A Fairy's Tale

Chapter Six

Thorin did not disappoint.

Frerin had discovered the elves of Mirkwood greatly enjoyed celebrations. They had a huge ballroom and he'd promptly dragged Bilba to it, insisting it was vitally important for her to see what an amazing dancer he was in a proper setting.

Bilba approved.

The floor of the room appeared to be the base of what had, at one time, been a massive tree. Rings spread out from the center, various areas lighter or darker shades of brown revealing when, in years past, there had been exceptionally heavy rain or similarly extreme drought. The floor had been lacquered and sanded to a flawlessly smooth, brilliant shine.

Frerin was ecstatic.

When Thorin appeared in the doorway Frerin didn't even pause but continued moving across the floor with Bilba. Thanks to him, she'd started picking up on a lot of the dance moves he'd learned as a child in Erebor and was able to match him, their moves an easy glide across the floor.

"Frerin."

"Here to thank me are you, brother?" He did not look at Thorin as he spoke, his eyes locked on Bilba's.

"I will not deal with that elf," Thorin growled.

"You didn't," Frerin replied. "I did."

"Frerin--"

"Let's see where our respective strategies have taken us, shall we?" Frerin asked, not breaking step in the dance routine he and Bilba were going through. "Mine got us a place to stay for the night, supplies and an aid from the elves in dealing with the dragon. Your strategy--" Here he finally stopped dancing with Bilba to look at his brother, "got you thrown in the dungeons."

Thorin glowered. "That elf--"

"Is a king just as our grandfather was," Frerin said, "and came to aid us in spite of how badly Grandfather treated him, particularly at the end. He also came to our aid in spite of the fact that it was our own damn fault a dragon attacked. When he saw we were fleeing safely, and the dragon was already inside in a confined space where it could hide under mountains of treasure, he chose not to sacrifice his own people fighting it." He raised an eyebrow at Thorin. "Exactly what part of that justifies rejecting his help now? He's not even asking for a portion of the treasure, he simply wants jewels that, by right, already belong to him."

There was a muscle twitching in Thorin's jaw. From experience, Frerin knew it usually meant his brother was aware he was fighting a losing battle but his stubbornness and pride wouldn't let him admit it.

Thorin growled something under his breath, spun on one heel and marched out of the room.

***

Bilba watched him go with a worried frown. "He loves you," she said to Frerin. "You shouldn't fight."

"He'll be alright," Frerin said. "He just needs a little time for his ego to recover." She continued to give him a concerned look and he responded by tilting her chin up and kissing her.

Since Beorn's he'd been using pretty much everything as an excuse to kiss her so she wasn't particularly surprised.

"I have no intention of lording it over him that I was right," Frerin said, "or of making it widely known. I'm not interested in undermining his authority." He paused to kiss her again before pulling back to gaze into her eyes. "I just want you safe."

Bilba felt her face heat. "Are you sure I will be? In Erebor?"

"I am," Frerin said confidently. He hesitated and, for the first time, the briefest hint of uncertainly appeared in his eyes. "There's something I've been thinking of, since we left Beorn's."