Eclipse of Hearts ✔

4. Companions [Thorin]

"She's not coming back, majesty," a soft voice sounded behind him. 

Thorin looked over his shoulder, to the dwarf woman who stared at the ground. Her cheeks were red and she probably knew very well she meddled with other people's business. Although he did not answer, he turned his back to the path swinging through the forlorn fields. He didn't went outside often, for as soon as he did, things like this happened. Before he realized, he was wasting his time by staring in the distance, hoping to see an elf escort, although he knew very well she had no reason to come back.

"Dinner is ready."

One of his servants bowed his head humbly and Thorin nodded shortly. He walked to the dining room and sat down at the head side of the table. Kili sat to his right, but the chair to his left was empty. It would stay empty as long as his kingship endured.
Some dwarfs lifted the lids from the dishes and a lovely scent of food reached his nostrils. The first thing he however did, was taking a large sip from his cup that was filled with wine. Although he could not skip dinner, he found it the most horrible moment of the day, with the angry face of Kili next to him, who still refused to look him in the eye. Every time Thorin looked at his nephew, he was reminded of the moment that his blade cut through the flesh of his other nephew.

Thorin's glance wandered across the men sitting around the table. They mainly sat there for politeness-sake, because he fled from them the rest of the day. They were however the reason they were eating now so elaborately, despite the difficulty he felt when looking in their eyes, knowing they had seen a side of him that he wanted to forget about. He rather was surrounded by the dwarfs who had arrived later. They didn't remind him of Alyssae, although everyone in Erebor seemed to have heard of her.

While Thorin cut his venison in four, he thought about everything they had done the last months. The halls were clean, refined and rebuilt. Adjacent halls still needed to be taken care of, but every day new dwarfs trickled in, falling on their knees and declaring their willingness to become his servant.

In the meanwhile there were some hundreds of citizens and even some women. Even without the Arkenstone they accepted him as their king, although he punished everyone who dared to speak of that stone. Otherwise the Arkenstone could become a subject of discussion and he was afraid fanatic dwarfs would travel to Chyndall or Mirkwood without his permission, determined to bring back their gem. Only his former companions knew why he had given away the jewel, but he doubted that the rest of them would understand why he had exchanged their pride for the life of an elf they had never seen.

After dinner Vaughn tapped on his shoulder. He was a dwarf that Thorin had got to know just after Alyssae's departure. His sister and he had been one of the first who returned to the mountain and Thorin had welcomed them with open arms. He was a smart dwarf, who had shown his helpfulness many times. Thorin liked him, certainly because he knew nothing about the horrible things that had happened after the reconquest of Erebor, so that Thorin didn't need to feel ashamed when he looked him in the eye.

"I have to show you something."

Thorin shoved his chair back, wondering what could be so important, and led him to his private rooms.