Sorry for the delay. There were so many things that I wanted to write that I was stymied for a time. But at last, I found the way forward! I hope you like it. Tomorrow, I'll proofread again and change whatever needs changing. Here's a teaser: I hope that everyone remembers health class!

Chapter 81

Thorin looked around with deep satisfaction. Everything had gone splendidly, and now the feast was winding down. Per protocol, no one could leave until he did, and he had waited, not wanting to deny Areen her fill of enjoyment. Her cheeks were rosy and her smile infectious, but after she yawned behind her hand more than once, he knew it was time to end the festivities. He stood from his gilt chair at the center of a long table, lifted his goblet, and the cavernous chamber stilled in a breath.

"My people, it has been my good fortune to share our joy with you, but the evening must come to a close, and so I say good night." The crowd roared and tipped up what remained in their tankards. A score or more hurried for a generous refill while the taps were still flowing.

"Are you ready to head to your chambers, Areen?" he asked in a solicitous tone. "You seem done in." At first pensive, she gave a little shimmy of her shoulders and searched for his hand. Smiling at her efforts, he moved it within reach.

"I am, although I've never had such a good time. Thank you, Thorin." He pulled her head on his shoulder where she sighed happily.

"This is just the beginning," he said.

Over in a far corner, an argument raged about Areen's subdued demeanor earlier on. Dori was sure that she was coming to realize new, "lovely feelings" for Thorin, but Nori waved his hand in disgust.

"Can we please stop this nonsense? I don't want to spoil a perfectly 'lovely' feast with your blather. Leave be. I'm to bed after another top-off." He walked away leaving Dwalin, Balin, Kili, Dori, and Ori taking in the sweet picture of Thorin looking down and smiling softly, seemingly entertaining pleasant thoughts, while Areen leaned with heavy lids against him.

"They are a pretty picture," Balin said to no one in particular. Dwalin grunted in reply, and Kili lifted a silver goblet in salute before swallowing the last of his wine.

"And now it begins, although I'll have no part in it."

"Nor I," Dwalin said with yet another stern glare at Dori. "I'll say it one last time. Leave them be."

Thorin walked arm in arm with Areen for the long trek to their chambers. More than once he had to steady her, her sleepiness the result of a hearty meal rather than drink. As they walked he thought again on something that had bothered him during his very spare moments.

"Areen?" He nudged her shoulder and she roused.

"Yes, Thorin?" He took a breath and waded in.

"I was thinking that I should not always call you Areen in public. 'My lady' is appropriate for introductions, but in conversation, we should use an acceptable endearment on occasion as is the custom among couples." Areen started and blinked away her drowsiness. Waiting for a response and not getting one right away, he opened his mouth, ready to withdraw his request. "Of course if that isn't acceptable..." He stopped when she turned to him, her expression unreadable. He was about to dismiss the subject when she nodded for him to continue.

"What do you suggest? I want to do everything properly in front of your—our—people."

"I was thinking,' he said before pausing to gauge her expression. "I was thinking that perhaps we should call each other 'my dear' or something of that ilk. What are your thoughts?" Her cheeks turned pink, but she did not falter.

"If you think so, I would be happy to." Her cheekiness returned for a moment. "After all, it fits." Thorin responded with relieved chuckles that he didn't trouble to check as they passed by a saluting guard.

"Indeed."

Too soon in his opinion, they were at her door, and he decided to kiss her hand and forehead before leaving her to find her way in her new chamber.

"Do you require anything, Areen? I had Otha and Kitra order your room as you're used to, and a hot bath should be ready should you want it." She hugged him close, and he took the opportunity to kiss her forehead, but when he pressed his lips to the inside of her wrist in a lingering kiss, he felt her stiffen, and he stopped at once. She made the slightest motion to pull her arm away, and he let it go. Disappointment coursed through him.

"I've made you uncomfortable." He stated it as a fact, but she shook her head and attempted to smile.

"It tickled a little is all." Cocking her head, she waited for him to speak, but when he didn't she found his chest and placed her hands on him palms down. "You are very dear to me, Thorin. Never doubt it. Never." He made his pleased hum and sighed in relief.

"As you wish, my dear," and he handed her across the threshold. The interior of the room was as black as the cave that they had been trapped in, and he instinctively wanted to light the oil lamps, but, of course, they would have been no use.

