'What was Fíli really doing in here while I was gone?' Kíli wondered to himself, pacing back and forth through his room, looking for anything out of place. So far, it was exactly like how he left it in the morning, with the exception of his bed. Clothes laying about, his bed neatly made, stacks of paper on his desk, along with his journal precisely how and where he left it. Perhaps the blonde Dwarf was telling the truth. Kíli didn't want to call his brother a liar but he felt the urge to question the situation. Needless to say, something did not feel right. But it didn't matter anymore, he didn't want to burden himself with more stress and worrying.

Due to his lack of sleep the night before, Kíli wanted to take a long nap. He didn't bother to change into his night clothes, the only items he took off were his boots and his royal blue tunic, to which he laid it on the chair next to his desk.
Slipping into bed, he pulled up the blankets over himself and closed his eyes.

Just as sleep was about to finally take him, a knock sounds at his door.
"Hmm?" He mumbled.

"It's your mother, I'm coming in." Dís answered from the other side.

She opened the door and stepped in, but then quickly regretted it as she saw her son on the bed.
"I came in to ask if you wanted to eat lunch?"

Kíli shook his head.

"Kíli, are you sick? You don't look all right." She furrowed her eyebrows as she laid a hand on her son's forehead.
"Well it's not a fever."

"Tired." Is all he said.

"You slept late, didn't you? I keep telling you to sleep early and you don't. Very well then, just rest. Food will be ready as soon as you wake up." Dís kissed Kíli's forehead before walking out the door.
Kíli didn't look as good as Dís thought, so to be on the safe side, she supposed she'd make him some chicken soup. If Kíli really was coming down with something, she hoped it would go away as fast as it came. Dís knew how busy her two boys were, she'd hate to see Kíli upset about not being able to help out.

In the middle of cooking her chicken soup, Fíli walked in the room. Dís furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as a result of seeing both her sons returning so early.
"I get why Kíli is here at this time, but why are you? It's barely lunchtime. What's next? Is Thorin going to arrive as well?"

"Lovely to see you too, mother. It sounds like you don't want me here." Fíli half joked, taking off his coat and hanging it on the rack next to the wall.
"That's not what I meant. You know I love having my three boys here. Oh, sorry, my three men."

Fíli grinned, giving his mother a kiss on the cheek. "You said Kíli is here?"
'He was still here? Doing what?' Fíli thought.

"Yes, he's catching up on sleep. He said he stayed up late yesterday, and him having to get up at the crack of dawn doesn't help the situation."

"Makes sense." Fíli mumbled, sitting down at the table.
Fíli was hesitant about what he wanted to ask next. With his mother having her back turned and focused on making the food, Fíli would open his mouth to say something but then quickly close it. As much as he didn't want Dís to worry about Kíli, he needed to ask her about him. He really needed to.

"Mother, could I ask you a few questions?"

"Of course, about what?" She answered, her back still turned.

"It's more of a who, actually." Fíli uncomfortably scratched the back of his neck, feeling the air growing tense as the conversation furthered on.
"Fíli, is this about a woman?" Dís replied, a small smile playing at her lips.

"No! No, no, nothing like that! I mean Kíli-" Before Fíli could go on, Dís interrupted.

"Kíli has a woman?"

"Mother please listen, this is serious!"

"I thought you were being serious!"

This wasn't going anywhere and Fíli knew it. He loved his mother with all his heart, but jumping to conclusions isn't helping at all.
Fíli put his head in between his hands and stayed like that for a couple of minutes.
"Will you please listen now?" He asked, moving his hand so that he could see his mother. She nodded.

Fíli took a deep breath before continuing. "Like I said, this is about Kíli. I merely wanted to ask if you've noticed anything odd about him lately."

