Prompt: : / / hobbit - kink . livejournal ?thread=3847490#t3847490

1st Draw: The King

Fascinated Kili lets his fingers run over the scarred blade of the old, ragged knife. He knows, he is not supposed to be doing this, but he has seen that knife in his brother's hands all day, never allowed to touch it. "You are too young," his uncle had said, and his mother had added: "You would hurt yourself." That is really unfair, for Fili is barely five years older than him (five years are nothing by dwarven standards!) but there is not really anything he can do about that, can he? He has always been one for bending the rules the way he needed them and his big, sad puppy-eyes had gotten him and his brother out of any kind of trouble, but this time it had not worked.

The black-haired dwarf may be young, but he already knows how to use what he is given only too well.

Kili hears Fili mumble something and cannot suppress a low chuckle. The older one uses to talk in his sleep and although his words are mostly blurred and not understandable it is rather amusing to listen to. The young prince can tell his brother's mood by his voice and it is not hard for him to guess what the blond dwarf is dreaming about. Giggling quietly Kili listens to his brother's delighted mumbling. Quite obviously his dreams are rather enjoyable.

He turns his attention back to the knife, turning it carefully, his tiny fingers grasping the hilt. It is the King's Blade. Thráin I the Old had been given it at his coronation and since then every prince of Erebor had received it on the day before he had begun his education. Tomorrow Fili would start to learn all those wonderful things as well and Kili is terribly jealous – he usually is part of whatever his brother does and that he cannot attend those lessons seems to be terribly unfair. He knows that he is too young and he knows that it is Fili who will inherit the throne, not him (he does not care about that particular part, for he knows being king means having to behave and that is something he is not very keen on) and he knows that he will have to learn most of it as well. He would much rather attend those lessons together with his brother, though.

Kili huffs lowly. He is well aware there is no way to change his uncle's mind, no matter how much he sulks or uses his sad puppy-eyes. Thorin is the most stubborn dwarf Middle Earth has ever seen, as his mother always says, and he will do what he deems right when it comes to raising his heir.

The younger one of the two princes sighs heavily. He knows, he should go to bed, it is very late, but he is way too fascinated by the King's Blade and his brother's silent sleepy laughter. He loves this sound, it makes him feel comfortable and at home like nothing else. He knows wherever Fili is – that is where he wants to be, too. And he also knows that he is the only one able to educe said sound from his brother in any situation.

The two princes are terrible pranksters and Kili feels like making Fili laugh is the meaning of his life, is what he is here for.

He giggles when he hears his brother grunt. Then the older one starts to toss and turn without a warning, obviously his dreams turning into a nightmare. Carefully Kili puts the knife back into the sheath he has taken it from and runs towards their bed, worried.

The blanket seems to have wrapped itself around the young dwarf's small body and Fili's fists are clenched, clutching to the cloth and pulling at it. Kili climbs onto the bed and gently loosens the knuckle-whitening grip of the short fingers, then lets his hands run through the mussed up hair. "Fili," he whispers. "Wake up!"

The older one opens his eyes and for a few seconds they are only staring at each other in the dim light of the lonely candle. Then Fili breaks into a grateful fine. "Thank you," he mutters and together they untangle the infernal blanket. "Did I wake you?"

"No, I could not sleep," Kili yawns and his brother chuckles lowly.

"You will be able to sleep now."

The younger one shakes his head. "Only after you have told me about your dream," he demands and Fili smiles sourly.

"Why do you always want me to talk about them?"

"Because you feel better afterwards." As much as Kili loves the sound of his brother's happy voice when he talks in his sleep, as much does he hate and dread the older one's nightmares. Fortunately they are quite rare, but sometimes they manage to take the blond prince's sleep for days.

Fili sighs. "It was just because of everything that happened yesterday… uncle's visit, and the King's Blade, and the knowledge that we will not be able to spend all of our time together from now on. I don't like to think about that." He frowns.

Kili smiles reassuringly. "We will find enough time," he promises. "We will still be able to make silly jokes at breakfast and dinner, and I will still wake you when you have bad dreams."

The older one nods slowly. "You are right. I will have to carry the burden of being the heir to the throne now, but you will carry it with me."

"Of course," the black-haired dwarf answers, squeezing his brother's fingers. "What else?"

Fili's smile is slowly returning. "What would I do without you, brother?"

