"Look at her dress!"
"She's so beautiful!"
"She looks like a wench, if you ask me."
Briseis grit her teeth in annoyance, trying unsuccessfully to block out the myriad of hushed whispers and lingering stares that seemed to follow her and Selene as they made their way to the Great Hall.
Cursing the bastard who tailored the dress, she reached down to yank at her neckline once more and found her hand instantly slapped away.
"Would you stop? You're going to ruin it!" Sel chided in frustration, shaking her head at the raw, pink skin around Briseis' chest; a vestige from the many attempts at hiding her cleavage.
The girl glowered at the other woman who was stunningly clad in an electric blue, diaphanous gown. She was able to wear the sheer dress with an air of utter elegance that somehow transformed the translucent fabric into an object of ethereal beauty - her long hem floating around her ankles as she walked, making it seem as though she tread upon a cloud.
And then there was Briseis.
Stumbling, fumbling, and sweating her way alongside the image of perfection. The girl knew that compared to what she was up against tonight, a scandalous dress was the least of her concerns.
Thorin's visit in Selene's chambers had left the girl with an uneasy knot in the pit of her stomach, but she shoved thoughts of the King clear from her mind, fearing she would lose what little food she had eaten today if she dwelled on Thorin too long.
Coming full circle with her feelings in the blink of an eye, she wondered with sudden longing what Kili and Fili were up to. She found herself wishing for nothing more than to be with them again, joking and laughing as they had been last night in the courtyard under the stars.
The girl absentmindedly went to adjust her neckline once more as they passed a massive throng of people dressed in fine silks, waiting patiently behind a large set of double doors.
"I'm going to slap you," Sel warned through gritted teeth as she firmly yanked the girl's arm back down by her side. Briseis rolled her eyes and kept walking, but realized that the woman had come to a stop, still clutching her hand tightly.
The girl with the grey eyes turned back to Selene with a brow raised in confusion.
A look of genuine worry painted Sel's beautiful features as the two stood in the middle of the corridor, people craning their necks to stare at them before disappearing behind the doors which had opened with a tremendous groan.
"What's the matter?"
Sel glanced at the girl for a second, seemingly deep in thought before she sighed and brought their intertwined hands between them.
"Look, I know you're angry and nervous and scared - and a bunch of other things I can't understand. But please - you have to swear to not to cause a scene tonight."
Briseis scoffed loudly at the remark, the sound echoing through the rapidly emptying halls. "You're barking."
The woman tightened her grip on the girl's hand.
"Briseis, please - listen to me. The King is dangerous. Do not mistake his interest in you for affection - he will harm you if necessary."
"He's already slapped me, thrown me across a room and tried to rape me. What more could he possibly do?"
"You know full well what else," the black haired woman said seriously. "I like you, and I don't want you getting hurt...or worse."
Despite being somewhat annoyed by the lecture, Briseis was genuinely touched that Sel was trying to look out for her and ended up smiling sweetly in return.
"I promise, I won't cause a scene."
Selene seemed somewhat placated by the girl's vow but remained standing still. Furtively looking around, she lowered her voice to little more than a whisper.
"And whatever is going on between you and Prince Kíli -"
"There is nothing going on between us!" Briseis shouted at once, surprising herself at the overwhelming sense of outrage which seemed to course through her.
Sel gave her a long, pointed glare as if silently telling the girl to keep her mouth shut.
"Whatever is going on between you and the Prince," she reiterated once more, "make sure you are both extra careful with how you behave in public."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Briseis asked, trying unsuccessfully to keep the edge of irritability from her voice.
"It means that the King does not share."
Just then the sounds of a deep, rolling drum reverberated through the hall, making Briseis jump as she turned to look for the source of the ominous beating. It seemed to be emanating from behind the large doors which the line of people had disappeared into a short while ago.
Selene gave her hand one last, tight squeeze before letting go - a look of potent worry and sadness upsetting her dark features.
"The other girls are just down the hall to your left. Good luck."
And without another word, the woman from Khand left Briseis by herself in the eerily empty corridor as the toll of the drum continued to beat through the air.
The other girls?
Briseis had been so preoccupied with everything that had happened in the last few days, she'd completely forgotten about the nine others whom had been selected along with her.
Sure, they hadn't had the pleasure of being whisked away and safe guarded by a couple of princes, but they also didn't have Thorin hell bent on torturing them.
Sighing in resignation, Briseis reluctantly made her way down the corridor, dreading each step as she came closer to the giggling and hushed whispers of her fellow Privileged.
The sounds of such ordinary conversation should have soothed her, but instead It made her want to vomit.
She had never gotten along well with other girls and boys her age. Both sexes seemed to be put off by her brutal honesty and lack of interest in things like flirting and inane banter.
The large, ornately carved door stood looming over Briseis.
She stood glaring at it as though if she scowled hard enough, it would open on its own accord.
The sounds of the drum continued to ring through the air, mingled with the stark voices of 9 other women, all destined to the same fate as she.
A deep sigh escaped her parted lips, and with a quick prayer, Briseis pulled open the door as smoothly as she could, hoping to slip in quietly.
