Coming Of Age – Chapter 12
ThoraLee could not believe herself; she was snuggled within the arms of Thorin! If someone had told her she would be in love with a Prince in a week after she had turned 21 she would have scoffed at him or her! But here she was, under a blue full moon, in a garden profuse with fragrance upon fragrance of various beautiful colorful flowers and being kissed and loved by a handsome Prince beyond her wildest dreams. Definitely a romantic setting, in her eyes. She wanted to tell the whole world to be happy, that everyone should be happy, she could not help smiling, in fact she didn't think she would ever stop smiling, ever.
She hoped that when she awakened in the morn, it was not a dream!
As she yawned for the third time, she felt a low rumble beneath her; it was Thorin, he was chuckling at her.
"I think it is past someone's bedtime," he said, as he squeezed her gently.
She shook her head, "I'm not really tired, I want to stay here with you all night," she insisted, just as another yawn came over her.
He shook her gently, trying to get her to stand up, "Come my dear, to bed," he held his hand out to her.
Suddenly, he felt that they were no longer alone, he glanced about him and saw to his far right at the edge of the garden was a dark shadow. Thorin tensed immediately as his hand went to his side where his sword was, fingers at the ready on the hilt but he relaxed when he recognized the shape of the shadow as it came a little closer.
The shadow kept his distance as Thorin nodded his acknowledgement of his presence; luckily, Lee was oblivious to the presence.
"My dear, do you want me to carry you to bed like a baby?" he teased her.
She giggled sleepily as she shook her head and took his hand and stood up, "No, I'm capable of walking."
Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, Lee smiled at him, she was still shy with his touch. The way her heart beat wildly at his close proximity to her.
As they walked back within the palace, he held her hand as he led her to her bedroom.
They stood outside her bedroom door when he drew her into his arms again and kissed her slowly yet deeply.
After a long while, a low growl rumbled within from him as he separated their lips reluctantly.
"Go, ThoraLee!" he pushed her away from him, nudging her towards her bedroom door. "Go before I change my mind" he said and as soon as she was inside, he closed her door. "Do not open this door until the sun rises in the morn."
She leaned her forehead against the door on the inside of the bedroom, her lips was swollen with his passionate kisses, her hand on the handle of the door.
She heard his muffled voice; Go to sleep my love, do not open this door but dream of me and I'll see you in the morn.
Lee nodded and whispered, "Good night, Thorin my love." She closed her eyes as she listened to his retreating steps fading away. Soon it was quiet.
She wanted to open the door to assure herself that he was gone but she remembered his frustrated growl and angry tone of voice and grinned.
She then laughed to herself as she straightened and removed away from the door and went to bed; it was a while before sleep claimed her.
….
Thorin walked slowly back to his quarters; his head full of thoughts of her. ThoraLee.
He couldn't believe it. He was irrevocably in love with her. Half way towards his rooms, he stopped and banged his forehead on the wall hard; how could he? How could they? They were really still very young; he was only 34, she 21; not even in their prime! Even though she had celebrated her Coming of Age not long ago, she was not considered an adult yet. Not till they turned 100.
His father was 200 years old and his mother only140; they didn't wed but 50 years ago!
His father had loved his mother very much and Thorin was told they were very young when they met and their courtship was a very long one. Could he and ThoraLee wait that long before they wed?
Maybe he and Lee would have the same kind of love, just like his parents did. But he didn't want to wait so long to wed! He wanted her this instant! He wanted the whole kingdom to know Lee was his.
Shaking his head, he chuckled as he began to walk; idiot! She would not appreciate if he became possessive of her. She was not a property. She was a living being. She was a creature created by the great Aulё, just like he, just like every dwarf in the Middle Earth. No, she would be respected. She would be treated like a Princess. His Princess.
He continued to grin as he entered his chambers and closed his door, he stopped immediately when he smelled it; tobacco smoke.
"I thought you had retired to bed, old man," Thorin said as turned around slowly.
"We need to talk, Thorin," Crimm said as he sat in the dark corner of Thorin's bedroom. He had watched his niece and the prince earlier in the garden. What he saw greatly concern him.
Thorin nodded as he moved into his room, he began to remove his shirt. "What do you want to talk about that cannot wait?"
Crimm took a puff of his pipe and blew out before he said one word, "ThoraLee."
Thorin stopped and slowly nodded, "I know what you're going to say, old man but I can assure you. I will take care of her."
Crimm then said, "Thorin, she is not only my only niece but more like a daughter to me. I do not want to see her hurt. She may seem strong on the exterior but inside, she is as fragile as a flower. Please don't break her heart."
