Work Text:
A Filgrid one-shot where Fíli works his way up
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Fíli had always been prideful at his physical appearance to an almost egotistical level. He took after Thorin in keeping his beard short in remembrance rather than inability like Kíli. Yet the dwarf allowed himself the luxury of letting his beard grow a tad more once they had the mountain back.
He was a pillar of gold, from his tanned skin to his bright head and beard that he at times decorated with golden thread to emphasis his rich heritage and ability further. Unlike Kíli who had taken after their late father's coloring of dark hair and eyes, Fíli had inherited Dís' light eyes and golden mane.
His barrel chest and thick fingers were seen as exceptional with men and women alike, both in admiration for his pure physical ability, and the way he could made his tunics stretch if Fíli felt so inclined. He had a strong grip and sure body that rarely failed him in any situation.
So while the humans, hobbits and even elves preferred Kíli in his robust ways and soft face, Fíli was the epitome of attractive for dwarves. He was charming and polite, never assumed things of others, and had a solid moral code he would never compromise. Sure, his nose could be a bit bigger, but his large ears and braids made up for that. And in the initial few years after healing from death and reclaiming their mountain, Fíli was quite comfortable with himself and the reality of being an honest prince he had thought impossible.
Until a marriage of convenience was suggested for Fíli, and the dwarf was left wondering what humans preferred to see in their suitors.
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While Fíli had felt a stirring of love in others, he loved his friends and family fiercely. Since he had no connection to another, he was more willing to volunteer his services to helping cement a better connection with a newly revived Dale. Fíli wondered if this was a backwards attempt by Thorin to get Kíli away from his elf who he was clearly over the moon and lost in the stars for. But when Kíli refused, their uncle had merely nodded before turning his eyes on his heir. There was no expectation in his eyes that Fíli could see, only a slight curiosity.
Fíli had said he was unsure, and that he would need the night to think it over. Kíli had openly gaped at him, and Thorin and Balin seemed pleasantly surprised as well. So after wandering their kingdom, and thinking that maybe this was not so bad an idea, Fíli decided he would attempt it. And true, he was young, so maybe when she passed and he continued on he could have a proper dwarf partner if he so felt inclined. Truly, Fíli did not have much to lose offering himself to a young human for the rest of her life. He did not have another he had found in all their journeys and the dwarves that continued to poor in daily. And Fíli was much too busy and noble to get lost in the frivolous dealings of love.
"I'll send a raven," Balin said with the beginnings of a smile when Fíli found him and agreed to a courting.
"I hope that Bard will feel more inclined to think this a compliment than anything else," Fíli said with a nod.
"And that Sigrid herself is alright with it," Balin reminded amicably.
Fíli hummed in agreement, but really there was nothing she had to lose. One of the most attractive and high ranking dwarves (Fíli could admit more sighed over Dori than him) was offering countship. Fíli could give Sigrid anything she desired with their wealth, and she would never be more than an hour's ride from her home.
When he told Dís about the arrangement, she just lifted a thick eyebrow before commenting: "Well, at least your children have a chance of getting beards. As if Kíli was not doomed enough from the start, and then he goes and courts an elf."
Fíli had laughed for a good, long minute and then swarmed in to his parent's space. Fíli butting his forehead against Dís' before wrapping her tight in a hug. Even if he never came to have emotions past content or acceptance of Sigrid, he always had his bright family love to keep him going. Fíli believed that would be more than enough.
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They got a letter from Bard the next day, explaining that Sigrid would be coming to visit later that morning. She had always been curious about dwarves since they came out of the privy, and who was such a loving father as he to deny her request? Apparently she had been too young to travel up for the festivals, but now she was or age both for her independence, drinking and whatever else she got herself in to.
Fíli's eyes had widened in shock before he rushed off from breakfast to make himself half presentable. All the while he cursed such a small window of warning to her arrival. While he still slept with his mustache braided (some old road habits never fade), he needed to fix his beard, and his hair, and truly his overall rumbled appearance from a night out of drinking with Kíli, Ori and Bofur.
Because while he was the pinnacle of budding royalty, it was demanded of every dwarf to have a healthy tolerance for mead. And Fíli never lacked on any of the duties demanded of him.
It only took the blonde an hour to full dress and comb, but by that time a messenger was already waiting outside his rooms. He informed Fíli that the Lady Sigrid was here, and could be found at the training grounds. Frowning, Fíli nodded before going that way.
He heard her shout of exclamation first, something much too high-pitched and feminine even for their dwarrowdams. So he followed the sound, and blinked at what his eyes showed.
Because while he was more than accustomed to see Dwalin teaching sword techniques, as he had done so with himself and Kíli, and even Ori to an extent on the road, it was almost comical to see their massive Captain look up to talk to Sigrid.
She had grown in the some years since Fíli had seen her last. Or, at least close up, as they had been at Bard's house nearly half a decade ago now. Fíli had not given much thought to her maturity then (men were even odder than hobbits in their ages), but now she seemed full grown in to a figure that was slighter than even Tauriel's. Still, she wore a bulky vest as if to hide her able figure.
Fíli thought of his own stocky appearance, and how his shoulder were easily doubled hers, and that his large hands could probably circle her waist comfortably enough for fingertips to brush against each other. She was wearing leggings, quite unlike the skirts he had first seen her in, and her hair was pulled back in a large bun near the top of her head.
And even from this distance Fíli could tell her profile was more than just fair. Her face was rounder, softer than any dwarf's, but she was beautiful none-the-less. Especially with the slight sheen of sweat on her brow.
Before the prince had much more time to assess the human more as she stood still, Dwalin stepped back, and she lunged with both reckless abandon and oddly enough a smile on her face. Fíli felt himself sit down on a nearby bench, favoring to lean back on his palms and watch the odd pair.
Dwalin was taller than almost all, but still the top of his tattooed head only came up to her eyes. But it seemed her height was the only advantage Sigrid had, as she was probably only a third the weight of the combat experienced dwarf. No doubt her strength was an even smaller fraction of his.
It was obvious Dwalin was going easy on her, just like he had done with Ori on the road. Fíli would think it endearing, if he did not still have scars from when Dwalin had been anything but kind and gentle to him and his brother in their training.
Even as Dwalin was parrying her strikes between their wooden swords, and her hair was becoming increasingly unraveled from her bun, she still had that slight smile on her face that was beginning to get flushed in her exertion.
