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The sun was hanging low in the sky, pale orange clouds parting beautifully behind the Lonely Mountain, the savage rain from earlier now a forgotten memory as birds chirped happily, flitting past the buzzing halls of Erebor. There was a palpable excitement in the air, the sounds of eager whispers and anxious laughter heard from all corners of the halls.
Celebrations here were few and far between and the people reveled in what mirth they could muster from the Ceremony despite the sick, twisted truth behind the occasion. They tried not to think of the 10 young girls, many of them virgins, who would be forced into the King's pleasure - but focused on the chance to enjoy good food, good drink and good music with their friends on a night where the King's attention was directed elsewhere.
The air was filled with a sudden barrage of galloping hooves, instantly catching the attention of the two guards who stood watch afront the open gates of Erebor. A few seconds later, the determined figure of young Prince Kili bobbed into view as he kicked his pony faster, hurtling towards them. The heavily armoured dwarves exchanged perplexed glances as Kíli finally reached them, yanking his beast to a rough stop and dismounting his steed in one fluid motion.
The youngest son of Dís hastily tossed the reins to the startled guard who reflexively caught the rope of the snorting pony, the prince being in too much of a hurry to lead Thunder back to the stables himself. He mumbled a thank you to the annoyed dwarf and without another word, was jogging through the crowds of people towards Selene's room.
Everyone was already dressed in their finest silks and garb, chattering away excitedly about the prospect of food and ale as the young prince flew past them, a few craning their necks over their shoulders to stare at Kili in amused curiosity.
The dwarf was in no mood to feign nonchalance for the sake of appearances at this point, nearly crashing into an elderly woman as he turned the corner to bee line for the ready room he knew Briseis would be waiting for him in. Instead of stopping to apologize, he shouted a half hearted sorry behind his shoulder without missing a step.
He was so late.
The party had planned to depart New Dale at noon to reach Erebor safe and sound by two o'clock at the very latest. Yet, here he was at half past five, sprinting now to reach the girl he had so carelessly forgotten about. Of course, he only had himself to blame for this - the sight of Dwalin, Balin and Bofur after seven long years had been enough to take his mind off the time, his problems and even Briseis.
"Shit," Kili swore, tugging at the parcel he had stuffed in his cloak pocket that was starting to fall out, choosing to tuck the brightly wrapped package under his arm instead as he rounded another corner, careful to avoid the women carrying trays of fruits into the Gallery of the Kings.
Another oath escaped the prince's lips at the sight of the bright berries, luscious pears, plums and figs - they were already starting to prepare food for the Ceremony.
That meant there was little more than an hour left before they would all be expected in the Great Hall.
Mahal, I am out of shape - Kili thought, wincing as another excruciating stitch ran along his left side. Where the hell were Selene's chambers again?
Finally, the prince skidded to a halt, his face flushed with anxiety and breathlessness as he took a frantic look around himself, hoping that somehow the door to the woman's chamber would suddenly shout out and wave him over. Throwing caution to the wind, the dwarf took a deep breath and ran straight down the corridor, taking a left turn at the first fork in the hall. The amount of people milling about had thinned considerably as he'd gone deeper into the palace, but peeking ahead, Kili noticed a huge, black man sitting calmly outside the entrance to a chamber door.
Kili grinned widely, bounding past the few startled stragglers that milled about as he slid to a stop before Ceylon.
"Is she alright?" the youngest son of Dis gasped, feeling as though someone had knocked the breath from his lungs as he embarrassingly doubled over in an effort to catch his breath.
The giant man stared at Kili for a few seconds, his piercing gold eyes as expressionless as his broad face while he waited for the prince to cease gasping.
"No harm has befallen her," Ceylon stated, his powerful voice seemed bored as he glared at the dwarf in what looked like distaste.
"Right - thank you." Kili managed to huff, bracing his back gingerly as he stood upright. "You're free to leave now."
A loud creak emanated from the small stool Ceylon had been sitting on as the hulking messenger stood, positively towering over the sheepish dwarf. He gave a small nod to the prince before making his way down the hall, disappearing at the first left turn.
Kili shook his head after the man, there was no doubt Ceylon could crush his skull with one hand, but still he chose to remain in Erebor under the command of his brother. It was a wonder how Fili had even managed to befriend the giant, let alone get him to follow orders.
