**************************...****************************
**************************...****************************
The Forsaken Inn
For the two angels overlooking this story:
-Thank you Julie-I-am wishes you feel better soon!
-Thank you StephCalvino for sharing your immense wisdom!
It was a little more than a week later that Karunn's carriage stopped in front of tavern. Karunn alighted and looked at the swinging sign. Half of the letters were faded by the merciless passage of time.
"The Forsaken Inn."
She humphed pleased at the deteriorating state of Eilin's original abode, happy that she hadn't seen it in it's glory days. Apparently right now it was nothing more than a dirty brothel, a day's ride away from the village of Bree. A place where for the worst criminals of Middle Earth could get a cheap drink, a bed and maybe a prostitute. She looked at the dirty windows and saw several shadowy figures moving inside. Faint music was heard through the thick wooden panels. She wiped away the rain that was dripping from her elaborate hood. No one was outside to give him the care of her horses and she really didn't want to leave all her boxes unattended, but she had no choice. Ever since she dismissed her father's escort she had to handle things on her own. She found no problems on the road and most people she met were accommodating villagers that were coming and going from their work or the surrounding forests.
So now that she was on the doorsteps of what her family would have considered the lowest scum of the earth, apart from orcs, she hesitated. Her deep hatred about that stable bitch and that conceited King was enough to rekindle her courage. She tied the rope around the fence that surrounded the tavern and straightened her cape. She took a couple of steps and placed her hand on the handle. Then she stopped and felt her heart beating almost out of control. She didn't come all this way to back down, did she? She remembered Eilin flirting with the King with an audacity Karunn yearned to wipe out and then she remembered how much the King ridiculed her.
The need for revenge was too strong to be subdued by the fear of coming face to face with murderers, whores and drunkards. When she opened the door she was assaulted instantly by loud music that was completely untuned, a stench that made her gag and too many ugly faces all looking at her simultaneously. The stubbornness of her dwarven blood worked to her advantage. She entered as if she owned the place. When she reached the bar, the owner, a stout woman of grey hair leaned her elbow on the counter and grinned down at her. Most of her teeth were gone, and those that still stood were deteriorating.
"A dwarrowdam so far away from a major dwarven city? This is a rare sight," she cackled.
"Times are changing. Once dwarrowdams never travelled at all, now they feel secure enough in their strength to do it."
The woman raised her brow and looked at the drunken patrons, "she's a feisty one, ain't she?"
"Might be worth going through her once to see if the dwarfish blood is as hot as rumours say it is," an elderly man that smelled of piss said.
"If you can overlook the sideburns. I am not sure I am into that one," another patron cringed.
"You are not the one to choose. You smell so bad, even a sewer rat would have denied you to touch it," another one joined in.
Telling those fools that she was the niece of Dain, one of the butchers of Azanulbizar was tantalising, but she wanted no one to track her to this sleazy tavern. "I have relatives that know where I am and will come searching for me if I don't return soon. I am sure you don't want the wrath of several dwarven clans to fall onto your establishment," she addressed the matron, completely ignoring the two men.
The matron's eyes wavered and she looked at the men, "Shut up. We don't want trouble. Mess with yeh drinks and my girls or else I will remove yeh bowels through yer tonsils! We don't mess with dwarves, is that understood?"
The men flicked their shoulders and began bantering between themselves. A few other customers that seemed interested in the newcomer decided that it was best to mind their own business after the menacing stare of the matron fell on them. The music resumed and Karunn looked up at the seasoned woman.
"So what can I get yeh? Drink, room, a woman?"
Karunn cringed, "I am a woman myself."
"A matter of tastes darling. Who am I to judge?" The matron flicked her shoulder and spat at the floor. Then her yellowish cat-eyes narrowed on Karunn, "so what will it be fer yeh majesty?"
Karunn heard the undertone of disrespect, but she didn't care. As long as she could do her business that was more than enough, "I came to enquire about a former employee of yours."
