"Emma? What do you want with Emma?" Thorin asks, while Fili and Kili have ceased their teasing and are now staring at the wizard intently, waiting to hear what he wants with the girl they see as their sister.
"I thought that was obvious; we need her to talk to Melo." Gandalf says plainly.
Thorin purses his lips and clenches and unclenches his jaw while thinking of what Gandalf has asked him. War has to be avoided at almost any cost, as he is obligated to send soldiers, soldiers he doesnt have to spare, in aid of his allies. Damn treaty!
"You can try, but I highly doubt she will help you." He says, trying to show his good will but not give them too much.
"Perhaps if you were to support us in this?" Gandalf suggests tentatively. "You know how serious this matter is, and Melo has proven to be completely unmoved by our arguments, as is his father. Emma is our last chance to settle this matter before we have to resort to moving our armies there in order to ensure our freedom. And if we go, you will also have to send your army, if I recall the details of our treaty correctly."
Thorin nods and turns to one of the servants, ordering him to get Emma.
"I am very sorry, your highness, but her highness is currently in the training pits. Would you like me to fetch her nonetheless?"
"No. We'll go there." And he gets up, followed by his guests and visitors, and makes his way to the practice halls. There, they find Emma training with Jeron, currently working on different types of attacks. She is rapidly hitting pads attached to his hands, which he keeps holding in different places.
At first she doesn't notice them, but when she sees Jeron looking behind her, she turns around. She takes her gloves of and crook an eyebrow at Thorin. "Your highness?"
"Azyungal, immediately back to training, I see." He says with an indulgant smile.
"Yes, I went to my brother first, but he did not have much time to catch up, he had some urgent letters to send." She replies with a smile. In truth, she already knows why they are here; she had just expected them to be more polite and wait untill dinner or something. Her brother had informed her when she went to see him after Thorin left their chambers to receive their guests.
"So you already spoke to Melo?"
"Hmm, I did."
"Then you know why we are here."
"They have sent you on a fool's quest, Thorin. It is not happening. Not me asking Melo and not Melo permitting them."
"I would urge you to reconsider that, as it would be both highly costly and highly dangerous if I have to send my army to force Melo and his father."
"That is Erebor statebusiness, I do not meddle in that, especially not if there is a conflict with Melo's business." She says, respectfully adding 'Thanu men' at the end; his kingly title in Khuzdul, and a small bow of her head.
"You will have to, seeing that you are queen now." he replies, also adding 'Athumen' at the end, but in a more sarcastic tone, mocking her pretence politeness.
"No." She shakes her head adamantly and crosses her arms.
"Don't make me force you, azyungal. I'm not going to risk to lives of my soldiers all because you refuse to talk to your brother!"
"You want to force me to do this?! Try it, see what happens. I will not be used to go against my brother; not now, not ever, no matter the stakes!" she says, the volume of her voice rising with every word she speaks and her cheeks red in anger.
His already thin worn patience is stretched to its limit. If she doesn't talk to her brother, he will have to send his army at great costs, in terms of both in human lives and gold. He feels pressured and cornered, neither of which is a feeling he likes. Unfortunetely, it is his wife he takes it out on. "Get changed, join us for dinner and do what they ask of you!" he barks at her, not caring what others might think.
She squints her eyes, barely holding herself back from throwing her boxing gloves at his face but instead tossing them into a corner, the gloves flying dangerously close past Elrond's head on it's way to said corner, and then walks away.
Once in her bedroom, she rings for her handmaidens, ordering Shana to get her brother and Jalila and Mina to dress her. When Thorin also enters the royal chambers half an hour later, he finds Melo sitting in the antechamber and one of Emma's handmaidens informing him in a rather short tone that Emma is bathing.
"Why do you not want to help them?" Thorin asks Melo when the handmaiden has left and he also takes a seat in the antechamber.
"Because my father has every right to refuse. It may not be correct of him, just as it wasn't correct of him to withhold the truth from us, but he has every right."
"Have you considered how this may affect others?"
"I have. Let them put their protective spells somewhere else than our borders, but for some reason they refuse to do that. That's their choice, so their fault." He shrugs his shoulders. "Both that woman and that elf have made my father look like a fool, I'm not going to do anything to help them."
"So this isn't about anger or pride then?" Thorin asks sarcastically.
"It might be like that for Emma, but for me it is about honor. How would you feel if Emma got pregnant with some elf?"
Thorin nods, but says nothing, and so they sit in silence.
