Gladiator Ch. 5

(Eventual Thorin/Ren)

Taking the crown from his head, the King placed it back in its rightful place and glanced at himself in the mirror for a moment but his head suddenly turned in the direction of the arch across the way, his eyes drifting to where his manservant was talking to the female slave. He was about to lead her into the bath after he had filled it with the warm water, like Thorin had requested previously.

"You'll find that there are plenty of soaps and oils right inside the wall by the tub." Anuon said in Westron as he handed Ren her chain and ring. The she-elf only nodded in response and walked beneath the doorway that led to the King's private bath.

Shrugging out of his fur robe, he placed it upon the back of the chair beside the mirror and pulled his tunic over his head before dropping it onto the seat. He also toed his heavy boots off and left them by the table where he kept all his things.

The sound of water splashing could be heard across the room and he couldn't help that one corner of his mouth turned upwards slightly. At least it sounded as though she were enjoying herself.

Suddenly there was a knock at the grand doors across the room and he called out for whoever was there to come in as he pulled the fur mantle back onto his shoulders, leaving his chest bare. The door was opened and in stepped Anuon's younger sisters, both of them pushing two carts full of food in front of them.

He just gave them soft smiles and nods of appreciation before they moved further into the room and began to set things up on the table like he had previously asked of them.

However, something suddenly flashed into the forefront of his mind as he watched the two elves work. Turning his head back towards the bath, he only narrowed his light blue eyes, finding that something odd was definitely going on.

When Anuon had told her of the bath soaps, he had been speaking in the Common Tongue. The Common Tongue. And she had responded with a nod. A nod of understanding.

Like she spoke the language.

Perhaps it was a fluke. Perhaps he had only imagined the head nod.

With a deep furrow in his brow, he sat down in the soft chair beside the fire and thought about what had just happened before his very eyes. She was an elf, he reminded himself silently. They lived for hundreds to thousands of years and in a world such as Middle-earth, he only imagined that it was be very difficult to not know Westron, especially if she had lived to see the turn of the century, if not many.

With a heavy sigh, he put his feet up onto the ottoman and retrieved his pipe from the inner pocket of his heavy robe. He also withdrew a small matchbox and lit the pipeweed inside the bowl before leaning back in his seat and closing his eyes in an attempt to clear his mind.

Thorin simply sat and basked in the silence surrounding him for the longest time, just enjoying this undisturbed moment in his hectic day. Every once in awhile, his jaw would go slack and the sweet smoke would simply drift from between his lips. The dwarf would also absentmindedly reach out and take hold of his wine goblet before raising his lips to take a sip of it.

His mind was solely on the female in the other room as she bathed. How he wished that he could see her. All of her.

But he couldn't, not yet anyway. However... he could try, especially so if he now believed her to know the Common Tongue. He could pry, quite literally, to see if she spoke it, just as he suspected.

A few minutes passed before he caught movement in the corner of his eye and he slowly turned his head to find the blonde she-elf walking towards him, a large towel wrapped securely around her, leaving only her bare feet and face exposed to him.

In one hand, she carried the ring and chain while the other held the fabric tightly around her thin body.

For a long moment, she just stared at him with her big blue eyes, uncertainty still evident in the deep pools. She did not like being such a state of undress and in front of a man no less. Thorin watched her for a long while as he continued to smoke before he eventually held his hand out and beckoned her closer.

Hesitating a moment, she did as he asked of her again and she shuffled over until she was standing beside his chair, causing the flickering flames to illuminate her golden hair which was still stringy from her bath.

Taking one final deep inhale on his pipe, he placed it to the side on the small side table and rose from his seat.

With those same dark thoughts lingering in his mind, he reached out and brushed her damp hair from her face so that he could see those beautiful eyes. Allowing his mouth to part ever so slightly, he blew the pipe smoke from his lungs as he continued to gaze at her, the tendrils flittering up into the air before dissipating.

