Hey crunchinites!!!

Here's Chapter 64!! I really hope you like it!! Please comment, vote and follow!! Thank you so much my lovelies!!! :D

Cassy's dress is in the side pic :D

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*Cassy's POV*

I sat at the table in my chambers with a frown as the three maids tended to my hair. They had already forced me into a dress and now they were combing and styling my hair. I prayed to Mahal that they would let me just wear my tunic and trousers but when I asked them they looked at me as if I had grown two heads so I had shut up and decided to endure this torture just for tonight.

"There you go M'lady! We are all done here." The eldest of the three said and I forced a small smile.

"Thank you for helping me get ready." I told them, although I could tell they knew I was lying.

They all bowed and walked from my chambers. As soon as the door closed with a soft thud I sighed in relief and stood up, lifting the skirt of the dress so I wouldn't trip. I walked over to the mirror and I actually gasped upon seeing my reflection...I actually looked... Good. Really good.

The crimson red colour of the dress actually complemented my tanned skin. The dress was long evening gown with one shoulder styling featuring glittering beaded accents on the side and a strappy open back. The slim fitting floor length skirt has a sexy thigh high slit showing one of my smooth tanned legs. I couldn't believe I was actually thinking this but... I loved this dress.

My hair was straight for once and was left to fall just below my shoulder blades and over my shoulders, Kili's braid was left as it was and was noticeable against my straight black hair. I smiled and quickly slipped on a pair of silver ballet flats on as the maids had instructed.

A soft knock sounded from the door and I smiled upon seeing Brielle stood there in a simple green maids outfit. I had instructed one of the maids to show her the ropes as she was now my personal maid.

"Hello Bree." I smiled.

"Wow... You look breathtaking." She mumbled in awe and I couldn't help but blush.

"Thank you, Bree. Are you still accompanying me to the coronation?" I asked as I slipped my silver bracelet onto my wrist.

"Actually one of the maids, Laina, told me to go with her so she can teach me more about what I'm going to be doing. Is that alright?" She asked politely and I smiled at her timid nature.

"Of course it's fine, Bree. I'll see you later then." I replied as she bowed quickly with a nod and left the room.

I looked at my reflection once more and slipped Thorin's pendant around my neck and adjusted my engagement ring on my finger. I smiled at the ring and my gaze snapped up to the door when there was a knock.

I walked over to the door and opened it to reveal Bofur, Bombur, Ori, Dori, Gloin and Oin stood there with smiles.

I smiled widely upon seeing my comrades and chuckled when they all stared at me wide eyed when they caught sight of my appearance.

"The maids may have found me and forced me into this." I chuckled lightly as I twirled around. They all remained gawking at me and I crossed my arms over my chest with a sigh. "Close your mouths before you swallow a fly." I told them with a smirk and they all quickly composed themselves.

"You look..." Gloin started, unsure of the right word.

"Absolutely stunning, my dear." I looked to the left and smiled as Gandalf and Bilbo walked over to us.

"Thank you Gandalf." I smiled. Gandalf and Bilbo were planning to stay in the mountain until my wedding before they left to go back to their own lives.

"We decided to escort you to the coronation considering Kili has to help Fili so we didn't want you walking in alone." Bofur grinned as he offered me his arm which I took gratefully before I followed the others down the corridor.

*Fili's POV*

"Stop making that face."

"I'm not making a face." I retorted as I shot a short glance over to where Kili was sitting on a chair next to my large wooden table that was splattered with parchments, documents and letters that I still had to read and answer to. He was splayed out in the chair, arms crossed loosely over his stomach as his legs were spread out and crossed casually at the ankles.

"Yes, you are." Kili answered calmly, raising an eyebrow at me. "It looks as if you really needed to go to the loo, and let me tell you, that is not the right look for a king."

