50

Thorin and Talia walked out of the pavilion hand in hand, satisfied with the consensus reached by the council. They had bid their daughter farewell with the Fellowship of the Ring, but they still had one other that they owed their goodbyes to. Their footsteps echoed on the smooth stone as they walked, taking in the serenity of the autumn leaves around them.

The King and Queen paused before an older fellow, sat on a bench overlooking the falls. His hair had gone completely white, though it contained a little bit of its curl from his youth. He had traded in his worn red vest for a cream-colored waistcoat, which matched nicely with the other white apparel the Elves had given him. The hobbit set down his thick red book with a sigh, placing his quill next to it with a shake of a hand that revealed his age. Thorin and Talia only watched as he remained perfectly still, content with the view before him.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Bilbo said, never turning to glance at his company. Though it had been a few decades ago since he last saw them, he would always be able to recognize two of his closest friends.

"You always wanted to come back." Talia agreed, slipping her hand out of Thorin's and moving forward. Ignoring the ache in her bones, she crouched beside Bilbo, kissing his hand and rising again. "It is wonderful to see you, my friend."

"Why, you treat me like royalty!" The hobbit exclaimed, making both of them laugh. Much to Talia's surprise, he sprung up and enveloped her in a warm hug, patting her shoulders in a fond nature. "I think it should be the other way around, should it not?"

"No." Thorin responded, arriving at Bilbo's other shoulder. His smile was as bright as his eyes, visible even past his grey hairs and wrinkles. "We are friends, Master Baggins. You serve no one."

"Thorin!" He chuckled, embracing the King as if the last time he saw him was yesterday. Thorin gladly returned it; if there was one thing dwarves and hobbits had in common, it was their courage to be upfront with their emotions. "I see our years have caught up to the both of us."

"Listen carefully, Master Burglar." Talia warned, chiding the hobbit playfully while gesturing to his finger. "You can point out my husband's grey hairs all you like. But should you say a word of mine, you're dead."

"It wouldn't be the first time I thought such in your company." Bilbo teased back, not missing a beat. "The amount of times I nearly lost my life on that journey should've been enough to scare this hobbit back into his hole."

"Well, we are both grateful that you didn't."

Bilbo smiled at Thorin, offering him and Talia a seat on the stone bench. They sat on either side of the burglar, enjoying the view with him.

"I am a Took, after all, as is Frodo. It makes a great deal of sense; adventure is in my blood."

"As it is in ours." Talia replied, her emerald eyes meeting Bilbo's cinnamon brown ones. Then, she ran her fingers along the red leather cover of his book, extremely interested. "I've always known you were a writer. I remember you and Ori collaborating on his own recollection of the journey, back when I told my story before the troll camp..." She trailed off, beginning to formulate and pose her question. "What is your story, Bilbo?"

"Well, it is of that very same adventure." He patted the cover gently, still looking upon Rivendell. "Only mine never was reborn from the ash like yours. Mine came from less... noble beginnings."

"What do you mean?"

"You were born heir to the throne, Thorin. You had a city, a title, a people... I had my hobbit hole. Still, it is not a tale of nobility. I don't think that can be measured in words." Bilbo spared a glance at Thorin, who reciprocated it with a smile. "Rather, it is a tale of home. Both mine and yours, and why the smallest people can make all the difference in the world."

Thorin and Talia exchanged a knowing glance, smiling before returning their gaze to the hobbit.

"I had hoped Frodo would read it one day. Learn something about his uncle, and perhaps listen for once in his life." Bilbo scoffed, rolling his eyes at the thought of the boy's mischief. Then, his expression grew sad, and he looked between Thorin and Talia for comfort. "But I don't suppose he's coming back, is he?"

"The odds are slim." Thorin agreed, placing a hand over the hobbit's. "Still, that did not stop you."

"He just might." Talia added, winking at Bilbo. "Hobbits are very surprising creatures, indeed."

A long pause occurred before any of them spoke again. "Alleliss is a strong lass." Bilbo offered, seeing the slight worry in their eyes. It was something that never left a parent. Although he and Frodo weren't connected from the exact same bond, he understood it all the same. "The princess did love my flowers, but she also enjoyed the oak tree in my garden. You know the one." Bilbo smiled, remembering the acorn from Beorn's garden.

"Upon her first visit, I thought she would break the sapling. But instead of trying to wrangle it at first glance, she was patient. Each year, you returned with her, and each year, she would wait for it to grow strong enough to hold her. Then, and only then, would she learn how to climb the tree.

