Anne's eyes slowly fluttered open, the sound of birds tweeting filling her ears. She stifled a groan, sitting up and ruffling her hair. Her head hurt like crazy, and she had barely any memory of the night before. The last thing she remembered was... punching someone?
Uh-oh.
"How are you feeling?" Sigrid asked as she walked in the room with a glass in her hands.
"Terrible," Anne mumbled in response, rubbing the back of her neck. "What happened?"
Sigrid tried not to laugh as she sat down on the bed, handing her the glass. She jugged it down and handed it back to Sigrid. "Well..." Sigrid started, snorting quietly, "you were drunk."
"That explains my head," she said before grimacing and rubbing her throat. "What did you just give me?"
"Something to help with your head," she said. "Anyways, after you decided to have yet another competition and won that again, I think it was Roderick—who was also in his drunken state—started to talk about the Dwarf King in a not-so-nice way. So then you went ahead and tapped him on the shoulder, and when he turned around, punched him square in nose. He crumpled to the ground with a bloody and now broken nose, and then a fight broke out. You handled yourself pretty well, even when a rather large man in size grabbed you from behind."
"Lemme guess: I kicked him straight in the crotch and then headbutted him?"
"Yes. Then when that was all over, you ran straight outside and started puking everywhere right when Da showed up. But don't feel bad, because that's what everyone else was doing, too. Then you passed out and Da carried you home and the maids dressed you. I think you awoke in your bed and just stared at the ceiling for a while before finally falling asleep."
Anne frowned. "Your father carried me?"
"Yes. And let me say this, Anne: You're as light as a feather," Bard said as he walked inside the room, Bain and Tilda following.
Anne blushed a deep red color. "Sorry about that," she murmured.
Bard laughed. "Don't be, because you weren't the only person to be carried home. After about eleven at night, the taverns were out of control. Half of the men either ended up in a room or in the streets or home. It was crazy."
"Hilarious, no less," Bain said. "The Dwarves were having the time of their lives."
Anne tilted her head to the side and hugged her knees. "You took a visit?"
"Nope, they're just loud," he explained. "It doesn't take too much to hear the voices of the terrible singing of the Princes' echoing across the plains from Erebor."
Anne cracked a smile and shrugged. "Fili and Kili were meant for screaming in a band, not singing in a choir."
Tilda started to laugh loudly, covering her mouth with her palm to settle herself down. Sigrid and Bain were chuckling, while Bard was smiling. "You certainly seemed to enjoy yourself yesterday," he mused.
"Well, I guess I have to thank Tilda for dragging me out to a dance," she said, winking at the girl.
Tilda beamed. "It was my pleasure!"
Anne chuckled, bobbing her head up at Bard. "What's on the agenda today?"
"What, besides lunch?"
"Lunch?" Anne repeated. "What time is it?"
"Around 12:30 in the afternoon, I think," Bard answered.
Anne groaned, rubbing her face with her palms. "Great."
"The second celebration is in Erebor," Bain said. "People are getting ready to travel there, though most people are staying here and are going to relive the events of last night."
Anne snickered. "Sadly, I won't be there to knock their teeth down their throats," she said, mocking sadness.
Bard snorted. "Come, children, let's let Anne be so she can get ready," he suggested.
Anne nodded her head in thanks, watching as the others left and closed the door behind her. She hopped off bed and scurried to the window, opening the shutters. She sighed in contentment as the wind blew her hair and tickled her nose. A small smile made its way to her face as she hummed and turned away, heading into the huge, marble, and rather grand, bathroom. She spotted the tub and started the hot water as she started to strip her clothes off.
After bathing and feeling relaxed and getting the dirty grime off her from the night before, she stood and hopped out, quickly drying herself off. She chose a simple and loose velvet shirt, slipping it over her head. She shuffled on some pants and laced her boots together, brushing out her dirty blonde hair while staring at herself from the mirror.
When she saw the braid, she froze. Hesitantly, she reached for it and ran her thumb along the rusted clasp with a 'T' engraved in it. Her lips pursed as she stared at her bare neck, the memory replaying in her mind.
"It's a clasp," he explained.
"I can see that," she said, still frowning. "What's it for?"
