CHAPTER 6

Hello my lovelies!

Welcome to another chapter, thank you to everyone who left a review/favourite/follow, I appreciate every single one of you.

(Also happy late birthday BloodyTink, I hope you had a fabulous day!)

"Oh Rai I'm so nervous! What do you think he will want to talk about?" Rowen asked.

Rowen and Raina were slowly walking around the Mountain arm in arm. As predicted by their Mother, the King had extended an invitation to Rowen a few days after being introduced. He had asked her to join him for supper which Mother was thrilled about. Apparently being invited to dine with the King was considered more intimate? Raina had no idea but she trusted her Mother (when it came to etiquette, her Mother knew everything there was to know). Rowen had squealed with excitement and danced around the room while Mother read the letter over and over. Raina laughed and rejoiced with her sister, it was the first time Rowen had smiled in days and it made Raina happy to see her sister so happy. Now the day had finally come and though it was only midday, Rowen was so nervous Raina had insisted she walk with her in an effort to settle her nerves.

"He will probably just want to know about you," Raina soothed. "He might ask you about the Iron Hills, our family, how you spend your time, your friends."

Rowen nodded. "Oh of course! What should I say if he asks how I spend my time?"

Raina laughed softly. "You're overthinking this too much, just be honest with him. You like sewing don't you? And designing gowns? Maybe you could wear a gown you designed to show him your talent."

"That's a great idea," Rowen said excitedly. "Can I borrow some of your earrings? Maybe the little ones shaped like the moon?"

Raina felt a surge of pride rush through her. Not many people knew she liked designing and crafting jewellery. She enjoyed it so much her father had even set up a small workshop for her to practice at home. So was still learning and not much of what she created was good enough to wear, but she had a few simple pieces that were nice. Sometimes Rowen would wear earrings or rings she had created and it would always make her ecstatic to see her jewellery being worn.

"Absolutely," Raina said. "I'll pull out everything I have and we can see which matches your dress best."

"Rowen! Raina!"

The sisters stopped and turned around to see Elli quickly walking towards them.

"Good afternoon Elli," Raina said, "how are you?"

"I'm well thank you, where are you both going?"

"Nowhere in particular, we're just exploring the mountain. Where are you going?" Rowen asked.

"Same as you! Perhaps we can walk together? I would love to have company, my brother spends all his time training."

"Of course, let's perhaps explore down here," Raina pointed to an empty hallway to their left "I think the kitchens are close, perhaps we can buy a fresh pastry or cake."

'Rai and I love all things sweet," Rowen said to Elli as they followed Raina.

Raina led them down various passageways and descended multiple staircases hoping to come across the smell of freshly baked bread or the sweet scent of cake. Elli and Rowen chatted behind her but she paid them no attention, she wanted to focus on navigating. They passed a few maids who offered a brief curtsy and Raina wanted to ask for directions, but the dwarrowdams looked very busy and she didn't want to intrude. She soon regretted it as after a while, she was only met with dimly lit corridors, shadows and silence. She knew it sounded ridiculous, but it seemed like the amount of passageways increased the more she walked. She would turn down one passageway and be met with the entrance to three more. When she went down one of those, the entrance to four passageways were at the end. The passageways themselves were also becoming slimmer and slimmer and it was rather confusing to keep track of where she come from. It was almost like a puzzle. Raina became less hopeful with every turn she took but she couldn't help but be intrigued. They were deep in the Mountain now. They had not passed another dwarf for quite some time and a few of the passageways weren't even lit. Where were they? What was kept down here?

"Are we lost?" Elli whispered behind her.

"None of this looks familiar," Rowen said. "Maybe we should go back the way we came?"

Raina nodded. Secretly she wanted to keep exploring, but she saw the look on Elli's face and felt awful for making her worry. "I think so, let's go back."

"Do you remember the way?" Elli asked.

"I think so," Raina answered with a smile. She had kept track as best she could, surely she could figure it out. "Where do you suppose we are?"

"I have no idea, it almost looks abandoned," Rowen said. "Do you think the rooms are empty?"

