The next morning...
Inneg had fallen asleep with a full stomach and a happy grin on her face.
When she woke up the next morning, even if she still couldn't recall anything from before she woke up among the short kind men, she found that the memories of the past days were clearer in her mind.
The fog wrapped around her thoughts was slowly thinning out, at last!
Inneg got up from the bed, the nightgown she had found under her pillow was a little short, but she didn't mind, and started studying the objects in the room with renovate interest, opening the wardrobes and chests along the walls, looking at herself in the mirror, and sniffing some of the bottle Dìs has used the night before that had been left on the drawer.
Thinking about the princess, Inneg remembered she had said someone was going to come for her in the morning. But what time it was? Was it still early in the morning, or was it later in the day?
It was difficult to know which time it was, without any window to look at the sun outside, Inneg considered, and with this, she realised she hadn't been able to salute the Morning Star that morning.
Actually the girl had no idea why her mind was so wrapped around the idea of the Morning Star, however, she sensed it was important for her, but she ignored the reason.
Maybe it was because she had saw it with the lightbringer?
The thought made her blush, and she tugged at the hem of her nightgown, that suddenly felt too short.
While Inneg was busy pushing away the sensation of strong arms wrapped around her, and the soft warmth of a hand carefully caressing her back and a voice whispering reassuring words in her hair, the door of her room cracked open, and a small, raven head peered inside. "Oh!" said Rena with a smile. "You are awake! Good morning to you!"
Inneg recognised at once the maid from the previous night, and she opened her mouth to say 'good morning', but the air got strangled in her throat, and she started coughing badly instead.
Damn, why did she seem so used to talk, and yet she couldn't make a sound?
"Ha! Don't you worry, child." Rena entered the room, holding a parcel in a hand, and a jug full of water in the other. "Do not talk if you end up coughing that way!"
The Dwarrowdam marched in the room, putting the parcel on the bed, and without stopping to chat. "You'll be back to yourself in no time! You already seem more awaken than yesterday! Ah, by the way, you made a great impression with that dress, you should have seen yourself!"
Rena went taking a small basin in a chest in the room, and poured the water of the jug into it. "I was in the back of the Hall with my husband, we don't like much the crowd, you know, but Mahal, even from there, you were really standing out!"
Without losing time, Rena gestured Inneg towards the basin. "Come here now, lass! We'll wash you! Ah well, you can wash by yourself now! Good, yesterday you were so confused I had to scrub you like a Dwarfling!"
Inneg had just splashed some water onto her face, that Rena was already drying her with a cloth. "Move, come here now, I'll dress you first and I'll do your hair next!"
Afraid that the maid might take it off herself, Inneg slipped of her nightdress, and before she realised what was happening, Rena had already unfolded the parcel, taking form it a lavender dress, with warm blue velvet and white silk details on the gown and the shoulders, and with gold embroidered on the front.
"You like it, don't you?" Rena smirked at the stupefied face of Inneg, as she look at the fancy dress the maid had brought for her. "Ah, it is a little fancy made, but don't you worry, all the Dwarrowdams in Erebor rarely wear anything less than this!" A moment later, Rena had dressed Inneg, and was now fussing around her, tightening threads, ribbons and laces, moving her fingers at the same speed of her tongue. "This is an old dress of a friend of mine, it is a little short for you but it should do for today! She used this when she was young, but after three children, she is at least four times your size! Now walk around, let me see if it fits you!"
Inneg walked around, and Rena rushed after her accommodating some invisible details Inneg would have never noticed - "Oh Mahal, what is this? Stand still... Good, much better!" - until the maid was finally looking satisfied at the result. "Here, see, that's your size lass! And the corset here, let me tighten it just a little bit... Let's show off this tiny waist of yours!"
And Rena tightened the corset on the front of the dress, bursting out laughing when Inneg gasped in surprise. "Now, you want to look pretty, right? Dwarves like thin waists, for as strange as it is, because Dwarrowdams so unlikely have such a nice waistline! Shoes are over there, you don't want to go around barefoot, right? Well now, sit here and stand still! Pass me the hairbrush, good girl..."
