Chapter 10.
Striding across a corridor, Thorin made a sign to one of his servants.
« How could I satisfy you, my King ? » The houseboy said, bowing.
« Go to the infirmary, you'll find an armour abandoned in it. Take it discretely and bring it to the forge as raw material. »
« It will be done according to your wishes, my King. »
Thorin nodded at him before going on his way. The King's footsteps were hammering on the stony floor of a balcony overhanging the main hall, but they suddenly stopped.
« What are you doing here, gentlemen ? » Thorin asked.
The leader of the convoy of Iron Mounts which escorted Luvan yesterday rise his head to meet his gaze, frowning.
« I'm sorry, my King. I know we were supposed to leave earlier, but we are encountering a slight problem. »
« A problem ? »
« Yes, my King. One of my soldier is missing. The smallest one, kinda discrete, with a cloth hiding his face. Maybe have you seen him ? »
« I did, but he's not going to come back to Iron Mounts with you. »
« Pardon ? »
« His family lives in Erebor and Rogon promised him a leave after he completed his mission to escort Princess Luvan. He'll stay. »
« Really ? I don't remember this detail… In fact I don't even remember his name if he ever gave it to me… Are you sure tha- »
« Are you casting doubt on King's word ? »
« Oh ! No ! Of course not ! My apologies, my King, we'll leave now… »
***
Stretched out over a thick mattress, wrapped in a large cottoned towel, you were sleeping deeply, impervious to the world around. Your breathing was low, all your muscles relaxed, and it was almost a crime to wake you up. And yet a hand ran through your hair and a voice began to murmur.
« My Lioness. »
You appeared not to hear.
« My Lioness. » The voice said again.
You growled loudly, but your brain started to process the different details around you. Last time you blinked, you were in a bathtub, how the hell could you be sleeping in a bed now ? And moreover, this voice…
« Luvan ? » You murmured, opening your eyes a little.
« Hello, my roaring friend. » Your Princess smiled. « Wake up now, it's going to be midday. »
Your eyes widened. It was truly the first time you've got such a long and undisturbed sleep. Sitting down, you hissed when you felt how aching your body was, especially your mangled shoulders. Slowly, you took sight of the large room you were in. The pieces of furniture were rich and sculpted, the curtains thick and embroidered. Fili's room, indubitably.
« Come on ! Get up ! » Luvan urged, opening the curtains to let the sun enter.
You groaned at her, you bare feet brushing over the cold floor, one hand clasped at your towel to keep it in place.
« Put that on, Lioness dear. We are awaited. »
« Awaited ? Me too ? Why ? » You asked, taking what Luvan was holding out.
It was a simple dress, made in a basic off-white pleated material with puff sleeves and taken in at the waist by a dark blue bodice. You clumsily put it on.
« I'm so, so glad you came… » Luvan smiled at you, taking one of your strand in her hands to comb it. « I nearly fainted when Thorin told Kili and me about your secrete arrival and… damn how could you have so many knots ?! » She scowled at you, combing vigorously.
« Are you going to answer me, yes or no ? Who would be waiting for us ? »
« The royal family. We're supposed to share the lunch with them. »
« Even me ? Are you sure ? »
« My Lioness. You're the only one who sees you as nothing more than a homeless orphan here. Being there is a chance to start a new life. Act like if you were the most fop princess ever, and nobody would ever suspect what you were until now. »
She finally prevailed over your mane and braided it nicely, taking one of the ribbons in her own hair to tie yours.
« Here we are. Let's go ! »
You jogged after her as she caught your hand to lead you downstairs, and you could see over the stone railing the youngest heir of Durin waiting for his intended in the main hall. Luvan let you go and sped up to Kili, deposing a sloppy kiss on his lips. The scene made you smile. Even if your Princess was frequently talking to you about Kili while giggling, blushing and smiling stupidly, you never really saw them together, and you had to admit that it was kinda cute. At least was it a little more innocent than your parties of debauchery with the brunette's older brother.
Speak of the devil, two strong arms looped around your waist and rough lips quickly kissed your forehead. You shot Fili a dazed look, not understanding this little public display of affection in the middle of the hall while you weren't even suppose to know him.
« Relax. » He smiled. « This part of Erebor is private and we send the domestics out for a while. We are all alone here. »
« And I'm invited to a royal lunch because… ? »
« Because somebody wants to meet you. »
« Who ? »
« You'll see. »
He gave you a little push in the back to make you enter the large dining room where already were Thorin and the woman you saw yesterday. Her hair was long and curled delicately around her curvy body, thick and as dark as a deep night, just like Thorin's. Her eyes, however, were exactly the same as Fili's, just a little more glittering, lined with long eyelashes. But what left her mark on you was how much Kili looked like her. The smile, especially, was all hers.
« That's… Lady Dis ! Fili and Kili's mother and… King Thorin's sister ! » You thought.
No wonder who wanted to meet you.
Dis's incredible blue eyes locked to yours, as piercing as iced jewels. It made you uncomfortable and she must have seen your nerves because her face lightened and she offered you a soft and soothing smile.
