The Investment

Disclaimer: Let's be realistic here...if I did own 'The Hobbit', the first thing I'd do is not kill Kili, Fili and Thorin...and we'd have juicy dwarf-elf romance and so much more!

AN: This is kinda an explanation and a further look at Thorin's character. Also, they have a very complicated dynamic. It's like a friggin' roller coaster with trusting-not trusting-swearing-cussing-cycle. I hope you guys are feeling Thorin and Thranduil after you've read this.


Chapter 11

Balin was seemingly in a very bright mood. He knew Thorin had made an initial blunder but he was genuinely glad that the king was coming to his senses and was trying to steer the situation in neutral favour. His act of kindness was a stepping stone. Add to that, the sound of laughter coming from the royal chambers while he passed not by mere accident.

Yes. Maybe it wasn't Thorin who made that sound. However it was hearty and such a sound could only come in pure delight and amusement. One not cloaked by any revenge or darkness.

Perhaps, the king of Erebor finally began to understand that pride wasn't everything.

He looked ahead and saw a figure approaching him and he could easily guess who it was from his extreme uniqueness.

When Thranduil came closer, Balin called out, "Greetings, You're Highness."

"Bugger off!"

But his face fell immediately as he barely noticed the soured look on the elf's face as a graceful ball of fury wheezed past him.

Thorin, no!


When he first poked Thorin, the king would give out no indication of the situation. Even with Balin's constant insisting, Thorin didn't budge. And when Balin's insisting became dangerously closer to nagging, he shot the older dwarf a very displeased look, which Balin ignored.

"For Aulë's sake, Thorin! Please tell me it was just your usual banter! I have never seen him so angry."

"Who cares if he's angry?" Thorin replied, suddenly yelling out in frustration which never bode well.

Balin, confused as he was, tilted his head and prodded on, "Well I care what you must've said to him! It must've been awful for both of you to have your moods ruined. Tell me. I may be of help."

Thorin seemed to consider Balin's words deeply. From where he stood, Balin could see the look of hesitance and debate on Thorin's face. The king wanted to say something but for whatever it was worth, he couldn't bring himself to say it!

"Is everything alright?" Balin asked quietly, a quiet feat of restlessness starting to settle at the bottom of his heart.

Thorin finally sighed as his face became devoid of every possible emotion. He cleared his throat and said, "Sit down, Balin."

Balin did so, praying to the omnipresent being for not to let anything get out of hand.


While Thorin was reencountering every fibre of the gloomy event in great detail, he found it strangely that the more he spoke about his urge to subdue the elf, the immense power that he felt seeping through him, the more he felt succumbing to those dark instincts.

He felt, he couldn't stop describing his deep urge for the elf to beg to him. Plead him—be it for any kind of reason and admit his defeat. Accept Thorin's dominance.

He was about to say more when he was cut short by the other, whose voice hid no traces of fear and shock.

"Thorin, what is the matter with you?" Balin's voice sounded dry. When he glanced at the other, Thorin found his voice to match the expression in his face. Shocked, fearful and drained.

"I don't know. I just got so infuriated with him. I can't stand him having his head held high."

"Even so, your account...you- you sounded so unhealthy. By Mahal, even as you spoke, you have not got the idea of how many times you mentioned him kneeling before you, you triumphing over him, him succumbing to your victory." Balin paused, long enough to draw in a breath, "If you would only listen to yourself...this doesn't sound like you at all!"

Thorin felt a stinging headache making its way over to his temple. He knew well enough how he sounded. Truth be told, he was just as scared. Still, he couldn't help it!

"I can't help what I feel. He is an abomination and I can't help the loath if it should be made known to him." Thorin replied dejectedly at which, Balin's face started to shed off the layer of shock and reveal the sheer amount of solemnity he was capable of.

"Is it loath?" He asked and Thorin had to do everything in his power not to flinch at the admonishing gaze he received.

"What are you trying to say?" He asked.

"Is it loath that makes you act this way, Thorin?" He heard Balin speak. His voice contained traces of kindness but they were overlapped by a grimness that deceived the old dwarf's gentle features. "Thorin Oakenshield, are you sure it is not your obsession that drives your action? Are you absolutely sure that it is not your pride that is acting up?'

Thorin snapped at the mere accusation, a bit more than intended. He gritted his teeth and sneered with vehemence, "Obsession? Balin, you can't even be serious when you imply me being obsessed with that lowly elf!"

