Fire and Water ThorinxMermaid!OC

ꪻ᭙ꫀꪀꪻꪗ-ᦓꫀꪜꫀꪀ

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A day had passed since Smaug had attacked Lake-Town. The dragon has since been killed presumably by Bard. All of this had been told to her from one of the dwarves. Thorin had forbid Loreth from leaving his side he definitely wasn't the Thorin she knew. If there was any doubt left of Thorin continued to prove it even further.

Both Fili and Kili had returned to the mountain. Seeing Kili in good health released a weight off of Loreth's shoulders she didn't know was there. She couldn't deny that those young dwarves had weaseled their way into her heart. They brought Bofur and Oin along with them.

The brothers approached Loreth and she met them with a hug.

"Welcome, my sister's sons, to the great wealth of Erebor." Thorin gestured to the treasure around them. Even his nephews couldn't suppress their awe and wonderment.

Oin came up to Loreth, squinting, "oh, you don't look so good, Lori. Are ye feeling alright?"

Loreth shook her head and whispered, "no. Thorin hardly eats or sleeps, now he has requested that I do the same. He claims there is no time for it. Please, do you have anything? Whatever you've got, the babies need it."

Oin nodded before walking over to Bomber. Bomber immediately quit his searching and went over to his pack presumably to get some food for Loreth.

While the other dwarves were searching for the arkenstone, Bomber walked over the the starving woman. When he went to hand Loreth a plate of food that made her mouth water. Just as she was about to take the plate Thorin called out.

"There is no time for that, Bomber, keep looking for the stone." Thorin instructed from where he stood on a tall mound of coins.

"Thorin I'm so hungry," Loreth pleaded," I haven't eaten since yesterday. I fear what may happen to the babies if I don't eat something."

Thorin looked at her in deep thought, shoulders going up and down quickly as if he were angry with her.

"Eat quickly. The rest of you keep searching." He ordered. That was enough for Loreth and she scarfed down the plate of food. Her body desperately needing it.

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The company had searched for the damned stone for another day and found nothing. Thorin only grew more impatient. Thorin called a meeting of his closest followers to meet him at the throne.

Loreth hadn't seen the rest of Erebor but there was only two good words she could use to describe it. Green and spacious. The walk to the throne was hoisted high above the ground, structured out of thick green marbled rock. From there it was a long way down if you happened to slip. The height caused Loreth's stomach to jump into her throat she unknowingly grabbed Thorin for safety. Warranting her a small chuckle from him. He wrapped his arm around her waist to ensure that she would not fall.

Thorin sat in his throne and Loreth joined him at his side. He started to inform them the nature of this meeting, "I wanted to speak with you all privately. The arkenstone is somewhere here in these halls. I know it."

"They have searched and searched, Thorin." Loreth spoke up.

"Not well enough!" He snapped making Loreth jump.

Dwalin tried to reason with him, "Thorin, we would all see the stone returned."

"And yet it is still not found!" The king countered bitterly.

Balin sighed, "do you doubt the loyalty of anyone here?"

Loreth hadn't even thought of that being an option. If one of the company had the stone and wasn't returning it on purpose...was that good or bad? Loreth didn't know. She knew that that jewel crowns all for whatever reason, in Thorin's current state...perhaps it was better left unfound.

Thorin practically snarled at that and stood up in a rage, "the Arkenstone is the birthright of our people. It is the king's jewel. Am I not the king?!" He shouted that last part making Loreth shy away from him, now standing with Balin and Dwalin.

Thorin eyed them suspiciously, "know this: if anyone should find the stone, and withhold it from me, I will be avenged."

At that both Balin and Dwalin decided they'd heard enough and walked away, leaving Loreth with a deranged dwarf king.

His back was turned to her; she quietly came up behind him and wrapped her arms around him, she heard him let out a sigh.

"Darling, do you really believe that someone has taken it?" She softly whispered, it wasn't even enough to echo in the empty space of the room.

His hands came to rest on hers, "I have no other reason but to believe so, amrâlimê...did you take it?"

Loreth retracted her hands at that, "Thorin!"

He took her defensiveness as guilt, "did you take it?" He asked again eyes full of unnecessary hurt.

"Of course not, Thorin! How could you say such a thing?!"

"Where is it?" He advanced on her, grabbing her sides to prevent her from moving backwards. His rough hands searched her and held her wrists tightly.

"Ow! Stop! Let go! Thorin you're hurting me!" Tears fell down her cheeks from both pain and emotional hurt.

"Give it to me!" Thorin spoke but it wasn't his voice. It was deeper, darker, and laced with venom.

Loreth tried in one futile effort to get away from him when her left foot stepped off the elevated platform.

She shrieked, "Thorin!" She had fallen but luckily she had caught herself on the ledge, barely able to hold on by her fingertips. Her eyes were wide and full of fearful tears.

Something changed in Thorin then. He gasped and laid himself down on the platform, arms under her own.

"Loreth," he whispered tears in his own eyes, "I've got you." With one easy heave she was pulled back up and holding tight onto his torso as if her life depended on it. She sobbed into his fur robes.

Thorin pet her hair and trembled slightly as he did so, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I've put you and the babies in danger. I'm so s-sorry."

Loreth decided that that was the last straw. She pushed him off of her and stood up, " That is it Thorin. I could take not eating, I might've even been able to manage being treated like an object, but that...I cannot and will not forgive you for that." She ripped off her crown and tossed it at his feet. Thorin stared with wide eyes in hurt.

"You can have this back too," she pulled the ring off her finger and chucked it over the side of the platform. "How can you not see what you have become?! You're dangerous! The Thorin I fell in love with was a protector, he was caring, and kind. You are not him." Loreth began walking away from him but called out one last time, "Come find me when that Thorin is with us again."

Thorin was left sitting at the foot of the throne, eyes full of tears, wondering where he had gone wrong.

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