He didn't know why, but he felt like doing it. It was too much for him to be in the same room with them and he needed time to think about all of it. The King Under The Mountain, after punching one of his advisors square on the face during a council meeting, found himself strolling along the halls along Erebor's prison cells. It was the first place he could think of where he would not be disturbed -hell, no one would even think to look for him here. After all, what noble would care to visit the city jail, much less the King. Well he needs it, after all. The first and only time he'd been here was when they had finished repairing it -the cold, stone walls solid and not crumbling anymore, the once mold covered cots replaced with new ones, and the once rusting steel bars replayed with 2 inches thick cold rolled steel. An additional feature to the prison is that they barely keep any light in the hall at all. They figured that it was harder to plan and perform an escape when things are pitch black; The Black Cells, some call it. But those were reserved for those who have committed serious crimes; one day for thievery, 2 days for multiple disturbances of the peace and as for murder, it depends on who the victim was and the reason. And when they see the light of day, it will be nothing but blinding. That was where Thorin found himself after 10 minutes of musing and walking around with a torch in hand. He came back to his senses, noticing the sudden chill nipping on his skin and he looked around, seeing prisoners writhe away to the corner of their cells, away from the light or what they thought was the daily torturer coming to fetch them for their session. But no, the king was merely visiting and, surprisingly, lost. He looked at the cell on his left and noticed the figure curled up at the corner of her cell. Apparently, he found himself in the dwarrowdam's section, and on his left was a figure of an old dwarrowdam. The old dwarrowdam, with her weak eyes, managed to realize who the dwarf outside her cell was.
"My King!" She exclaimed, doing her best to stand up, only for Thorin to motion her to sit down again. He crouched down in front of her prison bars, a hand holding on to it.
"May I ask why you are here?" He asked.
"My King, my release will be tomorrow!" The old woman exclaimed.
"Yes, but why are you here?" He said a bit louder this time, thinking that the crone did not hear him, somehow.
"My King! Everything I did, I did for my daughter! Please, M'lord! It was for my daughter! My sick, sick, daughter!" She cried, crawling towards him and gripping the bars hard. He stood up and slightly backed away. It was then, he heard an impish chuckle from behind. He turned around, the light from his torch casting shadows over a dwarrowdam who was sitting with her back against the wall, a hand over her knee and her head thrown back as if to look at the ceiling.
No... She wasn't a dwarrowdam, but a human woman.
"She was caught for the murder of her granddaughter. Crazy old bat, she is. Not her first trip into these cells," She said, smirking at the stone faced king as Thorin approached her cell. "She claims to do her murders for her daughter. She tells them who to murder and she does it." She said, looking into his eyes with a serious and scared look on her face.
"And where is her daughter? If what you say is true, then she should be behind these bars, not her mother." He told the woman.
"Where's her daughter, you ask? Thousands and thousands of feet underground." She said and watching as the King's eyes widen and turn around to the old woman curled up at the corner of her cell, wondering how this old woman was capable of multiple murders. It was then again, the woman behind him started to cackle, causing hairs to rise at the back from his head from how mad it almost sounded. He'd been tricked. She spoke again, but this time, all seriousness gone and with laughter in her voice.
"That's Mrs. Lyria. She sells fruits down the market and gives my family a discount. She was caught multiple times for stealing a wheel of cheese and a loaf of bread for her sick daughter. Guards thought they'd teach her a lesson by locking her up in these poor excuses of a hell you call a prison cell." She said, her laughter dying down to a sad she stood up and watched Thorin look at the elder with pity. Still, he would not let it pass that this woman had tricked him, no less insulted his kingdom (well, part of it, really. And a not-so important one). Not only did she do that, but she didn't even bother to address him as her king.
"And why did you get into one of these cells? For telling horrendous lies about old ladies? Or perhaps you uncouth behavior to your superiors?" He asked, glaring at the woman as she laughed and curled her fingers around her cell bars, a malicious gleam on her eyes.
"Uncouth? Horrendous? You really are a king. Big words like that don't fit well for commoners like me." She said, mocking laced on her voice. Thorin, who was even more irritated with this human woman, was getting more frustrated at the moment. What on Arda is her problem?!
"Well, speak up, wench! Your king asked you a question! You would do well to answer it." He said and wondered for a moment if he had crossed the line with his insults as he saw the smile in her eyes died for a while into one of horrific realization. It turned into one of sadness before she smiled and huffed out.
"That's all you dwarves ever think about me, don't ya? That I'm just a human wench who latched on to the first dwarf who gave me the eye?" She said, sadness and accusation in her voice. "Guilty of those? No," She said, answering his question. "I never lie about my elders... And I've always spat on the likes of you and your politics... Always claiming to be one of the people as if you know us, how we live, what we do... No... They claim that I have a far more terrible crime." She said, looking straight into Thorin's eyes. From what little light the torch gave, he could see her knuckles turning white from her gripping too hard on the bars of a cage.
"And what is it that you did?" Thorin asked.
"I murdered my husband." She said, all joking aside, but with no regret in her voice. Thorin's eyes widened from the bold confrontation of the woman. How can she say it as if it were some common mistake? Killing the man that you promised forever to? Dwarves do respect their women and treat them like the most precious jewels in Middle Earth, but to be treated like that in return? That was too far. His face hardened at the thought and his hands clenched on the torch he was holding.
