The King and the Lionheart

Ori picked up a lone book, added to the pile he had growing in his arms and picked up another. When he saw the flash of folded parchment he sighed. When would she learn? Ori didn't care that Coruwen was the Lady of Thorin or not. These books were his life, and if she went around folding pages he might need to ban her from the library permanently. Or just tell her no… But the latter never succeeded. Ori tossed the book onto the pile, and he walked down the halls quietly. He found himself waking before everyone else to complete his rounds as book keeper and chronicler.

When he passed Coruwen's room he heard a soft melody from within. He smiled faintly at the sound of the music. So much so that he forgot about the teetering pile of books in his arms that toppled over in a comical series of plunks. Ori groaned as he stared up at the high stone ceiling before a book clouded his sight.

This was silly.

Coruwen's door opened and she picked up t he books while watching Ori out of the corner of her eye. He was motionless, probably fed up with the books. She removed the one that sat on his head with slow movement fearing she would bother him in some way. Ori's brown eyes gazed past her to the ceiling, affixed on it like it was some jewel.

"Ori, are you all right?" Coruwen asked warily. She placed the books in a pile, and Ori had yet to move. She frowned as she walked up to him, and with a gentle swat she woke him up. The boy could sleep with his eyes open much like elves, it was strange. Ori jolted awake; within seconds he was gone with his books back to his library cave.

Coruwen flicked her gaze around, and from the sounds that came up from below she assumed that at least Balin would be up. She returned to her room and changed into a dress fashioned of pale blue and black. She slipped her boots on considering she would be climbing up to the gate.

The elleth found it strange that she had lasted this long in the mountain kingdom. Her soul would occasionally drift back to the gold leaved mallorn trees of Lórien, or the rivers of Imladris, but she reminded herself that she was an outcast now. Those thoughts hurt. Oh so very much. She placed a hand over her heart.

After much grief stricken thought, Coruwen left her room to walk up to the gates. Oddly, she found Dís up on the gates. The princess had not heard her yet; in fact she was watching the horizon. The sun was up over the hills with few clouds. Dís' hair was dark like her brother's and it was wavy. Her eyes were the color of blue topaz with hints of grey in them.

"Dís," Coruwen said. Dís let out a gasp and whirled around with fear across her face. Dís' face became calm when she realized it was Coruwen. Dís placed a hand over her beating heart with one small breath, she lowered her hand. "I'm sorry if I scared you."

Dís shook her head. "It's fine. I didn't suspect anyone to be up right now," Dís stated. She placed her elbows back on the railing, letting out a breath. "I heard about my brother killing a man because he called you a harlot."

Coruwen's chest had a pang of pain race through it like an arrow. Mani's death, how could she forget? Coruwen settled beside Dís and leaned against the rail. Dís watched her out of the corner of her eye wearily. The elf was perplexed by the darkening of her blue eyes, along with the way her hair hung in her eyes.

"I apologize for my brother being overbearing… Let me tell you, he means well. He is just… Protective." Dís said feeling a bit ashamed.

Coruwen shook her head, hearing the shame in Dís' voice. "Dís, you do not need to be ashamed of his actions. Thorin was defending me, simple as that." She comforted. Coruwen placed a hand on Dís' shoulder, and the princess' shoulders sagged under her touch. "What is bothering you?"

"It is the fact that my brother has never defended another woman besides me before like that. Granted, he protected our mother when she was threatened, but never has he defended a woman outside of our family."

"I see…"

Dís sighed, running her hands across the stone rail. "I feel like I should've done something to stop him. I know that Mani's words were harsh, but killing someone is a bit extreme, don't you agree?"

Coruwen nodded slowly. "I agreed with Thorin to prevent an argument, but it was wrong. Mani had a little sister…"

"I know of the young Sol. She is strong, but not strong enough to deal with the sight of her brother dead before her." Dís' shoulders shook as she thought of Frerin. "I have seen death before… Many times in fact. Seeing Frerin dead was enough for me, and the death of my mother was even worse."

