Illegal love ~ the skinchanger book 1 *under construction*

Part 14

"Aspect," a voice tried to wake her up from her deep sleep. "Aspect! Wake up!" Aspect, who was laying curled up like a puppy on the floor, though still in human-form, slowly opened her eyes. Bilbo stood over her. "We are leaving."

"I... I am sorry," Aspect murmured sleepy. "I forgot the time." As soon as Aspect stood on her feet, she could feel a heavy dizziness appear. She grabbed onto the nearest chair.

"No worries, come on," Bilbo whispered, not noticing Aspect's sickness as he followed Balin. They could both hear Thorin argue with Bain, Bard's son, but suddenly the boy got quiet.

"Follow me!," Thorin said in the front of the line.

The Company hid behind some boats as two watchmen passed by. Aspect had to lean against the boats.

"As soon as we have the weapons, we make our way straight for the mountain," Thorin commanded in a whispering voice. The guards passed. "Go, go!" The dwarves and Bilbo started running towards the armory, but Aspect didn't make it far before darkness covered her sight, and she fell.

None of the dwarves, who was already far away, noticed, but the guards turned quickly around. They looked at each other with surprise when they noticed her white hair, with her white, fluffy ears.

The next thing Aspect remembered, was waking up inside of the Master's mansion. She lay in a soft bed, with a glass of water on the nightstand. Her stomach was pounding, and so did her head. Still, she stood up to take a look around.

Aspect didn't make it far through the hall, before she met a pair of guards. They bowed deeply, and greeted her. "This way to the great hall, ma'am," one of them said. Aspect nodded thankful, and followed them.

They led her into a room with some kind of throne in it, where a man sat. He smiled satisfied when he saw her. "Princess Aspect," he said happily. "I am glad to see you are awake." He studied her. "Because it is you, right? It would have been very embarrassing for me to send words to King Thranduil about your appearance, if it turns out not to be you."

"I am sorry, my Lord, but I do not understand," Aspect answered polite. "I am, indeed, Aspect, but I do not think I am the princess you are looking for. I have not been adressed with that name for many, many years."

"But you do have the white ears and the white hair, which I remember so dearly from Thranduil's descriptions. He and Prince Legolas have been looking for you for a long time," the Master said. "And I am glad to tell them I found you. That will only strengthen our relationship with the Woodland Realm."

"Have you sent words to Thranduil?," Aspect asked shocked, though she already had made the assumption that Thranduil knew that The Company would stop by Lake Town.

"No, not yet," the Master said, and as he was drawing his breath, Aspect took the words away from him.

"Then do not. They do not need to know where I am, because I want to surprise them," Aspect said, eyes flickering with lights of green, but the Master didn't seem to notice. "I was on my way there, but I had some problems on my journey. That is all. I just needed to rest here for a little."

"Then stay as long as you want," the Master said, smiling. "The town is not itself. The people need hope - something to look up to. You are the perfect thing. Everyone in this town have heard about the brave Princess Aspect and all of her journeys with Prince Legolas. Help this town get it hopes up. Help me get my power back." The Master almost whispered the last sentence, but Aspect caught it.

"I am sorry, but I cannot," Aspect answered. She could hear an uproar on the outside of the mansion.

"Please, dear Princess Aspect," the Master begged. Aspect froze every time word 'princess' was mentioned. "Please stay here, rest. Give the people new hope."

"I am sorry to interrupt, Master, but the guards have caught a handful of dwarves," a familiar voice suddenly said behind Aspect. Aspect turned around, and in front of her stood the face and body of the voice named Alfrid, which she had heard on the boat earlier. "Ah, Princess Aspect," he said, bowing deeply. "I am glad to see you are awake, but please, Master. You are needed."

The Master sighed loudly, before standing up and grabbing his coat. Aspect followed after him, out through the front doors. "What is the meaning of this?," he asked loud.

"We caught them stealing weapons, Master," one of the guards answered, looking at the thirteen dwarves and the hobbit standing in front of him. Aspect smiled by the sight of Fili, who did the same when he noticed Aspect behind the Master.

"This is a bunch of mercenaries if ever there was, sire," Alfrid added with his snake-motions.

"Hold your tongue. You do not know whom you speak. This is no common criminal; this is Thoin, son of Thrain, son of Thror!," Dwalin exclaimed.

"We are the dwarves of Erebor!," Thorin yelled, looking around at the people who had gathered around them. The crowd gasped. "We have come to reclaim our homeland. I remember this town and the great days of old. Fleets of boats lay at harbor, filled with silks and fine gems. This was no forsaken town on a lake! This was the center of all trade in the North." The crowd yelled in agreement. "I would see those days return. I would relight the great forges of the dwarves and send wealth and riches flowing once more from the halls of Erebor!" People started cheering.

Suddenly, Bard broke though the applause. "Death! That is what you will bring upon us. Dragon-fire and ruin. If you awaken that beast, it will destroy us all." People gasped.

"You can listen to this naysayer, but I promise you this; if we succeed, all will share in the wealth of the mountain - you will have enough gold to rebuild Esgaroth ten times over!," Thorin answered. The crowd started murmuring in a happy tone around them. The Master smiled satisfied.

"All of you! Listen to me! You must listen! Have you forgotten what happened to Dale?!," Bard yelled. People stopped murmuring. They shook sad on their head by the thought. "Have you forgotten those who died in the firestorm?"

"No!," the crowd yelled in unison.

"And for what purpose? The blind ambition of a mountain-king so riven by greed, he could not see beyond his own desire!" Thorin and Balin locked eyes. The Master stepped forward.

"Now, now, we must not, any of us, be too quick to lay blame. Let us not forget that it was Girion, Lord of Dale, your ancestor, who failed to kill the beast!," the Master said, looking at Bard. Angry murmuring could be heard from the people.

"It is true, sire. We all know the story: arrow after arrow he shot, each one missing its mark," Alfrid shot in. People started yelling angrily at Bard.

Bard stepped up to Thorin. "You have no right, no right to enter that mountain!," Bard said to him.

"I have the only right," Thorin said, turning to the Master. "I speak to the Master of the men of the Lake. Will you see the prophecy fulfilled? We have already brought you the Princess of the Woodland Realm. Will you share in the great wealth of our people?" Silence. "What say you?"

A smile appeared on the Masters face. "I say unto you, and the dear Princess Aspect.. Welcome! Welcome and thrice welcome, King under the Mountain and Princess of the Woodland Realm!" People cheered loudly. Bard and Thorin stared at each other, as Thorin stepped a few steps up the stairs. Aspect met him in the middle of the stairs. For the first time, a smile appeared at Thorin's face, and it was meant for Aspect. He grabbed her arm and lifted it up in the air, cheering with the people.

Aspect had a hard time smiling. First of all because of the great pain she was in, but also the fact that Thorin had used something he hated, to turn people to his side. Maybe Bard was right, that all of this was a bad idea - but she couldn't turn back now.

"Let us celebrate!," she heard the Master yell.

And the people of Lake-Town threw the Company of Thorin Oakenshield and their lost, but now found Aspect, Princess of Mirkwood, a great celebration for good fortune. A great feast was thrown, followed by drinking and dancing.

Out there, among all of the happy townspeople dancing, was Aspect and Fili all night, dancing together. And for just one night, Aspect forgot all about her pain and worries.