Hello there!
This is a lengthy one, but I couldn't figure out how to cut the chapter, it would have felt too choppy I feel so you guys get a long one to huff through.
Things are ramping up now. I hope it was worth the wait.
Once again, sorry in advance for any grammatical errors - I had no beta for this chapter.
Just a lot of coffee and late nights while binging some awesome Howard Shore scores.
Happy reading!
Mistlynn*
She paced like a caged lion in the sitting room of their chambers. Luna lay by the door, her massive head tensely resting on her front paws as she watched her rider stalk the room over and over. She would occasionally let out a sharp whine, as if pleading Mistlynn to stop and rest, if just for a moment.
Mistlynn let out a shaky breath. She ran her fingers through her hair as she fought to regain control. She couldn't let her raging emotions take hold. Thorin was angry, and rightfully so.
But so was she.
He had been keeping something from her, something that was so significant that it had been a distraction for months. He had been trying to be more present, and she had no doubts that he loved her. But it was still there, like some dark cloud that loomed over them.
And it had something to do with her, of that she had no doubt. She would catch him watching her sometimes, his gaze dark and penetrating as if he were trying to fit the pieces together that made her this complex puzzle he couldn't seem to figure out. And then she began to notice the same looks in their close friends as family as well. Dis, Fili, Kili and even Balin and Dwalin were giving her lingering looks. Tauriel had been gone a lot more in Mirkwood, on some unknown search for information pertaining to something that had a firm hold on Thorin. It all seemed so obvious now. The hushed whispers as she walked out of a room, the questioning stares.
Another shaky breath left her chest. Her body still felt heavy and achy from her previous panic attack earlier. She approached the fireplace, heat radiating from the hot rock that housed the blazing fire within its carved body and allowed herself to sink to her knees. The numbness was seeping in once more, she could feel the icy tendrils of illogical fear taking hold of from the inside.
Luna came up behind her and nuzzled her head in-between her shoulder blades, nudging her gently from her frozen stance in front of the fire.
"He's done with me Luna." She croaked as she shivered, the words escaping her on a breathless gasp. "He knows something, and he is done with me. Just like my Adad." She choked on the words. "He never told me anything either, he just kept it to himself too."
A sharp twist of emotional pain seized her as she felt tears burn and flood her eyes. "What does he know?" she gasped, her arms tightening around herself as if attempting to stave off the chill that was beginning to fill her despite her closeness to the fire.
Luna whined again, this time licking her cheek in a gesture of comfort.
A wracking sob escaped her as Luna wrapped her big body around her, knowing that she needed something, someone there to hold her together as she fall apart.
Mistlynn turned her body towards Luna as tears began to fall freely. "What am I to do Luna?"
Another low whine answered her as Luna laid her head onto her lap, affectively cradling her against her side and neck, offering her a safe place to let go of the fear and grief that was consuming her.
Mistlynn buried her face into Luna's neck and let go, crying until she was fully spent and her body heavy and devoid of tears.
The sun had set outside, setting the shadows of the dusk free to move and stretch about the darkened room.
Mistlynn had begun to drift away into the weightless void of sleep, her eyes heavy and hot as she finally gave in to the lull of Luna's warm fur and familiar scent of earth and wind.
She was too far gone to hear the door of the room creak open, and several pairs of footsteps entered the room. Luna's ears flicked back towards the intruders, yet she didn't move a muscle as their familiar scents alerted her to who was present.
Her heterochromia eyes of rich earth and palest sky met Thorin's stormy blue as he quietly approached to look down at his love nestled in the comfort of Luna's silken white fur.
He noticed her puffy and reddened cheeks, dried trails of salt coating her pale skin. He clenched his jaw as guilt wracked him to his core. He had let his temper run again; he had left her for far too long alone. She had cried herself to sleep, and it troubled him.
"She cried herself to sleep, poor thing." Dis chided, her voice ridden with remorse. "She shouldn't have been left alone. I should have been here."
"You were seeing to the survivors, my dear." Balin soothed Dis quietly as the three figures gathered around Luna. "Tomorrow is a new day, and we will face this head on, together."
Thorin sighed deeply before nodding in agreement. "We should know more by the morning. We should convene at first light and get ahead of this…"
"We will convene once we know more. Everything that could be done, has been seen to. We have no other choice but to wait and see how this unfolds." Balin gave Thorin a pointed look before nodding towards Mistlynn. "She has had quite the shock, that much is plain. And she needs you, now more than ever. If this is indeed the doing of her Adad…" the older Dwarrow trailed off as he shook his head, his words weighted with dread. "It's going to be a long haul for all of us, especially her."
Thorin let his gaze drift back to Mistlynn's small form, curled in on herself as shuddered breaths escaped between her chapped lips. After a brief moment, he nodded in agreement as sadness and regret filled his gaze. "You are right, my friend. As usual."
Balin let out a humorless huff as he placed a comforting hand on Thorin's shoulder. "All will be well. We have faced worse." Balin gave Mistlynn one last empathetic glance before turning and walking towards the door to leave.
"Take care of your One, you great lummox." Dis scolded softly as she pulled Thorin into a comforting embrace. "Either I or Balin will alert you if anything happens."
Thorin returned the embrace before Dis pulled away as well. "Get some sleep Dis." He ordered gruffly as he watched his sister turn and leave.
"I'll sleep when I'm dead, brother. You know this." She winked over her shoulder at him before she stepped out and shut the door softly behind her.
Thorin looked back down at Luna and Mistlynn for a moment, trying to figure out what his next approach should be. Luna wagged her tail gently, the sound of it hitting the floor muffled against the plush carpet.
Thorin knelt down next to them and allowed his hand to pet Luna's head gently before rubbing her velvet ears with his fingers.
"Thank you for taking care of her when I couldn't." he breathed softly. Luna turned her muzzle and licked his arm in reassurance.
Thorin chuckled faintly. "I hope she will be as forgiving and understanding as you."
Cautiously, he threaded his arms under her legs and behind her upper back, making her stir slightly as he slowly picked her up and cradled her against him.
A light moan escaped her as she adjusted herself against his chest, nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck and shoulder as he stood slowly and tightened his hold on her.
