Blood of Durin

King

It's early morning when you stir, finding yourself back in your bed. You vaguely recall your eyes growing heavy as you leaned against Fíli in the nursery, but his side of the bed is empty. A little clock on the mantle informs you that it's 7:00 a.m.

The nursery door opens and Fíli enters, holding Juniper up on his shoulders. "Galikh bakn, amrâlimê," he whispers, bending over and pecking your cheek. [Good morning, my love] You'd convinced him to start speaking more Khuzdûl to you to help you learn. If you're going to spend the rest of your life around dwarves, you might as well learn their language properly.

"Galikh ba... bakn," you repeat slowly, stumbling over the guttural words.

Fíli shrugs, making Juniper wobble. "It's an improvement," he concedes.

"Ba! Ba! Ba!" your daughter echoes. Then she pauses. "Da!" She slaps her hands against Fíli's head, making him wince.

"Someone's hungry."

You sigh and sit up, adjusting your nightgown and holding out your arms for the baby. "I noticed that I'm not asleep on the nursery floor," you comment as she latches on.

"You'd already been up with her—I figured it was only fair I take my turn. You needed your rest for the coronation today." Fíli takes hold of your marriage braid, unraveling it and running a comb through your hair. The rhythmic tugging on your scalp is relaxing as he carefully weaves it into a new pattern. He fixes your bead and kisses it, whispering some words in Khuzdûl that you don't yet recognize.

"Wouldn't it be bad form for the crown prince to pass out from exhaustion during the ceremony?"

Fíli's eyes sparkle. "Au contraire!" You'd taught him a few phrases from your world. He seems to delight in tossing them into his day-to-day speech, confusing those around him. "If I were to faint, it's an amusing antic from the king's nephew. If you were to faint, it's an urgent medical episode from the new, beautiful princess."

"I'm not sure—"

A loud banging on your door interrupts you. Before you can tell the visitor to wait or cover yourself, it bursts open, revealing Kíli. "Mornin'!" he says with a grin. Looking you up and down, he wrinkles his nose. "That's disgusting!"

You sit straight up, color blooming on your cheeks. Juniper unlatches in protest at the sudden movement.

"Fíli, put a shirt on for Mahal's sake, no one wants to see that!" Kíli finishes, throwing you a wink. He snatches Juniper from your arms and tosses her in the air. She shrieks with delight. "Ready for the big day?"

"I'm not dressed, I haven't eaten, and I'm scared out of my mind," you count off on your fingers as you clamber out of bed. "Take a guess."

Fíli adjusts the top of your nightgown to preserve your modesty in front of his brother. "There should be breakfast in the hall, if Kíli hasn't eaten it all yet. I got up early and asked the servants to make you a plate." He moves to take Juniper back, but Kíli holds her just out of reach.

"You got to hold her all night," he says, sticking out his tongue. "I want a turn."

You crack your back and grab a robe hanging from the bedpost. "If you want to wake up with a fussy, teething baby at midnight, be my guest," you yawn, making for the door.

The stone floor is cold on your feet, sending a shiver up your spine. You hasten for the dining room, pulling your robe tightly around you. A familiar, salty aroma fills your nose as you push open the side door into the deserted hall.

There's a full plate of meat and eggs at the end of one of the tables, across from someone you didn't expect to see.

"Galikh bak, Thorin," you say lightly, taking your seat.