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enchantingkryptoniteheart-blog · 11 days ago

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The Best of Intentions — snippet #4 -character development- confrontations/ misunderstandings- continued -

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She avoided going back to her room, especially when Fili and Kili both denied giving her back Luna, who didn’t seem bothered in the slightest about her change of dwelling.

She had tried to ask Dwalin for her swords and bow back, and he just laughed and shook his head. Didn’t even give her a proper response. She wanted to strangle them all. Thorin may have readily forgiven her, along with Dis and Rosalyn, but no one else seemed to be so inclined to follow suit.

She was irritated. And still, rather embarrassed about how she had reacted to Briela’s scheming.

She had taken refuge with Rosalyn in her little dwelling above the bakery. Rosalyn had long given up asking her for more details about her and Thorin’s fight, their rather intense kiss, and resulting discussion. The more she thought about it, playing the events over and over in her head from dawn to dusk, the nervousness settled.

Thorin had done as she asked and left her alone. Her dreams were not as merciful. Dreams of him had her writhing awake, his voice and wandering hands and lips making her feel things she had never felt before.

She was tired. She was frustrated. And she was frightened.

If Briela was so brazen with her scheming, how was everyone else in Erebor going to react? She still hadn’t told Thorin, nor anyone else her secret. The secret her Gamul’adad and Adad told her over and over again to keep hidden at all costs. She wanted to believe that it wouldn’t matter to him, or anyone else in the end.

She just wasn’t sure if she would survive it if it did happen to matter. The unknown was what terrified her the most.

She tried to avoid everyone at all costs. She had not stepped foot in the tannery, rather she stayed and helped Rosalyn with the cleaning of the little home and shop. Rosalyn was becoming worried. The dress fittings for her and Rosalyn were the last time she had left the bakery. And she wasn’t keen to leave until she was dragged out.

With how strong headed her nosy friends were, she didn’t doubt in the slightest they wouldn’t drag her out by her braids all the while kicking and screaming.

Two days remained before the ball. And the markets were bursting with the excitement of incoming guests and final preparations. She tried not to think of Thorin’s words, that he would give her until the end of the week, right before the ball. Every time a customer walked in, she would jump and run into the back in attempt to look busy. She wasn’t sure if he would show up looking for her here at the bakery … but with how she had been avoiding her rooms ever since her last attempts to retrieve Luna, she wouldn’t put it past him.

She grabbed the broom and began to sweep for the third time that morning. She couldn’t stay idle. She would drive herself mad with the anticipation seeped in nervousness.

Rosalyn sighed as she watched her friend sweeping by the front door of the shop while she peered out of the window periodically. She was carrying a tray of fresh rolls from the oven and placing them in her cooling racks. “Mahal Mist. You're sweeping again? You could eat off the floor at this rate.”

Mistlynn ignored her. “Hush and let me sweep. Unless you want me to try my hands at mixing again.”

“Aule preserve me, please no. You killed the yeast last time.” Rosalyn admonished with a rue grin as she poured the glaze over the rolls.

“I didn’t know you could kill yeast! With warm water no less.” Mistlynn shot back defensively.

“You used boiling water! Not warm. Goodness, good thing you’re marrying a King, or I would be worried for your future bairns.”

Mistlynn wrinkled her nose as she mimicked Rosalyn mockingly. “Ha. Your funny. At least I know how to hunt, skin and butcher an animal. I never knew baking existed until I met you!”

“As if you will be out killing your own dinner when your Queen.”

“Maybe I will!” Mistlynn snapped back as she swept an imaginary dust bunny aggressively. She happened to look up out the window at that moment and saw the crowd parting to the side quickly, as if making way for someone. She paused her sweeping as she squinted through the panes of the window suspiciously before letting out a gasp and dropping the broom to the floor.

“Mistlynn!” Rosalyn admonished as she watched her friend vault over the counter. “Its him isnt it?”

Mistlynn didn’t answer as she bolted into the back room with the ovens. The strawberry blonde dam narrowed her eyes as she dusted off her hands on her apron. “Oh dont you dare! Dont you dare leave me out here to lie for you. Come and talk to him!”

“I cant, Rosa. I can’t. Its too soon.” She heard Mistlynns muffled groan come from the other side of the wall.

“Dont be such a coward. He is your One for Mahals sake. You weren’t complaining about that kiss a few days ago.”

“I didn’t have time to think over it a few days ago. I’m not ready.”

