"I cannot believe he would dare to show his face in Erebor!" Fili snapped as he marched away from the library.

Kili trotted after him. As if his day had not begun badly enough with finding, upon waking, that the damaged muscle in his leg had seized in the night, to be confronted with that one was almost too much to handle.

"He has as much right to be here as anyone else," Kili reminded him, "much as we might both wish otherwise. Uncle would have killed him if there had been proof, we both know that."

"You think I am not aware of that?" Fili demands. "Do you truly think I am that ignorant of the law?"

"I think you're letting your own feelings on the matter blind you," Kili pointed out.

"He was my friend," came the snarled reply. "He was my friend and he used me to get close to those 'dams and Mahal knows how many other girls while we all worked the caravans. You cannot tell me you are not troubled by his appearance."

"Of course I am!" Kili exclaimed. "Just as I am troubled by seeing him speaking with Aris. I know that you do not enjoy spending time with her, but I would rather she were not hurt by Nix if we could prevent it."

"What makes you think I don't like spending time with her?" Fili asked, confusion clouding his features as his angry steps faltered.

"Everyone knows it," Kili shrugged. "The two of you rarely do anything other than argue when you speak. Still, I will have to warn Miris when I next see her, she's a kind-hearted lass who likes to see the best in others. Aris is more like you, so I doubt she'll be taken in, especially since you warned her." Fili shifted. "You did warn her about Nix?"

"I told her he is untrustworthy and to stay away from him," Fili shrugged. "She didn't seem inclined to take the advice."

"I suppose you snarled it at her much as uncle would in your place," Kili huffed. "Well she's sensible enough, with luck she'll see through him before he can try anything."

"I don't hate spending time with Aris," Fili grumbled as they continued towards their chambers. "And we do not argue, we debate. I don't think for a moment she actually believes half the things she says, it's refreshing to talk to someone who doesn't just agree with everything I say."

"Keep that in mind, nadad," Kili grinned, "because you may well be spending a lot more time with Aris in the future."

"Your latest infatuation hasn't yet run its course, then?" Fili sighed. Usually Kili would be starting to search for that spark again, two or three weeks had always been the amount of time it had taken him to realise that his latest beauty was not the one he would spend his life with.

"I think Miris might be it," Kili breathed. "I know I've said that before, but it isn't like the last time. She doesn't make me want to run away from who I am or what we fought so hard to get back. She makes me want to be better. She makes me want to be a better prince and stop trying to hide from everything that came with getting the mountain back."

"How has she managed to accomplish what Amad and Thorin have been trying to do for twelve years?" Fili asked.

"I don't know," Kili shrugged but when Fili looked at him, he could see a soft smile on his brother's face. "Sometimes I'll talk to her about skipping meetings to spend time with her and she'll just give me this look and I won't even consider it anymore." Fili could admit that over the last few weeks Kili had, indeed, been found where he was meant to be far more regularly than he had before meeting Miris. "I think I'm going to ask her for a courtship."

That caused Fili to come to a halt. Kili frequently found someone new and exciting to pursue for a time, but he had never once put any serious consideration into making an offer of courtship. His brother could be impulsive, and that did not always have a positive outcome, but were that the situation here he would have expected his brother to say that the request had already been made. That Kili was taking time to think it through was of concern, and somehow, Fili had missed those tell-tale little signs that this gift from Mahal was different from the dozens of others over the years.

"Do you think she'll accept?" Fili asked.

"Why wouldn't she?" Kili replied. "A courtship isn't an engagement, after all."

"It is close enough," Fili said and Kili grinned at him.

"If this is about not liking Aris, I could find someone else to come with me when I see her sister," Kili offered.

"I'll live," Fili muttered.

In truth, though he was concerned about Miris' feelings for his brother and worried that Kili might get his heart broken, he was also looking forward to spending more time with Aris. Aris might not be a classic dwarf beauty, with her petite build and fine features, but Fili had found that it was her mind that held the true treasure. She was well educated, and she knew how to use that education to hold an interesting conversation. More than one of their discussions had caused Fili to go back to a council meeting and revise an opinion on a course of action, although whether that had been her intention he could never be sure. He was certain, too, that while everyone else might have believed that they could not stand to be in one another's presence her feelings on the matter, and his, could not have been more the opposite. True, their debates could occasionally become incredibly heated, but there was often a sweet smile or soft laugh to lessen the blows of her sometimes caustic words. There was always a brilliant shine in her eyes when she defended a point with particular vehemence that could not help but captivate him when he saw it and more often than not he would lose the thread of the argument just watching the way that the storm grey of them glittered.

Fili had merely held back from expressing his admiration because he had feared that any friendship between Aris and he would suffer when Kili's interest in her sister ran its course. If his brother were to offer a courtship to Miris it was far more unlikely that such a relationship would be broken or damaged. Perhaps having an understanding 'dam at his side, even if just as a friend, would ease some of his struggles during parties and gatherings. Before Erebor he had been much like his brother, eager to meet new people and form new friendships. Before Erebor he had never had days where he would wake after a poor night of sleep because his damaged leg would ache in the cold and wet or even if he had simply over-exerted himself the day before. Before Erebor he had been naive and too trusting of the wrong people. Before Erebor he had been a very different dwarf. Before Erebor he would never have dismissed Aris without having seen her properly.

Before Erebor he had been less cautious, the path to the mountain had taught him the virtue of that and life in Erebor had shown how essential it was.

"Do you think I should?" Kili's voice cut through his thoughts.

"Should what?" Fili muttered.

"Ask Miris for a courtship," Kili rolled his eyes.

"If you're certain she feels the same way," Fili shrugged.

"She isn't Vaal," Kili replied and winced at his brother's answering scowl.

"I would never have asked to court her in any case," Fili pointed out. "Not all of us can be as fortunate in our dalliances as you."

"Jealousy doesn't suit you," Kili laughed. "And I promise I will not rush into it. Amad has always said these things need careful consideration."

"Three weeks is not considering it carefully," Fili said, and his brother pulled a face. "Perhaps you should do as uncle suggests and take that trip to Ered Luin. It needs to be one of us, and it may as well be you as not. A bit of time away to think wouldn't be the worst idea."

"No," Kili shook his head, "I suppose not, but not yet. I want to get to know her a little bit better first. And I do not like the thought of leaving while Nix is in the mountain. Not for her sake, I doubt he would be so obvious as to target Miris or Aris. I simply do not wish to leave you in the mountain with him."

"I'm not going to attack him, Ki," Fili assured his brother. "Mahal knows he deserves it, but I am capable of some self-control." His brother stared at him, the expression saying louder than words that the younger did not believe the older would be able to restrain himself. "I'll have Nori assign someone to follow him," Fili continued, "but we cannot touch him without evidence."

"As long that's as far as it goes," Kili sighed. "You are not the only one who wishes for justice for Friya and the others like her."

A.N: And so we see how differently two people can see a situation. And that Nix is more dangerous than we thought and that Fili and Kili's hands are somewhat tied. Also, cold meds are amazing but there might be some weird bobbles as a result.