Despite all the horrifying news from the East, there was also joy and happiness to be found that day. Dain and Mya glowed with pride as they took their grandchild into their arms. Little Nain protested loudly against their attention and against being taken from his mothers warm arms, but as he looked up at his grandparents he quickly started to smile and shriek.

'Such a precious little boy!' Mya cooed at Nain. 'Thank you so much, Dwana darling, for blessing us with little Nain! We are so happy!'

'He has your hair.' Dain remarked and grimaced as he noticed the dwarflings hair. Nain only had hair on the middle of his head and it looked like a teeny tiny mohawk.

Dwana grinned and stroked the hair upwards, so that it stood from the dwarflings head. Thorin Stonehelm stood behind his wife and smiled down at his family. He wished that he could have them all, his parents, his siblings and his wife and dwarfling at one place. But this was not possible, Dwana had her family in the Blue Mountains and Thorin Oakenshield and Brann had been generous and kind to him. He would return to the Iron Hills one day, but in the moment he felt happy where he was. He only hoped that the Iron Hills and the Blue Mountains would not fall into the hands of the enemy. Whoever that enemy might be.

'Is our home safe?' Thorins Stonehelm asked his parents who nodded.

'Your sisters husband is ruling in our absence and he is a good dwarf. He will not underestimate the danger from the East, nor the threat by the orcs.' Dain said. 'Lord Ravin was a wise and experienced lord, but he underestimated the location of his mountain in the territory of the enemy. And he never believed, like us, that our enemies would ally up against us.'

'This was a real surprise.' Mya rocked Nain back and forth and the dwarfling began to fall asleep. 'But neither the leaders of the Easterlings, nor the orcs would ever form an alliance if not made by someone. There must be someone, a person, who plans this.'

'But who?' Dwana asked and stretched her arms. Nain was tiny, but holding him all day made her arms ache. 'There was only one who had the power to unite all evil against the free folk of Middle Earth. And he died long ago.'

'There will always be evil in the world and there will always be one who controls it.' Mya frowned. 'We have to find out who was responsible for the attack on lord Ravins home. Maybe the surviving dwarves know something. We should talk to them when they have settled in.'

'Oin, Brann and Zial are with them now.' Dwana informed them. 'I should be down there, too.'

'You are here, with your family, where you belong.' Mya corrected her. 'You just had your dwarfling and I am sure that Brann will manage. Apparently, her healer instincts have broken through again.'

'She should leave this to the healers of the mountain. She is the queen, she should stand above such services.' Thorins Stonehelm grumbled.

'She is the queen.' Mya nodded. 'Thats why she knows that her presence with the wounded in much more important than in the council. Her faith, her commitment and her deeds will be remembered by those whom she helps. Her deeds will also fall back on her husbands reign. Thorin will be remembered as one of the greatest kings in dwarven history with one of the greatest queens at his side. Wether she is dwarf or human will be of no importance.'

'I am relieved that no dwarf of Ered Luin has followed lord Maras footsteps.' Dain sighed. 'He was a disgrace to all dwarves. Dishonorable and weakened by greed. With Ered Luin and the Blue Mountains in quarrel, the peace was in danger. Today, no orc army will dare attack the dwarven fortresses in the south. At least not without a powerful ally. The Easterlings are too far away, as are the Haradrim. We will stay strong until we will march against a new enemy. And if the day comes, I hope to march forwards under Thorins flag of the line of Durin.

Zial did not sleep for nearly two days. Her mother had ordered her to take some rest, but the young princess would not rest as long as there were dwarves who needed her help. Brann herself missed dinner with her husband. Thorin had her dinner brought to the lower halls and had returned to council. The borders were well protected, he had no worries. The dwarves held together in times of peril and would not stray. If maybe the dwarves had been that strong in the past, his father might have gathered enough dwarfpower to have a realistic chance of succeeding in his mission, but Thorin shook his head to avoid such thoughts. Lingering in the past would not help him now.

Zial wandered around the hall, looking for dwarves who might be in need of her help, but apparently the refugees were in good hands. The crying and lamenting had stopped and most were sleeping in the safety of the mountain. The princess had lost track of the time, she only knew that it had to be morning by now.

'You should sleep, you look tired.' a small voice startled her. As she turned around she saw the boy who she had met last evening.

'Thank you very much.' Zial stated dryly and took a closer look at him. 'You look recovered.'

The black haired boy nodded and stepped from one foot to the other. 'My mother...she worries about my father. Is there a way to get to him? To see if he is alright?'

