After barely being able to pull himself away, Thorin had finally managed to force himself from their chambers and to his throne room. It was time that Erebor saw its king resume his duties, but even as he sat there listening to his aids tell him all that had transpired in his absence, which was rather uneventful, he could not keep his mind from wandering back to Ila. She had been so sexy with her gown up to her hips sitting on that breakfast table….

"My lord?" came the aid's voice and it brought Thorin back the present. He had to do a better job of paying attention, or at least pretending to do so.

Fili was standing next to the right of Thorin's throne, doing a better job of pretending. He was interested however as he had always been in the affairs of the kingdom since he was the next male in line for the throne. He knew that Ila's existence now sealed the fate that he would never be king, but he was still a prince and an important member of the kingdom.

Kili, who had never imagined he would be king one day with his uncle and brother in line ahead of him, was extremely disinterested and doing the worst job of all at paying attention. He was at his brother's side, shifting on his feet and looking all around the room in disinterest. He had been waiting all day for a glimpse of Ila. He thought she would have emerged by now, at least for breakfast. But she hadn't. She had occupied his thoughts the entire time she had been locked away. He wondered now if uncle was going to keep her locked away forever like some rare treasure that he didn't want anyone else's eyes on. It was all driving him mad.

Fili caught his attention then out of the corner of his eye. He gave him a stern look. He knew it was for fidgeting so much, but he couldn't help it. He was so bored and so anxious. If he had to be denied her presence he at least wanted to be doing something, practicing with his bow or hunting out of doors. Anything to take his mind off of her.

He looked down at his feet now, trying to stay still. The aid was droning on about food storages now, not that he caught much of it. He would at the very least take a brisk walk through the palace during the next break, he was about to come out of his skin.

Ila had finally gotten dressed after the surprise quickie on the breakfast table. Dwala had been red all over when she came back in the room. Ila had said that's what she'd been talking about earlier, and Dwala seemed satisfied that such a thing must be rather amazing if it caused one to scream like that, and repeatedly so.

Dwala had helped Ila dress then, a beautiful dark blue gown to match Thorin's regular attire, and they left the royal chambers together. Ila was headed for Thorin's library to find some things to read since she figured she would have a fair bit of free time now that her husband was taken from her. She had invited Dwala to come with her but she'd said she had something to tend to herself if that was alright. Ila had wondered what that could be, but didn't pry when Dwala said she would tell her later. Dwala then set out for the kitchens and Ila for the library. She had not been there long when she heard a noise coming from the doorway behind her.

Ila was standing on her tiptoes in a chair, trying to reach a book on a shelf too high for her, when she heard it and gasped for she had thought she was alone, as very few were allowed in that library. She braced herself against the bookshelf and lost her balance, having turned her head in enough time to see it was Prince Kili.

He had rushed towards her as she began to teeter. As the chair was slipping out from under her feet his arms came up around her waist to bring her safely down to the floor. Ila had instinctively grabbed his shoulders and held onto him, wanting to steady herself. As he sat her firmly on the floor their eyes met and their faces were but a breath apart.

Kili inhaled her scent, lavender mostly but with a hint of something sweeter that he couldn't place. Her hazel eyes were round like a doe's, and her pink lips were parted in surprise.

"Prince Kili!" she exclaimed and then began to giggle. "You frightened me so!" she said as her surprise had turned into a smile. She backed away from him and let go of his shoulders, and he had to force his hands to pry off of her sides.

"Apologies, that was not my intent." Kili replied.

"Oh, no need for apologies. You did save me." Ila answered.

"It was nothing. But what are you doing here by yourself? Shouldn't your handmaiden at least be with you?" Kili asked, not that he minded, he was glad that he'd stumbled upon her alone.

"Oh, Dwala? She had things to tend to. And I have quite a bit of free time since it appears Erebor needs your uncle more than I do. So I thought I would find something to occupy my time…..why? Do you think Thorin would be angry that I am about the palace alone?" Ila asked, concerned a little now.

Kili shook his head. "Well you are queen now, you can do what you like." Kili answered simply.

Ila laughed at that. "No, I do as your uncle likes. Which, is fine with me." She said smiling wide at the mere thought of Thorin.

"But what are you doing here?" Ila asked.

"Me? Oh, I was just taking a break from all of the official briefings, taking a walk to clear my head." He said. "I just happened to be walking by when you were in such a precarious position."

"Well I don't know that it was precarious until you frightened me prince." Ila said.

"You need not call me prince anymore, you are queen now. I am Kili, and at your command." He said a little more serious than he had been until that point.

Ila giggled at him yet again. "We are the same age are we not?" she asked.

"I believe we are." Kili replied.

"And I am your aunt now." Ila said.

Kili didn't like the sound of that, nor did he think of her that way.

