'Two dwarflings?' Dis was stunned. 'Two dwarflings...like in one, two dwarflings?' She held up two fingers in front of Branns nose. The queen looked at her sister in law with an extremly sour expression.

'Yes, Dis, two as in Fili and Kili, two.' Brann sighed. 'What am I going to do? Two dwarflings Dis! Two! Twins!'

The queen of the Blue Mountains was stunned beyond reason. On one hand she feared the birth and on the other hand she feared about her life after the birth. If her twins were only half the work of Fili and Kili she would go insane.

'Twins...' Dis grinned. 'Never in the line of Durin a king became twins. This is great, Brann! I am so happy for you!'

Brann still felt overwhelmed and could not really believe it.

'Does Thorin know already?' Dis asked and mentally rubbed her hands. Her brother would freak out.

'Do I have to tell him?' Brann asked joking. She imagined Thorins reaction when she would give birth to two dwarflings at once without his knowledge. She recalled that Dwalin fainted as Kili was born and chuckled. 'This will be so much fun.' she commented dryly and made her sister in law grin from one ear to the other.

Dwalin nearly fell out of his bed as the door to his chambers burst open with a mighty blow in the middle of the night. The captain of the guard watched in utter shock as the king of the Blue Mountains rushed to his bed and took him into his arms, nearly crushing his ribs.

'Twins! Its twins, Dwalin!' he had never seen Thorin grin that happily ever before. 'TWINS! For the love of Durin!'

Thorin was out of Dwalin chambers again and slammed the door shut before Dwalin could even blink. Petrified and wide awake Dwalin sat in his bed, staring at the door.

'What in the name of ...' Dwalin decided to look after his daughter, who had probably also been waken up by the kings entrance. He walked to Dwanas room and quietly opened the door. He nearly choked on his breath as he saw her empty bed.

Brann sat in the bed, her arms crossed and an amused smirk on her lips as Thorin came back to their rooms. She had told Thorin that they expected twins shortly before they were going to bed. Not knowing how to tell him, she just blurted out the news. Thorin had only looked at her speechless and had ran out in his pyjamas, yelling something in khuzdul. Now, Thorin stood at their door, leaning against it and breathing heavily. His hair was in disarray and he was barefoot. And he grinned happily. Brann had to chuckle and cocked her eyebrows at her husband.

'You´re back.' she remarked dryly and grinned as Thorin only nodded and rushed to the bed. 'Where have you been, dear husband? Or should I say "adad"?'

Thorin looked at his wife as if he had just realised that he would be a father. 'I will be a father.' he sat down beside Brann who took his hand lovingly. 'I am going to be a father -of two. For the love of Durin. I need to sit down.'

'You are already sitting, my bear.' Brann whispered amused. Seeing Thorin that overwhelmed but happy warmed her heart. The joy and the happiness in his face made him look so much younger and carefree. 'Who have you told? To whom must I apologise tomorrow?'

Thorin laughed as he took his wife into his arms. 'Our family knows and Dwalin knows. I think that we will have to tell Dwalin the good news again, though. I am not sure if he was fully awake when I told him.'

Thorin kissed his wife and then her belly, twice, one kiss for each dwarfling. Brann covered her face with her hand, laughing. She could vividly imagine the captain of the guard being ripped out of his peaceful sleep by her husband. She just hoped that none of Myas courtladies had been with him. Dain and Mya would leave the next day. Brann would miss them, especially Mya, but they had their own kingdom to rule and they had to return to the Iron Hills. Poor Dwana, she would miss Thorin Stonehelm when he left. Brann knew that they had become close, but the young dwarf hat not kissed Dwana yet, nor had he done anything else which would have indicated his interest in her. But Brann saw the way he looked at Dwalins daughter and she knew that Dwana liked him, too. She would talk to Dwana tomorrow.

Brann and Thorin jumped as the door to their chambers was kicked open and Dwalin stood in the middle of the room, staring at them with big eyes. Thorin was about to ask his friend if that was his revenge as he saw the worry in Dwalins eyes.

'Dwalin, what happened?' Thorin asked, his arms around Brann in protection.

'Where is Dwana?' Dwalin was panting, he must have run all the way from his chambers to the royal rooms. 'She is not in her bed!'

Oh oh. Brann had an idea where Dwana could be, but she needed to follow her suspicion on her own. She regretted to sent Dwalin away, but she had to.

'I have no idea where she might be, but why don´t you go and look in the lower levels? I will look for her in the middle levels. The library and the kitchen are on the top levels, but I doubt that she would be there. Calm down, Dwalin, we´ll find her.' Brann was about to leave the bed as Thorin held her back.

'You should not go. You should rest.' he told her gently.

'I am pregnant, not sick, Thorin.' Brann had heard every pregnant woman say this sentence and she smirked as she had to say it herself. 'She is my courtlady and I will go and look for her.'