The young dwarf quickly recalled his lost sense of urgency and sprinted the final few steps to the large, stone door. He lifted his hand to knock, but was halted by the sound of two voices - bickering loudly.
"You look gorgeous!" The first voice, light and airy belonged to Selene who seemed to have a trace of irritation in her usually calm tone.
"I look like a whore!" The second voice, deep and smooth made the prince smile uncontrollably before knocking on the door with gusto.
Both of them fell silent. "Who is it?" Sel asked sweetly from behind the wall.
"Uh- It's Prince Kili. I need to see Briseis."
The sound of a chair scraping against the floor could be heard along with furious, hushed whispers. The dwarf found his heart thumping wildly as he wiped his sweaty hands on his breeches - there was always something about whispering women that made him nervous.
A few more seconds passed before the stone door flew open, Kili's eyes widening in surprise at the mesmerising young girl who stood before him, glaring with icy grey eyes and a look of blatant disapproval painted over her features.
Somewhere deep down, the prince knew she was waiting for an explanation to his tardiness, but he was simply at a loss for words. All he could do was stare dumbly with his mouth partially open at the sight of Briseis. The black khol delicately traced along her top and bottom lashes made her stoney grey eyes pop hypnotically, the length of her already long lashes exaggerated indefinitely with some concoction of Selene's which only added to her heart stopping smoulder. Her bruises were expertly concealed, her skin was positively luminescent and a subtle pink glow seemed to radiate from the apple of her cheeks. Her long hair fell in elegant curls of brown all the way down to her slim waist, and she flipped her locks over her shoulder impatiently. Dressed in nothing but a purple night gown, Briseis stepped out into the hall, her breasts stretching the silk fabric distractingly as Kili felt his face, mind and sense of arousal burning with a sudden intensity that he neither cared for or recognized.
She crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot impatiently, glaring at him irately. "Well?" She spat finally, throwing her hands into the air in exasperation as the prince continued to struggle with his coherency.
"Y-you look stunning," Kili managed to stammer, immediately realizing this was not what she had been hoping to hear.
"Unbelievable," she muttered, re-crossing her arms and shaking her head in disgust. Her anger seemed to jolt the young dwarf out of his lust induced stupor as he stepped in front of Briseis who had now turned around to storm off into Selene's chambers once more.
"Look, I'm so sorry I'm late. We got held up in Dale by a few of Fili's colleagues," Kili explained, trying his best not to feel guilty about telling a half truth. He doubted she would be placated if he told her that he'd forgotten about her while drinking with old friends. "I couldn't get away fast enough." He added, smiling warmly while absentmindedly reaching to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.
But Briseis recoiled from his touch, narrowing her smouldering eyes at him. "Why didn't you tell me?"
The prince was utterly confused, managing only to blink stupidly at her.
The girl realized his lack of understanding and huffed in frustration. "The Ceremony! That I've been chosen to be the King's screw toy for a night!" She exclaimed crudely, the nostrils of her pointy nose flaring in anger. "And the fact that you're his nephew!" Briseis hissed, biting her lip in an effort to keep her emotions at bay.
Kili silently cursed Selene's big mouth, but whatever irritation he felt towards the other woman was washed away by a crippling wave of devastation that suddenly hit the young dwarf. He realized that he and his brother had done absolutely nothing by way of planning a rescue for the girl. He needed to find Fili - and fast. They would figure something out with the little time they had left. But for now, he had to deal with the bristling girl standing before him with a murderous look on her beautiful face.
"I had meant to tell you as soon as we arrived from Dale this afternoon, but we got delayed. I promise I was going to tell you everything," Kili said earnestly, grabbing one Briseis' clenched fists. He brought it up to his chest and placed it over his heart. "I promise."
The girl glared at him for a few seconds, but did nothing to retrieve her hand. Her skin was so soft.
"And as for keeping my relation to Thorin a secret - would you be broadcasting any sort of familial ties with that savage? Fili and I do our best to try and forget that he is our King, let alone our uncle." The dwarf found himself saddened at his own words, but knew it was the truth. After all this time, he truly had lost all hope for Thorin. Briseis' expression began to soften as Kili continued to talk. "And as for being chosen companion, don't worry - I won't let him touch you."
