Chapter Nineteen
The Feast began soon as Thorin and Tabitha returned to the Great Hall. Thorin started off the feast with a speech, welcoming home his sister and the dwarves arriving with her. And then after that, he made the announcement of the wedding of him and Tabitha, introducing Tabitha as Erebor's future queen. When the speech ended, there was a lot of cheers, but there was also some snarls among several dwarves whom weren't too happy about the thought of an Elf becoming Erebor's queen.
And soon the servants came out and dinner was served. Thorin advised Tabitha as they ate if anyone would say anything or do anything unkind to her, to speak to him or Dis immediately. Tabitha nodded. When supper ended, the tables are cleared up from the plates and silverware, and the merriment began. Everyone dispersed and socialized with background musician from the dwarven musicians. Tabitha still felt a little uneasy an overwhelmed with all of this, as she noticed not one dwarf came and talk to her, on the exception of Thorin's original company, and Dis.
I cannot believe these people still hold grudges against elves! Why can't they just suck it up and get over it? Tabitha thought.
When the musicians began to play some dance music, Tabitha and Thorin danced for a little while. When suddenly a red haired dwarf woman, shoves Tabitha out of the way, knocking Tabitha to the floor. "That was uncalled for, Elspeth Firebeard!" snapped Thorin, angrily. Thorin instantly recognized the woman when she shoved Tabitha out of the way so she could dance with the King. "You turned me away, and I will NOT have some elvish shrew to take MY PLACE! I should be queen! Not some low life tree shagging ELF!" barked Elspeth.
"IF you say one more word, I will have you escorted out of here." Thorin snapped back. "Oh yeah? I have my sources, I will be Queen, and you will be my husband! I will find a way of getting this elf out of our kingdom!" shouted Elspeth, pointing her finger at the dwarf's chest. "You do it, I will charge you for treason, and have you banished!" Thorin threatened. "You can threaten me all you want, Your Majesty. You may be king, but you have many people are not happy with your elf union, and we will stop it!" barked Elspeth and she walked away.
Tabitha wanted to go after her and kill her herself, but Thorin restrained her. "Don't, love. She isn't worth getting into a fight over. She is worthless scum, lousy excuse of a dwarf." said Thorin. "You're not going to let her have her way, are you?" asked Tabitha sharply.
"No, Tabitha, I won't! Trust me, I won't!" said Thorin gently, taking Tabitha's hands. "Trust me, mizmel. Nothing or nobody is going to tear us apart, because I won't let it happen, neither will any of my kin." said Thorin. "Is that a promise?" said Tabitha. "That's a promise." said Thorin. The next few days had been fairly quiet, as the Wedding and Coronation plans are set under way. Dis and Tabitha had been busy making the wedding gown, beginning with the design that Tabitha had drawn out on paper.
"We should go to the market and get the material." said Dis. Tabitha nodded. And so Dis and Tabitha threw on their cloaks as they headed for the market. What Tabitha didn't realize that they had been followed by Elspeth Firebeard herself, alongside with several other dwarves. "We're going to get her, even if it's the last thing I do." said Elspeth, as they followed the dwarf princess and elf out of the Mountain. "How are we going to plan this out?" asked one of the dwarves that is with her.
"They're in the market now, and I was thinking of getting her for stealing something from one of the stalls." said Elspeth. "And how is she going to do that?" asked another dwarf. "Well for starters, you will be doing the stealing, Caris!" said Elspeth, grinning at the dwarf.
"No, this is all wrong, we cannot just do that!" protested Caris. "Hey! You're going to do this, at least YOU won't be the blame for it! All you need to do is take some of the food there, since their owner is there. And you place the food in that she-elf's dress pocket!" demanded Elspeth. "Anything else, my lady?" said Caris. "Yes, also take some gold coins too. Now GO!" Elspeth replied. "Yes, my lady." said Caris, and he walked away from the group. Caris walked over to the stall, and fortunately the owner wasn't there.
Caris approached the back of stall, first reaching for some food the vendor was selling. Afterwards, he found some coin bags nearby and reached for them. Shortly after that, Caris ran out and approached Tabitha, who's back was towards the dwarf. Caris shoved everything in Tabitha's pocket of the dress. Now's my cue, thought Elspeth. "THIEF! THIEF! This stall has been broken into!" cried out Elspeth. At the same time that Elspeth had said that, the owner of the stall had returned.
"Who's broken into my stall?" demanded the owner. "That woman over there!" Elspeth shouted, as she pointed at Tabitha. "GUARDS!" the owner yelled. Several guards approached. "Arrest that woman! She stolen food and gold from my stall!" The owner yelled.
This had shocked Tabitha has several guards grabbed her. "What is the meaning of this?!" shouted Dis. "This woman has been caught stealing from Edworth's stall, my lady!" said the guard. "But I didn't steal anything! I've been with Dis all morning! I didn't take anything!" shouted Tabitha angrily. "Its true, I've been with her, she didn't take anything. Now if you don't mind, go back and continue your duties." said Dis. "She's got proof! She did steal! Empty your pockets, elf!" demanded Caris. Tabitha turned towards the dwarf.
"No, I have nothing in my pockets that I know I didn't take." snapped Tabitha. "You might as well empty them, Tabitha. It would only show them, that you didn't take anything." said Dis. What shocked Tabitha was when she reached in her pockets, and she pulled out the food and gold coins that she didn't remember having in her pockets at all. "NO! NO! This can't be right! I never had taken these! This is all a set up!" screamed Tabitha. "Say it, you stolen this things woman!" demanded the guard.
"But I didn't take them!" Tabitha screamed.
"Sorry, but we don't believe in liars! Lets take her in! And hear what the King has to say about this!" said the second guard.
