Erebor, Lonely Mountain

30. Thorin | It's the Beard

You smiled back, "I'll manage." as he held out his arm for you as he led the group to your table at the party, settling you into your chair on his right with Fili on his left before taking his, your heart pounding slightly as you noticed the great jump from your seat at the opposite end of the table from Thorin back in BagEnd. Through the evening he stayed by your side and led you out for all of the dances he stood up for, happily spinning you around and feeling you in his arms while joking with you through the night before sneaking you out into the hallway. You giggled as you followed the King leading you out into the hallway, "Where are we going?"

He smiled back at you as he said, "It's a surprise." slowing down slightly as he wrapped your arm around his again as he led you to a smaller ballroom on the way to the Royal Wing with a balcony looking out over the Mountainside, allowing the moonlight and starlight pool into the room through the candlelit chandeliers covered in jewels all reflecting the light through the room. Your eyes ran over the beautifully sculpted room with a small table with deserts, fruit, ale and wine with two seats as Thorin pulled your hand free from his arm dropping his coat and his crown on one of the empty seats before grabbing you and spinning you and restarting your last dance as you let out a giggle before asking, "You brought me up here to dance?"

"Yes." gazing at you lovingly as you both eased through the footwork and spins of the intricate dance.

"You do realize we were dancing downstairs?" Noticing his hands were sliding across your back and sides, rather than him lifting them and setting them back in their next spots through the dance like he was doing in the crowded party downstairs, making your heart beat faster.

"I prefer it here, without the crowd." You giggled again as he spoke in his low gravely voice, "You look beautiful. I wanted to thank you for today, I wouldn't have made it through without you."

"Thank you, but you could have done it easily on your own, you are Thorin Oakenshield you know, King of the newly reclaimed Erebor." You drew in a quick breath and shot him a smirk as you leaned in a bit closer and whispered, "I heard you managed it with only 13 Dwarves." he let out a chuckle as he spun you again before pulling you back closer, feeling his hand pulling you a bit closer to him through the next few steps as he whispered back right against your ear making your goosebumps return, "You should hear about my Dragon Slayer." as he slid his hand around your back and held you close to him as he rested his cheek against yours, holding you in place skipping the spin before leading you back through the next set of steps, "Much better stories about her."

"Oh really? Doubtful, what's taking down a Dragon to beating Dragon Sickness, leading a Dwarf Army and rebuilding a Kingdom."

He paused the dancing as he pulled you closer resting his forehead against his as he ran his hand over your cheek, "It is everything, I owe you everything."

"No you..."

He pulled his head back so he could look you in the eye, "I owe you everything, since the first day we met, every decision, obstacle was made easier by you. All through the Journey I stumbled, got us lost, nearly got us killed, then imprisoned in Mirkwood you easily got us through that, you saved my life, my relatives' lives, I can't imagine having gotten here without you." He tightened his grip around your back again as you rested your hands on his shoulders his eyes sparkled at you as he wrapped his other arm around your back.

"So that's why you gave me your right hand seat, you think you owe me?"

"I gave you that seat because I love you, and I couldn't bear to spend another night having to look past the Company to see you or shout across a long table just to ask you something."

"I kind of like the shouting, you should have seen Dain's face when you shouted asking if my Roast beef was tender enough, then again about the cake." Making him chuckle quietly, "So your Majesty..."