Coming Of Age – Chapter 26
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In the Receiving Halls, they were standing in force; on the dais were King Thrain, Queen Nur, Princes Thorin and Frerin flanking their father's throne on his right. On the lower platform, were the four cousins, dressed in their resplendent court attires with the Durin insignias on their breastplates. ThoraLee was not present at the moment although she was dressed in her finest dress and she was wearing the Durin ring on her left hand, in the middle finger to signify her wedded status.
She hoped she did not faint in front of those detested Nogrods.
"You'll do just fine, Princess."
She looked up and saw the sentry guard nodded encouragingly at her. She smiled at him; she remembered him as the sentry who had let her see the King when she asked for an audience with Thrain. It had seemed a long time ago, so much had happened since.
"We will not let anything happen to you or anyone of the Durin family. We swore to protect with our lives, and we meant it. We swore to protect the Stone and the Durin gold that no one outside will get it." He said with a firm nod.
The other sentry on his left nodded in agreement.
Lee looked them, "Thank you. But it seemed we have been betrayed. Someone within the palace had informed the Nogrods about the Durin's gold and the Stone. Why else are they here?"
The first sentry glanced at the second one and looked back at Lee, "You are right, Princess, we have a traitor, or two. If you let us, we will get to the bottom of this."
Lee nodded, "Please be careful. The Nogrods are very cunning."
"We can be even more cunning. Rest assured, this will be handled with discretion."
Lee then said, "This will be between you and me, and Prince Thorin. What is your name?"
"Rothin and Lethim, your Highness." They answered.
"Very well, be careful."
…
Nogrod King Gul Mored I, if he could, had gotten fatter; his jowls under his neck and doubled since his last visit, as was his wife who was sporting a new dress one that was tailored for her newly widened girth.
King Thrain watched as they waddled into the Halls, surprisingly accompanied by the Princess Gruffidel on foot, instead of her golden litter and servants. Thorin privately thought they must have had enough of her nonsense, mutinied and dumped her out of her litter and made her walk instead. Served that snobbish wench right for mistreating her servants thus.
"Ah Thrain! I see your family is all here! Excellent! Excellent!" Gul Mored I exclaimed out loud as he stood before Thrain.
"Yes indeed, introductions are in order I presumed." Queen Pri clapped her chubby hands as Gruffidel eyed Thorin with interest. Thorin was wearing a new sky blue tunic and black tight pants and knee high boots while Frerin was in his new amber tunic and black pants and knee high boots.
Thrain nodded with a scowl as he introduced the Queen, Prince Frerin, and their cousins. They gave the Nogrods a somber nod.
Gul Mored took no notice of the slight as he was not here for pleasantries.
Thrain was not either, "What do we owe this visit, Gul Mored?" coming to the point.
"Well, apparently we were misled. Our… anonymous source informed us that you have found the gold and the Stone, so we came for our rightful share."
Well, how's that for direct? Thorin thought as he arched a brow at his sire.
"Your share? How dare you lay a claim to the gold and the Stone?" Thrain glared at him.
"I dare because I have the contract, Thrain."
"If memory serves me right, you tore the contract before you left."
"That was not the real contract, Thrain. Really, you think I would tear a real contract my ancestor had written, upon saving your ancestor?" Mored tried to reiterate the point.
"Ah, is that right? Well, according to the text script, and we have successfully translated the text script, your ancestor, Gul Mon had relinquish all his rights to the gold, and the Stone."
"What text script?" Gul Mored asked.
"Don't play me for a fool Mored! Everyone King in every clan knows about the text script. And how your ancestor fell and lost his head."
Gul Mored for a moment glance at his wife in nervousness before he waved his hands about and said, "That text script must not be true. The contract I have in my possession is the true one. It said that my ancestor Gul Morel saved Durin's live. And that is that. Whoever translated the script must have it wrong. I hope you did not pay him much. It is all a falsehood."
"If it is a falsehood, how come it led us to the gold and the Stone?"
