tolkien one shots

pride and prejudice {thorin} (c)

melamin: my love
amrâlimê: my love

word count: 1409
"I am sorry, Master Dwarf." Your words were sincere, even if he did not believe them.

"If you came to annoy me you are doing a great job," came the disgruntled reply from within the cell.

"I came with food," was your reply, placing some large pieces of bread onto the cell floor. You did not wait for a response; you had already moved on to the next cell. Thorin did not long ponder your visit, and was weary of the food. Eventually, his hunger beat his common sense, and he took a small bite of the sweetest bread he had ever tasted, and before he knew it, his hunger was gone after just a few bites.

"Master Dwarf," you greeted once again when you came the next day, placing more bread on the ground.

"What is it called? The bread?" His voice was quiet, as though he did not want to be overheard.

"Lembas," you replied quickly, giving the dwarf a small smile before moving on. This time, Thorin watched your next interaction, noticing how you did not speak. It filled him with a sense of pride; you obviously knew a leader when you saw one.

After days of this routine, with Thorin suspicious but optimistic, he decided to speak up. "Why do you help us, elf?"

You had been waiting for him to ask. "It was unfair of my king to throw you in here without first understanding why you had come, or at the very least hearing you out." You leaned closer with a smile. "Between you and I, Master Dwarf, his prejudices often get in the way of friendships. I am not so blind." With that, you were off, leaving Thorin behind, flabbergasted. He was surprised you spoke so freely about your king. He was going to question you, but he was not one to look a gift pony in the mouth, and when you came back the next day he simply thanked you, noticing how you smiled at his words.

It was a week after the initial dropping off of bread that you and Thorin had a proper conversation.

"How are you managing to sneak down here everyday? Does your king not forbid it?"

"He does," you confirmed with a bright smile. "But I do not listen."

Thorin blinked. "You disobey a king's direct order? Have you no loyalty?"

You stifled a bit. "I have loyalty, Master Dwarf, but I also have morals. I know what is right and wrong; I do not follow blindly."

You continued to surprise him. He wondered if more elves were like you. "I did not mean any offence. Forgive me."

"I suppose I can," you teased. "Now I would love to remain and speak with you, Master Dwarf, but I think your companions would complain at my absence." With a smile and a wink you were off, floating down the hallway. Thorin watched you, a foreign feeling in his heart.

At the beginning of the second week, you did not come, and Thorin found himself worrying. He somehow managed to convince himself that it was merely because he would not eat well today.

A different elf came that day, with long red hair flowing down her back. She dropped off the bread without a word and stepped away- but hesitated and turned back to him, gaze focused on the ground.

"(Y/N) will return tomorrow. They had business to attend to." So that was your name, Thorin mused to himself. He found that this elf's voice was nothing like yours, and Thorin was shocked to notice that he hated her formal tone. Upon realising that the elf was waiting for a response, Thorin grunted and took the lembas- albeit a bit unwilling. He found that he rather missed you. A cold feeling enveloped him as understanding dawned.

True to the elf's word, you returned the next day, but you were not your usual self. You placed the lembas in the cell slowly, with no smile and no greeting.

"Where were you yesterday?" He asked before he knew his mouth was open, but he decided he did not regret asking.

You kept your eyes away from his. "Around." Your attempt at a joke fell flat, and Thorin frowned. Something had happened yesterday.

At that moment you fell, face contorted in pain, arm clutching your side.

Thorin rushed forward, face wedged between the bars of his cell, one arm reaching towards you. You stayed him by holding a hand out for his to grab.

"Help me up," you breathed heavily. He nodded, gripping your small hand in his, slowly helping you onto your feet.

"What happened?" Thorin whispered as you leaned heavily on one side.

"Spider attack. One caught me off-guard. My father insisted I stay with the healer even though I was fine."

"You don't look fine," he muttered under his breath.

"And you don't look like a king, and yet you are," came your snarky response. You immediately regretted it when the dwarf's face fell. "Forgive me, melamin."

Thorin shook his head. "There is nothing to forgive; you are right, amrâlimê."

Both of you stared at each other, not having prior knowledge as to what the strange words meant but somehow, at the same time, knowing exactly what they meant. Something had changed between you and the dwarf, and you knew your father would disapprove, but you rather didn't care as you leaned in close, resting your forehead against the dwarf's. You plainly forgot the world around you as your foreheads separated and you gazed into each other's eyes. It was impossible to know who leaned in first; impossible to know who wanted it more.

Just before your lips touched, light footfalls coming down the stairs halted your movements, and Thorin grew confused as you pulled away, face contorted in pain as you put some distance between you. Understanding flashed across his face as he noticed the elf from yesterday approaching. She said something to you in elvish, and he watched your face twist into a frown. With a curt nod, you turned back to Thorin, making the other elf frown, but she went back up the stairs swiftly after a tense few moments.

"Forgive me, for my father has noticed my absence from the healer's." You looked down, biting your lip. "When I return, we will finish what we started." With a bright smile that took his breath away, you bowed your head and made your way up the stairs slowly, your side clearly hurting you.

Thorin found that he rather couldn't wait for your return tomorrow, and found himself entirely disappointed when Bilbo appeared at his cell instead of you. He was ashamed to admit that he snapped at the poor hobbit, but upon hearing that he had an escape plan, his heart soared- and then dropped. If he left, he would never see you again. Thorin allowed himself one last look at the stairs before getting into his barrel, trusting the hobbit to do his job and save him and his people.

As fate had it, he saw you again soon after leaving the confines of the palace walls, shooting at the incoming orcs. Thorin felt his eyes drawn to you as you made quick work of the ugly things, killing one after another swiftly. It wasn't until a quick call of "Kili!" rung through the air that Thorin's attention shifted.

His younger nephew was climbing out of his barrel in order to open the gate that was separating the Company from freedom. It seemed that he wasn't the only person watching, however, as an arrow flew through the air, barely missing the dwarf and instead planting itself into an orc. Startled, Kili was quick to pull the lever, crying out in pain as an arrow struck his leg.

"Kili!" Fili cried. The dwarf didn't answer, instead falling into the barrel that his brother had positioned for him, shouting in pain as the arrow shaft broke.

Thorin noticed another arrow soar through the air, killing the orc that had shot his nephew. His eyes followed the arrow's path and was met with yours, a frown etched on your face as blood poured from your wound. He found himself reaching out before he suddenly collided with another barrel, causing him to wince and fall forward. With a final look to you, he floated away, vowing to himself that he would see you again, no matter what it took.

PART ONE OF TWO.