Chapter 51
The last few weeks that led up to Kili and Tauriel's wedding flew by. On top to the visits to the healers to check on the progress of the pregnancy, I was too busy to do anything else. The snow had finally melted and things around the mountain were turning green again. The air was just a little warmer, and it was felt by everyone. Moods picked up and there was much more happiness inside Erebor. I hummed softly to myself as I sat with Tauriel as she got ready.
Everyone who was supposed to be here had arrived days ago. We had been having feast after feast to celebrate the upcoming marriage, and I knew tonight was going to be even better. Tauriel smiled at me quietly, as Dis fixed something in the elf maiden's hair.
"You are nervous?" I asked.
"Hardly," she smiled. "Excited. I didn't realize I could ever be this happy."
"Strange thing, isn't it?" I mused, smiling back at her.
She giggled softly, and sat still as Dis finished what she was doing. We were both dressed up and ready for the day, and I hummed to myself in happiness. Finally, someone else was getting their own happy ending. The line of Durin would continue with or without them being alive. It had been foretold. Nothing would stop it. I brushed a hand over my stomach and sighed.
While I enjoyed being pregnant, it was also so hindering. I couldn't do all the usual things I enjoyed doing. Like say, getting into trouble. I had started becoming the usual Queen in my pregnancy, but I was also so thrilled to meet the new little being. I nodded to Dis when she motioned to me, and I left the room to go down to the large hall and find Thorin.
Everyone was already there and this time, I was to be seated beside the King. He was marrying his nephew and his bride. I saw him standing there looking as royal as ever. Not that he ever could get away with not looking the part. I approached him, and smiled when he reached for my hand and pulled me close to kiss my temple.
"How is she fairing?" he rumbled.
"She is excited," I answered. "And how are you?"
"I will cope with this," he grunted. "I cannot complain. I married you, after all."
"A very wise answer, my lord," I teased, and he arched his brow at me.
I caught the hint of amusement in his eyes however, and I smiled wide. Taking my place at his side, we waited for a short while before the ceremony started. If anyone was nervous, it was Kili. When he came to stand before us, he was twitching slightly. I met his gaze when he finally looked my way, and gestured to him. I instructed him to take a large breath and let it out slowly, to help relax his body. Behind him, Fili patted him on the shoulder, giving him support.
Off to the side, Thranduil was there along with a few elves from his woods. Legolas was not there, and it interested me as to why the Prince was not among them. I decided that it was not worth paying attention to. Instead, I focused on the path when Tauriel walked out and joined Kili before us. I knew there were tears in his eyes as he stood with her. She looked absolutely stunning, and I found myself smiling at it. We were so used to see her in her usual clothes, that this was almost a shock.
I stood silently as Thorin began to speak, and from then on it was a blur. The hall burst into cheers when Thorin gave his blessing to the couple, and they kissed. I was not surprised when Thranduil did nothing, but for once he wasn't wearing his icy mask. I had never seen Kili look so happy in all his life. It hit me right in the heart, because I knew this had almost been taken from them. It was refreshing to see something go right.
"I pray that this will be the start of something new," Thorin suddenly announced. "Proof that our races can live together, and be at peace instead of war. Bless you, my sister's son, and your new wife. Mahal be with you both."
The party that erupted after was about as grand as ours had been. There was singing and dancing, and a mix of races that had never been seen before. I was so happy all our hard work had paid off. I hummed softly to myself as I watched from the royal table as Kili danced with Tauriel, learning one of her dances. The party lasted well into the night, and sadly I couldn't last along with it. Bard and his family had been there, and it was nice to see that he, Thorin, and Thranduil were speaking together.
For once, they were not talking about war, but were attempting at finding a peace amongst them. I knew that alone would be hard on Thorin, since his hatred for the elf usually surpassed most of his emotions. Tonight, however I watched him handle himself with ease, and he was firmly clamped down on his temper. I smiled as I slipped quietly away, and glanced to the large crowd to see Fili teaching Sigrid something. The princess of Dale was looking beautiful, and she was laughing along with Fili. I memorized everything I was looking at before heading to my room. The party was surely going to last until dawn, and there was no way that I was going to make it that far. The baby moved when it was finally quiet, and I rubbed a hand over my belly to soothe both of us.