I rolled my eyes as I averted my gaze from my brother and turned back to look at my reflection in the mirror. Dark brown trousers were accompanied by a very regal looking royal blue tunic adorned with little gems here and there that were making it unnecessarily heavy in my opinion. A beautiful fur vest was covering parts of the tunic and my hair was freshly washed and braided, a task in which Kili had been of aid, as well. Normally, it was always our mother who would braid our hair, though seeing as she had still not arrived in Erebor, I had asked my brother to help me with it. Braiding a dwarf's hair was something intimate, something that one only did with those that were close to one's heart. To me, this had always been members of my family, be it my mother, my uncle or Kili. I knew that Kili had someone new that was allowed to braid his hair, Cassy, and though I didn't quite understand why, I was slightly envious of him for this sometimes. Not because I was jealous that he had Cassy, but because he had someone. He had found his One and had someone to talk to, someone he loved that did not belong to his family. I sometimes wished I could talk to someone, be as close to someone as he was with Cassy. But as the heir to the throne, finding a woman had never been the priority. Between lessons with Thorin, training with swords as well as words of diplomacy, there had never been time for much else. And now, of course, as I was becoming King under the Mountain, there would be even less time to think about such things. But I didn't complain. I had, my little brother, Cassy whom I considered a little sister, and my friends. Just sometimes, sometimes I wished there was someone out there for me, as well.

"Oi!"

I snapped out of my musings with a small flinch as Kili's voice pulled me out of my trail of thoughts.

"Are you even listening to me?" He asked, and it was only then that I realized that he had risen from his position in the chair and was now standing behind me, looking at me through the mirror.

"I'm sorry." I answered, clearing my throat quietly as I turned away from the mirror to look at my brother. "I was lost in thought. What did you say?"

"I said it's time to go." He said with a smile. "You wouldn't want to miss your own coronation now, would you?"

I felt the nervous knot that had built in my stomach early in the morning tighten slightly at my brother's words. But I didn't say anything, just nodded to tell Kili that I'd understood. I couldn't bring myself to move, though, and it was after a few seconds of silence that Kili spoke again, more serious this time as he looked at me in understanding.

"It'll be all right." The brunet said, giving me an encouraging nod upon seeing the nervous expression on my face. "You'll be fine."

"How could I be?" I muttered quietly, sighing deeply as the words escaped my mouth. "I am not ready, Kili. I don't think I'll ever be."

"You are ready." My little brother replied, his voice full of a certainty that I wished to have. "As ready as you'll ever be. You were prepared for this all your life, Fee. Thorin taught you everything you needed to know, everything he knew."

"Which is why he should be sitting on that throne, not me."

"But he is not here anymore." Kili said quietly, though the softness did not disappear from his eyes and neither did the encouraging tone of his voice waver. "And we can't change that. But he'd be very proud of you, I know that. He always was." I shot my little brother a doubtful look but Kili just smiled and continued. "You'll be a good king, Fee. You'll be fair and wise and just, kind and strong. Because that's who you are, that's who mother and uncle raised you to be. You're my big brother, and as you have always been there for me, you will now always be there for your people."

"Whenever did you become so good with words, brother?" I inquired with a small smile, unable to deny that Kili's words had actually calmed me down a bit. Kili just grinned in reply, taking a step back to give me a once over before he nodded slowly.

"Good." He said. "We've taken care of your looks, now you just need to remember your text and not stumble when you walk up the steps. Should be easy enough, right?"

I just nodded as we made our way to the door. Kili kept talking merrily. "I mean, just try not to do it like that time when you fell down the hayloft while you were trying to make a speech standing on one of the hay bales about how pie should be free for everyone."

I sighed in exasperation at the memory and shot my brother a wary look as he added as an afterthought, "Well, I guess it could be said in your defence that you were rather drunk that night. Though I must say, even though it is a noble goal to make pie free for everyone, you should not abuse your power now that you are becoming king. Really, pie makers need to make their living, too, Fili."

"Oh, would you just shut up, please?" I growled, torn between annoyance and amusement at my brother's teasing. Kili just snickered quietly to himself as we exited the room and walked down the empty corridors together. We met no other dwarf on our way to the throne hall, and it was only when we neared the tremendous doors that led into the hall that I realized that it had been because all of the people of the mountain were already gathered there. The humming of hundreds of voices coming from the throne hall was filling the air as we approached Balin and Dwalin who were already waiting for us in front of the closed doors. Balin greeted both of us with a kind smile and a short nod, patting my arm encouragingly as I came to a halt next to him, staring up at the tremendous doors to the throne hall. The hall in which I would be crowned king in a few moments by the old white-haired dwarf himself.

