They both stood there blinking in the bright sunlight, still holding hands as their eyes adjusted.
Looking behind her the lonely Mountain was long gone, and the immediate heat of the sun above was instantly offset by a gentle breeze. The breeze that they must have followed. Here.
The air was much lighter and that pressure within those dark corridors that made it hard to breath was gone.
Suddenly, her heart raced as it slowly dawned on her about where they now stood!
Golden powder stand gently shifted under their boots where they stood on the beach and stretched out either side of them as far as the eye could see.
And there before them were crystal clear waters. There was a calm idyllic isolation about it all.
It was paradise.
But it was also Ulmo's beach - where she always came to meet him!
Her heart beat faster, as she anticipated his imminent presence but looking around there seemed to be no sign of him.
She had worried recently about what might happen if she had an actual shared dream with them both. After Thorins reaction, she fully expected some trouble on his part.
But at the same time her memories flashed back to the strange sensual dream she had involving both her husband and the Vala. She had never had a threesome before, nor had it ever been something she contemplated, but that dream was not a wholly unpleasant experience! She felt ashamed at having thought of it. And now she feared that they would meet Ulmo himself.
"Where are we?" Thorin asked looking around.
"A beach... Very similar to one from back home..." She bent down and immediately took her boots off. It avoided eye contact with her husband, but she wasn't lying, Ulmo's beach was very much like one in Bora Bora she had visited once with Mike. And wearing boots on these sacred golden sands was more than wrong - it was pure heresy! "Ah! That's better..."
She stood up feeling the soft sand under her feet, and suddenly it all felt like home to her.
This was the final realisation that she felt more free and at home on Ulmo's beach, which may have only existed in her imagination, than she felt in all of Erebor!
"What are you doing?" Thorin demanded. "Why have we come here?"
"Take your boots off." She turned to him briefly before walking towards the turquoise water.
"Why have you brought us here my lady?" He demanded again reluctantly taking his boots off. "I demand that you tell me."
"This beach belongs to Ulmo. Or at least he occasionally meets me here if he has something important to say..." She admitted feeling braver for her earlier realisation.
"So why in Mahals name would you bring me here?" He bristled, looking around again, as if he was expecting Ulmo any moment.
"Actually, I mostly come here when I need time to think and relax. On my own." She added just so that he was clear.
"I do not understand." He moved towards her feeling somewhat insulted that she felt the need to even escape him.
She didn't answer him at first, silently walking straight towards the water as the gentle waves foamed, breaking onto the wet sands.
"Shobha?" He gently pressed her again, this time catching her hand to halt her walk towards the ocean. "You would wish to be away from me...?"
Turning, she found his wistful sapphire eyes watching her closely.
"I guess I feel safer and less judged here, than in all of Erebor." She finally admitted, knowing that the admission may hurt his feelings, but it was the truth. And all this time she had kept her secret from him hoping to spare his feelings, but look how that turned out! So now she would be honest. "And you hardly ever listen to me Thorin."
Now all those moments she had shared with Ulmo began to feel like an extramarital affair.
"YOU never talk to ME either woman!" He growled back, grasping her other hand also just in case she tried to slip away. "You just keep your thoughts secret."
"You always seem so...busy. It makes me feel guilty troubling you." She concluded. "And I feel like I am whining about how some of the dwarves treat me, when a lot of the dwarves are actually rather kind to me. But it's just that..."
He silently tugged on her hands to stop her from shutting down and turning away, which had become habitual for her. Then when she looked back up into his eyes, he nodded gently, urging her to speak again.
"It's just that the dwarves who are nasty take away most of the good things about Erebor." She sighed. "And some are connected to you in a way that makes it harder for me to truly escape."
He resisted the urge to defend Aida, for this moment felt final, as though she was on the cusp of giving up on them now.
"I am sorry." He whispered gently moving closer. "Tell me what I can do to make it better."
She thought for a brief moment and then stepped eagerly towards him.
"Couldn't we go away for a bit?" She whispered back. "The Shire? Or the Blue Mountains? I miss you, Thorin. But I don't know how much more I can take of this torture you put me through... Even if I deserve it - please?"