Thorin took a shaky breath, his cheeks flushing as he stumbled over his words.
"Um... we, ah... Dwarves... to show that we trust was get other we... ah... well, it's used to pretty much to show that one as theirs, and I want to... ah..."
"Uh-huh...?" Anne said, a slight smile playing at her lips.
Thorin ran a palm down his face, now completely blushing. "Will you allow me to court you?"
The air was knocked out of Anne's lungs. "What?"
Thorin exhaled. "Courting, Anne," he said. "I want the whole of Middle-earth to know that you're mine. I should've done this before, but my mind was clouded. But now as I sit before you, I realize that it's you that matters to me and you only."
Anne laughed quietly before nodding her head. "Thorin Oakenshield, my answer is yes."
Thorin exhaled deeply in relief as Anne brushed some of her hair back, finding a simple plait of hair. Thorin braided her hair, not tugging or causing any pain whatsoever; his hands weaved through her hair with ease, and he clasped the ending with the clasp.
"There," he said. "Do me a favor and don't take it off."
"Not I was going to," she laughed before scratching the back of her head. "It's my turn, I guess."
Thorin tiled his head to the side. She fidgeted with her necklace clasp before unhooking the chain, staring at the pendant in her hand before putting it on him. The chain snapped in place, the elleth smiling as she let her hands glide down his chest. "There."
Thorin's eyes widened. "I can't take this," he whispered. "This belongs to you."
"It is mine to give," Anne said with a light smile. "Like my heart."
Anne sighed and let the braid fall to the side, turning away from the mirror sharply and exiting the bathroom quickly. She left the room and hopped down the stairs, just barely catching the apple that was chucked her way by Bain. She smiled at him before taking a huge bite out of it. She wandered the halls of the huge house, finding a large study room. Bard was at the far left, so she walked that way and said through a mouthful of apple: "Where's Meathron being kept, again?"
Bard looked up from his papers. "First tavern closest to the checkpoint where you nearly took off Alfrid's head."
Anne swallowed and grinned. "Good times," she said. She spun around on her heel to leave before pausing and turning around again, skipping to Bard's desk and saying with a smile, "Hey, thank you."
He frowned and tilted his head to the side. "What for?"
"Uh, well, you know," she stammered. "For your hospitality, I guess. I mean, I could've stayed somewhere else, but you let me stay here. So... thanks."
Bard smiled. "You are welcome anytime, Anne," he responded, inclining his head. "It was my pleasure."
Anne smiled and inclined her head back, turning away. Right when she was about to exit the door to go back to the main room, Bard called her name. She looked back. "Yeah?"
A slight grin was on his face. "Have fun in Erebor," he said. "Seriously."
Anne blinked. "Sure," she responded quietly, nodding her head before zipping away.
She left the house after saying goodbye to everyone, sighing and breathing in fresh air. Her gaze drifted towards the mountain, the flags waving everywhere from afar. She blinked and turned away, walking through town to try and find the tavern.
Meathron, she called. How close am I?
His response came immediately. Actually, stop and turn around. After everyone went home, they moved me to the front entrance.
"Seriously?" Anne groaned aloud, spinning on her heel.
After going back the way she came from, she finally found him. He was prancing in place, obviously eager to get to the mountain. She rolled her eyes and grabbed her cloak, putting it on just because before getting on him. Meathron snorted before trotting out of the exit, both of them staring at the mountain.
"You ready?" she asked him.
Meathron looked behind him. Are you?
"Oh, Valar, of course not," she answered with a laugh, spurring Meathon towards the mountain.
~>~>~>~>
As soon as Anne reached Erebor and dismounted Meathron, she was greeted by spears being thrust at her face. She shrieked, putting her hands up in defense after groaning. "Seriously?! I can't go anywhere without someone stopping me or trying to kill me with spears."
The lead guard stepped forwards. He was her height, slightly taller, his eyes hidden by a silver helmet he was wearing that complimented his silver armor. He had orange facial hair and a long beard that seemed to be braided at the ends. "Identify yourself."
"You're feisty. Did Dwalin teach you?" she noted to the Dwarf guard that addressed her. "I'm Anne."
