32

"This is not the end of it! Do you hear me?!"

"Let us out of here!"

Talia rolled her eyes at the theatrics of the Company, who were all being shoved into cells. At her side, Thorin found himself wishing he could do the same. There was a reason Dwarves were considered daft; their stubbornness often overruled their wits. But it mattered not, for the Company would not be escaping the Woodland Realm unless the Elves wished it. The King and Queen watched the useless battle before them, sighing as their guards held their arms to their backs.

But another encounter caught Talia's eye as she watched Kili enter a cell. Of course, the cruel redhead, Tauriel, was the one who had been tasked to accompany him, which made Talia growl. However, Kili was not sharing the same discontent as his aunt. She listened in on their conversation, her curiosity overcoming her politeness.

"Aren't you going to search me? I could have anything down my trousers."

"Or nothing." Tauriel smirked back, ignoring the Dwarf's cheeky statement and walking off.

Talia could not believe her eyes. Here they were, being imprisoned by the Elves who continuously disrespected their kind, and the Dwarf prince himself was flirting with his captor!

When Thorin heard her gasp, he thought someone had died. "Mahal, Talia, what is it?"

"Damn our nephew."

Thorin looked up at the She-Elf as she walked past, seeing the ghost of a smile on her lips. Kili also wore a grin in his cell, moving away from the bars once Tauriel was gone. Thorin glanced at his wife, who only nodded intensely with pursed lips.

"Yep."

Thorin rolled his eyes. Now Talia was the one being dramatic. "He doesn't know any better."

"Really? Then why is she so happy?"

"Perhaps she's never seen a Dwarf with a bow."

"Or a Dwarf that flirts back." Talia scoffed, shifting her weight despite the presence of her guard. "If he was a woman, I'd call him a whore."

Thorin had to stifle his laugh before Legolas returned, leaving his small conference with the She-Elf. Surely, the prince recognized them now, for Tauriel had been the one to recognize Talia.

"Bring them to the throne." Legolas commanded the guards, barely sparing the pair a glance. "My father wishes to meet them."

As Thorin and Talia were led up from the dungeons, they exchanged a glance. The Company was throwing themselves at the bars of their cells, trying their hardest to break them down. Yet Balin saw the pair leave, and he knew that they were their chance of escape. The false hope that the bars would magically break would get the Company nowhere.

"Leave it! There is no way out!" The advisor sighed, leaning against the wall in defeat. "This is no Orc dungeon! These are the Halls of the Woodland Realm. No one leaves here, but by the King's consent."

Thorin and Talia could hear Balin's words echo throughout the kingdom as they were led through the halls. The passages were not built of stone; instead, steps carved into the wood of massive trees supported their journey. Similar to Rivendell, the lights that scattered the high ceilings were angelic. But in a way, they also gave the illusion of an ever-watchful, unnerving presence. Maybe it was because Thorin and Talia both hated these Elves beyond belief, but the Woodland Realm seemed to be the most sinister place their Company had been to yet.

When Legolas finally took them to the throne, he stepped aside, going back to the dungeons to monitor the other Dwarves. The King and Queen were left to conference with the Elf-King alone, which they did not deem wise in their minds. They doubted they would need arms to kill the bastard where he stood, considering the anger coursing through their veins.

Thranduil sat atop a throne carved into the wood, regal and cold as ever. The structure allowed for beautiful branches to form, but their jagged edges were threatening. His crown was similar in fashion, though the pointed ends of the branches were decorated with the berries of the season. Nothing else adorned his platinum blond hair, which fell around his sharp jaw and piercing blue eyes. His garb was made of the finest satin, cascading from his person in hues comparable to autumn leaves and pure starlight. The Elf-King appeared intimidating to most, which was equated by his character. But Thorin and Talia were barely deterred, for their eyes only saw red when it came to Thranduil.

He didn't even bother with their titles; he knew them already. What concerned the Elf-King most was their current business, for he had his own position on the matter. "Some may imagine that a noble quest is at hand. A quest to reclaim a homeland and slay a dragon." He drawled, descending from his throne and pacing around them. "I myself suspect a more... prosaic motive. Attempted burglary, or something of that ilk."

Talia held back the urge to spit when his face met theirs, taking in their features carefully. He was trying to read them, to get information, and he would be highly mistaken if he expected anything from her. "Tell me, Thranduil, is it burglary if it is rightfully ours?"

"What is just and what is reality are two different things, Talia Rue." Thranduil replied in an indifferent tone, belittling her name as if she were a child. "You, of all people, should know that."

"How so?"

"Perhaps darker forces in Middle Earth deemed your capture beneficial, but the light in the world has always disagreed. It sat back and waited for justice to come your way, instead of fighting the reality that confined you. However, you made your own justice your reality upon your escape. For that, I have always respected you. Such action is very admirable."

