All I've ever known

66

Mivera pushed herself to where she was laying on the floor, to standing strong on her feet. Kili was drawing his sword,"Let us go over the gate and fight with Dain!" Everyone shouted in agreement and began towards the edge but Thorin stopped them,"Stand down." Fili was the first to sheath his sword,"What? Are we to do nothing?" Thorin glared at Fili and shouted,"I said stand down!" He lifted his hand to strike Fili, but Mivera was quick. She stepped in between them and her hand whipped out and hit Thorin's face with such force that it made his neck crane. Thorin slowly turned his eyes to her in a stunned silence whilst the loud sound reverberated through the halls. Mivera returned an even more menacing glare,"You can harm yourself, you can harm me. But I swear on my life my nephews will not be harmed."

Thorin stood with his eyes wide, just staring at her face. Her left check was swollen and turning purple, and by the way she was holding her shoulder, he could tell that was badly bruised at well. But what kept his attention were her eyes. They were fiery and threatening but also cold and stoic. She sneered at him,"You cannot see what you have become, what that jewel has done to you. This treasure will be your death." She took off her ring and threw it on the ground,"You are not the Thorin I fell in love with. Standing there with that crown on your head you are lesser than you've ever been."Thorin stood in shocked silence looking down at the ring. He seemed to be concentrating on something before he suddenly shook his head and stormed off, Dwalin in close pursuit.

Once they were gone Mivera finally relaxed her tense frame. Bofur pulled her to the side and set her down on a rock. He looked at her face,"He didn't do much damage. Just a bruised cheek and his rings cut you on your eyebrow and nose. Nothing that can't be fixed." He smiled his famous smile and took Oin with him to find some medical supplies. Kili and Fili sat down on either side of her. Fili grabbed her hand,"I am so sorry Auntie." Mivera squeezed gently,"There was nothing you could have done my boy. It's alright." Fili smiled sadly, and Kili jolted up and began pacing back and forth,"The nerve of him, to not let us fight! Not to mention he hurt you! To think we thought of him as our hero!" Mivera tucked her hair behind her ear,"He is still my hero." Kili stopped and looked at her, everyone doing the same. She drew a breath and her voice was shaking,"He will always be my hero. Even though he's lost his mind-" her voice cracked and she cried silently. Fili pulled her to his chest and they sat there hugging until Bofur and Oin returned.

Balin sighed,"Why did you do that las?" Mivera winced from the medicine Bofur was applying,"Do what?" Balin gave her the look and she looked away,"I knew that if he had the stone, he would have become even more mad." Balin sighed heavily and began pacing like a worried father,"At least you would have been saved from a beating!" Mivera stiffened and Bofur stopped cleaning her cuts. She stood up slowly, her back to Balin. She heard Balin behind her step closer,"Las, all I am saying is that you didn't think about the consequences your decision would have to your well being-" Mivera spun on her heels and raised her voice,"Didn't think about my well being Balin? Perhaps it is because I didn't care for my well being. If a sane king to rule Erebor were promised, I would do anything. Thorin deserves so much more than the fate of his grandfather, and to ensure that the cursed stone needed to be gone! I thought for all our sakes Balin!" Everyone was in a stunned silence after her voice boomed in the halls, the only sounds were the sounds of fierce battle just outside. Mivera couldn't handle listening to them anymore,"I am going on a walk." She left briskly and traveled as fast as she could to the courtyard.

Back in the throne room Dwalin was trying his best to sway Thorin. He gestured to the battle happening outside,"Since when do we fore sake our people Thorin? They are dying out there!" Thorin sat in the throne and thought,"There are holes beneath holes in the mountain. Places we can fortify. Shore up, make safe? Yes, yes that is it." He looked at Dwalin and stood to leave,"We need to get all the gold underground for safety!" Dwalin called him,"Did you not hear me?! Dain is surrounded! They are being slaughtered Thorin!" Thorin grew annoyed,"Many die in war, life is cheap. But treasure such as this cannot be counted in lives lost. It is worth every drop of blood spilt." Dwalin shook his head in disbelief and defeat.

