Warnings: Death of a parent (not graphic)
Word count: 2213
Other: Fili, Kili, and Thorin are alive after BOTFA
Edited on 23.6.2021 and 5.2.2023
The loss of someone close to you introduces another into your life.
As Fili arrived in the hallway just outside the door, he didn't see the typical welcoming committee there. Around him were shocked faces, and one dwarf pushed past him and into a hallway on the left. Fili made his way through the crowd to see what the fuss was about. First, his eyes met Kili, who looked horrified. Then, his eyes trailed to Thorin, who was kneeling down next to a dwarf that was on a makeshift gurney. Fili stepped forward into the circle and Thorin lifted his head up to look at him. Fili nodded to him and turned to his brother, who still looked shocked. They greeted each other with a hug, but Kili's was lame as his mind was elsewhere. The guards started to thin out the crowd around them, and Fili inched next to Dwalin, who had been on the journey to Iron hills as well.
"What happened?" Fili whispered, and Dwalin turned and tilted his head towards him but his eyes were still on Thorin, who was talking quietly with Balin.
"He took a fatal blow for Kili." Fili nodded and glanced at the dead dwarf who had a large gash that still bled on his side. "That explains why Kili is so shocked." Fili glanced around for a moment but froze as the words truly hit him. He could have lost his brother. He would have lost his brother if it wasn't for that dwarf. He inched back next to Kili and pressed his side to his, causing Kili to pull his gaze away from the dwarf that was laying there.
"You alright?" Fili whispered, and Kili nodded groggily.
"I didn't see the orc coming. I would be laying there if Bofot hadn't taken the blow." He was shaking and Fili tapped his shoulder, trying to calm him down.
Dis stormed next to the two and grabbed Kili into a tight hug.
"Amad! You are strangling me!" Kili tried to squirm away from the hug but Dis held her hands tight.
"I could have lost you!" She squeezed even harder, and Kili accepted his fate and allowed their mother to hug him.
"I am fine, amad, thanks to Bofot," Kili spoke quietly, and Dis let go of him and hurried next to her brother. A shriek rang through the kingdom and everyone lifted their gazes, but as nothing happened, they returned back to their conversations.
But soon, a young dwarven woman burst out of one of the hallways on the left. Her eyes landed on the dwarf down on the ground and she let out a loud wail. Wasting no time, she pushed past the guards and Fili grabbed his sword to defend himself but the woman stormed past everyone and sunk down to her knees next to the body. She placed a shaking hand on his shoulder.
"Papa. Papa!" She begged, but as the dwarf was quiet and still, she laid her head on his chest and let out a heartbreaking sob.
"You promised. You promised you would not leave me." She started to cry and her cries got worse and worse as she clung to the body. Her shoulders shook from the power of her sobs. Dis glanced at her and got up from her place next to Thorin, walking to the guards.
"I want everyone out of here except for me, my sons, Thorin, Dwalin, and Balin. You guard the entries so no one disturbs us." Her gaze was cold and the guards knew better not to argue with her, and they emptied the large hall in minutes. Dis returned back to the others, who were watching the scene in front of them with wide eyes. Dis glanced sadly at the pair.
"What is it, Dis?" Thorin asked, and Dis lifted her eyes to him, sighing deeply.
"I know this girl. She worked in the clothing department with her mother until very recently. I just can't remember her name." Dis spoke in a whisper, not wanting the woman to hear. The others frowned, not sure what to make of the story.
"And..?" Balin asked, and Dis sighed again.
"Her mother died a week ago, two days before you left for the journey. We haven't even held her funeral yet." A stunned silence followed her words, and they all turned to look at the woman. Thorin sighed deeply, deep sorrow in his eyes.
"And now her father too." Dis nodded with dark eyes at her brother's words.
"She is going to need a lot of time to get through this. She worked only for a day after the death of her mother, and I could tell she was distracted. I fear that this might be too much for her." Dis sighed deeply, and all of the dwarves pressed their heads down.
"I will make sure she has one of the best housings in the kingdom, as well as a private maid. I know that it won't make her feel any better at the moment but at least it's something." Thorin sighed again and glanced at the woman, who was still crying next to the body. Dis sighed too and shook her head, deep sorrow in her eyes as she, too, looked at the woman.
"She was such a happy girl, I was meaning to introduce her to you boys before her mother's death." Dis glanced at his sons, who exchanged looks.
"What will we do with her, she can't stay here forever?" Balin whispered, and all eyes turned to the woman, whose cries still showed no sign of easing.
"Poor thing," Dwalin whispered and Dis glanced at him, nodding slowly.
"Indeed. She is going to wear herself out at this pace. You should go and find available housing for her. Nothing too big, it would feel empty. Something nice and well-lit." Dwalin nodded and he exited the room as quietly as possible. Dis turned to his younger son.
"You, find a maid and a guard that knows where she lives. Have the maid pack her everything she needs for at least a week and then come and find me." Kili nodded and hurried away.
"Thorin, find a place to bury both her parents and have someone move Bofot into the preparation room." Dis's voice was dark as well as Thorin's eyes, but he nodded and hurried away, Balin at his heels. Fili kneeled next to his mother.
