I tried valiantly to get the ball in one chapter, but I couldn't do it! Here is the first part of the ball and I am hoping to have the next part up today or tomorrow.

Thank you all for the awesome reviews! I am so glad you are enjoying this story. It has been fun to write. Poor Signi has too many dwarves to pick from :)

I hope you enjoy this chapter. Let me know what you think :)

"Every savage can dance."―Jane Austen,Pride and Prejudice

Lifa's bath had turned cold some time ago, but still she lingered, raking her fingers through the tepid waters and watching the remnants of bath oil swirl around her. The maid had already warned her twice that she must get out if she wanted her hair to dry in time for the ball, but she had simply nodded in response and stayed in the tub. The strangest combination of nerves gnawed at her from the inside out: nervousness, excitement, fear, but above all, utter and complete lust.

Her meeting with Fili in the hall had been brief, but it was enough to fan the embers that burned constantly in her belly since they met on her first night in Erebor. His eyes were full of promise in that moment, his breath hot and urgent on her cheek as he whispered in her ear how ravishing she looked that morning in the sunlight. Flaming thoughts of his hands lightly gripping her elbows and brushing the cleft of her waist nipped at Lifa's ears, bringing her to blush once more in the bath.

Mahal, perhaps a dunk in the lake was in order. The waters of Long Lake were frigid year round and Lifa was sure only ice could cool her heated skin. The prince might have found her ravishing in the sunlight, but surely he would run far, far away the moment she arrived at the ball behaving like a mare in heat.

That thought alone brought another surge of flames licking the back of her neck. It was unfortunate timing as well. Before she could take a few gulps of air to calm the thundering in her chest, the door clicked open and Lifa was joined by her sister.

"Are you still in here?" whined Signi, flopping down on the low stone bench across the room. Narrowing her eyes, she studied Lifa's flushed cheeks and neck. "What's wrong with your face? Did they get the water too hot again?"

Lifa groaned and covered her face as a fresh blush washed over her. Silently she prayed to Mahal and Durin to give her patience. Signi would not understand. She never shied away from wanton thoughts of dwarves, but she was not interested in maintaining any maidenly illusions either.

To Lifa's immense surprise, Signi did not continue with her teasing. Distractedly, she picked at her boots, chewing on her lip like she did when she tried to puzzle out one of their father's ridiculous riddles. Lifa always gave up after one or two half-hearted guesses, but Signi spent hours in thought until she could solve it. Once their father had given them an obscure riddle he picked up in Bree. Signi worried her lip until it bled, but three days later she gave him a triumphant answer – A key it the thing that hangs by a man's thigh stiff and strong. Their mother smacked the back of their father's head for that lewd joke.

Lifa watched her sister for several minutes, giving her plenty of time to speak her mind, but Signi remained silently perturbed on the bench.

"What's wrong?" Lifa finally sighed.

Signi scrunched her nose in response, looking more like a little mouse than the fearsome dwarrowdam she normally resembled. "I spoke with Stonehelm today," she finally said, her own cheeks coloring at the mention of her friend.

Lifa's eyes bulged when she saw Signi's reaction, instantly recognizing the flutter of first attraction. Stonehelm? He was like a brother. Surely Signi had not given up her goals of spinsterhood for Thorin Stonehelm.

It was time for Lifa to exact her revenge. "I know that look," she said slyly, her lips struggling to hold back the surfacing smile. "So Stonehelm is the one to bring down the mighty mountain of your maidenhood."

Signi's blush deepened as she shot an angry glare at her sister. "You are being absurd!" she snapped.

Snickering evilly, Lifa flung her hand across the surface of the water sending droplets showering over Signi. "How the mighty have fallen indeed," she chortled. "You get your first nibble at the fruit of attraction and it has made you ill. What are you worrying yourself over now? I think that we can safely say that Stonehelm is half in love with you already."

Signi rolled her eyes as she furiously scrubbed the water from her face. "I am not in love with Stonehelm. I just…I just find him handsomer than before. Nothing more."