CREEEAAAAKKK!
A large groan emanated from the stone frame catching the attention of everyone in the room at once. All chattering ceased immediately and eighteen pairs of foreign eyes all turned towards the girl in the red dress.
Mentally cursing the traitor door, her grey eyes quickly scanned the room for the nearest form of shelter. A dark, dusty corner furthest away from the others instantly called out to her, and she cooly made her way towards it. Deliberately avoiding the unfriendly glares which seemed to burn a hole into her back.
Wishing there was a drape or curtain she could throw over herself, Briseis settled for yanking at her neckline one more time, smirking at what she knew would be Selene's reaction if she were present.
The thought of Sel unexpectedly returned the woman's stories to her - of Thorin and her own ill fate, and most overwhelmingly of Prince Fili.
The notion of them having sex vividly popped into the girl's mind, one blush blending into the next as her thoughts raced back to the image of the blonde fighting shirtless in the courtyard - sweating, panting and focused on his goal…
Briseis found herself grinning stupidly at her schoolgirl crush on Kili's older brother - how cliché! But really, any woman with a pair of eyes would be swooning over the dwarf. He was unfairly handsome, uncommonly kind, and had a quiet air of authority about him which made the girl's skin tingle.
She bet he was sort of man who liked to take charge in bed...
"I-I really like your dress."
The stranger's voice, although timid, nearly made the girl smack her head on the ceiling in alarm. Face burning with the guilt of her indecent thoughts, she whipped around to face the intruder.
One of the other Privileged stood a few feet away from her, nervously fiddling with her pin straight, golden hair.
She was tall, the hem of her bright green dress barely skimming the floor as she took a careful step backwards.
"Oh - thanks. I hate it," Briseis responded bluntly with a slight shrug, the warmth in her cheeks slowly fading.
The tall girl's fine eyebrows arched in surprise and her round, innocent face flushed pink for a second before she ducked her head sheepishly and mumbled what sounded like an apology under her breath.
Briseis instantly felt like an arse.
"It's a nice dress, just not on me," the girl with the grey eyes blurted, laughing nervously in hopes of salvaging the situation.
The other member of the Privileged smiled widely, clearly relieved. Her creamy complexion was dusted with a light smattering of freckles which caught the light as she too laughed nervously.
"I'm Alanah," the girl extended a hand out in greeting, her green dress shifting with the movement, clinging to her exceptionally thin frame like film.
"Briseis."
She took Alanah's hand, squeezing firmly before they both let go.
The girl with the grey eyes smiled awkwardly and yanked at her neckline again, glancing around at the others who had resumed their conversations.
Each girl wore a different colour dress, making it seem as though a rainbow had vomited in the room. With a pang of annoyance she also realized that her gown was the only one decked from bodice to hemline - like she needed to stand out anymore.
"Where are you from?" Alanah's soft voice broke her thoughts as she returned to the conversation.
"Uhh, Dorwinion," She replied distractedly, her gaze caught by the unfriendly glare of a pair of girls who stood whispering to each other, sniggering cruelly as the one with fiery red hair pulled on her neckline, blatantly mocking Briseis. Her voice carried over like noxious fumes. "Not like pulling on that eyesore will help her ugly tits from spilling out…"
Alanah followed her suddenly murderous gaze and sighed. "Just ignore them."
But passivity was not a trait Briseis possessed.
The girl felt her cheeks grow hot, the rush of adrenaline coursing through her veins nearly making her lightheaded with anger as she yelled across the room.
"Do you have something to say to me?"
The corridor instantly fell silent, all eyes back on her - but this time she barely registered the perplexed stares. She was focused on the two future recipients of a broken nose. Both of whom seemed completely taken aback at being called out on their actions.
"Don't act like you're deaf," Briseis challenged again. She was mentally preparing to roll up her sleeves and beat the crap out of these two - she had gotten into plenty of fistfights in her youth, many with boys much older than she.
The red head looked frantically back and forth between herself and the rest of the Privileged -as if hoping someone would intervene - but the other girls were all watching silently.
"Yeah, insult me again and I'll punch that oversized beak of yours right through the back of your head!"
The red-head, her face now matching the colour of her hair, rolled her eyes indignantly but said nothing in response.
A few more seconds of awkward silence engulfed the room before a somewhat satisfied and partially calm Briseis turned her back on the others with a dramatic flick of her long, curled tresses and the chatter picked up again.
Alanah had a small, admiring smile tugging at the corners of her thin lips.
"That was brilliant," The blonde confessed, her long straight nose flaring as she tried to stifle a laugh. "I've wanted to bash them over the head with a rock since yesterday."
Briseis genuinely laughed, liking the tall girl more and more every second. Aside from her calm, reserved demeanour, she had a subtle gentleness in her dark blue eyes that made Briseis feel comfortable.
The sounds of the drum, which had ceased completely, now suddenly picked up again, beating faster and faster.
A nervous hush fell over the Privileged as they listened, Briseis trying her best not to think of what awaited her beyond the stone doors.