"You ready, laddie?" Balin asked quietly, so the guards who were standing nearby and waiting to open the doors couldn't hear. I took a deep breath, feeling my clothes weigh heavy on my shoulders. I glanced at my little brother for a moment then, and upon seeing Kili's never-fading smile, a bit of courage filled my heart at last.

"I believe I am, Balin."

"Very well." The old dwarf smiled, nodding towards the guards. "Let's not make them wait any longer, then. After all, everyone is very excited."

I didn't respond to that and only stared blankly as the doors swung open slowly and with the distinct deep noise that came with opening such large stone doors. I didn't really realize what was happening as we started to walk past the many dwarves gathered in the throne hall, leaving a narrow trail between the masses for us to pass through. I also didn't know when exactly we reached the large stairs that led up to the throne that had been without occupant since we had arrived in Erebor those few months ago. To me it seemed like an eternity had passed, like I had lived a whole life since the demise of Smaug, the mountain's former resident. Now there was nothing left in the throne hall of the dragon, only beauty remained. I admired what dwarven craftsmanship, endurance and patience had done to the place that had once reeked of dragon and had been nothing more than broken pieces of a lost kingdom.

"We are here today to celebrate the age of a new king," Balin's voice suddenly pulled me out of his thoughts and I hadn't even realized that we had climbed the stairs and were now standing right before the throne, Balin talking to the masses while I was standing next to him silently, trying to look more regal than I was feeling inside. "We are here to crest Prince Fili, nephew of Thorin II, heir to the throne, with the crown of his forefathers so that he may reign over Erebor as his great-grandfather has done before him. Our kingdom was lost, and our people dispersed. But we have found home again and home this mountain shall remain for all of us until the day we move on to the halls of our forefathers."

Balin's voice rang loud over the crowd but not as loud as their cheers. I flinched slightly upon the noise, hoping that no one would notice. Kili muttered something from where he was standing one step further down and a bit to the side, and though I couldn't make out the exact words over the noise I was sure that it had been something that was meant to encourage me. It took a moment for the crowds to quiet down again, and it was then that the ceremony truly began. Balin motioned for me to come stand before him, a kind smile on his aging face as he asked me to kneel down. I knew what was going to happen and my heart fluttered nervously in my chest as I glanced down at the floor for a moment.

"Prince Fili," Balin started then and I took another deep breath, bracing myself inwardly before I finally looked up at the old dwarf before me, giving him my undivided attention. Balin graced me with another smile for it. "We will now hear you say your oath."

I simply nodded in reply and Balin continued swiftly, his voice echoing through the hall as he spoke loud and clear.

"Will you, Prince Fili, solemnly promise and swear to govern the People of Erebor to the best of your judgment and abilities, protect and care for the citizens of your empire as long as you shall reign?"

"I solemnly promise to do so."

"Will you protect this kingdom of old, the kingdom of your forefathers, and its people against any harm or threat that may cause our days to darken in the future?"

"I will." I repeated, loud and clear, the sound of my own voice slightly strange to me as it echoed off the walls of the throne hall. Silence hung over the crowd as the ceremony took place.

"Will you to your power cause law and justice, in mercy, to be executed in all your judgements?"

"I will," I answered again and out of the corner of my eyes I could see Dwalin approaching the two of us as we spoke the last words of the oath, carrying a large grey shimmering crown in his hands. The crown made of mithril that had once adorned king Thror's head. I swallowed tightly.

"Do you swear unto Aulë, the spirits of your forefathers and the people of your kingdom to keep your oath whatever may come?"

I waited shortly before I answered the last question, though not intentionally, rather because I needed a moment before I made the final step. I needed just one tiny moment of silence to myself before I could become king. Everything was quiet around me as I shortly closed my eyes and took a last deep breath, releasing it as I opened my eyes and looked up at Balin who was now holding my great-grandfather's crown in his hands, ready to put it onto my head.

"I swear."

Balin smiled again, bright and kind as he lifted the crown over my head.