Kili laughs quietly. "Probably go crazy."

Shaking his head Fili sits up. "Probably. So, what were you really doing up? Playing with the King's Blade?"

The younger one pouts. "You know me too well."

"True." The blond dwarf is grinning broadly. "You know that I don't want it, right?"

Kili shrugs. "It's not because it's the King's Blade. It's because you are allowed to have a knife and they think I am still too young. I bet with you Gimli will be allowed to learn fighting before me!"

Fili laughs. "I doubt that. Mother may be a little overprotective, but uncle will make sure you know how to defend yourself as soon as possible. He is a warrior and terribly paranoid, he sleeps with his weapons instead of a pillow."

The younger one cannot suppress a smirk at that thought. "I doubt that his axe is comfortable…"

"But it would explain his constant sour mood! Imagine you had to sleep on an axe every night – that has to make you cranky. Besides, he probably worries all the time that some of his hair might be cut off…"

Kili huffs. "That explains quite a lot."

They then dissolve into giggles, leaning against each other and gasping for air.

"Hush," Fili murmurs, panting. "We don't want to wake mother!"

The younger one's eyes widen. "Or worse – uncle!"

"Yes, he might take away our pillows and give us an axe instead!"

Kili does not even have time to roll his eyes at his brother before they erupt into the next laughing fit. If the blond dwarf wanted them to be quiet he should not say such stupid things. "But…" he pants for breath. "He could not give us his own axe, otherwise he would have to sleep on a pillow!"

Fili cocks his head and considers this. "Maybe his sword?"

"But that's not as uncomfortable as the axe and then everything would have been in vain!"

"True. Hmm… Maybe he would run and lend one of Dwalin's?"

"You truly believe Dwalin would give him one of his?"

"He is the king… he could tell him to."

"Yes, but Dwalin is married to his axes!"

This time Fili's eyes widen. "But that's polygamy! And I thought only the elves were doing that…"

"Better don't let him hear that comparison!"

Fili looks genuinely shocked. "Of course not, I don't have a death-wish!"

It goes on like that for the better part of the night and the two brothers fall asleep in the early morning hours, their legs entwined and Kili's head on Fili's arm. As always.

oOo

It is Dis who wakes them after what has been way too little time, but they try to rub the sleep out of their eyes, give themselves a cat lick and get dressed, for Fili does not want to be late on the first day of his training.

When they enter the dining room Balin, Dwalin and their uncle are sitting there with their mother, enjoying breakfast.

"Good morning," Kili beams, trying to hide the fact that the morning is not good at all. He does not want his brother to spend the day away from him, however, one look at his uncle tells him that he better not raise the topic.

Balin smiles kindly. "Good morning, lads. Please join us, you must be hungry."

Fili snorts. "My brother is always hungry!"

"Ah, but you aren't?" Kili immediately retorts and does not miss the amused glances Balin and Dwalin are exchanging.

"Well, there is enough for everyone." Their mother's smile appears to be a little strained, but Kili knows better than to ask for the reason. He is well aware that she is not happy about his brother's training either.

They take a seat and the dark-haired dwarf's gaze never leaves his uncle who seems to be even more broody than usually. His brother realises this as well and their joking does not come as easily as normally. Despite the older one's comment Kili is not really hungry, but he keeps eating, if only to delay the end of breakfast as long as possible.

Balin smiles knowingly. However, there is something in his eyes Kili has never seen there before, something dark and disapproving, something he can also see on Dwalin's features. Whenever they look at the king their moods seem to drop and Balin's smile fades a little.

Dis does not smile at all.

Kili is wondering whether he should be worried, but he has no chance to, for suddenly Thorin rises. "Come on, let's go." He makes for the door, not even turning around to look whether the others are following him. Fili picks up the package their mother gives him – it is rather big, but Kili forbids himself to think about that – and when he is standing in the doorway he turns around for a second, giving his brother a reassuring smile. I'll see you later, his eyes are saying and Kili forces a smile as well.

Behave yourself, is the meaning of his cheekily twitching lips and for a second Fili sticks out his tongue. Then he is gone.

Their mother closes the door and Kili sighs heavily. "What am I supposed to do now until he returns?"

