The next months passed quickly and peacefully. Brann was back in full health and visited the markets around the mountain as often as she could. She needed the fresh air and the exercise. With a sigh she had given up her weapons training as soon as she had known that she was pregnant. Instead of training with an axe or sword, Brann started to teach herself in archery, a fact which had caused a small argument with her husband, who told her that archery was a tree shaggers art. But it was the only thing Brann could do in her current state and after a few months she was even too big for the training with the bow. The queen spent alot of time with her nephews during her pregnancy and sometimes she felt as if Thorin and her already had two own children. Dis and her were close like sisters and Brann often talked to Dis about her pregnancy. In the meantime she had reached the middle of her pregnancy and she had a quite big belly, which was normal considering that she carried twins.

One day Thorin and Brann were at the market together, strolling through the stands and enjoying each others company as they ran into some dwarves from Ered Luin. Dara was with them and her eyes glared daggers at Brann and her pregnancy belly. If looks could kill Brann and her babies would have died on the spot. Thorin was the one who took Brann into his arms, his hand on her belly and his lips on the back of her head and glared back at Dara demonstratingly. Dara fled the market in rage and Brann felt torn between satisfaction and pity. Nobody deserved to be confronted with an unhappy love like that, but after all what Dara had done to them Brann only felt pity for a split second. The dwarves from Ered Luin had been very silent at the moment and Brann was afraid that they planned something. Thorin told her that they had finally accepted her as his queen, but Brann knew that is was not true. Nori and Dwana tried to have an eye on the dwarves from Ered Luin and Thorin Stonehelm had taken the lead of Branns personal guard. Brann felt safe with her family and she had never been so happy in her life. She only worried for Thrain, who withdrew from his family more and more. The kings father had spent alot of time with Dorn, which had surprised Brann in the first moment. Hut thinking about it, both had lost their wives and their home and they seemed to bond in their loss. Nevertheless Brann had a bad feeling about this. It was a mere gut feeling, but it worried her.

'Auntie Brann, auntie Brann!' Kili rushed towards her, Fili right behind him. Those two were inseperable and they could cheer Brann up in every situation. Brann adored her nephews and she loved to see them grow up that close. She did pity the dwarven girls who would try to capture one of the prince's hearts in the future. Fili and Kili shared a bond which would be hard to fit into. Given that the dwarves were very posessive, Brann doubted that any dwarf woman would be ready to share one of the two with his brother. Maybe they would fall in love with a woman outside of the dwarven race, like their uncle? Brann chuckled quietly and cupped both their cheeks with her hands.

'Careful, you two rascals.' she laughed and looked into their happy faces.

'We have thought about names for your dwarflings!' Fili exclaimed. The two had new ideas for names daily and Brann was highly amused about the propositions. Brann had to admit that she still had a few problems distinguishing female and male names in the dwarven culture and since the unborn ones would be heirs to Thorins throne one day she would rather chose a dwarven name over one from men.

'You could name them after us! Fili and Kili!' Kili proposed and made Brann laugh. 'That would spare you some time when you called for us all! You would only need to call two names!'

'But that would mean that you needed to spent all your time with your cousins.' Brann smirked. Durin forbid that her nephews would teach her children all the mischief they knew. 'And if I had to scold one of them? How would you know who I am scolding?' Having two Thorins around was hard enough. Brann chuckled as she remembered how much her Thorin disliked to be the old Thorin.

Fili and Kili thought about it for a moment and nodded. 'Then just don't scold us!' Kili said merrily and earned a laugh from his aunt.

'I think that would be an impossible thing to do.' Brann took them both into her arms. 'You two are my precious gems, but sometimes you need a good scolding.'

'As if you would scold them, ever.' Thorin walked up behind his family and smiled at his wife and his nephews. He knew that Brann loved Fili and Kili so much that she rarely scolded them.

Thorin and Brann already knew how they would name their dwarflings. They had decided to name them Thror and Thrain and Thorin had shocked his wife with the idea to call their third dwarfling Frerin. Brann had cocked an eyebrow at him and suggested that she would give birth to their twins first, before even thinking about a third dwarfling. At the moment Brann worried alot about what the birth would do to her and to her body. She was afraid that she would lose the body Thorin loved so much, although she knew that he loved her because of herself and not because he felt attracted to her looks. He seemed to be strongly attracted by her belly though, a fact which surprised Brann every time. When they were alone Thorin would sneak up behind his wife and move both of his callous hands over her belly, often pressing his erection against her back. He was careful when they made love since her belly had grown and often they would make love at the edge of the bed, Brann on her back and Thorin standing up with her legs over his shoulders. Sometimes he bent her over his desk and took her passionately and Brann would scream his name when he pushed her over the edge. They were addicted with each other and spent every moment in each others arms.

