Chapter Eighteen
One week later…
One week later, Lady Dis arrived alongside with a caravan of Dwarves from Ered Luin. Thorin had planned a special feast that night, welcoming home his sister and the Dwarves, and that day, they arrived, as everyone gathered at the Front Gate, watching as they arrived. Lady Dis, had an entourage of her own, alongside with several maids that served her. Even she had a footman, opening the carriage door, as the Dwarf Princess stepped out of the carriage. "Here comes, Lady Dis, daughter of Thrain, Grand Daughter of Thror!" announced one of the male dwarves standing beside her.
Fili and Kili both couldn't hold back, as they ran towards her. "Amad!" Both young dwarves cried out. "My boys!" exclaimed Dis, as she hugged both dwarves. "You're alive-I cannot believe you're both alive! I've dreaded for the past several months, fearing you would be dead!" said Dis, softly. "Thanks to Uncle's lady companion here, we're alive!" said Kili, grinning. "Lady Companion? Who is this lucky dwarf?" asked Dis. "She's not a dwarf, mum." said Kili, sheepishly.
"Sister!" called out Thorin, as he approached the dwarf princess, and the two hugged. "Thorin, you're alive, nadidith!" whispered Dis, emotionally as she hugged Thorin. "I wouldn't be standing here now without Tabitha. Lady Dis, this Tabitha, daughter of Telemarin and Elleniel Silver Star of Rivendell!" said Thorin, as Tabitha stood by Thorin's side. Tabitha took deep breaths. She had been worried all day of this meeting, that Dis wouldn't like her. But to her surprise, Dis smiled brightly, and gave Tabitha the biggest hug.
"So it was you who saved the lives of my sons and brother. Why would you do this?" asked Dis. "Because I love them very much! Especially Thorin. It's really a long story how the two of us, well, I should say fourteen of us had met!" said Tabitha. Dis laughed. "I would love to hear your tale sometime tonight!" said Dis. "I would be honored to tell you all about it!" said Tabitha. Then Dis turned to Kili, and playfully smiled at him. "And I hear you are following Thorin's footsteps." said Dis. "Meaning?" asked Kili.
"I hear you have an elf friend yourself! Tauriel isn't it?" asked Dis. "How did you know about her, mum?" asked Kili. "Your Uncle told me about it. She saved your life, not once, but twice." said Dis. Kili playfully glared at Thorin.
"You promised you wouldn't tell her, Uncle! I was going to tell her in person!" said Kili. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help but open my big mouth!" grinned Thorin. "Now I see where he takes the big mouth after!" said Fili, grinning. "HEY!" said Kili, as everyone laughed. "I will help you get situated in your room. Thorin already showed me where your old room is, and I can help you unpack!" said Tabitha. Dis grinned. "I would love that!" beamed Dis.
Dis and Tabitha already became fast friends, and talked quite a bit while helping the dwarf princess unpack. Tabitha even told Dis the entire story of how she met Thorin, which all started in Bell Air, California, up to the quest. By the time Tabitha ended her tale, Dis looked at Tabitha in amazement. "Wow, you've been through so much, and for you to watch my brother go through what Grandfather went through." said Dis sadly. "I'm glad you weren't here at the time, when he did Dis. It was frightening, terribly frightening, and heart breaking." said Tabitha.
Dis nodded and she smiled. "Look at him now. Soon to be crowned as our King, you by his side as Queen. I'm surprised my Kili hasn't asked Tauriel for marriage yet." said Dis. Tabitha laughed.
"Actually Lady Dis, Kili and Tauriel both agreed on taking things slow." said Tabitha. "That is a good move on their part." agreed the dwarf Princess. Tabitha frowned, as she realized tonight was the feast, and she will be meeting different families from Ered Luin, and she feared how they would react to her being there, with her being an elf and all. "I'm going to be a little nervous about tonight. Thorin already has purchased a gown for me to wear and all, but its just to see the reactions of the dwarves." said Tabitha, breaking the silence.
"Don't you worry, Tabitha, everything will be just fine. And if someone is to cause trouble, Thorin or myself will handle it." said Dis. Tabitha felt relieved to her that, and she prayed that nothing bad was going to happen that night. Later after helping Dis getting settled, Tabitha returned to the King's chambers, to take her bath and get ready for the feast. Once she finished her bath, she got dressed into the gown Thorin had specially ordered for her, a beautiful red gown with gold print on the hem of the skirt.
And her hair clasps were made of rubies, that Thorin had chosen himself from the treasury. After she is dressed, she sat and waited for Thorin. Shortly, Thorin entered and he smiled brightly as he gazed upon Tabitha.
"You look beautiful, you most definitely would woo them all tonight!" said Thorin softly, as he took Tabitha's hands. "I'm ready as I'll ever be." said Tabitha, as Thorin extended his arm, and she took it, as Thorin escorted her out of the chambers, and making way to the Great Hall for the feast. As the entered the Great Hall, all eyes turned to the couple, and the new coming dwarves gasped, when their eyes focused on Tabitha. And just as she feared, she could hear grumbles coming from the crowd.
"An elf! Such a disgrace! Why would our King choose an elf as a consort instead of dwarf of a noble line?" Tabitha could hear one of the dwarf women speak. "I hear that she's only after one thing from him, and that is the treasure." said another. "Nonsense, she doesn't seem the type to love someone for their money! I heard she saved their lives in Battle, which makes her a hero!" said another. "You cannot be serious? The Elf wretch is no hero! Like I said before, she only wants him for his money!" shot back the first dwarf woman.