"So be it. May Mahal grant you the courage and the strength to rule just and wise. And may Durin show you the path you must walk and guide you through the times that lie ahead. In the light of this day and the blessings of the Gods, I now proclaim Fili, nephew of Thorin II Oakenshield, First of His Name, King under the Mountain."

I heard the crowds cheer as the weight of the silver crown settled heavily on my head.

*Cassy's POV*

I couldn't remember ever having seen as much to eat and drink as I had on this day. After having spent the ceremony mingled in the crowds together with Bofur and the rest of my companions, I was now walking over to the long wooden table with the others where Kili, Fili, Dain, Balin and Dwalin were already sat. They were only seated on one side of it, so that they were all facing the hall in which many more large tables had been placed by now in order to celebrate. There was plenty to eat and drink on each of them and everywhere dwarves were cheering, chatting, drinking and having fun. I liked the view. It reminded me of the parties in the Iron Hills. I liked seeing everyone so happy, and I was glad that they were so accepting of their new king who still looked slightly uncomfortable in his skin if one dared look too closely. I couldn't even imagine the thoughts that were probably racing through the newly crowned king's head.

I smiled warmly at Fili when he saw me and the others approaching and I saw his eyes widen upon seeing my appearance before he elbowed Kili in the ribs to gain his attention and gestured to me.

Kili's eyes widened dramatically and I saw him gulp nervously when his gaze landed upon me. I smiled and walked around the table to the empty seat in between Kili and Dwalin.

Kili merely stared at me with dark lust-filled eyes and an expression of awe as I sat down beside him.

"Well, Muinthen Nín, I can safely say that you should wear dresses more often considering its the only thing that has managed to make my little brother at a loss for words." Fili said causing everyone to laugh as Kili blushed slightly. "But I have to say that you do look beautiful, Cassy." Fili added And everyone around the table agreed.

I smiled in thanks and looked at Kili who was still in shock. I gently placed a lingering kiss to his cheek breaking him from his thoughts and making him grin broadly at me. "I was on the verge of jumping out of my window earlier when the maids showed me this dress but unfortunately the fall would've been fatal so I decided to endure the torture of this dress instead."

"You really do look beautiful, Cassy." Kili said with a grin.

"Thank you, Kili." I said with a sincere smile.

We ate and drank for an hour or so after that and it was safe to say everyone was enjoying themselves. I took a sip of the wine Gloìn had filled my glass with a while ago. It was just as I put my glass back on the table when a clattering noise sounded suddenly from somewhere down the other end of the table and I looked past Kili curiously only to see Dain standing up, a cup of wine raised in one hand. He waited until the crowd in the hall quieted down enough for him to speak before he uttered his first words.

"This day demands a celebration like no other," he stated loudly. "Not only have we been blessed with the reclaim of an old kingdom but with a new king, as well. May the seven kingdoms unite once more under the rule of the mountain king, and may we all live to see Erebor back to its glory of old in no time!" He raised his glass even higher and I merely copied what everyone around me was doing as I raised mine as well, staring at the dwarf lord as he finished his speech. "Under this new reign let us come to a new age but let us not forget that in our tradition and our history lies our worth. To King Fili! Long may he reign!"

I just watched with a grin as around us dwarves cheered shortly in agreement to Dain's words before they gulped down their respective cups of drink. I took a sip of my own wine as another dwarf rose to hold a speech, a member of council that I had seen before but didn't know and had never actually spoken to. He spoke about the importance of forming a permanent council for the king and of never taking for granted what Fili, together with his uncle and the rest of the company had accomplished to reclaim the dwarves' biggest kingdom. I listened quietly as two others followed his example, one of them I knew, the other not. Both said similar things, such as making the kingdom prosperous once more, rebuild the empire that had been lost so long ago. And all were hoping on Fili to bring them back to their glory of old again. The blond dwarf just sat there, silent except for the occasional thank you after a speech had ended. I watched Fili as his eyes seemed distant and his face was a strange mask of politeness and earnestness.

It was after the sixth not very different speech that Bofur leaned across the table at Kili and I and asked, "Why don't one of you give a speech... a nicer one?"