But before Talia could give the Elf-King a lesson on respect, Thorin interrupted the conversation. "What does justice and reality have to do with our quest?"

"You are the rightful heirs to the throne, as the Queen herself states. There is no denying that." Thranduil began, walking so inconspicuously behind them that he barely made a noise. "But the reality is that a dragon has taken that throne and resides in that domain. It is his now, no matter how unjust it is."

"If Smaug the Terrible is your worry, then it is misplaced." Talia spoke lowly, for she feared she would snap if her voice rose. "We have no intentions to wake that beast, not until we have substantial reinforcements."

"Clearly; you would be fools to face him alone. But in order to gain these reinforcements, you need to call upon and unify them somehow... and I can only think of one way to do so."

Thorin and Talia exchanged a glance as the Elf-King circled in front of them, knowing he had discovered their deeper motive.

"You have found a way in. You seek that which would bestow upon you the right to rule." Thranduil answered his own query, a small smile forming on his face. "The King's Jewel; the Arkenstone. It is precious to you beyond measure. I understand that."

Talia watched him carefully, eyeing the Elf-King with a narrowed gaze. Beings like him rarely offered such sentiment, no matter how dry, unless they wanted something in return. But Thorin already knew what he wanted, and he smirked to himself before the words even left Thranduil's tongue.

"There are gems in the mountain that I too desire— white gems of pure starlight. I offer you my help."

Thranduil bowed his head slightly to them, closing his eyes in humility. Talia looked like she wanted to gouge those eyes right out of him for even suggesting such, but Thorin glared at her to stay silent. Yes, a Woodland Elf offering the Dwarves of Erebor help was laughable, but it was Thorin's duty as King to at least hear his offer.

"I am listening."

"I will let you go, if you but return what is mine."

"A favor for a favor."

"You have my word. One King to another."

But Talia could not stand another second of the falsities. Thranduil had spat lie after lie, showering them with kind speech to get what he wanted, and Talia could see right through him. She would not, and could not, allow the Elf-King to win, not after he had taken everything from them. Now, she wanted him to feel the loss of his precious gems, one of the few things that meant something to him, because it was finally her turn to take something back.

"What is yours?! Your word?! Nothing in that mountain belongs to you, and it never will!" She roared, causing the Elf-King to snap his head towards her in surprise. "Nothing of my people will ever be yours; not those jewels, not our respect, nothing! Because you, O Great Thranduil of the Mirkwood, lost that long ago, when you valued your people to be more important than ours. When you decided that we were unworthy of your kind, or any sort of humanity!"

She stepped closer to the Elf-King, her chin tilted up high. When the guards came to grab her, Thranduil raised a hand to stop them. His shock was visible, but he would not let that deter him.

"A true King would understand the necessity of kindness to others, for this world is far too unforgiving and cruel. But you are no King— you are a weasel, too scared to face the wrath of Middle Earth should it displace one pretty hair on your head. You disgust me."

Thranduil remained silent, his stare intense and unyielding on the Queen. All spectators were in complete shock, having never heard such blasphemy regarding their King. When the passion had died down, Thranduil took two steps towards Talia, looking down at her as if she were an insect he wanted to squash.

"As if a Half-Blood would understand the motives of a King."

Thorin fumed from behind his wife, both of their chests heaving with pent-up energy.

"How dare yo—"

"Take her away." Thranduil waved at the guards, who hauled Talia down the stairs before she could speak her piece. She went kicking and screaming, her fury being tenfold than ever before. Thorin watched as the guards handled her roughly; now, it was his turn to be angry.

"I know of the stubbornness of Dwarves; believe me, I do." Thranduil continued, his stride becoming more urgent and jagged than before. "But I must ask you once more, for those gems mean more to me than any other prize. Again, from one King to another— you have my word."

Maybe if Thorin hadn't turned to the hill and seen Thranduil that day, he would feel different. Maybe if he hadn't endured the hardships following the dragon fire and watched his people suffer, he would feel different. Maybe, just maybe, the Elf-King's terms would have been negotiable under any other circumstance.

But negotiation was out the window as soon as those guards laid a hand on Talia.

"I would not trust Thranduil, the great King, to only his word, till the end of all days be upon us!"

Thranduil was taken aback by his words, his sharp blue eyes focusing on Thorin in shock.

"You," He pointed to the Elf-King, his finger shaking in anger. "Lack all honor! I have seen how you treat your friends. We came to you once, starving, homeless, seeking your help. But you turned your back. You turned away from the suffering of my people and the inferno that destroyed us! May you die in dragon fire!"

"Do not talk to me of dragon fire!" Thranduil barked back, his voice low and sinister. He had crept towards Thorin, meeting him face to face. The Dwarf was shocked he understood the language. "I know it's wrath and ruin. I have faced the great serpents of the North."

