They all stood in the dark, but for the glow of their lamps. It was the ninth night of their celebrations, and many of the dwarves had willingly taken part in favour of their Kings bride!

She had lit two hundred lamps, although there were no more than a hundred dams in Erebor willing to take part. The remaining lamps were carried by some of the soldiers who had remained.

The snow outside the mountain had settled completely, and each night a fine dusting fell on top, although tonight the skies were clear.

But it was the silence of the evening that always made this night particularly special.

The lamps were traditionally carried by women, back home, in honour of their mother goddess. And each, who carried their light, held their own silent thoughts and wishes that night. They were the sort of thoughts that woke you up at two in the morning.

She worried about her father, who lay unwell at home, and now her brother who journeyed back after having fought in battle.

Many dwarves of Erebor had come to watch, even if they did not take part, and they stood behind the group watching in silence. It was a strange amassing.

Arvind was due to arrive any moment. But there was no sign yet.

A path had been cleared in the snow, all the way across the stone bridge and out to the road heading east.

Then she had lit her lamp first. And all the others had lit their lamps from her one. A symbol of how the light had spread to displace the darkness, one lamp at a time.

Thorin himself stood watching. She had felt his eyes boring into her all the while.

Dis had made her pee into her basket of wild wheat the following week also but on both occasions the wheat had not bloomed, much to her relief.

They would leave the lamps out in the snow to burn all night, up ahead on the road side.

She could not afford to use much oil and fat for each lamp, since it was mid winter. So there was little risk of the lamps staying alight for more than a couple of hours.

She took a deep breath and shivered in the chilly air, before looking around her.

All two hundred lamps cast a warm glow that cut through the pitch black of the wintry evening in the silence.

At first she had stood there for the last half hour waiting, but she had decided they could not wait in the cold for much longer like this.

And just as she was about to step forward, she heard it. The distant sound of horses, trudging through the snow.

She had worried that Arvind might have become stranded in the snow somewhere, but now she could breathe a sigh of relief.

Slowly, a step at a time, she led the way. Her light cut through the darkness, as the sea of lamps followed behind, each one moving slowly and carefully.

As they made their way down into the valley in silence, the sound of the hooves making their way slowly was now much clearer.

Finally as they set their lamps down in the snow, all in two long rows either side of the road, they could see the group from Rhun.

They all wore cloaks and hoods against the bitter cold, and their horses trudged along as though they too felt the chill.

It had been a silent reunion.

They had all returned back to the mountain slowly, as Arvind had arrived.

Finally their horses had been returned to their stables for the warmth and feed, while the soldiers all carefully filed into the mountain hall for supper. It was a quiet and sombre meal, and seemed to reflect the mood of the soldiers who were weary after their travels and hard won battles.

Once supper was finished, Shobha walked alongside Arvind, happy to have him back, but also aware that he was much more withdrawn than he was normally.

"I am sorry, my dear sister, I am exhausted..." He gave her a weak smile. "It is very kind of you to prepare such a wonderful apartment -"

"Arvind, you haven't even seen it yet! It really isn't much...so please tell me if you need anything to make you more comfortable." She replied, walking beside him, her arm linked in his, as they often did when she was small. He had been the only one to regard her as a sister.

"I am more concerned that you are working so hard, when you may be with child..." He put his free hand over her arm in genuine concern. "I hear that Thorin had moved you into his personal chambers..?"

"That does not mean a thing. You know that. I suspect it is more in aid of controlling me! After all, I have no ladies in waiting..." She replied quietly. "And he expects an heir from me..."

Arvind sighed. It was sadly the only expectation from any highborn woman.

"How is father?" She asked worried.

"He is injured but he does not appear to be deteriorating. That is important..." Arvind attempted to sound a little up beat about it. "Your mother is the kindest nurse he could have. And I am glad he has her..."

"I know your mother would have been there for him too." Shobha soothed. It had been a few years since Arvinds mother passed away, but it still felt fresh to Shobha, so she couldn't imagine how he felt. She too had been a kind woman, and one of the few other wives that the King truly loved.

Arvind nodded.

"Come let me help arrange your clothes, while you take a bath. I can shout to you from the room like when we were young." She offered with the best smile that she too could manage.

"You cannot do that, little sister. Your husband will not like it. And you belong to him now..." Arvind grimaced as he stopped and turned to her. He had hurt himself, but had been trying to hide it all evening. He quickly attempted to try and pretend that he was tired once more. " Listen, my dear one. It is imperative that you try your best to make this work. Because now even as the temporary king, Archan will not be merciful towards you, if you return..."