"Yes, yes I suppose you are." He replied.

"There is no supposing, I am your aunt. Though, I prefer you not call me that. We are so young and….well I would rather you call me Ila. And I hope that we—that is you, your brother and I can be friends now that we are allowed to socialize properly, and now that we are family." Ila said.

Kili did want to know her better, he wanted to know her in every way. He also did not want to call her aunt, so all of this sat well with him.

"That all sounds wonderful to me. Now, can I fetch that book for you? I cannot let the queen injure herself over so small a matter." He said.

"Oh, well it's that red one there," Ila pointed and Kili climbed the bookshelf like a ladder to retrieve it in no time, hopping back down to land squarely on his feet with the book in hand.

Ila laughed and took it from him and thanked him for his trouble. She sat it on a table next to three others she had picked and decided that was enough for now.

"Is there anything else I can fetch for you then?" he asked, eager to please her in any small way that he could manage.

"Oh no, I think these should keep me busy for a while." She said gesturing towards the table.

"Can I escort you down to lunch then? It's nearly time." He asked not wanting to be parted from her presence so soon.

"Oh, is it? I admit I did not rise very early." Ila replied, then thought that Thorin would be there and she could dine with him.

"But yes, please do. I should probably eat something." She said and Kili extended his arm to her, which Ila took. She thought nothing of it, for he was her kin now. Kili felt enflamed however, she being so close and touching him, even if their clothes were separating them.

As they strode through the palace, dwarves beheld their magnificent queen for the first time in a week. They remarked again on how beautiful she was, and how perfect she looked for Thorin in that blue dress with her dark tresses to match his. Ila smiled as she heard their comments, intent on looking every bit his queen and pleased that she was succeeding. Kili said little, but answered her many questions about what had been going on during the honeymoon. It was a rather uneventful account, except for one part in particular.

Kili was detailing a fight that he and his brother had seen in Dale at a tavern, when he mentioned Dwala's name.

Ila butted in on him right there. "Dwala! You don't mean my Dwala?" she asked incredulously.

"Oh, well, yes. She is the only one I know." Kili replied.

"She was there? In Dale?! IN A TAVERN?!" Ila questioned.

"Well, yes. Dwalin brought her." Kili said very matter of fact.

"DWALIN? They went on a date?!"

"Uh….well….I don't know that it was a date…..she just came with us to the tavern that night. Don't think she enjoyed it much though, Dwalin had to shield her from danger more than once." Kili replied.

"Oh Mahal! She didn't tell me any of that! I will have to interrogate her when I see her!" Ila exclaimed excitedly. So that's why she fancies him so…..saving her like a dwarf in distress while I was preoccupied…. Ila thought.

"I hope I haven't gotten her in trouble by telling you…" Kili began but Ila silenced him.

"Oh, no. Dwala is free to do as she pleases. Some things just make more sense now." Ila said and Kili smiled, fine with leaving that as it was. They entered the great hall then and Ila began scanning the room for her love, but he was nowhere in sight. Disappointed, she let Kili lead her to a table where his brother, Dwalin and Balin sat. She noted there was no sign of Dwala either.

Fili looked up from his plate and saw them. "Oh, so that's where you've been. Trying to get in the good graces of the new queen already." Fili said but with a smile. She knew the two teased and played with one another constantly.

Kili blushed a little and Ila answered for him. "No, he's just been retrieving books for me from shelves that I cannot reach." She said.

Fili made a face at his brother and Balin smiled. "Sounds terribly important that you should disappear for so long," Dwalin practically scolded him. He ignored it and pulled Ila's chair out for her which she thanked him for. She sat next to Fili and Kili sat on her other side, Dwalin and Balin across from them.

"I don't suppose anyone has seen my lord?" Ila asked as she grabbed some bread.

"Still in counsel, he has a lot to catch up on after seven days away," Balin said.

"Oh, I thought our absence was uneventful." Ila asked.

"It was." Dwalin said. "He meant he has a lot of boring and sundry things to catch up on."

"Such is ruling," Balin added.

Ila nodded that she understood and began to eat when she realized she still hadn't seen Dwala.

"Oh, I don't suppose anyone has seen my handmaiden either have they? I thought she was down here somewhere…" Ila said and made sure to look at Dwalin as she did.

She noted he stopped chewing for a nearly imperceptible moment when he heard her name, but made no other outward sign that he cared. Trying not to look concerned perhaps…?

"I have not," Fili answered.

"Oh, well it seems that I cannot keep up with anyone does it not?" Ila said jokingly.

"You are a queen now, people are supposed to keep up with you," Balin replied smiling at her.

"That is going to take quite a bit of getting used to I think." Ila replied.