"Many service girls have passed from this place. Name?" The matron threw her chin up dismissively.
"Eilin…" she almost choked on the rest words. "Interracial. Half dwarf half human."
The matron raised her brow.
"Ever heard of her?" Karunn's heart began racing.
The matron didn't move an eyelid.
"Long red hair, slim figure, green eyes, pretty face…." The words almost got stuck in her throat, but she had to act nice.
The matron shook her head, "nope, don't remember 'er"
Karunn frowned, "how can that be? She was adopted by the owner of this tavern years ago. She grew here since she was a baby."
"Marie adopted her?"
Karunn didn't know the name so she simply nodded, shooting in the dark.
The matron spat on the counter and began cleaning it with a dirty cloth, "eh, that's why I dunno 'er. I bought this place from the previous patron. His wife died from the black death, and he gave everything up. I had a few pennies and he was willing to sell it to me no matter the low price. I don't know the previous girls that worked here. Only the ones that I have under me care."
Karunn felt her heart falling. Had she undertaken this dangerous trip for nothing? She tried to find some thread that she could bring home, "maybe some of your girls remember her?"
"I don't wanna bother me girls, unless you are in fer business missy," the matron spat again.
"I won't bother them. I am just going to ask around. It is very important. A matter of life and death."
The matron flicked her shoulders, "if yeh can find anyone down here to help yeh, feel free, but yeh ain't going up in the rooms."
Karunn pressed her lips and inhaled, "very well. Can I try?"
The matron flicked her shoulder, "only if yeh pay fer a drink."
Karunn's jawline flexed, "fine give me a mug of your best mead."
The matron went to serve her and Karunn noticed many women sitting upon the laps of men, but she had no idea were to begin. When the matron returned with her mead, Karunn opened up her velvety pouch and paid, not noticing a couple of dark looking creatures of the underworld observing her from the other side of the room, half hidden behind their dirty capes. She took the mead at hand and approached an empty table. She sat down and pretended to enjoy her drink as her eyes scrutinised every single girl. Most seemed busy, having a customer digging under their petticoats, others were dancing or singing. Just as she began feeling too overwhelmed by all this menagerie of debauchery and filthiness, both in a physical and in an ethical sense, someone approached her from behind quietly. When a dirty small hand landed on her shoulder she had to refrain from screaming to the top of her lungs. She jerked and turned around, only to see the ghost of a girl, hidden behind long black hair that was terribly oily. Her eyes were fearfully wide, gazing at Karunn.
"What are you doing?" She frowned and shook her shoulder free of the girl's tight grip.
"Heard you asking around about Eilin," the girl's eyes shot left and right quickly, clearly in apprehension.
Karunn's disposition instantly changed from animosity to being touched by someone so dirty and positively sick, to hopeful that she may have had a bright stroke of luck. She forced a smile to her face and pointed at a chair next to her, "yes, Eilin Firebeard. Have you heard of her?"
The girl pulled the chair and sat in it quickly, as if she was afraid someone was going to see her doing that and come after her. She nodded, "first you need to tell me what you want her for and prove to me that you know her. Then I speak."
Karunn looked at the girl and frowned, "what's your name?"
The girl's eyes looked around concerned. She was trembling like a leaf and a whiff of piss and gathered bodily dirt came over to Karunn again, more intense than ever, "Rhiannon."
Karunn swallowed her need to gag and caressed the braids of her sideburns, "you look positively terrified and hungry."
Rhiannon's eyes flicked up to her quickly, "I am famished ma'm. Haven't eaten in three days."
"Why?" Karunn frowned and raised her hand to call the attention of the matron.
"Haven't pleased my last customer ma'm. He didn't pay for me and now the madame is punishing me for it. I cannot please anyone ma'm, my body is failing me. I am sick," Rhiannon said and her eyes filled with tears.
A service girl came to them, "what can I bring you?" She asked.
"Food for this one and another mug of mead," Karunn dismissed her.
"The matron will not agree to you feeding Rhiannon. She's been punished," the service girl said nervously.