She found genuine concern in his face and it made her worry further.

"But my mother? You know Archan's mother hates her right?!"

"But she is safe with the King for now. And there after, I have left her under my protection, with some of my men..."

"What do you mean thereafter?" She asked suspiciously. "What are you not telling me about father? Arvind -"

But he grimaced in pain again, and attempted to hide it once more.

"You are hurt!" She suddenly began to search his torso for injuries, but they were promptly interrupted.

"There you are, my wife." Thorin stood there glowering at them both.

"Arvind is hurt, my Lord," she frowned at her own brother, annoyed that he had chosen to hide it. "His wounds will need tending to-"

"Allow me to see to our Prince, my lady," he replied, gently cupping her chin. "He will need a good strong drink prior to this. And I have the perfect choice, why not join me in my study now?"

Arvind seemed to hesitate at first, but it was hard to refuse. He was tired from his travels but he couldn't afford to upset Thorin at this point.

"Very well."

...

"Your sister tells me that your father was injured in battle?" Thorin handed the young man a goblet of his best wine, before they both took to two arm chairs by the fireplace.

Arvind hesitated again, taking a sip first as he watched the flames of amber, gold and red dance.

"He is gravely injured. But both her mother and I did not feel it right to inform Shobha the truth," Arvind sighed heavily, for now he felt like he bore the weight of the world on his shoulders. "She would wish to return home to see our father - and if she is with child, it would be a most dangerous journey. Not only for the journey, but also there will be many who would wish to harm her now..."

Arvind quietened down again, less eager to share all the details.

"Am I to assume that her protection is reliant on the survival of your father?" Thorin balanced his goblet carefully in one hand, watching the young Prince carefully.

Arvind nodded in silence, only giving Thorin a glance. He had already shared too much with the dwarf.

"Then what of her mother? Surely she will come to harm should she remain?"

"Narendra...is under my guard. They are entirely loyal to me and my most trusted men. They will remain with her, and when the King passes, they have been instructed to help her escape through the secret passages." Arvind sighed. "He is very weak now, and it is sure to be soon."

"But she knows that her life may be at risk if she remains...?" Thorin watched the young Prince.

"Aye, but she remains out of some sense of love and gratitude..." Arvind sighed. Even the Maharajah himself had asked her to leave while she could, but she had refused.

Thorin fell silent, thinking of what Shobha had spoken of to him about her own life and that of her mother's. It reminded him of how she had nursed him, when he was gravely wounded, himself. She too could have left him, to save herself, and yet she had remained.

"And why would you do this for her? After all, she is not YOUR mother?" Thorin asked quietly. He did not often worry about how his questioning sounded to many. But he liked Arvind, and he was curious.

Arvind paused, taking another deep breath and watching the flames distantly. It was clearly a difficult subject, and the reactions of the young Rhun Prince, only stood to make him more curious about the answer.

"My own mother succumbed to a fever, when I was just fourteen. They were years that I particularly needed a mother. And Narendra, was always kind to me - perhaps because I was kind to her daughter...and our mothers were friends...but Narendra was kind enough to care for me as a son. And she made no differences between how she cared for Shobha or me. It is a gratitude that I owe her..."

"And will that not place you out of favour...with your new King and brother?"

"Perhaps," Arvind drained his goblet. "But I have prepared for this day. Most of my men were unmarried. Those who have other families remaining in the city are provided for. Those who have wives and children have been given instructions and papers. They will travel in the spring to join their husbands here. And if you still require my men following this they will have to find a settlement nearby, if not in Dale."

Thorin sighed. He wanted to be angry, but he couldn't. Arvind was merely trying to provide and keep his loyal men safe along with their families - it was precisely the path he had found himself on all those years when Smaug had first invaded Erebor.

"Well they are welcome to join their husbands here, when they are ready." Thorin leant over and filled Arvinds goblet again. "And we shall find room for them in the mountain."

"That is most generous. But we will not remain, once you feel you no longer need us." Arvind nodded in thanks, before taking another sip, and turning his gaze back to the flames.

"Your sister is the generous one. She would have found a way to convince me to offer the families settlement, even if I had disagreed at first," Thorin suppressed a smile, covering his lips with his own goblet. "I like you, Arvind. So this way I get to remain your ally and friend."

Arvind tilted his head in agreement.

"My sister is too clever for her own good." Arvind then looked worried at Thorin. "So I would be grateful if you kept our discussion to yourself...or she would insist on running home to see our father at least one last time. And he himself wanted it this way so she remained safe."

