It had been a week since Ila and Thorin were married and they were now at the end of their honeymoon. They had not been seen by anyone but Thorin's personal servants during that time, and Ila wished it could always remain so. Well, she did miss Dwala, and her little Sam, she wanted them back in her life and at her side, but she did not want to give her husband back to Erebor. This was the last day Ila would have with Thorin before they emerged officially as king and queen, their union consummated and everyone wondering when a little prince would arrive.
It was midday, but they were still in bed, having laid together talking and laughing late into the night and early into the morning. In the days leading up to their wedding and during their honeymoon, Thorin and Ila had truly gotten to know each other. Granted, they had only known each other a short while and still had much to learn, but they understood a great deal about each other now. Ila knew that Thorin was a being of great depth and emotion, despite what his exterior would suggest. He had weathered many trials and much pain in his life, and he was afraid of not being good enough now that he had finally reclaimed the crown. Thorin knew that Ila was a gentle soul who needed lots of tenderness and care, and who was very young and free at heart. She also tried to see the best in everyone, even when they didn't deserve it.
They had talked of their childhoods into the early hours of the morning, when they finally fell asleep in each other's arms. Ila had woken first to see Thorin's head tilted back on the pillow, his lips barley parted as he still slept deeply. They'd missed breakfast but Ila would order the servants to bring breakfast for supper if that's when he finally woke.
She looked at him, her husband, while he was sleeping so peacefully next to her. She enjoyed being able to gaze at him freely. Not that he minded her staring when he was awake, but she liked to study him when he was unaware. In example, she liked to look at his long nose, which she found cute but knew he didn't like.
His eyes fluttered open and he looked directly at her. She smiled and leaned forward to give him a little peck on the tip of his nose. He smiled back at her and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her and closing his eyes again.
"Are you going back to sleep?" she asked softly.
"Maybe. You've tired this old dwarf out." He said without opening his eyes.
Ila scoffed. "You are not old."
"Old enough to be your father, actually." He said opening his eyes.
"As if that made any difference to you." She replied and he smiled.
"No, it doesn't." he said and kissed her lips. When he released her she asked,
"Is my husband too tired to make love to me? We really should take advantage of our last day…" she said with a glint in her eyes.
"You are insatiable," he said but laid on his side to hover over her, his hand disappearing under the sheets and gliding down her body to stop at her opening.
"You don't want to?" Ila said pouting up at him.
"Did I say that wench?" he asked, his voice growing husky.
She smacked him on the arm. She simultaneously loved and hated that word.
His fingers found her opening then, pushing inside to find her clit and Ila sunk into the pillows and spread her legs for him.
"Aren't we eager today," Thorin observed.
"Stop talking and make love to me," Ila commanded. Thorin made a shocked face and withdrew his fingers.
"You do not command me you little slip of a dwarf," he said bringing his face an inch from hers, and for a split second Ila thought she had genuinely made him angry, but she soon realized he was only jesting with her.
"For that, your king commands that you make love to him," he said sat up staring at her with a self-satisfied look. Ila looked back at him defiantly.
"Or what?" she countered.
"Why you little—" he said and attacked her sides with his fingers, tickling her mercilessly.
Ila began to scream in protest and thrash about beneath him, but he'd moved over her and she couldn't budge his tree trunk of a body. Ila screamed so much that a servant finally came running, but quickly saw the king moving about over his wife under the sheets and disappeared as quickly as he'd appeared, thankful that they were too busy to notice him.
Ila was faltering now and couldn't catch her breath, so Thorin relinquished his attack and instead grabbed her wrists to hold over her head.
Ila was panting and nearly crying from the assault. Thorin was laughing and littering her face with soft kisses. When Ila regained the ability to speak, she scolded him.
"I am too spent now to make love!" she exclaimed and he laughed and pressed a kiss to her lips.
"Perhaps we should have some lunch and maybe even a nice nap then. We have hours yet to enjoy each other."
"Lunch, we haven't even had breakfast! Which I think we should, and right here in bed." Ila said.