Lifa raised her eyebrows in disbelief. "Right, because you behave this way every time you see a handsome dwarf. You did not even bat an eye when you were watching the dwarves wrestling in the camp."

With a sigh, Signi said, "Fine, I admit, I have missed Stonehelm since we left the Iron Hills. Today I was reminded of how much I missed seeing him, but that isn't what I am bothered by."

Lifa dropped her teasing, realizing that her sister was genuinely upset by her meeting with Stonehelm. "What' wrong?" she asked once more.

Taking a deep breath, Signi recounted the story he had told her on the lake. As she spoke, Lifa wrapped herself in a towel and climbed out of the bath to join her sister on the bench.

"But that doesn't make sense," protested Lifa. "The king would never banish his own family. He lets Kili stay in the mountain and he has taken an elf mistress. If that isn't tolerance, I don't know what is."

"I thought that at first as well," Signi agreed, "But the king is such a disagreeable dwarf that I am not at all surprised by it. And we have known Stonehelm our whole lives. Why would he lie about this?"

Lifa frowned. It is true that they had always known Stonehelm and he was someone they could trust, but he was not as innocent as Signi seemed to remember him being. Lifa recalled a time when his gambling debts at the local tavern were enough that Dain made him work off the money he owed in the forges. It was simply a matter of youthful foolishness, but the king was the type of dwarf to base his opinions of others on first impressions and reputation instead of getting to know them.

"Did Fili say anything about the king's behavior?" Signi asked, breaking Lifa out of her reverie.

Lifa blushed again. She had seen Fili in the hall, but there was little speaking going on. It was mostly a meeting of flirty looks and hesitant embraces before the prince was called away by the guard. "No, he did not say anything about it. I will ask him about it tonight."

"Oh, don't do that!" sputtered Signi.

"Don't you want to know why the king behaved that way?"

Signi chewed her lip again, her brow wrinkled in worry. "Well, yes, but I don't want it to be that obvious. I just want to know if Fili knows anything about this. But don't ask him outright!"

Lifa rolled her eyes. "I will ask Fili about it for my own curiosity. Now, I think we have spent enough time worrying ourselves about this. Let's go get dressed. You have a dwarf lord to capture."

The bar of soap flung at Lifa bounced off of the door jamb where her head had been seconds before. Laughing at her sister's angry muttering as she left, Lifa felt her simmering nerves heating once more in the pit of her stomach. Mahal, her libidinous brain could not leave Prince Fili be.

It was not the first ball that King Thorin had hosted since the reclaiming of Erebor, but as Fili surveyed the crowds of dwarves filling the Great Hall and spilling over the balconies above, it was certainly shaping up to be the finest. Erebor's population was finally booming since Smaug was sacked, and the court hosted enough lords and ladies to make it a merry gathering. Ale and wine were flowing freely and a stringed ensemble played festive tunes as more guests arrived. In the back of the hall, Fili noted that a small crowd of Dain's soldiers were hovering near the ale taps. Officers of rank were welcomed, all of them dressed in red tunics bearing the Iron Hills crest.

On Fili's left stood Thorin, dark and glowering like a thundercloud, as he greeted brownnosed lords and simpering ladies. To his right, Kili was also sullen, jealously watching Gimli joking with Dain's soldiers in the back. As usual, the task of friendliness had fallen to Prince Fili.

Between each warm-smiled greeting and handshake he gave, Fili's eyes would dart to the entrance as he watched for Lifa to arrive. Anticipation moved through him with a hot swoop as he waited. Their meeting in the hall that afternoon had been brief, but he was sure that if the guard had not called him away, his errant lips would have certainly captured hers. Afterwards he had felt ashamed. Lifa deserved more than a grope in the hall. She was a lady, the finest he had met in over 80 years, and she deserved better than the likes of him. It was his devious body that could not fight her powerful draw.