Surrendering to the determination of the Dwarrowdam to dress her, feeling more like a doll - but actually enjoying a little being pampered that way - Inneg obeyed and went sitting in front of the mirror. Rena started immediately to brush her long hair, taking out from her pockets hairpins of all sorts and dimension.
"Have you noticed how few blonde there are here at Erebor?" asked the maid, looking at Inneg from the mirror. Inneg shook her head, grimacing as the maid pulled fiercely her hair in two.
"No?" Rena giggled, if for Inneg ignorance or her pained expression, Inneg couldn't tell - that short woman was very kind, but how fiercely she was doing her hair!
"Well, there are very few blondes, I can tell you! Princess Dìs is one of them, and her son too, of course! Speaking of which," and here Rena winked at Inneg, lowering her voice. "Isn't prince Fìli very charming? You have quite caught his eyes, you know girl?"
Seeing Inneg lost face, who wasn't entirely sure what to say - not that she could say anything - Rena brushed it away with a laugh, and started twine her hair into two complicate braids.
"Oh dear, you truly have, trust me!" Said Rena, not paying attention to the gasps coming from the girl under her claws. "Everyone saw how he was looking at you! But it was really cute, my husband totally agrees with me - well, I dared him not to agree with me!"
Rena stressed her sentence with a severe nod, and, much to Inneg despair, started intertwining the two braids together, if possible with more fierceness than before.
"And you gave a good shake to those arrogant noblewomen who think they are better than anyone else! And in all of this you haven't uttered a word!"
Inneg wished she could voice her antipathy for complicate hairdos on that moment, but she was forced to silence.
"Anyway, I bet that you have someone waiting for you out there, pretty as you are!" Rena chirped, pinning the braids in a bun over Inneg's head. "I am sure everyone is looking for you out there! Your husband must be out of himself!"
Inneg lifted an eyebrow - as long as the maid pulling her hair right and left allowed her to. Husband? Did the short fierce woman knew she had a husband? She didn't remember any husband of sort.
"Well, what's that face?" Rena scolded her. Actually, Rena hadn't even taken into account the possibility that Inneg was single, because the girl was too pretty, and was so polite, that she had to be married to some King or noble!
"If you are truly single, which I don't believe by the way, think about our young prince!" continued Rena underrated, giving the final touch to Inneg's hair with a hair pin, and looking very satisfied with her work. "If prince Fìli keeps looking at you in that way, his eyes are going to fall from his skull!"
And by saying that, Rena bursted into laughing at her own joke, a wholehearted, contagious laugh that made Inneg snort, even if the girl was not sure what they were laughing about, and even if her scalp was moderately hurting and prickling.
"Don't laugh lass, or I will have to redo your hair from he start!" That made Inneg tun serious in less than a second.
Rena patted Inneg's head with fondness. "Now, princess Dìs had some work to do this morning, so you will come with me!"
The maid helped the girl standing, and taking her by the arm lead her to the door. "I have a few things to buy at the market, and we better be moving, or there will be nothing left for us!"
Inneg had been utterly astonished about how many words Rena could say per minute.
The evening before, the maid had been following quietly the princess directions, but now that they were alone, Rena was chatting, chirping and jumping from an argument to the other that, even if Inneg would have been able to talk, she wouldn't have time to speak a word.
"You must be quite surprise, you must think I talk a lot, right, Inneg?" had asked Rena as as they walked endless stairs and corridors, heading to the market. "Well, all Dwarves like to speak, and bargain, and gossip and tell tales and songs! Stay at Erebor for more than a week, and you will hear more words than you would do in all your life among Men! Besides," Rena turned to Inneg and winked. "I really like you, honestly. You are a good lass, it's written on your face! But Mahal, we are walking like slugs! We have to move!"
Inneg had sprinted after the maid. The girl wished she could have told Ren that she also liked her, even if the short fierce maid was drastically increasing the confusion in her head. However, Inneg had the feeling Rena could make confused pretty much every person around her, with the torrent of words and quick, harsh movements.
They walked fast, stepping from one alley into another, and if Inneg was surprised by how fast Rena could walk with her short legs, on the other hand the girl was more often distracted by the city around her.