Finally, when Sigrid leaned over her knees to catch her breath, Fíli stood and made his entrance.
"Fíli," Dwalin grunted with affection that was hard, but not impossible, to decipher.
Sigrid did not voice a greeting, but rather just nodded her head, those glossy locks once again bobbing from the action.
"I take it your ride here was pleasant," Fíli offered in his own type of unorthodox greeting.
"Oh, I hiked here actually," Sigrid said in a light voice, "I thought it would do me good, and with Spring fast approaching, the outside air felt nice in my lungs."
"And then naturally you wanted to fight," Fíli said with a raised eyebrow.
She laughed again at this, foreign and light, and this time dwarves stopped and looked up in confusion and wonderment. These warriors no doubt mostly dealt with human men, not young women whose smile was easy and laughter fanciful. And whose hair shone ever so prettily.
"Da says I don't need to learn, but insists on teaching Bain. So every night he simply teaches me, and I was wondering what it would be like to face an actual opponent rather than a younger brother. I saw a familiar face, and decided to ask."
Dwalin shrugged, and his impassive expression remained, but Fíli could tell it was not meant to be hurtful.
"I understand the need for an opponent rather than an incompetent brother," Fíli joked with a smile that he knew made lasses blush.
Sigrid tilted her head at that, smile growing lightly, as Dwalin gave a gruff chuckle. But her face did not show any more color, and she only kept her gaze on him long enough to be polite before turning back to Dwalin and asking what times he would be here.
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"This is where you'll be staying," Fíli said as he showed her their finest guest chambers. "My room is down the hall to the left, and so is Kíli's, and across of that is my Mom's and King Thorin's. Bilbo is just right across of you."
Sigrid dropped her modest pack and looked around at the ornate gold and silver that was interwoven in nearly everything. From the wallpaper to the heavy quilt on the bead, everything was bright even in the torch lighting. Fíli thought about starting a fire for her, but he did not know if she would be remaining in the room.
"I don't really need all... this," Sigrid said as she flapped her hands about.
Fíli took a step back, else he be hit with a wild elbow. Under her dull blue vest she had a fluttery white shirt whose sleeves were dirtied, and Fíli knew it would offer no cushion should a blow of an elbow to his nose come about. And while it was quite fetching to have notches from previous breaks in dwarven noses, Fíli liked his the way it was just fine.
"It's our way," Fíli offered, not knowing what else to say to hide the slight hurt he felt at his rejected offer.
Sigrid looked down at him, and Fíli raised an eyebrow, before she sighed and ventured further in to the room. She turned around, her dirty leather boots stepping on the lush fur carpets tentatively.
"Is there anywhere else you would like to visit?" Fíli asked as he remained at the doorframe, as she had yet to invite him in. And while they were technically courting, there were only guards outside to supervise. "We have a grand library, and kitchens, and I can even escort you down to the mines if you so choose. I am completely at your disposal for the rest of this day."
Sigrid hummed absently before reaching up and Fíli barely had time to make a strangled noise before she was letting her hair fall down in waves. He could not will down the blush that bloomed across his face at such an intimate picture. In the few and long between tumbles Fíli had with other dwarves in boredom, the blonde knew they had never even imagined offering him such a sign of trust and affection.
But clearly that was not the young woman's intent, as Sigrid was not looking at Fíli and her eyes were not even alight with her earlier amusement. Then she was twisting up the long locks again, and Fíli realized that she was simply fixing her hair back to its original style.
"I am quite hungry," Sigrid admitted as she stepped back closer to him.
Fíli wondered if he should warn what would happen if she did that in public (no doubt a lot of gaping, and then blushing and giddy laughter from the younger ones) but deciding that could wait. Balin had agreed to give her some lessons on dwarf culture and manners, and Fíli had never been as wise with words as the King's advisor.
"Bombur will be happy to see you," Fíli said as he stepped aside to let her exit again. "He was quite fascinated with how you managed your modest herb box in such dreary weather and water."
"Just have to find the right stubborn plants is all," Sigrid said cheerily in that light voice of hers.
Fíli nodded, and his eyes skirted from her tanned face to a lock at the base of her neck that had escaped her hands. But Fíli did not bring it up, and rather let the rebellious hair that curled softly remain free.
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Fíli knew he and Sigrid were amicable to each other over the weeks. Yet when it came the time for her to leave after a month, Fíli was disappointed that she showed no outward favoring to him over the other company members that had come to see her off. Sigrid gave Fíli the same handshake and nod, and not even her eyes lingered.
"Huh. She is not interested in you at all," Kíli said smartly as her tall figure disappeared over the rocks.
Sigrid's pack bulged bigger than before, no doubt from the handkerchiefs Bilbo had given her, the toys Bofur had positively dumped on her, sweets Bombur had offered, and the pipe and pouch of pipeweed Fíli gave to her on request. He thought it was for Bard, but the way her eyes lit up and how she smiled secretively made the prince think otherwise.
"Thanks," Fíli huffed back with a punch to his younger brother's shoulder.
"No, I mean, it's downright hilarious really," Kíli blithered on, "But then again, she is quite pretty for a human."
"You have such weird tastes," Fíli said with a frown.
"Trust me, it's nice not to have another beard in the way," Kíli said with a grin, "There's a lot less tangling going on."
"I'm looking forward to seeing Tauriel's new beard then, as you're obviously the one lacking it in your relationship," Fíli countered.
Kíli finally had the gall to frown, and Fíli counted it as a victory.
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Fíli had never been good with writing letters, despite how neat and straight his letters and words were when he tried. But it had been two weeks since Sigrid had left, and there had been no messages from her pertaining to a visit of her, or of Fíli going down to visit.
The blonde prince did not exactly know why he was pressing this issue. It was most likely for to uphold his pride, surprised that a mere human had not simply fallen for him after seeing his golden appearance and manners. Maybe she still only saw the water-logged dwarf of unraveling braids, frantic to save his brother. Not the now proud and pristine price who would one day be king.
So he wrote to her about how he wished to see her. To ask if she played an instrument that might compliment his violin, or if she wished to come and keep up her swords work with him as he was fit for combat with not only one, but two swords techniques. He had no use for a shield when he was so strong and able.
