Author's Note: A WARNING now, half way through this chapter there is content that is for mature readers only. If you wish to skip ahead once you come to it, then that is perfectly fine. For the rest of you, I hope you enjoy it. ;)

Chapter 13 - I'm Yours

"My task is set before me, girl

My mission clear and true

There'll be black knights and dragons, girl

But I will always come for you…"

― Emme Rollins

Kathryn opened her eyes as the vision started, and was surprised to find herself in the familiar halls of Erebor. She had not taken form, and was simply a floating view point in the air as she saw the mountains of gold laid out all around her stretching off into the infinite chamber, gigantic pillars holding up the cavernous ceiling that stretched up into the shadows above. Kathryn smiled even though she had no lips, a sense of home coming to her as she looked upon that place that had been her haven for almost a year, and then had been in her heart for all the years since. She felt a sense of melancholy at knowing that it would never again be her home. The dwarves now reigned within, and it was only her home when Smaug was there, and the only way for him to return was through a firestorm of death and destruction. This was her home no more, and even when Smaug had promised to return them here, she wanted no part of it. For it was not the gold nor the ancient halls that made it home, it was the giant reptile that had once lived within.

Speaking of which, she saw him in his true dragon form lying on top of the mounds of gold, not buried within as he usually was, his soft snores echoing through the massive chamber that made even he, the colossal creature that he was, seem small in comparison. Kathryn watched him, a soft smile in her heart as she watched him dream peacefully, groaning and growling to himself as he slowly came awake.

Smaug opened his eyes as he came around from his slumber. Blinking his eyes open as a rumble echoed from deep within his chest. But as he awoke into consciousness, he looked around the vast treasure chamber, his eyes scanning the shadows around him, his nostrils flaring as he took in every scent, he even tilted his head in order to listen for anything around him.

Quickly raising his head, he peered around, clearly searching for something, and Kathryn's smile slowly faded as a sense of dread filled her being as she was forced to watch him. The dragon almost seemed frantic as he looked about, a soft whine like that of a beaten mongrel dog escaping him, a pathetic sound that betrayed and undermined his deadly and unforgiving appearance. Once again he used all of his senses to scan the chamber, looking, scenting, listening...

The silence was deafening.

Smaug roared. He roared so loudly that the cavern physically shook with the force of his voice. He was practically screaming in anger and grief.

When dragons felt emotions, if they did not have master control over themselves, then they felt them to the extreme: anger was a blinding, murdering, fury, and happiness was an over-the-moon, absolute joy. Smaug had no control of his emotions now. And the sadness that now ate at his soul was an all-consuming, heart breaking, and unimaginable sorrow.

Kathryn was physically brought to tears as she watched him vent his grief, how he roared again and again, each thundering sound creating a fracturing crack in her heart that threatened to shatter upon the next strike. Smaug got to his feet, wings half extended as he lifted his head towards the ceiling and screamed.

He smashed his tail into a column, snapping it in two from his ferocious strength. He bellowed a belly full of fire, twisting his head to shower the world around him in bright, burning flames!

Unsatisfied that his anguish had not been fully dispelled, Smaug charged from the halls of Erebor, climbing and snaking his way through the halls as he furiously sought the light. Kathryn was brought with him, watching it all happen as she was dragged along to see him in such a furious and grief stricken passion. He burst from the mountain with a roar and a wave of flame and smoke, quickly taking to the air as he did so.

For an hour he soared around his lands, burning everything below, wreathing his flames onto the land until it was all nothing but ash and desolation. He poured all of his fury, all of his misery into those flames, making it burn so hot that he was sure that nothing would ever grow upon the landscape again. Kathryn watched in absolute horror at the destruction that his emotions had wrought, she couldn't bear to see it, a physical scar upon the world to show of the dragon's absolute misery. The land was now a waste, everything gone; where nature had sought to grow he had destroyed as was in his own nature.

When he finally returned to the mountain, dawn was breaking, revealing his destruction in all its bloody, fiery, murderous glory. Smaug paused within the entrance to the mountain, looking back out onto the world he had left behind, as if he could conjure into being the one that he sought. Kathryn saw the longing in his eyes, and wanted to scream her sorrow at him but had no mouth or voice with which to speak. So turning to the front gates, Smaug reared back onto his hind legs, and smashed his body into the stone. There was a rumble like an earthquake as the rock threatened to cave-in, but that was just what he wanted. With a roar of effort, he beat himself again the stones, thrashing at it with body, claw and tail until Kathryn saw him wincing from the pain every time he struck his body against it and she felt her eyes weeping tears of distress as she saw him hurt himself so. She couldn't bare it any longer, she wanted to leave this vision, to crawl away and never see it again, but could not and didn't want to. A part of her NEEDED to see this, to see what she had done, and so she watched, unable to turn away. But finally, the rocks gave way and tumbled into the entrance, effectively sealing the front gate, so no outsiders could get in, and Smaug couldn't get out without breaking it down. Turning away, closing his eyes against the pain he felt as he shunned the last light of day, he then went straight to his horde, basking in the glow of the gold as he entered the treasure hall. Roaring once again in misery, he quickly dived into his treasure, burying himself deep beneath it, allowing all of the gold to cascade and bury him so that he was completely covered in it.

There the dragon wallowed in his own misery, whilst Kathryn was left alone with hers.