"Very well. You have my word. But how will you break it to her when the time comes?"

"I will find a way. And even then, it may be better that she is angry with me rather than you." Arvinds final words were colder. But he simply wanted to rest now. His journey had been long, and his memory drowning with too many faces lost in battle. Even the rich dwarvish wine was not enjoyable under such circumstances. "Besides it cannot be good for her, if she is with child..."

Thorin paused at his words, uncertain of weather he greeted the possibility with happiness or contempt. It's mention by her brother now in the context of such a serious manner, suddenly made the reality of it seem far more harsh.

"Why do you assume that she is?" He wondered, watching her brother carefully for his response.

But Arvind simply shrugged, as though it were a throw away comment.

"Perhaps it is me and my travels, or my lengthy absence...but she looks different..."

...

She frowned at the basket of wild wheat, before fixing her gaze on her sister-in-law once again.

"You expect me to..."

"Urinate on the wheat grass. Aye, girl. It is not as though this is your first time..." Dis put her hands on her hips. She had brought the basket over to her, after her brother's wife had been avoiding her for some days now. And she was certain this time it would bloom. After all, by Thorins own account, the girl hadn't bled for at least five weeks now!

And it was much to her own surprise that he had shared a bed with anyone for so long!

"My lady, I cannot humour you this morning. I am late as it is." She hurried past the dam towards the door. "I will...water the grasses in the evening -"

"So my brother enjoys watching you piss then does he...?" She quirked an eyebrow, halting Shobha as she opened the door. "Because he will ask me later today, and if I tell him that you have not yet done so, I imagine he will very likely insist you do so tonight..."

Shobha shuddered at the thought, closing the door again. Clearly Dis was not doing this purely for her own interest. And she had no maids, so she had no doubt that it was Thorin who kept track of her bleeding. He had, in fact for the last two weeks been gentle with her each night when they lay together. It was unusual and felt restrained on his part.

She found herself facing Dis again, and had half a mind to accept her fate.

"You think your marriage is your duty?" Dis frowned again. "But your duty is to bear him a son."

"What if I don't? Can he not find another...?"

"Dams bear fewer children still. And he is already older than most. You have been chosen not just for your kingdom and army...do you act ignorant on purpose, just to tire those around you? I have already reminded you why, for your own safety I must know as soon as possible -"

But Shobha was tired of this excessive oversight from Dis. And after a pause she simply patted the dam on the shoulder gently and smiled.

"I'm sorry my lady, but think I will take my chances for tonight..." She shrugged, turning back to the door.

...

She stood silently, listening in the dark corridor.

Bilbo, her accomplice in many things clandestine, had agreed to meet her here, but was apparently late.

It meant that she stood alone in a very scary place.

There in the dark her senses felt heightened. She could feel her heart racing and the still, cool mountain air around her.

The sound of the slightest movement somewhere along the corridor made her step back towards the wall. And there out of the darkness, Bilbo Baggins appeared.

"My lady, I am sorry to have kept you..." He paused, gently patting her arm, as he looked up at her. "I have found a route out. But it is not easy..."

He worried about her falling, and some of the rocks were jagged near the concealed door out that led out of the mountain.

Why she even considered visiting Thranduil, surprised him. But doing so on the day of a feast seemed like complete madness!

Bilbo huffed again, crossing his hands over his chest and blinking at her in the dark, watching her look at him with those big brown eyes that twinkled.

"But really, why must you go and see him, my lady?" Bilbo pursed his lips trying to think of a suitable way to word it. "It may seem... inappropriate...and if you are caught there will be consequences...very serious consequences..."

She could see him thinking out loud.

"I mean...can you imagine Thorin...? He may not say it but he is very possessive over you...I see how he looks at anyone who comes close to you...And if he discovered this...you AND I would be in terrible trouble!"

But she simply leant forward and placed her hands gently on his crossed arms. Her gesture was not forceful but more pleading.

"My brother is not the same...and Thorin was...different...last night." She recalled how he had merely held her last night, even though he clearly lay there aroused! "I am not stupid. I am sure that my father is gravely ill if not already dead..."

She suddenly frowned as though thinking it through in her head at the time.

"Maybe he isnt dead...or my mother would have been forced to leave the palace...and she would have at least written to me to let me know..." She began to wring her hands, for these thoughts were clearly worrying. "And this mountain...living inside here...without any true sunlight...or space...or trees...it's...unnatural...and I feel as if I cannot breathe..."