He sent it along with his raven, Ko, and the bird had sniffed at the idea of having to deal with humans, but she obeyed him still. She was quite a pretty bird, when she was not being difficult, and Sigrid might be impressed by his companion.
Fíli got a response the next day, and while it was a few paragraphs long, it was formal and stilted as if she had not written it herself. It was like a dignitary had written it in Sigrid's stead, and she had simply read it over before signing it without a care.
The blonde had stared at it in horror, as it was quite rude despite the flowery language, to not even give him a response of her own. It did not have to be poetry in the least, but Fíli had thought themselves agreeable at least for the time the lass was here. But now it seemed as if she had simply used him as an excuse to visit the mountain and garner gifts to bring back to her family.
Fíli thought that maybe he should just leave it here, and accept that maybe this courtship had been doomed from the start. It was already a stretch to have one Durin favoring a hobbit, and another an elf. Maybe there truly was no room for a human as well.
Yet Fíli was as stubborn as any other dwarf, even more so by constant exposure to his mum and uncle. They were ridiculous in their attempts to never give up, and Fíli had agreed to a courting. He would see this through, and denied even the idea of admitting defeat by breaking it off.
So either Sigrid would eventually cave under his charms and agree to a marriage, or continue to slight him and she would break it off herself. What Fíli knew for certain was he would not allow her to make him feel useless and unwanted. With that in mind, Fíli pulled out a new sheet of parchment and quill and set to work on writing to her again.
Aside him he heard Ko sigh from her perch.
By his third letter, the handwriting changed and Fíli could tell this was actually Sigrid writing and not whatever sad advisor had gotten the unfortunate task. She explained the garden she has started, and how the bread recipe Bombur had given her was quite favored by her father. It was a little odd to talk about subjects that Fíli had no idea to respond to, and he realized it was done on purpose.
Sigrid was still trying to shake him off, and rather than feel disheartened by it, Fíli felt encouraged by it. At least now he had wormed his way in to her day by his letters. As much as he would rather spend his time creating things that did not so easily burn, Fíli took the time to continue writing. His messages were much more detailed and better in prose than her, but slowly Sigrid was writing more back. Her words were not so messy or stilted, and began to turn in to something that Fíli could work with.
He kept her letters in a drawer, and this continued on a for the entire Spring. Then one hot summer day Ko delivered a letter like usual, except this time there was a request instead of just a reply.
Sigrid asked if it was alright if she visited in a few weeks time, and Fíli agreed to it before he sensibly asked Thorin or Balin for agreement. Truthfully, he thought the two older dwarves had forgotten about the entire arrangement. Kíli had even lost interested in poking fun at him about it. Dís was truly the only one who eyed the ink under his fingertips and smirked like she knew more than Fíli himself about the matter.
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This time she rode up to the mountain. This was probably because the weather was now warm and the walk would not have been as enjoyable in the stiffing heat without convenient cool winds. Fíli resisted the urge to shrink back as she suddenly appeared at their gates on a (massive) brown stallion. Someone who was clearly an escort and guard appeared after a moment longer.
Sigrid dismounted effortlessly, something only gained through practice. She gave the reins to the guard and said some words that Fíli could not decipher over the huffing of horses. The boy (because he was definitely no grown man yet) gave a lingering look and smile at Sigrid as she turned away before leaving with the horses.
Just as when she had departed from Fíli, Sigrid did not hint to any more with her own curt smile and wave as she approached the two brothers. Fíli straightened his back just that little bit more while Kíli did not give a care in the world about his messy hair and crooked smile.
"I think he fancies you," Kíli declared as he waved at the young man who had tried to discretely look back for a lasting glance. He jumped at Kíli's attention in his saddle before turning and riding off.
"I know, poor sap," Sigrid said with a mischievous smile before she turned to walk into the massive gate for the mountain, not waiting for either of the prices to lead her.
Kíli snorted and chanced a look at Fíli, who had put much effort into maintaining a neutral expression. But of course a younger brother could see right through it, and soon Kíli was choking down chuckles so as not to alarm Sigrid in front of them.
The brothers (well, Fíli, as Kíli had a horrid sense of direction) led Sigrid to her rooms before leaving her to bathe away the hotness of her ride and dress in fresh clothes. They told her once she was done to simply knock at Bilbo's door, where they would wait for her to have tea.
The hobbit had seen her many times when she stayed the month and become close friends. While their height difference as absolutely comical (although not as much as Bilbo with Gandalf), they had instantly bonded over the stubbornness of dwarves, gardens, and boring domestic chores. Fíli was decidingly not jealous over how easily Bilbo had won Sigrid to his side.
Fíli and Kíli themselves sat back and tried to pretend they liked tea, when they both knew they would much rather have a stiff cider or ale. At least the scones Bilbo had made were good, although a little too sweet for Fíli's taste. Kíli was all too happy about that, as it just left more for him to demolish.
After the brothers had dozed off at least four times each with the comforting lull of Bilbo and Sigrid conversations, the hobbit looked to the clock and started. He began pushing them out, saying he needed to get ready for tonight. Apparently one of the buttons Thorin had made for him had fallen off and he needed to re-stitch it to his waistcoat.
Fíli realized he, too, should probably fix his hair and change his wardrobe. The brothers escorted Sigrid the (extremely) short distance to her rooms before Fíli told her he would send some servants. At that statement she eyed him warily like a horse just about to get ridden for the first time.
"Just to help you with all that hair," Fíli said pleasantly. "I am holding this feast in your honor. It wouldn't do very well to have the lady of the hour with even a hair out of place."
Sigrid snorted, and if Fíli had not been watching her he would have thought the rude noise to have come from Kíli beside him. Before he had any time to wonder if he had overstepped some boundary, Sigrid gave a rushed agreement before darting behind her door and closing it with a click.
"Do you think this is too much?" Fíli asked Kíli as he helped his brother with his simplistic hairstyle. Like the one clip actually did anything to hold back the craziness. (It was the same reason why Fíli had so many braids – to curtail his locks.)
"Tauriel nearly renounced her King and entire past life for me," Kíli preened proudly. "So I don't think it's too crazed."
Fíli sighed, thinking that there could be no bigger difference between the true love those two felt and the arranged agreement he had with Sigrid. Still, as he moved to his own mirror to deal with his hair, Fíli told himself he was just being generous. Not explicitly trying to show off Erebor's wealth or his own exceptional dance moves. Yes, it was perfectly acceptable to hold a celebration for Sigrid, even if she was only staying a few days.
