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A Hobbit's Rescue	By : LadyLaran Category: Lord of the Rings Movies > Hobbit, The Views: 5698 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own "The Hobbit" nor do I make money from this story.

Chapter List
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Author’s Note – Here is a chapter that has been long awaited, and I hope this is one all of you will be satisfied with.

Disclaimer – I do not own “the Hobbit” nor do I make money from this story.

Chapter Fifty-Five – Justice

Adamanta rubbed her stomach anxiously, sucking on a piece of candied ginger to calm it while she waited for the signal for the royal family to enter the courtroom. Her upset stomach was due to both her pregnancy and her nervousness about the forthcoming trial.

The entire family was dressed formally, and she was attired in a dress that was made exactly like the dress she wore during Thorin’s coronation except it was in a paler shade of blue and had tiny stars embroidered into the hem of the dress and the undersleeves that showed due to the long sleeves being folded back somewhat.

“All right, Adamanta?”

The hobbit looked up to see Fili standing in front of her, concern in his eyes as he watched his brother’s wife.

“Not really,” she admitted. “I’ve been dreading this for a while, and I don’t like what will happen at the end of it.”

The blond haired dwarf nodded, knowing of her worries for Kili once Thorin had him add his own punishments to the sentence. Both of them knew how furious the archer was regarding the attempt made on her life, not that Fili blamed him, and they just hoped that he would be able to keep a firm grasp on his temper throughout the trial and punishment of the three conspirators.

“It’ll be fine,” he told his sister in law, turning when he heard Balin call for them. “It’s time to start. Remember to let one of us know if you need a break, and we’ll let Uncle Thorin know.”

Adamanta nodded, moving beside her brother-in-law towards where the family was lining up to walk into the courtroom. Kili gave her an encouraging smile when she stopped to stand beside him, then offered her his left arm. She rested her hand in the crook of it, and the couple followed the rest of the family out into the courtroom.

The archer settled his wife in the seat beside his mother’s, which was on Thorin’s left hand side. Belis took a seat on Adamanta’s free side, and both dwarrowdams quietly told him that they would keep an eye on the hobbit. Reassured, Kili moved to his seat on his brother’s free side. As the crown prince, Fili was seated on Thorin’s right.

Once the family was seated, the king nodded to Balin. The advisor bowed to his friend before turning to face the packed courtroom. By his reckoning, he had a feeling every dwarrow in Erebor and most of the humans were here to witness the trial.

“We are gathered here today for the first trial in our newly reclaimed home,” the eldest son of Fundin began. “Your Majesty, are you ready to proceed?”

“Bring in the accused,” Thorin answered, voice calm for the moment.

Balin nodded, then made a signal and one of the guards opened a side door. The three prisoners were escorted into the courtroom, in chains and under heavy guard.

Adamanta drew in a slow breath at the sight of the trio who had tried to do everything they could to destroy her family so they could have their chosen dwarf leader in power. Her stomach tightened a bit, and she was grateful for the solid presence of both Dwalin and Bifur near the family.

The advisor waited until the prisoners were forced into a kneeling position in front of the dais where the royal family were seated before continuing.

“Udar, Mali, and Satri, formerly of the Iron Hills, you have been brought into the court of His Majesty, King Thorin II Oakenshield, King Under the Mountain, and are accused of treason and attempted murder. How do you plead?”

“Not guilty,” Satri hissed, giving Balin a furious glare. “We do not answer to this court; our lord is Dain of the Iron Hills.”

“On the contrary,” Thorin interrupted. “My cousin generously turned you over to me to deal with as I see fit. As a member of Durin’s Folk, you answer to this court. Please continue, Lord Balin.”

“Do all three of you plead not guilty,” the scholar asked, watching the trio with cold eyes.

“We do,” Mali answered, glaring at the older dwarf while he spoke.

Balin turned to face his cousin, seeing the anger in the dark blue eyes of the king. He bowed, letting Thorin take charge as the formalities were now out of the way.

“Lord Balin, who are the witnesses regarding the charge of treason?”

“Myself, Lord Nori, and Princess Adamanta Durinshield,” the white haired dwarf answered.

“Explain your findings, Lord Balin,” Thorin instructed, knowing Balin had been there for the beginning of it.

