Thorin

~~~

I sit in my throne and watch the empty hallway. I need to guard the treasure. I need to guard my mountain.

What's a treasure hoard without the Arkenstone though? What's a king without his king's jewel? Useless that's what. I was foolish and let the pretty blonde hobbit fool me with her smiles and lies. She betrayed me, they all have.

Footsteps make me look to my approaching friend and shield brother.

"Since when do we forsake our own people? Thorin, they are dying out there," Dwalin murmurs with a pathetic sadness in his voice. He looks genuinely troubled.

"There are holes beneath holes within this mountain, places we can fortify. Shore up, make safe? Yes. Yes, that is it. We must move the gold further underground to safety," I mutter and stand up. We need to make the treasure safe. Safe from more possible betrayals. Safe if she returns.

"Did you not hear me? Dain is surrounded. They're being slaughtered, Thorin," Dwalin says with a pleading look. He's trying not to soften me, it will not work.

"Many die in war, life is cheap. But a treasure such as this cannot be counted in lives lost. It is worth all the blood we can spend," I answer dryly, this angers him.

"You sit here in these vast halls with a crown upon your head, and yet you are lesser now than you have ever been," Dwalin states grimly. How dare he?! He has betrayed me as well?!

"Do not speak to me as if I were some lowly Dwarf Lord. As is if I were still Thorin... Oakenshield. I am your king!" I exclaim angrily. I'm the king!

A king without a queen. I regretfully feel guilty and upset about her death. I shouldn't, she betrayed me!

"You were always my king. You used to know that once. You cannot see what you have become," Dwalin whispers and looks at me with teary eyes. He looks disappointed and sad. It makes me furious that he thinks less of me now! I'm the true king!

"Go. Get out, before I kill you," I order darkly. Dwalin bites his lip and turns away. He leaves without a further word of treason.

~~~

I stroll through the gallery pensively examining the gold pathway. Dwalins words have gotten to me.

"You sit here with a crown upon your head. You are lesser now than you have ever been."

"A treasure such as this cannot be counted in lives lost."

"A sickness lies upon that treasure..."

"The blind ambition of a Mountain King."

"I'd never wear your broken crown Thorin."

"Am I not the King?"

As I recall I walk over the hardened gold.

"This gold is ours, and ours alone. Treasure hoard... I will not part with a single coin."

"He could not see beyond his own desire!"

"...as if I were some lowly Dwarf Lord. Thorin Oakenshield."

"A sickness which drove your grandfather mad."

"Oakenshield."

"This is Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror!"

Maybe I have changed.

"I am not my grandfather."

"You are the heir to the Throne of Durin."

"They are dying out there."

"Take back Erebor."

"Dain is surrounded...is surrounded."

"Take back your homeland."

"You are changed, Thorin. The Dwarf I met in Bag End would never have gone back on his word, would never have doubted the loyalty of his kin."

"I'm not my grandfather."

"Is this treasure truly worth more than your honor?"

"I'm not my grandfather."

Beneath me I see the dragons swimming in the gold. I shout as the dragon disappears and I start to sink into the gold. What's happening?!

"This treasure will be your death."

"Thorin I'm so sorry."

I'm sinking! I'm sinking! I can't die now I have to fix this!

The gold stops turning and suddenly I see her standing before me.

"Tell me Thorin, how much gold was my life worth?"

I became wrong, I am wrong. I am sick, I was sick!

Oh Mahal what have I done.

"A-angels were never meant to fall, and you-you were the loveliest of all," I stammer and gaze at her form.

"I didn't fall I was dropped."

"If I thought Mahal could fix t I'd pray for your forgiveness," I mutter. "Oh forgive me Mahal! Forgive me Allie!"

When I loom back up she is gone. She is gone forever.

With a loud scream of anguish I throw my crown aside.

I killed her.

She tried to love me, I tried to let her, but my hands are stained with blood, and hers were as pure as snow.

My hands are stained with her blood.

~~~

Emily

~~~

I shoot over the wall and land in the mountain right before the dwarves. They've all been restlessly sitting just behind the wall.

"Dain is getting slaughtered we need your help!" I exclaim in pure exasperation. "He is calling his people back to this mountain as we speak!"

"Emily," his voice states as my blood runs cold. Thorin has entered and he's holding his sword. Kili beats me to a verbal whipping and jumps up.

"I will not hide behind a wall of stone, while others fight our battles for us! It is not in my blood, Thorin," Kili shouts angrily and stomps towards his uncle. Fili grabs my arm to keep me from interfering and leans into my ear.

"Look at his eyes, his smile, there is no sickness in them," Fili whispers to me. He is right there is none.

"No, it is not. We are sons of Durin, and Durin's folk do not flee from a fight," Thorin confirms and smiles brightly. Thorin pulls his nephew in and they touch there foreheads together for a long moment while they gaze at each other. It's a healing moment.

Thorin lets go and faces the company with a serious look. They look back at him all standing tall with their weapons and armor.

"I have no right to ask this of any of you, but will you follow me, one last time?"

~~~

"Wait Emily," Fili mutters and stops me before I can fly back out. "Stay safe out there please."

"You too Fili," I say and smile at him. "I love you Fili Durin."

"And I love you Emily Writle." It's a bittersweet moment for us.

Fili cups my face and I lean in to kiss him slowly with meaning. I hold his neck and kiss his cautiously careful not to cut him on my sharp teeth. I wish I could stay like this just kissing him forever.

But I can't.

"I'll see you out there Fili," I utter and blink back a tear. Before he can respond I'm flying back out.