Suddenly one side of Thranduils face became distorted, showing only bone and some semblance of muscle around it. His skin was gone, his left eye clouded white. But as soon as the image had come, it dissipated once more when Thranduil backed away. Thorin quickly hid his shock after the Elf-King's face returned to normal, no longer showing any sign of the injury that once was.

"I warned your grandfather of what his greed would summon, but he would not listen." Thranduil turned his back to Thorin, beginning to walk up the steps to his throne. "You are just like him."

Before Thorin could protest, the Elf-King motioned for his guards to grab ahold of him. He struggled against their grasp and growled at the weasel on the throne, unable to fight them off as they led him down to the dungeons.

"Stay here, if you will, and rot. A hundred years is a mere blink in a life of an Elf. I am patient; I can wait."

The Elf-King's words echoed through his ears as he was dragged from the throne room and thrown into a cell. The guard slammed the door shut behind him, trapping the King in between his wife and his closest advisor. The latter of the two, who had tried to get answers out of Talia about the meeting, now turned to Thorin. Talia was in no mood to talk.

"Did he offer you a deal?" Balin asked, looking between the pair. The Company also watched eagerly, hopeful beyond hope of their King's success.

Talia could only scoff in response. "Let him tell you."

"He did." Thorin began, a scowl beginning to form on his features. "I told him he could go ishkh khakfe andu null. Him and all his kin!"

Balin sighed, defeat in his eyes. As much as he admired his King and Queen for their pride, that had been the time to swallow it. "Well, that's that, then. A deal was our only hope."

"Not our only hope."

...

Hours had passed since Thorin and Talia had met with Thranduil. The Company sat in their cells, their prior restlessness gone. It was clear that there was no escaping the Woodland Realm, especially considering the failure that had been the negotiation involving the King and Queen.

Thorin sat with his back pressed to the wall adjoining his and Talia's cells. Unknowingly, she had done the same, leaning on the smooth wood. Thorin had his eyes closed while his head rested on the stone, as if doing so would make the hobbit magically appear. Meanwhile, Talia was playing with the charm on her pendant, running her fingers along the smooth iron.

"Do you think he'll come?"

Talia shrugged at his answer before realizing that he could not see her. "Don't know." She whispered back. "There's no telling if he's even within the gates."

"He's light on his feet. Surely he snuck past."

"Maybe." Talia agreed passively, her focus on her necklace. Ever since Tauriel had told her of the bar's origin, she hadn't been able to get it out of her head.

"What's on your mind?"

"Who said something's on my mind?"

"I've known you all my life, Talia. I don't need to see you to read you."

She chuckled softly, the sound like music to Thorin's ears. "When the Elves caught us in the forest, one recognized the charm on my necklace."

"The tooth?"

"No, the bar. My mother's charm."

Thorin was slightly impressed. "I didn't know it had any meaning, aside from it being hers."

"Neither did I." Talia agreed, tucking the chain back into her tunic. "I should've known better, considering the quality of the metal. It symbolizes my title as Lady of Dale; it must've been passed down for generations. She probably received it upon marriage to my father."

Thorin took in the information, mulling over her words. He had known of her nobility beyond their relationship, but it was so rare of her to speak of any family but her mother. As long as he could remember, Theresa had been the only one in Talia's life, since her father had abandoned them at such a young age. But he would never forget the day that Talia discovered who her father was, for it was the day that she had come running into his arms, crying soot and ash as a survivor of dragon fire. Girion, the Lord of Dale, had not only failed Talia that day, but also failed the kingdom of Erebor when he did not succeed in slaying Smaug. Thorin had not only held Talia all those years ago as she sobbed over Girion, but had also picked up the remnants of his people that he had left in the dust. The man was long dead by now, but he was another that Thorin would never forgive.

But the way Talia was remembering him now seemed different. Her typical anger and sadness was replaced with wistfulness, one that Thorin had never seen before. So many questions filled his head, but eventually he settled on one.

"Does knowing help?"

"Help what?"

"Do you feel closer to him?"

Talia considered his words, thinking carefully. "I never knew my father as the Lord of Dale. I did not see him as a Man who treated his Lady with kindness, bestowing upon her jewelry and other gifts. That was long before my time. That was when they were happy."

The necklace felt heavier on Talia's neck as her green eyes became dejected. "I knew my father as the drunk who stumbled his way through our house because the public should not have seen him do so. I saw him as a Man who argued with his Lady in a hazy rage, one that they both fell into. That was when he tried to be a husband, a father. But it was for naught. That was the first of his failures, and we both know it was not his last."

Talia swallowed, trying to push down her emotion. "This representation of him seems false. If anything, I feel more distant from him than ever before. I feel as though I wear a lie."

