Inneg and Rena had been at the market the whole morning, and they spent the afternoon in the kitchen.
They had baked the cakes for the evening, and, as promised, Inneg had assisted Rena, mixing, adding flour and sugar, washing plates and cutting strawberries.
However, Rena had been joking when she had said that Inneg was supposed to help her int he kitchen. In agreement with princess Dìs, Rena had supposed that Inneg was some Royal, or Noble-born from a foreign country, and having her staying in the kitchen with Rena was a mere excuse so that Inneg was not left roaming around by herself.
Therefore, Rena had been greatly surprise to see that Inneg seemed to know the basics of cooking - although she had looked bewildered when the maid had mounted the whipped cream out of the eggs white.
"Not a peep princess, not a protest or a frown!" was saying the maid as she was braiding Dìs hair right before dinner. "A surprise, we must have been wrong considering her a noble sort of maid!"
"Indeed Rena!" Exclaimed the princess, trying not to move too much under Rena's quick hands. If Rena hand't some force in those tiny fingers, Dìs was sure she was going to be bald some day!
"So much willing to help!" Rena said for the thousandth time. "And a pleasure when she smiles! So bright, it seemed to light up the whole kitchen! And she wasn't afraid to dirt herself, your highness! So much willing to help!"
"Yes, yes!" Mumbled Dìs, praying Durin that she still had hair at the end of the evening.
"Has your majesty which dress will Inneg wear to dinner?" Right, there had been also that.
While in the kitchen, Rena had had the idea of sending a maid to princess Dìs, telling the princess that Inneg was supposed to dine at the King's table that night, under the invitation of prince Fìli.
But of course, Dìs already knew that - there is very little that could be conceived from the gossips, and the 'bone of contention' had already spread in all Erebor.
Actually, as the maid came to refer to Rena, Dìs had already chose the dress for Inneg. Yes, after preparing the cakes, Rena was supposed to go and do the princess's hair, and then get Inneg dressed for dinner. No, nothing too complicated for the hairdo, the King Under the Mountain was already furious enough, there was no need for Inneg to look too showy, or the Thorin might decide to throw her out of Erebor, and then behead Fìli right after.
"Well lass, you are going to be awe-inspiring anyway, with that golden mane of yours!" Had laughed Rena, sending the maid back to Dìs telling the princess that sure, Inneg was going to look not too grand. "You have struck our poor prince to the point he must have forgotten who is the real boss inside Erebor! Now, pass me that flour, or we will never finish!"
Inneg had been amazed they actually made it. Seeing all of them cooling on the kitchen table was making her feel like she had defeated four dozens Orcs all al once, aye!
Therefore, one finished to bake, Rena had sent Inneg to her room, telling her to wash herself and then wait for Rena to bring her a dress and come to do her hair.
Right on that moment, Rena was about to finish to bride the princess hair - a complicate hairdo that took Rena forty minutes straight, a massive amount of time, considering the speed to which the Dwarrowdam was working.
"Breathtaking as always Rena! Thank you!" Dìs couldn't be more happy to see her hair finally finished. "Now, the feast is about to begin, I would better to run! Surely Thorin has forgotten something! Pass me the earrings, lass, the ruby ones... Thank you. The cakes are done, right? Perfect. Ah, Inneg has to meet Balin, she has to look good, mind!"
"She will look presentable and discreet, I assure you princess... But she has such a nice tiny figure! She will look wonderful in the green dress, so elegant and distinct... Ah, you should have seen all that Dwarrowdams looking at her this morning!"
"Dwarrowdams?" frowned Dìs. "I will be honest Rena, I have heard so far at least five different version of this 'bone of contention' tale, as it has been called. What happened exactly?"
Rena gave the princess a full recount - the only valuable for the princess, since Rena was a witness. "Such a nice trick!" laughed Rena in the end, adjusting a few diamonds in the princess braids. "You should have seen the faces of those pesky dames, your majesty! Following the princes around like hungry troll, instead of doing something useful! They got what they deserved, fi you asked me!"
