6

"You didn't kiss her." Balin stated simply, staring at his friend.

Thorin sighed, putting his head in his hands. "No." His muffled voice said between thick fingers.

"With an opportunity like that, I'm afraid that was your chance, lad." Dwalin reiterated, making Thorin moan softly into his hands.

"I may be only ten years your elder, but for Mahal's sake, Thorin, I'm going to scold you like your father. What were you thinking?!" Balin threw his hands up in the air.

The brothers had struck up the discussion after knocking on his door. It was the morning following the ball, and Thorin was to be crowned Head of the Guard today. But before he could even get out of bed, the lads had asked the prince how his night had been, to which he had answered truthfully. Perhaps too truthfully, for they were chastising Thorin on the same move he had kicked himself for before falling asleep the night before.

"I wasn't thinking, clearly." He replied, standing up off of the bed and pacing. "I mean, after all of these years, I really didn't think I had feelings for her, or didn't know it. You two always said there was something, but after the fight, the battle, the feast, it's like my eyes were finally opened to it. Even my goddamn sister knew it before me, and... It's just, it's her. I don't know what to do."

The brothers looked at him sympathetically. They could see how much strain this was causing their best friend, and they only hoped that it would be worth it. To them, it was clear that Talia felt something, too, but one wrong step and it could end messily. Not only for them, but for Balin and Dwalin, too.

"Listen, laddie." Dwalin stepped forward, placing a hand on Thorin's shoulder. "It's all in good timing and health that you've realized this, but don't cause stress where there isn't any. Admittedly, last night was a good window, a really good window..."

"Brother..."

"But if it's meant to be between you two, which it is, it will happen naturally. In due time. Worrying yourself, on the other hand, will only worsen the process."

"He's right." Balin interjected. "Things are fine, more than fine, between you two. Once you see her, you won't be frantic. It's only the realization that you're spiraling into, Thorin."

He sighed, smiling to himself. "She would think I'm such a fool." He shook his head, grabbing Dwalin's arm in thanks. "You're both right, as usual. Thank you."

"Our pleasure." Dwalin nodded.

"We've got to go and get our armor on before the ceremony begins. We'll see you there." Balin excused him and his brother, walking out of the room with Dwalin in tow.

Thorin watch them leave, taking up his own metal chest plate and shrugging it on over his head. He knew they were right. He just couldn't stop thinking about her since their embrace; the warmth he felt from her, the sound of her laugh echoing through the streets, the lavender in her hair. It was maddening to him to feel so out of control within himself. He vowed that he would take it out on a dummy as soon as the ceremony was over. Maybe he couldn't voice it to her, but he could punch and kick his way through the frustration.

Maybe.

...

Talia awoke to hear birds chirping outside her window, opening her eyes to their own home right against her windowsill. She knew it was a nuisance, and probably more damaging than beneficial to the house, but she couldn't bring herself to toss the nest away. Rising from her bed, she stretched slightly, hearing voices in the living room as she opened the door.

The Queen-to-be herself bustled about their small kitchen, frying and whisking to and fro. Theresa sat in her rickety armchair around the table, smiling as she conversed with her old friend. Talia watched as Thorin's mother joked with her own, causing her to laugh and smile. Talia hadn't seen that smile in years.

"My Queen." Talia introduced her arrival, bowing her head low and bringing herself in a small curtsy. She hadn't seen her and her mother together in quite a few years. "Forgive me. I would have risen earlier if I had known you were coming."

"Don't worry yourself." The Queen waved a hand in her direction, not even sparing a glance away from the eggs she was cooking. Though she was not yet the Queen, only a princess as Thrain's wife, she sure as hell acted like it. For this, her title of Future Queen Under the Mountain had been cut short by the people to simply the Queen; calling a woman like her anything less would've been an insult. Her mannerisms defined her presence and strong character. She was curt, blunt, and truthful in every which way, and wasted no time with fancy speech or formalities. Still, despite her tenacity, she was kind beyond measure and never failed to make her mother smile. Talia could understand why Thrain had sought such a woman's hand.

"Sit down. Breakfast will be ready soon."

Talia obeyed, pressing a kiss to her mother's cheek as she joined her. "What brings you here, my Queen?"

"Oh, well, it's been far too long since I've visited my dear friend. Between all of the children and Thrain, I've been so preoccupied with the mountain these past few years that I feel as though I've abandoned Theresa; still, that is no excuse. The evident truth is that I became too accustomed to your mother coming to Erebor, and, well, that was ignorant and unfair of me. To assume that she would and could, in her condition, is outrageous." The Queen brought plates full of eggs, bread, and sausage to the table, fresh from her visit to the market before arriving at the house. Talia popped a bit of fruit in her mouth behind her back. "Three whole years is far too long to visit my best friend." The Queen sat, bringing her own plate across from Theresa's and gripping tightly. "I beg you to accept my apology."

