What the Heart Wants: Book 3

2

"I won the mountain, sure that's reason enough for some congratulations?"

"I will say I'm happy for you, but every dwarf gave there all to help you defeat the dragon and, in the end, it was someone from Laketown who killed Smaug. So I don't think-"

"Do not speak that filths name in my hold."

"I- You know what I mean Thorin," I dropped my voice, hoping to defuse some of the anger I could see building inside him.

"We will have a big dinner tonight," Thorin said, ignoring me entirely, "You will find royal dressing robes and come looking presentable. You are with a king now and I need you looking perfect."

"Dress up? Thorin none of those will fit me. Dwarves and hobbits don't exactly have the same bone structure."

"You will come looking presentable, how you get to that state is no concern of mine. Now I must go, there is much work to be done still. We must find that arkenstone," He leaned down to kiss me but I turned my head away, resulting in a kiss on my cheek.

He turned away without another word and I made my way back to the room where I had left Balin and Bilbo. I couldn't decide if I was angry or sad as I walked back into the room.

"What happened?" Bilbo asked, rushing over to me and placing a hand on my arm while I walked over to a stool.

"He told me I should congratulate him; I didn't. Then he told me I have to come looking presentable to a feast tonight. I don't know who's cooking because I doubt Thorin's going anywhere near a stove. He doesn't seem to be in a state where he's willing to do anything for anyone else but himself."

"Please don't take anything he says to heart, Ms. Baggins," Balin chimed in, "It's the sickness, he cannot control his own thoughts."

"Yeah well that's not making him seem like any less of an asshole right now."

I sighed and the dwarves that had been listening in quickly hurried away.

"Look," I started, "I'll go to that dinner, or whatever it is, tonight. However, you better believe I'm using it to try and reason with him. He's being an asshole to me which can only mean none of you stand a chance."

"I appreciate where you are coming from y/n, but I fear there is nothing even you could stay to bring him down from the high horse he is standing on."

"I have to try. If for no other reason, to stay I did."

Balin nodded and gave me a smile, "If Smaug didn't get into the living quarters, Thorin's sister might have some dresses in her closet still. I'll take you to her room. You guys have a similar build so I imagine what fit her may fit you."

I smiled in appreciation and nodded. Balin took the nod as a sign to go and walked out a third door in the room. He walked slower than he had when we were looking for Thorin. Everyone seemed to be down. We had won the mountain and yet, I had never felt so lost this whole journey. Balin led me—and Bilbo who decided to tag along—through more hallways and across more bridges without railings. I wondered if anyone had fallen off before, surely I would have had I not been so focused on where I was stepping. In fact, I was so focused on my feet and where they were stepping I didn't see Balin stop in front of me. He had stopped in front of a door and I ran into him. I mumbled an apology, rubbing my arm and he gave me yet another soft smile. He opened the room and, too our relief, it looked untouched.

"The closet is over there," Balin told me, pointing to a large wooden wardrobe in the far corner, "Take anything you need. She should have jewels in this room as well."

Before he left, he placed a hand on my arm in condolence and walked away. I looked over at Bilbo and clasped my hands together.

"Alright, let's build an outfit that will make Thorin sorry he ever upset me," I smirked, hoping to use my looks as an advantage against the dwarf.