Chapter Fifty Six: Rushed Engagement

Balin confirmed that day that the wine had been poisoned.

They didn't know much more about who could have done it though, since it was a relatively weak poison that was used for bugs and other vermin inside the mountain. Anyone could have gotten their hands on something like that. However, all eyes were on the wait staff and the kitchen staff since someone would have to have access to our food and drinks, and have the knowledge of Thorin that he wouldn't drink that bottle of wine. The staff had also verified that no one other than the usual workers would have been in and out of the kitchen those days, but no one knew who left the bottle either.

It took a few days but once I was feeling better, we were back to having meals back in the dining room. Instead of being served plates, though, the food was brought to the table so we could plate ourselves. Since we were all sharing the food, no one got sick.

In most scenarios, I would have just been glad it stopped so we could focus on other things, but knowing that they would likely target Genevive as well, especially since her and Fili did nothing to hide the fact that they were running around together, I wanted whoever was after me to be found and stopped as soon as possible.

A pleasant distraction from all of that was Dis and Gen sucking me into the part of wedding planning that we did have control of. I knew that taking these steps with Thorin, there was going to be very little I would have an opinion on since I wasn't marrying some other dwarf, this was the king. There were traditions and rituals to follow. I was totally at peace with that since I had never imagined myself getting married in the first place. I didn't even know that was an option until Thorin was proposing to me. I did surprisingly enjoy the little things I could plan though, so I felt more like myself than a pretty ornament in a ceremony.

The one thing I could control was what I was going to wear. Normally a hobbit bride would be adorned in fresh flowers but I don't think we would be finding such things on the mountain during the winter. I had no attachment to hobbit traditions, but I didn't want to be dressed up like a dwarf either. It was impossible to find, but Dis was able to source some light blue, floral cloth from Laketown that Gen would be able to sew together into a dress. They were also going to make sure it was lined with soft furs that would keep me warm, but not too hot since dancing and drinking were sure to follow after the ceremony.

Normally more women would be involved in the creation of my wedding garb, and I think I would have enjoyed having more women there to talk about their own wedding memories. However, Thorin wasn't going to risk anything before the wedding.

Balin's estimate on when it would take place was pretty accurate. It was delayed slightly because of my illness but Thorin and I were set to have only a two week long engagement period. That was not a lot of time to get resources and make sure everything was planned for, so I was even more glad that all I had to do was show up, wear a nice gown, and say my vows.

As we got closer to the big day, I started to go a little stir crazy from only spending time with the same few people. Thorin figured it would be safe enough for me to get together with the rest of the company from the journey. Kili was the only one of the family members to join all of us in Ori's home. The rest of the family, including Thorin, had their own tasks, wedding or otherwise. As he put it, being so far removed from the crown had its benefits. Dwalin and Balin could not gather with us that day for similar reasons.

I clued all of them in on the poisoning incident, to see if any of them had any sort of insight, and some of them had a name come to mind.

Bofur said, "Gakus Alehead." A few of the others nodded as we sat in Ori's very clean and well organized living room. "Gakus is one of the elders of our clan, but he had no interest in being one of Thorin's advisors. Always said he was better at fighting than talking. But he's always been an advocate for the 'purity' of the crown."

Kili said, "Before Thorin was engaged, he was wanting to go as far as to have Thorin marry one of our cousins to make sure the bloodline wasn't 'sullied'." He visibly shuddered. "He has been strangely quiet since the hobbits arrived, which I guess is why we didn't think of him. Normally he would be losing his head over something like this but I figured he finally became too old to care."

I pulled my pipe out of my mouth and asked, "Would he have friends in the kitchens who would do him that sort of favor?"

Nori mentioned, "Most certainly, he has a lot of influence amongst the people. I assure you Lydia, you are generally well-loved and respected by the dwarves, but if Gakus is pulling some strings that's not a good thing."

I sighed and leaned back in my chair, trying to decide what the best course of action should be. "I mean…" I took a long drag from my pipe and breathed out the sweet smoke. "If I have to decide between my sister and I being threatened and Thorin and I being married to each other-"

The entire company shouted, "No!" making me jump in my seat.

Gloin said sternly, "You can not allow yourself to be scared off by that old croak, Lydia! You mustn't!"

Ori reached over and put his hands on my arm. "You wouldn't actually consider cutting off the engagement, would you?"

"I don't want to, Lads. Certainly I wouldn't ever consider it in any other situation, but I'm not the only person in danger in this situation. Who knows if any of this will actually stop after we're wed, it might get worse for all we know." I looked down into my lap. "And it's not like Thorin and I need to be married, we can't produce an heir that would need to be legitimate."

"Oh bollocks to all that!" Bofur snapped. I raised my eyebrows, surprised by his outburst. "The only way you'll gain respect from the dwarves that doubt you is by not standing down and showing them you make a better friend than an enemy. Whether it's Gakus or someone else, you need to scare the ever-living shit out of them."

The other nodded, agreeing with him.

Bombur added, "Yes Lass. You may catch more hobbits with honey but if you're trying to catch dwarves, you need vinegar."

My mind was slowly being made up on what I was going to do to fix this situation. Their words steeled my resolve. I wished to marry Thorin Oakenshield, so I was going to. Anyone who posed a threat to me and certainly to my sister were going to understand what kind of enemies they had made. Thorin would be the least of their worries.

"Thank you all for your advice," I said, sticking my pipe between my teeth. "I think Thorin and I will be meeting with Mister Gakus Alehead."

When I spoke with Thorin about the conversation I had with the company, he also thought it was suspicious that Gakus had been quiet since Gen and I arrived in Erebor. He agreed that having a sit down with him, not to accuse him of anything but to discuss his concerns and potentially threaten him was wise to do before the wedding.

