Dwarven Denouement

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Bilbo tilted his head, Neana was painting a picture of Fili. When he stepped back from the painting as Neana came back over, another piece of paper poking out from behind the Fili one caught his eye. He quickly took it when Neana turned her back, only to have many more papers fall down with it. Bilbo stood incredibly still, Neana turned around with a curious look and picked up the papers. Bilbo was thankful she set them a ways away from her.

He carefully picked them up and went of into a dark part of the large room, dark enough for him to not be seen but he could see the papers clearly, and took off his ring. He turned the papers over and was surprised at what he saw. It was a painting of Kili. He flipped to the next one, it was of Gloin. Bilbo kept flipping through each one, and each one had a painting of another member of the company on it. There was even one with Gandalf.

The very last picture shocked him the most. It was a drawing of him. He stared at it for a good long while, he felt as if he were looking into a mirror. Hearing a shuffling he looked up to see Neana looking around and under papers surrounding her, no doubt looking for the paintings Bilbo had in his hands. He picked them all up and walked over, without his ring.

He cleared his throat and Neana whipped around to stare at him with wide eyes. Her face became red with the embarrassment of being caught and she looked to the ground."These are truly amazing Neana, Fili told me about your talent, but I didn't think you were this good.", Bilbo smiled and he handed the papers to Neana. She took them sheepishly and nodded her head in thanks.

He was curious,"If I may ask, why are you painting all this?" She just shrugged,"I noticed that all the paintings that Thorin spoke of in the throne room were gone, and well, you're all kings to me so I wanted to make new paintings. I was going to hang them up later tonight, I just wanted to finish painting yours." Bilbo looked at the Fili painting, she was already done? It had only been a few minutes.

"Why didn't you paint one of yourself?", he inquired tilting his head. Neana scoffed,"Well now I'm no king am I?" Bilbo joined in with her laughter. Bilbo yawned and rubbed his eyes. Neana smiled,"You go ahead and get some sleep Bilbo, I'm nearly done here." Quite honestly Bilbo did not object to that, he bid Neana a good night, and walked straight back to bed.

Bilbo was woken up by Kili shaking his arm. He sat up and groaned,"What is it Kili? Is it morning?" He looked out the window in his room to see that the moon was still high."Bilbo, I just want to thank you. And apologize.", Kili whispered. Bilbo looked at him,"What for?" Kili smiled to himself,"For helping us reclaim our home. And as for apologizing, I'm sorry that I joked about the orcs."

Bilbo rolled his eyes,"Well you're welcome and apology accepted." Kili smiled, but then frowned and stayed put."Was there something else?", Bilbo asked. Kili nodded,"Yes, Bilbo, I need to ask you for a favor." Bilbo was skeptical,"What kind of favor?" Kili wrung his hands,"I need you to keep Neana in Erebor when we leave tomorrow."

"I'm sorry, what? I thought she already promised Fili she would?", Bilbo whisper shouted. Kili arched his eyebrow. Bilbo nodded,"Yes yes you're right. That wouldn't stop her." Kili leaned forward,"She loves this place as much, if not more, than all of us. She will fight for it and I know for a fact that she would die for this place. She especially wants to fight now because Fili is fighting but, he's scared for her. He lost her once, he won't lose her again. If she fell, it would break Fili, and that's not going to happen under my watch. So please Bilbo, keep her here."

Bilbo hated being in this position, it was going to be tough, but he had to do it. He slowly nodded and Kili beamed,"Thank you Master Boggins, sorry to have woken you, go back to sleep. Goodnight!" Bilbo stared at the door Kili just went through and layer back down. He had a restless night.

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Fili rolled over and opened his eyes to see an empty space next to him. He sat up and scratched his beard. He was just putting his boots on when Neana came into the room, her hair wet."I went to take a bath.", she said when she saw him looking at her. He smiled at walked over in front of her and gave her a peck on the lips,"Good morning." She smiled and kissed him again before sitting down at a vanity in the room.

Fili sat on the bed and just watched her as she furrowed her brow in concentration combing her hair and trying to braid it back. He stifled a laugh when Neana groaned in agitation as her hands became tangled in her, now dry hair. Without a word, Fili walked over and untangled her hands, he then took the comb, and began fixing her hair.

Neana kept biting her lip, she wanted to talk to him. He seemed to have noticed her unsure behavior,"Something on your mind Neana?" He removed his hands from her hair and she turned around on the stool to face him. She didn't say anything, she just lifted up her left hand, showing him the ring.

"Care to explain Fili?", she said with a smirk. Fili sheepishly smiled,"Well, I found it in the troll cave and I wanted to give it to you after all this was over, but then you um, died, so I gave it to you then." She grinned as she looked at it,"Not exactly a romantic proposal." Fili felt his face go red.

Neana let out a surprised gasp as Fili pulled her up so she was standing. He then took off her ring and knelt on the ground. He took a deep breath,"Neana Zirak, you are the most beautiful dwarf I have ever seen. You are my rock, my home, and my love. Will you please give me the honor of being your husband?" Neana beamed,"What that's all I get?" Fili stood up,"Cheeky. So is that a yes?" Neana nodded, and Fili wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her sweetly.

A knock on the door pulled the two apart. Fili opened it with Neana's arms still draped across his waist. He smiled as he saw Kili standing there,"Good morning Kili." Kili however, didn't seem so happy."Fili, orcs and goblins have been seen making camp not far out from the gates." Fili let him in,"What?" Kili's dark brown eyes bore into Fili's,"They're joining the war."

Fili's hands started to shake,"When do we leave to fight?" Kili bore no emotion,"Now."