She awoke with a gasp, eyes snapping open as she looked about the room frantically in a blind panic. Her breathing was ragged and she was drenched in sweat, her feet tangling in the blankets, as she struggled to kick herself free. An uncontrollable wave of nausea coming over her as she felt trapped as if within the coils of a great serpent as it squeezed the life out of her. Dim flickering light illuminated her room from the low burning candles on her bedside table, only adding to her confusion and panic as the shadows stretched and distorted with the movement of the disturbed flames. Kathryn screeched in distress, her nails gripping at the sheet like claws as she –

"Kathryn–Kathryn!" came a quick and whispering little voice as suddenly a face filled Kathryn's vision, hands gripping her face as the image of a girl hovered over her, murmuring soothingly, hurriedly to her. "Shhhh! Shhhh…" she soothed, fingers brushing aside locks of hair from Kathryn's face. "It's okay, Shhhh…."

Kathryn slowly calmed, her mind slowly coming to her as she began to remember where she was, her eyes locking onto the image of the girl over, using it as an anchor in order to bring her back to sanity. The angelic blonde hair, the ice blue eyes, the sweet face. Kathryn felt her heart gradually slow, her breathing still ragged but returning to normal as she forced herself to take deep and steadying breaths. Only then, when her body seemed to be within her control once more, did she speak.

"Freyja?" She croaked out in a sore voice. The girl smiled before leaning back and allowing the woman to sit up. Rubbing her aching temples, Kathryn struggled to remember what had happened before she fell asleep hours earlier. After being escorted to her rooms, she had found Freyja in her chambers, who had heard of her absence and her return and had asked the Queen for permission to see to her, which she had been granted. Freyja had helped to settle Kathryn's worries and to put her mind at ease as she helped her with a bath and then by combing out her tangled hair. Kathryn had told her as much as she could, knowing that her mother was working for Smaug but did not know what exactly that made of Freyja. Kathryn had been unable to sleep until late into the night, her mind too busy, whirling with thoughts that would not cease o quieten. But Freyja had remained dutifully by her side. When she had dismissed her before finally going to bed, it seems that the girl had not gone far.

"Are you alright Kathryn? Are you well?" Freyja asked softly, her eyes alight with genuine concern.

"As well as I can be," Kathryn muttered under her breath. "Why are you here? I thought you went to bed hours ago…"

"Well… it doesn't really matter now. I just came by to check on you. You seemed still uneasy when I left you," The girl said, somewhat evasively, but then gave a small smile. "It's a good thing I came back, yes?"

"Freyja… Is everything alright?" Kathryn asked, looking at the young girl's face.

"Fine! Fine…" the girl said, perhaps a little too quickly, whatever was bothering her, she did not seem in the mood to talk, and Kathryn could understand and so let it be. "But you seemed pretty upset, was it a bad dream?"

"You could say so…" she murmured.

"Do… do you want to talk about it?"

"Freyja," Kathryn said softly. "You have no need to worry. It was a nightmare, it can no longer hurt me," If only that were true, Kathryn thought silently as her heart gave a painful ache at the memory of what she saw.

"My mother wanted to know how you're doing. She says that you need help, it isn't right that you find yourself in such political troubles after just getting over such a traumatic awakening,"

"Tell her I am well, and that I appreciate her concern," Kathryn replied a little mechanically, forcing a smile.

"Of course," Freyja murmured, turning her head away in submission as she clearly got the silent message. Kathryn felt her face twinge with guilt as she saw the girl's slight flinch, as if she were expecting to be struck for her insolence. They sat in silence for a while, until Freyja tentatively spoke out. "Kathryn… Do… do you believe that people can change?"

"Hmm?"

"If… If things were going to get better… if there was a promise that life can be different, do you think people can change for that?"

"From personal experience, Freyja, I can tell you that people don't need to change for anything." As she said this, the girl frowned at her, clearly confused by the statement. "What I mean is, If people want to change, they need only do it for love, putting a bargain on it just seems… hollow."

But if anything, the girl seemed completely distraught by this news, her eyes going wide and her skin paling as she struggled to keep the tide of emotions in check within her as she looked at the floor brokenly. Concerned, Kathryn reached out and touched the girl's chin, forcing her to look back up into the purple eyes of the seer.

"Are you alright Freyja?"

The girl didn't respond, instead she simply started to shake, her chin wobbling slightly. She tried to get her emotions under control, swallowing hard, blinking her eyes furiously as she looked about with fear, her breathing hitching up a notch. Kathryn instantly reacted to her distress as she launched herself at the girl, wrapping her arms around her and drawing her close against her in a fiercely protective embrace. Freyja froze, her body going rigid, as if she had no idea of what to make of this, before finally putting her arms around Kathryn's middle, and holding onto her fearfully. The girl shook and quaked in her arms, not weeping, Kathryn thought her too proud to weep, even when seeming to be utterly petrified, she just simply shivered, and Kathryn held her.

"Hush now, it's okay…" Kathryn whispered into the girl's ear. "You don't have to tell me. Whatever is happening, Freyja, I'm here. I'll help you,"

"Help me?!" she squawked, disentangling herself from Kathryn's hold in order to stare up at the older woman with shock.

"Yes," Kathryn murmured softly, confused as to how this could seem so foreign to the young flower before her.

"Why?" Freyja whispered cautiously, as if hesitant that she had misread Kathryn's meaning.

"Because I'm going to be your friend, and this is what friends do,"

Again, Freyja's eyes widened and she stared at Kathryn with absolute wonder, but also confusion, her eyes searching hers.

"Th… Th-thank you," she whispered reverently.

