Chapter 12

Two days had passed with Thorin and Kaleria attending meetings with Dain and a few men from both Erebor and the Iron Hills. They were negotiating the alliance that was implied because Thorin and Dain were cousins, but they were tentative because of the mistrust held by both sides. Kaleria held her tongue as best she could, keeping her promise to Thorin that she wouldn't have an outburst during the meeting.

She listened and nodded and spoke when she had to, but Kaleria didn't like the way the meetings were headed, something didn't feel right.

Thorin presented the drafted document of alliance the group had worked on for the past two days, with all the agreed terms. The final step was for both sides to sign it.

"One more thing, cousin." Dain said.

Kaleria's hands went cold.

"There is a human village south of here on the River Carnen. I received a request from them yesterday for weapons in exchange for fresh fish. I'll sign your alliance agreement if you fulfill this request to the village for me." Dain explained.

"That wasn't part of the deal." Kaleria couldn't stop herself from speaking.

Thorin glanced at her, warning her to be quiet. "She's right, Dain. That wasn't part of our deal."

"Well, you see. Your side made a lot of the plans in our first deal. This is what I want to make us even." Dain looked at Kaleria, then back to Thorin. "Kaleria can stay here until you are finished helping me, and then you all can return to Erebor."

Thorin frowned at his cousin. "I will decide where my wife goes and with whom. As for your request–"

"Thorin!" Kaleria stood from her chair and grabbed his arm.

He turned to her and grew very serious. "We need this, Kaleria."

Her knees grew weak and a flutter in her stomach made her freeze. She had forgotten. The traveling, the meetings, the feasts, all of it had made her forget her news. She suddenly wanted to scream at Thorin to convince him they had to return home together. The words caught in her throat and she couldn't stand to watch Thorin make this deal.

She ran. She took off so fast, Thorin, Dain, and the others were startled by her sudden movement and watched her until she was gone. Kaleria ran down the halls and all the way into her room. She slammed the door and leaned against it for strength. One hand drifted to her stomach where the flutter happened again.

She had to convince Thorin not to go on this journey for Dain. They had to get back to Erebor where she could tell him, Dis, Fili, Kili, Hedina, and Valdrus they were going to have a baby. She rushed to the wardrobe where their clothes were and began shoving her things into her bags.

The door opened behind her.

"Kaleria, what is going on?" Thorin strode across the room toward her.

She continued to shove clothes into her bag. "You can't go on that journey. We have to get back to Erebor."

"Why? What happened?" Thorin waited for an explanation.

She looked up at him, but couldn't hold his gaze. "Nothing happened. But we need to go back. We need to go home."

His patience dissipated and Thorin grabbed her by the arms to force her to stop packing and look at him. "Tell me what's wrong, Kaleria."

She stared deeply into his eyes, but the right words wouldn't come out.

"Please, don't go on that request," she pleaded.

Thorin sighed. "Kaleria, we came all this way to strengthen our alliance with the Iron Hills, and this is the way I have to do it." He released her and started walking toward the door. "I know you don't like Dain, but please try–"

"You're going to be a father, Thorin!" The words finally escaped her lips.

The King Under the Mountain froze, but made no move to turn around. Kaleria waited for him to say something, knowing if she started talking she wouldn't be able to stop.

"What did you say?" He asked, calmly. His back remained facing her.

The tears welled up in Kaleria's eyes. "I'm with child, Thorin. You're going to be a father."

Slowly, he spun around, his face completely unreadable to her for the first time. He took painfully slow steps back to her until he filled the space before her.

His eyes met hers, then sunk down her body and landed on her stomach. He reached a gentle hand out and touched only the tips of his fingers to her abdomen.

"You're–you're with child?" He questioned, his face expressionless.

Kaleria nodded. "I wanted to tell you, but I wanted it to be special."

"How long have you known?" His eyes jumped back to hers.

"The night before we left I visited Oin."

"And you waited this long to tell me?" His brows furrowed slightly.

"I'm so sorry, Thorin. I should've been honest with you. I wasn't sure if it was true, but then I visited Oin—"

Thorin brought his hands to her cheeks and cradled her face, gently. He lifted her chin so he could see her eyes, and he used his thumbs to wipe her tears.

"My love, please don't cry. I am not angry."

Kaleria sniffled. "You're not?"

"Of course not!" A large smile beamed from his lips and his eyes danced. "I am the happiest dwarf in Middle Earth. You blessed us with a child. Our child."

He wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her into a hug. He lifted her feet off the ground and spun her once before quickly setting her back on her feet and taking one step back.

"I shouldn't do that. It might hurt the baby." Thorin dropped to his knees and spoke directly to her stomach. "I'm sorry little one. I'll be more careful."

A sob escaped Kaleria's lips, but it was a happy and relieved sob. Thorin looked up at her, completely starstruck by the woman who continued to surprise him everyday.

"How did I not notice?" He wondered aloud.

"Notice what?"

"You. You are absolutely radiant, and I'm only noticing now? I truly must be blind." He joked at his own expense, earning a laugh from her.

Thorin pressed his forehead against her stomach and closed his eyes, imagining a child of his own. His hands gripped the fabric of her dress, holding her to him. She gazed down at her loving husband and the tender way he held her as if she was the source of his life. Her hands caressed his hair back and away from his face.

After a moment, he looked up at her. "I could never love you more than I do right now."

Kaleria's heart lurched and she bent down to press a long kiss to his lips.

He held her tightly, but he was the one to break the kiss first. "That is why I have to send you back to Erebor."

Kaleria pulled back to see his eyes. "What?"

"I have my duties as king. The greatest of which is the protection of you and our child." Thorin's hand covered her stomach.

She recoiled and got to her feet. "I am not going back without you. You are my husband."

Thorin hung his head and his shoulders sank, heavy with the weight of his choice. "You knew before you married me that I could never be only yours. I have to think about my people as much as I think about our family."

"I knew I would always have to share you, but I never thought you would choose them over me if you could help it." Kaleria's chest ached as she said the words.

Thorin got to his feet. "This is not about my choices. I have a responsibility to my people to protect them in any way I can. Completing this task for Dain, and securing his allegiance to Erebor is how I do that."

"Send Dwalin! He is more than capable of fulfilling this task for Dain."

"If I send someone in my place, then my reputation becomes me sending others to handle our problems." Thorin balled his fists at his sides.

"So this is about your reputation?" accused Kaleria.

Thorin sighed, frustrated. "That's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean, Thorin? I thought I understood you better than anyone else, but you're proving me wrong." Kaleria stared at him, her eyes cold.

Thorin flinched at her words as if they had crossed the room and bit him. He walked to the door, then turned slightly, speaking over his shoulder at her. "Tomorrow, I will go south to the human village, and you will return to Erebor."

Thorin closed the door behind him with a solid thud, leaving Kaleria in the silence of their room. She wasn't sad, or angry. She was numb. She had never thought Thorin could break her heart. Now she knew she had been wrong.

Kaleria laid on the bed and curled onto her side, both hands pressed against her stomach. Whatever choices she made moving forward would be for the safety of her child, and if that meant making those decisions alone, she would do it. In the back of her mind, she knew he was speaking the truth in saying his decisions as king came before his decisions as her husband, but that didn't make the act of witnessing him choose his kingdom over her any less painful. The numbness would fade in time. For now, she had to keep moving forward for the sake of her child.