Thorin needed to leave the Blue Mountains for a few times for diplomatical purposes. He travelled back to Bree twice and inspected the beacons and towers that were built to warn the kingdoms of the threat from the orcs. In the weeks when he was gone Brann spent her time with Dis and her sons.

'Nali, Gori, Gimli!' Kili was still trying to find the perfect name for his cousins. 'Or a combination of your name and uncle Thorins? Borin? Brin? Or Thrann? Tharin? Thronn?'

'Oh my goodness.' Dis cried of laughter. 'It gets worse!'

Thorin Stonehelm and Dwana were sitting with them and watched the scene amused. They had started courting and Dwana wore Thorins braid with pride. They were young to court for dwarven standards and Dwalin tried to slow things down by acting as if he did not approve. But Dwalin could see how much his daughter meant to the young dwarf and secretly wished them all the luck in the world.

Thorin Stonehelm and Dwana trained in the arena every day and Brann often sat down and watched them, hoping to learn by watching. The queen still trained her grip on the sword and her footing, but only with a wooden sword. She trained in one of the smaller arenas as a cold voice made her jump.

'A pregnant woman brings doom upon herself when she touches a weapon.' lord Mara had sneaked up behind her. 'An old dwarven belief.'

'Well then, good thing that I am neither a dwarf, nor is this a real weapon.' Brann answered dryly and turned her back to the lord of Ered Luin. She could not see his hateful sneer, but she could almost feel it.

'You have grown big, my queen.' Mara remarked and looked at Branns belly. 'I heard that its twins, congratulations. I wish you all the luck in the world. You will need it. Dwarven pregnancies are not easy. Dangerous even. And you have to give birth to two.'

'I will manage.' Brann held her chin high and held his gaze. She would not show the lord that his statement scared her. 'Sorry to disappoint you.'

'You still have the birth before you. I am patient. I will wait.' lord Mara snarled. Suddenly he paled and looked at someone who was standing behind Brann.

'What are you doing in the arena, lord Mara?' the kings icy voice made the lord jump. 'Training maybe?' Thorin picked up a sword and threw it at the lord who caught it clumsily. 'Will you join me?'

It sounded like an invitation, but it was not. Thorin took his own sword and walked into the arena, followed by a pale and silent Mara. Brann looked at her husband in worry. She could see that he was only barely containing his fury. She only hoped that he would not kill the lord. As soon as the two dwarves stood in the arena Thorin swung his sword at the lord, who ducked quickly and backed away. The lord of Ered Luin was fat and old and the lack of training was obvious. But Mara was stubborn and proud and that alone let him stand his ground. And he was sneaky and dishonorable. Mara backed away to the edge of the arena where Brann stood. Brann could not move away quick enough and Thorin could not swing at Mara properly without hitting his own wife. Mara managed to hold his sword at Thorins throat and Thorin pointed his sword at Maras stomach.

'I will lower my weapon when you lower yours, your majesty.' Mara grinned wikedly. Thorin only frowned and hesitated, but in the end he lowered his sword together with Mara. Both dwarves laid down their weapons on the floor, but Mara quickly grabbed the dagger he had hidden in his tunic and pointed it at the king of the Blue Mountains. He grinned at the king and curled his lips.

'Trust could kill you, my king. You have gotten soft and predictable. Maybe its the human influence.' Mara was about to move closer to Thorin as he felt cold steel on his neck.

Brann stood behind him and held a sword at his neck, this time a real steel sword. Her arm was steady and she did not tremble. Her eyes were as cold as the steel of the sword.

'Underestimating your opponent is even more dangerous.' she growled and pressed the sword against the dwarfs flesh. 'Yield.'

It was an order, a clear order. It was supposed to be a dwarven duel, honorable and for training purposes. But Mara had tried to humiliate the king and Brann would not let this happen. The queen stood at her husbands side, always and in every situation, against every threat and enemy.

Mara slowly lowered his dagger and held his hands up in defeat. In false modesty Mara bowed before the king. 'You are a fierce and honorable opponent, my king. It was an honor to fight you.'

He waited until Thorin lightly tilted his head in acknowledgment and left the arena, not without glancing at Brann and the weapon in her hand. He knew that she was thinking about his words of pregnant women and weapons and triumphed mentally. He could almost feel her insecurity, although the young woman did her best to hide it.