Her words seemed to echo in his own heart, for all the adventure and friendship he had gained in the past year, Bilbo had begun to miss the Shire. It was particularly marked now as the weather turned and the snow fell, casting the lands surrounding the Lonely Mountain to look more barren than before.

So her plea was one that tugged at his own heart-strings, melting any sensibility or fear he had regarding either of their safety, let alone the prospect of the wrath of the Dwarven King.

"I need to get away from this place..." She turned to Bilbo again, clutching at his hands desperately. "Please, Master Baggins...I am willing to risk his punishment for it."

He could kill her, or even torture her for all she cared today. Even if he truly did tie her to his bed for some weeks now, it would be no different to what she faced currently. The snow was so deep, she couldn't leave the mountain these days, not even for some fresh air.

"My lady..." Bilbo sighed and then holding her hand did something he never thought he could do, ever since the first day he had set his eyes on it: he opened his palm out, offering his precious golden ring.

He couldn't bring himself to drop it into her hand, but all the same, he felt the pain in her voice, and was moved by it enough to be willing to part with it. At least for a short while.

"What is this?" She looked down at it, surprised at first, and clearly trying to fully make out the object that lay in his hand in the dark.

"It...well...it will help you...leave the mountain unseen..." He sighed, trying his best to ignore the war that waged within him at the prospect of offering the item that was so hard won in those goblin tunnels so long ago. "Use it..."

He offered his palm up again, before he could change his mind.

"But then give it back, of course."

She stood still blinking in the dark at the small gold ring in the dark. Even in the near pitch black it seem to glimmer, strangely.

Again, she blinked, as though it was just a hallucination, before looking up at Bilbo and realising that he was being completely serious.

So carefully she reached out her hand to touch it.

Immediately her eyes widened with terror, as images crept into her mind, almost like a dream.

Terrible images, of her wearing heavy armour and Thorins raven crown, with her brother standing beside her, and Thorin kneeling before her.

That was not all.

She saw the mountain, with black smoke billowing out from the several large furnaces that lay deep within it.

And then she saw the woodland elves, their necks in chains, cowering before her while a raging fire, burned the beautiful trees of Greenwood!

Gasping, she withdrew her hand from the cold metal, as if it burned her soft skin.

"What is this thing you have come to posses, Master Baggins?!" She stepped away from him, half terrified and half disgusted at the images of her potential as a cruel and relentless ruler. "How came you by it?"

But Bilbo merely stood there surprised by her reaction, at first he closed his fingers over it, and then shook his head, offering it to her again.

"I…I found on my travels...it helped me move about at times...unseen..." He whispered. "It can help you too..."

He held his hand up to her again.

But she reached out, careful not to make contact with the item and closed his fingers around it.

"I have heard whispers of such rings, and the ghouls that became of the men, once Kings, who wore them...the stories are so old, they are nothing but tales to frighten children with…although I see now, that they are probably true." She didn't want to elaborate on what terrible things she had seen, ashamed of herself. "I carry the weak blood of those men. They are my forebears...so I cannot wield this ring, Bilbo...you must understand."

He blinked up at her surprised by her words. It made him wonder what she feared about the ring.

"But I trust you..." He replied, certain of his feelings. "I trust you, without doubt. Your heart is as beautiful as you are -"

But his words only made her gasp. They sounded like the siren call of the ring, she had touched mere moments ago.

She pushed his hand, with fingers closed around the ring, into his chest for good measure, so that it was as far away from her reach as possible.

"I fear that may be the very reason I should never touch it...there is darkness within us all, Master Baggins..." Suddenly she worried about the prospect of their plan for a coup. "And if You trust me so, without question - then this ring shall make many others do the same. So I shall surely fall...into darkness..."

Bilbo suddenly looked down at the gold ring in his hand again, wondering what made her so fearful.

"No. I will have to find my way out of this mountain following you..." She corrected, and then looked at the hobbit, whom she had come to regard as a trusted friend. "And I hope you don't mind my telling you. But you too should take guard of yourself with that. It is no mere trinket. There is a powerful darkness about it...and if I hear it's call, then I imagine it's true master will too."

The hobbit put away his ring, back in his waistcoat pocket. It belonged there. And it felt comfortable returned. But he couldn't deny that her words had frightened her.

"Very well then, my lady." He replied back with a renewed determination to help her. "Let's get you outside..."

...

The Elvenking stood in front of her staring out at the large expanse of scorched earth in front of him.

The elves had burned that woodland - and for the images she had seen not so long ago, she had felt a chill creep into her body.

"The trees here we're sick: infected with some poison from the spiders nests. And this was too close to our borders." Thranduil explained as he surveyed the large clearing.

