In Dale, the people were already on the lookout. Loud drumming and the sound of trumpets welcomed the new prince. The people threw flowers at Frerin once he came riding inside the city wall. "Prince Frerin! Our beloved prince!" Shouted the people. Naturally, this made Frerin and Terwyn smile. Thorin did not smile often, so it was only natural that even now he simply nodded to the people and kept a tight look ahead, always on the lookout for danger. After they had ridden through Dale, Frerin wanted to have a race back with the ponies. Although Thorin immediately said that a prince was not supposed to race, Terwyn was already urging her pony while shouting that she was not a princess which meant she could do whatever she wanted. As a result, Frerin and Thorin also had to go after her since they could not let her ride unprotected.
Arriving back at Erebor, they left the ponies at the barn where servants would take care of them while the royals had to get ready for lunch. Although Terwyn was not normally entitled to a place at the table with the king and his children and grandchildren, Frerin had gotten her to join him at the table for many years. So today Terwyn was once again allowed to sit next to Frerin at the table and enjoy the banquet. For once that afternoon, it was not about the other kingdoms of dwarves or battles or gold. This day seemed to be entirely about Frerin which Terwyn liked. Secretly, Frerin had always been her great hero and the fact that he always treated her like she was as good as him always made her feel special anyway when he was around. To Frerin, she was not the abandoned child, the stranger or outsider. Frerin treated her as a friend, even better he even treated her like a princess. Frerin was normally supposed to train every day in sword fighting or archery or he was supposed to help make decisions in important royal plans but mostly he did not care about this and spent as much time as possible with Terwyn.
That night, of course, there was a big party in Erebor, all dwarves from Erebor and the important families from other dwarven realms like the Blue Mountains or Iron Hills came to the party. Dwarves played many instruments, they drank and ate plenty and even danced to the music. At most royal feasts in Erebor, Terwyn was not allowed to attend; Thror did not want the other powerful dwarves to find out that he had included a foundling like Terwyn in his family. Soon they too would think she was a spy and then they might start to doubt Thror's authority. But so today she was allowed to be there as everyone in Erebor celebrated, just as she was there for Thorin and Dis birthday. She watched from a distance in the early evening as all the dwarves who arrived first went to greet and praise King Thror before also walking over to Thrain, Thorin and Frerin to congratulate the young prince. Once all the dwarves had arrived, the musicians sang a birthday song for the prince. For a moment, Terwyn dreamed of what it would be like if she too had such a birthday party one day. For a moment, she dreamed of how she would look in a golden robe, with a crown on her head. She dreamt of how mighty dwarves would greet her and how she would have a birthday dance with a prince after this, preferably with Frerin of course!
Soon she was sucked back into reality once a hand was placed on her shoulder. When she turned around, she saw Dis standing there smiling happily at her.
"Hey dreamer, shouldn't you go to your new prince to congratulate him once again?" Dis asked with a mysterious smile which made Terwyn smile weakly for a moment as she nodded.
"Maybe yes, soon people will think I didn't want to come, for the one time I get to party!" Said Terwyn then after which Dis nodded and gave her a push towards Frerin. Once she was close to him, she gently put her hand on his shoulder so that he looked at her.
"May I congratulate you my dear prince? Your crown suits you perfectly! I am sure our kingdom is in very good hands with you as prince!" Terwyn said with a broad smile that made Frerin start to laugh. "Thank you Terwyn, I was wondering where you were! Would you like to open this dance with me?" He immediately asked causing her to look at him in surprise for a moment.
"My prince is that appropriate? I can't dance well I'm afraid?' she spoke causing Frerin to laugh. "Doesn't matter! Neither do I but I've been dreaming of dancing with you for years!" He whispered that last part in her ear causing her to blush.
She only managed to nod before they both walked onto the dance floor under the close eye of Thrain, Thorin, Dis, and even Thror and many more dwarves Terwyn did not know. Although Terwyn was feeling very uncomfortable, she did start dancing cautiously with Frerin. At first it felt awkward but when she gazed into Frerin's beautiful blue eyes, she could not help but keep looking at him and forget everything else around her. Thus, she let Frerin take full charge and followed him like around.
When the song changed, Terwyn seemed to come back to reality and quickly took a step backwards which made Frerin smile gratefully before taking a deep bow. Terwyn followed his lead and bowed as well, just before she could walk away the prince pressed another kiss on her hand which gave her the most beautiful smile a girl could have. You couldn't get that smile off her face for the rest of the evening.
Dis was already waiting for Terwyn along the side of the dance floor with a glass of elven wine in her hands. The wine of Demsterwold, probably the best wine in all of Middle Earth. Terwyn did not want to know what people paid to buy that wine from the elf king Thranduil.
