A/N Here, Have A Picture Of Thorin. ^ Also, please read the A/N at the end of this chapter!
Ambrosia's POV
Elven nurses surround me, tending to my various injuries as they have been for the past hour. One tends to the claw marks on my neck, - courtesy of Azog - another tends to my burns and the last nurse in the room is writing another letter to Radagast from her desk in the corner. There are supposed to be five nurses on duty. But the other two are in my room watching the warg pups, per my request.
I let out a hiss as the nurse tending to my neck begins to bandage my scars. The healing spells can only do so much for the wounds. They nearly punctured my neck. Had Azog adjusted his grip even the slightest bit, he would have killed me.
Luckily for me, he didn't.
Unluckily for me, however, I still look like Lash. Adar sent word to Radagast via dove that I require his magic again. Hopefully, he will arrive before evening so that he can perform the spell and I can pack up mine and the children's stuff to leave by tomorrow afternoon.
If everything goes as planned, the children and I will arrive at my shared home by tomorrow evening. Just in time to introduce them to my roommate and get them to bed.
"Princess Ambrosia! Princess Ambrosia!"
I turn away from the nurses and towards the doors to see another nurse enter the room. She looks panicked.
"The pups have awoken- they're not taking well to their new surroundings, Your Highness!" She exclaims just as a crash sounds from the other room.
Quickly standing, I thank the nurses as rush to the other room. The other of the two nurses I sent to watch the pups stands outside the door, a frightened look on her face. I dismiss her, opening the door just in time to see a brush go flying past my face. I hurry inside, shutting the door behind me before turning to the pups.
Well, I suppose I shouldn't be calling them that anymore.
In front of me stand two young children- maybe four or five- with black hair, bright yellow eyes and slightly different features. The boy has dark circular spots around his eyes and the girl has small freckles dotting across her cheeks and nose.
The two children look up at me with frightened expressions before relaxing slightly.
"You- You're the one that saved us!" The boy exclaims with wide eyes.
"Indeed I am," I respond, before looking around the destroyed room.
"Now, what's got you two so riled up?" I inquire, fully aware of why they are so freaked out.
"Why do we look like humans?! And where are we?" The boy asks, holding hands with his sister as he asks.
I kneel down to their level before responding.
"That is because you are human-like. You are no longer wargs. But you are not quite human either. You are skin-changers."
Their eyes widen as they slowly inch towards me.
"Really?" The girl asks, narrowing her eyes as if she doesn't believe me.
I nod.
"That's- That's so cool!" The boy exclaims with a smile.
"Yeah, I guess," The girl pouts, turning her head to the side and puffing out her cheeks.
I smile lightly at the two. "My name is Ambrosia. What are your names?"
"I'm Talon," The boy responds before nudging his sister. His sister continues to pout, but glances over at me and responds.
"Fang."
"Well it's very nice to meet you two. I suspect dinner will be ready soon. I'll help you get ready."
~~~~~~~~~~
The guards nod to me and the two children by my side, opening the door to the dinning room. The children beside me grasp my hands tightly as we enter the room, staring around in amazement.
Looking over to Adar, I smile lightly, leading the two of them to the grand table. The two of them sit to my left, to my right is Adar, and across from us is Avaline and Joshua. The two of them watch the children beside me with obvious interest.
"Avaline, Joshua, meet Fang and Talon." I motion between the children, introducing them to each other.
As the children begin talking and Adar watches them fondly, I find myself in thought. The last time I was here, the company was throwing food around and happily singing songs.
Gods do I miss them.
I wonder how they're fairing. After the scene at the cliff, they surely must think differently of me. But I wonder, to what extent?
Thinking back to yesterday, everyone was horrified when they found out the truth about me. But then, when I offered Dwalin a hand up onto the trunk, he accepted my help. Perhaps things wouldn't have changed as much as I thought.
Feeling a hand on mine, I look up to face Adar. He gives me a small smile.
"Perhaps you should go and see them. From what you told me, you left so suddenly. They at least deserve an explanation," he councils, his eyes filled with knowing.
I nod in agreement, guilt filling me. I glance over at the children.
"I should get them ready for bed."
~~~~~~~~~~
"Ambrosia?" Avaline asks, covering a yawn with her hand as she snuggles closer to Joshua in bed.
Turning away from Fang and Talon, I respond, "What is it?"
Her shining green eyes stare into mine as she asks, "Can I call you mom?"
