Chapter 6: Learning

When Lily next awoke several hours later, she turned to look for Thorin, but he was gone. She sat up and looked around the room, now completely dark, and realized she was in complete solitude. She drew the sheets up over her chest instinctively, she could not help but feel used in that moment, waking up alone.

A small tap on her bedroom door shocked her out of her thoughts. She swallowed and looked around the room in a moment of panic before opening her mouth to speak,

"Yes, enter..." Lily said weakly.

The glow from the hallway creeped into the room, and the head of a fellow maid peeped in. She looked at Lily with concern as she gently pushed the door open further,

"Lily, are you alright? When we returned from the festival you were nowhere to be found. Are you ill? Why are you alone in the dark?"

"I..." But Lily could not finish, she just shook her head and looked at the maid with a pleading look in her eyes. The maid silently nodded and closed the door once more. Lily jumped from the bed and retrieved her underwear, and lit a candle. She looked out of her window towards the blacksmith's shed, and surely enough, the lights were blazing within. Thorin was there.

Why did he not stay? Why did he not wake her when he left? Did he do the very thing she feared, did he just bed her, spinning a beautiful story to make her spread her legs? Lily rubbed her arms as if trying to wash away a filth she suddenly felt. She felt her head spin with emotion: anger at being used, hope at the thought of Thorin meaning what he said, confusion as to why he did not stay, condemnation at herself for giving in.

In that moment she decided she would confront him, ask him directly why he was not there when she awoke. She marched for the door and down the stairs, rushing past the inn keeper and grabbing her cloak on the way out the door. The wind was icy, and the snow was thick, but Lily felt nothing but the weight in her heart as she marched for Thorin's door.

As she finally reached the shed she yanked on the door, but it did not open. She tried again only to discover that it was indeed barred from inside. She could hear Thorin hammering away. Did he bar the doors against her? Lily's eyes began to fill with tears as she balled her fists and hammered loudly against the door. In a moment Thorin's hammering stopped, and shortly after the door opened.

Seeing the tear-streaked face of Lily at his door made Thorin step back. He wondered what had happened to make her cry, and immediately took her hand and pulled her inside.

"What has happened? Have you been injured?" Thorin inquired, his eyes awash with concern.

"Why did you leave without warning?" Lily burst out, looking fiercely at Thorin.

"You were sound asleep, you looked so peaceful, I could not disturb you..." Thorin said gently.

"Then why did you bar the door to the shed?" Lily countered angrily.

"The wind has been so fierce that it has blown it open several times already. I had to bar it to stop it from blowing gusts of snow into my furnace." Thorin explained calmly.

Lily looked at the door, evidently shaking under the pounding of the wind outside, and suddenly felt foolish for her assumptions. Her breathing was still heavy from her earlier exertion, but she could not look Thorin in the eye. Realizing Lily's distress, Thorin softly addressed her,

"You did not think that I had merely used you, did you?" His voice was so tender, and his gaze ever so subtly teasing that Lily's shame grew ever larger.

Thorin took Lily into his arms, turning her face towards him. Lily closed her eyes to try and hide the shame written in them, but Thorin's voice coaxed her to open them once more,

"Look at me. I meant what I said before, Lily. Now that I have claimed you, I will claim no other." His voice was strong, reassuring, but with a deep tenderness running below the surface.

"Then don't just leave me once you have sated yourself." Lily's answer came with a tone of bitterness Thorin did not expect. He realized that it came from a place of pain.

"I am sorry. I have not been accustomed to the company of a woman for quite some time, I have forgotten the subtleties." Thorin admitted softly.

"Did you not wish to stay?" Lily asked frankly, looking Thorin straight in the eye.

"Well, yes, of course, but I had work to be done, and I did not wish to disturb you-" He began, but was swiftly cut off.

"Disturb me, Thorin Oakenshield, for if you wish to someday make me your wife, I wish to know where you are. I would think it kinder of you to wake me to tell me where you are going than for you to let me sleep, only to wake and wonder what has happened to you." Lily stated.

Thorin was surprised at the firmness with which Lily spoke. A small smile creeped upon his lips as he examined her creased brow. She was flustered by the event, and he knew he had to be more careful in the manner in which he treated his lady.

"Noted, my lady." He said with a subservient tone, vibrating in that way that made Lily's core ache.

Lily's anger washed away with Thorin's deep voice vibrating through her veins. His fierce blue eyes now only showed affection, and Lily knew she could not resist him. Thorin seemed to pick up on that fact as well, as he began to lead her to his bed. Still shaken from what had happened, Lily decided to drive her point home.

"No." She said, stopping firmly in her tracks. Thorin turned to face her, confusion on his face,

"No?" He said, his tone low.

"No." Lily said once again, "If you are to learn that I am serious, then you must be disciplined." She then let go of Thorin's hand and stood firm.

"And who will discipline me, you?" His voice was mocking, but also sensually teasing.

"You will learn from the best mistress of all. Denial." Lily said, her expression showing no relent.

As Thorin watched her standing with her arms crossed over her chest, his mouth opened slightly in surprise. Where had this strength come from in Lily? She was so fragile, but he had obviously not given her credit for the strength she did bear. A smile creeped onto the face of the handsome king as he thought of what pleasures this new side of Lily might bring about.