Erebor was magnificent. The ceiling of the halls Inneg and Rena crossed were so high the you couldn't make but the glints of their golden decorations. High and imposing squared pillars, covered in gold and gems, melded with the rough rock, seemed to spring out from the flanks of the Lonely Mountain.
Marble stairs, leading to the different levels, were overlooking the halls that could have easily hosted the tallest building in Esgaroth.
And of course Dwarves and Dwarrowdams were busy going un and down, chatting, running, laughing, eating and drinking ale, despite it was early morning.
It was hard for Inneg to follow Rena among the crowd - moreover, Rena was also quite short for a Dwarf, as she was high at most four feet, and only thanks to her height Inneg was able to spot the maid among the bulky frames of the other Dwarves.
And the more they got into the bundle of rooms and chamber and alleys, the more not losing sight of the short maid was proving to be a more difficult task than what Inneg wad expected.
"Here, lass! move!" said Rena from time to time, turning and calling the girl who trudged behind her.
Rushing after Rena, fighting not to be left behind or to be distracted by the beauty of the city around her, Inneg was also asking herself what Rena expected her to do.
She guessed that food and supplies were involved, since they were heading to the market, and she would have gladly helped, but it was difficult to help someone with something when you didn't know what that something actually was, right?
Anyway, when Inneg was asking herself this very same question for the tenth time, Rena suddenly halted. "Well lass, we are almost to the market. Stay close to me, because it will be very crowded!"
Inneg had no time to even make a bewildered face, because Rena was already a few steps in front of her, and the girl could only sigh and run after the maid as fast as she could.
The area of the market was not signalled in any particular way, but it was easy to realised they had finally arrived by the sudden increase of density of Dwarves.
Rena had not joked about the throng in the market. If Inneg had felt hard to follow the Dwarrowdam among rooms and stairs and hallways, it was now nearly impossible to stay together.
Dwarves were packed like sardines, shoving one another, shouting, calling and transporting bags and sacks of every shape and dimension.
Luckily Rena had taken Inneg by the arm, otherwise the girl would have been swamped away by one of the hound carts pushed by traders and clients.
"So lass, here is what we are going to do!" to make herself heard, Rena had to shout, and Inneg had to lower her head to the level of the short Drawdown. "Tonight Lord Balin is coming back from Moria! The King has ordered a great dinner to celebrate his return!"
Rena dodged two carts moving fast towards them, muttered what must have been a curse, and resumed her talking. "So, a big dinner we are going to have tonight! There will be tons of food, and good food, and the King has order wine from Esgaroth!" Rena clicked her tongue, already savouring the sweet taste of wine on her mouth. "The dining hall has been polished just the other day! And of course everyone will be elegant! Ah, you will see how much the Dwarrowdams can doll up!"
Rena chuckled seeing Inneg raised eyebrow. Doll up? "Yes, doll up lass! Did you really thought those few tresses and gold you saw last night were something a Dwarf would call 'elegant'? Ah, you will see!"
They passed stales of flour and bread, that made Inneg realise she hadn't had any breakfast yet. Sure it was nice to chat and she was happy to help Rena, but she wished she could do those activities with a full stomach!
Seemed line that Rena had read her mind, because the maid brought her a small pastry, before walk on. "Hush! Eat now, but we need to move! Or there will be nothing left for us!"
Inneg wanted to ask what was the 'something' they needed to buy, when Rena finally supplied for her the very same information.
"So, you see, it happens that Lord Balin is very fond of sweets! Sweets, can you believe it?! At his age, he should have more regards for his health, I'll tell you! But anyway" Rena shook her head. "And his favourite, van you guess? Strawberry cake! And so, for placing one of the heroes that won Erebor over Smaug, the dessert of tonight will be strawberry cake! Strawberry cake for everyone, it means at least four dozens of strawberry cakes will have to be made - yes, four dozens, you heard well!"
Rena dodged just in time a man transporting two huge goats on his shoulders, shouted at him something Inneg didn't understood again - but she guessed it was some sort of profanity, because the Dwarf turned to look at them with a grim face, before being swallowed by the crowd again.