Raina had noticed some of the passageways held a door or two, but she didn't dare try to open them. She was almost certain they would be locked anyway. "I think so, if the rooms held something important surely there would be guards down here."

"Oh goodness I don't want to find out," Elli said clutching Rowen's arm. "I don't like being in a place like this with no guards, what if we were to come across an…unfavourable character?"

Rowen gently patted Elli's arm. "Don't think about such things Elli. We will be out of here soon, and even if we did come across someone who wished us harm we have Rai."

"What do you mean?"

Raina looked over her shoulder at her sister before letting out a bark of laughter. "I didn't realise you still remembered!"

Elli looked at the sisters confused. Rowen laughed softly before explaining. "When Rai and I were young Father used to teach us how to handle a sword. We trained for quite a few years and Mother allowed it initially, but once I turned fifty she insisted we start acting like Ladies. I haven't held a sword in decades, but much to my mother's chagrin, Rai never stopped. In fact, Rai rarely goes anywhere without her dagger. No doubt she currently has it strapped to her lower leg under her dress, I still remember the scabbard she had commissioned for it years ago."

"Surely not!" Elli said. "You always carry a dagger?"

Raina didn't turn around as she answered, she could tell Elli disapproved. "Only for our safety. I truly hope I never have to use it, I just feel more comfortable having it with me."

"Do you know how to use it? Do you still train?"

"Sometimes I can convince Father to train with me, but it isn't often."

Mother had stopped their lessons once they became older as she didn't think it was proper for a Lady to use a sword. Privately Raina thought both she and Rowen should be receiving more lessons because they were older. She noticed the way some dwarves would leer at her and she could feel their eyes wondering over her body. Sometimes Raina saw dwarves stare at her chest or hips as she walked by and it made her nervous. She knew Rowen also felt deeply uncomfortable by it at times. Decades ago a few drunk dwarves had made lewd comments to them both at a ball and it had made Raina's blood boil. Fortunately their Father had heard also and the dwarves faced his wrath, but Rowen had cried and been afraid to leave her rooms for weeks.

Raina was so lost in her thoughts as she guided them back she didn't hear footsteps approaching. As she rounded a corner she crashed into someone and let out a gasp as she stumbled. Strong arms reached out to steady her and she felt felt her cheeks burn as she looked up into the icy blue eyes of Thorin Oakenshield. She quickly stepped back and dropped into a curtsy alongside her sister and Elli.

"My apologies My Lord," she said quietly with her head bowed. When she rose he was still watching her intently. Lord Dwalin stood behind him eyeing the three dwarrowdams, looking far from impressed.

"No apology is needed, are you hurt?"

Raina shook her head. Her face felt hot, was she turning red? Hopefully not. She found it hard to make eye contact with him. Why was his gaze so intense?

"How are you My Lord?" Elli asked beside her cheerily. Raina looked over to Elli who was now smiling widely, full of confidence and bursting with joy.

"I am well Lady Elli, thank you. May I ask what you Ladies are doing here?"

Elli looked ready to answer but Thorin's eyes fell back on Raina. She took a deep breath and forced herself to meet the King's gaze.

"We were searching for the kitchens, but I'm afraid we have lost our way."

Dwalin narrowed his eyebrows and looked at her suspiciously. "Are you sure about that lass? You're very far from the kitchens."

Raina wasn't usually quick to anger, but she didn't appreciate being called a liar. She would not have her character called into question, especially in front of the King.

"Yes thank you, I am quite sure," she replied firmly. "I hail from the Iron Hills, so I am not yet familiar with Erebor."

Both Elli and Rowen stilled beside her. Thorin raised an eyebrow, she couldn't tell if he was annoyed or confused. Raina quickly glanced at Rowen and saw her sister's eyes were wide and full of worry. Raina suddenly realised how this might affect Rowen's chances with Thorin. She was about to apologise for losing her temper when Dwalin started laughing. His laughter was so low and guttural she almost thought it was a growl.

