AN: Welcome to my little daydream of life in Erebor. This story is set after Battle of Five Armies and everyone lives. I was inspired to write this after thinking that Thorin reminded me of Mr. Darcy, hence the Pride and Prejudice quotes. This a romance, but there is still a bit of action/political drama in the story. I have no Beta reader for this story, so please excuse any mistakes, punctuation errors, etc... I LOVE reviews, so please feel free to give reviews. Enjoy :)

"I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine."―Jane Austen,Pride and Prejudice

Signi met the King once, just a few years prior, when he came to see Lord Dain in the Iron hills, and she was not impressed. Of course, he was not the King yet, just a blacksmith with an overly proud stance and a perfected glare.

Dain had celebrated, the drunken fool he was wont to be, and insisted that they throw a party to welcome Thorin Oakenshield in their company. Signi knew that Thorin did not want the reception. She had heard through the grapevine that he was there to persuade Dain to send a company of dwarves on a quest. But that didn't give him an excuse to spend the duration of the evening with his arms folded stiffly across his chest, scowling at the festivities arranged just for him.

The party was Dain's usual variety with rowdy dwarves emptying the larders, draining the cellars, and dancing until dawn broke over the mountain tops. Signi was there with her older sister, Lifa (Baila and Elin still too young for such social gatherings) and they were anxious to meet the famous King under the Mountain face to face. Rumors had meandered their way through Dain's staff that Thorin was a handsome dwarf and all of the unmarried dwarrowdams of the Iron Hills were eager to verify that fact.

Signi conceded later that night at Lifa's insistence that Thorin was an overall handsome dwarf, but his stoicism and general unpleasant disposition lessened his attractiveness a great degree. Lifa supposed that she could overcome her initial impression if he managed to reclaim Erebor and all of its gold. Signi told her sister that she was a fool.

It wasn't for lack of trying on Signi's part. Before the party, she allowed Lifa to sheath her in her most beautiful deep violet gown and braided her hair in a complicated series of braids. She behaved pleasantly for once and put away her usual sharp tongue when Dain dragged the girls over to meet Thorin. Dain was a close friend of their father's and was often on the receiving end of Signi's quick wit and harsh criticisms. Despite their well-mannered greeting and attempt at small talk, the girls were not able to get more than a slight incline of his head in response. Later that evening, after Dain made several attempts to get Thorin to dance with one of the sisters, Signi had the misfortune of hearing the king snarl ", I am not here for distraction by foolish girls."

Foolish indeed! The king was blind if he considered Signi as part of that crowd. Angered by Thorin's insult, Signi spent the rest of the evening in the cellars, writing insults of her own in the dirt floor, scratching them out, and then writing new ones as she stewed. In retrospect, she was being childish. But three years later, as she packed her bags for Erebor, Signi kept thinking about the time she met the King and decided that parties were stupid, and dwarves were pigs, and most of all, Thorin Oakenshield was a blind fool.

Anticipation burned in Signi's belly as the carriage she and Lifa shared slowly snaked around the city of Dale and the great gates of Erebor came into view. Their journey from the Iron Hills had been a long one, but seeing their destination ahead of them did not give her same sense of relief and excitement as it did her sister. As she watched one of the guardsmen ride ahead to notify their host of their arrival, Signi pulled her hood over her face to hide her frown from others in the company.

"Who do you think will great us?" squealed Lifa beside her. For every argument that Signi had made to their mother against travelling to Erebor, Lifa had countered with a reason why the both of them should go: namely all of the potential suitors now residing under the tutelage of King Thorin with newly acquired wealth. "I bet it will be the princes. Or maybe the King himself!"

Signi snorted and rolled her eyes at her sister. "You forget that we are nobodies here, Lifa. Besides, the king doesn't have time for 'foolish girls'." Three years later, his comment to Dain Ironfoot still angered her.

"Mahal, Signi! You need to let that go!" snapped Lifa, reaching over and yanking her sister's hood off. "In case you don't remember, he was about to go on an impossible and nearly fatal quest. I wouldn't have time for us if I were him either."

Scowling, Signi sunk further into her seat. She wanted nothing more than to turn around at the gates of Erebor and head back to the Iron Hills. There she was surrounded by the people she loved, the beautiful rolling landscape, and general good cheer and company. Besides, Dain's own son promised to marry her if she reached 100 and had no prospects.

When their carriage finally arrived, she was pleasantly surprised to be greeted by a small company of dwarves followed by more than enough guards to carry their belongings. She was secretly pleased to note that the king and princes did not make an appearance.

