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"Where is that ring?" Bilbo muttered as he searched his room. Where could it have gone to?

"What do you mean?" Thorin asked when the halfling muttered that phrase. "I gave it to you for safe keeping— don't tell me you lost it!"

Kili and Fili, who were walking nearby, froze when they heard the conversation. "But I put it back... you were there!" Kili said.

"Yeah, I was, and I watched you put it back. So how is it not there?" Fili asked. "It isn't like Bilbo to lose anything."

"No, but it is like us to lose things, yet I know I put it back." Kili murmured. "Do you think Ori or Bofur would know where it is?"

"One way to find out." Fili replied before he walked off to find the two, Kili following after him. Once they found them in the dining hall, they went up to them and spoke in hushed tones. "Do you happen to know where the ring that Bilbo was keeping for Thorin for Vala went?"

"No, the last time we saw it was when Kili showed us." Bofur replied. "Why?"

Ori's eyes widened. "Did you lose it?"

Kili shook his head. "No! I put it back where I found it. But we overheard Bilbo and Uncle talking,"

"And Bilbo said he couldn't find it," Fili added.

"And we heard Uncle getting pretty mad about it." Kili finished.

"Well, if you put it back where you found it, it isn't any doing of yours." Bofur said with a shrug.

"Well, that's true." Kili said, sitting down with Fili so they could eat. But if that was the case, then why did he feel so guilty about it?

~<3~<3~<3~

     Valadhiel was outside at the moment, enjoying the warm air and sunshine. She hadn't been in the mountain very much since everything had happened, and she hadn't really been talking with the others very often. She had become pretty quiet.

     "Since you have some time, Thorin, why don't you go spend some with her?" Balin asked, standing next to Thorin as he watched her from a little distance. "Something is clearly bothering her."

     "I know." Thorin replied. "I've just been trying to figure out what the best approach is."

     "Just be yourself, let your heart guide you. You were her greatest comfort after the eagles saved us, remember? Just go over there. Nothing good will come out of not going over to her. Women sometimes want their men to show they care by approaching them and asking what's wrong, rather than them just having to go to them and tell them."

     "Women are so complicated." Thorin murmured.

     "They can be, but men have their challenges, too, don't forget." Balin chuckled. "Go on, go talk to her."

     Thorin nodded his head before he went over to Valadhiel, standing next to her. He was quiet a moment before he spoke. "What's wrong, Vala?"

     "What do you mean?" Vala asked, not even glancing at him, trying to hide her face.

     Thorin gently grabbed her chin, turned her head, and made her look him in the eyes. "Angel, what is wrong? Something has been up ever since we moved into this mountain."

     Valadhiel looked at Thorin, her eyes very sad. "Has it been that obvious?"

     "It... did take me a moment to realize fully, but yes." Thorin replied, stroking her cheek with his thumb.

     Valadhiel didn't turn her head, but she did avert her eyes. "Why didn't you ask me what was wrong sooner?" She bit her lower lip to keep the tremble away. She felt so many things right now, and she was trying to keep it all in instead of letting it burst forth.

     "I wasn't sure how to approach you about it... I'm sorry, I should have said something sooner." Thorin said gently, looking at her apologetically. "Please, open up to me?"

     Valadhiel let out a shaky sigh before she looked at Thorin. "There are so many memories in this mountain, good and bad. Many from long ago, but one is still fresh in my mind. I... I miss my father. Who he once was and could have been. I... I can't help but wonder what would have happened had the bowman not fired that arrow. I could feel the evil leave his heart... but too late." She clenched a fist, tearing up as she looked him in the eye. "And I'm afraid, Thorin."

     "Afraid of what?" Thorin asked, using his free hand to take one of her hands.

     "What if I let this anger consume me? What if I become a monster just like him? Especially being cooped up in that mountain, around all that gold... they say that greed is in our DNA... what if it's true and I become the very thing I wish to destroy?" Valadhiel couldn't help the tears that spilled over or the tremble in her voice.

     Thorin gently pulled her into a hug. "You won't, Vala. You're better than that. And as you have told me, there is always a choice. You cannot fall to darkness without first making the choice to do so."

     Valadhiel hugged him in return, burying her face into his chest. Even her wings trembled with emotion.

     "You have nothing to be afraid of, okay?" Thorin said quietly, soothingly. "And whenever you need to talk, even if it is late at night, you know where my room is. I'll be here to talk anytime you need to."

     Valadhiel nodded, her face still buried into him. "Okay, Thorin. Thank you."

~<3~<3~<3~

Kili, Fili, Bofur, and Ori were trying to figure out where that ring could possibly have gone. They had no idea where to even start, but they had been keeping an eye out for it.

"Kili, Fili?" Bilbo said as he walked over to them. "Do you happen to know where that ring went?"

"Ring?" Kili asked.

Fili shook his head. "The last time we saw it was in that box you put it in."

"This is so strange." Bilbo murmured. "I don't quite understand it. I know that's the last place it was, yet, it isn't there. Are you sure you don't know where it is?"

"Pretty sure." Kili replied. "That's the last place we saw it. When you put it in the box."