"A dwarrowdam with spirit!" He laughed, clapping a large hand on Thorin's shoulder. "Should've expected that from an Iron Hills lass!"

Raina smiled, relieved she had not caused insult. Thorin grinned at his friend and Raina's heart started to beat faster at seeing him smile. He had a lovely smile. She quickly looked away before he caught her staring.

"Who is your father lass?" Dwalin asked.

"Lord Dalkin, son of Lord Dror," Raina answered.

Dwalin nodded slowly. "Lord Dalkin's a good dwarf," he murmured to Thorin. Raina was surprised, her father had never mentioned knowing Dwalin. She wondered how well acquainted they were.

"So you were really looking for the kitchens?" Thorin asked. He crossed his leather clad arms across his chest, clearly amused.

"We were unfortunately," Rowen said. "We were hoping to buy a sweet treat, are we really so far away?"

"Kitchens are on the other side of the mountain," Dwalin said.

"Oh goodness. My apologies My Lord, but are you able to give us directions?" Rowen asked smiling prettily at him.

"I don't want you to become lost, these passageways can be confusing,' Thorin said. "Dwalin will escort you back."

Dwalin didn't look too happy at being volunteered but he said nothing.

"If you Ladies will excuse me," Thorin said to Raina and Elli. "Lady Rowen, I look forward to seeing you for supper," he said with a hint of a smile. Rowen beamed and all three dwarrowdams curtsied once more. Thorin's eyes lingered on Raina for a moment longer before he walked down a dimly lit hallway and disappeared into the darkness.

"This way," Dwalin said gruffly. Dwalin was a large dwarf (even taller than the King) and he walked so quickly Raina almost had to jog to keep up with his pace.

"May I ask where we are Lord Dwalin?"

"Near the east wing."

Dwalin didn't really answer her question, but Raina shrugged it off. "I see, the passageways are different here than other parts of the mountain. Is this perhaps an older part of Erebor?"

"I s'pose, everything in this mountain is old lass. Best not to come down this way again, it's easy to get lost if you don't know your way."

"Were these passageways designed to be confusing? I found it very hard to keep track of where I was going."

Dwalin turned his head sharply, an annoyed expression on his face as he eyed her. Raina smiled weakly, perhaps she had asked too many questions.

"Aye," he answered. Raina stayed silent for the remainder of the walk. She had so many questions she wanted to ask but she also didn't want to be bothersome. Perhaps she could visit the library and find a map of Erebor, surely it would explain this part of the mountain. She could hear Elli whispering behind her, but she quickly stopped when they reached one of the main halls.

"Can you find your way back from here?" Dwalin asked. Rowen smiled and nodded.

"You have been most kind Lord Dwalin, thank you."

Dwalin grunted and then quickly disappeared down the passageway they had just come from.

"Well, he certainly is a dwarf of few words," Elli said.

Rowen laughed and started leading them back. "I think he is nice, I like his openness."

"Lord Dwalin is candid, I'll give him that. Apparently he is renowned for his frankness."

"And for this fighting," Raina said. "He is unbeatable with an axe, I heard he can fight up to four orcs at once."

"I'm not surprised," said Rowen. "He is almost twice the size of me! Do you know how old is he?"

"Why Rowen, are you perhaps interested in him?" Elli teased, a cheeky grin on her face.

Raina laughed and watched her sister turn red. "Of course not," Rowen mumbled.

They reached the end of the hallway and Raina couldn't help but be a little relieved to see people again. The bustling halls and hum of activity soothed her.

"I should go back to my chambers," Elli said. "Thank you letting me walk with you, perhaps we can do this again soon?"

"I would like that," Rowen said.

"Maybe next time we can visit the Gallery," Raina suggested smiling brightly. "I read some of the statues are incredibly vivid."

"Perfect, let me know when you would like to visit. Have a lovely afternoon!" Elli said. Rowen and Raina waved as she walked away. Once they were alone Raina turned to Rowen.

"I'm sorry for losing my temper before, I forgot myself," she said quietly.

