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Chapter Text

POV Bluebonnet

I start to whistle carefully, a lullaby that my Adad used to sing to me when I was little, while working in my vegetable garden. I still can't believe that I'm turning 50 today, I'm finally a full-grown Dwobbit! As my mother is a Hobbit and my Adad is a Dwarf, I'm not considered of age until I'm 50, which is different from a Hobbit. It was Gandalf who told my parents that, after all, I'm the first Dwobbit that ever lived. It reminds me of my mother, I wish she was still alive to celebrate my 50th birthday with me and my Adad. Only she died during the Long Winter, I was 16 at the time, but my mental age was 10, so I was a child. I can remember how cold it was, that we didn't have enough to eat, that my parents gave me all their food instead of them eating it. My mother grew weaker every day, the lack of food and the cold made her ill, while my Adad took up his sword and defended the county with the help of the Rangers. My mother said that that was the first time since arriving in the Shire that my Adad had taken up his sword, he fought for every Hobbit and killed any Orc who dared to cross the Shire's boundaries. Only when the snow melted and all the danger was gone, my mother died too, leaving only me and my Adad. And I miss her so much, I know my Adad does too. Since my mother's death, my Adad's eyes only shine when he looks at me and at all other times they seem lost in pain.

What's more, since I'm turning 50, I'm going to ask my Adad to take me to see the Elves! Ever since I was little, I've always been fascinated by seeing Elves, they seem so beautiful and warm, my Adad always complains that his only daughter is fascinated by Elves. I know he's not really upset, he just doesn't like Elves. It's surreal, to think that my Adad is a Dwarf living among the Hobbits, when I asked my mother, she smiled and told me his story. That my Adad was a Dwarf from Erebor, that his home had been stolen by a dragon called Smaug and that the Dwarves no longer had a home. This made them look for other places, one of which was Moria, and my Adad fought with other Dwarves in an attempt to recapture Moria from the Orcs. But my Adad was wounded, so he fled into the forest, where he met my mother who was on a journey and she took him back to the Shire. The Baggins family took him in and healed his wounds, while mine always visit him, my Adad says he found peace and happiness in the Shire. And when the Baggins asked my Adad to be part of their family, he accepted and became Bungo Baggins, leaving behind his old name, which I don't know. It was at this time that he told my mother that she was his One, and as a courting gift he made this house, then they got married and I was born!

Although I'm happy here in the Shire with my Adad, I want to see what lies beyond the Shire boundary, I want to see the outside world and most of all I want to find my One. I know he's not a Hobbit, so he must be out there, but my Adad says that the world outside the Shire is dangerous and would destroy all the goodness in me. Only I want to be brave like my Adad, he fought in wars and defended the Shire, I want to be like him and see what's out there. Besides, I'm great with a sword and perfect with a bow, that's when I spotted Gandalf. I run up to him and hug him, and say.

- Gandalf, it's been so long since we last saw each other! I think it was during my 33rd birthday, I remember you used magic to give Lobelia pig's ears, after she offended my Adad! - That was my last birthday party and because of Lobelia, I stopped having parties, I couldn't bear to see her offending my Adad and stealing my silverware. And I turn away from Gandalf who says.

- My dear, I believe it must have been another Wizard who gave Lobelia pig's ears, but I admit it must be a very powerful and handsome Wizard! - I laugh, because Gandalf has always been very funny, he's practically my Uncle and he's been by my side all my years. My Adad doesn't like Gandalf very much, but my mother always said that it was the mistrust present in all Dwarves, and I say.

- I'm sure you do, Gandalf, now why don't you come in and have some tea! I can make lavender tea, my mother always said it was her favorite and I made cookies this morning, besides it's my birthday! - I admit, I was very excited by Gandalf's presence, it's just that he doesn't always visit, so I like to enjoy it when he comes. Gandalf laughs, puts his hand on my curls and says.

- And I can't stay for tea, but I know it's your birthday, how could I forget? Today you become of age, so I've come to invite you on an adventure! What do you think? - I widened my eyes, I felt my whole body vibrating, because I wanted to go on an adventure. But my Adad wouldn't like it and I said a little sadly.

- I'm sorry, Gandalf, I'd really love to go with you. But my Adad wouldn't like it, he said I'm safe in the Shire, so I shouldn't leave the confines of here and go into the dangerous world - I was so excited to go, to see what lies beyond the Shire, but I don't want to disobey my Adad. And Gandalf says.

- But Blue, wouldn't you like to see for yourself what's out there? Even find your One? Your mother wouldn't want you to spend your life in the Shire, without seeing what's out there -- I sigh, waving my hand nervously, because I really want to go. But I don't want to go against my Adad, I tell him.

- If I go on this adventure, will we be able to see the Elves? It's just that I've always wanted to go and see the Elves, but my Adad always puts it off, since he doesn't like the Elves and I need to give him the answer now? - I had to think about it, but I had to talk to my Adad, I don't want to do something against his will. I have to convince him! And Gandalf says smiling.

- I'm sure Bungo must really hate that his daughter is fascinated by Elves, and you don't have to give me the answer now. The rest of the company and I will be arriving at dinner time, so prepare a meal for 13 individuals who will be starving! - And I widen my eyes, because I'm going to have to prepare a lot of food, and I say.

- I have to start cooking! What races are they? What kind of food do I make! Do they prefer wine or beer! - My anxiety was running high, and Gandalf said.

- Their race, I won't say, but make lots of meat and serve beer, but I'd like wine. And avoid salad, they hate it. If you want to please them, make sweets and everything will be fine, Blue!

Gandalf walks away and I go into the house, I think I should talk to my Adad, but he said he'd be at the forge all day and should only be disturbed if it was urgent. Which isn't the case, so I put on my apron and tie my hair up and start cooking. Fortunately, I did my shopping earlier, and there's no shortage of food. Besides, my Adad loves meat, so there's always plenty of it. And I try to prepare as much food as I can, including lots of desserts - after all, I want to impress my guests! And my parents always said that I was a very good cook and that my One would be lucky. And when everything is under control, I go to my room to get ready, I put on a green skirt with hand-embroidered flowers. Then I put on a white blouse, the sleeves are short with some ruffles and over it all a red jacket with gold buttons made by my Adad. I look at my hair, arranging my braids, one of which has the Bolseiro Family bead with a medicinal plant engraved on it, the other the Tûk Family bead with a fierce wolf engraved on it and finally one that says I'm my Adad's daughter, it's a Dwarf rune, but he never said what it meant. My hair is blond, like my Adad's, but he says that mine looks like it's made of gold and that it turns red in the light, but I inherited my mother's big curls and my eyes are blue like my Adad's. I look very much like a Hobbit. I look a lot like a Hobbit, but my ears are less pointed and my feet are smaller, and I'm taller. That's when I hear the door being opened, I run out and am happy to see my Adad who says.

- My Sanûrzud, I can't believe you're already 50, I still remember when you were born! You were so small, you fit in my hand, congratulations, my Sanûrzud! Besides, why are you making so much food? - My Adad pulls me into a hug, my Adad taught me Khuzdul, so I know that this nickname means perfect sun and he's called me that for as long as I can remember. And I say.

- Thank you, Adad! I know we don't do parties anymore, because of Lobelia, but Gandalf came here and said he'd bring 13 guests! So I'm making a feast, I'm hoping it's Elves! - My Adad grumbles when I talk about Elves, but I notice his appearance, his blond hair was darker than mine and he had a long beard. As well as an incredibly intricate moustache, he was taller than me, I saw his Baggins Family bead which was the same as mine, his Wedding Bead which had a belladonna engraved on it and a Bead saying he was my father which had a bluebonnet flower engraved on it. And I see his necklace, he has another Account that he's never said what it is. And he says.

- You must be hoping it's Elves, but now, I have a present for you! It's a Dwarven tradition that when a Dwarf comes of age, she gets her first necklace and I made this one in the forge, I hope you like it my Sanûrzud - He shows me a wooden box, when he opens it, I see a beautiful necklace the chain is made of Mithril and has a beautiful gold pendant in the shape of a sun with an amber stone in the middle and I say.

- It's perfect, Adad, can you put it on for me? Besides, Gandalf invited me on an adventure, wouldn't that be fun? - Immediately my Adad's face turns grim, I'm sure he'll say no, after all he thinks it's too dangerous. But I want to go on an adventure so badly! And my Adad says.

- Fine, he'll bring guests, but I refuse to allow my Nathith to risk leaving the Shire. I've already lost your mother, I don't want to lose you too

I sigh, while my Adad places a kiss on my head, but I still haven't given up hope of convincing him to allow me to go on this adventure. And I go to the mirror, happy to see how the necklace seems to suit me, and knowing that my Adad must have worked hard on it. That's when I hear a knock on the door, which immediately makes me excited, because it must be my first guest. And I rush to the door, making sure I look presentable and make a good impression. And I open the door, immediately surprised to see a Dwarf. The only Dwarf I knew was my Adad, this one was a bit taller than my Adad, his head was shaved and full of tattoos. He was a bit intimidating, but that didn't matter to me, because the most important thing was to be a good hostess. But before he or I could say anything, my Adad approached and said.

- It's a pleasure to welcome a guest to our home, I hope you're hungry and had a good trip, and...Dwalin! - I notice the frightened look in my Adad's eyes as he looks at our guest, who I believe is called Dwalin. And Dwalin looked like he was looking at a ghost, I think they know each other and Dwalin says.

- By the Beard of Mahal! Frerin, you're alive! We all thought you had died in the War of Moria, and you were here with the Hobbits!? - He advances towards my Adad, but on the way ends up pushing me, which makes me fall backwards. But my Adad approaches me, holding me up to prevent me from falling and who is Frerin? And my Adad says.

- To begin with, my name is no longer Frerin, but Bungo Baggins. And please be careful and don't knock over the Bluebonnet -- My Adad looks at me worriedly, but I give him a smile, assuring him that I'm fine. I notice that Dwalin is looking at me angrily, which is a bit scary, I stand my ground and Dwalin says.

- Is it because of her that you never came back? You married a Hobbit, and just forgot all about your family!? - I widen my eyes, does he think I'm married to my Adad? It makes me uncomfortable, especially when he accuses me of being to blame for my Adad not returning to live with the Dwarves, and my Adad says.

- Bluebonnet is my and my late wife's daughter, now, if you don't want to be kicked out of my house, start acting properly! Don't accuse my daughter, when the reason I haven't gone back to live with the Dwarves is because I've found true happiness among the Hobbits! - My Adad was furious, he had also stood in front of me in an attempt to protect me from Dwalin. But I don't think Dwalin will hurt me, so I approach him and bow saying.

- I am Bluebonnet Baggins, Daughter of Bungo Baggins, it is a pleasure to meet you. Now, you have a lot of weapons, would you mind leaving them in the cupboard along with your boots? Then I can take you to where dinner is! - I give a happy smile to Dwalin, who simply looks me up and down, judging me, and that bothers me. But I'm happy to see that he obeys me, then walks past me and says to my Adad.

- Good luck explaining that to Thorin, he'll go mad when he finds out you were being a coward and hiding among the Hobbits, as well as having a Halfling for a daughter - I know when I'm being offended, so I like it when my Adad hugs me.

Chapter Text

POV Frerin/Bungo Baggins

I take a sip of beer, while I look at Balin and Dwalin, Balin arrived a little after Dwalin. And like my brother's old friend, he cusses a lot when he sees that I'm alive, while all I can think is that I want to kill Gandalf! Because I did everything I could to leave that life full of pain and suffering behind, I tried to get away from my family and my people. After all, why would I stay with them? All we did was go into battle in an attempt to get a new mountain, I was tired of seeing death all around me. I was tired of seeing dwarves that I had known all my life dying at the hands of Orcs, I was tired of starving and I couldn't even sleep at the time because I feared that we would be attacked. I couldn't stand that life any longer, that's why I ran away from the Battle of Moria, I know that makes me sound like a big coward. But it was the best decision I ever made, because when I ran away, I found my Bella and the moment I saw her, I knew she was my One. And so I was more than happy to agree to follow her to the Shire, I had always thought that Hobbits were weak and useless. So I was very surprised when the Baggins family took me in, looked after my injuries and showed me how different life was in the Shire. I was amazed, it was such a simple and comfortable life, they care about each other. There isn't even any money in the Shire! Everything is done by bartering, so when Noz Baggins asked to be my father and give me a new name, I agreed and became Bungo Baggins. Then I proposed to Bella, built this house as a courting gift, and we had Bluebonnet, and I've never been happier.

