In this story Dis is not Thorins sister, but his first wife. I hope that does not freak anyone out ;)

'Your majesty.' Billa curtseyed before the king and then stood up straight and looked straight into his eyes.

The kings expression was one of utter shock and fury. 'How dare you?' he growled and Billa needed all her strength of will to keep a straight face and composure. Blue eyes glared at her and made her feel even smaller than she was.

'I apologise, your majesty. But I have been waiting for an audience for three weeks now...' Billa started, but she was interrupted by the furious king.

'I am the king and I decide if and when you get an audience!' Thorin bellowed and Billa jumped, but she was a brave soul and kept her cool. Frodo, who was standing right behind her, yelped and fell onto his knees facing down, like the servants did. If he showed the king the respect and the behaviour awaited from him, maybe the king would let him live. But his mother ignored protocol.

'I understand, your majesty. But I was told that your family needs a tutor and that they shall be taught the language and the way of life of the people of the West.' Billa stated firmly. 'I came here to be their tutor and I would dislike to waste more time and energy which I could invest in their education.'

King Thorin looked her up and down, speechless. This tiny creature dared to speak to him unasked and dared looking him in the eyes while she did so. She neither bowed, nor did she fall to her knees. She had come down here, into his treasury and held her ground. Thorins outrage softened subtly and was replaced by a light feeling of impression. The Hobbit had courage.

'Mistress Baggins.' Billa swallowed as she heard the dwarfking say her name for the first time. 'I am sure that my advisor, Balin, has informed you of our protocol and our way of life. And yet, you come here and barge into an important royal meeting. And you are supposed to be a tutor to my family?'

'I was not aware of the fact that important royal meetings were held in treasuries, your majesty.' Billa answered and heard Balin gasp. 'And since I am here to tutor dwarves in the way of life of the free folk of Middle Earth, let me tell you that keeping people waiting for three weeks and not feeling them welcome is very frowned upon.'

Thorin was torn between tearing the hobbit to pieces and smiling at the bold answer. He looked at Balin, who shrunk under his gaze and made a decision. He already had a punishment in mind.

'I will introduce you to my family and your future students. Follow me.' Thorin smirked as he saw the surprised look on the hobbits lasses face. Balins face was priceless and the smaller hobbit behind the hobbit lass looked up insecurely. 'Stand up, young master hobbit. You seem to be the one with manners out of the both of you.' Thorin remarked and grinned mentally as he heard a quiet huff from Billa.

The two hobbits followed Thorin and Balin through the endless corridors of Erebor until they finally arrived in a wing deep inside of the mountain. As the doors opened Billa froze in awe. In the huge hall with balconies and silver fountains lived the family of the king. As Thorin entered the smaller dwarflings rushed towards him and greeted him excitedly. For the first time Billa saw Thorin smile warmly and it completely changed him. Small wrinkles appeared around his eyes and mouth and his eyes gleamed lovingly. Billa had to tear her gaze away to not stare at the king in a such impolite manner. Her gaze moved over the dwarves in this hall, only females and dwarflings. She counted twenty richly dressed dwarf females and forty females of the race of elves and men. Then she realised that some of the children were a blend of two races.

'Mistress Baggins, may I introduce you to lady Dis. The kings first wife and mistress of the royal women.' Balin adressed Billa and gestured towards a dwarf with beautiful blonde braids and a light beard.

'Wives. As in plural?' Billa was stunned. 'I apologise. I am Billa Baggins, lady Dis, at your service.'

'Dis, at yours.' the female dwarf looked upon the hobbit with a neutral expression. 'Please, come closer, I will introduce you to the kings family.'

After a few moments Billas head was spinning and she desperately needed to sit down. The twenty female dwarves were indeed the kings wives, the forty other women were his concubines. And the all in all sixty dwarflings were the kings children.

'Sweet Yavanna!' Billa sighed. 'I will never be able to remember all of those names.'

'Do not worry, mistress Billa. The king himself has his difficulties with that. He rather gives our little ones numbers than names. 'Dis chuckled.

'Why does he need that many wives? Does he even love all these women?' Billa stammered and instantly regretted her question.

'Love? The king does not love.' Dis stated as if it was the most normal thing in the world. 'It is an honor to be chosen by the king and to be his wife or even his concubine. Many of the women here were sent to us as diplomatical offer from the neighbouring kingdoms. King Thorin has only rarely rejected such a diplomatical offer. The race of dwarves was in danger in the past. Dwarves tended to be more into their crafts as into their partners and with the years less dwarflings saw the light of day. Thorins ancestors established a law that allowed dwarves of the noble class to have more than one wife. And as you can see Erebor is strong and prosper and the kings position is secured through his children.'

