Hey!!! I really hope you like this chapter. I'm back at college now so I'll try and update as frequently as possible but I may end up updating only once a week sometimes. So I'm sorry. Please comment, vote and follow. Thank you!

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*Kili's POV*

Fili, Balin, Dwalin and I were sat in the council room going over the plans to rebuild Dale when the door flew open.

"Your Majesty, there are caravans approaching the mountain!" A young, dark-haired messenger informed Fili and I quickly as he ran into the room looking out of breath.

It was only a second later that Fili had stood up, shooting me an excited look. I took a second longer to catch on but when I did, I felt my brown eyes widen slightly and I couldn't help but gulp nervously.

"That will be Lady Dis and the others of our kin from the Blue Mountains." Balin spoke as he stood slowly, I stood up too.

"I believe our presence is required at the front gate." Fili spoke up almost bouncing up and down in excitement.

And with that Fili led the way out of the council chamber, Balin, Dwalin and I following swiftly behind him towards the front gate.

I saw Fili shoot a look over his shoulder every once in a while, when he realised that I was gradually slowing down the closer we got to the front gate.

"Kili, now is not the time to dawdle!" Fili chuckled as he hurried down the last large corridor that led to the gate.

The horns sounded once more when we passed the guards and upon looking to the horizon, I could see the caravans of the Blue Mountains already quite close to the mountain.

"I'm not dawdling." I grumbled back at Fili from where I was walking behind him as we walked out onto the platform at the top of the large steps that led up to the gate, facing towards the field that lay before Erebor.

"Yes you are now why are you dawdling?" Fili asked in slight confusion.

It was only when I didn't answer that Fili turned his head towards me, giving me a sceptic look as he studied my expression.

Fili's mouth opened in a silent shock as he realized what exactly was going on. "You didn't tell her! Oh, you blockhead, you didn't tell our mother of Cassy!"

I just shook my head in reply without saying anything, just pressing my lips together.

Others were now joining us on the platform beside Balin and Dwalin. The only one missing from our original company was the very topic of our conversation.

"How could you not tell her? Have you lost your mind?" Fili hissed as our friends and companions gathered behind us. "You wrote four letters to mother in the past months and not once did you think of telling her that you have found your One and are incidentally betrothed to her, the Archer Queen?"

"I couldn't find the right words and I didn't want to tell her through a letter. Besides this is face-to-face news." I answered in a whisper, my gaze fixed on the growing dots in the distance. Fili just shot me a pointed look and shook his head at me, taking a deep breath as he moved his head to look in the same direction, crossing his arms over his chest loosely.

"She will have your head for that, you know." Fili mumbled but didn't say anything else.

We could see the wagons approaching, several carriages filled with dwarrowdams and dwarves while many were simply walking along them, carrying big packs on their backs and weapons on their belts. A few dogs were walking along with the wagons and after a while, chatter and shouts could be heard from down below as they approached us. The trumpets sounded once more as the first wagon came to a halt at the bottom of the large set of stairs. Fili took a deep breath from beside me in anticipation as he saw the first dwarves exit their carriages and gathering at the bottom of the tremendous stairs that led up to where we were gathered.

We both saw a very familiar form being helped out of one of the carriages. Fili just shot me a short sideways look before he glanced back to see our mother make her way to the front of the gathered crowd below us. It was only a moment later that she looked up towards us and met our gaze from afar, a bright smile immediately illuminating her familiar features. Fili and I couldn't help but return it happily.

There she was. Lady Dis of the Ered Luin. Our mother.

Our mother didn't hesitate long before she started to climb up the stairs, accompanied by her entourage. Fili and I simply waited until the dwarrowdam had reached the top of the stairs. It was then that Fili put out his hand to help our mother up the last few steps and Dis took it with another bright smile that could have made the sun jealous. A moment later, Fili found himself in a lung-crushing hug as our mother pulled him towards her.

"Fili." Dis muttered into Fili's shoulder, her voice quivering slightly as I realized that she was trying to hold back her tears. "It has been too long, my son!"

Fili answered with a warm smile when he pulled back, squeezing our mother's shoulders as she raised her hand and stroked his cheek lovingly. "Indeed it has."

Dis smiled tenderly at Fili before she turned her head and caught sight of me, smiling broadly at her and yet still somehow I was still seeming nervous. The dwarrowdam reached out her arms and it was just a moment later that I had made a step towards her and wrapped my mother up in a bear hug. Dis laughed quietly as she returned my embrace and as we let go of each other, she gently stroked her hand over my messy brown hair.