"Don't worry." Kathryn smiled reassuringly, rubbing the girl's arm, trying to be of some comfort. "Now go and get some sleep. I'll be fine now. Go on,"

Freyja gave Kathryn one last look, again her eyes searching as if she were looking for something untrustworthy, but oddly could not find it. Disquieted, she only nodded, and then gathered up her night robes – Kathryn realising that she was still dressed as if for bed – picking up a candle, before quietly walking out.

As the door closed behind the girl, Kathryn sighed from partial mental exhaustion, sagging against her bed post as she rubbed her temples again. Valar, how she wished she was somewhere else, somewhere far, far away from here. Turning almost forlornly towards the double doors that led to her balcony, Kathryn felt compelled to open them, to feel the cool night breeze upon her skin. It was preposterous of course, for although Dorwinion never saw the harsh severity of the winter, it was still only just about to turn into spring, and so even here the cold would be unbearable. But despite this reasoning, Kathryn found she couldn't ignore the impulse as she felt drawn to the doors, her feet moving as if from a mind of their own as she was brought towards the doors. She reached out and gently parted the silk curtains that flowed softly between her fingers as if she were gliding her hand through water.

She didn't open the doors, she still retained some part of rational thinking as she kept out the cold, but instead, through the small stained-glass windows in the doors, she stared out onto the landscape below. The great city of Vathvael lay sprawled out far below her, the large white wall surrounding the entire city, lights flickering in the windows of houses in the darkness like fireflies over a pond. The moon shone brightly, only half lit as wisps of cloud threatened to cover it completely as the gentle breeze outside stirred the world, breaking the portrait-perfect picture before her with movement and life. Behind the city lay the forest, with the hills and trees rolling into the distance.

Looking out into those trees, Kathryn felt her heart give a painful lurch in her chest as she thought of Smaug, how he was somewhere out there in those trees. Was he awake yet? Was he still where she had left him? Would he wake to find her gone? She felt her insides twist as a pang of guilt shot through her hollow feeling chest. She wished she'd never left him there like that, not even knowing where she'd gone or why. He wouldn't know that she had desired nothing more than to stay with him, but her love of him had pressed her to leave his side in order to protect him. Not for the first time, Kathryn cursed her ill luck and her powers for doing this to her and the one she loved. She could only hope that Smaug was still too exhausted to move – as sick as that thought was, she needed time to try and escape to him again and this time never leave him. She didn't know if Faervel believed her story or not, when he had lied for her it could have easily been him simply keeping his word whilst he made up his mind on the subject. But if he chose to betray Smaug's existence, then Kathryn knew that she had little time. She just prayed to whatever gods would listen that they would give her the opportunity to be with Smaug soon. She could only hope that he didn't see her absence in his sleep as he had done when she had left him before. Varda Queen of the Stars above, Kathryn knew that she would never be able to live with herself if she caused Smaug the same pain as what she had seen in her vision tonight. She shuddered at the memory, tears stinging her eyes as his bellows of pain echoed in her mind, wrenching upon her heart as she felt his pain as surely as if it were her own.

Kathryn looked out of the window one last time, glancing at the moon, her heart longing for a time lost long ago. Then she closed the drapes, sealing herself within the room of candlelight and crystal. She looked about the room with a barely restrained scowl of contempt as she looked at all of the finery, the exquisitely carved furniture, the colours and textures all around her. And she would have liked nothing more than for it all to burn and leave her with a cold cave that was filled with the scent of dragon. Though, she had to admit, although bitterly, that the nobility of Dorwinion was nothing if not extravagant when treating their "guests".

Kathryn wasn't a fool. She knew that these lords only wanted her for her power and that was it; Beronor had said as much and the King had acted it out to the last letter once he had discovered her true power. Beronor's threat rang in her ears as she looked at the room around her, the coldness she felt in her soul seeping from every corner and shadow; all of this would go away if she showed the slightest bit of resistance to the wants of her current "masters". Kathryn's hand drifted to her cheek where Beronor had struck her. Should she show any more acts of rebellion, then the comfortable beds would be replaced by a damp bedroll, the candles by darkness, and the windows by iron bars.

So she had to play nice, until she could take her chance and run. But how long would that be? Could she or Smaug wait that long?

Kathryn hung her head, a feel of defeat coming over her as she turned back towards the balcony doors, resting her head upon the silk drapes against the doors. When would this nightmare finally end?

She wasn't even aware he was there until she felt his presence just behind her.

She felt his fingers brush stray strands of her hair away from her face and neck, revealing her ivory skin beneath. Gasping at the feather touch of contact, Kathryn spun around to face her assailant –

And was rendered into stunned silence as she beheld the form of the human Smaug.

He stood before her, standing tall and regal in only light leather armour breastplate, gauntlets and breeches and boots, a helmet had been discarded onto the cushions of a chair noiselessly. Kathryn stared in wide eyed shock, thinking that she must be dreaming still, this couldn't be real, not 24 hours ago, she had seen Smaug struggling to make a complete transformation, how it almost killed him before her eyes. She had last seen him in his dragon shape and he had seemed to be staying that way, but here he was. His human face looked a little different from what she remembered, slightly odd, and he held himself more like a predator; before he had stood like a proud and pompous noble, a king to all he saw, now he stood like a tiger getting ready to pounce, every muscle primed and ready for the kill. He was staring down at Kathryn with those flame-like eyes, ones that were oddly unreadable as he beheld her.

"S-Smaug?" Kathryn stuttered, her mind still unbelieving at what she was seeing. "B-But – I mean... How –?"