Luna got up and silently followed him into the bedroom, slinking into the darkness quickly so that he could shut the door with his foot before he approached the bed and sat down. He pulled her boots off one by one, making her stir in his arms. Thorin hummed soothingly as he let her boots fall to the floor before he uncinched her corset and dropped it next to her boots. He pulled the covers back and lifted her gently back onto the mattress, allowing her to sink into the pillowed top of the bed.
She stirred slightly as he removed his own boots, belt and tunic. "Thorin?" she grumbled disjointedly as she cracked her eyes open into slits as she peered into the blackened room.
"Sshh its alright. I am here." He soothed gently as he slid into the covers next to her. He slid an arm underneath her shoulders and positioned himself next to her as he pulled the blankets up to cover them.
"You are a dream. He said he was done." She mumbled sleepily as she rolled over, her face burying into his chest as she wrapped her arms around him, as if desperate to get as close as possible.
Luna jumped up on the bed, taking advantage of the knowledge this was one of those nights Thorin wouldn't argue her joining them on their bed. "I'll never be done, M'eudail." He breathed into her hair, savoring the way she sighed in her sleep and melted into him at his hushed words. "I love you, more than life itself."
Next morning…
First thing she noted was her dry and swollen throat. She winced as she swallowed. the action uncomfortable as if she had eaten sharp shards of bone the night prior.
She attempted to blink her eyes open, scowling at the sensation of dried salt left from the previous evenings tears on her skin and lashes.
The next was a deep setting nausea that lingered in the pit of her stomach. A groan escaped her as the heaviness of her head and neck returned. "Mahal curse it." She grumbled as she rolled from her back onto her side, shielding her eyes from the brightness of the sun that was cutting through the cutouts of the windows.
Her sight sharpened slowly as she adjusted to the light, her gaze stopping at a figure that was sitting next to the bed, staring at her.
She tensed as it registered to her that it was Thorin, staring at her from the chair he occupied, his elbows resting on his knees. He rubbed a hand over his mouth and beard before he laced his hands together, as if he was unsure of what the right words to say.
He cleared his throat, his blue eyes earnest as he studied her. She felt herself tense as their argument from the previous day rushed back to the forefront of her mind. Her heart began to ache at the memory that was now branded on her, throbbing as if she had been physically bruised.
Thorin must have noticed the change in her demeanor because his gaze softened instantly as his shoulders hunched slightly forward.
"How are you feeling?" his tone was gentle, if not a little wary.
Mistlynn blinked, her dry eyes protesting at the rapid movement. "Like drake shite." She croaked out, and she winced at the sound of her rough voice.
Thorin reached for the pitcher that she hadn't noticed was on the side table and poured a glass of water that he promptly handed to her. She kept her eyes on the glass, not daring to look up at his face as she took it with a shaky hand.
"Thank you." She murmured before bringing the glass to her lips. The water instantly soothed her, and she felt a little more alive that she had just seconds prior.
She downed the entire glass quickly and sat it down at the bedside table.
Silence reigned between them for several moments before Thorin cleared his throat.
"We need to talk."
She sniffed as her stomach rolled at his words.
There it was.
"You made yourself perfectly plain yesterday." She rasped as she clasped her hands together tightly, and she stared at them as her knuckles whitened at the pressure.
She heard Thorin sigh. "I was caught off guard Mistlynn. I was angry and upset that you have kept so much from me."
"You've known something for months, that it wasn't Orcs raiding the towns. You've never asked about the size of our army." She fought the urge to look up at him as she felt the familiar burn begin around the corners of her eyes, her perchance for tears adding to her simmering anger. "So how can you say that you were caught off guard when you have apparently known and suspected more than I this entire time?"
She had never cried this much in her life; she hadn't had the time to when her Amad had died, and she had her baby brother to care for.
She loathed it, the residue of the prior nights tears still making the skin of her face tight as she moved. She couldn't help to wonder if the twisting hurt in her gut was akin to something painfully similar to hate, just by hearing his voice and sensing his proximity to her.
From what she had seen briefly, he had looked perfectly fine. Albeit a little tired judging by the slight shadows under his eyes. She wanted him to feel, just a slight amount of what she had felt yesterday, of what she was feeling now. She wanted him to know how his words had nearly shattered her completely, and it hurt even more knowing that he had been the only one to ever piece her back together, nearly whole for the first time since her Amad's passing.
She fought the urge to look up at him as she heard him stand up from his seat, still intent on staring at her clasped hands. She knew it would be easier to hold on to her anger that way than chance losing it when looking him in the eyes.
She felt the mattress give beside her before she watched his arm, and half his torso come into her view. His dark braids and waves hung over his shoulder, as if he was trying to catch her downturned gaze with his.
"M'eudail, look at me."
She was startled that his voice was gentle, if not a little imploring. She let herself raise her gaze so that she was looking up through her lashes at him. He had his head tilted slightly, so that he was looking directly at her.
This close, his normally clear blue eyes were slightly reddened as if he had stared into a fire for too long. He brought his hand up and tilted her chin up, so that she was looking directly at him.
"I am sorry." He whispered earnestly as he let his thumb caress her lower jaw. "I was angry. I was hoping that my suspicions, my worst fears were wrong." He shook his head slightly as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Yes, I kept things from you. But I have been trying to differentiate fact from heresy. There are so many things I haven't been able to discern, beyond any reason of doubt. I didn't want to burden you …"
The intensity of his eyes, like a churning sea nearly robbed her entirely of her heated ire. "This isn't just about the White Kingdom. I shouldn't have kept you in the dark. But I was scared; scared of losing you to this thing that I have no idea what it is or how to even fight it. It just kept getting bigger, more complex with each turn, and I just didn't know how to even contain it anymore."
Mistlynn blinked as dread began to grow instead of anger, her stomach churning for an entirely different reason.
"I am not your enemy, Mistlynn. I know what it is like to be possessed by something outside of yourself, and I am desperate to save you from that. I've seen what that stone can do to the noblest of dwarves, I do not want that struggle for you."
Her eyes narrowed. "The Arkenstone? What does that have to do with me? I know you suspect it to be the 'Iklal Kurdu' my Gamul'adad was demanding before he died, but I have never once laid eyes upon it."
Thorin grimaced before he let his chin fall to his chest. "Do you remember that morning I played my harp? Right after our honeymoon?"
She nodded slowly; eyebrows raised in question. "Yes?"