However, despite being in total agreement with her main, Dìs was not finding the episode as much amusing as Rena was. "Fìli should learn how to behave! Mocking those noble girls, how inconsiderate of a prince! He's not fifty anymore!"
Ah, maybe Dìs should have let Thorin find those two before she pleaded him to have mercy.
"And making fun of that poor child!" Grunted Dìs. "Asking her to dinner with an apple! I thought it was a metaphor of some sort, but it seems ti was a real apple!"
Who knows what she had been thinking of us!" Dìs pressed her lips together, before she could say something inappropriate.
Her own son, being such a playboy with a girl who was so traumatised she couldn't speak! Ah, Fìli was going to have to listen to her, afterwards! And Kìli, too!
"You know, I have been too busy to talk to them, but now that you have told me how things went, I am going straight to their room! Those two deserve a good tell off!"
"Well, now your majesty, I am sure prince Fìli only desired to please out guest by paying her some courtesy. He didn't meant to disrespect her." Observed carefully Rena, putting one last diamond along Dìs short beard.
Sure the two brothers wanted also to get rid of the Dwarrowdams following them all over Erebor, but Rena kept that thought to herself. "And I don't think she has thought much of it. I am sure Inneg has a husband, and a great one, waiting for her out of here!"
"Yes, sure." Dìs nodded thoughtfully. "Now Rena, don't think I am going to worry about some silly jokes my sons did!"
They stayed in silence a few moments, Rena finishing to brush the princess beard and eyebrows, fixing them with some golden wax.
"So, your majesty, you are not mad at prince Fìli to have asked Inneg, instead of other noble dames in Erebor?"
"Oh, I am not mad for that! It is just he could have used a little bit more chivalry!" cried the princess, "Inneg is going to come and she must look well and made a good impression on Balin! That dress, the green one on the bed! I have found it today - I have no idea why did I kept it, it was in my wardrobe! Ha, Smaug surely has not touched it - why would he get interest in a dress? It's not like he would wear it or anything! It will be a little out of fashion, but it will look wonderful on her!"
"Yes, princess!"
Dìs looked at herself in the mirror. She adjusted the red and black brocade of the gown. She took a necklace dotted with diamonds and sapphires, and Rena fastened it around her neck.
"I might be ready." said the princess, straightening her back and giving herself a smile. She looked astonishing, right as she planned to look. "Ah, I must run, sure Thorin has forget something about the dinner! Take good care of Inneg! Remember she must look discreet!" and by saying so, Dìs rushed out of the door.
The maid smiled to herself, picking the dress - and the pearl necklace Dìs had added to it. Never was a guest of Dìs, princess of Erebor, going to make a poor
appearance in front of a regarded Dwarf like Lord Balin, not when was Rena the one in charge of preparing her!
A minute later, Rena was in Inneg's room, the young woman with dump hair, trying to dry them with a small cloth.
"Oh Mahal, lass!" cried Rena. "Haven't I told you that the towels are int he second draw? Let's move, or the princess will have my ears if you are late to dinner tonight!"
Inneg hadn't taken Fìli invitation seriously. Actually, she couldn't think about it without seeing the Dwarrowdams flying in the crowd of the market like some crazed, refulgent animals. Animals hungry for the bight red apple, and for the prize that had been offered to her instead, by the very hands of the lightbringer. His warm smile, and his eyes clear as the sky, were the sole things she had kept in her mind.
But now, when Rena had come into her room with that staggering dress, and had yanked her hair left and right with more fierceness than that morning, Inneg understood that that invitation was a very, very serious business.
Now, an hour after exiting Dìs room, Rena was carefully walking Inneg down the main stairs.
"Careful lass. This dress is less comfortable than the one of yesterday, right? But this is a formal dinner, and you are the dame of a prince... It is necessary to look formal! And I must say this looks beautiful on you, in all fairness... Thank Mahal you are not slumping with your back..."
Rena was a torrent of words, but she couldn't help it. Inneg was striking in the bright green dress Dìs had given her.
Inneg had to 'make a good impression' on lord Balin, had said the princess.