"Can you find everything, Areen?" She nodded.

"I've spent some time memorizing the layout." She lifted her chin. "I'll have no trouble."

"Of course." He paused and shifted from foot to foot before bidding her good night. The door closed, and he put his hand on the walnut panel. "Good night, my love," he whispered.

After the heavy door closed, I turned and put my hand on it. "Good night, Thorin, my husband." When he kissed me, I felt my stomach take a swan dive down to my quaking knees. What in Middle Earth was happening to me? I'd heard enough of Mebla's romantic imaginings to know that my jelly knees, jumpy stomach, sweaty palms, general twitchiness, and score other things I was feeling might be love as in being inlove with Thorin. At least she'd say so. I'd felt something like it before, but it turned out to be the flu. I felt my forehead and patted my tummy. Nope, no fever or nausea. So was it love, or was I just nervous about the enormous responsibility of representing the fabled House of Durin? My emotions all babbled their say, but none of them made any sense, and I threw up my hands. What should I do? I had a lot of questions. Like how does one know? Also, what happens if I am? What do I do next? I couldn't tell Thorin. I imagined his kind and gentle letdown. Mahal, that would be the worst. I resolved to talk to Mebla in the morning. She would know if anyone could. She and Sella were my best friends, and I knew that they would be a true support if a rather emotional one. I cursed my naiveté, but no one had ever talked about such things at home. In fact, love of that kind was nonexistent. Father never showed love to Mother, and Lord Vinn's wife had died long ago. My handsome dream dwarf never had anything to add either. Yes, I would talk to my friends in the morning.

Some hours after dawn, Thorin awoke and readied himself for the day. He felt different. He was a husband now, and he had a wife to care for. He took a moment to enjoy the feeling before he opened his door to escort Areen to breakfast. When he did he met a sentry carrying a silver platter piled high with small envelopes and notes stamped with large seals. The guard hastily bowed.

"What are these?" Thorin asked the nervous, young dwarf. The sentry winced before answering.

"These are requests and petitions for my lady," he said. "I was bid to deliver them immediately, but since I didn't want to disturb, uh, at such a time, uh, on such an occasion, um, I thought to wait. Besides, since my lady doesn't, um, can't um..." Thorin interrupted and hushed the sentry with his hands.

"I appreciate your discretion in this matter, and I assume the responsibility. You are dismissed." The sentry quickly handed Thorin the heaping platter and bowed and straightened so fast that his back cracked.

"My lord!" Thorin watched him hasten down the hallway and turn the corner before he looked down at the platter. Of course, he should have known and prepared Areen for requests and pleas for her attention. Although she could be and do whatever she wanted, that didn't mean she would be spared from any and all requests for her attention. Thank Mahal that she had more than her share of good sense. Perhaps he should whittle down the pile before he presented it to her. Yes, that was best, aye. He wouldn't overwhelm her on her first day.

Thorin spent well over an hour sifting through four-score messages, a quarter of them ridiculous or otherwise unworthy of her attention. A number were invitations to any number of ladies' groups. Others were requests for her attention to matters of import such as dwarfling education and eldercare. Thorin marked the ones he thought most worthy. The rest he saved for her amusement. The Council of Minute Matters, or so he called it, wanted her opinion on hem lengths and toggle fasteners versus ribbon ties for tunics. He rolled his eyes and shuffled the pile together. A creak of the door alerted him to her presence, and he startled. While not immodest in the least, her attire was in the more revealing style of all married women, although of richer cloth and design. Little emeralds lined the low neckline, drawing the eye down. He had never taken much notice of women's fashions before, but now she had his full attention.

"Good morning, Areen. You look lovely." He swallowed audibly and allowed himself a moment to appreciate her appearance. Her hair was loose with two braids that mirrored his own, the only difference being flashing diamonds set into the beads. It pleased him to see her thus. "Did you sleep well?" Instead of answering, she tugged her neckline up, and he frowned.

"The gown is very becoming, but if you aren't comfortable, wear whatever you wish." She stopped tugging and adjusting the seams. To his surprise, she blushed all the way to her décolletage and smoothed her skirts.

"You think so? I am not used such styles, but the noble ladies assured me that they're proper here. Do you like it? Be honest now. It isn't too much?" She snorted. "Or not enough?"