He was in the midst of greeting Lady Miri, giving her no more than a stiff nod, when Lifa arrived with Signi. His breath caught as she immediately met his gaze and gave him a shy smile. Brushing past Miri and her father without so much as an 'pardon me', he quickly strode through the crowd to greet Lifa by the door.

She was stunning in her white gown, the silver embroidery studded with aquamarine beads. Fili felt his chest swell with pride when he noted the silver fox fur stole wrapped around her shoulders. It was a small indulgence, but after seeing her admiration for it in the market, he eagerly sent a servant to purchase and deliver it to her rooms in time for the ball.

"Good evening, Lifa," he said politely, bowing before her and capturing her gloved hand in his grasp. He wanted nothing more than to rip the glove away and feel the softness of her skin beneath his kiss.

"Good evening, Fili," she said softly, gracing him with a curtsy.

The prince could not hold back his grin any longer. Lifa was by far the loveliest maid at the ball and by the grace of Mahal he had managed to secure at least two dances with her that evening. With any luck, he would spend many more with her in his arms.

Signi lingered behind Lifa, remaining just over the threshold as she craned her neck to see above the crowd. Her eyes were scanning the entirety of the hall, but they seemed to hover over the clusters of officers dressed in red.

"Are you looking for someone?" Fili asked. He did not know Signi as well as his brother did, but he could tell she was flustered the moment he called attention to her odd behavior. Beside him, Lifa was smirking, and Fili suspected that Signi's blush could be attributed to their newest guests from the Iron Hills.

"No, no," Signi answered breathlessly. "I was just admiring the splendor of the hall." Her face was redder than before, and Fili had to fight hard to hold back the chuckle threatening to surface.

Before he could reply, Signi bobbed a quick curtsey and disappeared into the crowd. Fili stared after her a moment and pondered which dwarf could be bringing this change. He frowned slightly when he thought of Thorin still standing at the front of the room. Fili could not claim knowing his uncle's thoughts on Signi, but he had known for quite some time that the king's admiration reached farther than social decorum required. How would Thorin react if he knew that another dwarf had captured Signi's interest?

Fili did not continue with this train of thought for much longer. As quickly as the thoughts had appeared, he was reminded of the beautiful red-headed dwarrowdam by his side. Offering an arm with a wide smile, Fili tucked her hand tight in the crook of his elbow and silently vowed to never let it go.

Signi found Kara straight away, standing in the back of the hall, silently watching dwarves merry with drink before even the first dance had begun. Signi was not familiar with the customs of Ered Luin dwarves, but she was ashamed for her kinsmen already falling victim to drunkenness. An Iron Hills dwarf was strong and fierce, and not one would claim defeat to anything less than a barrel of ale.

Kara was dressed in a gown of golden yellow. It was unusual seeing her in anything less than practical, but Signi found the overall effect to be quite charming indeed. She greeted her friend with a kiss on the cheek and assured her that she would find herself in the arms of one of Dain's officers before the night ended. Kara rolled her eyes at Signi's proclamation, but grinned at the thought despite herself.

"I feel like I have not seen you in an age," Signi moaned, leaning with Kara against the wall. Stonehelm had not appeared and she did not want to be available to the requests of other dwarves until he did. Although thoughts of dancing with Vifil were displeasing enough, it was the king's stare that left Signi unnerved – he had been watching her since she entered the hall.

"I hear you have been busy," Kara said, her tone teasing.

Signi scowled. "Don't remind me. Have you seen him yet?"

"Which 'him' are you referring to? As I hear it, you have two vying for your attentions. Three if you count the king."

Signi blushed at her friend's mention of Stonehelm. She did not know for sure, but she too suspected that his interest in her had changed in the months since she left the Iron Hills. It was an odd sensation the left her feeling hot and hollow at the same time.

"I am talking about Vifil, that miserable little dwarf that came with Papa," she clarified.

Kara chuckled at Signi's annoyance. "Ah, him. I have not seen him yet, but I knew about him in Ered Luin. He is quite the respectable dwarf despite his flaws. He was always so fastidious about pieces Lady Katlin commissioned from my father."

