Author's Note: Welp. Final chapter. Here we go…

Chapter 43-Queen Under the Mountain

Karra rolled over and buried her face in her pillow. She was conscious of early morning torchlight, and a flutter of nervous excitement in her stomach. Something was happening today.

She rolled over, flew out of bed, and found herself staring at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair stuck out in all directions like a bird's nest, and there was sleep in her eyes. She shook her head and blinked.

She was getting married today.

To Fili.

She ran her fingers through her hair, smoothed her nightdress, and lingered in front of the mirror for a long moment, wondering how she would ever manage to look good today. Why was she so nervous? It was Fili. She had known him for over a year now. She had traveled with him, seen him at his best and at his worst, and she loved him. She shouldn't be nervous.

So she forced herself to turn away from her disheveled reflection, and pick up the fresh dress that lay by her bed. Her stomach fluttered again with that strange nervous happiness as she saw her wedding robes, hanging in the corner. For a moment it seemed as if they stood like an officiant, watching her lest she make a mistake. She shook her head to clear it of the strange notion, and quickly dressed. Her fingers lingered on the door for a moment before she opened it. She knew the minute she stepped out into the hallway, she would be whisked away, and everything would be crazy until the evening.

And then she would be married.

She swallowed again and swung open the door.

Sure enough, there was an attendant waiting for her in the hall. "Lady Karra!" she said with a curtsy. "Your preparations are already underway! Come with me!"

Karra took a deep breath and tried to fake a grin. "Don't I even get breakfast?" she said.

"Of course! We wouldn't want you fainting away from hunger in the middle of the ceremony." The young dwarf took her hand and tugged her down the hallway. "You'll eat and then begin your preparations. I'm sure people are already assembling in the great hall already!"

Oh, great.

Breakfast was a lavish affair, but Karra didn't eat much, despite the urgings of her fellow dwarf women. When she had finally managed to convince them that she really wasn't all that hungry, and that she really couldn't eat anything more, she was dragged off to a large room, full of women who had gotten a hold of her robes and were armed with many unfamiliar instruments of potential torture.

She collapsed into the nearest chair and hoped she could go unnoticed for a few last moments.

Enna approached through the busy crowd of women and put a hand gently but firmly on her shoulder. "You should practice your vows, my lady," she said softly. "We don't want you to forget them."

Karra swallowed. "I guess you're right," she said. She had been tripping over the strange dwarvish words for the last month, even with the coaching of the most skilled of dwarves. She bit her lip, took a deep breath, and tried to wrap her tongue around the words. "Mamahdûn Mahal—I don't even remember what this means. What if I mess up, Enna? With everyone looking at me, their future queen?"

"You won't," she said with a matter-of-fact pat on the arm. "And if your forget, your soon-to-be husband will be there to remind you."

Karra tried to laugh. "If he doesn't forget, too."

Enna smiled. "Karra, I wish you all the—"

"Time to slip into your robes, my lady!" An old woman bustled over and grabbed Karra by the hand. Karra gave Enna a last smile and allowed herself to be led to the dressing room. The robes hung in the corner, still looking just as formidable. When she took these robes off tonight, Karra realized, she would be queen of Erebor.

Suddenly she felt like she couldn't move.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" The woman slapped her hand gently and kindly. "Time to get dressed!"

Karra nodded, and reached out to touch the robes she had made with much help from Enna and the others. Tears sprang into her eyes unbidden. Her mother, a world away, would never get to see her wearing her wedding dress.

The old woman put an arm around her shoulder. "I understand," he said, her voice softer now. "I, too, was nervous on my wedding day."

"I'm not nervous! I mean, it's Fili. I love him. I know it's going to be wonderful. It's just…" Her voice trailed off and she let her hand drop to her side. "Help me get dressed," she ordered, surprising even herself with the authority in her voice.