Luvan and you sat down side by side in front of your respective fiancés, Dis between them. Thorin was presiding over the table from your left.
Many cutleries were disposed on both sides of stacked plates, and three glasses of various sizes were before you, one already filled with wine. The table was covered with dishes and the sight of them already made you sick. It was too much. You could live twenty days with all was displayed here. Luvan's knee brushed over yours to catch your attention, and when you turned you head toward her, the bright smile she was offering you warmed your heart.
« So, Princess Luvan. » Thorin began, officially opening the lunch and trying to not eye on Kili who already jumped on the food. « How do you find Erebor ? »
« Absolutely mesmerizing ! » Luvan said with enthusiasm. « My mother told me dozen of stories about this place when I was a child… I never thought I would be able to see it with my own eyes, and it's even most beautiful than what she described to me. I wish she could see it as well… »
Your eyebrows draw together. Luvan's mother died during her childhood, loosing a fight against a heart sickness, and she never totally stopped mourning for her.
« What did she knew about Erebor ? » Dis asked with a soft voice.
« She was born here. » Luvan smiled. « She knows everything about this place. It was her home before Smaug… Just like you. And she always believed that one day, her home will be reclaimed. She died with this conviction. »
She shyly raised her eyes to Thorin's.
« You realized her greatest wish. »
For the very first time, you saw Thorin being embarrassed and he tried to hide into his glass, and it made Dis and her sons smile.
« What about you, my dear ? » Dis finally asked you.
« M-Me ? » You stuttered, surprised.
« Well… You've been more than unexpected. I'm really curious about the girl who stole Fili's heart. »
She smiled at you before taking a sip of wine while you didn't even touch anything on the table yet. You weren't hungry and the stress of the situation wasn't helping.
« There's nothing to say. » A deep voice answered before you could manage a word.
Gazes converged to Thorin, whom eyes were judging you again.
« Thorin, it was rude. » Dis said, her voice a little less soft.
Yes, it was.
« Let's make things clear. » He says, locking his eyes to yours. « The fact I brought you home and the fact I let you sleep with my nephew doesn't mean I appreciate or trust you. I tolerate you, nothing more. My nephew deserves better. »
« Why are you always so curt with me ?! What have I done to deserve your hate ?! » You yelled, unable to contain yourself anymore. The stress of this situation had you more thin-skinned than usual and this little barb was enough to make you unleash all the angriness you've been holding back towards Thorin. « I know what you want to hear ! I know you're just waiting for me to throw myself at your feet crying and stammering that you're right, that I'm just a whore aiming for a good wedding to drag me out of my circumstances ! But do you really think all orphans share a common dream of finding a sucker to feed us and keep us warm ?! Do you really think our world revolves around you, the nobility ?! No ! We have survival for priority, nobility doesn't interest us… You don't trust me ? You think all the streets are only filled with thieves and rascals ? Well guess what, you're wrong ! Us, orphans, don't trust you either ! Noble people are bullies to us ! I'm the one who should be distrustful ! »
Thorin opened his mouth to answer, but you weren't done yet :
« From the very start you have judged me, defied me, yelled at me, hated me when I did nothing to deserve this ! You're not the one I followed there ! I used to not like or dislike you, but it seems that you've decided to do your best to piss me off and finally have a reason to chase me away and it's unfair ! And unworthy of a king ! Done with you if you have no kind word ! »
You stood up brutally, sending your chair hurting the floor, and left the room after slamming the door behind you. Fili's eyes were wild opened in shock and he didn't know who pissed him off the most. His uncle for always being so provocative with you, or you for giving him the satisfaction to lose the control. The silence seemed to be never-ending, until a tiny voice finally spoke :
« King Thorin… » Luvan murmured. « You never heard about how Iron Mounts went after Smaug and before Erebor's reclamation, did you ? If you think the Lonely Mountain and Dale have been his only victims, you're wrong. Even if we were away from the dragon's threat… Seeing Erebor taken and so many Dwarfs killed scared the most of us. People left… A lot of people left except the King, my father. He didn't abandon his homeland. But his subjects abandoned him. And once everybody has been gone, thugs took our town as their base. Iron Mounts was unsure until you reclaimed Erebor, the town you saw the past two months, lively and colourful, was something new and unusual. It wasn't safe and healthy as you think… »
She slowly took her brooch off and hold it to him, Thorin taking it without understanding her intention.
« What is it ? » He asked.
« A gift from her. She made it when we were younger. » She added, nodding towards you.
« She made it ? » Kili repeated, surprised. « I didn't know she knows how to forge ! »
« She was an apprentice blacksmith when we were young. She used to earn her life this way. »
« Used to ? » Dis asked.
« The blacksmith left her behind. That's how she ended in the streets… She isn't the woman you think she is, King Thorin. She's a great worker, she… did succeed at finding a job to live on her own, to not be stealing or begging anyone, but it didn't work. Harder than staying in the streets, she has been send back to it, just when she finally find a way to live better thanks to her hard work. And she stayed by my side when she could just have leave like many other. Someone like this… Do you think someone like this can be a thief and a manipulator ? »