Marrying Bella was the best decision I ever made, she was my One and the most beautiful Hobbit I've ever met. We always had fun, she liked to watch in the forge, and I loved everything she cooked. And I didn't even mind taking her to the edge of the Shire for a walk, and her death still brings a lot of pain to my chest. It's 34 years since she left, during the Long Winter, and part of me blames myself for what happened. I should have looked after her and protected her better, but instead I did what she begged me to do. Which was to pick up my sword again and protect the Shire, to protect her and our Nathith, and that's what I did. I didn't let any Orcs into the Shire, I fought alongside the Rangers and some Elves sent by Lord Elrond, only when winter passed Bella's life was gone too. Bluebonnet and I were left, I did my best to look after her, and that damned Lobelia tried to take my daughter away from me! She and her husband tried to claim that since I'm a Dwarf, I shouldn't raise Bluebonnet and shouldn't even be in the Shire. Obviously, Lobelia and her husband didn't succeed, and my father and father-in-law, who is Thain, defended me. Saying that I had every right to look after my Nathith, that I was a Hobbit above all, even if I was born a Dwarf. And I know that Lobelia only did this because she wanted this house.

But I focus on Dwalin and Balin, the former is irritated by the whole situation, while Balin seems to be analyzing it. I want to kill Gandalf for trying to drag my Blue into a mission, and I'm scared to think who else is going to show up at my house. I know Thorin is one of them, but have Fili and Kili seen him? The last time I saw them, Fili was 23 and Kili was 18, they were still very young and must now be 75 and 70 respectively. And Dwalin says in Khuzdul.

(Frerin, you owe us an explanation, what were you thinking, staying here with the Hobbits!? You're a Dwarf, you should be with your people!) - What he meant was that I'm a Dwarf Prince, so I should be with my people, fighting for them and giving my life for them. When I get nothing back! And I reply in Khuzdul.

(My name is no longer Frerin, it's Bungo, I left all my past behind by deciding to stay in the Shire. And all I was thinking was that I wanted to stay with my One and with the Hobbits who took me in, who looked after me as if I were one of their own) - That was the truth, I loved the Hobbits, they looked after me and took me in. I may live for 300 years, but I'll never be able to repay them for everything they've done to me, and Balin says.

(Well, I have a question, is this halfling your biological daughter? And I don't see her mother around either, so I'm a bit confused and maybe she betrayed you?) - I clench my hands into fists, he's doubting that I'm Blue's Adad, and yet he's accusing my dead wife of betrayal? I try to take a deep breath, as my father taught me, Nutcracker is very good at teaching you to control your emotions. And I say angrily.

(Bluebonnet is my biological daughter with Belladona, who was my One! My Bella never cheated on me, because we loved each other, and besides, she died during the Long Winter when Blue was only 16! And don't offend my family, Bluebonnet knows Khuzdul and I don't want her to hear you offending her or her mother) - I notice the anger shining in Dwalin's eyes, while Balin looked simply uncomfortable, while I can hear Blue in the kitchen, finishing cooking, and Dwalin says.

(You taught her Khuzdul?! Our language shouldn't be taught to those who aren't Dwarves, that's one of the oldest rules, but I guess it shouldn't matter to you since you've turned your back on all your people, you're a bloody Prince and your responsibility to your people!?) - Only before I can shout at Dwalin again Bluebonnet approaches, she looks confused, when she looks at me and says in Khuzdul.

(Dad, are you a Prince? Did Mom know that? Why didn't you ever tell me you were the Prince of the Dwarves, and what does that mean?) - I look angrily at Dwalin and Balin, the former still with an angry face, while Balin simply looks uncomfortable with the whole situation. But I focus on my daughter, I go over to her, take the roast from her hands and place it on the table, and say in the Common Tongue.

- My Nathith, your mother knew I was a Prince, but the moment I chose to take the name Bungo Baggins and marry your mother, I left all that behind. Because I discovered that true happiness was here in the Shire, when you were born I was more than sure that I had made the right decision - I place a kiss on my daughter's forehead, which makes her smile sweetly, while I hear Balin say.

- At least this way, the Durin Lineage has one more member, even if it is a halfling. And it's quite rare for there to be women in the Durin Lineage - I noticed the sad look on Bluebonnet's face, so I turned to Balin and said.

- I'll punch the next person who calls my Nathith a halfling, no matter who it is! I won't let them insult her! - I think I'll hit someone by the end of tonight.

Fili's POV

I giggle when I see Kili jumping like a rabbit next to me, he's obviously very excited to see a Hobbit. Since we've never been to the Shire, I know he's also sad to leave his husband Marjo in the Blue Mountains, I still can't believe my little brother found his One before me. Although I feel sad that I haven't found my One, I'm also happy for my brother who deserves to be happy. Our Amad wasn't very happy, she wanted Kili to marry a good Dwarf woman from the Court, instead he married Marjo who is a male Dwarf and a simple baker from the Blue Mountains. I try not to think about it, Kili and I haven't been getting along with our mother for some time. But I knock on the door, I'm feeling something strange, it's like a restlessness in my chest. My heart seems to beat faster, and a nervousness seems to run through my body, I've never felt like this in my whole life. It was then that the door was opened, and I finally understood what I was feeling, because in front of me was my One. She's a Hobbit, her hair was curly and soft, but what I loved was the color, it seemed to be made of gold and the light seemed to make it glow red. Her eyes were blue as if they were two freshly cut sapphires, I bent down, taking her hand and leaving a simple kiss on it and said.

- I am Fili, Son of Vini and the Heir of the Dwarf Kingdoms, it is an honor to meet you and to stand in front of such an ethereal beauty - She turned a beautiful shade of red, which allowed me to see the beautiful freckles on her face, and my eyes went to her ears which were so delicate and beautiful. And I looked at her outfit, a simple skirt that seemed to show off her slim waist, a delicate blouse that showed off her beautiful breasts and I liked her hairy feet that made her look more adorable. And she says.

- I'm Bluebonnet Baggins, it's nice to meet you, Master Fili and thank you for the compliment. You're also a very handsome Dwarf, your moustache is very intricate - She didn't look me in the eye, but it was obvious that she liked me, which made me really happy. After all, I have to make her my Queen, even if it's the last thing I do. And I noticed that she had beads in her hair, one had a wolf, the other a plant and the third a Dwarf rune which I know means the Lineage of Durin, which is strange and Kili says

- If you've stopped flirting with each other, let me introduce myself, I'm Kili and I'm Fili's younger brother, I'm not the Heir, but I'm very good with a bow and arrow - The beautiful Hobbit in front of me, covered her face completely red, because of Kili's words. And all I could think was that she was beautiful and perfect, I noticed her necklace was very pretty and seemed to have been made by a Dwarf. I wonder if she's engaged. Well, even if she is, I'll fight for her heart and I say.

- Don't mind my brother, he can be a jerk sometimes, but I admit I was flirting with you. The thing is, I've never met a beauty like you, or felt my heart beat like that - I see that Kili is about to say something, but I kick his ankle, which makes him grimace. But I focus on Bluebonnet, who looks at me smiling, while saying.

- I've never felt like this before either, now leave your weapons in the cupboard and take off your shoes! I'll take you to the table, my Adad, Dwalin and Balin are already here

Without hesitation, I follow the instructions of Bluebonnet, who always turns a beautiful shade of red when she looks at me. And when I've finished doing as she asked, I'm surprised when she takes my hand, and I don't hesitate to intertwine our fingers. Her hand is small compared to mine, but that doesn't matter, not when her skin is soft and how perfect it feels for our hands to be together. And I don't even have to look back to be sure that Kili must be laughing at me, the same way I laughed at him when he met Marjo. But I notice something else, she used the word “Adad” and that means “father” in the Dwarven language, is she part Dwarf? Well, even if she is, that won't change my plans to make her my Queen. I can even imagine a beautiful crown made of mithril, with flowers made of sapphires and emerald leaves. I have to start planning that crown, because it's going to be my last Courtship gift, so that she can be crowned my Queen. It was then that we arrived in the dining room, the first thing I noticed was the divine smell of food, and I'm sure it was Bluebonnet who made it. I then noticed Dwalin and Balin, but was surprised to see another Dwarf. He had darker blond hair than Bluebonnet, the same blue eyes and a serious face, which reminded me a lot of Uncle Thorin and it was obvious that he was a Dwarf. Which makes it much easier for me to make Bluebonnet my Queen! And I noticed that I hadn't let go of her hand yet, and Dwalin says.

- Fili and Kili, you may not remember, but this is Frerin, the younger brother of your Amad and Thorin. Turns out, he didn't die in Moria, instead he married a Hobbit and had a Halfling -- Faster than I expected, Frerin rushes across the table and punches Dwalin, who gets up completely furious. I'm sure they're going to start fighting, especially when Frerin says.

- My name is Bungo, stop calling me Frerin, and especially don't call my daughter a Halfling! She's a Dwobbit, a perfect blend of me and my dead wife, if you carry on like this, I'll throw you and the whole company out of my house! - In other words, he would kick me out, but I can't do that, Bluebonnet is my One and I refuse to stay away from it. So I step forward and say.

- It's a pleasure to meet you, Uncle Bungo, I admit that Kili and I have always wanted to meet you. So, we're happy to know that you're alive, and your daughter seems to be a wonderful Dwobbit -- I give a wink to Bluebonnet who turns a beautiful shade of red, while smiling at me, and I just get lost in her eyes, so beautiful and deep they were. And I hear my Uncle say.

- I'm happy to see you and Kili again, but could you do me the favor of letting go of my Nathith's hand? I'm sure you'd like to eat some -- I feel my face go pale at my uncle's angry look, which seems to be even worse than Uncle Thorin's. He knows your daughter is mine. He knows that his daughter is my One, and he doesn't seem to like that, and Bluebonnet says.

- My Adad, you're right, you and Kili should eat some! I prepared everything myself, Fili try my vegetable and meat pie, it's a bit spicy, but it's one of my best recipes and I only made one - My Uncle looked between me and his daughter, noticing what was going on and I feel that eating this pie has some meaning, but to be honest I didn't care and I start eating, which makes my Queen smile and I know I made the right decision by eating this pie.

Chapter Text

POV Bluebonnet

I take out of the oven the last pie I made, it's an inverted banana pie, it's my Adad's favorite, since it was my mother's best recipe. I admit, I don't know how to feel about this whole situation, because I'm sad and excited all at the same time! I'm sad because Dwalin and Balin are the first Dwarves I've ever met, apart from my Adad, and they consider me less because I'm only half Dwarf. And hearing them talking to my Adad, and questioning whether I was really his daughter, hurt me deeply. I always wanted to know more about Dwarves and my Adad's family, but I never expected to be treated badly and even hated for being a Dwobbit and that hurt me a lot. I know that my Adad is completely furious with Dwalin and Balin, since he even punched Dwalin, which surprised me, since my Adad isn't usually violent. And as if that wasn't enough, I end up discovering that my Adad is a Prince of the Dwarves! I don't understand how he and my mother never told me this, I think knowing that I'm part of royalty is something I need to know. After all, I'm a Princess and that's just scary in my opinion, I wish my Adad had told me that earlier. Because knowing that was really important! But I can't get angry with my Adad, especially seeing how uncomfortable he is with the whole situation, it's obvious that he didn't want to meet the Dwarves again and all this is making him angry. And part of me feels guilty, after all I planned this dinner, but I never thought all this would happen! But I'm sure Gandalf knew all this.

At the same time, I'm happy to know that my Adad's family isn't dead. And I hope they like me, it makes me think of Fili, which makes my cheeks turn red. I know he's my cousin, but above all, he's my One and from his reaction, I'm his One too. I knew it the moment I saw him, a warmth that seemed to spread through my chest, his smile that made my cheeks turn red and his blue eyes sparkle as he spoke to me. My Adad always told me how he discovered his One in my mother, in everything he felt and that the moment he saw her, he knew he belonged to her. And that's exactly how I feel about Fili, I know this dinner is going to bring a lot of trouble and confusion, but knowing that I've found my One makes it all worthwhile! Except there's the fact that Fili is the Crown Prince, which means he'll become King of the Dwarves and if we stay together, I'll be Queen! Which ends up being scary in my opinion, we have royalty in the Shire, I don't know how a Queen behaves. But I guess it doesn't matter, I'm not going to give up my One, just because I'm scared of being a Queen. I'm sure it will all work out, but I'm afraid they'll hate me for being a Dwobbit, but that doesn't matter, I want to be by Fili's side.

I sigh, because there's still a lot to happen, I still need to convince my Adad to go on this mission. I'm not sure what this mission is about, but I'm not going to stay here in the Shire, waiting for Fili to come back. I'm already 50, it's time to go out and see what Middle-earth has in store for me, even if I have to go against my Adad's wishes. I know he wants to protect me, but I don't want to stay in the Shire forever, I want to see what's out there and especially to be with Fili. It was then that I was startled to feel a hand on my shoulder, along with the smell of iron, and I knew it was Fili. I turn around, seeing his elegant beard, and he says.

- I'm sorry I frightened you, my Mizimelûh. It's just that you seemed so lost in thought, is everything all right? - Fili's perfect eyes watched me, his eyes were shining at me, they were so sweet and it made my cheeks turn red Fili was beautiful. His beard and moustache are so intricate and elegant, and I say to him.