The room full of women all stopped and turned when she emerged, wearing her robes. There was a hushed moment, and Karra wasn't sure whether they were admiring her or sizing her up. Probably both. Either way, the silence was broken and Karra was hustled back to a seat. Someone took hold of her hair and began to do something with it. Another woman approached her with something that looked like a makeup brush, but fiercer. Karra winced.

Everything flew by in a blur. Karra closed her eyes and let them do what they wanted with her—at this point, she didn't care. All she cared about was getting this day over with. No—that wasn't right. It was her wedding day, and she was happy. And nervous, and excited, and every other emotion she could possibly feel at once. All the emotions, all the thoughts, all the giddy expectant whirling in her stomach crowded out any thought of what they might be doing with her hair, her face, her dress. She knew they knew what they were doing. She would look—well, dwarvish. And being that she was going to be queen of a dwarvish kingdom, that was a good thing—right?

It must have been hours later when the fuss stopped almost as suddenly as it started. There was a moment of silence, and Karra felt all eyes on her. She drew back and wished she could escape their gaze, and then she remembered that in just a little while, everyone in Erebor would be looking at her. She resisted the urge to toy with her hair.

"Come with me, Lady Karra." A woman's voice broke the silence.

Karra stood, and followed her on shaky legs.

The women followed her in a whispering crowd to the mirror. She closed her eyes for a moment, almost afraid to look. Would she see herself or a stranger who would soon be queen?

She opened her eyes and stared at herself, not sure how to find the words.

Her bright red hair was fluffed out and arranged in an elaborate series of braids. Strung through the braids were thin lines of gold, which glinted in the torchlight. Her features were accented sharply with contrasting makeup, blue eye shadow, and blue lip paint. Gold was everywhere. Her face shone with a gold sheen, and someone had clasped a heavy gold necklace around her neck. Gold armbands clinked on her wrists, and a gold circlet with a bright blue jewel in the center shone on her forehead.

And it was apparent they had done nothing to conceal her scar. She reached up and touched it gently.

"The scar…" she said.

"It is a mark of bravery," Enna said, stepping to her side. "And you're all the more beautiful for it."

Karra opened her mouth to speak, and then closed it again. "Well…" she said after a moment. "Well." And she let her hand drop again, feeling the weight of the bracelets on her arms. She looked herself up and down again.

"I look…" And suddenly she began to giggle. "I look like a warrior queen."

"Which is exactly what you are, my lady," said an old dwarf. "You look fit to marry our king."

Karra squared her shoulders and looked at herself again. "I guess I do," she said softly.

In the hushed silence that followed, someone stepped from the crowd with a cloak. "Your cloak, my lady." Karra took it with a smile. She was rather grateful for this particular tradition—they were to travel to the great hall disguised as another traveling party. No one would stare at her until the last minute.

The door swung open, and a woman entered. "The time to leave grows near," she said. Karra settled her cloak on her shoulders and positioned it so it hid her hair and her robes.

"Lead us, lady," the messenger said.

And Karra did. With the women following behind her like an embassy, she led them out of the halls. Her robes swished around her feet as she walked, and her heavy bracelets clinked. With all those women behind her, she felt like some sort of commander—and, oddly enough, she was both frightened by the thought and not frightened at all.

She led them into the great expanse of Erebor, her cloak pulled low over her face. They entered the great hall, and heard the herald announce, his voice ringing up to the ceiling, "A new embassy cometh!" All heads turned, and Karra felt everyone's eyes rest on her.

Her palms began to sweat.

She threw back her cloak and stood in all her finery before the people.

A hush fell.

Balin stood at the front of the crowd, behind a podium that had been carved from stone. On the podium lay a golden hammer. If it was possible, an even deeper, more reverent silence seemed to fall over the people as he raised it.

And for a moment, everything fled from Karra's mind as she saw Fili, standing there in front of the podium. He looked her way, and she felt his eyes rest on her.

For the first time in months, he smiled. And suddenly, she wasn't afraid anymore.