The maids must have enjoyed braiding Sigrid's soft looking hair, because when she appeared at their high table her head looked looked like an intricate honey comb of interlacing patterns and jewels. Even Dís commented on the beauty she had in her hair, and Fíli realized it was the first time he had seen Sigrid blush. And it had been his mum to do it before him. Fantastic.
Her dress was simple compared to the royal dwarfs' ceremonial garbs, but Fíli thought the worn blue and cream of her dress was fitting. (More to her personality and life than her figure, as it left [disappointingly] still a lot to the imagination.) The dress was clearly made from humans, and obviously not the one Fíli had asked Dori to make for her. No matter, as Fíli thought he had been wrong to think magenta suited her better than the cornflower of her own dress.
Yet it was clearly only one layer, so after Fíli jumped to take Sigrid's hand and lead her to her seat, he unclasped his fur surcoat. He draped it over her shoulders after he tucked her closer to the table as she sat in her chair. If she would not wear the dress he had so plainly offered, she could at least wear his furs.
Sigrid looked up at him quizzically, and Fíli noted that for once she was the shorter one. He had to look down to meet her eyes, and in truth he would have to be the one to lean down to initiate a kiss.
"So you don't get cold," the dwarf mumbled in explanation.
"Or stolen by another," Kíli exclaimed jubilantly as Dís and Thorin rolled their eyes nearly en-sync.
Dinner went surprisingly smooth, even with the ruckus below them of free food and mead. Sigrid was obviously nervous to be around Thorin and Dís, but soon enough she loosened up. Her smiles were not so polite, and her shoulders stopped being so obviously tense even under all the fur. Fíli thought it was in part from the pints of cider she had drunken, but maybe Kíli's jokes really were that funny.
Overall, Fíli thought this night was going quite well for it being so suddenly thrown together at his request. He thought about reaching for her hand to hold, but Sigrid was always using them fervently to help with her stories or reactions to Kíli's own tales. Fíli was more than content to sit and listen to them while Dís made fun of Thorin for staring so obviously after Bilbo below.
When the musicians appeared after the food was taken and replaced with more drink, Fíli grinned wide. He could see Ori, Nori and Bofur among the modest group. Thinking it was now or never, Fíli grabbed for Sigrid's hand and stood them up without much thought. She left his bulky surcoat behind, making her no longer look like a lump of cloth and fur. She did not pull or argue against Fíli when he lead her to the golden floor.
To the lass' credit, she picked up their line dances quite quickly. Although there was a lot more repetition and heavy, meaningful steps than other races' dances. Humans were even slower than them, and always methodic with no flare for improvisation to an almost depressing level. Hobbits, Fíli had learned, were crazed and foot fancy. The dwarf did not care to wonder what type of dances elves indulged in, although he was sure it was full of swaying and exaggerated hair flips.
After quite a long time of only letting their bodies show their energy and youth, Fíli pulled Sigrid aside so they could catch their breath. Sigrid began giggling, and Fíli followed her eyes to watch as Bilbo easily danced circles around his uncle that did not seem so grumpy at the moment.
"This is quite fun!" Sigrid declared as she pushed aside a loose strand of hair behind her small ear that was not adorned with even one earring.
Fíli wanted to comment that at their wedding there would be even more food, song and dancing. But he thought it best not to jump so far ahead, especially when she had been so obviously wary of a simple celebration in her name. Sigrid barely talked to Fíli as it was, so it was probably best not to scare her off with heavy promises of the future.
"You're also quite fun, when you stop being so level-headed," Sigrid continued to say unprompted.
"And here I thought you were an older sibling and heir like me," Fíli commented playfully in return. He even went so far as to nudge his shoulder into her bicep like they were good pub friends instead of distant individuals from different kingdoms and races.
This had her chuckling, and even nudging him back briefly. She raised a hand from her side, obviously to hide her sudden laughter, but Fíli grabbed her wrist before she could. Sigrid looked down at him for an explanation, dark eyebrows furrowed.
"Your laugh is quite pretty," Fíli said seriously. "It would be a shame to hide it."
Sigrid blushed for a second time that night, and Fíli felt his toes curl n his boots in satisfaction at the victory. Yet it was short lived, as she shoved him nearly hard enough to tip him over (maybe Fíli himself had been the one drinking too much cider). The dwarf was saved when Sigrid grabbed his hand and pulled him back onto the dance floor.
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"I'll return again in a week," Sigrid informed as she got up on the horse, still with that ease of familiarity. "And just as I'll return in seven days, I'll stay that long. I should be able to wrangle that much from my Da."
Fíli wanted to reach up and take her hand, just like he had last night. It had been a whirlwind of dancing, drinking, and smoking outside. She indeed had taken the pipe Fíli had made for herself, and Fíli had felt such a surge of pride he thought he might float off the balcony to join the clouds.
Yet the dwarf did not have the height to reach up the flank of the horse for her hand holding the reins. And the guard from when she had arrived was studying him funnily. Fíli did not want to seem untoward even in front of someone who was obviously a competitor. Not that the lad had a mountain and kingdom to offer like the blonde did. (Although he did have more inches to his frame.)
And it seemed that Sigrid was not interested in his gold, or the place Fíli would some day rule. When they went to the mines, her eyes had stayed more on the dwarves working than what they were digging up. Fíli realized that she had probably had enough of gold and ruling being the Lady of Dale.
It made Fíli realize he would actually have to woo someone for the first time on his character alone. Because clearly if she had not already fallen for his looks else they would have shared kisses last night instead of stories of their siblings.
"I look forward to it," Fíli finally spoke with a grave nod.
Sigrid gave a final smile that was both secretive and small before spurring her mount forward. Fíli staring after her in confusion and wonderment, fingers twitching at his sides. The guard grabbed his reins and rushed to follow. The prince thought that the lad was not nearly as graceful as Sigrid rode away, her hair and blue vest bright in the morning sun peaking over the mountain.
Fíli did not even bother looking over at Kíli when he passed by him at the gate. The blonde knew there would be a self-satisfied smirk on his stubbled face that would only grow if Fíli cast him a glance.
