Something in the Night

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Perhaps she shouldn't have been surprised to see how quickly Dís was able to arrange the celebration of the King Under the Mountain's betrothal. After all, she knew dwarves loved a good party and Dís certainly struck her as a woman who, when she set her mind to a task, let nothing deter her from her goal.

But, that didn't stop Nina from being almost slack-jawed as Thorin escorted her into the Great Hall after sunset that evening, as Dís had gone far and above anything Nina could have even imagined.

The tables had been rearranged to encircle the center of the hall, and at one end, a separate table had been set up for two. Candelabras of gold and silver stood upon each table, each holding six elegant white tapers, whose dance flames bathed the room in gold and sparkled merrily off the cut crystal of the wine decanters and goblets at each place setting.

Fairy lights had been strung around the ceiling's perimeter, matching the soft golden glow of the candles and she couldn't help but smile at the sounds of musicians warming up.

"Dís has outdone herself," Thorin murmured as they stepped into the transformed room. "And it has been a lifetime since this hall last saw a celebration of this size."

"I've never been to a celebration of this size," she said without thinking, gazing up at the iron and glass chandeliers also ablaze with candles. "Only the Master had the funds for such things and my family was not on his guest list."

He turned to her, catching both her hands in his. "I've been to one of his parties and although the drink was quite good, his taste in food left much to be desired, and he believed his company all the entertainment one needed. Which made us all thankful for the ale that flowed so freely."

"You meant to tell me he had no music that night?"

"Not a single note."

"Really?"

He nodded. "Really. If it wasn't for the ale and wine..."

"Surely he had pretty women there for you to admire. He was always fond of pretty women around him, no matter how repulsed they were by him."

Thorin pursed his lips for a moment. "There was one pretty woman, but she was left out in the snow that night."

A wink accompanied his words and she rolled her eyes even as she smiled. "Spare me, please."

His laughter rang out, booming across the room with enough force that the musicians went silent and Dís emerged from a back room with a smile as well. "I wasn't expecting either of you just yet," she said as she strode toward them. "Dwalin was supposed to stall you a bit longer."

"Dwalin?" Thorin shook his head. "I haven't even seen him all day."

Dís offered up a mischievous grin. "That would be because you and Miss Carren snuck off somewhere to be alone."

Nina's cheeks grew warm, but Thorin only laughed again. "And how do you know this?"

"I bumped into Elisin as she was readying to leave," Dís replied, her smile fading. "She was not at all happy."

"She's trouble," Nina said without thinking, "and I cannot say I'm sorry she's leaving soon."

Thorin's fingers tightened about hers. "Nor can I, which is a shame, since she wasn't always trouble."

"Well, in her defense," Dís replied, "she did think she'd be queen."

Thorin glared at his sister. "Neither here nor there and really not the time nor place, Dís."

To her credit, Dís blushed. "Oh, I beg your pardon, Miss Carren, that was terribly rude of me. I—I don't know why I thought I should say that at all."