'How was your father´s name again?' Zial asked. She would return to the royal chambers for some sleep and ask Balin or Dwalin if he had seen the father of the boy.

'Levek. And I am Thror, son of Levek.' the boy answered and smiled faintly. Zial ackowledged his name with a tired nod and turned around to find the sons of Fundin. She was so tired that his name was not alarming to her, she did not even think about it. Thrors gaze followed Zial until she had left the hall.

Thorin ran into his daughter as he walked down to the lower halls in search for Brann. Zial was looking as if she was searching for someone, too.

'Hello there, my gem.' Thorin smiled as he lifted his daughter up into his arms.

'Adad...let me down, I am too old for this.' Zial protested, but she wrapped her arms around her fathers neck nevertheless.

'Too old?' Thorin pouted. When had his daughter grown up to be too old for his arms? 'Well, if you say so, young lady. Are you looking for someone? I guess that you were not looking for your old and boring adad?'

Zial smiled up at her father and cuddled up against him. 'You will never be old for me, adad. And I was looking for Dwalin of Balin.'

'What for?' Thorin looked down at his daughter in surprise and little worry. 'Did something happen in the lower halls?'

'No, I just need to know the whereabouts of one of the dwarves from the East. His son is looking for him.' Zial informed her father.

Now Thorin was truly worried. Not only had his daughter mentionned a male dwarf, for whom she was trying to get some information, she had also mentionned a male dwarf. A male. Dwarf.

'Who is this dwarf? And why is he sending the princess of this mountain to look for his relatives?' Thorin growled.

'He does not even know that I am the princess, I think.' Zial shrugged her shoulder. 'His father joined the guards to protect us. Thror and his mother worry about him.'

Thror. Thorin swallowed heavily as he heard that name out of his daughters mouth. It could not be. Not them.

'Thror?' Thorin asked quietly. 'Do you know his mother´s name?'

'No.' Zial frowned at her father. 'She is a beautiful dwarf lady with cooper hair. She was asleep when I talked to him.'

'This Thror.' Thorin paused for a moment before he continued to speak. 'Does he have black hair and blue eyes?'

'He looks like you.' Zial answered merrily, but her smile faltered as she saw her fathers expression. 'What´s wrong, adad?'

'Dara.' Brann felt a cold shiver run down her spine as she turned towards on of the cots and stood face to face to her former enemy. Clenching her fists, the queen was torn between calling for the guards or settling this business by herself. This dwarf had managed to return to this mountain again.

'Queen Brann.' Dara noticed the dangerous gleam in the eyes of the queen and quickly lowered her gaze and bowed her head. She hoped that this gesture of submission would appease the queen.

'You.' Brann grinded her teeth. 'So you have found another way into my home.'

Dara looked up in surprise and winced as she saw all the hatred and the rage in the queen´s eyes. 'Please, my queen. I know how this looks like. But I assure you that I only fled with my husband and my son. We did not plan to come here, but the survivors decided to seek refugee here. Where else should we go?'

'Anywhere but here.' Brann snarled. 'As far as I am concerned you could have walked straight into the fires of Mordor.'

Dara closed her eyes in defeat as she heard Branns words. She knew that she deserved this treatment and she could even understand the queen. But in the last years, Dara had changed. She deeply regretted what she had done to Thorin and his family and especially what she had done to Brann. Disgusted by herself, Dara had followed Levek back to his home and had lived with the guilt and sorrow of having hurt so many people, most of them her new husband. She could not understand why Levek loved her despite of all she did and she did not let him near her in the beginning of their marriage. But as when she had watched Levek with his, their, son, her heart had warmed up for him and she had started to allow herself to seek for comfort in his arms. Over the months and years, Dara had learned to love Levek deeply. She even got used to her hard life as a miners wife and had started an own business as a seamstress. Hard work and a simple house had made Dara realise that the little things in life mattered and that the love of a family could make the world a brighter place.

'Where is Levek?' Brann looked around, but the male dwarves had all left to support the guard of the Blue Mountains. She dreaded that Dara had found a way to get rid of her husband to be free for Thorin. 'Did you leave him to fall under orc blades?'

Daras reaction was nothing Brann had expected and made her flinch. 'I love my husband! I would never leave him behind! He and our son are the only reason for me to fight for my life!'

The passionate and honest outburst made Brann step back. Dara sat down onto her cot in tears and a dwarfling in the royal twins age rushed to her side. He wrapped an arm around Dara and glared daggers at Brann.

'Why are you speaking to my mother like that!' he looked up at Brann with sparkling blue eyes. It still hurt Brann to see how much the boy looked like Thorin, although Thorin was not the father. 'You made her cry, you awful woman!'