"Welcome!" shouted their host, Gloin, at the horses clattered to a stop. "Welcome to Erebor." Gloin was a distant relative through their mother's side, their one small claim to the house of Durin, and he had agreed to take the girls into his care at Erebor. No doubt, their mother had tasked him with the duty of securing husbands for the girls, and Signi wondered how seriously he would take that role.

Gloin continued introducing the dwarves he brought with them as the girls climbed out of the carraige. Beside him was his red-haired son, Gimli, who would be inheriting their family's estate when their father passed as the girls had no brothers. He seemed to be a nice lad, just a little younger than Signi, with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. Behind him was an old dwarf with a gray beard and an ear trumpet. He was introduced as Gloin's brother, Oin. On his left stood and large balding dwarf with muscular arms and a ferocious looking scowl. He made his own no-nonsense introduction as Dwalin. Signi instantly decided that she liked him. The last dwarf was Dwalin's brother, Balin. He was old, with a long gray beard, but he was friendly and gave the ladies a warm greeting and invitation to dinner after they had some rest.

Overall, their reception was a good one. Signi felt some of her tension fade as she stepped into the halls of Erebor with Gimli by her side, Lifa just ahead of her on Balin's arm.

Signi could not deny the beauty of Erebor as she was escorted to her new living quarters within Gloin's halls, but she was acutely aware that he wasn't in the Iron Hill's anymore. The rough stone floors, low ceilings, and roaring fires of her previous home were nothing compared to vast halls of Erebor that opened up to layers upon layers of open passages. Plush furs and mounted heads of the animals he hunted had adorned the walls of Dain Ironfoot's home. But in Erebor, the sheer amount of gold inlaid in the walks and coursing through the walls in thick veins was enough to take her breath away. This was the sort of home that Lifa dreamed of: rich, decadent, and cold. In contrast, Signi felt the distaste crawling beneath her very skin as she looked down into the abyss and shuttered.

Signi scowled at her reflection in the mirror as she attempted to tuck one of the thin braids hanging beside her face behind her ear. She was adamant when she told Lifa that she could dress herself for dinner, but her older sister dominated her and wrestled her into a constricting gown and overly elaborate hair style. The girls had not expected a big to-do for their first dinner, but Gloin assured them just before they retired to their rooms for rest that king and princes would certainly be making an appearance at their dinner as they did every night. Lifa had been beside herself in excitement, but Signi felt dread rising in her throat.

The gown Lifa insisted she wear was a bold red, tight around the torso, and too low cut for her modesty. Signi's hair was fashioned in a series of small, interlocking braids and allowed to hang down her back in brown waves. Her reflection was so strange that Signi barely recognized the girl standing before her.

"Quit picking at it," said Lifa as she entered the room and spied Signi pulling at her braids. "You will leave my masterpiece intact throughout the evening. "

Rolling her eyes, Signi peered at Lifa's reflection in the mirror. Lifa was a truly beautiful dwarrowdam. She was very short and plump, with a full bosom, a narrow waist, and rounded hips. Her copper hair formed perfect curls past her waist and she had the neatest mustache to compliment her blue eyes. She was dressed for dinner in a pale blue dress that matched her eyes perfectly. It was unfair really that Signi's sisters had all been graced with such good looks and manners. Lifa was definitely her mother's favorite of the four.

Signi on the other hand favored her father in appearance and temperament. He was far more patient than she, but Signi had mastered the art of cleverly disguised insults under her father's tutelage. Signi gained her height from him, surpassing her mother and sisters by several inches, and her lean stature usually led others to believe that she was underfed. With her wide brown eyes, pointed nose, and plain brown hair, Signi's mother often said she looked like a mouse with gangly arms and knobby knees. Additionally, as most dwarrowdams had at least the scarcest trace of a beard forming over their chin, Signi was unfortunately cursed with a smooth face. It was an odd combination that did not strike new company as initially beautiful, but slowly grew on them over time.

Sensing her sister's inner turmoil, Lifa joined her in the mirror, wrapping an arm around her waist, and leaning her head on Signi's shoulder.

"You're going to be fine," she said softly. "You have never had trouble talking to strangers before. This will be no different."

Signi cast her sister a worried glance. "I just don't want to mess things up. Mama will never forgive me if I get us sent back to the Iron Hills on our first night here."

Lifa laughed. "You won't mess things up…at least not that badly. They would give us at least another night or two," she teased. Seeing Signi's eyes widen in fear, she quickly added," Besides, Papa would take your side in an instant."

Sighing, Signi gave herself one more quick assessment in the mirror. Knowing that there was no way to get out of it now, she allowed Lifa to link her arm and drag her out into the hall.

