Where she is right - The story of Dís, daughter of kings.

3

That night she woke up by Dís's suppressed crying. She was about to get up quietly but a large hand held her back.

"What?", Dwalin growled annoyed.

"Dís's crying."

"She's been crying for weeks."

"I go to her."

"No. You can't do anything about it."

"Not with fists and axes. That's for sure", she said and got up.

She went to the entrance of the tent and asked softly:

"Princess Dís! It's me. Dwin. May I come in?"

"Yes, do come in", she heard Dís's answer slightly bunged up.

Dwin entered and Dís said:

"Wait there. I will get some light for you."

A match flickered and the princess lit two candles. She sat on her bed with tear-stained face and her long, black dishevelled hair flowing over her back. Under her long embroidered nightgown Dwin could see her dainty bare feet.

Dwin sat down unasked beside her and put the arm around Dís's shoulders. The princess leaned into her embrace and began to cry again. Dwin let her cry, held her and rocked her gently back and forth.

When Dís finally had calmed down a bit, she blew her nose and forced a smile:

"Well! First I hold you up from sleeping and now I forfeit all your respect with my wailing."

"Oh, I'm sorry", whispered Dwin and jumped up, "I should not have sat down here!"

"No, it is fine, Dwin. Do not worry. You act according to what your heart tells you. That is good and rare and you should keep doing so, dear. And it did really do me good. Thank you", the princess reassured her.

"Come. Sit down and let me have a look at your neck again", she said and pulled up a stool.

Obediently Dwin sat down with her back to her and drew her hair out of the way. In the light of the candles Dís then anointed gently the few still inflamed spots the iron clamp had left behind.

"Your presence alone has helped me so much since you are with us. The story of your past and your engagement with Dwalin. All that gave me so much to think about and I had someone I could take care of. That has carried me wonderfully during the last three weeks. But tonight all stormed back at me. Oh, Dwin! What am I doing here? Travelling to Erebor knowing that my sons will not await me there. I should have stayed in the Ered Luin. That was our home and not this... trice cursed dragon lair!", she murmured.

"Your brother sure needs you there", Dwin answered without much considering.

The next moment Dwin felt seized by her shoulders and turned around with firm hands. And on the bed opposite her no longer sat the frail, delicate princess but an enraged fury bursting with strength. So very beautiful and scary in her anger.

"Oh, is that so? Now he needs me? But to bring about all this he managed excellently on his own. Runs off with a dozen ragtag adventures without the trace of something you could call a plan. The great hero! Oh yes, we free the Erebor! You both listen carefully!", she thundered towards the tent walls, "And he actually manages to create the worst possible disaster in no time. He stirs up old Smaug against Laketown, breaks with allies, threatens and breaks in his delusion with friends and relatives and triggers just along the way the most horrendous war of our times! Thousands of deaths! Pain, loss, destruction and despair everywhere you look! Injured who will suffer until the day they die and thousands of grieving mothers on all sides! If he would have killed the dragon at least. But no! Someone else did that for him. Probably the only one, mind you, who deserves our sincere thanks in this whole mess. My brother needs me! Pah! Shall I pat his back and say "Well done"? And pity him for his wounds? Or maybe comfort him for the loss of his nephews? Tell me, Dwin, why could he not grow old with us in the Ered Luin happily and content. Why did he have to unleash this madness?"