Moving behind her, he raised his hands and lightly gripped her biceps in his large hands, his thumbs running over the fabric covered skin.

Test how far she'll let you go. He silently reminded himself.

The room was entirely silent and the King stepped forward, effectively pressing himself up against her back. She did not move a muscle but her breathing became more rapid.

He wondered for a moment if she would try to do anything. If, now that he was so close, she would break the promise he had made her swear to and take this chance to beat him senseless while he was distracted.

He would if he were in the she-elf predicament.

"You need clothes." He muttered huskily as he leaned in to press a kiss to the skin just behind her ear. His hot lips remained upon her skin and continued down the side of her throat. Even then, she remained silent. His hands instead released her arms and instead slowly took hold of the towel, so as to not alert her of his intentions. "Or perhaps... Neither of us do."

And with that, he yanked open both sides of the towel, causing the she-elf to gasp loudly.

Dropping the ring and chain, she instead used her hands to try and cover herself which, much to both the dwarf's relief but also a little disappointment, was covered by her small clothes.

She wore a black binder covering her breasts and a pair of very short, black pants covered her lower half.

Still, she tried to hide as much of herself as possible from his eyes. The elleth did not turn back around and instead simply stood, shaking in the cold air that nipped at her exposed and still damp flesh. A bit of fear of the unknown may have also been what caused a few tremors in her body.

Her skin was turned golden in the firelight and for a moment, the King just admired her with his icy eyes.

She was beautiful, he could not deny that.

Despite her lack of food, it was remarkable how she still somehow managed to retain some meat on her bones, allowing for toned muscle to develop.

Sighing heavily through his nose, he tossed the towel aside and it landed across the room on the cold stone floor. Then, taking slow steps towards her once again, he slowly reached out and placed his rough hands on the soft skin of her sides so that he could once again pull her close to him.

His own bare chest pressed against her back and the fur on his robe caused her muscles to twitch.

Reaching around her, he raised his right hand so that he could gently turn her face back towards him. Her eyes which had once been lowered slowly raised themselves to gaze into his own pair.

Then, before either of them realized what was truly happening, Thorin was leaning in, his lips eager to cover her own and he would have had his way should she had not turned away from him at the last moment.

The first act of defiance she had shown him since the night they first met.

A ribbon of anger slowly curled in the dwarf's stomach and he slowly drew back, his eyes darkening significantly before he clenched his jaw.

"You are not going to be a good girl, then?" He asked lowly, his hand returning to her other side, giving both of them a firm squeeze to show his frustration. She didn't respond still but her shoulders heaved as she continued to breathe deeply in hopes of steeling herself.

He dropped his hot lips to her shoulder and pulled her harder against him. His beard scraped against her smooth skin and slowly, his hands began to wander up her sides until his fingers brushed just underneath the edge of the binder. As soon as he did that, her hands where on his and she was trying to push them away but he persisted, knowing that if he was going to get what he wanted, he would have to keep going.

He continued to grab at her and she persisted in trying to push his searching hands away until, finally, she felt as if there was no other choice.

"No!" She whined as she continued to fight against his grip. At first Thorin thought that he hadn't heard her and continued but even then, she spoke up again. "No! Please!"

At that, the dwarf lord froze but still kept his lips upon her skin.

"Please... don't." She whispered, completely breathless. Finding that he had finally gotten what he had been waiting for, he smirked and released her.

She immediately stepped out of his arms and stumbled away. Ren moved to back away from him but the King stepped forward and stepped on the ring hooked to her chain with his bare foot, pushing the silver into the furs beneath them. Her sapphire eyes were wide with fear and her hands rose to the chain and collar around her throat.

"Was that Common Tongue that I just heard?" He tilted his head to the side, causing his long, dark hair to spill over his shoulder. "Or was I mistaken?"

It was quiet in the room for a long moment.

The elleth sighed deeply through her nose before turning her head away, casting her eyes off to the side. "You were not mistaken."