The dining hall that Gloin led them to was part of the royal family's private chambers. There was another dining hall in the lower levels where the rest of Erebor ate, but the King preferred dining with his small company of advisors. Gloin served as the master of coin in Erebor, giving him a place amongst Thorin's dinner party, and his family was welcome as well.

"The boys are looking forward to meeting the two of you," Gloin said, "It isn't often we have the opportunity to dine with a good-looking lass, much less two," he added with a wink. Beside him, he wife feigned insult and smacked the back of his head.

Inside, the dwarves were enjoying their meal full tilt with loud laughter and a keg of ale already flowing free. Signi quickly realized that apart from Gloin's wife, she and Lifa were the only females present.

Gloin lead the ladies to the end of the table furthest from the head seat where the King would sit when he arrived. Thankful, for her distance from him, Signi turned her attention on the dwarves in front of her. Her cousin Gimli sat directly across from her. Beside him was a young dark haired dwarf who introduced himself as Kili. Putting an arm around the blonde dwarf beside him, Kili introduced him as his brother Fili. Signi instantly recognized these two to be the young princes. Casting a glance at her sister, she took her red face to mean that Lifa recognized their names as well.

Moments after sitting down, plates of food and mugs of ale were brought to the girls by two other members of the company who introduced themselves as Bombur and Bofur. Thanking them for the food, the sisters tucked in. It had been a long time since breakfast and the girls were starving. Gimli, Kili, and Fili watched them intently as they ate, making Signi feel increasingly awkward. Brushing her mouth once more with a napkin lest she had something stuck on her face, Signi met Kili's eye and arched an eyebrow at his grin.

"Out with it," she sighed, throwing her napkin on the table. "What is so amusing?"

"You are young ladies," he said, his grin growing wider.

"Well spotted," she said scathingly. Beside her, Lifa's face reddened even more.

"We rarely get the chance to dine with dwarrowdams that aren't our mother," said Fili politely, his eyes trained on Lifa's shy expression.

"Ah, that makes sense," nodded Signi, smirking when she saw the boys visibly relax. "Well let me give you some advice. Don't stare at the ladies you are dining with as though you have seen the all of the gold in Middle Earth in one go. It is unsettling"

Beside Lifa, Gloin roared with laughter. "I would heed her advice, lads!"

All three of them looked adequately chastised.

Hesitantly, Fili attempted to engage the sisters in conversation. "How was your trip from the Iron Hills," he asked Lifa directly.

Signi watched her sister respond with a wide-eyed stare. When it became apparent that she could not answer, Signi intervened.

"The trip was far too long being stuck in the carriage," she said, kicking her sister under the table. "We were much relieved to arrive."

"You didn't like riding in the carriage?" questioned Kili with surprise.

Signi rolled her eyes. It seemed that he was laboring under the impression that she was one of those dainty dwarrowdams that didn't dare set foot outside. "Mahal, no. I wanted to ride my own pony, but my mother made sure that didn't happen."

"Yes, Signi prefers the great outdoors to the safety of a carriage," Lifa said, having recovered from her momentary muteness.

"A carriage will not protect you when orcs attack," Signi said darkly. It annoyed her to no end that Lifa chose to ignore the dangers of the wild. Lifa was convinced that since King Thorin had slayed Azog, the orcs were hiding in their fortress, unable to leave without their great white leader.

Before Lifa could retort, the hall silenced and all of the dwarves turned toward a door that opened into the King's private chambers. Thorin entered the hall, flanked by Balin and Dwalin. He was truly a sight to behold, tall and imposing for a dwarf, dressed from head to toe in a fine embellished tunic and a thick fur cloak. Despite his lack of crown, Thorin was undeniably king. He stood before the crowd for a moment, his eyes scanning over the dwarves present. Signi's breath caught when she saw his eyes land on her. Turning briefly to comment to Balin, he made his way to where the girls sat. Standing behind Fili and Kili, he clapped the dwarves good-naturedly on the shoulders.

"I see you have acquainted yourselves with our guest." he said to nephews. If Signi hadn't known better, she would have thought his voice had taken a teasing tone.

Beside her, Lifa quickly stood before the King, reminding Signi of her place. Instantly, she too stood and attempted to give him a curtsey.

Raising his hand, Thorin stopped the girls. "That is not necessary. We are amongst friends," he said simply. Lifa bowed her head and smiled politely, but Signi met his gazed with a furrowed brow.

"Welcome to Erebor," He continued. " I hope you find your new home well." Without waiting for a reply, he moved to the head of the table and took a seat.

"That went well," breathed Lifa with a soft smile.