He let out a slow, steady breath before looking back up at her. "And you sang that song? The old lullaby?"
She nodded again, this time with impatience. "Yes. I remember. I don't sing often."
"Why is that? Why don't you sing often? Especially with a voice like yours."
"I've told you why. My Adad never liked me singing. It bothered him, and I just lost the desire for it. That melody you played was the first time I wanted to sing since…"
"Your Amad, as you have said. But why? Why is that? What was she Mistlynn?"
Mistlynn frowned at the very blunt question. "What do you mean, 'what was she?' She was the princess of the White Kingdom and was well loved. She was known for her voice. She was the keeper of our stories. That's it, nothing nefarious."
He searched her face for a moment, and looked slightly crestfallen when it appeared he didn't find exactly what he had been looking for. She couldn't help but bristle at the notion. "What is going on Thorin? Why are you asking me all these questions about my Amad and singing, of all things? I don't understand how this has anything to do with the Arkenstone."
He leaned back away from her but kept his seat on the bed. His back straightened as he rubbed a hand wearily down his face. "Because Mistlynn. It appears that the Arkenstone is not a stone. It's something else entirely."
A moments silence fell between them. She felt her skin prickle with bumps as a chill brushed over her. "What do you mean it's not a stone?" she whispered, her voice wavering.
"When you sang… it was unlike anything I had ever heard before, M'eudail." His voice became deep, brimming with emotion as he spoke. "It held a power I have never felt, nor heard. Yet it moved me, in a way I have never felt before. And while you sang, it was as if the mountain, Erebor itself was listening, absorbing that power into its walls."
He paused, gauging her reaction.
She tried to keep a straight face, but her heart began to pound as his words began to sink in. She knew exactly what he was talking about. Her Amad had had that effect on her when she sang.
The memories were so distant, so scattered, she vaguely remembered the massive gatherings that occurred, her Amad singing to the sky, whether it be to the sun or the moon and stars in some sort of ceremony that tied her to those around her, and to the very earth and sky that encompassed them all. Although vague, she couldn't deny the power that channeled through her during those moments.
She had nearly forgotten.
"You know what I speak of, don't you?" He laid a hand on hers, eager to draw her out of her distant memories and back to the present with him.
"What does my singing have to do with the Arkenstone?" she croaked, ignoring his question by asking her own. She was terrified of his answer.
They stared at each other for another prolonged moment, before Thorin concluded that she was not ready to acknowledge or warrant an answer to his question.
From her reaction, he already knew the answer.
There was a dark history there, and he wasn't sure if she was keeping it because she genuinely didn't remember because she was too young, or if she was choosing to not remember to due to the melancholy that seemed to anchor itself to her whenever her past was mentioned.
"It seems to have been …awakened. And it is now emitting a power we are not sure how to contain."
Mistlynn blanched. "Awakened? Power?" she stammered; her eyes wide. "Are you sure it is because I sang that lullaby? It was just a lullaby Thorin!"
Thorin nodded stiffly. "It is too much of a coincidence. Gloin noticed that very day, in the vaults where it is locked away, had started to grow colder. An unnatural cold." He noticed her sharp intake of breath at the description.
"It hasn't stopped …glowing. It is as if the inside of the stone is like a snowstorm. We have searched through our library, and I have reached out to Thranduil and Lord Elrond of Rivendale. We have found nothing to explain what it is or why it is doing this. We can only conclude that it is a chain reaction … of sorts."
Mistlynn fought the revulsion she felt rising up in her stomach. She pushed it down, along with the faint tingling that began to fill her limbs like lead.
"I am sorry." She murmured as she fought to breathe normally. "I…I don't know why my singing would have affected it in that way. My Amad was a talented singer, but that is it. I was never told about possessing some …power. My Adad would have told me."
Thorin cocked an eyebrow. "Would he have told you?" he pressed softly.
Mistlynn scoffed. "What would have to gain in not telling me if I had some sort of … ability to sing as if I possess magic like some …what, wizard? Witch?"
Thorin shook his head. "A lot actually. Specifically control over you."
"No. No he wouldn't do that. He despised anything that had to do with magic, of any kind." She shook her head adamantly, clutching her hands again into fists.
"Mist, I am asking you to keep an open mind, please." Thorin pleaded, reaching for her hand again. "I know your relationship with him is…complicated. But I need you to be open to the idea that all may not be as it seem when it comes to the White Kingdom, or your Adad's intentions. Surely, you can see things from my standpoint?"
"I swear I would tell you if I thought he was capable of such a thing as taking innocent lives in an act of war, Thorin. The only thing he concerned himself with was keeping us safe and hidden, and killing Frost Drakes. Nothing else mattered to him."
"Why were you all taught the art of hand-to-hand combat? If all you had to worry about was hunting Frost Drakes and defending yourselves from predators? Why amass a giant army of warriors with dire wolf mounts?" She could sense the frustration rolling off of him in waves. "It doesn't make any sense, Kurdunuh."
She blinked as she thought of how to respond. She didn't have a straight answer for him, and for the first time, she truly thought about her Adad's actions, of his methods. "I…I don't know Thorin."
She watched as pity appeared in his eyes as he looked at her, and she loathed it. But she couldn't help the nagging feeling of doubt that started to prick the back of her mind. Of all the lies she had slowly uncovered and unraveled the past year in Erebor, her family and their story had always been murky at best.
Despite all of the horrors Thorin and Dis had been through, they remembered their childhood vividly. They questioned nothing when it came to their family, the bad was laid out right next to the good for all to see. There was no hiding any of it. They were proud of their history, and they learned from it.
She couldn't say the same about her family, of her kingdom. It troubled her the more she thought of it.
If, for whatever reason, she was the cause of the Arkenstone's current state, where did that leave her? She swallowed thickly as doubt set in heavier than before. "What happens now?" She licked her lips nervously. "I do understand if this changes things … for us." She looked away from him, not wanting to see the expression on his face. She couldn't bear to see the disappointment aimed towards her.
She looked down at her hands once more, clasping them together so that his hand was no longer touching hers. And she braced herself for what she knew was coming.
"What do you mean by that?" Thorin demanded as he placed a firm hand under her chin and made her look back up at him. "Nothing has changed. You are my One, my Queen, MY WIFE."
