Fili gave the letter to his strongest flyer. "Take this to King Aragorn of Gondor. Fly swift, but safely, my friend."

The raven nipped affectionately at Fili's hand before taking off. The fate of his daughter was in the letter the raven carried. He did not often send letters to Gondor and he never asked one raven to fly so far, but this was the fastest, most reliable way to get his letter to Gondor.

Kili and his family returned from the Glittering Caves later that week. Fili was glad to have his brother again. After letting Kili settle in, Fili invited his brother to his home so they could talk in private. Kili was filled in on all the details of the farming and Hrafn's beacon project. Milly still had not told her news to most anyone yet. her two closest ladies-in-waiting and a handful of healers knew, but no one else. Not even Hrafn, although Fili suspected Hrafn knew. Fili was going to ask for permission to make an announcement of some sort soon, as her presence in court was being missed and questioned. They could no longer play with the excuse of it being a simple illness.

Fili couldn't keep this from Kili any longer. He would tell Kili tonight and the rest of the family tomorrow.

"Kili, I need to tell you something, but you must promise me you will not breath a word of this to anyone else."

Kili nodded. "You have my word, Fili."

"Milly's with child."

Fili's face lit up. "Oh, but that's wonderful news. Why do you keep it a secret?"

"Because she is very ill. She is losing her life to this child."

"Like Mailli?" Kili asked, remembering his kind sister-by-marriage.

"Aye, like Mailli," Fili sighed. "Many healers have been to see her, but Hana says there is nothing they can do. She suggested we ask Queen Arwen of Gondor for help since she is a High Elf skilled in medicine."

"And have you? Please say you have, brother. Don't let your hate of elves deny Milly aid."

"Kili! What do you take me for? How can you even say that to me? I would give every white jewel Erebor has ever mined or ever will to Thranduil himself if it saved Milly's life. I am not Thorin. I do not hate the elves. Yes, I have a strong dislike for a certain Woodland Elf King, but not all elves and certainly not enough to deny Milly help." Fili was seething.

"I'm sorry, Fili. I should have known better. So you have sent a message to Gondor?"

"Yes. By raven, too. Four days ago. I don't know how long it will take, at least two weeks for a round trip, but it was the quickest way."

"And if Queen Arwen will not come?" Kili asked.

"Then we pay to Mahal that Milly's life will be spared," Fili sighed.

Kili left later, and walked half way to his home before he stopped. He rubbed his hands over his eyes. Poor Milly. He didn't want anything to happen to his niece. She was too precious to them. If anything ever happened to Milly, Fili would be heart-broken and Kili couldn't bear to think of that. Kili leaned up against the wall. This was such ill news to come home too. He heard a door open and looked down the hall. He saw Fili slip out of his door and head the opposite way down the hall. This was odd behavior for his brother.

Usually, if Fili left his home in the middle of the night, it was to go work out in the forges, but the way he was dressed and the direction he was headed was not to the forge. Kili quietly followed. He stayed a safe distance back and watched as Fili went down one hall to another. It seemed he was headed for Lake Carregsten. Fili stopped in the hall, like he was waiting for something or someone.

Kili about fainted when he saw the healer he had seen in the hall with Fili back in the early winter, come up to his brother now. Fili kissed her cheek, took her by the hand and led her into the lake's cavern.

Kili wanted desperately to peek into the cave and see what Fili and the healer were doing. For a moment, he stood sill and debated what to do next. Finally he looked around the corner, but he could not see his brother. Kili guessed they had gone to one of the secluded alcoves. There was no way he could investigate further without being caught, so, he left and headed back home. He would have to try and discreetly get some information from Fili tomorrow.

With Milly's permission, the entire family gathered at Fili's home. All except for Milly.

Graig addressed them. "As you all know, Milly's been ill all winter. We've kept the details of her condition a secret as we hoped she would get better, but she isn't and it's time you understood what is going on." Graig looked around the room. He still didn't feel completely at ease among the family. It wasn't that he had ever been made to feel unwelcome, but he was still new to the family and a bit of an outsider.

