Someone to Watch Over Me

Chapter Twenty-Two

"Thorin, if I may?"

Thorin gritted his teeth as he turned toward Dwalin. "What is it? Have you found it yet?"

"No. There is no sign of it at all." Dwalin came closer. "You realize Seren has left, don't you? She's been gone for days now."

"Do not mention her name in my presence again." Thorin tried to ignore the way his gut cinched at the sound of her name. "I care not about any woman at the moment, least of all that treacherous one."

"She was not just any woman to you, though. She made you happy, happier than I've seen you in years."

"Think so, do you? Well, you're wrong. The only thing that will make me happy is finding that cursed stone already. Go back and see if that burglar has made any progress. If I find it in the possession of one of you, if I've been betrayed by my own kin—"

"We would never betray you."

"You would! You would all have no faith in me, just as that damned woman had no faith in me!"

"Do you even hear yourself, Thorin? You are a fool. You care only about gold and the Arkenstone and you ignore a threat of war because of your damned pride! You sent away the one woman who loved you, whom you loved in return."

"Speak not to me of love and that wretched woman who could not even give me a child! A one queen she would have been, unable to give me an heir."

"You have your heirs in Fili, in Kili."

"I want one of my own! A son to carry on my name! And she could not."

"It was beyond her control, Thorin and you would have understood that before. You wouldn't have cared about that. You had love, Thorin. And you threw it away like a petulant little boy." Dwalin shook his head. "You accuse her of being wretched, when it is you who is wretched, just as you accuse us of betrayal and yet you have no proof. You might wear a crown, but you are lower than you have ever been."

"Do not speak to me that way, as if I was some lowly dwarf-lord," Thorin growled, storming toward the doorway, where he paused and added, "As if I was still only Thorin Oakenshield. I am your king!"

"You've always been my king," Dwalin said softly. "Even when you never believed yourself to be one."

Thorin shook his head as he yanked his sword free and it arced wildly over his head, almost pulling him over on the process. "You need to go now," he growled, "before I kill you."

"You are making mistake after mistake, Thorin. You might not realize it, but you are. And when you do realize it... it will be too late."

"I MAKE NO MISTAKE!" His voice thundered all around them, bounced and echoed from wall to wall with enough force that Dwalin flinched. "I know exactly what I am doing."

Dwalin said nothing more, but his expression spoke volumes as he shook his head and took himself from Thorin's presence. Good. He brought nothing but foul news and mindless chatter.

And he had the gall to mention Seren, that faithless wretch, that useless, barren, bit—

No. He'd not waste another moment's thought on her. She wasn't worth it.

With that, he turned and stalked away. As he rounded the corner to the great hall, Kili approached him. "We need you on the rampart, Thorin. Thranduíl has demanded the return of the necklace or he will attack."

Thorin swore softly beneath his breath. "Very well. Let me deal with the damned elf."

He shoved by Kili to stride up to the rampart once more. An icy wind blew in from the north, lifting his hair away from his face, and the sunshine was bright enough it made him squint. He lifted the bow leaning against the parapet, and loaded an arrow into it.