For the first time in a while he felt moved by her appeal.
"Do you understand that what you did was simply unforgivable?" He seemed to suddenly harden again, his sapphire eyes turning icy. "I would be justified in having you banished for such a thing..."
"But having a mistress would be acceptable?" Her eyes filled with tears, as she looked away quickly to avoid them spilling overtly. "It's such double standards don't you think? Particularly considering I have never even had sex with the Vala."
"No. But he clearly means something to you," Thorin spat out harshly pulling her in and refusing to let her go. She had to face the consequences of her actions. "I mean, why else would you bring us here to his realm; or why else would you come here to 'feel free' as you put it, wife of mine."
"I'm truly sorry for having kept that from you Thorin. But in reality you gladly have sex with me when it suits you -"
"YOU seduced me!" He corrected her. "Any male seeing you dressed like that with all those colours on your skin and hair...would be a...eunuch to not want you!"
"I'm sorry Thorin!" She begged him again, clutching on to his jacket with both hands. "I am sorry for not telling you! But I had no control over what happened! You must believe that right?! What would you have me do? Kneel and beg before you? Tell you that I am worthless? Other than to bear your babies and to be fucked when ever you need it like a prostitute? No actually a hooker would get paid! No - you treat me like some sort of bed slave!"
"You are my WIFE! Am I not allowed to touch you?" He growled pressing her against him. "Am I not allowed to seek comfort in your body?"
"You don't treat me like your wife - you want space and 'time to figure things out' ALONE remember?" She blinked looking away briefly again. "I am just conveniently 'your wife' when you need to fuck my brains out! You can't have it both ways if you claim to be morally superior Thorin!"
Unable to respond to her sharp comments he remained silent for a moment before answering.
"If you didn't want it why did you not say so? I would have respected that."
"I did want it Thorin. I actually desperately needed it - I needed YOU. But I thought we did it because you wanted to start working towards repairing our relationship." She admitted quietly this time. "I thought we agreed that it takes both of us to work towards this?"
"Aye! But I was not the one to break us!" He repeated through gritted teeth. "YOU did that!"
"Can you never move past that then? Will I always be guilty forevermore because of something I didn't choose? Frankly, I haven't even slept with another..." She sighed. "No wonder I brought us here. Apparently it IS my only safe space now."
"Aye? Perhaps you haven't spread your legs wide for the lord of the oceans, but you harbour feeling for him, clearly. In my eyes I would have rather you lay with him for meaningless lust than have grown this connection with him." Thorin suddenly let her go. "Why else would this be your place of comfort? Away from me? The comfort you seek with another."
"Or, maybe that's another reason why I brought you here..." This time she reached out to touch his arm tentatively, fully expecting him to pull away. "So I can feel safe with YOU."
But he didn't flinch at her touch. Instead he stood his ground watching her with those piercing sapphire eyes. And then he grabbed her, unable to stand it any longer, pressing her to his body and kissing her with vigour.
"You cannot belong any other." He whispered harshly as he carried on kissing her. The kiss was urgent, full of desire. "Do you understand? I forbid it!"
"I am yours... And I have always been..." She panted. "You know that Thorin..."
"Do I not satisfy you then?" He stopped to stare at her waiting for her answer with much interest.
"What?! No! How could you possibly think that... After all the times..."
"I brought you to completion?" He pulled her close to whisper in her ear, grazing her skin with his teeth, that it made her shiver. "Perhaps it has been too long, and your memory needs reminding...?"
He growled in his deep voice, as his hands rapidly found their way under her skirt. It had been hard to imagine that she even wanted this a moment ago, but with Thorin their bodies somehow connected in a way that was effortless. It was as though they truly had been made for each other whenever they touched, and despite how long ago their last had been, or how many times they had each other, that ache - the need that built up in moments like this always felt like the first time even after all those years.
"Thorin, I can't keep doing this..." She abruptly pulled away, before she could feel any weaker, losing her mind under the thrall of his fingers. "I can't keep having sex with you, when we are not really together."
He was speechless, watching as if she had just slapped him.