"What do you want me to do?"
"I need you here, my back isn't in the condition that I could carry a tray, let alone help her up from the floor." Fili's eyes flashed with fear. What was he supposed to do if he needed to comfort her? He could handle a dozen orcs no problem, but a crying woman was wayyyy over his skillset. Especially when she was so beautiful that it made his legs turn into jelly.
"She is just a woman for Mahal's sake. You will be fine. Just think carefully about what you say." Dis snapped at him and started walking towards the woman who was now hiccupping next to his father's body.
Dis placed a gentle hand on the woman's shoulder, making her look up at her with big, red-rimmed eyes. Fili was still nervous but couldn't help but notice that even after crying and her eyes red and puffy, she was still just as beautiful as she was when she worked on dresses, eyes shining with joy. Not that he had been watching her when she was working. Because that would be creepy.
"Come now, dear." The woman shook her head violently and returned his eyes to the dead dwarf.
"I don't want to leave him. Don't make me leave him." She begged with a quiet voice, and Dis sighed.
"Come now, dear. You need to rest, he wouldn't want you to wear yourself out, would he?" The woman shook his head and pushed a strand of hair away from her father's face.
"He would not. He would tell me to stay strong." Dís smiled, and straightened her back, motioning Fili to come forward.
"That's right dear. Let's get you to your room." The woman took a ragged breath in and kissed his father's forehead before trying to get up on her shaking feet. Fili stepped forward and extended a hand to the woman while his heart was beating like crazy.
"Let me help you, miss." A small smile visited the woman's lips as she grabbed the hand and allowed Fili to pull her up. Wow, she was even more beautiful from up close like this.
"Thank you. And please, call me Y/N, being called miss makes me sound like I am my m-mother." A single tear ran down her face as her eyes got clouded with sadness again and Fili tensed, having no idea what to say. Not that he would be able to say anything anyway, her eyes rendered him speechless as she was staring straight into his. Luckily, Dis butted in.
"Let's get going then, we'll catch a cold if we keep standing here."
Y/N was reluctant to move and kept glancing back at the big hall where a small group of dwarves was now working on the body. Fili hesitantly slid his hand on her lower back and guided her ahead with it. After a while of walking, she started to look around.
"This isn't where we- I live." She turned to face Dis and she gave a warm smile featuring her to go inside a door they had just arrived at.
"It is where you live now, darling."
"But..."
"We'll talk about it in the morning. Now, I think you should rest." Dis spoke softly and the woman gave a hesitant nod before stepping into the room.
"I have to talk to my brother, but I'll see you tomorrow." With that, she left the room, leaving Fili behind before he could react.
Fili stood in the doorway nervous and not knowing what to say.
"I'm sorry, I didn't get your name." A soft voice sounded behind him, and he turned around to see Y/N looking at him with curious eyes that has a glint of something Fili didn't quite recognize.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Fili."
"Dis's son?" Fili shifted his weight from one leg to another.
"Yes."
"I didn't realize that you were a prince. I'm sor-." Y/N got up, probably to curtsey but Fili waved his arm dismissively and she stopped talking, glancing around the room and fiddling with the hem of her dress.
"No need for formalities, I don't really care about that." Y/N furrowed her brows, this was not how she had imagined the older prince to be. She had seen him in the halls, and she could not deny that the young prince was very handsome with his neatly trimmed beard and bluish-grey eyes but his personality wasn't as inviting. He seemed so collected and glum as he walked along the halls that it appeared that he was almost ... unfriendly.
Fili didn't miss the look in her eye and he smiled lightly.
"I know that I am not exactly known for being relaxed, that's more of Kili's job, but I'm only doing what's expected from me as I am the next to the throne." Y/N tilted her head, she was wondering why he was telling her this. Again, Fili noticed and a faint blush coated his cheeks.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I'll leave you alone now, you are probably exhausted." Y/N's eyes flashed with sadness but she nodded.
She walked to the bed and turned around to see Fili standing in the doorway, hesitating. Y/N glanced at his face, and Fili took a deep breath before shifting his weight from his heels to his toes.
"I... I was just thinking if you wanted to talk more tomorrow. I would like to know you better." As she didn't answer right away, Fili panicked that he was moving too fast, she had just lost her parents after all.
"You don't have to! I just thought that it would take your mind off of the recent ... events." Fili lowered his voice at the last word, not wanting to make her cry. She still heard him and tears rose to her eyes, but she nodded nonetheless.
"That would be nice." Her voice was thick and her eyes shone with tears but she still managed to smile the smile that turned Fili's legs to jelly.
"Oh. Perfect. I mean... I'm looking forward to it. I'll see you tomorrow then." Fili gave her a quick wink and exited the room backward, leaving Y/N alone and with a faint blush.
"I wonder what that was about." She wondered to herself and prepared herself for bed. Even if she would probably lay awake and crying for most of the night.
I'm not dead, I'm back! I kept a small break from writing because of writer's block and a mountain of schoolwork but I'm slowly coming back. I'm working on part 2 for Unlike the others, I'll post it as soon as possible.