His eyes were ablaze, voice low with ire. He shook his head, expression stormy with exasperation at her assumption. "Why do you think at every disagreement or trial we face that I am incapable of honoring my vows to you?"
"I do not think your incapable." Her voice shook as his grip on her chin tightened, not allowing her to look away. "This is not what you deserve, Thorin. This deception of my family, these lies that pertain to my kingdom are not your burden to bear but mine." She brought her hand up and gripped her fingers around his wrist.
"It's apparent I know nothing of myself even. I had no right to bring you into any of this."
"If you think for one moment that I am walking away and allowing you to deal with any of this alone you are sorely mistaken." Thorin growled, not once breaking his intense gaze away from her. "We will face this together. We are bound in soul, fated to one another by Mahal, there is no walking away from one another. Your burdens are mine to carry, as mine are yours. That is how marriage works."
He moved his hand to cup her cheek and pulled her closer to him, so that their foreheads could touch. "I love you, Mistlynn. When I said nothing could change my love for you, I meant it with every fiber of my being. Despite my frustrations at your constant assumptions and vast array of skeletons in your familial closet, they are not enough to change my mind. You are mine, and I am yours. Always."
She couldn't help as the tears gathered unbidden in her eyes before they escaped down her cheeks. He gently kissed her tears away from her cheeks before capturing her lips with his.
A shudder of relief surged through her body as she returned his kiss hungrily. She moved swiftly into his lap, burying her hands into the hair at the back of his head.
"I am so sorry." She breathed against his lips in between kisses as hot tears of relief rolled down her cheeks.
She felt the broken pieces of her snapping back into place with his words, every jagged edge of her heart soothed with every caress of his lips as he breathed hope back into her.
His arm tightened around her torso as he held her even closer against him as his other hand still cupped her face, brushing away tears as he traced her cheekbone with his thumb.
"I am sorry too. I didn't want you find out about the Arkenstone like this."
Mistlynn sniffed as she nodded slightly in understanding. "One crisis at a time is probably the best way to approach this mess."
Thorin huffed a laugh. "I couldn't agree more."
Later that afternoon…
Fili was a frequent visitor to the forges of Erebor. It was something he had been able to bond with his uncle over, while Kili had shared their uncle's love for archery. It was a good distraction to immerse oneself in, to mold and bend metal under a firm hand to make something of lethal beauty with emotions that were threatening to tear you apart from the inside.
He had grown up watching his uncle throw all his anger and pain into the taming of metal, to watch the molten metal and biting sparks to glisten within the depths of his eyes and the sweat that would drop down from his skin.
He knew of the horrors his uncle had lived through, of the burdens he carried. He had stepped in when his father had died and raised him and Kili as if they were his own sons. He owed everything he was to the sacrifices and unconditional love his Amad and uncle had made on his and Kili's behalf.
He never really thought of those sacrifices on Thorin's behalf, until after Erebor had been claimed. And then Mistlynn had come along, and he hadn't been the same since. Seeing them having to go through this insanity so soon after getting married pained him deeply. He knew his uncle could hide his true feelings, and just the fact he could see the pain seep through his weary eyes worried him. This new vulnerability that his friends and family could see left him grasping for any solution within his reach.
As he approached his uncle's forge, he could hear the telltale sounds of metal being beaten into submission. The King's forge was amidst the rest of the blacksmiths of Erebor. He declined having a forge in a more private location, instead he valued working alongside his fellow blacksmiths, never allowing him to forget the
life he had led and grew to appreciate before reclaiming Erebor.
He slowly entered the forge, Thorin's bare back facing him as he worked on a sword. He observed silently, noting his very experienced uncle was over working the blade with heavy handed blows of the hammer. His brow furrowed in concern as the Dwarf King cursed vehemently in their sacred tongue as he threw the ruined blade into the vat of water, steam hissing angrily into the dim room. The hammer went flying into the work bench, splintering the front leg, and making it collapse to the ground, its contents spilling across the floor in a loud crash.
Fili had never seen such a destructive display from his Uncle, who had always managed to keep a cool head even in the most stressful of times. His eyebrows raised in surprise at the explicit mutters that filled the room.
"I can count on one hand how many times I've heard you curse, and they have all occurred just this past year."
Thorin whirled around in alarm to face his nephew, his face falling into a grimace of regret at him catching him in a moment of temper. "Fili." He sighed, as he ran a dirty hand over his smoke-streaked face.
"I'm not a pebble anymore. I can handle a few expletives."
He watched Thorin cast a sheepish glance towards his destroyed workbench before stepping towards its spilled contents, picking up the discarded tunic he had placed there prior.
'I was wanting to see how Mistlynn was. A lot happened yesterday, and I wanted to check in on her. Amad and Rosalyn are holed up with her now and no one will give me a straight answer." His tone was quiet yet firm. He watched his uncle's shoulders tense briefly before he shrugged his tunic on. "I know her relationship with her Adad is complicated. She has told me as much."
"You do not think that I am capable of taking care of my own wife Irakdashat?" It was a testy deflection, one that Fili didn't particularly care for.
"I didn't say that. I am concerned for my baruf. Besides Kili and Amad, both of you are the most important in my life."
Thorin crossed his arms over his chest, his stance defensive as he quirked an eyebrow at him.
"I believe in her Irak'adadi. She is confused, and scared and she needs us. Especially you! She has always felt like an outsider, and I am afraid that this will only isolate her further. I am not condoning her secrecy, but I know the depth of your anger and I …" Fili was stopped midsentence as Thorin held his hand up, bidding for silence. They stared at each other for a tense moment, before Thorin let his defensive down with a weary sigh.
"I'm upset with her not confiding in me, she should have never kept such intel from me. I can't ignore that Fili, especially when innocents have lost their lives. She won't even consider that it could be her father, despite everything that we know."
"What if it isn't her father? What if…"
"That is beside the point, she failed to inform me of the military might of her kingdom, then refused to tell me repeatedly, even when she was confronted about it."
"Maybe she doesn't consider the White Kingdom as a military might? Maybe she honestly believes that they wouldn't pursue war? I can't imagine being taught one way, being raised believing one reality only for it to be all lies! She's been trying to find answers, to figure it all out!"
"Be as that may, she still should have told me. If she had honestly thought that all dwarves outside of her people were capable of such hatred and deceit, she should have been upfront about it."