Signi frowned. It didn't make sense. This king was not the man she had met before. Had he truly changed that much since taking Erebor? Or was this just one side of the multi-faceted king?

Dinner and conversation soon drew Signi away from her thoughts. Kili and Gimli immediately captured her attention with stories of their travels and dramatic tales of slaying orcs. Signi knew that Gimli had been too young to travel with Thorin on his quest, so she wondered how many of his stories were fabricated. Fili, on the other hand, ignored the dwarves and had instead engaged Lifa in a discussion about the Iron Hills, listening with a soft smile when she described her love of riding through the woods on her little highland pony.

Signi was pleased that the dwarves of Erebor seemed to be of the same stock as those from the Iron Hills: loud and welcoming. After a few rounds of ale many of the dwarves began singing a chorus of drinking songs. She didn't know the words to all of them herself, but that didn't stop Signi from joining them in singing with gusto.

Occasionally, her eyes wandered to the head of the table to where the king sat and she pondered this very different introduction and wondered if he remembered meeting them at Dain's party three years before. The third time that her gazed turned upon the king, she was shocked to see him staring back at her. With a small smile and a nod, Thorin turned his attention once more to Dwalin beside him. Blushing, Signi turned back to the other dwarves who were clapping as Bofur danced on the table.

The next morning, Signi rose at her usual time just before the sun cracked the horizon. She had always been an early riser, preferring to take a walk in the first light before breakfast. Lifa, on the other hand, continued to snore in her bed across the room. Since Fili and Kili had promised to give them a tour of Erebor, Signi wondered if she ought to wake Lifa before she left. Mahal knows how long Lifa would fret over her hair. But Signi decided against it when she remembered how many pints of ale her sister drank the night before. It would not do well to invoke Lifa's wrath before she was to spend the day with a prince.

Dressing quickly in her preferred dark green linen gown and brown boots, Signi braided her hair in a thick plait and wrapped it around her head. It was a simple effortless style that allowed her to move freely and not be bothered with her hair or other adornments getting in the way. Silently, she slipped out of her room, thankful that she and Lifa were given a room that exited into the main hall as well as Gloin's sitting room.

It was quiet in the halls without the usual crowds of dwarves roaming the mountain at this early hour. Deciding that it wasn't wise to go outside until she had a proper tour of the mountain, Signi heeded her stomach's growling and headed to the main dining hall.

The room was half full as the first shift miners finished their breakfast and the third shift came in to sup. Signi liked this crowd of rough dwarves. She felt a pang of sadness as she thought of the miners back home finishing their breakfasts before heading out to the open pit iron mines. Scanning the crowd for any familiar faces, she saw Balin and Dwalin sitting alone in conversation at the furthest table. Grabbing some toast and coffee from the main table, Signi made her way over to the king's advisors.

Balin saw her first as she approached, his face lighting up with a smile. "Come, lass, join us," he said warmly motioning to the seat beside Dwalin.

Giving them a thankful nod, she took a seat.

"What are you doing up and about this early?" asked Dwalin. "After that party last night, I'd have thought you'd have had a bit of a lie in this morning."

Signi chuckled in response. "One would expect that. Lifa is certainly sleeping away her ale. But I have always been an early riser. It doesn't matter how late I stay up, I can't sleep past dawn."

"Aye, you and us alike," said Balin as he lit his pipe. "Thorin never could sleep late either, not even as a dwarfling. The other lads I am afraid don't wake until you hit them over the head."

Signi's lips twitched as she tried to picture Thorin as a child. "Was the King such a serious dwarfling?" she asked. Immediately she blushed when she realized the inappropriateness of her question. She had the worst habit of speaking without thinking.

Beside her Dwalin was failing to choke back a laugh. "Oh yes," he said. "Thorin never spared a smile if he could help it."

"Some things never change, "she said, smirking as she spoke.

"So what is there for a young lady to do in Erebor? The princes have offered to give Lifa and I a tour, but that is not for several hours. "

The brothers both furrowed their brows as they considered what to suggest. "Lady Dis might like some company," said Balin, "But it would be better for her to call upon you."

Signi tried to keep her expression neutral on the subject, but she could tell by Dwalin's chuckle that she failed. Lady Dis was the king's sister and mother to the two princes. Although she was surely a very pleasant lady, Signi did not find the prospect of spending half a day with needlework and small talk appealing.

"Not a knitting kind of girl I take it," said Dwalin.

Signi shook her head. "I am afraid not. With three sisters at home that are just like my mother, I ended up taking after my father in interests and looks."

"Nothing wrong with that, lass," said Balin.

Suddenly, Dwalin got a big grin on his face. "How d'ya feel about watching our boys practice a bit? I am heading down to the training grounds to help Gimli break in his new axe."