Thorin smiled widely and warmly at his love. "How I have spoiled you this week, my queen. There will be no doing anything with you after this," he said stroking her face.
"I am not spoiled, and if I am it is because you enjoy doing so." She replied.
He stretched out beside her again and gently trailed his hand over her body.
"I suppose there may be some truth to that," he admitted and called over his shoulder for the servant. He appeared, looking away from the bed but Ila had brought the sheets securely around her. Thorin commanded that breakfast be brought to them and he disappeared obediently. Thorin then sank back under the covers with Ila and she laid her head on his arm, nestling into his neck. She felt his bearded chin leaning on her forehead. They were quiet for a moment and Ila wondered that he wasn't drifting back off to sleep, but he soon spoke again.
"Ila?" Thorin called her name gently.
"Yes, my love?" she replied, not looking up.
"Do you have any idea how happy you have made me?" he asked, his voice very serious now.
Ila shifted and looked up into his face which was practically touching her own.
His face was equally serious, and his light blue eyes had a touch of sadness to them that made her heart ache. She reached up to gently stroke his bearded cheek as she answered.
"I know how happy you have made me," she said. "Which is happier than I ever expected to be."
He leaned his forehead against hers now and their noses touched. He brought his arm around her possessively and held her tight.
"You have completed me," he said. "I can never do without you now. Promise me I will never have to." He said.
Ila's brow furrowed in confusion. "Why would you ever have to?" she asked.
He looked away for a moment and Ila pressed him. Rubbing his chest with her hand, she urged him, "My love why would you ever have to do without me? I am yours forever you must know that."
He met her eyes again and she saw insecurity there. "I am not a young dwarf anymore. I do not have the vigor I once did, and you can see my grey streaks for yourself." He said.
"What does that matter? You joke about being old enough to be my father all the time—" Ila said.
Thorin looked down. "You deserve someone much younger than I, someone you can grow old with—"
"Thorin stop that." Ila interrupted him and said firmly. "What has brought this on?" she asked.
She shook his head. "Nothing, I only won't always have the time to devote to you like this, and I will be tired sometimes and grow older before your eyes…but I cannot do without you Ila." He said looking deep into her eyes now.
"Not now that I have you, not now that you have made me happier than I had ever dared dream of being. Say that you will be mine, forever."
Thorin had spoken with such solemnity and finality that Ila barely knew how to answer. Obviously this had been bothering him, but why? She had vowed at their wedding to be his forever, and they had spent the entire week tangled in each other. Whether she understood why he had asked or not, she knew she had to allay his fears.
"Thorin, darling, I vowed that very thing but a week ago. I have not since changed my mind. I love you, more than I could possibly tell you. I will never, ever stray from you, so long as my heart beats in my chest." Ila said and saw his sad eyes search the depths of her own, finding comfort in the truth they saw there.
He answered her with a chaste kiss and nudged her with his head as he pressed her to him, they both lying on their sides facing each other, eyes closed. Ila sighed and relaxed into his embrace, hoping he ceased to worry and telling herself she was not going to fall asleep again before breakfast came.
It was late in the day and Dwala had gone down stairs to get some supper. It was a tad early for that but she meant to get to bed early that night. As she entered the great hall, she noticed Dwalin eating by himself. You should go over, you should go over, you should go over, a tiny voice repeated in her head. She couldn't be so forward…..it wasn't right, it wasn't ladylike. If he really liked you he would pursue you….another voice in her head piped in.
It was so frustrating, especially since she had no other female she could confide in or bounce solutions off of. Dwala sat down by herself and looked towards where Dwalin sat, further contemplating what she should do. At the very least, she had been told that morning that the honeymoon would be officially over tomorrow and that she was to report to the royal chambers to resume her duties. Finally being able to talk to Ila would be a relief, for several reasons.
How selfish she was being! She scolded herself. Here she was wrapped up in her own feelings when she hadn't seen Ila in a week. What was happening up there? She only hoped Ila wasn't too badly abused.
