"Where's Kili?" Thorin repeated in a louder voice when Fili did not answer his question immediately.
"Yes, where is he?" Ella echoed and stared at the blond dwarf prince next to her. "He must be with you- you arrived together, right?"
She knew the others would never have left Kili behind in Lake-town, not when he was sick, and especially not after Smaug had wrecked the city.
Unless-
Unless he was dead.
Fili glanced at her, then back at his uncle and pressed his lip to a thin line. He looked very uncomfortable and so did Oin and Bofur who watched the ground beneath their feet.
"No," Thorin groaned and his stare broke when he came to the same horrible conclusion.
With a few long, fast strides he was up the stairs and grabbed his nephew's shoulders. He shook his head in disbelief and tears welled up in his eyes.
"Is he-" he began but his voice quivered so he couldn't bring the words out.
"Kili isn't dead, uncle." Fili said quickly, then he averted his gaze. "At least, that's what I hope."
"He- "
He took a deep breath and forced himself to look into Thorin's eyes again. "He is in Mirkwood."
Thorin frowned and narrowed his eyes. "I think I must have misheard you," he said in a dangerously calm voice and tightened his grip around Fili's shoulders."He is- where?"
"It was the only way. Please, let me explain."
"Those explanations better be good," Thorin snarled.
Fili winced a little at his uncle's threatening tone but met his hard stare defiantly.
"You weren't there, you don't know how it was," he began. "We tended to Kili's wound as good as we could but he just wouldn't get better. In fact, when you had left, his sickness only grew worse. He wasn't even able to stand on his own feet any longer. We asked the town's master for help but he slammed his door right into our faces. The only one who was willing to help us- was Bard."
He paused and let out an unhappy laugh. "And despite the fact that he knew we would bring Smaug's wrath upon his home."
He looked up at Thorin. "He killed him, you know. Fired a black arrow from the windlance as his ancestor did before and managed to hit the only sensible spot in Smaug's armor. He is a very brave man. But that was later. First, the orcs came. The very pack that had been hunting us when we fled from Thranduil's castle. They attacked the city and would have killed all if it weren't for Tauriel and Legolas."
Thorin's face darkened. "The cursed elf woman and Thranduil's impertinent offspring." he spat contemptously.
Fili's gaze didn't waver. "They saved us." he said in an imploring tone. " They had captured one of the orcs and questioned him whereupon he told them the arrow that hit Kili's leg had been poisoned and would kill him. Tauriel and Legolas fought off the attacking orcs, but she could do nothing for Kili there because the antidote he needed was kept by the healers in Thranduil's castle. And that is why- that is why I allowed her to take him with her."
Thorin let out a mirthless snort. "And you believed the words of a treacherous wood-elf?" he thundered. "How could you be so stupid? It was cheap trick, a ruse to get hold of him, don't you see that? Thranduil would do anything to get the opportunity to blackmail me and now you have given it to him!"
Shocked by his outburst, Fili shook his head. "You're wrong about Tauriel, uncle." he whispered fiercely. " She came back for Kili because she cares for him. And I had to take the risk, it was the only chance to save his life."
"That was not your choice to make!"
"Yes it was," the dwarf prince replied firmly. "You weren't there, you left him behind because he would have slowed you down, remember? Nothing should stop you to reach the Erebor in time. Well, as it seems, you succeeded. Congrats. Have you any idea what we've been through, how we were beside ourselves with worry about you when the dragon came? We thought he'd killed you all!"
He let out a sharp breath. "I did what I had to do to save my brother's life and I would do it again any time. I- I believed that if you were in my place, you would have done the same." he finished quietly. "But now I'm not so sure."
Thorin glared at him. "Well, I suppose we'll see what your foresight is worth," he said icily. "Thranduil will soon be here to make demands, and he won't be the only one. About time to have the front gate repaired."
He wrapped his cloak around him and disappeared inside the fortress with rapid steps.
"Come," Ella reached out and hesitantly touched Fili's shoulder. "You have travelled a long way. You must be tired and hungry. I'm sure Bombur has something good on the hearth."