Rowen shook her head. "Don't be, it's quite alright. I was worried at first but the King seemed amused and it made Lord Dwalin laugh. I don't think any harm was done, but let's maybe not mention it to Mother."

Raina looped her arm through her sister's and began leading her through the hall. "Thanks Ro, now let's go!"

"Where are we going? I need to go back to our chambers soon, I don't want to be late."

"To the kitchens, I still want that sweet treat. Don't worry, it's still early in the afternoon. You will have plenty of time to get ready, I promise!"

Rowen smiled and allowed herself to be dragged away.

Rowen took a deep breath as she climbed the stairs. Never in her life had she been this anxious before.

Her mother and sister had tried to ease her nerves by spending the last few hours pampering her. She had sat for over an hour in a hot bath fragranced with different oils. Mother had then dried and styled her brown curls perfectly to frame her face and Raina had delicately painted her eyes and lips. It was difficult choosing a dress, but she eventually settled on a silk plum coloured gown with silver stitching on the bodice. She had designed this dress years ago and never worn it, insisting it be saved for a special occasion. She let Mother select her rings, bracelet and necklace, but Rowen insisted on wearing Raina's silver crescent moon earrings. They were small and perhaps too simple (Mother had tried to persuade her with large diamond encrusted earrings) but Rowen refused to change them. Raina had been glowing with pride and thanked her sister for supporting her which made Rowen felt guilty. Truthfully, she had wanted to wear the earrings to help herself. Her little sister was so self-assured and certain. Whatever Raina did was done with complete and utter confidence and sometimes Rowen envied it. It was perhaps a bit selfish, but Rowen borrowed Raina's jewellery whenever she felt nervous or uneasy. Just by wearing something of Raina's, Rowen felt more sure of herself. It was almost like she was 'borrowing' Raina's confidence which she knew was silly and strange, but it helped her.

Rowen needed every shred of confidence as two guards stared her down outside the entrance to the royal chambers. She was left waiting for a few minutes until a third guard appeared.

"Excuse me My Lady, you said the King was expecting you?"

"Yes that's right, the King requested I join him for supper."

"I see, please wait here while we verify that."

Rowen only blinked at him. Verify? She didn't realise she would need to be verified, had there been something on the invitation about this? The guard then turned without another word and entered the royal chambers.

Another few minutes passed and Rowen was beginning to worry even more until the doors opened and a maid stepped out. She ignored the guards and smiled at her.

"Welcome Lady Rowen, if you would please follow me."

Rowen let out a sigh of relief and followed the young maid. She led her to the royal dining room and as soon as she entered Rowen was enveloped by warmth. The largest fireplace she had even seen was burning and it made the whole room feel cosy. While the stone walls were mostly bare (except for a few tapestries on the far side of the room) a soft, red rug with gold trimmings covered majority of the floor. Thick, ebony chairs were seated around a large table in the centre of the room and in front of two places were golden plates, chalices and cutlery. To Rowen's disappointment though, the room was empty. The maid pulled out her seat for her.

"The King sends his apologies My Lady, his Council meeting is running later than expected. He will be joining you soon."

"Oh that's quite alright, I don't mind waiting."

"Would you like some wine My Lady? The King recently received some wine from King Thranduil if you would like elven wine?"

Rowen hesitated before nodding. She had never had elven wine before and wasn't sure if she would like it, but she also didn't want to offend the King by refusing it.

The maid poured her some wine, curtsied then left. Rowen sat in the room alone enjoying the ambience. She tried to calm her beating heart but to no avail. This was the first time she would be alone with the King and she couldn't help but hope to feel a spark. Her Mother said when she first saw her husband, she knew he was her One - that she had felt it. It was as if a spark of fire had ignited within her upon seeing him and the more she spent time with him, the greater the flame grew. Father didn't like to discuss emotions, much less his own, but one day when he was drunk Rowen had asked him and he admitted he felt something similar. He knew as soon as he met their Mother she was it for him. For decades Rowen had searched for her spark but she hadn't found it yet. She hoped she would feel it tonight.

