#middlearth

Better get up and figure out what will happen now.

Not having anything else to wear, she walked into the living area of the flat in nothing more than the oversized shirt her new Husband had given her the night prior and went looking for him.

He was standing in the kitchenette cutting some vegetables.

“Dwalin?”, she announced her arrival. He immediately stopped what he was doing and turned towards her.

“Maya.” he nodded, waiting for her to continue.

“What now?”, she asked, waving between the two of them and then shrugged and waved her hands. However, she regretted the question as soon as she saw him heave a sigh and move his hand through his beard in the standard movement of stress.

Oh boy.

Just as usual, he started explaining by using his language accompanied by gestures and other movements.

Pointing first to himself, then to her, he continued to motion around before holding up five fingers, followed by the movement of up and down.

Alright, so we have to stay in these rooms for five days. But that is not all, right? He does not look too thrilled.

And she would be right with that thought. Dwalin continued with an upwards and downwards motion followed by the gestures she had used to describe sex. His face was neutral as he waited for her reaction, and Maya believed it was because he was not thrilled about that after the mishap the night prior.

“Okay.”, she nodded; it wasn´t like she had a choice in that regard, and at least her husband was skilled in that area of married life.

He seemed surprised about her reaction for a moment, but within seconds his face was neutral again before restarting his charade. This time he took a strand of his hair, pointed at her, and then imitated something that could be braiding motions.

“I need to braid your hair?”, she asked with a cocked head, pretty much resembling a confused puppy at that moment, only to grab a section of her hair, doing a quick three-strand braid and then motioning between that and him.

Apparently she had understood him right because he nodded in affirmation before explaining more what she assumed meant he would braid her hair as well, at least that´s what she interpreted from his hand movements.

So those braids do have a deeper purpose. I knew it! Some of those were far too elaborate to just look good.

Maya just wanted to ask if they would do all that now, when a loud knock sounded from the big entrance door, and Dwalin stalked over there with an angry look on his face. A look she hoped would never be cast at her. It was downright terrifying.

As was the ease with which he opened that massive oaken door, the guard who had let Dis and her enter the day prior had struggled. Not much, but enough for her to know that the door was heavy.

Just as quick as he opened the door, he shut it up and gave a short bow. At once Maya stood straighter. Someone important must have interrupted them.

“Dwalin.”, Lady Dis greeted the Dwarf; those were the only words the newlywed could understand.

“Maya?”, the Lady called out, and the one in question answered with a loud “Here.”

A warm, almost motherly smile danced on the princess's face when she looked Maya over.

“Good?” the dwarrowdam hummed, and the woman in question answered “Good.” back.

Apparently satisfied with that answer and what she was seeing with her own eyes, the princess accepted the scroll both of them had signed the night prior and left.

But not without giving her new friend a knowing wink.

Maya just wanted to ask him the question Lady Dis´s arrival had interrupted when her growling stomach did the same. Dwalin must have heard the sound as well, cause he marched past her back into the kitchen only to hand her a small tablet with some bread, cheese, and meat on it.

“Thank you.” She nodded and took a seat at the table while he returned to the kitchen and his preparations, leaving her to her thoughts. She used the time to reflect on the happenings of her wedding night.

Dwalin was older than her by more than just the fifteen years she had believed on first sight, probably 20 years or more. She only concluded that by the wrinkles and graying hair she had noticed once he had been closer. No matter his older age, he was fitter and more trained than any other man she had been with in the past, or even men she knew. His arms were as big as her legs. His muscles were well-defined, but not like those of bodybuilders, but like those of someone whose job it was to be strong, skilled, and therefore using them every day for hours. Not just his arms were massive, his legs too, and even though he did not have a well-defined eight-pack, his torso was pure muscle as well.

The best fitting description she could find was that her husband was a tank. A tattooed tank on two legs she hoped she would never get on the bad side of. He was able to crush her with just his little fingers; Maya was sure of it.

Then there had been the sex. No matter his size, it had not been uncomfortable for her; he knew how to prepare her for him, much so at the end when he hurried to finish after her unsolicited exploration of his body and beard. It could have hurt so much more, but he still had control over his strength.

Everything considered, he seemed distant. Not in a shy way someone would be with someone they don´t know. But in a way of someone who was forced to be with someone else in a room they did not want to be in. She couldn´t fault him for that, though; she had only arrived the day prior, and, if she interpreted the angry motioning of Dis right, it had been decided then she was to either marry or leave. So Maya was sure she had just been given to him as either a reward, task, or punishment. With the last two possibilities being the worst ones. If she was a task, the worst he could do was the bare minimum to make sure she was alright (whatever that meant for their culture).

If she was a punishment, well, all she could hope was that he would not treat her like shit and cover it up for the outside like a usual abusive husband; although the fact he had invited her into his embrace just hours earlier spoke against it.