Tabitha felt very upset as the guards dragged her back to Erebor. She didn't understand at all what had just happened, and she had a feeling this was all a set up, and Dis also felt the same way. The guards took Tabitha into the Throne Room. "What is the meaning of this? Tabitha, I thought you were shopping with my sister?!" asked Thorin, standing up. "We caught her stealing from the Stalls in the market, your Majesty." said one of the Guards. "But I didn't take anything! Thorin, I swear I didn't steal anything!" protested Tabitha.
"Woman, you had proof in your pockets filled with gold and food that you did take them!" snapped the guard. "Is this true, Tabitha? Were there stuff in your pocket?" demanded Thorin. "There was stuff in my pocket, Thorin, but I didn't put them in there. Please Thorin, you have to believe me!" pleaded Tabitha. "I'm sorry, Tabitha, if the stuff was in your pocket, I have a reason to believe you had taken them!" said Thorin, sternly. "No, Thorin! You can't be serious! I'm telling you the truth!" shouted Tabitha, angrily. "And I don't reason with liars, I cannot believe you had done this to me, Tabitha." said Thorin, the tone of his voice emotional.
"Guards, take her away!" Thorin demanded. "THORIN NO!" Tabitha screamed, as the guards led her into the dungeons.
Thorin yelled in anger, as he sat back down on this throne, placing his hand on his forehead. It didn't take long for Dis to run into the Throne Room. "Where's Tabitha?" asked Dis. "Don't talk to me about her. She's in the dungeons." grumbled Thorin. "Thorin, you didn't! Thorin, Tabitha has been set up! She didn't take anything. Someone is behind this, but I have no idea who!" said Dis. "She took the items, Dis. Don't question it." snarled Thorin. "Thorin, I know Tabitha didn't take anything, I've been with her all morning. And if you're not going to find out who framed her, I will do so myself!" snapped Dis, and she walked out of the Throne Room, leaving Thorin alone in his thoughts.
Meanwhile Dis walked down the corridor, and she saw Elspeth and several dwarves walking down and laughing. "Now she's locked up, now I will go have some alone time with our King!" beamed Elspeth. "I cannot believe they fell for it!" laughed Caris. Dis snarled. And suddenly, she angrily approached the group, grabbing Elspeth by the throat. "YOU! You were behind this! ALL OF YOU!" Dis bellowed. "LET GO OF ME, YOU NO EXCUSE OF A ROYAL!" screamed Elspeth. "NO! You tell me that you're responsible of framing Tabitha for stealing!" Dis demanded.
"I don't answer to you, nor anyone in this kingdom!" Elspeth snapped back. Suddenly, Dis raised her hand and struck Elspeth.
"You will tell me, or I will kill you on the spot!" Dis demanded hotly. "Alright, alright! I was the one who set it up! I sent Caris to take the items, it was I who sent Caris to place the items in Tabitha's dress!" shouted Elspeth. "You filthy treacherous, wretch! You were doing this just to get to Thorin, did you? DID YOU?" shouted Dis. "YES! No Elf should be Queen of Erebor! A Dwarf should be!" Elspeth screamed. "You shall answer to my brother at once, and tell him the truth! DWALIN!" Dis called out. Dwalin and several other came. "Take this traitor to the Throne room. We found our real thief." said Dis. Dwalin nodded.
Later, Dwalin and several guards entered the Throne Room, followed by Dis, and they took Elspeth and her followers to Thorin. "What is going on here?" demanded Thorin. "Go ahead, tell him the truth, Elspeth Firebeard. The floor is all yours." snarled Dis. "Tabitha didn't steal anything. It was all a set up, I set it up. I sent Caris to steal from the vendor, food and all, and I sent him to place the belongings in Tabitha's dress pocket." said Elspeth.
When Thorin heard this, anger and rage clouded over him. And he felt bad for not believing Tabitha the first time. "Elspeth, you've been warned, you've been warned to not to mess with my future bride!" barked Thorin.
"I was supposed to be Queen! I was your betrothed, damn it!" shouted Elspeth. "I caught you cheating with a human, and you and your conniving thieves of a family attempted to stole the King's Jewel! You will be punished for this, Firebeard! Guards take Elspeth to the dungeons, and release Tabitha." Thorin demanded. The guards nodded as they took Elspeth away, and she screamed and cursed at Thorin, as they went.
It was Balin whom escorted Tabitha into the Throne Room, and she looked furious, and she didn't want to speak with Thorin, at all, after what she had been through. "I wouldn't blame you for being angry with me, Tabby. I didn't know this was all set up!" said Thorin gently. "But you fell for it, anyway! How could you Thorin! Not only I felt terribly upset, but embarrassed too! Do you have any idea how this effected me?!" shouted Tabitha. "Tabitha, Elspeth had set this whole thing up, and I should have known it all long." said Thorin.
Thorin bowed his head, as he slammed his fist on the arm of his throne. "Thorin.." said Tabitha softly. Thorin turned and faced Tabitha. "I forgive you!" said Tabitha softly. Thorin smiled, as he pulled Tabitha into his arms. "She will get hers, I promise." whispered Thorin, as he brushed his lips over hers.
The next morning, the trial was held against Elspeth Firebeard, and her followers. Elspeth and her family were sentenced to banishment from Erebor, as well as Dale. As for the remaining dwarves, including Caris, were sentenced to work for life in the mines. And the remaining dwarves agreed. Once the trial was over, Thorin sighed with relief. "Thank Mahal, that is over." said Dwalin. "Now we can continue our planning for the Coronation and Wedding!" said Dis.
Dis turned to Tabitha. "Are you ready for weeks worth of lessons, Tabitha?" asked Dis. "I'm ready as I'll ever be." Tabitha replied grinning.