"She has told me many times that she was trying to start anew, that she wanted to find happiness. She didn't plan this, I know it! She honestly thought she would never see any of her people again, or even hear about them. I can't imagine it, Uncle, I would want to run and forget if something ever happened to Kili in the manner it happened to her brother. And from what I have gathered, despite her regard to her father I don't think they are a close family. She wasn't raised with the love and support Kili, and I were blessed with. We were surrounded by friends that were supportive and we still had each other, You, Amad, Kili and I. We never, ever doubted that! I knew I could confide in you about anything that troubled me. She didn't have that Uncle. We are the first ones, in her life, to truly have her back, to care for her no matter what."
Thorin's firm features softened slightly, as he nodded. Fili breathed in deeply, calming himself after his rant. "I know you have duty as King of Erebor, Uncle. I know that you have burdens I cannot begin to fathom, and honestly, I was starting to hope I would never would, that you and Mistlynn would start a family and you would have your true heir."
Thorin's look became sympathetic. He knew Fili never truly wanted to be heir apparent. But he had not been given any other choice.
"But I am begging you to not let the King Under the Mountain determine the outcome of this issue with Mistlynn. She is your One, and you both deserve happiness in this life, to live it together. You have always been a fearless leader, a good King. But in just this short time of being with Mistlynn she has made you a great King, whatever darkness that existed here before with Ugmil'adad, you have banished it from our Halls just by being happy, for placing love as a higher priority than anything else. Out of everything you have taught me, that is the one I want to strive to attain the most. To lead and live my life with love and family first."
Thorin was at a loss for words. He cleared his throat, trying to clear away the tightness that was taking ahold of his throat. "There will never be a time where anything comes before my family. I let it happen once, and I swore it would never happen again." His deep voice was thick with emotion.
Fili nodded stiffly. Thorin stepped towards him and pulled him into a bear hug. "I am so proud of you Fili. And of your brother. You two are amongst my greatest blessings in this life." He stepped back, so that he could look Fili in the eyes. "I had to step away, I didn't want to subject her to my temper. But that doesn't mean that she still isn't my priority, she is my wife and I'll stand by her, always. Even if she isn't fully standing by me."
"She would never betray you." Fili stated adamantly. "I know this whole situation with the Arkenstone possibly being the Iklal Kurdu is suspicious, but she has never shown any interest in seeing the treasury or the Arkenstone, I have only heard her sing once so if she was aware of some sort of ability…" Fili shook his head, clearly frustrated.
"I know, Fili." Thorin agreed, his voice solemn. "I don't think she was complacent in any of this. She is as much in the dark as we are. I talked to her this morning; all is well between us."
Thorin couldn't help the gentle smile that upturned the corners of his mouth at Fili's obvious sigh of relief. The blonde prince shook his head, the beads in his hair clinking together at the movement. "You could have led with that, instead of letting me rant on like that."
"I enjoyed hearing you come to Mistlynn's defense. It makes me happy to see that she is loved by my family, so much so that they are willing to butt heads with me if necessary." Thorin's eyes twinkled as he patted Fili on his shoulder.
"I know you have a lot riding on your shoulders, and I will always stand by your side, but she is my friend. Knowing that you two are so evenly matched in temper its terrifying at times. I know what both of you are capable of."
Thorin threw his head back and laughed. "You are not wrong about that, Fili." He chuckled, savoring the brief moment of unburdened humor they were sharing in that moment.
"Was she able to tell you anything about her Amad being and Aria, or that she is one herself for that matter?" Flli asked after a brief pause, the cracking sound of the still ablaze forge fire reminding them both of where they were.
It was Thorin's turn to shake his head dejectedly. "Unfortunately, no. She knows nothing. I think her Adad kept her abilities and those of her Amads from her. I don't know how he did it, but she seems to question her own memories. And that worries me, that he holds that certain element of surprise."
Fili frowned. "What are you going to do?"
"The only thing I can do." Thorin mused darkly. "Expect everything while hoping that my suspicions are unwarranted."
Heavy footsteps began to echo down into the corridor that surrounded the forges. Thorin shot Fili a weary look before he picked up the destroyed work bench and attempted to set it up right to diminish the appearance of chaos in the smaller space.
Fili stepped in to help clean up the strewn tools before their unannounced visitor arrived. They finished their quick cleaning sweep just as Dwalin walked in.
His expression was dark with a barely checked anger, his eyes flashing nearly black like sharpened obsidian. "There is an unknown army approachin the front gate. Both Bard 'n Nori's scouts ave confirmed they are dwarves, majority of em armed to the teeth with unknown markings painted on their faces. They are bein led 'n flanked by at least a couple thousand riders on what appears to be dire wolves."
Thorin grabbed a rag and wiped his hands on it as he processed Dwalin's words.
"That is a lot of dire wolves." Fili muttered as he looked between the two formidable warriors he and his brother had hero worshipped from the moment they took their first steps as dwarflings.
The dwarf King and his trusted Captain had a wordless conversation in just moments, a relationship even Fili struggled to fully understand the depth of. They were so in sync with one another, their honed skills and strategic ploys communicated solely by pointed looks and subtle chin tilt.
"Let everyone know to meet in the throne room in their best armor and armed, Fili." Thorin ordered, his voice icily calm. "Let's give them a proper Longbeard greeting."
Mistlynn*
It had happened so quickly; her mind was still reeling from the suddenness of it.
She had been with Dis and Rosalyn, trying to piece together what little she knew of her past. She had so many vast voids throughout her memory. So many things she was taught as fact didn't even measure close to the truth once she started to question and dig further.
It was mind numbing work.
She was almost grateful for the reprieve.
If it wasn't for the fact that she was coming face to face with whoever was leading this army of mysterious dwarven warriors. Deep down she knew it was, in fact, her people. The dire wolves were a dead giveaway. But she was still battling with what she thought she knew her father to be, and what unknown monster was facing her and Thorin now.
Innocent citizens of Erebor were dead, including the dams and their young.
It was a bitter blow, to accept that someone she had once thought she knew was capable of something so heartless and vile as pointless murder.
When Thorin and Balin had entered their sitting room, she had just known that it was all now coming to a head. There was no more time for speculating. The truth was fast approaching.
