Disclaimer: Anything you recognize is not my own, yadda yadda yadda. I'm not making any money off of this. (Though I wish I could.)
A/N: This chapter is the longest yet, and pure fluff. You have been warned!
The next morning we slept rather late. It wasn't until mid-morning that a steward of some sort arrived, a gaggle of twelve maids in tow. As the company and myself woke and stretched, our bed things were moved to the side and the place tided rather quickly.
"Baths are being prepared for you all as I speak, and our tailors shall have clothes fitting each of you here any moment. Please, make yourselves at home, and if you have need of anything, you shall only have to ask." The steward said, bowing towards Thorin in an exaggerated fashion. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at the obvious display of ass kissing and I managed, though just barely. The maids, giggling like school girls, began to gang up on the dwarves and drag them off to side rooms where said baths apparently were. Fili and Kili were snagged quickly, then Nori, Bofur, Dwalin, and Ori, who was blushing so bad I almost felt bad for him. Thorin would have been snagged, too, had he not been speaking with the steward, about what I had no idea.
I was talking quietly with Oin about Kili's leg when the first set of dwarves finally emerged from the baths. They all seemed quite flustered, but otherwise cleaner than I had ever seen them. Nori and Bofur emerged last and Nori looked particularly pleased.
"So, of course, who was I to deny the lass when she had said she had never seen a dwarf before?" He let out a very masculine chuckle and Bofur grinned.
"No doubt you were very accommodating in that manner."
"I was so accommodating, I may just have to accommodate her again later." Nori said with a huge grin. I rolled my eyes and Oin huffed, having heard the conversation.
"Just wait until they get their hands on Thorin. I saw about six of them sneak off into one of the baths to 'prepare it' for the king." Bofur added as they passed. I stilled and felt a wave of jealous come over me. I did my best to ignore it, but couldn't help but wonder if Thorin would be as 'accommodating' as Nori had been in their interests.
I found, much to my growing annoyance, that I was being ignored completely in favor the rest. Even Bombur had been corralled and tugged into the baths, complaining loudly that he knew perfectly well how to tend himself. Bilbo had disappeared, and I was pretty sure he had used his nifty little disappearing trick that Hobbits were so fond of to sneak into a bath unmolested.
I sat back and waited for a room to be free and watched with gritted teeth as Thorin was led away, his face blank, to one of the rooms. The door closed on him and the very blonde and curvy woman that had managed to snag him. I bit the inside of my lip and fought the urge to go in there and drag her out by her hair.
Thorin had not even been in the room for a full five minutes when suddenly, the door was thrown open and Thorin stood there with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist, his hair free of its braids, my dog tags bare on his chest and water dripping off of him. He held the towel tightly in front of him and with his other hand, he pointed out of the door.
"OUT!" He growled loudly. I watched as seven girls came flying out of the room. I was so shocked by the sudden sight of Thorin nearly naked that I couldn't even enjoy the looks of near terror on the faces of most of the girls. Thorin noticed that me, and most everyone else, was staring at him. He huffed and slammed the door solidly.
I snorted then, not being able to help myself, and tried to ignore the palpable relief I felt that he had not only kicked the girls out, but that he was still wearing my tags. Several of the girls gave me dirty looks when they heard me laugh. Not a single one offered to take me to the baths, and I was very grateful for that fact. If I had to listen to another school girl-ish giggle from any of them, I might have to stab out my own eardrums.
Lunch came then, and we all took a break to eat a light meal before that, too, was cleaned up, and everyone resumed bathing and cleaning up.
I stood then and walked off into one of the free rooms, glad to find that there was fresh heated water, soap, shampoo, and a straight razor. I nearly prayed in relief at the razor, because the hair under my arms was beginning to curl, and I didn't even want to think about the veritable forest that had grown on my legs.
I took my time washing and shaving. While I had been able to bath at Bard's, the water had seldom been heated and I did not usually spend a lot of time washing with the frigid water that was available. The water I was in had long since cooled when I finally stepped out, smooth and damn near squeaky clean. I tugged on the dress I had been wearing as well as my cloak and boots and walked out, towel around my hair an my small pouch of beads in hand.