His brow rose before he started to laugh, looking at his friends and pointing at the Elf. His friends joined in, though their laughter was nervous. "Good one, lassie," he said. "But I'm afraid we're going to have to bring you in."
"Touch me and your face gets a new makeover," Anne warned, crossing her arms and staying in place.
"Yeah, right. What's a woman going to do, slap me?" he snickered, his friends chuckling. He grabbed her arm and moved to drag her inside. "Let's go."
Anne ripped her arm out of his grip and punched him straight in the face, gritting her teeth and waving her hand around. "Ow!" she hissed before cursing. "That hurt."
The guard recovered from the little incident, clutching his nose as he stood with the help of one of the other Dwarves. His helmet was off, revealing stormy gray eyes. Anne grinned and crossed her arms over her chest again. "Told you," she chuckled. "Oh, and you've got a little blood trickling."
"Charlie, you alright?" asked the Dwarf on his left.
The lead Dwarf that was addressed as "Charlie" nodded his head, a sneer evident on his face. "I will be once this wench is taken care of, Dominic."
"That's not fair," she complained. "I have no weapons."
"Not my problem. Dewy, get her."
The other Dwarf readied his spear and charged head-on. Anne's eyes widened and she side-stepped, grabbing the end of the spear and elbowing him in the back of the head. He crumpled to the ground, so she ripped the spear from his grip. Anne spun the weapon around before letting it rest horizontally on her shoulders. "Who's next?"
Charlie only snarled, while Dominic gulped. Dewy, though, was right back on his feet, so he lunged and put the spear over her head and pressed it up against her throat to put her in a choke hold, her back pressed against his chest. She cursed, wriggling around as Charlie charged. Anne kicked his blade away, using her feet to grab it and try and get him to let go of it. After she managed to kick it a good foot or two away, she used both of her legs to push him back.
Next was trying to get Dewy off of her. So she swung her leg backwards and kicked him in the crotch, headbutting him hard. He stumbled and let go of her and the spear. She caught it and quickly spun around, using the butt of it to hit him hard and knock him out. Then she turned around and got low, practically slicing the air with the spear as she tripped Charlie and Dominic. She popped up and sighed with a smile, skipping over and kicking Dominic's face in the process. Charlie was trying to crawl away, so she kicked him in the gut to flip him over. He grunted, but then practically froze when she used one foot to step on his chest and hold him in place, the tip of the spear poking his throat.
"Do not touch me again," she warned. "You understand me?"
Charlie only nodded his head vigorously and started wriggling around. "Help!" he squeaked, only to be shushed when Anne poked him again.
"Shut. Up," she groaned, though there was a slight demonic smile on her face. "I hate your friends, and I hate you even more."
"How about the rest of the guards?" asked a voice. Anne snapped her head up to see Dwalin standing there with his arms crossed at the main gate, that of which was still slightly obliterated. Meathron snorted and trotted next to him. "Really, Anne?"
She shrugged, a smile still on her face. "Some things never change," she said, getting off Charlie. Though, she did have the courtesy to hit him in the head with the butt of the shield. Now there were three unconscious Dwarves sprawled out on the floor of the entry plains of Erebor.
Dwalin chuckled. "I see your fiery spirit hasn't diminished at all," he mused. "Now, who's gonna put Meathron away?"
Anne cracked a smile, skipping over and giving Dwalin a bear hug. The big guy laughed and spun her around, a huge grin on his face. Once she was set on the floor, he swung an arm around her shoulder and guided her inside.
"Come on," he said, "we're all expecting you."
~>~>~>~>
"ANNE!"
Anne had never seen so many happy Dwarves in her life. As soon as she was about fifty steps in and near the Great Hall, she was pounced on from eleven different Dwarves. Bilbo was really the only one to embrace her gently, while Dis nearly crushed her insides because she was squeezing so hard. Nonetheless, it felt good to see them all again.
"Hey, you guys," she greeted with a smile. "I would've been here earlier, but I had to take care of three things."
"Also known as Dewy, Dominic, and Charlie," Dwalin mumbled.
The Dwarves laughed, Anne shrugging and blushing at the same time. She looked around the room, pursing her lips.