At that, Balin's gaze grew sterner. He frowned with immense displeasure and countered, "Are you not? The whole time that you spoke, I only counted the number of times you said you wanted to gain dominance. While you spoke, I observed the unhealthy expression in your face as you went on about bringing him under your influence. You even went as far as implicating of...of ravaging him should he invoke you! So tell me Thorin, is this not obsession?"

Balin's voice grew shriller and shriller and by the end of the speech, his voice was raised so much that even he had to breathe in and calm himself down so that it didn't come down to him yelling about it.

Thorin, on the other hand, went speechless. He looked away as the burn of shame and guilt titillated his whole face. He knew. He knew he couldn't stop himself from replaying that powerful image. It dominated his mind ever since it had happened and repulsively he felt a powerful influence it had on him.

He understood it well enough that it was affecting him. However, he couldn't help himself if he liked it. That feeling...that powerful powerful feeling...

He was soon brought to his senses by the other's voice which was now comparatively softer, "Listen to me. Do not make the same mistake as your father and grandfather. Do not let pride be your downfall. Do not let obsession dictate you."

Thorin looked up and faced Balin. The older dwarf looked at him with great concern, his eyes pleading Thorin to undo whatever and whoever he had wronged.

"This is a sham. This marriage is nothing but an obsession of you wanting extreme power. It is ruining you! A time will come when you will be ensnared so deep that you won't be able to cut loose."

"What are you proposing, Balin?" He had to ask.

"Let him go. He is your obsession. Not your investment."

Thorin immediately frowned at that. Let him go? No, he could not! He didn't want to!

"I can't." He replied, "The contract has been made. It was his idea to form an alliance and now it is too late to turn back!"

"Then renew your contract! Or at least treat him with respect. Enough to sway your fixation! Can't you see, Laddie? He will be the end of you!" Balin persisted, desperation taking over him. He reached over and held Thorin by his shoulders as he went on, "For Mahal's sake, you know you will fall in love only once. By doing this, by obsessing over someone who could never appreciate your actions, all you are successful in is making yourself bitter and loveless!"

When Thorin didn't flinch, he heard the other speak with a very clear notion of fatherly concern, "Mahal knows I am worried about you. I fear for your well being! Don't end up like Thror or Thrain. You have so much promise!"

Thorin closed his eyes. He couldn't keep the images of his predecessors flooding his mind. He remembered well enough exactly how Thror went mad for gold. His father...he too fretted over every piece of valuables and how he had that look in his eyes...that feral look when anyone threatened to 'steal' his precious things.

Thorin remembered them being obsessed. And just as Balin, he too feared for himself.

The investment...it was nothing but an excuse. He just wanted to win.

"Laddie, make amends." Balin's plead made him open his eyes. He gazed into those old and wise pair and found himself getting mellow.

"For our sake, please. We do not want to lose such a promising leader. Not to some dangerous mania."

He nodded by giving in.

It took him all his strength but he couldn't bring himself to disappoint the one who've guided him and supported him in absence of his father.

Thorin rapped softly on the door that was unlocked and when no one answered it, he took it in his own hands and entered his chamber.

He was about to approach his chair when the sight before him stopped him dead in his tracks.

Within ten feet stood his lawfully wedded husband, his naked back facing the king as cascades of wet gold covered most of his back. His long legs contained droplets of water which shone brilliantly against the warm sunrays and if it was ever possible, Thorin swore that the creature before him glowed with an eerie radiance about him.

He couldn't help an involuntary gasp that made its way.

At that, Thranduil seemed to be taken by surprise as he flinched at the sudden intrusion. He seemed extremely disarray while griping for a cover. He reached for a nearby robe and somehow covering his front, he turned to face the intruder.

Thorin didn't miss the way his face fell and when he found just who it was that invaded his privacy.

Blue orbs narrowed in distaste as he silently waited for Thorin to speak.

Thorin, on the other hand, snapped back to reality. When it hit him that he had walked in on the elf undressed, he found it increasingly hard not to look away and keep a deep blush rise up to his cheeks.

Furthermore, when it hit him that he had been watching the other no less like a voyeur, he felt so ashamed.

"I didn't mean to invade." he said as best as he could with a levelled voice, even though it was great constraint in his part not to let his eyes wonder.

Immediately, he was repulsed as he realized exactly what he wanted to do. What was wrong with him? Was he so frustrated?

Outwardly, his face bore no hints of such thoughts while he went on looking straight into Thranduil's eyes.