- I'm fine, it's just that this evening is full of revelations, and not everyone has arrived yet! Which makes me nervous, you know? - There were still a lot of guests missing, but the dinner was already full of surprises, and I'm sure my Adad will hit on someone else before the end of the evening. And I wouldn't be surprised if my Adad tried to hit Gandalf for setting the whole thing up, and I hear Fili say.

- I'd like to ask you something, my Mizimelûh, did you like meeting me? Finding out that I'm your One? - I notice the insecurity shining in Fili's eyes and it makes me sad, because he shouldn't feel insecure, so I take his hand, intertwining our fingers and I liked how his mother's was rough with some scars, very different from the softness of my hand. And I say.

- Fili, meeting you was the best thing that could have happened! Your presence is the best birthday present I could ever want - I feel my body melt when I feel his forehead on mine, because it makes me feel warm inside, and I close my eyes feeling as if I'm connected to Fili. And he pulls away and says.

- Happy Birthday, my Mizimelûh, I'm sorry I don't have any presents to give you. But I want to make you my Queen, will you be my Queen? - Our hands were still intertwined, but I was concentrating on Fili's sparkling eyes, on her smile that looked like it could light up an entire room. And I said.

- I will be more than happy to be your Queen, my Melhekhel. Now, we need to continue the procession, you've already eaten one of my best recipes, now you need to ask my Adad for permission - I smile amusedly as I see how Fili's face pales when he hears what I've said, after all, my Adad can be scary when he wants to be. And so far, my Adad hasn't been happy to hear that Fili is my One. And Fili says.

- In the Dwarf Procession, it's not necessary to ask Adad's permission, or to eat the best recipe. But it's not a problem, we can mix the Dwarf Parade with the Hobbit Parade, plus I'll get Uncle Bungo's permission, as scary as that is - I don't know much about the Dwarf Parade, but I do know that my father made a Hobbit Parade to win over my mother, and I like the idea of mixing it up. Since I'm a Dwobbit, I say.

- I think mixing the two traditions is what should be done, in the Hobbit Courtship after receiving permission from the Adad of the one being courted, the lovers can have their first kiss and the one being courted makes a wreath showing that he accepts being with the other - I was excited about the idea of kissing Fili, it would be my first kiss and Fili says.

- In the Dwarf Courtship, it starts with me giving you a bead, which shows that you are being courted by me. Once you have permission I'll give you my bead and I'll wait for your wreath, my Mizimelûh and then I'll give you a courting gift that shows I can protect our family

I wasn't sure what kind of gift could prove that he could protect our future family, but I knew he wouldn't do anything stupid or dangerous. But I nod my head and hug Fili, immediately feeling his arms around me, his iron scent seeming to embrace me. And that makes me sure, that I can't stay away from Fili anymore, being with him makes me feel complete and comfortable, like this is where I belong. And I know he feels the same, I could see it in his eyes, in the way he hugs me and in my Melhekhel's beautiful smile. I'll do my best to marry my One, even if I have to go against my Adad. And we heard a cough, and I immediately turned away from Fili, feeling my cheeks turn red with embarrassment. And from the look on Fili's face, he seemed uncomfortable, since it was my Adad who coughed.

- Fili, why don't you go and eat with your brother? I want a moment alone with my Nathith - When my Adad says this, I immediately feel nervous, while I look at Fili who approaches and places a kiss on my cheek, which makes me smile, because he was so kind! And I see him walking away, so that I'm alone in the kitchen with my Adad, and I take a deep breath and say.

- Adad, I know you can't be happy that I found my One in Fili. It's just that I can't stay away from FIli, I couldn't bear it! - I'm surprised when my Adad comes up to me and hugs me tightly, I immediately feel good in my Adad's arms. He made me feel comfortable, loved and safe, and I hear him say.

- Bluebonnet, I would never make you ignore your One, because above all I want you to be happy. But I have to ask, do you want to stay with Fili and become a Queen? You have no idea how much pressure it is to be a Dwarf, plus you're the target of hatred for being a Dwobbit -- I turn away from my Adad, seeing his eyes shining with worry, but I simply give him a smile and say.

- I know it won't be easy, that many of the Dwarves might hate me for being half Hobbit. But I know it will work out, because I'm your daughter, you've managed to learn to live among Hobbits, I know I can learn to be a Queen for the Dwarves, right? - My Adad smiles, I see the gleam of pride in his eyes, which has left me confused, and he says.

- You'll be the best Queen in the history of the Dwarves, that's for sure, my Sanûrzud, and I'll be by your side. I like living in the Shire, but I can return to live among the Dwarves, to be by your side -- I smiled, knowing that he would go wherever I went brought me joy. Because he is my Adad, and I would hate to be away from him and I say.

- Thank you, Adad! And don't worry, Fili will be a great husband to me, I'm sure he'll look after me and protect me throughout this mission - I see my Adad's annoyed look, as he says.

- I don't know what this mission is about, but we'll stay in the Shire, waiting for them to come back. Besides, I'm not going to make it easy for Fili, if he wants to marry you, he'll have to prove that he deserves it - I roll my eyes at his overprotectiveness, and at his saying that I'm not going on this mission, even though I'm sure I am, I say.

- I'm sure Fili will get your permission, Adad!

Right after I say that, I hear someone knocking on the door, which immediately makes me feel excited. I know that Balin and Dwalin hadn't liked me, but I had hoped that the other guests would be friendlier and wouldn't mind the fact that I was a Dwobbit. Only I see how tense my Adad gets when he hears the knock on the door, I know that this whole situation is making him nervous and worried, so I give him a smile and that seems to put him at ease. And I start to walk to the door, I can feel the excitement running through my body, especially when I pass Fili who smiles at me in a gallant way. And I stop in front of the door, straightening my clothes and taking a deep breath, until I open the door and almost get buried by a pile of Dwarves. And that didn't happen, thanks to my Adad who pulled me away just in time, and behind them all was Gandalf with that smile that seemed to know everything. And Gandalf said.

- Well, let me introduce everyone, so there's no confusion! We have Bofur, Bombur and Bifur, they're from the same family. And there are the brothers, Dori, Ori and Nori. And Gloin and Oin are also brothers! Now, here are Bluebonnet Baggins and his father Bungo, who used to be known as Prince Frerin - The Dwarves bow every time their names are mentioned, they all seem very nice, but immediately a silence forms when Gandalf introduces my Adad. Then the Dwarves start speaking in Khuzdull at an incredible speed and it becomes a little difficult to understand. Until my Adad shouts in Khuzdull.

(ENOUGH! Let's all go into the dining room now, see the food my daughter has been cooking all day and I'll explain everything!) - This seems to have some effect, as everyone seems to calm down, just mumbling amongst themselves. My Adad places a kiss on my head, then leads everyone into the dining room, and I can't help but wonder what they thought of me. But I ignore this and go over to Gandalf, hugging him tightly, then I pull away and say.

- Thank you, Gandalf, for persuading me to give this dinner. I have discovered things that I had never imagined, but I have found my One and that brings me great joy, but I know that my Adad will not allow me to go on this mission, he wants me to wait here in the Shire around Fili - I see that Gandalf seemed to think deeply about my words, but immediately a big smile opened on his lips, which makes me sure that he had a plan and he says.

- Don't worry, my dear, Bluebonnet! I know exactly how to deal with your father and make sure you two can go on this mission, after all, it will be good for you and great fun for me! All you have to do is trust your godfather - It wasn't common knowledge, but Gandalf was my godfather, he's been around all my life and I know he would never do anything to harm me. And I say.

- I know I can always trust you, godfather, after all you would never harm me. And I'm really excited about going on this Quest, besides, I'm enjoying meeting other Dwarves - Gandalf puts a hand on my shoulder, while looking at me smiling, and says to me.

- Bluebonnet, this is my birthday present to you, a meeting with your destiny and a bright future, you can believe me - And I faithfully believed Gandalf's words, after all, he had never failed me.

Chapter Text

Thorin's POV

I walk through the Land of the Hobbits, I think they call it the Shire, from the few Hobbits I've seen so far, I can only come to the conclusion that they are weak and fragile. They have big bellies and delicate skins, and they don't wear a single shoe; this race would never survive outside the Shire. I think that if they left the Shire, they would end up dead right away, because they shouldn't even be able to lift a sword or use a bow. I have no idea why Gandalf would recruit a Hobbit for our mission, a Hobbit would only slow us down and we'd have to be constantly protecting him! That would certainly ensure that this mission would fail, and I need this mission to succeed. My people won't be able to stand a few more years of living like this, we're having too few births, and fewer Dwarves are reaching old age. But if we recover Erebor, we'll have a Mountain to protect us, we'll have more sources of money and we'll recover. So this mission has to work, even if I end up dying in the process. So having a Hobbit on the mission will make everything more difficult, because he'll run away at the first sign of danger. And this mission is to reclaim Erebor, there should only be Dwarves in the company, because the mountain belongs to us! Also, the last reason Gandalf is coming along on this Quest, because it's impossible to say no to him and because I think he could be useful against Smaug, if he's alive and I really hope he's turned into a carcass.

My eyes go to the Hobbit families, as far as I can tell, they are quite numerous and that makes me think of my own family. When Smaug came, I lost my grandfather and my mother, then my father got lost in Middle-earth. And I found myself alone and responsible for all my people, I know I have my sister and my nephews. But it's hard being King of the Dwarves, not having someone to help me, Dis has her own responsibilities and she can't always help me. Kili is still very immature, and doesn't have much interest in helping me, especially now that he's married and prefers to help his husband in his bakery. At least I have Fili, he's the perfect Crown Prince and I thank Mahal for that. Fili cares about our people, tries his best to look after everyone, is a great jeweler and really wants to be the next King of the Dwarves. But he's still very young, so I don't want to dump everything on his shoulders. And at times like this, I really miss Frerin, he's my younger brother and Dís is even younger than him. Or at least she was younger, after all, Frerin is dead, he died in the Moria War. We believe that the Orcs took his body, because after the battle we didn't find his body, or any other trace of him. And not being able to bury my little brother is a persistent pain for me, especially when I look at Fili. The two of them look alike, Fili has my dark blond hair, along with the same twinkle in her eye, but unlike Frerin, Fili isn't shy and submissive.

When I arrive in front of the right door, at least I hope it's the right door. I advance, preparing to meet a weak and useless Hobbit, so I knock on the door. I get annoyed when it doesn't open, but before I can knock again, the door is finally opened. And all I can do is start, because in front of me stands a Hobbit woman, who looks so delicate that a breeze would blow her away and with big, innocent eyes, she must not even know what an Orc is. I look at Gandalf next to her and say

- Gandalf, I have to ask, is this some kind of joke? This creature will never survive outside the Shire, it's so delicate it'll cry the whole trip! - And I had already stopped laughing, now I was angry that Gandalf had made such a joke. As if this mission was a joke, but I see him roll his eyes and put his hand on my shoulder, while smiling and saying.

- This is Bluebonnet, know that she's perfect for this mission, so don't doubt my choice and this is far from a joke - I shake my shoulder, taking Gandalf's hand away from him, I know he's someone useful, but he's also very annoying. Although deep down, I know that he can guarantee my death, after all Gandalf is a powerful wizard and sometimes it's hard to remember that when he smiles so silly. And I say.

- No matter what you say, Gandalf! That little mouse will never survive out there, it will only be a burden to me and the whole company! - I look at the Hobbit who seems to have been irritated by what I've said, because she puffs out her chest and approaches me, without any fear whatsoever. And I must admit that at least she had some courage, but that doesn't change the fact that she was useless. Then she put her finger on my chest, which made me furious: who does this little mouse think she is? And she says.

- I'm not a little mouse, my name is Bluebonnet Baggins, my Adad taught me how to use a sword and I'm great with it! So I know how to defend myself! - Snitch, I don't believe her words at all, but I found it strange that she said “Adad”, that's the Khuzdul word for father. But it must mean something else to the Hobbits, I'm sure of it and I see beads in her hair, but it must be aesthetic, but I look her up and down, I admit she's pretty and there must be someone with a Hobbit fetish. And I say.

- I'm sure your sword skills must be very good, but they're more useful in a brothel, you're pretty enough for that, I'm sure you can find someone with a Hobbit fetish and make good money, maybe I'll pay you to be the company relief - Obviously, I wasn't going to do that, but I was happy to see how red and sad her face got. So she'll never want to go on this mission, but that's when I jump when a dagger passes close to my ear and I'm startled to see that it was Fili who threw it. He looks furious with me and says.

- Bluebonnet, she's a perfect lady, you have no right to talk about her like that! Blue is my One, I'll kill anyone who lays a finger on her -- my eyes went wide, this little mouse is Fili's One!? It was then that I saw my nephew take that Hobbit's hand, and she immediately snuggled up to him, which annoyed me! She was bewitching my nephew, she probably wanted to be a Queen. And I said.

