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THE COURTSHIP OF THE SPARROW-HAWK

Chapter 16 – Legalities

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"Ticking Bomb" Aloe Blacc

Kili couldn't keep his hands from shaking as he entered the council-room with his brother. He knew it didn't make any difference what they said—Eila was his wife and nothing would change that. But what if the council pushed Fili into a legal corner that he couldn't, even as King, back out of? What would Kili do then?

A hush fell over the small crowd of grey and white bearded dwarves at the approach of their King and Prince. Kili's eyes flitted over the familiar faces and read their expressions: confusion, sympathy, scolding, indifferent, and angry. So, Bran had already told them…

"I need to make one thing clear," King Fili said in a protective and authoritative tone, standing at the head of the long council table. "This is a legal dispute and the initiator holds specific legal rights, but I do not have to honor her with anything more than that." Inclining his head in Bran's direction, he narrowed his eyes at her with a glare Kili knew to be filled with loathing. "And it is my command that she take up residence in Dale while the proceedings take place."

Bran's mischievous smile drooped into a shocked frowned. Kili thought he saw some scheming look in her eye and then her demeanor changed into 'victim' rapidly.

"Have reason, my lord," Bran pleaded in a weak voice. "Since the death of my father, I have only limited resources—the cost of traveling between here and Dale, the expense of Inns—"

"I will cover the cost of your lodgings and expenses," Fili said with a raised brow, lowering himself into his marble chair and motioning for Kili to sit in the chair beside him. Bran's face dawned a smug look of satisfaction until Fili added, "but I will also choose the Inn and method of travel."

A choking sound made its way up Kili's throat and he coughed into his hand, stifling a laugh. Knowing Fili and how low he regarded Bran, it wouldn't be beyond him to make her stay at the poorest tavern room and be driven to Erebor in the back of a goat cart. The seductive lady-dwarf deflated a little after the comment, but held her chin up high and listened as the council began to speak.

A lot of what they said was about Ered Luin and the marriage customs there— apparently Erebor law differed and Ered Luin was much stricter and less open for debate—but Kili listened to very little of it. At least, until someone directly spoke to him.

"Prince Kili," An aging council-member, Gar, croaked. "You were part of the company of Thorin Oakenshield and from the line of Durin, making you a subject of Erebor law."

Kili inwardly sighed in relief.

"But," Gar raised a finger, causing Kili's heart to drop. "We cannot disregard that your actions—becoming engaged to a dwarf of nobility—were done in Ered Luin, before Erebor law was established."

Kili rose to his feet and slammed his hands on the table. "That's absurd! Lady Bran accepted that we were no longer engaged—she burnt the papers, according to custom! There were witnesses—"

"I did no such thing." Lady Bran laid a hand over her heart, mouth open in false despair. "I have kept myself faithful to you all this time and loved no other—you are my One!"

Not a few of the councilmembers pinned Kili with accusation in their eyes. Kili's jaw dropped and he looked to Fili for help, startled by the passive look on his brother's face. No, Kili realized, not passive—calculating.

"I was there." King Fili said as though the entire affair was boring him, though Kili recognized that his brother was fighting to keep his temper under control. "I was witness to the burning. And would you call the King Under the Mountain a liar?"

Bran's jaw snapped shut and she looked around, obviously weighing the support she might have just lost.

"No one is suggesting that our lord and King is a liar." One of Bran's lawyers said. "But we have a document bearing the seal of the King of Ered Luin and a dwarrowdam who claims to have found her One. We would be very poor keepers of the law if we ignored these things."

"Indeed," Kili nodded. "And yet, it changes nothing."

All heads turned to face Kili.

"If you believe the contract is real and that Lady Bran's claims are true, then there are only two things the Lady has come here for: compensation or marriage." Kili took a short breath to settle himself and did his best not to look at Bran.

"Only my brother can handle the matter of compensation, but the matter of marriage is for me, and I say this," And then he glared at them all, "I love my wife and she loves me. Eila is my One, without a doubt. If you attempt to annul our marriage, I will step down as Prince of Erebor—"

"You are of the line of Durin!" A grey-bearded dwarf shouted, rising to his feet. "You cannot 'step down' from carrying Durin's blood!"

"I will step down," Kili repeated in a louder voice, "and leave Erebor with Eila."

The council room erupted and all of the dwarves took to their feet, voices raised against each other in heated exclamations—all but Fili, who looked serene despite the chaos surrounding them, and Kili, who sat down again.

It was strange, but Kili actually felt relief. The worst could happen—the council's demand that he leave his wife and marry Bran—and still he could stay with Eila. He could leave Erebor. A hand squeezed Kili's elbow and he turned to see his brother looking at him with sympathy.

"You know it will not come to that," Fili said calmly to him, but somehow Kili was still able to hear it in the midst of the yelling.

"Perhaps not." Kili nodded, a pain running through his heart at the thought of leaving Fili's side. "I'm sorry, though, if—"

"Don't apologize for things that haven't happened." Fili warned sternly and Kili could see that his brother was dreading the thought of separating from him as well. Suddenly, Fili rose from his seat and, keeping a comforting hand on Kili's shoulder, called the council to order.

"My brother has made his declarations. Perhaps Lady Bran would like some time to consider her demands before she presses on."

A quick nod from Lady Bran told Kili that her case was not as strong as she previously thought and he wondered what other tricks she might have up her sleeve.

