Out of the safety of her - now former - room, Eorwyn tensed. They were walking towards the Capital Grounds, Ada chatting about the sports, and the fighters whose careers she'd been following, and what events were to take place during the day. Thankfully, the girl didn't require answers, so Eorwyn could just listen while mentally preparing for what lay ahead. She still had an hour before she was to take her seat in the Grandstand.

"We should find some nosh first," Ada said and confidently headed towards a stand with sadzkassab - sweet little cakes, a popular treat among Dwarven younglings, rich and buttery. Eorwyn heard they originated in the West, in the lands of the Halflings. She'd never had them before. She wasn't particularly fond of caraway seeds, which was what gave the seedcakes their particularly flavour and the name.

Ada bought three for each of them, and a mug of hot coffee travelled into Eorwyn's hand.

"Eat, little bird, you need to regain your strength," Ada said with a wink.

Eorwyn gave her a feigned reproachful look, and Ada snorted.

"Oh you can't imagine how hard I have to bite my tongue not to ask a myriad of questions, little bird." Ada shook her head. "And trust me, it's not out of the reverence towards your… 'friend' that I'm not prying." Ada threw a pointed look towards the pathway that led to the Capital Grounds. "But I don't want to be insensitive and make you uncomfortable. No matter what Nis says I'm not that thick-skulled."

Eorwyn smiled with gratitude.

"Even if he weren't who he is, I'd still stay out of it," Ada announced and nodded haughtily.

Eorwyn quickly bit into a cake - just in case Ada's consideration didn't last. A familiar Guild Master walked by and gave her a respectful bow. She returned it.

"Oh I wish I could go with you. You are invited to the Grandstand, aren't you?" Ada asked chewing her pastry.

Eorwyn nodded and swallowed with difficulty. Just as she expected she didn't enjoy the flavour, but it wasn't the sickly sweetness that made her queasy.

"What do people usually do in the Grandstand?" she asked.

"Do? There's nothing to do. You just sit and watch. It's only different from any other seats in giving a better view of the arenas." Ada shrugged. "Usually you can only see two, maybe three, at a time. But from the Grandstand? You'll be able to see wrestlers, and archers, and even axe throwers! Oh I'm so envious!"

Ada was finishing her second cake and threw Eorwyn a surprised look. "Aren't you going to eat?"

"I'm full, thank you," Eorwyn said and wrapped two and a half cakes in her handkerchief. "I'll finish them later. Could we walk around a bit before I go to the Stand?"

"Of course!" Ada hastily stuffed the rest of her food into her mouth. "Come!" she muttered with her cheeks full and pulled Eorwyn by the sleeve.

To Ada's disappointment, the axe throwers contest hadn't started yet, so they went to the archery grounds. There, the preparations weren't finished yet either, but a few archers were already wandering the grounds, observing the targets and dummies being rolled out.

A small group of archers - and most likely, those more interested in the participants and not the craft - surrounded Prince Kili who was standing near a table with several bows and sets of arrows displayed on a rich velvet cloth.

"Oh it's Irakdashat Batshur," Ada exhaled and grabbed Eorwyn's upper arm painfully. "You're a High Emissary, you're more than deserving a small chat with a prince! Let's go!"

"No, Ada, we can't!" Eorwyn exclaimed and twitched in the girl's grasp.

"Oh c'mon, little bird, you're as much as his family now! Surely–"

"Ada, I've just explained to you that no one is supposed to know!" Eorwyn hissed. "No one, you understand!"

"Aye, aye, I know, but you're still of the high standing! You're invited to the Grandstand, for Mahal's sake. C'mon!"

Ada started marching towards the group, as much as dragging Eorwyn after her.

"Ada, Ada, we can't–"

They were too close now so she couldn't raise her voice, but she continued to resist. Finally she managed to twist out of the Dwarf maiden's grip... when Prince Kili's jolly voice made her dig her heels into the sand of the grounds.

"Master Eorwyn!"

She slowly turned around pulling up a polite smile.

"Irakdashat Batshur," she greeted him.