"You say you're making love - but it's just sex. Because we do it and then go on leading seperate lives again the next day. So it's just sex," she sighed, stepping away from him before he could move towards her. "And maybe I could have 'just sex' with anyone else - but I can't with you. I never can. With you it means something, no matter how much I try. And so every time we do this, and go back to being distant the next day, I feel squalid, and cheap. And a little bit of me dies inside..."
She paused to look back up at him, taking another step back, her feet finally finding the warm comfort of the shallows, with the water lapping at her skin.
He carried on watching her carefully with those piercing eyes, but remained silent.
"So I can't do this.." she gestured at the space between them, her eyes stinging with tears as they threatened to reappear. "Whatever this is, anymore. I respect that you need the space and time to figure things out. So I will honour that. But I will deny myself the pleasure, and wait for you to decide how you want things to go between us before I do this again..."
She took several steps back into the ocean that felt soothing. Perhaps it was foolish, but she held complete trust in the ocean now. And it was so easy, like slipping into a warm bath, as she allowed the waves to welcome her in.
"My lady!" Thorin stepped towards her, worry on his face as she appeared to be engulfed by the water momentarily only to resurface. His heart beating and again briefly glancing about him to make sure the Vala was not present he quickly followed her. Whatever his feelings were, he had no intention of competing with one of the most powerful of the great ones for the affections of his own wife.
Despite his expectations of the water, it was calm, and strangely relaxing, allowing a quick swim to join her.
"I am Thror's heir; I spent many decades avoiding the numbers of useless females chasing me! And after nearly two centuries, when I no longer believed there was anyone out there for me - I met this woman more valuable than the jewel I had set off to find; entirely unarmed and in this strange land, after a close incident with a warg no less." He watched her again carefully. "And the thing is, I spent some weeks attempting to avoid it, but I had no choice - I had fallen madly in love. But I fear it goes beyond love. You are truly my One in every sense. And without you I am missing the other half of my very being.."
She gently moved back towards him, emerging from the water as he too waded back to the shore.
Looking back, he found himself transfixed as her soft white dress, now soaking wet had stuck to her body like a second skin, accentuating every curve and dip. He quickly attempted to adjust his own jacket, to cover his own trousers, now soaking wet with sea water themselves would soon reveal his growing erection at the vision of his wife emerging from the water.
To make matters worse, unaware to herself, her soaked dress had turned almost completely transparent, with her nipples clearly visible through the sodden garment.
Taking her hand he gently tugged her along to encourage her completely out of the water. He couldn't help but wonder if she swam in the ocean like this even in the presence of Ulmo.
It was hard to imagine any male disliking a view like this.
"My lady, I refuse to share you -" he fumed turning to her as soon as they were on the shore. He placed both hands on her narrow waist and took a step closer. His desire for her burned and ached now and it would only be quenched if he had her. "You wish to discuss this, so let us talk - but know that I will not negotiate on this matter."
"Okay, let's talk..." She finally replied after moments of silently holding his sapphire eyes that were clearly set alight. "But not here, not like this. I mean properly talk - awake..."
"I am always waiting for you, my lady..." His voice sounded distant now, and she reached out to him but suddenly everything swirled around her...
Her eyes fluttered open, her breathing ragged, only to find a pair of brilliant blue eyes watching her.
"Shhh... I am here, my lady..." Thorin whispered.
The room was dark, except for the small lamp that glowed dimly on his night stand.
"Thank you for finding me tonight," he spoke gently. "You wished to talk..."
Apparently they had both found their way back to their marriage bed and fallen asleep in it, still half clothed from the nights revelry. It was a step forward at least.
"Thorin... I have beaten myself up over this for so long now... And I have accepted your punishment haven't I?" She sighed turning to face him as they lay on the bed together. "But I am exhausted and now, I just want you to be done with it - and I know I have no right in asking you and maybe you have every right to torment me forever. But I just want you to be happy now. So I think I would rather you ended us than carry on with this limbo."
He frowned initially uncertain of the modern language she used, only to realise its meaning through context.
"My wife - I wish it were so simple. But I still struggle to put this secret you shared for so long with Lord Ulmo behind me... Your relationship with him is far deeper than I fear even you realise." He looked at her in dismay. "Can you not see how much of you truly belongs to him? You even share a beautiful place together... A place you consider home within your heart. One where you feel safe with him alone. A safe place even I could not offer you."