Tabitha snarled, but she kept her cool. She didn't want to make a scene, but shouting at them, as she remained quiet. Thorin first introduced Tabitha to the Copperfire clan.
"This is Narin and Harriet Copperfire, and their daughter Sylvia. Narin is a member of the Royal Council as well!" said Thorin. "It's a honor of meeting you, my lady. I've heard so many wonderful things about you! You will make a great queen, I can see it already!" beamed Narin. "Nonsense father! You cannot be serious! Look at her! We dwarves had had a long history with our distaste of elves. Is it true, that word has it, you are only after the treasure?" asked Sylvia, rather unkindly.
"SYLVIA!" bellowed Harriet. "You must excuse her. She is just angry because she was one of the candidates of becoming the King's bride." said Narin. "What? What did you just say? What do you mean by candidates?" asked Tabitha. "Dwarves have a custom when it comes to courtship, especially among royals. You see its up to the King to decide to choose his bride amongst the noble dwarven women of the most noblest of families. Years ago, when Thorin was a Prince, King Thror had set up a betrothal candidacy allowing Thorin to choose whom is bride is." said Narin.
Tabitha's face turned pale as she heard this. And her heart sinking to her feet. She hadn't felt this betrayed in her life, she figured it out that it seemed Thorin had already been betrothed, and he never told her about it.
"Well anyway, Prince Thorin had made his choice, unfortunately he didn't choose Sylvia, he had chosen Elspeth Firebeard instead." said Narin. Thorin growled. "That will be enough, Narin, thank you." said Thorin. "I don't think I'm feeling too well Thorin. I'm going to call it a night early." said Tabitha. "Tabitha, are you sure?" asked Thorin gently. "I need some rest, I'm feeling sick to my stomach." said Tabitha. "Alright, you can go and rest if you like. I'll come and check on you in an hour!" said Thorin. "Don't even bother." grumbled Tabitha, as she walked away.
Dis approached Thorin. "What was all that about?" asked the dwarf princess. "She's upset, Dis. She has heard something that she shouldn't have to hear." said Thorin. And Thorin told her the conversation they had with the Copper Silvers. "Oh dear, Thorin!" wailed Dis. "But Tabby doesn't know the whole story. I called off the betrothal with Elspeth, because she and her treacherous family got caught stealing, yet alone, I caught her bedding a human!" said Thorin.
"You should go and talk to her Thorin, and tell her everything. She needs to know the truth." said Dis. Thorin nodded. "Don't start anything until we return." said Thorin. Dis nodded, as she watched her brother leave the Great Hall.
Thorin entered the King's chambers, and went towards the bedroom, because he knew that is where he most likely would find Tabitha. "Tabitha, are you okay?" asked Thorin gently. "NO! Go away! I have nothing to say to you!" screamed Tabitha. "Tabitha, what is going on? Why are you angry with me?" asked Thorin. "You know damn well why I'm angry with you, Thorin son of Thrain! You lied to me! After all this time, you've lied to me! You never once told me you were already spoken for! How could you?!" shrieked Tabitha.
"Tabitha, listen to me, what you've heard out there, not all of it is true. But there is something I need to explain to you, so you will understand." said Thorin. "Well then, explain. I need to know!" said Tabitha sharply, as she folded her arms. And Thorin began to explain. "It happened years ago, I was twenty-two years old. My Grandfather insisted I should marry before the age of thirty. Anyway he came up with the bright idea of invited all the families with their daughters to a feast. Grandfather told me I was allowed to choose whomever I would pick as a bride. At the time, I was close friends with Elspeth Firebeard.
The two of us had been in courtship prior of the feast, anyway, I decided to choose her. But a month later, Elspeth was supposed to pay me a visit. And she never shown up." began Thorin.
"What happened after that?" asked Tabitha. "I decided to go and find her myself. And of course I found her, at an Inn, in the arms of a human man. It angered me, and I stormed back to the Mountain. However, that wasn't it. After our argument, she threatened if I ever yelled at her again, she would take everything that is precious to my family. And one night, she and her human companion broke into the Throne Room, and they attempted to steal the Arkenstone. I felt angry, hurt, and betrayed, and I told myself at the time, I was never going to get involved in a relationship, arranged or not, and I ended my relationship with the troublemaker." concluded Thorin.
"Thorin, I'm so sorry-I didn't know-I overreacted, I should have never gotten angry." said Tabitha quietly. "Tabitha, you are my One, and there will be no other. I really truly love you, I hope you know that." said Thorin gently, placing his hand on Tabitha's cheek. "I know that." said Tabitha quietly. And the two sat quietly for a moment. It was Tabitha who spoke up. "Elspeth isn't here, is she?" asked Tabitha. "Mahal, I hope not. Because if she tries to cause any trouble, I will banish her." said Thorin, firmly.
"Good, or else I will personally beat her to a pulp, myself." said Tabitha. Thorin laughed.
"That's even better, I would love to sit an watch you beat the living day lights out of her." grinned the Dwarf King. Tabitha laughed. "I would do it, if you want me to!" said Tabitha. "Now, lets get back to the feast, shall we?" said Thorin. Tabitha nodded, and they leave the chambers, and went back to the Great Hall.