"Balin is not the only one who likes sweets, you know?" Rena said as if nothing had happened. "And guess who makes the best strawberry cake of Erebor? Exactly lass, it's me!" Rena puffed out her chest proudly. "And you will help me for today! Ah, but we got to move, otherwise there will be no strawberries left for us!"
While that morning Inneg was being dressed and her hair were fiercely pulled into braids by Rena, in another part of Erebor, a strange conversation was taking place.
"A dame?"
"A dame, Fìli." Thorin repeated for the third time. "Chose one of your liking, and bring her to dine with us tonight."
The King Under the Mountain had called his eldest nephew into his study, and was finally putting into practice the plan he had outlined to his sister the night before.
"A dame?" asked again Fìli.
"I am sure you will find one of your liking here in Erebor." Thorin was trying to be complaisant and cheerful, but that conversation was so out of character for him that it was hard even to force a smile.
"Well, anyway, it is just a suggestion." the King looked up at his nephew, and Fìli felt that it was all but a suggestion. "Consider it an occasion to evaluate the possibility of..." Thorin cleared his throat - believe it or not, he was more unease than Fìli. "Of getting more acquainted with a lady."
Fìli raised an eyebrow. "A dame, have you said?" "A dame."
The prince nodded. He wanted to ask a few question more - a dame, had his uncle said? - but he found his throat too dry to talk.
"That would be all?" He managed to ask. "That would be all."
Fìli left his uncle's study as fast as he could. His head felt light and he was slightly panting, as if he had been holding his breath for the whole conversation. Which was probably not far form the truth.
On his side, Thorin thought it had gone fairly well, and, sure of the success of his plan, he went back attending some other urgent matters - that day, he had to reorganise the provisions of swords and axes for the Dwarves that were supposed to come form the Blue Mountains. It was unthinkable to leave Erebor without a permanent, well trained army, after all!
But if the King thought nor more about the conversation with the young prince, Fìli had nothing else in his mind. He had collected his brother and now the two Dwarves were walking hastily in an alley of the market, among the stales of groceries just arrived to Erebor, conversing with a deep frown.
Fìli and Kìli were so busy discussing among them, that they were paying little to no attention to the gathering of elegantly dressed dames that was lingering a few steps behind them, throwing languid glances in their direction. Or maybe the two Dwarves had noticed them, but those languid glances were precisely the reason why the dames were being so insistently ignored.
"Did uncle said 'a lady'?" asked Kìli for the fourth time.
"Yes." huffed Fìli. "Seems like I can't bring a goblin to dinner."
"You could have brought me!"
"I would go for the goblin." Fìli snorted.
Kìli jabbed him. "Hey, why don't you bring mom? Mom is a dame."
"Kìli, you really are the bright one in the line of Durin!" Fìli shook his head. "No. I think uncle didn't mean that. And I thought you were supposed to be with mom!"
"Agh!" Kìli grimaced. "Can I have your goblin, then?"
The two passed a cart with a jump, and kept moving in the crowd. Fìli was absorbed in his thoughts. He knew his uncle wanted to secure the descendants of the line of Durin, and that meant that him, Fìli, the future King, had to contract a good marriage, that would make the people their people happy and proud. And the only way to make the Dwarves of Erebor happy and proud was to marry a Dwarrowdam of Erebor, that was for sure. It was only then that the Kingdom Under the Mountain would have felt a true Kingdom of Dwarves.
But even if Fìli was taking very seriously his lineage and duties, he hadn't marriage in his mind, for now. Sure, there were nice ladies he might want to know better, that were awakening his interest and admiration, however he wasn't struck on by any of them.
"Weren't we supposed to have breakfast?" whined Kìli. "It's an hour we are wandering around!"
"Yes, I know." Fìli glanced back at the Dwarrowdam following them. "I was hoping we could get rid of those! Do you remember what happened last time?"
Next to him, his brother grimaced. "They came sitting with us, blabbed nonsense for two hours, and it took us the whole day to get rid of them."
"I was about to say they forbade us to drink ale since it was breakfast, but yeah, that was a pretty accurate summary." Fìli let out a small smile. "But don't be so severe. Some of them were babbling nonsense, but others were able to sustain a decent conversation."
