A Stark Predicament

Chapter 67 Welcome Home Feast.

Fili and Kili returned to the mountain with the contract signed. The now had to find Thorin in order to deliver it to him. They found him with Dwalin looking over the front gate but they were in deep discussion about something else. Fili and Kili walked in as Thorin clapped Dwalin on the shoulder.

"So your little one will be here long before mine will, you lucky devil." Thorin grinned at his best friend.

"Aye, the babe will, though I wish Natasha would take as long as Alina, I am worried the babe will be under developed." Dwalin admits.

"Alina informs me that nine months is normal for a human pregnancy, you should not worry, Bruce will be with Natasha throughout her entire pregnancy, and with that sonogram device, he will be able to track the baby's growth very well."

"Sonogram?" Dwalin questioned.

"Oh yes, Dwalin, it is a wonderous thing that helps Bruce see your child in Natasha's belly, you will receive a portrait of the babe the way Alina and I did." Thorin says with a sparkle in his eyes as he remembers the sonogram of his babies, then takes out the picture that he always carrys with him.

"That will be a grand sight to see, Thorin, if it looks anything like the portrait that you showed us." Dwalin says with a smile.

"I also wish to speak with you about getting you and Natasha moved into a larger apartment. Alina and I, of course, want you to move into the Royal wing to have you close by. It would be nice that all of our children could grow up together.

"Aye, that sounds like a grand idea, Thorin, I am sure Natasha would love to move to the Royal wing. I must first discuss it with her, but I do not see any problems."

Just then Fili and Kili step forward to address Thorin.

"Uncle, we have the contract signed by King Bard right here," Fili says as he hand the contract to Thorin, " We also invited Bard and his family to the mountain for dinner, so we could formerly introduce them to Amad."

"Very good, Fili, we shall prepare a feast. Send word to Bombur to begin preparation and inform your mother. Now let us go about recruiting the stone masons that will be working in Dale."

The rest of the afternoon was quite busy for everyone involved, Kili and Fili were able to find fifty stone masons that were willing to work in Dale so, a new contract had to be drawn up and the amount of their wages, that Thorin was going to pay, changed. That evening they would get Bard to sign the newly revised contract.

Bombur continued on with his preparations for the feast that would be welcoming all the Dwarves from Ered Luin, he had a great many dishes and desserts prepared for that evening and everything was going according to plan. He had already hired a new kitchen staff, some from Dale, to help with all the cooking. He had a few of them go down to the cellars to bring up several barrels of wine and ale for the feast, even some spirits.

While Bombur was doing that Balin with the help of Bofur was making sure that the dining hall was spotless and that the dance floor was still in good condition, there was still time to make repairs if it wasn't. All the preparations were finished by the time the first guests began to arrive.

Thorin had gone back home earlier in the day to inform Alina, and Natasha that there was going to be a feast that evening and that she needed to be ready, Logan was expected to be there as well. Ever the Stark, she informed him that it wouldn't be a problem and that she would be ready.

Fili and Kili made their way to their mothers apartment to inform her of the feast, apparently she had gone to lie down after such a hard day of work. Fili knocked on her door, her maid let them in then disappeared to inform the Lady Dis that her sons where there.