"Not anymore Thorin. I took you there didn't I?" She felt like a child trying to explain away her guilty pleasure by negotiating it.
"I think you do not realise that a part of your heart secretly desires him - wishes to be with him even though your obligation to me stops you from fully succumbing."
She shook her head slowly reaching out a hand to touch his. It was a silent plea. For the truth was that he was indeed right. Certainly in the months since Thorin grew cold and distant towards her, she had secretly hoped each night to arrive on that beach. She had begun to realise that she had grown a strange sort of love with Ulmo - she had felt comfortable with him even on rare occasions when she had been entirely unclothed on that beach letting the warm water ease her body and mind. But she had never considered her love for Ulmo a threat to Thorin.
"I realise that your patience is wearing in this matter. But then children of men are not renowned for this virtue." He brushed the hair from her face, letting his hand run down her arm softly stroking her. "But I ask that you give me a little more time - and I too will accept that you do not wish to be touched. I hope you will allow me to at least sleep beside you in our bed now? And resume dining together...?"
She smiled and nodded. It was a dreamy smile that reminded him of when they had first met, and it made her look very young again. It made him smile as he once considered how much younger she was.
"Maybe those are the baby steps we need to take then?" Her big brown eyes set his soul ablaze again as they gazed at each other laying there on that bed.
In fact there was something even more intimate about what they were doing tonight.
"All I know is that I will not let you go now that I have found you." He spoke the words as though they were a prayer he had uttered so many times. "My life has been...difficult from the start. I was born into a life of duty, and perhaps I wanted to do more, get more, and be more..."
He paused realising this was in some ways not unlike his grandfather.
"But I have also faced suffering, death, sickness, and immeasurable loss, which your story books will not chronicle, for your historian only speaks of the stubbornness and greed of dwarves."
"Maybe you could tell me?" She stroked his face softly. "When you are ready.."
He nodded, returning her smile and pulling her closer to him. It was what neither of them wanted in this tug of war they appeared to be in.
But it was better than losing one another completely for now.
"I will always love you with all my being, my lady."
...
"Is King Thorin not joining us today?" Thorongil inquired as they all walked together along the cobbled road to Dale.
"No, he never did usually attend the Dale Spring Festival," Shobha explained. "It's so soon after the one we arrange, and it's such a busy time when trade routes all open up after winter, it's just not on the essential list."
"But I usually accompanied our Queen instead." Fili interrupted from where he walked near her. "Dale always wanted our lady here to commence ceremonies and open the markets on the first morning. They believe her to be a lucky charm."
"Is that so?" Thorongil raised an eyebrow at Arun who walked beside him holding his mother's hand.
Thrain peeped at them a little enviously from where he walked holding Shobha's other hand and flanked by Fili.
Both boys had decided between them that Fili, Kili and Thorongil were undoubtedly the three best male role models within their lives at the moment, much to Dwalins disappointment. And as such they seemed to have worked out a rota with regards to who they shared between them. It was not always easy because it meant that on the rare occasions that Kili was back in Erebor, they would jealously guard his time even outcompeting Dis and Tauriel, who were both thankfully patient enough for now.
"Aye, since she opened the lower markets anew in the Mountain, and they have thrived bringing more trade to Dale, they have each year asked that Shobha open trade on their first day of Spring." Dis added from in front of them where she walked with Mara, Gloin and Dori. "So we must all oblige for the morning at least... It's only fair that we guard her for ourselves."
This had not been the case for the first few years, when Dis herself had complained about it all, and Shobha had been forced to go to Dale with only a few guards, Mara and Fili. At the time, Lola had been away in the Blue Mountains, and so had not yet been employed as their nanny, which meant the baby princes had made their first visit to Dale, strapped to Shobha and Mara's chest. The following year the twins had spent the day with Thorin and Dwalin in his royal study, and she had returned to find the four of them all sound asleep, the two boys in nests of furs on the couch and the two grown dwarves collapsed on the floor beneath them!
"Yes well, I don't really have much time today, it's just the ceremony and then we leave once the boys have walked around a few stalls."