Just gazing at her for a long moment, he raised his foot off the chain so that the chain once again fell slack. An amused smirk slowly drew back his lips and he shook his head slightly.

She never ceased to amaze him.

"It is as I assumed then." He murmured, straightening up and crossing his arms over his chest. She just raised a brow at him, questioning his words. "I had... suspicions that you could speak Common Tongue. You nodded to Anuon when he spoke to you before you bathed." He began to walk towards her and the she-elf took a small step back but was instead surprised when the dwarf moved by her to retrieve his goblet of wine. "Does your Master know of your secret?"

The she-elf just watched him for a moment as he brought the glass to his lips and drank. "No."

"Why not?"

Again she was quiet for a beat as she thought of what to tell him.

"Have you ever had to go from walking down a road, with all the freedom in the world, to walking down that same road with a pair of shackles around your ankles?" She asked him quietly, a distant look entering into her eyes as she stared into the flickering flames before her. "Have you ever been ripped out of your own life and stripped bare, emotionally and physically, of all that you have ever know?" Her brow furrowed softly for a long moment. "We didn't tell Borgil because it was the last thing that they could take from us..." From where he was standing, the King was surprised to find that a sadness lingered in the depths of her blue eyes. "It's the only power we have left over them... or at least, had over them."

Upon hearing her words, the dwarf simply stared down into his drink for a moment before he raised his eyes to look at her. He was contemplating something hard as he gazed at her from across the room. Then, as if making up his mind, he set down his wine glass and approached her once again, coming to stand just before her.

Ren simply tensed and waited for his next move but felt surprise wash over her as he shrugged out of his heavy fur robe. For a moment, she expected the worst and was about to turn and flee but was instead amazed at the King stepped forward and wrapped his coat around her, covering her once bare skin and protecting her from the chilly air in the mountain.

This left him in only his trousers and the female couldn't help that her eyes may have lingered longer on his bare chest than appropriate. She immediately looked away when she realized he was watching her.

His hands raised to gently hold onto the black fur collar, keeping it closed tightly around her throat.

"If you will speak with me, freely and honestly, in the confines of my chambers and only with me, I will keep your little secret." He told her, his large thumbs running over the soft fur as he still held onto the coat. "And you may maintain this facade around the Slaver."

"Okay." She said quietly, bowing her head.

"Now, come. Let us eat. The food is getting cold." He released his hold on the collar and stepped back, instead offering his large hand towards her. Her wide blue eyes darted from his face to his open palm and she hesitated a long moment before placing her smaller hand into his.

Thorin was amazed when he felt how soft her hand was, first having thought with all the battle she had done, her palms would be rough and calloused from years of being a gladiator. He was very wrong.

And still, he marveled at how much smaller and more delicate her fingers looked while encased in his own. Yet, something about it made him further soften inside as well.

"Do you have clothes that I can send for?" He asked her as he began to lead her over to the table where his servants had laid out the food. Ren reached down and picked up her chain so that it didn't drag on the ground.

Releasing her hand, he pulled out a chair beside the main one at the head of the table and she was about to sit when he simply turned to look at her, a dark glint once again entering into his icy irises.

"When you are asked a question, you are meant to answer." He growled lowly, again not enjoying this disobedience that she was showing him. She didn't respond but instead slowly nodded her head, lowering her gaze to the floor. "I will only ask once more... Do you have clothes that I can send for?"

"No." She said quietly, still not meeting his eyes.

Her response caused the dwarf lord's head to snap up in surprise. "No?"

"No. My Master has not bought clothes for us in years." She explained quietly, shifting her grip on the ring and chain. "And the set I had, I gave away to one of the younger girls."

Thorin again just gazed at her for a long moment before he suddenly took hold of her hand again and led her across the room and to one of the large wardrobes off to the side of the room. Pulling open one of the various drawers at the bottom, he began to dig through the clothes in there before he withdrew a pair of dark brown breeches as well as a deep red tunic.

"Here." He handed them to her. "You may wear these."