"Tell the matron that I will pay for her services as she is pleasing me. I will also pay for her previous customer and for her food," Karunn replied calmly.
Rhiannon looked up surprised at that, "I will do my best to please you ma'm even though I've never been with a dwarrowdam before."
The service girl left with an alarmed nod and Karunn turned to Rhiannon, "I don't expect you to act on those services. I am just doing it to get you out of trouble. I just want to talk about Eilin. That's all."
Rhiannon's look was heavily guarded for a few moments, but when she saw the matron looking at them with suspicion she turned at Karunn almost in despair, "thank you ma'am. May Eru bless your heart with eternal health and happiness. Tell me what I can do to pay you back for what you have done for me."
"Tell me about Eilin," Karunn smiled and forced herself to grasp Rhiannon's skeletal fingers.
Rhiannon's eyes cast down, "How do you know her?"
Karunn pulled back and cupped her mouth acting all emotional suddenly, "she's my best friend actually."
"She is?" Rhiannon's eyes flared.
Karunn nodded, "She arrived in the Ironhills two years ago and we became really close. We are more like sisters than anything else. She had been wandering the Dunlands for ages, before a family helped her over to Lord Dain's stronghold. She became a stable girl, but one day I lost my diamond bead and she found it and brought it back to me. I appreciated her honourable heart so much, that I decided to keep her as my maiden. It wasn't long before her innocence and loyalty stole my heart and I began trusting her with more personal issues. Soon we became very close. If you know her as you proclaim, you must have been witness to the honour and honesty that is in her heart."
Rhiannon nodded, easily falling into Karunn's well versed words, "she was always like that. A ray of bright hope for all those that were drawn by darkness. I am so relieved that she found her way to the amazing dwarven cities. That had always been her dream. Is she still in the Ironhills then?"
Karunn shook her head, "No she relocated. I suppose you haven't heard that Erebor has been reclaimed…"
Rhiannon's dirty and cold hand clamped hers, "by the Longbeards. Everyone in Middle Earth knows that the Lonely Mountain is free again ma'm."
Karunn smiled widely, "a relative of mine stood by King Oakenshield's flanks in the heat of battle."
"Blessed is his name in it's bravery," Rhiannon smiled at her and her broken yellowish teeth made Karunn's stomach twist violently.
"Blessed may it always be. When the battle was over I was invited over to Erebor by the King himself and I decided to take Eilin with me," Karunn continued.
Rhiannon's eyes flew wide open, "did she get to meet the legend she always pined after? Did her dream come true?"
Karunn frowned slightly taken aback, "what?"
"The Mountain King. She's always been pining after him. I think the stories I said about that legendary dwarf had stolen her brains away. She used to paint rather nice drawings of him, based on my descriptions, which I am not sure were ever accurate," Rhiannon added with a ghostly smile.
Karunn touched her heart theatrically, "she didn't just meet him my darling girl. She fell in love with him and alas he fell in love with her."
"What!?" Rhiannon almost jumped out of her chair.
Karunn restrained her, "sit down and listen. The moment their eyes met sparks flew off in every direction. I knew that he liked her the moment he met her and that she did too. At first poor girl was too embarrassed to reveal to me the extent of her feelings, but I managed to dig them out of her. Then it was the turn of the King to reveal himself, but that was much harder for me to accomplish. It was a single night that brought them closer to each other. A dwarven gathering with a lot of mead, food and pleasant company. They found each other in the dark and talked long. After that there was no turning back for either of them."
Rhiannon's eyes were filled with tears, "her dream came true then. She lives amongst the dwarves…and she's in love. My darling little girl is in love…."
"In the most impressive stronghold of Middle Earth and is under the protection of the Mountain King himself. He took her originally as his maiden from me, which I condoned since I wanted to do everything in my power to help them, but now she's much more than a simple royal maiden," Karunn smiled at the sick creature that looked ready to collapse in front of her.