Dis does not look at him when she answers. "You could practice your Khuzdul." Her voice is strange and Kili does not dare to ask.

oOo

The late afternoon has Kili sitting in the room he is sharing with his brother, trying to entertain himself with a few toys. If his brother were here they could lead their army of wooden dwarves into an epic battle, slaughtering orcs and having the elven king Thranduil kneel before them, asking for mercy. For a second his lips are twitching at that thought (Balin has told them about the lord of the woodelves, describing him very lifelike – as well as his ridiculous moose) but the smile is gone before it even has a chance to light his face.

He has spent the better part of the day sulking, not even thinking about the Khuzdul vocabulary he should be memorizing, waiting for his brother's return. Now, however, he is actually bored enough to grab the book and try to push its content into his mind, but there seems to be no place for uninteresting words like passage and trade and dissolve. If Fili were here they could spend the time making up stupid mnemonics and he would never forget them again.

The irritation and impatience win and Kili ends up throwing the book against the wall and trying to play with his toys once more, but there is no way he can concentrate on stupid elves and nasty orcs now. He tries to imagine what his brother is currently learning. Maybe uncle had started with showing him how to fight? But what weapon would he be carrying now – a sword or an axe? Of course that means that Fili's day would have been wonderful and exciting. However, no matter how much he wishes for his brother that he is having fun, he knows his uncle. Thorin may be a warrior, and he may want his nephews to be able to defend themselves, but he would most definitely initiate his heir's training with something unbearably boring and tiring, like etiquette or the memorizing of emblems and family trees.

Kili rolls his eyes when he thinks about his uncle. He will probably never understand him. On the one hand Thorin is the person who has always brought them the loveliest toys and the most delicious sweets, on the other hand he hardly ever gives his nephews a smile or tells them they have done something well.

The black-haired prince may be young, but he knows that his uncle has not had an easy life. Their mother has told Fili and him quite a lot about Erebor and Smaug and the fact that Thorin had lost his brother and father and grandfather in battle. That he had been the one to look after the homeless dwarves of Erebor as well as after their family (at least after their father had died) and that he had always put others – his people and his kin – first.

However, he had always made Fili and Kili feel like nothing they did could ever be good enough. Good enough for what? For the heirs of Durin. For Erebor. They are but children, not ready to be princes and not ready to face the serious side of life.

Their mother believes that they have a right to be normal children, after all there is no kingdom they could inherit. However, Thorin is – as already mentioned – incredibly stubborn. He has always done what he thinks best and he has saved his people. He will not stop doing it.

Kili finally loses his patience and the toys land in the corner, next to the Khuzdul vocabulary book. He rises and goes for the dining room, opening the door that leads outside. He plans to wait on the doorstep, but when he sees that it is already dark his heart skips a beat. "Mother?"

"Yes?" Dis seems to be in the kitchen, considering the noise of rattling dishes.

Kili runs towards her, his eyes wide and worried. "When is Fili going to be home? It is already dark outside!"

His mother, who is standing in front of the oven, turns around slowly, hesitantly. She does not look at him and Kili holds his breath. "… Mother?"

Dis forces a smile, but it is strained. "He will not come home today." Her voice is heavy and the young dwarf looks at her, waiting for her to explain.

"Why not?"

"Because…" She gulps heavily. "Because your uncle took him to another place, to a town of men where he can teach him everything he needs to know."

Kili shakes his head in disbelief. "For how long? When are they going to come back?" He thinks he feels his heart break, young as he may be, when he sees the sadness and the tears in his mother's eyes, and hears her feebly whispered words.

"I do not know."

"No," Kili says, "No," his voice firm, because this cannot be true. It cannot be… right?

Dis gulps again. "I'm sorry," she murmurs and she sounds so incredibly sad and lonely that Kili knows she is telling the truth.

He feels the hurt and the despair creep up, making their way to his heart, but his anger is faster. "Uncle," he growls. "How could he do that! How could he do that?" Then he turns towards his mother. "How could you let him?" He is crying by now, filled with pain and fury and the empty feeling of betrayal. He tries to strike his tiny fists against his mother's belly, but she simply kneels down and wraps her arms around him, pulling him close.

"I am sorry," she whispers again. "I wish… I wish I were strong enough to oppose your uncle."

Kili flinches when he hears her quiet sobs. He has never seen his mother cry. Never. And her tears dropping onto the bare skin of his arms tell him everything he needs to know.

He is not going to see his brother anytime soon.

Kili breaks down.

TBC