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Fun fact: the Fall Equinox is celebrated in late September. In my story the Fall Equinox is celebrated the last days of September with huge parties on the first day of October. And also Durin's day in this story is the first day of December. Just so everyone knows a timeline.
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Enya hurried along the stone paths of the city of Dale. She had Lady Dis's dress wrapped tightly in her arms. They had finished the dress with barely a day before the Fall Equinox. The dress had turned out magnificently despite being created by rushed hands. Her mother had wrapped it with the upmost care in paper for Enya to deliver the next day.
Of course the minute the dress was finished Enya's mother had hurried her into the bath and scrubbed her from head to toe, she had also carefully rolled Enya's hair to her head with small pieces of cloth. When Enya had unrolled them in the morning her hair hung in loose curls instead of her usual braid. Much to Enya's dismay her mother had all but forced her into a corset two sizes too small. Her mother claimed that she had to look presentable if she were to be before royalty, even if it was just to make a delivery. It embarrassed Enya that her mother was going to such great lengths to make her attractive for the Dwarf family. Honestly did her mother think they would ever look twice at her? She was after all human. Besides she was too quiet to be interesting to a Dwarf. She felt her face flush as she thought about talking to one of the Princes, she would surely stutter. Enya reasoned that any mother would have her daughter look her best if she were to meet royalty, even if it was only to deliver a dress. She just would rather disappear into the background in her plain clothes and hair that have her mother primp her.
Enya crossed the bridge that connected Dale to Erebor, she shivered as the cold air above the river hit her. She should've brought her cloak, but she had been in a hurry to leave the her mother's fretting presence. She approached the large stone gates of the mountain timidly, she wasn't exactly sure what was appropriate here, Lady Dis said she would be allowed in but did she just walk up to the gate?
"State your business!" A voice shouted. Enya started so badly her head felt dizzy. She placed a hand to her racing heart and clutched the parcel tighter. She looked to the base of the gate to where a sullen Dwarf guard stood watching her.
"I am the seamstress sent to deliver Lady Dis's dress." She squeaked loud enough for the guard to hear. He nodded and then with a small gesture the stone gates scraped open. She looked up to see Dwarves heaving the doors open that the top of the structure. The doors stopped when it was just wide enough to fit through.
"Wait just inside the gate, Lady Dis will send a servant to fetch you." The Guard stated stonily. Enya nodded and darted in. The large gates closed behind her with a resonating thud, plunging Enya into a dim light. She shuddered slightly in the near darkness as she waited for her eyes to grow accustomed. She wasn't exactly afraid of the dark, but she definitely preferred the light. She looked about the cavernous entrance room awed at the amount of work it must have taken to carve a building out of a mountain. It made her dress making seem juvenile in comparison.
"Lady Seamstress!" A voice called. Enya turned to see Prince Fili coming her way. A small smile reached her lips, he seemed so cheerful. She gave him a small curtsey as he approached.
"My Lord call me Enya." She said still smiling, her parcel clutched to her chest. He nodded his head politely.
"Alright Enya, but you must call me Fili." He said before heading back down a stone hall, indicating that she should follow. She stuck close to him, fearful of getting lost in the vast building. The sound of their boots echoed loudly off the stone.
"You know Kili is right, you really are quite short for a human." Fili said finally breaking her silence with friendly conversation. She groaned inwardly, there was barely a day in her life someone didn't comment on her height.
"I have always been small." She commented off handedly.
"I bet you hear a lot of that." He laughed. "There are few humans that Kili and I have ever been taller than." He pointed out. He led her to a tall set of doors that he threw open. They entered a large sitting room that had multiple fireplaces and an abundance of seating. Lady Dis sat next to one of the fireplaces with a huge loom placed before her, her shining hair hung unbound over shoulder. She was frowning at the tapestry, obviously not pleased. She looked up at Enya's approach and smiled.
"I've tried my own hand at sewing." She said gesturing to the tapestry. Enya stepped closer to look, it was definitely in its early stages. She could see where trees and a mountain would eventually be filled in but the rest of the fabric had yet to be outlined. She wondered briefly what scene would be depicted. "With no windows and stone walls I have decided it is time for color in these caverns. Unfortunately I am not good at sewing." She said with a sigh standing up. Enya gave a small curtsey to her.
"My lady your sewing is good the piece is merely in its beginning stages." She said politely. She handed the parcel to her. Lady Dis gestured for her to sit in front of the loom and handed her the needle. Enya took this as an order to sew. She threaded the needle with a thick green floss and began filling in the trees.
"I sew far too slowly to be able to fill these walls with tapestries as I envision." Lady Dis said. She gazed about the room frowning as if the endless stone was somehow offending her.
"We worked too hard for these walls to have you cover them with your sewing woman." A voice all but growled from the corner of the room. Enya jumped not realizing there was a fourth person in the room. She located the voice in the farthest corner of the room sitting behind a small desk. Enya swallowed thickly as she realized it was Thorin Oakenshield, King under the Mountain.