That is when the service girl returned with a plate of pitiful looking stew and a mug. She placed them in front of Rhiannon that quickly forgot all about Eilin's amazing luck and attacked the plate with mouth and fingers together. Karunn looked slightly disturbed at her and then at the service girl.
"That will be one silver coin," the girl said and pointed at the matron with a flick of her head.
Karunn frowned, "a silver coin for this?" She almost hissed towards Rhiannon that didn't hear anything as she was concentrating on her food.
"You wanted her," the service girl winked.
Karunn exhaled through her nose, "fine." She opened up her velvet pouch and took out a silver coin.
"I can understand," Rhiannon mumbled with half her mouth full of food, half of it running down her chin. Karunn buried a gag and coughed instead.
"What?"
"How the King got entranced by Eilin. She was always a true beauty. Not only outside, but inside also. Especially inside. I always told her that dreams could come true if you wanted them bad enough. When she left the tavern to get a better life after her rape I was so afraid that she was going to die on the road, but she managed it. She hides the bravest heart you will ever know, under the most dainty exterior you can find," Rhiannon nodded at her own thoughts and her fingers picked up more food and shovelled it to her mouth.
"She's an amazing girl that has shown me the value of a loving heart and a loyal soul. She fought through many hardships to end up where she is now. Sharing the King's bed," Karunn felt anger sheathing inside her upon those words.
Rhiannon looked up sharply at that, "why only his bed? Will he dishonour her? Will he not marry her?"
Karunn looked at the sauce that was dripping from her chin onto her dirty black half torn dress, "things are difficult, that is why I swore to help her out. That is why I undertook this arduous journey on my own to try and find some connection to her past. You see Eilin was and remains a maiden. In dwarrow culture it is not common for such different ranks to wed. Add to that her interracial status and things are not easy for them. The King's court is causing them a lot of grief. They don't want their King married to a maiden and moreover a maiden that is not a dwarrordam."
"but half her blood is dwarfish! You know it. You said it to the matron!" Rhiannon forgot all about her food.
"I know it, he knows it, she knows it, but we have to make his court believe it. Only then and then alone they might accept Eilin as the new Queen of Erebor," the words almost choked her.
Rhiannon's eyes filled with tears, "why can't they leave them alone since they love each other? True love is so rare, when it appears in this manner, people should revel in it, not try to destroy it."
Karunn nodded, "I agree, that is why I travelled long and far. To reach Eilin's original abode, ask for her friends and beg them. Beg you. If you have something that can prove beyond doubt Eilin's true identity, we need it! Any object that might have once belonged to her, anything that could signify who she was. Please please, and that is the voice of Eilin begging you, not mine. Give me something to present to the King and his court. Anything that she might instantly recognise as her own and that might prove her identity. Anything she might have left behind after fleeing this place. You are her only hope."
"I was her only friend here. I loved her as my sister," Rhiannon wiped the tears away and a trail of clean skin appeared on her cheek. "When she got raped I was the one that cleaned her and tried to heal her, but I knew that after that she wouldn't stay another day. She never worked as a prostitute even though the previous matron asked her many times. You see her beauty was rare and many customers were asking for her. She was never forced though, as the matron had been raising her as part of the family. She was asked many times for her services. She denied countless. No one ever touched her and under the eye of the master no one ever dared. But one day when the owners were gone she was attacked and defiled. That experience broke her apart and torn her to pieces. She couldn't live here anymore. I led her to the door the night she sneaked out. I kissed her like a sister that I was never going to see again and watched with tears streaming into my very soul as she ran into the shadows. I thought she was going to die by the end of the week. In fact until you mentioned her tonight I was mourning her as my lost sister. Now I learn that not only did she make it, but she earned what she had always deserved and my heart is rejoicing. You ask of something from her past. She left nothing behind…"
Karunn felt her heart dropping.
"Nothing that she knows off," Rhiannon said quietly. Her stew was becoming cold, totally forgotten by then.
Karunn frowned, "go on."