"Crimm…"Thorin shook his head, "I love her."
"Thorin, you have been with others…and she has never…she..." his old eyes began to glistened.
Thorin shook his head, "Stop Crimm. I know I have lain with other female…but that was a very long time ago. And that was expected of me as a male and to tell the truth I…they were nothing. I mean they matter not to me nor I to them. But know this Crimm, Lee is the only one I want and there will be no other for me. Not ever."
Crimm saw that he meant it and nodded. He stood up and then said, "Well, I guess that is all I have to say. Good night, your Highness." And he was gone.
As he lain in bed later, Thorin thought of what he said to Crimm and he knew he meant it; Lee would be the only one for him. He had no desire for any other female. He wanted to marry her, she was his and he wanted the kingdom to know she now belonged to the house of Durin.
As he drifted off to sleep, he dreamt of his union with ThoraLee and then being blessed children and grandchildren. They were standing before him, the whole brood as they waved at him but then the dreams began to turn dark when the grounds they were standing cracked open and all his children fell in, ThoraLee included. He tried to grab for her hand but it slipped from her. The only thing he was able to hold in his hand was her green diamond ring.
He sat by the edge of the wide gaping hole as he yelled for her and his children till nothing came out of his voice.
Thorin jerked himself awake, gasping for air! Another horrifying vivid dream that shook him. He rub his face hard as he fell back on his pillow and tried to fall asleep again but the images kept returning, teasing him. He shook his head as he made himself forget about them, slowly as the moon began to lower itself, as the sun made its way up the early morning sky, Thorin finally fell into a much needed dreamless sleep.
….
While he slumbered, his new love was awakened before the sun rose. ThoraLee was too excited to sleep for long.
Before she had fallen asleep, she had thought of something important and knew what she had to do but it had to wait till morn…when the King was up. It was going to be very bold of her to do what she was about to do.
She was up early, as sleep eluded her. She sat by the window looking out the forest thinking long and hard about what she wanted to do and what she had to do. As the sun rose higher, she left her room and wandered the halls and went down to the corridors leading to the Receiving Halls. Two guards were standing on either side; Lee shyly approached one of them.
The guard snapped at at attention when she stood in front of him but he didn't say anything.
So she began, "Um sir, if you would, um is the King awakened?"
The guard took a quick glance at her and then stared ahead of her again and nodded.
"Okay… may I seek an audience with his Majesty, if he is not busy?"She asked again.
The guard looked across to where his partner was who had heard her request and nodded, said, "Please wait a moment here, I'll ask his Majesty."
ThoraLee nodded and stepped back and waited while he went into the Halls.
Five minutes later, he came out and nodded to her, "His Majesty will see you, Miss, you may enter," he opened the door wider for her to proceed within.
Lee smiled widely and thanking the guards, she went in.
Walking into the Halls, Lee looked about her; it was a huge room with very high ceiling that reached about two to three storey tall. The walls were made of grey stones, and Lee could see there were several of the King's guards on duty by the various doors that led to either to the courtyards or the main entrance. She remembered from last evening when Thorin was showing her the palace the guards were constantly present on duty in the Receiving Halls.
As she turned to her right where King Thrain, and to her surprise, Queen Nur was sitting upon the dais, in the Halls, waiting to receive her.
She moved to face them and bowed low to show her respect for the King and Queen before straightening herself and looked at them.
"Good morning child, "Nur said as she nodded to her smilingly.
"Good morning, your Majesty, I thank you for seeing me." She smiled back.
Thrain waved at her nonchalantly, "For you, ThoraLee, it is always a pleasure."
Nut smiled agreeably.
"What can we do for you, my dear?" He asked.
Suddenly, feeling self-conscious, she blushed slightly, she was tongue-tied.
Nur frowned slightly, "Is something the matter ThoraLee? Did Thorin do something to you…?"
Lee shot her head at her and shook it, "No! You mistaken, ma'am. He didn't do anything. I..I..just want to…I have a…I…Oh..dear…"
She blew a frustrated breath of air out as her face began to redden.
The King and Queen exchanged concern looks, Nur spoke again, "ThoraLee, are you ill, my dear? Shall I call a healer?"
ThoraLee shook her head and chuckled nervously and heaved a deep breath and muttered, "This should be easier…"
"Okay…Um…Your Majesty, about that…er, compensation that I originally said I did not want, well I changed my mind."
King Thrain frowned in confusion, "What do you mean, you want a payment? Now?"
