For a moment Alyssae was afraid he meant Thorin. She looked over her shoulder and saw him sitting on a chair, while drinking. Their eyes met and her cheeks turned red unintentionally. The look in his eyes wasn't angry or disapproving, although she didn't know what he did express. It confused her and she looked quickly at Kili, who turned her the other way, to his brother.
Alyssae let go of her breath. It was ridiculous to think Kili should allude to Thorin and the idea made her nervous. How would it be to dance with him? He didn't seem a person who liked to dance, but certainly someone like Thorin must sometimes feel the need to escape his obligations and do something crazy.
Her hands were grabbed by Fili, who took over the acts of his brother. The braids in his mustache balanced back and forth when he moved his head and his laughter was contagious.
'If you hadn't been so lean and tall, you could have been a dwarf.'
'Lean?' she repeated. 'You have just as much fat around your body as I have – and you haven't been in a dungeon for months!'
Fili showed his tongue. 'Don't whine but dance.'
He pounded the ground and turned over one of the mugs, but didn't pay attention to it. Alyssae smiled and was led away by the music and the cheerful laughter of the dwarves.
When the wine started to run out, Alyssae felt dizzy. She had danced with all of the dwarves, except for one. Even Balin risked a small dance and Bombur… it was a dance she would never forget, because she was almost pushed down by every move they made.
She wasn't satisfied yet. Thorin hadn't came out of his chair, which was a pity. It was wonderful he smiled a lot this evening, but she would give almost everything to see him dance.
Because of the alcohol that flew through her veins, she less feared a reproach and she sat beside him.
'You'll become such a dull king. Why don't you dance?'
Thorin looked at her inquiringly and straightened his shoulders. 'I will only dance on Azog's grave.' He growled. 'And that of Smaug.'
His mind clearly was less troubled than that of Alyssae.
'But I want to dance with you.'
The words left her mouth before she even thought about it.
'Did I really say that?' she asked amazed.
A few moments later she cursed the fact she had drank so much.
The expression on Thorin's face spoke for himself, although she didn't know how to interpret. Cumbersome she stood up and staggered away from him. She stumbled, but Fili caught her and took her in his arms again.
Most things passed by. Time after time she hopefully looked back at Thorin, but she wasn't able to see his face clearly.
'Fili,' she whispered. 'I think – I think I drank too much.'
'Ah, we are going nowhere tonight.'
These words were contradicted when suddenly glass was breaking. Although her mind was numb, she believed she saw someone climbing through the window. Another followed, and one more.
First she thought it was her imagination, until Dwalin and Bofur started screaming and Fili let go of her. Alyssae hadn't calculated for this and fell on the ground, while she saw the dwarves run for the door. The music ended abruptly, but the noise did not.