Her grey eyes sized him up momentarily, as though trying to gauge his sincerity by the way he held himself. Kili straightened out under her gaze and gave her hand, which was still cradled close to his chest, a tight squeeze. After a few more seconds of intense scrutiny, Briseis abruptly leapt into the startled prince's arms, hugging him tight. Kili grinned from ear to ear, wrapping his arms around her protectively. She was taller than he, and the dwarf found himself blushing scarlet as he tried to turn his face away from her breasts that were brushing against his cheek. She noticed this and laughed, earning a chortle from the dwarf as well as she knelt down gracefully so that his nose nuzzled into her hair. He inhaled deeply the scent of jasmine and lavender which seemed to cling to her brown tresses and tried to ignore the sense of euphoria which filled him from head to toe.
He felt the girl straightening out to escape the embrace, but the youngest son of Dis did not want to let her go. He held on for a few more seconds before she broke the hug and stepped back smiling from his longing arms, making the Prince wonder if his brother's speculations had been right. Was he - despite telling himself the contrary - developing more than just feelings of friendship for this girl? The thought did nothing but terrify the dwarf, and he instantly banished the notion from his mind. He wanted to protect her - nothing more and nothing less.
"What's that?" Briseis' voice cracked Kili's thoughts like a whip as he snapped his gaze into focus. Her head was tilted to the side curiously as she stared at something on the ground next to his feet. Looking down, the dwarf realized he had dropped the parcel when she had leapt to hug him, and gingerly bent forward to pick up the brightly wrapped item.
"It's for you," Kili stated, smiling at her lopsidedly as he handed the package over to a cautious Briseis.
"What is it?" She inquired, warily accepting the gift as she turned the purple wrappings over in her hands.
"Your gown for tonight," The prince explained delicately, hoping that a reminder of the Ceremony did not spoil her mood too much. But the girl's grey eyes flicked to him like the blade of a knife.
"How did you get this so fast?" She asked in surprise, staring at him as though he were capable of some form of magic he wasn't telling her about.
But Kili had no clue what she meant. "Uh...someone was tasked to buy it for you when we were in Dale...and I delivered it to you?"
"Wait - the seamstress didn't make this for me? For tonight?"
"Of course not, the poor woman needs at least five days notice to get something like this done in time. Otherwise she'd be worked to the bone," the prince explained, laughing slightly at the utterly perplexed look on the girl's face. "What's the matter?"
"N-nothing," Briseis said with a tight lipped smile, tucking the parcel under her arm just as Kili had done.
"Well, try it on then! I'd like to see what it looks like," Kili urged, shoving the seemingly distracted girl towards Selene's ready room. "I'll be right here."
Briseis closed the door with a distant look on her face, leaving the Prince alone in the empty corridor with nothing but his thoughts.
Delving his face into his hands, the young dwarf sighed tremendously, asking Mahal to bestow upon him a miracle to save the girl from being forced into Thorin's bed.
What was he going to do?
Looking up, he stared at the golden shadows which filled the hall for what seemed like hours, watching the thin slivers of sunlight still desperately holding on to the last remnants of day even though darkness lurked nearby, waiting to snuff them out at a moment's notice.
He knew time was short, he knew he had nothing to go on, but he refused to believe that he had failed the girl just yet. He would find Fili and the two would think of something - anything to stop the King.
Just then the door creaked open and Kili's thoughts returned to the present, craning his neck in order to peek around the frame when no one stepped out.
A few more seconds of silence passed and the prince called out impatiently. "Oh come now, I'm sure you don't look that bad in it!"
And as though to prove him wrong, Briseis stepped out into the corridor once more.
The sight of her nearly knocked the breath from his lungs, leaving him with the odd sensation of being punched in the gut. The sparkling red jewels glittered like a thousand burning stars on the deceptive, nude lining of the skin tight gown. The illusion of her bare skin, covered only by the intricate patterns of ruby applique made his heart race and ears glow. The neckline was cut deep and offered Kili a sight of her cleavage that would be forever more burned into his memory. It was only after he was able to pry his eyes from her figure that he registered the look of blatant fury on the girl's face.