'I cannot believe that he can hide behind this duel of honor while he treatened you.' Brann snarled.

'He would not dare to lay hands on his king.' Thorin stated calmly. He tried to focus on his anger against Mara, but his fierce wife with the sword in her hands aroused him more than he thought possible. Brann looked at him in confusion before she understood why her husband was shaking. She blushed and put away the sword.

'Don´t look at me like that.' Brann asked her husband, blushing furiously. 'Not here.'

'I can´t help it.' Thorin smiled. 'I fell in love with the healer and now I am falling even more in love with the warrior.'

'I am no warrior, Thorin.' Brann stated quietly. 'I never was.'

'Yes, you are.' Thorin insisted. 'You were victorious over my stubborness, claimed my love and my heart and you defeated the sickness. You are a warrior Brann. There is not always need of a weapon to be one.'

The king and his queen were about to kiss as Dwalin came rushing over to them. 'Oi! No kissing and canoodling on my training arena!'

Brann grinned and Thorin tried to glare at his friend, but the king had a hard time to stay earnest. Dwalin had a huge grin on his face and pointed at his daughter and Thorin Stonehelm.

'You are scaring off my students. Little Thorin can´t concentrate and my daughter is about to kill her future husband.'

'Little Thorin?' Brann laughed. 'I am sure he would be delighted to hear that, although he should be more delighted to you talking about him as your future son in law.'

'Meh.' Dwalin waved his hand. 'I guess I should be thankful that my daughter has found such a dwarf after all. I was already afraid that I would need to pay someone off to marry her. She is a brat you know.'

The royal couple and the captain of the guards looked at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter. Thorin Stonehelm and Dwana just shook their heads about the adults and hoped that they would grown up one day.

Thrain walked through the Blue Mountains at night, passing the mines and the treasury. He played with the ring of power around his finger and listened to its whisper. It had grown louder and more insistent. Thrain could hardly resist its voice. The former king knew that he was the only dwarven lord who still posessed a ring of power. The other rings had been stolen or had vanished with their owners. Thrain had thought about giving the ring to Thorin, but his son had never asked for it and Thrain had not been ready to give it up. Thinking about his son Thrain felt many things. Love, pride, but also disappointment. Thorin did not understand him, he did not support him when he talked about reclaiming their homeland. Erebor. Thrain could see the pain about the loss of the Lonely Mountain in Thorins eyes, but apparently his oldest sons did not miss his old home enough to set up a quest to reclaim it. It was the human woman, the queen. It was her who made Thorin happy and who made him forget where his true home was. As long as she lived Thorin would stay at her side, for she was his home. Thrain loved Brann dearly, but he also knew that she was the reason a quest to Erebor did not find any advocacy. He had talked to Dorn about these things. The carpenter from Bree was the only one who seemed to understand him. Thrain had no problems talking to the craftsman on eyelevel. In Dorns eyes he recognised the same pain which also lived in his own heart. Dorn had supported Thrains idea to reclaim the Lonely Mountain. He had even proposed to accompany him on the quest. It was a shame that he had found support with the man, but not with his own kin, Thrain thought bitterly. He would visit him again and talk to him tonight.

While Thrain was on his way to him, Dorn lay awake in his room in the royal wing. Thrain had given him a room close to him, for the old dwarf and the man shared their pain and grief and had gotten close over all their tragedies. Dorn was tired. He was tired of everything, all hope had gone and all light in his life had faded with his girls. He knew that the father of the king felt the same. A dark shadow lay over their minds and souls. Sometimes the darkness scared Dorn. It was an all consuming darkness, one which captured him and never let go of him. In his dreams Dorn saw a huge eye, an eye of fire, with a black iris in the shape of a man. The eye was whispering to him, but Dorn did not understand it. Yet.

Author´s note: For those of you who wonder...Sauron has power over Thrain through the ring of power and he has somehow managed to invade Dorns mind to also influence Thrain. So the ring of power speaks to both, Thrain and Dorn, who have become weaker because of their grief. The rings actually calls out to everyone in their reach, but only few are vulnerable due to their feelings and fears. Dwarves had been very resistent because of their stubborness, thats why Sauron killed most of them to get the rings back. In LOTR Boromir was vulnerable to the One ring because he only thought of his home, Minas Tirith, which was in danger to be overrun by Mordor. That made him vulnerable to the rings call. Same here with Thrain and Dorn. Its in the Appendix that Thrain posesses the last ring of power in that time.