"Mivera was right, with that crown upon your head you are lesser than you've ever been.", he sighed. Thorin's voice rose,"Do not speak to me as if I were still Thorin... Oakenshield. I am your king!" Dwalin's eyes were now welling,"You were always my king Thorin. But she is right, you cannot see what you have become." Thorin's eyes shot daggers at Dwalin,"Get out before I kill you." Dwalin didn't need to be told twice and he walked away briskly.

Mivera had heard the Thorin's yells, and taken a slight detour off her route to see if they were all right. She saw Dwalin walk out of the throne room, and groin storm to the Gallery of Kings. She sighed and continued her way to the courtyard. As she entered it, she took in the changes the place went through. The green grass, now dead and brown. The tall tree that stood in the center of the garden, that was once so thick with leaves if you stood beneath it you would believe it were night, now stood shrunken and bare. Mivera kneeled before the tree,"Hello mother. Father. It's been a long time." She went into extreme detail as she told her parents stones about her adventure, her friends, her husband. She sighed,"He's changed, I know this was a possibility, but now that it's happened... I don't know what our future holds." With that she said her goodbyes and proceeded to go back to the company.

At this point Thorin was pacing back and forth over the hardened gold, everyone's voices ringing in his head. First Balins, A sickness lies upon that treasure. Then the bowman Bard, The blind ambition of the Mountain King. He heard Gandalf, You are the heir to the line of Durin, and Dwalin, They are dying out there! He also heard Bilbo, Is this treasure really worth more than your honor? But the voice that rang the highest out of all of them was Mivera's, You are not the dwarf I fell in love with! With that crown on your head you are lesser that you have ever been! All of these voices kept swarming inside his head, all screaming in his head. He felt swallowed by the gold and he felt the weight suffocating him, but Mivera's voice rang clear in his head, This treasure will be your death! Suddenly Thorin now saw clearly, the sickness rushed out of him and he flung his crown to the ground. Mivera had just walked in in time to see him talking to himself and throwing his crown, so she quickened her pace to get back to the company.

She was greeted by her nephews. Fili gave her a questioning look as they walked to the wall,"Where did you go?" She brushed him off,"Just for a walk. How is Kili?" Fili's face became saddened,"He is alright I think. Though, I believe he wishes o be fighting." Mivera smirked,"Don't we all." She then heard footsteps behind her and turned her head. Thorin emerged from the shadows, crownless. Mivera knew instantly something was different, but no else did. Kili jumped to his feet,"I will not sit here behind a wall of stone, while others fight our battles for us! It is not in my blood Thorin!" Fili was now at Kili side, holding him back. Thorin's face softened,"No, it is not. We are the line of Durin, and Durin's folk do not run from a fight." Mivera gasped and Kili and Fili smiled, each of them taking turns touching foreheads with their uncle. Thorin smiled when they were done and his eyes found Mivera's, he slowly walked over in front of her.

He took a breath as she looked up at him. He saw the cuts on her face, and the bruise on her cheek. Reflexively he reached to touch them, and when she flinched away he drew back his hand,"I have no right to ask this of any of you, especially you Mivera." Mivera looked up at him and he kept her gaze,"But will you follow me? One last time?" Everyone looked at Mivera and her eyes became misty,"I will follow you anywhere my king. My love." She flung her arms around Thorin's neck and the company cheered. Thorin's arms held Mivera tight to his chest and he ran his fingers through her hair. She leaned back and took his face in her hands, placing their lips together. They smiled through the kiss and parted. Thorin gently touched her face,"I am so sorry. I do not ask for forgiveness-" Mivera laughed,"Oh you can apologize later. For now, let's go kill some Orc." Everyone cheered again and followed Thorin and Mivera once again.