"It is the same with her adventure, I believe. Alleliss waited until the time was right for her to act, like Frodo. Now, the time has come, and she has seized it. She will return." Bilbo concluded.

After sharing a look with Thorin, Talia placed a hand on his shoulder. The hobbit saw the tears in her eyes. "Thank you, Bilbo."

He nodded, looking back to the waterfalls before him. "The child is too stubborn to die, anyway. She must've fallen off the branches twenty times before she could get it right."

"Mahal, the cuts and bruises." Thorin groaned, putting his head in his hands while his company laughed. "I had to bandage that girl every time she went outside."

"It's a good thing you kept rue in your gardens, Bilbo." Talia recalled. Images of a crying Alleliss came to mind, sat at Bilbo's dining room table. Thorin was there too, rubbing rue in circles over her wounds while he held her on his lap. Talia had never heard a merrier sound than Thorin's hushed tone, singing sweet lullabies to his daughter to ease the pain. "Alleliss' favorite title of mine was never Queen Under the Mountain. She enjoyed the thought of Thror calling me Talia Rue."

Bilbo allowed a few moments before speaking again. "I was always grateful that you'd visit me, you know. Meeting Alleliss was a gift, even more so than your cinnamon cakes." Talia grinned at the words, looking to her feet. "I love that girl like my own daughter. She feels the same about me; I know that." Bilbo began to rummage around his coat, finding an item and holding it out to Thorin. "While they were getting the horses ready, she visited me one last time. She only asked that I give you this."

Thorin accepted the parchment, looking to Talia briefly. It was a letter, marked with Alleliss' seal in red wax. Talia rushed to his side, placing both hands on his shoulders as she watched from behind. With shaking hands, Thorin opened the letter, giving Talia a view of their daughter's words as well.

"My dearest Parents,

I must keep this brief, for we are soon to depart. I write to you to tell you that I love you both with all of my heart. I cannot thank you enough for everything you have given me, and I hope to see you again.

But, because of this quest, the certainty of my return is uncertain in itself. In the instance that I do not, know this. The Elves have preparations in order to leave this earth and venture to the Undying Lands, far from here and into the sea. I wish for you to join Uncle Bilbo upon their departure. As has been asserted since we left home, Kili will rule Erebor in our stead. Though his titles state otherwise, I believe it is what he was born to do. Since we have fulfilled our destinies, it is only fair that we allow him the same.

After this, no more adventures. As much as I love them, as much as you love them, we must leave them behind. No more quests, no more fighting. Once the Ring is destroyed, nothing else will remain but peace. And in this peace, all we can do is be.

With all my love, Alleliss"

Once they had finished reading it, Thorin relaxed his forearms and let the letter sit on his lap. Talia had rested her chin on his shoulder, and he could feel her hot tears on his cheek. Both of them took a moment to let her words sink in before moving. Then, Thorin folded the letter back up again and put it in his breast pocket, causing Bilbo to smile.

"What does she speak of?"

"Adventures and peace." Thorin replied, grinning back at his old friend. "She warns us against the former, and encourages the latter."

"Still, I think there's a bit of grey area in that." Talia interjected, pushing off Thorin's back and returning to her seat beside Bilbo. "She forgets that the two are not entirely different."

"Agreed." The hobbit chuckled, leaning a little before straightening again. "You'll find a balance. A harmony."

Talia nodded, knowing Bilbo's words to be true. "We always do."

...

"What do you think?"

Thorin ceased his pacing, joining his wife at their stained glass window in their bedroom. In the few weeks that had passed, they had said goodbye to Bilbo and the Elves and had ventured back home, to Erebor. Alleliss' instructions, while precise, had still left some things up in the air. Thorin and Talia were needed in their kingdom to at least finalize and solidify their rule, should they decide to give the throne to Kili. But the pair had never been ones to follow anyone's advice but their own, as was witnessed in their many years. Still, Alleliss was their daughter, and they would consider her wishes above all else. Time was the virtue that they had been blessed with during her journey, and they would use it in order to make a decision on whether or not to leave the shores of Middle Earth.

"I think Alleliss means well." Thorin replied, wrapping his arms around her from behind. Moments like these made Thorin wonder why he and Talia had ever chosen the formality of friendship over being lovers all along.

"She always does." Talia sighed, leaning her head back on his collarbone. "Still, we would have to abandon the kingdom, the people, our family... She doesn't know what she's asking."

"We wouldn't be abandoning anyone." Thorin rebuked, giving his daughter credit where it was due. "Her plan to put Kili on the throne is steady. And I think she does know what she's asking—but it's important to her that we recognize our safety."

