Book 3: Where It Ends [Legolas]

Chapter 44

Durin's Day concluded. Which meant no more celebrations lasting till the wee hours of the morning. The market returned to its original state, the visitors left for their homelands, and the time came for life to return to normal. For Linnéa it was business as usual in her role on the throne, only this time she didn't act as an extension of the king. Instead, she sat at the forefront alongside her husband. First order to deal with: the new assembly of the Erebor Council. While the Dwarves who'd been dismissed weren't happy from the news that came, they stepped down knowing they were outnumbered. And those offered positions agreed to take on their new roles in the Mountain. The Elves took a month to relocate themselves and tie up any loose ends in the Elven Kingdoms.

Then the matter came up about how Saleh, Lyari, Aerendyl, and Orrian had to involve themselves into the Dwarven culture to understand the individuals who needed voices. None of them exposed themselves to Erebor like Legolas, but Linnéa expressed confidence in their abilities to catch up. And even organized a meeting to only talk amongst the Elven members. To listen to their ideas and see what traditions and rules from the Elven Kingdoms should be implemented here.

Once a week, Linnéa and Legolas sat in the throne room to listen to their subjects who came forward with issues in the realm and beyond it. If there were wild animals affecting the crops and cattle, or foreign movements in the northern mountains, or broken tools and items vital to the Mountain, or new dwellings needed to be constructed to expand, or new trade routes observed. But being rulers did not mean the king and queen walked, talked, and sat side by side at every waking hour. The two split up to divide and conquer certain tasks in a timely manner. Or when it came to their skillsets. Linnéa's ideas to implement new techniques into the Erebor forges proved successful. Earendil accepted a role under the Mountain to train a new line of blacksmiths handpicked by the queen. And she too learned alongside them.

Legolas saw to the armies of the Mountain. Their training exercises, plans to fortify the land, and defensive abilities. From the months that followed, Elves who didn't wish to take the boats from Middle-earth flocked to the north. To see the changes implemented, find work, or discover how Erebor may benefit them in their lives they chose to continue to lead here. Even if they decided to wander the Wilds. Some offered their services to the king and queen to either stand among the Dwarven army or venture beyond the walls should a threat ever arise.

But with all of this success, that didn't mean it came without its struggles. There were disagreements between some Elves and Dwarves, finding it a bit hard to coexist together, complaints if someone overstepped their boundaries. Sometimes Linnéa and Legolas even butted heads on certain matters. The two sides of the council quarreled too, to find a middle ground. Yet none of that meant there was a fracture in the United Households. Issues were resolved, some easier than others, but with every rule came coupled by its own set of challenges. Linnéa and Legolas never retired for the evening angry at one another. Both expressed their beliefs and listened to both sides, and refused to step over their other half. This way of thinking proved many individuals wrong, when expressing that this union wouldn't last.

Before anyone realized it, a year went by. The colder months of the Mountain creped in and brought a chill through the halls. Hearths were lit, warmer clothing swapped out, and merchants prepared for traveling beyond the walls to other markets through snow and rain.

Linnéa paced the private quarters, and read over a scroll in the process. It came from the ruler of Dale, requesting an audience in the coming days. She'd been so focused on studying the contents, the queen failed to realize the king entered the room. His arms slipped around her waist to pull them back to chest, and his chin rested against one of her shoulders.

"What has caught your attention tonight?" he wondered.

"King Bard II wishes to see us," Linnéa answered. "In regards to his fishing vessels that were destroyed in the last storm."