Too anxious to eat with all the butterflies thrashing about in her stomach, Dwala looked towards Dwalin again. She was going to do it. She was going to go over there. Why? She had no idea. She rose and made sure to approach from behind, so as to have an element of surprise about it, lest he see her coming and it break her resolve. As she came around to stand across the table in front of him, all she could think to say was "Good evening,"
Dwalin looked up and hoped his pleasure at seeing her wasn't evident. Likely it wasn't thanks to his naturally stern exterior. He did however make sure to stand up, which Dwala was not expecting at all.
"Evening lass," he said and nodded.
"Mister Dwalin," she returned. "May I sit with you?"
Dwalin hesitated but a second to make sure he heard her right, then gestured for her to do so. She sat and he made sure to wait until she was seated to sit himself. She felt unbelievably awkward so she immediately began to help herself from the heavily laden supper table. Dwalin seemed to feel the same and continued eating so he wouldn't have to be the one to make conversation. Though, after a moment or two of silence and trying not to stare at her, he figured it would be easier to make conversation and actually be able to look at her.
"So….you return to your duties tomorrow?" he asked.
Dwala swallowed the piece of chicken she was eating. "Yes, happily. I have missed Ila so much…and so has Sam." She replied.
"Sam?"
"The puppy that King Thorin gave her. He's been my constant companion this past week."
"Ah, yes. I've seen you walking him. You brought him to the arena the other morning." Dwalin said.
Dwala brightened a bit, happy that he remembered her being there.
"Yes, we watched for a bit before continuing his daily walk..." Ila said smiling a tiny smile that Dwalin wondered might be for him. Surely not, he told himself.
"…as I was trying to take your advice." Dwala finished.
Dwalin raised an eyebrow as if to ask what advice exactly and Dwala faltered, wondering if he remembered his words that had struck her so.
"…about enjoying myself….." she added tentatively.
"Aye." He said affirmatively. "Good to hear it." he said and focused on his plate again. Dwala watched him and he seemed to either not understand her meaning or not be interested. She wasn't sure. She was no good at this. She had only been a servant to males, never anything else. They had never seen her as anything else and she didn't know how to make them. She looked to her own food and they ate in silence again, as uncomfortable as before.
Dwalin looked up at her. Her eyes looked sad. Her big brown eyes that were like pools of melted chocolate….
Snap out of it, he told himself. She's just lonely and wants someone to eat dinner with…but, that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy her company.
"So…how do you plan to spend your last night free from duty?" Dwalin asked.
Dwala shook her head. "I figured I would get to bed early since I am to report to the royal chambers first thing. I don't have any plans…." She said.
"Well, we can sleep when we're dead can't we?" he asked with a grin and she realized she'd never seen him smile before.
Dwala blushed. "Well, I suppose…"
"Have you ever seen Dale at night?" he asked.
"Oh, no, no I've only been outside once for a picnic. I've never been to Dale." Dwala said.
"Well, there's no time like the present. And your lady won't miss you tonight." Dwalin said. Dwala felt a surge of excitement and anxiety at the thought. But she couldn't, she was a lady in waiting to the queen now and that would most certainly not be smiled upon.
"I….well I don't know…." Dwala said but obviously wanting to.
"It will be fine," he said and leaned across the table a bit and lowered his voice. "The princes are slipping out tonight too, we won't let you get in trouble for it." he said.
Oh. The princes were coming too.
Dwala had thought he wanted to be alone with her, but it seemed she'd taken it the wrong way. She was a little less excited now, but she would get to spend time with him. And it did sound like a delightful little adventure…
"Oh, well…..alright." Dwala said quietly and looking around to make sure no one had overheard their conversation. This was so unlike her!
Dwalin smiled at her, happy that she agreed. He would show her a good time.
He gave her a genuine smile and went back to eating, but Dwala had lost her appetite from the excitement and anticipation of it all.
AN: Loving all the Dwala/Dwalin love I'm getting! I'm having fun feeling out their relationship. It will probably be a bit more comical than Thorin/Ila's relationship just from what I've imagined so far. And having actually met Graham McTavish I can affirm that he is super dreamy ladies, which makes this a little easier to write.