"Your father has sold silver to Lady Katlin?" Signi asked in surprise. "I thought she sounded like the type of woman to still be polishing silver from the first age. 'This spoon fed Durin when he was just a babe.'" She mocked in a croaky voice. She had no idea what Lady Katlin sounded like, but she imagined her looking and sounding like a fat toad.

Kara masked her laugh in her arm, her eyes watering in an effort to remain composed. "Oh don't do that!" she exclaimed, finally taking a calming breath. "You sound too much like Lady Katlin when you do that. If the king heard you he would fall over dead."

This reminded Signi of the incident that had happened at Dain's camp. She wasn't sure how much help Kara would be in deciphering the strange situation, but she was surely better than Lifa who thought the sons of Durin were all justified in any decision they made. But before she could tell the story to Kara, they were interrupted by Kili.

"What are you lovely ladies doing in the corner?" he said loudly, turning his head slightly so his voice carried to the soldiers by the taps. "I am shocked that some dwarf hasn't captured you already for a turn about the floor," he added with a wink.

Kara blushed at the prince's antics, but Signi scowled and kicked him in the shin.

"Shut up," she hissed. "I don't want Vifil to find me."

Rubbing his sore shin, Kili gave her a wicked grin. "If that is the case, I shall have to double my efforts."

Turning once more, he opened his mouth to give another shout across the hall. Signi tackled him before he could speak, covering his mouth with her hand. Kili quaked with muffled laughter and raised his hands in defeat. Slowly Signi released him, ready to spring on him if he tried to embarrass her again.

"I will be good, I promise," he gasped, his cheeky grin firmly in place. "I just wanted to let you know that your friend will not be here tonight. Something came up at camp and he was detained."

Signi felt her blush renew at friend, but it quickly faded when Kili said he was not going to come. With a nod, she tried to act as though this news did not affect her in the slightest. She could feel Kili's keen eyes on her and knew that he could see her disappointment.

"Come dance with me," he said cheerfully. "I may not have the grace of Dain, but I have got a few moves in me. Besides Uncle might resort to murder if you end up on the floor with one of those soldiers. His old heart can only handle one jealousy at a time."

Signi's face flamed at the thought of Thorin being jealous of her dancing with the other dwarves. It seemed that everyone was conspiring against her. If they were not teasing her about Stonehelm, they were trying to make her believe that the King held some affection for her. Frozen in horror at the prince's words, she remained not budging against the wall as he tried to pull her on to the floor.

"Come on," Kili whined. "You can't stay here all night and I don't want to have to dance with those other dwarrowdams that keep flocking around Fili and me."

Sighing, Signi finally allowed herself to be drawn away. "I have one condition," she said as they approached the lines of dancers. "You have to tell me about your elf-maid."

Kili grinned widely at this condition, more than happy to indulge. "Well let me begin by saying she is the most beautiful maid in all of Middle Earth," he said, a distant gleam in his eyes. "Even the loveliest of lasses made by Mahal's hammer have nothing on my Tauriel."

Thorin found Stonehelm's absence to be a small victory as he sat at the head of the Great Hall and watched the crowds of dwarves dancing and mingling. Dain lamented most of the evening that unruly soldiers made it impossible for his son to come – such a pity too since he and Signi always danced so well together. A glimmer of satisfaction passed through Thorin when he heard these words. It may not be much consolation, but another night of Stonhelm keeping his sordid hands off Signi was more than Thorin could hope for.

But that knowledge did not stop him from watching her like a hawk. He had not intended to be so distracted by her, but it was hard not to when she arrived dressed in a crimson gown. Her long brown hair tumbled down her back to her waist expect for the braided crown woven with red ribbon. She wore no jewelry and her dress had no embellishment, but she never needed it. Thorin was always amazed that she could forgo the finery that most ladies donned and still capture his eye. Even her beardless face appealed to him – more exposed skin to bathe in firelight, he mused on more than one occasion.