"Ah but brother the walls will be covered with proof of your conquests." Lady Dis argued back. Enya blushed furiously upon realizing she was in the presence of the King. Oh her poor mother would die if she heard of this. Thankfully he wasn't even paying attention to Enya, his attention was barely on Lady Dis either. He had a large book and a few papers in front of him that he was flipping through. "This tapestry will be of the day the Dragon was defeated."Lady Dis declared. The King simply shook his head, obviously not caring enough to engage her. Lady Dis turned her attention to the parcel as Enya continued to sew green trees.
"Oh my dear this is lovely." Lady Dis said holding her dress up. Enya smiled in response. "I will have to commission another once this Equinox business is over with." Lady Dis told her examining the dress.
"What could you possibly need another dress for mother?" Fili questioned from where he was lounging on a sofa. Lady Dis scoffed at her son.
"It is not for me it will be for your sister! She will be old enough to go to the Durin's day celebrations, and it won't due for her to wear one of her old dresses." Lady Dis explained impatiently. Enya straightened slightly. She had not known that the Princes also had a sister. Then again she had never seen any Dwarf women until Lady Dis appeared in her shop.
"Mili would rather wear pants and roll in mine dust than wear a dress." Fili snorted. "No offense to you of course." Fili said to Enya politely.
"She can't very well wear pants to a ball and she is old enough to start coming to functions." Lady Dis asserted. "I'm thinking something of a very light blue." She told Enya. Who nodded, she would have to tell her mother to buy some blue fabrics. Lady Dis sighed as she looked at the progress Enya had made on the tapestry. "Well I suppose you should return to your mother, Fili be a dear and walk her back." Lady Dis ordered her son.
"That's not necessary My Lady I know the way." Enya argued while stepping away from the loom.
"Nonsense the road from here to Dale will be empty on a Sunday which makes it unsafe to walk alone." She said giving no room for argument. Enya decided to just drop it and gave Lady Dis and the King a curtsey before leaving. These royals would wear out her joints with all this curtsying. She followed Fili out the door and various halls. It really was a wonder that people didn't get lost permanently in these halls. He lead her out a back door of sorts to the long stone paths that went to Dale. They silently trod along to town. Enya admired the surround forests and wildlife around the city, she didn't get to see it regularly, but it always made her happy when she could get out of town for a while.
"You don't talk much do you?" He finally questioned. Enya snapped out of whatever stupor she had been in and looked at him.
"I guess not." She shrugged. "My mother says I was quiet even as a babe."
"It's so different from Dwarf women, the only time my mother is silent is when she is angry with me." He said. Enya giggled trying to imagine Lady Dis angry.
"I can't imagine that happens very regularly." She said with lighthearted sarcasm. He laughed.
"Only when I am feeling particularly bored." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Are you attending any of the festivities tomorrow?" He asked as the neared her street. She nodded.
"I am taking my brother to the market and then the tournaments." She replied. Fili smiled.
"You have a brother?" He asked curiously.
"I have three, but my younger brother is not old enough to roam the streets without getting lost." She said smiling faintly. She had spent half of last year's festivities tracking her brother down after he would get lost.
"Well perhaps I shall see you and your younger brother tomorrow. I plan to compete in the contest of swords tomorrow." He said with high pride.
"I wouldn't miss it. My older brothers are competing also." She replied as they stopped at her doorstep.
"Until then Lady Seamstress." He said kissing her hand with a mischievous smile before departing. She rolled her eyes in good nature once he'd turned his back. What a flirt.
"Mother!" Enya called up the stairs. She was met with silence. Her mother had said she was going to the market some time today.
"Who was that?" A voice said emerging from the sitting room. Jax.
"Gah!" Enya exclaimed clutching her heart. "Don't you ever knock! I swear I'll have a heart condition before Christmas." She accused. He frowned instead of relishing in her reaction as he normally did. She did not feel like talking to a moody Jax right now.
"You didn't answer my question, who was that?" He asked walking to the window.
"You know very well who that is, it's Prince Fili." She said rolling her eyes at his questions. She knew he meant to ask why was he with her, but she didn't really care to be questioned like a five year old.
"Why was the Prince walking with you? Last time I checked we were barely above peasantry." He pointed out. Pulling his head out of the window.
"His mother insisted that I not walk home alone." Enya shrugged.
"I don't like him." Jax said with a scowl. It was weird not seeing him with a dorky grin, he must really not like Fili. "You-" he started right as the front door opened and her mother walked in.
"Jax! Unless you are here to buy a dress you best be leaving." Her mother exclaimed upon seeing him. "It is not proper for two unmarried people to be unsupervised. Go on, away with you." Her mother said shooing him out the door. Enya actually sighed with relief, she didn't want to talk to Jax right now. "Enya you know very well that he isn't supposed to come in when you are home alone!" Her mother scolded. Enya shrank back not expecting to have her mother's wrath suddenly pointing to her.
"Yes mother, but he doesn't exactly wait to be invited." Enya pointed out what her mother already knew.
"I'll have your brothers straighten him out. It's not proper." Her mother huffed. "The last of the dresses have been picked up or delivered. Blessed day, now we can enjoy the holiday! Let's go see what you'll be wearing tomorrow." Her mother said leading her up the stairs.
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Short chapter sorry! Let me know what you think though!