Taking them into her own hands, she looked at the dwarf skeptically for a moment but his stern glare forced her not to question him and instead she shrugged out of his unbelievably warm robe and handed it back to him. She easily slipped her head into the soft fabric of the tunic and stuck her arms through the armholes.

She then unfurled the pants and hastily stepped into the pant legs before pulling the strings tight so that the breeches actually fit around her slimmer waist.

These clothes were designed for a dwarf after all so it wasn't surprising that the blonde was nearly swimming in the fabrics lent to her. The tunic hung around her smaller frame, much too big for her but it would serve its purpose.

And something inside the King felt satisfied to see her in his garb.

Wordlessly, he slipped his robe back on around his shoulders and he lead her back to the table where they took their respectful seats.

There was a proper feast laid out before them, consisting of some venison, freshly baked bread, some steamed potatoes and butter, a variety of other cooked vegetables, fruits of all kinds, and wine. Thorin began to fix a plate for himself but slowed when he realized that Ren had failed to move at all. She was just staring hungrily at the food before her.

"You may have anything that you like." He told as he himself began to eat. He had intentionally missed his dinner so that he may dine with her. Still, she did not move and the dwarf sighed heavily in frustration, pressing the heel of his palm into his forehead as he struggled not to snap at her. "Please eat. I will not have you simply sit there and watch me eat while I know that you are starving." His words caused the female to look up at him.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly, her eyes diverting themselves from his icy gaze. "It has just been so long since I've seen this much food." Her gaze roved over the various bowls laid out before her. "It's been so long since any of us have seen this much food."

The King couldn't help the pang that suddenly throbbed through his heart and the sick feeling he felt in his stomach. However, he just remained silent as he continued to chew the savory pork in his mouth.

After a few more quiet seconds, the she-elf finally began to spoon some food onto her plate, taking smaller amounts but at least she was now considering the idea of actually eating.

"Tell me, Ren…" Thorin mused between bites of his meal, his mind briefly flickering back to the first night when they had met, personally. "What did you truly say when I asked if you were hungry the first night we spoke?" He mused, his blue eyes narrowing on her form as a sly smile came over his lips. "For I fear as though your Master may have stretched your words a bit."

"I said that I would not eat until the others received their own meal. For that was what he promised me beforehand and I expected him to keep his promise."

"He said he'd give the others food?" He asked, his brows slowly furrowing.

She nodded her head but still did not eat. "There are some night's we go without anything to eat or drink." Her brow furrowed gently as she told him this, unsure if she should be saying anything. "Just because he thinks us immortal, he can save a few pieces of gold by not feeding us."

Again the King just looked at her for a long moment. It wasn't surprising to say the least that Borgil had been neglecting his slaves. That much was easy to see but the dwarf lord never suspected it would be this bad.

"What if I promised that your friends will receive more food than they could have ever dreamed about?" She only sent him a strange look, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Would you eat then?"

She averted her eyes from him. "Yes."

"Anuon." The dark haired male called for his manservant who stepped through the archway that led to the King's private bath. He had just finished taking care of the remnants of the bath she had taken. "Send for Dwalin."

Without another word, the elf nodded and left. However, he would only be gone for a few moments before he returned with the Master of Arms.

"I was just coming to see you to give you the report on the rebuilding of the watch towers on Ravenhill." He muttered, walking into the room at a brisk pace with his head down. It was clear that he was in a hurry to get the rest of his work done before it got too late at night. It always seemed like he never rested.

When he looked up to begin speaking to Thorin, he opened his mouth but paused when he realized they were not alone.

Turning his head to the side, he found that there was a blonde female seated at the table beside his King and it took him a moment to realize who she actually was. He looked back to the dwarf lord, a merry twinkle in his eyes as his lips curled slightly. "Oh." He chuckled quietly, allowing his eyes to drift back to the female. "Is... Is this the little fighter?"

Thorin couldn't help but smirk and he bobbed his head in confirmation.