However, if she was a reward, she prayed she wouldn´t do anything for him to be disappointed with her in some way; often she had seen and heard stories about relationships where disappointment had turned into abuse.

And so she decided then and there that no matter what he asked of her, she would do her best to follow through. As long as it was not harming others or crossed her limits. She would also do everything in her strength to not be useless or seem lazy.

“Maya.” he pulled her out of musing, and as she looked up, he offered her his hand, and she accepted.

Following his lead, she soon found herself sitting on a beautifully carved chair with the dwarf standing tall behind her. With gentle hands, he untangled the hair above her left ear towards the back of her head. It was almost relaxing the way his fingers moved through her scalp and hair. He moved quickly, and within minutes an intricate braid lay over her shoulder, a silvery metal bead with a small bluish stone at its end.

“Wow,” she whispered, No way in hell I can replicate that. Now it is my turn, right?”

They switched places, so now it was her turn to braid her husband's hair. Anxiety spread through her veins. Braids were important for Dwarves, and she feared embarrassing her husband with a simple and possibly unruly braid. However, when she reached for a section of his hair, he stopped her with a hand and moved it toward his beard.

Maya gulped but did what was expected of her.

“It-it's not as beautiful as yours, but here you go.”, she mumbled once the end was secured.

At once his hands moved, feeling the new accessory to his face and apparently seemed it at least alright.

“So, what now?”, she asked and noticed a new frown to edge onto his face. He did not seem pleased.

Dwalin´s hands and mouth started moving, stopped, started again only to stop again. Like he was unsure how to say what he needed to say.

Another wave of anxiety rolled through her veins. Finally, he sighed and did the same motion he used to describe a day, then held three of his fingers up, followed by her motion of sex.

“You telling me, we have to sleep with each other three times a day and that for the next five days?”, Maya once again repeated what she believed to have understood. He nodded once, his eyes concentrated on every movement she might do. But having no real choice in that matter, the young woman sighed once, nodded, and motioned first towards the bedroom and then all around to ask where.

Her husband had proved to be skilled in bed after all, but that did not mean he was not skilled in different locations and positions as well.

Once again he seemed shocked or confused by her reaction for a moment before he shrugged and motioned around and then to her, like he wanted to say he did not care as long as she was alright with it.

“Okay.”, she hummed and walked back towards the bedroom.

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

Sharp weight on her chest and something pointy picking the tip of her nose awoke her on the morning of the fifth day.

Black eyes surrounded by even blacker feathers stared down at her. Both gentle and accusing, as to say, I know you are tired, but you already slept too long. Get up!`.

It was the Raven.

“Morning, or whatever time it is.”, she groaned, “How did you get in here? I didn´t know those windows could be open.”

Her body ached. Muscles were stiff and innards sore. No matter how considerate her husband had been each time they consummated their marriage- five days were not enough for her body to get used to his size and strength.

Caw

Ruffling its feathers, the bird stood up straighter before jumping to the foot of the bed. Turning back towards her when Maya did not sit up fast enough.

Caw

“Give me a second, I am not that fast at the moment.”, she groaned, both her leg- and abdominal muscles protesting every movement.

Fully concentrated on not falling over while getting out of the bed, she completely missed the knowing look the bird was giving her, accompanied by a strange vibrating humming sound.

“Alright, I am standing; you want me to follow you? Or what is this all about?”

It bopped its body up and down three times before spreading its wings and flying into the bath.

Following it as fast as possible, she limped into the room only to find the raven using its beak to open the warm water tap of the bathing tub.

“I am not going to argue with you on this one. I could do with a hot bath. How short it might be.”

Her skin prickled when it came into contact with warm liquid and her muscles immediately started to relax.

“Oh, this is good.”, Maya sighed, “so good.”

Another rumbling hum left the raven's throat. However, it did not take long for it to jump along the rim of the bathing tub, taking a bar of soap into its beak and, literally, throwing it at her, followed by another ruffling of its feathers.

“Alright, I get it. That hurt, by the way.”, Maya rumbled. The soap had hit her collarbone with the only pointy edge it had.

Dwalin had remade her wedding-braid the evening prior, and she was very careful when washing it, fearing she would destroy his hard work.

Much to the annoyance of the Raven, who started splashing water towards her with its head.

“Alright, alright, I am gonna hurry. See, already done. Just need a towel and -”

Just a moment later, her world went dark when a towel landed on her head. Looks like there was no time for her to relax on the last day. Whatever this last day would entail.

Dried and with the towel wrapped around her head, she was led back to the bedroom where a dress was splayed on the bed.

It lay there accompanied by some form of old-time underwear.

“You don´t happen to know how to get dressed in that, would you?”, she frowned, looking from the clothes to the raven and back.