However, Rena thought Dis might have taken that intention a little too literally. Inneg was so good-looking as if she had to beguile Lord Balin, stead of just 'making a good impression'.
Inneg was wearing a satin, bright emerald green dress, with a square neckline, fringed with gold and emeralds. It had large sleeves, and green velvet details on the on the corset. The double gown, also bright emerald, was made in both satin and velvet, and was making the dress a little heavy to wear, but also warm, and despite being sure Inneg was not going to be cold, Dìs had prepared for Inneg a small spool of brownish fur. Surprisengly, he fur had made Inneg all smiles and giggling, that Rena had had to hide her laugh behind her hand.
Braiding her hair had been the hardest part. Inneg was not very fond of having someone yawking, twisting and putting fish glue to stick her hair into place, or so it had seemed to Rena, but the maid was fairly proud of the result.
Inneg's long hair were now braised in four tresses, that crossed each other on her head, and ended up in a thick chignon on the back of her head, that looked like a hank of pure gold. So simple, yet so elegant, 'and thank Mahal covering those strange ears of hers!' It was a fairly simple hairdo for a Dwarrowdam, but given the delicacy of Inneg's features, the girl looked like a fairy sponge up from a book.
And yet, Inneg seemed to take little pride in her appearance, busy as she was wiggling her hips and rotating her gown like a child, not really taking all those poses like any other woman would have done.
As Rena and Inneg were descending the stairs, in an anti-chamber that lead to the main hall, two young Dwarves were pacing impatiently up and down, sniffing the delicious smells coming from the kitchen, and planning onto stealing one of the strawberry cakes that they know where kept downstairs.
One of them in particular was glancing every now and then at the stairs, hoping to see his dame finally coming down. How long was it taking to her?
"I am sure she hasn't forgotten." chuckled Kìli, adjusting the fur on his shoulders. "And if she had, I doubt Rena would have anyway!" Kìli went adjusting the fur on his brother's shoulders, and straightening his back. "Now I see why mom is telling us to stay upright!"
"Do you think mom was mad at me?" Fìli had a huge, goofy smile on his face, but the scolding Dìs had given him and Kìli just half an hour ago had left him mildly impressed.
The princess had yelled for several minutes about the 'proper manner to treat a lady', and 'offending a guest with such a childish joke', that Fìli had been afraid for a moment that his mom would forbade Inneg to dine with them. Or him to dine at all. 'Well, it wouldn't be the first time.'
Kìli shrugged. "I don't think so. I think she was happy that you chose Inneg in the end."
"You think so?" Fìli mumbled. "Usually when yells it means that mom is not happy at all."
"Aye." Kìli nodded. "She shouted at me as well, you know? But I think she was fine with it. She wasn't mad because you invited Inneg, I guess she was going you couldn't do it in the market and through an apple."
"But it had been fun."
"Tons of fun." Kìli snorted. "I would be more worried about uncle. I bet he wasn't happy when he found out."
"Well, he said 'a dame in Erebor'. Inneg is a dame, and she was in Erebor." Fìli grinned. Absolutely faultless. "Why hadn't you chose a Dwarrowdam for yourself, by the way? You might have made uncle happy."
"Me?" Kìli shook his head. "I will keep far from Dwarrowdams for as long as I can, thank you very much! It's enough that they follow us looking at you! I couldn't imagine having those paying attention at me! But I can promise you I will get smitten with the next girl we'll save!"
"I am not smitten with!" groaned Fìli, glancing once again at the stairs and hoping Inneg and Rena didn't chose that very moment to appear.
"You? Not smitten with Inneg?" Kìli gasped dramatically. "I swore the two hours it took to you to get prepared were a clear sign of being smitten with!"
"I did not!" Fìli rolled his eyes, but his lips twitched on a sly smile.
Actually Fìli took three hours to get prepared. He had braided his hair trice before being satisfied with the result. But luckily Kìli had no idea of this.
"Oh yes! I bet that you redid your beard trice!" Damn, then he knew!
"Kìli, if you truly think that I-"
"Oh, hello Inneg!"
The speed - and the smile - with which Fìli spun on his feet was such that Kìli nearly bend into two by laughing.
