Book 3: Where It Ends [Legolas]

Chapter 40

"This is an outrage!" Rathur bellowed.

In the conclusion of the announcement in the throne room, the Council converged on the king and princess. Immediately, they went behind closed doors. Linnéa braced herself. Based on their looks alone a handful were not happy.

"We have entertained yer efforts to rebuild Erebor by creating alliances alongside some of the Elven Households. Yer efforts reaching out to an enemy of ours for over a century we have begrudgingly permitted, never expecting King Thranduil to allow this. But to accept the proposal of his blood... we cannot allow it!"

"Aye," Margil spoke. His gravelly voice showed his age. "The merging of two households in this nature cannot be condoned."

"Why?" Linnéa pushed back.

"He is an Elf. Yer a Dwarf."

"One-third. And I do not understand why this is such an issue for all of you. My mother was a Half-breed. Father, your king, a Dwarf. You accepted her, despite being not only from different kin, but with the blood of Men. A race many of you were not fond of after the fall of Erebor."

"Our views of Men to Elves vary greatly," Rathur pointed out.

Linnéa sighed in a rather annoyed manner. "Have you listened to nothing that I said in the throne room?" she questioned. "It is this method of thinking we need to change in order to survive. Or we will fade in our existence. Like the Elves that leave for the Gray Havens."

"Of all the males available to court yah... An Elf has no business sitting on a Dwarven throne."

"Nor does a princess that comes from three races have any business sitting on an Elven throne. Yet Prince Legolas is advocating it to the king right now."

"And yah believe he will accept?" Glóin spoke up.

"I haven't personally done anything to anger the king. My words have been careful. I offered solutions to make the transition for his kin that remain behind to find somewhere to exist."

"The Elves have no business here in Erebor," Rathur said. "Let them stay in that forest and be forgotten."

Stubborn. As always.

"If this is who the princess has chosen for a suitor, then I respect her decision," Dwalin spoke up in defense.

"Yah have grown soft in your old age. Decades ago, yah would have seen it our way still."

"The world is changing around us, Rathur. Either we change with it or all our hard work and years spent rebuilding Erebor will have been for nothing."

Rathur bit his tongue. All eyes turned on the king.

"Have yah really agreed to such a matrimony?" Glogror questioned.

"Talk sense into her," Margil agreed.

He had yet to say a word, sitting at the head of the table. "Aye, I have agreed to this," King Dáin answered.

Nearly every mouth dropped open in shock. Dwalin tried to hide his amusement.

"What all of yah fail to realize is that this is not a new development for me," the king continued. "I advocated their courtship. Where do yah think that jade bead came from?"

None of them thought about that.

"The Elf came to me for permission. Do yah honestly think he'd have found it himself? Or knew the right one to use out of the many sold in our markets? Prince Legolas is still learning the ways of our kin. But for an Elf, he's very observant."