Gul Mored's eyes flashed greedily, "Well, I…I…I'm sure your interpreter must have done that to want you to be in agreement with him. I want to see the gold, just to ascertain it is real, of course."
"Of course…not. It is in a very safe location, I assure you. And it is real. Real gold. My cousins here, all four of them know their gold. They have verified that it is, as well as real silver, real gem stones. A lot of them."
"A...a…a lot of them…care…care to tell me how...how much? I mean just an estimate?" Gul tried to wave a nonchalant air about him but Thrain saw the gleam in Mored's eyes.
"I'm afraid not, Mored, there were too many."
"Too…too…many…did you hear that Pri?" he turned to his wife.
"I surely did, husband." Pri had the same look as her husband.
"Father, what about me? And my arrangement?" Gruffidel spoke.
Mored nodded at her, "Ah yes, the contract…that is right. My share of the gold and the Stone and the union of my daughter and your oldest son."
Thrain began to laugh out loud.
Mored was angry as he said, "I don't see what is amusing, Thrain, this is serious business. My daughter had expressed her willingness to wed your son. To join our kingdoms and make it a bigger kingdom. You once considered a possibility on this alliance."
"Yes Mored, I did but things had changed. I do not need your kingdom and my son is now happily wedded."
"WEDDED!" Gruffidel exclaimed out loud! "To whom?"
"Yes, to whom?" Mored and Pri demanded at the same time.
"Really Mored, she is the daughter of a respectable metal smither. But the point is she my translator and as it was an agreement between my son and the lovely young lady. I have a daughter-by-law now. Besides, you told me that your daughter was too precious to wed my son. How was I to take that?" Thrain asked.
Mored opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out so he clamped it shut.
"She is not of noble birth. It should not be sanctified." Gruffidel tried to argue her point.
Mored looked up and nodded, "Yes, your son must wed a true princess. And my daughter is the true princess. She is of Nogrod clan, a real princess." He pointed out with a smirk.
Thorin frowned, "There is no law against whom I wed." He clenched his fists tightly.
"Not according to the contract stated here, signed by our ancestors." He patted his breast pocket with his chubby hand. "And with the union, I get the share of the gold, and the Stone."
"I would love to shove that damn contract up his…" Thorin muttered under his breath as Frerin's face turned red, he had heard his brother's mutterings.
"How dare you come in here and make these unfounded demands?" Thrain exclaimed angrily.
"I can because the contract stated, Thrain." Mored held his many jowled chin up.
Queen Nur suddenly spoke up as she smiled, "Would you like to meet my new daughter , Queen Pri? Thorin simply adore her. It was such a mutual union." She smiled at the plump queen.
Pri and Gruffidel exchanged nervous looks before they nodded, "Yes, Queen Nur, I'll be much delighted to meet your newest addition."
Nur nodded to a guard who then proceed to walk to the doors behind the dais and opened them. Thorin walked down the dais and waited for her approach.
Taking a deep breath and letting it out, the guard nodded at her as he gave her a slight smile and a nod as she walked forward confidently. All she saw was Thorin's encouraging face as she moved toward him. He held his hand to her as she took it and they walked together to the front of the dais.
She bowed low to Thrain and Nur, then she turned to Gul Mored and Pri and bowed to them before Thorin led her up the dais.
Standing by her mother-in-law who was beaming at her as Nur said, "Please meet my daughter, ThoraLee, daughter of Erimm…"
"Erimm!" Gul Mored blurted out as his face turned beet red.
Everyone looked at him as he tried to recover.
"Do you know her sire, Mored?" Thrain asked, intrigued.
Mored shook his head quickly, "No! Er, no…my mistake… I must have heard something else…after all, I am getting on my years…I …so, you are the daughter of this E…Erimm and what does he do?"
"My father is a metal smither, as is his brother, Crimm." Lee answered.
Mored paled slightly when he heard their name but he managed to keep his composure. "I see. They are…alive?"
Lee frowned as she thought these inquiries from a stranger were odd about her father and uncle. "Yes, your Majesty, they are well, thank you for your inquiries."