Dis spoke up first. "He's busy," she said. "But I can always tell him you said hi."
"No, no, don't," Anne said frantically. "I mean, yeah thanks, but it's not needed."
Dis frowned and tilted her head to the side before shrugging, a mischievous grin taking over as she nudged her elbow. "You ready for tonight?"
Anne turned her head to the side. "What exactly is tonight?"
"Well, we're supposed to be setting up," Balin said, Fili and Kili gagging at the thought of actually working. This made Anne snort.
"Anyways, today is day two of the grand celebrations, and the theme is masquerade." Dis answered. "Dancing is a must, as is food. But today, the bar area is being set up, which Bofur and Dwalin are ecstatic about."
"Oh Valar," Anne groaned. "Don't remind me."
Bilbo twisted his lips in agreement and bounced on his toes, his arms crossed. "What about you? How was yesterday?"
"Fun," Anne admitted. "Tilda dragged me out for a dance, Bain went on a date--"
"Bain went on a date?!" the company of Dwarves exclaimed.
Anne chuckled. "That was my reaction," she said. "Anyways, Sigrid went into the market. Once Tilda and I were done, we met her there. We bought a few things, Tilda flew a few dragon kites, and then night fell. During that time, I was at a tavern. I went through around fifty cups of ale, two successful drinking matches, to a huge fight which I topped in."
"How'd the fight start?" Kili asked.
"This dude named Rodrick was talking smack about your uncle," Anne said, cringing slightly before relaxing. "After that was resolved, I puked outside. Bard carried me to his home, the fireworks still going off. And then I woke up with a terrible hangover, beat up three Dwarves who are still knocked out I think, and then you people pounced on me."
Fili and Kili both snickered and threw an arm around her shoulders. "We missed you Anne," Fili said.
"Yeah," she whispered. "I missed you guys, too."
As did Thorin, who was standing in the shadows from a distance watching. He smiled softly, his thumb tracing the pendant on his chest. Kili said something that made his friends and his sister start to howl with laughter, Anne looking at him in utter horror. Thorin only shook his head and turned away to walk off, Anne only getting a glimpse at his back before Dis dragged her off.
~>~>~>~>
"That is the ugliest dress I have ever seen."
Dis pouted. "First choice always gets the downgrade," she murmured.
Both of them were currently in the room Anne was staying in, her clothes put away in the drawers. Though, a few servants had the courtesy of filling the drawers with what she didn't have, such as more shirts and dresses. Dis was currently helping her out with the dresses, seeing as that the celebration was in ten minutes. The last four hours were either spent with Dwalin and the trainees (Anne was the special and "kickass" guest), or the library with Balin, or walking with Dis and spending time with her in the gardens, or raiding the pantry with Fili and Kili.
"Dis, this is hopeless," Anne said.
"Anne, we've been through one dress."
"I don't like dressing up."
"You don't like anything."
"Do your sons count?"
"Oi!"
Anne suppressed a laugh, though her grin was evident. "Sorry," she said. "But you walked into that one."
"Ha-ha," Dis pretended to laugh, sticking her tongue out. She rummaged through the closet and pulled out a brown dress. "How about this?"
Anne grimaced. "Looks like someone puked on it."
Now Dis laughed. "Okay, how about this green one?"
"Sleeves are too long and light," she responded. "Let's try and go something that doesn't have long sleeves, and maybe a dash of--"
"Sexy?"
"Sure, that too," Anne chuckled. "I was going to say 'class'."
"Eh, class is overrated," Dis shrugged while rummaging through the closet. "Ooh! How about this? You know what, you're not getting a say. Try it on."
Anne chuckled and grabbed the red dress, Dis practically shoving her into the bathroom to change. About a minute later, Anne stepped out. Dis gasped sharply, covering her mouth with her palm. Anne laughed quietly, looking at herself in the mirror.
It was actually a really nice dress. It was a sparkly red dress that almost seemed to be made of rubies, for it was glittery and light bounced off of it. It fit her figure nicely, and it highlighted her slight curves. The sleeves were spaghetti strap, and it reached just above her ankles. With the right amount of makeup and shoes and hairstyle and mask from the help of Dis, Anne was set.
