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

26

When he came up his resentment against Alwa's intention had faded a little after the confrontation with Balin. The door to his rooms was open and he went inside. His luggage had been brought up and his valet was about to unpack the bags in his bedroom. He obviously tried to make no noise and greeted Thorin reverently but only in a whisper. At the king's questioning look the dwarf pointed to the open doors into the next room. Thorin looked around the corner and saw Alwa lying asleep in her bed. He ordered his valet to leave, threw his dusty coat on the saddlebags, rummaged through the pockets in search for a little something. Then he went to Alwa's bedside.

He saw at once what Balin had meant. Even in her sleep something seemed to be weighing on her. Restlessly she threw her head from one side to the other and grimaced as if in pain. An untouched cup of chocolate stood on her night stand.

"Mallorn", she murmured clearly.

What did she see in her dreams, Thorin ask himself not for the first time. And he cursed his helplessness. Not for the first time either. He sighed sullenly.

How good he was her husband she had told him. But basically he could not do anything to help her. Nothing than making everything else easy and comfortable for her.

He stroked her cheek gently and she slowly came to herself. Her smile, when she recognized him, pierced his heart. Bitter sweet. She reached out for him and he embraced her.

"My king", she murmured sleepily.

And he silently pressed her sleep warm body even closer to him and thought:

"Mahal, Dís! Set me free!"

"I will talk to your sister. I have invited her", Alwa whispered in his ear, as if to answer his unspoken thoughts.

And she probably did, he was convinced.

"Alwa, my treasure! What have you been thinking? I do not want her to come near you", he replied.

"I must talk to her. Alone", Alwa said calmly.

"That", the king replied sharply, "is absolutely out of the question. No."

Alwa looked at him unblinking.

"What are you afraid of?", she asked.

"Alwa... She can hurt you. Make you cry. Her tongue is sharper than any of my swords. She can be cruel if she hates. You do not know her!", the king answered angrily.

"You think she hates me?", Alwa asked calmly.

"I have no idea what's going on in my sister's mind! Can you not see it? You tell me!", he rumbled.

"My king, it is not like I think of Dwin's shopping list and am able to read it to you. At times there are very clear images. Like with Karla's little boy and the pony. And sometimes it is only... only a brief impression, a hunch. A feeling, a smell. When we met your sister in the corridor after the bond celebration it was the taste of tears in my mouth. But I can not force any insights. Sometimes it helps to touch something that is connected in a way, sometimes not. And sometimes things change as I look at them. I learn every day to interpret these cognitions, now that not everything storms at me at the same time. And when I see my sister-in-law everything is still open. But I feel pain and a deep discord and often I see you then. You two are so very similar", Alwa said patiently.

No matter what she said playing down her abilities, Thorin felt that she saw deep down into his soul.

"I do not trust Dís. Not any more", he replied gravely.

"I promise she will not be able to harm me but I might be able to help. All of us. Let me try", she pleaded.

The king looked into her eyes and thought of Balin's words. He did not have a good feeling about Dís coming to Erebor. Not at all. But Alwa's confidence kindled a spark of hope in him. That she might actually do something to sort things out and to overcome the turmoil in his innermost being. And his resistance to her idea began to fade slowly.