He sent a letter ahead, letting him know that he would be visiting him that day, but he did not mention I would be there. If he was blood thirsty enough to prepare another special meal for me, it was best to not give him notice to do so.

While we walked in the direction of the Alehead hall where he and his family lived, I asked Thorin, "Do you think you'll be able to tell when we speak with him if he had anything to do with the poisoning?"

"I've known him my entire life, the man is very much an open book when it comes to his opinions. So, I am perplexed that he hasn't said anything to me since bringing you and Gen here. Even more perplexed if he had something to do about the poison, he's much more likely to swing a hammer at someone than go around with poison."

"Hmm." Even if Gakus was more likely to face his threats head-on, it still didn't rule him out from being able to send someone after me to keep his hands clean.

"Perhaps now is not the time to bring this up, but Kili had mentioned to me that you considered ending the engagement."

My eyes widened and I snapped my eyes up to him. "Thorin-"

He stared forward and said, "I do not take it personally, Love. I can't blame you for considering all your options when family is involved. I considered it too, not wanting the worst to happen to you or your sister. I just hope you're no longer considering that path."

"Of course not," I responded without hesitation. "The Lads helped remove that thought from my head. We need to face this head on, together." I took his hand, wrapping my fingers between his. "I did not want to tell you only because it only came to my mind out of worry, not because I didn't want to marry you."

He kissed my forehead while we walked. "I understand."

We arrived at Alehead Hall and we were allowed in immediately. There are no closed doors to the king. We went directly back to his study area, where we took a seat among shelves that you would think would be filled with books but were instead displaying weapons from daggers to maces. If Gakus was looking to kill me on the spot, he certainly had his choice of instruments to choose from. I eyed a sword within reach of me that looked heavy, but I was certain I would be able to grab and wield it if it came to that.

We heard footsteps coming down the hall towards us, so we both stood up from the chair. A gray dwarf, certainly well older than Thorin but still very strong looking, came into the room. His beard was braided intricately but was still very long. His smile at Thorin quickly changed when he saw me, his expression widened in surprise.

"Oh, your highness, is this Lady Lydia?"

"Gakus, this is my fiancé Lydia Barclay. Lydia, this is Gakus Alehouse, one of the elders of my clan."

Gakus grinned from ear to ear, his expression brightening as he stepped towards me. I was about to jump for a weapon but he wrapped his arms around me in a joyful hug. "It is such an honor to meet you, my lady! I was so disappointed I didn't have a chance to meet you at the celebration but our king hogged you for the entire evening!" He let me go and bowed to me deeply. "I want to thank you personally for everything you did to help take back Erebor and congratulate you on the happiness you have found with Thorin. The news of your engagement was such a happy one."

Thorin and I exchanged a glance. It took me an extra moment to find my words since this wasn't the kind of greeting I was expecting at all. "U-Uh thank you, Gakus!"

He led us back over to the chairs, asking, "I'm honored that you both should visit me, especially so close to the big day. What can I do for the king and future queen?"

Thorin positioned himself between Gakus and I. "I will be straightforward with you, Sir, Lydia's life was threatened the night of the celebration."

He looked at me then back to Thorin, his expression becoming more grim. "What? Who would…" More realization crossed his face. "And…I'm a suspect."

"You have a long history of having a certain kind of opinion. If you still have such feelings, now is the time to discuss it with me."

Gakus sighed and leaned back in his chair, arms on the rests. Without fear in his eyes he turned back to me. "A year ago I would have jeered at a hobbit even being in the same room as my king. I still believe that dwarves are superior to elves, orcs, humans, you name it. But when you did what you did to protect our people and take back Erebor, that made you as much of a dwarf as I am. I would never act out against you, Lady Lydia."

I felt his honesty deep in my bones, I believed what he said was true. I nodded to him and said, "Thank you, Sir. Your words mean a great deal to me, truly. Do you know anyone who still feels the way you did?"

"Unfortunately there's a few, but only a couple that would be so bold as to actually act out on their disapproval."

The three of us discussed the other likely influential dwarves who may have been involved, but Thorin and his advisors had already ruled them out for one reason or another. He was clearly not satisfied with us not finding another likely culprit, but I was glad to have someone like Gakus on our side. He promised over and over again that if he were to learn anything else he would inform us right away and do what he could to prevent anything else in the future.

On our way out, I thanked Gakus for his help and his support and he swore his loyalty to Thorin and I. When the doors to their hall closed behind us, I took his hand and asked lowly, "What do you think?"

"I'm inclined to trust him. Even though his stance on you is a complete change from what he used to believe. However, he wouldn't have been able to stomach you in his home if his opinion was still the same. He was always a terrible liar as well."

"Do you think any of those other people he mentioned could be involved?"

He sighed and shook his head. "I can't say for sure but many of them we've already removed from consideration. I'm afraid we're going to be heading into the wedding without finding who did it. I'm sorry, Lydia."

I touched his arm. "Thorin, do not beat yourself up about this. We will keep searching but nothing will keep me from marrying you in a couple days. Who knows, maybe all the searching for the person has scared them away from acting out again."

"I don't think it will be that easy," he said lowly. "I'm not going to stand down either though. You will have my name."

The inflection in his voice made my insides warm. For as long as he stood there with a determined look on his face, I could have stood there looking at him. Though this process had not been pleasant, I did quite enjoy seeing Thorin being so passionate about wanting to protect and marry me. Guess if there was a teeny, tiny silver lining to being poisoned that had to be it.

I put my arms around him, hugging him while I muttered, "I love you."

"I love you too, Lydia." He kissed my forehead for a long moment and then started walking us back to our own hall.