My eyes widen in shock. Their parents had only passed away a week or so ago. How could she want to call me that so quickly? Quickly I come up with an answer.
"Yes, you can. But only if you promise me something." I crouch down next to her, the other children watching me with interest.
"Never forget your mothers. After all, they raised you into the beautiful young girl you are today. Can you do that for me?"
Avaline nods, a tear in her eyes at the mention of her mothers, but a smile on her face. I lean down and press a kiss to her forehead before tucking her back in.
"Can we call you mom too?" I turn to Fang and Talon with a soft smile on my face.
"Of course, but only if you can promise the same thing."
"We don't know who our parents are," Fang says, a slightly sad look on her face.
"That's alright. You don't need to make that promise," I respond, tucking the two yawning children back into bed.
"Can I.. can I call you mom too?"
I turn around to the last awake child, Joshua.
I nod. "Just promise you'll never forget your mothers. They deserve to be remembered."
Joshua nods, a tired smile on his face as he lays back down beside his sister on their bed.
"I promise."
~~~~~~~~~~
3rd Person POV (With The Company)
Thorin sat quietly against a tree, staring into the fire. He couldn't get the last night's events out of his mind.
Why had Ambrosia sacrificed herself for them? After everything he had said. After everything he had done to push her away, why had she protected him?
His heart hurt thinking about her. After realizing he was in love with her, he couldn't help but hold her in a new light.
How could he have been so cold to her over the past few weeks, when all she had done was help them and save them time and time again?
And why did she save him all those years ago during the battle of Moria? She hadn't known him then, and yet she had still saved him. Maybe, even as Lash, she wasn't as bad as everyone thought.
But then Thorin thought back to that evening in Rivendell, after the funeral. She had mentioned something about not wanting 'her' to get out. Who had she been referring to? There was no one else there when she had fought Edea. So who could she have been talking about? And why was Gandalf tasked to kill her?
Growing tired of thinking, Thorin moved to his bedroll and laid down to sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~
Ambrosia's POV
Exiting the palace gardens, I make my way to the fountain to find-
"Radagast," I breath out a sigh of relief as the old wizard turns away from the fountain to face me.
"Ambrosia! I came as soon as I got Lord Elrond's butterfly!"
Butterfly? Then who had he sent the dove to?
Brushing it off, I walk into the moonlight. Radagast's eyes widen as soon as he sees me.
"Oh- Goodness! Here, let me grab some- some-" But the wizard never finishes his sentence. A hedgehog rolls out of his bag and onto the ground before scampering off, surprising Radagast. My eyebrows rise in surprise as the Hedgehog runs off into the grass.
Radagast snaps out of his stupor, pulling out a handful of items before pulling me over to the fountain and sitting me down.
"A-Alright let's see. Two red caps, one green thistle, eight roses and- oh where is it!"
Radagast shuffles through his bag again before pulling out a vial of glowing green liquid.
"There it is!" I watch in amazement as Radagast pulls out a bowl and pours in all the ingredients before beginning to mix them.
The last time I watched him do this, I was nearly seven years old. I was dragging my mother to Rivendell when the old wizard found me. I wouldn't let him near my mother, but he made this potion for me so that I would no longer have to look like a monster.
Finishing up the potion, he hands it to me in another vial, pouring the rest into other vials.
"D-Drink one of these each morning and night until you r-run out. A-After that you-you should be back to normal," Radagast instructs, standing up and putting his supplies away before handing me the rest of the vials.
"Thank you, Radagast."
Radagast smiles and nods at me.
"N-Now, I must get going. T-The forest needs protecting!"
And with that, he runs off.
Turning away from the fountain, I down one of the vials. A tingling sensation fills my veins as the green coloring returns to my skin and hair.
A slight stinging sensation hits my chest and I look down to see the veins on my chest glowing a dark purple. It's the remainder of the serum the Orcs injected me with. Hopefully, Radagast's potion will destroy what remains of it by the time I run out.
Turning back to the castle, I put the vials into my pockets and head to my room to begin packing for the long trip of tomorrow. And maybe, I'll find the company. Adar was right, they deserve an explanation at the very least.
~~~
A/N
Hello Everyone! I'm SO Sorry for being gone so long. But now that summer has began, I am planning on finishing this book so that I can start my next one.
Thank you to everyone who is still reading this story and I sincerely apologize for being gone so long and so terrible with my update schedule.
The next update will either be sometime this week (possibly tomorrow) or next Thursday.
I promise I will see you all soon!