"That's because the ones who were able to speak sensibly have talked only with you." huffed Kìli. "I had to hear giggles for two hours straight, that's what you get to be the second-born! I better take mom to dinner, then!"
Kìli was annoyed, but he perfectly knew it was not Fìli's fault if all the wealthy Dwarrowdams in Erebor had decided he ought to marry one of them. And since more dames where going to come in the next months and years, the competition was high and rough, and each lady was doubling her effort to be noticed by the prince.
Personally, Kìli felt relieved that he had not to undergo the same torture, and at the same time he felt angry and extremely annoyed, because who those ladies thinking they were, to pretend that his brother had to marry them?
"Anyway, uncle only suggested you to take one to dinner. You can always say you found none of your liking."
"You know how are uncle's suggestion." Fìli features clouded. "Some ladies that come to talk to me are pleasing and nice, well-bred surely, but still, I don't fell like..." Fìli's voice died in his throat, as his eyes met a vision that brightened his feature, driving away the clouds that had darkened it a moment before.
"Hey, why did you stop?" Kìli followed his brother's gaze, and snickered. "Oh, I see now.".
Inneg's golden hair were standing out among the brown and raven manes and beards of the inhabitants of Erebor. Even in the crowds of Dwarves flooding around the market, they had a light of her own.
She was a few steps away from them, and seemed caught into something that was happening in front of her. As Fìli and Kìli approached - Fìli's foot had automatically taken Inneg's way - they saw Rena, engaged in an heated discussion with the owner of the stale.
Kìli heard the words 'strawberry', 'pie' and 'tonight', and that was enough for his mood to light up - it must not be thought here that Kìli was superficial, but he was cheerful, and carefree, and naturally looked at the bright side on every situation.
However, before fully shifting his attention from the Dwarrowdams still behind them to the potential strawberry pie of that night, he whispered in his brother's ear. "Why don't you ask Inneg to be your dame tonight? If uncle hasn't explicitly said 'dwarrowdam', you are on business!"
Fìli grinned back. "Aye brother. I should do that!" Maybe Kìli was really the bright one of the line of Durin?
They arrived in front of the stale when Rena was just about to finish her bargain.
"Well then, you'll bring these at the Royal wing after lunch! Twelve pounds, not a once less!"
The Dwarf at the stale nodded and started barking some orders to a short, young Dwarf with a small brownish beard entangled in hundreds of tiny tresses that was staring up at Inneg mouth wide open - and Inneg was staring back, but just because the hundreds of tiny braids in the Dwarf's beard had caught her total attention.
"Well, good morning to you, ladies!" Fìli and Kìli both said and bowed, in perfect unison.
Rena, so caught into the business of strawberries, hadn't seen them coming, and was startled by the arrival of the two brothers. "Ehm, good morning to you!" She managed to say, gesturing the owner of the stall to stop bowing so ceremoniously and to hasten showing her the strawberries he had instead.
"How are you faring?" Asked Fìli - and that 'you' might meant only Inneg, for he was looking at her, slowly taking in every detail of her figure. Oh well, if that tiny waist wasn't tempting...
Inneg waved. Ah, it was the lightbringer and the other short gentle man that was always with him! She was doing fine, she was very happy to be with the short fierce woman, even if she had to say she felt a little shaken by the crowd around.
As usual, a nod of her head, and smile had to do the job of conveying all the things Inneg wanted to say, but it was enough for Fìli.
"How do you like the market?" Asked the prince, taking advantage of the fact that Kìli was now looking over the basket of strawberries Rena was examining, so distracting the maid.
Inneg pointed to the strawberry with a smile. They were going to bake cakes. A lot, as far as she could tell. She had no idea how to bake, but she would be very much obliged if she could be of any help!
"Strawberry cakes! One of my favourites indeed!" Replied the blond Dwarf, although his eyes never left Inneg - who was busy giggling as Kìli had just shoved a strawberry in his mouth, and was not pretending with a full mouth that said strawberry had never existed.
"Are you going to bake strawberry cake as well?" Inneg nodded quite solemnly. Yes she was!
"And you know how to bake?"