Rhiannon looked down at her hands and hesitated, "there is something I found at the fields one day, but I never returned it to her. She didn't want it back. She hated that thing. I am not sure I can give it to you. It might not please her to see it again."
Karunn forced herself to cup Rhiannon's hand, "I am ready to help you out of this hellhole, if you help me and Eilin in her quest for happiness. What is it you found?"
Rhiannon hesitated for a long time, where Karunn was itching to bitch slap this sick skeleton into action once more, before speaking, "her baby belt."
Karunn's body broke out in goosebumps, "baby belt?"
"When she was left to this doorstep, she had a dwarven baby belt around her small body. Carried the Firebeard sigil on it. I suppose the dad was some Firebeard lord that did the bad deed with a woman and instead of letting the result die in the wilderlands he decided to give her a chance in this tavern."
"Lord?" Karunn sounded thoughtful.
"No one can spare such an expensive looking belt and not own a good amount of money," Rhiannon said.
"Why didn't she want this belt?" Karunn frowned.
"It reminded her of how much her parents despised her. She used to wear it as an armband when she grew older, but one day it got lost in the fields she was working on. When she got home she said she got rid of her past once and for all and was glad she lost that damn piece of dark history. Never asked for it again. I found it when I was picking up barley, half buried in mud, months later. One of it's golden threads was shining under the sun despite the dried dirt gathered on it. I never gave it back to her," Rhiannon's feral eyes looked up at Karunn's cold stare.
"Can you bring it to me? I will pay for it. Pay well enough to help you escape this miserable place. It will help your friend immensely. You might even be able to travel to Erebor and seek your friend there. You might have a chance to create a new life with her."
"Are you sure she won't be mad to see it again?" Rhiannon frowned.
"I am sure she will, but if it can help her wed the Mountain King I think she can overlook her past feelings for it, don't you agree?" Karunn forced a sweet smile on her lips.
"You can take me with you back to Erebor then? Will I be able to see Eilin?" Rhiannon eyes gleamed with a ghost of happiness.
Karunn hesitated, "if you bring me the baby belt I'll see what I can do to get you out of here," she said, never intending to allow her to arrive in Erebor. She had to find a way to get rid of the only witness that could link her to this tavern, but for now she had to play along.
Rhiannon's hand grasped hers almost painfully, "help me leave this place ma'm and I will be your servant till the day I die. I will service your every need, whatever that may be. I might not be pretty or healthy anymore, but what I have is yours. Just help me escape this hellhole. I cannot stay here anymore. I will die… help me please…" she croaked and came into such a heavy bout of coughing that Karunn shuddered abhorred. When Rhiannon looked up there was a small trickle of blood at the side of her mouth.
"You will come with me, only if you prove that what you said is true. Prove to me you have Eilin's belt. Bring it and I will allow you to follow me so you can give it to her yourself," she said calmly, not intending to allow this filthy creature to live further than a day's ride away from this tavern. She'd find a way to kill her. With the right amount of coins everyone in this tavern would do her in.
Rhiannon's eyes brightened up and she pushed her chair back, "please don't leave ma'm. I am going up to bring it to you!" She said and with a youthful energy that seemed improbable for her broken body she rushed up the stairs. Karunn's eyes crossed with the matron and she raised her brow haughtily. At least this trip hadn't been in vain. She was going to get her revenge, even if it was the last thing she would do.
Rhiannon returned so quickly that she crashed onto a client who cursed and bitch slapped her. She fell onto the wall holding her bloody nose, but even the matron's angry look didn't faze her as she kneeled next to Karunn with beseeching eyes, "here, here it is. Please don't kick me away now. Please take me with you, lest I die. I want to see Eilin, please ma'm…." She begged with heart wrenching sobs that could have moved anyone except Karunn.