Meanwhile, Fili and Kili were helping Thorin out with an outfit, seeing as that they were set. Fili was wearing a red suit with red dress pants with black dress shoes, his hair slicked back and neat. Kili was wearing a white suit and white dress pants and white dress shoes, his hair neat for once and out of his face. There was an abundance of suits, but they couldn't find the right one. Thorin was currently sitting down on a chair, watching in amusement as his nephews shuffled through the closet.
"How about this?"
"Kili, that looks like a vampire threw up all over it. White with red splotches? It's not October yet."
(let's just pretend Halloween is a thing there plz thanks)
"Right." Kili threw the suit on Thorin's bed with the other five unappealing suits.
"This?"
"FOR THE LOVE OF MAHAL. MY EYES ARE BURNING. PLEASE, FILI, NO PINK SUITS."
"Kili, this is purple."
"SAME THING."
Thorin suppressed a laugh as Fili rolled his eyes and threw the suit on the bed. The two boys returned to closet raiding, shuffling through suits. They were mumbling endlessly, trying to find the perfect suit.
"Found one!"
Fili held up a black suit against him, grinning like crazy. It was all black, with a black tie that was tucked in the black button up. Thorin stood, taking the clothing in his fingers and tilting his head to the side before grinning at his nephews. "Good job, boys."
Thorin changed quickly, coming out out in his suit with black dress pants and leather black shoes which were pretty shiny in the light. Fili and Kili examined him. "Hair up or down, Kili?"
"Well, he's gonna have a black mask, like the two of us."
"Because black is totally in these days."
"Yeah... sure. And remember, the right side covers the half of it." he mused. "If we leave it down, he'll look a bandit stealing hearts."
"Considering that's he's trying to steal one back."
Kili shrugged in agreement, ignoring the glare Thorin was giving them. "Up, so he won't look raggedy."
"Agreed."
"But we do need to fix it. Maybe slick it back while we're at it. Make him look nice."
"That I definitely agree to. Uncle, sit down in front of the mirror and stop laughing this instant, mister. We're on a mission, and that mission if for you to score someone big, and we can't do that unless you decide to be serious."
Thorin was in a laughing fit, but he soon calmed down and sat down in front of the mirror. Kili got behind him, carefully brushing his hair. Thorin cracked a smile. "When did you learn to do hair?"
"Amad used to always bug us about our hair back in the Blue Mountains," he answered.
"Still does," Fili said as he shuffled around, finding the hair gel.
Once Kili was done brushing his uncle's hair, he braided a portion of it before he put it up in a ponytail, his tongue sticking out the side as he focused. Thorin just sat there, Kili letting Fili take over and gel Thorin's hair back. Once that was over, Thorin put on his mask and stood, turning to the other two boys who also had their masks on.
"You look awesome!" Kili exclaimed with a grin.
"Not too bad yourself, hot shot," Thorin responded. "You too, Fili."
"Thanks, Uncle," Fili said, moving to the door and opening it. "Ladies first."
"Shut up, Fili."
"Sorry, brother. Ladies men first."
Thorin rolled his azure eyes, walking out the door, Kili punching his brother before following. Fili only grinned and closed the door, and thus the Durin's headed to the party.
~>~>~>~>
"Dis, hurry up! We're ten minutes late!"
"I'm coming! I'm coming!"
Anne huffed and crossed her red gloved arms, seeing as that the sleeves were the same material as the dress but lighter, and they reached to her elbows. Her dirty blonde hair was high up in a neat bun, her lips a deep shade of red. Her eyes seemed to pop out from the mascara and other eye makeup, though they were behind her red mask. She was wearing red heels, but they were only two inch heels because Anne didn't really feel like getting too fancy and killing her feet.
"Ready!"
Dis popped out, wearing a green dress and a green mask. Her hair was left alone, but her lips were also a cherry red and she was also wearing gloves with sleeves up to her elbows. Her eyes were twinkling, a grin on her face. Anne smiled. "You look beautiful."
"Not as beautiful as you," Dis said. "Man, am I good, or am I good?"
Anne chuckled. "You're good."
Dis beamed. "I thought so," she said, opening the door. "Princess."