Balin looked up at Thorin in puzzled exchanged looks; Thorin arched his brow in answered.
"I think the hour is late, why don't we retire to our beds for the evening? Our servants will show you to the guests' quarters." Nur stood up as she announced.
"An excellent suggestion, Queen Nur, it was a long travel for us." Pri nodded as servants began to stream in and showed them their quarters. The Durin family remained where they were until the Nogrods were gone and they began to talk at once.
"We must have extra guards…" Thrain began but Nur shook her head, "No, they would suspect."
Lee smiled, "Why don't we put extra guards outside a room where there is nothing within?"
They all looked at her as if she was crazy but Thorin began to laugh and nodded, "Yes, the Nogrods would think that room would be the room that contained Durin's gold or the Arkenstone and they will try to get in. Might try to bribe a guard or two."
They all nodded, "I like the idea, Lee. How smart. I wonder how many pranks you and your twin had played on your sire?" Gloin asked in admiration as he shook his head chuckling.
"You don't want to know, Master Gloin, you really don't want to know, sir." She laughed.
"I hoped that if you have children, and you will have many," Nur grinned. "That they will give you as much trouble you have given your father, my dear."
"My father had given us that speech a long time ago, your Maj…mother." Lee said shyly.
Nur laughed.
Dwalin then looked at Thorin and said, "I'm afraid that is not all that."
"What do you mean?" Thorin asked his cousin.
"That princess Gru…Gro…um what's-her-name, well, she did not take too kindly our Lee snatched Thorin from under her grasp. She and her mother were talking a mile a minute the whole time her father was talking, and the looks she gave Lee was not friendly looks either. I do not trust that young lady."
Thorin shook his head, "She was all fussy and full of herself the last time she was here, I don't think she posed any danger, Dwalin."
"All I'm saying, I saw her looking at Lee, and I am not comfortable."
"What do you suggest? Lee is protected in her room, I'm with her in there." Thorin said.
Lee's face was beet red with embarrassment.
"I know. It's just…I have a bad feeling about this, that's all." Dwalin said as he looked down.
"I guess, we all have to be on our guards. The Nogrods are up to no good. I for one, trust Dwalin's bad feelings, brother or not." Balin said.
Dwalin looked at his brother gratefully.
Lee looked at Dwalin and said, "I agree with Dwalin…"then she held up her hand to Thorin for he was about to argue. "Listen to me, Khazad-zukin, this Gruffidel is much smarter than she look, outward appearance can be deceiving. She will try something…I don't know what but just be careful, all of us, to not give them any ammunition to aid in their search for the gold or the Stone. And you, Thorin, you are their key to the Durin's family."
They all stared at him.
"Me?"
"Yes. That princess wants you. If she could get herself aligned with the Durin's blood, all will be lost." Nur agreed.
"My big brother is now a sought after hot property like a prosti…OW!" At least six of fists came down on Frerin's head at the same time.
"Serves you right for using such foul language, boy!" Thrain glared at his son.
Lee covered her mouth to keep from blurting out laughing, her cheeks were glowing red.
"What was that business about Mored's interest with your sire, Lee? Do you know them?"Thrain asked.
Lee shook her head, "No I have never seen them in my life, sir. I was just as surprise as you are."
"I agree," Thorin said. "There is something about them I just don't like."
"He certainly seemed very surprise to hear about Erimm's name and Crimm's." Thrain continued.
"Perhaps, the name is a common one?" Lee offered.
The King shook his head, "Nay, it is not a common name, neither is your uncle's." He said thoughtfully.
Lee was at a loss for words; she never knew where her family was from originally. All she knew was that they grew up with the wood elves when she was very young. Her beloved mother had died when the twins were born, leaving her father to raise them. Her uncle was already working at the palace when they were growing up. That was all she knew.
"Well, I don't know about you, I think it is time to retire for the night." Nur announced when no one had anything to say.
They all nodded and bade each other a good evening.
As they left, Dwalin and Balin pulled Thorin aside to discuss an idea they had…
…
End of Chapter 26