Dís frowned, shaking her head. "No, I haven't. I have to admit, he's gotten somewhat more independent, but I don't see how that's bad. I figured it's a 'Kíli-thing'. Why? Is there something wrong with him?"
Fíli didn't want to go too deep into detail, so he settled on the idea of telling her half the truth. "Uncle and I have also taken notice of Kíli's independence, as you call it. It's odd to see him shifting between enjoying the company of others to completely isolating himself."

"And you haven't spoke to him about it?" Dís asked, her gaze quickly drifting from the soup to her eldest son. "It would seem that would've been the first thing you would do."
Fíli chuckled, already knowing that question was coming up. "Mother dearest, I tried. You know how he is, correct? He's never been the one to talk about his feelings, even if he is an open book."

Dís rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "If he is not opening up to you, out of all people, then it must be serious."

"That was my thinking. Nonetheless mother, don't you worry about a thing. I'm sure it's nothing critical. You know Kíli." Fíli smiled an honest one.

'Lie', he thought to himself.
'Actually this is a life-or-death situation here, if you must know.'

"Is that all you have? Nothing else that seems out of the ordinary?"

"What is out of the ordinary is you walking in here with your boots on when I always say to leave them in front of the door if they are dirty, mister. And by the looks of them, they need a good washing." Dís lectured as she carefully stirred the soup with a wooden spoon.
"You always have such kind words." Fíli chuckled as he stood up and took off his boots.

"But back to your question, yes, that's all I have to say."

"Thank you for your cooperation, it is greatly appreciated." Fíli grinned.
"You're very welcome. Now you do me a favor and brush your cat. She's been leaving a whole lot of hair everywhere and it's making me sneeze."

"Yes, ma'm." He said before heading to the door.
"Remember that your brother is sleeping therefore don't make so much noise." She reminded Fíli.

"I wouldn't dream of it."

It was evening when Kíli finally woke up and took his mother's offer on food. There he was at the kitchen table, eating his chicken soup in silence while Dís, Fíli, and Thorin were chatting as they ate their own food Dís had originally prepared for them all.
"How are you feeling, Kíli? Are you coming down with a cold still?" Dís said as she laid a hand on Kíli's forehead. Kíli grimaced and pulled back while mumbling "I'm fine."

"Do you need me to get you anything? Your coat, perhaps? Anything at all?"

"Mother I said I was fine." Kíli said through gritted teeth.

Thorin frowned. "Kíli, there's no need to act so hostile towards your mother. She was only trying to help."

"And what if I don't want her help? Or anyones?" Kíli voice raised angrily.

"Kíli calm down please." Fíli tried telling his brother, only for him to completely ignore him.

"No, Fíli. Let your brother act childish. As a matter of fact, why don't you stay in your chambers for the rest of the evening since you can't seem to behave yourself." The Dwarf King responded sternly.
"Uncle, we can't be doing thi-" Fíli said but Thorin silenced him with one hand.
"You will also stay in your chambers tomorrow. You will not participate in the perimeter check nor teach your archery class for the remainder of this week. Behave like a child, and you shall be treated like one."

Kíli abruptly stood up from his seat at the table. "Yes, whatever you say Thorin. I will not say another word and take my leave. If my chamber is where you want me, then that's where I shall be." He left the kitchen, slamming the door on his way out.

Thorin huffed in annoyance.
"How could you talk to him like that?" Dís said angrily.

"You are worried about how I talked to him instead of the immense amount of disrespect he showed towards you." He scoffed, getting up from the table. "And still I don't get a thank you."

"Thank you? That's what you think I should say right now? Because believe me when I say, I have a lot more on my mind I would say rather than thank you. I cannot believe you, Thorin."

Fíli frowned. "Uncle, how are we ever going to get Kíli to open up to us if all you ever do is scold him any time he messes up? Now we have a lesser chance than we did before."

"I did what I felt was right. End of discussion." Thorin's large boots sounded through the room as he walked out the room.

"Can things get any worse, mother?"

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Watch out for the next chapter, guys. Things start to heat up BIG TIME!!