"My boys, it has been too long." Dis muttered, glancing between the two of us, a thin veil of tears covering her eyes though none had fallen yet. "I thank Mahal to see the both of you healthy and strong before me after all these months you've been away and the horrors you must have lived. I can never tell you how proud I am of you for following your uncle on this journey and -"

My eyes widened and I felt nervousness overwhelm me when my mother interrupted herself in confusion as her fingers suddenly got caught in the braid on the side of my head. It took her a moment to turn her head around to me and her eyes narrowed slightly in shock as her fingers wrapped around the braid that was slightly hidden behind wild strands of hair. I opened my mouth to say something, but merely an incoherent sound escaped my lips as Dis revealed the braid and her eyes widened as she lightly pulled on it before her gaze found mine. She looked at me sternly for a moment, her gaze piercing into me, before she looked behind me, her eyes apparently scanning the crowd for the braid that matched the one in my hair, glancing back at me when she didn't find it among the gathered people.

Dis narrowed her eyes slightly, giving me a pointed look.

"I believe you have some explaining to do, Kili." She told me with a stern look.

I felt like I couldn't speak, my throat had tightened preventing any coherent sound from escaping my lips as I stared at my mother's shocked face as everyone around us stayed silent.

"I wanted to tell you in person but -" I was cut of when she placed her hand onto my shoulder gently.

"I am not mad, my son, just shocked is all. I came here expecting to greet my son's after all our time apart and then I find my youngest son is betrothed... I am just surprised, Kili." She told me, a small reassuring smile appearing on her surprisingly calm face.

"I did want to tell you, mother, but I thought it was not something I could tell you in a mere letter." I explained, slightly relieved that she was acting so calmly about the situation.

"I understand." She smiled. "But, who is she?"

"Her name is Cassandra Mandaria. I'm sure you've heard of her." Fili told her with a cheeky grin as he watched my mother's eyes widened considerably, apparently not expecting the infamous Archer Queen to be my fiance.

"She is my One and I love her with all my heart." I told my mother with a sincere smile.

"I am happy for you. I heard the Archer Queen had joined Thorin's quest and fought to reclaim the mountain with you all but I did not expect to find her engaged to my youngest son." She chuckled slightly before she linked her arms through Fili's and mine. "I think I'd like to meet my soon to be daughter-in-law."

"This way then, Lady Dis. Cassy should still be training the new guards for their place in King's Guard so she'll be on the training field." Balin said as he and the rest of our company made our way there while the rest of the newcomers were led inside by some of the councilmen.

*Cassy's POV*

"You have to keep your stance strong or the breeze will just knock your bow to the side and your shot will go terribly wrong...again." I yelled but muttered the last word a little quieter.

It was day two of the assessment into the King's Guard and it was safe to say that I was getting frustrated. We had already done the axe training which all of them excelled at but we were now doing the archery training and I was on the verge of stabbing one of them if they notched the arrows incorrectly one more time.

But even I had to admit it was funny to see the dwarfs get the bow string tangled in their crazy beards when they tried to release the arrow. This was why the archers that I trained in the Iron Hills had stubble and not full beards.

"Okay! That's enough archery." I told them before I chuckled to myself. "If we carry on any longer you'll all have no beards remaining." A few of them that heard laughed while the rest rubbed their sore faces.

"Now, you have all completed all the other training tasks but you now need to fight me." I grinned. "Select your favourite weapon and we'll begin."

I watched in silence as most of the dwarfs picked axes and mattocks, while Kainín grabbed a sword, Dax grabbed a pair of dual swords and Mikaelson collected two long daggers. I raised an eyebrow at him but he merely shrugged before I sighed, not caring about anyone's choice of weapon.

I hardened my expression as I picked up the lightest axe from the pile of weapons and faced the first dwarf.

"Lets begin." I announced before he immediately swung the axe and our fight began.

After I had won against the first eleven dwarfs, only Dax, Mikaelson and Raínin were left to fight. I stood there, my breathing heavy as I felt my tunic cling to me with sweat.

"Dax!" I shouted him forwards as I gripped my dual swords tightly. "Like with the other fights, the first one to fall on their back loses."

He nodded once, his face contorted in deep concentration as he watched me get into my fighting stance. Without warning he lunged and I barely avoided the blade before I turned and clashed my left sword with his. I watched how he thought up each way to defend himself before each of my swings. We continued clashing swords, both of us quite evenly matched, although he had the advantage of being taller than me and after fighting all the other men I was basically exhausted.