"You do not deserve to be called a wife to a dwarf and you have no place amongst us, human. May you spend your next 10 years thinking about how your actions will be the last one you will ever do in your life. You should have stayed with your race." He spat at her as he walked away from the woman, who just laughed cruelly -to him or herself, he did not know. As he approached the light of the regular prison cells, he heard her shouting after him, making her impression to him even worse.
"I regret nothing!"
"There you are! We've been worried sick about you!" Dis exclaimed as her brother came to sight, a disturbed look on his face as she rushes to him. "Where have you been?"
"Forgive me for worrying you, namad. I just took a stroll around." He replied rather flatly.
"But no one's seen you around! Where did you go?"
"I took a stroll around our prison cells and apparently found myself in the Black Cells." He said as if it was a normal thing and just huffed.
"Didn't think you'd be there." She said and studied her brother's bothered expression. "What is the matter, nadad? Is it -" But she was cut off before she could continue, not wanting to talk about it now.
"No, namad. I met a woman in the Black Cells today..." He said, remembering that malicious gleam on her eyes as she spoke about her husband.
"Is she pretty?" Dis asked, raising a suggestive brow at him and immediately shook his head no.
"No, namad. I wouldn't want this one." He said, letting out a nervous laugh.
"Then what made her worth mentioning, and apparently, worth being thrown in a Black Cell?"
"She killed her husband, namad." Thorin said, a concerned tone on his voice. Dis' eyebrows shot up to her hairline and laughed out loud, mockery lacing her voice.
"The great Thorin Oakenshield, concerned for a husband killer?" She scoffed, but Thorin was looking at her with furrowed eyebrows.
"She told me she didn't regret anything." Thorin said and Dis just laughed at her older brother's 'concern'.
"Oh, nadad, there is nothing to worry about. No husband killer would creep out under your bed and slit your throat in your sleep," She said, waving her hand to brush off the issue. "And whatever reasons he had for killing her husband, she might have a good reason for killing him." She said, walking off and leaving her older brother in his own thoughts.
Mahal, sometimes she wondered which of them was younger.
Back in the black cells, the woman, the murderer, was back to her own dark thoughts. For years, and years she had beat herself up, thinking that she is no dwarf, and that she is only fooling herself if she thinks she can ever be accepted in their society. And today -or was it tonight?, the King himself told her that she had no place amongst them. It was hard to swallow, but maybe it was time to face the truth. She cannot turn back time and could not have made her husband fall in love with her. She had committed a terrible crime, and with her being from the race of men, she knew the punishment would be death; because one way or another, she'll die in this forsaken place. Just when she was about to lose hope, the metal clanging of a dwarven guard's heavy armor echoed through the halls of the Black Cells, making her look up in anticipation. She saw the warm glow of a torch light, spreading and glowing much brighter as the guard came closer. She looked up as the guard stopped in front of her cell, not expecting to see a dwarven woman standing there, eyeing her the same way the King eyed her awhile ago. In fact, she had a resemblance to the king; black hair, blue eyes. One would say that this was the King wearing a dress, only much more pretty.
"Is this her?" The dwarven woman asked.
"Yes, your highness." The guard replied. She paused for a while as if to ponder on an important decision.
"Open her cell." The guard seemed to hesitate at first, knowing that she was a murderer, but then took the key to her cell and opened it. The lady stepped in, stopping just a few feet away from her.
"You are from the race of men, are you not?"
"Yes." The woman replied.
"How many winters have you seen, girl?"
"About 35." The dwarven lady huffed- she was merely a babe.
"What is your name?"
"Agatha."
"Well then, Agatha, how much do you want to get out of this cell?" The dwarven lady asked, a glint in her eyes.
"Do I have anything better to do?" Agatha asked and the dwarven lady smirked. She liked this girl already.
"I suppose not." The dwarven lady said, staring at Agatha who became irritated.
"Well, are you going to tell me how you'll get me out?" Agatha asked and the dwarven lady raised a brow.
"Who says I'm letting you out?" The dwarven lady challenged and Agatha huffed.
"If you were here to taunt me, you're doing a poor job for a taunt, Lady Dis." Agatha said and Dis smiled at this.
"Yes, I'll be helping you escape your fate of death. Us women must stick together, should we not? But for me to help you, you must do something for me first." She said and Agatha stood a bit straighter.
"What?"
"Your trial will be held tomorrow and I need you to plead innocent." Dis said and watched Agatha's eyes fill with malicious laughter.
"They're not stupid. They saw me with my husband's blood on my hands."
"You will tell them it was self defense." Dis said, as if it was no big deal.
"What if it wasn't?"
"It was self defense," Dis said as she left the cell, leaving a pondering Agatha alone. "I suggest you do what I say, Agatha." She said, before walking away with the guard, leaving Agatha alone in the darkness again.
Hi guys! So I know I'm working on a current Hobbit story, but I'm still finding inspiration for that. In the meantime, please enjoy this new story inspired by Chicago's Cell Block Tango. If you want a hint on what the deal with Agatha is, then I suggest you watch it. Anyways, please leave a review and tell me what you think of it! :)
~Gabrielle