- I don't admit it! What's going on in this damn place? That little mouse can't be your One, Fili, you must be simply confused - I noticed the furious look on Fili's face, he wasn't at all happy with me, but it didn't matter, I had to get him out of this spell that had been put on him by that Hobbit. Then I heard a voice that chilled my whole body.

- You really haven't changed at all, have you, Thorin? You're still an idiot who wants to run everyone's lives. Besides, I know our mother taught you the proper way to speak to a lady, especially when she's your niece

I look around, seeing Gandalf smiling, which makes me sure he planned all this. I also see Fili hugging that little mouse, while Kili is behind him, showing that he supports his brother, and the others were avoiding looking at us. But I look at the ghost in front of me, but I know he's not a ghost, that he's very much alive and that makes my blood boil. Frerin is alive! He's obviously aged a few years, his hair is white in parts, so are his beard and moustache. I notice three beads in his hair, one seems to be a family bead, but I don't recognize the plant, the other seems to be a wedding bead and again I don't recognize what is engraved, and the last one is the one that symbolizes that he has a child. But the worst thing is that I don't see the Durin Lineage Bead, which means that he has turned his back on his own family. And I notice how he lives in a comfortable house, which I'm sure he built himself, because I know my brother's woodwork. And apparently the little mouse is his daughter, which makes her my niece. I don't understand how this could have happened, how he could have turned his back on his family, and I say.

- You know, I never expected you to be such a fucking coward, Frerin! That you abandoned your own family to marry some Hobbit and raise a bastard! - Frerin's eyes light up with anger as he approaches me, which surprises me. It seems that he is no longer afraid of me, that he is no longer timid and submissive, he has become a warrior and that surprises me. That's when he said.

- I'm not a coward, Thorin, I just couldn't stand all this killing and this damned obsession with gold! I wanted another kind of life, when I came out of the battle of Moria, I found my dead wife, she showed me a much better life and I found a family that didn't try to control me, or force me to be something I wasn't! Bella and I had Bluebonnet who is my daughter by blood! And my name is no longer Frerin, I'm called Bungo - My eyes go to the little mouse, who was being hugged by Fili, and I realize that she looks just like Frerin. And she's almost identical to my mother, which assures me that she really is of the Durin Lineage and Frerin's daughter. And I say.

- Your name is Frerin, you can make as many excuses as you like, but you were a Prince, you were supposed to protect your people and not run away like a bloody coward! You just chose another family, spitting on all your heritage, and why?! A fucking Hobbit, who should have given it to any traveler who passed by - And Frerin pushes me completely furious, to be honest, I wanted to piss him off. Because I was feeling relieved that he was alive, but the anger I felt at his actions was greater and he said.

- Don't you dare talk about my wife, Thorin! She's dead, and I won't allow you to tarnish her memory! Under my roof, to boot! And I don't regret the decisions I made, I chose to stay with my One, I became Bungo Baggins and when the Shire needed me, I took up my sword again and defended it! Not because of gold or a mountain, but because they showed me more love and acceptance than my biological family! - His words hurt me, I hate what he said, that he defended the Hobbits instead of his people, that he just ran away from us. And I say.
 
- No matter what you say, you are simply a disgrace to our family, your daughter will never be considered of the Lineage of Durin! And I will not allow Fili to marry a damned Halfling and further taint the Lineage of Durin with Hobbit blood!

Before I can even think, Frerin attacks me, hitting me hard and I don't hesitate to hit him too. My brother knows I'm stronger than him, that he'll never win a fight against me, but I admit he's gotten stronger. But I'm so angry that it'll be easy to beat him, I can't believe he preferred Hobbits to his own people. Frerin, you don't even deserve to be called Prince of the Dwarves, and that little mouse will never be considered a princess, she won't even marry Fili, I'm the King and I won't allow it! That's when Fenrir punches me in the face, but it doesn't matter, not when I feel pleasure at the sight of his bleeding lips. I'm feeling so many things right now, anger at Fenrir's actions, his lies and the fact that he hid among the Hobbits. But I also feel relief and happiness that my brother is alive, that he was never dead. But I don't know how to deal with relief and happiness, so I prefer to focus on my anger, it's much easier. It was then that I was pulled away from Frerin, I raise my head, seeing that it was Gandalf who did it and he looks furious. And he says.

- ENOUGH! You must stop acting like this, you don't even seem to be Principals of the Dwarves! Thorin, you must accept your brother's choices, along with Bluebonnet's existence and her future marriage to Fili! And Frerin, you must understand Thorin's feelings, however complicated they may be, Thorin thought you were dead, and he only knows how to deal with these situations by getting angry - Gandalf walks away, while I get up from the ground alone, I can feel a pain on my face and I'm sure I have a black eye. And I see Frerin's lip bleeding, then Bluebonnet approaches and helps him up, then she crosses her arms looking at us and says.

- You heard Gandalf, so stop fighting, if you keep trying, neither of you will get any dessert! Besides, this is my and my Adad's house, so Uncle, if you keep acting like this, I'm going to throw you out! - And she looked like a petulant little mouse, which isn't intimidating, I saw my brother agree. Which doesn't surprise me, like me, he's always been obsessed with sweets, and it's been a while since I've had a sweet. And I say.

- Don't worry, my Sanûrzud, I won't hit anyone else today. And I'm sure Thorin will behave too, after all, my brother loves dessert and I'm sure that hasn't changed -- Rosno, when Frerin looks at me with a mocking smile, which made me sure he was trying to annoy me. And I didn't know how to deal with it, this wasn't the Frerin I remembered and it made me want to scream and hit something. And I said it looking only at my brother, who was more like a snake playing with its prey, and I was his prey, I didn't recognize my brother.

- I'm staying, after all, this mission is too important to fail because of a pussy and a traitor. But know that this halfling will never be considered of the Durin Lineage, and I will not allow her to become Queen! So I throw down the gauntlet: if the little mouse wants to marry Fili, she'll have to fight me and win! Only then will she be worthy of being Queen, but if I win, she'll never see Fili again! Will you take it, little mouse? - I can hear the shocked gasps, after all, when the current King doesn't accept the One of his Heir, he can challenge the One to a battle, if the King wins the marriage won't take place and if the One wins the marriage will take place. Mouse looked me in the eye and said to my surprise.

- I accept, Uncle, know that you will lose and that is a certainty - And now, nothing can change that, Mahal's glow surrounded us and sealed our agreement.

Chapter Text

Gandalf's POV

I take a sip of wine, and it's impossible not to notice the tense atmosphere; it's so heavy it's suffocating. Furthermore, there's a clear separation in the room: on one side are Kili, Fili, Blue, and Frerin, while on the other are Thorin, Dwalin, and Balin. The others are avoiding sides, obviously not wanting to participate in this argument, as it's a very complicated fight. It's a fight between brothers, and everyone knows that never ends well. Especially because of the expression on Thorin's face: he's simply furious, not even trying to hide his fury. This is very different from Frerin, who maintains a calm expression, but it's as cold as ice. He and Thorin are very different; one is a fire that explodes and destroys everything around him, while the other is calm, but he cuts down anyone who shows himself to be his enemy. When I set up this situation, I knew it wouldn't be an easy one, but I also didn't expect it to be so complicated! These Dwarves are so stubborn; they can't be happy about being reunited, preferring to be angry about what happened in the past. But I should have known better; after all, like Dwarves, no situation is easy to resolve. But I won't give up; I'll ensure that by the end of this quest, Thorin and Frerin are back together as brothers. The Line of Durin must remain united, or they'll never be able to live in Erebor again. I hope they aren't so stubborn and realize this before it's too late, because that would be truly sad.

And my eyes drift to Blue. She's sitting between Frerin and Fili, with a small smile on her face. It's obvious she's having fun, despite the tension in the room. After all, she's always wanted to meet other Dwarves and understand more about her own culture. Plus, the fact that he's found his One must be bringing her great joy. Blue and Fili make a beautiful couple; they fit together perfectly, and I know Fili will watch over Blue and not let any harm come to her. Unfortunately, they will face many challenges, one of them being Thorin. I still can't believe he challenged Bluebonnet to a duel, and she can only marry Fili if she wins. I love Blue, I believe in her strength and skill, but I also know Thorin won't make things easy for her and won't hesitate to hurt her to ensure her marriage to Fili doesn't happen. I know Frerin must want to rip his brother's head off for challenging Blue like that, but he knows he can't interfere in this situation because it's in accordance with Dwarven Law. And if Thorin can't accept Fili and Blue's relationship, I hate to think what will happen when Dis finds out. She's a strong, warrior Dwarf. But she's deeply prejudiced; she doesn't like same-sex marriages or marriages between Dwarves of different races. I doubt she'll accept Fili marrying Blue, much less the fact that her niece is half-Hobbit.

Despite all the stress this situation will generate, I don't regret setting this all up. Blue deserves to see the world outside the Shire, to meet her One, and to become Queen of the Dwarves. Frerin, on the other hand, couldn't spend the rest of her life here in the Shire, hiding from her own family and her people. So, I go to the table, placing the map and key Thráin gave me before he died on it. To this day, I wonder who tortured Thráin. But I focus on the situation, seeing that everyone has stopped staring at each other and is now looking at me, and I say,

"This map and this key were given to me by Thráin shortly before his death. They prove there's a way into the Mountain, that there's a hidden entrance in Erebor." Frerin rolled his eyes, and I knew they were about to start another argument. I'm sure this will continue throughout the quest, which will drive me crazy. And Frerin said,

"You really want to go into that Mountain?! And face that dragon again!? We lost our grandfather and our mother there, now you want to lose the rest of our family!?" And obviously, these words filled Thorin with fury, because he glared at Frerin. I sighed, knowing this situation was so tiresome, and that's when Thorin said,

"We need to go into that Mountain; it belongs to the Dwarves, not that damned Dragon! You don't understand, because you're a coward!" Frerin immediately snorted, unaffected by Thorin's accusations; living with Lobelia makes you immune to insults. It was then that Blue stood up, without any hesitation, which made me proud, and she said,

"Stop fighting! I'm sure Uncle Thorin has his reasons for wanting the Mountain back, and my Adad is no coward! Now, tell me the plan, godfather." And I loved it when she called me godfather; it was so much fun having a goddaughter. But I look at Thorin and Frerin, who are still glaring at each other. Which doesn't surprise me, and I say,

"This key opens a secret door in Erebor, while the map has instructions on how to open the door. Unfortunately, we can't read this map." That's when Blue stands up and picks up the map, which makes Thorin look dark, but I glare at him, daring him to do anything. Fortunately, he gets the message, and Blue says,

"The instructions are written in Moon Runes, so they can only be read during the same moon they were inscribed on. Furthermore, a moonlit pedestal is required to read this map." I look at Bluebonnet in surprise. I didn't really know she could read Moon Runes, but I admit I'm very proud of her. I notice everyone looking at her in surprise, while Blue blushes with embarrassment, and Frerin says,

"Blue is great at languages; she managed to learn Khuzdul with ease and in record time! Plus, she also taught herself the Entspeak and somehow Valarin. She even learned Quenya and Sindarin without ever seeing a damn Elf!" And even though Frerin spat out the word "Elf," I see him smile proudly. I'm surprised Blue knows so many languages, even though she's never left the Shire. I think about how she learned Valarin, which is the Language of the Valar, and I hear Fili say.

"Your skill with languages ​​shows that you will make a great Queen, my Mizimelûh, and I am very proud of you. And it will help a lot when negotiating with the Elves, when we are King and Queen." Fili took Blue's hand, who blushed, but smiled at Fili. While Thorin simply rolled his eyes, he didn't like this situation at all, which doesn't surprise me, and I say,

"My goddaughter, it's good that you know the Elven Tongue, because the only place with a moon pedestal for Blue to read the map is Rivendell, and the Elves appreciate it when other races try to learn their language!" Immediately after I say this, the Dwarves start bickering about how horrible the Elves are, and it's actually quite amusing.