But before Inneg could shake her head, Rena scolding voice distracted them both. "Well, I don't care if you didn't have breakfast yet, just do not pick fruits meat for the cakes, young prince!" Knowing all too well that there was little she could do to stop Kìli from staling the raw material for her cakes, Rena surrendered. "Anyway, prince Fìli, prince Kìli, what brings you to the market?"
The two brothers exchanged a glance. Then they looked at the Dwarrowdams, expectantly pretending they were not listening at them. They exchanged one last glance, and grinned mischievously.
"We have... a mission." Started Fìli, winking at Inneg and not bothering the hard stare of Rena - she was actually a very old fashioned Dwarrowdam when it came to the intercourses between young ladies and young bachelors, and personally considered winking at young ladies highly inappropriate.
Of course Rena had been joking when she was hoping that Inneg could consider Fìli as a suitor, had the girl to be still unmarried! How did the prince dare to come around and disturb the young lady in such ungentlemanly manner?
"A quest!" echoed Kìli, swallowing the strawberry and winking at Rena, earning a very disdained glare - although with his cheeky grin and happy demeanour, Kìli was practically able to do as he pleased with anyone in Erebor, excluded his mother. We have to add that Kìli was exploiting this being-above-the-law state of his only in emergencies, namely covering him and his brother when they got into troubles, or when food and ale were involved.
"A hard and important quest, and only you can help us!" pleaded Fìli, seizing a bright red apple from one of the basket of the stall, and tossing a coin to the Dwarf that had stopped his activity of piling cases of strawberry to looked again amazed at the two princes.
It's not like the hereditary princes of Erebor where unknown in the market, but it was always striking to see them wandering around like they were two normal Dwarves was always striking, with their huge grins, and poses, and train of Dwarrowdams. You couldn't get used to it easily!
Rena puffed out her chest, trying to make herself taller than she actually was. "And what would this quest be? We have errands to run, Miss Inneg and I."
"Oh, we will steal just a minute from you!" Reassured Kìli, picking up an apple for himself.
"We need your help," started Fìli, and with 'your' he might again just refer to Inneg, "because King Thorin in person, has asked me to chose a young dame here in Erebor, to sit next to me at dinner tonight."
Now it is only just to underline the fact that, even if he was the most wanted bachelor in Erebor - and among all the Dwarves outside Erebor, and among his
sweethearts there were even daughters of the Men - Fìli was not as nearly a philanderer as he could have been.
He was content with all the attentions he was getting from the gentler sex - honestly, who wouldn't have, being rich and young and handsome and a hero as he was? - but he had never really cared much about females, nor what they might offer him, or want from him.
Actually, that morning was the first time Thorin had spoken him clearly about 'getting more acquainted with a lady', and it was why it that conversation had left Fìli so upset and disoriented.
This business of getting attentions from ladies was going to become very nasty and unpleasant.
'Not yet.'
No, it was very far away the day when he had to think about the line of Durin - although the girl with the golden hair was intriguing him up to the point that all those responsible and sensible considerations about securing the Kingdom Under the Mountain evaporated from his mind in the blink of an eye.
Rena raised an eyebrow, sensing trouble coming with the speed of a hungry troll. Because where there was a pretty young lady and a bachelor, there could be only troubles!
During the two brother's speech, Inneg had stood still and calm, with a gentle smile on her face. Oh yes, so the lightbringer had to chose a dame to bring to dinner that night? Yes, that was an important task, Inneg agreed, however she was sure it was not going to be hard for him to find the dame he was looking for. The small crowd of elegantly dressed short women with many gems in their hairdo and beards looked much more apt to help him in his quest, so why was he looking for her and the short fierce woman?
On her side, Rena had sputtered a few apologies and encouragements for their 'quest', but in truth she was glancing preoccupied at the crowd of nobles just behind them.
And Rena had very good reasons to be preoccupied.
In the right moment the Dwarrowdam had spot Inneg, and when they saw Fìli and Kìli rushing over them, bowing and talking with such a confidence, they had not-so- discreetly moved next to the stall, and were now blatantly staring.
The prince was still smiling at that young mute woman in that way! Ah, how outraging was she! And how come that that dress was fitting her so good? How could she had such a tiny waist?
Her eyes were darting from Fìli and Kìli to Inneg, waiting with bated breath about what the prince was going to do.