'No love.' Billa paled. She had loved her husband more than anything in the world. The thought of living with someone as his wife and not being in love sickened Billa. 'Right. So as I was told that I shall tutor the kings family, it actually included all of you? All hundred and twenty?'

'Yes, is that a problem?' Dis smirked at Billas sigh.

'Nope.' Billa answered dryly and fainted.

Thorin watched as the hobbit fainted and rolled his eyes. His punishment had been successful, but he had not expected the lass to faint. This small creature irritated him deeply. The irritating superior attitude was most unpleasant and unattractive. The king doubted that the lass could teach his family anything. He cocked an eyebrow at Balin who shrugged his shoulders.

'It has been a straining day, your majesty. And the lass probably missed two out of her seven meals.' Balin smirked and the king looked at him in surprise. Hobbits. Such strange creatures.

Billa stirred and slowly opened her eyes. For a moment she did not know where she was. But Frodos worried voice brought her back into the real world.

'Mother! Are you alright?' Frodo looked down at Billa and sighed in relief as she opened her eyes.

'My apologies, we should not have thrown you into the cold water like this, mistress Baggins.' Dis said and helped her up into a sitting position. 'Here, drink this.'

Billa took the cup out of Dis hands and took a deep sip. The liquid burned down her throat and made her cough violently. A warm tingle filled her stomach and Billa felt light headed all of a sudden.

'What is this?' she asked hoarsely.

'A drink made out of small spuds which grow in the earth surrounding the mountain. Don´t drink too hasty, its very strong.' Dis explained.

'You think?' Billa asked sarcastically and tried to stand up. 'I´m going to stay on the floor for a while.'

'No rush.' Dis smiled and turned towards Frodo. 'I will introduce your son to the others if you don´t mind.'

As Billa shook her head Dis took Frodos arm and led him to the group of older dwarflings, all about his own age. Billa watched as her son was introduced to them, at last to a blond dwarf with a braided beard and blonde hair like Dis. His blue eyes glared at Frodo arrogantly and Billa frowned. Shakingly she stood up and walked towards the group.

'Mistress Billa, this is my son and the crown prince Fili.' Dis introduced her to the oldest.

'Billa Baggins, at your service.' Billa greeted him, but the young dwarf only looked at her with his chin held high.

'Crown prince Fili, at yours.' he said and turned to his mother. 'I do not understand. If the free folk of Middle Earth wants diplomatical relations with us they should learn about our customs and our way of life and not the other way around. There is no need for a tutor.'

'Fili, you should honor your teacher, as it is custom with us dwarves.' Thorin had appeared out of nowhere and scolded his oldest son. At his side was a small female dwarfling, barely reaching his hip in height, who smiled at Billa timidly. 'This is Sigrid, she is my youngest dwarfling.' Thorin introduced her.

'I am no dwarfling, I am a bunny!' the small girl exclaimed and jumped into her fathers arms. She was clearly his favourite, for Thorin smiled widely as he lifted her up in his arms. 'Our children are our hope for the future, mistress Baggins. Our future is in your hands.'

Billa swallowed hard as Thorin looked at her intimidately and nodded. 'I will not disappoint you, king Thorin.'

Thorin smiled grimly. 'You may start by obeying me.' With a last loving smile at Sigrid and Fili Thorin left for his duties.

'Such devotion to progress is to be recommended.' Billa remarked, but winced as she saw Balins frown.

'Do you believe us being barbarians, mistress Baggins?' Balin sneered. 'What you call progress is simply the western way of life. How can a diversion from our lifestyle be progress?'

'I am sure many males from the western lands would see it as a progress to have that many wives.' Billa tried to relieve the tension by making a joke.

'King Thorin has spent much time travelling the lands of the West as a young dwarf. He is now making up for lost time.' Balin stated with a smirk. Him and Billa wer walking to the door of the huge family wing and were soon joined by Frodo.

'My lord, what is a concubine?' the fauntling asked Balin and Billa blushed violently at Balins chuckle. 'And why does the king have so many wives?'

'That is an excellent question young lad. For your mother.' Balin blinked at Billa who cleared her throat.

'Well...you see...the king has to secure his line and...he might lose some of the children to war and disease, so he needs a lot of children...and many wives to take care of them.' Billa was happy that she could come up with an explanation, but hoped that her son had not payed too much attention to her stammering.

She was the first hobbit I had ever met. And it seemed to me, that she knew more about the world than anyone. The wind had whispered her arrival like a coming storn. it wasn't until years later that I began to appreciatehow brave she was and how lonely she must have been. A hobbit. The first I ever met.