Bilba was beginning to wish she'd put a little more thought into her decision to sneak out. Rosie was always complaining about Bilba somehow managing to be naive and impulsive all at once. Bilba had always denied it, but was starting to privately concede the other girl might have a teeny weeny, slight point.
For one thing, her decision to go out at night, by herself probably hadn't been the best choice ever. This late, it was mostly the nightclub or bar scene and while most people who were out were simply happy and enjoying themselves, there were also those who had clearly been having too much of a good time. A handful of bars had people loitering around the doorways, a few of whom tried to entice her to go inside.
Bilba had no intention of doing any such thing. She rarely drank as it was, and she certainly wasn't going to do it alone in a bar. At home, she'd gone to a club a few times but only with Bofur and Rosie in tow. Nothing had ever happened, but that didn't mean nothing ever would and she'd rather be safe than sorry.
So, that meant no bars or nightclubs. She thought about going to see where the university or dance studio was, or even the bakery Bofur's brother owned, but there wouldn't be much point with them all closed. Also, when she'd asked someone for directions they'd pointed down a darkened, isolated street leading out from the city center and, yeah, she might be naive but she wasn't stupid. Usually.
This left her with few options, especially with the small amount of money she'd brought. She could go into a grocery store, boring, or sit in a coffee shop and watch the world pass by, unappealing given how long she'd done just that in her room in the palace, or she could find her way back to said room and...do some more sitting, she guessed.
At least if she went that route she'd have no trouble finding it. The palace, and the cliff upon which it sat, was visible no matter where she was. Hooray for small victories and all that.
She was just deciding to turn around and head back, only a little disheartened that her outing hadn't been as grand as she'd hoped, when she rounded a corner and stopped short at the sight of a large complex with an equally big parking lot about half filled with cars. The front of the building had a large marquee framed in bright, flashing lights, and titles while, below, a short line of people snaked out from a window where a young woman in a blue uniform sat next to a cash register.
A movie theater, and one that was clearly still open and didn't appear to be preparing to close in the next five minutes.
Bilba clasped her hands together and resisted the urge to jump up and down with glee. She loved movies. Loved, loved, loved, loved them. And, not only that, but there had been a new disaster movie coming out that she'd been planning for months to see with Rosie but hadn't been able to because her grandfather was an asshole and forced her to marry a stranger and then proceeded to ship her off to Erebor where, on a sidenote, it was freaking freezing.
Seriously, in Shire the weather was temperate with it dropping off a little in the evenings and staying fairly consistent throughout the night.
Erebor, she was quickly finding, was nothing like Shire. It was already cool thanks to the nearness of the ocean but she'd dressed in a long-sleeved shirt and jeans and, after stepping out and finding it chilly but not cold, had assumed she was okay.
Wrong.
It just kept getting colder. She'd left her coat back in her room, worrying it'd jog someone's memory as she'd worn it several times when appearing on the news, but now regretted not risking it. She wasn't going to freeze to death or anything, but it was certainly uncomfortable and if she was going to suffer for having snuck out then she darn well should have something to show for it.
Like getting to see a movie she'd really, really, really been looking forward to seeing.
She checked the street and then crossed quickly, hopping up lightly onto the sidewalk and cutting through the parking lot. Once she made it to the line she studied the marquee and was excited to see the movie she wanted had a showing starting in fifteen minutes. It was a small thing overall but, finally, something was going her way.
She got her ticket, grateful Bofur and Rosie had been thoughtful enough to give her Erebor money and not Shire coin, and was startled when the cashier asked her what seat she wanted.
"It's playing in our newest theater," the woman explained. "The screen is huge and it's in really high definition. You get to pick a specific seat instead of just finding one after you go in."
"Oh," Bilba considered with a frown. "I've never been in one like that. What would you recommend?"
The woman indicated a seat in the center of the theater, and Bilba purchased a ticket, only flinching a little at the price. The woman assured her it'd be worth it and Bilba nodded. She really wanted to see the movie and it wasn't like she was going to be coming every single day or anything.
She headed in, almost groaning in relief at the rush of warm air that wrapped around her as she passed through the double glass doors. It was beautiful inside, the room laid out like what she'd expect from a high-end theater that did plays or operas or something. The lobby was cavernous and carpeted in a plush burgundy carpet. The walls were split into sections by large, decorative pillars with each section painted to showcase an iconic movie, actor or actress. On her left was a tiled area with tables where someone could wait for friends or for a later movie showing while, on her right, were the bathrooms.