"And how you think we can help you?" Rena put a hand on her hip. "As I told you, we-" "Ah Rena, don't you worry. I just need Inneg's assistance while I do my choice!" Fìli turned to Inneg and smiled at her, showing the bright red apple he had just bought to her. "May I have your help for this task, Inneg?"
Rena sweat dropped. The owner on the stall and the young Dwarf next to him, had their mouth slightly open, not knowing what to say, or if it was maybe more convenient for them to say anything at all.
Inneg returned the prince's smile and nodded. Yes, sure she was happy to help the lightbringer. She looked again at the gathering of elegantly dressed short women - why they were looking at her in that way? - guessing that maybe she had to pick one from them, or maybe the lightbringer wanted her to close her eyes and just point at a random dame?
But, much to Inneg surprise, Fìli leaned over her instead, "Look." he whispered, with a mischievous grin plastered on his face.
Kìli bit his lips, stiffening a laugh. 'The show is about to begin'.
Fìli raised the bright red apple in the air. Then he screamed, facing the crowd of Dwarrowdams, "Whoever will catch this apple will be my dame for the dinner of tonight!"
Inneg snorted, as the group of the Dwarrowdams wiggled and whispered, everyone looking warily at the apple and at each others, ready to push their way to the red, shining apple Fìli was invitingly showing them.
Inneg's sight was caught by one dame in particular, standing a little apart from the others, that was already lofting her heavy gown. The yellowish topazes doting her corset were clashing with the cherry colour of her long hair and beard - a colour that seemed very little natural to Inneg, and probably in fact it was not natural at all, since the girl noticed that the eyebrows of the dame were not cherry red, but pitch black.
Then Inneg turned amused at Fìli, looking as the prince measured theatrically the space of the market, as if searching for a good spot where to throw the bone of contention.
Rena muttered a small protest about wasting food that way, and the young Dwarf with the hundred braids in his beard looked enthralled at the young blond prince. Somewhere in the back, Kìli was munching his own apple. 'Come on brother!'
We have already said that Fìli liked to be the centre of attentions, and that we must be indulgent with him, first of all because he didn't enjoy attentions even half as
much as he could have, second because such characteristic is distinctive of males in general, be it Dwarf or not.
Aware in particular of the gaze of a certain girl with the golden hair, Fìli stretched back his arm and arched his back, ready to launch the apple.
The crowd of Dwarrowdams quivered as a sole body, ready to sprint and catch it. Fìli grimaced with glinting eyes, and he threw the apple.
Inneg saw amused the crowd of Dwarrowdams disperse in a confusion of gowns and jewels, pulling each other's dresses and hair. The one with the cherry hair and beard in particular looked more fierce than the others, as she shoved indistinctly love rivals, sellers and buyers out of her way. Inneg bursted out laughing, and her laugh sounded like a bell, candid and pure, and filled Fìli's chest with pride.
Next to them, Rena wanted to tell off the prince and Inneg, oh so much! Making such noble women run around like that, in such a foolish race after an apple, was rude and discourteous indeed! But the scene was in fact so humorous, that even the maid had to stiffen a snort. And she didn't really liked all those Dwarrowdams that were always at the princes heels, after all. Next time they better find a more useful occupation, instead of lingering around!
Inneg's smile was as bright as ever. She couldn't believe all that fuss was made for a place next to the blonde prince. Did the Dwarrowdams knew they were embarrassing themselves in front of the whole market?
Inneg snickered again and turned to Fìli, to thank him for the entertainment he had just gave her, but her mouth fell open as she saw him holding the bright red apple right in front of her eyes, offering it to her with a small bow.
"Do you wish to sit next to me tonight, Morningstar?" asked Fìli with a smug face that made Inneg's cheeks colour of the same bright shade of the apple pending in front of her. That, the prince thought, made her even more beautiful.
From next to them came the voice of Kìli, that had almost finished munching. "Sh- ay ye-sh Inne-gh!" laughed the Dwarf, making Inneg blush even more.
