It took a few seconds of nonplussed staring at the naked dwarf before Briseis averted her dumbfounded gaze away from Thorin's dangling manhood - unsure of whether she wanted to vomit or blind herself after what she'd just seen.
The dwarf in question however seemed absolutely unperturbed, as if having his penis out in the open was the most normal thing in the world. "You seem uncomfortable." The King's deep voice had a hint of a smirk in it, making the girl grit her teeth in annoyance.
Of course she was uncomfortable! The size of the dwarf's manhood alone was enough to make her want to cry. Yet he paid no notice, nonchalantly drying his hair with a fluffy white towel as he descended from the staircase near the opposite wall, humming a soft tune.
Briseis awkwardly turned herself towards the exit wondering if she could simply run out of the room. She gauged the distance to the blue door, calculating her chances….
"You look lovely when your face is that shade of red," the King teased, obviously relishing in her abashment.
That bastard.
"Put on your towel," Briseis demanded calmly as she begrudgingly turned to look at Thorin. She was in no mood to be toyed with and knew shying away would only give him more satisfaction. Her grey eyes carefully focused on his face, all traces of outward anxiety gone.
The King's cheeks were flushed and his raven coloured hair was still wet, a few slick strands clung to his forehead before he ran his fingers through them, shooting her a rather unnerving smile as he did. She couldn't help but watch him and his oddly boyish behaviour, or notice how ordinary he seemed when the wild scowl lifted from his features.
But the expression shifted, his smile slowly fading as he began to bite his lower lip, glowing blue eyes slowly raking over her figure with unabated desire. His gaze lingering on her breasts.
The girl balked at his leering and deliberately crossed her arms over her chest as a gnawing fear in the pit of her stomach began to grow -they were alone, he was naked and she was wearing undergarments that made a husk of corn seem thick.
Quickly thinking of the towel she had dropped, Briseis shakily walked over to the stone bench and sat down before carefully retrieving the damp towel from the floor and covering herself with it. Telling herself to calm down, she returned a sour gaze onto the King, clutching onto the cloth like a life line. "Will you cover yourself up…please?" The girl unwillingly tagged the plea to the end of her demand, hoping it would soften the acidic tone of her voice.
He smiled knowingly at the girl, his sparkling eyes never leaving hers as he began patting dry the gleaming moisture from his broad chest before slowly and very deliberately dragging the towel down his muscular abdomen. Briseis slightly pursed her lips in distaste and rolled her eyes at his lame attempt to seduce her.
The King's booming laughter filled the cavernous bathing hall so suddenly that it made Briseis jump, completely taken aback by his reaction. "I suppose I should be modest since Im the first man you've seen naked," his voice seemed light and playful, matching the expression on his disturbingly handsome face as he began to tie the towel around his waist.
"Trust me, you're not the first," Briseis retorted icily, his thunderous laugh still echoing in her ears. The girl couldn't decide whether she liked the sound of his mirth, or if it frightened her further. Regardless, there was no chance she would let him revel in the thought that he was ever going to take her innocence away.
She noticed a momentary pause in his movements as his expression fell for a split second, but the lapse in his unusual behaviour was so fleeting, the girl blinked once before he had returned to smiling slightly.
Something was wrong.
"Pray, tell me. Who was the first?" King Thorin asked politely, the towel now securely fastened around his waist.
Briseis furrowed her brows at him. He seemed….normal for lack of a better word. Perverted. But nonetheless oridinary. No where near the savage animal who nearly raped her a mere day ago.
The dwarf cocked a feathery brow at her before she realized he was still waiting for an answer.
"How is that any of your business?" the girl asked suspiciously, trying not to let him catch her scrutinizing his figure now that her eyes were free to wander.
Briseis was intrigued by the black markings that covered his muscular arms and chest. They were much like Fili's, but the symbols were even more intricate and beautiful. Of course she had no idea what they meant, but the girl couldnt help stare at them.
He was also as impressively built as Fili, but taller, and with much more hair. Which brought her to also notice the horrendous amount of scars that raked his flesh. They ranged in size and colour from small silvery scratches to atrocious discoloured blotches that looked as though chunks of his flesh had been torn off.
"Might be someone I'm familiar with - I'm curious," the King piped up, completely breaking Briseis' train of thought. She had to pause for a second to recall what they had been discussing before screwing her face up at him in blatant disbelief.
"I highly doubt you know the blacksmith from my village."
"Blacksmith?" Thorin repeated unsurely, making his way towards the bench she was sitting on. "A bit too old for you, dont you think?" He said, genuinely inquisitive as he came to stand directly in front of the girl, his pelvis uncomfortably close to Briseis' upturned face. She tightened the towel around herself and tried to calm her nerves - this version of Thorin made her even more anxious than the one who had chained her to the bed.