"That doesn't matter," Smaug cut her off almost curtly as he took a step towards her, his mere shadow intimidating as it fell over the body of the woman, making her take an involuntary step back. His eyes were dark as they remained fixed upon her, unblinking, and Kathryn was powerless to look away, not from the dragon-spell, but because of the mere commanding presence he intoned, cowing her into submission from a mere glance. Kathryn felt her heart beat erratically in her chest as she looked into those eyes.

"Smaug…" she could only whisper out to him, her voice sounding weak and quiet even to her own ears. Smaug took another step forward, deliberately slow.

"You… left me," he said in a hiss under his breath, not threatening, but certainly not calm either.

"I…" Kathryn couldn't speak past the lump in her throat, her fears of what Smaug would think coming true, and she tried desperately to tell him all the reasons, but her voice refused to work as her mouth gaped at him like a fish out of the water. "Smaug, I…"

"I awoke to find you gone," he growled out, the power in his voice more resembling that of his dragon shape, making the air seem to vibrate from the force of it. "You ran from me,"

Kathryn frowned, not knowing what to say, confused at that last statement.

"Was I too repulsive, Kathryn?" his voice seemed dead with no life nor emotion, though his eyes screamed of the anger and hurt he felt, and Kathryn felt her heart break at the sight only she could or would have been able to see. "Did you only think I was worth your time if I were in a form similar to your own?"

"What?" she whispered, bewildered at how he could come to such a conclusion. "Smaug, you know that is not true! I was with you for sixty years previously, and you had no human form then!"

"Then why did you leave me?"

"I had to," she said to him pleadingly. Smaug snorted in derision at the comment, taking another step forward, and Kathryn took another step back, until she felt her back hit against the doors to the balcony, trapping her as Smaug stalked closer.

"Do not think you can fool me, Kathryn," he said to her as he leant in close, not physically trapping her, but his sheer presence was enough to pin her in place.

"Smaug, please, I didn't want to leave. I wanted to stay with you,"

"I find that hard to believe," his voice was oddly flat, lifeless, and it stung more then all his scorn and anger ever could.

"Don't!" Kathryn snapped, suddenly finding a fire within her again as she felt the hurt and outrage at his words. "Don't you dare put down what I feel for you! You know how I feel for you and you know I would never do that!"

"But you did,"

"I know," she said pleadingly, her eyes imploring him to listen. "But I wanted to stay – you know I wanted to stay!"

"So why didn't you?!" he almost snapped.

"Because I had no choice!"

At her words, a heavy silence fell between them as Smaug looked at her, perplexed, frowning. And then slowly, realisation came to him as his face turned to that of thunder.

"It is the elf. Where is he?!" he demanded in a dangerous voice.

"I honestly can't tell you, and even if I could, there is no point." Kathryn said softly, trying to calm the dragon-human before her, regretting how she had involved Faervel but hadn't seen any other way around it. "Even if he hadn't of done what he did, others would have come looking for me,"

"I would have held them off," he growled out bitterly.

"I didn't know that," she said softly, subtly inching her way towards him. "I just wanted you safe, Smaug. I didn't know if you would wake up for a week! If they found you, they would have killed you. By me coming here, I was trying to stop that from happening."

Smaug looked like he wanted to argue, but sighed, closing his eyes as he shook his head slowly. He seemed... disappointed, exasperated, exhausted, hurt, hopeful and a thousand other things all at the same time. Kathryn waited with baited breath for his reaction, surely anything was better than this silence as her apprehension grew with every second that ticked by.

"How many times have I told you," he said softly, finally raising his eyes to meet hers as they softened sadly. "About you and your stupid human sentimentality,"

Kathryn couldn't stop herself from smiling, quickly closing the gap between them as she wrapped her arms around his middle and pulled his human body close to her in an embrace. She didn't even realise what she was doing until it was too late and so decided to just go with it for now. There was a moment of hesitation, and then she felt his strong arms wrap around her, pulling her deeper into him, his head lowered to press his nose into the top of her hair. Kathryn took in his scent, feeling its wonderful wood-ash musk that tickled her nose and made her lungs feel heavy, but in a good way. He was so warm, just like when he was in his dragon shape, though to a more humane degree.

"I didn't want to think it," she heard him say in a hoarse whisper. She pulled back in order to stare up into his face, seeing the sad and somewhat fearful expression that lay hidden deep down in the depths of his flame-like eyes. "I didn't want to, but I couldn't help myself. I never want that to happen again," he said a little more fiercely.

"I know," she murmured soothingly, her fingers stroking small and soft circles on his arm as she tried to give him a warm smile, anything to ease the pain she knew he felt.

They stared at one another for what seemed like an eternity, all the words that they wished to speak being understood only in the silence that they shared with one another. Kathryn knew she was staring into the eyes of Smaug, and he stared back at her just as deeply, even though human arms held her, he was still the dragon just beneath the surface, waiting.

It still felt so strange, to think of him in this form: with a man's body, a man's hands, a man's face. She no longer had to look up at him, no longer fear his every breath, his every thought, encase he would be bored with her.

Actually, she had stopped being afraid of all that a long time before now.

"Why are you here?" she heard herself whisper.

"I felt your anxiety and I came," she heard his same deep, raspy voice still accentuating each word, his mastery of his voice making the gravel seem like silk; it was a smaller voice because of the smaller chest producing it, but it still sent shivers of power down her spine. "What happened?" he asked, he needed not ask that it was a vision that made her so unsettled.