“Do not make me fetch Dis. I mean it, I will fetch her and she will smack you so fast…”

Mistlynn peered around the corner, stopping Rosalyn in mid-sentence as she recognized the look of absolute terror in her eyes.

“Please Rosa. Please tell him I am not here. I will go to him I promise I’m just not ready at this very moment. I just need…”

The sound of the shop door opening along with the welcoming bell rang through the air, interrupting them. Rosalyn whirled around, eyes wide as she watched Thorin and Dwalin walk in.

She plastered a beaming smile on her face. “My King! Lord Dwalin! What an honor it is to have you visit my bakery. How can I assist you?”

Thorin looked around the bakery, eyes sharp as he took in every detail. “My Amad would bring me to see your Gamul’adad when I was a young dwarfling. He had the best cinnamon rolls in Erebor.” His eyes settled on Rosalyn, who was standing behind the counter with her hands fumbling with her apron.

“I did not know this, your majesty. My Amad taught me all his recipes before her passing. I have come up with a few creations of my own, but his cinnamon rolls are still a favorite.”

Thorin smiled appraisingly at her before giving Dwalin a pointed look. “That is good to hear. Business is good then?” He walked up to the counter slowly, Dwalin close behind him.

Rosalyn noticed that the gruff Captain had not taken his eyes off of her once since he walked in with Thorin. Her annoyance with Mistlynn was immediately forgotten as she fought to remember how to speak as she struggled to avert her eyes from his.

“Yes. Business is very good. Splendid. Never a dull moment for me.” She tittered nervously as she felt her cheeks beginning to hurt as she forced to keep the smile on her face.

“Speaking of a never dull moment…” Dwalin’s gruff voice made her swallow.

Thorin chuckled as he rolled his eyes. “I am looking for Mistlynn. She has not been back to her rooms for the past few days, and I’ve been told she’s been staying here.”

Rosalyn blinked owlishly. “Mistlynn? Staying here? Oooohhhh…” she laughed nervously as her hands attempted to smooth down the wrinkled apron she had been wringing.

“Dis told me specifically that she was staying here …with you.” Thorin’s gaze shifted from the nervous dam before him and towards the back room. As if he knew she was standing on the other side of the wall.

“Did she now? That’s funny … why would she say that. That’s just …” Rosalyn began to laugh nervously as she wiped a stray curl behind her ear. Dwalin couldn’t help but watch the movement, his steely gaze softening as he watched her cheeks flush.

“Because she did promise that she wouldn’t run anymore, so I’m just assuming she has been staying here to help you?” Thorin scanned the room around him again before he caught sight of the hastily discarded broom laying in the middle of the floor. His mouth curled up into a wry smile as he turned back, once again looked directly at the back room. “I must say your floors look … immaculate.”

A groan could be heard from the back room. Rosalynn’s eyes grew wide as she heard the sounds of something scraping against the stone floor before Mistlynn stormed out.

“Did you have Nori spying on me?” She crossed her arms as she came to stand beside a clearly nervous Rosalyn.

She felt bad, forgetting how flustered she got in Dwalin’s presence. She had made them butt head a few times over her actions, and she knew that Rosalyn was losing hope that Dwalin would ever acknowledge her. It made her question the whole idea of “One's’. If they truly were, and Rosalyn was adamant that Dwalin was hers, why was he fighting it?

“M’eudail. There you are.” Thorin’s eyes twinkled teasingly. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

“Doubtful. You’ve known I’ve been here this entire time. From Dis, you say?” she cocked an eyebrow.

“She was my sibling first. Blood and all that implies.” His smile turned into an outright grin. Dimple and all.

Aule preserve me. She breathed in deeply, resolving to keep her face unimpressed despite how increasingly hard it was not to smile back at his playfulness. “And here I thought she was my friend.”

“Truthfully, I think she is doing this for you more than for me.”

“Doubtful. She’s told me how much she adores her big brother, despite him being a stubborn royal pain.”

Thorin chuckled. “I’ll be sure to ask her about that.”

“I’ll deny ever saying anything.” Mistlynn couldn’t keep the smile to herself any longer. She couldn’t help the effect he had on her.

Nervous fluttering’s in her stomach made her short of breath as they bantered. It was an overwhelming realization; she had missed him the past few days. In all the musings of doubt and self-sabotage, it was all forgotten in the moment he called her that name he had taken to calling her from the moment they first laid eyes on each other. M’eudail.

“You still haven’t told me what M’eudail means.” she gave him a pointed look.