"Don't say a word," Fíli growled as he passed by Kíli to continue in the mountain. Fíli probably had much to catch up on in the leave Thorin had granted him. Treaties to look over and study, meetings to attend and observe.
"Than I shall sing it," Kíli chirped.
Fíli turned to him them, eyes bright with unspoken threats. They were not the only ones milling about, as the gates were open and dwarves and a few humans traveled about without worry. If his younger brother decided to make any sort of scene the mountain would be abuzz with the gossip in less than an hour's time. Not that Fíli minded the least when others talked about him, but it was inevitable Dís would find out.
Fíli's eyes narrowed in further warning, but Kíli just took a deep breath and began. Living up to his cheeky younger sibling persona, he began belting out the most stereotypical, sappy and saccharine love ballad that only those who were very drunk (and blissfully gone in mind) would ever bellow aloud.
The blonde made a grab for Kíli, but the younger simply danced out of his grip with an excessive twirl and sigh in his lyrics. Nearby, the guards were snickering. Yes, Dwalin might just be the first to hear about this.
When Kíli returned to the chorus about this love outliving diamonds, Fíli threw aside his cool demeanor and chased after his younger brother without abandon.
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Fíli tried everything to gain Sigrid's favor during her next visit. Well, everything except the ballad Kíli had sung at her last parting from him. (Fíli had sung other things for her while playing his violin, but Bilbo clapped more enthusiastically than her.)
He brought her to the mines and showed her their new work, but Sigrid was more distracted by Bofur's crude jokes than to listen to what Fíli had helped plan and accomplish here. (She also had some jokes of her own that made Fíli's ears heat beneath his braids.) He took her to Dori's tailored shop, where Fíli made the buttons and broaches when he had the time and Dori the requests. But Sigrid was distracted by Dori's talk of teas. Fíli found himself oddly sitting between the two with a dreaded cup between him, the subject straying from embroidery to knitting but never back to him.
He took her to the training grounds to show off his prowess as a warrior with duel swords, but Sigrid was too interested in getting lessons from Dwalin to pay the prince any mind. One day Fíli took her to the library, to show her the wide array of books the lass could spend lifetimes trying to read. But Sigrid did not find awe in that, and instead found it in Ori who was apparently so entertaining to make blush.
Taking a lesson from what had happened at Dori's, Fíli arranged for the two of them to have tea with Bilbo to show he was as refined as he was strong. But Sigrid spent the entire time talking to Bilbo about farming and flowers. Fíli sat again on the outside with nothing to contribute, and realized in dread he had drunken his entire cup of tea out of sheer despondency.
Fíli even took Sigrid to his own work studio, to show her all that he made from pipes to swords. Yet she was more interested in the crummy bows Kíli was trying to whittle for Tauriel. And then of course she asked Kíli to teach her how to make arrows, and Fíli was left on the sidelines looking at his own little creations in dejection.
By the time Sigrid had to go in seven days, Fíli was exhausted and had accomplished nothing. He watched her ride away on a different steed, but the same escort, from before. Fíli did not have the urge to reach up for her hand, and this time he did not wait until he could no longer see her to turn away.
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Fíli hated training against Thorin.
One of the reasons why was because there was always so many dwarves staring. Thorin liked to have an audience, so he would appear at the training field and demand that Fíli show just why his uncle thought him one of his best warriors.
In addition, unlike the fury of a battlefield, it was unnerving for Fíli to have to focus all his attention on one sole thing. He was a dwarf of movement and brevity with his swords, not one who danced around uneasily and had to think strategy. All the while dwarves cat-called and cheered for either their current king or their future one.
Of course it did not help that Sigrid was here as well for a change. She had come up for a day of visiting and training with no note in advance. Meaning the lass had found Fíli earlier today at the importune time when he was doing hand-stands to practice his balance. She had toppled him from her sudden greeting like a tunnel reinforced with twigs. Sigrid had then danced away to meet up with Tauriel and Kíli (Had they all made some lame archery club?) and Fíli had tried not to get distracted by looking for her.
Yet Fíli had managed to focus on this fight and not the lass for a good amount of time now. It was a good thing he had, as Fíli saw his moment to strike Thorin on his back by sweeping at his bad left knee. It was somewhat of a cheap shot, as Fíli knew about his lingering injury from the Battle of Five Armies, but his uncle was nothing but tough. And Fíli deserved to win every once and a while. Which seemed what was going to happen as Thorin did indeed crumple and his training sword clattered out of his hand.
Fíli's mind was set, and he could see just what he needed to do, before Sigrid made her presence know once again. Her voice was high and cut through the deep rumblings collectively made from all the dwarves effortlessly.
"Come O'Great King Thorin!" Fíli heard her light voice scream out.
Fíli looked up to see that Sigrid cheering beside Bilbo. Or, at least she was cheering while Bilbo looked oddly pale and worried, fingers tangled by his waist. It was odd to see beautiful Sigrid as the rough soul in comparison to Bilbo, but Fíli thought the hobbit was the kindest creature he had ever come across.
Sigrid's hair was loose, and her eyes were alight with revelry at the spar happening before her. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, like she herself had just finished with a bought. When Fíli tried to find the freckles on the bridge of her nose even from this distance, he realize in dread that he had actually missed her. It had only been two weeks since Fíli had seen her last, but still that did not make his realization any less true.
Sigrid finally looked up from his uncle to Fíli and locked eyes with his blue ones; she stilled for a moment in clear shock. Fíli felt himself frown, and his spirit in this fight was suddenly gone from his body. What was the point of winning if Sigrid would not commend him for a job well done? She would just sulk over how Thorin, clearly her preferred dwarf in the fight like Bilbo, had not bested his nephew.
Fíli turned back to Thorin, just in time to see the punch coming directly to the right side of his face.
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Fíli woke up for the second time in his life staring up at Oin's wrinkled face and crinkled ear horn. Why could the blonde not have gotten someone like a beloved family member, instead of an old dwarf who perpetually smelled like herbs and ointments?
Oin nodded his head, clearly not hearing Fíli's rude thoughts with his hearing aid, before shuffling off and muttering something about how Fíli needed to protect what little brains he had. It made the dwarf regret feeling bad about thinking ill of the dwarf. It had been primarily Tauriel and the elves who had saved him from death all those years ago anyway.
"You're awake!"
