"So when are you going to tell her?" Fili asked Kili. They were both sitting in Fili's chamber in the morning after the return of their mother and the day before Ri's ladyship ceremony.
"Tell who what?" asked Kili
"Tell Ri that you like her." Answered Fili. They were both working on Presents for Ri. It was dwarvish custom for the royal family to each give a new lady a present. Fili was sharpening the dagger he had made her because he noticed her lack of one. Kili however was engraving the finishing touches onto a gold and silver plated wrist guard that he had spent hours in the forge perfecting. He was engraving Courage, honour and a willing heart around the border of the piece in Dwarvish Runes then the language of men and then, even though he detested the people, Elvish.
"I… I don't know what you mean." Stammered Kili, looking up from his work.
"Don't play coy with me, brother. I know when you are smitten, and I'm sure Ri likes you back."
"I don't like her, Fili!" said Kili
"Whatever you say, brother. Just don't come crying to me when she is married and a mother. She is a beautiful girl Kili, don't let the opportunity pass you by."
"Ri? Have children? You must be joking!" laughed Kili, "She doesn't seem like the one to settle down long enough to even contemplate it!"
"Are you sure, Kili? You saw her when she saw Bombur's children, how quick she was to help his wife with the little ones. The way she smiled reminded me of you when Thorin gave you you're first bow!"
Kili smiled at the memory of Ri first meeting Bombur's family. He had four children and his wife was expecting another babe in a few months, the oldest one was soon going to start training with a sword, he was a tiny version of his father.
"Where is Ri anyway?" asked Kili.
Fili laughed, "Do you think that any human could drink that much Dwarf ale and not sleep at least twelve hours? I know she has our ancestry but she hasn't been taught to drink!"
Kili laughed as well.
Merrithrin woke up and groaned, her body ached all over, especially her head, and she had the sun in her eyes. Continuing to groan, she got up and submerged her head in a bucket of water she had left beside her bed the night before. When she lifted her head, it felt a lot clearer. She pulled on a tunic and breaches and stumbled down to the kitchens where Dís had promised to leave her some hangover medicine. When she got down there, she spotted a glass on the bench and proceeded to gulp it down. It tasted like pondweed and snails but it did make all her aches and pains go away. "Dís must know some bloody good remedies or she has magic." She said to herself. Ri always had the tendency to curse the day after drinking a lot, she didn't know why. She made her way back to her chambers feeling a thousand times better. She was still very tired so when she sat down on her bed for a minute she immediately fell back to sleep and woke up early the next morning.
A few minutes after waking, there was a soft knock on Ri's door. Ri, still being in yesterday's breeches and tunic, opened it slowly. Dís stepped inside as soon as the door was open wide enough for her to come in. "I'm here to help you get ready for the ceremony as you have no mother of your own to help. Sit down, child." Dís said as she pulled out a stool from under the desk. Ri obeyed and sat down while Dís walked into the bathroom and came out with a hairbrush. She sat down of Ri's bed and started to brush out Merrithrin's hair. After all the tangles were removed from the vast amount of hair Ri had, Dís started to plait tiny sections of her just above her forehead. "I loved braiding Fili's hair when he was little, Kili would never let me though. He heard a story when he was very young that said that if the first one you truly love braids you're hair you will spend your lives together, happy. We thought it was cute at first but it has persisted and he has never had is hair braided. I always wanted another child, a little girl but unfortunately my husband died before I could. There, I'm finished."
Dis had done tiny plaits and embedded them into a braid running down the back of her head and fastened it with a silver clasp in the shape of a rose leaf with miniscule sapphires dotted all over it. Ri gasped, "This is beautiful. Did you make it?"
"Aye, child, I did. It's my present to you on this special day, be expecting others from Kili, Fili and Thorin. Thank you for the compliment, I haven't been concentrating on my craft lately, traveling all the way from Erid Luin. I think I shall pick it up again soon." Said Dís, "What are you waring today?"
"I haven't really given it any thought."
Dís shook her head and smiled. "You remind me of a younger me. Come, let's see what's in your wardrobe." The two walked into the wardrobe.
Ri picked out a dress. "Mahal, girl! We want people to take you seriously. You can't wear a frock. How about this?" Dís pulled out a tight fitting sapphire tunic that went down to just above her knees with silver embellishments and some black leggings. "Perfect." Answered Ri.
Just as Ri was leaving to go to the ceremony Fili came up behind her and presented her with a stunningly made dagger. "Fili, this is too much! It's beautiful!"
"Just take it Ri, I made it especially for you."
"You… you made this? Fili… Wow." She breathed.
"I have to get to the ceremony. You should come too, we don't want to be late!"
Ri took the dagger and slid into her belt next to her sword.
The two entered the throne room and took their places. Fili sat down beside Thorin and smiled at his brother who was already seated on his other side. Ri stood at the end of the aisle, down the steps from Thorin and the brothers. She was facing the Oaken doors and rows of chairs that had been set up for the occasion containing hundreds of Dwarves, men and elves alike. The ceremony started and the giant double doors opened to reveal Dís in a similar outfit to Ri. She wore a golden tunic with black leggings and worn brown boots. She carried a pillow with a plain, sharp dagger and a band made of tiny strands of silver intertwined with rough chunks of sapphire and miniscule specks of diamond. When Dís reached Ri, she set down the cushion. "You have been chosen to receive the highest honour a female warrior can achieve. Merrithrin of Esgaroth saved Thorin Oakenshield and Kili and Fili of Durin in the battle of the Five Armies, taking wounds for herself in the process. I Lady Dís of Durin will now bestow the honour upon you. Please rise." Ri stood up and Dís picked up the dagger. Ri put her arm out and Dís took her wrist in the hand that wasn't holding the dagger. Slowly Dís drew the dagger across the inner side of Ri's wrist just below the base of her hand. If Ri had been listening she would have heard Kili let out a gasp. The cut started to trickle blood, Dís cut her wrist in the same place but lighter, over an already existing scar and pressed her cut to Ri's. "We are bonded in blood, we are bonded in spirit, we are bonded in soul. We will be bonded in battle. We will fight for our homeland!" Dís took her wrist away from Ri's and slipped her a handkerchief for the blood. Merrithrin knelt down again while Dís picked up the silver band. Lady Dís placed it on Ri's head. "Merrithrin of Esgaroth is no more, rise Lady Ri of Erebor!" Ri stood up and the crowd erupted with applause. Ri couldn't help but grin, she could make out a few familiar faces, she saw Legolas a couple of rows back next to his father Thranduil. She saw Balin and Dwalin on the aisle of the first row and Ori in the middle of the second row squashed between two very fat dwarves, he looked very uncomfortable but two polite to say anything. She turned around to see Kili grinning from ear to ear, Thorin chuckling at the gleeful expression on his nephew's face. Fili was smiling and looking like he knew something that everyone else didn't but Ri didn't pay attention to that, she was too happy.
As the applause died down the great Oak doors swung open to reveal a dishevelled Gandalf. "Orcs and Wargs plan to attack The Shire, they have found out about the Treasure Bilbo has, not the riches he claimed from Erebor but the present he claimed on the journey!"