For a short time, Thorin kept a close eye on Dain's soldiers lingering at the edges of the dance floor, all waiting for a moment to dance with her. Perhaps he was overreacting, but it seemed that every dwarf in the hall was watching her. But he was soon able to relax when he realized that Kili, Gimli, and Fili were swapping partners on a rotation, each taking a turn with Lifa, Signi, and Kara before going again. It was a clever scheme, but Thorin was sure there would be others in the hall who noticed as well.

"It seems their pattern is finally broken," chuckled Dain, gesturing with the hand holding his tankard to the princes and their friends.

Thorin looked up in panic. Vifil had finally found a lapse in their rotation and had nudged himself in to dance with Signi. It was a slow waltz, the kind in which each dancer takes their partner in their arms. Fili was happily spinning Lifa away from her sister, while Kili and Gimli tumbled off of the dance floor in laughter.

At first, Thorin was angry that the foolish little dwarf had so rudely insisted that Signi danced with him. The king stood at the first notes of the song, his hand clenching his wineglass until it nearly broke. Dain said something to him, probably a jibe at his sudden behavior, but Thorin did not listen. Without thinking, he strode down the steps and moved swiftly onto the floor.

Kili appeared at his side, but Thorin ignored him as he continued watching Vifil and Signi. Any anger he had felt moments before vanished when he saw Signi wince with each missed step and squished toe. Vifil did not quite reach her chin, so he was not aware of the scowl she wore for a majority of the dance. She had no pleasure in dancing with the dwarf. Thorin felt himself smiling at the thought for some inexplicable reason.

"Are you alright, Uncle?" Kili asked quietly with a bewildered expression.

Thorin chuckled. "I am quite alright."

Kili narrowed his gaze. "You weren't jealous of him, were you?" he asked, gesturing to Signi and Vifil.

"Of course not," scoffed Thorin. "I am king. He should be jealous of me."

"Oh right," mutterd Kili, rolling his eyes.

"Besides, she is clearly not enjoying this dance," he continued. "I shall have to interrupt."

The king did not look back at his shocked nephew, nor did he pay any mind to the dancers who nearly ran to get out of his path as he walked across the dance floor. Vifil was unaware that Thorin approached. Signi saw him coming and tried to pry herself from Vifil's vice-like grip, but it just made him cling tighter.

"Pardon me," Thorin rumbled, his glare at Vifil icy.

The little dwarf instantly turned loose of Signi and bowed deeply before the king, nearly trampling his beard in the process. "Your majesty, it is such an honor to be in your presence. As manager of your aunt's…"

Thorin did not listen to a word that Vifil said. His eyes were locked on Signi's, taking in her unusual expression of simultaneous relief and tension.

"Will you walk with me," he asked quietly. He was aware of the other dancers on the floor, many of which stood dumbfounded to watch him converse with Signi.

She hesitated slightly and Thorin felt the cold dread of rejection wash over him. Finally, with nod, Signi slipped her hand in the crook of his elbow and walked with him.

She did not ask where they were going, and Thorin did not really know. All he knew is that he had to get her away from that awful dwarf and that it would be nice to have a moment alone with her away from the incessant noise of the ball.

They walked for some time down the corridor until they reached a balcony overlooking the army camp below. The soldiers that remained behind were having a celebration of their own, all gathered around fires with barrels of ale and fresh game roasted on spits. Their sawing fiddle music and bawdy lyrics clashed above the mountain with the refined tunes of the Ered Luin stringed double quartet inside. It was a strange sound, but somehow Thorin liked it better. He had the best of both worlds on that balcony.

Signi seemed to enjoy the fresh air just as much as he did. Breathing in deeply, she turned her face toward the full yellow moon above them and smiled. Thorin felt himself relinquishing a smile at the sight as he admired the way the moonlight mirrored on her skin almost as well as firelight. He knew his thoughts were broaching dangerous territory once more, but night's festivities made him reckless.

"Your ball seems to be a success," Signi said, breaking the comfortable silence between them.