"I saw you," she whispered, staring up into his face as she felt tiny and fragile yet protected in his strong arms that encircled her. His face looked so much like a normal human's, but only she could see that it was truly not. And the only reason she could say so, was because now she could see the dragon beneath the flesh, just waiting to burst through. So many features were wrong: his high cheek bones, his strong jaw, his teeth that were a little too long and sharp, his long nose with ever so slightly distorted nostrils… and his eyes, eyes that were still the same yellow like liquid fire as they had ever been.

He stared down at her, his black hair falling to place his eyes in shadows, his thin lips cut a cruel line as he studied her intently, waiting for his answer.

"That night I left," she explained. He sighed, so softly she could barely hear it, his eyes closed briefly, and she felt herself tremble with emotion that she hadn't felt in years. She did not need to say that she saw him roaring in grief and anger, saw him burn everything around his home until nothing would ever grow again, saw him seal the doors to the Mountain and then wail his broken heart as he lay among his hoard, whose shine couldn't pull him from his abyss. She didn't say it, and neither did he, knowing that it would only burn and anger him to acknowledge such weakness. Despite their feelings, he was still a part of his draconic nature, and she didn't want to ruin this moment, not now, so instead, she merely carried on.

"And when I awoke, you were not here as you always were," she murmured, and at the sound of her voice, his eyes snapped back to hers, burning fiery yellow in the dim light. "That was… that was what made me upset. I needed you, and you weren't there. You were always there before, and I couldn't…"

He stared at her, not daring to speak.

"I – I'm so sorry," she whispered, a single curly red lock of hair falling into her face as she placed a hand upon his chest, her fingers clinging to the edge of the breastplate. She didn't even know what she had been apologising for, just that when she'd woken up, she'd needed him there to tell him how sorry she was. And that she would never hurt him again.

He stared down into her eyes, a finger gently tucking the stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"Kathryn," he rumbled out her name, sending a shiver down her spine. His fingers touched her chin, making her tilt her head back so that she was staring directly into his face as he looked at her. "I sealed myself away from the light of day, because I knew that I might break my word and hunt you down, and if I had you with me again, I would NEVER let you go,"

There was a short silence as Kathryn felt something swell inside of her, rising like a phoenix, soaring at his words and burning her from the inside as its flames raced through her blood. Her chest gave an almost painful wrench as she felt herself being drawn deeper into him, towards him. Her heart was pounding in her ears as she reached up a hand, her fingers tracing along his jaw faintly, without any command by her brain, merely acting on instinct, her palm settling over the side of his throat, his vein beneath her touch, the strong beat pressing against her, as hot as the fire she felt within herself.

The words came to her from the depths within her, and she couldn't deny them nor hold them back as she merely spoke as if she had no will with which to stop.

"And I don't WANT you to ever let me go," she whispered to him, utter truth and sincerity in her words, the likes of which shook her body and rattled her soul with conviction. "Not ever again,"

Suddenly, Smaug's eyes burned in his head, smouldering over as he stared down at her with a gaze that could melt the sun. Kathryn was mesmerised, drawn closer to him as she felt him grip her firmly.

"Done." His voice rumbled with the power of dragon-magic, making the candles in the room flicker but not die, a small tremor of power pulsing through the air that would have undetectable to any who did not know the feel of magic. The air itself seemed to tremble but the two remained as still as stone, staring unblinkingly at the other.

And then he leaned in, and kissed her.

His lips were burning hot against hers, but gentle, secretive, as if asking her permission. And after a brief moment of hesitation, she kissed him back.

It wasn't like the first time, when it seemed so alien to think of kissing him when she'd spent so long thinking of him as another species. But this was different, he was a man, and she was a woman, and it suddenly seemed as if they had meant to be this way all along, and it was foolish to allow such boundaries between them. They had been linked through their minds and souls, through life and death and resurrection itself. Surely their bodies did not matter.

Feeling a boldness enter her stomach, she gently nudged his lips open with hers, and slowly slipped her tongue into his mouth, tasting him as she felt his slick tongue. He stiffened for a fraction of a second, trying to comprehend this sudden change of events, and then like a hound to the hunt he dove into the fray. He deepened the kiss, pushing his own tongue into her mouth, exploring her, tasting her, devouring her as his kiss grew hungry. He slid one hand to the back of her neck and the other slid up her arm, his touch burning her skin as he pulled her into him, pressing her body against his as he claimed her with that kiss.

And she returned it in kind, winding her hands into his dark hair as she grabbed at the locks and pulled him down to her mouth. All she knew was a craving within her that led her movements, not conscious thought, more of a longing; the need to touch him, to keep his lips on hers, to have all of him around her, and to never let this moment end. She leaned into him, bodies pressing together, and she felt him pressed against her navel. Kathryn would have gasped at the reaction her body gave to his, instant and instinctive and primal, heat blossomed along her veins as a sense of dizziness and heavy headedness overcame her, a desire dawning in her, hunger like she had never known before. She became delirious as her arousal began to smother her, the waves building until she was oblivious to everything she did, the cacophony of emotions and a sense being overloaded in that one moment became a fraction too much for her to handle at once, and she moaned against the feeling, wanting to stay in this moment as she kissed her dragon. But as the pressure grew, so did her body clench, and before she knew what she was doing, she bit his lip.

He hissed in a breath, pulling back ever so slightly, and stared down at her, frozen. And she looked up at him, unsure if she had unsettled him as she saw blood well up on his lower lip. They both waited in intense stillness as he flicked out his tongue and tasted his own blood.