Bungo/Frerin POV

I sigh, watching everyone discuss Elves. Sometimes I think Dwarves don't know how to do anything other than argue. Although I don't like Elves at all, I've learned to tolerate this situation because Blue is fascinated by Elves. But I look at Thorin, who's grumbling about Elves. He still hasn't forgiven Thranduil for not helping in the fall of Erebor, but I admit I understand Thranduil's motives. He didn't want to face the dragon; everyone knows his face is marked by scars he received in a war against dragons; he probably wouldn't want to expose his people to that. And I went with our Adad when he asked Thranduil for help in the fight against Smaug. The Elf said he wouldn't provide an army, but he would provide any supplies needed and would help the sick. But our Adad spat on the ground, saying he didn't need his help, and then left. Obviously, Thorin didn't know this, as he was helping our people during the meeting. And while I can't stand Elves, I find Blue's joy in talking about them admirable, but she won't leave the Shire until Erebor is recaptured. That's when Balin takes out two contracts and places them in front of Blue and me. He begins to explain that these contracts must be signed for the mission. And I listen to Bofur begin to describe Smaug, while I feel my body tremble, thinking of my Nathith near Smaug and searching for that cursed stone. I feel my body shutting down, until I jump when I feel Gandalf's hand on my shoulder, and I say,

"No! Neither Blue nor I are going on this damned mission, or going near Smaug! My Nathith is not a thief!" I feel Gandalf squeeze my shoulder, pulling me further away, and I notice Blue's sadness. But all I want is to protect her. I can remember the screams and the heat of Smaug's fire. The last thing I want is to lose anyone else on that Mountain. And Gandalf says,

"Bungo, you need to go on this quest, and Blue especially needs to be on this quest. You know, that's what Bella would want." I appreciate the fact that Gandalf is calling me Bungo; I prefer that name because it reminds me of my wife. And I can clearly see her lecturing me right now, about preventing our daughter's happiness because I'm afraid of losing her. And I say,

"If Bella were here, she would surely hate me. She always said our daughter should leave the Shire and see the world. But I have to protect Blue; I couldn't bear to lose her." I see Gandalf sigh. I know he understands the pain I'm going through, because he also suffered greatly with Bella's death and would suffer with Blue's death. If something happened to my Nathith, I would die too, he says.

"I can't promise that Blue will be safe on this adventure, but I know that if she doesn't go on this mission, she'll never become a worthy Queen in the eyes of the Dwarves. And you want to deprive her of this opportunity? To see the World and be by her One's side." I look at Blue, seeing her smiling beside Fili, looking happier than ever, and I know the decision is made, so I go to Blue and say,

"My Nathith, we will go on this mission, if that's what you wish," Blue comes to me and says.

"Thank you, Adad! That's exactly what I wish!"

She hugs me tightly, as I place a kiss on her head. Soon after, I sign the contract with the name Bungo Baggins. Because I no longer consider myself Frerin, even though others insist on seeing me that way, I watch Blue sign the contract. This makes me feel a mix of emotions. I feel scared of the danger Blue will be exposed to, but at the same time, I feel proud of her strength and courage. And in that moment, she reminds me so much of Bella; she has the same determined and strong look as her mother. And I also know my daughter will be a great Queen; she is strong and kind, as well as a great diplomat. And I look at Thorin, I'm truly angry with him for challenging my Nathith to a duel, simply because she's half-Hobbit. And I want to yell at him, but he can't change that. The deal was sealed by Mahal himself, and I can't stop it from happening. That's when Fili comes to me, motioning for me to follow him. We go to the front garden and sit on the stone bench. And I know what he wants. I've spent the whole night thinking about his request. So far, he's proving to be a good Dwarf, strong and very kind to Blue. He's always by her side, whether praising her or telling stories from his childhood, and even Kili seemed very nice to my Blue. And Fili says,

"Uncle Bungo, I want to marry Blue. If that means giving up the throne, then that's what I'll do, because all that matters is being with Blue." I sigh. Fili is obviously a kind and responsible young man, very different from my sister, which surprises me. And the fact that he wants to give up the throne for my daughter makes me like him even more. He understands the weight of his words, and I say so.

"There's no need to give up the throne, Fili. I should have realized by now that Blue was born to be a Queen. It turns out the Shire is too small for my Blue; she deserves a whole Kingdom." Immediately, a big smile spread across Fili's lips; he was practically jumping in place with excitement. And I admit, it was very cute. I wonder if it was like that when I met Bella. I think if you ask my adoptive father, he'll say yes. And Fili says, taking something out of his pocket.

"According to tradition, all male dwarves make a bead for their One. We didn't have much money or resources, so I saved all the money I'd earned playing the harp until I came of age so I could buy the materials to make the bead. I wanted my One to know I would do everything to take care of her, and I swore to Mahal that after making the bead, I would only play the harp for my One again and focused on working as a goldsmith, which is my trade." I smile when I see the bead. It's made of ruby ​​with small veins of gold and mithril around it. The materials must have been very expensive, so he must be a great harp player. And I say,

"I'm sure Blue will love this bead. She's always found rubies very beautiful, and the mithril shows how strong and gentle she is. Therefore, you have my permission to court Blue."

Right after I say this, to my surprise, Fili hugs me and runs back inside. And I can see him through the window, showing the bill to my daughter, and I see Blue's smile as she turns to let him braid it into her hair. And all I can think is that Bella would have approved of Fili, and I can even feel her beside me telling me I made the right decision.

Chapter Text

Bluebonnet POV

I walk calmly through the streets of the Shire. Yesterday, after Fili braided my hair, we all went to sleep, and thankfully, they don't mind sharing. My Adad insisted on sleeping on the floor of my room so I wouldn't have any nighttime visitors. I thought he was exaggerating, but I know better than to argue, and Fili told me that Uncle Thorin slept in front of the door to make sure he wouldn't escape. I don't understand why they're being so dramatic; Fili and I haven't even kissed yet! Which would be very difficult, with Uncle Thorin and Adad watching closely. When I woke up, I made coffee for everyone, which earned me a bright smile from my Prince. We began our journey to Bree to get mounts. I believe we should walk to Erebor, but Dwarves don't have sturdy feet like Hobbits, and I was lucky that my feet are as strong as any Hobbit's. And to be honest, I've never been happier in my entire life. I'll finally see what exists beyond the Shire and I'll even meet Elves, which is simply perfect! And the most incredible thing is that I'll make a difference in the world. I know that if my mother were here, she'd be truly proud of me and would look at me with a smile, telling me that I'm already a grown-up Dwobbit. And I know my Adad will be very protective throughout the entire quest, but I don't care. Since I'm happy that my Adad agreed to go on this adventure, I know this is all difficult for him, and I'll behave myself so as not to stress him out any further.

That's when I feel Fili's hand in mine. He intertwines our fingers, sending a shiver through my body, and I feel my cheeks turning red. To be honest, I still can't believe that my One is the Prince of the Dwarves! This is surreal in my opinion. I've always been a simple Dwobbit, without many expectations for the future. But now everything is different. Fili is my One, and he wants to make me his Queen. I can't believe it; it feels like I'm in some kind of dream. Or in a fairy tale my mother told me when I was a child, where she said that one day I would meet my Prince Charming the same way she met hers. Now, her stories make much more sense, since my Adad is actually a Prince, and now I'm going to marry the Crown Prince, which means I'll be a Queen. I admit, it still scares me, but I'll try my best to be a great Queen, to take care of my People and make my family proud. But for that to happen, I have to fight Uncle Thorin and win. If I fail, I'll never be able to marry Fili, and we'll never be able to have children, which has always been something I've truly wanted. Obviously, I haven't asked Fili if he'd like children, but I know we'll have that conversation at some point. And I look at Fili, seeing him smile at me, and it brings me joy.

I realize we're already far from my home, which makes butterflies form in my stomach, but it doesn't matter, because I'm finally going on an adventure with my Adad and my One. It was then that we passed the border of the Shire. I walk away from Fili and the others, then walk to a plaque with the year the Shire was founded. I close my eyes, praying to Yavanna for protection, and remember all the Hobbits who died before we reached the Shire. When I open my eyes again, I notice Fili standing beside me. He's obviously confused, like the others except for Gandalf and my Adad, and Fili asks,

"Mizimelûh, I hadn't noticed that sign. Does it have any meaning, other than telling the year the Shire was founded and the number 50? Besides, you look so sad." I noticed everyone pause in curiosity. Obviously, the Dwarves had no idea what it meant, which doesn't surprise me, but I'm glad they're interested. Although, they won't like what I'm about to say, I say it.

"The Shire isn't the Hobbits' homeland. This sign serves to remind us of the Wandering Days, when we wandered homeless across Middle-earth. When the Hobbits arrived in the Shire, they were the last 50 Hobbits in Middle-earth, and we nearly became extinct." It was then that Balin approached, seeming to look at the sign with pain and anger. I'm sure he must be remembering Erebor, since they were also expelled from their homeland, and he said,

"Miss Baggins, can you tell us what happened? Why were the Hobbits driven from their homeland, and nearly extinct?" That's when my Adad comes to me, hugging me tightly, I allow myself to relax and rest my head on his shoulder. It turns out I don't have the courage to finish telling the story, so I hear my Adad say.

"No one remembers the exact location, but the land of the Hobbits bordered the Kingdom of Men and Dwarves. They lived in peace until the Hobbits discovered a cave with so much Mithril that the treasure of Erebor paled in comparison. The Hobbits, knowing the Dwarves would be interested, said nothing, as they already had problems with the Men who coveted their fertile lands, and if the cave were mined it would destroy the entire Hobbit territory. But a Spy of the Dwarf King found out and told the King, who went to the King of Men. They devised a plan. The Dwarf King convinced a young Hobbit that she was his One, and she believed him, entrusting the Mithril cave to him. Then the Dwarf King killed her and began the attack, with the help of the King of Men." It was then that Gandalf approached, and I realized my Adad couldn't finish telling the story, as He's a Dwarf, and that brings him shame. And Gandalf says,

"There lived more than 100,000 Hobbits, but only 1,000 managed to escape; all the others were slaughtered like animals. The Hobbits wandered through Middle-earth; Men considered them insignificant, the Dwarves distrusted them, and the Elves took no notice of their existence. It was then that Yavanna came to Bilbo Took in a dream, telling him the way to the Shire. They faced many dangers, and when they arrived, there were only 50 Hobbits. And Mahal, to defend his wife's children, cursed the stolen land so that nothing would grow and dried up all the Mithril." It was obvious everyone was uncomfortable; after all, it was their ancestors who nearly caused the Hobbits' extinction. And I say.

"Because of this, the Hobbits don't trust anyone from outside. Last time they did, they nearly went extinct. We trust a few, like Rangers and the Elves, who protect the Shire, and it took a while for them to trust Adad." It was true; it was extremely difficult to get the Hobbits to accept my Adad, and I think it only happened because of the Baggins family. It was then that Fili took a dagger and cut off a piece of his hair, which frightened us all. He tied his hair to the plaque and came to me, taking my hand and saying,

"Blue, I'm sorry for what my ancestors did, for the pain they caused. I cut my hair in honor of all the Hobbits who lost their lives at the hands of the Dwarves."

I can feel the tears welling up in my eyes as I throw myself at Fili, hugging him tightly, with a burning urge to kiss him, but I know it's inappropriate. So instead, I plant a kiss on Fili's cheek, and he breaks into a goofy, adorable smile. My Adad is glaring at Fili, which doesn't surprise me, but we continue on our way to Bree. But I bite my lip to keep from laughing as my Adad runs off to stop Uncle Thorin from taking the wrong path. I'm starting to think Uncle Thorin has a terrible sense of direction, which isn't surprising, to be honest, since he got lost even getting to my house, and in the Shire, we only have one way. It was then that Kili approached, obviously curious about something, and he asked,

"Blue, you said the Rangers and the Elves protect the Shire, but I wanted to know, has the Shire ever been attacked? You have very fertile lands." I could feel the tension building in my body, remembering the screams and the smell of blood, losing my mother, something that still pains me now. But I felt Fili's embrace, which reassured me, and I said,

"One winter, when I was 16, when I had the mental age of 10, it got so cold that it killed all our crops, and we had to ration our food. Then the river froze, allowing Orcs and Wargs to reach the Shire. Many Hobbits died, whether from hunger or cold, but mostly at the hands of Goblins and Wargs. We don't usually talk about this; it's too painful." I see how tense my Adad is; I know this subject causes him a lot of pain, and my Adad says so.

"After I arrived in the Shire, I never picked up my sword again; I didn't like the memories it brought back. But when I saw the Orcs and Wargs approaching, killing every Hobbit who got in their way, I didn't hesitate to pick up my sword and defend the Shire alongside the Rangers. When it was all over, there wasn't a spot on my clothes that wasn't covered in blood, whether from enemies or allies." The first thing I noticed was Thorin's furious look, which I knew was a terrible sign. But I focused on Fili's embrace as I heard Uncle Thorin say,

"You're a disgrace, Frerin! After all, you refused to defend your own people, your family! But you didn't hesitate to fight to save the Hobbits. Your wife must have loved seeing how well-trained you were!" Before I could feel sad or angry at what he said, my Adad punched Uncle Thorin hard, knocking him back from the force. My Adad was completely furious, and he said,

"That winter, I lost my wife; she died of hunger and cold! And do you know what I discovered after I buried her? That when my father-in-law, Thain, learned that the Orcs and Wargs were approaching, he sent you a letter asking for help! And do you know what he received instead? A letter written by Dís, saying that the Hobbits weren't worth fighting for!" The tense silence was obvious; none of the Dwarves could look up, not even Uncle Thorin had anything to say. But then Fili whispered to me,

"Sorry, Blue. If I'd known about this letter, I would have done everything I could to get my Amad and Uncle Thorin to send help to the Hobbits, and you have no idea how embarrassed I am."

