Thorin hurried. He knew Lióni and the chaperones were waiting for him in his father's chambers and the king had already escorted the elven dams to watch the tournament of elves. It was his first official day of courting and he wanted to make it memorable, so stopped in the market to buy the dagger he had placed on hold days before.
Most dwarrow were at the match leaving dams crowding into the market with dwarflings running unchecked down isles. Sidestepping a group of young lads tussling in the isle, he stopped before Master Niping's table. "I'm here for the dagger." He handed the merchant the required coin and as the merchant finished the transaction he let his gaze wander around the enormous cavern. One patron towered heads over shopping dams and was working in his direction, looking for something Thorin figured by the way he stopped at each table, looked and moved on. When he got close, Thorin addressed him. "I'm surprised to find you here, Lord Celeborn, instead of watching your kind spar."
Celeborn stopped his perusal of wares long enough to reply. "I never expected to enter a dwarven marketplace again. It's been millennia since I was forced to shop at Moria. Now, circumstances force me once again to deal with dwarves."
Thorin smirked up at the ancient lord. "I had supper last night with your ladies. Your granddaughter let it slip you broke a priceless item. Maybe I can be of assistance."
Celeborn drilled him with daggers. "Why would I accept your help?"
"Because in the house of my father are some of the most expensive jewelry boxes in Middle Earth." Thorin dropped his smirk. "I want you elves gone from our mountain as much as you wish it, and that will not happen until I am wed." He held up with his left hand the wrapped gift Niping handed him. "Today I start my courtship. I will be married by the end of summer if tradition holds for my kind. Your lady wishes to attend my wedding and she and your granddaughter are invited. What will you give me to expedite my wedding?"
Celeborn glared down at him. "I will keep my warriors here to protect you and the mountain if you wed by first frost."
"And you will keep all foul kind from us?"
"You have my word," Celeborn vowed.
Thorin's smirk was back. "I find your granddaughter likable, and for an elf, that is saying a lot. I still can't figure why Lady Galadriel married you. She is cultured beyond any being I've ever met. It's almost like she doesn't belong here, but should reside in a land of refined elves, if such a place exists."
"I know, Galadriel should have wed a prince in Aman and not a prince of these wild lands." Celeborn drew Thorin back to the moment. "You claim ownership of expensive jewelry boxes. I've searched the entire market and don't find what I seek."
"What you seek is kept in my father's chamber, in a room filled with our family jewels. If you trust me, I'll take you there, but we must hurry for I'm already late in collecting Lass Lióni for the elven games."
"The games will wait for us," Celeborn declared. Mentally he shouted, 'Círdan, hold the tournament until I arrive. I'll be a few minutes late.'
'We are just disclosing the types of contests to our dwarven and human guests. I'll stall as long as I can, but don't dawdle.' Círdan agreed. He wondered at the absence of the mighty lord and the fact that King Thráin had escorted his ladies to a covered section of the amphitheater wasn't lost on his keen eyesight. He exchanged worried looks with Elrond. At Elrond's side, Glorfindel was smiling, as if privy to a private joke.
"Lead on, Prince Thorin," Celeborn stated and the two left the cavern together, to much speculation among the dwarves.
Thorin marched past the elite guards in the Durin's private hallway. The guards stood as stones until the lords passed and then casts glances after them. Should Celeborn have attempted to transverse the long hall alone, he would have been challenged by all of them.
"You're the first outsider since King Thrór's time to ever set foot inside our innermost chambers and none have ever seen what I'm about to show you," Thorin declared in a deep voice as he pushed the door to his father's chamber open.
"Should you trust me then?" Celeborn asked and stared down at the dwarf.
"If you are going to kill me and steal our jewels, do so quickly. I know my people have done yours wrong in ages past and if it is revenge you seek, so be it."
Celeborn was surprised at Thorin's statement. "So you believe ransacking Menegroth was wrong?"
"As a survivor of an altered mind, I know how remorseful my people would have been once they were free of the sickness. I've done things I will regret to my grave. Have elves never caused harm so great they carry that kind of remorse?"
Celeborn's thoughts flashed to his morbid recollection of only an hour previous. "Elves too, can cause great harm to others. That is why I blindly followed you into the mountain, hoping I wasn't led into a trap."
"You must love your lady greatly to let me, a dwarf who has no use for elves, lead you here to repair whatever wrong you did." Thorin's gaze held his, but the old elf didn't disclose one flicker of regret that Lady Arwen quietly told him about her grandfather's anger and the sorrow it caused.