"Milly's expecting a baby," he said.

There was a collective gasp from the group.

"But isn't that good news?" Iomhar asked.

"It is. Or, at least, it should be," Graig answered, "but Milly's body is not handling it well. She is very ill. We fear for her life."

"Can anything be done for her?" Tauriel asked.

"We have sent for help," Graig said. "Queen Arwen of Gondor."

Tauriel gasped. "The queen is coming here?"

"We don't know. We've only just sent the letter to her five days ago," Fili answered.

"What's so special about Queen Arwen?" Keil asked.

"She is a High Elf of great healing skill and I have heard she is exceptionally kind. It would be an honor to meet her," Tauriel said.

Fili turned to his brother's wife. "Tauriel, with Milly being ill, all of her duties have gone to her ladies-in-waiting, but I need you to help as you are now the only Princess in Erebor in any kind of condition to work."

Tauriel made a small curtsy, "But of course, King Fili. What is it you require of me?"

Fili smiled. "I am hoping that Queen Arwen will hear our plight and come to us. If she does come, we need to be prepared to host her and her envoy that I have no doubt she will travel with. The best elf-sized rooms we have are to be cleaned up and aired out. Make sure our herbs and healing supplies are well stocked, that we have good food and plenty of it, and be prepared to host the most honored guests Erebor might ever see."

"All will be taken care of, my King. I assure you of that," Tauriel said.

"Is there anything that we can do in the mean time to help Milly?" Iomhar asked Graig.

He shook his head. "Nothing. She would enjoy your company, but she never stays awake long anymore."

"Is there anything that we can do for you, Graig?" Iomhar asked.

Graig looked surprised. "Um, no. I don't think so."

Hrafn came to Graig's side. "Oh, I think there is. Who is with Milly now?"

"Healer Hana," Graig answered, looking quite flustered.

"Good. She can stay with Milly a little while longer, right?" Hrafn asked.

"Uh, yes, I guess so," Graig said.

"Iomhar? Let's take the father-to-be for a celebratory drink," Hrafn smiled.

Iomhar took Graig by one arm and Hrafn too his other and they practically dragged Graig out of the room. Kili chuckled. "Good. Graig looked like he needed a break and a baby is something to celebrate."

Fili nodded. "I've tried to get him to get out more, but he has always refused."

"Hrafn and Iomhar are his brothers now, and you know how pushy brothers can be," Kili smiled.

"That I do," Fili grinned back.

Tauriel took the twins and left to start seeing about the cleanup of the elven guest rooms, leaving Fili and Kili together.

"So, Fili," Kili fell onto his back on Fili's couch. "I was feeling a bit restless last night after our little chat and while I was out in the hall, I saw the most extraordinary thing. Our own golden-haired king, sneaking out, meeting up with a lovely healer lass and having a bit of a romantic rendezvous at the lake."

Fili's cheeks turned scarlet.

"So it's true?" Kili sat up on his elbows.

"No, no, it's not a romantic rendezvous," Fili spoke a little too quickly.

"Well then?" Kili prompted.

Fili exhaled. "Hana is my friend. That's all. It's been almost thirty years since Sigrid died. I miss having a friend, a companion, like a spouse. Someone to talk to. Someone to sit with and hold her hand, although it's not about the physical relationship. It's just nice to have a friend."

"Aren't I your friend?" Kili asked.

"You, Kee, were my first friend and you are my best friend. But it's not the same kind of friendship, is it? You and Tauriel were gone for most of the fall and winter. Hrafn's an adult with his own interests. Milly's married and now she's bed ridden. I've been alone. I don't like being alone. Hana has filled that loneliness and I have filled it for her. She's your age, Kee, and she's been a widow for seventeen years. She has no children. We have found a friend in each other and I know it's silly, to meet up, late at night, just so we can sit together, hold hands and talk about our days, but we both need that; that friend."

"It's not silly, Fee. Not at all. I'm sorry you've been so alone and I'm glad you've found someone who eases the loneliness, but is that all it is?" Kili's eyebrows went up. "Just talking? There's, um, nothing else?"

