Raging Fire

Epilogue

8 months later...

"Come on, my Queen. You're almost there!" She didn't want this anymore. Couldn't she just have died alongside him? "Just a little more!" She was tired. She looked up to the person who's hand she was holding, Dís. The woman had never left her side when they found out she was pregnant. They had grown fond of each other, they had been each other's shoulder to cry on. Kíli, she missed him. People said that it would get better with time, for Altá, it got worse. She wanted him by her side. She remembered everything, his eyes, his smile, every word he had ever said to her. Why was it him that had to die, why couldn't it be them both? She remembered how she had found out her adopted father had died as well. Enelya was gone, captured by orcs or if she ran off with the elves, Altá didn't know. Her whole world had collapsed within one day. She would have to raise her child alone. Well, not alone. She was a Durin, she was the rightful heir to the throne under the mountain. She really was a queen now. The pain got worse for a moment, and then stopped as she gave the last of her energy. "My queen! My queen! It is a boy! A wonderful healthy boy!" The nurse said. If only Kíli was here. If only Fíli and Enelya were here to make a silly joke. If only Thorin was here to support her. She didn't feel ready to be a mother, nor had she felt ready to be the Queen of Erebor. Dís wiped away the sweat on her forehead, like she had done to Kíli when he was hit by a poisonous arrow. As she took over her baby from the nurse, who's name she remembered to be Renata, her tears finally came. She had not cried since the battle of the five armies. She had not cried on his funeral. Altá normally hated babies, they only cried and pooped. But this little boy she could never hate. "What will you name him, Altá?" Ow yeah, right. She had to name him. But her decision was quickly made, it wasn't hard to think of a suited name for the little dwarf. He had his father's brown eyes, and a few brown hairs could be seen on top of his head. "Kíli Thorin Durin. After his father and his grandfather." She was handed a tissue to wipe her nose. Dís had tears in her eyes herself when her granddaughter grabbed her beard. Altá smiled through her tears. The depression she had felt just five minutes ago slowly ebbed away. But then she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen again. What was wrong?

How could she have been so stupid. Why had she left her best friend? And not even in the middle of the year when everything was happy, no. She had left Altá when she had most needed her. Where did Enelya run off to? The North. When she saw Fíli fall from that tower she knew she wouldn't be able to stay in the presence of dwarves any longer. They would try to confront her about her relationship with the blond dwarf. So instead of facing him one last time at his funeral, she had gone with Legolas. They had not spoken of the kiss they shared, nor of her dealings with dwarves. It had been two months after the battle that she had heard the news of the new ruler under the mountain. Altá Durin was now Queen under the Mountain. And a good one as well. She had paid the debts her father had made first. She herself had helped to rebuilt Dale to how it once was, before the dragon had attacked. The gate of Erebor had been rebuilt as well. Three massive golden statues were now guarding the mountain. Thorin in the middle, Kíli left and Fíli right. She actually didn't believe it herself. The story of the Golden Guardians and the generosity of the new queen were too good to be true. Enelya wanted to go back so bad. Could she leave Legolas again? Yes, that wouldn't be too hard. Could she face Altá after all this time? No. The brunette would probably leave her waiting on the doorstep of her mountain. Keeping her waiting for at least three days before allowing her in. And even if she got in the Queen would let her wait another month or so to allow Enelya to her throne. Altá was pretty sensitive on subjects like abandonment. She decided that it would be worth the wait. She never said goodbye to Legolas, she never did. Her destination wasn't too far, a week's travel at the most.

The pain had only gotten worse. The doctor had arrived just a minute ago, examining her before coming to a conclusion; "buckle up my Queen, you're in for a rough night." Altá, Dís and the nurses looked at him strange. "Twins, my Lady." Was all he said before Altá fainted.
She woke up from the crying. Her first thought was to fall asleep again, but then she remembered the baby was hers. The sound of the cries was doubled. Twins. Now she remembered. She had not yet seen her second child. Was it a boy or a girl? Two of her nurses, Eline and Renata, noticed she was awake. "Oh my, they are such beauties my Queen!" "Two healthy baby boys, who could've predicted that!" She found their tones a bit too happy for this, what was it, morning? Still night? How they had gotten the second one out of her was a mystery she'd never ask. Her twins were handed to her, which one was her firstborn? She saw no difference. Oh wait, now she spotted it. Her first boy had one brown eye, and one green eye. That way she would surely keep them apart. She chuckled, they looked like a perfect mix of her and Kíli. He would be proud of her, she was sure of that. His last words to her had been to live her life. She knew she would never be able to remarry again, or to have more children. This was the perfect opportunity to live her life like he had told her to. Her happy thoughts were disturbed by a knock on the door. "My Queen, you have a visitor." Dwalin said, he had become the captain of her guards. "Dwalin, what did I tell you about my name? Its Altá for you, and for everybody who I reclaimed this mountain with. Come closer, I want to make you their godfather. Dís is their godmother, as you would think of course. Take a look at them, aren't they just adorable?" Dwalin hesitated, afraid that they would cry once he picked them up. "What are their names, if I may ask?" Altá sighed, annoyed by the 'if I may ask'; "Enough with the curtsies Dwalin. This one, the one with two brown eyes is named Fíli Finn Durin. The boy with the left eye green and the other brown is named Kíli Thorin Durin. It doesn't sound really nice all together, but I'm sure he won't have to use his middle name on a daily base." They were indeed beautiful. She could only hope that she would raise them well, she was after all a single parent with a mountain to rule.

Enelya had been right. The Queen made her wait. She was currently admiring the three statues, they looked so lifelike. She still missed Fíli sometimes of course, a dwarf like that was not easily forgotten. Sometimes she would dream of the good times they had shared together, the flowers in Beorn's garden, the swimming in the lake, the dancing in Laketown. But other nights she would dream of him as well, not the good, the bad. She would wake up screaming, drenched in sweat. She could never get the memory of his lifeless body out of her head, nor the hurt looks on his face when she had turned him down. But she had moved on for the biggest part.
Five full days later they let her in. She was to be led to the Queen's throne immediately. The throne room was the same as she remembered, but the woman on the throne was not. Altá wasn't wearing her usual light armour. She wore a royal red dress, a crown upon her head. But the weirdest change were the two babies the held on both arms. When she reached the steps that led to her former friend she bowed. The elf expected her friend to tell her that she didn't need to bow, they were friends, almost sisters, after all. She may have changed her clothes, but she was still the same. "If I had known you were..." Enelya could not bring herself to say it. The reckless girl she knew was a mother now. She had never predicted to see this when she left Legolas so many days ago. The Queen glanced at her, like she was Bolg herself; "Looks like Durin's line would not be so easily broken after all."

Hiya guys, this is the ending of the hobbit, i'm thinking about making a lord of the rings sequal. Thanks for reading!