Coruwen placed a hand on Dís' shoulder, and the princess placed her own over the elleth's. This is what little comfort Coruwen could give Dís currently. The elleth heard footsteps coming up the stairs that led up to the gate, and she could not depict who they belonged to for her attention was focused on Dís. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Thorin come up the steps.

"Dís?" Thorin inquired. He wearily approached his sister, who turned to face him with her head hung low. He took his sister's shoulders firmly, trying to piece together what was wrong. "What is the matter?"

Coruwen disappeared from sight allowing the two to be alone. When she came to the end of the stairwell, she found Dwalin and Balin standing in the shadows of the archways. It made her wonder why they were doing down here.

"Why are-?" Coruwen asked.

Balin motioned upward to where Dís was, and then he spoke, "It was this day that Frerin died in the battle against Azog. Dís watched him pass in her arms and she could do nothing. The lass may appear strong, but in truth she is breaking each time this day passes."

"That is truly terrible," Coruwen muttered as she leaned against the archway. "I tried to console her, but I do not know of what she has faced. I did what I could."

"And we give you credit for that, Coruwen," Balin replied. "Let Thorin deal with her now."

The two departed after a long while of standing and only listening to the wind pass through across the banners. Coruwen sat on the steps waiting for one of them to come down. None came down in the first hour. Her hands played with the sleeve of her dress as she began to think what may have occurred.

To lose a brother is horrible enough; to lose them in one's arms in even worse. Her hands twitched as if she were holding onto someone. Her heart silently went out to Dís and Thorin for losing Frerin. Footsteps made her glance behind her. Thorin was coming down the steps, his face set in a somber expression. She instinctively reached for his hand, which stopped him from straying away. Pity held her firm as he tried to move away.

"Thorin…" Coruwen started. His strength ceased when she spoke his name, which caught her off guard. He had given in so easily to her. "Talk to me."

"Elsewhere," Thorin whispered. She nodded and stood to follow him down the hall where he led her to his study. The room was dimly lit aside from the sunlight that came through a small window. Coruwen sat in a chair that was against the window where the sun streamed through. She saw Thorin walk over to a shelf, his fingers skimming the books' bindings. "I assume that Balin told you about Frerin?"

"He did…" Coruwen replied. "I am sorry about your brother, love."

Thorin withdrew a book with the shield of Durin on the front outlined in silver. His eyes flicked up to hers and became gentle before returning back to the book. He flipped through the pages with careful fingers, stopping on a page towards the back.

He handed her the book, which she took and found a picture of Thorin as a young man with another dwarf beside him that had a face similar to Fili's. Aside from the face, the dwarf had the dark hair of Thrain and the striking blue eyes. Coruwen assumed she was looking at Frerin.

Thorin wrapped an arm around her shoulders, glancing down at the pages. "My brother and I were close like the boys are. He was intuitive and intelligent beyond words, and where he got it from I will never know. He wasn't a fighter, yet he wanted to fight in the Battle for Moria, and my father let him. Dís and I didn't understand why he did it." Thorin's voice cracked in memory of his brother. "And we never did know."

Coruwen closed the book feeling the age in the cover and pages. She placed a hand over Thorin's that rested on her shoulder. "Do you blame yourself for his death?"

The look of sorrow took the king's eyes when she spoke. Despite what his mother and father had said; he and Dís blamed themselves for not keeping an eye of Frerin. It was his fault that his little brother was dead… He felt it deep within his heart, and the boys reminded him of the pain when they would defend the other. His grip tightened around his love's shoulder and she tensed.

"I cannot deny that I do blame myself for my brother's death." Thorin said.

"It was his decision to fight, and you could do nothing to stop him." Coruwen took his face with one hand, forcing his gaze up to hers. "Do not blame yourself for a decision he made. More than likely he would have done the same, but would know that it was your choice."

"I cannot abandon my brother in such a way…"

"Let the dead rest, and rest shall come to you."

"You make it sound so easy." He removed his hand from her shoulder and took her hand. He ran his fingers across the palm of her hand; he could feel her fingers curl around his hand as he focused his attention on their hands. "You have never seen death, yet you know more than I about it."