Fili gave his brother an icy stare. "There is nothing else."

"But don't you miss that?" Kili asked.

"Of course I do. My wife's been dead for thirty years. I'm still in the prime of my life. I won't deny that those physical desires still burn within me, but that is not what this friendship is about. Don't you and Tauriel ever just sit together, doing nothing, except enjoy being next to each other? Don't you ever hold hands just to hold hands? Don't you find comfort when she is simply in the same room as you?"

"Yes, Fili. There is more to marriage than sharing a bed. I don't know how you've done it all these years. I go a day without a kiss from Tauriel and I feel deprived. I forget how hard this must be for you because you never complain."

They sat together in companionable silence for several moments, each lost in his own thoughts.

"So, Fili," Kili said finally, "Why not just marry the lass and enjoy all the benefits of a good friend, plus more?"

"I can't do that, Kili."

"Why not? And don't give me that 'I'm the king' business."

Fili stuttered for a moment. "Well, that is my number one reason."

"So tell me number two, then."

"I've been married twice - already a rarity among dwarves. I know it happens occasionally that a dwarf will marry more than once. Mother did, Fire did, I did. But three times? That's unheard of. What would my subjects say if their king marries a third time? Even saying I've had three wives sounds terrible."

"Fili, you were widowed twice, both while you were very young and Hana was widowed at a young age as well. It sounds like you both crave companionship and it's not like you are being unfaithful or having an illicit affair. So, why settle for stolen kisses by the lake side when you can marry and find that companionship anytime you need it? You both deserve that friend without shame."

"Mother and Thorin went much of their lives without a spouse. I can too."

"But you are not them," Kili said. "You don't have to give yourself to their fate. Listen to me Fili, I'm sure you have thought of every excuse under the sun and many of them are probably valid reasons for not marrying, but Fili, none of them are any good if they all make you unhappy and keep you lonely."

Fili sighed.

Kili kept going, "Thorin was a good king, but do you remember how much better he was after he married Fire? It was because he finally had someone to love and someone who loved him that wasn't his sister or his nephews. You are a great king, Fili, but you're a better king when you are happy and you haven't been truly happy since Sigrid died. Get married to your lovely Hana. I'll perform the ceremony myself, just like when you married Thorin to Fire."

"Kee, I'm just not sure it's a good idea. She is Milly's midwife. Don't you think it's a little odd?"

"Well, if I remember correctly, Tauriel was with Sigrid when Hrafn was born. Mother was there with Mailli when Milly was born and when Tauriel had the twins. Sigrid was with Tauriel for the birth of our two oldest boys. Female family members are there for each other when one gives birth. It's the family way," Kili grinned.

Fili couldn't help but smile. "Still, I think it's something I should talk to Milly about first."

"Fili?"

Fili looked to his brother. "Yeah?"

"I'm sorry you've been so alone."

Fili hugged Kili. "It's alright, and I'm never truly alone. You and Tauriel have been good to let me visit and be a part of your family anytime."

"Of course you're part of the family!" Kili laughed. "You can move in with us if that would make you feel better."

"Um, thanks, but no thanks. Now, I want to know more about Torsten and Agli. Will they really come here for the wedding?"

"We could make it a double wedding!" Kili grinned.

"No. Absolutely not," Fili said. "I will not steal Torsten's big day. I will, if they wish, marry them and that is all."

Kili laughed. "It's what they want."

"Will they live in the Glittering Caves once married?" Fili asked.

"Yes. That's my biggest complaint about this union."

"It's not so bad, Kili. I mean, the Glittering Caves are a lot closer than say, Ered Luin. Be glad they aren't going to live there." Fili patted Kili's back.

"I suppose. Agli's a sweet girl. She's pretty, kind, talented and has a dry sense of humor. She's a perfect balance to Torsten's somewhat reckless and boisterous nature."

"She sounds to be a bit like what Tauriel is for you," Fili said.

"Isn't that what a good marriage is? A balance of two people? They will be good for each other. I am happy for them. I really am. A wedding in four months!"