Celeborn didn't reply and Thorin motioned him to follow. He led the way down a hall interconnecting his chambers to that of his father. Halfway down, he stopped and pushed a tapestry aside reveling a hidden door. He reached for the hidden key and opened the door. Inside, he felt until finding a nozzle and turned it up. The gas lamps came to life and he led the way into a vault that held the secluded jewels of the Durin's.
Celeborn looked around in wonder. "I haven't seen such display since I was in Queen Melian's private vault. She loved expensive baubles and Elu Thingol enjoyed indulging her."
"I understand your lady also has a fine collection from the tidbits I heard last night." Thorin looked for a cupboard.
"She brought a small amount with her this trip. I've never known her to travel without some of her jewelry," Celeborn admitted and wondered why he disclosed this to Thráin's son, a dwarf he couldn't stand.
Thorin unlatched the door and opened it wide.
Celeborn saw it stacked full of jewelry boxes and the least expensive made of wood inlayed with priceless gems. The most opulent was gold inlayed with even larger jewels.
Thorin pulled four out. "Choose from one of these. I can't sell you any of the others because they have history of our queens. These were made recently and by that I mean in the last five hundred years. He picked one up. "Lord Hónid made this one for a Durin to sell or give as a gift."
Celeborn took the item of heavy gold. On the lid was a large diamond, cut to reveal colors of the rainbow. Lesser jewels complemented it. "How much?"
"Your first year's payment we owe you."
Celeborn was set to take two thousand gold coin south with him for the one wagon train that reached the mountain. That he couldn't bring more wagon trains north didn't bother him at all, for Thráin agreed to that amount no matter the number of loads.
He set that box down and picked up another one. "Mithril!" he exclaimed.
Thorin nodded. "That is our oldest and crafted by Hónid's father, Lord Rábid. We don't use Mithril any longer for such foolishness." At Celeborn's raised eyebrows he added, "Three thousand gold coin."
Celeborn held up the last two boxes together. Both were made from silver with smaller gems.
"I will take five hundred for either of them. They were made as first jewelry boxes for our princesses and Dis would have been given one on her fiftieth birthday. One will be given to Dáin's daughter in ten years. Both were crafted by Lord Hónid."
Celeborn set them down and picked up the golden one. "Agreed. I'll take this one and you keep the coin I was to take with me. I want a written contract. My anniversary is in two days and I want it covertly delivered before then. My wife isn't to get one whiff of this."
Thorin nodded once. "I'll handle the details myself. Now, if we are done, I have a lass to escort to the games." He quickly placed three back in the cupboard and left the one Celeborn chose on the table.
With a last look around, Celeborn preceded Thorin from the room and watched him lock and pull the tapestry back into place. "I approve of your setup."
"Even Smaug never found this room," Thorin boasted. They made their way back to the foot of the Durin's private hall. "Do you need an escort out?" Thorin asked.
Celeborn shook his head. "I've memorized the layout. Thank you."
They parted and Thorin rushed to Dóvad's new home. Risári bequeathed the chambers of her deceased husband to her son-in-law, for she had no desire to live in the large empty rooms by herself and was quite content to share, like she did in Jötunheim, their home.
The guards saluted when he stopped and pounded on the door. The servant, Mif, opened and let him inside.
"I'm sorry to be late," he apologized. "A business matter came up." He looked around, wondering who his chaperones would be. Azie was present and so was Cát, Balin's wife. He also saw Cái, their eldest daughter in the background. Then his eyes fell on Lióni and she took his breath away and his gaze never left her.
Lióni waited for him to acknowledge her. Her mother and grandmother carefully dressed her in a gown of royal blue. On her neck was a ruby necklace with matching earrings. The long ballooned sleeves were designed to keep sun off her fair skin. Her hair was coiled around her head with tendril's escaping down her shapely neck. Hair pins made from pearls held everything in place. Makeup was applied by her mother and when she looked in the mirror, she hardly recognized her face.
Thorin approached her after throwing a quick nod at the beaming parents. Unsure how to greet her, he held the gift out. "I believe I said I would give this to the one I chose."
Lióni undid the bow of a thin strip of leather around a larger soft suede material. It fell away to reveal the small dagger, now enclosed in a handcrafted leather sheath. She pulled it out, hardly believing something so beautiful was hers. She slipped it inside the belt at her waist and the white pearl handle complemented her outfit perfectly. She raised her eyes to Thorin's. "It's beautiful, thank you."