"I like older men," she stated simply, still perplexed by his behaviour. Whether it was the light or simply a reflection of his mood, his eyes seemed brighter.
"Well, you should love me then." He quipped playfully, stretching his arms behind his head with a slight groan. "I'm much older than you are."
"You're also a monster." The words left Briseis' mouth before she even realized what she was saying. The slight trace of a smile on the King's lips had vanished entirely. Instead, his mouth was set in a firm line, his arms dropped and his piercing blue eyes fixed onto her.
She swore at herself, cursing the lack of a verbal filter which had gotten her into trouble so many times before.
Thorin's burning gaze was disconcerting, but the girl didnt look away, the only noise which broke the silence between them was the splash of falling water.
And then without warning, the King lunged down towards her, eyes wide and nostrils flaring as he stopped just an inch from her pale face. It took everything within the girl not to gasp or flinch away from him, but her hammering heart felt as though it were about to explode.
The dwarf's expression suddenly became stoic, his nose nearly touching hers as his blue eyes swept over her deceptively calm features. "If I'm such a monster, then why aren't you afraid of me?" His deep voice was barely above a whisper, but the question was real. She could hear the genuine curiosity in his words as he tilted his head sideways, incrementally moving closer to Briseis.
The girl had nearly stopped breathing, unsure of what to do, say or even think at this point. All she could seem to focus on was the proximity of the half naked dwarf in front of her, their noses nearly touching. The King cautiously reached up, cupping her face in one of his large, calloused hands before she could recoil from his touch.
His flesh was warm, save for the cool metal of his ring, and tingled slightly as he gingerly traced her lips with his gaze and his thumb. His own lips parting slightly as he nestled himself in between the girl's legs, careful not to move too suddenly as though she were a wounded animal he was trying not to scare away.
He locked her gaze with his own, and slowly slid his hand behind her neck while the other extended to brush a lock of damp hair from her face. Thorin moved slowly as he brushed the side of her bruised cheek, blue eyes studying the damage he had inflicted.
"She was so delicate that while we sat beneath the linden branches, a leaf would fall, drift down and touch her skin, leaving a bruise in its wake. So as we sat in the afternoon hour, beneath that fragrant linden bower, I had to chase all of the leaves that fell, away."
The King muttered the entirety of the passage to himself, but the girl caught every word, her grey eyes now wide and unblinking, wondering to herself if he had been hit over the head by something. That would be a more likely explanation to his behaviour than anything else she could think of.
"Will you kiss me?" Thorin asked suddenly, his voice calm. Briseis started at his words, nearly elbowing him in the ribs at the mere suggestion, but being this close to the King was like being snared by a snake. Especially when one of his hands still held the back of her neck. He could snap her like a twig without blinking.
He stared at her patiently, unnmoving while the girl with the grey eyes fought for something to say.
"My mother told me never to kiss strange men," she finally croaked, swearing at herself even as the words came out of her mouth. Really, thats the best you could come up with?! A part of her mind sneered.
But the King's lips twitched and he released his grip on her, earning a silent sigh of relief from the incredulous girl. He was actually going to let her go? "Sound advice," he declared, nodding his head slightly. "But what do you think she'd say about having sex with a blacksmith?"
"I think she'd say that was none of your business," Briseis said, smiling forcedly at the dwarf who seemed to be enjoying their somewhat flirtatious banter.
He grinned toothily, and shifted his weight, nudging her as she realized he was still nestled in between her legs. He seemed to realize the same thing and placed both hands on her bare thighs, turning slightly to face her directly. The light mood suddenly taking a dark turn.
"I could spread your legs apart right now you know…make you scream, make you beg me to stop," Thorin breathed, his burning blue eyes gauging her panicked reaction and anticipating the sudden attempt to clasp her thighs shut as he held them firmly in place, a sick smile on his lips. "I want a taste of how wet you are."
Her heart was racing and she looked around frantically for something - anything - to defend herself with. But the King suddenly let her go, without warning or announcement, and stood in a flash of white in front of the girl again, the towel around his waist standing at an obscene point between his legs.
"I could do that now, but why spoil the fun?" He asked colloquially, kissing the back of his hand before gently running it across Briseis' bruised forehead. Then turning, made his way out of the washing chambers without so much as a second glance at the girl who sat, shaking uncontrollably in a pool of sweat.
Hey everyone! I love you all for sticking with me through the long Univeristy semester! But now i am back in business baby! Please please please remember to leave your lovely reviews!