Thorin recalled then what the noble ladies had said the night of the betrothal. They had wanted her to dress to attract his attention. He shook his head. They needn't have bothered. Areen could wear an onion sack, and he would still think her desirable.

"It's very becoming, but all your gowns are perfectly appropriate." She twisted her hands and turned her head away while she thought. He watched with interest while she wrestled through some inner conflict. Finally, she breathed deep, swelling her bodice. He watched with wide eyes.

"If they're what's normal here," she said. "I should get used to them. I'm enough of an oddity as it is. Oh, I should have asked. What color is it? I forgot to ask Otha and Kitra when they helped me this morning. We were in such a rush." Thorin took another long look.

"It's a vibrant, deep green."

"And these gems?" She patted her chest. He took a steadying breath.

"Emeralds."

"Well, if you approve, that's good enough for me." He took care not to give anything away in his answer.

"I do. Very much. I should tell you now that you have a number of invitations and such waiting for you, but none are urgent. We can look at them later." With that he took her hand and placed it on his arm. Sky was waiting at the door, and they headed down to sample the culinary delights sure to come.

The feast couldn't end soon enough. I had to talk to Mebla and Sella. It was getting worse. I could hardly pay attention with Thorin next to me. He smelled wonderful, and his thoughtful little gestures both thrilled and scared me. As soon as possible, I asked to be excused along with my friends.

"We need to go somewhere we can't be heard," I said as soon as the door closed.

"What's wrong?" Mebla asked. "What's happened?"

"Nothing, everything. Oh, I don't know." I didn't know how to get it all out, but I tried. "I'm feeling really weird about Thorin, and I don't know what it means." I told them everything and waited for the squeals to come, only they didn't.

"Well," Mebla said after a pause. "If you're in love, you'll know it. No one can talk you into it, and no one can talk you out of it." She sounded so mature, and I felt like an imbecile beside her. "I can't tell you what your feelings mean, Areen. Only you can do that."

What the heck? Was that all? "But I don't know! What if I am? What do I do?"

"I don't know. I've never been in love even though I want to be."

I turned to Sella. "Tell me. I need to know what I'm feeling."

I was doomed to disappointment. She was as ignorant as I was. Even so, they encouraged me to not fight what I was feeling and be honest once I came to a conclusion. I was not happy.

"You guys aren't any help."

"Would you rather we made something up or told you what to do and how to feel?" Mebla asked. Ugh.

"Of course not. I just feel so mixed up. I don't know anything about this, anything at all." Just then a thought pushed its way into my mind and demanded to be heard. Embarrassment tried to shut it down, but it refused to budge. It wouldn't give its name either. Instead, it argued that I deserved to be fully informed about everything love entailed. "Hey, we're already in the neighborhood," it said.

"While we're on the subject," I said, "say two people are in love and married. What do they do together? I mean, what happens between married couples? I know that babies come from marriage, but how does it work—exactly?" Squeals at last. Loud and long.

"You didn't just ask us that!" Sella nearly yelled. "I can't believe you just asked us that!" I didn't know why, but somehow it mattered. If I was in love, I deserved to know all the particulars. It seemed reasonable enough to me. They didn't agree. Sella rattled on until Mebla stopped her.

"What you're asking is generally discussed before a maiden is wed, Areen," Mebla said. She sounded apologetic.

"Too late," I muttered.

"Mother died when I was young," Mebla continued, "so I have no knowledge, and Sella's an orphan."

"Yeah, and my mother was too busy dodging blows to tell me anything."

We stood there in awkward silence, no doubt in equal parts awkward and angry. At least I was. We were deprived in more ways than one, although I never thought I'd list an utter lack of knowledge in this area as a problem.

"So, we aren't the right people to ask," Mebla said," but Erebor is large. I'm sure that someone can help you out."

I nodded. She was right. In this we were the blind leading the blind. I needed to talk to someone in the know. Now who would that be? I started making a list. Before the day was done, I would have my answers. The only thing I needed to figure out was who to ask first.

"Be sure to tell all," Sella said. "I want every last detail." Mebla seconded.

I told them that I would as soon as I could. Now I had to find someone who would tell me what I wanted to know.

So dear readers, here's a puzzle for you. Who do you think Areen will talk to, and what do you think he or she will say? Have fun, and let me know what you come up with. I can't wait!