The next week was very busy. Not only were there the usual day to day tasks of running Erebor, there was the farming project going on, Hrafn's beacon project, preparations for the visit from King Aragorn and Queen Arwen as well as the family happenings. Life was busy for Fili and as worried as he was about Milly, Fili was feeling happier than he had in many, many years. He had someone who loved him and he loved her back. His dear Hana.

Kili was especially happy for his brother. Hana started joining the family at dinner and she was immediately accepted by the rest. As nervous as Fili was about the soon-to-arrive guests, Tauriel seemed to be the most nervous. The excitement of meeting Arwen was felt most strongly by Tauriel.

The royal party from Gondor arrived several days before Fili expected them too, but Erebor was ready to welcome its guests. For the party to include the King and Queen of Gondor, it was a fairly small travelling party.

Fili, Kili and Tauriel greeted their guests in the finest of Erebor's reception rooms.

"King Aragorn, Queen Arwen, welcome to Erebor," Fili bowed. Kili and Tauriel bowed too.

"King Fili," Aragorn took Fili's hand and wrist in his and gave it a firm squeeze.

"This is my brother, Prince Kili and his wife, Princess Tauriel," Fili introduced.

Many bows, curtsies and pleasantries were exchanged. Fili could see how nervous Tauriel was at meeting the elven queen. He knew a little of the history and hierarchy of elves. Silvan elves were of a lower class than the High Elves. Tauriel was a Silvan elf of no special parentage, whereas Arwen was daughter of Lord Elrond.

Arwen was very kind and polite and seemed very happy to meet Tauriel. She was eager to see Milly, so Kili offered Aragorn a tour of Erebor while Fili and Tauriel took Arwen to see Milly. Fili knew he should be the one to escort the king, but he had to be with his daughter. He hoped Aragorn would understand.

Graig opened the door to his home and dropped into a deep bow upon seeing his guests.

"It's an honor to have you here. Thank you for coming," Graig said.

"I'm happy to visit Erebor and I will do all I can for your wife," Arwen smiled. Tauriel led her into Milly's room, where Hana sat with her.

Fili and Graig waited outside the bedroom door. If felt to Fili as if time had come to a standstill. They waited for a very long time before the door finally opened and Hana waved them in. Her eyes were red. Fili took her hand and tried to look into her face, but she would not look back at his.

"King Fili, Prince Graig," Arwen began, "I have examined Milly and talked with the ladies here and I'm sorry to say this, but things are not looking well. Milly is very ill. I cannot cure her. If I had been able to get here sooner, earlier in the pregnancy, then I might have been able to do more for Milly," Arwen said.

At this, Hana fell to her knees. "Forgive me King Fili. Forgive me Prince Graig," Hana choked back a cry.

Fili tried to take Hana by the shoulder and help her up, but she refused. "Hana? What is this?"

"It's my fault the princess is so unwell. It was I who encouraged that we wait until spring to see if she would get better on her own. If I had sent for help right away, Milly would be well."

"Adad," Milly said, with a slightly exasperated voice, "I tried to tell her it is not her fault, but she will not listen to me."

"You told me," Hana's voice broke and she hiccupped. "You told me early on how sick the Princess's own mother had been. I should have sent for help immediately."

Fili knelt in front of Hana. He put his hand to her chin and tried to raise her head to look at him, but she resisted. "Hana, it is not your fault. Nobody blames you."

"And, from what Milly and Tauriel tell me," Arwen spoke, smiling at the small, huddled healer, "You have done everything right. You have done everything I would have done. The only difference, is I have a little elvish healing magic up my sleeves." Hana looked up to Arwen, who was smiling. "You are a great healer, Hana."

Fili pulled at Hana's shoulders again. She let him help her stand, but she still refused to look him in the eye.

"Milly's condition," Arwen said, "is very bad, but despite how poorly she is doing, the baby seems to be very healthy and is growing just as it should."

Fili looked to Milly. She was looking at her stomach, lovingly rubbing her hands over the growing swell. There was a small smile on her pale face.

"I will do everything I can, but I can make no promises of the eventual outcome. For now, I can help Milly to feel better and we will make sure the babe continues to grow big and strong."

"We are grateful for any help or relief you can give to Milly," Graig said.

"I believe she is looking better already," Fili said.

"She gave me the most odd tasting thing I have ever eaten and I thought for sure it would make me sick, but I actually felt better," Milly smiled.

"It was a small slice of an exotic plant called ginger. She chewed up the small slice and then spit it out. It can be very helpful. We will only do that in small doeses when you are feeling worst. Too much is not healthy for your baby," Arwen said. "And while you are feeling well, this might be a good time to try and get you to eat."

"Oh no," Milly whined. "I can't eat anything anymore."