That he did, and when Fili, Oin and Bofur entered the kitchen there was a happy, tearful reunion with their companions who had believed them dead and vice versa.
But when the newcomers had filled their bellies with the stew Bombur had prepared and answered their excited questions, a depressed mood again spread over them like a dark cloud.
"Mahal knows, I knew he wouldn't be happy about my decision," Fili muttered gloomily into his ale mug. "But never would I have expected such a frosty welcome."
He finished his drink and slammed the mug onto the table. "What's wrong with him? It is almost as if he didn't even care if we're dead or alive."
"No, laddie, don't think that," Balin said.
He reached out and squeezed Fili's hanging shoulder. "I'm sure he does care. He has not been himself lately- "
He sighed. "You know about the sickness that lies on this treasure hoard, do you not?"
The prince looked up at him. "Dragon sickness," he whispered alarmed. "So the old stories are true? Are you saying Thorin is losing his mind?"
His face went white when a terrible thought crossed his mind. "Do you think he will refuse to give Thranduil what he wants in exchange for my brother?"
"Of course he won't," Ella objected." You are all the family he has left and Thorin loves you both more than anything! Certainly more than a stupid necklace."
She wished she was so certain about that as she pretended to be.
"If you say so, lass," Gloin snorted doubtfully. "I wouldn't bet my boots on Thorin's love for his family these days."
He gave her a strange look from narrowed eyes . "Well, if there's anyone he listens to now, I suppose it's you. Make sure to whisper the right things into his ear at night-"
Ella felt her face grow hot at the unmistakable insinuation.
She could imagine what it must look like to the other dwarves. She spent every night in Thorin's chambers, while he had no friendly word for the rest of the company any longer but only bossed them around.
But even when she understood their frustration, it made her very uncomfortable to hear them talk about Thorin like this, behind his back, as if the king were no longer of sound mind- even when this was exactly what was threatening to happen.
"I may share Thorin's bed," she replied sharply. "but that doesn't mean he listens to what I say. I'm not sure if I like what you're implying but I assure you I do what I can. And you better be careful what you say. He is still your king!"
"We're all a little edgy at the moment" Balin said quickly and laid a hand on her arm in a soothing gesture. "I'm sure Gloin meant no offence."
"Of course not," the dwarf in question muttered into his beard. "I apologize."
An awkward silence followed.
Ella looked around at the faces of her companions and found embarassment on some, but to her great dismay, also resentment and undeniable fear. Did they honestly believe her capaple of denouncing them?
As it seemed, the curse of Erebor's gold had not affected Thorin alone but also served to spread fear and mistrust among his company-
And did they even have what it took to bargain with the Elven king? she wondered in sudden panic.
Smaug's appearance had kept her from looking for the necklace as she had originally planned, and even though the dwarves had searched the treasury for days and carried boxes full of jewelry to Thorin's chamber, she had not yet seen anything that would fit the description "made of pure starlight"-
It was later at the same night that Ella should learn the answer to this question.
She was lying in Thorin's bed, its sheets still soaked with their sweat and bodily fluids after another passionate encounter.
The king stood with his back to her, revelling in the piled up treasures on his desk as he so often did these days, and she revelled in the sight of him.
In the dark waves of his long hair falling softly over his broad shoulders, the play of muscles beneath the skin on his broad, inked back, and the small tuft of black hair in the spot where it segued into firm buttocks and powerful, hard thighs.
Even in the immidiate aftermath of pleasure- and Thorin never failed to make sure she found hers as much as he did- she felt her throat get dry and anew desire well up inside her at the sight of his body in all his naked glory, and the blissful memory of it upon hers.
Thorin held a jewelry box in his hands she had not seen before- at least, she thought she hadn't, there were so many of them.
He opened a drawer in his desk and produced a tiny key from it. "Come here," he said in a throaty voice. "I want to show you something. No-no, stay like this," he added when Ella wanted to reach for her nightshirt.
He took her by the shoulders and gently maneuvered her in front of the large wall mirror.