"Safety." Talia scoffed, rolling her eyes. "We have never been safe."

"I agree. All I say is what she thinks, not what I think."

"Well, what do you think?"

Thorin paused, leaving a moment of silence in the air. He didn't want to sway Talia's opinion, but he knew that he needed to speak his mind. "I think leaving would feel like giving up on her." He pulled back, moving to stand in front of Talia. She nodded, blinking sadly in response. "I think that when she comes home, I will regret it the rest of my life if we are not there to greet her."

Talia grinned, tilting her head while looking into Thorin's cerulean blue eyes. "You said when."

"What?"

"Not if. You said when she returns, not if."

"Well, she is a lot like you." Thorin said, knowing it was an understatement. "And you always came back to me."

"You're right." Talia replied, not missing a beat with her next words. She had already caught the mischief in Thorin's eyes and grin before it could be hidden. "You will never hear those words again, jackass, so soak it up." She paused, dropping her snarky façade and walking back to him. "So we stay."

Thorin nodded, taking her face in his hands and kissing her gently. "We stay."

In the midst of directly disobeying their daughter, the pair concluded their time as the King and Queen Under the Mountain peacefully. After many years of hard work, Erebor had finally reinstated itself as the wealthiest trading kingdom in all of the land. Talia's start had helped enormously; its onlookers were sure that without her, the mountain surely would have toppled as soon as it was won. They were still as sharp as ever, and celebrated as rambunctiously as they did in their youth. While their daughter accompanied Frodo and the Ring to its doom, Thorin and Talia feasted with their family and enjoyed the last few years of their lives together. The memories made of Kili laughing alongside Tauriel, holding a pint with Dwalin while Dis swatted them for their spillage, were enough to hold the two over. Yes, they had lost most of their loved ones; Thror, Thrain, the Queen, Girion, Theresa, Fili, Balin—the list was quite extensive. Still, Thorin and Talia felt they had much to be grateful for, and so they expressed that gratitude in as many ways as they knew how.

The pair felt their age in their bones, as did everyone else around them. Even Kili was no longer the spry young fellow he once was, which came as a shock to both Thorin and Talia. Nevertheless, when the armies of the seven dwarf kingdoms were called upon to fight, they answered the call. This time, unlike many years ago, war could not be avoided. A mountain was not what needed to be won—instead, they had come to battle for the freedom of all good folk in Middle Earth. That was enough to get Thorin and Talia to trade their crowns for their blades, and even through their old weariness, they fought like they did before Erebor was taken. It was no easy feat, but nearly a year after the Fellowship set out on their quest, the war was over. Moments after, it was evident by the screech of Mount Doom that the Ring had been destroyed. Thorin and Talia had shared a simultaneous sigh of relief; their daughter had succeeded.

Eventually, Thorin and Talia ventured back home. They recovered from battle and immediately leapt back into action as rulers. They healed their people of their losses from the war, and did the best they could to provide relief. Within the next year, it was done. Any traces of Sauron, the darkness that Talia had faced all those years ago, was gone from Erebor.

All that was left to do was wait.

"My King, my Queen!" A dwarf appeared in the throne room, bowing slightly before his rulers. Thorin and Talia nodded for him to rise from their height on the steps, where they stood conferring with their other councilmembers. "I have word that Princess Alleliss has crossed into Dale. She has survived the war."

"Obviously." Talia jested, winking at the young messenger to relay her humor. "I trust Bain has already started the announcements."

Mere moments after she had spoken, an enormous BOOM from a cannon was heard, causing those in the throne room to look to the window. A sprinkle of confetti could be seen from outside, in addition to one of Gandalf's famous fireworks.

"He rarely divulges from Bard's style of rulership. But if there is one thing the Lord of Dale differs in," Thorin began, turning to his wife, "It is his nous for celebration."

"Let's greet her, shall we?" Talia dismissed the messenger dwarf, leading her husband away from their associates and to the gate.

"What took you so long?" Kili said, opening his arms to his uncle and aunt.

"We were here as soon as the cannons started." Dis said, embracing her brother while Kili hugged Talia.

"Well, I'm always here." Dwalin grumbled, making Talia laugh as she swung an arm around him.

"We are busy, ruling a kingdom and all." Thorin nudged his nephew, earning a grin in response.

"Never mind all that." Talia waved them off, leaning forward alongside Dwalin. "We have a visitor from Dale."

Alleliss walked up to the gates, a smile on her face. She turned, waving back to Dale as they cheered in return. Though these men were not necessarily her people, her generosity towards them had always made her their princess. She accepted the additional title, walking backwards as she blew them kisses. Then, when she reached the gate, she stopped dead in her tracks. Her smile dropped off her face as her blue eyes searched her mother and father, her disappointment palpable.

