Hiding Myself. A fem!Bilbo Bagginshield fanfic

Chapter 31

Above picture is relatable as heck! I'm hoping to start a publishing schedule for my fics soon. This one only has a few chapters left, so it'll be over in a month or so. :-(

     Balin hummed happily as he walked through the Royal Wing corridors, a simple meal tray in hand. He was bringing it up for Thorin, Bombur being utterly swamped with Yule preparations and the daily meals for the dwarves and Men who had stayed in Erebor until Dale was properly restored.
     Despite the sadness and loss experienced in the battle, or perhaps because of it, the dwarves of Erebor were putting on the biggest Yule celebration Balin had ever heard of.
     He finally reached the door he'd been walking to and pushed it open gently.
     "Are you awake, Thorin? "
     The dwarf king muttered something unintelligible at him from under a blanket.
     "No. "
     Balin placed the tray onto the bedside table gently and yanked the blanket away. "Oin wants you to eat this before he comes up to change your bandages. "
     Thorin then looked around the room. "Where's Bella? "
     "She decided to eat breakfast with the rest of the Company. "
     The king nodded absentmindedly. He stared at the door the entire time, as if waiting for Bella to walk in.

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     Bella quietly sat down at the long table in the Company's dining room in between Bofur and Ori. The scribe smiled at her, handing her a cup of tea.
     "I asked Bombur to save this tea especially for you. " he said quietly. Bella smiled gratefully. On her other side Bofur stole a cinnamon bun from the plate Bombur seemed intent on stealing and dropped it onto her plate.
     Bofur grinned when she halfheartedly scolded him. "Bombur has plenty of them. Anyways, there's going to be hundreds of the things at the Yule feast. "
     Across the table, Dwalin snatched one with a smirk. "Only if Thorin isn't allowed near the things. " he muttered. "Or the boys. Cinnamon buns are another weakness of Durin's Line it seems. Worse than gold if you ask me. "
     Bella laughed softly. The thought of Thorin and his nephews stealing every bun at the feast was an entertaining one. "I didn't know that. "
     Dwalin nodded. "Aye. When we were young we'd sneak into the kitchen and steal every one in the place. Balin hated having to apologize to the staff for it. " he explained, a wistful look on his face that almost looked out of place. Ori stared up at him as he talked. Bella could almost see the wheels turning in his brain trying to write the story down in his mind.
     "Hopefully he'll be well enough by then to join us! After all, we can't have a Yule feast without the King! " Bofur cheered. Bella nodded. While Thorin didn't seem quite up to even getting out of bed yet, it would be nice for him and for his people to see him at the feast.

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     Instead of heading back to Thorin's room, Bella decided to take a detour to the Gate. She heard the commotion grow louder as she got closer. Making her way to the front of the gathered crowd, she found Fili and Kili waiting. Fili was leaning on his brother, his crutches in his hand. Kili grinned upon seeing her. Bella stood beside the brothers.
     "What's going on? " she asked.
     Kili gestured to the speck of a cart on the horizon. "We're waiting for the elves to get here. Everyone else is here to help carry everything. "
      "The elves of Mirkwood used to bring evergreen trees and an ash log during Yuletide before the dragon came, according to Balin. " Fili explained, picking up his brother's train of thought effortlessly. "It's meant to be a sign of goodwill. "
     "And a reminder that we need the outside world just as much as our Mountain. "
     Bella nodded. "Oh, alright. "
     When the cart arrived, Legolas bounded forward from where he had been standing and greeted the elf in their language. Both elves walked over to Fili and Kili.
     The first elf bowed respectfully towards the princes. "My Lord Thranduil has sent these trees that we could spare. "
     Fili nodded, looking much more regal than Bella had ever seen. "Offer him our thanks. The dragon did not leave us much to decorate for Yule, and these will go a long way. "
     The dwarves behind them began carrying the trees in, slowly revealing the trunk of what Bella recognised as that of an ash tree. Small boxes of other decorations followed the trees. Looking in one revealed preserved flowers only elves and some hobbits knew how to make and a few sprigs of mistletoe.
     Some time later, Balin walked over to them carrying a small chest. He handed it to the elf with a short bow. "A small gift for your king, as thanks for those he has given us and his help. "
     "Of course. My lord would welcome news of your kings recovery, if you could spare it? "
     Balin nodded. "He is well. Our chief healer is certain he will recover by spring. "
     A few moments later, the elf was on the way back towards the forest. Kili had disappeared back into the Mountain at some point. Fili leaned on Bella as they walked back through the Gate. She felt almost saddened at watching the prince limp along beside her, unable to run like he had before the battle. Kili had remained fairly unscathed but for a few nasty scars and a limp some days.
     They had been lucky.

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     Bella slipped into Thorin's room. She walked into the bedroom, expecting to find him asleep like he usually was. To her surprise, he was gone.
     "There you are. I was wondering where you had gone. "
     She turned around, smiling. Thorin sat up the best he could in the armchair. He was still pale, but he looked like the king he was. His hair remained unbraided but for the one that signifying his rank. Bella moved forward to sit on the chair that had been left beside him.
     "Some elves arrived from Mirkwood with decorations for Yule. The boys were out there. "
     Thorin nodded. "I wish I could have been out there. "
     Bella reached out, laying her hand on top of his gently. "You're still recovering, so it's alright. " she assured him. "Fili handled it perfectly. "
     He smiled proudly when Bella told him how Fili had acted like a king. That night, he fell asleep with a smile on his face and a hobbit in his arms.