Chapter Fifteen
After enjoying a nice meal in the Great Hall, Thorin approached Bernadette. "Bernadette, I have a special gift for you, and now its time for me to give it to you." said Thorin, smiling. To Bernadette's surprise, Thorin knelt to her, revealing a beautiful diamond ring. "Bernadette Baggins, I have loved you since the day we met, my love for you grows stronger each day. Bernadette, what I ask of you is to become my wife and Queen?" said Thorin, looking into Bernadette's eyes. Bernadette's mouth dropped open. She didn't know what to think, but she had been expecting a proposal from Thorin anytime, like she had told her brother before entering Mirkwood Forest.
Bernadette smiled, and she gave Thorin her answer. "Yes, I will marry you and become your wife and Queen!" beamed Bernadette. Thorin smiled brightly, slipping the ring on Bernadette's left finger. "And now the second part of your gift, its part of our culture to braid our loved one's hair, giving them beads as a token, making the engagement official!" said Thorin, and the two sat on the floor, and Thorin began braiding Bernadette's hair, placing the beads in her hair. "Does anyone have a mirror?" asked Bernadette.
"Does anyone have a mirror! We have some many mirrors among the treasure. Luckily, we got one nearby!" said Thorin, and he reached for a mirror. Bernadette looked into the mirror. "Oh, Thorin they're beautiful!" smiled Bernadette. The two stood up, and embraced. Thorin wrapped his arms around Bernadette. "Should we go an announce to the others of our engagement, Thorin?" asked Bernadette. Thorin smiled. "Yes. Lets go tell the others." said Thorin, and Bernadette followed Thorin into the Treasure room, where the others are located, going through the treasure, also helping Thorin find the Arkenstone.
"Listen up, everyone!" Thorin called out to his company and Bilbo. Everyone turned their eyes on Thorin. And Thorin told them of his and Bernadette's engagement. The dwarves cheered, congratulating the two of them. Bilbo ran to Thorin and Bernadette hugging them both. "See? I told you Thorin would eventually propose to you!" smiled Bilbo. Bernadette patted her brother's back. "Thank you." said Bernadette. "Bernadette, if you want to, you can walk around the kingdom if you want. I'm going to look for the Arkenstone." said Thorin. "Okay." said Bernadette. Bilbo's eyes clouded with worry, and remained silent.
Bernadette noticed Bilbo's mood change. "What's wrong, Bilbo?" asked Bernadette.
"I cannot tell you right now, Bernadette. I'll tell you later." said Bilbo sadly and he walked away. This was going to bother Bernadette all day, trying to figure out what is bothering her brother. And so Bernadette decided to explore the kingdom. She shortly came to a corridor, with several doors that belong to some rooms. The first door was Thorin's room, and she decided to look in his room. She seen a bed, a dresser, and she saw a small room what appeared to be an office, adjoined to the room. In the corner of the room, stood Thorin's grand harp. Bernadette smiled.
She hoped this evening Thorin would play a song for her on his grand harp. After looking in Thorin's room, Bernadette continued to walk further down the corridors. Suddenly, she could hear a small cry coming from one of the rooms. "Help! Somebody help me please!" cried out the voice. It was a female voice. Out of curiosity, Bernadette approached the door where the voice was coming from. Bernadette opened the door, and there sat a raven haired dwarf female looking at Bernadette. "Oh!" said Bernadette, startled at seeing the dwarf female alone in the room.
"How can I ever thank you for getting me out of here! The dragon held me prisoner in this room. I hope the dragon isn't still here is he?" said the dwarf woman. "No, he's gone." replied Bernadette. "Oh, excuse me! I'm forgetting my manners. My name is Dis, daughter of Thrain, granddaughter of Thror, King Under the Mountain!" smiled Dis, shaking Bernadette's hand. "You're Thorin's sister!" exclaimed Bernadette, her eyes widened in surprise and delight. "Yes, you know my brother?" said Dis, grinning. "Yes, in fact, Thorin and his companions are here. Oh, my name is Bernadette Baggins, hobbit from the Shire!" smiled Bernadette.
"It is an honor of meeting you, Miss Baggins." said Dis. "Come, lets take you to see your brother and your kin!" smiled Bernadette. Dis smiled, and the two walked together, returning to the treasure room. "I got an idea, lets surprise them!" said Bernadette. "Okay. How do we do that?" whispered Dis. "I'll enter the room first, and I will raise my hand signaling you to come out!" said Bernadette. Dis nodded in agreement. Bernadette entered the treasure room. "Back already?" said Dwalin. "Yes, where's Thorin?" asked Bernadette. "Still looking for the Arkenstone. Why?" asked Dwalin.
"I got a surprise for him!" said Bernadette, and she raised her hand.