Soon Dis and Terwyn were both had one of those expensive glasses of wine in their hands, talking about how great Frerin could dance and how Thror seemed to be boiling with anger for a moment but could do nothing because the other dwarves were looking on endearingly. Terwyn even confessed to Dis that she was slightly drowning in Frerin's eyes while dancing which made her forget everything around her. Dis, of course, immediately clapped her hands happily.
"Oh I knew you two would become something! I knew it from the beginning!" cooed Dis causing Terwyn to quickly silence her.
"Dis! We can't be together are you mad? I mean he just sees me as his little sister, and I'm not even a princess!" Started Terwyn but Dis simply waved away her comment.
"Terwyn please, you are so much more than a little sister to Frerin, he has always treated you differently from a sibling and princess or not you really are perfect together." Said the dwarf princess "Dis..." started Terwyn but Dis shook her head and took hold of her shoulder.
"Terwyn both, Thorin and Frerin have never treated you as a sister take it from me, you are their best friend. The person they can go to with their problems, the person they can complain to about how being a prince is stupid. To you they come to gossip about Thror and his obsession with gold and power. They tell you about how they miss a mother, how Thrain is not the same since mother's death. Believe me I watched often enough from a distance when Thorin or Frerin came to you. What you have with them is completely different from what I have." Dis explained and although Terwyn didn't want to believe it at first, she soon realised that Dis was right.
Terwyn had always felt she was Thorin's little sister since he made sure she was allowed to stay here but the way Thorin looked at her had always been different from the way he looked at Dis. The same counted for Frerin. "Just let the future do its work." the wise dwarf woman said which made Terwyn blush again for a moment before she quickly drank another sip of her wine.
Once her glass was finished Thorin approached her and Dis.
"May I have another dance with you?" He asked Terwyn who looked at him in surprise, the last time she had danced with Thorin was on his official coronation day as a prince and then she was quite a bit younger and Thorin had asked her for a laugh as a partner at the dance because he didn't feel like dancing with some boring dwarf woman from another realm. Although the question surprised her, Terwyn nodded anyway and followed Thorin to the dance floor.
"Still no desire to find a suitable dance partner or say better wife?" asked Terwyn the prince causing Thorin to look at her slightly betrayed.
"Something like that, I do know how my father and grandfather feel about this; we pair him up with a woman from the Iron Hills or the Blue Mountains and become even more powerful that way, then I need to have children and make sure Durin's line stays strong." Explained the prince causing Terwyn to look at him compassionately and nodded.
"Those are indeed their thoughts." She mumbled as she watched Thror and Thrain from the corner of her eye as they stood with some important dwarves somewhere in a corner.
"I don't need a woman, I already have my hands far too full with you and Frerin and Dis. And the upcoming battle against the orcs." Thorin mumbled after which Terwyn laughed and nodded.
"Yes, well sorry we are such troublemakers. Luckily we are not as bad as orcs yet, especially me, you won't find such a sweet and well-mannered person anytime soon!" Mumbled Terwyn after which Thorin laughed. Terwyn loved his smile. It made him look so much younger and less grumpy, because although the dwarf prince often looked disinterested and angry he really was sweet and caring, he just had to set a certain behaviour as a prince which Terwyn understood quite well.
"Come on Terwyn comparing yourself to orcs? Is that already your humour? Soon I really will start thinking you are as bad as them!" Replied Thorin causing both of them to laugh. Yes, she loved his laugh, but Frerin's laugh was even more beautiful, he sounded like music to her ears. She was distracted by someone tapping on her shoulder. When she looked back, she saw Frerin standing there, which made her quickly put a smile on her face.
"May I take over this dance?" He asked looking at both Thorin and Terwyn causing Thorin to nod quickly and take a step back winking at Terwyn who then blushingly took Frerin's hand and started dancing with him for the second time that evening.
Time flew by and after Terwyn had already danced with Frerin for a third time that evening and already drank several glasses of wine to make herself believe this was not a dream, Frerin came and tapped her on the shoulder again. "Will you follow me outside for a moment? Some fresh air would do me good after all that wine." Frerin murmured in Terwyn's ear causing Terwyn to look around for a moment to see if anyone was watching them.
When she was sure that this was not the case she nodded "It will do me good too!" She then replied before they both snuck out of Erebor.
Outside the mountain, Frerin walked on to Dale's lookout. Only there did he sit down and Terwyn silently followed his example. "What a night." Mumbled Terwyn to which Frerin nodded.
"I've been to many royal feasts but this is surely the greatest ever!" He smiled, to which Terwyn nodded "Sure it's your birthday!" She replied cheerfully. Frerin smiled and once again Terwyn felt butterflies exploding inside of her by only looking at this handsome dwarf prince.