"But how could you be certain that the fire wouldn't spread?" She asked quietly from behind.

"We are the keepers of these lands. For thousands of years, and countless moons," he replied arrogantly. "We have knowledge of how to tend to the land and all it's living things. But sometimes that which is too far gone with such sickness cannot always be healed."

She closed her eyes feeling sick at the thought.

Daer had been waiting for her, just as she had known in her blood, when she stepped outside the mountain. He had carried her here, to join Thranduil.

"Do not fret. All is not lost, for the fire cleanses the land. And now from this clearing, with the sick trees and the thick webs gone, new growth will return, when the sun touches the land once more..."

She felt his hand touch her chin, and tilt her face up. So she opened her eyes, to find herself face to face with his cold, pale gaze. It was only then that she realised that she had been closing her eyes.

"You look different, my dear..." He allowed his gaze to drift over her, from head to toe, before fixing on her eyes again.

"I...dont know..." She tugged her cape tighter unable to answer, shivering a little from his scrutiny, rather than from the cold itself.

"Forgive my forthrightness. I did not intend to make you feel unwelcome," he leant down a little, to bring his face closer to hers. "Have you considered my offer to leave the mountain?"

"It would be the same thing, if I came to stay with you..." She held his gaze, even though it made her feel exposed. "I would find myself in your bed. And eventually the boundaries between us would blur..."

"That is a very presumptuous conclusion, wouldn't you think?" He smirked at her. There was a teasing invitation in his tone, but all the while being arrogantly dismissive. "Do you believe me so incapable of restraint or your draw so irresistible?"

It annoyed her that he was deaf to her words, when she knew he was just as emotional as all other beings that shared these lands although, like the elves she had met so far chose to imagine they were above such feelings.

So she took a step closer to the tall elf, and tiptoeing up, while holding onto his chest, she pressed her lips to his.

Her kiss was initially chaste. But he seemed completely surprised by her boldness.

Then within moments, he had entwined his arms around her waist, returning her kiss, with fervour for a few moments, before pulling away to look at her again, blinking in surprise, this time at himself. He had been unable to help himself, and she too had proved to be far too alluring.

"Your point is most eloquently made," he conceded, standing back to his full height, and reluctantly releasing his hands from her waist. From the first moment she had presented herself in his camp, he had wanted to kiss her although it was something he would still never admit to. It was a strange desire for him, for he had felt nothing since his wife had made her final journey.

"So would you still...be...there for me...even if I chose to remain in Erebor?" She was not sure she could use the word friend for him. Apparently she too had been taken by surprise at the depth of his feelings, when she had simply expected him to treat her as a concubine. Now, she was not so sure even about her own feelings towards him and regretted both her boldness as well as her decision to come here today.

He found himself unable to look away from those big doe eyes, as she looked up at him. In truth he would have done anything she asked of him, but he would never admit it.

"You would have my unwavering allegiance, my lady." His words came without hesitation, and were clearly meant to reassure her, despite the arrogance also. "But I doubt you came all this way for such simple reassurance, that I am certain you knew of previously..."

She sighed, walking in silence for a little before she spoke.

"Do elves take...concoctions...to prevent... the conception of a babe?" That was not the reason she came either. But she was not willing to talk about it.

He seemed to pause looking around the clearing again before returning his attention to her.

"Elves usually do not often mate for pleasure, in the way you mortals do..." He sounded aloof now as he began to walk along the edge of the clearing. Although he turned briefly to face her. "But we have other ways to pleasure...would you like me to demonstrate?"

"Did you never wish to explore such pleasures...even in your youth...?" She tried to understand, but it only made her pity him more. And she felt stupid for it, since he didn't want or care for her pity. To him and his kind apparently, her short and insignificant life had as much meaning as an insect's did to a man.

"Perhaps at first...but such urges lessen with time..."

"The wise way right? But I hope it does not lessen your feelings of love." She tried to hold the sarcasm from her voice this time when she spoke.

It made him stop and turn to look at her, as if she had poked him somewhere sensitive, with something rather sharp.

"And what of your care for those who serve you? After all, you were willing to go to war over a necklace..." She regretted her bitter words as soon as she had spoken them, as he came to tower over her.

He stood still, his face hardened and callous as she had seen, the first time they had met.

"I was willing to go to war over you."

He stood facing her down for the sharp words that she had hurt him with first. His words made her look up at him. It was not what she had expected at all.

"I am afraid of conceiving a child..."

He smiled at her words.

"I fear it may be too late to do much about it." He replied to her softly, brushing his fingers lightly over her cheek.