"We are going to buy a doll for Seraeya!" Arun revealed excitedly looking up at Thorongil.
"What if we find two pretty dolls Mama?" Thrain sounded worried. It had been clearly on his mind while but this has seemed the perfect time to voice it.
"Then, my Prince, perhaps her Uncle Thorongil will need to buy the second doll for her as a gift." Thorongil beamed. "So fret not."
"Well, so long as Seraeya has the boys fighting over her, she will be well taken care of." Dis laughed. "She clearly has an uncanny ability to manipulate people for the better - not unlike her mother..."
"Me?!" Shobha exclaimed in mock surprise. "So long as its manipulation for the better. I would say there are a few people that owe me now... Don't you think Dis...?"
Dis shot a glance back at Shobha in response, it was filled with irritation and mischief since they were clearly discussing Shobha's little matchmaking stunt.
"Oh! I am most interested in this. You must both tell me how so..." Mara suddenly added with great interest frowning at Dis who walked beside her.
"Mama, by Mahals hairy bollocks what do you mean?!" Arun frowned up at his mother. "This is bloody mad all this talking in code!"
"Arundin, son of Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror! You watch your language!" Dis shook her head at the boy before realising who he was emulating. "I must have a word with that Dwalin!"
"Ooh yes please!" Shobha chuckled, watching the usually formidable dwarrowdams cheeks turn pink at her teasing.
Dis had not revealed to Shobha yet how her staged evening had gone with Dwalin. Nor had the burly warrior spoken to her about it. But she was certain it had been a success from how they had taken to avoiding each other publicly, while giving one another clear saucy looks when they thought no one was looking. It had only been a week ago, so Shobha had no intention of poking around just yet.
But it didn't harm to tease them both secretly on the odd occasion for now!
The walk had been exactly what she had needed after the recent few months where she had been stuck in the mountain due to the heavy snow or all the long shifts she had taken at the infirmary.
And her ceremonial opening of the market had gone smoothly. Every year since their settling in Erebor, she had performed this, declaring trading commenced for the day, after Bards speech and then purchasing a small item from a shop for one gold coin.
Today after all the ceremonies she had stood and watched as the may pole dances had taken place, and while the shoppers had commenced their business.
Then, the twins alongside Thorongil and Fili, had set off scouring the various toy shops to buy a doll for their sister. And Dis, Mara and Dori had been interested in finding the stalls selling more exotic trinkets, perfumes and wares from lands far afield.
"You know I am unlikely to come to harm in the middle of all this," Shobha finally turned to the three guards who had loyally stood by her silently on guard the whole time. "It's lunchtime, and I won't say anything if you wanted to grab a pie and some ale..."
"M'lady, we are grateful, but his Highness would likely have our beards -" one guard gently began only yo be interrupted by another.
"And our bollocks!"
"Aye! That too lad! But I were just bein polite in front of our lady here -"
"But our lady was part of the quest. She would have certainly heard Lord Dwalin swear..." The second guard blushed under his heavy helmet, receiving a sharp rib from the third guard who had remained silent all the while, but had clearly heard with his own ears how their Kings wife herself had uttered certain profanities on the odd occasion. He was simply worries that their younger colleague might let this slip.
"Well it matters not lad! We simply cannae leave our watch."
"Very well then, I think I had better buy you three some food and drink for coming all this way and tolerating this! I mean I would love to do some shopping but I don't feel like it much these days. And frankly I am getting quite bored watching too." She revealed her true restlessness. It had crept up on her like a fog after a cold night.
"My lady, there is no need for that! Lad! Why don't you go get us three a couple-o drinks. The kitchens will have our lunch prepared for when we get back anyway." One of the guards gestured to what looked like their youngest. "We'll not have our Queen wait on us like a barmaid! Now hurry back lad."
"Aye!" He called out hurrying away.
Shobha looked over at where the twins had gone to and spotted Dis had joined Thorongil, Fili and the boys. The latter looked seemed to have a sixth sense as they caught her gaze and beaming proudly at heeding their instructions about sticking close to the two men, they waved back at her.
As Dale's market place became more crowded, the more she just wanted to go home.