Theresa smiled at her friend, squeezing her hand back. "It's about time you focused on your duties instead of worrying about me. I'll always forgive you." Though this used to madden her, Theresa truly believed that it was best to put these matters behind her. She couldn't be bothered to carry them at her age.

The Queen nodded, but even through her wrinkles, Talia could see that her unease hadn't entirely faded. She and Theresa soon dove back into their conversation of the townspeople, to which the Queen listened with earnest as Theresa gossiped. Talia thought of how well her mother was doing today, smiling to herself. But soon, her mind began to wander as she ate, drifting back to last night and Thorin's demeanor. Something about them had felt different, and Talia recognized the feeling. The way her hand tingled as he held it, the feeling of his lips on her skin...

"Talia." She snapped back to reality at the Queen's commanding voice. "What on earth were you thinking of, child?"

"Nothing." She said quickly, looking away as a blush rose to her cheeks.

"It's not nothing." The Queen gently took Talia's chin in her hands, rubbing a finger over the pink pigment on her face. She gasped at her realization, smiling gently at the young girl. "You're in love."

Theresa nodded in agreement, seeing her daughter's face and pursing her lips. "Well? Who is it?"

"Thorin, of course!" The Queen laughed as Talia rolled her eyes.

"How did you know?"

"Who else would it be aside from my boy? You don't spend your time with any other friends like him."

Talia snorted. "Harsh."

"But I also see the way he looks at you," She continued, "And the way you look at him. It has long been obvious to me, but we all know it has not been as obvious to you. What awakened your heart?"

"I don't know." Talia answered truthfully. "But all I can remember from last night is the feeling of his hand in mine, the way he held me as we danced, the look in his eyes when they met mine... it's... it's... It's driving me insane is what it is." She mumbled, running a hand through her hair in stress.

Theresa took Talia's hands in hers, giving her a steely look. Talia saw clarity in her eyes that had not been there since she was a child. "That is exactly how I felt about your father."

Talia blinked in shock. He had not been mentioned in their household for a long time.

"You mustn't let it go, Talia. This feeling is what will carry you through life, do you understand? Love like this only happens once in a dwarf's lifetime, my child."

The Queen nodded in agreement with her friend. "Your mother is right. It does seem that he is your One."

Talia exhaled shakily, looking to the Queen for help.

"I know, it is all very overwhelming. You probably feel as though the wind has been socked right out of you." The young lass nodded. "But it only gets better. I promise."

"Thank you." Talia smiled kindly at the Queen, appreciating her words of reassurance. "Speaking of Thorin, the ceremony is in nearly an hour. I must be getting ready."

"As must I." The Queen rose across from Talia, rushing to her mother's side and giving her a kiss on the cheek. "After the ceremony, I will be back, Theresa. Mark my words."

"To entertain me, or to kill me?" Theresa jested at her choice of words.

The Queen shrugged. "Somewhere in the middle. To drink."

"Aye." Theresa agreed, exchanging goodbyes as the Queen left hurriedly for the mountain.

Once she was gone, Talia tossed the dishes aside and raced to her bedroom, pulling on her own fitted armor and hustling to the door. But before she could follow the Queen, she was stopped by her mother's strong clutch on her arm, pulling her back to face her. "Ma?"

"She is right. In most cases, love only gets better." Theresa stared her daughter dead in the eyes, no hint of a joke in her tone. "I meant every word of what I said before, yet I beg you to be cautious. She has not experienced heartbreak like I have. If you are not careful with your sentiments, you will both get hurt. Play with fire, and you will get burned."

Talia nodded. As much as she wished it not to be true, her mother was right.

"Go now, child." She said with a smile, watching as Talia slung her new coat over her chilled armor. "Have fun. I have a client, so don't come home right away." Her daughter nodded; she knew not to interrupt her mother when she was at work, especially when their income hadn't been as steady as they would've liked due to Theresa's condition. "See you for supper."

"See you then." Talia nodded, about to close the door behind her, when she asked. "What do you want? I'll stop at the market on the way back."

Theresa hummed in thought. "Boar would be nice."

"Boar it is." Talia closed the door behind her, leaving Theresa to her own devices. Beginning to wash the dishes, she grinned at her daughter's sentiment. Ever the thoughtful one, Talia was. She only hoped she brought that same thoughtfulness to this new adventure, too.

...