In a blur, she found herself dressed in a gown befitting the Queen of Erebor, an elaborate suit of armor in its own right with its intricate use of blue fabrics and flashes of sparking shards of mithril and diamond. She couldn't help but feel as if she were a traitor to her status.
Despite the gowns comforting weight that fit her body like a leather glove, she found herself longing for the light scales and leather of her frost drake armor. The mithril chain she wore underneath her gown at Thorin's insistence remained chilled against her skin as she moved through the corridors that lead to the Throne Room, where Thorin and everyone else awaited her and Dis's arrival.
Thorin had left before her, surrounded by his closest advisors and friends and his elite guard to prepare for the arrival of their unwanted guests. Although they had talked that morning, there was still a lot that remained to be said. The tension was still there, albeit the understanding that now existed between them.
Her Adad had done many questionable things throughout her lifetime, yet she didn't think he was capable of committing such acts of war. Thorin was convinced it was him, retaliating against their marriage or because of a supposed Ring of Power he obtained from her Gamul'adad that had enraptured his good sense. Her Adad had never worn jewelry, so this theory was very unlikely in her opinion.
"Are you ready, my dear?" Dis's gentle inquiry brought her back to the present, standing before the doors that led into the Throne Room. The guards before her stood as still as statues, waiting for her signal she was ready to enter.
She heard the guards armor clank and rattle behind her as they came to a stop. She breathed in deeply, savoring the defeaning silence that surrounded her before facing this great unknown that loomed before her.
She nodded as she set her jaw resolutely. "Yes." Was all she said as she took a bold step forward, and the guards moved immediately to open the door for them.
Her gaze instantly fell onto the thrones that sat prominently at the end of the hall, and just as quickly she found him.
She couldn't take her eyes off him as she strode quickly towards where he stood by his throne, waiting for her to join him. Her crown felt heavy upon her head as she reminded herself to hold her head high, back ramrod straight with her gaze matching his intensity.
He was a truly imposing figure fully clad in his armor, Orcist strapped securely at his side with the Raven Crown perfectly displaying the power he held. He was the epitome of a living legend; his commanding presence filled the room. He was not a King to be trifled with, and she couldn't help but pity the idiot that dared cross their borders and murder and steal from their people. She felt shame hit her at the thought it could very well be her own people guilty of such crimes. She hoped it was an extreme case of mistaken identity.
She ascended the steps as she reached the Dias of the thrones. She held his unwavering gaze as she took each step with a fierce grace until she was standing before him. He took her hand and lifted it to his lips, kissing the back of her knuckles reverently, catching her off guard with such public affection. He then led her towards her throne, motioning for her to sit first.
She blinked in surprise at this other public display of fealty towards her despite all that was coming to a head because of her and her ties. It was only after she was seated fully that he sat down on his. He looked over at her and gave her the briefest of smiles, wordlessly assuring her that all would be well, no matter what came through the doors.
She returned the gesture with a faint smile of her own before she looked back at the closed doors where a giant unknown was waiting. She took that moment of calmness before the awaiting storm to take in the room around her.
Fili and Kili were standing in the space between her and Thorin, along with the rest of the members of the company, all dressed in their finest armor and weapons.
Balin and Dwalin stood closer to Thorin's left, while Dis and Bifur stood at her right. The walkway of the room was lined with the heavily armed warriors of the elite guard on both sides. It was an impressive show of force.
She could feel her heartbeat throbbing through her limbs she looked ahead, dread settling in her stomach like a weight. She was about to come face to face with whoever was leading her Adad's army, and that reality disturbed her. She forced herself to breath in, she could not allow herself to lose control like she did the morning prior. She was not facing this alone. Her One, his family, his friends, his kingdom were standing behind her, behind him.
No. It was their family, their friends, their kingdom. She scolded herself adamantly.
She was the fucking Queen of Erebor, for Mahal's sake!
The immense doors were pushed open, and her grip on the armrests of her throne tightened. She watched impassively as the unknown approached, led by the intimidating elite warriors of Thorin's guard. It wasn't until the warriors that led in the visiting party stepped aside that she could clearly hear the hauntingly familiar voice. Her carefully constructed mask of indifference slipped, and she felt the color drain from her face.
He was sauntering towards them with a charismatic grin on his face.
His hair was as wild as hers had been when she first came to Erebor, the exact shade of her platinum and the same vivid, sea green eyes.
He was tall for a dwarf yet still held an impressive stance, built for speed and agility not unlike an Elf, but carried himself with a certain swagger that only a seasoned dwarf warrior could own. He wasn't dressed in heavy armor. Rather, he was dressed in comfortable leather and light mail of an elven make, showing off his built physique obtained by countless years of obsessive training.
He was cocky and arrogant, riding a high she knew only a good hunt and resulting kill would give him. The thought made her sick.
He was speaking to the room with dramatic gestures of his arms as he bowed deeply before them. He had yet to look at her, instead speaking directly to Thorin with an animated excitement as eloquent greetings poured from him.
Thorin had yet to speak. He was studying their visitor with a predatorial intensity. If his look had been lethal, the dwarf before him would have been felled immediately.
"Valinn?" her tongue felt heavy as she was finally able to bring herself out of her shocked daze. It was only then that he turned to look at her, his grin broadening as his eyes sparkled with some unspoken secret.
It made her blood run cold. He had never smiled at her like that unless he had something devious planned.
He clapped his hands together as he chuckled. "Sister! Oh, it's been so long! You look splendid! I must say I was a little perturbed I didn't receive a wedding invitation. My feelings are hurt." He placed a hand over his heart, pushing out his bottom lip in an exaggerated pout. "Now, I understand I wasn't your favorite brother, but I am your twin after all. Five minutes older is still five minutes!"
She cursed herself internally as she heard low mutters and whispers fall around her, and in the corner of her eye she caught a movement from Thorin as he shot her quick, questioning look. She couldn't remember if she had told anyone about Valinn being her twin. She had barely mentioned him at all, come to think of it. She cursed herself for her shortsightedness regarding everything that had to do with her family and the White Kingdom. Maybe things could have been different. Perhaps all of this could have been prevented.
"You know why I didn't send word." She couldn't help the irritability that crept into her voice as she glared back at him challengingly.
His eyes flashed as his smile grew wicked. "Here you are, all comfy and cozy in your very own mountain, leaving the rest of us in our drafty tents, gnawing on our goat legs. Right after you skipped out, a Drake swept through and wiped out our entire herd if you could believe it! It was quite inconvenient."