"Dale has certainly become busier over the past few years." She remarked to the guards. "I used to take everyone for food and ale afterwards, but this year our King has instructed that we come straight back."
"It is safest this way, my lady." The guard agreed. "We have had some unusual interest in your movements from various noble lords and ladies from the iron Hills of late. With no invitation and no prior request for an audience, them grand ones asking to see yer majesty has made a few of us suspicious."
Shobha suddenly turned to look at him where he stood beside her, surprised by his revelation. It made her own suspicions feel vindicated after the attempted poisoning that she had discovered.
"We have informed our King, which is why we have been on your majesty's tail recently. For we know you don't like having a guard all the time." He smiled gruffly under his helmet. "And I don't mean to frighten you but it is better we all stay safe. The King wanted even more guard, but we knew you would not agree. So there are three more of Master Nori's best spies in the crowd today. They are watching the lads especially. And Lord Thorongil and Prince Fili know of course."
Her mind returned back to her husband, who had in recent days spent much more time with her and the children since they finally found each other in their dreams again. He had been making an effort, and perhaps he had arranged for Nori to look into the matter.
All the same she had come to realise in the last few days that her feelings towards him had cooled down too with his behaviour. She had not had an affair with Ulmo, although she bore his son. And perhaps after Thorins behaviour, she had found herself a little restless in his company. It was a restlessness that had come to be cured in the presence of Ulmo himself, which made her worry that she had burgeoning feelings towards him.
"My lady?" The guards asked. "Have I frightened you...?"
"Oh! No! No!" She shook her head. "In fact it's quite reassuring..."
They stood silently for a moment all deep in thought.
"They didn't like Thror's Queen either." The older guard finally broke the silence that lingered. "The Nobility - I mean, my Lady. For she too was quite like your highness, a decent sort. I am sadly not old enough to have met her but my mother told us tales of her all the time. And not just fancy tales, the ways in which she helped us commoners."
"Well...truth is I am sort of slowly loosing my strength to stand up to these dwarves," she confessed, surprised at how relieving it finally felt to put those words out there. "You get the sense that you have to be strong and stand by what you believe but I don't know whether I have it in me anymore."
And she was tired of Thorin not truly hearing all of what she had to say. He seemed to have changed for now, but part of her expected him to revert back to his old ways of focussing his all on the running of Erebor.
She feared that was the same part of her which perhaps harboured some sort of feelings towards the Vala ruling the waters.
And yet it was hard not to forgive Thorin, after all the Lonely Mountain had been a hard won victory, paid for by so many lives from when smaug first took the kingdom right through to the last battle to reclaim her. It had nearly claimed the lives of the Durin heirs too.
And now it was all done, she just wanted to go home.
"My Queen, his Highness often has you on his mind," the guard replied as if he read her thoughts. "He has the guards report in to make sure that you are and the young princes and Princess are safe and well thrice a day without fail."
She turned to the guard, shock clearly written across her features!
"It is not spying of course, my Queen." He quickly added in case she has misconstrued his words. "But I think his Highness worries about you, knowing that your ladyship is from a far away land... And knowing how our people can be towards outsiders... We are the King's Guard after all, my lady; we see and hear all that goes on with the King."
"Oh." She blushed at that, wondering exactly HOW MUCH they might have heard!
Perhaps the guard had realised what she had been worried about, because at that point he too seemed to blush profusely under his helmet.
"Help! Help! Please someone -" A child came running out from behind where they stood, his voice apparently too quiet to be heard over the festivities in the busy town square.
Shobha turned her attention to the young boy who almost crashed fully into them as they stood there.
"Stop there!" One of the guards grabbed the boy, preventing him from reaching her.
"It's okay. You can let him go." She signalled although the guard stood between them and stopped him from getting closer. "What's wrong? What is it?"
"There's a man hurt in the road. Down there by one of the taverns - I think he's badly hurt m'lady." The boy genuinely appeared chakrn up. He wore tatty old clothes, although he was fairly clean, and looked truly terrified.
"Do you know him?" She asked releasing him from the grip of the dwarf guard. "Did you see what happened?"
"No... But... But... someone else saw him too and asked me to fetch help." The boy stuttered nervously. "There was so much blood m'lady..."