"She looks so different." The large dwarf remarked, his eyes still intently gazing at her. It was hard to believe that the entrancing figure before him was actually the gladiator champion. This version of her was so different... so soft. Tame, almost.

"Indeed." The other dwarf replied and then he sighed heavily through his nose. "Though, she won't eat..." Both of the males looked at her and Ren remained silent as she allowed her eyes to flicker between the two of them, lingering longer on the raven haired man as she withheld her facade.

"Why not?" Dwalin growled, his brow suddenly furrowing deeply.

"She says that she will not eat until her companions receive food as well." The King explained, leaning back in his seat for a moment to look at her as well.

"You're bargaining with a slave, now?" The warrior arched one of his brows in question.

Still having been watching her, Thorin had to stifle a chuckle that threatened to slip from his mouth when the elleth sent the gruff creature a sharp glare. This was almost too priceless, he decided; watching her react to his Master of Arms' gruff words about her. It was all the more funny knowing that she could speak Westron now.

"Look past that point, Dwalin." The dwarf lord replied, his lips still curled slightly in a smirk. "And focus on the fact that the Slaver is not feeding his fighters."

The gruff creature was quiet for a moment, his face void of emotion as he stared blankly back at the King as if he had had enough that day. He sighed heavily through his nose. "You want me to see to it that they get food?" He guessed, crossing his arms over his chest. This wasn't the first time he had been sent on mundane yet important tasks for his lord. After a moment, he broke his stony resolve. "Anything else?"

"Yes, actually." The King was once again looking at Ren, a warm glow in his normally icy eyes. "Give them blankets and pillows. Take them some clothes as well, a tunic and a pair of trousers. Also, a pair of proper boots for each of them."

The large warrior just looked at him oddly for a few moments before his brow slowly furrowed. And yet, he didn't question his King. "Is that it?"

"That should do nicely, thank you Dwalin." He replied and the other dwarf turned to leave but not before he snorted through his nose as he strode towards the door across the room.

"Mahal, Thorin. You're turning into a big softie." He grunted before exiting the room, leaving a smirking dwarf lord and a confused female in his wake.

Once he was gone, the blonde turned back around in her chair, a curious glint as she looked back at her lone companion in the room. "He calls you by your first name?"

The dwarf's smirk widened some. "Dwalin and I are old friends. He was by my side when we took back the mountain." He explained and then leaned forward in his seat, picking up his fork where he had left it. "Now, enough talking. Hold up your end of the agreement and eat your food."

Looking back to her own plate, she sighed quietly and picked her fork up as well before stabbing some meat. For some odd reason, it felt as though a weight had been lifted off his shoulders when Ren actually put the food into her mouth and began chewing. They were making progress at least.

And once she started eating, she really started eating.

Taking in stride the fact that a feast lay before her, the she-elf wasn't afraid to indulge herself and began to clear out most dishes, much to the dwarf lord's amusement.

However, when he picked up another goblet and filled it full of wine, the woman paused a moment in her chewing, watching the red liquid splash into the golden cup. After he was finished, he placed it beside her plate and gauged her reaction.

The elf just continued to stare at it as she slowly resumed chewing before she swallowed and allowed her eyes to raise to him. "Do you have any water instead?" Her voice was slightly hoarse as she swallowed thickly, the cool liquid now drowning her with thoughts of itself in her mind.

Wordlessly, the King reached out and picked up her own cup before he dumped the wine inside into his own goblet. He then picked up a simple, silver pitcher off a cart beside him and refilled her drink before handing it to her.

She immediately raised it to her lips and drank heavily, not stopping to take a breath as she completely emptied it of its contents and extended it to him in hopes that he would refill it. Thorin just watched her a long moment, a soft frown upon his features before he poured more water inside. And it would only cause his frown to deepen when he would do it two more times before she was even sated.

The two continued to dine for another long while, or rather, the dwarf had finished eating and now he only sat back at watched as she began to clear off the rest of the plates.