"Where is father, Valinn?" she demanded, ignoring his rant.
"Oh, he's here. He is just waiting until I am done."
Thorin narrowed his eyes in suspicion. This exchange wasn't sitting right. Something was off. If their father was the King, why was Valinn here in his stead? Thorin scanned Valinn's warriors that stood behind him and noted a chest that was being held in their hands. "I fail to understand why it is you standing here and not your father, the King." His deep voice projected.
Valinn threw his head back and laughed, before looking back at Thorin with awe evident on his face. "Oakenshield, right? Can I just say, Wow! You're voice! All that power you just …" he brought his hands up to his chest, clenched his fingers before throwing his arms away from himself. "Chills! Literal chills! You know, as a King myself, it would really benefit me to be able to really drive everything I say home. Since we are family now, you should really give me some pointers. After all that I've heard about you and your achievements, I have to say I am in awe of you. You are an enigma! But I'm sure your aware of that!"
Thorin's frown deepened as his irritation at Valinn grew as he fought the urge to look at his wife when he heard Mistlynn's intake of breath.
"What do you mean 'as King'?" Mistlynn hissed.
"Now, now Sister. The men are talking. I do apologize, we did try to teach her manners. She was always too opinionated for her own good." Thorin met Valinn's stare and was immediately unnerved at how they were identical to Mistlynn's. The more he looked, the more he realized the only thing they truly shared was their striking color. Where Mistlynn's sparkled and radiated life from deep within them, Valinn's were void of emotion, lacking in soul.
He felt unease settle around him as the hairs on the back of his neck prickled. It was as if he was looking into the eyes of a dead man, even Orcs had more life in their eyes. The sudden urge to protect Mistlynn from her brother overwhelmed him. And it was then, as he watched Valinn gesture as he spoke that he saw a ring on his right hand. A stone, as dark green as an ancient wood, glowed in the light of the massive room. It was encased in thick band of a white metal that looked suspiciously like mithril.
Thorin narrowed his eyes as he studied the ring acutely, and it was then that he felt it, the power that seemed to radiate from it, similar to the dark and eerie power that he used to feel whenever he looked at his Gamul'adad's ring of power. He had never liked it, nor desired to touch or wear it. The last he had seen of it, it had been on his Adad's hand, and it was the reason why he had been taken captive and killed. It was that ring that had helped bring back the evil that was now beginning to engulf their land once again.
Rage filled him at the realization. Mistlynn's brother was being heavily influenced by their clan's Ring of Power. It was more than likely one of the Rings that had disappeared from all knowledge centuries ago, thought lost in the ravages of time. Mistlynn's ancestor had obviously taken it with him when he fled with his elf maiden and the refugees of their war-torn lands. It all made sense now.
He gripped the arms of his throne, his eyes slits as he glared at Valinn.
"You will no longer speak to my wife, the Queen. Any disrespect towards her will not be tolerated." He growled as he stood up and stepped down closer to where Valinn stood, effectively blocking her with his body. He would not let the power of the ring touch her. He would see it tossed into the black abyss of the Lonely Mountain in a chained, weighted chest before letting it anywhere near her.
Valinn started to chuckle, tapping a finger against his chin as if trying to think of what he should say next. "If I remember correctly, are you not supposed to seek permission from the dam's family before you take them as a wife? Mighty King Under the Mountain or not, that is very abysmal manners."
Thorin sneered. "I need permission from no one. Last time I checked we are in my Kingdom, and you are trespassing not to mention raiding my mining villages and murdering my people." His voice had reached an all-time low, his tone threatening.
Mistlynn heard growls come from behind her as she watched horrified as Valinn threw his head back, laughing with a hilarity that did not reach his eyes.
His lips curled into a sneer. "Oh, forgive me. I seemed to have struck a nerve. I'm not here to take her back, you can have the worthless whore for all I care. She has done nothing but bring death and ruin to my family and our kingdom."
Thorin's eyes became murderous at Valinn's words, his body tensed as he drew himself to his full height as he glared down at his brother-in-law.
"I am actually here for you, oh, mighty Thorin Oakenshield, Son of Thrain, Son of Thror!" Valinn rolled his shoulders back, and tilted his head to the side, making him look crazed as he flashed his teeth in a wolfish grin. "My master has called for your head, and the head of your sister's whelps."
He gestured lazily back towards Fili and Kili who had vicious sneers on their faces.
"Naturally, you marrying my sister really angered him. We can't have you Sons of Durin procreating all over the place. Especially if you were to sire a whelp to carry on your name. You were supposed to die in some battle, but you didn't, and that really put a damper on his plans. So, he tried again, with an Orc that had a particular hard on for you apparently. Agog, or something to that affect I believe it was? So, he asked me to finish what everyone has failed to do. To come set your world ablaze, kill your kin, and mount your head on a spike to march all through Arda. And for my endeavors he promised me this kingdom! Allowing me to finally avenge the wrongs done to my ancestors by tyrannical dwarf lords who think they are better than us mere half breeds! Isn't that just poetic?"
Valinn's chuckle echoed around them as he watched Thorin's face darken with a seething rage. "And there I go, monologuing again. Back to the important questions. Did she tell you, old boy? That she has elf blood running through her veins? Do you know what she really is? Of what she is capable of doing? I wouldn't think you would want your precious Durin bloodline tainted with the likes of us filthy mutts! Too bad you won't live long enough to worry about whether she's carrying your little bastard now."
Mistlynn was frozen to her seat in horror. She felt a hand grab her arm and pull her up. She found herself being held next to Bifur and Dis as Fili, Kili and the rest of the company stepped down to flank Thorin at Valinn's taunting threat.
"Oh, I'm not going to do it now! So dramatic all of you!" Valinn crooned, waving off the angry dwarves that were standing behind Thorin with their weapons drawn. He hadn't even given the guards with their weapons pointed at him and his warriors any notice.
"I was hoping to come here, extend some brotherly love. Maybe some bonding before we had to get down to the task at hand. You are my idol, after all! But I guess that was too much to hope for." He sighed, as if emotionally pained. "Honestly, it's nothing personal. But if you really want something in this life, you just have to seize the dragon by the balls and just take it for yourself. Am I right? You, out of anyone, should understand that."
