Star-Crossed

Chapter 58

Thorin knocked on the door to his room. A faint voice sounded on the other side of the door, calling for him to enter. As he did, he smiled, watching Beuren angrily try to comb out a large knot in her hair. She'd hung her clothes beside the fire, having attempted to scrub the blood out of them in the sink. 

Quietly, he closed the door, stepping across the room and seating himself beside her on the bench before the vanity. He took the comb from her hands and began working on the knot himself, much less violently. With a heavy sigh, Beuren leaned her head on her hand, elbow resting on the vanity. 

"I wanted to try and untangle it before my bath, make it easier to clean." Beuren said in frustration. "But I only made it worse." 

"So it appears." Thorin successfully untangled a large portion of it as Beuren fiddled with a loose string on her towel. "This will be much easier in the bath. Come, let's get you washed up." She stood, following her husband to the bathroom as he drew a bath. 

"What's our plan for tomorrow?" Beuren questioned. 

"Let us, just for tonight, not worry about it. Let us just be together." Beuren quirked her brow. 

"How much have you had to drink, tonight?"

"A few."

"A few? A few what?" Beuren teased him as he shook his head. 

"I've actually tried to cut myself back, thank you very much."

"Oh, yes. And you being old and not able to recover from binges with a greasy plate of bacon and eggs has nothing to do with it, huh?" Thorin grinned, shaking his head. 

"You wound me with such accusations." He teased back. He tested the water, motioning for her to get in. As she did, she let out a sigh, the warmth of the water burning her cold skin. 

"You do know what would make this bath much better?"

"Hm?" It was Thorin's turn to quirk his brow. Beuren only smiled, flicking water at him. "You have no decency." She shrugged, curling her legs to her chest. "We have neighbors here, love." 

"As if that's stopped us in the past!" 

Beuren's head rested on Thorin's chest, tracing the faded tattoo he'd gotten a number of years ago. The heat of the fire radiated against her back as she snuggled closer to Thorin. The King looked down at her, his fingers gently running down her arm. 

"It's been a while since we've had that much fun." He mumbled cheekily into her hair. 

"Just a minute, yes." She chuckled back. "And on a fur rug nonetheless." His laugh sounded like thunder in his chest. 

"I don't know about you, but if I stay here much longer my back is not going to hold me up tomorrow." Beuren laughed outright at Thorin's elderly statement, rolling to her feet and pulling him up. 

"We don't have much longer to sleep." He said, looking out over the lake from their window. 

"But I don't have the energy to do that again so to bed we go, come." She pulled back the covers. Thorin caught her waist, spinning her into his chest. "Thorin!" She giggled. "We have to rest!"

The morning came all too soon for the Company of Thorin Oakenshield. As they prepared to board their boat, Thorin stopped his youngest nephew. Taken aback, Beuren watched the exchange from the front of the boat where she was seated firmly beside Bilbo. Kili, dejected as ever, stepped back from the boat to allow for Dwalin to board. Fili, enraged, shoved past his uncle and back to the docks. 

"Wait, you're not leaving them here, are you?" Beuren stood, making her way to the back of the boat. "They have every right to go." Truth be told, she wished for them to stay too, but knew that Kili's injury would not be getting any better and that she was the only one around that could save him if need be. 

"Sit down." 

"No, I'm staying with them." She moved to step onto the docks when Thorin's hand caught her arm. 

"Sit. Down." He repeated darkly, hand gripping her arm tighter. 

"Ah-Thorin, you're hurting me." He only stared at her. "Thorin."

"Everything alright?" Dwalin said, staring intensely at the pair. They looked back at him, then at each other. Thorin released her, stepping back to make room for Nori and Bifur. Beuren started to sit when another hand reached for her. Balin caught her hand gently, pulling her to her feet. 

"Sit up front." 

"You're not thinking what I'm thinking right?" 

"I hope not." He shared a worried look with her, his eyes full of concern. "Mahal, I hope not." She took her seat beside Bilbo, he offered her an apologetic look as she stared after her nephews. 

"They'll be just fine." Bilbo patted her hand. "After all, they won't have to fight a dragon." She looked down at him, a smile gracing her features. 

"I suppose you're right, Master Burglar." Beuren turned back, facing the water before them.