Thorin finished his explanation and gave his little bookkeeper an attentive look. Her face was completely blank, and her eyes were fixed on the bedpost behind him.

"My heart?" he called to her.

She blinked and looked at him. He still couldn't understand her reaction, and her prolonged silence was starting to irritate him.

"Mistress Algun said we'd have to sustain the pretence for a moon or a little longer," he said hoping to prompt her to answer.

She nodded and dropped her eyes to her hands folded mannerly on her lap.

"What shall we do about my friend?" she asked quietly.

Thorin gave her a taken aback look. "What does your friend have to do with anything?" He was growing tired of her reticence, and he lifted his hand to pick up her chin and make her look at him. He needed to see her face! He stopped himself, of course, and huffed some air in irritation. "Eorwyn, you do understand that we can't announce our betrothal as you wanted, and–"

"I wanted?" She sharply lifted her face.

"Aye, you did. Just a few hours ago you insisted we announced it as soon as possible." Thorin didn't quite enjoy stating the obvious, but it seemed she was either confused, or purposefully being obtuse.

"Right, yes, I did." A strange small smile brushed at her lips. "But we can't now, can we? Because of all those women. They need our help."

"Aye, they do."

Thorin felt a tinge of relief. She was finally starting to talk, and just as he hoped she could see how supporting Mistress Algun's cause was the right thing to do. He hardly doubted his little bookkeeper, but there had been still a chance her emotions would stand in the way. Thankfully, she was exactly the intelligent honourable woman he considered her.

"So about Nis," she said, once again looking somewhere in the distance.

"Nis? Ah, your friend." Thorin frowned. "What about her?"

"Well, I can't possibly tell her it had been a jest and I didn't mean it," Eorwyn muttered. "So she knows now, and… what if she tells someone?"

Thorin scoffed, "What if she does? Today people have been talking about lady Turith leaving my rooms. Tomorrow it'll be Mistress Algun. She can add you to the list if she likes."

He could see a crinkle between her brows and she was chewing her bottom lip. He couldn't quite understand what still bothered her.

"Eorwyn? What is the matter?"

She looked at him again, and then she suddenly burst into loud laughter. Her mood seemed to veer madly this evening. Thorin assumed it was the shock and the frustration around the postponement of their betrothal that caused it, and he decided it could be forgiven.

"Oh Thorin, how differently we see this!" she exclaimed and then she moved to him and her beautiful arms lay on his shoulders loosely. The freckled nose was right in front of him. "It's comical really! It's like we live in two different worlds. You don't understand my anguish at all!"

"What is–" He didn't get a chance to finish because she was suddenly pressed flush against him.

The kiss was deep and intoxicating, and soon their hands were wandering. He could feel her cool fingers brush at his throat, she was trying to open the clasp on his cloak. She wore none. To think of it she'd showed up without a cloak or proper shoes and she had no bag with her. She'd been disheveled and crying, and a considerate husband needed to ask, he knew of course - but she'd just climbed on his lap and then her skirts hiked up and he found his palms on her thighs. She arched, pressing her centre into him, her neck was bared to his kisses - and he decided to be considerate later.

He turned around on the bed and lay her down. Her knees opened, and he saw a pleased smile on her lips.

"We wouldn't have been able to do this in the Forges," she giggled.

"I had blankets packed with our dinner," he murmured, kissing the tops of her tender peaks in the cut of her simple dress.

She gave out a throaty laugh. He was sliding down her body, kissing, caressing, and looking for the ends of the lacing of her bodice.

"Always so provident," she murmured.

He opened his eyes and looked at the dark green canopy of his bed. The bookkeeper lay on top of him, her little fists stacked on his chest, her chin settled on them. Most of her braids had gone undone, and the locks stood like flames around her face. She looked merry and satiated.

"The dinner has gone cold probably," he said.

"I've already had dinner with–" She paused, her face darkening for an instant, but then the shadow was gone. "But I could always eat again. What are we having?"

"Nyr packed us provisions," Thorin said and chuckled, "And your favourite currant spice bread."

She stretched and placed a quick tender kiss on his lips.

"You're indulging me."

He delighted in the way she was at the moment: warm, unburdened, tousled, and nude. Her skin glowed in the light of the candles, and when she sat up pressing a cover to her chest he was presented with the view of her elegant back. When the ridiculous predicament was over, he'd have her finally reside in his halls and he'd have her every night. Perhaps, any sort of clothing had to be prohibited in this room. She shimmied her shoulders.

"Are you cold, my heart?" he asked tenderly.

She turned and threw him a cheeky look over her shoulder. The skin was peppered with golden flecks as well, just as her cheekbones.

"Now I am. Before… Before I was perfectly warm."