Suddenly his eyes seemed to set on fire, a deep growl suddenly filling the room. Hands clenching upon the edge of his breastplate, with a scream of tearing metal, Smaug wrenched the armour clean from his body, not bothering with clasps as he easily ripped it from him and flung it aside. He lunged for her, crushing her against him as he wrapped his arms around her, and she realised that he had gotten rid of his tunic also, as she was pressed against his bare, very sculpted chest.

Kathryn gasped as she felt her whole body come alight with desire at his touch. And then the same breath was taken away from her as he claimed her mouth again with his, driving his tongue into her, so that all she could feel, all she could touch, all she could taste, all she could even comprehend was him. And she went along willingly, letting him drive her to the point of insanity with just his mere presence as he surrounded her.

Suddenly, she heard a rip and felt the cold against her bare flesh as her nightdress was torn away by his claw like fingers.

With a yelp, Kathryn jumped out of his hold, slipping through his grasp as he tried to react quickly enough in his surprise. His eyes danced with a predatory light as he smirked and came to charge after her, like a hunter coming after his prey.

But he froze in place when he saw the terror in her eyes as she quickly gathered up her ruined nightdress and held it against herself and turned away from him, cowering, hiding her body from his gaze.

She could practically feel his confusion as he frowned at her, struggling to understand why she would be this way.

"What is wrong?" he asked, his voice hoarse almost to the point of an animalistic husk from his sudden exertion. "Are you unwilling?" she heard him take a cautious step towards her. "Kathryn," he said softly. "If this is not want you want…"

"No," she said a little too quickly, and he stopped. Curses, she thought to herself. "No," she said again, softer this time. "It isn't that…"

"Then what?" she heard his growl of a voice right beside her ear, making her tremble and shiver from anything but the cold. Valar, she hadn't even heard him move.

But what could she say to him? That she was petrified of where this was leading because she was inexperienced? That she was frightened half to death of his eyes on her body, something that no man had ever seen?

She held the ruined gown closer to her body at the thought; and as if he could read her mind, he understood immediately as he curled his arms around her, pulling her back against his chest and clasping her hands in his with a gentle but firm grip. His mouth hovered by her ear, his breath tickling her hair, his voice almost in her mind as he spoke.

"You do not hide from me," he whispered in a hoarse growl. He did a slight tentative pull on her wrists, but she clasped them closer to her chest, refusing to let go. "Do not be afraid of me,"

"I'm not," she choked out.

"I know," he murmured and released one of her hands as he brushed back her hair, and she suddenly felt his face against the skin of her neck, his nose buried in her hair. And she heard him inhale her as he smelled her scent. His chest practically vibrated with a rumbling growl. "I can smell your desire," he growled at her, snapping his teeth by her ear. "You are ready for me…" he let the sentence hang, so she knew it was not a dictation. He was making it perfectly clear that he wanted this, but should she so desire he would stop and then he would leave. It would go no further than this.

But she didn't want it to stop.

Her arms loosened slightly, but something in her refused to let them go completely. She heard him chuckle, something deep and dark in his chest that made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

"Come now, don't be shy…" his voice teased her, called to her, beckoned her as he slid his arms back into place as he took her wrists once more. "Let me take care of you,"

She was so shocked by his words, by the complete sincerity of them, the double meaning that both made her heart swell with affection and her body sing with desire; it all drowned her until she was motionless. And as he pulled on her arms again, she gave away completely, allowing the nightdress to fall to the floor, leaving her bare. He spun her around and pressed her against him, wrapping his arms around her as he drew her in, banishing the cold from her exposed flesh.

Suddenly, she felt his muscles constrict around her like a snake as he lifted her up and carried her over to the bed, and placed her down upon it, and she watched his eyes feast upon her body. From her face to her toes he drank in every part of her, not letting himself miss one imperfection, not one mark, not one hair. But he noticed her gulp, how she fidgeted under his gaze, even when she blushed from the desire coursing through her.

"Kathryn?" he asked her in a soft yet hoarse voice.

"I do not know what you think," she mumbled, fear fluttering in her chest as her mind conjured images of his rejection, or his scorn even now when she could see the want burning in his eyes as he stared at her.

"I think…" Smaug began, knowing that he had to choose his words carefully in order to put her at ease. "That you are the most ravishing, most beautiful thing I have ever seen…"

"I… I've never been…" she didn't need to finish her somewhat embarrassing statement, when Smaug leaned down, his thumb stroking her lips softly as he then traced the line of her jaw.

"I know," he couldn't help the smugness from entering his voice as he stared hungrily into her eyes. "That is what makes it special," he whispered, meaning in both a beguiling sense but also literal, despite the fact that he was barely holding himself back from her, he didn't want to ruin this for her either. "It's all for me, and I want it all,"

Kathryn blushed, his hungry and reverent tone banishing her fear to the back of her mind as she focused solely on his eyes, heat pooling across her body, leaving a physical mark upon her as she seemed to glow from her desire.

Smaug grinned wickedly at the sight before him as he climbed up and crawled over her, his broad back shadowing her thin form, his arms and legs imprisoning her beneath him. He leaned down and kissed her again, but this time allowed his lips to travel across hers, down the side of her jaw, following the path of her throat and across her breastbone. She tangled her fingers in his hair as he kissed every inch of her, even until he reached the inside of her wrist, lashing his tongue against the skin and then sucking in the flesh between his teeth as he kissed it. One hand trailed her body, gliding along the curves of her waist and then cupping her buttocks in his large rough hand, sliding up to her knee before he gently tickled his way back down the inside of her thigh and his fingers grazed her slickness between her legs.

