"Aren't you going to search me? There could be anything down my trousers," the dwarf said, blinking up at her with an innocent curiosity that was clearly fake but well practiced.
"Or nothing," she replied, motioning for him to enter the cell - her cell, as a matter of fact - before she shut and closed the door. How strange it was, she mused, to be on this side of the bars once the lock was in place. To see someone else's eyes staring out, pathetic and guilty but without regret.
This dwarf was talkative, unlike his companions, and she couldn't help but feel a twinge of camaraderie as he said just the wrong thing for the situation at hand. How many times had that been her? Instead of getting frustrated with the dwarf for his teasing, she felt something warm inside of her flutter around. And it most certainly didn't have anything to do with that half-smirk of a smile he was looking after her with.
Legolas was eying the dwarf suspiciously, as if he could smell her brand of trouble emanating from him.
"Why does the dwarf stare at you, Tauriel?"
"How should I know?" she shrugged. Then she let one corner of her mouth quirk up slightly. "He is rather tall for a dwarf, don't you think?" she asked innocently, and tried not to smile when Legolas gave her a glare.
"Taller, perhaps, but no less ugly," he called after her as she took the stairs from the dungeons. Her meeting with Lord Thranduil was rather civil today, but seeing as all of the cells were currently occupied, she doubted that her sharp tongue would have gotten her much more than a lecture. To her surprise, her report wound up as a lecture anyway...about the nature of Legolas' affection for her. When she finally escaped her king's presence, she found the blonde prince leaned against the wall in a decidedly bored fashion, waiting for her. He stood, matching her pace as she walked past.
"No arguments then? Usually I hear a bit more screaming when you meet with my father," he teased.
"He rented my room out," she shrugged, returning his smile. "What would he have done with me had I shouted?"
"He might have locked you in there with the dwarf."
She laughed out loud at that.
"And I'm sure the two of us would have had a high time ranting about your father's manners...or lack thereof."
Legolas chuckled.
"I don't doubt you would. You going to be at the party? Or are you expected on prison duty?"
"Prison duty," she grimaced. Legolas put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly.
"I'll sneak you down some Dorwinion, and try to see if I can't keep myself awake until you get off duty. After all, what kind of celebration would it be if I did not offer my best friend what every young girl wants?"
"And what is that?" she asked with a grin.
"A dance with the Prince, of course." He made a grand show of drawing his heels together with a click and sweeping his arm out in a deep bow.
"There are two princes in the dungeon..." she said with an innocent shrug. Legolas made a face up at her, still mid-bow.
"If you don't mind dancing through bars, while bent almost double to account for the height difference."
"If you plan to stay like that all night, the only difference would be the bars," she countered with a smile.
Legolas' pose deflated as he broke into laughter, and Tauriel soon joined him.
"Off with you, then," he said once he had caught his breath, waving a hand weakly in her direction. "Go march around and intimidate the dwarves."
"I'll enjoy being on the opposite side of the bars for once. Hope you don't mind if I steal your usual seat."
"What? No, that stair is mine," Legolas said in mock horror. Tauriel elbowed him good-naturedly as she passed, turning onto the path that led to the dungeons.
This was going to be an interesting night for sure.