An hour later Thorin walks to the bedroom again. He sees his wife has finally gotten out of the bath and into her dress, and her maids are now doing her hair. As she sees him, she looks at him with nothing but disdain, as she had done when she left his company. He wants to say something to her to make things better between them but he has no idea what. So he just informs her that her brother is waiting for her. She ignores him and her maids start on her make-up.
Half an hour later, she comes out of the room, looking at Melo. He gets up and brings their foreheads together, whispering to her. She smiles fainthly and they walk to the meeting hall, followed by Jalila and a stern looking Thorin.
**"He told me to talk to you, you were right."** Emma starts.
**"Highly annoying they got Thorin on their side."**
**"Listen to them, but refuse help. They probably won't expect you to be there, as they want me to persuade you."**
**"Right, let them take care of their own business."**
**"And after they leave, you will take me away from here."**
Melo stops and looks shocked at his sister. **"Take you away? What about your husband?"**
**"If he acts like this to me, he is no husband, but more like father."**
**"Like father?! What did he do?"**
**"He screamed at me in public, bringing those elves to my practice and making me look like a petulant child. And he wants to come between you and me."**
Melo glances back at Thorin angrily **"And where will you go when you leave?** They have resumed walking.
**"I'll figure something out."**
**"I will give you the funds, of course, but I don't think you can come back home. And perhaps you should think about it a little more, take a night or two to be sure."**
**"Believe me, I have no desire to go back to father. Perhaps I will live in a city of men, Gondor or something."**
Thorin's head jerks up as he hears the word 'Gondor', but he says nothing and keeps walking.
**"Did he…did he act dishonorably durind the honeymoon?"** Melo asks tentatively. He really doesn't want to talk about it, but can not ignore it.
**"No, why?"** She asks curtly, remembering how she felt during the wedding night.
**"Elrond said something about it, but never mind. We'll think of a solution, but first: lets get through this."**
**"And you'll keep them away from me? **
**"I'll try, but I have little to say here." **
They enter the small meeting hall where Melo sits next to her, both showing no emotion, while Thorin's face shows his annoyance and worry.
"Emma" Gandalf starts. "We are so happy you have decided to come."
Emma just raises an eyebrow and Jalila steps in: "Etiquette states that you may not adress her highness before she has adressed you." She says to Gandalf.
Thorin's head jerks up and he looks at his wife. She had not invoked her right to make people wait untill spoken to untill now. She didn't mind with most of the wedding guests congratiolating her, she hadn't mind when Dwalin spoke to her, Melo, her handmaidens, her trainer. But he had to acknowledge that it is her right. A right she must be using to work towards some goal, he muses.
"I believe I have already spoken with Emma on several occasions, and we just want to explain once more how important it is that you and your brother help us." Gandalf replies Jalila
"You have not spoken with her after her marriage, so she has not adressed you yet. Please redirect your questions to someone else."
Gandalf wants to say something else, but Melo interjects: "You have explained it already, Gandalf, and the elves have explained it to me, endlessly. I have told them to put their spells around our kingdom, but that did not seem good enough for them. So what are we really doing here?"
Lady Galadriel gets up. "We can not put the spells around your kingdom, because then Sauron would still be able to enter the lands of good, rendering out spells useless. We can only make a barrier between good and evil."
Melo raises an eyebrow and Galadriel carries on explaining why she should be allowed access to his lands, going on for what seems to be an eternity, again.
**"What do you make of this, Emma?"** Melo whispers to Emma, almost rudely interrupting Galadriel, as he finds himself incapable of feigning attention for what the lady of the light has to say any longer.
Emma shrugs **"I just want to leave and have no desire whatsoever to even think about this mess, nor do I have any idea why they bother me with it."** she says, still showing no emotion.
**"Perhaps I should smother her in her sleep with a pillow so we can enjoy some peace and quiet. Do you think killing off elven ladies would be frowned upon?"**
Emma can't help herself and burst out in a melodious, chrystal clear laugh as Melo is grinning. But when she sees the puzzled faces of her husband's guests, she composes herself and turns her attention back to Galadriel, biting her lip to prevent further laughing.
**"If you wish for me to cease my explanation, perhaps you might give me an answer."** Galadriel says indignantly, but with a slight undertone of amusement in her voice.
The sudden realisation that Galadriel can not only understand them but also speak their language causes a tiny amused smile on Emma's lips and Melo's cheeks to redden.