Thranduil's gaze hardened. He wrapped the robe around himself as best as he could and said, "No I'm sure you don't mean a lot of things. And yet you do them anyway just to please you."

Thorin twitched at the jab but he regained his composure. Sighing, he went on, "And I feel discredited when it is something that doesn't represent my integrity."

"Enough with your games." Thranduil hissed, clearly fed up with everything that had been going on. "Tell me what it is you want to do or say and be done with it. My patience wears thin."

Thorin bit back an upcoming retort and thinking about Balin's request and that only, he spoke with no form of defiance in his tone, "Those unpleasant words I said make me feel regret, Elf. My actions were...unpardonable. But do know I would never deliberately do anything to ruin my integrity."

It felt so demeaning to be apologizing to the other but it had to be done.

Just for you, Balin. And for my people.

At his words, Thranduil's face contorted into one with pure confusion. He could hear the silent rhetoric that defied Thranduil's expressions. Just as Thorin had a hard time apologizing, Thranduil too seemed to be having a hard time registering it from Thorin's own mouth.

"You...you don't mean it." He heard the elf rasp in disbelief and he rolled his eyes.

"I never sugar coat words, Elf. Especially when it comes to objectifying my character. I am sincere."

Thranduil remained quiet and stiff. When it seemed like it was a fruitless trial on his part, Thorin was surprised to hear a scoff and a baffled hint of a smile from the elven king himself.

"You confuse me, Thorin Oakenshield." The elf spoke with all his bewilderment. "You thoroughly confuse me. One moment you try your best to demean me, the next moment you help my son...and the moment after that, you demean me again! What is it with you?"

If only I knew.

Thorin thought inwardly and answered, "You are one to speak! You abandon us, then you offer your help and then you lend hand to Bard and not us! What's more is that you seek our alliance. Not Bard's! What is it with you?"

"It's a diplomatic decision!" Thranduil responded in a very perplexed voice. "And I did it only to prevent more deaths because of a lost cause! I told you that! It's a diplomatic decision—one that I'm not very proud of. Have I wronged so much for this...sham of a marriage? Is your pride so dangerous, Thorin Oakenshield? Will you succumb to it like your ancestors as you want me to succumb to you?"

For once, Thorin found his voice to be lost. He simply stared back at the other with bemused eyes as Balin's words floated in his mind.

Was he so vain? Was his addiction to triumph so dangerous?

"Still, I agreed. You won. I married you. Just for our alliance, I swallowed my pride and wedded you. All because I was desperate and I still am very much fearful of the thing that lurks around and threatens Arda in its entirety! Do you want me to forsake my honour? I will have you know now, no matter what you do, you can never take it away from me."

Thranduil looked stern and solemn. And Thorin...he could only gaze back intensely. He found no words to respond.

Thranduil finally sighed out and turned around as he began putting on his robe. When he was finished, he faced the dwarf king again and continued in a humbler voice, "I still can't believe you threatened me with such words. They befell you. However, I too must apologize. My words were no kinder than yours, especially after you've treated my son."

It was then that Thorin's cold mask cracked. His eyes widened with unexpected likelihood of what he had just took note of. He could see the sincerity behind Thranduil's eyes and he could see that unnerving pride mellowing out as those words were spoken.

For what it was worth, Thorin felt a strange warm sensation stirring in his chest and it was so new, so foreign to him that he had to close his eyes, fearful of what the other might see in them.

He nodded stiffly and turned his back. He could feel the other's gaze on him but he thought it best not to take notice.

"I'm off to court." He mentioned, taking steps towards the door.

Had he turned around, he would notice a strange soft look crossing Thranduil's face as he held Thorin's retreating back before his eyes. He would notice a small spark of curiosity along with a certain flicker of something else— all entrapped in those set of pale blues.

And had Thorin faced him, Thranduil would also notice a softer look on Thorin's face. A look that belied all the deceit and immoral fixations Thorin put up. Deeper into the strong integrity of character, the honour that made up Thorin Oakenshield, Thranduil would notice a softer man who was made to endure all forms of hardship; a great leader who looked after his people and a gentleness that the dwarves had privilege of seeing.

He would think to himself, Thorin Oakenshield was a very confusing character.

And Thorin would do the same and be intrigued at the complexity which was Thranduil. A complexity he so wanted to cherish...yet at the same time dominate.


AN: Right. So, they are so much more than a cussing duo. I just wanted that layer be shown. I hope I came closer to my intention. Please review!

Also, I might not update next week...my finals are coming up, but after 26th, updates will be totally regular.