"And yet you would still want me?"

"I would have you and your child, if you wished. But this, you already know. Now, be honest with me and tell me truly what it is that bothers you." He stood so close, and yet he didn't feel threatening. Rather, he felt strangely reassuring. "And let us not both waste each other's time."

Her heart began to race. She had not considered the prospect of him bearing any true feelings towards her. Worst of all, she had not considered the possibility that she too might have reciprocated an attraction towards him, at least.

"I feel lost...and I fear the ones that I once could talk to about it may be gone..." Tears began to prickle in her eyes. She wanted to move from where she felt glued to the spot. For whatever confused feelings she had towards this cold and callous elf, she still did not entirely trust him either. "I shouldn't have come here..."

Her last words, now a whisper, made her turn around and manage to take a step away from him.

But he too stepped closer, behind her, and although he wanted to hold her, he stopped himself. He would not take advantage of her while she was hurting like this.

"Our loved ones...even if they are gone...are never completely gone. They always live on within us. And it is particularly strong, when their blood runs through us." His words bore a certainty about them that almost made what he said true without question. "And we all feel lost from time to time. But those are the feelings that reassure us, that our thinking is correct. If we did not feel this way, then we would surely be flawed in our thinking."

Tears now fell from her eyes silently, as she finally accepted the possibility that her father, at least, may be dying, if not already gone. And that she might never see him again. It had not been something she had considered when she had first left Rhun, all those months ago, to be given in marriage to Thorin.

"But, you have your brother..." He spoke, moving closer still, until she could feel the heat from his body as he stood behind her. "And you always have me..."

"Even if I may be carrying Thorin's child...?" She whispered, leaning back against his muscular form.

"Even if you did so...or even if you bore feelings for him..." He answered her, gently placing his hands on her waist and whispering the last words, as though they were a prayer. "And even if you could never give me what it was that I might hope for..."

Leaning back against him, she could feel his heartbeat, steady and strong. And for a brief moment she shut her eyes while he gently wrapped his arms around her again.

"Motherhood is a sacred part of any females story - you need not fear it...and I shall ensure my best healers and midwives are at your disposal, should you ever require it." He spoke the words with such reverence, that she wondered whether he thought of his wife or his mother.

She had not expected such care or affection from the usually guarded, cold and arrogant elf.

But this was not a folly that she could indulge, and she needed to return back now, for she was expected at the feast.

She stood straight, took a shaky breath, and turned to face Thranduil.

However, there was no need for her to say anything, he already knew, and so, bowing his head, he gestured with his hand.

And there, in the direction that he had gestured, stood the large pale elk, patiently waiting for her.

So, with one last look at him, she left the clearing.

...

The corridor leading to the grand banquet hall was now quite deserted. Clearly everyone was now seated for dinner.

She felt nervous at the anticipation of her late arrival, and worried at how Thorin might react.

Once again, Dori had managed to put her in a tightly corseted dress, which had made her breathless.

So she stopped for a moment, in an attempt to gather herself before she arrived in, what she imagined would be a packed hall. But she was interrupted.

"It is a dangerous thing to wonder halls alone, late on nights of grand celebrations..."

She turned to find Dain standing in the corridor, watching her with curiosity.

"A lass could be mistaken as willing towards the amorous attentions of another, while intoxicated -"

"I am not drunk." She corrected, quietly, but he didn't seem perturbed by it.

"Unarmed, unguarded and...apparently entirely for the taking..." He moved towards her, slowly but with clear sinister intent. It made her regret not carrying even a small hidden dagger as Dwalin had once taught her.

At first she took another step back, but realised she would soon be trapped against the wall.

And as he stepped uncomfortably close, she glanced over at the great entrance. If only another dwarf or two ventured out any moment, she might feel safer.

"Ye think you're so tough, little lady? But that's because Thorin is soft on ya." He took her chin in his hands to command her attention as he cornered her against the wall. He was undoubtedly the stronger and broader by far, even if she was much taller than him. "Probably because ye make him hard. But an evening with me, and I promise to leave ye in no doubt as to who yer master would be...and a good obedient girl."

He let go of her chin to take a good look at her, when she found some courage.

"Be careful of the enemies you make with ill thought out decisions..."

"Ah! I see you have found my wife." Thorin interrupted them, causing Dain to take a step back. And Shobha didn't need any further opportunity: She was instantly beside her husband, faster than a lighting bolt, as she wrapped an arm around his.

"I...was just..complementing your wife-"

"Were you not enjoying the fine Ale and feast tonight, cousin?" Thorin interrupted him, looking carefully at her face.