The hammer came down with a crash that sent lingering echoes through the hall. Karra forced herself not to jump. Behind her, she felt a push and heard someone whispering, "Go! Go meet your groom!" and then she was walking forward. Her eyes met Fili's and she walked towards his gaze. And then she was standing in front of the podium, her eyes still locked onto his.

Balin's voice rang through the hall. "Fili, son of (insert name here), do you accept Lady Karra, daughter of Ragnar, into your halls?"

Fili's gaze held hers. "I do," he said, and his voice was soft, yet carried to the ceilings.

"Now speak the blessings," Balin said.

Karra took a deep breath. Fili gave her a nod of encouragement and spoke the first blessing.

"Mamahdûn Mahal ku' muha sullu khama akrâzu Sulladad."

Blessed are you Mahal who has created everything for the glory of Eru.

Karra repeated the words without a single mistake.

The speaking of the seven blessings flowed so quickly and easily, with Fili smiling encouragingly and speaking them clearly before she did, that she could hardly believe it when they were over. She let her eyes wander out into the crowd for a moment, gauging their reaction. She saw a figure standing near the front, just a bit taller than the dwarves surrounding her. Her face was mostly hidden, but Karra recognized the familiar sparkle in her eyes and the curly brown hair peeking out from under the hood.

She grinned slightly and dropped her gaze. So Britta had made it.

Fili turned towards her and took both of her hands, as was the custom. She gave one last glance back at her friend, and then turned to him, meeting his gaze with a soft smile.

"In my halls you will find a house, and in my heart you will find a home." Karra felt the gentle press of his hands on hers as he spoke the dwarvish words.

Karra replied, the words rolling effortlessly off her tongue. "In my halls you will find a house, and in my heart you will find a home."

Balin drew two rings from beneath the podium and held them out in the palm of his hand. Fili reached forward, and took one of them. Karra saw him take a deep breath before he spoke.

"The emblem of the house of Durin is carved on this ring, signifying that you are now my wife," he said, and slipped the ring on her finger. At the gentle touch of his fingers, she felt a sudden rush of happiness.

She took the other ring from Balin, and, silently, slipped the ring on his finger, lingering a long moment before drawing her hand back.

A dwarf came forward, bearing a large mug of…something.

Balin announced that they would now drink the marriage ale of the same cup, a sign of their union together. Fili took the cup first. He raised it to his lips and chugged down an unexpectedly large swig. Karra couldn't stop herself from giggling as he handed it to her. She took a sip and tried not to make a face. He raised an eyebrow, as if to challenge her to do better. So she raised it again, took as large of a drink as she could, and nearly dropped the mug. A grin spread across Fili's face, and he caught it and handed it to Balin, who set it on the podium.

"You may now kiss the bride," Balin announced, and then suddenly Fili's hands were around her waist, and his face so close to her that she could feel his breath against her lips.

"You look stunning, Karra," he mumbled, before leaning forward and brushing her lips with a gentle kiss.

As the crowd cheered, Fili pulled back and gave her that mischievous grin she hadn't seen in so long. His eyes sparkled as he dipped her over and kissed her passionately. Her heart began to race and she felt as if she were floating. Then she slipped her hands into his hair and returned the kiss with all the passion he had begun it with.

Finally, they pulled back, and stood before the people, his arm around her waist. The cheering grew louder and echoed about the hall with triumphant joy. Karra grinned out at them, still giddy from that kiss. She saw the faces of the people, so happy, and felt a sudden rush of happy butterflies in her stomach.

She was Queen under the Mountain, and her people loved her.

But more than anything, she was home.

The end.

*Sniff* It's kind of bittersweet, really. I'll miss writing Karra, and Fili, and all these other characters I've had so much fun with. I'll also miss seeing your kind words in my inbox the day after I update. But really, I'm glad I'm done, because now I can move on—write other stories—have fun with other characters. I'm just glad you've stuck with me this long on this little (or large, rather) unexpected adventure.