He reared, growling so loudly it hummed in her ears and in the base of her spine. His eyes were alight with fire from his own arousal, a primal part of him reacting to her desire like a moth to a flame. But she saw him deny it; instead he wanted to explore, to play. He had never experienced a woman with his new body, and he wanted to experience every aspect of it.

He gently brushed his fingers against her wet lower lips, and watched in fascination as she hissed and arched up, wanting more. He rubbed his hand against her, his palm working her over as he built a small rhythm that she followed dutifully, oblivious as she strained for the release her body craved. He flicked his thumb as he tried to explore every part of her desire, and caught her bud, watching in delight as she gasped and was almost brought to the edge. He did it again, revelling in the power he had over her, how she was helpless against him, completely under his control. The third time, he was rewarded with her core becoming even wetter for him, anticipating the climax to come.

Kathryn saw him inhale sharply as he smelled the changes in her body. And it was as if his animalistic nature took complete control, and he was no longer able to control himself as he snarled, flashing his teeth and ripping away his breeches with an impatient tug. He was naked before her, but Kathryn had no time to take in the magnificent sight as he suddenly dove at her; his golden eyes wild, the pupils almost pinpricks, there was almost no humane part of him left as he went to claim her.

He spread her legs and poised over her, but when she gasped he stopped for a moment, some rational side of his brain coming back to him. He shivered as he fought for control, poised just above her entrance. Knowing this would be painful for her; perhaps even down right torture if not handled correctly, he may very well end up hurting her. That thought alone was enough for him to steel his resolve and find some semblance of control as he tried to chain the beast within him. Once he was slightly more confident that he wouldn't unleash his primal side and destroy her, he allowed himself to breathe. He then slowly eased into her, allowing her body to adjust as he filled her up to the brim.

Kathryn squealed in pain, her body recoiling from the intrusion but was on fire at the same time. Gods, it hurt like hell, but she was begging for more, she could feel her climax was close, an ocean of things she had never felt before and couldn't even begin to comprehend just on the brink, yet the pain countered it and for a moment she didn't know which feeling was strongest inside of her.

Smaug waited warily, put off guard by her sudden pain. Seeing his indecision, Kathryn gently moved her hips, tilting them so that he slid in even deeper, causing her to whimper, but she placed a hand at the back of his neck and pulled him close to her, meeting her forehead to his in silent comfort both to him and to her as she began the rhythm, doing only what instinct demanded she do.

Taking that as his cue, he began to thrust into her, gently at first, but building up as he felt her walls tight around him, a perfect fit, fighting the edges of his sanity as he fought to not drive himself wild inside of her. As they worked, their pace began to pick up, becoming much more frantic, more animalistic, as they fought to reach the peak together.

All of a sudden, Kathryn felt the waves come crashing around her as her climax hit. A tsunami of pleasure struck her with such force that she was left utterly speechless as she shook from the ferocity of it. She cried out, her nails digging into the skin of her partner as she was almost sent into oblivion.

He felt her walls tighten around him and felt her wash him in her waters as she flooded his every sense. He scented her climax, and the shackles that he had carefully placed around his self-control shattered in an instant, and his inner beast roared in a frenzy as it claimed his mind and body.

Quickly pulling out, he flipped the poor woman over onto her front, so that she lay on her stomach. He dove back in again, using his thighs to spread her, and as he entered all the way to the hilt, he got another moan and a whimper out of her, making him smile wickedly in satisfaction. He then began to move inside of her, pumping with a beastly ferocity, driving her mercilessly, his arms trapping her from either side as he held himself above her. As he drove against her sensitive walls, he heard her moan in ecstasy and pain and felt her tighten around him as her fluids threatened to drown him. He needed more, but he needed it now, he continued to drive himself, feeling his own climax coming fast.

With another snarl, he sat himself up and pulled her with him by the waist until she was sitting in his lap, almost limp against him, only holding onto him for dear life. He felt her nails dig into his skin and snickered with a devilish glee, the pain only pushing him further.

Suddenly he felt all of his muscles tighten and clench, quivering of their own accord as he reached the peak. Without thinking, he brushed her hair away to reveal the pale flesh of her neck right by his jaw.

"You…" he panted a growl into her ear. "You… are… mine!"

And then he sank his teeth into her neck.

Kathryn screamed both from the pain in her neck as his teeth punctured through her skin until she felt her blood bubble into his mouth, but also from the release she felt as she came a second time.

He gave a muffled roar into her flesh as he too came with her, their bodies becoming one in that one moment.

They were left there panting, completely still as it all died down. For what seemed like an eternity, they sat together, allowing the storm they had created to calm around them and eventually die down. Smaug tasted her blood on his tongue, and savoured the sweet taste as his mind slowly came back into his own control, and he took deep, steadying breaths to calm his racing heart. He felt Kathryn almost completely limp in his grasp, and he rumbled comfortingly as he took in her scent, her pheromones mixing with her sweat and his male musk. He gave another rumble of smug satisfaction. Gently, he had enough of a mind to kiss the tender flesh of her neck as he withdrew his teeth, licking away the blood that bubbled up to the surface from the wound he had inflicted. He wasn't entirely sure why he had done such a thing, it was something that males of his species did in order to mark their mate and to keep her still during mating flights encase she was frightened by the drop. He had almost done so to her once before during a dream, but had checked himself before he had caused any damage. If Smaug had known then how things would have turned out, he smirked to think that he would have preferred to have gotten all this business out of the way and done what instinct had demanded then. He knew that this bite on her neck would probably scar, and he didn't mind the thought of that – it would be permanent and physical claim to all who looked upon her that she belonged to him and to no other. A rather delicious thought indeed. Turning his attention back to the female in his arms, he cautiously lifted her off of him, both of them moaning as he slid out of her. He laid her down on the bed and then lay down beside her, drawing her close to him in the embrace of his arms.