"Yes, it is," he rumbled in agreement. Balls were of little interest to him, and other than agreeing with any comment that she made, there was not much he could add to a conversation about them.

The silence stretched between them once more. Thorin watched her from the corner of his eye, unsure of how to proceed. She seemed content, but she would not remain so for much longer if he did nothing. Hesitantly, he shifted sideways, standing a few inches closer than before. It was barely noticeable, but Thorin could feel her closeness deep in his gut. He wanted to shift again, but he was sure that it would frighten her more than appeal to her.

"It is your turn to say something, Thorin," she finally said, rolling her eyes at him. "I said your ball was a success, now you should comment on the number of couples or the quality of music.

Thorin felt tremor run through him at the sound of his name. She was annoyed again, but it could not damper the excitement he felt at hearing her bypass titles.

"Which ever you would like to be said, I would most certainly concur," he answered pleasantly.

Signi nodded, and looked away, surveying the army camp once more. "Perhaps I shall at some point in our walk mention that I prefer small gatherings to large balls. But now we shall remain silent."

Her words were clipped and Thorin wondered what it was about him that she found so offensive every time they spoke. He knew that friendliness was not a strong point of his, but he had never met a dwarrowdam that refused him the common courtesy of humoring him.

"Do you often talk while walking in the night air?" he asked in what he hoped was a gentle tone.

Signi shot him a cold look. "No, I prefer to walk in silence when I am with company," she answered sardonically. "I have found that we are alike in this. We are both of the unsocial, taciturn sort and only speak when we say something that we expect to be profound."

Thorin's lips twitched beneath his beard, but he maintained an expression of practiced stoicism. "I can hardly agree to that for your sake. For myself, I cannot judge, but I am sure you have formed a fine opinion of my character."

"I am afraid I cannot determine if my opinion is accurate," she said sullenly.

They fell silent, unable to or unwilling to continue with their barbs. It was growing late in the evening and fine mist had begun to fall. The moon was partially hidden behind low gray clouds, but yellow rays peeped out now and then to give the king a good view of Signi again. The little strands around her forehead were damp in the mist and stuck to her temples and cheeks. Thorin was strangely enchanted by this small thing and found himself moving closer to shield her from the precipitation.

Signi did not object to the damp air, nor did she complain when the king moved closer. But still she would not look at him.

"Did you and your sister enjoy seeing your kin this morning?" He asked. His attempts at conversation were weak, but it was so rare that he actually desired small talk.

"We did," she answered, finally fixing her gaze on his. "It was especially good to see Stonehelm again."

Thorin felt his expression darken at the mention of that miscreant. A few years before, Thorin Stonehelm was nothing but a dwarfling who could swing an axe. Now he was very bane of the king's existence. It seemed that every time things were going right for him, Stonehelm would surface to destroy everything.

"Young Stonehelm has been blessed with such charm and a silver tongue, it is no wonder that he makes friends wherever he goes," Thorin spat. His anger was increasing with each word until he was nearly shouting. "It is a pity he is unable to retain these friends he makes."

"Yes, you would know all about that," Signi growled. "He has lost your favor, and in such a way that will make him suffer for the rest of his life."

Thorin bristled at her words. In the back of his mind he knew that she had nothing to base her opinions on other than Stonehelm's word, but it angered him just the same. "Oh yes, he shall certainly suffer and it will still be less than he deserves."

"Is your pride such that you would bar your own family from their rightful rank and position?" She asked, her tone as biting as his.

"My pride is not the problem," Throin said.

"Then it is your blind prejudice that makes you act like a fool."

Thorin's eyes narrowed at this statement. For a moment he felt like a stone from the depths of Long Lake's icy waters had been plunged through his chest. She called him a fool. The very thing he had said about the girls those years before.

"It seems your opinion of me was formed before this conversation. I would persuade you to consider other factors, but as your stubbornness matches my own, we have no hope of that," he said coldly.

Thorin did not offer to walk Signi back into the ball. Instead, he stomped away, leaving her alone on the balcony, to march upstairs to his study.