"Go and find the guards from Dale and Lord Bard or Master Bain." She instructed him calmly. "Where is the man?"
"By the old Lock-Keepers Inn."
"That's not a safe part of Dale. What were you doing there boy?" The guard demanded, gripping the boys shoulder so he paid attention.
"My mother...works near there...she...she...inks skin and pierces ears..."
"You are Meena's boy?" The guard asked in disbelief.
"Her younger son - aye Sir!" The boy corrected, still glancing from the guard to her fearfully. "You think of Rhod Sir, but I am her younger son. I do not go out often without her, and I got lost that is how I came across this man. Please Sir, I wish to go home."
"Go and find Lord Bard, lad. Then one of us will get you home safely." The guard spoke sympathetically looking at the third guard who had stood behind them silently all the while. "Borr go with the lad, and make sure he gets back to Meena safely."
"Aye Sir." The guard nodded ushering the shaking boy away into the crowd in search of Bard.
"Well, let's go." She looked at the other guard.
"My Queen it is too dangerous," he began doubtfully. "We should wait for Lord Bard -"
"By which time the man in question will be dead." She sighed. "Come on - no one in Dale cares about me. Its the Noble class of Erebor and the Iron Hills that want me gone. We'll be quick if the man is dead then we leave if the man is alive we might save him!"
The guard paused reluctantly at first.
"Okay. So I am your Kings Consort right?" She raised an eyebrow. "Which technically means I can command you to do something right?"
"My Lady, you would not need to command any of us in the King's or Queens Guard, for we would follow you over a cliff if you asked." He sighed. "But I fear for your safety. I may not be able to protect you alone -"
"We will be quick." She coaxed. "And careful. I promise. The moment you are not happy we leave."
"I hope it is as easy as that."
They had been quick to slip away from the busy market Square, and within what seemed like no time at all, as they took a turn off one of the cobbled streets onto a lonely and narrow road, the atmosphere had rapidly changed. Not far from the lively and warm market Square, theu found themselves down a quiet street with a row of small, tightly packed, dilapidated houses that looked rather run down with an old tavern stood at the far end with a crooked and broken sign. It was still only mid morning, but the buildings on the street were so close together that very little sunlight fell on them.
At the far end a figure was crouched over another man who lay on the street. But apart from this, it all seemed very empty and quiet.
"Meena is perhaps the best soul in all of middle earth at inking skin. She is from the Harad, but has been inking skin for many, many years now." The Guard explained. "Many of us have been to her to have our skin inked. Particularly on special occasions. But she lives and works only a street in. I had no idea she had a younger son though."
Shobha moved quickly towards the man who lay on the floor in a puddle of blood.
"I think he must have been stabbed - I just found him like this." The man crouched over him quickly moved aside in order to allow them to inspect better.
"There! From the chest!" The guard spotted, as the man laying there seem to bleed more. "There! On the left side!"
The wound was under his arm and easy to miss, with the victim covered in blood. He looked as though had lost a lot of blood.
"I tried to stop the bleeding..." The man standing up now held out his bloodied hands sadly. "But I am afeared at the sight of so much blood... He is still breathing."
She knelt down beside the body, and the man groaned as she attempted to move him. But she could not see a clear wound or tear or knife mark in his clothes where they were blood soaked.
Then suddenly she heard the sound of a sword being unsheathed, and turning found the guard facing a man who seemed to have appeared from somewhere brandishing an axe and narrow sabre.
She stood up watching as they were immediately locked in a furious fight, unable to help him.
"Help-" She tried to call out, only to find herself pushed against a wall by an attacker from behind.
"Shout again, my lady. And your sons will be accompanying a corpse back to Erebor." The man rasped from behind, pressing a sharp blade to her throat. He sounded as though he spoke to another man. "Stick him, or tie him up. She is the only one we need."
"But he said she would be ungaurded. And this fool -" there appeared to be another scuffle, and the sounds of another running away could be heard.
"Let 'im go!" Her captor growled. "Help him instead."
"Please! Let my guard go - if it's me you want!" She offered helplessly, only to find the point of the blade against her neck dig into her sick more.