Right on that moment, Inneg and Rena appeared on the stairs, and since the two brothers were busy jabbing and laughing at one another, Fìli and Kìli noticed them when they were just a foot away.
"Oh, good evening ladies!" Kìli bowed gallantry to them. "You look beautiful!"
Fìli looked at them, looked at Inneg, and suddenly forgot how to function. It took to his brain a couple of seconds before pressing the 'play' button again.
And when it did, the only thing Fìli could think about was that it was dark magic, for every time Inneg passed in the hands of a Dwarrowdam, she came out more splendid than before. Well, she always had been splendid, but that was... 'Wow'.
"Hey, I said they look beautiful, don't they, Fìli?"
A solid jab from Kìli. Brough Fìli back to Erebor. "Yes, yes they do indeed!" he quickly said, bowing without tearing his eyes off from the beautiful woman in the green dress. 'Wow...'
Rena and Kìli exchanged a smug smile, like no other has ever luckily been seen in Erebor. Rena because all her hand work preparing Inneg for the evening was hitting the spot, and Kìli because he knew he couldn't be more right about Fìli's 'being smitten with'.
And of course, because the evident blush on Inneg's face and her embarrassed little bow, were saying all the words she couldn't pronounce.
Yes, the lightbringer was dressed very elegantly. Inneg was not sure she had ever seen a prince before, but definitively the lightbringer looked like one. He had a velvet red tunic, embroiled with diamonds and gold, and there was a very elegant sword pending at his side. And his hair were shining in the lamps of the room, they were so bright... But he was the lightbringer, it was only just that his hair looked so shiny.
And his smile was so warm, wasn't it?
"So Morningstar, shall we go?" Fìli had found his spirit again, and was offering his arm to Inneg.
Pulled away from her bubble of admiration the prince, Inneg took Fìli's arm almost hesitantly. Was it really the lightbringer taking her to dinner? Oh, she was happy indeed. He looked so finely dressed, she was really honoured, yes she was!
Fìli couldn't wait to walk down the hall with Inneg so beautifully dressed. He lost no time into securing her next at his side, and proceeded towards the door. "Everyone is waiting for us!" He smiled. "Let's go!"
He had the sensation his mom might have exaggerated, but it was true that, whatever the dress, Inneg was going to look good anyway.
The thread of pearls hanging from her neck, and the ones braided in her hair were Inneg's sole jewel, and even those couldn't rival with the fairness of her skin.
"Oh no prince Kìli, I can't accompany you!"
Behind Fìli and Inneg, Rena was protesting loudly, while Kìli was bowing shamelessly to her.
"Oh please, Rena!" Prayed the prince. "Accompany me at the King's table!"
"I could be your mother, your majesty, it not appropriate at all!" Huffed the maid, very flustered. "And I am not properly dressed, and my husband is waiting for me!"
Kìli pretended to sniff. "All the Dwarrowdams were so busy after the hereditary prince, that no one of them even looked at the second-born!"
Kìli's puppy eyes could have melted Thorin's ice heart. In fact Kìli had bent the King to his will by only looking at him a couple of times. Given that, Rena, who had a golden heart under that pragmatic and brusque attitude, didn't even try to resist.
"Ah, Mahal save us! "she mumbled, grabbing Kìli's arm and marching behind his brother. "But remember, young prince, before inviting a lady, you should at least grow a beard!"
The Main Hall was shining with lights. Thousands lamps were pending from he ceiling, and cast their light on the gold and brass decorations of the walls, on the silverware Dìs had taken out of chests and drawers for the occasion, and on all the gems and dresses of the Dwarrowdams.
Each lady in Erebor wanted to look at their best that night. After so many months of sobriety and hard work, it was the first time King Thorin had allowed a little more freedom and leisure.
In all corners you could see complicated and tall hairdos, combined with colourful ribbons and elaborate, heavy hairpins shining with rubies, diamonds and topazes. Gems could be found also on the necklaces, rings, bracelets and rings, corsets and sleeves, and gowns and shows.