Lee shook her head, "No, I mean after I had done my work, after the translation, that is. I want to claim my payment. Is it too late to ask for a payment?"
Thrain looked at his wife who asked her, "What kind of payment, ThoraLee? Ask, child, and then we will consider it."
Thrain nodded.
Taking another deep breath, she said, "I would like to ask for your oldest son's hand in marriage," then she let the air out of her lungs. Deflated she breathed hard, trying not to pass out.
"What?" Thrain and Nur asked at the same time. "You want to claim Thorin's … you want to marry him?"
Lee nodded, now her face a complete shade of crimson red.
To Lee's surprise or no surprise, depending on how you'd wanted to look at it; the royal couple was reduced to laughter.
There were tears leaking from their eyes as they leaned back in their thrones.
The guards were eyeing on their royal charges with concern, their weapons at the ready, pointing at the young female dwarf, who was the root of their royal visages'…laugher?
"Um, your Majesties?" ThoraLee frowned at them worriedly; was that a yes or no? Their laughing was beginning to worry her. "I…I don't understand…are you in agreement to my claim?" she asked again nervously.
Thrain cleared his throat and nodded his head, "Well my dear, I have to say, this is certainly the most unconventional er, proposal I've ever been approached in my life. Ever."
"Indeed, most unusual and very much unexpected," Nur nodded her head; she was still smiling as she made to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes. "Has my son been consulted on this proposal? Has he agreed?"
Eyes widening, Lee shook her head, "No…no, your Majesty. I thought I'd approach you first. And …I…I don't think it is of his concern at the moment as this is my request to you."
"I see," Thrain said thoughtfully. "Hmmm…a marriage claim to my son…First of all, ThoraLee, you are quite young to wed my son. Only…?"
"21 sire," she said.
"That IS very young, my dear. Why, I did not wed the Queen till I was 150! And she was …"
"Watch what you tell her my age, my dear." The queen eyed her husband regally.
Thrain nodded, "Well, she was over 100 years… younger, my dear when I married her," he eyed his wife for assurance.
Nur nodded at her husband with satisfaction, "Much better, my husband. I agree, ThoraLee, you are too young to make this marriage claim at this moment to my son."
ThoraLee frowned at her, "But I am asking for a payment for my compensation upon completion of my work."
The Queen shook her head, "That may be so but your payment is …the most unique type of request and one we could not meet as of yet."
Lee thought for a moment before speaking again, "Then, you will consider my future claim of him for marriage when the time is appropriate?"
Thrain spoke, "In order to answer your claim, we will have to ask my son if it is agreeable."
Lee was hesitant, "Yeah, I figured that might come to that."
"You do not think he will not agree to it?"
Lee chuckled nervously, "Not only will he not agree to it, he will most strenuously object to it."
"Strenuously object?" Nur asked in puzzlement.
"Yes, your Majesty, very loudly too."
"Ah, I see ThoraLee." Nur nodded. "Then why did you want to make a claim anyway? Isn't it the Prince's place to claim his bride?"
"Yes, your Majesty. I may not be of royal birth nor a male but I can request a claim before any one does. I may not be able wed Prince Thorin now but if I claim him now, no one can in the future."
Nur studied ThoraLee for a while before she spoke, "You are very much smarter than I expected, ThoraLee. You knew we would not agree to your union so you asked for this claim, just in case.
ThoraLee nodded, "You are not angry, are you your Majesty?"
Nur smiled as she shook her head, "Not at all, I.."
"Father! Mother! Forgive me, I oversle…oh..good morning Lee." Thorin hurried in to stand before his parents, running his hand over hair.
Thrain and Nur nodded to their son.
"Long night, son?" Thrain observed as he grinned at him. "
Thorin looked about him and saw ThoraLee standing in front of his parents with a very nervous look, his mother a pleased expression and his father…well, he couldn't read his father's face. Had he miss something?
Thrain was not looking forward to this; the lid was about to explode into the sky as he looked around the Halls with his guards on sentry and their weapons…
Weapons!
Straightening, Thrain cleared his throat and said in a loud voice to his guards, "Guard, leave us!"
The guards, glanced at him once, nodded before they all filed out of the Halls.
Thorin watched them leave and turned to his parents again, "What is going on? Father?"
Thrain nodded, "Well, ThoraLee has changed her mind and made her claims to the payment upon completion of her works."
Thorin glanced her way and asked, "And what is her claim?"
"Your hand in marriage."
Silence.
Thorin frowned and looked at his father, "Sir, did I hear you correctly? She asked, for my hand, in marriage?"