I grinned, glanced at my cup of wine before I slowly pushed my chair back and stood. The chair slithered slightly across the floor with a small scratching noise. Both Kili and Bofur shot me thankful looks when I stood, gripping my cup lightly in my right hand. My fingers twitched as the crowd noticed me standing, and slowly their chatter quieted down again, though this time it was accompanied by little murmurs here and there.

"I am Cassandra Mandaria, daughter of Marcus and Alena, the Archer Queen," I said loudly, causing more murmurs to appear upon my words. I cleared my throat quietly and then I took a deep breath, and just said what I needed to say. "There have been many speeches tonight, and I am sure some of you will not be too pleased that I am starting another one just as you thought you could drink in peace."

There were a few laughs that I hadn't expected but I didn't let them get me off course, as I continued, my voice ringing through the room clear enough for everyone to hear.

"When I first came across the company of Thorin Oakenshield, I did not know of the importance of their quest or the heavy burden that had been left upon their shoulders ages before. I had only heard stories from my father. However, as the weeks I spent with the Company turned into months, and I came to see them as family rather than a bunch of strangers. And I came to understand and admire the strength of Durin's folk." I paused for a moment and took a deep breath as I let my gaze wander over the crowd that was now listening silently to my words before I glanced over at the guests seated at the table. "I once asked Thorin what Erebor was like, long before we even came close to the mountain. I remember quite clearly what he told me. He said that it was beautiful, and in the middle of the night he illuminated the dark with the pictures he drew with his words. He told me of great halls and mines, hand-carved into the stone and reaching down further than the roots of the mountain itself. As he talked, I could see this kingdom coming to life before my eyes only through Thorin's voice. And yet, I never quite could imagine what it truly looked like until I came here and saw it for myself. How beautiful these halls once were and how beautiful you all have made them again."

I smiled slightly as I glanced down at my cup of wine that I still held firmly in my right hand, thinking back to the night that I had spoken to Thorin about Erebor in Mirkwood. It had been a time when my mood had been at its worst. "Those who spoke before me are right when they say that Erebor will rise to its full glory again, and they are right when they say that it is a grand empire that shall bloom once again. But if I learned one thing from what Thorin Oakenshield told me about this mountain, then it is this: Erebor is not only a kingdom, it is a home."

I felt a warm hand envelop my free one, and I didn't have to look to the side to know whom it belonged to. Kili sat silently as everyone else, listening to me as I spoke, squeezing his hand slightly as the words fell from my lips. My words were for Fili, and for Thorin.

"It is a home fit for kings as much as it is for commoners. It's beauty lies not only in the precious gems that line the walls or the riches that lie beneath it. Erebor is not only valuable because it once was a glorious empire. No, it's Erebor's people that make it unique and it's Erebor's people that will make this mountain a true home again, thriving with life as it did once before. Home was everything Thorin was ever looking for. Everything he wanted to reclaim was the home of his forefathers and his people. And I think there is no one better fitting to continue his legacy than his own nephew." I turned away from the masses then and in the completely silent hall I addressed Fili directly, quietly, giving him a warm smile as he stared at me with wide eyes. "If you focus on what you've left behind, you'll never be able to see what lies ahead. And ahead lies a great future, King Fili, one that would make your uncle very proud."

The silence in the hall continued on for a short moment in which I saw Fili swallow hard before he smiled, genuinely smiled with crinkles around his eyes and all, and nodded at me. I cleared my throat and raised my glass.

"Here's to King Fili," I said, unsure of how to actually finish my speech. Kili gave my hand another encouraging squeeze and I smiled. "Here's to home."

The echo of my words rang through the hall, repeated by dozens and dozens of dwarves and I couldn't help my smile broadening as I took a sip of my drink before I sat back down, long before the crowds had stopped clapping and cheering. I glanced over at Kili as I placed my cup back on the table and saw the brunet dwarf smiling brightly at me, and I didn't protest as he shortly lifted my hand to my lips and pressed a light kiss to my knuckles. I just smiled and used my free hand to continue eating, as did the rest of the guests. I didn't say much else during the evening, at least not in such a way. I talked to my friends for the rest of the night, and I ate and drank, and I laughed until I started yawning and flopping down in my chair more often than not. Kili gently took hold of my elbow when he noticed how tired I had become and led me out of the hall, and though many of the guests had left already, there were yet just as many still celebrating on. I was asked to dance by a few drunken dwarves as I walked by them with Kili, though he pulled me closer to him and walked a bit faster each time. It wasn't as if I wanted to dance with any of them, but I appreciated the requests even if they were drunken ones.

