An Unexpected Romance

Chapter 16

The process of removing Fili's armour and weapons was very slow as Kili and Primrose were still crying as they did so. Finally it was done and Kili gently closed his brother's eyes as he had died with them wide open.

"Now we wait with my brother until others come. He also needs to be taken back to Erebor to lie in state," Kili said.

His tears were running through his stubble and dripping from his chin. The two sat with Fili's body until some men appeared. Kili asked them to find dwarves and get them to come quickly and help him carry Fili's body back to the mountain. Once they had gone Kili ran his fingers through his brother's hair.

"I can't believe you're gone. That you've left me here alone," Kili said.

"You aren't alone my love you've still got me," Primrose said, gripping Kili's other hand tightly.

"I know. But there will be this hole in my heart that will never be able to be filled. Fili and I were really close," Kili said.

He broke down again, clinging to his brother's body, distraught. Primrose's heart broke seeing his pain and anguish and she began to cry again.

"He was so looking forward to being an uncle and to getting betrothed. What am I going to tell Anifried? She'll be devastated as she is deeply in love with him," Kili said.

"She will be. So we must support her even though we are grieving ourselves. We will be united in our grief. Mamma will also need our support as she has lost not only her oldest son but her oldest brother as well. It's going to be very hard for her as well. She's already lost her other brother and her husband," Primrose said.

She couldn't begin to comprehend how Dis would feel as she had not experienced that magnitude of loss before. Kili had told her about Frerin his uncle who had died at the same time as his father.

"Yes you are right Mama grieved for days when Uncle Frerin and Papa died. She told Fili and I about it when we were old enough to understand. She still found it upsetting to talk about even then," Kili said.

"This is the first time I've experienced the loss of a loved one. I had grown close to Uncle Thorin and Fili over the course of this quest and journey. As I've said before Fili was like a brother to me. Now I don't have a brother anymore. I only have you and Uncle Bilbo and Mama" Primrose said.

"I love you Primrose and I will look after you," Kili said.

"I will look after you too Kili. I promised Uncle that I would," Primrose said.

She gripped his hand harder and he squeezed it back.

"When you joined me by Uncle's side it was such a relief that you were still alive," Primrose said.

Kili had taken her into his arms and she had hugged him close her tears of grief for Thorin becoming tears of relief that he was still alive. Finally the dwarves Kili had sent for arrived and they quickly constructed a makeshift stretcher. Kili then gently lifted Fili and placed him on it.

"We are sorry for your losses our King. We will mourn with you," one of the dwarves said.

Kili looked at Primrose.

"Why are they calling me their king? I am not King," he said.

"Both Uncle and Fili have gone to the halls of waiting. That means you are the sole heir to Uncle's throne," Primrose said gently.

She and Kili were walking behind the stretcher gently supporting each other. Tears were still flowing down their cheeks.

"I was never, never meant to be King. Fili was to have been King after Uncle. I was only ever the spare," Kili said.