"Let's try. Are hot oats available?" Arwen asked.

Hana nodded. "They are, my Lady. I will fetch her some." Hana left.

Fili immediately missed her. He wanted to chase her down, kiss her cheek, hold her hand and walk by her side, but he was afraid of being rude in front of his guest, so he stayed. Milly didn't look quite like death anymore and for that, he was grateful.

He had heard Arwen's words, though. There was no guarantee Milly would get well or survive. What she had promised was to make Milly comfortable and keep the baby healthy. Fili wanted to hide in a corner and cry, but he would never do that. He would deal with his emotions later. For now, he thanked Arwen, kissed Milly's cheek and said goodbye to Tauriel and Graig. Now he would go find Kili and Aragorn. He still had a kingdom to rule.

Judging by the smells wafting from the halls, tonight's feast was going to be an excellent one. Everyone was dressed in their finest. Even Kili and his youngest sons had put braids in their hair. Not that is mattered much with Klin and Keil. By the time dinner would be over, the braids will have come undone. Their hair was baby fine, just as Kili's had been at their age.

Aragorn and Arwen were introduced to the entire family. Klin and Keil were especially excited about their guests. Their enthusiasm made Tauriel blush in embarrassment.

"I met your eldest brother when we passed by the Glittering Caves," Aragorn smiled at the twins.

"Really?" Keil asked. "You saw Torsten?"

"Yes. Gimli and Legolas are old friends of ours, so we stopped by to see them on the way here and we had the privilege of meeting your brother and his intended," Aragron smiled.

"Are they well?" Tauriel asked.

"Very well and very happy," Arwen said. "It is easy to see they are very much in love. When will they marry?"

"This summer, if all goes well," Tauriel answered. "They plan on coming to Erebor for the wedding."

"That will be very nice," Arwen nodded her head.

"We learned about you in our lessons," Keil announced.

"Did you?" Aragorn chuckled.

"Yes, you were a companion to our cousin," Klin told him.

"I understand that Gimli is your cousin, but how, may I ask?" Aragorn laughed.

Fili bit his lip in thought and did a few calculations on his fingers. "Kili, Gimli and myself are of the same generation. We share a great-great-grandfather, Nain II."

"So a distant cousin, then?" Aragorn asked.

"Aye, but we all grew up together in the Blue Mountains," Fili explained.

"Did he accompany you to Erebor when Thorin came to reclaim his kingdom?" Aragorn asked.

"No. He was too young. He's about ten years younger than Kili, but he had not reached adulthood yet and so was not permitted to go," Fili said.

Kili was laughing. "He was angry, he was, but his father was right happy he wasn't there. The number of times we all almost died," Kili let the sentence hang.

"Did you really see a blarog?" Klin asked.

A silence filled the room. A Balrog, Durin's Bane, terror of all dwarves.

"I did and it was terrifying, but he is no more. The wizard Gandalf killed it and avenged your ancestors," Aragorn told the young lads.

"Since we learned about them from our history tutor, they've been giving me nightmares," Keil admitted.

"Me too, young prince," Aragorn said, placing a strong hand on the lad's shoulder. "But fear no longer. They are destroyed. Now, shall I tell you a funny story about your cousin, Gimli?"

Klin and Keil's eyes lit up. "Oh yes!" they answered.

"Well, there was this time, we were running from a swarm of orcs and our path was separated by a huge gap that only crumbled more and grew larger even as we stood before it. In order to help our small hobbit companions, I picked them up and tossed them to Legolas, who caught them on the other side. I reached to grab Gimli, for I was sure he could not jump the full length of the gap, but he shoved me away declaring that nobody tosses a dwarf," Aragrorn did his best Gimli impression, which had the young princes rolling. "So I let him jump and he almost didn't make it. But, Legolas grabbed him at the last moment and hauled him back up."

Everyone was laughing now and they went into the dining hall to enjoy the feast that awaited them.

Fili did not see Hana at all for several days. He stayed very busy. He and Aragorn discussed political matters and updated each other on local threats to their people as well as the successes of their people.

Fili was impressed with Aragorn's down-to-earth personality. He was friendly and personable. When Fili learned Aragorn had grown up in something of an exile to his own kingdom, like Thorin had been to his, Fili was even more impressed.

Fili went to see Milly several times, but Hana was either busy or running an errand for Milly and so he still did not get to see her.

"I think she's avoiding me," Fili told Milly.

"She's blaming herself for my condition," Milly said. "She just won't accept my forgiveness. Adad, you must speak to her."

"I've been trying and I'll keep trying. Perhaps I should challenge Kili to a spar and get myself injured. Then she would have to come help me and we could talk."

Milly chuckled. "That might work, but I'd save that for a last resort action."