Hope and Memory[Thorin Oakenshield Love Story]

[Chapter Forty Nine]

The next morning came quicker than the woman wanted. She turned to her side only to see Thorin was gone, yet again. She laid on her back, starring up at the ceiling and let out a sigh before getting up. The hobbit made hast down the hall, only to stop when she heard the distant shouting's coming from the throne room. As she got closer she recognize Thorin's voice. He sounded so angry with whoever it was he was arguing with. " It is here in these halls. I know it." Thorin said as he looked at the place that once held the arkenstone.

"We have searched and searched." Dwalin explained to their king, who continued to not look at them.

" Not well enough." Thorin hissed at them.

" Thorin, we all would see the stone returned."

" And yet, it is still not found!" Thorin shouted, infuriated at his kin's pathetic excuses they were giving him as to why the stone hadn't been found. Freya stopped dead in her tracks. She stood just before the bridge, seeing her cousin and Balin and Dwalin. Thorin who still wouldn't address them properly. The woman was surprised, that The king would be so enraged towards his own kin, they were doing their best to find the stone, why couldn't he see that.

"Do you doubt the loyalty of anyone here?" Balin challenged. Thorin turned around, somewhat taken by the elder dwarf's choice of words. The king walked passed Bilbo, acting as he wasn't even there and approached the two brothers. "The Arkenstone is the birthright of our people." He stated, with a serious tone.

" It is the King's Jewel. Am I not the King?!" Thorin shouted in wrath. His voiced echoed off the walls of the Throne room. A long uncomfortable silence filled the room. Freya listening in, couldn't believe what she was hearing. " Know this. If anyone should find it and withhold it from me...I will be avenged." Nothing more was said after that and the dwarf disappeared behind the stone chair and down another hall. Not long after that the two brothers went their separate ways. Dwalin stormed down the hall, muttering to himself to get the others to continue their exhausting search for the Arkenstone. Freya caught Balin going into a room and she followed the dwarf in.

"Balin, are you alright?" Freya asked in concern. The dwarf turned and looked at the woman, and quickly turned away to wipe the few tears that came down his face and he took a moment to gather his thoughts before looking at her.

" Dragon-sickness." He swallowed. " I've seen it before. That look. That terrible need. It's a fierce and jealous love, Freya. It sent his grandfather mad." Freya looked down at the ground, she didn't want to believe it. Her cousin tried to tell her too, but she shrugged him off.

" Balin." Bilbo called as he entered the room and approached the two of them. The woman turned around to look at her cousin. "Balin, if--if Thorin...had the Arkenstone...or it it--if it was found...would it help?" The dwarf looked Bilbo in the eye.

" That stone crowns all. It is the summit of this great wealth...bestowing power upon he who bears it. Would it stay his madness?" The hobbit's waited patiently for the dwarf to say. " No, laddie. I fear it would make him worse." The woman swallowed as she forced the tears not to come out. She had let herself believe that the King was fine, but she couldn't allow herself to be blind to it any longer. He was changing and if Balin was right, he was only going to get worse. " Perhaps it is best...it remains lost."

The two hobbit's left the room and went to the feasting area to get something to eat. Once they had their fill Bilbo tried to comfort his cousin, but she insisted she wanted to be alone and the two of them went their separate ways. The woman went for a stroll around the castle to clear her head. The long hours of searching had made her exhausted and she found an empty area with a window and she could see the bright moon. Freya leaned against the wall and slid to the ground.

Sometime later that night, the king had left the treasure horde and carried a lit torch in his hand as he walked down the halls of his home. He was about to keep going when something in the shadows caught his attention and he stopped. He took a few steps towards the figure in the shadows until he saw it was the woman. He placed the torch in a holder that was mounted on the wall and picked up the hobbit and carried her down the hall. He walked into a room and placed her on the bed and covered her up. He stroked the side of her cheek before placing a kiss on the top of her scar and he left the room and disappeared back down the hall.