More Than Meets the Eye

Chapter Twenty-Four

A soft knock on the door roused Arielle from the unexpected nap she'd taken to ease the headache brought on by crying. She lay sprawled on the narrow sofa, and at first, thought the tapping was but part of the odd dream she'd been having.

"Arielle? Are you in there?"

She lifted her head at the note of concern in Thorin's voice, and swept a handful of curls out of her eyes to squint at the door. Another knock. "I'll be—I'll be right there..."

"Are you all right?"

"Yes, I just—I'm not—I fell asleep." She slowly sat up, swinging her legs over the edge of the cushions to rise onto unsteady feet. Her first step became a stumble, but she caught herself the arm of the sofa and righted herself. It took another step or two for her head to clear and when she opened the door, she said, "I'm sorry... I fell asleep."

"I didn't meant to wake you, of course, but I had no idea you were sleeping, either." He came into her flat, closing the door behind him. Then, he frowned at her.

"What? What's wrong?" She rubbed one eye with her fingertips. "Why are you glaring at me like that?"

"Your eyes are puffy and red. What happened? Were you crying?"

The concern in his voice made her eyes well up all over again. "No."

"Don't lie to me," he caught her face in his huge hands and tilted it to his. "What happened?"

"It's... I... ugh..." She pulled free of his grasp and leaned into him, her head coming to against his chest. "I've had better days, is all."

"Mesmel, things will get better." He folded her into his arms and pressed a kiss into the top of her head. "Come and I'll introduce you to everyone."

The last thing she wanted to do was join his kin in the Great Hall, where Kili would grin foolishly at her, and probably Fili would, too, for she had no doubt he told his brother what he'd interrupted. Her head pounded still and her stomach hurt and all she wanted was to crawl into a hole and never come out of it.

But, since she couldn't very well say that, she rested her chin against his chest and peered up at him. ""How is that going make everything better? Will they look right through me the way the staff does now? I don't belong up there with you and your sister and I really don't want to see your nephews, either, since I've no doubt Kili has told his brother exactly what happened and what I look like topless and I already know what most men think about my figure, which really isn't much of a figure at all since flat is hardly anything other than flat, and I'm sure he's made some jokes about comparing me to a board or perhaps a slab of marble since stonework is a skill of dwarves and I really—"

"Givashel," he caught her face between his palms and tilted it to his, "shhh...No one will look through you. They'll stare curiously at you, and welcome you to the table. Kili is not going to say anything with me and his mother sitting right there, and I really have no idea what you're going about with boards and marble and the like, but if you're comparing yourself to them, let me disabuse you of that notion at once. You're perfect, you know. More than a handful is just a waste anyway."

She offered up a long look. "More than a handful? Do you know how big they'd have to be to be more than a handful of one of your paws?"

He nodded. "Right. And yours fit perfectly in my paws, so..."

She rolled her eyes. "You have to say that, unless you want me to cry again."

His thumbs swept along her cheeks. "Again?"