The dwarves, who had gathered in front of the large fire place, were sitting around, drying off, many of them re-braiding their own hair.
I made my way over to Kili, who was currently braiding his brother's hair. They both glanced up at me and chortled at the towel on my head. I rolled my eyes and opened the little pouch and showed the beads there.
"Would you mind?" I asked, shifting a little nervously because everyone was watching me, including the maids, who had started to clean out the baths now that everyone had been through, and the tailors, who must have arrived while I was still in the baths.
"'Course not," Kili said. "Just let me finish with Fili here."
I nodded, tugged the towel from my hair, and almost plopped myself next to them when Thorin spoke up.
"Come, sit, Talya." I tuned and watched as Thorin set down the comb he had been using, his own various beads and clasps on a small table next to him. I felt a small thrill run through me as he gestured to the floor in front of him.
I made my way over to him and he motioned for me to sit facing away from him. With a practiced ease, he began to comb through my hair. He worked quickly and flawlessly, gently tugging my hair this way and that as he freed it from any snarls. He had me turn to face him and I found I could not meet his eyes as he began to softly part my hair and set plaits in it. He would motion to my hand for a bead when he came close to finishing each braid and, as I handed them to him, he would roll it around between his fingers, studying it, then fix it in place.
The intimacy of the moment pulled at me, and I tried not to dwell on the way his fingers would run slowly through my hair, or the soft intensity of his eyes as he worked. When he finally asked me to turn around, I was torn between being relieved and disappointed.
Thorin gently pushed my head forward and began to work on the final braid. He took Kili's clasp in hand and deftly fixed it into place before he began to twist and turn my hair. I glanced up from my lap to find that most of the company was very pointedly not looking in our direction. When my eyes met Bilbo's, who had finally reappeared, he was smiling warmly at me. Fili, whos hair was now finished, was sitting next to Kili and they both watched their Uncle out of the corner of their eyes.
I heard shuffling behind me and watched as slow smiles broke out on the brothers' faces. I frowned and wondered why when I felt Thorin sit back. I ran my hands over each braid and smiled, though it faltered when my hand reached to the bottom of the braid in the back of my head. Where before, it had been tied off with a bit of leather, now another large bead sat in its place. I felt my throat close up and my heart race as I turned to glance at Thorin. He was not looking at me, though. He was looking at each dwarf in the company. When his eyes finally rested on Dwalin, there was a grim set to his lips and I glanced at Dwalin to find that he was glaring angrily between Thorin and myself. The gruff dwarf stood up and stalked off.
"Thank you, Thorin." I said softly, finally words coming back to me. He flicked his eyes briefly to mine and then away, as though he was uncertain of what he should say. I didn't push him, though. I merely offered a tentative smile and stood. I tried not to blush when I realized that, once again, everyone was starring. Balin was nodding softly to himself, the brothers practically beaming. The maids were shooting me straight up death-glares.
I did my best to ignore it all and instead, made my way over to one of the tailors who had a dress in hand. I figured it was a safe bet that the dress was meant for me, and then immediately was assaulted with the thought of any of the dwarves wearing a dress. I mentally slapped myself for the sudden onslaught of images, trying not to grin stupidly. I hated my brain just then, for jumping into such a ridiculous train of thought after such an encounter with Thorin.
The tailor all but tripped over himself as I neared.
"Ah, uh. Yes. Lady… Conner, correct? If you would follow me… We can begin to fit you for this evenings celebrations…"
He trailed off and motioned for myself and a nearby maid to follow. She scowled, but followed after him. Taking one last glance at my friends, I quickly caught up to the two ahead of me.
The next few hours of my life dragged. I was made to try on a seemingly endless plethora of shirts, pants, skirts, and dresses. The tailor would click his tongue as he looked me over and would have the maid help me undress behind a panel before throwing the outfit in either a 'keep' pile or a 'discard' pile. When he finally decided on a wardrobe, he had me retry each one on and he painstakingly pinned and adjusted each outfit then and there. Despite my irritation, I found that I was impressed at the speed and surety of his fingers as he let out or brought in seams as needed. When finally everything was settled, he set about selecting an outfit for me for that night. When he began to pull out this ungodly lacy-looking thing, I shook my head.
