Bring Me With Her

Nine Years Later...

Thorin let out a brief yawn as he entered his quarters after a hard day's work. He stepped in to find Siggy laying by the door, getting up to greet him. Thorin gave her a pat on the head and directed her towards her bed. He frowned as he thought about how she was getting older and starting to grow tired. The Dwarf king then stepped into the living room to see that he wasn't the only one who currently felt deprived of energy. Thorin smiled as he spotted Talia on the sofa, completely passed out. He removed his crown before he went over to his big arm chair, where he sat contently staring at his beautiful wife.

Her long, curly hair was almost completely concealing her face. Thorin could faintly detect the dark circles that were under her eyes, and he hoped that she was having a deep, dreamless sleep. The past couple of months had definitely been exhausting, but...Thorin wouldn't have it any other way.

Many memories filled his head, particularly the thoughts that he could never stop thinking. Thorin never thought he would live a long and happy life. Ever since Smaug took Erebor all those years ago, it just didn't seem possible. The dreams he had for his life as a child had faded into nothingness. He had never been so happy to be wrong. Thorin had everything he ever wanted and more. He had his hard won home, his beloved nephews, his wife who he adored, and...

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud cry coming from their bedroom. Before he could get up, Talia's eyes blinked open. She let out a tired moan, and Thorin knew that she didn't get in as much sleep as she'd hoped. The Dwarf king got up and knelt down to lay his hand on Talia's shoulder before she could move. "It's alright, Ghivashel. Go back to sleep, I've got this one." he murmured.

"Are you sure?" she yawned, bringing a tired smile from Thorin.

He pressed a kiss to her temple before nodding. With that, his Talia closed her eyes while Thorin stepped into the bedroom, closing the door behind him. He opened the curtains to let the light in and made his way over to Talia's side of the bed, where the crib was set. The baby wasn't crying too hard, but with an intensity that was enough for Thorin to know what to do.

"What's wrong little one? You're ready to get out of there, aren't you? he cooed. He didn't hesitate to reach out for a blanket and swaddle the child before scooping the delicate bundle into his arms. "There's my girl." he smiled.

The infant's cry shortly turned into a light fuss, and Thorin went to sit in the rocking chair that was next to the crib. He began humming a tune, gazing down at his baby with a loving smile that made his cheeks ache. It had been nearly three months since she came into the world, and Thorin still couldn't get over how perfect she was.

She already had what was practically a mop of jet black hair that was beginning to develop soft curls, and long lashes to compliment it. Her skin was the creamy olive tone of her mother. Her big, almond-shaped eyes were a deep blue that made Thorin feel like he was looking in a mirror. But what Thorin loved most was making her laugh...he could never describe the feeling of excitement and wonder when he first saw that she had Talia's smile. It was in that moment that he vowed he would do everything in the world to never see her frown.

Once she calmed down, Thorin began stroking her chubby cheek with his finger. "What shall we do, my love? Why don't we read for a little while? We'll let mama sleep a bit longer." he murmured. Thorin got up to skim the shelf of numerous books that Talia specifically collected for their daughter. He went ahead and picked one that he and Talia read to her many times, one he knew she already loved, and went back to sit down. Thorin couldn't help but chuckle and blame her job ever so slightly on the vast amount of books that Talia accumulated over her pregnancy.

Shortly after Talia settled in Erebor, she got right on to searching for things she could do. She wanted to be able to feel like she was doing something that made a difference, something that made her feel like she had a purpose. It was when she took a stroll amongst the markets and spoke with many residents that she found it. Thorin's future queen was appalled when she found out the vast majority of common folk couldn't read or write.