He was glad she was eating now and didn't appear to be slowing down. For a moment, he wondered how long she had gone without eating or drinking anything.

"Ren...?" She looked up from her food. "How long have you been fighting for Borgil?"

The blonde just continued to chew the soft meat in her mouth as she shrugged her shoulders. She sighed through her nose and looked blankly across the room, a distant look in her eyes. "I'd say about ten years, give or take."

"Ten years?" He murmured slightly, his brow furrowing.

She had endured ten hard years of living as a gladiatorial slave and had managed to survive the entire time, her wonderful fighting skills no doubt the reason why she was sitting there with him.

What concerned him more was how she had managed to survive living under the care of the greasy Slaver.

"So, that means that the other one...?" He furrowed his brow deeply as he searched the recesses of his mind for a name for the other blonde she-elf. He waved his hand about as he thought.

"Cel?"

"Yes, Cel. She has been with Borgil just as long?" Again, Ren just nodded in response, wondering where he was going with these questions. "And what about the others?"

"They get traded a lot, most of them only staying with us for a year or two. Two of the men have been around for about four years but other than that, Cel and I have been there the longest."

"Because you fight well...?"

"Because I fight exceptionally well." She murmured, taking another long drink of water from her golden cup.

It was quiet for a long while after that. Ren soon finished eating and the dwarf just watched her out of the corner of his eye as she raised a napkin to her mouth and wiped her face clean, these manners surprising him greatly.

But then he remembered, she had only been in slavery for ten years. She had no doubt lived a fulfilling life before she was captured.

"Her name was Mal, correct?" The King himself finally broke the silence, causing her to turn and look at him. It took half a beat before sadness flooded her gaze and she lowered her eyes, the incident still fresh in her mind. She could still feel the warm blood upon her now clean fingers, still hear her labored breathing as if she still lay before her.

Ren just gave a little nod.

"I'm sorry about your loss." He rumbled, his brow set in a small frown and the blonde just continued to stare down into her lap.

"Accidents happen." The she-elf replied quietly, her eyes distant and the dwarf could easily see that she was thinking about the dark haired girl. "There is nothing you can do to change it." She sighed heavily, her shoulders slumping as she did so.

"How long was she with Borgil?"

"About a year and a half." The blonde explained, her eyes slowly raising to look at him. "It may be hard to tell but she was so, so much younger than the rest of us, only just reached her hundredth year a couple months ago." He blinked as he digested her words and he began to wonder just how old the woman before him was. "She wasn't a fighter. Never had fought because she didn't like it, said it was too bloody."

"Yet your Master put her into the arena?"

"I had been training her but... she struggled a lot. Again, it went against her nature, unlike some of us." As she said this, a small smirk curled one corner of her lip for a moment, eliciting a similar response from the dwarf lord. However, the glimmer of mirth was gone and was once again replaced with remorse and guilt. "I tried to protect her."

"Sometimes, you cannot save everyone." He told her, placing his chin into his palm as he leaned his elbow on the armrest of his chair.

"I know." She replied, her eyes once again falling and she twiddled her thumbs together. "But, even after knowing that, the pain of a loved one's death hurts no less."

The room was filled with silence for a long while after that. Thorin eventually rose from his seat and moved silently across the room so that he could sit back down in his seat beside the fire. Picking up his pipe from where he had left it, he reached into the pocket of his robe and withdrew a match that he used to light the pipeweed inside the bowl.

He inhaled deeply and allowed the smoke to fill his lungs before he breathed out through his mouth. Glancing back over his shoulder, he found that the woman still remained in her seat.

"Will you join me beside the fire?" The dwarf rumbled, the flames before him casting a strange light upon his face.

The she-elf raised her eyes to look at him before she rose from her seat without saying a word. However, before she moved to join him, she began to stack the plates and bowls together, trying to help out her elven companions but it was the dark haired King's voice that stopped her.

"Come, sit. That is not your job to do." This caused her to frown softly and she glanced back at the brunet elf who stood beside the door across the room, a blank look upon his face.

