The Fifteenth Member (Thorin Oakenshield/OFC)

Chapter 56

There was another attack the next day, on the outskirts of the forest, closer than any attack that had happened before.  There was a single survivor but he was badly wounded.  At the moment, Thorin was speaking to him in the Healing Hall while I waited in our chambers, with my heart in my throat the whole time.  I hated being separated from Thorin nowadays, even if I knew he wasn't going to be far away.  I felt like a part of me was missing and my pregnancy hormones amplified that feeling.  Thorin had sat me down in the chair next to the empty fireplace but I became so fidgety I had to stand up.

I was pacing the length of the room when my husband returned looking very troubled.  Instead of reprimanding me for pacing, he waited for me to acknowledge him.  He shut the door quietly behind him and stood there with him arms crossed, tapping his metal-toes shoe on the stone floor.
"I know Thorin, I know.  You don't want me stressing over this but I can't help it alright?"
"Mereniver, calm down."
"Calm down?  Calm down?  You're the one who needs to 'calm down' most of the time and do you listen to me when I tell you that?  No.  So just stop it alright?"
"Whoa love." Thorin approached me with caution.  I had become more and more unpredictable these days.  I let him get within arms reach but when he actually reached for me, I took a step backwards.
"What did the survivor say?  And don't try to sweet talk me into forgetting, I want to know!"
"Alright.  He gave the same report as the one yesterday.  Human man dressed in all black.  Trained cats that attacked in a formation.  The message that an unidentified man is coming to take what is rightfully his away from me.  Will you let me hold you now?"
"You're hiding something."
"I'm not."  His tone was too emotionless.
"Don't lie to me.  It's hurts me so much when you do that!  If you don't tell me what you're hiding then I'll go down and ask the survivor myself!"  I pushed past him and left the room at the fastest pace I could manage— a fast walk.  But I ducked into Fili's room rather than try to make it down the hall before Thorin caught up with me.  It didn't surprise me when I found his room empty, he loved socializing.
"Mereniver?" Thorin called from the hall, "Where are you?"  I didn't respond.  Thorin was keeping something from me, he had listed off exactly what the other dwarf had said yesterday.  It was too practiced, too much like a memorized list.  I waited until Thorin's heavy footfalls faded into nothingness before I left Fili's room and started off to the Healing Hall.

When I got there, there were a pair of guards standing by the door.  They didn't look out of place but I had never seen guards there before.  There was something fishy about this and something told me they wouldn't let me pass so I cloaked myself.  I thanked Mahal that I had worn soft flats today, otherwise I wouldn't have made it past them.  I walked over to the dwarf, who was on a bed fairly close to the door.  There were a couple healers in the room but Oin was nowhere in sight.  Good.  He was awake so I approached him.
"Your highness." He greeted me.
"What did you see out there?"
"It was terrible my Queen."  The distraught dwarf described the attack.  I found out that his name was Vognus and that, while he expected to live, his companion, who I had not noticed before, was not.
"The man, did he say anything?"
"Yes.  He told us to tell King Thorin that he was coming to take what was rightfully his away from our King."
"Is that what he said exactly?"
"No, he said 'Tell Thorin that 18-25-14-18-25-7-15-18-20-15-12 is coming to take from him what is rightfully theirs."
"Ok.  Thank you Vognus."
"Anything for the Queen Under the Mountain."  I quilled that numbers down on a slip of parchment and tucked it into my corset.  There was no need for Thorin to know about it.

