Alyssae kept looking forward for a long time. She could barely realize what had happened. All those time the crowd seemed to hold their breath. Nobody dared to move, afraid that Niamh would rip out their hearts as well. 
As a breathing organism Thranduil's blood slipped over the ground. It grasped around and slowly colored the veil of her dress red. It was the view at the blood and the staying away of any reaction of the witnesses that shook her awake.
She supposed she had the right to claim the throne now, but she didn't want to stay here any longer. If it was up to her, everyone might rot away in this forgotten forest. 
She walked to the dungeons, determined to go inside for the very last time. "Give me the keys."
The guard stared at her in bewilderment. 
"Now!" she yelled. "Or I'll make sure your heart will be ripped out of your chest as well!"
The elf in front of her did probably not know what had happened, but still he found it a legit reason to obey. She grabbed the keys out of his hands, pushed him aside and hoped nobody found out that she was bluffing. It was disappointing that Niamh had disappeared again, but at least she was still alive and could perfectly well stand up for herself.

Alyssae freed the dwarfs. She was embraced by all of them and Thorin gave her a long kiss. 
"I told you everything would be fine."
"Not for Bombur," she grunted. 
An uncomfortable silence fell. 
"What happened?" Bofur asked, softly. "Why do they allow this?"
"It's a long story," Alyssae mumbled, ascending the stairs again. "Our daughter has pulled out Thranduil's heart."
"Daughter? Whose daughter?"
"That of Alyssae and me," Thorin answered. 
A cool smile played around her lips when she heard how proud he was.
Alyssae couldn't imagine it was all over now. Thranduil was dead, Kíli reigned Erebor and Thorin and she would go back to Chyndall. She didn't know how Niamh fitted in, but she hoped that would become clear by itself. 
"What have they done with Bombur's body?' Bofur's question pulled her out of her thoughts again. Unintentionally she touched her belly, in which a part of Bombur had disappeared. It made her feel sick again and she decided not ever to tell someone about it. 
"Thranduil showed me his head," she mumbled. "I think his waiters put it away."
Alyssae was surprised when an invisible hand took her's. Her heart beat in her throat, but she didn't dare to say anything to her daughter, afraid she was hallucinating. 

The hand brought her to the bridge. The others followed her without saying anything. 
"Are there no things you want to take with you?" Thorin asked. 
Absently Alyssae shook her head, while her thumb fondled Niamh's invisible hand. She knew her daughter had stolen the ring that once had helped her to become invisible as well, and she believed she also possessed the Arkenstone.
Alyssae felt a little panic when Niamh pulled her into the bushes. The others started to ask questions. They however stopped speaking when they found a small hill, existing of humid ground. There was a smalle stone, in which was carved: Here lies Bombur, son of Nahin, dwarf of Erebor. 
A tear ran down her cheek and she wished she could look her daughter in the eye. It felt like Niamh could hear her, for she pulled the ring off her finger and looked up. 
"I did not know whether there would be time to give him a proper burial, so I already buried him."
In silence Alyssae wrapped her arms around Niamh. Thorin immediately did the same. 
"I missed you so much," Alyssae whispered.
"Will you come with us to Chyndall?" Thorin asked softly. 
There was a short silence. Bofur knelt beside the grave. 
Niamh nodded, but her eyes were fixed at the small hill. Alyssae took her hand and that of Thorin and started to sing. A song that had sounded more often. For Bifur. For Fíli. For Thranduin. For her father. And now for Bombur.