Heeding his words, she left the dishes upon the table and picked up her chain and the ring that had been dangling on the floor when she was eating.

Shifting the large tunic that barely sat upon her shoulders, she padded across the expanse of furs stretched out before the fire and sat down just before the dwarf's large chair. Looking down at the ring in her hand, she rubbed her thumb along the smooth surface before raising her eyes and extending it in the dwarf's direction.

He had been watching her the entire time and as she did so, he felt the tip of his pipe slip from between his lips.

His eyes flickered to hers and he saw the strangely submissive way that she held herself as she sat below him. And here she was, offering him the end of her leash.

Feeling a small frown form on his face, he sat forward and carefully took it from her hand. But, he didn't stop there.

His fingers traveled up the length of the chain until they reached the collar around her throat. He then carefully took the little latch into his hand and unclipped it from the collar before he wound up the rest of the leash and put it aside on the end table, displaying the apparent trust that he had bestowed in her.

The blonde woman just sat and looked up at him with wide blue eyes, disbelief shinning through those cool irises of hers. He then reached and lightly patted the top of her head, his fingers brushing lightly through her soft hair. "Would you mind if I asked you some questions?"

"You're the King." She murmured, not daring to move as he continued to gently ruffle her hair. "You can do whatever you please."

At her words, he couldn't help the slow smirk that spread across his lips as he continued to stroke her golden tresses. "That may be so but... I feel as though I must apologize for how I... touched you... earlier." His hand stilled for a moment and she looked back up into his eyes. "It was highly inappropriate of me but I want you to understand, I only did so because I had suspicions that you could understand us when we spoke." His hand then slipped down and lightly cupped her chin to turn her face more towards him. "I hope you will forgive me."

She thought about his words for a few moments, wondering if she should actually try to be reasonable with him. "You didn't hurt me." Ren replied but there was still a little mistrust that shown in her eyes. "And you have been kinder to me than many others have." His thumb stroked across her lower jaw and she had to fight the urge to lean heavily into his touch. "And for that, I am more than grateful."

Thorin just peered down at her for a moment, his blue eyes holding many emotions, many of them muddled and mixed together. "What do you think of your Master? Do you like him?"

The she-elf thought about this for a long moment before replying, "Did he tell you to ask me that?"

This caused the dwarf to chuckle. "I can promise you he did not." Thorin replied, a small smile still on his face. The female looked at the silver chain that now rested on the table before lowering her head, contemplating how she would answer his question.

"I hate him." She said quietly, sounding almost defeated, something that the dwarf lord found unusual. "He makes us fight, even if we don't want to or even if we can't."

"Then why do you fight?" He murmured quietly as he released her chin and simply looked down at her. "Why do you just not refuse?"

"I can't afford to tell him no." Her brow furrowed deeply and if possible, her eyes seemed to blaze more as she clenched her fists in barely concealed anger. "If I did, he would punish the others."

At hearing her words, Thorin felt his own brow dip slightly in a frown. "He uses them as leverage."

She slowly nodded her head, her fingers relaxing to run absentmindedly over the soft fur beneath her before she decided to speak again. "I fight so that they don't have to."

This only caused more unease in the dwarf king. For he didn't like the way she was speaking about her life and in the back of his mind a voice whispered that he could be the one to change the one to change it.

So, this has been a long time coming. More fluff to come between the two of them in the future, given that they are actually going to act civil around each other.

Sorry this took about a million and a half years to publish. I've just been swamped with work and school stuff lately, it's driving me crazy. Plus, this story is turning about to be a lot longer than I first planned.

Next chapter will probably be the Bard/Ren/Legolas story or if I feel like it, a new AU that I want to work on.

But, anyway, thanks for dropping by! If you want, you can go ahead and leave a review or favorite and follow my work!

Thanks again for all the lovely feedback as well and I hope you enjoy!

YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO, READ AND REVIEW!

Love,

Blue