Chapter Twelve
Author's note; I've realized that Frerin has been mentioned several times but there's no scenes with him. I decided to change that and give you guys and insight on our dear Prince and see what he thinks of the arrangement. Hope you guys enjoy.
Day before Thorin's departure.
The second son of Thrain, stalked through the corridors his mind wondering why his father and brother needed an audience with him. It was unlike them to summon him and not his sister, Dis. Keeping his face as neutral as possible, Prince Frerin stepped through the grand door and made his way to the throne room.
The narrow pathway lead straight to his father, Thorin was perched beside him with the same expression, loathing. Raising an eyebrow at his brother, Frerin smirked his way before dramatically bowing to the King. "Father...brother. How can I be useful?" It did not go unnoticed by the King and Crown Prince they way Frerin sneered the last word. Adjusting on the chair, King Thrain's eyes landed on his second son, the one who did not inherit the Durin looks. He was fair of skin and in hair but very much his son.
"As the contract dictated. You are to stay here, until you're betroth arrives. Thorin will be taking leave and personally escorting the Hobbit Prince back to the mountain. " Nothing could really describe what Frerin felt in that moment. Blood left his face and twisted in anger. His green eyes darkened with refusal. Even after countless times, his father still wanted him to marry some gentle folk because a contract dictates it? He was his own person, whatever his parents agreed upon was long ago. He had nothing to do with it.
"I refused to go along...you knew my feelings towards it, Father."
"It is a contract bound by blood. I cannot undo it."
"Have you? Have you looked through loopholes? Have you read through everything?" Frerin demanded. He took took to pacing the hallway, it unsettled the King seeing his son with no way out of something that he had no control over anymore. "Son-
"NO! Don't speak no more, you're putting too much on my shoulders. With Thorin gone, I'll have to take his duties. Who in Durin's name had the idea to appoint him," Frerin said pointing at Thorin, " To leave and take his heir with him?" Clenching his fists, Frerin continued,
"What is so special about a hobbit that he can't com-" Frerin was unable to finish, Thorin stepped down the steps and in one stride he was standing face to face with his brother. His blue eyes dared Frerin to finish, "That hobbit,as you say is going to be part of this family. Grow up and follow your duties."
Frerin scoffed, not stepping back he sent his own glare, " Duties? Ha. Why do I have to? I'm the second child, you have and heir. The one who should be marrying is you." Thinking it would hurt his brother in some way, Frerin was taken aback by his brothers whispered words.
" Maybe it should have been me."
Thrain stood up from his throne, the hidden kingsguard moved as their king did, awaiting his commands. "Enough! We've had this discussion and it will not go any further. Thorin get everything prepared and be ready to leave by the morrow. Frerin, you will accompany me to the council room, your sister awaits us." Thrain dissolved the situation by touching Frerin's shoulder and tugging him back. Until the two brothers broke their eye contact, Frerin shook off his father's hand, turned around and briskly walked ahead of Thrain.
Not waiting for his father, Prince Frerin made a sharp turn to the left instead of the right. His mind already made up. He would leave. They only gave him one option, he could not hold up the Durin name like his siblings. He was the outcast, the black sheep of the family. The only person in his family that supported his decision was his mother. But she was dead. The blonde Prince had no one to back him up. Why was his family so focused on the marriage contract? He knew his fair share of them but he was a Prince, it could be refused is he so wished for it. But I cannot do anything. My future is already made for me.
Frerin arrived to his destination. He opened the door and entered his chambers. The orange glow from the candle barely illuminated his room. The darkness that surrounded him gave him a sense of calm. With a soft thud, Frerin laid on his back. His blonde hair splayed around him like a halo. Taking one deep breath he stood up and began packing his belongings.
The present.
The cave was as warm as it could get, in the center the fire raged with intent to dry off the dwarrows but they all paid it no mind. Everyone was too stunned, they could not form words at what they witness, others felt the loss, some more than others. Kili and Fili held onto each other for support. Ori was flanked by his two siblings, his hands trembling as he wrote in his journal. Tears stained the parchment. Bombur had no energy or desire to set a pot to boil, those who weren't as acquainted to the hobbit still felt like something had be taken away. The one person to suffer the most was Thorin, he still stood outside in the down pour. Eyes not leaving the spot where Bilbo fell. No one approached him, what could they do? He wouldn't listen.
Bilbo, I...forgive me. Knees buckling underneath him, Thorin let himself feel the raw pain, feel the loss. To some extent Thorin was feeling the same way when his mother left the world, the ache was still deep and it felt like it was forced open for all to see. It was my fault. You were hurt. "What have I done? I shouldn't have cared for you."
"You cannot tell your heart what to feel. Or who it feels for. That is out of our control" Thorin kept his eyes lowered, Gandalf's presence was unwanted at the moment. "But it can be fought against it."
"And how has that been going for you? Did it work?" Gandalf inquired.
"Take your insults elsewhere, Wizard." Thorin replied.
"Oh, forgive me. That was not my intention. I'm merely curious." Rain coated the wizard from head to toe, both Gandalf and Thorin heard Kili call out to them. "Please Uncle, you need to come back and recover."