Thorin had remained silent as he studied Valinn as he ranted, his anger just barely simmering under the surface. When Thorin's chuckle echoed through the room, it took everyone aback, even making Valinn raise a curious brow. "So, this so called…Master sends you? A prepubescent cur to do his dirty work? How…adorable."
Valinn's smile slid slowly off his face, a cold smirk taking its place as his eyes grew colder. "Now, that's just rude. And here I was thinking I was going to give you both a belated wedding gift, out of the goodness of my heart." He pouted. "Now I understand why they always tell you to never meet your heroes."
Mistlynn shook her arm free from Bifur's tight grasp and pushed her way through the dwarves so that she was standing alongside Thorin. "Adad would never allow this! What have you done Valinn!" She hissed through clenched teeth while she fought to shake off Thorin's tight grip as he grabbed her to stop her from approaching her unhinged sibling.
Valinn's deadened eyes fell upon her as a twisted smirk captured his lips. "And you, sister dearest. Just like your husband you have the uncanny ability to escape death. It's annoying really."
He started to step backwards, still facing the enraged couple.
"Imagine my surprise when we couldn't find your body after that Proving. The dead Drake gave me pause; I must admit. It is impressive really that you managed to kill that mean bastard. But given what you are, I shouldn't have underestimated you as I did. It wasn't a surprise, however, to find Argos all smashed to pieces. He had always been such a waste of air. But you!"
He waggled a finger at her as he shook his head and chuckled, "You were the one I was trying to dispose of. You were that last obstacle standing in my way. But you did me a favor by running away. All was going according to plan, that is until you went and aligned yourself with our enemy and spread your legs. It broke Adad, losing his precious son to a frost drake and his simpering daughter to a greedy Long Beard king. But what did surprise me is how fast he figured it out, that my men and I were behind it. For a moment I was worried that he would kill me!" he laughed.
"But in the end, he couldn't do it. He couldn't bring himself to follow through with it. It is all so pathetic really, what loving someone does. As if you could call what he did to us love." He wiped his eyes of the imaginary tears. "It's funny, he told me that you would avenge them. That you would destroy me. ME?! As if your puny kingdom, pedigreed husband, and your 'cute' little army could ever TOUCH ME!" He screamed the last bit, his eyes glowing with a manic fire as spittle flew from his lips.
As his scream echoed around them, a slow, cruel smile crept across his face. "Forgive my poor manners. She always knew how to rankle me, she has a gift for it, fair warning!" he winked at Thorin, who was glowering at him with poorly concealed rage.
Mistlynn felt the breath seize in her chest at the look Valinn had on his face. She knew what that look meant. She didn't even fight Thorin when he grabbed her by the arm and moved her behind him once again, as if knowing he had to protect her from what was about to come.
"And now, for your wedding gift." Valinn motioned for his warriors to drop the chest, allowing him to put his foot on top of it. "You always have been a hard bitch to figure out, so I went for something that would really resonate with you. You know, a little reminder of where you come from, and what end awaits you."
With a powerful shove of his foot, the chest skidded before catching on the stone floor and flipping to its front. The unlatched lid flew open, and an object flew out, rolling across the floor towards them.
The object stopped rolling as it hit Thorin's boot, the long white hair and braided beard was matted and encrusted with dried blood, clouded eyes stared unseeing at them, mouth agape in a silent, never-ending scream.
Mistlynn faintly registered Thorin's grip tighten on the arm he still held in his grasp as the sound of Orcist being drawn cut through the air. Shouts of alarm fell around her, distant and jumbled, as she stared at the severed, decaying head of her Adad. She heard Thorin snarl viciously at her brother, only evoking a chilling, gleeful laugh from him.
"Mistlynn, come with me." Fili was suddenly behind her, trying to lead her away from the horror that was playing out in front of her eyes. It was sudden, the searing hatred that grabbed ahold of her, starting deep in her gut and in a furious blaze rising into her chest.
She gritted her teeth, eyes becoming slits as she became tunnel visioned, narrowing in on Valinn, still laughing as if this was all a joke they could bond over.
It was pure instinct, to act on that hatred.
She seized Fili's wrist tightly while she grabbed the handle of his dagger sheathed at his side. With a lethal accuracy, the dagger flew from her fingertips and towards her Valinn's head.
Her brother unsheathed his sword with lightning speed and swatted the dagger from the air, sending it clattering onto the ground, spinning rapidly, and flying off the edge of the walkway and falling into the vast lower caverns of Erebor.
"You murderer!" she screamed, "Your life is forfeit and mine to take, you wretched piece of filth!"
Valinn held his arms wide open, his blade still held aloft in his hand. "That temper of yours, sister! It is most unbecoming of your newly attained rank. You don't want to embarrass our esteemed King here now, do you? Not like he can request a refund and all since you've undoubtedly been defiled by him and his seed."
"Enough!" Thorin roared as he placed a firm arm around Mistlynn's waist and threw her behind him, into the waiting arms of Fili and Kili. Dwalin along with the rest of the company stepped forward, weapons raised and at the ready. Mistlynn continued to struggle, screaming the most spiteful insults in Khuzdul that would make any seasoned warrior blush.
"You are gravely mistaken if you think you can come in here and threaten me, my family, my kingdom and still walk away with your head attached." Thorin seethed, his deep tenor deceptively calm and gravelly as he held Orcist tight in his grip, lowered and ready to strike at his side.
Valinn giggled impishly. "You are absolutely right! It would be so foolish of me to waltz in here and throw my father's head at you without a backup plan! Talk about awkward! But I have been planning this very moment for a very, very long time. I have dreamt of it, and I have the best countermeasure to your threat. You see, if I do not walk out of this mountain with my head attached, as you so eloquently put it, your cousin and his people will become a buffet for my 5,000 dire wolves that are camped outside of the Iron Hills. If they do not receive word from me by nightfall, their blood will be on your head. And the line of Durin, in its entirety will be wiped from the face of this land." He licked his teeth, savoring the promise he spoke on his tongue before grinning wickedly.
"You have until the morning to surrender. If you and your sister son's do not come to me by sunrise tomorrow, I will lay waste to this mountain, every dam, every child will become feed for my wolves. And I will graciously slit that pretty, pale neck of my sisters from ear to ear in front of your eyes before I mercifully take your head."