Balin shook his head and muttered something about it not being wise to take a maid down there, but Signi nodded enthusiastically in response.

"That sounds perfect!"

The training arena was several floors below the living quarters, but not quite as low as the treasure hall and smelting rooms. Ten sparring rings had been constructed to allow several dwarves to practice at once. Dain had mentioned that Thorin was building a massive army to defend Erebor, but Signi was still surprised to see the sheer magnitude of the arena.

Signi noticed with a faint blush that all eyes were trained on her as she walked between Dwalin and Balin to the last ring. She guessed that females didn't make it down to the arena often.

"Are there no dwarrowdams in the king's army?" she asked Balin. Dain always allowed for female warriors saying that anyone who could swing an axe could fight for him.

"No, we haven't reached that point yet," answered Balin. "We have so few lasses in Erebor that Thorin doesn't want to take a chance at losing any."

Containing an eye roll, Signi inwardly simmered at Balin's words. The king doesn't want to take a chance at losing any, as though dwarrowdams were a possession, something to hide deep in the mountain. The dwarrowdams of the Iron Hills were of stouter stock compared to those of the former Erebor, but Signi would have expected Thorin to make some necessary changes seeing how the mountain's security was still delicate and battle ready dwarves were scarce.

Inside the ring, Dwalin faced Gimli with maniacal gleam in his eye. Many lads in Thorin's new army were stricken with fear when they sparred with their captain, but Gimil hunkered down with his axe in position and a cocky smirk on his face.

The fight was fierce and there were numerous times that Gimli nearly lost his hold against Dwalin. Signi protested to Balin that is wasn't a fair fight: Dwalin towered over Gimli and surpassed him with over one hundred years of experience. But every time Signi doubted her cousin, he rallied with a vicious roar and swung his axe once more. Dwalin finally stumbled, catching himself on one knee, and Signi held her breath. Gimli's smirk returned and he raised his axe with flourish. Suddenly, Dwalin swung from the ground, the handle of his axe catching Gimli behind the knee which dropped him to the floor. Gimli lay still for a moment waiting for the air to return to his lungs until a loud chuckle erupted from his mouth. Signi and the other dwarves joined in as Dwalin helped him up.

"That was a good fight, Lad," Dwalin laughed, clapping Gimli on the back.

Gimli beamed with pride.

Signi noticed that the crowd that had gathered to watch them was moving to another ring in the area. Curious, she followed with Balin close behind her.

In the center of the ring was Thorin sparring with both of his nephews simultaneously. The fight was in full swing with all three dwarves oblivious to the gathering crowd. Thorin was not going easy on the boys by any means, his sword flashing as he blocked blows coming from both his left and right. Signi felt her cheeks redden when she noticed that the king was dressed in a plain tunic and trousers, the fabric clinging wetly to his sweaty, muscular torso. Fili and Kili were dressed in a similar fashion, but Signi found that she couldn't draw her eyes from Thorin as he moved. It was impressive that he was nearing 200 years old and yet he moved as well and with the same strength as his much younger nephews.

"Mahal, he seems to be in a mood," muttered Balin beside her. Signi could only assume that he was referring Thorin as he sliced his blade through the air with a frustrated growl, nearly dropping Fili to the ground.

Kili turned and parried a blow from Thorin, catching sight of Signi in the process. Kili grinned at her and Signi gave him a small wave in response, not wanting to distract him from his fight. Suddenly, he winced in pain as Thorin's sword came down on his arm, slicing through his tunic. Gasping in surprise, he grabbed his arm to try and stem the blood flowing freely down his sleeve and dripping onto the floor.

"What was that for?!" shouted Fili, sheathing his sword and running to his brother's aid.

"He was distracted," spat Thorin. "You will get worse than that in battle if you let your concentration wander to maids."

Sheathing his sword as well, Thorin climbed out of the ring and pushed his way through the crowd. Pausing in front of Balin, the king made no indication that he noticed Signi as well.

"This is no place for ladies," he growled, giving Balin an icy glare. Motioning for Dwalin to follow, Thorin stomped out of the training arena.

"Don't mind him," said Balin gently, taking Signi's hand in his own. "Thorin can be a bear in the mornings, but he means well.

Signi smiled in response. She didn't want Balin to know that inside she was seething. Any thoughts she had to Thorin's polite welcome the night before were replaced by sheer anger that nothing had changed in the three years since she last met him. In the king's mind, Signi and her sister were little girls who would drive his nephews to distraction. Making her way back to her room, Signi vowed to prove Thorin wrong even if it meant getting thrown out of Erebor.