ThoraLee began to take a couple of steps back away from him.
"She asked to marry me?" He repeated.
"Yes, son." Thrain nodded, unconsciously leaning back against his chair; he saw his son's face, it was turning an ugly shad of red.
He turned to her, his eyes were as wide as saucers, "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND, WOMAN?"
"Oh dear me…" his mother uttered.
ThoraLee shook her head, chin high.
"WHAT IN THE NAME OF AULË DO YOU THINK YOU ARE PLAYING AT?"
"I can hear you perfectly fine, Thorin, you do not need to raise you voice above all of us," Lee said calmly, although her hands were shaking.
"CALMLY? CALMLY? YOU HAVE JUST MADE A MOCKERY OF MY MANHOOD AND YOU ASK ME TO SPEAK CALMLY?" His chest was heaving hard as he tried to maintain his anger.
Lee was glad, very glad the King had dismissed the guards and their sharp weapons ere he might use them and skewer her! Uh oh! They missed one; she espied his sword! Just hope it was blunt..fat chance he would carry a blunt sword!
Thorin couldn't believe what she had done. He couldn't have felt more humiliated as he did now, she was absolutely the most impossible female he had ever met, he had fallen in love with!
What was he going to do with her?
How was he going to rectify this situation so that it wouldn't seem as if she asked for his hand?
He had never heard of anything so…so…ridiculous! Absurd!
He was relieved Balin and Dwalin was not here or they would laugh till they die!
Really! If it weren't for the fact he loved her immensely, he would have rejected her! That would have taught her a lesson! Reject her, that's it!
He grinned and then he said out loud.
"Well, now that I'm here, surely I am able to have a say to this claim?"
Lee nodded.
"Then I reject your claim." He said simply and crossed his armed over his chest and looked away from her.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY? YOU REJECT MY CLAIM?" She yelled at him.
He gave her a cursory glance, nodded and turned away from her again.
Fuming, she stomped her feet on the stone floor and then said, "You told me last night in the garden, you love me. And…and you'll marry me!"
He nodded and turned to her, "That is correct Lee, I said I will marry you, not the other way around."
"What difference is that?"
"A lot, my dear. I am a man, for one thing. Woman does not make a claim on a man."
"Why not?" She demanded, her green and amber eyes seemed as if they were glowing in flames.
"They just don't, it makes the man sounds…weak."
"Oh puff!" She uttered "That is the dumbest reason I've ever heard.
Nur was shaking her head, "Here we go again…they are giving me the worst of head sores!"
Thrain nodded in agreement, "I know dear, and the day is not over yet."
Thorin continued his argument, "Lee, you are not making any sense, I have told you last night that I intended to ask my father and mother for their blessings, why are you doing this?"
ThoraLee shook her head, "Because they have refused us."
Thorin shook his head and looked at his parents, "Father, mother, is this true?"
"Yes son."Thrain answered.
Thorin frowned, "I don't understand, you were the one that have been pushing me to choose a mate for the past few years."
"Yes, I know but we did not expect you to find a mate so soon. And if you did, we would have had you two waited until you have reached your Adult years before your union, just as your mother and I did."
"I cannot believe this! I am not waiting. Lee and I will be wedded as soon as it is appropriate." Thorin insisted.
"No son, you are too young, she is too young."
"But we…"
"Thorin," Nur held her hand up, cutting him off. "What if you two had made the wrong choice?"
They shook their heads firmly.
Thrain and Nur exchange concerned looks, then Nur spoke again, "Very well, I ask only that you wait for at least five…"
"One, mother!" Thorin looked at Lee who nodded. "One year, we will wed in one year, and no more."
Nur was almost angry but she simmered back down, "Very well, on one condition. The Arkenstone will be found within that time."
They nodded.
"Very good, we will have the contract drawn up and signed." Thrain said.
Lee nodded as Thorin removed a silver ring from his hand and taking Lee's left hand and slipped it into her forefinger, "ThoraLee, this is the Durin's ring to welcome you to our family. It's a little big I know but I will make one for you that fit you better, my dear." He leaned in and kissed her. Lee looked at her finger, the silver ring she had seen Thorin wearing with the dwarven runic symbol DURIN, was larger.
Before she could say anything, she was engulfed into the large folds of Thrain's hug and a much gentler one as she was welcomed in the Durin's family.
ThoraLee, back in the arms of Thorin, her newly intended, was beyond ecstatic! She was to be wedded to Thorin in one year's time!
Now, if she could find the Arkenstone!
…..
End of Chapter 12