh with a look of indignation. Lifa quickly found another seat for Elin next to Gloin and his wife.

The king and his sister arrived shortly before the food was brought in. Dis immediately pulled Signi into a hug and kissed her cheeks, wishing her a happy birthday, before taking a seat next to her. Thorin also wished her happy birthday, though with less exuberance as his sister, choosing instead to bow his head respectfully as he spoke and gracing her with a rare smile.

Signi thanked him politely, but her heart pounded in her chest as he sat on her other side at the head of the table.

As the food was brought in, Thorin leaned forward, capturing Signi's attention by brushing his hand against hers. She turned to him in surprise. "You look….quite well," he said, low enough that the others did not hear. "I am particularly fond of this shade,"he added, his fingers lightly touching the blue fabric of her sleeve. Only then did it register that she was wearing a dress of Durin blue, identical in color to the king's tunic.

"Thank you," she whispered. Her cheeks flushing with the thought that her sisters purposely arranged for her to match the king. It must have been a coincidence as she could not imagine Lifa causing such mischief.

Dinner next to the king ended up being a relatively painless affair for Signi. Thorin was polite the entire meal, though his conversation was fairly limited. Her family on the other hand was far more difficult to bear. More than once over the course of the evening, Signi found herself cringing as her mother raved about Lifa's beauty, lamented the marriage offer that Signi turned down, and praised the attention that Elin received from many of Dain's soldiers. Galen did nothing to help the situation by lamenting the disappearance of Prince Fili. Dis tried to distract Signi from the situation by talking to her about anything she thought might hold the girl's attention, but it didn't save the rest of the table from hearing it. Only when Baila decided to entertain the guests with a recitation of her favorite saga, written by Caldr in the second age, did Signi decide that she could not bear to be made ridiculous much longer. Mikel attempted to salvage to situation by reminding Baila that others should have the opportunity to entertain, but it was not enough to stem the giggles from some within the company.

Lifa was quick to take over for her sister, her fiddle providing a lovely lead into more entertaining music. As she played, Thorin took the opportunity to capture Signi's attention once again.

"Signi," he said softly. "May I see you after dinner?"

She was sure that her expression had to be ridiculous, but she could not predict any reason that he might wish to see her. Unless it was to lecture her about something. That was the most likely scenario.

"I do not wish to criticize or lecture you," he added, reading her mind perfectly. "I just wish to discuss something that I don't want the entire mountain to hear about."

"Of course," she said. "I will stay to speak with you."

Once more, Signi found herself receiving one the Thorin's rare smiles. Her heart pounded against her ribs as she shakily returned the smile and quickly turned to take a sip of wine. Mahal give her strength. She wasn't sure she could take much more kindness from Thorin Oakenshield.

The walk from the dining room to his office was not a great distance, but the silence in which they walked made it seem as though they were walking back to the Misty Mountains.

Glancing out of the corner of his eye, Thorin watched Signi under the torchlight as they walked. His stomach clenched uncomfortably the closer he got to his office. Would she be responsive to what he had to say? Or would they argue as they always did?

Reaching the heavy door of his office at last, Thorin pushed it open and beckoned to enter. Perhaps he was taking some liberties by insisting on speaking alone in his private study, but he could not risk them being overheard.

Signi did not sit down right away, but took a few moments looking at the features of the room. The thick stone walls, massive fireplace, and bearskins rug were fairly common throughout the mountain. But the Orcrist hanging behind his desk, and the golden crown gleaming on the mantle were decidedly unique to the king. And yet, none of this captured Signi's attention as she instead approached the golden harp standing in the corner. The instrument hummed gently as she ran her fingers over the strings.

"I did not know you played," she said finally, turning to face Thorin as he joined her beside the harp.

"Aye," he answered, reaching out to pluck a few notes in a familiar tune. "It is not common knowledge, but I have played since I was a dwarfling."

"I should like to hear you play, sir."

Thorin shook his head. "Someday you shall, but not today."

Leading her back to his desk, Thorin beckoned for her to sit across from him.

"I do apologize again for being so secretive, but I did not want to risk rumors spreading about our conversation," Thorin said, leaning forward in his seat and sitting his folded fingers on the desk. "As you may have guessed, I have been talking with King Bard to reach an agreement in trade that will help make sure that his people have food to survive the winter."

"I was not fully aware," Signi said, the surprise evident in her voice and expression. "But I knew that you have been speaking with King Bard more frequently."

