Chapter Fifty-One

"The dwarves have their homeland back," Mirilas began, nodding her head at the scene before them. They stood high atop a tower of Dale watching the dwarves break their camp on the plain and transfer all their equipment into the Mountain through the shattered gate. Thorin's Company had led the way to their new residence some time ago. Now, Dain's soldiers handled the transition with a much greater level of organization than Thorin's much smaller Company had managed.

"Yes," Smaug confirmed simply. Despite gaining his elf through this whole business, he watched the dwarves take up residence in his former lair with resignation, frustration, and no small amount of bitterness.

"Your lair," Mirilas continued, sensing some of the dragon's feelings on the matter. If she could get him talking, she might learn more of what he intended to do , or even if he intended to do anything about the loss of his lair. She should have known that trying to trick a dragon was a harder undertaking that required greater skill than she had exerted into her attempt. This was an unwise an unwise undertaking.

"No longer," Smaug said simply, refusing to reveal through hit tone just what he would do to these dwarves if he did not have her. However, she knew now that he did not intend to reclaim the Mountain from the dwarves once they were inside.

"Yes, though I admit I am not sure where to go. There are few places with sufficient treasure and such a comfortably large cavern to sleep," Smaug said as a couple different places came to mind. He would miss that mountain of gold in Erebor. It had been a comfortable bed for over a century, but he would not sleep so long again while he had his elf by his side. He would give her his full attention, as she deserved.

"What does this mean for us?" Mirilas asked, refusing to look at him. Her glowing eyes remained fixed ahead of her sightlessly as she waited in trepidation for his answer.

"Us?" Smaug questioned with a smirk, snaking an arm around her waist. Instead of leaning away from him as she would have only days ago, she leant into his side and pressed her cheek into his arm, keeping her eyes trained on the dwarves far below as they toiled about their work.

"You magically chained me to stay near me! You freed me to help the our armies destroy the orcs! What else would you call it?" she asked with playful anger while her tone barely extended past the contentment she felt at this moment.

"Do you plan to marry the Dwarf King?" Smaug asked, instantly diffusing Mirilas. He would not allow her to tease him when there was a chance that she would try to leave him. His arm tightened around her as if to tell her that he would not let her leave until he had an answer.

"What?" Mirilas asked in confusion. How had he known of Thorin's proposal? To her knowledge, only she and he were aware, though Bilbo might have been waiting outside the tent. It was possible that he knew, and the hobbit could act foolishly when he was well-intended. If he had told Gandalf, who knew who was aware?

"Thorin," Smaug nearly growled. The vibrations of his chest radiated out to shake her a little. The elf took comfort in this feeling. It meant that she was near him, where she wanted to be.

Mirilas laughed a little and assured the dragon, "Of course not! He kidnapped me! I will not turn around and marry the dwarf! No matter that he actually asked me this time!"

Smaug smiled a smile that was considerably lighter than those of his to which she was accustomed. He always seemed to be smirking or smug, not pleased with her as he seemed now. She had had an offer but had not taken it. To him, this meant only one thing. "Then, you are mine," he said, as though the answer was simple and obvious. Actually, in his mind the matter was simple. He had thought that he would only ever lay claim to a female by force. If she would not marry that Dwarf King, he was her other option. A choice he would only give her. Anyone else in her position would not have been given a choice, feigned or no.

"Were you actually giving me a choice?" Mirilas asked, narrowing her eyes at him as though she could see through his games.

Smaug chuckled at the thought. "Perhaps, perhaps not. What does it matter?" And here he was again, never giving her a straight answer if he chose not to. There would be no wringing the truth from him in this.

"Why are you being like this, Smaug?" Mirilas asked, realising that something was wrong with the dragon. What could be bothering him? He had always seemed so imperturbable.

Smaug sighed and looked down at Mirilas. She still did not know.

On impulse, Smaug leaned in to kiss her soundly for a few seconds before breaking away to press their foreheads together, trapping her face in his hands so that she could not back away. "You are mine. Never doubt that," he hissed.

"Your what, Smaug?" Mirilas asked softly, refusing to shut her eyes.

Smaug quickly snaked his arms around his elf's waist as he growled lowly, "My mate."

A small smile spread across his elf's face before she leaned in to kiss him. She had accepted! She knew she was his! He would never let her go.

It took then some time to break away from each other, but when they did, Smaug hissed out, "I never thought I would find a mate."

"I never thought I could love a dragon," Mirilas returned lightly.

"Love?" he inquired.

"Yes," Mirilas said as rosy tints bloomed over her faceted cheeks like rose quartz.

Smaug kissed her fiercely once again before saying, "Then, it is settled. I am never leaving you again."

"I'll hold you to that," Mirilas said with a playful smile.