A Long Winter. The Hobbit Fanfic. (on hold.)

Chapter 1: Rumors.

Ered Luin: Winter Third Age 2864.

"Fíli get back here," I yelled out as I chased the five year old dwarf Prince. His mother Princess Dís had just given birth to his younger brother Kíli a few months ago. So I was helping out by watching her older son, while she took care of Kíli.

I was trying to get the young dwarfling dressed after his bath, but he was running away from me. He luckily he did have on his underclothes, so he wasn't completely nude.

"If you don't get back here in the count of three, I'm going to go get your uncle to help." I said to him knowing that would do the trick. He knew his uncle Thorin would not be as sweet about him misbehaving as I was.

Fíli sighed as he slowed down. All the energy that dwarfling had made me feel older then I was. I finally caught him and wrapped my arms around him.

"Got yeah," I said as I began to tickle him and give him kisses.

"No auntie Freya. No more tickles," the young dwarfling begged.

I finally stopped tickling him and helped him pull on his clothes for the day. I then heard a light chuckle coming from behind me. I turned to see Dís standing in the door way of her room chuckling and rocking baby Kíli.

"Doesn't he just make you want one of you own." Dís said to her sister-in-law.

I just laughed at her comment, but I knew that she really was asking when Thorin and myself would have children.

"No not really. He is tiring," I said back to Dís with a laugh. This of course wasn't the first time she had made comments like this. And she wasn't the only one.

Everyone asked when the King and his Queen would have children. For we had been married now for twenty-four years and still had not had any children.

Thorin just ignored the questions and comments, but lately it had been getting to me. Especially when I began hearing rumors spread that maybe I couldn't produce children. Then there were the even worsts ones, that maybe I was unfit to be Queen. Like the only reason Thorin married me was to produce an heir.

I scooped up Fíli in my arms and carried him over to the chair by the fireplace. On a table in front of the chair laid a brush, a mirror, some beads, and hair ties for I could do Fíli's hair. In Dwarven culture only ones family members are aloud to braid your hair. And if you are of age, it was a sign of courting if you touched or braided someone's hair that was not in your family. Dís had gone to put Kíli down for his nap and was walking back over.

"You know I'm only teasing you right? It doesn't matter to me if I become an aunt or not," she said as she sat down in the chair next to me.

I just sighed as I looked over at her, "it isn't your teasing that bug me Dís. It is the rumors people have started, that bug me." I said to her as I picked up the brush and began to brush Fíli's hair.

"I don't know, maybe I was only meant to be an aunt." I said to my sister-in-law as I brushed and began to braid her son's hair.

"I know that is not true and don't listen to those people. Those rumors aren't true and you know it," she said to me with a concern look in her eyes.

I just sighed though. Really I had began to wonder myself. Maybe the first rumor was true. Maybe I couldn't have children, it wasn't like Thorin and I hadn't tried. I had gotten pregnant in the past, only for them to end in miscarriages. Of course some people who didn't believe the rumors, just thought I wouldn't let my husband touch me.

"I don't know about that Dís. I know this may be a weird subject to talk about since he is your brother, but it isn't like Thorin and I haven't tried. Maybe there is something wrong with me," I said with a long sigh.