"Well, it's got to turn up..." Bilbo tapped his foot on the ground as he thought. "It still doesn't make any sense to me." He added before shrugging and walking off.

Kili, Fili, Bofur, and Ori all looked at each other when Bilbo had left. "Are you two sure you put it back in the box?" Bofur asked.

"Positive!" Kili exclaimed.

"Absolutely— I watched him put it back." Fili said.

"So it didn't bounce out?" Ori asked.

"No, it was in the box." Kili replied. He didn't understand where it had gone to! He was just as confused as poor Bilbo was!

~<3~<3~<3~

It was around evening, and the dwarves from The Blue Mountains were going to be arriving by the next morning. Thorin, Valadhiel, Bilbo, Balin, Dwalin, Bifur, Bofir, Bombur, Dori, Nori, Ori, Oin, Gloin, Kili, and Fili were gathered around the King's table, eating with him as they all talked amongst themselves. Fili and Kili were still being pretty quiet, still bothered by where the ring was.

"Lass, are you doing okay?" Balin asked.

Valadhiel smiled and nodded as she looked over at Balin. "Yeah, I am feeling much better than I have been. Sorry I have been strange... there's just a lot of memories in this mountain."

"I always forget that you've been in this mountain many times before." Gloin commented.

"I always forget that she knew Durin The Deathless." Dori commented, shaking his head. "It's hard to wrap my brain around."

"There's a shock!" Balin teased.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. We're a bunch of dimwits." Nori said, rolling his eyes, but his expression wasn't one of anger or annoyance.

"I think we can all agree that the smartest in our lot are Vala and Bilbo." Ori said with a laugh. "Though they also have their moments!"

"Oh, give an old lady a break." Valadhiel joked.

     The others around the table laughed after she said that, a few of them making comments on how old she was. Fili and Kili, despite being bothered by the missing ring, couldn't help but laugh with the others. It was pretty funny!

     After the laughter faded, Thorin took a sip of his wine before he spoke. "Vala, I do have a question for you." He told her nonchalantly, setting his glass down.

     "Okay, Thorin." Valadhiel replied, sipping her own before setting the glass down, her attention on him.

     Thorin smiled and began to speak after a brief moment of silence. "When we first met, I couldn't stand you, if I'm being quite honest. And I know for a fact that you weren't overly fond of me. But, when we began this journey, we grew closer, despite our arguments, we became friends, then we fell in love." He paused before he continued. "Honestly, I do not know what I would have done without you. I know for certain that you make me a better man." He got to his feet. "And I know for a fact that you would make me an even better king. Behind every good king is an even better queen. So, Vala," he got down on one knee, pulled a ring out of his pocket, and held it up to her. "Will you become my queen?"

     Valadhiel's eyes widened and she gasped, covering her mouth with her hands at first, then she lowered her hands, unable to contain her beaming smile. "Yes, Thorin, yes! I will."

     Thorin couldn't contain his own beaming smile, and he took her hand into his, sliding the ring onto her finger. The two then embraced once he got to his feet, sharing a brief but sweet kiss.

     "Wait— you found the ring?" Kili asked in astonishment.

     "Actually, it was never lost." Bilbo said with a chuckle.

     "Come again?" Fili replied.

     Bofur chuckled. "Well, Bilbo and Thorin saw you two sneak to his room to put the ring back."

     "So they decided to mess with you two." Ori finished with an amused grin.

     "It was never lost, and you two were worried all day for nothing." Thorin replied calmly, smirking at his nephews in amusement. He then looked at Valadhiel. "I originally was going to wait until tomorrow, but I couldn't wait any longer. And now you have something pretty to show all the women tomorrow once they arrive."

     Valadhiel grinned, chuckling, and she hugged Thorin again, leaning her head against his chest. "Some will be rather shocked, I think. Especially considering how things were when they first met me." She had been so nervous about that. "Isn't there some law that you have to marry another dwarf, Thorin?"

     "You were made an honorary dwarf by Durin The Deathless." Thorin replied. "Being made an honorary dwarf will be just as good as being an actual dwarf. And if anyone wants to complain about a "tainted" bloodline, they can come to me."

     Valadhiel smiled when Thorin said that, lifting her head to look at him. "I love you."

     Thorin smiled when she said that, and he kissed her forehead. "I love you, too."

     Kili smiled as he watched the two. It was so perfect and romantic! His eyes then widened when realization hit him. "Vala is going to be our aunt?!"

     Fili blinked when Kili said that. "Wow... yeah. She's going to be our aunt."

     "And she's going to have our cousins." Kili added.

     "Hush, don't go that far!"

     "But it's true!"

     "Yes, but that can go without saying, you pervert!"

     "Oh whatever! You were thinking the same thing!"

     "Was not!"

     "Really?"

     "... Okay, no, I was."

     Valadhiel couldn't help but burst into laughter after that— Kili and Fili cracked her up! And after she started laughing, Thorin began laughing, and altogether, all the others began laughing.

     Dwalin raised his glass after a moment and cheerfully shouted, "Here's to our King, Thorin, and to our future Queen, Valadhiel! Long may they live!"

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