"No, I have never seen it. But I have seen those around me grace it. To know death is to know that it is very real, and will take those you love in a way most cruel for it has a sick sense of humor."

He smiled. "You speak as if it were a person."

Coruwen laughed at his sly remark. "You could say that."

Thorin looked up at her as she controlled her laughter. He feathered a kiss on her hand which silenced her. As he removed his hand, he reached up and tucked a strand of gold hair behind her ear. The sun caught the gold waves that tumbled down her back lightening to appear as if it were formed of gold veins. He stood and walked away from her. Before he could walk past his desk, he was hugged from behind by her. Her weight shifted backward and they ended up on the floor.

Well, he was on the floor. She had rolled away after bringing him to the ground. Thorin was confused… One minute, he was standing at his desk. The next he was laying on his back on the floor. His eyes snapped to Coruwen, who was sitting on his desk with her legs crossed and a smirk on her face.

"Elf…" Thorin grumbled pulling himself onto his elbows to look at her. She wasn't fazed by that name anymore, and it was clear on her face. She looked at him still with the amused smirk on her face. "Fine, play your games."

He pulled himself up, and she tapped him with her boot in a play like manner. "Stick in the mud." She sang. He shot a dirty look at her before he grabbed her foot making her squeak in surprise.

"Am not," Thorin released his hold on her foot, and ran a hand up her leg. She didn't jump away or make a noise at the contact. She merely held her tongue as he touched the bare skin on her calf. It was then that she tapped his chin with her knee forcing his hand away. "You're acting like a child."

"As if…" Coruwen laughed taking his chin with one hand. He watched her gaze fall to his neck and curiously reach for the chain around his neck. His hand snapped to her hand and brought it to rest on his shoulder. "What?"

"Not yet." He kissed her lips softly, which she returned with a surprising amount of fervor. His hands rested on the small of her back as soft kisses became ones filled with fire. He kissed her neck, feeling his spirit pull towards her. It desired her; it took every bit of fight in him to keep it contained. As he feathered kisses on her neck, her nails dug into the back of his neck; digging into the clasp on the chain around him. He smiled when he had gotten this rise out of her.

The king didn't keep in mind that in their love's fire, Coruwen had undone the chain around his neck. His hands grasped her hips pulling her closer to him as she kissed his mouth. Thorin shut his eyes when she kissed his jaw with her thumb tracing his collarbone.

Something felt off…

Normally, he found have felt her grace the chain on his neck when she ran her hands across his chest. His hands drifted from her hips and up to her sides, and then brought one to trace the scars above the neckline of her dress. The necklace of his mother hung near it, shining like a star formed of dark blue and silver. His necklace was gone.

She kissed him greedily, forcing his attention away from whatever straying thoughts lingered in his mind. Gingerly, he tugged on the back of her dress and she jerked away from him.

"Thorin!" Coruwen scolded. Her face was flushed, and her eyes clouded over by love's harsh fire. "Why did you-?"

Thorin traced the chain of his mother's necklace around her neck with two fingers and she let out a small gasp when his pinky graced two scars. "Where is my necklace?" Thorin asked. He saw her jaw clench when his traced her scars one by one with a feather like touch. Coruwen gave him a forced smile, refusing to tell him. He came to kiss her scars along with her collarbone in the same fashion. Her breathing became rapid and shallow as he neared her neck. "I'll save you the trouble, if you just tell me."

He hovered over her, glancing up at her. Her eyes were half shut, and he continued with a small breath. He kissed her neck and nuzzled her. A small, quiet moan escaped her and she took his face quickly, thus halting him.

"Enough," Coruwen growled. Her breathing reverted back to normal as she looked into his eyes. "On the floor."

"Thank you," He replied. He knelt down and found the key residing still on the chain…

No ring.

Thorin let out a muffled growl as he searched for it. He bumped his head on Coruwen's boot which made him curse in Khuzdul. His hand searched underneath his desk frantically. He heard her jump onto the floor and she knelt beside him.

"What are you looking for?" She asked tugging on a strand of his hair.