“The accused, who had been Lord Dain’s advisors, continually questioned the decisions that had been made before the Battle of Five Armies, and they even hinted that those decisions had been made while you were in an incapacitated state mentally. Despite the fact that Lord Dain acknowledged that I was typically your representative whenever you are unable to attend certain meetings, these three refused to allow for that and pressed for you to make your choice. They kept insisting that Lord Dain should represent Erebor and often made statements that the direct Line of Durin was compromised due to mental instability. They referenced the fact that Crown Prince Fili courting his One, who is male, Prince Kili marrying Princess Adamanta, and Princess Belis’s devotion to her craft as signs of weakness on the part of the king. They stated that the three children of Princess Dis should have been married to dwarrow of noble lineage to ensure the line is continued properly, and that you and she were both weak and foolish to have allowed them to follow their hearts instead of doing what was right.”

“Is that everything,” the king asked gravely.

“It is everything I have firsthand knowledge of, sire,” Balin replied.

“Very well, Lord Nori, come forward and explain your findings,” Thorin ordered.

Everyone watched as Balin took a few steps to the side so he could still attend to the king’s needs and Nori walked up the few steps to where the advisor had been standing, bowing towards his ruler.

“You may begin, Lord Nori,” the king said to the spymaster, who bowed once again before starting his report.

Because Adamanta had been the one he’d reported to at the beginning, the first part of the report comprised of information she was already aware of. After Thorin had been released from the infirmary, Nori had reported directly to him and it was all she could do to keep from reacting when he spoke of the conspiracy to murder the king and his heirs while they were still in the infirmary and weak but hadn’t been able to thanks to the princess ensuring their safety the moment she had been appointed as the king’s representative.

The spymaster went on to explain how the three advisors had tried to subvert Adamanta’s decisions and had attempted to spread dissent amongst the dwarrow population about having outsiders living in the mountain and being led by a hobbit until the king was back on his feet. They had also tried to stir up trouble by letting it slip that she had started rationing food early and the distribution of the food was not equal, but that had been stymied when Dori and Bard had informed the mountain’s inhabitants that the only ones getting more food were the women who were pregnant or nursing as well as the children. Then he shared about the plan to throw everything into chaos by assassinating the princess, who had gained a strong foothold in the hearts of the people she was helping. The ensuing panic and discord would allow the trio to set a dwarf of their choosing onto Erebor’s throne and allow them to gain in power and prestige.

That last piece of news had a loud rumble of fury coming from the audience of dwarves and humans. Because of the actions of the king, princes, the princess, and the company, they were home and safe and all fourteen members of the company were cherished because of their actions. The little hobbit princess had only wormed her way further into their hearts due to her willingness to help out where she could, cheering people up and treating everyone with equal kindness.

The crowd calmed when Thorin raised his hand although a few mutters could be heard as the assembly tried to control their anger towards the prisoners.

“I understand you are angry; we all are furious because of the reports we are listening to and having had to handle things so that they were unable to carry out their deeds. I ask for patience because justice must be carried out.”

His words calmed them for the moment, and the King of Durin’s Folk looked to Nori.

“Is this everything you have to share, Lord Nori?”

“In regards to this particular charge, your majesty, yes,” the spymaster answered.

“Please stay close at hand so you may be able to provide your testimony on the second charge,” Thorin said, watching as Nori bowed and moved off to the side. “Princess Adamanta Durinshield, come forward and share your knowledge of the events surrounding the charge of treason.”

The hobbit drew in a slow breath, rising to her feet and moving to the spot where Nori and Balin had shared their testimony. Once she was there, she sank into a deep curtsy to show her respect for her uncle before rising.

“You may begin, Princess Adamanta,” Thorin told her, giving her an encouraging look.

Adamanta spoke in a voice that was easily heard, sharing every attempt to undermine her during the first meeting with Gandalf, the elvish lords, the Master of Laketown, and Lord Bard. She spoke of the sneers as well as the blatant comment that Erebor was for dwarves alone. The hobbit told everyone about how she’d had to resort to threats in order to get them to back down so she could ensure the king’s will was carried out as well as the promises made before the mountain had been reclaimed.

“Is this everything you have firsthand knowledge of, Princess Adamanta?”

“For the charge of treason, your majesty, yes,” she replied.