Rowen had no idea how long she waited, but eventually the doors opened again and she stood to curtsy as the King walked in.

"Good evening My King."

"Good evening Lady Rowen, please forgive my lateness. There was a matter that needed my immediate attention."

"That's perfectly fine My Lord, I quite enjoyed sitting in front of the fire."

Thorin offered a small smile and they both sat. Rowen's heart sank a little when she saw how tired he was, he looked like he hadn't slept for a week! Hopefully he wasn't too tired to dine, she was hoping they would be here for at least a couple of hours. Food was brought in by the same maid who had let her in. The young dwarrowdam had not smiled once, she had such a serious expression on her face. She barely even acknowledged the King but he didn't seem to care. She set down the food, poured wine then left.

"Did Dwalin lead you back to your rooms safely?" Thorin asked.

"Yes, he led us back to one of the main hallways. He was very kind."

Thorin nodded. "I'm glad, it may not be wise to wonder in that part of Erebor."

"Of course yes, I'm so thankful you and Lord Dwalin found us, we would have been stuck down there for days otherwise!"

Thorin laughed lightly and began to eat. Rowen ate a few bites of potato and some slices of meat to be polite, but she wasn't hungry. She was much too nervous to eat.

"Do you miss the Iron Hills?"

Rowen shook her head. This was one of the questions Raina mentioned he might ask, luckily she knew just what to say. "Although I do love the Iron Hills, Erebor is so grand that I don't want to leave. I'm quite happy here."

"I'm glad to hear that, which part of Erebor do you most enjoy?"

Rowen took a sip of wine before answering to buy herself time to think. What was her favourite part of Erebor?

"I like the Dining Hall," she said. "I enjoy seeing so many dwarves dining and being merry together, and the room is marvellous. Every part of the Hall shines, it is exquisite."

"Do you often dine in the Hall?"

"I do have supper there with my family most nights, but sometimes Raina and I are tired from walking all day so we dine in our chambers instead."

Thorin didn't respond at first and just continued eating. Rowen thought it was odd, had she said something wrong? She despised the silence between them and was about to ask him another question when he finally spoke.

"I have seen you both walking through the halls, is your sister also liking Erebor?"

"Very much so, she insists we see every inch of the Mountain. We finally found the kitchens today and she mentioned wanting to visit the Gallery next, do you really have statues of all your ancestors there?"

Thorin nodded and finished his wine. "We do yes, every King who ruled under the Mountain has a statue."

"Has yours been finished?"

"The sculptor said he had a few more minor changes to make but it should be finished soon."

"I will make sure to visit once it has been completed."

Silence filled the room again and Rowen started to panic, she was usually good at making conversation. Why was it so hard now? If she didn't keep the conversation going she worried he may grow bored and retire early which would not bode well for her. The fire started to fade and the maid came in add more wood. Thorin refilled Rowen's chalice and his own.

"How is Princess Dis?" Rowen asked hurriedly. "I spoke briefly to her when she visited the Iron Hills and she was so lovely."

"My sister is well, thank you. She enjoyed her time at the Iron Hills, she mentioned there was a ball in her honour. I believe your Mother helped to plan it?"

"Oh yes, my Mother has planned every large event at the Iron Hills for years, she is excellent at hosting events. I helped her plan the last few events, it was a lot of work but also very fun."

"So is event planning a pastime for you also?"

"Yes, though I also enjoy designing and sewing gowns. I actually designed the gown I am wearing now, it is one of my favourites."

Thorin looked at her dress and Rowen sat up straighter. She would be lying if she said she didn't enjoy the King's eyes on her.

"Your dress is beautiful Lady Rowen, you are very talented."

Rowen beamed and fluttered her eyelashes. "Thank you My King."

This was going well, Rowen thought. The King seemed happy, conversation was flowing and she was becoming less nervous the more they talked. She ate some bread and leaned back in her chair. Yes, this was going well. She smiled, sipped her wine (which surprisingly she liked) and did her best to ignore the tinge of disappointment of not feeling her spark. It will probably come later, she told herself, once they got to know each other better.