"No offense, sir, but I'd rather not wear a dress." He looked up at me, dumbfounded.
"Why, don't you want to look pretty for your dwarf-king?" The maid asked, bitchy. I glared at her.
"Oh why don't you shut your damn mouth? I'm tired of having this conversation with people. I'm not here to look pretty, dammit. I am a warrior, despite what everyone seems to think. I have faced down orcs and goblins and spiders, and elves with major superiority complexes, so if you think for one second your snotty little attitude is going to hurt my feelings even a little bit, you have another thing coming." I snapped. Both the tailor and she looked shocked and for a second I thought she might cry.
"Look, I just want pants and a nice looking tunic. That's all." I finished mutedly. The tailor nodded and began to hunt around for leggings. The maid just stared and I felt guilty for snapping at her, but I refused to apologize.
When she began to help me take off the current outfit I was wearing, a simple set of dark brown leggings and a charcoal shirt, she seemed to take a closer look at me. She eyed the scars I had accumulated, from the slightly jagged white line on the back of my arm to the still very red and raised welts on the back of my thighs.
"I apologize," She said softly after a moment. She was looking at me fully now, from the large curve of my biceps, to the swell of my forearms down to the hard lines of my stomach, and finally the stockiness of my legs. From months of hard work, travel, and fighting, I no longer had a single pinch of fat on me and my muscles were all very well-toned from use. I almost regretted the fact that I no longer had my old feminine curves, but my place amongst the company had been too hard won for the feeling to last.
"Usually when you find a woman amongst such fellows… Well. Obviously you know what the assumptions are." She dropped her eyes and I sighed.
"I shouldn't have snapped at you. I do know what the assumptions are, so it shouldn't come as a surprise."
There was a rap on the panel and suddenly clothes were thrust in. The maid bent down to pick up the undergarments, leggings, tunic, and cloak there. She gingerly helped me step into the under clothes, then helped me tug on the nearly black leggings. They were comfortable and easy to move in, but clung close to my skin.
Next came a rust brown-colored long sleeved tunic. I tugged it over my head and, after slipping my arms through my sleeves, was helped to pull it down over my breasts. The tunic flared down a little past my hips, and the maid wasted no time in pulling a belt up around it, fitting it so it slung low on my frame. The tunic was cut only a little low at the chest, with only a small amount of cleavage showing there. The material was very much like suede and, while simple, had smalls stitched embellishments here and there. There were ties at my elbows and the maid swiftly knotted them off so that the sleeves were tucked snugly, but not uncomfortably, there. The fabric hung only a little loose at my wrists, thankfully, and for a moment I was reminded that Thranduil had taken the bracers that the dwarves had crafted for me and I felt a wave of anger.
I shoved it aside, however, as I was fitted with a darker brown cloak that had mottled fur at the shoulders. I clasped it closed with a small pin and adjusted it so that it lay comfortably down my back.
Lastly, a pair of form fitting calf-high boots the same color of my leggings were presented to me. I tugged them on and was pleased to find that they were, like everything else, very comfortable. I laced them up quickly and stepped out from behind the panels.
The tailor looked me over and nodded slowly.
"Ingrid, if you would escort Lady Conner to the town hall, I believe the welcoming feast will have begun." I smiled at him.
"Thank you, sir. You have done a fantastic job." He sniffed at the compliment, but a small smile played at the corners of his mouth. He bowed his head and walked away, leaving me and Ingrid alone.
"If you will, my lady?" She asked, gesturing towards the door.
"It's Talya, and yeah. Might as well get this over with." She smiled tentatively at me, and we left the small room that had been my prison for the past several hours.
The common rooms were empty, and I had no doubt that everyone else had been able to leave quite a bit earlier than me. Oh well. Fashionably late was thing here, right?
Ingrid led me outside and shortly down the street until we reached a large old building that had obviously not been used much. There was much commotion, inside and out and as we drew near, the crowd in the streets began to part and make way. I was given a lot of stares from those gathered but I held my head high and made my way up the steps. The doors were opened by a pair of guards and I was ushered in by Ingrid. A tall, handsome looking youth stood there and, upon glancing at me, looked out over the hall.
