Disclaimer: The Hobbit does not belong to me, but to Professor Tolkien, Peter Jackson, and his Company.

Gem of His Heart

"Drifa," the dwarf king slurred in his fever-ravaged sleep. "Where is our child, Drifa?" he called, his voice louder this time.

Kili's eyebrows rose as he made sense of his uncle's words. He turned to Tauriel, but she slept soundly on the couch in the corner. With a sigh, Kili leaned forward. "It will be all right, Uncle. I will send for Drifa in the morning."

"Drifa," Thorin mumbled once again.

"You can see her tomorrow, Uncle," Kili soothed.

Thorin quieted then although the fever continued to rage in his body.

Chapter 10

The hours passed by slowly. Tauriel still slept quietly on the couch in the corner of the room. Kili had tucked a warm blanket snuggly around her shoulders and kissed her cheek softly.

"Love you, Kili," she murmured.

He smiled and ran a tender hand over her red tresses. "As I love you," he whispered, feeling grateful when she sunk back into slumber. He hadn't wanted to disturb her.

Kili turned his attention back to Thorin. The dwarf king was still fevered, yet he did not feel quite as warm to the touch. His breathing was raspy, however, and fever dreams continued to plague him. Kili found himself considering his uncle's delirious words from earlier in the evening. Had Thorin fathered a child with Drifa? Was there an heir to the throne of Erebor other than Fili? If so, had Thorin known of the child?

Kili felt a dull ache begin to throb behind his eyes. He needed to talk to his brother. Had Thorin's offspring, his cousin, been purposely kept a secret all of these years?

Wetting a rag with cool water, Kili placed it gently on Thorin's brow before he moved to the fireplace and lifted the kettle to pour a mug of hot water for Oin's special tea. It was time to try to get more of the healing mixture down Thorin's throat. He stirred in the herbs and waited for the tea to steep before he moved to Thorin's bedside and lifted his uncle's head carefully.

"Here you go, Uncle. This will have you feeling better soon." Ever so gently, Kili worked until Thorin had swallowed most of the tea. Then he placed the mug to the side and wiped away the tea he had managed to dribble down Thorin's chin.

The door opened slowly, and Kili looked up to see his brother enter the room. Relief filtered through him. Fili would know how to approach their uncle about this child he had mentioned. "I am glad you are here, Fi," Kili breathed.

"What is wrong? Is Uncle worse?" Fili panicked as he hurried to Thorin's side and felt his forehead.

Kili shook his head. "No, but something he said…." He trailed off as Tauriel sat up on the couch and began to rub her eyes.

"Good morning, Love," Kili smiled tenderly. He loved the sight of his wife looking rumpled and sleepy. It made his heart thump just a bit harder every time even though he got to see her this way every morning.

"Morning," she yawned. "Are you here to relieve my husband, Fili?"

"Aye, Tauriel," he informed her, quirking a questioning eyebrow at his brother as Tauriel turned to fold up her blanket.

"You go on to our rooms, Kili," she tossed over her shoulder at her husband. "I will go to the kitchens and get us something to eat."

"Thank you, Tauriel," Kili smiled as he tugged her close for a kiss. "I am starving."

Tauriel squeezed his arm. "Do not be long," she told him as she left the room.

Fili immediately turned back to his younger brother. "What was it that Uncle said that has you concerned?" he asked as he glanced at Thorin. The dwarf king slept soundly, his chest rising and falling rhythmically.

Kili sighed. "I do not know if we should even be concerned. It was just Uncle rambling in the midst of his fever, but he has been calling out for Drifa."

"Aye, he was doing that out on the hillside," Fili pointed out. "We know Drifa and Uncle have a history together. "

"But that is not all he said, Fi," Kili sighed. "He asked Drifa about their child."

Fili's mouth dropped open in surprise and his blue eyes widened. "Uncle said that?"

Kili nodded. "I do not know if there actually is a child or perhaps Uncle wished there had been one."

Fili ran a hand over his face and began to pace the room as he considered the information his brother had just shared with him. Finally, he looked up at Kili. "Do not say a word of this to anyone," he ordered. "We need to make sure Drifa does not leave with Dain until Uncle has a chance to speak with her."

Kili nodded. "Maybe we should ask Drifa about the child," he stated slowly.

Fili stopped his pacing and gave his brother a startled look. "I do not know, Ki. It is not really any of our business."

"But Uncle-," Kili began.

"No!" Fili shook his head sternly. "Say nothing to anyone, not even Drifa," he commanded his brother. "This is Uncle's business, Ki. We should stay out of it."

Kili sighed beneath his brother's penetrating gaze. "I am going to find my wife and have breakfast. Send for me if you need me."

"Remember, Kili. This is between us," Fili repeated.

Kili nodded and slipped out of the sick room to find Tauriel.

Drifa woke to a pounding headache and a sore throat. A chill shot through her and she pulled the blankets higher up beneath her chin. It was time to get up and help Queen Nal prepare for the day ahead, but Drifa didn't want to move.

She forced herself to throw back the covers and felt light-headed as she rose to her feet. Slowly, she made her way to the mirror and gazed into the looking glass. She was paler that usual, making her green eyes stand out in her oval face. Red splashes of color stood out high on her cheekbones. She had a fever.

Moving carefully, she managed to dress in a simple gown and pull her hair back in a braid. It was all she could muster for the day. Another dizzy spell assaulted her and she leaned against the cool stone of the wall until it passed. She longed for something hot to soothe her burning throat, but there was no time. Queen Nal would have someone knocking on her door any moment if she didn't hurry.

