7

"Thorin. Thorin!"

He sat up underneath the covers, shielding the sun from his face with one hand and looking up with the other. Talia was kneeling at his bedside, smiling with a hand on his arm as she shook him awake.

"Happy birthday."

He grinned at his friend, slowly blinking with realization. "Thank you." But the young prince had made up his mind that he did not want to start the morning yet, whatever the celebration was. After winking at his friend, he rolled away from her and onto his stomach, sunlight spilling over his contoured, bare back.

"Wha... Thorin! You have to get up!" Talia shrugged off her shoes as she climbed onto the bed next to him, pulling his arm so that he would have to roll back and face him. "Thror and Thrain have prepared a very special ceremony for you, not to mention a delightful breakfast."

"I was just promoted to the Head of Guard a week ago. Do I really need more celebration?"

"You're the prince. Of course you do." She grinned, looking down at him. Like Talia, he hated excessive attention on himself. "Come on, now." She reached for his arm again, getting ready to pull him up, but she hadn't expected him to pull back. She let out an involuntary squeak as she was pulled under the covers and to Thorin's side, who only laughed at her not-so-graceful movements. "Son of a bitch!"

"Wait." He said, before she could move away again. Talia stopped her wriggling as he stopped laughing, looking up at him. He reached out a finger, brushing the stray hairs away from her face. "As my first birthday wish, I ask that you stay here and watch the sunrise. Only until it crests, then we can go."

"On top of what I already got you? You ask too much, naughty prince." She teased, but relaxed into his arm around her, turning her gaze to the window and the rising sun. Together they lay, Talia now curled into Thorin's side, as they watched the sky transform it's hues in a comfortable silence. Once it had risen above the distant forests visible from the window, she allowed them a few more moments before whispering, "Can I give you my present now?"

"I thought we had to go to breakfast."

She rolled away, waving a hand at him as she stood, rummaging through her tiny pack for the present. Talia turned to face him, holding a box no bigger than one of her hands, adorned with a simple blue bow over it's dark-stained hardwood. Handing it to him, she sat across from him on the bed, watching with a small smile as he opened it. Pulling away the bow and lifting the lid, Thorin smiled when he saw two twin clasps, about the size of half of his pinky. He ran his thumb over the intricate design. It was one of the most beautiful pieces he had ever seen.

"We've been friends for far too long to deny that we are inseparable, Thorin." Talia began as he looked up at her. "Thought it'd be best to make it official."

He could only grin at her sentiment. "Come here."

She moved closer to him as he lifted a comb from his dresser, running it lightly through her hair before beginning the braid. This was perhaps her favorite of the dwarven customs; to profess and solidify any relationship's love, dwarves left a braid in each other's hair. It's permanency and intimacy was cherished by the dwarves, for hair was very personal. The trust and depth the act itself demonstrated strengthened more relationships than anyone could count. Thorin had many more than she, for his father, mother, and siblings. And since he was a prince, he had practice with this sort of thing. She watched his fingers weave expertly through her locks, reaching the bottom quickly and finishing the braid with one of the clasps.

Talia, on the other hand, had only one other braid; for her mother. After combing his hair as well, he could feel her slight annoyance as she tried to remember the knot, furrowing her brow as she concentrated. It took her much longer than he, for the last time she had done it was nearly fifteen years ago.

"Tighter." Thorin corrected gently.

"Shut up."

When she had finished, she plucked the second of the clasps from the box and clipped it into his hair, signifying the end of the braid. Talia looked up at him, seeing an emotion so familiar, yet one she could not decipher, in his eyes.

"Thank you, Talia."

She could only nod, smiling as she took his hand and led him off of the bed. "Damn good idea, right?" She grinned, bringing the mood out of its intensity.

"Well... I still think my coat was better."

She rolled her eyes at his humor, looking at the clock. "Get dressed." She said, rummaging through his dresser and tossing his favorite shirt at him. "We meet your grandfather in ten minutes."

"Where are you going?"

"Getting your siblings ready. I highly doubt Frerin's up." Talia winked, giving a wave as she bid him goodbye. He exhaled as he pulled the shirt over his head, adjusting it in the mirror before pulling on his boots. She knew him well; he did quite like blue.

...

"To Thorin!"

"To Thorin!"

