-a/n pov-

It had gone a month, and the dragon still hadn't shown himself. Adalinda was patient, a treat from her mother. She could wait forever if that's what the dragon wanted. But today, he would show himself, for she had been on his kind as he had been on his.

Princess adalinda descended the stairs, stretching as an eagle came in. While her stay her, she had grown close with the eagles of middle earth. Great and normal ones. She was their mistress, and they were hers. Her consociation with the outside world, her friends. Like her father, she could understand the language of the animals. Talk with them, even sometimes read their thoughts, tho it was something she rarely did.

"Hello, my friend, what brings you here?" The princess asked as she petted the eagle who had landed on her shoulders since it was still a small one. The eagle chirped and dropped a letter in the princess's open hand. Adalinda gasped as she saw the familiar sigil of her dear dwarf friend, Balin. She hadn't sent him any letter since they saw each other for the last time. She then sat down on the previous step of the stairs, and a paper and a quil appeared in her hands just as they did for a month ago.

She then started to write, her writing dancing over the paper in waves beautifully.

"Dear Balin,

I got your letter. And I'm glad that you're all alive and well. I've been faring pretty well, having sleeping and drawing to make the time go. The dragon, however, hasn't bothered me at all. After you all had escaped, I wanted to go after you, but the eagle lord, Hilarion, came to me with advice and said it would be wiser to stay in Erebor cause all of those foul creatures were on the loose.

I can't say I don't miss you all, for I do, dearly. The eagle lord also told me to befriend the dragon. I will see how that will fare. Anyway, I hope you will have a wonderful life, and we'll see each other soon again.

Indeed, Princess Adalinda," with scribbling those last words, she curled the letter and handed it to the eagle who nudged her hand and took the note in its sharp beak and took flight. Adalinda stood up, dusting her dress off, and decided she would go on a explore. It was a time since she'd done that. The princess walked out of the treasure chamber, oblivious to the eyes watching her every move. Smaug had grown more and more interested in her. She had stayed as if she waited that he should show himself.

He wanted to, really bad. But something holds him back. So today decided to ignore the gnawing feeling that something terrible would happen. Instead, he wanted to know the prisoner in hither unto, the great fire drake rose and shook his bo with a silent grunt lazily. After that, he trudged on after the young princess, using his sense of smell to find her location. She was at the throne room, her slender fingers caressing the Trone of stone.

She had been here many times, talking to thror, thrain and Throin. She stood by his side that day when the elf king came. She sighed at the memory. Not a good way to lighten her day. She felt like someone was watching her but shrugged the feeling off as she started to walk to a place in the mountain only she knew of.

♚

The hall of Manwë, the gallery of Adalinda's father. She had made it years ago. A token of appreciation. It was filled with things that resembled him, pictures of her and her family. Tho, they were drawn, making them even more special. The princess smiled as she traced the walls and the shrine where a little fire pulsated.

Once again, the feeling of someone watching her overwhelmed her, and a voice said in her head, kindly but a warning tone. "Someone's watching you, my child" when a sound of movement caught her ears, the princess turned around to see a giant dragon standing in the opening of the door. His eyes stared at her confused, and she stared back, just as confused. "so.." she began, her voice uncertain at first but got more robust. "you're the dragon who's taken the kingdom of Erebor" Smaug winced slightly at the words even tho they weren't meant to be hurtful, it was only a statement. The firedrake snapped out of it and a sneer formed on his face. "yes, but I fail to understand why it's important for a lady like yourself" his words came harsher than he meant, but, oh well. 

Adalinda wasn't fazed at all by the tone of his words. she just titled her head, her green, blue eyes shining in curiosity. Pure curiosity. "I wanna know, why? What drove a noble dragon to do such a low thing" she said. Smaug looked away for a moment, unsure of responding to the words that left the princess's mouth. Then, after a while of silence, he slithered closer, trying to seem threatening with a hideous sneer on his lips. 

Uncourtly wasn't the princess of arda so easily scared to succumbing. Adalinda chuckled and srtraighed her posture, which got Smaug to stop. "you have to try better than that to scare me, dragon," she said calmly, turning away from the dragon, her curiosity tamed and hidden once again. Smaug was dumbfounded. Everyone fared him, even back home. Everyone shook with fear when they heard his name or was even in his presence. But not her. she didn't even smell of fear. This confused the most splendid and cheiftest drake of the north. he lowered his head, muttering something to himself, and walked away from the chamber, leaving the princess alone. 

♚

After a few hours, more or so, Princess adalinda walked out to the treasure chamber, meaning to retreat to her room for the day, her body being a little tired. But just as she was about to go up the first step, a black claw stopped her. a little annoyed, the princess turned around to face Smaug, who stood behind her, looking somewhat nervous. "what do you want, dragon? If you don't mind, I would like to retreat to my chamber," Adalinda said, remembering to try and keep polite since she knew he could kill her if he wanted or was agitated. Smaug grunted softly before biting down in it, lowering his head to her eye level. 

"I want to know your name, my lady," he croaked and immediately winced at the uncertainty in his voice. This only brought a smirk to the princess's face, and she crossed her arms over her chest. "and what good would that do you, fire-breather?" she said. She had a point. What would it do if he knew her name? would it make any difference? She was a prisoner, and he was her master now. The firedrake huffed and stared again into her blue, green eyes, which seemed to sparkle with countless stars. He almost got lost in them for a moment but caught himself and voiced his thoughts." it mattes cause I can't call you my lady forever," he said, smirking to himself as he thought he saved that pretty well. 

Adalinda laughed. She laughed. It was as rain fell and picked the diamonds. Smaug was left speechless as he recoiled away from the laughing princess, confused. "why are you laughing, my lady?" he asked after finding his voice again. Adalinda stopped laughing and calmed down enough to straighten her back. She cleared her throat and said friendly. "well, you ask so nicely, so I cannot defy it. my name is Adalinda, princess Adalinda" samug's eyes widen. She was a princess, but she didn't look elven, human, and not a dwarf. So what could she be. "if you're wondering bout my kin, I'm a Valar. Daughter of Manwë and Varda." the shock on the fire drake's face was hilarious, but Adalinda restrained herself from bursting out laughing again. 

Smaug didn't say anything for a long while. Then, finally, he shook his head and moved away from the princess, turning back to his gold. But before he dove into the warm metallic mass, he turned his head slightly, saying softly. "it's an honor, my princess." he then dipped into the gold, leaving Adalinda alone with her thoughts. That was not the reaction she had expected, but what exactly could to expect from a dragon? With a sigh, she resumed her walk up to her room. Opening the door, she immediately ran to her bed, collapsing down on it. 

She smiled to herself as she thought bout her day. Finally, finally, she had made friends with eh dragon. Little did she know that their newfound friendship would grow into something more. 

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Heres the neswet chap :)

-Saph 

"and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."

― J.R.R. Tolkien