"Did you buy this in a brothel?" Briseis spat, yanking at the neckline in an effort to hide her generous cleavage, but it did nothing except make the dwarf want to stare at her breasts some more. He resisted the temptation with everything he was worth and stared her directly in the eye.
"I have no idea where they bought this, but...you look...too enticing for your own good," Kili finished morosely, looking away from the girl as he realized the truth behind his own words. If he was having trouble concentrating on decent thoughts at the mere sight of her, then the King would surely be unable to restrain himself.
"I'm not wearing this!" She hissed indignantly.
Before the prince could turn around once more to address her, Selene's voice filled the air.
"Ah, my Prince, perhaps you can talk some sense into that stubborn skull of hers."
Kili turned to address both women when he saw that Sel wasn't talking to him.
Fili had crept up on them without so much as an echoing footstep. He was tying the belt of his deep green tunic while raking his gaze over a scarlet faced Briseis. The blighter must have arrived shortly after he did, but had gone to change first.
The eldest son of Dis definitely did look princely in his ceremonial garb, complete with gold studded sleeves and hem as he nodded at Selene in a business like matter.
The woman smiled a little too warmly at the golden haired dwarf and Kili nearly felt himself grinning at the telltale effect Fi seemed to have on nearly all the women in the palace. Suddenly wondering if Briseis found him as attractive as everyone else did. The thought bothered him a little more than it should have.
Fili walked over to the girl without so much as uttering a single word, coming to stand behind her. She tried to turn to look at him, but he gently pushed her face forward with his hand, Kili registering the harsh blush in her cheeks at his touch. The youngest dwarf watched impatiently in growing irritation as his brother carefully placed both hands on the top of her neckline and pulled the bodice up forcefully, effectively covering much of her exposed chest.
The straw haired prince leaned in to whisper something into the breathless girl's ear, frowning as he pulled away.
Briseis nodded meekly, a look of reluctant resignation coming to settle upon her features as she gave her bodice one last yank.
"You done?" Kili asked brusquely, thoroughly annoyed at his brother's little display. Apparently Briseis did find the elder prince as handsome as the other women.
Fi grinned widely as he approached his bristling sibling. "Just having a bit of fun," he winked mischievously, knowing full well that his brother was not pleased.
"We'll see how 'fun' you think it is when I tell Sigrid," Kili threatened under his breath, registering the look of mock terror on the blonde's face, which did nothing but infuriate the other dwarf even further.
"I just like busting your jambags, brother," Fili teased, throwing his arm over Kili's shoulder. "So tell me again how you don't have feelings for her?"
The younger dwarf growled, nearly reaching over to smack the blonde across the head when Briseis' voice broke their hushed bickering.
"What are you two arguing about over there?"
"Oh, Kili's just upset that he lost our bet," Fili explained, smiling slyly. "But I'm afraid you and the other girls are needed in the Great Hall now."
Briseis looked at Kili in panic, the dark haired dwarf's heart shattering at the thought of leaving her alone once more. He did his best to smile. "It'll be alright, just trust me."
The girl took a deep breath and nodded as Selene took her by the arm, carefully throwing out the train to the gown before leading Briseis down the corridor.
Both brothers watched them in silence, waving in unison as the girl with the grey eyes turned around to look at them once more before disappearing around the corner.
"She really is beautiful," Fili offered by way of a compliment, perhaps attempting to atone for his jesting.
"What did you tell her? Just now when you were fixing her bodice," Kili inquired curiously, rounding on his brother with narrowed eyes.
The blonde frowned slightly. "Come on, you've got to change your clothes. You reek of horse."
But the youngest Prince didn't budge. "What did you say to her, Fi?"
Fili sighed and turned to his brother, staring at him carefully before answering. "I told her what Thorin told me - she either wears the dress or she wears nothing."
Kili felt his face drop, a sense of debilitating anger and hopelessness threatening to drown him before he felt Fili's arm come to rest over his shoulders once more. The blonde squeezed tight, the feeling of being in his big brother's embrace pulled Kili from the depressing depths of his own thoughts like a rope cast to a stranded survivor of a shipwreck.
"Let's get a move on, Kitty - we've got a girl to save."