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“Ouch!” you squealed as a maid shoved another pin in your hair and consequently into your scalp.
She hurriedly started to apologize when you both heard a knock at the door. The maid hurried to open it and in walked Dís, resplendent in all of the shimmering fabric and glinting jewels of her dress. She set the parcel she was carrying down on the bed before facing you.
“My Lady,” you said, bowing your head, for even though she was not Queen Under the Mountain, Dís had influence with the council and deserved to be treated with respect.
“Oh hush,” she said, coming over to you, “I thought I told you that there’s no need for those formalities here. With how close you are to my sons you’re practically family!”
When she had brought this up in the past you had tried to protest but Dís would have none of it. You were under the impression that she was glad to finally have another woman in Erebor, which resulted in her treating you almost like a daughter.
“You can leave dear,” Dís said, addressing the maid, “I’ll handle it from here.” The maid bowed once more before leaving the room.
Dís turned back to you. “Are you ready for the Durin’s Day Ball this year?” she asked as she began to work on your hair. She was much more gentle than the maid had been. “Fíli tells me it’s your first ball! Are you excited?”
“More nervous,” you replied, “We never had balls like this in the Shire so I didn’t grow up around this grandeur like all of you have. I have no idea what to expect.”
“Oh you'll be a natural dear,” she reassured you, “Just stick with Fíli, I’m sure he’ll show you the ropes.”
As Dís finished with your hair you looked in the mirror, admiring all the intricate braiding details she had added. That anyone had the skill to create such a masterpiece with hair of all things was beyond you.
“It looks beautiful, thank you Dís!”
“Oh it’s no trouble at all, I’ve been waiting a very long time to have another woman on whom to use my skills.” She smiled fondly at you before fetching the package she had deposited on the bed earlier.
“Why don’t you open this and put it on? I’ll wait outside and when you’re done you can come out and show me how it looks, okay?” And before you could say another word, Dís turned and exited your chambers.
Curious, you began to open the parcel only to be met with the most breathtakingly beautiful dress you had ever seen in your life. This was too much, you had to remember to thank Dís thoroughly later.
As you put the dress on, you couldn’t help but marvel. It was a beautiful shade of light blue that complimented your skin tone perfectly. The dress fit amazingly, hugging your body in all the right places, how Dís had gotten ahold of your measurements you had no idea, but you thanked Yavanna for it nonetheless. The jeweled detailing that trailed down from the neckline was stunning and matched the necklace and earrings you had found included with the dress.
When you stepped out of your room Dís gasped, a proud smile gracing her features. “You look beautiful, my dear!”
“Thank you, thank you so much for all of this Dís, but are you sure it isn’t too much?” you asked.
“Nonsense,” Dís responded, pulling you along beside her as you headed down to the grand ballroom, “This is perfectly acceptable. With this dress you’ll have the attention of any dwarrow you set your eye on, not that you need the help of the dress mind you.”
“Oh, um… well–” you stuttered, not knowing how to respond to that.
“It’s okay dear, just enjoy yourself tonight. There might even be a specific dwarf who wants to ask you for a dance,” Dís said.
As you’d been talking you’d made your way to the floor overlooking the gorgeous ballroom. There were balconies overlooking the grand room and from your vantage point you could see everything.
Before Dís turned to descend down the grand staircase and enter the ballroom you heard her mutter, “Zatagbiri ibriz khama asti,” and you could have sworn she winked at you, but it must have been a trick of the light.
With Dís gone you took a moment to really soak in the atmosphere of the room. The dwarrow of Erebor had really outdone themselves, going above and beyond to honour the first celebration of Durin’s Day in their newly reclaimed home. The jeweled decorations were gleaming, accenting the gorgeous architecture of the room, the music was vibrant and lively, and the dancers on the floor were turning around and around, looking like they were having the times of their lives.
Once you’d seen all there was to see from up above and had adequately calmed your nerves, you made your way to the grand staircase.
Giving your name to the Master of Ceremonies, you began to descend down the stairs. As he announced your name, the faces of those in attendance turned to look up at you, but your attention focused on one particular dwarf.
You’d seen Fíli in nice clothes before, hell even when you met him he was wearing the official Durin blue, but nothing could possibly compare to seeing him in all his royal finery. His eyes were on you as well, the dwarrow around him forgotten as he watched you make your way down the stairs towards him. When you made eye contact he sent you a wink that almost made you miss a step.
As soon as you were off the stairs you began weaving your way through the crowds of people milling about to get to Fíli.
When you found him again he was talking to Kíli and they both turned as you approached. It was then, upon closer inspection, that you then realized your dress was simply a lighter shade of the Durin blue that accented Fíli’s clothes, the colour of the heir. Oh Dís and her machinations, why would she do this to you?.
When you got within earshot Fíli spoke first, saying in an almost reverent tone, “Oh Mahal, Ibrizinlêkh, you look… sasakhabiya abnâmul.” He switched languages almost as if the words had stalled in his head.
Not understanding Khuzdul you send him a puzzled glance before turning to Kíli who was saying, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you not wearing a sweater, this has to break some kind of record!”
You elbowed him. “So I like comfortable clothes, is that a crime?”
“Not at all,” Kíli responded before discreetly sneaking a tart off the dessert table.
This was evidently something that had been happening all night as Fíli chided him, “Kíli, I told you to stop doing that or Uncle will have both of our heads.” As Kíli inched towards the table again Fíli doubled down, “I swear to Mahal, Kíli, if you so much as touch another of those tarts I will smite you. You will be smote. Smote? Smought? Smited?” As he struggled you smiled, very entertained by their brotherly banter.
