"Princess...........?"

"Don't............" (Y/n) warned, raising her hand as Thorin got to his feet.

"I do not wish to hear anything from you. I left Óin with everything that he would need to nurse you back to full health. I spent nights without sleep, days without food so that I could get you, Fili and Kili to the point where I could leave the Mountain; just as you had ordered me to, so many times. Yet here I am being told that you have not allowed him to do as I instructed. Not allowed him to apply the poultices or give you the tinctures that I made especially for you. I have also been informed that you are still limping and are experiencing pain because of your wound. I did not journey to the Halls of Mandos in order to seek you out and bring you back, so that you could send yourself back there through your own foolishness, stubbornness and sheer bloody mindedness........." The lady continued, as she made her way over to the King under the Mountain. (Y/n) looking down at the dwarf, as he raised himself to his full height and crossed his arms over his broad chest.

"I am King......you will not speak to me.............."

"What did I say about you not speaking...........?" (Y/n) interrupted again. Thorin finding himself having to force back a smile, as she mimicked his stance.

"You........Thorin Oakenshield, may be king to everyone else in this Mountain. But to me.......to me you are my patient; and you will continue to be my patient until you are healed as you should be. And do not think I do not know what it is to deal with males that think they can order me around; I will remind you that I am the sister of Thranduil, and I was the one that nursed him back to health after he was burned by a dragon in the War of Wrath. And given I never listened to him; I am not likely to listen to you. So..........." The Lady of Mirkwood, pulling off her cape and draping it over one of the chairs; before she turned back to the door of the room.

"Master Balin..........." Balin along with Dwalin, Fili and Kili, all poking their heads around the door; the four having thought, until this moment, that it was best for them to stay hidden.

"Lass............?"

"If you will be so good as to get Master Óin to bring whatever he has left of my supplies to this stubborn dwarf's bedroom. I fear that I will have to venture out so that I can find more ingredients, as someone around here wasted my work; but for now, I will use what I can. Oh, and a bowl of hot water and some clean clothes, if you have them..........." Balin nodding, before he went off to find Óin; the others following quickly behind him.

"Now.........." (Y/n) looking back at Thorin.

"Bedroom............."

                                                        >>-------------------------------------<<

(Y/n) shook her head, as Thorin winced while she helped him remove his outer heavy robe. The lady ignoring him, as she pointed to a chair, and he sat. (Y/n) rolling up the sleeves of her gown, before lowing herself to her knees and carefully pulling off the boot that covered his damaged foot. The lady sighing, as she peeled off the thick sock and saw that the wound was far from being healed, as it should have been.

"I told you not to put your full weight on this; I told you to rest it. I specifically said that others were to help you move if you needed to; and I even left sticks to help you walk when the time came that you could move on your own without pain. I should imagine that your other wound is like this one......? That instead of being healed, they are angry and swollen. I swear.........save me from the stupidity of males........" She said, as she got to her feet.

"Why would you do this, Thorin......? Why after everything you have been through. After all the sacrifices that have been made for you, would you treat this second chance at life, with such disdain..........? Well.........?" (Y/n) question. Her brows furrowing as the king dropped his head and his shoulders.

"Thorin......please.....please speak to me..........."

"Because I don't deserve it........." Thorin began, not daring to look up.

"I do not deserve all that has been done for me, all those sacrifices; a second chance. I went up to Ravenhill knowing that I would give my life if I had to, to end Azog. It was the only, the right thing to do after what I did; after falling to the dragon sickness and treating all those that had followed me, as if they were my enemies. Questioning their loyalty......and what for......? A pile of gold and a shiny rock....They deserved better than me. The people of the Mountain deserve a better king. I am not fit to rule.......that is why..........." The dwarven king continued. Thorin slowly looking up as two soft elegant hands, took his.

"Guilt is a powerful emotion. I have seen its affects, firsthand. I have spent so many years watching as my brother let his guilt surrounding the death of his wife, eat away at him. I know you won't believe this, but Thranduil was not always so cold, so unfeeling. His guilt turned him into something he wasn't. Into the elf he is now. His pain made him build a wall around his heart and he pushed away all those that cared for him, including his son, and myself. I do not want that for you, Thorin Oakenshield; and I will not allow it, if I can help it. No matter what you think about yourself, every dwarf that journeyed with you, that fought countless times by your side, wants nothing more than for you to be their king. They believe in you, despite everything. They gave a part of themselves, so that I could journey into the next world, and bring you and your nephews, back. If that does not tell you all you need to know about their feelings, their loyalty towards you; I do not know what will.....And as for your shame......your guilt.......your remorse......use it. Use all of that to make you a better man, a better dwarf......a better king. Use it to motivate you, push you, to do all you can to prove to, not the others, but to yourself that you are better than you believe. And one day......one day, sometime in the future, you may find that you do not feel as guilty as you used to. One day you may look in the mirror and think that yes, you have done all that you can. That you have done everything you can to be the best king possible for your people; and you are thankful for the chance at a second life. Thankful for the opportunity that you were given and proud that you didn't waste it. But......you will not be able to do any of that, if you continue to neglect your wounds........" The Lady of Mirkwood about to say more, until a pair of rough lips covered hers in a soft kiss. Neither the king nor the elven princess hearing the knock on the door as their arms moved around the other, and the kiss deepened. Nor did they see the dwarf that had entered the room and stood there, in the open doorway, wide eyed.