"Cassy," Kili chastised lightly as he kept me upright by my upper arm after I had managed to trip once more. "How much did you have to drink tonight?"

"Not much," I answered, a bit surprised by the slightly slurred way the words came out of my mouth.

I leaned my head heavily on Kili's shoulder as he shook his head, murmuring to himself. "I should not have let you sit near to Bofur. He always has one over the eight, what made me think he wouldn't make you part of it."

"I feel light." Apparently, I had the need to communicate most of my thoughts at the moment. I doubted whether that was such a good thing. Kili sighed audibly, shaking his head again as he manoeuvred me through the corridors. Thankfully, they were mostly empty, for no one really lived in the royal wing except us.

"That's because you're drunk, my love," Kili muttered as he guided me past a corner and down another long hallway. I wrinkled my nose.

"I have been drunk many times, but I have never worn a dress when drunk and it isn't much help." I told him.

I heard Kili snort quietly next to me as he shot me a sideways glance. "I take it that you got drunk when you were in the Iron Hills?"

"On occasion.... I remember one time Dain and I were sat in the middle of a corridor and began a drinking game, it ended with us passing out I think." I slurred and Kili chuckled.

"Well, let's just try not to get you drunk too often, shall we?" Kili replied as he opened the door after finally having reached my chamber. I leaned heavily on him as he pushed the heavy door open, though he didn't seem to notice much or care, for he just wrapped his arm a bit tighter around my waist as he manoeuvred me inside, closing the door behind him with his foot as his hands were busy keeping me balanced. I giggled again, not quite knowing why. But I wouldn't complain. I didn't see anything bad in having a few drinks.

I was ripped from my thoughts, flinching slightly as Kili made a snapping sound with his fingers before my face. My gaze shot up at him and my eyebrows rose slightly, not having realized how close we were standing together. Kili raised one of his eyebrows pointedly. "Have you even listened to a word I've said?"

I hesitated shortly, thinking about it, and then shook my head. "I don't think I did." I answered honestly. "I'm very sorry, Kili. What did you say?"

I heard him sigh silently before he shook his head with a small smile, shortly glancing down at the floor before he looked back up into my eyes. "I was saying that it was nice, the feast, what you did. What you said." He trailed his thumb lightly over the spot where he held me on my elbow. "I never realized that you and uncle spoke of Erebor. It was very good to hear what he thought of it. What you think of it. I think Fili needed to hear that, too. He's always been burdened with the future of a kingdom, but now that everything happened all at once, he didn't really have much time to come to terms with being... well, king."

I watched Kili for a moment, taking in his serious expression and sobering slightly myself. I gently placed my hand on his upper arm and smiled at him as he looked me silently. "There is no one better fitting to be the next King under the Mountain than Fili. And not simply because he is Thorin's heir but because he is kind and strong, and honest. You both are, Kili. And you'll both be fine with the responsibilities thrust upon you by fate."

Kili looked at me silently for a moment before suddenly a bright smile came to play on his lips. He pulled me towards him and wrapped his arms around me tightly, and I merely leaned my head against his chest as my arms wrapped around his middle almost out of instinct.

"You're going to make a great princess, you know." He murmured into my hair. I merely shook my head but he continued anyway. "You're inspiring, Cassy, and you don't even know it. I am not sure if you realize it but your speech tonight was the only one that moved the people enough to cheer not only for a new king but for themselves, for the home they are going to build here."

"I was just speaking my mind." I muttered against his chest and felt him nod, his chin slightly grazing the top of my head.

"And you inspired them." Kili replied quietly, his hands moving lightly over my back as he spoke and I thought about his words in silence. "They did not just cheer your words, Cassy, they cheered you."

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