Dwalin scoffed and shook his head, as if amused at something. Thorin quirked a brow at his friend before looking back at her, his soft smile transforming into a teasing grin. “Someday I will tell you.”

“Why wait? Why not today?”

“Patience is a virtue. Besides, today I have something else to show you.” He gestured towards the door before holding his hand out, palm open and waiting for her to place her own in it. “Come with me.”

Mistlynn stared at his hand, her heart fluttering in her chest at the implication. He was going to show her his courting gift to her. The whole reason why Briela tried to goad her into leaving Erebor. Rosalyn stepped closer to her, nudging her forward with her elbow encouragingly.

Mistlynn swallowed before she lifted her hand and placed it in his. His fingers enclosed around her as his thumb gently caressed her knuckles before raising and turning her hand so that he could place a tender kiss on the inside of her wrist, his piercing gaze holding hers as she stared unblinkingly at him while holding her breath. No one had ever kissed her wrist before. It felt so intimate … it took her aback for a moment as she gathered her bearings.

“I-I should change.” She stammered, still staring at him as if trapped in a daze.

“You are fine as you are.” He gestured towards the door as he gently pulled her forward. “Come.”

She took a few tentative steps forward, letting him lead, before she looked back over her shoulder at Rosalyn. Her friend was standing there, a handheld over her heart with a crooked, dreamy grin on her face as she watched them.

Dwalin was leaning against the counter, arms crossed, but he wasn’t looking at Thorin or her, he was watching Rosalyn with a soft expression that didn’t match his overall body language. He seemed to be lost in thought as he watched the unaware baker fawn over the budding courtship of her closest friend.

Thorin pulled the door open and stepped to the side, urging her forward with his hand still firmly clasping hers. “What of Dwalin?” she asked as he followed her out of the bakery, allowing the door to close behind them.

‘He has something important to discuss with Lady Rosalyn.” Thorin winked as he pulled her along through the crowd of the market.

She felt her face heat as eyes began to follow them, Dwarrow’s and Dams of all stations pointing and whispering with knowing smiles and wiggling eyebrows as they took note of Thorin still clasping her hand in his as they walked.

She glanced down at their clasped hands, his big hand engulfing hers with his steadying warmth. Even the metal of his silver rings were warm against her skin. She hoped her palm wasn’t clammy as she followed him out of the market and back towards the side of the mountain where the sparring rings and the stables were located.

“Where are we going?” she asked as she looked up at him. He was walking as if he didn’t have a care in the world. He didn’t acknowledge the curious and knowing looks, rather he looked straight ahead with the hint of a secretive smile on his lips.

“You will see.”�� He looked down at her briefly as he gave her hand a calming squeeze. She nodded as she took a steadying breath in.

They walked through the training grounds, not once stopping as many bowed their heads in greeting and respect to Thorin. He nodded in kind but said nothing as they continued to walk in silence, passing straight through into the stables and out into the paddocks.

Mistlynn blinked as the sudden sunlight beamed down on them, free to warm her skin with its bright rays as they cleared the shadow of the Lonely Mountain. It had been days since she stepped outside of Erebor since she took to hiding in Rosalyn’s bakery. It was a dizzying sensation as she regained her bearings, and her eyes adjusted to the light.

Thorin didn’t seem bothered by the sudden change in light as he led them up to a larger paddock, his gait self-assured as his thumb once against began to trace the outline of her knuckles. She couldn’t help but shiver at the tingling sensation that was coming from their joined hands.

He unlatched the paddock gate and swung it open, once again allowing her to step in first. He let go of her hand, and she flexed her fingers at the sudden loss of his but didn’t have time to analyze why she felt disappointed at the loss of his hold as she stared at the beautiful white mare that was standing in the middle of the paddock, staring at her.

She gasped as the mare whinnied, as if greeting an old friend. The mare’s snow-white mane was elaborately braided, connected with glistening beads and forming a web pattern that cascaded down the slender white neck that gleamed in the sunlight like polished silk.

A bridle of soft brown leather, held in silver clasps and embedded emeralds in elaborate Khuzudul runes graced the mare’s head. The saddle was a perfect match to the bridle, a wool blanket of the deepest emerald the perfect contrast for the brown of the leather against the mare’s pure white coat.

“Y-you found her! She’s okay!” Mistlynn broke out into a beaming grin as her body relaxed in relief at seeing the mare. “I was so worried that you were never able to retrieve her.” As she began to walk forward, the mare tossed her head before meeting Mistlynn halfway.