She took the belt and twisted it around. It was falling to pieces, almost threadbare, but the remaining golden threads that twisted around the rune of Úri's Folk betrayed a reality that made Karunn's heart explode with hatred. Not only did that stable girl manage to burrow her way into the King's bed, she was also a true Firebeard heir. Something that Karunn didn't want the King to know, but on the other hand this belt would also prove her most powerful tool to dismantling their happiness inch by inch. She turned the belt around and checked on the underside. There was a combination of runes that she didn't understand. "Will Eilin recognise this when she sees it?"
"Most certainly, but she will be shocked. I am not sure she's going to like it," Rhiannon looked at Karunn almost lovingly, and began playing with the frills on her tunic.
"That matters little," Karunn said thoughtfully.
Rhiannon pulled her tunic, "will you take me with you ma'am?"
Karunn looked down at the fragile and sick creature kneeling at her feet. She would most certainly not leave any witnesses behind, "of course. Bring over the matron so I can negotiate your price and then go fix your bag. You are coming back to Erebor," she said with a reassuring smile.
Rhiannon smiled up as brightly as all her destroyed teeth allowed, "thank you ma'am, bless your heart, bless your family and your offsprings, bless your womb, bless your husband…bless…"
"Enough! Now go," Karunn send her off dismissively.
Rhiannon ran off to get the matron, not knowing that her death was already being planned by the woman that offered her safety. Karunn looked down at Eilin's baby belt. Her mouth formed the most hatefully twisted smile a person could master.
Back in Erebor, Eilin looked at the progression and felt her stomach again twisting in uncomfortable knots. She'd been fighting not to throw up ever since she woke up in Thorin's bed. She didn't tell him anything as he dressed up and left for his obligations, making sure that she was safely sleeping. When the door closed behind she sprang up panting with the effort to keep from gagging. She had been feeling like this every morning for the last four days. At first she thought it was something she ate. She emptied her stomach and slept as much as she could, but the next day she got a repetition. Thorin was worried when she hid into his bathroom, forcing herself not to gag loud enough to be heard. Trying to appear pleasant and in a good mood, she re-entered his bedroom. If he did notice something he didn't mention it, but her mood was ruining their intimacy. She had no courage to lift herself from the bed, never mind satisfying this overwhelming man. She denied him their intimacy several times over, with the poor excuse of having a pain in her head. He didn't seem to mind, and he took care to alleviate her discomfort, but she wasn't sure she was doing the right thing by keeping all this from him.
This noon she managed to drag herself out of bed in order to assist princess Dis half heartedly. Now she was standing behind her and Lady Valdis, overlooking the progression of the King and the lords of the delegations towards the throne room.
"He's so good looking," one of the girls said.
"Which one, for I see plenty of good looking dwarves at that corridor…" Her friend giggled.
"The King, of course" The first girl rejoined.
"He's out of our league, but how about that handsome wall of muscle and fierceness behind him?"
"The half bald one?"
"Yeah," the second girl sneakered under her palm.
"He's one of the Longbeard lords and first cousin to the King. He is out of our league also!"
"They are all out of our league! Will you keep it down, silly girls. They are all lords of the seven families. None of them is going to look down at us maidens for a wife!" one of the silent bystanders retorted quietly.
"No harm in dreaming is there?" The girl that spoke about Dwalin rebuked.
Eilin cupped her mouth and took several deep inhalations, trying to keep her nausea in check. The need to puke slightly won over the need to cry at how insanely accurate these girl's words had been. Which dwarf lord would ever look so low in rank for a wife? Which one apart from the one that stood highest of them all. The one who had wrapped her poor heart around his little finger. She wanted to turn around and offer these girls the hope they needed but shook her head against such a folly.
She fought against the urge to tell the girl that maybe she could get her to meet Dwalin and who knows maybe the dwarfish customs concerning marriage would finally change for all of them, but she denied herself the pleasure. She simply stood there, becoming paler by the minute as her eyes feasted on Thorin far longer than appropriate. He looked distinctly moody and all she wanted to do was push Valdis out of the way and run up to that group of ten formidable looking men, push them aside also and then bury herself into his arms. Without minding that Thorin hadn't decided yet to make their situation known to a bigger audience than his close company, she wanted to take that initiative for him. Finally though logic won over and she cast her eyes down as the great lords of the old dwarven lores got lost into the shadows that led to the throne room. Slowly everyone began dispersing around them.