"Hunger of the Pine" alt-J

Bran pouted as she left the council room. Things had not gone according to plan and her mind was working furiously to compensate. She had always been quick to adapt and already she was making mental notes of the resources at her disposal as well as the structure of the royal family's relationships.

King Fili would not easily bend, but he might do her a favor if it were obligatory. Queen Nur was someone who also knew strategy and could probably sense the way Bran was trying to manipulate the ties between them—as well as the painfully obvious fact that the dwarrow was a warrior and short-tempered. No need for Bran to work her mental powers there, she was liable to get killed in the process.

Kili was heavily emotional in his decisions, but would not sway in the direction she goaded him—and that left Eila. Sweet, sensitive, weak, ugly Eila. Yes, Eila had struck her, but it was nothing in comparison to what Nur would have done in the same situation. And Eila could be easily affected…

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" A dwarf-woman gasped as she bumped into Bran. It was Eila. How perfect.

Eila's eyes went wide. "Lady Bran." She did a small curtsy and pressed her lips together in a line.

"Princess Eila," Bran bowed with her hand over her heart, smiling and turning on the charm. "My lady, I must apologize for our first meeting. If I had known you were the Prince's wife, I wouldn't have dreamed of kissing him."

While waiting for bluntness of her words to affect Eila, Bran was frustrated when the Princess's face was completely blank, making no answer. Finally, Eila let out a short breath and cocked an eyebrow at Bran, proving that the "princess" didn't seem to believe her. Time for a new tactic.

"I very much wish that we could be friends," Bran said with a sigh as she lowered her head. "I see so much in you that I admire." Bran was laughing inwardly at the lie—what could Eila possibly have and be that was superior to her? "And it pains me that Prince Kili doesn't see it."

Eila looked confused, but she remained silent. Bran was aware that she was throwing empty darts, but she was trying to make Eila uneasy, a perfect planting ground for the seeds of doubt Bran wanted to plant. Any emotional response would do, but the brown-haired dwarrow-woman refused to cooperate.

"I wish I were not the one to have to say this, but I thought it best… well, I wanted to be kind to you." Bran adopted a look of sympathy and reached to touch Eila's shoulder soothingly. She explained the meeting with King Fili and his councilors in a manner one might use for a child that cannot understand the workings of adults, all the while emitting Kili's outburst and bending truths to inform Eila that within the month their marriage would be annulled and a ceremony for Bran and Kili would be taking place.

Standing in silence, Eila's face was increasingly difficult to read, but Bran was enjoying tormenting her and imagined that the "princess" was harboring some inner turmoil she wouldn't show outwardly. But Bran would have her satisfaction—she would make the dwarf-woman break! The workings of her counterplan demanded it: a broken Eila meant she wouldn't fight against what the council demanded; council votes were easily bought and Bran had fortune enough to bribe more than half the dwarves; and after Kili had so foolishly threatened to leave, the council would be guarding him like a hawk… it was all coming together. All except the breaking, which Bran began to work on.

"We might have gone too far this morning," Bran snickered into her sleeve, fingers over her mouth as though she were embarrassed to admit her adultery. Which she wouldn't be, even if what she said was true. "A sort of pre-celebration. You should have heard the naughty things he said in my ear—"

"Kili doesn't talk." Eila interrupted, traces of anguish on her features. Yes—it was working!

Did she mean that Kili didn't talk while making love? An easy fact to turn around. "Maybe he doesn't while he's with you, but he certainly did with me. I wonder if that says anything about how much he favors me over you."

"He couldn't have been with you, he had an appointment in his study." Eila said, but with enough traces of sadness in her voice that it pleased Bran.

"Sweetheart, I was the appointment." Bran laughed. "You can check with the chamberlain. The Prince seemed to be in a hurry to get there, too." She winked. Eila continued to stare sadly at her, but Bran was certain she saw the beginning of some raw, hurt emotion there and decided to fan the flames.

"What scent do you wear, my dear?" Bran crossed her arms and sent her a conceited smile.

"Scent?"

"Surely, you must use some kind of scented oil on yourself?"

"Er," Eila shook her head in confusion for a moment. "Jasmine. Why?"

"Well, I wear olive and rose, my dear," Bran held out her arm, as if to let Eila smell it. The Princess only sneered at Bran, though Bran was certain she could smell it. "And if you had any doubts about this morning, or about your so-called husband, you should sniff around—"

Click! Something in Bran's jaw made a loud noise and Bran found herself staring at the ceiling with her backside on the floor.

"Now you smell like olive, roses, and blood." Eila sneered, rubbing at the knuckles on her hand as she strode away.

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We had a successful move and are settled enough for me to write again :)

It was so hard for me to write from Bran's perspective—but I had to put some doubt as to whether or not Eila was being affected by Bran's words. Clearly, the end proves that it didn't have the affect Bran wanted. More soon! Not sure when, but hoping tomorrow or the next day

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Addressing reviews:

"Guest": I'm so glad you love it!

Aranel Mereneth: Family bonding is coming, I promise! ;)

"Guest": Don't you worry, Bran will get what's coming to her!

Celebrisilwelth: Oh, I'm pretty sure there are lots of "accidents" that could happen to Bran, but hopefully you'll enjoy the justice that I promise will be doled out.

Tygrislily: I think death would be too sweet for Bran, I've got something else planned for her.

Nenithiel: The best for Eila and Kili is coming ;)