"You'll manage," Kili replied as he poured her a glass of water and sat it down next to her plate. She smiled and thanked him. Her smile sent shivers through him and all he could do was nod and return to his food.

"Did I hear you say that Kili was retrieving books for you, my queen?" Balin asked.

"Yes, yes you should be proud of me. Two of the four are history books in fact." She said and Balin smiled warmly.

"Good to know. I would have thought that I soured you on history entirely after our tutoring session that went a bit long that day," he replied.

"By a bit long do you mean it went on for hours and hours?" Dwalin asked and his brother just narrowed his eyes at him. Dwalin laughed but cut it short when he saw someone approaching from behind where Ila sat. Ila turned her head, hoping to see her husband, but instead it was Dwala.

"There you are! What have you been doing?" Ila asked.

"Oh, nothing," Dwala said rather unconvincingly. "Am I too late for lunch?"

"Of course not, I only just sat down." Ila said and Dwala was forced to take the only available seat, which was next to Dwalin. Ila noticed she sat a small basket down next to her and started to ask what it was but noticed how nervous Dwala was and made a note to ask later. She had much to ask her friend about it seemed.

Dwala said nothing to Dwalin and he said nothing to her in a painfully obvious way that one made the other nervous, that only they thought was unnoticeable. Everyone else chose to ignore it though, and continue eating and lite conversation.

Fili was giving Ila a rundown on the briefings from that morning and the things that had happened in and around the kingdom the past week. When lunch was over and they were all about to go their separate ways, Thorin finally strode into the great hall.

Ila nearly leapt from her seat but remembered she was a queen now and that she must maintain dignity and calm in her every action. So she gracefully rose from her chair and met her husband halfway through the room. She gave him a little curtsy, as we was king, and then closed the distance between them. They did not dare kiss in such a public place, but Thorin took her hand in both of his to bring to his lips and place a reverent kiss upon it. Ila beamed up at him and he back at her.

"You have missed lunch," Ila said. "But your kin kept me company." She said looking towards their table. Kili had sulked a bit when his uncle entered the room, Ila's full attention directed at him now, but she had not noticed.

"Good, now that you are able you should get to know them all better," Thorin said. "Does my queen have time to sit me with me while I quickly eat something?" he asked.

Ila grinned up at him. "I am at your command my lord." She replied and Thorin thought of a couple of things he would like to command her to do, none of which could transpire in public. He would settle for lunch with her for now.

Ila saw the flicker of lust in his blue eyes. He was thinking what she had been implying. He said nothing of it though, but she knew he would bring it up later.

Thorin led her to a table where just the two of them could sit and be together alone, enjoying each other for the short time they had.

Meanwhile, at the other table, Balin had left and Fili and Kili were gone as well. That left Dwala and Dwalin alone together.

They still hadn't spoken to one another, neither knowing what to say. Dwalin didn't want to leave her there by herself either. Dwala decided after another minute that she should say something since he obviously wasn't going to.

"So, there was no more trouble that night after you brought me back was there? I mean….you were not hurt were you?" she asked tentatively.

"No, no it takes more than that to frighten me lass." He said as he finished his plate and pushed it away.

"Oh, oh I'm sure…that's not exactly what I meant…" Dwala stuttered.

"And you? Have you been well?" Dwalin asked.

"Oh, well yes. Yes I have. I am glad to have my mistress back."

Dwalin grunted and nodded at her, unsure of what to say next.

Dwala then built up the courage to tell him what was in her basket, as she sensed he was about to leave.

"I um, I made something for you. To say thanks for the other night." Dwala said quickly.

Dwalin looked confused for a moment. "Lass, you needn't—"

"Do you like cookies?" She asked.

Dwalin stopped in his tracks. Did she say cookies?

"Erm, uh what dwarf doesn't like cookies?" he asked.

"Chocolate chip cookies?" Dwala asked.

"Those are my favorite." Dwalin said, his face very serious now.

"Mine too," Dwala said with the sweetest and most innocent smile he had ever seen. She handed him the basket then and he pulled it opened it to see a dozen, large, delicious chocolate chip cookies, still warm from the oven.

"I made them myself," Dwala said.

He looked at them longingly and thenback to her.

"You shouldn't have," he said but with no conviction in his voice, as he took one and bit into it. As he began to chew he stopped suddenly.

It was the best cookie he had ever had. Ever.

He looked at Dwala who was looking at him expectantly. He made a pleased sound and began to chew faster. Dwala beamed back at him.

"Do you like them?" she asked vulnerably.

He took a moment longer to swallow. "They are...the best I have ever had." He said and Dwala blushed.

"Oh you're just saying that," she said.

"No, lass, I am not." He urged and took another to eat and handed her one too. She scooted a little closer to him and the two sat there eating cookies together, exchanging shy smiles and inching ever closer to one another as they did.