'Thror, sweetheart!' Dara took his face in her hands and kissed him gently. 'This woman is the queen of the Blue Mountains, show some respect!' Turning to Brann she apologised. 'I am sorry, my queen, he does not know how we...that we already know each other.'

Brann frowned deeply. So the boy had no idea what his mother had done, what she had planned with his conception and birth. And Brann would not be the one who told him.

'This woman is the queen?' Thror looked at Brann with huge eyes. 'But she is no dwarf! And she is...she does not look like one!'

In this moment Thorin barged into the hall, Zial running after him with a worried expression. Brann sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingers. Thorins expression was murderous and Dara stiffed in her sons arms. With a pleading look, Brann asked Thorin not to yell down the whole hall and took his arm reassuringly. The king took a deep breath and gave his wife an understanding nod. He would not yell at Dara while her son and Zial were around.

'Your husband Levek is with Dwalins guard at the norther borders.' Thorin informed Dara and tried to keep his temper. He turned to Zial and touched her shoulder. 'Zial, my gem, would you please show Thror to the kitchens? I am sure that you both are hungry.'

Zial nodded and with a curious look at Dara she took Thrors hand and pulled him away. But Thror struggled.

'No, amad. I will stay with you and take care of you!' Thror stated firmly.

'I will be fine, my heart.' Dara smiled at her son. 'Please go with the princess and be a good lad. For me?'

Thror was reluctant for moment, but then he nodded and followed Zial. 'You do not look like a princess...' he mumbled and Brann had to smile. The boy was honest at least. Unlike his mother.

'What are you doing here?' Thorin hissed at Dara. 'You have no place amongst us!'

Dara sighed heavily and tried to hold back her tears. 'Our home was destroyed. Our fellow dwarves killed and torn to pieces by orcs and Easterlings. We could barely escape. We did not know where to go! We had no place to go!'

'You were banished from the Blue Mountains!' Thorin growled and his eyes gleamed dangerously. 'Twice and yet you came back. This will have consequences.'

'We should settle this.' Brann agreed. 'But not in here. These dwarves need their rest.'

The king and queen took a look at the hundreds of refugees from the Red Mountains and then looked back at Dara.

'Fine.' Thorin sighed. 'Dara, you will stay in one of the servants rooms with your son until your husband comes back. We will decide about your fate later.'

Dara nodded and followed the king and queen out of the halls. Some dwarves of the Blue Mountains recognised her and hissed curses into her direction. They all bowed deeply before their king and queen and Dara felt out of place. She only hoped that Thror would not suffer under such negative attention. She remembered Zial and turned to Brann.

'Your daughter is a wonderful young lady.' she tried to begin a conversation, but the queen only frowned at her with a thunderous expression.

'Do not talk about my daughter.' Brann growled. 'So not even dare to get near her!'

Dara knew that the queen hated her, but the allegation that she would hurt a dwarfling only to get back at Thorin and Brann angered Dara. 'I know that I have done horrible things in the past, my queen. But I would never hurt an innocent dwarfling!'

'I do not believe you!' Brann snarled and opened one of the door in this endless corridor. Dara had not noticed that they had reached the servants quarters.

'Stay here until we tell you otherwise.' Thorin ordered Dara. 'Your son will be brought to you and if you need something tell the guards.'

Dara flinched as two grimly looking guards were posted in front of the door. What would Thror think about this? But she knew that she had no choice and nodded. Without a word she entered the dark and loveless room and flinched as the door slammed shut behind her. Making things worse, she remembered that she deserved this treatment. But Levek and Thror did not. Dara prayed to Mahal that they were alright.

Thorin and Brann looked at each other helplessly as they were back in their own rooms.

'I cannot believe that this is happening again.' Brann sighed. But now, in the silence of their rooms, she began to think about her meeting with Dara. The former lady seemed different and changed. There was no malicious gleam in her eyes anymore and she had seemed to care alot about her son and husband. All her words had seemed honest and Brann could not see one sign of deceit in the dwarf´s eyes and behaviour. As she told Thorin, the king only sneered.

'People do not change that way.' he grumbled. 'She knew that she was banished from here. And yet she decided to come here and confront us with our past. Us and our daughters!'

'We will have to inform everyone. Especially Zial.' Brann nodded. 'We have to tell them what happened between us and Dara. They will find out another way if we don´t.'

'Zial shall stay away from Thror.' Thorin decided. He would not leave his little gem in the presence of anyone of Daras family. But he did not realise, yet, that it was not his decision alone.