"Shut up," Anne joked, though there was an unsettling feeling in her stomach. "What if I puke?"
"Eh, it's just nerves," Dis said, shrugging honestly as they went down the stairs. "Loosen up! Have fun! It's not everyday where you get to see Dwarves dressed up."
"Whoa, really?"
"See for yourself."
Anne and Dis walked into the Great Hall, where a chandelier was hanging and swaying smoothly as music played. Anne looked around, smiling when she saw a bar area far off in a corner on the right side, considering that there was a separate room for those shenanigans. But hey, it didn't hurt to make a total mess over here, right?
"Would you look at that," said Dwalin's voice as he walked over. He was all dressed up, surprisingly, but his knuckle dusters were still on. He was wearing a white mask that covered half of his face, the twinkle in his eye evident as he smiled. "You look amazing."
"Not so bad yourself," Anne said and smiled. "Also, I had help."
"Oh, that I see," Dwalin said, smirking at Dis.
She only eyed him and crossed her arms. "Watch it," she warned.
"You're feisty tonight."
"As your best friend, I have a right to be," Dis said, gasping sharply when she saw the food cart. She gripped Anne's arm. "Mahal, they have the whole line of sweets!" She was practically jumping up and down. "I'll be back." Then she took off.
"Dis, not too much!" Anne called, but Dis was already hurrying off.
Dwalin rolled his eyes and held out his hand. "Well, now that she's gone, shall I have this dance, my lady?"
The elleth chuckled. "Of course, Dwalin," she said. "I would be honored."
Dwalin smiled, taking her small hand in his large and rather callused one. He guided her to the dance floor, where a slow song was playing. She rested her other hand on his shoulder, while his hand rested on her hip.
Thorin was watching all of this from a distance, a wine bottle in his hands. His blood was boiling with anger, and although he knew he shouldn't be mad, he couldn't help it. Anne was his, not Dwalin's.
"Big brother, I could see your muscles bulging from a mile away," Dis said as she walked over, a cinnamon roll in her hand and a wine bottle in another. "Jealous?"
"Of course not," Thorin grumbled, obviously lying. "Just..."
"Jealous."
"Edgy."
"Also known as jealously."
"Fine!" Thorin exclaimed. "Yes, I'm jealous. Happy?"
"Well, I'm eating food, so I'd say I'm very happy," Dis responded through a mouthful of cinnamon roll. "Honestly, this stuff is good."
Thorin rolled his eyes, balling his fists when he saw Dwalin whispering in her ear. He smiles in accomplishment when she laughs, something that Thorin used to always love. He loved when her cheeks flushed a light shade of pink, the skin by her eyes crinkling and her nose scrunching up, especially when she giggled. That part he found absolutely adorable.
Thorin drank his wine in one full swing, setting it down on the table. "Dance with me."
Dis raised an eyebrow. "Are you drunk?"
Thorin sputtered. "I'm not drunk."
"Right, that was Anne last night," she said.
Thorin's jaw dropped. "What?"
"Yeah, Anne got drunk last night. It was great. She went through fifty pints of ale, kicked a lot of butt, puked, then was carried to Bard's home." Dis chuckled. "That's your One for you. Oh look, Dwalin just spun her around. And she's laughing!"
Thorin glared at her. "Are you trying to get me to take someone's head off?"
"That would be utterly hilarious, but no," Dis said, finishing off her cinnamon roll. "Come on."
Just as Thorin and Dis were heading on the dance floor, Dwalin and Anne were headed to the food area. She grabbed a glass, Dwalin very carefully pouring some wine in the glass for her. She smiled and inclined her head, taking a sip. Dwalin sighed, rolling his neck around. "It's really good to see you," he said.
Anne nodded slightly. "Yeah," she responded. "This place is huge."
"With the help of Dain, there was a total makeover," Dwalin said. "The bar room area was remodeled and scaled, so now it's larger and more spacious. Bofur is in there now, despite that there's an area out here."
"I think that's for the mild drinkers. We both know that Bofur is not a mild drinker."
"Neither is Fili and Kili."
"And they're not out here, I noticed."
They exchanged looks. "Shit."
