Anya was nearly failing at keeping her wits about her as she walked back to the dinner hall between Fili and Kili. Did her mother offer her healing with the idea of this happening, what would her father say if he found out she was going around kissing Dwarven princes and the scariest of all, what would Thorin do if he found out? Anya was fidgeting with the hem of her sleeves a habit she noticed she had taken up since visiting the Blue Mountains and she blamed it accurately on Kili's newly found presence in her life. Anya nearly went into a state of panic when she was the last to sit down and the only seat available was between Kili and Thorin. Anya looked up to her mother worriedly and Anthriel smiled back with a knowing look upon her face. Anya blushed as she sipped the water from her glass her mother knew her far too well not to catch this one.
"Do you not drink Dwarven mead? I suppose you and your mother would rather have some Elvish wine." Thorin stated with an air of arrogance.
"I have actually never had either, my Lord." Anya retorted. Anya could see Kili's eyes widen and hear Fili gasp softly.
"Do you still consider her too young Rahvo?"
"I think that my brother Rhar just drinks it all before it can touch any one elses lips." She could hear Kili's soft chuckle and that alone was to make her smile.
"I suppose to an Elf she is still an infant is she not?" Thorin continued looking to Anthriel who made even a shrug look like an elegant gesture.
"I have not come upon any one like my Anyanka before. I do not know if she will live as long as a dwarf or as long as an elf. Although she does seem to have stopped growing so I believe that she will stay at this height." Thorin groaned with annoyance he just wanted the she-elf to slip up and say something to make him angry so he could have a proper reason to yell at her but she had to answer all his questions politely and diplomatically.
"Bring some mead to Rahvo's wife and daughter." Thorin motioned for one of the servers.
"I would like to know how your Elven mouths would favor it." Anthriel dipped her head in a polite bow.
"As you wish." Anya ate some bread nervously watching the serving woman approach with two large mugs filled to the brim with a deep golden mead that topped off with a white foam. Anya looked to her mother hoping to follow her lead but Anthriel looked too far graceful for Anya to even attempt to drink like her mother. Anya may have been a bit more graceful than most dwarves but she still was no match to a full-blooded Elf. Anya carefully picked up the mug with both her hands.
"Is the stuff on top edible?" Fili laughed deeply and even Thorin cracked a smile.
"Just put your lips to the side and take a sip the foam will go down once there is less mead in the mug." Kili smiled drinking from his own mug. Anya put the mug to her mouth and took a mouthful of the Dwarven mead into her mouth before swallowing it and setting the mug back down.
"Well?" Thorin asked wanting to see how she liked it. Anya used the back of her hand to wipe some of the foam from her upper lip.
"It tastes fine but the aftertaste is a bit strange." Kili smiled charmingly.
"You'll get used to it Anya." Thorin watched his youngest nephew with calculating eyes. They had taken a long time to just put salve on a small cut and now they were on first name basis and being quite liberal with their smiles and short quick glances.
"Does your daughter get many suitors Rahvo?" Rahvo spitted out some of the mead that was in his mouth using the sleeve of his shirt to mop it up from his beard while sputtering the first syllables of words but never completing a full word much less a full sentence. Kili looked to his uncle with wide eyes while Fili grinned knowing what Thorin was up to.
"She's just a child Thorin. A mere forty-five years old, any man coming to me seeking her hand in marriage is going to see the sharp end of my axe!"
"What about you Anya are you ready for marriage?" Anya's eyes widen as she stared at her mother her eyes begging for her help.
"What about you Kili you're less than a decade older than the less are you ready for marriage?" Kili's face turned a pale white and Anya though he was sure to vomit at any given moment.
"What about you Fili, you're nearly two decades older than me are you ready to be married?" Anya glared at Fili for making Kili embarrassed about kissing her. Fili chuckled deeply stroking his beard.
"I haven't decided if I'm a one maiden type of dwarf yet." Anya's eyes widen as a blush spread across her cheekbones.
"Fili," Thorin's voice boomed from the end of the table.
"This is not a brothel this is my dinner table and I will not have you speak that way in front of Rahvo's wife and daughter."
"My apologies." Fili muttered quickly as he downed more mead.
Anya held Kili's hand as they walked outside the mountain breathing in the fresh air and looking at the flowers that grew along the mountain side.
"We leave tomorrow before dinner." Anya mumbled softly dreading the sun setting and ending the day. Anya and Kili had grown very close over the past few weeks of her visit after their first shared kiss. A walk along the mountain side had become a regular routine for them, it allowed them privacy without the prying eyes of Thorin and all those he ordered to follow them around. Anya watched Kili as he knelt down grasping a fairly large blooming flower before plucking it from the ground.
"Blue is my favorite color." Anya spoke softly as Kili rose back and tucked the flower into her hair.
"I know." He smiled and stroke her cheek softly with his rough yet gentle fingers. Anya sighed softly and leaned into his touch.
"I'm going to miss you Anya but I'll send missives to your home and your father told my uncle that you would visit again within a year." Kili smiled charmingly at Anya.
"Promise you will not forget me?" Anya asked solemnly.
"Anya, nothing in the world could make me forget you." Kili responded as he kissed lovingly.
We're still a chapter or two from the grand adventure! Leave me a review and tell me what you think! Also, write a review and feed the muse!