The pub cheered in response at Talia's call, hoisting up their ales and drinking with Thorin's small birthday party. After the long period of gulps was over, the bar resumed to their prior activity, causing the prince to roll his eyes at Talia's antics.

"What? Everyone wanted to celebrate you when you came in." She laughed, getting back down from the top of the table and spilling a little bit of ale on Dwalin in the process.

"Still highly unnecessary." He said, though he could not contain his smile.

She shrugged, sipping her ale lightly as she peered at him from over the tankard.

"So, Thorin, can we give you our present?" Balin asked, putting down his bread now that the short-lived festivity had calmed.

"We waited until the end of the day to build suspense. It's just that good."

"Only one? Cheap!" She teased in a sing-song voice, making Thorin snort at her ridicule.

"You'd better watch your tongue, lassie. It's a fine gift, fit for a future king!"

"No better than mine." Talia fired back at Dwalin.

"OI! How would you know? You haven't even seen it yet."

"I don't have to. I know mine's better."

Thorin and Balin sighed simultaneously, exchanging a weary look. When those two bickered, it could be for hours and hours on end due to their stubbornness. The worst part of it was that they always seemed to be arguing over nothing.

"How? It's not like you've given it to him already."

"Well..." Talia trailed off, playing with the clasp in her hair lightly.

Dwalin narrowed his eyes at the piece, finding the same emblem in Thorin's hair as well. Balin could only stare, mouth agape. "Son of a bitch!"

"Well, it makes sense, brother. It was about time, anyway." The eldest of Fundin's sons said, turning quickly to his brother with a hand over his mouth for secrecy. "Double or nothing. They pair up tonight."

"After how long it took them with the braid? You're on." Dwalin whispered back. The brothers now turned back to Thorin and Talia, who looked at them insultingly because of their private conference.

"What on earth was that about?" Thorin's brow furrowed as Talia crossed her arms next to him.

"Whatever it was, it was clearly about us."

"Drink your ale, lassie." Dwalin said, earning a swift kick from under the table.

"It matters not. Now, let us finally give you our gift, Thorin." Balin continued, quickly changing the subject and presenting Thorin with a box. He nodded to them in thanks, a small smile on his face. It quickly shifted to a grin when he saw what was inside. The prince held up two twin daggers, so small that their blades barely spanned the width of his hand. Both had one small sapphire inlaid in each of their hilts, which glistened in the candlelight surrounding them.

"For very, very close combat."

"And not easily nicked off of you, I'd reckon."

"Thank you both." Thorin slid them into their small sheaths, immediately sticking one in each boot for safekeeping. "That counts as two." He whispered to Talia, who scowled lightly as the boys burst into laughter. Soon, she couldn't keep up the act, and she joined them in their laughs, clutching her stomach with her head thrown back.

Once they had calmed down, Talia exchanged a look with the boys, who nodded for her to continue. "So, Thorin, we do have one more surprise left in the evening."

"Really?" Thorin nudged her slightly. "You spoil me."

"There's no spoiling you, Thorin. You deserve every good thing that comes your way." Talia stated simply. Thorin could only fixate his eyes on hers, which made the brothers grin at each other. She smiled as she stood, walking towards the barkeep and whispering a few words.

"Where's she going?"

"To get the surprise, of course!"

Talia returned with a plate full of lovely desserts, setting it down on the table. It was the ones that they couldn't remember the name of, the frosted pastries served at every feast. Thorin's favorite. She pushed one onto Thorin's own dish, sticking it with a very small candle and lighting it with a match struck off of the flint on her hip. Finally, she slid next to him, intertwining her hand with his under the table and squeezing it lightly. "You're twenty-three now. Your luck with wishes is about to run short. Give it one more go."

He chuckled at her words, looking back to the candle and softly blowing it out. The brothers clapped across from them as Talia smiled alongside Thorin. Without a moment to waste, the prince began digging into the long-awaited pastry, the brothers following his lead. He moaned softly at the taste, causing him to look back at Talia. "You're going to get me fat."

"I hope not." She grinned, leaning back into her seat. "I quite like your cheeks just the way they are."

...