I kiss Fili on the cheek to let him know everything's okay, but it was obvious he was embarrassed by all of this. But it wasn't his fault; he was just a kid who must have been 46 at the time; there wasn't much he could do to help. But I still feel good that he apologized to me, even if it wasn't his fault. It was then that we stopped to set up camp. I noticed my Adad glaring at Uncle Thorin, and that doesn't surprise me. And to be honest, I didn't know my Grandfather had sent a letter asking for help to the Dwarves, and I try to suppress the anger I feel, just thinking that if they had sent help, maybe my mother would still be alive. And I hate to think that it was my Aunt, who is also my mother-in-law, who refused to help my people. And Gandalf motioned for me to follow him. We started walking away from the others, to an area where no one could hear us. And he says.

"My dear, when we get to Bree, you'll have a very important mission! I need you to secure seven rooms, six for Dwarf-sized people, which is the same as Hobbits, and one for me. Understand?" He hands me a piece of paper with the name of the inn in Bree, which I immediately recognize. It's considered the best inn in Bree, and it belongs to my cousin's husband, and I ask Gandalf.

"Godfather, why this inn? Bart, my cousin Rosa's husband, doesn't like Dwarves and doesn't allow them in his inn, with the exception of my Adad. I never found out why, but I think he must know about the Thain's letter, since Rosa is the daughter of Isengar. Meanwhile, Bart and Rosa's eldest son, who was 12 at the time, was killed during the attack by an Orc." I doubt Bart will want to welcome Dwarves into his inn, after they refused to help Hobbits in the past, which caused his son's death. But I see Gandalf's maniacal smile, which scares me, and he says,

"It turns out your destiny is to be Queen of the Dwarves, and to put up with them, you'll need a lot of patience, diplomacy, and negotiation. If you can show that you can get rooms in the best inn in Bree, which is known for not accepting Dwarves, you'll be able to show everyone that you're perfect for Queen. Do you think you can do it?" I know this is a nearly impossible task, that everything will probably go wrong, but I have to try! I have to show everyone that I'm fit to be Queen of the Dwarves. And I know Bart is stubborn, but I'm much more than he is! I say to Gandalf,

"Don't worry, godfather, I can do it! I'll show everyone that I'll be a great Queen, but do you want me to go alone?" I wasn't afraid to go alone; I just needed to know, because I needed a witness for the negotiation. Or the other Dwarves would think I'm lying, which would be a disaster and extremely annoying, in my opinion. And Gandalf says,

"Well, even though I know you don't need help or anything, I'll ask Balin to go with you, so he can witness everything, so no one will doubt your abilities! I'll also ask Fili to go with you, just to support you, what do you think?" Balin doesn't seem like someone who would lie, so he'll tell the true story, and I feel better having Fili with me—his presence puts me at ease—and I say,

"That's perfect, godfather! But I think we should go back. Uncle Thorin is arguing with Adad again, and I want to keep them from getting hurt." And I can hear their screams.

Chapter Text

Thorin's POV

I look at my brother, though I'm not sure I can call him that, and I notice he's walking calmly through Bree. And from what I see, he's well-known in the city, as several people stop to greet him and ask how his family is doing. I simply can't understand how no Dwarf knew Frerin was here. All the Dwarves knew Frerin, but none of them saw Frerin in Bree!? How is it possible I never knew Frerin was alive!? This is simply horrible. I feel like I'm the last one to know, when Frerin has been around all this time. I don't know what to feel; I want to scream and hit something hard, just thinking that Frerin was in the Shire all this time, married to a Hobbit and having a Halfling daughter. He's the great shame of the Line of Durin, and I hate having to follow him at this moment. Along with us are Gandalf and Kili. It turns out that Gandalf said Frerin and the mouse would get us the best rooms and mounts, so I sent Balin to accompany the mouse and Fili, since Fili said he wouldn't leave her side because it wasn't safe, and I sent Balin to make sure the couple didn't cross a line. I simply hate the thought of that mouse with my Heir! Meanwhile, Bombur, Bifur, and Oin went to buy some supplies, as well as medicinal herbs. Bofur, Dori, and Ori went to pick up parcels we'd made for the mission. Gloin went to send the letters we wrote to Ered Luin, since it will take a while to send more letters, and Nori went to make sure no one knew about our mission.

The worst part is that all of this is costing a small fortune. I always knew this mission would be truly costly. That's why, ever since Erebor was taken by Smaug, I've been saving money for this mission. Because I knew that at some point, I would reclaim Erebor, and that moment has come! But half the money I've saved has already been used for our provisions, equipment, and preparations, and this mission hasn't even started yet! I hate worrying about money. If we were still in Erebor, we wouldn't have to worry about money and count every coin. My eyes drift to Frerin. I notice his beautiful clothes, obviously high quality, and he's clearly well-fed and his hair is perfect. And I've looked closely at his house; it's comfortable, with objects that must have been expensive; the bastard even has porcelain! And it makes me want to scream at him until I lose my voice because he abandoned us and forgot about his family! If he were by our side, we could have earned more money working in the forges in the cities of Men. Dis and I wouldn't have to choose hunger to feed Fili and Kili, who didn't even understand we were starving. Everything would have been easier if Frerin were with us, but he chose to abandon us, and I don't know if I can forgive him.

But I shake my head, trying not to think about it, because upon seeing Frerin again, I felt relief because my brother was alive, but also a pain that spreads through my body because he chose to abandon our family and our people. So I try to avoid looking at him, at the pain I feel in my heart. Besides, there was obvious tension in the air; not even Kili, who was usually full of energy, was silent, looking uncomfortable. But then Frerin stopped and turned to us, saying,

"I need you all to be quiet. I know the saleswoman, her name is Mary, but she doesn't like Dwarves." I roll my eyes, because in my opinion, it seems like all of Middle-earth has decided to hate Dwarves! Which makes our survival nearly impossible, but I focus on looking at Frerin, and I say,

"If this Mary hates Dwarves so much, why would she sell to you, Frerin? Don't tell me you've forgotten you're a Dwarf, just like you forgot your family?" And I see the anger flare in Frerin's eyes, at the same time I can feel his anger, which is very different from what I remembered. The Frerin I knew was shy, even stuttering, but that wasn't the Frerin I saw now, and he says,

"Mary is married to Cravo, who is my brother, so Mary has known me for a long time, since I am family." I see Kili approach Frerin, while I feel like a knife has been plunged into my chest, because he said Cravo is his brother. He didn't hesitate to replace me, to forget I existed, as if everything we went through together no longer mattered, as if I no longer mattered to him, and I hear Kili say,

"Well, if this Cravo is your brother, that means he's my uncle too! He must be amazing, can I meet him? After all, we're all family." It was then that Frerin closed his eyes, his deep sadness obvious, while I felt my heart tighten because I didn't want to see him in pain. I might be angry with Frerin, but that doesn't mean I wanted him to suffer, to feel pain. And Frerin says.

"Carnation was incredible, he was my older brother, he taught me, along with my father, what it was like to live among the Hobbits. But the winter I lost Bella, I also lost Carnation. Mary, his wife, was pregnant, so he insisted on fighting alongside me with a rake, but he died when he saved me from having my head ripped off by an Orc." There was pain in Frerin's voice; that winter seemed to have taken a lot from him. But it was a small price to pay, for abandoning our family and our people. And Gandalf says,

"I'm sorry, Bungo, that winter was devastating for the Shire. Many Hobbits went to the Gardens of Yavanna. But you fought for the Shire. If it weren't for you, many more Hobbits would have perished." I look away, not wanting to think about what happened in the Shire, that Frerin fought for the damned Halflings, but ran away when he was supposed to fight for the Dwarves, who were his people! And I hear Frerin say.

"Thank you, Gandalf. That winter I lost my One and my brother. I admit, this pain will never lessen, but your words do me good." I know I have to say something, because the Thain of the Shire asked Ered Luin for help. He wanted the Dwarves to help defend the Shire, but that never happened. And I decide to say it...

"Frerin, I never knew about that letter or what happened in the Shire. It's Dís who handles the correspondence. If I'd known, I would have sent help." If I had done that, I would have found my brother much sooner; perhaps everything would have been different. But I hear Frerin give a dry laugh, which makes my anger return, because he's laughing at me and he says,

"You haven't changed at all, have you, Thorin? You still refuse to see your own guilt, preferring to place it on someone else, and you can't even apologize properly!"

I try to step forward, to hit Frerin; after all, he just insulted me! But before I can, Gandalf puts his hand on my shoulder, stopping me from doing anything. I shouldn't even have tried to be honest; it turns out I really didn't know about the letter; how could I have helped?! So there's no reason for me to feel guilty or apologize. It was then that we reached the saleswoman. She was a tall woman with light blond hair. Behind her were two identical young men. They must be her sons with the late Carnation, as they were too tall to be Hobbits, with round ears and beards on their faces. When Mary saw us, she immediately approached Frerin, bending down to hug him tightly, a sad smile evident on her lips. And she said,

"It's so good to see you, Bungo. How are you and Bluebonnet? Carnation and Anise really miss their uncle and their cousin. Besides, what group is this following you?" Frerin waves to his nephews, who give him mischievous smiles, and I realize they probably didn't even know who their father was. Since he died while the twins were still in their mother's womb, Frerin says,

"It's also very good to see you, Mary. I know you must know Gandalf. Along with him are Kili, my nephew, and Thorin, my birth brother. It turns out we need 14 ponies and a horse." Mary immediately gives us an irritated look, while I can feel the anger pulsing in my chest because Frerin spoke as if he didn't want me as a brother. And Mary says,

"Well, you're family, Bungo, so I'll sell you the 15 mounts you need. But I have to ask, you're not planning to eat them, are you?" Gandalf immediately starts laughing uncontrollably, followed by Kili, who can't help but laugh. All I can think is that this damn thing is insulting us! And Frerin looks simply confused, and Gandalf says,

"Mary, you don't have to worry. I don't intend to eat either the ponies or the horses. And I admit, this is the first time I've been asked that." Mary simply rolled her eyes as she picked up a notebook and started calculating how much we should pay, and I know it won't be cheap. Even though that insult made me want to not buy from her, I hear Kili say,

"Excuse me for asking, but why did you think we were going to eat the ponies and the horse? That was a very specific question!" I cross my arms, looking at her seriously, because I need to know why she's offended. Why would she accuse us of eating our own mounts? Does she think we're animals!? That we have no way to feed ourselves!? And I hear Mary say,

"It turns out that when I started raising ponies and horses, a Dwarf bought one of my fattest ponies. A few days later, I saw him selling meat at the market. Upon seeing me, the Dwarf thanked me for selling the pony, saying it yielded a lot of meat and he would make a lot of money! His name was Nori, and he ate the pony I sold! Since then, I haven't sold to Dwarves anymore."

I sigh, hearing the others laugh, but all I want to do is strangle Nori.

Bluebonnet POV

I take a deep breath as I walk with Fili and Balin into Bart's inn, called Rosemary. Named after his late son with Rosa, who died in an Orc attack in the Shire, I know Bart opened this inn because it was his son's dream to have a place to meet all the travelers who passed through. But I look at Fili, who gives me a smile, which ends up giving me more confidence. Balin seems to be analyzing my every move, which makes me really uncomfortable, but I take a deep breath. And I walk over to Bart, who is clearing the table, while I can hear Rosa scolding Celery and Chives. I think they are in the kitchen and they are the youngest children. Meanwhile, I notice Apple, the youngest, still a baby, in a playpen. But I focus on Bart, who looks at us somberly. I know it will be difficult to convince him, but I won't give up. I need to show that I have what it takes to be a Queen, Bart says.

"Bluebonnet, you're my wife's cousin, and your father, despite being a Dwarf, defended the Shire from the Orcs, so I'll always welcome them here. But those Dwarves shouldn't even set foot here!" I take a deep breath, approaching with a smile, but it doesn't resonate with Bart. Which doesn't surprise me, and I say,

"Bart, I know your reasons for not accepting Dwarves here. After all, that winter I lost my mother and several relatives. But know that they regret their actions, for not having helped the Shire when it was needed." It was then that Bart gave a dry laugh, which assures me that he didn't believe me, but I stand firm and he continues,

"But I don't believe them. I read Princess Dís's reply letter; she made it very clear that the Dwarves would never have anything to do with an insignificant people like the Hobbits and that she wouldn't care if the Shire were destroyed! If the Princess says that, imagine the rest of the Dwarf People!?" This immediately gives me an idea. I step forward, looking Bart in the eye, and say,

"I'm going on a quest, Bart, and at the end of it, I'll get married and become the future Queen of the Dwarves. You don't have to believe them; all you need is believe me. After all, we're family, and I know the pain of loss. So, believe me when I say that in my Kingdom, something like this will never happen again!" To my surprise, Fili steps forward, standing beside me, and bows deeply to Bart. Bart is surprised. Then Fili and I intertwine, and Fili says,

"I am Fili, Princess Dís is my mother, but I admit I was very young at the time; my mental age was ten. And so, I never knew what happened, but I apologize on behalf of the entire Line of Durin, and as the Future King of the Dwarves, and Bluebonnet's fiancé, I swear I will not allow this to happen again." Bart sighed, looking at Fili and me carefully, until he smiled as he said,

"I will believe you, but only you, Bluebonnet. I will charge a fair price for the rooms, and I will send a letter to the Thain asking him to come here first thing in the morning. I want your Grandfather to meet this Dwarf Prince. I'm sure it will be a pleasant conversation, and you will be seated. I will send you a wonderful dinner."

