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The moment that you felt the mountain tremble beneath your feet you knew for certain that Bilbo had awoken the beast. Running purely on adrenaline and concern, you rushed through the narrow passageways until you reached a great hall. The sight that met your eyes took your breath away. The hall itself was much larger than you had ever imagined. It was constructed of beautifully carved stone columns and was filled with enough gold to surely buy the entire world. You would have loved nothing more than to admire and explore this architectural work of art for hours on end, but you had to find Bilbo. You hadn’t even begun to formulate any sort of rescue plan, you just knew that you couldnt leave him to face Smaug’s wrath alone.

As you waded through the great ocean of gold and jewels that lay beneath your feet, it dawned on you that something wasn’t right. When you had been rushing through the corridors earlier, Smaug’s voice and roars had echoed so loudly you were sure your eardrums wouldn’t last much longer. But now you could hear the cling of metal with each step you took. Closing your eyes and fighting back tears, you begged fate to not have allowed the dragon to have consumed your dearest friend, and secretly the love of your life. It had taken no time at all for you to fall for the company’s burglar. He was sweet, intelligent, gentle, and charmingly shy. You never had the courage to confess your feelings though, so you pretended to be content with just being his closest companion. As you opened your eyes, a bright gleam of yellow filled your vision, but it was not the glimmer of gold shining bright before you. It was the eye of your fire-breathing adversary.

Stumbling backwards from shock you fell and landed on your backside. The racing of your heart pounded in your ears as you sat there gasping for air. He said not a word, but turned and tilted his massive head, alternating between studying and smelling you. You were stunned as to how this enormous creature could have snuck up on you without making a sound. You were distracted from this thought by the loud, deep voice that began to emerge from between the dragon’s terrifying jaws, “No one has ever dared enter my kingdom before. Yet today, I have received two uninvited visitors. Apparently I am becoming very popular.” The sound waves of his voice travelled through your chest, causing it to hurt. As you grabbed your chest in response, you saw his expression change momentarily. It resembled concern, but you knew that was impossible.

"Do I frighten you?"

"I have heard stories of your actions and have looked upon you with my own two eyes. I would be a fool to not be frightened."

A strange smile crept across his lips in response. “You flatter me. The thief that came in before you tried to flatter me as well. It didn’t work out so well for him.”

"Is he alright?!" A whole new level of fear coursed through your veins.

"So, you aren’t a thief. You’re on a rescue mission."
You suddenly became aware of movement behind you. Turning, you saw Smaug’s tail curling around the room to meet his head. He was trapping his prey.

"What is he to you? Is he your mate?"

You felt your cheeks burning at the thought. “No, he only thinks of me as a friend."

At this, Smaug stared intently into your eyes. Smoke began to emerge all along his body. Soon the room was filled with smoke so thick you couldn’t see anything. It was hard to breathe, but you had to get out of there. You started to run, but you felt a strong hand grab yours. Relief washed over you. You were positive it was Bilbo emerging from his hiding place. Now the two of you could get out of there together. But no movement came. Instead the smoke cleared as quickly as it had formed and you found a man standing before you. Not just any man though. Smaug could have been a god in his human form. His face and body looked as if they had been chiseled out of stone by the same dwarves who had created the beautiful columns. His cheekbones were sharp enough to cut diamonds and his black hair contrasted wonderfully with his porcelain skin.

"I’m sure this form is far less frightening. " His voice had lost none of its depth in the transformation. Instead of hurting you though, it flowed across you with the smoothness of velvet.

He was still holding your hand.

"The barrelrider is a fool, but a fool that I envy nonetheless."

This statement shocked you more than anything that had transpired thus far. “Why would a fierce dragon with all this wealth envy anyone?”

"Because you love him. You long for his embrace…and his touch." As the last part rolled off his tongue, his other hand carressed your cheek gently. His fingertips were warm and soft. "How he has withstood your beauty and grace is beyond my ability to understand."

Smaug’s eyes seemed to be a different color everytime you looked in them. One time they were golden. The next they were as blue as the night sky.

"What is your name?"

"Y/n."

"May I give you something, y/n?"

You feared what he might be planning. What if this was some elaborate game? Like a cat playing with a mouse before it moves in for the kill? You couldn’t bring yourself to tell him no though, so you agreed.

He lead you quickly through the rest of the hall and then through two more. It seemed as if he knew exactly where each piece of treasure in his collection was located. Finally he halted, released your hand, and began to search through a large pile of what looked to be jewelry. He pulled something out of the pile and turned around, hiding it behind his back.

"This is for you." He revealed a glistening gold chain which carried a large, bright red /orange jewel. He slid the chain over your head, letting the pendent rest against your chest. His long, slender fingers began to trail their way up and down the chain and across your bare neckline. "At first I considered a sapphire to match your blue eyes, but there is not one on this entire earth that would not pale in comparison."

You blushed wildly at such a beautiful compliment, but you didn’t understand why any of this was happening. “Why are you giving me this?"

"To show the world who you really are. When I look at you I see beauty in its truest form and a passionate spirit that burns hotter than dragon fire. This stone will be proof that you indeed tamed a dragon’s heart here today, my little goddess of fire. Unfortunately, this form I am currently in is very short-lived. It drains my strength to stay in it for more than a few hours at the time. If I could change forever I would. I would stay by your side until the end of my days, caring for you in whatever capacity you asked of me. Since I can not, I will do the next best thing. I won’t interfere in your company’s quest. Thorin Oakenshield may have his beloved mountain and gold."

There weren’t words to describe how astonished you were. Smaug the Terrible was going to give his gold hoard back to the very dwarves he stole it from, solely to make you happy? This must have been a dream, or maybe a hallucination. “This can’t be happening. There is no way. Why would you do this?”

"Because gold, silver, and gems mean nothing to me now. You’re the only treasure I see." Smaug leaned forward and kissed you gently on the cheek. It was like an electrical current flowing through your body. You had to admit you enjoyed it. "If you ever need me, I’ll know and I’ll find you no matter what. Goodbye, my lady." With that he turned and left you alone in the hall.

The company had trouble understanding and accepting your version of events. Thorin and the Dwarves were convinced that it was some elaborate rouse on Smaug’s part to catch them off their guard. You couldn't help but feel like they were a bit disappointed when he never showed back up to challenge them. Bilbo had turned into such a nervous wreck while you were missing that he inadvertently confessed his love for you upon your return, a fact that made you swell with happiness and allowed the two of you to start a new chapter of your lives together.

The mysterious Smaug often crossed your mind. You wondered about where he was and hoped that he was happy, and you never took off the gift that he had given you. It gave you the strength and confidence needed to handle any situation. And deep inside of you, there lived a small dream of seeing him again one day.