"Talya Conner." He called out loudly, announcing my presence. I wanted to throttle him just then as everyone assembled turned to look at me. I prayed like hell I wouldn't trip as I made my way towards the long tables that had been set. Thorin was sitting at the head table, his face masked in its usual stoic visage, next to the Master, his councilor, and the head of guards and what appeared to be his wife. Thorin's only saving grace was Balin, who apparently had the place of honor next to the dwarf King.
I noticed a free space next to Nori and Bofur and immediately made my way to it. I plopped myself down and hid my head as the whole of the crowd watched me take my seat. After a moments' pause, the prior din resumed and drinks were beginning to be set.
"I was sure they would have put you in a dress." Bofur commented, poking at a bit of salted fish with a fork. He was dressed, as was the rest, in well-fitting trousers, boots, and finely made tunics and vests. It was odd to see them dressed in something other than their usual stained leathers. It reminded me of Rivendell and I smiled a little.
"Nope," I said. "I refused. I'm tired of everyone thinking I'm just here to fuck you all."
Gloin, who was sitting across from me, snorted into his goblet and I gave him a sidelong glance. Bofur laughed out right, and, after a moment of complete shock from the rest of the company, they joined in, too.
"You mean you're not?" Nori asked teasingly, smirking. I shook my head.
"That would be a resounding no, Nori. Besides, didn't you get enough of those maids earlier?"
I swore I saw his ears turn red.
"You heard about that, huh?"
"How could I not? You were so pleased with yourself." I leaned back and waved my hand. "I can see it now. A few months from now, the men of Lake Town will be sporting all sorts of strange hair-dos, and the barbers will all be completely baffled when they are asked to groom their customer's short and curlies into the shape of god knows what."
"Hey now. I keep that shorn short. I like to show the lady-folk what I have to offer."
"More like so they could find it," Bofur added in to the left of me. Nori made a rude gesture.
"We thought you had been taken prisoner," Bilbo said conversationally, ignoring the comments of Bofur and Nori. "They had you in that room for so long."
"I felt like I was. If I didn't know better, I would think that tailor was enjoying seeing me parade around in an endless array of clothing."
"He probably did," Fili called out, a bit of fish in his mouth. "Have you seen some of the women around here? I don't know about Men, but us dwarves usually," He paused and glanced at Kili, who glared at him "Prefer our woman to be well toned and muscled. Strong. Not all willowy looking and soft."
Bifur growled out something from his place next to Bilbo and made a gesture across his chest. The dwarves laughed and, as usual, Bilbo and I exchanged looks.
"He said…" Bofur started.
"Something about bit tits. I caught that." I finished, dryly. Bifur grinned and eyed a serving 'wench', who had very ample breasts, lustily. She blushed upon catching his eyes and rushed away. I rolled my eyes. I glanced at Gloin, who was currently guzzling down some sort of amber liquid.
"Can I get whatever he's having?" I asked, nodding my head to Gloin. Bilbo waved down a server and asked for a tall goblet of mead. She rushed away and immediately returned, handing it off to me with a bow of her head.
I took it gratefully and sipped at it. Well. It definitely wasn't elvish wine, that was for damn sure. It was bitter and heady, though not completely intolerable. Deciding that it had been far too long since I had really drank, and knowing far too well what was to come, I downed it in one go.
"Is that the sort of night it's going to be, then?" Kili asked, grinning. He had been nibbling at the food in front of him, and I tried not to frown when I noticed how much paler he looked. I made the decision there to say to hell with Tauriel and look over his leg in the morning.
While the supply of food was rather limited and meager, they certainly had a metric shit-ton of fermented beverages. I was on my third goblet when the tables were cleared away and we were ushered to stand. Everything was moved to the side and while most of us reclaimed our seats, there was a hustle as the men and woman gathered began to take to the dance floor. Up-beat music began to play and before long, people were dancing, smiling, and laughing. Bilbo was the first to be ambushed, surprisingly. A young lady with curly dark hair snagged him from his seat before he had a chance to argue and began to swing him around. He must have decided hell with it, because he took her by her hands and, laughing, broke out into some sort of hobbit dance.