“Smitten,” you corrected.
“Ah whatever,” Kíli scoffed, before scanning the room and saying, “Look there’s Tauriel, I’d better go offer her a dance. Bye you two.”
As he walked away you saw him slip another two tarts into his pocket, you laughed to yourself.
Fíli then turned to you. “So, it’s just us.”
“Indeed it is,” you replied as the music changed and a new dance began. Fíli noticed you staring longingly at the dance floor and he remembered your love of music.
“Would you do me the honour of having this dance,” he asked, taking your hand, and as soon as you nodded, he placed another hand on your waist and swept you onto the floor and into the dance.
The first song was very lively and had you two switching partners every other turn. By the end you were out of breath and you were very thankful when the musicians started playing a slow waltz. You held on to Fíli and let him masterfully lead you around the floor.
“I knew Kíli wasn’t lying when he said you were a good dancer,” you mused, still panting a little from the exertion of the first dance. You almost thought you saw Fíli’s eyes dip down to your mouth.
“And I said I would show you one day, haven’t I kept my promise?” Fíli replied, leaning in even more.
You nodded, your bodies were so close, hearts beating in sync with the music and each other as the room around you turned to a blur of music and colours. You leaned in just a little closer and then…
The music stopped. When you and Fíli broke apart you felt heat rise on your face.
Fíli cleared his throat, looking down. “Well I suppose I must see to my duties and make the rounds greeting people. Will you be…?”
“Oh that’ll be fine, don’t worry, I’ll just find Ori,” you reassured him, though you were a bit disappointed that he couldn’t stay with you.
As you walked off you could still feel his gaze on your back.
—
The evening was going great. You and Ori had found some punch and were talking in a corner about the tomes that you still had to rebind in the library.
That was when you saw them. Fíli and her. You had no idea who she was but she was the most beautiful dwarrowdam you’d ever seen, long fiery red hair adorned with jewels that matched her dress perfectly. Her and Fíli were dancing together and she looked like she actually knew the steps rather than relying on Fíli to lead, unlike you.
You tried not to stare, you really did, but Ori caught you looking anyway. “Oh that’s Avouna Grimhand, her ‘adad does have a lot of power on the council. She may be gorgeous but she’s a real ‘abanjabl, no one likes her.”
That didn’t make you feel any better. You could practically feel her preening when she tossed her hair as Fíli twirled her. That was it, you’d seen enough.
You excused yourself from your conversation with Ori and made your way out of the large room into a side passage to get some air. What you didn’t expect was for anyone to have followed you so when you heard a voice call your name you practically jumped out of your skin.
“Fíli?!?” you whisper-shouted as you saw him round the corner. “What are you doing here? I thought you were dancing with Avouna?”
He sighed. “The dance ended and I saw you run out, I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“I’m fine,” you laughed, “It just got to be a bit much for me in there. I wanted to go get some fresh air, though I don’t know how you go about that in a mountain.”
At that, a smile came across Fíli’s face. “I do. Come with me,” and taking your hand Fíli began to drag you with him through the halls of Erebor.
When you finally slowed down and stopped in front of an old grandfather clock, built into the stone of the wall you looked around confused. “Fíli, how does this clock help…” but you stilled when Fíli pulled the pendulum and the wall slowly started to turn, revealing a secret doorway.
Fíli turned to you, holding out his hand. “Do you trust me?”
Instead of responding you took his hand and followed him into the mysterious chamber.
When your eyes adjusted to the different lighting you gasped. This place was beautiful. It was a hexagonal room made of mirrors and filled with plants, like a miniature greenhouse. Everywhere you turned you could see the image of you and Fíli reflected back at you. You were in awe.
“How did you even find this place?” you questioned, wide eyed.
“My ‘amad actually showed it to me just recently,” Fíli explained, “Apparently my uncles and her would come here as kids to avoid the big parties, much like us now.” You snickered. “And wait, look at this!”
He led the biggest wall of the room and as you looked through the glass you could suddenly see figures in the ballroom beneath you.
“They can’t see us, this glass is one sided. To them we’re just part of the mosaic on the wall.”
“Wow. Thank you for showing me this Fíli, this is incredible,” you said, still marveling at the secrets the mountain had to reveal.
You glanced down at the ballroom one more time and, noticing people beginning to congregate by the throne, you remarked, “But we should probably be getting back, it looks like the speeches are soon and Thorin will want you and Kíli standing up there with him.”
“Oh shit, you’re right,” Fíli exclaimed and then you were running back through the clock door and down the halls. But before he could turn the corner and enter into the ballroom you stopped Fíli.
“Just wait a second,” you said “some of your hair got messed up…” You reached out to adjust the stray strands of hair that had doubtless come out of place during your mad dash down the corridors.
When you were done Fíli returned the favour, reaching for your necklace to adjust it before tucking some of your loose hair behind your ear. You held your breath, you and Fíli were so close, when had that happened?
But then you both heard the Master of Ceremonies begin the introduction and Fíli, panic in his eyes, hurried into the ballroom to take his place with his brother.
After he left you laughed to yourself, waiting a little bit to follow him into the room, this had sure been one hell of a first ball.
—
As he stood on stage, next to his uncle and brother, in front of his people, and saw your smiling face in the crowd, encouraging him even from afar, Fíli made up his mind. He would court you and he would get you the best damn courting gift Erebor had ever seen.