Chapter Forty Six: Dinner Among Dwarves

Notes: Ahh we're in the final chapters this week! Although...I may have some additional chapters I could upload that are "post story" if you guys would be interested. I'm still deciding if I want to include them, I'll have to see how everyone feels after Chapter 50.

I fiddled with the sleeves of the blue dress Dis had loaned me. They were so long, I didn't know how I was going to be able to eat while those things were in the way of everything. I followed closely behind a guard who was guiding me to the royal dining room where I was going to have my first real meal in nearly five days.

My long hair was still wet from my bath that I felt completely refreshed from. I felt like myself again after getting those days worth of filth off me. The hot water cleansed me down to my soul and I felt ready to navigate my way through eating with royalty.

While we walked I tried to remember my way the best I could so I could start remembering where things were in relation to each other. The sooner I could wander these halls without guards the better. I didn't want to be a bother to anyone or need any special attention, so the sooner I could function in Erebor on my own the better.

I could tell I was getting closer when I could hear the loud laughing and chatter of people. I entered the room and Thorin, Dis, Fili, and Kili were already at the table eating and drinking with each other. When they saw me they waved and urged me over.

I thanked the guard and sauntered over to them to join in for dinner. Thorin sat at the head of the table with Dis to his right and Kili to his left. I sat next to Kili and across from Fili. My spot was already loaded with food and a tall glass of wine was waiting for me as well. It was one of the best sights I had seen that day, even more so than the bath.

"Thank you for joining us this evening, Genevive. How was your bath?" Dis asked before taking a big drink of her wine.

"Just what I needed, thank you for arranging it and letting me borrow your dress. It's lovely." I dug into my roasted potatoes and I closed my eyes for a moment, unable to hide the pure pleasure of a warm meal. I washed it down with some dry wine before looking at Thorin. "Have you heard from Gandalf at all?"

He shook his head. "If he left the room he would have known to come and speak with me. No developments yet but we have no reason to not be optimistic."

"Yes, I'm excited to meet the little hobbit that finally caught your attention, Brother," Dis said. She leaned over closer to me and said, "I was starting to wonder if he was into the male form, if you catch my meaning."

"Dis, behave yourself won't you?" he sighed.

"What? I am excited to meet her!" She either didn't understand what she said that bothered him or she wanted to play ignorant. I didn't know her well enough yet to know for sure. "Genevive, you really should have seen him while he was recovering from his injuries, he was a sorry sight to see thinking your sister was lost to us."

"We all mourned in our own way," Fili said, trying to take some heat off his uncle. "I'm sure it's been an exhausting last few days, maybe some other topics of conversation would be more pleasant, don't you think so Mother?"

She shrugged her shoulders.

Kili said while his mouth was half full of roasted boar, "You should tell us more about yourself Gen, we're all so eager to get to know you."

I grabbed my wine and laughed though it came out sounding nervous and awkward. "Me? What is there to tell?" I could see Fili smirking in the corner of my eyes and I wanted to throw something at him.

Kili asked, picking up a dinner roll, "What was your life back in Hobbiton like? Did you work like Lydia did?"

I was hoping I was going to be able to go longer without having to rehash my life to them but I guess I just needed to get it over with. I cleared my throat and leaned back in my chair before saying, "Well…to keep a long story short, I got married when I was pretty young. To Oliver Grubb, though that last name alone should have made me run for the hills. Our relationship was nonexistent when I left to come here."

Surprised expressions crossed most of their expressions, Thorin already knew this about me of course.

I laughed, "I'll miss my gardens more than I'll miss that old bore."

Dis said, "Good for you for leaving him then, Genevive!" She put down her cup and looked at me seriously. "No woman should waste her precious life away on a man who doesn't appreciate her. You made the right choice coming here."

"Thank you Dis," I said, caught off guard by her support. "He probably still hasn't noticed I'm gone."

"Nonsense, you are a pretty and bright woman. I'm sure he's groveling to anyone who will listen to him, trying to figure out where you went!"

I couldn't help but release a sharp laugh at the mental image. There was no way that scenario was the case but I appreciated the thought. "Here's hoping. But since I'm not planning on going back to Hobbiton I'm not going to consider myself a married woman anymore. Would like to leave my history with Oliver in the past."

Kili teased, "Well if you want to take a page out of Lydia's book, you certainly have options here if you're looking for someone."

"Ha! I doubt anyone would be up for the challenge. Nor would I be looking to crowd my life with another man right now."

Dis said, "Don't waste your time with men my dear. I loved Fili and Kili's father, obviously, but after he died I had no desire to burden myself with marriage anymore. Enjoy your freedom Genevive and do not take love advice from my son who has feelings for an elf."

"Now, let's not get started with that again Dis," Thorin warned.

I cocked an eyebrow and looked at Kili. "Oh? An elvish woman? Wouldn't she be a bit tall for you?"

He rolled his eyes at my comment but I could tell that this was a tense topic amongst them. I pretended I didn't notice. "I'm following the rules, she can't come into Erebor so if I see her it's not on dwarvish land. And she thinks I'm tall for a dwarf, thank you."

I didn't know anything about the history between dwarves and elves, but if they had a rule like that I'm sure it was turbulent to say the least. I made a mental note to ask Fili and Kili about it, since it seemed like Thorin and Dis had a very strong opinion on it.