I smile, seeing how nervous and confused Fili looks. I think he still doesn't understand what's going to happen. But I look at Balin, who's completely shocked, but seems to recover quickly, as he gives me a small smile, which reassures me that everything will be fine. I watch him start negotiating prices with Bart. As I start pulling Fili to one of the farthest tables, a waiter soon brings us two mugs of beer, but I focus on Fili, who looks nervous. I kiss him on the cheek, which makes him smile like a fool, which is simply adorable. Then a waitress brings us two plates of food. It has rice, beans, salad, egg, potatoes, and a large piece of meat. It was Rosa's invention and it's called Ala Minuta. Fili looks surprised; I don't think he's ever seen this dish, since it's only sold here. And I start eating. My Melhekhel gathers courage and eats, then closes his eyes, and he says,

"This food is simply incredible, but yours is even better, my Mizimelûh. Besides, is there any Hobbit who doesn't know how to cook? Besides, what's your Grandfather like? Would he be interested in making a treaty?" I look at Fili in confusion, as I continue eating. I don't understand why he'd want to make a treaty. But I continue eating, and say,

"A Hobbit who doesn't cook is impossible! And my Grandfather's name is Gerontius, but everyone calls him Old Took because he's close to turning 100, but he's incredible and an honorable Hobbit. But Fili, are you allowed to make treaties? Uncle Thorin wouldn't have a fit, since he's the King." Fili moves closer to me, which makes my face red, but I take the opportunity to steal a potato from him, since I've already eaten mine, and Fili says,

"Uncle Thorin, you're terrible at diplomacy, and my mother hates diplomacy, so they assigned me to this job when I turned 70, which is five years ago. And I want to make a marriage treaty between us, so that when we marry, the Hobbits can live in an area near the Mountain. It's never been inhabited; the Men thought it had too many hills, and the Dwarves weren't interested, as there was nothing to mine. That way, you'll always be close to the Hobbits, and Thorin can't undo it. Don't worry." I pull Fili into a hug, squeezing him tightly because my heart feels warm inside, because Fili is going to open Erebor to the Hobbits. When I pull away, I see that we've finished eating and tell him.

"Thank you, Fili! This is the best courtship gift you could give me! Besides, my grandfather will be happy, since Erebor is safer and the Shire has no more places to build homes, since we multiply so quickly, and for that, you deserve a prize!"

Fili looks at me confused; he obviously didn't understand my words. But I take advantage of his distraction to grab his braids and pull him closer, capturing his lips. And this is our first kiss; I simply melt, letting Fili take control. His mouth explores mine, while I grip his braids tightly, wanting him closer. And I feel his hands stroking my hair, until I feel his hand on my ear. I feel as if my whole body is melting, and I let out a moan, laying my body against Fili. Until I wake up, hearing Fili make a sound of pain. I look up and blush when I see my Adad, and he says...

"You may be the One of my Nathith, but you've crossed the line!" And Uncle Thorin glared at me. He surely thought I was seducing Fili. This is a disaster.

Chapter Text

Fili's POV

I sit on the inn bed, I admit it's very comfortable, and all of this happened thanks to Blue! To be honest, today was certainly a very interesting day. I can still remember Bluebonnet's smile, how comfortable she was by my side, and how she seemed to have a strength that I'm sure she inherited from Uncle Bungo. And when I saw her negotiating, I realized she was the Queen the People of Durin needed. Bluebonnet was firm, but at the same time sweet; she got the best rooms for us at a fair price. And Bart didn't feel offended at any point; he agreed to everything without any animosity afterward, and it was simply incredible. I felt truly proud of Bluebonnet; she was perfect and polite, as if she had learned to be Queen from the moment she was born. And even Balin could see how special Blue was, how perfect she was at negotiating, and I saw in his eyes that he would start supporting us and that it would be great to deal with Uncle Thorin. But then I break into a silly smile, remembering our kiss; it was our first, and it was simply incredible. I loved the way she pulled me by my braids and took my lips in hers. And I can still remember my heart pounding as I realized Blue's lips tasted sweet, like the pie she made at the party where we met. And when I touched her ear, noticing how soft and pointed it was, Blue let out that moan, and all my blood rushed to my throat because it was one of the most beautiful sounds I've ever heard in my entire life.

But I can feel my cheeks turning red when I think about everything that happened afterward. I admit it wasn't one of my best moments. I ended up getting a big lecture from Uncle Bungo about not crossing boundaries and being respectful. But I admit I had no idea she would react like that if I touched her ear. I've never felt so guilty and sad in my life. Because I didn't want to overstep the mark or embarrass Bluebonnet, since after Uncle Bungo appeared, Blue hid her red face on my shoulder. Therefore, I made sure to apologize to Uncle Bungo and Blue, repeatedly saying that I didn't mean to cause trouble and that we were just kissing. But I was truly relieved when Uncle Bungo smiled and said he understood, that he had made the same mistake with Bella and that Old Took almost ripped his ears off when he found out, but Bella had stopped her father. I was truly relieved because the last thing I wanted was for Uncle Bungo to regret allowing me to make Blue my Queen. Then Uncle Bungo explained that Hobbits' ears are sensitive, that touching them with their partners generates great pleasure, and touching them with their parents generates a feeling of peace, but if anyone else touches them, the Hobbit, or in Blue's case, the Dwobbit, will end up in a lot of pain. And I won't forget that, because it's something very important.

Right after, Kili made a point of provoking me, while Blue remained red and I worried I might have hurt her, since Blue wouldn't look at me. But when I saw my Mizimelûh go upstairs to sleep in the room she was sharing with her father, Blue made a point of kissing my cheek and I knew everything would be alright. That's when Uncle Thorin enters the room, while Kili returns from the bathroom, and from Uncle Thorin's expression it was obvious he was annoyed. And Uncle Thorin says.

“Fili, what were you thinking?! Kissing that little mouse like that, and doing it in public, where everyone could see!” I sat up in bed, glaring angrily at Uncle Thorin. I hated that Uncle Thorin wasn't supporting me. I thought I'd always have him by my side, that he'd trust me and support me, but instead he was acting like an idiot. And I said,

“I was just kissing my One, like any other Dwarf would have done. After all, I already had Uncle Bungo's permission, and Balin was there, so it wasn't inappropriate, and I just didn't know about the ears.” Uncle Thorin looked at me furiously. If it were any other time, I would have lowered my eyes and apologized. But I couldn't do that because I was defending my One! And my Uncle said…

“Your mistake wasn’t touching her ears, but kissing that little rat. You should be with a real Dwarf! One who is strong and knows how to defend herself, who can support you when you are King, and not a damned Halfling!” I stand up, feeling the anger coursing through my veins, but I notice Kili’s discomfort, and I feel bad for him. But I focus on my Uncle and say,

“Uncle, you always taught that the One is the most precious thing a Dwarf has, more precious than any gold or jewel. And Bluebonnet is my One! And nothing will change that! Stop trying to separate me from her, it’s not our fault that your One died!” I know talking about Lyr was cruel, but when she died, Uncle Thorin blamed me, after all, she died saving me. I notice Uncle’s eyes darkening as Kili walks away and my Uncle says…

“You have no right to speak of Lyr! You don’t understand the pain of losing your One, of spending the rest of your life feeling that your soul is incomplete! You know nothing of life, so you must listen to me and stay away from Bluebonnet!” I don’t care what Uncle Thorin says, I stand firm, looking into his eyes. And I realize that Kili has fled the room; I know he doesn’t like conflict, but I also know he’s supporting me, and I tell Uncle Thorin:

“I will not stay away from Blue! Why would I do that? To end up unhappy and bitter like you!? I will make Bluebonnet my Queen, and nothing will stop me!” I see Uncle Thorin pacing back and forth; he seemed completely furious. But that didn’t matter, nothing else mattered, I only had to defend Blue, and my Uncle says…

“Fili, you need to listen to me and understand that that little mouse will never be a good Queen. She’s weak, she wouldn’t last a day in a Dwarven Court, and I simply hate Frerin for having had that Halfling!” I start to laugh, but there’s no humor in my laughter, I just look wearily at my Uncle, and I realize he’s annoyed with me. But it doesn’t matter, and I say,

“Uncle, you should be happy that Uncle Bungo is alive! Instead, you prefer to be angry because he married a Hobbit and had a daughter!” My Uncle looked at me, I couldn’t see what he was thinking, and he says,

“You’re too young, you don’t understand anything about life, so do what I say and abandon the little mouse while you still have a chance!” I sigh, and we start arguing again.

Kili's POV

I hear Uncle Thorin and Fili shouting as I knock on Uncle Bungo's door again. I don't want to get caught in the middle of Fili and Uncle Thorin's argument. I've never seen them fight like this before; they've disagreed and debated, but never this violently. And I was really scared. My brother never challenged Uncle Thorin like that. But I can't blame my brother; Fili is defending his One and doing what any other Dwarf would do. However, I thought Fili went too far by talking about Lyr. Everyone knows they shouldn't talk about her; it's very painful for Uncle Thorin. Although Fili and Uncle Thorin never really talked about what happened, after Lyr's death, Uncle Thorin and Fili drifted apart. Because part of Uncle Thorin blames Fili for him losing his One. This made Fili feel very guilty, because he idolized Uncle Thorin, and suffered greatly when he distanced himself. Although in the last 5 years, Uncle Thorin had returned to normal, but now, everything has gone wrong again. That's when Uncle Bungo opens the door and says,

“What do you want, Kili? Also, why do you seem so nervous and scared?” That's when I hear an angry shout from Uncle Thorin, which makes Uncle Bungo sigh and let me in, and I say,

“Fili and Uncle Thorin won't stop arguing, Uncle Thorin said horrible things, which angered Fili who ended up talking about Lyr and everything got out of control, and I thought it best to run away.” I realize that Blue is sleeping. And I sit on Uncle Bungo's bed with him, who says…

“I knew Lyr, wasn’t she the daughter of the chief Librarian of Erebor? Her father ended up dying in Smaug’s attack, what does she have to do with Thorin?” I had forgotten that Uncle Bungo had “disappeared” before Uncle Thorin started courting Lyr, and I say.

“Yes, she was her daughter, and she became a teacher of the children, including me and Fili. When Uncle Thorin discovered that she was his One, Fili was 50 years old, and he found out when he came to pick us up from one of her classes.” I like to think about Lyr, she was very kind, always secretly giving sweets to me and Fili, besides teaching us many things, and Uncle Bungo says.

“What happened after that? Besides, Thorin has known Lyr his whole life, but he was too stupid to realize that she was his One.” I start to laugh and nod in agreement and say.

“Mom said the same thing, after that Uncle Thorin started courting Lyr, which made him happier and calmer. But she died, and he never recovered from it.” Uncle Bungo seems sad, after all, he also lost his One, and he asks,

“How did Lyr die? And why would Fili talk about her, knowing it would make Thorin suffer?” I sigh, running my hand through my hair, and say,

“Lyr took us, along with other teachers, to have a lesson in the forest, but we were attacked by Orcs, and Lyr was wounded by an Orc blade while saving Fili’s life. But the blade was poisoned, and even though Oin took care of her, she ended up dying in Thorin’s arms, saying he was a great King. Uncle Thorin spent a lot of time blaming Fili for what happened, and Fili finally said everything he wanted to.” Uncle Bungo sighs and says,

"Let's go to sleep, tomorrow I'll talk to Fili, I want to know more about this." And I agree.

