The Dwarf Prince

Chapter 5: The Night Before

Kili turned to face his brother. "What?" Fili asked as they got ready to sleep.

"You called her Thia," Kili said. Fili paused. Did he? The realisation hit him and he just shrugged.

"It just came out. I didn't realise...didn't know," he admitted. Kili's face lit up with a cheeky grin.

"Oh, brother. You've fallen in love with an elf," Kili said with a laugh.

"Shut up, Kili!" Fili said in a hushed whisper, looking around the room in case anyone else heard. He would rather die than face Thorin if he were to ever find out. Thorin hated the elves more than he hated most things and Fili could not imagine how he would react if his heir had fallen for one. Kili laughed teasingly.

"Thorin's going to kill you," he said, his eyes wide and a bewildered grin plastered on his face.

"Kili, keep your voice down," Fili whispered sharply, throwing his hand over his brother's mouth.

"No one can find out, Kili. I just...need time to..." Fili stopped. What did he need time to do? To decide if he loved her or not? To decide to treat her only as friend? Or perhaps, he needed time to clear his head and sort out his priorities. He was the next in line. He couldn't risk anything. He just couldn't.

After minutes of navigating through the hobbit hole with its many twists and turns, she finally found Bilbo sitting at the side of his bed with the door slightly ajar. Alithia knocked softly. Bilbo turned and saw the elf princess. "May I come in, Mister Baggins?" She asked. Bilbo nodded and turned to face her.

"What brings you here, Your Highness?" He asked.

"Please, call me Alithia. I don't want to be addressed as royalty here. Much too formal," she said.

"Likewise," Bilbo said, referring to her calling him Mr Baggins just seconds ago.

"Are you alright, Bilbo? You disappeared a while ago," she asked, sitting down on the chair that was in the corner of the room. The hobbit had fainted earlier.

"Y-yes, I am. I'm just...well, I'm just a bit shaken up," he replied, shaking his head in dismay. Alithia nodded in understanding. The thought of the journey ahead was quite frightening. In an effort to make him feel better, she took out the bread that she had wrapped in a napkin from earlier that she had kept in her cloak pocket and handed it to him. Bilbo looked taken aback.

"I saved some food earlier. Thought you might want it considering that the dwarves raided your pantry," she explained and gave him the loaf of bread. "Thank you, Alithia. That's very kind of you," he said and took the loaf gratefully. He offered her some but she declined. The thought of the journey tomorrow morning made her lose any appetite she would normally have. As Bilbo started to eat, Alithia's eyes wandered around the room. It was a very cozy room with many books lying around. On the desk sat a scroll of parchment along with a handsome brown quill and a bottle of ink. She saw small figures carved out of wood that stood in the shelves of the room. They were old and chipped and Alithia gathered it was Bilbo's when he was a child. Bilbo caught her gaze and nodded towards it.

"My father carved those for me when I was young," he explained as he continued tearing pieces of the bread and eating it.

"They're beautiful," she remarked. There was an awkward silence after that and Alithia wondered if Bilbo even wanted her there.

"So what's it like living in Mirkwood? I've never seen the place but I've heard rumours about giant spiders," Bilbo said suddenly after minutes of silence.

"Mirkwood is wonderful. We do have spiders in the forest but the soldiers are doing their best to keep everything under control," she replied. "Most people think Mirkwood is scary but it's honestly very beautiful if you stay long enough to admire its details,"

Bilbo nodded in acknowledgment of her reply, now dusting his fingers off from any crumbs.

"Well, I must say, that loaf of bread has helped my mood immensely. I thank you for that," he said curtly.
Alithia smiled. "You're most welcome," she said. Realising the time, Alithia got up.

"Well, it has been a pleasure speaking to you but I'm afraid I have to go to sleep now," she said and Bilbo nodded.

"The pleasure was all mine, Alithia. I bid you a good night," he said and Alithia made her way to the door before pausing at the doorway.

"Bilbo," she said. "It would be wonderful if you considered the dwarves' offer. I don't think you'd regret it," she continued with a knowing nod. Bilbo stared up at her wordlessly, eyebrows furrowed. She left him to his thoughts.

Alithia had only been gone for about fifteen minutes but once she walked back to her sleeping bag, she noticed that all the dwarves were fast asleep, although, she noted, they snored really loud. Alithia climbed into her sleeping bag by the window and turned to her side, facing a sleeping Fili. He looked very peaceful in his sleep. Her eyes roamed around his face, studying his features and remembering his face as if she would never see him again. She bit her lip as she stared. She knew it was weird to stare but she felt a connection to him and the thought of him being there with her through the whole journey to Erebor made her feel relaxed.

"You're staring," Fili mumbled suddenly, his eyes still shut. Alithia jumped in shock at being caught and quickly glanced elsewhere, embarrassed that she got caught.

"I was not... I just thought there was an insect flying around," she lied, her face turning red. Fili let out a small chuckle and opened his eyes. His blue eyes shone brightly at her.

"Did you enjoy the view?" He smirked and Alithia hit him playfully.

"Fili," she whined and he laughed.

"I'm just messing with you, darling. If it helps, I'm enjoying my view as well," he said with a grin. They both smiled at each other, both feeling warm and fuzzy inside.

There was a moment when they locked eyes and Fili swallowed, forcing himself to snap out of it. He did like her but he had to remind himself that he had to focus on their mission. He was next in line for the throne and he couldn't afford to fall in love...right? He quickly diverted his gaze and Alithia did the same.

"Well, um, good night, Alithia," he said.

"Good night, Fili," she replied although there was a hint of sadness in her reply.

The both of them turned, their backs facing each other and closed their eyes to sleep. Alithia could still feel her heart beating fast ever since she had locked eyes with Fili. She bit her lip, her mind replaying the moment that Fili called her darling. Maybe he hadn't mean anything by it or it was just a slip of the tongue. Either way, it made her heart race. Cursing herself for feeling this way, Alithia forced herself to stop thinking about the dwarf just inches away from her and soon fell asleep.

Author's note:

And the fifth part is up! That's about all I have to say regarding this chapter actually... This is where I leave you. (If you understood that reference, I love you)

-Wyatt