Fíli moved his eyes away from the stone ceiling towards the cheery voice that could only belong to Kíli. After he struggled to sit up for a moment (his brains felt like Bombur's signature watery stew they had many a times on the road) and saw that a good amount of friends had gathered. He could see all the original company members, his mother, Tauriel, and even Sigrid and Bain. Apparently she had decided to bring her brother along this time, and Fíli had been too intent on her presence before to even notice.
"How're you feeling?" Dís asked as she carefully sat beside him on the bed. She brushed aside some hair from his temple.
Fíli resisted the urge to wince, as even that soft action from his mother brought spikes of sharp pain to his head. It seemed to radiate out even to the tips of his blunt toes and fingers.
"Like when Bilbo hits me for taking the last scone," Fíli managed to get out in a gravely voice.
The hobbit in question huffed at that but there was laughter bubbling up from everyone. Fíli smiled bravely, and watched warily as Thorin stepped forward from the crowd with a grave frown on his long face.
"It was close enough," Thorin said as he continued to inch closer. "Really Fíli, you should have been able to dodge that easily. I thought I had made the swing obvious enough. What had you so distracted?"
The blonde just barely managed to resist the urge to glance at Sigrid, even as he saw her fidget above everyone else. She was in the back, but her impressive height made her figure easily seen. Even Bain's figure was obvious, and Fíli saw how he turned to Sigrid with a frown.
"I don't remember," Fíli admitted as he balled the sheets at his lap.
"I bet you won't remember a lot of things now, considering how bad you got banged," Kíli said. "How does it feel?"
"At least my head isn't in a bowl of walnuts," Fíli muttered.
Laughter again, with Bofur being the loudest, and Fíli closed his eyes as the loud noise made his head pound further. Truly they were all family, but dwarves always had a problem of giving others space. Probably a result from being crammed so close together for hours in tunnels.
Dís stood up from the thin cot, straightening her dress and golden hair like there was something actually out of place.
"Alright, everyone out now. Fíli needs to rest," she spoke with steel as she waved her hands. "Yes, that means even you Kíli. He'll truly never sleep with you around."
Everyone began shuffling out, and Fíli gave a sigh in relief. Yet it was cut short as Dís said one last phrase that had him tensing as he lied back down.
"Well, except you Sigrid, if you want to wish your failed suitor a goodnight."
Fíli frowned at both the phrase and what it might create, and rolled over on his side to face the wall.
"Or maybe not, since he's moping and probably embarrassed about the whole debacle," Dís whispered, knowing full well Fíli could hear. "Truly, male egos are more fragile than paper shields in a deluge."
"Thank you, I would like to stay for a moment," Sigrid said, and then gave a whisper to Bain that she would see him back at their rooms.
Fíli cursed into his pillow as he heard his mother's and everyone else's footsteps leave and disappear. The dwarf did not hear Sigrid take the steps closer to his bed, but Fíli did feel the cot dip as she sat at the edge of it like Dís had done. It was a fairly small mattress, and Fíli could almost feel her warmth by his hip.
"I'm sorry about cheering for Thorin instead of you," Sigrid said in a whisper. "That's what distracted you, correct?"
Fíli remained stubbornly silent.
"I'll cheer for you next time. I promise," Sigrid said as she put a hand on his shoulder.
Fíli frowned, and swallowed down angry words about Sigrid making empty promises like the courtship she had agreed to. It was clear she was not interested in him, no matter how hard he tried or what he did. Although it had taken a knock to the head that had dropped Fíli like a dead fish, the prince understood that now.
"I'm tired," Fíli said honestly. "Leave me alone."
The hand on his shoulder tensed and tightened its grip. Fíli could nearly feel her fingernails on his skin through the blanket and his tunic. But then Sigrid removed her touch, and Fíli heard her light steps this time as she faded out and away.
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Fíli healed (read: sulked) for that night and the following morning in the medical ward. Then Oin kicked him out, arguing the blonde's sighs were lowering moral for the entire room. Fíli admitted as he walked back to his rooms that he did feel quite glum. Which was pointless, because Sigrid was just a human and there had never been any promises to truly uphold from the beginning.
There were hundreds of women in Dale, hundreds of dwarrowdams in Erebor. Just because Fíli had so fantastically failed to woo one lass did not mean he had lost all potential and pride. Even with his face bruised now, it would heal and he would look as handsome as ever.
Truly, all he had to do was charm them for an hour and ask to join him for some hours more in a more private setting. Thorin and Dís would shake their heads and Kíli would frown about his fickle connections. Fíli would not actually go through with any of it, but he told himself it to try and find comfort in the option.
Yet Fíli did not find safety in these facts as he had before. The dwarf found himself instead wandering the hallways, purposefully lost until he followed his nose to the kitchens. Bilbo took one look at him before sighing and telling Fíli to sit down and grab a napkin and fork. The hobbit went bustling about getting together a lovely, warm meal for Fíli while Bombur barked orders at the others over everyone else's dinner in the mountain. Fíli eagerly tucked in amidst the chaos, and realized he had not eaten in nearly a day now.
Fíli could feel Bilbo sneaking glances at him as he continued laboring in the kitchen (he was making berry pies that Fíli really wanted to steal). Once the blonde was done, Bilbo took the plates away and gave him a large lemon tart topped with blackberries. Fíli smiled at the kind offer and ate it graciously. He knew Bilbo had made these specifically for his uncle, and so was essentially risking stealing from him again just for Fíli. By the way Thorin horded Bilbo's baked goods, the blonde would not be so shocked if he was this time held above a wall to fall.
After his second tankard of honey mead, the dwarf found himself feeling more than a little sleepy. With a headache just beginning to brew behind his eyes and loudly threatening to come back, Fíli said a heartfelt parting to Bilbo.
"Come back anytime," the hobbit said as he grabbed Fíli's hand momentarily and gave it a squeeze. "If you ever want to talk, I'm a great listener."
Fíli nodded and thanked Bilbo again (and wondered just how much those sharp hazel eyes saw) before going off to his rooms. Unsurprisingly they were empty, and Fíli contemplated sending a guard to find his brother. Yet he would see Kíli soon enough, and the comfort of his big bed was as good second to his brother.
The dwarf was so tired he barely managed to get his boots off before collapsing, and he did not notice the letter sitting silently on his writing desk.