Conversation moved to Dis asking Thorin about the state of the kingdom and no matter how hard I tried to understand the words that came out his mouth, I was undoubtedly lost in it. I focused more on eating and drinking the rest of my meal which was utterly delicious. I was so content at that moment and it was obviously noticeable.

Fili said lowly, not wanting to interrupt the others' conversation, "I don't think I've seen anyone so excited to eat Dwarvish food before."

"I can't remember the last time I didn't have to make a meal for myself, besides the fact that I've eaten nothing but dried meats and raw fruits and vegetables since leaving Hobbiton." I put the last bite of the buttery roll into my mouth and sighed happily. "I'm one hell of a good cook, but nothing tastes better than when someone else makes a meal for you."

"You'll have to prove that by making me a meal sometime," he suggested, wanting to get under my skin again.

"Oh sorry, I think I'm going to be done doing things for men for a very, very long time. And as your mother said, I'm going to enjoy my freedom." I finished off my glass of wine. "Unless you wanted to make me dinner first, then I might return the favor."

"I'd be willing to give it a try, but I might make poison by accident."

I chuckled, honestly flattered that essentially the Prince of Erebor was willing to do something as common as making a meal for me. He was certainly trying to get on my good side which would have made me suspicious if he wasn't already a friend to my sister.

"I think I could roll the dice on that. I've actually been poisoned before and I was able to survive that."

His eyes grew. "What? How?"

I shook my head and laughed a little, it had been so long since I had thought about that time. "When my siblings and I were younger we were nothing but a bunch of delinquents. One of my favorite things to steal were these meat pies from a bakery in Bree. They were delicious and were easy to swipe in the early morning while they were being baked."

"I think I see where this is going," he said, leaning against his arm as he listened to me. He looked like an attentive little puppy.

"Well how else do people get rid of vermin other than with a little poison? The baker saw I always grabbed the last pie in the row so he just put a little something extra in that last pie and I did exactly what I always did. I grabbed it and crawled into the alley to eat a big slice before bringing it home. Luckily, the poison kicked in before I brought it home to my family so I was the only one who got sick."

"But you survived it."

"Obviously. Was about as fun as it sounds. So, I'm sure if I can survive that I can take whatever concoction you throw together."

His smile was so charming and the way his eyes felt on me made me smile back at him. He certainly was going to be trouble.

The door to the dining room swung open and we all turned to see an exhausted looking Gandalf walk in. My heart leapt in my chest, knowing he must have been done healing Lydia. Thorin stood up from his chair and asked, "How did everything go? Is she awake?"

Gandalf sighed, sitting at the chair at the opposite end of the table, slumping into it tiredly. "I have done what I can do to heal her, from what I can tell her lungs are no longer damaged. She has not woken up yet though, this may be a waiting game."

I gulped and my voice shook as I asked, "S-She will wake up though, won't she? This won't last long?"

"Everything is in Lydia's hands now. These deep sleeps are impossible to predict if she'll wake up in the next five minutes or…"

"Or never," I finished, my heart dropping into my heels.

Thorin immediately started to leave the dining room and I hurried to keep up with him. We walked quickly and in complete silence, there was nothing to say in this situation, not in that moment. We just needed to be with Lydia.

Any buzz I had from the wine was gone.

I kept at his heels as we walked all the way back to the royal quarters and into his room. Thorin immediately took the chair next to the bed and took her hand into his. I stood at the edge of the bed and looked down at her sleeping figure, my breathing shuddering as I tried to keep myself from crying. I felt like I had done enough of that for the week but I couldn't help the burning in my eyes and the lump in my throat.

She looked half alive and half dead, her skin pale but her chest still rising and falling softly. Her breathing didn't sound ragged like it did before so I could tell that Gandalf's magic worked to an extent but the thought of her being stuck like that was terrifying.

I sat down at the foot of the bed, my eyes unable to leave her freckled face. We had all been so hopeful that her recovery was going to be easy, I think we were both sideswiped when that possibility seemed so unsure. We had just been so excited, I couldn't even imagine how heart broken and scared Thorin was.

He muttered, "For the longest time I was sure Lydia was invincible. She always managed to find a way to survive anything no matter how dire. I thought she must have been part cat, to have so many lives. But…she seems so fragile now."

"She would hate that you used that word to describe her," I whispered back. "But you're right. She looks like she's made of porcelain."

My shoulders slumped and I nervously fiddled with the lining of the large sleeves of my dress. We sat in silence for a while, just hoping she would suddenly sit up in the bed, but of course it never happened.

"Could you tell me the next part of the story?" I asked.

He nodded softly, tucking some of Lydia's hair behind her pointed ear. "Where did we leave off again?"

"Beorn's house, I believe. After your crazy night." I tried to force a smile but it felt like a lame performance.

"Ah that's right." His expression seemed to lighten as he was taken out of that moment around the bed and put into a more pleasant one. "I woke up that morning before everyone else. I had Lydia asleep in my arms. She just seemed so perfect, I wanted to stay there forever. I appreciated the sensation for a couple moments longer before sliding out of her grasp. That was when Beorn came inside the house in his mortal form…"