'That brat.' Thorin cursed and stood up, following Dwalin out. 'I will start looking for her with Dwalin...' he made sure that Dwalin had already left as he turned back to his wife with a smile. '...and buy you, my sweet little wife, some time to get your courtlady back into her own bed when you have found her.'

Brann smiled at her husband lovingly. He knew her too well. She did indeed have an idea where to look.

Thorin and Dwana jumped as someone knocked on the door to Thorins chambers.

'Who knows that you are here?' Thorins whispered to Dwana, but the young dwarf shrugged her shoulders. Thorin stood up and went to the door, opening it only a hand wide. He paled as he saw Brann stand in front of his door, her hands pressed into her waist. Swallowing nervously he let the queen enter his rooms. Brann frowned at him, but she had to retain a gasp as she walked past him and saw the romantic setting of his room. Dozens of candles enlightened the room and the young couple had sat down in front of the big fireplace on a fur, with drinks and some fruits. Both were appropriately dressed and did not look caught. Brann sighed in relief.

'I should have known that you would not do anything dishonorable.' Brann told them and smiled as she saw Thorin release his breath. 'But Dwalin has found your empty bed, Dwana. You have to leave. He is looking for you in the lower levels, you have to hurry.'

Dwana scrambled up, but she only left the room hesitantly, looking back at Thorin with a sad smile. Brann could understand the young dwarves heartbreak, for Thorin had to leave for the Iron Hills the next day, but she already had a plan. A plan she had to discuss with Mya, first, though. She grabbed her courtladys arm and rushed back to Dwanas and Dwalins chambers.

'Go in there and change. If your father asks, you have been in the arena, training with your sword, because sou could not sleep.' Brann told her and closed the door as she left for the lower levels. She did not want to frighten Dwalin longer than necessary. She found Thorin and Dwalin after a few moments and ran towards them, waving.

'Dwana is back in her room. She could not sleep and trained a few rounds in the arena.' Brann told Dwalin who looked relieved. Brann did not like to lie to her friend, but if Dwalin knew that his daughter had been with Dains son he would probably forget his manners. Although nothing happened, this secret meeting between Dwana and Thorin was preposterous according to dwarven standards.

'That girl will be the death of me.' Dwalin sighed. 'And I thought that this no-good Thorin might have gotten his hands on my little daughter. I will pray to Mahal that you will only have sons.'

Thorin smirked behind Dwalins back as he saw his wife flinch for a moment, but then her face became unreadable again. He could guess where Dwana had been, but he would talk to Brann about this later.

'Go back to bed, old friend.' Thorin patted Dwalin on the shoulder. 'We´ll see you tomorrow, when the young no-good will leave for his home.'

Brann chuckled and took Thorins arm as they walked back to the royal wing. Dwalin rushed back to his chambers, muttering into his beard.

'She was with the no-good, wasn´t she?' Thorin asked his wife quietly and grinned at her scolding look.

'Don´t call him that. Its their last night together, they would have deserved it to be nice and without interruption.' Brann snuggled into her husbands side. 'Nothing happened, they just enjoyed a romantic evening. That no-good...I mean - young Thorin - is quite a charming fellow. I never thought I´d say that about any dwarf, but he is so sweet!'

'Sweet?!' Thorin frowned. 'No adult dwarf is sweet!'

'Ah, there you are wrong, melekuh.' Brann grinned. 'You are sweet too at times.'

Thorin turned around, looking for onlookers and when he did not find any he scooped his wife up into his arms and carried her shrieking form back to their room.

Still half asleep Brann tortured herself out of bed early the next morning, for she had to talk to Mya. Thorin watched with half closed eyes as his wife wandered around in their room, cursing quietly. As she left, not more awake than before, he chuckled back into slumber.

Brann reached Myas room and was nearly run over by one of her courtladies who dragged a big box with clothes after her.

'Forgive me, my queen.' she panted, but Brann just shook her head with a smile.

'No harm done, is lady Mya in there?' she asked politely.

'Yes, the lady Mya is in there, packing.' the courtlady informed Brann and continued to drag the box down the staircases. As Brann entered Myas room, she had to smirk. The usually very neat lady stood in the misdts of pure chaos, dresses and accessoires everywhere.

'Brann, dear!' she greeted her friend and hugged her tightly. 'Are you here to help? So nice of you.'

Brann grinned at Mya and started folding up the next things which she could reach. 'Since I am already here, helping...I need to talk to you about Thorin.'

'Did your husband call you fat, too?' Mya asked the queen of the Blue Mountains and grinned as Brann looked at her in shock.

'No! Am I?' Brann frowned at Myas laugh, but then grinned also. 'No, I meant your Thorin.'

'My son?' Mya was surprised. 'What has he done?'

'He fell in love.' Brann stated as a matter of fact and chuckled as the lady of the Iron Hills let go of her best dress in surprise.