Fili's POV

I leave the room, looking at Uncle Thorin who is sleeping. We spent a good part of the night arguing. But I admit, it didn't solve anything. Afterwards, we went to sleep, far away from each other. But I didn't sleep much, because I have to meet with Old Took, and I want only Bluebonnet to know about it, and maybe Uncle Bungo. This is so important that I spent a good part of the night writing a treatise that could satisfy Old Took, and I admit it's one of the best treatises I've ever written! So, I hold it firmly in my hands, and I start to go down to the inn's hall. I realize it's not even dawn yet, but Bart said he'd be coming very early, so I'm going down now. And I'm happy to see an elderly Hobbit; he's the only one besides Bart here, and he seems very happy as he devours a pie. I see the dish is on the table, and he seems to have eaten half of it. I take a deep breath and go to him, bowing and saying,

“I am the Prince of the Dwarves, Fili, son of Vini, and know that I am honored to meet Thain of the Shire, Bluebonnet’s grandfather.” I see that Old Took smiled at me, while gesturing for me to sit in front of him, and I do so. And Thain says,

“I am happy that my granddaughter’s future husband is so polite, but don’t worry about formalities. What I want to know is what your intentions are.” I take a deep breath, trying to calm down, while Thain looked me in the eyes, as if looking deeply into my soul, and I say…

“I want to spend the rest of my life with Blue, I want to make her happy, make her my Queen and create a family with her! But there’s another reason I’m here, I want to propose something to you.” I see Old Took lean forward as he serves me a piece of pie, and I don’t hesitate to eat it. Since food seems to be very important to Hobbits, and Thain says,

“I would be very happy to hear your proposal. Besides, I and all the Hobbits are very happy to know that you apologized for the mistakes of your ancestors and even gave a lock of your hair.” I admit, I have no idea how he knew this, but I think it’s a good thing for me. And I say…

“Know that I would do it all again, Thain, because it was the right thing to do. But I wanted to show you the marriage treaty I wrote; I want Blue to feel comfortable when Erebor is recovered, and this treaty guarantees that.” Old Took takes the treaty, beginning to read it attentively, which makes me a little nervous. And Thain says,

“This treaty is perfect, I’m more than happy to sign it, but I have a request. I will send my falcon to follow you from afar; I want you to send letters by him, so I know how your mission is going, and I would like you not to tell anyone besides Blue, Bungo, and Gandalf. Furthermore, when you have successes, the Hobbits will go along with the first caravans to help rebuild. Is that possible?” And I say,

“Yes, it’s possible. When we recover Erebor, I will send you a letter to give to the Caravan Leader, and then the Hobbits can come along.” And I’m happy to see him sign.

Chapter Text

POV Bungo/Frerin

I glanced between Fili and Thorin. It was more than obvious to me, and to anyone else, that the two weren't speaking to each other, and on several occasions, they exchanged tense glances. This worried me because I know Thorin is really stubborn, and it was very wrong of him to blame Fili for Lyr's death. Especially since Fili was still a child, who shouldn't even have understood what was happening and was probably very scared at that moment. But it was also wrong for Fili to talk about her, knowing how much it would hurt Thorin, and neither of them seemed close to resolving this conflict. To be honest, I can't believe everything that has changed since I left. I wonder if Dís has changed at all. Although, from what I've heard so far, she hasn't changed much and remains a complicated Dwarf; that's the best way to describe Dís. But I really missed seeing Fili and Kili grow up; they seem like great Dwarves, but they have so much energy, and I wish I could have helped Thorin and Dis take care of them. I also wanted to comfort Thorin when he lost his One, just as I missed being comforted when I lost Bella. My Hobbit family supported me, gave me all the love I needed, but they don't understand the meaning of having a One, they don't realize that for a Dwarf, this is a pain worse than losing a beard or even a limb. That's why I understand Thorin's pain, and I wouldn't wish that pain on anyone.

But despite missing those moments, and some other things, I don't regret my choices, because it was thanks to my choices that I had Bluebonnet and many years of love with Bella. Therefore, my eyes go to my daughter; she told me about the treaty that Fili and Gerontius made. With that, when we succeed in this mission, the Hobbits will be able to live in Erebor, and they will come in the first caravan along with the Dwarves. And although this makes me happy, since after spending so much time with the Hobbits, it would be awful to live in Erebor and never see them again, I know this will make Thorin furious. Part of me is still foolish, because there's a hope that Thorin might see reason, otherwise establishing the Hobbits near Erebor will be much more complicated. And as if that weren't enough, there's still the damned duel between my brother and Bluebonnet. I don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive my brother for what he did to me and my daughter. I know that Bluebonnet isn't the Queen he imagined for Fili, but they are each other's One and they love each other, that's all that should matter. And I really hope that Thorin accepts Bluebonnet, that he allows her to win the duel and be Fili's Queen. But I know that's simply impossible, because I know Thorin's stubbornness; he rarely changes his mind, and he never throws a fight because he's too proud to do so, even if it's for his own niece. And this worry is driving me crazy! There must be a way to solve this, but how?

But I turn to Fili, who is laughing with Blue and Kili. We've already left Bree and are now walking through the forest. Although Fili is laughing and seems to be having fun, it was more than obvious that he was sad and uncomfortable. And deep down, I know I shouldn't get involved, but I can't stand to see this situation and stand by. So I go to Fili, take him by the arm, and then lead him away to the end of the line. So that Thorin can't hear our conversation and start another argument, I see Fili's confusion and say...

“Fili, Kili told me about your argument with Thorin. But I’d like to hear from you, what really happened, can you tell me?” Fili sighed, he seemed genuinely insecure, which didn’t surprise me, since from what I’d noticed, it was a really ugly fight. To the point where Kili ran out of the room, and Fili says:

“Uncle Thorin was saying horrible things about Blue, I couldn’t stay silent, so I started defending her, but I ended up saying hurtful things to him.” To me and to anyone but Thorin, it was obvious how guilty Fili felt. I know Fili is a good Dwarf, that if he could, he would have gone back in time and erased all the horrible things he said. And I say…

“I knew Lyr, I know she would have been a great Queen, that she would have helped Thorin see how stubborn and foolish he is sometimes. It’s really a shame she died, but it’s not your fault, Fili.” He was only 50 years old at the time, which is equivalent to 12 years in the age of Men, he was very young. Fili shook his head, disbelieving my words, and said,

“But it was my fault, Uncle Bungo. If I had fought or hidden, maybe she would still be alive. But I simply froze! And Uncle Thorin blames me to this day, sometimes I think he would have preferred that I had died instead of her.” Fili’s sadness was more than palpable, so I didn’t hesitate to hug him tightly. Fili pulled me close, and I could feel his pain, and I say…

“Fili, it’s not your fault! Thorin is, most of the time, an idiot when it comes to any kind of feelings, especially painful ones. But you need to apologize; it was wrong to talk about Lyr when you knew it would hurt him.” My nephew moves away from me, wiping his eyes; it was obvious that a few tears had fallen from his eyes. And he says,

“I know I need to apologize, but Uncle Thorin needs to too! He shouldn’t have treated Blue that way; he shouldn’t have spent so much time ignoring me for something I’m not responsible for!” I sigh, because I was also angry with Thorin for his behavior towards my daughter, and also for blaming Fili for something that wasn’t his fault. And I say…

“But we both know that Thorin will never apologize, neither about my daughter nor about what he did after Lyr died, but we can’t spend the whole mission like this. Somehow, you two will have to make peace, and you’ll have to take the first step.” Fili thinks deeply, but I trust him; I know he doesn’t want to continue this fight. And he knows that the only way to resolve this is for him to take the first step, and Fili says:

“I will apologize for the horrible things I said, but I will tell Uncle Thorin that what happened to Lyr wasn’t my fault, and most importantly, I will say that Blue is my One, and nothing will change that.” I smile; something I admired about Fili was his courage. He was always ready to say what needed to be said, however painful it might be, and I say:

“You’re doing the right thing; this is the beginning of resolving this whole situation.”

With my eyes, I follow Fili, seeing him go to Thorin, who seems a little surprised. I'm happy when they start talking quietly, making it impossible for me or anyone else to hear the conversation. But I'm relieved when Thorin hugs Fili tightly; I know they haven't resolved everything and will probably have more arguments, but for now, this was enough. Seeing this made me think of Blue. I don't understand why Thorin still hasn't accepted her, why my daughter is so hated by him. But I still have hope that, in the end, everything will work out, that we will conquer Erebor again, that the Hobbits will live with us, and that my daughter will become the Queen she was destined to be. Then we started setting up camp; it was our first night in the forest, so I put Blue right beside me so I could protect her. I still don't trust Fili, but a large part of the reason is because I'm super protective. Then I saw Kili return with the hunt; I know we'll have a good dinner tonight. I sit across from Balin, I see Fili teaching Blue a card game, and Kili is chasing Nori for stealing one of his arrows. But my eyes go to Thorin, my brother is more distant, eating alone from the others. In my time he was more sociable, but I know he lost a lot and his personality reflects that. But I look at Balin, I have a question that won't leave my mind, however difficult it may be, and I say:

“Balin, I need to know what happened in Moria after I left? The last thing I saw was the Orcs taking my father away.” Immediately, Balin's eyes go to Thorin; after all, everyone had lost a lot in the Battle of Moria. Balin himself had lost his father, while Thorin and I lost our fathers too. But unlike Balin, who grew closer to Dwalin, Thorin and I lost each other, and Balin says…

“After the King was taken away and we all thought he was dead, Thorin faced Azog alone, using only an oak shield. The fight ended when Thorin cut off Azog's hand; the Orcs retreated into Moria, allowing us to escape safely. I believe that was the end of Azog.” I look at Gandalf, who avoids looking at me, preferring to smoke his pipe, and this worries me. And I say,

“But Gandalf found our father, who was alive and gave us the map and key. If our father was alive, what guarantees that Azog is dead?” Immediately Thorin turned around, looking furious, which didn't surprise me at all. If Azog is alive, it means he failed, and he can't admit it. And Thorin says…

“Azog screamed as he was carried away by the other Orcs, he swore revenge and to kill the entire Line of Durin. But he died from his wounds, I ended him before he could kill our line.” I stood up angrily, approaching Thorin. I hated when he did this, when he was so sure of something, even when it was obvious he could be wrong. And I said,

“Our father was alive! Therefore, Azog might be too! How can you be so sure he’s dead!? Did you even see his corpse!?” Thorin growled. I knew he was angry; he always growled when he was mad, and he said,

“They’re Orcs, they couldn’t have treated a wound like that. Azog is dead! And if you’re afraid, you should take your little rat and go back to the Shire, because there’s no place for cowards on this mission!”

I clench my hands into fists, I have a strong urge to hit Thorin, mainly because he'd gotten used to the last few bruises I gave him. But I know that won't help anything, it will probably only worsen our relationship, but he irritates me so much! I'm not a coward and neither is my daughter, all I wanted was a better life, and deep down, all I wanted was for Thorin to still love me. For Blue to be able to marry the one she loves, to be the Queen the people need, but Thorin makes everything difficult! And at this moment, all I feel is a great anger towards Thorin. But I can still remember a time when we were happy, when Thorin, Dis and I ran around Erebor, grabbing biscuits from the kitchen and teasing Thorin for always being so serious. Now, it doesn't even seem like we're a family anymore, I know I've been away for so long, but I really hoped Thorin would still love me. That's when I felt Bluebonnet's hand in mine, pulling me away to the place I'd chosen for us to sleep. We sat facing each other, Blue smiled at me and said,

“You're not a coward, Adad, but I really think Azog is dead and that we're all safe. Well, as close to safe as you can get with a dragon at the end of this mission.” I smiled slightly, but I wasn't convinced at all. I could still remember Azog. How he killed every Dwarf in front of him, without hesitating for a moment, how all he wanted was to cause pain and suffering, and I said…

“My dearest, you haven’t seen what I’ve seen, the pain I’ve been through. Out here, we can’t be sure of anything, not even death. That’s why tomorrow you’ll train with Fili and Kili. I want you to be prepared for anything, and I’ll supervise the training.” Blue nods in agreement, hugging me tightly. All I feel is fear, because I don’t want to lose my daughter, who seems to be the only family I have, she says.

“I’ll do my best, Adad. We’ll all survive and rebuild Erebor. Besides, Grandpa asked Fili to keep us updated on the mission.” I turn around, seeing Gerontius’s bird sleeping in the tree, which doesn’t surprise me. Gerontius has always been intelligent and analytical; I’ve never met anyone as smart as him, I say.

“Thain seems eager to move some Hobbits to Erebor, but I understand that would solve the overpopulation problem. I wonder which families will come.” Blue tilts her head, seeming thoughtful. I hope the Baggins family comes to Erebor; they took care of me, and I wouldn’t want to be away from them. And Blue says,

“I think the Baggins family will come, along with many Took families. I just hope Lobelia doesn’t come; she might try to steal Erebor and lose her head. Adad, do you think Uncle Thorin will ever like me? That he’ll accept my marriage to Fili? He seems amazing, and I’d like to get to know him better!” I sigh, kissing Blue’s forehead affectionately. My daughter has always been sweet and loves being with family, I say.

“Thorin is stubborn, but I’m sure he’ll see reason eventually, and now we should sleep.” Blue rubs her tired eyes as she lies down and says,

“You’re right, we should sleep. Besides, it’s going to rain heavily tomorrow.” I let out an annoyed sound. Blue always knows when it’s going to rain, and I hate lying to her because I doubt Thorin will change his mind.