"Nothing," He replied shortly. She tugged another strand of hair suggesting that she knew more than he presumed. The sparkle of her blue eyes assured his suspicions. When he swept his hand from underneath the desk, his fingers found the ring. They snatched it up in his hand so he could check if it was tarnished any way. "Coruwen, how long have I been courting you?"

She rested her chin on his head with her blue eyes watching him. "Ten months," Coruwen said. Her fingers ran through his dark hair that came to rest on his heart. "Have you lost track of time?"

"Slipped my mind," His hand wrapped around hers and placed a kiss on the back of it. "I have something to ask you."

"I will have answer then."

He chuckled as she walked around him to be at his side. Curiosity was written over her fair face as he took both of her hands. His heart was badgering to say the words that could not be voiced. "You know I am not good with words… But, I have loved you for a long while, and the longest standing title I gave you is what I ask you to become."

Coruwen eyed him as if he had lost his mind. That reaction he did not expect out of her, and he tightened his grip around her thin hands. Her grip was limp in his own; she was struck dumb by the question.

"Will you be my queen?"

He watched her blink in shock for a couple of seconds to mentally regain herself. His heart began to sink, feeling as if her silence was a sign of rejection. Did he say something wrong? Coruwen looked down at him, and he saw the happiness welling from her. It shined in her sky blue eyes as she smiled down at him.

She gave him a nod. He smiled and took her face in his hands. Tears had slipped from her eyes when he took her face, he kissed them away. Her arms wrapped around his neck in an embrace. Her face buried in his hair allowing him to stroke her hair.

"Love, look at me," Thorin whispered. Her arms loosened and she pulled away to meet his eyes. In his hand, he withdrew the mate to his own that rested upon his left hand. Her gaze fell on the ring in his hand as he brought it to the light. The ring was made of silver, and depicted the symbol of Erebor. The mountain and stars were outlined with gold, but only the stars were filled in with the brilliant color. "This ring has a mate, a twin. Just as these rings cannot be complete without the other; I am not complete without you."

"Thorin…" Coruwen murmured as her cheeks turned a deep pink. His hand took her right one and slid the ring onto her ring finger. A smile came to her lips when she looked at the ring, and then it traveled to the twin on his hand. It was made of the same silver, but outlined in silver instead of gold. She kissed his cheek, and then rested her forehead against his.

"I had planned on telling all of this to you later in the year, but it was beginning to nag at me." He traced the side of her face watching her eyes close at the touch, "My beautiful queen."

Coruwen opened her eyes at the sound of the namesake. They were a deep shade of topaz blue almost the color of Dís'. She smiled and placed a hand on his cheek. "Rhuigûr, nîn."

He chuckled at the nickname. What little bits of Sindarin he knew; he could make out the words 'my' and 'heart'. "Rhui?"

"It means lion." She ran two fingers across his braids. "I called you my lion heart."

Thorin smiled and caught her right hand, kissing the pad of each of her fingers. She laughed and intertwined their fingers together. "If you see me in that light, then so be it. Then you are a golden lioness; more fair than all the others."

Coruwen laughed again, so much so that she was shaking as he held her close to him. He kissed her forehead when she nestled her face in the crook of his neck. His heart was light and overjoyed to have her as his now. Thorin could now tell Kili to stop badgering him, now that his own heart had ceased its annoying nagging. The woman in his arms was his now.

Yes, she was his. The king had his queen, the lion had his lioness, and the ring had its twin back.

A/N: I hate writer's block! I hate it with a fiery passion! That is part of the reason why this a day late, and it shorter than normal.

The song I wrote this chapter to was "Give Me Love" by Ed Sheeran. I don't know if it fits, but I am hooked on it.

IMPORTANT NOTE : If you guys wanna leave me some ideas on what the next chapter is going to be about then leave me a review. It will more than likely get used, because the idea train on this end is running short. I have an idea on what future chapters are going to be, but we aren't there. Yet. So pretty please, send me a review with your thoughts or ideas.

Remember, reviews are most welcomed!

Until next time, and please review.