AN: things will be picking up in this chapter and the next. Sorry, still no Smaug this chapter... but we're almost there...

After weeks of preparation the day of the party had arrived. The cooks had been furiously preparing for the past few days, the servants had scrubbed every crevice and swept away every speck of dust, the guards had been lectured on the importance of the evening, and Nalene had impatiently waited for the unveiling of her gift.

She knew she would receive many other presents, all beautiful and worth her gratitude, but she also knew that none would compare to her jewels. She'd grown up on tales of princes and princesses and finally she could be one, just for the day.

As she made her way through the halls she giggled in delight. Finally! Would they be gold, silver, or filled with shining gems? Was it a matching set? Would she finally have a nice ring to wear with her teal dress?

She all but skipped into the main rooms, dress swishing between her quick steps. She was barely through the doorway when she caught sight of her father- or rather what was in his hands- before she rushed forward.

Benrir presented her the jewelry box, eyes crinkling at his daughter's giddy jumping. She couldn't contain her excitement and took the box.

She opened the lid and-

Nalene gasped and ran a finger over the smooth links, reveling in the intricate carvings. The gold swirled around the gems so finely that she wouldn't believe it could ever have been crafted by some dwarf or man.

"It's beautiful." Her eyes were alight with awe. Her father laughed at her dazed expression.

They were certainly gorgeous, but Benrir hadn't forgotten the hefty pound of gold he'd paid with. He had little doubt he would ever regret his purchase, not with how happy it obviously made Nalene. When he noticed her still staring at them he suggested, "Why don't you put it on."

She blinked, his words had pulled from her bedazzled stupor. "Of course," she laughed. Thankful she'd already done her hair and it was out of the way, she slipped it around her neck. The latch was so tiny it took her a few tries before it clicked closed, but then the necklace finally rested against her clavicle.

She peered down at it, having a hard time looking away from it for too long.

"They belonged to a Gondorian princess centuries ago. I wasn't told her name, but it's said the princess was killed, and over time the necklace made it's way back to the kingdom of Erebor, where it was originally created. From there it remained, until one girl came pleading to her father for a certain gift." He raised an eyebrow at his daughter with mock severity. "And her fool of a father paid a great sum for it."

Nalene nodded quickly, schooling her face into a solemn expression that poorly concealed her inner excitement. "I am very grateful, father. I will take good care of it. I- I'll polish it every night! I'll never let it get scratched or- or tarnished!"

Seeing her earnest face, Benrir stifled his laugh, and clamped a hand on her shoulder. "I know you will take good care of it, but… perhaps you shouldn't polish it. I'm afraid that would ruin the setting and finish."

Nalene's eyes widened, and for a second she looked embarrassed. Of course she wouldn't polish it, she mentally berated herself. What would everyone think of her if she somehow managed to ruin a gift this precious?

But Benrir took pity and shooed her away. "Go, go. I know you'll be careful with it. You have guests to prepare for, don't you?"

By the time the party was in full-swing Nalene had shown off her new necklace to anyone who would listen. It was her pride and joy for the night. Every time she would feel it's weight on her chest she would beam, and raise a hand up to touch it- hardly believing it was hers.

Nalene raised her chin to give the jewels the best display as she excused herself from her friends. She didn't remember the exact number of invitations she'd sent out but her home- one of the largest around- was bursting with guests. For the past few hours she played hostess, passing through the crowd and extending her greeting to everyone- and she hadn't spoken to even half of them yet.

Within a few minutes she'd reached a part of the house where the crowd had thinned, and by the time she reached the gardens she only passed the occasional couple who had also wanted to escape the crowd.

As she passed a particularly passionate couple- only vaguely recognizing one of them- she giggled and hurried past their embracing forms.

She chose to sit at her usual spot in the gardens, and allowed herself to enjoy her moment's peace. The party had continued on into the night, and for hours she'd greatly enjoyed the company of her guests. So far the party had been a great success- everyone adored her necklace.

Nalene was certain her birthday party would be most eventful thing to happen to Dale for quite a while.

Her only warning was a sudden brush of wind against her neck, she didn't hear their approach, didn't notice the silence that'd fallen over the garden, and when one hand dug into her hair and the other wrapped around her mouth she was too shocked to struggle. Her muffled shrieks were barely audible as she was dragged back so quickly she nearly tripped over her own feet, her back pressed against someone's chest.