I wrapped up in a thick blanket once I was out of my clothes and headed to the balcony to see the stars. Taking a breath, I lifted my eyes to the night and felt myself relax slowly. Who would have guessed that anyone could ever experience happiness such as this. The Valar were truly blessing us right now. I could only hope it was going to continue for a while. After such hardship, they all deserved the world.
"Too much for you, my Queen?"
I turned, hearing Thorin and smiled at him. "I am not properly prepared to deal with such a feast," I chuckled.
"Noted," Thorin hummed, coming out and laying his hands on my swollen belly. "How fairs the babe?"
"Strong as ever," I answered. "Moving around happily now that the music stopped."
"What do you think he will be like?" Thorin mused, looking back to me.
"As stubborn as his father, and as big of a trouble maker as his mother is," I smiled.
"Still leaning toward boy?"
"Of course. It would be a blessing. A girl second would be better," I smiled.
He chuckled, and pressed his forehead to mine as he waited. Soon enough, movement had him looking down. Skin stretched as the baby moved around, adjusting to get comfortable or just moving to move. He seemed to never get sick of seeing it, as his eyes would light up each time. I watched him, and reached up to brush my fingers through his hair briefly.
"To many more happy days," I murmured.
"Aye," he rumbled, pressing a kiss to my lips.
And for once, all was right within our world.
"It couldn't get any bloody hotter," I growled in annoyance.
Dis chuckled and glanced over at me. "Well, your body was the one who decided it wanted to do this now."
"Better than having a babe in the winter," Tauriel commented.
I sighed dramatically, and ignored them both as I stood quietly. I was so uncomfortable, and there was nothing I could do to change it. I felt as big as the mountain itself, and that was a huge lie, but I still felt that way. The last two months had gone by so fast. The rebuilding of Laketown had finally ended, and now slowly and surely people were coming back to the city. Soon, this place would be the center of trade in the North, just as it had been almost a hundred years ago. I sucked in a soft breath, and closed my eyes quietly.
"Arina?" Dis asked, her voice soft. "Are you all right?"
"Hmm," I answered, keeping my eyes closed.
"Arina," Dis demanded, coming to my side.
"I am uncomfortable," I murmured, and turned away from the balcony.
The sudden contraction that went through me almost had me sinking down to the ground it was that overwhelming. A soft gasp left my mouth, and I reached out and put a hand on the wall and reached for Dis. She was there immediately, and grabbed me, to make sure I wasn't going to fall.
"It's time," she murmured. "Tauriel, please fetch the King. Direct him to the healing halls."
"Of course," the elf nodded.
"Come, we have to go," Dis ordered.
I groaned in defiance to order, but knew we had to go. The trip down the private hall and to where we needed to go was almost painful. By the time we reached the room that had been prepared for me, I was sweating. It is extremely difficult to describe what a contraction felt like, but during each one I had the extreme desire to push. My brain told me it wasn't time yet, so I focused on not pushing. The healers were ushered in when I was shed of my clothes and put in a night dress.
The process that started after I was laid on the bed was the most intense experience of my life. Everything went extremely fast, which the healers had not been predicting. When it was time to push, I gave everything I had just to get it over with. Thorin did not come in during the labor, and I was partly glad for it. Dis had left me in the hands of the healers, and I put my mind into what I had to do.
"You are doing great, just a little more," the healer smiled, positioned between my legs. "Everything is going smoothly, promise."
"That better not be a lie," I growled, and she chuckled.
"I wouldn't be able to, my lady," she smiled. "You are just past the shoulders. Give me one more push. Give it all you got."
Grinding my teeth, I felt tears leak from my eyes from the amount of pain I was in. However, my adrenaline was over riding that, and I gave one last firm push and suddenly there was the screaming of a baby. Everyone in the room started moving around, and I flopped back on the bed. Leary patted my forehead with a warm cloth and I listened to the sound of my baby. She smiled at me, and then glanced at the healer as she gently kneaded my belly.
"Ok, one last thing, give me another push. Not harsh, just to help us a little," she said, and I numbly listened to her.
I barely registered them cleaning me up down there before I was suddenly greeted with the sight of my baby. Leary had left my side to go fetch the babe, and she quietly sat the baby in my arms.
"A boy," she smiled, and I felt tears come to my eyes again. "And he is healthy. Good weight, and strong little thing."