Thorin stood in front of Thrain and Thror in the courtyard, accepting their long speeches and words of congratulations gratefully. The ceremony was a little lengthy, yes, but these were the dwarves of Erebor; they were not fast talkers.

"And for your heroism and valiance, I don thee, Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror, Prince of Erebor and future King Under the Mountain, the Head of the Guard." Thror concluded, pinning the silver emblem to his chest and patting his shoulder.

Those in observance clapped loudly, the dwarves all sitting together on the stone benches littering their outdoor setting. The dwarves Thorin had taken with him sat behind the royal family, roaring at their leader with pride. His mother and grandmother clapped along, both Queens sitting alongside a smiling Dis and Frerin. Thorin could hear Talia's hoots from behind them, where she, Balin, and Dwalin sat, making his smile widen, too.

Thror pulled his grandson in a tight hug, grinning and chuckling in his ear. "Can you hear her?"

"Of course I can." He whispered back. "Even Mahal can."

"Don't worry. She's next."

But before he could question his grandfather's words, he was released from the embrace. Thorin turned to face the crowd again and stood on his grandfather's left side, his father standing at his right. "But before we end, let us recognize one other who has demonstrated notable courage and deserves individual recognition. Talia Rue Ashenstone, join me to accept this honor."

Talia stopped hollering, clamping her mouth shut as she looked to Balin and Dwalin in shock. They could only shrug at her. They hadn't known what their King was up to, either. At least, they pretended not to.

She stood, walking slowly towards them in her clean silver armor and fur coat, holding her head high with propriety, not arrogance. Once she reached Thror, she saw him holding a simple silver chain out to her. Her green eyes lit up with joy as she saw what it held; a narrow tooth, about the size of her pinky, dangled from the chain, half of it dipped in silver, the other half bare.

"For your incredible display of bravery within battle, shown by leaping into the mouth of the beast itself, I don you, Talia Rue, not only an Ashenstone, but the Butcher of Beasts. With this necklace, my word is solidified in silver and bone, just as its fate was marked in the swing of your sword."

She bowed her head to him, accepting the gift with a grin on her face. When she rose, her eyes met with Thorin's behind the King, who could only smile back at her. Talia Rue Ashenstone, the Butcher of Beasts, averted her gaze back to her King, letting out the smallest laugh as she flung herself on him, gripping him in a tight embrace. The dwarves again let out a cheer as Thror laughed, returning her hug with the same passion.

Once they had settled, Thror offered them a few more words before departure. "You all have pleased me beyond comparison. I commend you all for your courage and spirit during battle. Know that you have made your heritage proud. To the Dwarves of Erebor!"

"To the Dwarves!" They shouted, signaling the end of the ceremony. All rose and milled about as Talia immediately went to Thorin's side, giggling as she turned to him.

"We did it!" She exclaimed, throwing herself into his arms as he caught her, spinning her around as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Laughing together, Thorin set her down, not yet releasing her from their embrace. Talia couldn't deny the slight shiver that ran down her spine from his chuckles in her ears.

"About time." Her friend grinned down at her.

"Did you know of this?" She ran her thumb along the edge of the tooth, looking up at him.

"Actually, no." He lifted it lightly in his palm, letting it fall back to her chest. "Though, I suspect the brothers had something to do with it."

Talia followed his gaze past her, turning around to greet the sons of Fundin. She shook her head at Balin, who smiled at her knowingly.

"That we did. Though it's not the biggest tooth from the Warg, we scavenged the best we could. We thought you'd enjoy the memory."

"After showing it to Father and hearing the rumors of your title, he immediately consulted King Thror. I know the tooth is the focus, but I did help with the chain." Dwalin added sheepishly.

"I love it." Talia embraced the brothers, holding back her happy tears. "Thank you. Though, I've been receiving too many gifts from you boys lately." She adjusted her fur jacket around her shoulders. "I'm afraid my ego will double in size."

"It might, considering it's you." Thorin teased, earning a swift punch from the lass. Feeling her fist on his arm suddenly made him lose interest in his prior urge to attack something himself.

"It's a gift, lass. Consider it an early birthday present." Balin nodded, nudging his brother.

"Although, if you wish for us to actually spoil you on your birthday, you may have to buy us a few drinks." Dwalin raised a brow.

"Or four."

"Done." She laughed, beginning her walk.

"Where are you going?"

Talia turned around, her hair and fur whipping in the wind. "I thought we were getting drinks."

Balin and Dwalin laughed, following after her with Thorin in tow. "There you are, laddie," The eldest of the three began, "A lass that delivers."

"Damn straight!" Talia slung an arm over Balin's shoulders. "Let us be off. The finest of the Crooked Chimney's ales is calling my name."