"I...was returning to my bed chamber...when I spotted her ladyship. I wished to warn her of the dangers of wandering alone on a night of revelry -"

"The soldiers from Rhun do not partake in our Ale. And as such, the old laws of claiming females if caught alone, no longer apply." Thorin replied flatly.

There was no doubt he was King under the Mountain. His word was final and there was no room to challenge.

Dain merely pulled his lips into a mirthless smile, and tilted his head.

"Then we shall bid you a pleasant evening this Durins Day," Thorin bowed his head, holding his hand out to her. And there was no hesitation. She allowed him to lead her back to their apartment.

Once there was sufficient distance between themselves and Dain, he had quickened his pace. Even his features had hardened.

Finally, when they reached his bedroom, she walked in slowly, while he shut the door behind them.

She could feel his anger, long before he came to stand in front of her, with a morose look on his face.

"Forgive me, my Lord, I was slow to get dressed..." She began, watching as his jaw clenched.

"Spare me your lies, I know where you have been. I simply do not understand why you would behave so foolishly?" He moved closer, with a sigh. "Dwalin told me, he has warned you of evenings such as this...where were your private guard ?"

"I...permitted them time off to join the feast..." The truth was that she had fallen asleep after dressing, so had been late.

"It was not an important night of the feasts. You could have tested if you were tired." He looked a little concerned, moving closer again. It was clear that she was shaken up from her encounter with Dain, although she would probably never admit it.

He took a step closer still, aware of how she must have felt a moment ago in the presence of his cousin. Then he let his eyes drift down her form to assess her carefully.

Her heart beat out of her chest, there was a thrill to making him angry, but tonight he seemed different. And after Dain, and all her worrying over her father and mother, she wanted to be in his arms.

Slowly and deliberately, he placed his hands on her narrow waist, letting his fingers wonder. He felt for the edge of her corset, watching her eyes fall shut.

"It appears you need to be reminded who is your husband..." His voice was thick with lust as he spoke the words against the skin of her cheek. Her lips had parted ever so slightly in anticipation of his kiss. But he barely ghosted over her skin and would leave her there with no kids in punishment for visiting greenwood. "But first..."

She drew in a breath out of frustration, and heard him unbuckling something.

Finally, the feel of him wrapping something around her waist, made her snap her eyes open, only to find him buckling a belt around her with a smirk on his face.

"Here after you do not go anywhere unarmed. You wear this. It is my dagger and is extremely sharp. If another even so much as lays a hand on you..." He guided her hand to the handle of the solid dagger, closing her fingers over it and pulling it out. The metal unsheathing made a vicious sound. "Then, stick the blade in and twist like this."

He showed her several times, before returning the blade to it's sheath.

"Wear it visibly. It bears my mark, and will make many others think twice before getting too close, when you are unguarded..." He enjoyed the frustration on her face, and enjoyed it even more that she had clearly desired him to kiss her a moment ago. He would comfort her soon enough, but before he did, he planned to frustrate her to the point of desperation. Then he bent down briefly and slowly lifted her skirt running his hand up her smooth leg to her thigh, feeling her skin prickle with goosebumps under his touch. "I will have a smaller dagger made for you to wear concealed, and strapped to your thigh on nights like this..."

He then let his hand drift back up to her waist, letting her skirts fall, listening to her breath hitch again, before settling back on her corset. Quickly he loosened the ties to that garment that cupped her breasts perfectly and let it fall to the floor.

The thin shift she wore under the heavy corsetted top was sheer, so he could see her breasts, rise and fall with her breath, and her proud nipples press through the material.

But instead of claiming her lips or touching her breasts, as he would normally, he returned to the belt carrying his dagger. He took his time, slowly unbuckling the belt and then tightening it up again.

"Each moon, I shall sharpen your blade myself..." He explained, enjoying the look of frustration on her face. "And I will put some more buckle holes into your belt tomorrow-"

"Thorin, I want to visit my parents." She finally spoke, watching his icy eyes, drift up slowly over her body and back up to her eyes. He was clearly aroused, so it was surprising as to why he was taking so long to touch her and claim her body as he so often did. But contrary to her own expectations, her request did not appear to anger him.

"No." His reply was firm.

"No?" She repeated.

"No." He grunted.

"Why not?"

"The weather has turned now. The roads will be icy and thick with snow for some months now. So it is dangerous to travel." He attempted to keep his tone as neutral as he could. "Besides you may be with child..."

"It would be a quick visit. Please? Anyway your sister has been making me pee on that smelly wheat for days now..."