The green and blue eyes of the girl met the crystal ones of the prince. Inneg studied him closely, captivated by the warmth of his smile, and something deep inside her quivered and started pounding very fast - it was her heart, she believed. Hypnotised, she took slowly the apple by his hand, and oh, if the small contact with his skin made her thoughts rush back to the previous morning, when she had almost fallen from the roof and he had caught her in his arms!
And hand't he just called her Morningstar?
Too proud with himself to contain his satisfaction any further, Fìli's smile grew, if possible, wider. "It will be a pleasure to have you by my side tonight!"
Rena damned youngsters in her head. Hadn't those two seen that all the Dwarves around where staring at them? No, Fìli and Inneg were lost in their little world, and they wouldn't even realised if a dragon had stepped into the market asking for broccoli and tomatoes!
And asking a young lady with an apple? Sure the princes needed a full course about good manners and propriety!
Some of the Dwarrowdams had found the trick of the prince and were back on their stationing, some grumbling but forcing themselves to smile, some others giggling idiotically, or murmuring among themselves between gritted teeth.
But all of them, with no exception, gasped and glared angrily at the girl with the bright red apple in her hand. Had prince Fìli truly offered it to her? Mahal, how did she dared to accept his offer? Who did she think she was, to humiliate them like that?
Ignoring the Dwarrowdams furious stares, Fìli's eyes flickered with satisfaction seeing Inneg blushing even more - he was starting to feel a little too hot, by the way. Might it be cause he and Inneg were now a few inches one from he other?
He was about to say something else - really he had no idea of what, when from behind Inneg, Rena suddenly went back to her senses, facepalmed, and sprinted to take Inneg by the hand, yanking her away by the prince and restoring the appropriate personal distance in between them.
"Prince Fìli, you will excuse us now..." muttered the maid, half angry for the prince slightly improper behaviour, half amused for the prank, in any case very flustered and fidgety, and having no intention of letting the show go on and losing any more time. Those pies were not going to bake by themselves!
Fìli averted his gaze from Inneg's beautiful eyes, and bowed profusely to the maid, who found herself instantaneously getting even more red than Inneg was. "Ah Rena! Pardon me, I was just admiring the beautiful dame I will have next to me at dinner tonight!"
"Well done brother!" Kìli patted his brother on the shoulder. "But now we have to go!"
"Yes, good, Inneg says thanks, right lass? Ah, goodbye to you, I am sure your uncle needs you!" Rena bowed, hoping that would be enough to dismiss the two brothers, elbowing Inneg so she might do her courtesy as well. "Surely you have more important duties to attend than-" "Actually, now we have to fled those, somehow!" Kìli interrupted with a small sneered, eyeing the gathering of Dwarrowdams that was getting bigger again. "We'll see you!"
And by saying so, the two brothers bowed profusely once more, before turning a running away in the market. "Don't forget the dinner!" "And bake good cakes!"
As they had appeared, Fìli and Kìli were gone. And luckily for Inneg and Rena, after a moment of hesitation, the Dwarrowdams followed them, fending the crowd like a flock of colourful birds - birds that were looking at Inneg as if she was a bug of some sort, and Inneg got the precise sensation of having just made some enemies.
Oh well, it wasn't her business! The lightbringer had just played such a nice, entertaining number for her! She didn't care to be friend with those not-so-nice- looking, well dressed short women! Especially the one with the cherry hair and beard, that had looked at her with so much hatred, Inneg couldn't really understand.
Rena sighed, gathering her bags again. "Oh Mahal! Thank the gods there is King Thorin looking after them!"
She shook her head, then turned her gaze to Inneg, who was still blushing heavily, holding the apple in her hands. "And you lass! Look at you, all red! That's true, you have won a snack - and I am talking about the apple, of course! Move on, we have many other things to do before lunch!"
And without waiting for her, the maid waved goodbye to the seller of the stalls, scoffed the young Dwarf with the hundred braids in his beard, that was still staring at the point where the princes had disappeared, and then marched in the crowd, well decided not to lose a moment more.
Inneg waved goodbye as well and rushed behind the maid, giving a small bite at the apple, curious about the strawberry pies they were going to make that afternoon.
The girl with the golden hair couldn't see it, but despite her scolding glares and her slightly harsh words, Rena had a smug face that could met prince's Fìli.
'Ah! Being young!'