He wants to say something, but Galadriel interrupts. **"And do not deny it out of anger of past occurences or anger about this whole situation. Things might have been handled wrong, especially towards you, my child"** she says while looking at Emma **"But it should not cause this world to be taken over by evil."**
Jalila wants to step in, but Emma already answers Galadriel: **"Do not call me your child, as I am not, and do not presume to know what has happened or what our motives may be, for you know nothing of it."** Emma says, still holding a blank face.
In the meantime, everyone is looking at the conversation that is going on between Galadriel, Emma and Melo, frustrated they do not know what is being said. Thorin looks at Jalila, who is standing behind Emma's chair, but she makes an effort to avoid looking back at him.
**"On the contrary, I know very well what has happened. Elrond was married to my daughter untill her untimely departure for the undying lands, so I know how the love between him and your mother has come to exist and has flourished in Rivendell."**
**"We do not have a mother."** Both siblings say in unison.
**"Her fulfillment of the role might be questioned, but your mother she is. However, I do not wish to meddle in this family affair, that is all for you to decide. I do wish to urge you to allow me access to your kingdom."** she says, now looking at Melo, who seems to be in deep thought.
-Do not let anger and disappointment cloud your judgement. Do not run away from this, nor your husband, as you have done before.—Emma hears in her head, knowing it is Galadriel speaking to her.
-I know you do not let anyone treat you like this, and I also know where that comes from. Just know that all present here that have hurt you, deeply regret it, even your husband. If you would look at his face, you would see the worry in it.—
But Emma does not move.
Galadriel smiles a bit. –He is currently worrying about what you and your brother have discussed about Gondor, and hoping you won't leave him.—
Still nothing from Emma
-He is trying to look at you neck, seeing if his mark is still there. Is that why you covered it with your hair?—
- Ask your brother to discuss the matter of his kingdom in private, leaving the choice up to him. That way, you can both point at the other when asked who gave in. And afterwards, you will have the support of the elves to go whereever you want, or to stay here.—
-I need nothing from elves. Work your witchcraft on my brother if you must, I'll wash my hands of this.—
"Stop hiding behind your brother and your husband and your silly etiquette and get a grip on real life, Emma!" Galadriel has finally lost her patience, but with rather adverse effects.
Thorin, Melo, Fili and Kili all jump up and start cursing and yelling at Galadriel in Khuzdul, not realising she can not understand them.
"Enough!" Gandalf bellowes, effectively shutting everyone up. Emma looks at Melo and winks with a little smile on the corners of her lips. For a moment he is confused, but then he also smiles as he gets it: it was her plan all along to make Galadriel lose her patience. She leans over to him and whispers in his ear:
**"You have traded me for some profitable ties with Erebor, now you are going to trade the right to access your lands. Thorin will accept, seeing how angry Galadriel has made him."**
He looks at her, highly amused. **"Trade for what?"**
She looks back with a very serious face. **"For the elves to leave Erebor and relinquish their claim on me."**
Now he is hit with the full realisation. **"Damned Emma, you are supposed to corner them, not me! I am supposed to be getting something out of this!"**
A smug smile, showing how pleased she is with herself, appears on her face. **"Do you know what I have come to realise recently, nadad? When everyone thinks of themselves, everyone is thought of. And I have thought of you much more than you have thought of me, so now it is time the tables turn. You owe me."**
He actually grins. **"This one is yours namad, it was fun playing again."** and then he turns to the others, to his surprise seeing amusement on Galadriel's face.
"If all rights to Emma are relinquished and Elrond, his sons and, eeeeh, his friend leave Erebor, you will have free access to my father's lands, providing you make sure he does not find out. If he does, the agreement is null and void." He says while leaning back in his chair, still wondering how he had missed his sister's last move. But then, she had always been better at emotional blackmail than him, having far more reason for it, he thinks with sadness overflowing him.
For several moments, it is completely silent in the hall, but then Elrond speaks up. "Three months. The arrangement made before signing the marriage contract will stay in place for three months. After that, it is up to Emma."
"Two months. You will have untill Durin's day."
Elrond nods, but adds: "Sindarin lessons will begin tomorrow."
Melo wants to say something, but is prevented by doing by Emma who kicks his leg under the table, so he just nods and looks at Thorin. "King Thorin, your approval?"
Thorin nods, and with that, all gathered get up and start to leave the hall. Fili walks up to Emma.
"If I recall correctly, you already speak Sindarin."
"Yes." She muses.
"Then why did you not say anything when Elrond said he will start teaching you tomorrow?"