He laughed, sat up, and wrapped his arms around her.

"I'll start the fire and get us some dinner." He kissed the delicate shoulder. "Let me get more furs for you to cover."

After some roasted chicken, root vegetables, and a shared drink of apple cider, she was picking at a slice of the currant bread, while he was finishing another meat pie.

"Could we talk seriously?" she said shyly, twisting a small piece of crust between her fingers.

She sat tightly wrapped in a sheet under her arms. He found her modesty quite entertaining. Covers and furs were arranged around her and on her shoulders. Later he would love to unwrap this parcel, but for now he nodded. He was hardly sated carnally, but they'd just eaten a substantial dinner so he decided a few minutes could be spared to talking.

"I should find myself different rooms," she said evenly. "I don't want to bore you with my distress but I don't wish to share my rooms with my former companions anymore."

"Your distress couldn't bore me," he said softly, and she gave him a melancholic smile.

"I think you underestimate how differently we see our situation," she said.

"So you have mentioned," Thorin said sardonically. "What is it that we see differently exactly? I thought you were just as willing to aid Mistress Algun as I was."

"Oh I am," she said and patted his knee over the covers.

The gesture was funny because there was some sort of a patronising air to it. He suddenly remembered how she'd once shook a finger at him, long ago, when he saw nothing but a girl of Men in her. She'd always treated him respectfully but never subserviently. He'd never expected to - but he valued it between them. And now she was giving him an equivalent of a pat on the head like to a tot! Thorin chuckled and shook his head.

"This is the second time today that I'm apparently misreading a woman's thoughts and feelings," he said thinking back at how smug he'd felt in his conversation with the needlemaster - and how mercilessly she'd put him into his place afterwards. He laughed again. "I'll risk putting my foot in it again, and I'll ask you if your distress comes from being my illicit lover for another month."

She stopped chewing and gave him a wide eyed look. Thorin guffawed.

"I've failed again, haven't I?" He grabbed the back of her neck, pulled her in, and placed a firm short kiss on her lips. "Well, go on then, explain to me what I understood wrong."

She swallowed her food and cleared her throat.

"I'm in high spirits, my little hen. I've been fed..." He leaned closer to her and whispered, "And bedded." She predictably blushed furiously. He laughed. "I'm in a forgiving mood, so feel free to correct me."

She gave him a suspicious look, making him shake with more frolics.

"I am not distressed about having to hide our love for longer," she said timidly. "Quite the opposite… I have to admit to being a coward and feeling relieved that it's postponed. If a person who considered me a friend was so quick to place judgement–" She stopped herself and shook her head. "No, it matters not. It's all just futile worry, and–"

She exhaled sharply, and her face grew calm and content again. He was starting to suspect that she was censoring her moods around him, but he couldn't say he disapproved. He grew up around Dis, having to deal with her temper tantrums. His brother Frerin had been moody and mercurial, may Mahal be generous to him in the Halls of their Forefathers. Thorin had had a cordial relationship with his Father, but his Mother was temperamental and severe. He could surely appreciate sharing his life and his halls with a level-headed person like his little hen.

"Other than these worries of mine, nothing distresses me," she said decisively. "And I'll face those difficulties when I face them." She shrugged. "As for hiding our love..." She looked at him askance. "That - I actually quite enjoy."

Thorin choked on the cider he was drinking.

"Pardon?"

She gave out another of her silver laughs.

"It's exciting. Look at me!" She opened her arms and made a wide gesture around herself. The sheet slid down, and Thorin thought the repose they'd had was sufficient and now it was time for more vigorous pursuits. "I'm in your bedroom, in the middle of the night, and no one–"

Thorin wasn't listening. He put his mug aside and slowly shifted closer to her on the bed. She froze and stared at him. Her nose twitched, and he pounced. She fell back on the bed, under his weight, with a joyous squeal.

"So, to summarise," she said stately, and Thorin rolled with laughter. Apparently his little bird decided to finish the thought he'd so rudely interrupted an hour ago. He lifted his head that had previously been cozily resting on her buttock.

"Aye, what is the summary?" He rubbed his nose to the silky warm skin.

"I need new apartments, and they should probably be closer to the Royal Halls," she drew out nonchalantly. "To make this month go faster."

"Oh?" He pondered his options and then gave the buttock a small bite. She snorted into the pillow. "Or you can just stay where you are now. Nyr will bring you food and water for baths. This way I'll enjoy your company anytime I want," he murmured suggestively.

"I do have a vocation, my lord," she said haughtily. "I'm an emissary of the Kingdom of Men. I can't lounge in bed all day."

Thorin gave her backside a hearty squeeze and moved higher on the bed to level their faces.

"No, but after sunset..." He leaned and kissed her delicious lips. "You're all mine."