Princess Under The Mountain.

Blue Eyes Did It Again.

''Someone has mentioned to me that you are going on a quest,'' the Elven King spoke. ''A quest to reclaim a homeland and slay a dragon.'' Thranduil was walking in circles around me and my father now. Legolas had stepped to the side to allow his father to speak to us. The Elven King knew just what to say to my father. As soon the Arkenstone was mentioned, father raised a single brow. ''I am offering you my help,'' Thranduil spoke and the small grin forming on Thorin's lips let me know that he was seriously thinking about accepting the help of the Woodland Elves.

''I am listening,'' father responded. Thranduil seemed to be surprised by the dwarven prince's response. ''I will let you go, but if you return what is mine.''

''A favor, for a favor,'' I muttered as my father turned his back towards Thranduil and gazed ahead into the palace. My slender, dark eyebrows furrowed slightly. ''You have my word,'' Thranduil began again. ''One King, to another.''

My father huffed, almost seeming amused until he spit out the words like they were venom on his tongue. He made sure everyone in the palace would hear his shouting, how he would insult his beloved king with facts. ''I would not trust, Thranduil, the great King, to only his word. Till the end of all days be upon us!''

Thorin turned around, pointing a finger at a seemingly shocked Elven King. It must have been a while since he had last been disrespected. 

''You, lack all honor! I have seen how you treat your friends! We came to you once, starving, homeless; seeking your help. My daughter was just a little dwarfling. But you turned your back! You, turned away from the suffering of my people and the inferno that destroyed us! May you die in dragon fire!''

Thranduil had enough. With just raising his hand, I was suddenly tugged backwards by my hair and I gasped out as I felt an Elvish blade press against my throat. This stopped my father, yet his hands were shaking in rage.

''Do not talk to me about dragon fire. I know it's wrath and ruin.  I have faced the great serpents of the North,'' the king spoke before one side of his face seemed to melt, almost. A mask he had been using for a while came off and we could all see the scars that meeting a dragon had left. ''I warned your grandfather of what his greed would summon, but he would not listen.'' Thranduil stepped back, his eyes going from me to my father. ''You are just like him. I hope your daughter is wiser, Thorin Oakenshield.''

Legolas took his blade away from my throat and grabbed my arms, following his father's orders to take us away. I turned to look up at him. He wasn't looking down at me anymore, no. His emotional state had changed completely to being ice-cold and heartless. It was like he had never been happy to see me in the first place. Both my father and I were thrown into cells where the other dwarves were and once my cell door was being locked, I extended my hand through the bars.

''Necklace.''

It was all I said to the Elven Prince, my blue eyes narrowed into slits as I wasn't quite certain if Legolas would return it. I saw his doubt, and it made me angry even though he ended up giving it to me anyway. Without a word, he left. By Mahal, are Elvish men always so difficult?

''Did he offer you a deal?,'' I heard Balin ask, my father's low grumbling must have been a response. ''He did. I told him he could go ishkh khakfe andu null. Him and all his kin!''

''Well, that's that then,'' Balin muttered. ''That deal was our only hope.''

It's not our only hope,'' I muttered to myself, curling up in a corner while using my fur jacket as a mattress. It was hot in these cells, but everything was better than having to lay on the ground. I've had enough of that.

~~

It was late, yet I hadn't been able to close my eyes yet. A female Elf had been on watch, and now she was talking to Kíli in the cell beside me. I rolled my eyes. What a Casanova. Her reactions to his words were making me want to barf.