One by one, the dwarves stepped up to dance with the ladies that approached them. Fili was caught between two girls who looked very much like siblings, a huge grin on his face. I shook my head and knocked back the rest of my third glass.
I yelped when, suddenly, Gloin tugged me to my feet.
"Oh, no no no. I don't dance." I protested.
"Everybody dances, lass." He argued. He pulled me to the dance floor and before long, with the help of the alcohol, I was swinging along and dancing with the rest. Bilbo snatched me up once for the next dance, and I tried hopelessly to keep up with the nimble hobbit's feet as he led me in a very quick –paced two step. Oin grabbed me next to show me a dance that involved a lot of rhythmic stomping, hand clapping, and well-timed grunts. Ori even danced with me, smiling warmly as he swung me around gracefully. Fili grabbed me next and tried to show me another more complicated version of what Oin had danced through with me earlier, but I failed miserably, and the two of us headed back to the table, laughing. We poured ourselves another set of drinks.
"Bet you I can finish mine before you finish yours!" Fili challenged with a grin.
"Nuh-uh. I've seen the way you dwarves drink. Half of it ends up in your beards." I retorted. He put a hand up.
"No spills. I swear it."
"…Fine."
"On three then!" I jumped as Bilbo came up behind me, winking at me as he did. He had definitely been drinking. Fili and I glanced at each other and nodded.
"One… Two… and Three!" Bilbo called out.
We both up ended our drinks. While I may not have been able to hold my liquor well, I had long ago learned how to chug a beer properly. I downed mine and slammed it down just seconds before Fili finished his. I let out a loud belch and Fili grinned.
"Dwalins' beard, Talya," He bowed his head to me. "I underestimated you."
I laughed, feeling delightfully warm and buzzed. I hugged him affectingly from the side.
"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone that you lost to a girl." I bumped my head against his shoulder and he shook his head.
"I do believe you are well on your way to being drunk," Fili accused, returning the hug gently.
"So? S' a celebration right?"
He nodded, obviously amused.
"Apparently Uncle shares your sentiment." He said, nodding up towards the table where Thorin was sitting, taking a long draw from the goblet in his hand. He finished it and grumpily made a motion for more. I watched a few women approach him for a dance and, before he could argue, the Master said something and urged him to go. With a pained look, Thorin stood and allowed himself to be led to the dance floor. He was attractively dressed in a deep grey tunic with a red cloak wrapped around his shoulders and, judging by the way the girl leading him kept glancing back, she found him to be very handsome indeed. I frowned.
Fili cleared his throat, then hauled me back out to dance.
I spent the next few hours being passed from one partner to another. I had now danced with every member of the company, except for Thorin, at least once, Bilbo having snagged me no less than four times. I had even danced with several men of Lake Town, though tried desperately to avoid any slower paced songs with them.
There was a huge commotion as a new song started, and suddenly everyone was twirling and changing partners at a dizzying pace. I tried to keep up and not trip over my feet, laughing as I went. I was swung to one last person as the song stopped, and I damn near froze in place.
It was the Master. He was eyeing me with a drunken lust and I suppressed a shudder. He tugged at me insistently, trying to draw me closer as a slow song started.
"I think I better go sit…" I started.
"Nonsense. I insist." He pulled me to his chest and began to try to wrap his arms around me as I struggled.
"May I cut in?" Thorin's sharp voice cut through the slow music and the Master glanced up with surprise. He frowned, then fumbled for words.
"Of course… I mean… No… Here," He finished lamely, handing me off to Thorin's waiting hand. I swallowed hard as Thorin's larger hand closed over my own. He glanced, obviously irritated, at the Master who was still watching.
Thorin carefully and loosely began to draw me closer to him, offering me the opportunity to pull away if I so wished. He placed my hand on his hip and dropped his own to mine. His other arm slowly snaked around my waist and suddenly, I found myself damn near pressed against his chest as my own arm slipped around him.
He did not take his eyes off of me as he led me around the dance floor. He was graceful, not once stepping on my feet or causing me to trip. The hand that had settled on my hip was slowly brought up to my face. He brushed one of the braids back behind my shoulder and dropped his hand again, suddenly unsure. He cleared his throat.
"I thank you for the privilege of allowing me to braid your hair." He said softly.