Shortly, Dis entered the treasure room. Dwalin's eyes lit up in delight. "DIS!" cried out the dwarf cheerfully. "Master Dwalin! Long time no see, old friend!" said Dis, and the two dwarves hugged. "THORIN!" cried out Dwalin. "What is it Dwalin? I'm busy-DIS! How-but how?!" stammered Thorin. "Miss Baggins here found me. The dragon held me prisoner here. She came and let me out of the room." said Dis. Thorin and Dis talked for a long time, catching up, Thorin telling her their quest from the very beginning, and about Bilbo and Bernadette saving his life from Azog.
Dis smiled brightly at the hobbits. Last but not least, he tells Dis of his engagement with Bernadette. "Oh, I'm so happy for you the two of you! I cannot wait to help plan the wedding!" said Dis with excitement. Bernadette grinned. "Now, if you must excuse me, I have something I need to finish looking for." said Thorin and he walked away. "He's still looking for that stone?" asked Bernadette. "Yep. He's been looking for a while. Just a heads up, I wouldn't want to get him angry right now." said Dwalin. "Not planning on it." said Bernadette. Shortly, Gandalf arrived, and he entered the treasure room.
"You don't mind if I borrow Bernadette and Bilbo for a few minutes?" Gandalf asks Thorin. Thorin smiled. "I don't mind at all. Why are you needing them?" asked the dwarf suspiciously. "I'm only going to talk to them for a few minutes that's all. Don't worry, I'll bring them back." said Gandalf. "Okay." said Thorin, and he went back to what he was doing. "Bilbo, Bernadette. Can we talk out on the Front Gate please?" said Gandalf. "Sure!" said Bernadette. Bilbo nodded, and they followed the wizard out to the Front Gate. Shortly, they are outside, and Gandalf looked at Bilbo. "Bilbo, you still have it?" asked the wizard. "Have what?!" snapped Bernadette, puzzled on what is going on.
"Bernadette, I have something to tell you. I don't know how you're going to react to this, but I have the Arkenstone in my possession." said Bilbo. "Bilbo Baggins! No! Why are you doing this? That is Thorin's! You need to give it back to him!" snapped Bernadette hotly. "I can't, Bernadette. This is the only way of saving him from the gold sickness. I'm only looking out for Thorin's best interests, that's all." said Bilbo. "You are part of this plan too, Bernadette. You, alongside with your brother, will be taking the Arkenstone to Bard." said Gandalf. "No…No! I cannot do this! That's betrayal! I cannot betray my future husband!" cried out Bernadette.
"Bernadette, do you want Thorin to succumb into the sickness?" asked Gandalf.
"No! No! I don't! There has to be other ways than this to save him!" Bernadette quickly said. "There is no other way, but this way, Bernadette. Bernadette, there will be tough repercussions from this, but sometimes when you love someone, you have to do what you have to do!" said Gandalf. "Please, Bernadette. We have to do this." said Bilbo. Bernadette stood there, tears streaming down her face. She felt like her world crashing down on her in a flash. The thought of betraying Thorin, to save him from falling under madness is painful. And not only that, she worried she would lose him-for good, no matter what, gold sickness or no.
Suddenly, to Bernadette's surprise, she saw Fili and Kili, alongside with Oin standing behind them. "We're part of this plan too, Bernadette." said Fili. "Fili! Kili! No, you can't! You're related! You cannot possibly be part of this too!" exclaimed Bernadette. "Gandalf convinced us this is the only way to save him, and we agreed to it." said Kili. "No, no! I'm not going to have this! I cannot do this! I'm sorry!" blurted out Bernadette. "Bernadette, I know this is going to be difficult for you, but you have to do this. Trust us, Bernadette. And if it comes to Thorin sending you away, we'll convince him not to." said Kili.
Bernadette stood there, wiping a tear away from her eyes.
"Okay! I'll do this." said Bernadette, her voice sounding strong, after taking deep breaths. "Bilbo, Bernadette. Go ahead and take the Arkenstone to Bard. We will wait right here for your return." said Gandalf. The hobbits nodded, and the walked away, walking down the Mountain, making their way to the camp of the Elves and Men that had just arrived below the Mountain. Meanwhile, Fili and Kili entered the Mountain. Dis greeted them, much to their surprise, as they entered the Mountain. "Mother!" cried out Fili and Kili together, and the ran to their mother, hugging her tightly. "My sons!" exclaimed Dis, tears streaming down her face, as she hugged them.
Thorin smiled. "I see that you are healed up, Kili." said Thorin. "You have to thank Captain Tauriel for it. It was her that healed him." said Fili. "I cannot forget that lovely face. She is so beautiful!" sighed Kili. "Kili, you're not in love with her, are you?" chuckled Dis. "Don't get started on that, mother. Because he is." said Fili. Thorin snorted. "Its probably just a crush. And I am hoping it would stay that right. No nephew of mine is going to court an elf!" snarled Thorin, and he walked away. "What's his problem?" snapped Kili. "Kili, don't worry about it, okay?" said Dis, patting her son on his shoulder.