As quickly as she could, Drifa proceeded down the hall to Dain and Nal's suite and knocked, announcing her presence. As soon as she entered the room, the queen took one look at her and gasped.

"Drifa, you look affright!" Nal exclaimed. "Are you ill?"

Drifa leaned weakly against the back of a chair. "I believe I caught a chill, but I can manage, M' Lady."

"Nonsense!" Nal argued. "You have a fever. Back to bed with you!" She shooed Drifa toward the door. "I will find someone to help me for the day. You just rest."

"But are we not leaving this morning?" Drifa asked in confusion. "I need to pack your belongings."

Nal shook her head. "Dain only returned a short while ago with the bodies of the missing guards. He will want a day to rest as well. We will leave on the morrow."

Drifa sighed with relief. Her body ached all over and her mind felt foggy. "I am sorry, M' Lady," she apologized once again.

"To bed with you," Nal insisted as she gently turned Drifa toward the door.

Drifa shuffled slowly down the hallway to her own small room. She did not even bother to change back into her nightclothes. She climbed between the sheets fully clothed and was soon fast asleep.

Thorin came back to wakefulness slowly. His brain felt sluggish and foggy; he could not think straight. The dwarf king was aware of a pain shooting up his leg and an ache in his torso when he tried to breathe too deeply. His breath rasped in his ears and he felt hot, uncomfortably so.

"Uncle," a voice murmured at his side, "it is all right."

Thorin felt a cool rag pressed to his forehead. Oh, it felt so good. He tried to place the voice; he was certain he knew the dwarf it belonged to. Gentle hands adjusted the blanket beneath his chin, and the voice spoke again.

"It is almost time for more of Oin's tea. I will mix it for you. It will help with the pain."

It was Fili, his oldest sister-son, speaking to him. Relief filtered through Thorin as he finally remembered. His eyelids felt so heavy, but he struggled to lift them until he could see the firelight flickering against the stone walls of the room.

Fili turned from the fireplace with a mug of steaming water in his hands. His eyes widened when he realized Thorin was awake. "Uncle! We have been so worried about you." He hurried forward and placed the mug on the table beside the bed. "How are you feeling?"

Thorin tried to speak, but his throat was parched. The words came out as a whisper. "I will live."

"Here, let me make your tea. It will soothe your throat." Fili stirred the herbs into the hot water and continued to speak. "Oin says that your leg should heal correctly. Drifa had set it, but all of your thrashing around on the way back to the mountain jostled it about. Oin had to set it again."

"Drifa," Thorin repeated with a frown. There was something that unsettled him when Fili mentioned his former lover, but his brain refused to form the thought properly.

"Aye, we will see that she comes to visit you later," Fili informed his uncle, watching Thorin carefully for his reaction. The dwarf king merely frowned as his brow creased in thought.

Fili propped some pillows behind his uncle and helped Thorin drink his tea. "Do you feel up to some broth?" he asked. "I know that Cook has some ready for you."

Thorin considered the offer for a moment. "I believe I will try to get some more sleep. I am tired."

"It is probably the fever making you feel so exhausted," Fili pointed out as he helped his uncle settle back beneath the covers. "Perhaps you will feel up to the broth when you wake."

"Aye," Thorin murmured, already drifting off to sleep.

When Drifa woke, she felt worse if that was possible. Her head and body still ached; her throat was so sore that she could barely swallow; and now she had a stuffy nose. Her skin burned with fever and she longed for a cool bath, but she was too exhausted and ill to even think about preparing one. Instead, she rolled over in bed and coughed, a deep, harsh, rattling sound in her chest.

She knew she needed to get up. She needed to check on Nal. Pushing back the covers, Drifa rose to her feet, but swayed dizzily. They were leaving in the morn. She must pack the clothes. She only made it a few more feet before she stumbled and collapsed to the floor in a heap.

When Drifa woke next, she was in a bed buried in a stack of warm blankets. A gray-bearded dwarf bustled around the room stirring up a mixture in a mug. Drifa thought perhaps he was the dwarf who had helped care for Thorin out on the hillside.

"Ah, you're awake," he smiled. "You gave Queen Nal quite a scare. She is the one who found you unconscious on the floor," he explained.

Drifa looked up at him in confusion. "Who are you?" she rasped out.

"I am Oin, the chief healer in Thorin's kingdom," the dwarf explained. "You caught a nasty chill out in the rain."

"I must go," Drifa protested as she tried to sit up. "I have to help Queen Nal pack."

Oin shook his head. "Oh, no, you are in no condition to be up and about. Dain and Nal left this morning, but Prince Fili assured them that he would see that you are safely escorted home to the Iron Hills once you have recovered."

"They have returned home and left me here?" Drifa repeated in horror.

"Aye," Oin told her gently, "but do not worry. You will be cared for here, and Prince Fili will keep his word. You have nothing to be concerned about."

Drifa sank back against the pillows, her stomach twisting in dread. She had told Thorin about the child and now she was trapped here in Erebor until she was well enough to travel. A moan escaped her lips and she turned to bury her face in the pillow. All she wanted to do was escape and run as far from Erebor and Thorin as possible. She could not face Thorin, she absolutely could not. The thought made her feel faint. What if he asked about their child – her child? Nausea twisted sourly in her stomach and Oin held a pot before her as she retched helplessly into its depths.

To Be Continued…