The profusion of different fabrics used for each one of those dresses would have been enough to make three or four working dresses, and the worth of all the gems and gold used to decorate it would have been enough to spend a decent life without working at all.
But Dwarrowdams were more happy to work hard and wear rubies and diamonds, than not working at all and having their jewel cases empty.
And the ensemble of these attires was so Dwarvish, that we can't blame them, for this is just how Dwarves are: great workers, and even better hoarders.
And since we support equality between Dwarrowdams and Dwarves, we ought to mention that the male Dwarves, with their rich furs and golden rings and complicated braids, fixed with silver and sapphire clasps, where not less anxious than their female counter parts to show off themselves as much as they could, and dress up and show their 'Dwarvishness'.
Compared to this crowd of colours and sparkles, the three Dwarves seated at the King's table were dressed relatively simple.
Apart from a large fur draped on his shoulders, Thorin Oakenshield wasn't wearing jewels of any sort. He wasn't even wearing his crown - actually, the King wore it almost never. His presence alone was so imposing and intimidating that the didn't need the crown, and he already possessed the most precious of all gems you could ever find in Erebor, the Arkenstone.
Next to him, Balin was not fond of elegancy and trims either. He thought his white beard and old age were enough of a decoration, and one that few could pride themselves with.
And his brother Dwalin... well, because he was Dwalin. And in Dwalin's opinion rings and decorations were little fit to fight, so why should he wear them?
Right on that moment the three of them were discussing the situation on Moria, the relations with Daìn Ironfoot and the recent journey of Balin in the Iron Hills, and the possible coming of Daìn the upcoming year, and so on and so forth. And they were talking of Inneg, of course.
"So Thorin, you are telling me a lass has saved Fìli's life, and she is now at Erebor?" Balin sipped his wine. "I see nothing strange, especially if she has temporary lost her memory, or has been drugged, as Oìn had said!"
"Then why where the Orcs so interested in her?" mumbled Thorin. "Orcs do not weep women alive for clear business!"
"You will not know until the lass hasn't her memories back." Balin shook his head. "And even then, there is the chance that the reason is obscure to her as well."
"But who is she? I can't understand, and I don't like keeping mysterious, alluring women in Erebor!"
"Oh Thorin, but you won't get answers if you send her away on her own! It could be even worse, if you don't know who wanted her alive. There is the chance that the Orcs were working for a third person! And there is nothing wrong helping a young lady in need! Besides," Balin snorted, "I have never heard you use the word 'alluring', Thorin! Do I have to start thinking that you have changed your mind about marriage?"
"It's not him you should be worried about." Dwalin grunted, pointing with his chin to four figures that were advancing towards the King's table.
It took a single glance to Balin to understand why Thorin was so eager to have Inneg away from Erebor.
The laughing and the shooting of the Dwarves and the Dwarrowdams around the room had subsided, and everyone was now whispering and pointing with their fingers the two couples passing.
Balin saw Fìli slowly walking in the hall, and at his side, a gorgeous woman in green dress. Her hair were glowing as if they possessed at light of their own, and her skin was so fair it could rival the pearls on her neck. She seemed to have no weight, as she advanced in the Hall, towards their table. 'Then, that's Inneg!' thought Balin.
Inneg was wearing a small smile, and seemed a little surprised and scared by all those pairs of eyes staring right at her. As a result, she was clutching tightly to Fìli's arm, and the Dwarf prince was keeping her so close to him, as if he was afraid the gapes of the other Dwarves, and the glowers of the Dwarrowdams, could take her away from him.
"Well Thorin, she seems not to realise why everyone is looking at her." Commented Balin with a whisper, but the King Under the Mountain looked dagger at him, and Balin thought better say no more.
Inneg felt more and more edgy and unsettled by all those gazes posting tight at her. She had the feeling it had a lot to do with the lightbringer that was holding her arm, but she was not completely sure.
In the crowd, she recognised a few of the not-so-nice, well-dressed shot women she had seen that morning in the market, and all of them were looking at her with equal hatred and envy.