"You are more of a leader than he ever was. It is no lie as long as you wear it, Talia."

Talia smiled at her husband's words. She wished he could see her gratitude. "Thank you."

But as their conversation continued, others found different ways to pass the time. Kili held a stone in his hand, smiling as he ran his thumb over the Khuzdul runes. He could remember his mother's frustration as she had carved them, cursing him and the gods all the while. Holding the stone reminded him of home, but he couldn't wait to make Erebor his new home. He vowed then that he would be the first to welcome Dis into it's halls once more.

Kili started tossing it up and catching it, making a small game to pass the time. However, the She-Elf that had saved him patrolled close by, conducting her watch around the dungeons. Tauriel walked up to Kilis cell, intrigued by the item.

"The stone in your hand," She began, stopping in front of Kili behind the bars. Her hair was as red as fire, and even more beautiful than he had remembered. "What is it?

"It is a talisman." He teased, keeping his joke to himself as Tauriel looked to him for clarification. "A powerful spell lies upon it. If any but a Dwarf reads the runes on this stone..." He shook his head, mourning the make-believe misfortunate. "They will be forever cursed!"

He thrust the stone against the bars, making Tauriel take a step back. She looked at him for a moment, knowing she was the victim of the Dwarf's games, and turned to leave.

But Kili found himself regretting his sense of humor for the first time in his life. He did not want the She-Elf to leave, at least from his own stupidity. "Or not, depending on whether you believe in that kind of thing. It's just a token."

Tauriel smiled and faced him yet again, enjoying the sound of his soft chuckles.

"A Rune Stone. My mother gave me it to me so I'd remember my promise."

"What promise?"

"That I would come back to her." Kili replied, looking away from Tauriel and down. He could practically feel Dis smacking him for speaking with an Elf in such a manner. But he had only made one promise to his mother, and that wasn't it. "She worries. She thinks I'm reckless."

Tauriel grinned, quirking a brow playfully. "Are you?"

Kili shook his head, looking up at her with a smirk. He could make out the specks of green in her hazel eyes. "Nah."

He tossed the stone in the air once more. But before he could stop it, it fell through the bars, sending the Dwarf's arm reaching through the metal. Wordlessly, Tauriel placed her foot down gently, stopping it from rolling away. She picked it up with a smile, taking in the unique look of the stone before turning back to Kili.

Talia looked on as the She-Elf sat on the steps by Kili's cell, conversing out of her earshot. A small smile formed on Talia's lips as Tauriel handed the stone back to Kili, listening they exchanged stories of the moons and stars above.

"I was wrong about her."

"What?" Thorin asked her, his eyes also focused on his nephew.

"I was wrong. That was the She-Elf that searched me." Talia explained to him, her smile widening. "She seemed different when we first met, different than the other Elves. I asked her why she had saved Kili, but she took to insulting our kind instead. I now realize that Legolas standing guard on the conversation influenced her response. She didn't want to admit that she cared about a Dwarf's life, especially to her superior."

"That is unlike any Elf."

"Lying? Indeed."

"No. Care of a Dwarf's life."

Talia pursed her lips at the thought. "Well, the sentiment has extended beyond that. I think Tauriel has gone from caring about a Dwarf's life to caring about a Dwarf."

"She's bored is all." Thorin rolled his eyes. Although he was the romantic one, Talia always had been the dreamer of the two.

"Are you serious? Look at them!"

"Talia, she's an Elf. He's a Dwarf."

"Some Elves are different." Balin interjected, no longer caring to hide his eavesdropping. If he had learned anything during his time in Rivendell, it was that the kind of Elf really did matter when judging the race.

"Thank you." Talia agreed with her friend, laughing slightly at his entrance.

"I don't think they can be that different." Dwalin backed Thorin's argument, his voice echoing from the other side of Talia's cell.

"Alright, care to wager?" Talia projected her voice, setting up the bargain between her husband and friends. "Ten gold pieces to Balin and I when they fall in love."

"If they fall in love."

"So you're in?" Talia asked her husband, making him huff in annoyance. She knew he wasn't one for a bargain, but she loved it when she could prove him wrong.

"Fine."

But bets could only last the Company so long, for their first day in captivity was drawing to a close. Their time in the Woodland Realm was beginning to feel permanent, since their lives lacked a miracle. Although Thorin and Talia had tried not to get their hopes up, they discovered they had done so when their disappointment regarding the hobbit surfaced. The Company had fallen nearly silent, feeling trapped in their new reality.

"I'll wager the sun is on the rise. Must be nearly dawn." Bofur observed.

"We're never gonna reach the mountain, are we?" Ori asked.

But then, their miracle appeared. Bilbo grinned at the Dwarf, his features that of joy and determination as he rounded the corner.

"Not stuck in here you're not."