Alyssae sighed when she faced the facts. Because she was captured shortly after the proposal, she had thought about other things. She hadn't held back on purpose and she wouldn't have lied about it when someone asked her.
'I don't like it to be engaged,' she mumbled. 'And I try to forget it as much as possible.'
She experienced a strange feeling in her chest while she looked at him. She knew she preferred to be with him instead of Thranduin. They would hopefully never find out. Thorin would be dying of laughter and her fiancé would find her ridiculous. She would dishonour her family when her secret would be revealed.
The glance in Thorin's eyes eased a little, as if he realized he had drawn his conclusions too quickly again.
'It's also the reason I don't want to go home,' she admitted. 'I want to postpone it as much as possible.' She frowned. 'How did you know about my engagement anyway?'
'It was in your letter,' he answered while he turned around. The others were almost invisible.
Alyssae relaxed a little now he didn't block the road anymore. She already forgot she had written down Thranduin's name. She peeked aside. Thorin seemed to think a little milder about her, as if this would change the fact that she would hurt Fili…
'I only saw him twice,' she sighed. 'He wasn't unfriendly, but…'
She shrugged. But someone else already stole her heart. That someone even walked next to her and had no idea what trouble he caused.
She doubted if Thorin wanted to know anything about it and actually only one question burned on her lips. She didn't know if it was wise to ask it, but she did it anyway.
'And what about you? Is there someone your heart is longing for?'
She was surprised to see his cheeks coloured a little. She looked forward and noticed they approach the entry to Mirkwood again, because of which the environment was a little lighter. Alyssae grinned when he seemed to feel entrapped. Actually she didn't want to know for who he was longing secretly, but it was so cute to see him blush she couldn't do anything but ask further.
'What's her name?"
'There is none,' he answered grumpy, but everything told her he was lying.
'Come on! I don't know her, eh? Besides, you weren't blushing for nothing!'
'I do not blush.'
Alyssae chuckled because of his wronged face, but his gesture was so insecure she wanted to hug him.
'She must be very special to make the heart of a stubborn person like you beat faster.'
'There is none, Alyssae!' he snarled, after which he speeded up his tempo and walked in front of her obstinately.
Alyssae looked at him with a vague smile around her lips, although her feelings were quite complicated. The fact that his eye had caught someone else was easier to accept than she had expected, probably because she had always known he would never love her and even if he did, they both had more important obligations they couldn't escape. Nevertheless she was very curious. What kind of dwarf woman could make Thorin's mind race? Would she ever meet her? Or was she far away – the reason why he reacted this way? Was she dead?
After all, the dwarves had fought a lot and Thorin wasn't very young. Generally she would have expected him to tell her when she had died or lived far away from here, but Thorin was a closed book concerning his personal life. Even though, she wouldn't be surprised if this still unanswered love was the cause of his moodiness.