"Yes, our relations have improved," Thorin acknowledged. "But the man does not wish to engage in such an agreement."

"Why ever not?" cried Signi. "Please tell me that you have not put some horrible stipulation on it."

"I have done nothing of the sort," Thorin growled, his defenses rising much faster than he intended. "It seems that his council is concerned about some of those sitting on my council. And for good reason - I am loathe to admit."

"How much longer will Lord Brasi hold such power over us all?" Signi asked, her face pinched at the mere mention of the terrible dwarf.

"Not much longer, I assure you," Thorin said, his brow lowered in determination. How transparent had he become? How long had his subjects known that the only person with real power in the kingdom was not himself? "Until that time comes, I believe that Bard and I have come to an agreement that requires your assistance.

"Me? What would you have me do?"

Standing up, Thorin found it easier to explain the situation as he paced. "As you observed in Dale yesterday morning, there is a sickness that is spreading quickly through the city. A sickness that the people of Dale are unable to cure and cannot afford to treat. Now I cannot be positive without a healer diagnosing, but I suspect that this illness is due to the unusual heat and the pests growing in the marshes outside the city. The dwarves of Erebor have been historically resistant to this illness, making them the perfect facilitators of its treatment."

"You wish for dwarves to help the people of Dale by treating this illness that is spreading?" Signi asked, her eyes wide as he came to stand in front of her, leaning against his desk.

"I want you to create a group of willing dwarves and dwarrowdams," Thorin said, watching Signi closely for any sign if disinterest. "You may use all the resources you need and confer with Oin to create a course of treatment."

"Of course, sire," Signi finally said after several deep breaths. "I would be honored to help however I can. But I don't understand, why this sudden change of heart? Just a few days ago I was forbidden from even entering Dale?"

Thorin sighed and closed his eyes briefly. How could he ever explain to her his true motives? Every bone in his body fought against this plan. He wanted her to remain inside the mountain, safe from all of the dangers of the world. But his mind and heart knew better. Signi was a brave and fierce dwarrowdam. She might not be as strong as his warriors, but she could defend herself against the men of Dale. Signi needed purpose and occupation. Keeping her locked in the mountain stole the light from her eyes and the spirit from her voice. Thorin could not bear taking the very things that he admired about her away.

"I know I have been demanding, and perhaps unjustly so, but everything I have said has been for your protection," he explained quietly. "I know now that you can take care of yourself in many situations. Dale needs someone who is selfless, but will also fight for what they need. They need someone who cannot be ruined by Brasi. I need you, Signi. Dale needs you."

Walking back around his desk, Thorin reached into a drawer to fetch a cloth wrapped package. It was now or never.

Pushing the package across the desk to Signi, he explained with a slight smile, "A gift, for you. May it serve you well in Dale."

Signi did not speak, her eyes wide with wonder as she slowly pulled away the fabric wrapping her gift and revealed a small black leather holster. A geometric design was embossed in the leather and the buckle was modeled after her family's emblem. On either side of the holster were the handles of twin daggers with rubies inlaid in the hilt. The end of each handle bore the King's mark, as he was the maker of these daggers.

"Mahal," She breathed as she gripped one of the daggers, testing its weight as she held it. Thorin was pleased to note that they were forged perfectly for her small hands. "I can't accept this, sire" she said, meeting his eyes with a look of shock and reverence. Thorin felt a trill of pleasure pass through him. Signi clearly loved his gift, even if she had not come to accept it yet.

"Of course you can accept it," Thorin said with a grin, as he motioned for her to stand. Helping her slip the holster over her shoulders, he led her hands to the buckle so she might fasten it in place. "I command it," he teased.

"But these must have taken you forever to make…" she said, shaking her head when she realized that it was impolite to ask.

"I have known for a long time, Signi," Thorin said, taking her hands in his. "That you would have a place in this kingdom that required use of your talents and time. This job that I am requesting takes a great deal of effort, time, and strength. I am gifting you with these daggers for not only your service, but for my own piece of mind. Let any man in Dale who dare lay a hand on you find himself stuck with a blade forged by Thorin Oakenshield."

Signi laughed weakly, still in shock by how their meeting had transpired. "Aye, sir. They would serve well should that situation ever arise."

"Good," Thorin chuckled, "I have not made them in vain."

"I don't know how to thank you," Signi whispered, her hands still in his.

Thorin smiled gently, resisting the urge to place a chaste kiss on her forehead. "No thanks necessary. Just do what you can to keep the people of Dale well."