"Recover?" Standing up and glowering at Kili, Thorin didn't think before he reached his nephew and took him the the collar of his near dry jacket, "You expect to leave? Leave him?" Thorin yelled. Kili pushed his Uncle and moved away from him, clearly shaken by his attitude.
"No. We need to recover in order to search the mountain for Uncle Bilbo. We weren't going to leave without him...without his body."
Thorin took several steps towards Kili but he backed away from his reach, "Kili...I-I didn't mean to hurt you…"
"It's alright. We all feel the same way." Kili made no move to approach him, Thorin stepped inside the cave with his head down and shoulders slumped forward. He looked out of character, not the Prince everyone admired. Thorin couldn't even make eye contact with the rest of the company.
He felt like an idiot, he needed to keep his emotions in check, he was never like this. Taking the furthest spot away from everyone else, Thorin tried resting his eyes but the constant images of watching Bilbo's body fall over the edge kept him awake. The rest of the company tried doing the same but in the end it was the same outcome. No one could focus, they knew they needed the energy for tomorrow and yet they did not heed their own words. Surprisingly Ori stood up from his spot between his brothers and addressed not just Thorin but everyone. "I-I can't sit around and pretend that tomorrow we will start our search. He could be h-hurt and I don't...I cant leave him out there if he is, I can't wait till tomorrow."
"Aye, I agree with the lad." Balin spoke out. Thorin searched out his mentor's face hoping he had heard wrong. Could they genuinely want to look for the hobbit? Could it be possible?
"Why? Not so long ago did you all want him out of your hands. Even me ...What has changed?" Thorin asked.
"The same that has happened to you, My Prince." Dwalin casually replied not worried about the consequences. "Don't look at me like that, you know it's true, we've all seen it.-
"We may not hold him as dearly as you do-
"But that doesn't change the fact that, Bilbo warmed his way into our hearts, Uncle" Fili finished for Kili and Dwalin.
"Plus, we won't tell anyone about your feelings." Nori lastly spoke while smirking.
Thorin was taken aback by the revelation. Were his feelings that obvious? He gave no indication whatsoever that his feelings went beyond more than hate, what did he do that caused them to notice? Thorin was about to ask until a the sound of rock grinding against each other stopped him. No words of warning left anyone's lips as the ground beneath them opened up and swallowed everyone into its depths.
Ringing in the left ear made it hard for the hobbit to make out exactly what was happening around him. From the way his wrists hurt with the slightest movement it only confirmed that his wrists were bound by a slime substance.
Opening his eyes was harder than it seemed, pain coursed through his temple with each attempt. What had happened to him? Why was he tied up? Memories swirled around his head, each one of them as confusing as the last. Falling, he remembered that weightless feeling in the pit of his stomach as he fell over the ledge. Blue eyes...Thorin, he was trying to help him. Where was the company...where was he?
Against his better judgment and pain, Bilbo fluttered his eyes open. It took a minute for his eyes to adjust but when they did the hobbit could see he was trapped. It was not the typical wooden and barred cage, even in the darkness Bilbo could tell it was made of what had to be the same slime substance that bounded his wrist. It was unlike anything he's ever seen, he's had plenty of books to read from and all the evidence pointed to Goblins.
Murmurs outside his cage peaked the hobbits interest, after the ringing had subsided and his ears recovered, Bilbo put them to good use. Words came and went, the creatures passed by but nothing they said made any sense. They were either talking in their own tongue or they were smart to keep things to themselves. Which was highly unlikely. The restraints dug into his wrist with his efforts to pull the slime apart, Bilbo couldn't make out anything outside his cage even with the light that shone through. There had to a way out. Think.
Almost shouting in anger, he remembered he carried no weapons, if he did he had been stripped of them. Even his hidden daggers were missing. All Bilbo could do was wait, wait for someone to come and save him or wait for something worse to get him. Whatever the Goblins wanted with him now that he was in their territory, there was no saying what they had in store for him. Pulling again at his restraints Bilbo halted mid pull at feeling movement around him. Faintly the sounds of pulleys moving against each could be heard, mechanical grinding soon followed. The closer the cage moved the louder the sounds became.
Fully aware of what was happening , Bilbo desperately pulled and pulled but to no avail. Everything happened in a blink of an eye. First he was inside a protected slime cage and the next it had been pried open, then was forced out of the cage.
Bilbo cringed at the thunderous laughter coming from all sides, the light blinded him momentarily which cause the hobbit to blink several times before his eyes adjusted. The roar of the crowd filled Bilbo with pure dread. His gut twisted and his heart hammered in his chest at the scene before him. It was a whole colony of Goblins present, all of them surrounded him in a wide circle. Making him the only one in the center except for non other than the Goblin King himself. The pictures depicted of him could do no justice, he was worse.
Author's note; Alright things just heated up! Of course Frerin wouldn't like the arrangement, he's a free bird, he won't stand being tied to anyone. There will be more of him on the next chapter, will he actually leave? Till next update, adios.