He was no stranger to denial, and self-discipline. He had been doing it now for over a hundred years. Was he not in exile? Is that not the greatest denial? Thorin was sure of himself, and thought he could win this little game Lily was playing. He knew that denial would only heighten his pleasure when he had her once more, and therefore welcomed it.

"Very well." Thorin said in a low, gravely tone, "Does my punishment begin now, or do I still have a moment to steal from you?" He asked as his eyes swept over her tempting form.

"It starts now." Lily said firmly. She walked towards Thorin and stopped inches from him, leaning in to his ear and whispering, "Undress..."

Thorin swallowed hard and raspily asked, "What?"

"Undress and lay face down on your bed." Lily whispered again, this time gently pushing against Thorin's chest.

Thorin was not sure what game Lily was playing, but was too aroused to refuse. He stepped back and pulled his shirt off roughly, exposing his muscular chest to her. He noticed her eyes taking him in hungrily, and enjoyed her attention. He then swiftly undid his pants and let them fall to the floor. He then stepped out of his heavy boots and stepped backwards, making sure she had a full view of his naked glory before turning and laying face down as she had commanded.

Thorin lay in quiet anticipation as he heard Lily moving behind him. The rustle of clothing told him she was up to something. In a moment he felt the mattress of the bed dent inwards by his left thigh, and the next moment he felt skin contact on either side of his hips, the unmistakeable feeling of her soft thighs caressing him. Thorin gave out a deep groan of satisfaction. He then felt her stomach lay across his lower back, and finally her breasts pressed against him just below his shoulders.

His breath caught in his lungs as he enjoyed the feeling of her naked body pressed against him. Lily gently leaned forward and kissed the back of Thorin's head, causing him to groan once more. His manhood was now aching with need for her. Lily then lazily ran her fingers down the sides of Thorin's ribs, causing him to make a sound of surprise and pleasure. He tried to reach back to caress her when Lily forcefully pushed his hands away, upwards, and said,

"No touching, eyes forward. Hold onto the headboard."

Thorin froze for a moment, not pleased with the denial, but knew it was part of her game, so he then moved his hands and gripped the headboard firmly, Lily loved the way Thorin's muscles flexed as he held on tight, and felt her resolve giving way slightly. She then placed soft kisses on his shoulders, one at a time, and then the back of his neck, and one by one down his spine. Thorin could not help the groans that escaped him, and his grip on the headboard was so strong that it began to creak.

Lily's kisses slowly continued their journey down his spine, reaching the small of his back, where she then kissed each hip one at a time. Thorin then shivered as she ran her hands up his spine to his shoulders once more. He relished the feeling of her warm skin pressing against him once again, feeling a wet warmth growing between her thighs, it was maddening. He sighed as she kissed the back of his head silently. She then slid silently back down, her hands gripping his firm buttocks and squeezing lustfully. Thorin cried out loudly, and felt his manhood aching uncontrollably. He then lay silently expecting Lily's next move when he noticed the rustling of clothing once more. It took him a second to realize what might be happening,

"What are you doing?" He asked, not turning to face her in case she was preparing another temptation for him, and he did not want to ruin the game. No answer came. Instead he heard the door creak open and a cold gust of wind rushed over his naked, flushed body, before the door closed once more. Thorin raised himself to his elbows swiftly and turned back to see that Lily had left. She had left him there alone without a word, and with a throbbing manhood.

His first reaction was anger. She had gotten him into such a state of need and then left him. How dare the woman do this to him! He rose up and began to throw his clothes back on angrily, intending to go after her and forcefully carry her back, when it dawned on him that this was the punishment she truly had in mind. He stood breathing heavily next to his bed, wanting nothing more than to drag her into his bed to have his way with her, make her cry out for more as punishment for how she treated him.

No. He would not let her win. Little did she know that the next time she would come back to the shed he would not let her leave. He would pin her to his bed and seduce her so that she would not want to depart. She would be moaning under his tender pleasures so much so that he would find it hard to contain himself. With that he settled once more into his work, imagining vividly how he was going to take her when he next saw her. She had now unlocked a desire in him that had long since died down. Her teasing was leaving him feeling an intense need to dominate her, make her give in. With each thought he hammered harder and harder.

Lily ran back to the inn breathlessly, looking behind her for the dwarf king, sure that he would be in hot pursuit, but he was not there. Lily was not sure if she should feel relieved or disappointed. Maybe he truly would take her punishment. Part of her was happy that he was willing to do this for her, and the other part of her wished that he had run after her, naked and sweating into the snow, grabbing her and sweeping her off her feet as he dragged her back inside, unforgivingly pounding her for her trickery.

Lily shivered at the thought and looked longingly up at the shed. His groans on the bed had made her core wet, and she knew he could feel it. She had to take every ounce of strength to leave him there, so obviously ready for her. Lily shook her head and hung up her coat before returning to work. For the rest of the evening she kept passing by the dining hall to check for Thorin, but he did not come for her. As she finally gave up and went to bed, she looked once more out of her window at the light in the smith's shed, and knew he was hammering away. She wished she was there.