Both of them scrammed, weaving past people and trying to find their way around. Dwalin took her hand, guiding her past the throng of people until they finally made it to the tavern room, stepping back when a body was thrown into the wall.
"Was there I fight I missed?" Anne asked.
Dwalin stormed inside, punching a guy in the face before he could hit him with a chair. For the most part, half the people in the room were sober, others were passed out, and some were singing and dancing on table tops.
"There they are," Anne laughed, thrusting her fist to the side before a guy could lunge at her. "They're dancing on tabletops."
Fili and Kili--the idiotic Princes--were on top of a table, a mug in their hands and arms around each other's shoulders. They caught sight of Dwalin, a wicked smile forming on their faces as Kili started:
"ROESES ARE RED."
"VIOLETS ARE NOT BLUE."
"DWALIN SMELLS BAD."
"PEE-U."
"BOYS!" Dwalin roared, stomping in.
Anne suppressed a laugh, slipping out as Dwalin started screaming and causing a ruckus. She walked back to where she came from, finding Bilbo and Balin in a corner, so she walked their way. The two men stopped talking when she came over. "Don't let me intrude," she laughed. "You two are the only sane people at the moment. Dwalin is currently beating people senseless, Fili and Kili are dancing on tabletops, I think Bofur is drunk somewhere, Gloin and Oin are with Gimli, Dis is eating food while dancing with Thorin, and as for the rest of the company, I don't know."
Balin chuckled. "My brother does like to make a mess."
"OI, PUT THE CHAIR DOWN. FILI AND KILI-- GAH."
Bilbo snorted. "Should we help him?"
"Nah, I think he's good," Anne chuckled. "But Bilbo, I think you could help me to a dance."
From behind the red and black mask he was wearing, his eyes widened. "Uhm... ah..."
"Oh come on, Bilbo, it's just one dance," Anne said with a sly smile. "Come on!"
"Okay-- Anne!"
Balin laughed as Anne dragged Bilbo to the dance floor, the Hobbit glaring at her before bowing and taking her hand, putting his hand on her hip as they started to dance. "You know, Thorin's going to kill me," he said in a hushed voice. "From what I saw, he looked as if he were going to blow a fuse when you were dancing with Dwalin."
"There's nothing wrong with having a bit of fun," Amme retorted, a devious smile on her face.
"Ah?" Bilbo responded, a slight smile on his face as he twirled her. "So dancing is suddenly fun?"
"Well, when you have the right partner, yes."
Bilbo glanced past her shoulder. "Oh, I'm sure."
Before Anne could respond, Bilbo twirled her out, allowing her to spin out of his grasp and end up with another person. But this Dwarf had stunning blue eyes that was hidden behind a black mask, a captivating smile that always took her breath away, and flowing hair that, in this case, was put up.
"King Thorin."
He inclined his head. "Princess Anne," he responded. "Quite the predicament we find ourselves in."
"Based on the small yet devious smile on your face, it seems to me like you planned this," she said, a brow raised.
His small smile grew as he placed his free hand on her hip and drew her close. "Perhaps," he murmured, his voice smooth. "But for now, let's just enjoy ourselves, shall we?"
Anne suddenly forgot how to breath as she nodded her head, her hand holding onto his arm. Thorin made them move, his eyes never leaving hers as they danced. "You look beautiful," he suddenly commented as he spun her around before she was in his hold again.
"You look very handsome yourself," Anne responded with a chuckle. "Dress picking with Dis was rather... interesting."
"You should've seen Fili and Kili. I had a pile of about six or seven suits on my bed because they were 'unappealing' to them for tonight," he said. "And to let you in a little secret..." He leaned in close to her ear to whisper: "I think Kili's colorblind."
That comment made Anne giggle, something that Thorin realized he missed hearing from her. She sighed and closed her eyes, getting lost in the soft music that was playing. Her head came to rest on his collarbone, and Thorin looked down at her.
She's so beautiful it hurts. Why do I love her so much?
While that was going on, Dis was at the food area, her two somewhat sober sons and Dwalin with her. She was shaking his arm like crazy. "It's happening!"
He frowned. "What is?"
"They're dancing and they're talking. Together. The dancing part is because of Bilbo, but the talking part..." She squealed in excitement. "This is amazing!"
