The Hurt and the Treason
Anor was heading down into the Western sea, far beyond Shores of Eriador. The setting of the sun down for the night was magnificent, colors of orange, red and purple as if exploding all over the sky.
But a woman who enjoyed them so often now was ignorant to the beauty of the Sunset. She was blind to all of the outside world, wrapped up in her grief and hurt, curled up in a ball underneath heavy covers on her bed in long empty, yet not cold chambers.
Chambers were reserved for the ones of Royal Blood, and woman was Ezbad, Lady in Khuzdul.
Her robes were scattered around the chamber in a chaos, almost like torn away from the owner. All the curtains were drawn dawn, lamps put out. She was in dark, finding it suitable to fight her own dark.
Feeling as if the fires of Angband burnt through her stomach, she cried and cried. Even when the tears were long gone, still sobbing came out from her dried out throat, in raw, low bellows.
She knew hurt before, she knew pain from losing someone and she knew the pain of the heartbreak. She knew the pain from a sword, a torture, an arrow, an axe. She knew how hurted the burn from getting reckless in Smithy.
But she never knew till today how deeply could reach a cut from a treason.
It didn't feel as if her heart was broken. It felt as if someone stabbed her in the stomach with one of her elven crafted hunting knives and with razor sharp blade cut a precise line up above, tearing her lungs along the way, and halting at her throat, leaving her open and bleeding enormously. A lump in her throat wasn't becoming any smaller, in fact it swelled and swelled till she thought she will suffocate.
No one dared to enter. For as much as their Lady was mild and gentle, she was just as stern and iron, and terrible in her wrath. But grief… No, no living soul ever saw her grieving since she was ten year old. And nooone knew how to handle that, so they left her alone, even her old nanny.
And angry grief… That was much easier to handle. She could blame entire race for the loss of her childhood. But here, tonight, the burden of guilt was upon her shoulders. She should have known better. Her own judgement played with her. She put her trust where it was not deserved.
Finally she was so exhausted that she cried herself to some wracked tortured sleep two hours before dawn. With the breaking of the Dawn, with diminishing of last star, Star of The Earth rose, traces of tears all over her face and she descended down the stairs to her own private section of Baths, for the first time in long years.
Not allowing herself to cry again, gritting her teeth, after a long and hot bath she climbed back to her bedroom.
What to do? - the decision was already there. It was hard. But she had to do it.
Calling for Taina, her hard eyes were a message that no questions should be asked now. The maid only helped her to put on her formal gown, gown of Queen, something that she hadn't done in years, and it was a bearer of ill news.
Dismissing her maid with determined but not harsh words, Lady didn't exit the street from her chambers, but chose to go through the secret tunnel to the Throne hall.
Arriving there after few twists and turns of the tunnel, she arrived in smaller, prethrone chamber, and almost cried out in pain from being blinded by the light that shone out from the crystals. Composing herself, she entered the Hall, and asked a guard to assemble the Dwarven Lords, and the Ambassadors of Erebor and Iron Mountains
Giving herself time to gain her composure, she waited for an hour and then signaled for the guards to close the door.
Finally choosing to speak, she did not rise to greet them all as she used to. She was now a dwarf, and ruler never bowed before any lord.
She spoke in low voice, perfectly calm, in icy determination.
"Greetings, lords. I have called for you to tell you a news and a decision that came as a consequence of the news. "
Looking around the crowd, she saw no shifting, but patience. So they yet did not hear. Good.
"You all know how much have I trusted into Lord Allsvinn since I sat on the throne as a Ruler. He was my uncle's confidant. We all find him trustworthy. Right?"
No objections came. They all knew Allsvinn. Therefore the blow will be hard.
"We are Khazad. I am not quite used to long speeches. So I will get right to the bloody point, as Lord Gimli used to say."
Few chuckles were heard but they died out as she spoke in colder voice.
" I, Milica Laegrandir, daughter of Bain, House of Longbeards, cousin thrice removed of King Durin VII, Queen of Aglarond and Heir to Erebor, choose to speak now with all my authority.
News have reached me, a terrible news. News that speak of treason. "
Deadly silence descended upon the Hall.
"Whoever think he has to, may he speak now, and oppose my right to this Throne. Challenge me now, and prove it, and you may have this throne. Speak now, before the represents of Houses Three of the Seven."
Dwarves were no cowards, so they simply were stunned with her news.
After five minutes of cold silence, time that followed the rules of Khazad, she spoke again, with same cold fire in her eyes.
"Since no one spoke, I claim my right to deal with the traitor who conspired to achieve my death. I banish Allsvinn from realm of Aglarond, striping him of his lordship, striping him of all his Khazad right. No one in Aglarond will ever speak his name in this halls, nor he will be carved in stone plates of the Family. I will harbour ill will towards any Khazad realm if any gives him shelter. He will no longer be held for a Dwarf. "
Helding the steady gaze on the gathering, she stood up
"By this throne I sit upon and by the name I carry, I am Khuzd. He is no more. I spoke."
The first of the Dwarves, of the same clan that Allsvinn was before, held her gaze for long time and finally nodded.
" I testify."
One by one, Dwarves said the same. And by that, her words became law, in way of Khazad.
Arriving at the top of her City, and walking to the wall that encircled great Garden, Milica stood long and looked long towards West, motionless for hours, until the Sun started to fall towards the Sea.
"It has been done."
She watched earlier that day banishment of Allsvinn, how the Dwarf was given supplies and a horse, and left Aglarond, hatred burning in his eyes deeper than the fire that Mahal seeded in their hearts. He was corrupted.
And she had a feeling it will not be the last they heard from him, but she couldn't do more than that.
Time will tell.
Turning around, she descended down and headed straight into her chambers, missing another sunset.