"Not nearly as beautiful as the one who wears it," Thorin spoke in a low tone for her alone. He knew the others could hear, but for the first time, didn't care. He offered his arm. "I have it on good authority that the elves are holding the games up for us. Let's not keep them waiting." They led the procession from the chamber down halls and exiting through the main entrance and around the mountain in the bright sun to the arena.
Círdan pontificated on the history of elven tournaments as he stalled for time. Finally, Celeborn was seen standing beside Elrond and he looked into the stands and saw Thorin escorting Lióni to the king's reserved area. Abruptly he stated, "I've nattered long enough about the history of elven warfare. Let the contest begin."
Loud clapping ensued and he turned the arena over to Glorfindel. The golden warrior marched to the center of the ring and in a loud voice proclaimed, "Our first challenger is Lord Kelowë from the Havens and his opponent is Lord Elladan from Imladris. The winner with swords advances to the next round."
The crowds roared for their favorite while Círdan found his target. "Well, Celeborn, are you going to tell me what was so important that I delayed the start of the games for half an hour?"
Celeborn kept his eyes on his grandson. "I had business with Prince Thorin."
"The prince that I've never seen you speak with?" Círdan sounded skeptical. He looked at Celeborn's cantankerous face. "I can't read Galadriel this morning either. I reached out to her and she is as silent as you. That means her fëa is subdued and only one elf in all the world can do that to her."
Celeborn shut down completely and stared at the match.
Círdan exchanged glances with Elrond on the other side of Celeborn, who shook his head, and he also turned to the match.
Elladan slowly backed the older, wiser elf into a corner. With a few more swipes of his blade the other ceded the match.
"The years of hunting orcs has made you the master," Kelowë stated and picked his weapon off the ground.
"That and I'm younger than you by two thousand years," Elladan japed and took his bow before the cheering crowd.
"I will win the next round. The loser gets true novice warriors and not someone who doesn't belong in the first elimination," Kelowë responded with a chuckle.
Thorin seated Lióni between him and his father. He covertly watched her and enjoyed her enthusiasm for the games. His body didn't feel normal. He knew from stories that he was thawing and his heart of stone was turning to flesh. His exiguous attention to the match was overshadowed by the scent and beauty of her. He never noticed a lass that way before. All his conversations with fairer sex stimulated rational responses and a certain amount of superiority. As his eyes coveted her beauty, he was anything but intellectual or superior. He watched her lips curve upwards when Elladan was declared victor. He didn't care who won, only that she was enjoying herself."
A casual hand slapped the back of his head. He spun in the offending direction only to find Dwalin grinning at him. He crowded his other side and Dis was next to him in the row of the king. Dwalin leaned over and whispered. "Who won the match. I know you weren't paying attention?"
Thorin let a smile escape. "I did."
"Aye, I felt the same when I thawed. I'm learning to control my impulses, but it's new…..and difficult." They had their heads together, whispering, so nobody could overhear.
Galadriel, on the other side of Thráin, heard them clearly. Like them, her mind wasn't fully on her grandson's game. She saw her husband enter on the opposite side of the arena and stand next to Elrond. He didn't reach out to her, nor she him. She was still sore that he smashed her jewelry box; one he crafted with his own hands when the twins were still learning how to weld swords as amateur soldiers. She felt envy for the dwarves around her and their thawing and the joys of falling in love for the first time. She longed for the euphoria of those days.
Three more sword matches concluded before Círdan called a short break. The stands emptied for drinks to cool parched throats. Thorin stood and offered a hand to Lióni. "Lord Dori ordered ice brought from deep underground to cool our drinks." He led her to a side entrance and a cavern blasted into the mountain reserved for lords. He noticed the elven ladies also joined them for refreshing drinks of squeezed lemons and limes, sweetened with sugar brought all the way from Gondor. Trays of cheese and smoked meats were sampled by all.
Lióni noticed Thorin never left her side and was proud he was hers, although they had yet to have their first walk as a couple. She listened as he greeted the Company and whatever lass they had with them and saw looks of envy thrown her way by the losers. She let her hand stay in the crook of his arm, as a sign of possession. With the prince and king standing right there, not one spiteful remark was tossed her way.