"I stopped dancing with Anne only because I knew he was going to kill me," the Hobbit said as he walked over. "Dwalin, he looked as if he was going to kill you."
The big man only laughed and crossed his arms. "The knight protecting his damsel," he chuckled, raising his chin a little. "Classic."
Thorin and Anne were too preoccupied in each other to care about Dis and her frantic words. A few more up-in-the-air-spins and twirls later, their foreheads were touching, noses brushing up against each other and eyes closed. Their lips were only about an inch apart, her rose scent driving Thorin up the wall.
Do I dare?
"Dwalin."
"What."
"Thorin's going to kiss her."
"What?!" Fili and Kili exclaimed quietly, their mouths stuffed with food.
Dis was ecstatic. "He's going to kiss her!"
But before their lips could connect, their was a loud boom! as it suddenly went dark. They jumped, everyone else either screaming or shrieking. Thorin had a firm grip on Anne, the Elf practically pressed up against him. Gray smoke was surrounding the area, and butterflies that looked like fireworks were flying around in the smoke.
Anne smiled. "This isn't a threat."
Bilbo groaned from the table. "Gandalf."
Sure enough, there was a cloud that was swirling around in the air, a figure seen on top of it. The pointy hat was evident in the smoke, and it made a lot of people laugh. He raised his hands. "Behold! The magic of fireworks!" A firework went off in the room, lighting the candles on the chandelier as the light returned to the room.
Thorin chuckled and shook his head. "Wizards."
The Dwarves laughed and started clapping as the light returned in the room, Gandalf slowly floating back down to the floor. Once he was set on the ground, he dipped his gray hat. "And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you make an entrance."
The Dwarves all laughed, going back to what they were doing. Gandalf approached Thorin and Anne, Dis and the others hopping over. (Though the boys plus their mother managed to stuff their faces with chocolates and a few more sweets before taking off.)
"Well, well, well!" he chimed. "Anne Thranduileth, it has been a while."
"Mithrandir," she greeted with a nod of her head, grinning. "It's good to see you."
"Uh-huh..." he said, raising an eyebrow and glancing at Thorin and the Elf. This, if anything, encouraged Thorin to keep Anne close to him. One of her hands was wrapped behind him while the other was on his chest, her face a cherry red and Gandalf glanced her way.
"Gandalf, you old Wizard!" Dis laughed as she and the others hopped over. "What brings you over? You're late!"
"My apologies, Dis, but it seemed as if I was needed by Radagast. He couldn't find the right flowers for the--"
"It's not official yet," Thorin said quickly.
"Well, have you even asked?"
Thorin turned a deep shade of red and look away. "No," he grumbled.
"Asked what?" Anne asked.
Gandalf waved it off. "Nothing, nothing. Something that the King should have done ages ago."
Thorin glared at him.
Anne narrowed her eyes before shrugging, wriggling out of Thorin's tight--but comforting--grasp. Thorin raised an eyebrow. "As much as I would like to stay, I'm going to retire to my room and get some sleep," she said. "The thing that Sigrid affects how long I can stay up for, and seeing as that I woke up with a massive hangover this morning, it would be wise for me not to overdue it." She smiled at the King. "Thanks for the dance," she whispered quietly before walking off.
Thorin watched her leave and hop up the stairs to get to her room, and Thorin was struck with an urge to go after her. But before he could, Dis put a hand on his shoulder. "No, brother," she warned. "Let her go. It's been a lot to take in today, and she's tired."
Thorin sighed. "I suppose you're right."
"Besides, Uncle, you succeeded in your mission," Fili said.
"Yeah, you've stolen her heart back!"
"Not that it required any effort," Dwalin mused.
Dis rolled her eyes. "You'll see her later."
At least he hoped so.
~>~>~>~>
damn, that took forever.
as of now, June 16, 2015, "dark pasts" is gonna qualify for the Wattys! yay! i doubt this book will win anything, but might as well, right?
BUT THEY FINALLY SAW EACH OTHER AND DANCED AND NEARLY KISSED DAMN IT GANDALF YOU ALWAYS RUIN IT.
vote and comment please i love you all ❤️
[unedited]