"I should thank you. You did a beautiful job," I replied. He smiled then and tilted his head down, looking up at me through his lashes.
"It is an intimate gesture, among our kind. Usually such a thing is left for close family, or a loved one to do." He explained. "Kili seems very much like a sibling to you, so that is not all that unusual."
"So… what did it mean for you?" The words left my mouth before I could stop them.
"Talya…" He trailed off, and the music ended. He held me for a moment before stepping back. I could feel the disappointment grow in me. I just knew he would draw back now like usual.
"Walk with me?" He asked. Stunned, I just nodded my head. He took my hand and drew me out of the crowds to walk outside on a balcony that faced the lake and Erebor. I felt a hard set of eyes on us as we went, and noticed Dwalin scowling.
Thorin dropped my hand after squeezing it gently and moved to stand next to the edge of the balcony. Such a look of longing came over his eyes as he looked at his homeland.
"You bid Tauriel to give me your necklace in Mirkwood," He said softly. I thought back to what Fili and Kili had said, and remembered too, what Bilbo had said about Thorin doubting the gesture.
"I did," I admitted. "And before you ask… I remember what you said about such gestures at Beorn's."
He turned to gaze at me then, startled.
"And so," I swallowed and reached back to touch my hair. "I know what it meant when you braided this into my hair."
"Are you so sure?" He asked then, his eye brows narrowing slightly. He took a few slow steps towards me. I eyed him questioningly.
"That's why I asked," I said softly. I swallowed. "What did it mean for you?"
Thorin watched me searchingly for a moment, before he drew closer. He took my hand in his once more and pulled me to him. I was suddenly so very aware of his piercing blue eyes, of the warmth his body emanated, and the so very masculine scent that was all him. He leaned forward, cautiously, his eyes still watching me, searching for even the smallest bit of hesitation.
My mouth went dry as his lips brushed mine. I closed my eyes as he drew me closer still, the press of his lips becoming more insistent. He still held one hand, the other coming up to gently press on the back of my neck.
He broke the kiss and tilted his head to lean his forehead against mine. His own eyes had been closed and when he opened them, there was a rawness there that took my breath away.
"I do not know what I would have done if we had not found you," He whispered. "It took me far too long to realize what you had come to mean to me. I could hardly find it in me to even hope that you would feel the same for me. After all that I have said and done…" He trailed off and closed his eyes again.
"We've both said harsh things, Thorin. That doesn't matter. I've always respected you. But when I saw you with your nephews… When I watched you laugh and smile… When I watched how fiercely you fight for your people… How could I not come to love…" I stopped short and looked away suddenly, dropping my hand from his. Again, the words had left my lips without my consent.
"Finish it," Thorin's voice was damn near pleading. "Please."
Shivering, I met his blue eyes with my own.
"How could I not come to love you?"
He kissed me again, much more than a mere brush of lips. I sighed against him and he brought up the hand I had dropped and smoothed it over my back. He let out a soft groan of his own that sent a shiver down my spine. He pulled away again, all too soon, and hugged me to him, bringing my head against shoulder. I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath.
"I think I like it when you've been drinking," I muttered softly. "You are a lot less grumpy."
He laughed then, the same laugh I had described to Tauriel and I smiled into his shoulder.
"Balin, I think, had much to do with that. Whenever I would down one, he would have another refilled. Though I must admit, after enduring the company of that wretched Master and his simpering councilor… I was more than open to the idea."
We stayed there for a while, embracing. When finally we separated, I glanced back at the party within.
"What now?" I asked softly. He offered a small smile.
"I would ask the same of you. Though I suppose we should make our way within before our presence is missed."
He placed his hand on my lower back and slowly, we walked back inside. By the way Fili smirked, I had a feeling our presence had been missed.
The party wound down long after midnight. The townsfolk made their way home drunkenly, or crashed where they stood. The streets were quiet when finally the company finally gathered together and headed back to our lodgings.
Thorin and I were the last to enter. He leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to my lips before we made our way inside. We broke apart and found our way to our separate bed rolls, his off to the side and, as usual, away from everyone else, while I curled up in my normal spot somewhere between Fili, Kili, and Bilbo. I fell asleep thinking about his lips against mine.