The Commoner and the King

Chapter Six

 And so it was agreed that Thorin and Annetta will correspond with each other by writing letters and meeting secretly in designated areas. As for Princess Maybelle, Thorin would have to deal with her once he went home. For the past few weeks, Annetta received many letters from the Dwarf Prince, and included one letter that he stated that he called off the wedding with Princess Maybelle, and sent her back home to the Iron Hills without his Grandfather's knowing. His Grandfather had been too ill at the time to notice. Thorin felt relieved he had sent the bossy princess away and now out of his hair for good. But another year passed, things had changed between Thorin and Annetta. The letters from the Dwarf Prince had suddenly ceased, and it really started to concern Annetta. Annetta debated on whether on going to Erebor herself to speak to Thorin, but when she brought up the idea to her family, her family highly advised her not to go. 

"It's for your own safety dear-considering the King is not well right now,and if he finds you in the kingdom, things will not look good for you and Thorin!" Annetta's mother Lydia, warned her daughter. As spring came, Annetta had been running some errands for her father,and she hoped she would run into Thorin while she was out and about. As she was getting ready to leave boutique, she stepped outside, and she felt the air unusually warm. All of a sudden, she could hear some one cry out "DRAGON!!" At first, Annetta felt confused. How could there be a dragon? A dragon hasn't been seen here in years! thought Annetta, when she looked up she saw the beast flying towards her direction, breathing fire in his path. "DUCK, WOMAN!!" shouted a man behind her as he gently knocked her to the ground to the duck. 

Fear and panick clouded over Annetta as she needed to get home to her family and fast to get them evacuated, and to find safety and fast. Once Annetta seen that the coast is clear for now, she stood up, and she could see the entire City of Dale up in flames, and she looked towards the Mountain, as it too was flames. First, I must find my family, and then I will find Thorin! thought Annetta, as she ran towards her home. Unfortunately by the time she reached her home, it was burnt to the ground. And she realized her brother, her mother and father were all in the house when it burnt down. Suddenly the Inn Keeper, Omar, ran towards Annetta. "Annetta, you have to go!" pleaded Omar."My family where are they? Did they escape?" asked Annetta. The man's face turned grave and sad when Annetta mentioned her family. "Miss Annetta,your family had never made it out--the beast went for your home first, killing everyone in the house." said the man sadly. 

"NO!!" screamed Annetta as she tried to lunge towards the burnt down home. "Annetta no! Get back here!" shouted Omar, as he held her back. "Get away from me!!" shrieked Annetta angrily. "Annetta, they are dead--there is nothing much for you here now! You have to leave!" pleaded Omar. Now Annetta left with no other choice--she had to leave--everything behind, including Thorin. Annetta turned to the Mountain. I'm so sorry, Thorin! I'm so really, really sorry! thought Annetta, as she quickly fled, leaving the city of Dale, without turning back.

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Village of Bree

Spring, 2809

It had been years since Annetta had set out on her home from Erebor, and Annetta decided (with the help of her friend Gandalf the Grey) to take up residency in Bree. Not only Annetta lived at the Prancing Pony Inn, she also worked there as a bar maid. Although Annetta remained busy, and trying to move on with her life, she could not stop thinking of her family, and of course Thorin and his family. One evening, the Inn's proprietor, Mr. Butterbur, or Annetta always called him Barley, approaches Annetta. "Annetta, there are a group of dwarves coming in tonight for a birthday celebration, and I'm leaving you in charge of serving them their meals and drinks. They should arrive approximately at six o clock this evening." said Barliman Butterbur. "I sure will, Barley!" said Annetta. Dwarves?! I wonder where they came from? Annetta thought to herself, as she went to get prepared for her dwarven guests whom will arrive later. 

When six o clock rolled around, the group of dwarves arrived at the Inn, and entered the common room. When Annetta could hear their arrival, she made her way into the common room. However she wasn't prepared for what was bound to happen next once she entered the common room. Once she entered, she could plainly see the group of dwarves sitting in front of her, but she gasped in surprised as she instantly recognized the dwarves. And one of them, being the one dwarf she had thought a lot of had longed to see again--and it was Prince Thorin, whom was sitting at the head of the table, alongside with Balin and Dwalin, sitting with him, with a couple other dwarves she did not recognize. Annetta closed her eyes, and took a deep breath as she stepped foward to greet the group of Dwarves.

"Miss Ann!" cried out Balin, as he ran towards her, and embraced her with a tight hug. "I'm so glad to see that you are alive! We all thought you were among the dead!" exclaimed the dwarf. "It's good to see you again, Master Balin!" beamed Annetta."Come here yer little shit! We had looked everywhere for you! You had us all worried!" exclaimed Dwalin, as Annetta moved over to him, and hugged him. "Ann, is that really you?" spoke up Thorin's deep voice. Annetta slowly turned,as she nearly dropped her tray when Thorin moved close to her. Mixture of emotions clouded over her, as she lay her eyes on him, and tears falling down her face. Carefully, Annetta set aside the tray, and she ran right into Thorin's arms. Thorin wrapped his strong arms around her waist as he held her close to him. "Oh imur, I thought I would never see you again!" whispered Thorin.  "I thought I would never see you again either!" Annetta whispered back.

"It seems we have lot of catching up to do,Ann!" beamed Thorin. "Yes that we do! But first I'm going to serve your meals and drinks! I'll be with all of you momentarily!" said Annetta, realizing she had to focus on the task at hand. After serving the drinks and food to the dwarves, Annetta cooked up her own meal and made her a drink, and joined the others, and first she allowed Thorin to tell his story about the dragon's attack. "Sometimes I hate my Grandfather,because he had brought this on!" grumbled Thorin, as he finished his tale. "Thorin, how can you say that about your own family member? It was beyond your control that the sickness fell upon your Grandfather, and it was beyond your Grandfather's control too!" said Annetta. Thorin remained silent for a brief moment, and then he spoke up. "How is your family, Annetta? I don't see them with you." said Thorin. "They're dead, Thorin. My mother, father and brother--they got burnt in their home." said Annetta sadly. 

She had never forgotten the day she lost her family, and there was many times she tried to forget about it, but she couldn't. "Oh,Annetta! I'm so, very, very sorry." said Thorin gently, as he placed his hand on Annetta's shoulders, as Annetta wiped tears from her eyes. "This wasn't supposed to happen--the stupid beast took away the only family I have!" fumed Annetta."Annetta, they're not the only family you have. You have Balin, Dwalin--my sister, and you got me!" said Thorin, taking Annetta's hand. "Thorin--I don't know what to say!" stammered Annetta. "Say that you come home with us, to Ered Luin. You can stay with my sister and I!" said Thorin. "If you are willing to have me, I'll come with you!" said Annetta."Of course we love to have you, lassie!"said Balin smiling. "Then, that settles it then. Now how are you going to explain this to Master Barliman?" asked Thorin."I'm going to just tell him I'm going to resign, and I have a new home with all of you!" Annetta replied.