A horn sounded and everyone returned to the stone bleachers cut into the mountainside. She was grateful a canopy shaded their area from the bright summer's sun.
Elrond stepped to the center of the arena and in his loud herald's voice, proclaimed, "Next is a display of spears. We have eight contestants from each of the four realms who think they are the best at the novice level." He looked to the sidelines. "Come forth."
Elrohir was in this batch for Imladris, as was another warrior. Haldir stood beside him for Lothlórien and Legolas for Mirkwood. Three others made up the contestants.
Thorin leaned over to Lióni and murmured, "My money is on Elrohir."
"Which one is he?" she spoke quietly back.
"Lord Elrond's son. He is wearing the crest of his house over his armor. It's the white and grey tunic with the brown design bearing the seal of Elrond."
Lióni easily spotted him. "Why pick him?"
He smiled at her, eyes taking in her loveliness. "I've seen him throw one. To be fair, I've never witnessed the others in action."
She looked back. "I'll root for Prince Legolas then."
"A small wager," he suggested.
Not taking her eyes off her champion, she inquired, "A wager? What shall we barter?"
His eyes moved to her rosy lips. "A kiss for me if I win."
That drew her eyes to his. "And if I win, I'll have a moonlit stroll on the mountain. I hear it's a blood moon tonight. I used to love watching them."
"Maybe we can find a way for both of us to win," he responded and at the sound of the horn beginning the match, reluctantly looked at the warriors.
The elves were impressive; easily throwing with precision spears across the arena and hitting kill zones of their targets. With each throw, the targets were replaced with smaller ones and moved back. Finally an elf from the Havens missed to the moans of the crowd. One by one, all were eliminated until only Elrohir and Legolas remained.
Elrond stepped into the arena and raised a hand for quiet. "We are down to our last two challengers. The target is a ring." Glorfindel held two circles six inches across and anchored them to a bale of straw. "You will throw until one of you misses," Elrond ordered.
More bets were heard from both the dwarves and elves.
"You can do it, Legolas," Lióni screamed.
"Don't let me down, Peredhel," Thorin yelled just as loudly.
The two threw and both pierced the rings. Five more times they threw perfectly until Legolas just missed the ring to the outside, but drew sparks as it found purchase of the metal. Once again, Elrohir threw true and was declared winner.
Thorin grinned down at the lass. Before she could move, his hand slipped to the back of her neck and he pulled her to him for a long kiss. Unbeknownst to them, they stole the show when all dwarves started pointing and elves looked to see what stirred up the dwarves.
Thráin looked over and laughed. He turned back to Galadriel and Arwen. "Ye may get ah wedding before long."
Lióni's hand found his beard and she marveled at its softness. Her hand continued until entangled in his hair and she pulled him closer. It was her first real kiss and she never wanted it to end. But he pulled back with a smirk. "I will take you on that walk tonight for another one of those."
"You kiss like one who's had plenty of practice," she retorted and felt a pang of jealously.
"I admit to kissing a handful of lasses in my youth before running from Smaug. Most of them were when I was in the nursery. Stories were told to my parents that I liked to kiss the girls and I was all of about four years of age."
She laughed and he with her. "I am told I also have a few of those stories, although I don't remember them."
They turned back to the events and disappointed the dwarves that wanted to see their prince courting.
The last event for elves was bows and both Elrond's sons participated, along with Legolas and Haldir and both his brothers and many other elves. It was by far the longest event and the shooting outstanding. Legolas won and was seen to look surprised at the twins. In a loud voice, he asked, "I feel like I've been set up."
The twin terrors laughed and pointed to Taíban. "You will face him tomorrow. We know we can't beat him, so may have allowed you your day."
The crowd roared its approval and Legolas called for a rematch and no cheating this time.
Círdan was laughing as he held his hand up for silence. "Don't believe for one minute that our fair Legolas didn't beat those two fairly. He is one of our most accomplished warriors and we are proud of him and his skills. That ends the first day of competition. Tomorrow, the banner is raised and those young warriors you saw today will take on our older and more experienced warriors, and yes, day after tomorrow, the winners will take on Celeborn and Elrond and Glorfindel. They may not win and you will see why for yourself. We break for lunch and I turn the arena over to the dwarves and look forward to a fun afternoon."
Thráin stood and so did all dwarves out of respect. He turned towards the elven ladies. "I offer ye repast in my hall."
Galadriel cast a glance across the spans and saw her husband in conversation with Thranduil. "We accept."