Directly in front of her were the classic long, glass cases filled with all manner of candy and other snack options. A bright board overhead had a changing, digital display of various combos one could get and Bilba felt herself drawn forward at the sight of a hotdog and nacho combination.
Movies were simply not the same without nachos and hotdogs.
She got in the nearest line and bounced up and down lightly on her heels as she waited for it to move.
"Excited, are you?" a voice asked next to her.
Bilba turned her head and saw a spindly man in the line next to hers. He was short, though still taller than her, with thinning hair and a strange elongated face with almost unnaturally huge eyes.
Something about him, perhaps the way he was staring at her or the bulky trench coat he was wearing, creeped her out. "Yeah," she said quickly and then focused forward again, trying to stay still.
"What movie are you going to see?" the man asked, not getting the hint. He shuffled closer to her and she tensed.
"One I've been waiting for," she said non-committedly. The last thing she wanted was for him to show up in her theater and harass her.
She got up to the counter and placed her order, resting her hands on the surface and absently tapping her fingers on the glass. The spindly man crowded up next to her, as if they were together, and Bilba felt her shoulders hunch up as she tensed further. Clearly, her luck was still as bad as it'd ever been. The previous burst of good luck had just been lulling her into a false sense of security.
The weight on her ring finger, that she'd nearly gotten used to and almost forgotten, caught her attention and she lifted her hand to show it off. "Sorry. I'm married."
The creep was not deterred, actually scooting closer, if possible, until he was nearly in physical contact with her. "Where is he?"
Canoodling with his ex-fiancée, Bilba thought in annoyance. The cashier brought over her food and the guy had the audacity to reach for one of her nachos. Bilba firmly grabbed the food and pulled it to one side, blocking it off with her purse as she reached in for her wallet.
"I've got it," the man said holding his credit card out, but Bilba shook her head.
"That's not necessary," she said firmly as she pulled a bill out.
"Well you don't have to be such a witch about it," the man said, turning angry at the flip of a switch. "I said I'd pay for it, and I will. Uppity sluts, all think they're better than me." The last was said under his breath but Bilba still caught it, and had a feeling that had been the intent. Setting her jaw, she held the bill out toward the cashier, desperately hoping the guy would just get the hint and leave her alone.
His hand reached out toward her wrist, as if he planned to grab her arm and physically pull her hand back. On the other side of the counter, the cashier was turning to say something to another worker and Bilba dearly hoped she was calling for security, and that it would arrive sooner rather than later.
A large presence was suddenly between her and the other man, physically forcing him to step back without laying a finger on him, and a hand she was pretty sure was larger than her head was closed around the guy's wrist like an iron manacle.
"She said no," a deep voice said calmly. "Now why don't you take the hint, go enjoy your movie, and let the lady enjoy hers?"
Bilba blinked as she found herself staring up at an absolute mountain of a man. He was even bigger than that security guy Thorin had been dragging around, or Thorin himself who she vaguely remembered as being pretty large all on his own.
Must be something in the water.
This guy looked to be about ten years or so older than her, with short cropped dark blond hair. He was built like a tank, his shoulders straining his shirt. She couldn't even see the spindly man on the other side, but he jerked his hand free like he'd been burned.
Bilba wasn't sure she didn't want to jerk back as well because the guy was certainly intimidating without even trying.
A sldender arm slid around her back and a female voice said, "Come on, dear. Why don't we go over here and let my darling husband do what he does best?"
The voice was very soothing and Bilba responded without thinking about it, paying quickly and then gathering up her food and allowing the arm to pull her away from the counter. It was only when she was several feet away that she thought to look at the owner of the voice.
The woman was taller than her, as most were, with an athletic build, coal black hair and icy blue eyes. She was gorgeous, on a level that would automatically make any woman near her feel frumpy in comparison, and dressed impeccably in jeans, a blouse and heels that showed off her legs in a way they'd never done for Bilba. The woman looked ageless but carried herself with a confidence and self-assurance that suggested she might be at least a little older than she looked.
Bilba hesitated, glancing back at the counter. The spindly man had vanished all together and the guy who'd helped her was speaking to the cashier.
"He'll be over in a minute," the woman said with a smile. "Gareth is convinced going to the movies without popcorn is a crime." She heaved a long-suffering sigh, and Bilba couldn't help a short laugh, relaxing just a bit. The woman grinned as if they were sharing a joke and held out a hand. "I'm Cerys."
"Bil - osie!" Bilba blurted, feeling a flush of fear as she almost gave away her name, coupled with shame at lying to someone who'd been so nice. "Rosie," she repeated. "Sorry, I was a bit discombobulated there for a second."