"So he doesn't know I can understand their conversations and the hour per day he has with me is verbal."
"Why does it matter if his lessons are verbal, would you not rather do anything, minimize conversation?"
"He can not say anything to me before I have spoken to him." Emma snickers and starts walking towards the exit of the hall, where Thorin is waiting for her.
When he takes her arm, the smile disappears off her face and is replaced by disdain.
"Will you speak to me?" Thorin asks her.
"No" She says angrily, and she jerks her arm out of his grip
He grabs her arm again, holding her back from the others.
"Are you—are you going to leave me?"
She says nothing and just looks the other way.
"Tell me you won't leave me, even if you are forever upset with me and never speak to me again, it would be a thousand times better than to loose you again."
"Perhaps you should have thought of that before you acted like my dad and allowed those fools to speak to me!" she says, and walks away.
Lady Galadriel walks back around the corner, wanting to speak to Emma. When Thorin and Emma see her, they stop speaking, not wanting her to listen in on their private conversations.
"There you are. Would you take a walk with me, so we can talk?"
"I do not believe you need a walk for that. Why don't I just sit in my room and you enter my head against my will again?" Emma sneers.
"Come, I wish to tell you about your parents. Well, your father mostly. If you do not wish to walk, then perhaps we can sit somewhere?"
"I have had a really long, tiresome day, and want to take a nap. Let's not do this, you will find it will be a waste of your time." Emma answers curtly.
"Later is also fine, I shall wait for you after dinner."
"I will be having dinner in my room."
"Perfect, I shall come there."
Emma walks off, having had enough from everyone wanting to talk to her or wanting her to do something. When she enters her bedroom, she can only fall on the bed, immediately falling asleep.
Thorin had wanted to follow her, but is stopped by Elrond.
"I have missed too much, Thorin, I need to get her back and you know as well as I do that that will be quite difficult in two months."
"You have missed so much because you left her there. If you had wanted her, you should have acted sooner." Thorin responds dryly to the elf's emotional plea.
"You married and bedded a teenager, without her wanting so, I have been informed! You have no right whatsoever to keep her from me!" Elrond yells in frustration, shedding his usual composure.
Thorin turns red in anger and is ready to start a fight with Elrond, but the elf apologizes.
"I am sorry, I should not have said that. This is all very—difficult for me, as it is to you and Emma, I am sure."
"You have one hour per day, for the rest just leave her alone." Thorin gruffs, and he walks away.
As he enters the bedroom, he sees her lying on the bed, clearly deep asleep, and sits in one of the chairs in the room, looking at her. He would be devastated if she actually left him, and he deeply regrets how he has acted to her this afternoon. He should just have stayed out of it, telling his guests to talk to Melo instead of Emma.
When the sun starts to set, and it is almost time for dinner, Emma starts waking up, Thorin looking at her the first thing she sees as she opens her eyes.
"Did you sleep well?'' he asks carefully
She looks at him with disdain again and the gets up and sits at her vanity, trying to fix her hair. He comes to stand next to her.
"Azyungal, I am-I am sorry for what has happened, I truely am, and for my part in it."
She just scoffs, not even looking at him.
"You must believe me, I am. I should have—handled things differently.
"Differently?! You should have sent them away in the first place. You should have told them to stay away from me, you should not have brought them to my training, you should not have yelled at me in public, you should not have forced me to listen to them when I had already said I wouldn't and you should most definently not have allowed them to stay after today! I am being used as a bargaining chip and you just don't care!" She shrieks
He backs a bit, surprised by her sudden outburst.
"You are right. Shall I send them away now?'
"Nice king you would make then. First approving an agreement and then changing your mind." She sneers.
"I will, if it makes you feel better. "
"If it makes you stay." He adds.
"They have nothing to do with me staying or not."
"I know, but I want you to see that I love you, that I need you."
He kneels next to her now. "I will do anything, everything that I need to do to make you stay."
"Sure, now you will, but not when it counted. Not when it came down to it. Then you just betrayed me, making me look like a petulant child."
"Azyungal…lets have dinner together, and we'll talk about it."
"I'm having dinner here and you should eat with your guests."
As she says it, a servant knocks on the door, bringing in her dinner.
"Dinner is served downstairs, your highness."
"Thank you, I will be right there." Thorin replies as the servant leaves.
"I will see you later then, I'll be here right after dinner."
He starts to walk away. "Don't bother, that lake-witch wants to talk to me and could not be deterred. Incessive woman. She will be here after dinner."
He nods and walks to the dining hall.