After two more minutes of fighting Dax unexpectedly hooked his foot behind mine and knocked my leg out from beneath me, causing me to fall onto my back with a gasp.

I grinned up at Dax, silently congratulating him before he helped me to my feet.

I accepted the water that a dwarf offered me and gulped it down greedily before I picked up my broad sword and motioned for Raínin to move forwards. Even though Raínin fought easily against the others I managed to knock him over within two minutes of our fight. But even I had to admit that he fought strongly for someone so young.

I dropped the sword as I turned to a grinning Mikaelson who was twirling two long daggers in his hands. I picked my two daggers up and prepared to fight him.

"When you're ready, Cass." He said and for a brief moment I was distracted by the fact that he called me 'Cass' like Caspian did which allowed him to swing at me easily. At the last moment I ducked, the blade passing harmlessly over the top of my head.

I held my blades tighter, my knuckles turning white from the intensity of my grip as I stood straight again, moving to swing at him.

*Dis's POV*

My eyes moved around to view my surroundings as I walked. Erebor truly was magnificent and I couldn't be happier to have my boys beside me and be home at last.

I held onto Fili and Kili's arms lightly as we followed the company towards a balcony that looked down upon the trainings field, allowing us to see a group of thirteen dwarfs stood in a wide circle as as they watched as two other figures dualled in the centre.

One figure caught my eye; she was a woman, the only woman on the trainings field and held an aura of leadership and power about her. She was definitely incredibly beautiful even during a battle. Her raven black hair was down and whipped around her head whenever she ducked to avoid the tall dwarf's blade. She was an incredible fighter but looked like her energy was running out. I snuck a glance at Kili and saw the worried frown marring his young handsome features. That woman must be Cassy, the Archer Queen and my soon-to-be-daughter-in-Law.

I smiled and looked back to the fight just as Cassy was knocked onto her back but before she could hit the floor she pushed her hands against the ground and backflipped onto her feet, causing the company around me to gasp, even I was impressed. I continued to watch as she stood straight and kicked her opponent's leg powerfully causing him to stumble and as soon as he righted himself Cassy punched him in the face and kicked his chest knocking him onto his back.

The dwarfs around the two of them began laughing as the tall dwarf rolled onto his front coughing from the impact.

"That's all for today! You'll find out tomorrow who got into the King's Guard." I heard Cassy tell them before she helped the fallen dwarf to his feet before walking away from him.

"So that's Cassy, huh?" I said quietly and Kili nodded.

"How about we introduce you, mother?" Fili asked.

"Great idea." Balin smiled gently before he led the rest of us down some stairs.

*Cassy's POV*

Once everyone left the clearing I sighed and clutched my side. I wasn't fully healed and the continuous fighting must've strained my battle wounds as it was hurting quite badly, and not to mention I was absolutely exhausted.

I heard footsteps approaching so I turned my head to see the company walking towards me, all smiling. I caught Kili's eye and smiled before my gaze was captured by the dwarrowdam who was walking in between Kili and Fili. It took me a few seconds to realise that I was looking at the Lady Dis. I carefully stood straighter but I still winced when a pain shot through my side and I immediately caught Oin's worried gaze as he looked at my side.

"Good afternoon, Cassy." Balin greeted and I grinned at him.

"Good afternoon." I replied but directed it to all of them.

"You alright, lass? That last fight looked intense." Dwalin asked, his arm's crossed as he looked at me.

"I'm fine. Mikaelson is a good fighter but so were many of the other's, only Dax managed to knock me down and my side is killing me after the impact." I replied but smiled at the warrior anyway.

"I'll take a look at it later to make sure you haven't strained yourself." Oin told me and I nodded, not even daring to argue.

My gaze drifted back to Lady Dis who had watched the exchange silently.

"I don't believe we have met." I smiled. "I'm -"

"Cassy. Kili and Fili already told me. I am Lady Dis but considering you are going to be family soon you can call me Dis." She said and smiled.

I looked at Kili who was looking relieved and that's when it clicked. "You've only just found out about me haven't you?" I asked Dis and she nodded with an amused smile.

"Yes, my youngest son forgot to mention how he had found his One and was betrothed. But nevertheless I am happy for you both and I look forward to getting to know you Cassy." Dis replied.

"Same here." I grinned as Kili came to stand by my side, interlocking his fingers with mine.

"We should head inside, food will be served soon." Gloin spoke up and immediately we all started heading inside the mountain.

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I hope you liked it! Please comment, vote and follow! Thank you! :-)