Thorin sighed as he pulled his tunic off. He saw Clill's expression before parting. She was scared.
"Are you ready, laddie?" Thrain asked as he watched his son.
"As ready as I'll ever be I suppose", Thorin mumbled.
"Thorin", Balin said patting his shoulder. "Be gentle with my daughter. I know you promised not to hurt her, but I still worry about her. She is my only child, after all."
"I understand."
"I mean it", he continued. "I want to see my daughter happy. That's the one thing she deserves more than anything."
Thorin nodded and hugged Thrain and Balin. He wrapped a black fur robe around his body and opened the door that connected to the room Clill was in. Clill sat at the dresser, looking out of the one window in the room as she brushed her long golden hair. Her wedding gown had been discarded, leaving her wearing a white nightgown and a blue silk robe.
"Good evening, Clill", Thorin spoke softly.
"Thorin", she acknowledged.
She set the brush down and turned to face him. Thorin held his breath as he saw her. She looked almost divine with nothing but the dancing candlelight flickering upon her face, the shadows moving along the room. Clill looked at Thorin, seeing his hairy, muscular chest in the small opening of his robe. The braids from his hair had been untied, leaving all of it down.
"I suppose you want to get started?" she said looking down, almost worried.
Clill closed her eyes, expecting Thorin to grab her and take her to bed. This was the one thing she knew was going to be required from the beginning, producing heirs. She kept her eyes closed as she heard Thorin's footsteps approach her.
"Clill, open your eyes", he said.
She opened her eyes and gasped softly when she saw Thorin stand in front of her. He put his finger underneath her chin, gently lifting her chin. He looked into her eyes, seeing the fear.
"This is something you don't want to do, is it?" he asked.
"I…I don't want to disappoint everyone", Clill said. "Everyone is expecting us to bring Erebor the next heirs."
"You shouldn't have to worry about it", Thorin said. "Look at us. We're newlyweds. You can't expect something like that on the first try. Besides…"
He held her hand, letting Clill look at him.
"Erebor has enough heirs as it is. My father is next in line for the crown. After my father, it'll be my turn to rule as king. That's not going to happen for a long, long time. We are in no rush to produce any heirs just yet."
"But won't our fathers…?" Clill started.
Thorin held her in his arms, trying to calm her down. He ran his hand up and down her back, smiling as he felt her body relax. Clill wrapped her arms around him and closed her eyes. Thorin really was gently. This was something she could really get used to. Thorin smiled when he heard her gentle breathing. Clill had fallen asleep. He lifted her body into the bed, tucking the blanket around her. He slipped his robe off and climbed into the other side of the bed.
"Goodnight, Clill."
Thorin blew out the candle, smiling as he watched her peaceful expression. He kissed her cheek before turning away, closing his eyes and welcoming sleep.