"You should have come alone then sweetheart." He growled as the sound of weaponry clashing intensified. "See we were paid to kill you. But now I see it would be such a waste..."
A hand tightened into her hair and pushed her against the nearby stone wall as he carried on moving his free hand down her body towards her waist.
One of her hands had found its way to his hand that held the knife against her neck subconsciously as she felt his other hand begin to pull her skirt up slowly.
"You can fight against me, but that will only make my enjoyment greater..." He breathed heavily into her ear, making her shudder with disgust. "Today I will enjoy the finer things tasted by only the corrupt Kings of Durin... And I suggest you merely enjoy yourself."
Her mind raced trying to think of how to get out of this and she glanced down to find she recognised the leather boots worn by her attacker and realised it was the man who had been lying in the street earlier.
"It's...you..." She squirmed as he forced her legs apart from behind. "You..."
"Pigs blood is very good to make it look like that..." He tutted in frustration before grasping her hands and pulling them both behind her. "I told you not to move!"
Her heart pounded, as he pressed her into the wall again with his body. She could smell the ale on his breath, and the musky odour of his sweat. The guard was too busy as he put up a valiant fight to help her, and she was unaided. It seemed as though her fate in that moment would be sealed.
But then as she resisted his attempt to pull her hands back to tie them, she noticed the blade at her throat had now gone. As was the force he used to push her forwards, instead replaced with a struggle to tie her hands.
Quickly, she placed a boot on the wall in front of her and pushed back with all her body weight, practically throwing herself into him bodily.
They both landed on the cobbled street awkwardly. There was a crack from behind as his head hit the cobbles, and she felt a momentary sharp pain in her side.
But as she scrambled to her feet she realised that her attacker had been knocked unconscious at least momentarily. And so, spotting his sword, she quickly unsheathed it from its scabbard just in time as the second man focussed his attentions from her guard towards her.
He seemed taller than the man who now lay on the floor, but he was less confident. Having witnessed their apparent leader laying collapsed on the ground, he approached her a little cautiously.
"What is it? Did you think a Kings Consort couldn't handle herself in a fight?" She held her sword up, knuckles wrapped tightly around the grip, with the blade pointed at him. "I guess your friend learnt that the hard way huh?"
He took another cautious step forward, his own blade ready.
"Do you know the best thing about being a healer and a surgeon? In these sort of scenarios, I know exactly where the tiniest cut can cause terrible pain, or grave injury." She tried again. Perhaps if she kept them talking long enough, then help would soon arrive. It wouldn't be long before they discovered that she was missing. "if you leave now, then you may still have time to get away. But if you carry on, I cannot promise it will end well. In fact you may find death is preferable to the Dungeons of Erebor, where they will enjoy torturing you in order to find out who paid you all."
He seemed to pause for a little.
"It's too late now..."
"Don't be a fool, take him with you and run." She urged again. "Now, before the rest of my guard return."
And just as she said the words they could hear the sound of people approaching.
The men were quick, stopping only to pick up their apparent leader who had started getting onto his feet himself.
She breathed a sigh of relief as the remaining guards had arrived along with Thorongil.
"Where are the boys?" She asked shakily leaning against a nearby stone wall.
"Safe. With Dis and Fili." Thorongil looked at her worried and took a step towards her. "My Lady! You are bleeding!"
Her eyes followed his gaze to find a large patch of red as it soaked the fine silk and brocade used to make her dress.
She would have almost imagined it belonged to another, except for its continued creep into the fresh material.
Thorongil was quickly by her side as she pressed her hands over the wound.
He tore a length of fresh linen from his tunic and bundled it up together, moving her hands aside to press it firmly into the wound.
"We must make haste back to Erebor." He signalled towards the guards before looking back at her worried.
There was panicked discussion, and hurried movement all around her, as she was reclined on something.
"Forgive me for what I must do, my Lady." Thorongil whispered as he hurriedly lifted her skirts and began to tear the material from her underskirts forming bandaging. "Keep your eyes open, my Lady, or I shall be forced to bandage you tightly."
...
Dear all
Sorry it's taken so long!
Hope you enjoy this one - its a long chapter!