Disclaimer: I own nothing except Eva, and any other unrecognisable parts of the plot. Not making money, please don't sue….

Warnings: Some adult themes, some mentions of violence.

AN: Thank you for your reviews. The feedback you leave helps to make future writing better.

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Chapter 7 - Revenge of the Queen

The Company had stopped just as the sun was beginning to set on their first day. Eva was sore and uncomfortable as she slid awkwardly off her pony and hissed as her muscles protested. Unloading her pony, she slowly set up on one side of the fire beside Gandalf. Dropping ungracefully to her bedroll, she let her hair down and began to comb it out.

"How was yer ride, lass?" Bofur asked as he ambled his way merrily over.

She looked up at him tiredly. "Ow!" she moaned.

Bofur burst out laughing at her combination of her tone and the highly unimpressed look on her face, turning the heads of some of the Company in the process. "Well, lass, yer goin' ta need ta get yer pony legs soon. We have another few weeks o' this."

"I assume I'll grow used to it by the end… I hope." Eva replied glumly. "Just give me a bit before I have dinner. You don't want me to snap at you for my grumpiness."

Bofur chuckled "I'll consider meself warned."

Eva nodded in response and continued brushing out her hair to relieve the tension in her neck. Stretching gingerly, she rubbed the tension from her shoulders before loosely rebraiding her hair once more. She was finally pulled away from rubbing down her sore muscles by Balin and a bowl of warm stew. Eva thanked the elder dwarf and ate with a hunger she didn't even know she had until the first mouthful. Eva didn't even realise she was making happy moaning noises as she ate until Bofur called out.

"I think ma brother will take tha' as a compliment!"

The younger dwarves roared with laughter as Eva blushed and ducked her head in embarrassment. Bilbo wandered over and sat down beside her, a half empty bowl in his own hands and a considerate look on his face.

"I have to agree with you, Miss Eva." Bilbo began quietly, "It is quite good."

She sent the hobbit an embarrassed smile while finishing her own bowl of stew. Ori walked over to take their bowls.

"Remember, Miss Eva. You promised a story."

"Of course, Master Ori."

The day ended quietly as Bilbo and Ori set up their bedrolls next to Eva. She was tired, but she was reminded of her boys and their evening stories. She had agreed with Ori to tell a story, and a story she would tell. The hobbit and the young dwarf sat themselves down, Bilbo with a pipe in his hand and Ori with his ever growing journal. Eva drummed her fingers against her knee. She looked at them with ready eyes and brought their attention to her without a single word.

Thank you, Liam….

"King Prasutagus," Eva began, her voice quiet, but smooth and clear "ruled over the Iceni people, a colony that was a nominally independent ally of the largest Western Empire of the time - the Roman Empire."

Bilbo leaned in as Ori opened his journal and began to write.

"He ruled as fairly as he could with Boudicea, his Queen, by his side. To his two daughters, he split his kingdom for them to inherit upon his passing, as well as a portion to the current Roman Emperor to appease him. But the Romans got greedy and upon the King's death, refused to honour the King's wishes and instead took the colony and land for the Empire.

"Queen Boudicea, angry at the takeover, protested this. The Romans showed little care as she was publicly flogged and her daughters raped by the Romans-"

"WHAT?!" roared Gloin from the other side of the camp "Those cold-blooded, dishonourable-" he trailed off in an angry tirade of Khuzdul as he stomped over. When he finally reigned in his emotions, he grunted at her to continue.

Now she had the entire Company's attention.

"Boudicea, her veins now lit with the fire of revenge, called together the tribes around her and staged a ruthless revolt."

There was heavy silence as Eva's words hung in the night air. Even Dwalin showed some interest standing ever-stoically beside Thorin, who was listening with a curious ear.

"At first, they destroyed Camulodunum, a city that housed discharged soldiers from the Roman Army. The three combined armies, led by Queen Boudicea, killed every man, woman and child in the city, burning it to the ground. When the Romans got word of the revolt, they sent only minimal reinforcements, much to their detriment.

"The reinforcements were massacred with none left alive-"

"Blood-thirsty much." Dwalin quipped, impressed.

"And that's not the end of it either." Eva quipped back in the same observant tone. "They marched onwards, destroying what they could. Queen Boudicea acquired such a fearsome reputation that the Emperor at the time considered pulling his troops out of the entire region, were it not for one of his Commanders, Suetonius.

"Though heavily outnumbered, Suetonius managed to defeat Boudicea's army, thus cementing the power of the Roman Empire in the region once more. With the defeat came the impending death of the Queen. Some records say that she died of illness, and others say that she poisoned herself before the Romans could reach her.

"But to this day, she is known as being the fierce Iceni Queen that almost brought the Roman Empire to their knees. She is an important cultural figure in the history of the Britons - the place where she and her king once ruled."

There was a moment of silence before Fili and Kili loudly let their approval known. Eva laughed at their antics.

"That was an interesting story that you chose to tell." Balin remarked

Eva leaned on her knees as she regarded the older dwarf "I suppose, but it's one of my favourites. Even though she dies in the end, she shows a great deal of strength when the Romans left her in this sticky."

"Why did you choose that story?" Fili began with curiosity.

She smiled "It has a number of underlying messages that I like." Eva replied "What stood out for you?"

Gloin remarked "Don't mess with an angry dam!"

"You know that from experience." Oin muttered. The Company chuckled.

Bilbo commented quietly "I was thinking more along the lines of: all is fair in love and war."

There was a thoughtful silence as the Company digested this statement.

"My favourite one," Eva began "is: play fair, or be played."

After another thoughtful silence, Thorin called it a night and set up watch. He had to admit, the story she told was a curious one, and resembled actions that he could see an angry dwarrowdam take.

It took a while before most of the Company found sleep that night.

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"I cannae let ye leave." Dwalin began softly as he unsheathed his axes with rough hands "No' while we do battle."

"Targel…" Her voice was desperate in her plea "How can I protect you if I'm stuck here in this mountain?"

"T'is no' yer duty-"

"But it is!" she cried "Your Maker tasked me with your protection! How can I protect you from this fortress?"

Dwalin grasped her shoulders firmly, her black hair brushing his fingers as his axes clattered to the ground "I cannae let you out." he whispered hoarsely "I cannae let ya go, lassie. Thorin and I just found ye…."

"Damn your heroics!" she cried out "I will not break my promise!"

"And wha' 'bout our own?" Dwalin shot back "T'is our honour bound promise to protect all our dams! Ye would call that dishonourable?"

"No! But-"

Her answer was cut off as Dwalin spun her around and hauled her in tight against him. Automatically, her arms came around to hold him and her head rested against his solid chest. Dwalin shook slightly as he held her, his battle-worn hands running over her raven black hair. He pressed his nose to her hair and inhaled.

"Ye've done enough, Kurkarukê." Dwalin murmured softly, the woman still secure in his embrace "Ye've sheltered our hearts in the depths of our despair. Ye've lifted our spirits when we thought all hope had fled us. Now, lassie, it's our turn to look after ye."

Dwalin awoke slowly to be greeted by a star gently winking at him. He was uneasy, and the dream lingered in his mind. There was obviously some type of affection between the woman and he flexed his fingers, almost being able to feel the softness of her hair though he never got to see her face in the dream.

He didn't know what to make of it.

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Targel - beard of all beards

Kurkarukê - my tiny raven

AN: Reviews are appreciated. If I've managed to get facts incorrect about Boudicea, I'll happily take corrections and update accordingly. Edited as of 23/1/2022.