He kissed the fiery locks of her hair as sleep threatened to overtake him.

"You're mine," he whispered a lethargic purr into her ear, a slight drowsiness coming over him slowly like the tide.

"And you're mine," he heard her breathe back.

Satisfaction almost completely overcame him, making him grin tiredly, and he kissed her hair again, trailing kisses down her face as he pulled her closer, thanking her for the amazing gift that she had shared with him. In his woozy state, he felt as if he had conquered the world and the sun and moon, and nothing could compare to this. He whispered a thousand "thank you"s and endearments to her as she fell asleep to the sound of his voice. Smaug held her tightly against him, never wanting to let her go.

And then they both lost consciousness.

Not many would acknowledge that there were places kept out of sight and out of mind within the passages of Vathvael's grand royal castle. Servants were hardly ever seen in the actual corridors of the castle, lest the nobles be offended by their mere presence; so instead, narrow passages had been built into the castle in order to help servants get across the castle much quicker without being seen. But only servants and the butlers and housekeepers knew where any of these doors were.

It was rather surprising how talkative the servant class could be with the right amount of coin and wine offered to them…

Such one secret passage led from just around the corner from the Seer's chambers, the door left ajar on purpose, the winding passage snaking through the castle, straight and true, with hardly any turn off or adjoining passages. It led straight to the northern wing, where it opened up right into the corridor outside King Wilhelm's private chambers. It was a small corridor with two double doors at either end as a figure exited the secret passage into the corridor. On one side of one set of doors would stand a regiment of guards, maybe four or six in total; and on the other side of the other door, lay the King, fast asleep.

Dressed in a maid's uniform, the figure went silently to one set of doors, whispering magic under her breath as she opened the locked door silently and slipped into the King's chambers, leaving the door to both the secret passage and the bedroom wide open.

Within the chamber itself was a small fortune all to itself in decoration alone. The entire room was covered in gold leaf and exquisite deep marine blue, the grandest tables made from marble with embedded crystals and patterns swirling and covered in gold. At the very back of the huge room, past great armchairs and private dining tables lay a gigantic bed that would have been able to fit five people into it with comfortable leg room. On either side of the bed was a set of doors that led onto a grand balcony. The figure swept right past the bed towards one set of doors, opening them wide and allowing a cold breeze to gently filter into the room, taking the temperature down enough for the occupant within the bed to shiver as he drowsily began to stir.

"Wha… Wh-what?" Wilhelm blinked, his eyes unfocused as he rolled over to see the disturbance to his sleep. "What the –"

He was met with a figure standing over his bedside, looking up into the shadowed face of a woman with ice-blue eyes and raven hair, a cold and unyielding look upon her face as she regarded him with a sneer. Before the King could awaken fully and call out, Andraya whipped out a knife from her sleeve, the bone handle glinting in the dim firelight from the king's fireplace. Before he could call out in alarm, Andraya's hand shot out and sliced open his neck, silencing him as blood bloomed across his skin and ran in a river onto his pillows, only a soft gurgling cough to betray him as his body jerked and the life drained out of his eyes as readily as the blood from his body. Andraya sighed in boredom as she reached the dagger up towards her own face, and hissed with pain as she sliced open a cut upon her forehead, the blood of the king mixing with her own on the blade before dribbling down her face.

Turning to the corpse with distaste, she used all of her strength to sink the blade into the man's chest and into his heart, pushing it in all the way to the hilt for added measure. Leaving the blade in the corpse, Andraya quickly made her way to the open chamber door, and threw herself against it, sliding to the floor in a heavy heap as she set there awkwardly.

And then, she let out a scream that split the night in two.

The guards came rushing in instantly, weapons drawn and with shouts of alarm as they raced through the corridor and into the King's room, before stopping short with horror dawning on their faces as they beheld the sight of their dead monarch. Quickly, the captain turned on his men and began barking orders, for half of his men to go to the Queen's chambers down the hall and make sure that she was safe and to keep her under tight security until further notice. The guards raced away, whilst the captain and the rest of the men came to surround the wailing woman who seemed to have been injured herself as she sat where she had been thrown to the floor in the attackers haste for escape.

"It was the man!" she screamed, hysterical as tears of fear and horror came to her eyes like venom to a snake's fangs. "The one with the Seer! H-h-he went down there!" she screeched fearfully like the song of the siren crying through the night air as she pointed to the open servant passage. "Oh, Valar above! His fire eyes… A-Agonn! Cail Agonn!"

A/N: Hey everyone! So, this chapter took a little longer then usual, but I wanted it to be as close to perfect as I could. I don't know if I succeeded, but I hope it was at least enjoyable.

So please tell me what you think! What of Kathryn's vision and her reaction to it? Kathryn's conversation with Freyja? Smaug's confrontation with Kathryn? Their moment? The Mature content? And What of Andraya's latest scheme? I told some of you that she's not out of the picture just yet ;)

Until next time my Dragons! xXx