Her eyes widened when another man stepped out in front of her. He was dressed finely, clearly a guest in her home- but she'd never seen him before. He advanced on her quickly, closing the short distance between them in a matter of seconds. Her throat constricted in terror- she doubted she would've been able to scream even if the hand was removed from her lips. Her attempts at backing away only pushed her further into the back of the first man, causing the second one to chuckle lowly.

"Shh," he whispered, a frightful smile on his face as he raised a single finger to his lips. "Imagine our luck," he continued, his voice deceptively soft, "catching the princess without her train of maids."

His hands slithered around her neck like a clamp, and Nalene could hardly hear the man's words over the pounding in her chest.

"...will the King do?" he was saying, eyes glinting. The hands around her neck tightened, and to her mortification the man leaned in closer, squashing her between the chests of both men. There was hot breath wafting against her cheek, but she couldn't tell who it belonged to. "You're nearly as tempting as those gems around your neck," the one in front hissed, one hand straying towards the center gem, then a little lower-

A distant peal of laughter suddenly broke the night air, and the man behind her tensed. Hope lurched in Nalene- other's were nearby, she could be saved! "Enough," the chest on her back vibrated. "This has already taken too long. We should be gone by now."

The one in front stepped back, hands falling to her shoulders, grip loosening slightly as he glanced to both sides for the sound of the laugh.

Something prickled in the back of her mind, a memory…

"Oh they're long gone," he sounded unconcerned. His eyes turned back towards Nalene. "Besides, the princess was kind enough to choose the most secluded part of the garden for us, I don't want to waste the opportunity." His eyes slide up her body, and Nalene knew things were about to go from bad to worse.

"I'm a thief, not a rapist," the one behind her snapped coldly. "Grab the necklace and let's go."

"Fine, fine, nothing wrong with some fun."

Nalene was so relieved by the first words that the last part hardly registered with her. The hands were back around her neck. It wasn't till they tugged the necklace around to reach the clasp that she understood what was happening.

Her present! She didn't know whether to just let them have it or not. Her promise to her father rang in her ears, assuring him she'd take care of it. How could she let him down, just hours after receiving it? And she didn't want to lose it, it'd already become her favorite possession.

But the alternative was hardly any better. One of them might have claimed he wasn't a rapist but that didn't exclude murder.

Nalene didn't want to die for a necklace, not even for this necklace.

The one in front was having trouble undoing the clasp, though. She remembered it had even taken her a few tries, and this man's hands were twice the size of hers, too big to handle the delicate clasp.

"What's taking so long," the one behind her demanded.

"Damn thing won't open," the other growled, growing more frustrated by the second.

His fingers had just slipped from the clasp again when the tense silence was broken by another laugh, this one much closer than the last. Both men froze, then the hands on the necklace became hurried.

"Hurry!"

"Shut up!"

The man's eyes hardened and he changed tactics. Wrapping a hand around the chain he put another to her chest, holding her in place, and yanked. Her neck snapped forward, the chain biting into her skin, the other hand still in her hair tearing at her roots- she was certain she was about to snap in two, tears forming in her eyes- but then the hand let go and she lurched back, her head bouncing against a chest.

She was so dazed she hardly caught what happened next.

"Fuckin' dwarven smiths!" she heard someone snarl. Did she hear footsteps? "It won't come off!" Then, "She's seen my face, we can't leave her!"

The hands from behind released her so suddenly that she flailed forward, not realizing how much they'd been holding her up. Before she could think to scream or run something came slamming into her skull, and she tumbled forward, falling into a pair of arms before her eyes closed.


Waking up on the horse was rather confusing. It didn't register with her at first, the jolting rhythm of the horse's steps, the pebbles and grass of the ground blurring before she could get a clear view of it.

Then she caught sight of the men and realized she'd been kidnapped. She was sprawled across the lap of one of the men, and honestly it didn't matter to her which lap she was in, she'd prefer neither. Nalene knew they still hadn't managed to remove her necklace because it was bounced against her face every time the horse hit the ground the right way.

She groaned, loud and long. How could this happen to her? Where had the guards been? How long had it been? It couldn't have been that long, because it was still dark out and from the corner of her eyes she thought she might see the silhouette of the city against the night sky.

Although the rider said nothing she knew he'd noticed her awaken because one of his hands fell to her back, alarmingly low on her back. Maybe the action was meant to steady her, because she wasn't swaying around quite so dangerously now, but the heat of his hand through her dress sent her heart racing.

She closed her eyes and prayed she wasn't lying on the thighs of the one who condoned rape.