Thorin nodded, gesturing for her to take her seat as he wanted to keep her comfortable until it was time to hear her testimony on the second charge the trio would face. She sank into another curtsy before following his orders.

“Lord Balin, on the second charge of attempted murder, who are the witnesses?”

“King Thorin, the witnesses are Lord Bifur, Lord Nori, and Princess Adamanta,” the advisor answered back. He was anticipating a larger reaction when the three of them spoke of what had happened within Mahal’s temple.

Nori was called to share the testimony of what he had seen. He told the court of seeing the trio acting more suspiciously than usual and had followed them, going into a passage that he had not known about, and watching them don masks before rushing out into the temple of Mahal. He spoke of managing to stop one of them from attacking the princess, tying his target up and sending for King Thorin once the fighting had ended.

Once the spymaster was dismissed, Bifur was called forward and he spoke of how Adamanta had gone to the temple and after dismissing the workers, had gone on to pray. The wild haired dwarf shared about how he’d heard the scuffle and spotted Nori fighting one of the trio and had tried to intercept the other two. One had managed to slip by him, but he had ensured the other one had not been able to reach the princess. By the time he’d gotten his target bound, Adamanta had already incapacitated her own attacker but had to pull his body off of her.

Adamanta went to offer her testimony after Bifur was dismissed and as she recounted what had happened, she unconsciously pressed one hand against the slight curve of her stomach where her child was growing. She held nothing back, sharing how she’d been praying for her husband and his family when she’d heard the sound of a blade being drawn and had reacted to it. The princess spoke openly of how her healing arm had been damaged once again as well as the wound she’d taken once she’d found a way to keep the would be assassin from keeping his balance and using his leg properly.

After she had finished, Thorin dismissed her and watched as she returned to her seat. His face took on a grim expression when his eyes turned to the three prisoners.

“The evidence is overwhelmingly against you,” he told them in a grave tone of voice. “For the charge of treason laid against you, I find you guilty. For the charge of attempted murder, I also find you guilty.”

There was a brief scuffle as Udar tried to protest but was quickly hushed by one of the guards, and the king continued to address them.

“As it is known, the penalty for treason is death as is the penalty for attempted murder. Due to our traditions, the closest relative to the intended victim has the right to pronounce their own punishment before the execution is carried out. Prince Kili, son of Princess Dis, as the husband of Princess Adamanta, the choice of punishment is now yours,” Thorin told his nephew.

All eyes were upon the dark haired prince of Erebor as the dwarf rose to his feet. His dark eyes gleamed with anger as he eyed the three prisoners, but it was obvious he was keeping himself under strict control because his voice showed no sign of the rage that was burning within him.

“The crime you attempted to commit would have taken the lives of two victims, not one, but Mahal and Yavanna be praised that my wife and our loyal friends were able to thwart you,” he began but was interrupted by one of the prisoners.

“Two victims? It was just the hobbit whore,” Satri shouted.

The traitor’s words drew the wrath of the audience, and threats were shouted as each dwarf and human took offense to the horrid slur against the hobbit princess’s honor and virtue. It took Thorin, both princes, Dis, Belis, Dwalin, Balin, Nori, and Bifur shouting for silence at the same time to be heard over the din caused by the enraged inhabitants of the mountain.

Once silence settled in the large chamber, Kili began speaking again.

“Yes, two victims. Had you been successful in taking the life of my One, you would have also ended the life of the child growing within her,” he said, voice cold. “As punishment for the attempt on the life of our child, all three of you will be branded as a child slayer so that everyone in the afterlife will know who you are and what you tried to do. For trying to assassinate Princess Adamanta, you will be shorn so that you will not be recognized as a child of Mahal.”

At the punishments the prince had given, the trio began begging for this not to happen. Once they were executed, they would be denied entry into Mahal’s Halls as they would not carry any sign of being a child of the Stone Father. Each word ripped into Kili’s control, and his voice showed his fury for the first time since he had been given the opportunity to speak.

“If you had succeeded in killing my wife, you would have removed every happiness in my life. Adamanta is my One, my precious treasure whose value to me far exceeds the wealth of our mountain home. For what you tried to do, you do not deserve any form of pleasure in your afterlife,” he growled out.