Inneg even spotted the one with the cherry hair and beard and the black eyebrows, with an odd decoration of gold and diamonds towering above her head. Her eyes looked so wrathful and enraged, that Inneg had to avert her gaze, like such stare might have somehow burnt her, and scarred her for life.
However, Fìli was seeing all those attentions from another, totally opposite point of new.
"Do not worry if they stare." whispered the Dwarf prince. "Of course everyone is looking at you, you look absolutely stunning."
Just as he spoke, Fìli realised he hadn't meant to be that bold. But he hadn't be able to stop himself. And when he saw Inneg tilting her head to look at him with a bewildered expression, he realised neither she was expecting it.
"It's true." he repeated, asking himself why he couldn't keep his mouth close for Durin's sake. "You look truly stunning."
Inneg blushed, but in her eyes something sparkled to life. Recognition, realisation, whatever it was, it was witty and alive, suddenly tearing apart that veil of confusion that was always covering her green and blue eyes. And then she smiled, a sly and amused smile that was saying that yes, of course she was beautiful, with that marvellous dress, and she knew that her hair looked like gold in the dim light of the Hall, but she thanked the lightbringer anyway for pointing it out.
Fìli was suddenly sure that somewhere hidden within Inneg, the girl was also well aware of the effect she was having on him.
But that sensation lasted only a moment, and then it was gone, swiped away by the returning of the same veil covering Inneg's eyes, and Fìli was left with the desire of knowing the person that that veil was covering. Damn, so there was someone behind that gentle gaze and smile! He couldn't wait for Inneg to start talking again, and going back to her senses, and remember who she was, and then, maybe...
"Here you are!" a high-pitched voice made the four of them halt on their steps. Dìs was marching towards them, a bright smile on her face. The princess looked at
Inneg from head to toe with great satisfaction, and winked at Rena, that standing behind the girl with the golden hair arm in arm with Kìli. "I just knew this dress was made for her!"
The maid nodded very solemnly, incapable to hide her own satisfaction. Ah yes, Inneg had certainly made a great entrance!
"Now Fìli, you want to go and properly introduce Inneg to Balin, now don't you? And then-oh Durin't love, Kìli, why are you bothering Rena this way!" Dìs sent her eldest son to the table, and turned to the youngest with a deep scowl. "Grow a beard before walking around arm in arm with a lady! Rena, I am so sorry! Please go and enjoy your dinner, I must have seen your husband already!"
Rena muttered that there had been no problem, and quickly bowed and disappeared into the crowd.
"I was the only one without a dame!" half-protested Kìli.
"Ha! Poor kid!" the princess rolled her eyes, but she was grinning. The very same grin of her youngest son, really. "Well, now you have one, dear!"
And by saying so, Dìs secured Kìli's arm under hers and hastened after Fìli and Inneg.
"So this is the famous Inneg!" Balin welcomed Inneg with a bright smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, dear. My name is Balin."
Upon seeing the cold gaze of Thorin, Inneg had stiffened, but the lightbringer was with her, so she had nothing to fear, right? Besides, this very old short man, that was smiling kindly up at her, looked familiar. Well, not exactly familiar, but similar to a face she was floating in the fog around her thought. She tried to recover the image of that face, without success.
But she smiled, and bowed. Was the very old, short man a friend of the lightbringer? She was happy to meet him. She didn't know her name, but they called her Inneg, and she rather liked it. She was glad to see that the very old, short man already knew her name, because she wouldn't have not able to say it.
"So dear, they have told me you have saved the life of our young prince!" The very old, short man said, gestured to the lightbringer. "I must thank you for that. We would have had to crown his younger brother as King, i don't dare to think how that was going to end!"
"Hey, what is that supposed to mean?" shouted Kìli from behind, immediately silenced by his mother.
Inneg stiffed a laugh. The very old, short man was funny. It had been a pleasure to save the life of the lightbringer, and the lightbringer and all his short friends have been very kind to her. She was very grateful, maybe when she got her voice back she could thank them properly.
"So, you have also see a little bit of Esgaroth!" continued Balin, ignoring Kìli grimace when he passed next to him. "Did you like it? It will be even more beautiful in a few years!"