"Understandable," Cerys said. "It's late, and you had to deal with that idiot over there." She raised an eyebrow, and changed the subject. "What movie are you seeing?"
"Oh," Bilba fumbled her food in one hand as she retrieved her ticket. Cerys glanced at it and then said,
"Well, what do you know?" She pulled her own ticket out and said, "Ta-dah! So are we!"
Relief surged through Bilba at the thought she wouldn't have to be in the theater alone, even if the seat number on the woman's ticket wasn't close to hers. She'd been half afraid the creepy guy would be even more likely to follow her now that he was pissed off.
The big guy, Gareth, arrived holding a huge bucket of popcorn and a look of happiness on his face. Bilba started to thank him but he waved it off with a hand. "No need. My mother didn't raise me to require thanks for acting like a gentleman."
"She's seeing the same movie we are," Cerys said to him, sliding an arm affectionately around his waist. She turned back to Bilba. "Would you like to sit with us?"
"Oh." Bilba was surprised at just how much she already liked these two. She bit her lip, and gestured to her ticket. "I would, but the seats are numbered."
"That's no problem," Gareth said. "This late, the room will be half empty. There wouldn't be a problem finding three seats together." He gave Cerys a stern look before adding, "Only if you want, though. I know my wife can be a little...shall we say forceful when she comes up with an idea she likes." He dropped his free arm across her shoulders as he said this, and his voice took on a tone of outright pride.
Cerys rolled her eyes. "Says the man who once nearly burned the house down insisting he could rewire a faulty outlet all by himself." She changed her voice to a mocking impression of Gareth. "Hiring a repairman would be waste of time. I can do this in an hour!"
"Nearly burn the house down one time," Gareth muttered, "and you never live it down."
Bilba gave a half snort, half giggle, her spirits lifting. Then the reason they had been down in the first place reasserted itself and she leaned a little past them, still worried she'd see the creepy guy somewhere, glaring at her.
"Don't worry," Cerys said, gently touching her hand to get her attention. "We'll make sure no one bothers you, even if you don't sit with us."
Bilba relaxed and then smiled, suddenly shy. She really wasn't used to people taking much notice of her, or at least not for a prolonged period. Most lost interest pretty quickly and moved on.
"I would like to sit with you, if that's okay," she said, her voice nearly a whisper. In her mind, she could almost hear Rosie cheering her on. The other girl always insisted that at least a portion of Bilba's isolation was self-imposed, a result of her own insecurities and lack of self-esteem courtesy of her family. Bilba wasn't entirely sure she believed it but had taken the words to heart anyway and been trying to be a little more open to people approaching.
Just not creepy, aggressive jerks. She didn't think Rosie would complain about her decision to avoid those sorts of people.
"Great." Gareth handed off the popcorn to his wife. "You ladies go get seats, all right? I'll be right in."
He stepped away a few feet, pulling a cell phone from his pocket. Cerys threw an arm around Bilba again, steering her toward the theater rooms. "He has to call the babysitter and check in before the movie starts," she said in a conspiratorial whisper. "He's worse than I am."
They stopped at a low table on their way and Bilba loaded up on condiments for her hotdog while Cerys added salt and butter to her popcorn. Then they headed into the showroom where Bilba's steps slowed at the sight of the huge space, and tiered rows of what looked like plush armchairs set before a screen so big that the ads currently being displayed gave her an odd sense of disorientation as they walked in.
"First time here?" Cerys asked once she started walking again and Bilba nodded.
"Where I come from, theaters are much smaller."
"Pity," Cerys said. They'd rounded the front of the seats and, as they'd said, most of the room was empty. "Where is this place so I can avoid it in the future?"
"Shire," Bilba said absently, and then tensed, worried she might trigger them to recognize her or, possibly, simply start thinking of the whole alliance debacle. She really did like these people. The last thing she wanted was to hear them discuss how awful they thought the Princess of Shire was.
Cerys, however, simply nodded. "I've heard that place is pretty rural." She pointed toward the row where Bilba's seat was. "See? It's completely empty. We can sit there and if the seats get sold and people come in, we'll simply move."
She led the way up and happily settled into one of the seats. Bilba sat next to her and was surprised a few minutes later when Gareth dropped into the seat next to her instead of Cerys. He leaned over to report to his wife what the babysitter had said and then retrieved his popcorn, but not before Cerys grabbed a large handful and piled it on her lap as if she wasn't wearing high end, designer jeans.
