Star-Crossed

Chapter 78

Six Months Later

Dain insisted that Fili let him help clean up the mountain and that Dis-and the other heads of the royal families-be present. Fili agreed, wishing to heal up himself before his mother arrived.
Kili entered the King's Quarters, which had been refreshed and put back in order. Fili sat beside the fire, quill in hand as he penned runes across the scroll. With a sigh, Kili took a seat beside his brother, looking over at him. Fili set aside his quill, running a hand over his face as he threw the scroll into the flames. He'd known Thorin his entire life, why was it so hard for him to write a eulogy about him? 

"Any word from Dwalin?" Fili muttered. 

"Don't king voice me." Kili teased, to which Fili smiled. "But no. He said he would be back by now."

"It's Dale not the Blue Mountains, what could possibly be taking him so long?" They had seen very little of Dwalin in the past months, where he'd been going they weren't sure, but Kili suspected that he'd met a dame in Dale or maybe a dwarrowdam. 

"Patience brother." Kili assured. "I told you you should have sent Tauriel after the flowers." Fili smiled, imagining Dwalin in a flower crown upon his return to the Mountain. "How is Uncles homage panning out?" Fili pointed towards the burning scroll. "I see." 

"I don't understand why I'm struggling so."

"It's because you weren't supposed to write it, my dear." Dis said quietly. "It was supposed to be Frerin. Or myself. Never the two of you." She placed her hand on Fili's shoulder. He took her hand in his, holding it too his cheek like he had so many times when he was little. "Besides, he was too great to put into a few statements. I think it was his goal in life to make it as impossible to write of him as he could." The brother's smiled. 

"You know who would do good at this?" Kili said, looking at his mother and brother. "Balin. Ask him for help."

"No." A voice shouted from the kitchen. "Absolutely not." Balin bustled into the room, tea tray in hand. "I refuse to be responsible for something so big." Fili sighed, shaking his head. "Then back to it I guess." Dis patted his shoulder, nodding for Kili to follow her and Balin. 

The very next day, Fili stood before the mirror, rehearsing the speech he'd prepared as he neatly plaited his hair. Bilbo was perched on the bed, correcting him as he read from the scroll. The Hobbit had been quite a comfort to all in this time of loss. He'd agreed to stay until they buried Thorin, then he would return to Bag End. 

"This is impossible." 

"Ok, no. We're not doing this. No. You are a king. Act like it." Fili huffed, glowering at the Hobbit in the mirror. 

"You're starting to sound like Thorin." 

"That's what she told me to do."

"She? She who?" Bilbo looked awkwardly at him in the mirror. 

"I've got to go."

"No! No! Who is she?" Fili grinned. "Have you met someone?"

"Met some- oh no, no, no. I can assure you it's not that!" And with that, the Hobbit slammed the door on the conversation. 

The time had come, Fili stood now, crown atop his head, and waited as everyone filed into the Hall of Kings. Thorin's casket had been inlayed to the wall, just like every other king before him-save Thror and Thrain, who merely had headstones and empty caskets. Fili swallowed thickly looking to Kili, who offered a reassuring smile. Tauriel, who stood beside him, also nodded her support. Dis kept her eyes forward, tearing up everytime she saw her son in that crown. Balin stood to his right, offering him an encouraging pat on the shoulder. Dwalin still had not made his appearance.