After Fili had slapped and yelled at his uncle, Dwalin and Bofur brought Thorin to his rooms. The king was shaking and crying and they didn't want to leave him alone. But they also had to look after the miners from the Iron Hills and so Balin stayed with him. He was still Thorin's most trusted advisor and they hoped that he would be able to talk some sense into the mad king.

When Balin entered the room Thorin was sitting on his bed and had thrown his crown into a corner. He looked up at the old dwarf and swallowed. "Are they well?"

Balin was surprised that the King worried about Poppy and her baby but immediately noticed that something in Thorin had changed. He smiled a bit but then answered with a worried expression on his face. "Oin is looking after them at the moment. Little Thorin is well from what I've heard but Fili's wife is still unconscious and has lost lots of blood."

Thorin sighed in distress and tore his hair. "I have never wanted the Dragon Sickness to win. But it did because I haven't been strong enough and now I have destroyed the lives of those I love the most. Fili and Dis will hate me forever." Now he started crying again. "Balin, I can never look them in the eye again."

The old dwarf looked at his King sadly. "Laddie, yes it won't be easy. But you should apologise to them. Especially Mistress Poppy is a really kind person. She won't hate you."

"Do you really think so? But actually it's Princess or Lady Poppy, isn't it? She's the heir's wife." Thorin mumbled.

"I do. Of course she deserves such a title but after you told your nephew that he isn't worth being called a Prince of the Line of Durin and chopped of his beard and braids-"

Thorin looked at Balin in shock."What? Oh Mahal! I can't even remember doing that, Balin. Please tell me what else I've done?"

Balin sighed and sat down on a chair in front of Thorin's desk. He told him everything he had done to his family after Erebor had been reclaimed starting with how poorly he had treated Fili when he was still in Erebor. He also told him about Dis' forced marriage with Dwalin, finding out that Fili was still alive, the abductuion of Vili and everything he had done after Fili and his family had come back to Erebor about one and a half years ago.

All the time Thorin gasped and tore at his hair while tears rolled down his cheeks. Apparently the sickness had controlled his mind that much that the 'real' Thorin hadn't even realised what he was doing. "I should shave my beard and head as a sign of shame and give up being King immediately. Erebor deserves a fair ruler."

Balin took the knife from Thorin's hands and reassured him that he had been a good king for the majority of Erebor's citizens despite his poor treatment of his family. He also told him about the three assassination attempts and that these dwarves had done that because they wanted Dain to be their King. If Thorin gave up now the murderers would have won.

In the end Thorin could be persuaded that he would continue being king. He wanted to visit Fili and his family as soon as possible to apologise. But he was scared that the worst might have happened to Poppy and that his visit might cause the family even more harm.

Luckily Dis appeared a few moments later. The moment she entered the door, Thorin ran towards her to ask if her daughter-in-law was well. Dis nodded and explained that Poppy was still weak from blood loss but would live. Thorin smiled in relief and thanked Mahal again and again.

Balin was smiling as well and so the dwarrowdam realised that her brother had broken free from the gold sickness. She was relieved and hugged him tightly. They would have to talk about everything that had happened between them but that could wait. For now Fili and his family were the most important to Dis. So she suggested that Thorin should go to apologise as soon as possible.

Thorin agreed and changed from his regal clothing to a simple blue tunic and black trousers. He didn't even look at his crown before he went to the infirmary.

There he wanted to knock but Oin told him to go in.

Poppy and Fili looked at Thorin with wide eyes. The latter noticed immediately that the mad golden gleam in his uncle's eyes had disappeared.

Thorin looked at his nephew and still held Poppy's hand. "I have behaved terribly and I'm sorry. I've never wanted the madness to win but it did. Balin has told me everything I have done to you and I know that I have ruined your lives and that you will most likely never forgive me. But please don't hate me! I know that I don't deserve it but please give me a second chance." Then a tear rolled down his cheek.

"I will never forget what you have done but I'm not angry. You've been very sick. Im sure otherwise you would have never done what you've did. I want to get to know the kind and loving uncle Fili has told me about." Poppy whispered and squeezed the dwarves hand.

Thorin was touched by Poppy's words and a few tears rolled down his cheeks once again. "Thank you!" He whispered and looked at Fili who smiled at his wife and uncle. "If Poppy wants to give you a second chance, then I will as well. But please don't play with us."

"I won't. I swear, Fili." Thorin said and looked at the children and then back to Poppy and Fili. "I will try to do everything to make your lives as good as possible. Will you stay here?"

"We will have to think about it." Fili said.

"I understand, Fili." Thorin said with a sad look.

In that moment Ruby ran towards Thorin. Her siblings tried to stop her because they could still remember how the King had made the guards point their swords at Lili when they had first arrived in Erebor. But Ruby wouldn't listen. She stopped in front of the dwarf who was still kneeling on the floor. "You Uncle Thorin!" The little girl exclaimed and held her little arms in the air.

Thorin looked at Fili who quickly explained why she knew who he was and allowed him to pick her up.

Thorin took the little girl in his arms. Ruby smiled brightly and wrapped her arms around one of his braids. He carefully stroked her golden curls. "You look just like your Adad when he was a baby."

Ruby frowned. "Who Adad?"

Then Thorin pointed at Fili and Ruby exclaimed that he was her Papa. Thorin first frowned but soon understood that Fili's children didn't use the Dwarvish words for mother and father.

Poppy smiled at Thorin and Ruby and hoped that he would stay like that and that the gold sickness would never take hold again. "Would you like to meet Thorin, our son? I hope you're not angry that I've chosen your name for him."

Thorin looked surprised. "I would like that. I'm honoured that you have chosen my name. Actually I think you have cured my sickness with your words. I will owe you my new life forever. Thank you!" He sat Ruby back down and smiled at Lili, Vili, Tulip and Runor. They still looked scared but Thorin hoped that he would be able to gain their trust one day.

Fili carefully watched his uncle and was quite sure that he had really changed. So he fetched his newborn son from his cradle and handed him to his uncle. Thorin had sat down on the edge of the bed close to Poppy and watched the little one in awe. He touched his dark brown curls and smiled. Suddenly little Thorin opened his eyes and Thorin gasped. The colour of his eyes was exactly the same as his and Fili's. The little boy looked truly like him. In that moment Thorin made an important decision and he would fight against everyone who was against it.

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