Mistlynn couldn’t help the sigh that left her as she placed her hand upon the horses head, her fingers caressing the silk like coat fondly. The mare brushed her velvet nose and lips against Mistlynn’s cheek and neck before placing her head over Mistlynn’s shoulder so that she could trace her hand down the elegant neck.

“She came back that very night on her own accord.” She heard Thorin remark dryly, but she could tell he was smiling by the fondness that colored his tone. “She jumped back over the outer fence.”

Mistlynn threw her head back and laughed before pulling back to look at the mare in her earth brown eyes. “Oh, you clever girl.” She leaned her forehead against the mare’s fondly as she continued to caress her cheeks. “I am so happy to see you safe and sound.”

After a brief moment, Mistlynn pulled back from the mare and turned to look back and Thorin. He was standing a few paces back, a pleased smile on his face as he watched the reunion.

“You brute.” She scoffed as she left the mare and walked back to him. She slapped his shoulder in jest, making him chuckle as she gave him a playful glare. “Why didn’t you just tell me she came back? You knew how upset I was when we had to leave her in the forest with those foul spiders.”

Thorin shrugged. “You were angry at me, for whatever reason.” He smirked. “And then things kept happening, and my thoughts were preoccupied with other more pressing things.”

Mistlynn gave an unladylike snort as she held up an accusatory finger and shook it at him. “I had plenty of very viable reasons to be angry with you. And what could be more pressing than telling me your coronation gift didn’t end up being food for those beasts?”

Thorin quirked an eyebrow at her as he huffed out a laugh. “I was more than a little distracted after I had to kiss you silent after I broke that one barfly’s jaw for daring to touch and defile you. I could scarcely think of anything else, but you lips after that.”

Mistlynn bit her bottom lip at the mention of that one night they shared their first, very heated kiss. “Not to mention I needed to train her in peace. If you had known, you would have been down here, disrupting my progress.”

The mare had approached them both as they talked. Thorin placed a gently hand on the mare’s forehead, his eyes the softest she had ever seen them to be. “She is the perfect match for you in temperament. I couldn’t ask for a better companion for you than her … well other than Luna.” He spoke lowly as his hand brushed down over the mares nose.

 Mistlynn blinked in surprise as he spoke. She couldn’t tear her gaze away from his face.

“What will you name her?” he asked softly as he finally looked away from the mare and back down to her. His lips quirked with a playful smile when he realized how stunned she was.

“W-hat do you mean what will I name her, sh-she is yours.” She gasped as she looked between him and the mare.

“She is yours now. I’ve been training her, so that she would be safe for you to ride. Of course, you will need some lessons on how to handle such a powerful animal. She will be very different from riding Luna.” He watched the realization dawn in her mesmerizing eyes that he adored so much, of the finest emerald green lit within with a golden flame that danced around her pupils. He handpicked the emeralds he thought would be the closest match to their color to adorn the bridle and saddle he commissioned Bifur to make in secret as he shadowed her in her workshop.

Mistlynn shook her head gently as her mouth remained agape as she looked up at him. Her eyes began to glisten with unshed tears. “Thorin … she … its …” She fought to find the right words as her mind scrambled to catch up with her racing heart.

“She’s too much. I have … I have nothing even close in worth to give you in return…” she stopped as his hand cupped her cheek.

“She is your courting gift. My proclamation that I am now courting you, that you are my One.” He watched her throat bob as she listened to him, her bottom lip once again between her teeth as she scanned his face, as if looking for any clues that this could all be a cruel joke.

“Surely, you know how this is going to end M’eudail.” He brushed his nose against hers affectionately, hoping to dispel some of the fear he recognized was rushing through her like a torrent.

She let out a shuddering breath as she nodded. “You�� you are certain I am? You still …” she shook her head in slight frustration. “You dont know who I am …truly.”

He brought his other hand up so that he was cupping her face, her jewel green gaze clashing before merging with his tempest blue. “M’eudail, our souls knew one another from the moment we met. I already told you that I am tired of fighting it. We shouldn't be fighting this bond; we are only stealing time from ourselves if we continue to do so.”

His thumbs caressed her cheeks as he leaned down, so that their breathe mingled. “Be mine.” He whispered against her lips. “Because I am already yours. I have been from the very beginning. I’ve been waiting for you my entire life.”

Mistlynn’s eyelashes fluttered against her cheeks as his words washed over her, pulling her under and into his undertow. “I am yours. I think I always have been.”

*unedited - unbeta’d.