Dwana stood at the gates of the Blue Mountains as the dwarves of the Iron Hills left for their home. She tried to look at ease, but she was not. In the past days she had repeatedly told herself that there was no future for her and Thorin Stonehelm. It had been an irony that Dwana had lived in the Iron Hills all her life, but they had never met. Or they had met and had never noticed the other. Now Thorin would leave and Dwanas heart ached for her love. In her distress she did not notice that only Dain and Mya stood at the gates with their delegation.

Mya and Brann blinked at each other. They had planned out everything in the morning. Thorin Stonehelm would stay in the Blue Mountains with his god parents Thorin Oakenshield and Brann and be a part of the royal house, to come back to the Iron Hills someday, as Dains heir. Thorin Oakenshield and Dain had smiled at their wives plan and had gone along with it. Thorin Stonehelm had hesitated at first. He was torn between the love to his parents and his feelings for Dwana - or as Mya and Brann knew - his love for Dwana. But in the end he had accepted the fact that he would learn all he needed to know about kingship and leadership from Thorin Oakenshield and that he would be with the young dwarf he...loved.

Against all protocoll Brann took Dain and Mya into her arms as they said their goodbyes. They had become close family over the last months and Brann would miss them and to be perfectly honest, also their support against the dwarves from Ered Luin. Mya had told her son to have an eye on the dwarves of Ered Luin and to write to the Iron Hills if there was trouble.

'You are welcome to visit us anytime again.' Brann told Dain and Mya. 'Or maybe one day we´ll come to visit you?'

'I doubt that, my dear.' Dain said sadly. 'The Iron Hills are so close to Erebor. There is no way to get the mountain back and seeing it would only bring back painful memories.'

Brann understood and nodded. It was a journey of minimum a few months to the Iron Hills, if they rode fast and without delay. She would not be able to make that journey with her dwarflings anyway.

'Be safe. Our hearts go with you.' Thorin stood at the side of his queen as they watched the delegation depart. Dain and Mya had said their goodbyes to their son and smirked as he walked backwards until he stood beside Dwana, who looked at him in confusion. In her sadness she had not noticed that Thorin did not even wear his travel clothes.

'Is she going to stand there are stare at him all morning?' Thorin Oakenshield rolled his eyes.

'Give her some time.' Brann whispered back and in that moment Dwanas eyes widened and she threw her arms around young Thorins neck. 'There it is.'

Brann decided to visit Dorn that day. She had not visited him since her recovery because Oin wanted to make sure that she was strong enough to withstand other sicknesses men carried with them. Dorn worked with other dwarven craftsmen. He had continued to work as a carpenter, but there was only little need of his craft under the mountain. He had not returned to Bree, for there was nothing there for him anymore. He missed his girls and he nearly broke apart without them. Brann had difficulties recognising him as she first saw him. The formerly tall and athletic man had gotten thin and old. Grey hair showed at his temples and he walked bent over. He broke into tears as he saw Brann and Brann crouched down onto the floor beside him and tried to give him some comfort. Seing him that broken and devastated made her cry and as she returned to her chambers her eyes were swollen from her tears.

'Where have you been? What happened?' Thorin was already there and rushed to his wife to take her into his arms.

'I visited Dorn today.' Brann told him quietly. 'He is broken. He has nothing anymore. Gods, the poor girls. This should not haven happened to them, they are good people.'

Thorin craddled his wife in his arms and nuzzled her hair. 'Nobody deserves such a fate. All we can do is to give him the support and comfort he needs.'

Brann nodded and snuggled into the warmth of her husbands body. She felt safe with Thorin, safer than ever before. She loved the feeling of Thorins strong arms around her and his broad chest against her. She could stay in his arms all day, forever. Thorin smiled as he heard his wife sigh quietly.

'Have you talked to Dwana lately?' Thorin asked Brann after a while.

'No. She spent most of her time at her lessons or with Thorin.' Brann looked at the king. 'Thank you for agreeing to take Thorin under your care. I am sure he will be a a good lord or even king one day. Why does Dain not call himself king, by the way?'

Thorin shrugged his shoulders. 'Dain has always been very moderate and demure. He likes being called lord, more than king. Dain and I are from the same clan, the Longbeards. And there can only be one king. Since I am the direct descendant of Durin, I became King and he didn´t. There can not be two kings of the Longbeards.'

'You are lucky that he is that loyal. Others might have challenged you for the title.' Brann thought about lord Mara and his kin. 'Have you heard from lord Ravin, by the way? He should be home by now.'

'Lord Ravin? Yes, he sent a letter week ago.' Thorin smiled as he remembered the lords words about Brann. 'He said that I should take good care of my royal raven.'

'He was the first to know that my name means "raven" in my native tongue.' Brann smiled. 'He told me that Durins Folk and the ravens of Erebor had an alliance and said that we were destined to get together.'

'He may be right.' Thorin nuzzled Brann hair with his nose. 'Although when I think about how we started, the Maker seemed to have had second thoughts.'

'We are together now, thats all that matters.' Brann kissed her husbands nose. Thorins hand moved to her belly and softly caressed it. They sat together, both their hands on Branns belly and enjoyed each others presence for a while until they moved into their bed.