.
Fíli awoke the next morning feeling fully rested and (nearly) back to his usual cheery self. He took extra time to wash and brush all his hair, as all his braids had been neglected yesterday and the night before. While his uncle's punch had been a straight knockout, there had thankfully not been any blood to comb out and away.
The dwarf had looked at himself in his large mirror and straightened his belt one last time before moving to his door. Fíli knew he had to leave now, as family breakfast would be served and eaten without him if he did not hurry. Yet when he saw a creamy envelope at his usually empty desk, his hand stopped reaching for the doorknob and went to the wooden desk.
It was addressed simply to him, with his name written in the common tongue. And Fíli recognized that messy scrawl from many letters past. Letters still stashed in this desk.
The blonde thought about simply not opening it and leaving it where it sat to collect more dust and disinterest. Yet Fíli could not do that, so he sighed and ran a finger under the wax seal to break it. He pulled out the thick paper a shade darker than the envelope and read:
Fíli,
Unfortunately I had to return to Dale this afternoon. I am sorry we could not meet one more time before my parting. I will return in a fortnight, and I look forward to seeing you and a healed face then.
Yours,
Sigrid
The one addressed frowned at the odd choice of Sigrid's parting signature. Yet he just shrugged that word and the entire letter away after a moment. He put it aside, and thought it nice he would not have to see her for a bit. It was hard enough trying to nurse a broken face, much less a broken pride.
(Fíli resolutely told himself nothing else of his person had been broken.)
.
The heir of Erebor decided to push himself into politics and weapons training. Both of Fundin's sons seemed mildly impressed he was actually putting in effort despite the peacetime and easy relations with everyone. Sure, there would be no war to fight out or talk around, but it was time that Fíli fully recognized it was time for him to step up.
It was time to stop chasing after useless hobbies like making a proposed arranged marriage work. Maybe this was truly a blessing, as if he was suddenly struck with love for some random dwarf he would not have to worry about a human wife getting in the way.
Balin's steady voice and Dwalin's demanding one helped Fíli fly through the days. He strained his mind and body daily, and every night he blissfully went to sleep without much thought. The days blended together, and suddenly Sigrid would be visiting.
Kíli reminded Fíli of it at breakfast, eggs in his mouth spraying in his excitement. Fíli shrugged and continued eating the sausage in his mouth before viciously stabbing another one from the platter. The blonde kept his eyes on his plate, but he did not miss the concerned frowns Dís and Kíli shared. Bilbo even looked at Thorin with one of his own, but at least his uncle looked lost.
Kíli gave his brother the time Sigrid would be arriving at the gate, and Fíli had nodded. Yet when the time came, Fíli found himself in the library of all places. He really should visit more, as the quiet and smell of old pages brought a comfort he never knew he could find. Ori was always kind and welcoming, and this afternoon was no exception. Fíli fumbled to think of an excuse, before deciding on stating how he wanted to read up on mushroom cultivation in caves. It was random, but Bilbo had mentioned it, and Fíli thought it would be a nice present for the hobbit's upcoming anniversary of returning to the mountain instead of permanently remaining in the Shire.
Of course Ori was all too willing to comply and went about getting Fíli set up with a good stack of books before flitting away. For being so bundled in knits, the dwarf moved fast. Much faster than any of the other dwarves Fíli saw shuffling about.
The blonde found himself spending the rest of his day there. He skipped lunch and tried to quiet his grumbles when his stomach argued against the decision. Yet Fíli knew he would have to leave and dress for dinner eventually, as Dís would personally tear the mountain they had so painstakingly reclaimed just to hit her son for being so rude to a special guest.
Fíli returned to his quarters and absently made sure all his braids were in line. He thought about putting some gold in his beard, but then thought against it. What was the point truly, as he was not a bitter dwarf and did not want to lord his looks over Sigrid after she had repetitively dismissed him. Yes, maybe Fíli would attempt to be humble for once.
He was just putting the last clasps in his customary braids when Kíli jumped in from his adjoining rooms. Without a word, Kíli rushed to throw his arms around Fíli's neck from behind. It was a tad comical, as Fíli was sitting, so he was even shorter than Kíli. The younger dwarf was practically bent double to crush Fíli in a brotherly embrace.
"Oh Fíli, you should see Sigrid!"
"I'll be seeing her at dinner," Fíli replied stiffly.
"Yes, you will," Kíli said with a smirk that Fíli saw reflected in his mirror. The meaning that something sinister was coming was all too clear, but Fíli was too resigned to get this over with to turn away and think more about Kíli's odd behavior.
Fíli only snorted after a moment before pushing his brother's arms off of him so he could get up and put on his boots. Kíli barely gave him enough time to tie them on before he was practically picking up Fíli to go to their usual dining chamber. Kíli pushed both of them through without knocking, and Fíli wanted to snap at him to stop being so aimlessly rude.
When Fíli turned to look into the room, he first noticed in the corner of his eyes what seemed like a curtain of gold flickering in the front of the fireplace. He pushed Kíli out of the way and turned to see it was actually Sigrid with her hair down and faced away. Before it had always been up in a bun, or braided and wrapped around her head. Now that it was down, Fíli could freely see how it went past her hips to end somewhere above he knees. It was impossible to see exactly where from the deep blue dress she wore.
She turned in a start to their noise, the wave of gold shimmering at the turn of her head. Immediately her light eyes focused on Fíli, and the dwarf found himself looking to Kíli for help. Unlike when he entered, he had closed the door after him silently. Fíli was sure if he tried it, he would find it locked.
Yes, his traitorous brother had left Fíli very alone with only Sigrid. The lass walked closer to him, away from the flames that illuminated her hair so prettily from behind, and Fíli resisted the urge to bolt. There had to be some other way out Kíli (and he was sure Dís) had overlooked.
Still, Fíli was ever the gentle-dwarf, so he straightened his spine and cleared his throat. Still, he could not look up from his boots to meet Sigrid's eyes again.
"Good evening, Lady Sigrid."
"Prince Under the Mountain," she greeted in return.
She was directly in front of him now, her shadow easily coming to spread over him. Fíli told himself he was still staring at his footwear out of politeness, not fear. A silence loomed over them, and Fíli watched her shadow on either side of him sway as she uncharacteristically fidgeted.