After dinner, I was sitting on the sofa with me legs stretched out and deep in thought.  Thorin hadn't come home for the night yet and probably wouldn't for another hour.  What could the numbers mean?  They were probably a name but how to decipher who it was I had no idea.  Wani was the code breaker, not me.  I would have to wait for her to wake up before I asked her.
"What are you up to?"  A pair of thick arms wrapped themselves under my arms and around my body, coming to rest on my belly.
"Nothing."  I silently thanked any deity who might be listening that I had the parchment with the numbers on it hidden away in a drawer.
"Where did you go?"
"For a walk."
"Where?"
"Does it matter?"
"I don't know.  Does it?"
"No."
"Mereniver, I'm sorry I was difficult earlier.  The council is being very hard to work with.  They're divided on what to do about the attacks."
"How so?"
"Some of them want to wait and see what happens next and the others want to join forces with Dale and mount an attack."
"What about the third option?"
"What third option?"
"Try to contact the man controlling them.  He wants something but we don't know what that is yet.  If we figured that out, then perhaps negotiations can start."
"Mereniver, if this guy wanted to negotiate he would've approached us long ago."
"But–"
"No.  We're done talking about this, I don't want it to stress you out.  It's bad for the babies."  I sighed.
"I still think you're hiding something from me."
"Like what?"
"I don't know, but I know it's something.  You're expression is too guarded."
"A result from having to hide my personal opinion from the council. I don't want to lose favor with any of them, I've been stalling for time, waiting for a solution that will satisfy all of them to present itself."
"I'm sure it will my love."
"Would you like a bath tonight?"  Thorin had been helping me wash since my bulging stomach prevented me from bending over and my tail got gross fast.
"That sounds nice."  I allowed him to pick me up and carry me, but instead of going to the bathroom, he walked towards the door.
"Um, the bathroom is the other way."
"I know.  We're not going to that one."  He carried me down the hall to the last door on the left.  The chambers were an exact replica of his, only bigger and more elaborate.
"These are the king's official chambers.  I've been having them fixed up in secret and was saving the surprise for a special occasion but I think now would be the best time."  He carried me into the bathroom where there was a large, in-ground tub so big it could be a small swimming pool.  He put me down on the top stair and I began to disrobe while he turned the water on.  I was a mermaid by the time he turned back to me.  His eyes fell immediately upon my stomach as he waded in.
"I'll never get tired of seeing you swollen with my child, âzyungal."
"Children." I corrected.

After we finished, I let Thorin carry me to the humongous bed and tuck me in.
"We're staying in here tonight.  As king and queen."  He climbed in after me and I rolled towards him so we could snuggle.  Thorin pulled me close and I rested my head in the crook of his neck.
What do you want to name them?
I don't know.  Do you have any ideas?
If there's a boy, Ferin, after your little brother.  I don't have any girl names though.
I think Ferin would've liked that.  What if we have two boys?
I was thinking Thrain.  I felt Thorin tremble slightly.  Unless it's too painful for you.
No, Thrain as the second choice is perfect.
What if we have a girl?  Any ideas?
No, females are so rare among our race, I don't know any, besides Dis, that wouldn't bring up unpleasant memories.
Like Doryan.
Exactly.
I'll give it some thought.  I'm sure I'll come up with something.  I trailed off as Thorin began to rub my belly.
I can't wait to meet them.
I–I gasped.
"What is it?  What wrong?  I didn't hurt you, did I?"
"No, you woke them up."  Thorin cocked his head and I rolled my eyes. "Put your hand right here."  I shifted it to the right slightly.  It came again.  The quick, soft pressure from inside me.  It was Thorin's turned to gasp.
"She kicked."
"How can you be sure it's a girl?"
"I just am."  Thorin couldn't stop grinning like a young child in a candy shop as he began to caress just that stop, trying to coax another kick out of our unborn child.  He was not disappointed.  I jumped slightly.
"You ok?"
"Yeah, it was just a little harder than I expected."  Thorin shifted down so he could kiss my abdomen.
"You be careful with your mother now, she's my reason to stay alive."
"Thorin!"  I laugh as his beard tickled my skin, "I would like to get some sleep tonight."
"Whatever the queen wishes."  He shifted back up and I rolled over.  Thorin wasted no time wrapping his arm around me and pulling me flush against his chest, spooning my body with his.

That's how we woke up the next morning.  To knocking on the door.
"Who is it?" Thorin's voice was groggy from sleep.
"A messenger.  The Lady Wani has requested the presence of her Queenship in the Healing Hall."
"Tell the Lady Wani that my wife will be spending the day with me and is unavailable."
"No, tell her I'll be down in ten minutes."  I threw the covers off and stood up, stretching my arms.
"Mereniver, I'm taking the day off to spend with you."
"And I appreciate that but my best friend just spent the last two days unconscious in the Healing Hall.  Give me half an hour altogether.  Meanwhile, you can go get me breakfast."  I made a quick stop in our normal room to pick up the parchment with the numbers on it and put on a comfortable, cotton dress.  I had long abandoned the formal dresses queens normally wore in public since they were very form-fitting and my stomach was more than noticeable.  Wani and Vognus were the only patients in the Healing Hall.  Fili was there, as well as a few healers.  The two of them were deep in conversation and by the look on Wani's face, she'd said yes.
"You wanted to see me?"
"Fi, can we have a moment?"
"Of course, my love."  They shared a lingering kiss before he departed.
"Guess what."
"Fili proposed and you said yes and then you fainted."
"Uh-huh.  What else?"
"What do you mean what else?"
"Why do you think I fainted for the first time in my life?"
"Because he took you by surprise?"
"No."
"Then why?"
"Guess."
"I'm really not in the mood and I have a code for you to break."
"Ugh, fine.  I'm pregnant."