Realizing her husband’s control was on the verge of shredding completely, Adamanta threw a look at her brother-in-law. She waited while Fili lean in, whispering something to his uncle. When the king nodded, the blond haired prince looked at the worrying lass and mouthed the words ‘go to him.’

The princess hurried to her beloved’s side and slipped her hand into his, feeling it clench for a moment before he turned to look at her. She said nothing but took his free hand and rested it over her heart, providing silent reassurance that she was still there.

It took several long minutes before Kili rested his forehead against hers, and she could feel the cool touch of his mithril circlet against her forehead. Adamanta could feel the tension in his body leave, smiling up at him when he whispered words of gratitude to her.

The prince gently pulled his hobbit against his left side, staring at the three traitors. His voice was cool once again, but he was very much in control over his temper.

“As I have said so it shall be,” Kili stated, then turned both himself and his wife to face his uncle.

Both the prince and princess showed their respect in the form of a bow and curtsey, and the archer escorted his wife back to his mother and sister before returning to his brother’s side.

“Guards, bind them and let the punishment begin,” Thorin commanded, then leaned over to murmur something to his sister as the guards began setting everything up to carry out the will of the king.

Dis spoke softly in her daughter in law’s ear, passing on her brother’s message.

“Thorin said you could leave now if you wish to,” the dwarrowdam told the hobbit. “You might find the next part upsetting.”

Blue eyes looked over at Kili, assessing his state for the moment. Though he was under control now, she knew that it would take a wrong word and his temper would swell to greater heights. Knowing how hotly the dwarven blood ran through his veins, the hobbit was afraid that he would do something he’d regret if she wasn’t there.

“I don’t dare leave Kili right now,” Adamanta whispered back to the older princess. “If he loses his temper again, it will probably end up in bloodshed before the sentence can be carried out.”

“All right,” Dis replied, pleased by the show of strength her son’s wife was showing.

What came next had to be one of most horrifying events the hobbit had ever sat through. The scent of cooking flesh made her gorge rise when it reached her while the brands were applied to the foreheads of the three convicted dwarrows. She watched in horror as dull knives were used to shear off the hair and beards of the traitors, often taking skin along with the hair.

The method of execution was done by garroting, and the executioners had done it slowly to ensure that the treasonous dwarves suffered through each minute. Once they were gone, Oin examined the three bodies and pronounced them as dead.

Thorin ended the court session, and it took Adamanta a few moments before she could get to her feet. Fili caught the look on her face and quickly rushed her out of the courtroom to find a washroom so she could be ill. He stayed with her, wiping her face once she was finished and steadying her so she could rinse her mouth out.

“You all right, sister?”

“I never want to have to see that again,” the hobbit lass murmured. “Even war wasn’t that brutal.”

“You didn’t have to stay,” he reminded her gently and was taken aback by her response.

“I had to for Kili’s sake,” Adamanta told him. “I had to be there in case something went wrong and he lost his temper again. I didn’t want him to have anything to regret during this, and he would have had those criminals said or did one more thing to push him over the edge.”

Fili gave her a gentle hug, silently thankful that his brother had such a strong and amazing woman as his One. Afterwards, he guided her out of the washroom where she was pulled into her husband’s embrace and the blond haired dwarf could see the tension completely leave his brother’s body once the hobbit was in his arms.

“I’m here, my Kili,” she soothed, holding him just as tightly as he was her. “It’s over now, and I’m here.”

“Are you all right,” a new voice asked and the crown prince gave his One a tender smile.

“Just thankful for what this family has been given,” Fili said as he wrapped an arm around Ori.

“Hold onto that thought,” the scribe said, a teasing note in his voice. “I’ve been hearing things amongst the company that should be making life very interesting in the next few months.”

“Oh?”

“Something to do with the nursery for the baby,” Ori told him with a grin. “It seems everyone wants to be the one to furnish the crib.”

“Well, they’ll have to find something else to provide for the nursery because I’m going to be the one who will be giving them the crib,” the swordsman said, making his One laugh.

“Like I said, it’s going to be interesting,” Ori laughed, snuggling into his beloved while watching his friend with her husband. Like his One, he was very grateful for what the Valar had given this family and he couldn’t wait to see what life brought to them next.

Author’s End Note - All right, those three are now punished and out of their lives for good! I hinted at a bit of conflict in the company, which should be fun in the future. ~ Laran
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A Hobbit's Rescue