The movie started soon after and Bilba shortly found herself having the one thing she hadn't expected to ever experience again after leaving Shire and her friends.
Fun.
The movie was just as amazing as she'd expected and, before she knew it, the credits were rolling. The handful of other people in the theater filed out but Cerys and Gareth seemed content to watch the end credits and listen to the music so Bilba settled in and did the same.
When the last credit rolled, they headed out, pausing to throw away their now empty food containers. As they headed into the lobby, Bilba felt a jolt at the sight of the lights over the concession turned out and the lights in the lobby itself dimmed.
"Ours was the last showing," Cerys explained, seeing her reaction. "The doors are already locked so you can go out but no one else can come in."
"Oh," Bilba glanced at the clock on her phone and her eyes widened at just how late it was. "Wow, I didn't even think of what time it would be when we got out."
"Where'd you park?" Cerys asked as they headed toward the exits. "We'll walk you to your car."
"Oh," Bilba repeated. "I - uh-" She hesitated and then blurted, "I took the bus." She desperately hoped a bus station was nearby, to make it believable.
She knew immediately she'd said the wrong thing as Cerys' eyes went wide. "Oh, sweetie, the last bus is long gone. They won't start running again for hours."
"No problem," Gareth said. "We can give you a ride."
"That's not necessary," Bilba said quickly. "I can just walk."
"It's the middle of the night," Cerys said, worried. "What kind of people would we be to let you walk alone through the city in the dark?"
She had a point. Chewing on her lower lip, an idea came to her. It made her slightly nauseous, and ashamed of herself, but there was little else she could do. Even if she could reveal her true identity without fear of them instantly hating her, there was simply no way she could allow them to follow her and see the way she'd gotten out of the palace. The crack in the rock led straight to the beach below her room, and that of Thorin Durin. She might not have an incredibly high opinion of the man but it didn't mean she wanted to see him hurt. Letting people find out about the passage, even nice people she liked, simply wasn't a good idea.
"All right," she said. "I need to go to the bathroom first, though. I'll be right back." She worried that Cerys would insist on going with her but, instead, the two agreed and promised to wait for her.
Bilba headed back to the large bathrooms she'd seen earlier before the movies started. They were set in kind of an alcove almost, the walls coming out in a half circle that one had to walk around. The signs pointing to the bathrooms was on the back wall but the doors to the rooms themselves were hidden behind the half wall.
Not entirely sure her plan would even work, Bilba pushed into the room, and breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of a window at the end of the aisle. She headed past the row of empty stalls and the black, granite sinks. She caught sight of her reflection in the mirror and flinched as a rush of guilt washed over her.
Cerys and Gareth would think she was crazy after this, and a jerk. They had been nothing but kind to her, and she was repaying them by ditching them like a weirdo and leaving them waiting on her.
Perhaps Rosie was right after all about part of her isolation being her own fault. Who needed her grandfather when she did it to herself?
The window was latched, but she was able to get it open and quickly pushed the window open. Unlike in her beloved RomComs, where a heroine escaping a bad date always had to fall out a tiny window onto the ground in an awkward, yet hilarious, tumble, the window was plenty large enough, and the drop short enough to allow her to get out fairly easily.
This did not speak well of the theater's security.
She carefully closed the window, feeling yet another surge of guilt at having no way to latch it behind her.
It had gotten colder while she'd been inside, and the parking lot was almost completely empty and dark, lit only by the occasional pool of light from light poles.
Bilba was not looking forward to the walk back to the palace. Clearly Rosie and Bofur were not far off when they claimed she tended to act impulsively. She made a mental note to work on that, but not right then.
Right then she needed all her mental acuity to focus on the important things in life.
Like picturing her bathroom with its hot water and her cushy bed with mounds of blankets that she could sink into like she was snuggled inside a cave made of clouds.
She loved her bed, and bathroom.
Gareth stood in calf deep, ice cold water, jaw clenched so tight he could feel a muscle spasming in protest. He'd waited a few minutes as ordered, and then said screw it to secrecy, flicked on his flashlight and trained it on a section of the cliff. It was liberally covered with vines, ivy, and other greenery, covering it so completely that only someone who knew it was there would ever see the gaps between the vines that suggested an opening past them.
A small portion of the vines had been nudged out of the way and then carefully moved back in place, the only hint it had happened a few broken stalks and areas where leaves had probably once hung, only to be torn off and washed out to the ocean.