"Oh aye? Does the smell nauseate you...?" He smirked, moving closer to her again.

"It is funny smelling." It was now clear to her that he was trying his best to irritate her.

"I do not find wild wheat that foul in odour..." He continued to stand tantalisingly close without touching her. His own arousal was painful, and her breathing had quickened. He ached to touch her breasts, so beautifully on display through the thin silk. But making her beg tonight, made his throbbing arousal positively twitch.

"It does not matter. It has not bloomed. So I am not with child." She let the material over one should slip down and watched while he immediately watched the fabric, with hawk like interest. It dropped, lowering the neckline to almost completely reveal one of her breasts. And she spotted him clench his first by his side, clearly in attempt to resist touching her.

"That simply will not do then, perhaps I shall need to fill you with my seed some more." He grunted, voice clearly thick with lust now. "But I think you need rest tonight..."

He was about to turn away, when she held his hand, stopping him. She would not ask about visiting Rhun again tonight. She simply needed him to do with her what he so roughly did on most nights, particularly now.

"What is it, my lady?" He turned back to her, stepping closer.

"Don't go. Please?"

"Do not fear, I will rest beside you..." He quirked an eyebrow at her request, although he knew what exactly it was that she wanted, because he wanted it too. But he would make her beg for it first.

"No. I..." She was almost tempted to let her own desperate frustration subside, simply to avoid begging.

"What is it you want, my lady? I need you to clarify the matter.." he whispered again, stepping closer once more.

She let her own eyes take in the handsome dwarf that stood before her, still taken aback by his restraint.

They stood there for a while again, each excited but too stubborn to say a word or give in.

"I...need you...please..."

He stepped closer still until his lips hovered over her cheek.

"What do you need me to do?"

She was now panting, desperate and aroused to the point of madness. And he stood so close and yet so far.

"Please Thorin!"

"Ask me anything...and I will be your willing servant," he growled in her ear. "But you must say it..."

"I need you..." She clutched at his coat now.

"What do you need me to do to you, my wife..?"

"I need you to touch me!" She pleaded. "Please!"

"Like this...?" Their frustration had crept into his voice also, but he still persisted with his game. Walking her back closer to the bed, he ran his fingers teasingly up her arms and onto her chest, where he skimmed the tops of her breasts but did not touch her in any significant way.

It made her moan, unable to bear it.

"I need you to touch me all over..." She began to undo ties to her skirts. "I need you to touch me there...or I shall go mad!"

He chuckled at her, but still only just lowered her shift to reveal her breasts. The brown tipped peaks perking further in the cold air.

"Where...I need you to be more specific..."

She pushed her skirts down to the floor along with her shift, standing there in nothing but the belt with the dagger that he had placed on her a few minutes ago. It had remained purely because she had been unable to undo the thick belt.

The vision of her unclothed body, with nothing but the dagger on made him chuckle still.

"I promise you won't need that for what you want me to do..." He growled, suddenly finding the image of her like this strangely arousing. "Now tell me exactly what you want...or you shall remain as frustrated as you are now..."

So she took his large hands in hers and stepped closer to him until their bodies touched.

"I want you to touch me..." She first took one of his hands and placed in over one nipple. "Here. Please. And the other one..."

"Here..." And she took his right hand straightening out his index and middle fingers and brought them down to her sex.

He had not expected that, but she guided his digits through her folds. She was so slick with her arousal, that he was already able to slip his thick digits in, with her parting her legs a little.

Her hand still guiding him, rubbing his digits through her, in and out partially, with her desperately wet, made her moan. She closed her eyes, continuing to move him and used her other arm to steady herself by holding on to his shoulder.

Suddenly he was desperate to get out of his trousers and was no longer sure he would manage to remove any of his other clothing.

Quickly he moved her to the bed, never breaking contact with her or stopping his movement. And as he sat her on the bed, she parted her legs for him wider still, so he could see her, and watch as his fingers disappeared deeper and deeper inside her with each move.

Her breathing was falling fast, and the desperate moans, now made him regret his game to make her beg. He also couldn't help wonder what it was that had made her so wanton.

Suddenly he stopped to unbuckle his bed and remove his trousers, freeing his erection.

"And is that all you want?" He growled at her.

"No, Thorin. I want you..." She stood blushing, and began to help push off his coat and unbutton his doublet. Clearly, her desperation had gone beyond her own modesty or awareness of her own nudity. "I need you..."

"Aye? And how do you need me?" He smirked as he finally stood naked in front of her.

"Inside me..."