Inneg smiled, and nodded. Yes, she had liked the city where she and the lightbringer had looked together at the Morning Star. Yes, she was sure the city was going to look prettier in a few years, even if she thought it was not that bad now. She had slept in a nice bed, and the roofs were so red and bright in the light of the morning!
"And we went to see Mamal, brother!" Added Dwalin, who was ranking Inneg up and down. No, Dwalin thought, not even in that dress he would have brought her in front of the Mayor. We have to point out that the uncivil and disgusting behaviour the Mayor had had towards Inneg, had struck so much the tall Dwarf, that merely thinking about the episode was enough to make Dwalin's blood boil in anger. "She liked Mamal, didn't you, Inneg?"
"Ah, Mamal!" Balin nodded. "Incredible lady, indeed! Yes, that had been a great idea brother! Mamal is very famous here Inneg, she is a great seamstress, and a dear friend of our princess Dìs!"
Next to them, Thorin huffed. It was not like that Inneg deserved all those ceremonies. He studied the girl once more, and the uneasiness of her not believing to the race of Men almost had the best of him.
He shot a glare at his sister, a glare that meant 'was it really necessary?'. Probably referring to the fact that Inneg was outstanding the whole crowd of ladies of Erebor all together.
Dìs only shrugged. Was it her fault that Inneg looked extremely good in that dress? And the girl was the dame of her son, and Dìs was going to make Fìli proud of the lady he had chosen. Although the princess might admit that the effect obtained had gone far more her predictions.
Thorin took a deep breath, and looked at Fìli, silently saying something in between 'I will let it slide' and 'this matter doesn't end here.'
Fìli stared back, unfazed. He was too happy at that moment. Inneg was a dame, and was in Erebor. And if Dìs had given her dress and pearls, it meant the princess was approving her, so good luck Thorin Oakenshield fighting against Dìs daughter of Thrain!
Thorin renounced. "Should we start?" He said, with more bitterness than he intended, and that caused Fìli to frown at him.
The prince had half-hoped that his uncle might have changed his mind about considering Inneg dangerous or evil, but seeing Thorin turning so sharply and gesturing the maids to start serving the dinner, stung more than he expected.
"Our sits are over there." he murmured to Inneg, leading her to sit in between him and Dìs at the other side of the King's table.
One who didn't know Thorin Oakenshield might have thought that he was furious.
Not so Balin, who knew Thorin fairly well. "Thorin, I know you are worried. But you asked me an opinion and I gave it to you."
Thorin was pacing up and down in one of his private chambers, where he and Balin had retried right after dinner.
"Repeat it to me." demanded the King Under the Mountain. "I want to hear it one more time."
Balin sighed. "Inneg, or whatever her name might be, is not evil, or carries any dark power." he started. "And as I have already told you before dinner, the reason the Orcs kept her alive might be obscure for her just as much as it is for us. Second, she is no human. Not entirely, at least. I bet she has some Elvish blood in her, but in which measure, of from who she is descending, I can't tell."
"Half-Elves are not left roaming freely in Middle Earth!" exclaimed Thorin with a grim expression.
"True, they are raised in the same Halls of the Elves but... Who knows? Some illegitimate, secret relation, maybe..." Balin shook his head. "Anyway, nothing Inneg might known herself, problably. And then, there is the question of the ears. I know somewhere in the South they cut ears on hand to repair to some misdeed, but if Inneg cut looks old, it might be something that has been done to her, but for which she has no fault. I think we should not focus on this detail, honestly."
Thorin huffed, frustrated. "So, you think Inneg is related to the Elves, that she is not evil, and that we should not take into account some cut ears and loss of memory. What your conclusion?"
Balin opened his arms. "What else to say? I think only Bilbo is more polite at a dinner table, and she is surely too well bred to be a commoner. My guess is that she is a noble, or belongs to some important Men house. In any case, nothing suggest that you should send her away, not before she has back her words, if not her whole memory."
"You don't think we should tell the Elves?"