A swell broke against his legs, rising up to near thigh high. The water bubbled past him a good several yards and he felt his heart jerk in his chest. If possible, he clenched his jaw even tighter, until it was very possible he might end up cracking a few teeth before the night was over.
Finally, he caught sight of movement from behind the vines and something inside him eased slightly as Cerys appeared, carefully sliding out from behind the vines and ivy. She was drenched almost head to foot and stumbled as she made it out, a swell catching her off guard just as she made it past the last of the ivy.
Gareth caught her around the waist. He lifted her clear off her feet and proceeded to march through the water until they'd reached the sand where he finally put her down again. She shook her head but didn't comment. She was breathing hard and looked exhausted, a testament to how strong the water inside the passage must have been. He made a mental note to check for injuries later. Cerys understood the importance of reporting serious injuries but tended to be stubbornly silently when it came to bruises and abrasions.
"Well?" he asked as she caught her breath.
She shook her head. "There's no way you'd ever make it. I barely made it past the twist at the halfway point."
"But it goes all the way through?" Gareth was not in a good mood. Part was residual fear, while the rest was annoyance over the fact that apparently there was an unguarded passageway leading to the Crown Prince's bedroom and somehow it had gone unnoticed.
"It does." Her eyes darkened. "It fills up when the tide comes in. I was knocked around getting through and back. She must have had it even worse."
"Are you sure she made it?" Gareth asked in concern. He wasn't exactly thrilled with the realization that the newest member of the Erebor royal family was apparently insanely reckless, but the thought of her being swept out to sea made him sick.
Cerys nodded. "I checked with the boss. She's in her quarters."
"That she is," a new voice said and both turned as the spymaster himself strolled toward them. He nodded toward the cliff. "That it?"
"It is," Cerys answered. "We should close it off."
"Not yet," came the casual response. "I still want to know what she was up to."
Cerys shrugged. "Perhaps she just wanted a night on the town."
The spymaster raised an eyebrow. "Without much money, and when most everything was already closed?"
Cerys pointed toward the vines. "She went through that with the tide coming in. She's reckless and doesn't think things through before she does them. I'm not surprised."
"Don't be so quick to judge, one way or the other." The spymaster looked amused. "We'll put a twenty-four-hour watch on the passage, on both sides. No one will come or go without our knowing it."
"And the Princess? " Gareth asked, because he knew Cerys wanted to but wouldn't. "At best, we'll need to find out what she's doing. At worst, her personality is going to require constant monitoring to make sure she doesn't get herself killed."
"Also true," the spymaster agreed. "I've been waiting to assign her team. I wanted to see the sort of person she was first." He gave them both an assessing look. "Now that I have, I'd think she'd need people who are mature enough to steer her on the right path, strong willed enough to insist on it, and capable of protecting her from herself."
Gareth had a sinking feeling at the look on the other man's face. Cerys, however, simply smiled and wrapped an arm around his waist. She was shivering and Gareth mentally kicked himself before pulling his jacket off and draping it around her.
"Oh, don't look like that," Cerys said, pulling the coat close around her. "Weren't you the one wishing for some action not too long ago?"
"Action, yes," Gareth said. "Keeping reckless Princesses from getting killed is another thing all together." Especially if the girl turned out to have ulterior motives. Cerys clearly liked her, and Gareth would hate to see her disappointed if the Shire Princess turned out to be something more than she appeared to be.
Shadows appeared in the moonlight, and the spymaster turned to meet them, waving at the two of them as he did. "Get home before you die of hypothermia. I'll let you know when your first shift is."
"I hope you realize we can't monitor her all the time," Gareth commented dryly. "She's going to need a bigger team." Most of the royal family had teams of teams of six that operated in eight-hour shifts.
"All in good time," came the response. "I'm starting with you two. We'll take care of the rest later." With that he was gone to meet their replacements, the two of them clearly dismissed.
Cerys wrapped both arms around him as best she could, and yawned. "Come on, let's go home. I'm sure the babysitter is waiting to regale us with stories of all the antics your little doppelganger has gotten up to."
Gareth snorted. "Please, she gets all that from you."
Cerys laughed and they started toward the boardwalk and where Cerys had left her shoes. He wasn't entirely thrilled at their new assignment but Cerys was right in that he'd been complaining of boredom lately.
His mind went back to the diminutive Princess and he shook his head in resignation. He had a feeling the last thing he'd be was bored when it came to trying to keep her safe.
Now, if only she could prove to be who she seemed to be, and nothing else.
Cerys wouldn't be the only one disappointed if it turned out otherwise.