I gently reached up and touched my son's cheek, and he whined a little before opening his eyes. They were a deep blue, just like his father's. I sucked in a soft breath and kept control of myself. We were alone for a little while, and the healer helped me put him to my breast to feed. The sharp pain that followed quickly numbed and soon I was left watching him feed.
After about an hour of just us, and the healers making sure we were both fine, the door was opened so that Thorin could come in. I knew he had been right outside the door, and I knew all of my crying and straining had taken its toll on him. He hurried in, and any worry that had been on his face melted the moment he saw us. Everyone left the room, aside from the healer who had delivered the baby.
"A boy," I smiled, my voice tired.
"A boy," he repeated, his voice a whisper.
When he walked over, I gently lifted him up to hand him over to his father. The look on Thorin's face had me crying. His thumb traced over the delicate cheek, and the little boy gurgled tiredly. He was fed, and now I knew he was ready to sleep. I got myself under control, and continued to tiredly watch my husband with his first son. His eyes immediately softened as he traced the little cheek, and he was murmuring Khuzdul to him.
"He's beautiful," Thorin whispered. "He has your nose."
"Mostly I see his father," I smiled, wiping the tears from my eyes.
We were given a little more time, before I was ushered to stand on my own feet. That alone was more painful than anything, but I managed it. The healer looked at me gently, as my eyes closed in agony.
"Soon, your healing abilities will kick in. I'm sure you won't feel like this tomorrow," she said gently. "If only we were all so lucky."
"I have so much more respect for those who aren't," I whispered.
She chuckled. "Come, let's get you showered. I think you can have a moment of peace."
The shower was heaven, and I took a little longer than usual. I had noticed that the bleeding had stopped after about thirty minutes in the shower, and I could feel myself healing. I pursed my lips, and finished washing up before I was back in some clothes. We had everything set up in our chambers for the baby, and the gifts that had been given to us had been more than enough. I had managed to buy a few things myself, and I wanted nothing more than to go to bed.
"He should sleep for a while," the dwarf smiled. "Go and rest while you can, my lady."
"Thank you," I whispered.
"No need," she nodded, bowing.
Flanked by guards, we made our way back to our chambers in secret. Thorin had expertly held the baby in one arm, while helping me with the other in case I needed it. I was so tired, that I had no idea how I made it to the room in one piece. Once I knew our son was safely in his crib, I was asleep on the couch beside it.
I slept until his soft cries woke me up, and I was immediately on my feet and moving. Having been around plenty of babies, I knew exactly what to do and how to handle things when needed. Thorin was also awake, and he lit a few candles for me to provide more light, and I was soon breastfeeding our son happily. The sharp pain of his pull soon went away, and I was left staring at the King.
"Have you thought of any names?" he asked softly.
"Not yet," I said tiredly. "I'm still trying to get over the fact that I'm actually holding him."
Thorin chuckled and walked over to hand me a glass of water from the pitcher that was in the room. I finished it off quickly, and soon I was back to attending to our son. I changed his bottom, wrapping him in a new cloth and slowly putting him back in his bed. I stared at him for a while, my eyes heavy with sleep. Thorin quietly moved in behind me, and rubbed my back gently.
"Thane," I whispered.
"Thane?" Thorin repeated. "What does it mean?"
"Warrior," I smiled, stroking his cheek.
"I think it suits him just fine," he murmured. "He sure fought the healers when they were cleaning him."
"I think it does too," I smiled. "It follows your family, and it has a nice ring. Certainly easy to yell."
"Very easy to yell," Thorin agreed with a soft laugh. "I am sure we'll have our hands full when he starts walking."
"Let's just pray he is an easy and healthy baby," I grunted, and he grinned.
Moving back from the crib, I went and quietly took care of business before slipping back into bed for the night. We were lucky, because the baby slept through the whole night not waking us once.
And there we go, I did it. Finally did it. I didn't want to linger too long on pregnancy, and I'm excited to see how this will turn out. I've had several ideas already on who Thane is going to be, and what he looks like as he ages.
On a side note, Happy New Year! Welcome 2016 lol.
I am so happy with all the reviews I got for the last chapter, it is extremely helpful and wonderful. I am so glad you all are enjoying the story. I'm trying to find a good place to end it to start the sequel. I'm having a hard time parting with this story. It doesn't help I have fifty years to cover that I could play with. I am going off the movies, only to make this better timed in a way. :) Enjoy this chapter, I'll try to get the next one out next week.