Balin seemed thoughtful for a moment. "That is a good question. Whether she belongs to an Elvish house or not, I think it would be safer to be discreet about the whole story. Wait a couple of days, and see if the girl has back her memory. Then, we might see what can be done to help her go back to where she belongs."
"So, I should wait." concluded Thorin, finally stopping to roam around the room and placing himself in front of Balin. "Wait, and host her in the mean time!"
"I must say I agree with your sister upon that matter." Balin took a deep breath. "Helping a young, harmless woman on need can't possibly be a bad act! If she belongs to a powerful house, you will have done a favour, which is never wrong, otherwise, you will have made a good action." Balin cleared his throat. "I have talked with the others," he meant the Dwarves of the company. "They seemed to like her. Ori had actually read her his journal!"
And in particular, Balin was thinking about a young, blond Dwarf prince...
"Like her!" shouted angrily Thorin. "You mean behaving like an idiot, making a fool of yourself, and-"
"Hush, Thorin!" said Balin. "You are talking about Fìli, I guess! I have to say he is quite fond of-"
"'fond of'?"
"Ok, utterly and hopelessly infatuated with a girl he doesn't even know the real name!" groaned Balin. "Happy now? However I think you one more worried about Fìli that about Inneg."
"I am not worried, I want her out of Erebor and out of the sight of anyone of the line of Durin! I told Fìli he was about to chose a dame for tonight, since it was a formal dinner, and look what he did!"
Balin snorted. "The lad has played a nice trick on you, right?"
"Dìs came to tell me this this afternoon... She had pleaded me to spare her son... which I did, I mean, if he didn't like anyone he could have said! There was no need to invite her!" Thorin shook his head. "He has to marry, Balin. For Erebor, for our people. And the sooner, the better."
"Thorin..."
"I wouldn't tell this to him nor to his mother, but this is the reality. Fìli has to marry a Dwarrowdam. I have no heirs of mine, and the only way to secure the Kingdom is to have a strong descendance for the line of Durin." Thorin sighed. "Fighting Smaug seemed an impossible task, but the hard part of conquering Erebor is now. The Battle of Five Armies has been terrible, but this battle we have to fight every day is not less difficult. Both of them have been necessary to rake back out Kingdom."
Balin nodded a few times. He understood. However, rushing things didn't seem a good idea to him. No, not at all.
"Thorin," started the old Dwarf - realising he was going to give a talk like a very old Dwarf would give. "you want to accomplish in a few months what could be only reached in years! Fìli is young. I bet this is a small infatuation. I must say the lass is pretty. Have you seen how her hair look like shining gold?"
"Don't you start..." sighed the King Under the Mountain, going back pacing back and forth in the room.
"What I am trying to say is that Fìli will lose interest in a few days!" exclaimed Balin. "Even if he liked her, he has enough sense to see that it is a relation that has no future! Inneg might not like him once she is back to herself, or on the other side, he might stop liking her as well. And if he doesn't," Balin added with little more force, "you might remind him that Inneg could have a husband, somewhere. A husband, a child, a fiancè, a lover!" Balin shrugged. "Anything could be possible, understand? I am sure Fìli will not me a fool of himself in front of his own people."
"Seems like he will." Thorin looked grim and disconsoled. "I wanted to see if there was someone he liked, or..."
"And Fìli's hadn't seemed to approve your interference, Thorin. You must take into account also your nephew's point of view for the matter!"
"It was not an order!" grunted Thorin. "It was a mere suggestion."
"We all know how your suggestions work, Thorin!" Balin chuckled, then went serious again. "I saw no Dwarrowdam that might interest Fìli, and more Dwarrowdams will come in the next years, Fìli will have plenty of choice, and plenty of time! Forcing the lad now won't give any result of are lucky, and bad ones of we are not!"
"So even for this, all I can do is waiting!" hissed Thorin impatiently.
"Impatience will not bring you any good, Thorin. Trust an old Dwarf. But listen, if that can make you feel any better," said Balin to the King. "Tomorrow, let Inneg spend the day with me. I had an idea that might work, to see if we can get a few more information about the mysterious girl with the golden hair!"