All I've ever known

53

Mivera woke with a cold breeze on her spine. She opened her eyes to where Thorin lay and sat up. The window was opened, allowing a cold wind to blow into the room. She huffed and heaved herself out of the bed and closed the window, clicking it's hatch. Her stomach grumbled and she slowly made her way down he hall to where she saw the kitchen.

She was greeted with the happy face of Bofur. She smiled to him while she grabbed an apple from the cornucopia on the main table. Bofur drank a sip from his cup and sighed,"It's great to see you out and about, you had us worried for moment there my Queen. What are you doing up? It's the middle of the night." Mivera shrugged,"My apologies, the room was just extremely hot.." Bofur furrowed his brow and watched her eat her apple slowly. He set his cup down,"Are you sure you are alright Mivera?" She smiled and nodded, though her insides were screaming. The wound felt as if it was set on fire, tingling and burning throughout her body. Bofur didn't seem to but it,"You're just sickly pale." Mivera shrugged off the last comment and reached for a glass in the cupboard.

In an instant Mivera was dizzy. She saw six cups in her hands except one and the room was spinning, next thing she knew the floor was racing up towards her. Luckily Bofur was there to catch her,"Mivera! I knew you weren't alright, you're hurt aren't you?" Mivera tried her best to protest but her muscles were to weak and she was panting. Bofur quickly set her on the table and lifted her tunic up just enough to see her abdomen, he nearly vomited at what he saw. You could tell where the initial puncture was, it was a gaping hole filled with pus and blood sacs. The skin surrounding the puncture was black and decaying as if it had been dead for nearly 50 years.

Bofur panicked,"I'll go get Thorin!" Mivera's hand thrashed out and took hold of his sleeve,"No!" Bofur looked at her,"Don't be absurd Mivera, you need help!" Mivera held tight onto Bofur as he tried to be firm but gentle about ripping his sleeve from her grasp. Her eyes caught the movement of a plant not a foot away from her free hand. Her eyes sparked with an idea when she saw they were Linden flowers. She faked a cough and weave,"Bofur?" Bofur fell for her fake strained voice and quit piling away. She breathed in deeply and whispered,"I need to tell you something." Bofur nodded and grasped her hand, leaning in closer to hear her. Mivera whispered so quiet it was almost inaudible and Bofur leaned in so his ear was right in front of her mouth.

Mivera seized her opportunity and pressed her handful of flowers on his nose, quickly putting her other hand at the back of Bofur's head. Bofur's eyes widened and he jerked in an attempt to free himself from her grasp but the flowers worked quickly so his eyes began to droop. A moment later he was limp and he dropped to the floor in a deep sleep. Mivera pulled her tunic down over the now uncovered wound, then she swung her feet over the edge of the table. She carefully stepped over the half of Bofur's body that was under the table and knelt down to him.

She put his hat over his eyes to make it seem like he chose to sleep there. Mivera sighed,"I'm sorry Bofur." She kissed his cheek and went back into her room. She opened the door and Thorin's head snapped to her direction. He huffed a breath,"Don't do that! You scared me!" Mivera cocked her head to the side,"Don't do what?" Thorin whispered harshly,"Go somewhere without telling me! I was going to wait five more minutes before I would tear up everything in my path to find you!" Mivera walked around to her side of the bed,"I'm sorry, you just looked so peaceful and I didn't want to wake you."

Thorin rubbed his eyes with both hands,"Do you know why I was sleeping so peacefully?" Mivera shook her head and Thorin stared her straight in the eye,"Because you were in my arms. I've lost you, twice, and that's twice to many. I love you so much Mivera, and I have sheared on my life that I will not lose you again." Mivera was at a loss of words, she just watched Thorin get back in the bed and pull the covers up to his shoulders, she got in soon after.

He lay with his face towards hers, intertwining his fingers through hers. Thorin looked nervous,"Tomorrow is Durin's day." Befor he could speak Mivera whispered like a little child,"And when the last light sines upon the keyhole, the door will be opened and the king will come into his own." Thorin chuckled,"And queen." They stayed like that, smiling like children who just received a sweet. Thorin eventually said,"Try to get some more sleep, we leave early in the morning." With that he kissed her forehead and closed his eyes, Mivera did the same and went to sleep praying Bofur would still be asleep.