Thorin and Talia walked hand-in-hand back to her simple home, having bid the brothers good-night. The day had been splendid, waking up to see her and ending it the same. Thorin had quite enjoyed himself with his family in the morning, and was happy doing what he did best at work as Head of the Guard later on— the Orcs hadn't stood a chance. Wrapping up the evening with friends was perfect; though, he was still eager to see where the rest of the night took him.

Talia suddenly took the lead, winding him down a road that was unfamiliar regarding their destination.

"Talia, what are you—"

She turned around, pausing with a small smile on her face. "Do you trust me?"

Thorin could not decipher the emotion in her eyes. Their green hue reflected the stars above as the moonlight hit her cheek, her hair rustling slightly in the wind. Yet, he knew no matter where she led him, whether it was the rolling hills of the Shire or the depths of Dol Guldur, he would follow.

"Yes."

Talia led him through the city until they broke it's borders, now out on the open plains. They gazed at the statue of Durin, standing watch west of the city. She pointed to a part of the statue on its leg, turning Thorin's gaze to a path, easily hidden to the common eye. It was indented into the stone as it climbed up Durin's body in a jagged diagonal pattern. "That is the way to our destination."

And so they scaled the secret path in the statue, Talia leading with Thorin following close behind. As they climbed, the prince wondered how he had never seen such a pattern in the stone before. After their tedious trek, they crossed Durin's axe and stepped off of the statue, reaching a small, clear ledge embedded into the rock. Talia stood at it's edge, surveying the land below as Thorin joined her. From this height, they could see the great expanses of the world beyond Erebor and Dale, following the plains and forest until they reached the horizon line.

"My mother used to take me here when I was little to look at the stars." Talia said, bringing Thorin's attention back to her. "Though neither of us know exactly what that pathway is for, we always thought of it leading us to the light again. She says we come from the stars, and that this is where the first of our ancestors stood before reaching Middle Earth. Sometimes, it's hard to believe her." She laughed at herself, looking to her feet. "How could we relate to something so far away?"

"That sounds like the stories of the Elves." Thorin surmised. "Your mother hangs onto that small bit of her Elvish roots."

"Aye. But at least it got me this far. To you." Talia brushed her shoulder against his. "Me having no beard is what made us so close, right?"

Thorin turned to her, shaking his head. "No."

"What, then?"

He took her hands in his, drawing their bodies closer to one another. Looking down at them, he rubbed small circles into the backs of her hands. She shuddered slightly, leaning into his touch.

"I don't know. Maybe the stars."

Talia smiled softly, pressing a kiss to his hands before wrapping her arms around his neck. "Maybe."

Their lips met as their eyes fluttered closed, Talia winding her arms tighter around him with Thorin pulling her closer. He tilted his head to the side, letting a hand rest on her hip and the other hold the back of her neck. She deepened the kiss with more passion, their hesitancy dissipating almost immediately. Like their friends said, this was how it was meant to be between them. Finally, they felt it.

Eventually, they broke apart, their eyes meeting before Talia rested her head in the crook of his neck. For a while, they held each other, eyes closed as they listened to the scattered sounds of the night. She lifted her head, pressing a kiss to his neck and another to his lips before leaning her forehead on his. "You drive me mad, Thorin."

He released his breath, pulling her in for another kiss before they separated. Listening to how fast his heart was beating, he knew his response. "I could say the same about you."

Talia only grinned back, walking towards the path and beginning the trek back to Dale, Thorin following close behind. Like Balin had said, it was only a matter of time. And, as they knew, that dwarf was hardly ever wrong. Once they had reached Talia's home, they smiled, sharing one last kiss before Thorin broke away, chuckling softly at something behind her.

"What's so funny?"

"Turn around."

Behind them, her mother was at the door, her prior look of impatience now cast aside for one of amazement. Upon seeing her mother's face, Talia turned back to Thorin, placing two hands on his chest for support as she giggled. Looking up at him, she offered him a light smile. "Sorry."

"I'm sure she knew before we did." He replied, placing one more quick kiss on her lips before pulling away. "Goodnight, Talia."

"Goodnight, Thorin."

The prince smiled as he turned away, starting back for the mountain with a new lightness in his heart.

"Well done, lass!"

"MA! Keep your voice down!"

Thorin chuckled, hearing the door creak closed behind them. He'd have to make fun of her in the morning.

Talia sighed as she shooed her mother into the house, closing the door behind her in relief. She knew he'd make fun of her in the morning.