"Your mother explained to me what it would mean for me to come to you with my hair unbound."
"Probably not all that it curtailed," Fíli found himself muttering.
Because it meant trust in the fullest, a willingness to forgive any past transgression, and also full reign of their body and life to the individual met. By her bold declaration, Fíli would have every right to bed her and keep her as his own for the rest of her life even without them wed. Not that he ever would, as Bard was wicked good with a bow and arrow. (He had taken down a damn fire drake.)
"I would like to have you, Fíli."
Immediately any thoughts of Bard were gone, and Fíli looked up in shock. Both from her statement nearly as bold as her hair, and that she had actually used his name instead of his title. She had never done that before.
Fíli watched, entirely transfixed, as Sigrid picked up the hem of her thick, dark dress and kneeled on her knees before leaning back on her heels. Now she had to look up to meet Fíli's eyes. The dwarf tensed at the sudden change in perspective, as he had never been able to study the crown of her head so intimately before.
"You do not favor me," Fíli argued weakly in the face of such openness.
"In truth, I indeed did not in the beginning. Not in the least," Sigrid said as she reached for his hand, and Fíli found himself allowing her it. "I thought you too foreign and royal. Then I saw how you acted around your family, and your friends. I thought back to how worried and frantic you had been over Kíli those years ago."
Sigrid took his hand and lifted it to her face, placing a chaste kiss on his open palm. Fíli's hand jumped at the feather-light touch, and he nearly ripped it out of her gentle grip. But something stilled his heart of anger enough to continue talking without spurring her.
"Why did you still reject my advances?" Fíli asked. "You were there to witness just how hard I tried to gain your attention. Each time you found something else more entertaining. I felt like a lit candle in the afternoon sun."
"Because I had to wait until you saw me past a prize to be won. And it was fun to tease a future king, of course," Sigrid said with a bright smile only for him, face framed by her hair that disappeared down her shoulder in gentle curves. "But then you got all sour, and I felt guilty. I realized I had probably stretched you too far."
"So you decided to propose your body and life to me. As if you agree to the preposterous idea that you were indeed just a catch to be made this entire time," Fíli said with a shake of his braids. "Your slight on my pride is not so grievous. Especially when I was originally in the wrong."
Sigrid was lightly blushing now. For the first time since Fíli had entered the room, she averted her eyes from him.
"I cannot deny it was also hard to imagine how you would willingly seek me out for your wife. Not for the intention of our kingdoms, but for emotion true to love," Sigrid admitted. "That you had plans for me and my body past a quick rumble in your bed."
Fíli felt it was time for him to speak now, so he raised his free hand at his side. He engulfed Sigrid's hands that were still holding his sole one with his paws. She seemed so delicate and fragile now, nothing like the strong vixen he had been chasing for all these months. Fíli realized in a start that he did not want to see her this weak and unsure, especially when he was the root cause.
"I would have you because you are strong in your resolve, and your body from training. You do not skirt from your duties even in the temptation of friends and good food. You were forced to grow up faster than even I from siblings and responsibilities brought from heritage. I will admit, I did indeed think of this first as only a challenge. Yet now I realize that I have lost, for I have become enamored with you first."
Sigrid looked back at him, and her smile was warm like home or honey.
"I told myself my face and pride were the only things broken from your clear slight," Fíli whispered, lifting her hands to place his own light kisses along her knuckles. "But my heart took the biggest hit that day seeing you not cheer for me."
Sigrid's smile was infectious, but Fíli could not indulge himself in a grin for long as she pulled him down to her for a bruising kiss. It was sudden, rough and entirely unexpected. Yet Fíli gentled out their passions after a moment, and while they had brashly met, they pulled away gently.
"When shall we have the wedding, then?" Sigrid asked, eyelashes fluttering as she opened her eyes to see him.
.
Fíli was regretting hiring their residential hobbit for planning his wedding, as Bilbo was going absolutely ecstatic over the affair. Honestly Fíli did not see what the big fuss was, as dwarven tradition had them saying a few lines between the other before signing a document. Not even a kiss was demanded.
But Bilbo wanted flowers, and wreaths, and ribbons all about. He wanted birds for some reason, and Thorin had compromised by giving him reign over the royal ravens for the day. Bilbo also had Bombur sweating for days in the kitchen trying to come up with a simple but satisfactory dinner for all the guests.
And guests there were to be. From Mirkwood, Dale and the Iron Mountains: there would be races coming from all around. It was not every day that a wedding happened, but it made Fíli want to run away and hide behind Sigrid's taller form from all the attention. Of course she all took it in stride, and only confided in Fíli how taxing she herself found all this. Yet they both agreed they had to let Bilbo have his way, as the hobbit was having as much fun as he was stressing. It would also obviously not to good to slight their races or allies. In a way, it made Fíli look forward to Kíli and Tauriel's marriage, as that affair might just bring down the mountain from all its liveliness.
Fíli could only hope that Bilbo would not run himself ragged over the preparations. It was hard enough dealing with the glares Thorin kept passing Fíli's way. Technically it was Fíli's fault for offering Bilbo the job, and the blonde could not imagine what his uncle would do if Bilbo pushed himself even more.
Today the young betrothed couple had retreated to Bilbo's private garden. The caretaker himself was off looking at invitation card colors with Dori, so Fíli was confident they would not get caught and kicked out. And it was so nice to hide by the lobelia in the shade and forget the outside mountain.
"I don't get it," Fíli pouted as he lied beside Sigrid. "You were the one who proposed and started this entire debacle, so Uncle should be going to angry-faced war with you."
"But you have the dwarven strength," Sigrid countered as she moved to tuck Fíli's head under her chin. "And you're his heir. I'm confident Thorin won't kill you, if only because that would mean Kíli stepping up as king."
"But you're the one with the height," Fíli argued as he turned his face against her neck, smiling against the warm skin and the slight ticking from her hair against his ear.
Fíli lazily threw an arm around Sigrid's waist, pulling her closer to him. She hummed and began carding her fingers through his hair, careful of the braids. In return, Fíli began absently running his fingers along the dip of her spin he could feel through her billowy white shirt.
Yes, maybe Thorin would give him all the worst treaties and meetings to attend in revenge once the wedding was done, but it would be worth it. Because by then Fíli would be married to this wonderful lass who had stolen his heart without him even noticing.
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FIN