"I thought I told you to go with the Elves."

"We don't tend to listen that well." Talia refuted, fighting back the urge to tackle her in a hug.

"Especially when we don't like the instructions." Thorin added, smiling at his daughter.

Alleliss' lips curled into a grin, scanning her parents mischievously. Then, she burst into laughter, wrapping her arms around both of them happily. They gladly returned it, chuckling all the while. Although they were sure she would return, they were overjoyed to hear the sound of her laughter in their kingdom once more.

"As much as it pains me to contradict myself, I'm glad you're here." The princess said, releasing Thorin and Talia. "I missed you."

"We missed you, too." Talia replied, cupping her daughter's face and kissing her cheek.

Thorin smiled, taking Alleliss' hand. "Welcome home, my child."

...

Thorin and Talia sat on the front porch, sharing the bench as they passed a pipe between the two of them. Their feet swung just low enough to brush against the green grass below, which tickled their bare soles. The lake just below the crest of the hill, where the house was worked into, glistened in the morning light. All the pair did was listen to the birds chirp, ignoring the stares from the occasional neighbors—they were used to it.

The pair had left Erebor a few years after the battle for Middle Earth, leaving their kingdom to their daughter. Though the rest of their family still resided in the mountain, aside from Beorn, they were happy to become wanderers. Traveling the world one last time, without any deadlines or foreseeable danger, had long been a dream of theirs. Eventually, they would return when they felt their days had grown numbered. Still, that time had not yet come to pass. After nearly three centuries together, Thorin and Talia had a little bit of life left to get them by.

Much to Alleliss' chagrin, they had decided not to leave Middle Earth with the Elves. She had argued that there was still time for them to venture to the Undying Lands, for Lord Elrond had not left Rivendell until Frodo and Bilbo had joined him. Still, Thorin and Talia had chosen a nomadic life, one that wasn't necessarily glamorous, but one that they shared together. They had said their goodbyes to the hobbits, to their daughter, to the rest of the family. Now, it was Alleliss' time to rule as Queen Under the Mountain. Now, it was their time to spend with each other, and each other alone.

"Do you think Bilbo ever wonders about the state of this house?" Talia broke the comfortable silence, gesturing back to the round green door. Gandalf's symbol, although it did not glow blue, still marked the paint. "I know he gave permission for us to stay from time to time, but—"

"He gave us his good will."

"Yes, but he is a particular fellow."

"We haven't been here long, and we don't mean to be. Better us than the Sacksville-Bagginses."

"Right." Talia chuckled, puffing on the pipe and passing it back to Thorin. She sighed, smiling at the rolling green hills of the Shire. "Of all the places I've seen, this is second only to Erebor. I can see why he missed it so."

"And why he found home worth fighting for." Thorin nodded, turning to his wife. Slowly, for both of them lacked the mobility they once had in younger years, he planted a kiss on her cheek, smiling at the fullness of her cheeks. "I am happy you're happy, Talia. That's all I've ever wanted."

"I know." Talia looked back to him, meeting his bright blue eyes. "I am grateful that I found you again, Thorin. I am grateful for everything."

Bringing her fingers to his chin, she kissed him softly. Whenever she was as sweet as this, Thorin found himself wondering how much he missed her, even when she was right in front of him.

"So am I." Thorin replied, leaning his forehead on hers. He took in her emerald eyes seriously before pulling back, a small smile still on his lips. "Amralizi, Talia."

"Amralizi, Thorin." She whispered, leaning her head against his temple. Together, they let the peaceful silence fill the space within Bilbo's picketed fence as they watched over the bustle of the Shire. But eventually Talia would break it, for she had one more question for her husband. "I guess our adventure has come to an end, hasn't it?"

Thorin hummed in response, opening his closed eyes slowly. "I suppose so."

"It was a hell of a ride."

"Yes, it was. But out of all the people on this earth, I am forever glad to have shared it with you."

Talia closed her eyes in bliss, lifting her head from his and pressing a kiss to his temple. "I wouldn't have wanted it with anyone else."

_____

A/N: Just a quick translation, since I haven't used the words since Carrock: Amralizi means I love you, like Amrâlimê means My love.

Aside from the epilogue, we have reached the end of this book! Thank you all so much for joining me, and as Talia said, it was a hell of a ride. I appreciate your support and if you like this, check out my profile for more Hobbit/LOTR stories. Keep reading for the final part of Rue! Much love.