Oda lay in Thorins arms, not knowing how long now.

'I can never go out again.' she smirked.

'We'll just stay in here forever. Runa can have her kingdom back.' Thorin chuckled.

'I am not so sure if she wants it back.' Oda mused.

'What do you mean?' Thorin asked her quietly. He had had the impression that Runa and Oda had not talked much resently.

'She likes Ragnor more than she admits. And he seems to be fond of her, too.' Oda murmured. 'Dwalin told me that he had seen them together very much lately.'

'Why don't they get married?' Thorin frowned at Runas sister.

'He asked for me. Not her, I don't know why. And she is our queen. If she marries him she'd have to leave.' Oda said sadly. 'I am the queens sister, my people do not need me here.'

Thorin took her chin into his hands and made her look at him. 'This is nonsense. Your people need you as much as your sister. You protect them in a different way, you fight at their side. You are one of them and they adore you.'

'What will I ever do without you?' Oda sighed and rested the side of her face on Thorins chest so that the dwarf could not see her tears.

Thorin gently stroked her hair. He could not bear to see Oda sad like that and he felt her tears on his skin. Oda was a strong and proud woman and he knew that she did not want him to see her cry. In some cases Oda was like a dwarf woman. She had managed to earn the respect of the dwarves of Erebor as a strong military leader, although she was a woman. Even Dwalin liked the princess, even if he would never admit it openly. Balin admired her intelligence and Fili and Kili adored her. Dis was happy to have another woman in the house and Thorin...Thorin had never before met a woman in whom he was interested beyond the warmth of the bed.

But that night he could not stay. Thorin sighed as he remembered that he had to be in council in a few moments.

'We will find a way.' he tried to reassure her.

Thorin could not believe what he heard in council only moments after he had left Oda.

The dwarves of Erebor wanted their king to bound with the men of Duath and the only way to do this was in marrying their queen.

'You want me to marry queen Runa?' Thorin growled. He did not know wether to laugh or roar, the situation was more than ridiculous. Thorin was tired and could not think straight. As he dismissed the council lateron he decided to talk to Dis. Slowly he walked to the house of his sister. The light in the kitchen was still burning and he heard the voices of his nephews. Thorin entered the house and looked for his sister, he found her in the kitchen with Oda.

'I cannot do this.' he heard Oda say and stopped in his tracks. 'I love him. But I have to follow my duty. I just do not know what to do.'

'You should talk to your sister.' Dis said quietly.

Oda snorted. 'My sister. Runa has never followed her heart. She never shows emotion, emotion is a weakness in her eyes. She will never understand.'

Dis smiled knowingly. 'What would you tell her anyway?'

Odas next words hit Thorin with full force. 'That I fell in love with the dwarf king whose grandfather took our home from us.' Oda sighed and closed her eyes in defeat.

Thorin stood in the shadows of Dis house and knew what he had to do. He was the king and it was time that he acted that way. Smiling he retreated without letting anyone know that had been there.

A few days later Thorin gathered the council, queen Runa, Ragnor and Oda in the throne room. He had not seen Oda since the day he had heard her talk with his sister Dis. There had been alot to do the last days. Thorin was nervous, he had a plan, but for this plan to suceed he had to trust his sources and his information.

Since Oda had shown no interest in Ragnor the lord had turned towards Runa and Thorins sources had told him that the lord and the queen had bound tightly in the last weeks. Even now, in the throne room, Thorin could see the looks between the lord and Runa. Oda had not appeared yet, she was out on patrol with Fili and Kili.

'King Thorin.' Runa had approached the throne, her face a mask as always. Thorin knew that she strongly disliked the dwarves of Erebor and he could understand her feelings. 'Why are we here?'

'Queen Runa, I ask you and the others present here for little bit more patience.' Thorin answered calmly. 'Your sisters presence is important.'

'She is no leader of our people, I do not inderstand why her presence is important.' Runa insisted. Thorin realised how much the sisters had grown apart since the arrival of the dwarves inhe Blue Mountains. On the day of their arrival Oda had voluntarily protected her sister as a royal double. Now, a few years later, the sisters barely talked anymore. Thorin had a bad conscience because of this development. He knew that the final breach had begun because Runa had tried to marry Oda off to another lord, but he also had the feeling that the hatred towards the dwarves had turned Runa into a different woman. Maybe with his plan he could change all of their lives to the better. Thorin was no diplomat, but he was intelligent and he had a good heart.

In this moment Oda came into the throne room. She was clad in her armor, her over-knee leather boots and her trousers. She was sweaty and her boots were full of mud. Her hair was bound back and a few streaks fell into her face. In this moment she was the exact opposite of her sister who stood there in pure elegance. Thorin could see the light smirk in Ragnors face at the sight of Oda and the glare she shot back at him. As interesting as a marriage between these two would be Thorin decided to put an end to it.

'Myladies, lord Ragnor, council of the mountain. I have asked for your presence today to inform you of important events.' Thorin cleared his throat. This was not as easy as he thought. Balin, who stood at Thorins side, wondered what the young king was up to. This was the first time that Thorin had not asked the old dwarf for his advice and Balin was curious. His brother Dwalin had informed him about Thorins affection for Oda, which Balin could not understand. The princess was too much trouble in his eyes. She was a nice lass and a beautiful one at that, but would she also be a good queen? Balin concentrated on the present. He had the feeling that this might get interesting.

'As you all know lord Ragnor plans to marry the princess Oda. And my council has urged me to stabilise the bond between the dwarves of Erebor and the men of Duath.' Thorin paused to put pressure on his next words. 'This shall be assured with a marriage, the marriage between the two leaders of our people, myself and queen Runa.'

While the council of the dwarves murmured quietly in agreement Thorin watched Oda pale and Runa going ballistic. Lord Ragnor jumped as the usually calm Runa started yelling at the king under the mountain.

'How dare you? This is not your right to decide! You are not my king! You are a thief! You took our home from us! I will never marry you!' she yelled at him.

'It is your duty, as well as it is the duty of your sister to seal alliances through marrriage. I do not see why this arrangement should not be pursued. It suits us all.' Thorin stated calmly. He could not look at Oda, but he could feel her eyes on him. He wished that he could have talked with her in beforehand, but he wanted to protect her from the wrath of her sister. Their relationship had suffered enough.

'Queen Runa, I suggest you think of your people while considering my offer.' Thorin told her.

'My people want to live in their own kingdom in freedom! Not under the rule of dwarves. Never I will marry a dwarf!' Runa yelled at Thorin and stormed out of the throne room. Oda followed her with a death glare towards Thorin who took a deep breath. Then he looked at Ragnor who only smiled at him knowingly.

'Good plan.' he said. Thorin intended a switch of marriage arrangements, but he had to push Runa into wanting the switch herself. Thorin could not order Oda not to marry Ragnor, but he could make Runa ask Ragnor to marry her so that she would not have to marry the dwarf. Thorin shook his aching head. Love was complicated.