"Close your eyes." he commanded.
Ella did as he told, not too keen on watching her own image any way even though the room was quite dark.
She wasn't shy and usually felt good with and within her body, but then, she had never before been in love.
All memories of her former meaningless and short-lived affairs back in Bree paled against the overwhelming feeling Thorin caused in her, and compared to the epitome of sheer male beauty that was the dwarf king she couldn't help but consider her own looks deficient.
She expected he was going to give her some piece of jewelry as he had done practically every day since they had come to the Erebor and officially been lovers.
It made her uncomfortable because she couldn't tell if this was the dwarves' way of courting ( a hobbit would bring her flowers but there were no flowers in the Lonely Mountain whereas it had gems in abundance) or rather a sort of payment for her services.
But Thorin seemed to enjoy seeing her hung with jewels and so she let him do it- let alone that it was unwise to displease the king under the mountain these days.
The room was anything but warm and she shivered slightly as she stood naked in front of the mirror.
But then she felt Thorin's big, warm hands in her neck as he gently brushed her hair aside, and a second later, something cool gliding down her décolleté.
She opened her eyes to a sight that made her squint as if she'd look into the glaring sun, even though this light was much colder.
She knew immediately what it was.
Gems of pure starlight.
So he had them after all.
In her back, Thorin sucked in a sharp breath.
"Beautiful," he murmured, enraptured, his eyes dark with desire.
Ella swallowed. How she wished his words weren't for the famous necklace but the woman who wore it- if only in part.
It was without a doubt a true masterpiece of art but she did not feel comfortable wearing it. It had been made for a proud Elven queen not for a little hobbit, and its dazzling white stones felt unpleasantly heavy and cold against her bare skin.
"The white gems of Lasgalen," she whispered.
"Indeed." Thorin smiled grimly." I assume, you must have wondered where they were. Well, my grandfather knew about Thranduil's desire for it so he didn't keep it in his treasure hoard but instead locked it away in a safe place."
He furrowed his dark brows. "A pity he wasn't so considerate with regard to the Arkenstone."
"Thranduil will want them back," Ella began carefully. "If we can use them to ransom Kili we must do that-"
Thorin's frown deepened. "I know." he growled lowly. "But not tonight."
She felt his beard scrape against the skin at the side of her neck when he lowered his head to kiss her there.
He let his large hands glide softly across the clinking gems before they possessively cupped her breasts. "Tonight I want to see them where he never will," he whispered darkly against her ear. "On you."
He squeezed and caressed her breasts and chuckled lowly when he felt her nipples harden under his touch.
Ella tilted her head to meet his lips and opened her mouth to his demanding tongue.
Her whole body was covered in goosebumps that no longer had anything to do with the cold. She moaned into his mouth when one of his hands slid down her belly and between her quivering thighs to find the tell-tale wetness there.
His thick, skillful fingers never failed to find her most sensitive spots and her knees threatened to give in when he caressed her in maddeningly slow circles.
Her breath went ragged and the way he pressed her back to him she could feel that he, too, was again rock-hard.
In a sudden, swift movement, Thorin spun her around and effortlessly carried her over to the bed.
There was a brief struggle at the end of which she managed to climb on top of him, and he let out a deep groan when she straddled his hips and guided him into her warmth.
The position was unfamiliar- Thorin usually preferred to be the one in control- but even in her arousal Ella worried the necklace might take damage with his considerable weight upon her.
To her relief, Thorin didn't seem to mind their roles being reversed but instead find pleasure in the new experience.
However, the dwarf king wasn't one to give up control entirely. His firm grip on her hips served to set the pace to his liking and the way the white gems slapped against her breasts with each of his violent thrusts seemed to fuel his desire even more.
For a moment, Ella wondered if his lust for gems and his lust for her were in fact one and the same, if he would have even allowed himself to get carried away by carnal pleasures like this were it not for his madness- and if she really wanted to changed that if it were so.
It was a dangerous, unsettling thought.
But then, her own pleasure overwhelmed her and she threw her head back with a throaty cry and stopped thinking or caring.