She always found his title - 'Silver Nephew' - quite appropriate. It meant that he was a younger son in the royal bloodline, but in her mind it went well with his brother being Irakdashat Biriz - 'Golden Nephew' - for the colouring of the older prince's hair and his smile as bright and warm as sunshine.

"What a pleasure to see you!" He stretched his hand to her, and she had no choice but to place hers onto his wide scorching palm. "Come, have a look at these! They are by Master Hervór. She's the most renowned arrowmaster of Erebor and the Blue Mountains."

Eorwyn stepped closer, painfully aware of the contact of their hands that he hadn't relinquished.

"This is Ada, daughter of Dagur, my friend," she introduced Ada who was near them in an instant.

"Pleasure to meet you, Mistress Ada." The prince smiled even wider. Ada blushed.

Eorwyn wondered if it were appropriate to pull out her left hand out of his right one. He was now talking about the weapons on display and gesturing around them with his free hand. Ada, who as Eorwyn knew had neither talent nor passion for archery, feigned the most ardent interest.

"And this one! This one is a marvel!" The Prince picked up a bow and lifted it to Eorwyn's eyes. "Look at this shelf! It's like a curve of the most graceful hip!"

Ada giggled together with several others. A few Dwarves leaned closer to look. A young Dwarf in an apprentice apron gave them all a proud look. Eorwyn assumed it was Master Hervór's understudy.

"Would you like to give it a try?" the Prince asked Eorwyn, and she shook her head.

"I'd rather–" she started, but he interrupted her.

"You should! It's about your size! And it's light! You should be able to manage!"

"I'm afraid–" she tried to politely refuse again, panic rising.

At this stage, to her anxious senses, his skin was as much as burning her. He'd also moved closer to her now. There was nothing threatening or in any way unpleasant about his manner, but Eorwyn felt her body starting to tremble. She could almost feel - or imagined that she could - the heat of his body brush at her skin, and she could catch the fragrant aroma of oils and pipeweed that radiated from him. None of it was disagreeable and shouldn't repel her - but some sort of unease flooded her.

"Take it!" he said with a laugh. "It won't bite!"

Her right hand rose as if against her will, and the grip lay in her palm. She awkwardly closed her disobedient fingers around it.

"I shoot with my left," she said. Her voice was raspy.

"Pardon?" he asked distractedly. He was choosing an arrow for her now. Her left hand was still his prisoner.

"I shoot– My right hand is wounded. I had to learn to switch sides," she said.

He looked up at her, and finally she saw in his eyes he understood. He let her off her fingers and looked down at her hands. She fought the desire to hide them - and the white jagged scars covering her skin - behind her back.

"I'm not at all good," she whispered.

"Oh, I wasn't aware," he muttered.

Eorwyn felt her ears and cheeks flame up. She could feel the curiosity in the gaze of the Dwarves around them.

"Perhaps, some other time then?" he said awkwardly and stretched his hand to her to take the bow back.

From the corner of her eye she caught a movement: one of the Dwarven maiden near her leaned to her friend's ear, probably to make a comment on the interaction. Breath caught in Eorwyn's throat.

"Aye, perhaps, some other day," Ada cut in. "We really should be going. Master Eorwyn is expected–"

"Perhaps, you should teach me," Eorwyn blurted out, louder than necessary - to seize control of the situation.

She was the betrothed of the King Under the Mountain, given an unrevealed one. She needed to preserve decorum!

"I have sustained injuries in my hands, the right one is affected more. I'm training with my left these days. I've heard many praises to your skill and talent, Kili uzbad-dashat." She internally praised herself on remembering his official title. "I'd be endlessly grateful for a demonstration and a few tips."

Tension left the Prince's features, and he smiled.

"With pleasure!"

He picked up an arrow from the table, moved the bow into his right, and started walking towards the targets. Eorwyn followed, Ada walking after her.

"I can't wait!" someone said Eorwyn's back, but she wasn't listening. She kept walking, breathing slowly, hoping no one noticed how unnerving this exchange had been for her.

She reminded herself she might as well enjoy the anonymity and the lack of public interest towards her for the time being. There were much more taxing and demanding conversations ahead of her - and she would have to do better.