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Ori had not been exaggerating when he described to Blaine how enthusiastic Fili and Kili were when it came to playing Shut The Box. The forester suspected that fraternal competitiveness fanned the flames, but it quickly became clear to her that they also simply enjoyed playing to an audience. As she approached the central table where the brothers were seated, slipping in to stand beside Gloin and nodding a greeting to him, she had to admit that the assembled crowd certainly was attentive to their antics.
Kili played with the tiles on the ‘box’ for a dramatic moment before deciding his move. As he slid the proper tiles toward him, Fili glanced over to Blaine, a hint of his majestic uncle in his expression. “You still owe me a game, Forester.”
Blaine grinned at the challenge. “I would hardly deny you the opportunity to be thrashed by the dice, Prince. But, it looks as though you have unfinished business here.”
“Which should quickly sort itself out,” he answered as his brother rolled the dice and slapped the table with both hands.
He groused, “Truly? Again?”
A shake of the blonde mane and a low chuckle answered him. “Brother, you are too good to me, shutting yourself out like that.”
With a harrumph and a smack, the dice landed on the opposite side of the table.
Within a few rolls, Fili had the board in nearly full control. Suddenly the epitome of magnanimous grace, he looked up at the assembled crowd and spread his hands wide. “How quickly should I end my poor brother’s misery? Now? One roll could clinch it. Who sides with me?”
As the audience cheered and bets on Fili’s success began around the crowd, Blaine discreetly slipped a couple of coins to Nori when he paused by her side.
“He won’t win on this roll”, she murmured in his ear. Nori gazed intently at her for a moment, then flashed a mischievous grin as he quickly nodded and moved on.
Fili took up the dice, pausing dramatically to smile at his opponent. “Kili, I will be merciful and make this quick.”
“Pfft. I know what you call ‘mercy’. Just roll, already.”
With a flourish, Fili tossed the dice; time paused as he froze and stared at the result. The sudden whoop from Kili startled many in the crowd, and Blaine found herself suddenly under royal scrutiny as she belatedly realized that she had cried out in triumph along with the younger prince. The look that the elder prince pinned her with seemed akin to betrayal.
Fili slumped back in his seat, shaking his head. “That should not have happened. I had the best odds of making that roll!”
Kili leaned across the table and clapped his brother hard on the shoulder, then beamed at Blaine. “You chose wisely, my friend. And you were not alone!”
With a quizzical look, she followed with a glance over to where Kili had nodded, and barely stifled a laugh upon seeing Thorin looking simultaneously sheepish and pleased.
“Betting against your heir, Thorin-King?” Blaine smirked and sketched a bow to him as Nori handed him a pouch of coins. Any comment the gambler may have made to his king was lost in the mirthful uproar uttered by Fili as he leapt from his seat to confront his uncle.