"It's embarrassing, that's what it is."

"Perhaps there was a political advantage in the decision."

"There was not. She's a nobody."

The door was partially opened. Kili stood still and listened to the small group talking. He was sure he knew what they were discussing.

"Is she newly arrived in Erebor? I've not seen her before."

"I don't know. I've never seen her either."

"How long have they known each other?"

"I hear she's the princess's midwife."

"So all of the sudden, the King marries this midwife who is a nobody and we are expected to treat her as a queen?"

"They observed no proper protocols in courting or marriage. Not even an announcement."

"And, it's his third marriage. It's a mockery to our way of life. No dwarf has ever married so many times. And he's the King. He should be setting the example."

Kili was angry. No one could talk about Fili and Hana like that. He kept listening although he was ready to pull out his sword and remove some council heads.

"Perhaps he had to marry her."

"What are you saying?"

"This lass appears out of no where and the king marries her without anyone having really ever seen them together?"

"You think she might be carrying the king's illegitimate child?"

"King Fili's not like that."

"Well, can you think of another reason for this sudden, out-of-the-blue marriage?"

Now Kili was very angry. He pushed the door open. The room fell silent.

"Prince Kili," one of them stuttered.

"I could charge each of you with treason," Kili's eyes were dark. "I would expect better of the King's Council than to spread vicious rumors."

"Our apologizes, Prince Kili. We should not have spoken so."

"No, wait," one of them said. "I want to know about this third wife of the king. She is a nobody. He ups and marries her in a secret ceremony and we are suppose to accept her as queen?"

"You don't know how lucky you are," Kili said. "Your personal life is just that - your personal life. But the King's, personal life is your topic of gossip. His wedding was not secret nor was it dishonestly done. It was attended by family only at the couple's request and performed by me. I have the right and authority as Prince to marry the King."

"I still want to know."

Kili's gaze fell upon them all. Six dwarves, total. Half of Fili's Royal Council. One of the council members looked genuinely distressed at the gossip that had been going on and was the first to apologize, but the rest were a bunch of old ninnies and Kili hated them at that moment.

"I will tell you what you need to know. Only so you will not spread false rumors." Kili's hand rested on the pommel of the knife he wore at his belt. "Hana is a healer. She has lived in Erebor for fifty-five years. She attended my mother, Lady Dis, at her deathbed. She is currently the personal midwife of Princess Milly. She is well respected among her healer peers and the Princess trusts her completely. That is reason enough to show her respect."

Many of the dwarves lowered their heads.

Kili went on, "King Fili has been twice widowed. The first was when he was in his mid-eighties and after a year of marriage. Princess Sigrid died more than thirty years ago. It is a long life to be alone and even more so for a king. The queen, Hana, lost her husband seventeen years ago during the War for Erebor. Fili and Hana found friendship with each other, their hearts filled after such a long time alone."

"Still, a third marriage? It's scandalous."

"How long have you been married?" Kili asked.

"One hundred forty two years."

"Then you could never understand Fili's circumstance. Don't you dare presume to judge him. And the worst thing I heard out of your mouths was the idea that Fili would have an illegitimate child." Kili was waving his knife at the other dwarves now. They kept an eye on the knife pointed at them. "Not that it is any of your business, but he has remained celibate from Sigrid's death until the wedding night with Hana, last night. How long have you gone?"

Several council members stuttered incoherently, shocked their Prince would ask such a question.

Kili continued, "Obviously, you have not even considered the possibility that if the King and Queen someday have a son, the throne to Erebor will be secured since Prince Hrafn nor any of my sons can sit on the throne. What if Princess Milly gives birth to a daughter? What would happen after Fili and my death? The line of Durin would be broken and my cousins from the Iron Hills have the claim. Fili and Hana could produce the next heir to the throne; a true son of Durin."

"We had not considered that."

"Obviously," Kili's voice was deep and rumbling, reminding everyone very much of Thorin.

"But this healer is of no rank."

Kili was really hating this dwarf. He seemed to be looking for a reason to get rid of Fili with unimportant details. Kili would see this dwarf off the council and out of Erebor very soon.

"My father was a dwarrow of low rank, but do you doubt Fili's or my claim to the throne? We are the sons of Dis, daughter of Thrain, son of Thror, direct descendant of Durin."

"My prince."

"Hana is queen now, the first queen in Erebor since my great-great-grandmother and no matter Hana's birth rank, she is a woman and you are to show her respect as I expect you to show all women respect."

"Yes, sir," the dwarves spoke as one.

Kili hoped this satisfied the dwarves curiosity. He would not tell Fili about this, but he was going to see these council members paid dearly for their doubt and wagging tongues.

I meant to address this in my story, but forgot about it until today, so it has become a mini-chapter inserted into the story.

Yes, Fili and Hana's wedding would have caused a bit of a scandal. And that was the very thing that Fili feared when he first started to realize his feelings for Hana. But Kili saw what Fili could not - Fili was happier and a better king to his people when he wasn't so sad and lonely. Fili didn't deserve to be alone for the rest of his life simply because of social fears.

I mentioned that Erebor hadn't seen a queen since Thror's wife. In my previous story, I did have Thorin marry a lass named Fire, but he did not make her his queen. She was his wife, someone to love until they died, but he did not put her in that political position. Thrain's wife would have been a princess. Dis was a princess. Sigrid was a princess, since Fili was crowned after her death. When he married Hana, he made her queen.

Remember, I own none of this. It's my own take on an AU story. :)