"Eilin are you alright?" Valdis frowned when she turned around.
Young Lis touched Eilin's bicep carefully, "what's wrong ma'am?"
Eilin shook her head and felt her eyes watering by the seer need to keep herself from emptying her stomach on princess Dis's boots, "a dizzy spell. I'll be alright."
"You look as pale as a ghost ma'm," Loa's voice made her look up.
"I am fine," she whispered and leaned her palms on her thighs.
Dis turned to them.
"You don't look fine, you are ready to collapse," Valdis frowned.
"I assure you I am fine…" she said, but that is when her stomach clenched so hard that she turned around unable to stop herself and puked in the middle of the corridor, in front of the princess and her lady in honour. She grasped her knees tightly and gagged so much that she felt her heart was going to be spat out of her mouth also. When her head began clearing and her stomach didn't have anything more to give, she felt a pair of hands securing her hair away from her face.
"That's not you being fine." It was princess Dis.
Eilin shook her head, "I am so sorry my lady. I didn't mean to cause you and Lady Valdis any grief."
Valdis gave her a handkerchief to wipe her mouth and Eilin took it reluctantly, "I don't want to dirty this my lady."
"Keep it, I don't mind," Valdis smiled at her.
"You need some attention," Dis said.
Eilin nodded, "I feel much better now my lady. Don't worry." The relief she felt after emptying her stomach was obvious in her face, but she did feel weak to the knees.
Dis shook her head decisively, "you are in no position to follow us down to the north-west residential cavern. Valdis can you take care of that with Loa? My brother has no need either of her or of Eilin at this point. He will be locked up with the lords of the seven families in grandfather's study for a long time."
Valdis bowed and looked at Loa and her daughter Lis, "of course I can my lady."
"Take care of the newborn down there. Every rare birth is immensely significant for our people and for Erebor. Be present in my stead." Dis said calmly.
Valdis nodded, "very well my lady, come Loa," she said.
"Leave Lis with us," Dis said.
"Yes my Lady," Loa bowed and followed Valdis.
Lis came next to Eilin, "what can I help with ma'm?"
"You go to the kitchens and make her a cup of tea. Use chamomile flowers, not leafs. See if there is some honey-cake and make a tray for her," Dis ordered.
The girl bowed and ran off to do their bidding.
Dis turned at Eilin that was trying to figure out how to wipe away the floor from her mess, "Are you seriously trying to clean this up?"
Eilin's look was forlorn, "Yes?" She winced.
Dis shook her head, "come I will escort you back to your room."
"I should be escorting you," Eilin looked at her sadly. She felt totally miserable.
Dis locked elbows with her and smiled, "I thought we were beyond all those typicalities when we were alone."
Eilin shook her head, "I will never be able to see you as nothing less than my mistress, my lady."
Dis waved her off and led her slowly down to her room with measured steps that Eilin could follow, "stop the nonsense and tell me if you ate something that bothered you."
"No, as a matter of fact the last four days I cannot eat so much, exactly because I am constantly nauseous."
Dis's eyes thinned, "what time of day do you feel worst?"
"Upon waking up," Eilin didn't hesitate.
Dis nodded thoughtfully and led her silently into her room. She ordered Eilin to lay in bed and went to the kitchens to overlook Lis's attempt at the tea. When she returned to the dark room, Eilin was already dozing off. Dis went to the fireplace and replenished the dying embers. Eilin's eyes cracked open.
"This is so wrong in every aspect possible," she whispered.
Dis raised her brow, "Is it?"
"A princess serving the maiden," Eilin pushed herself up.
"When the maiden is loved by the King, his sister becomes her protector," Dis rejoined cleverly.
Eilin closed her eyes. Her mouth was dry, but at least her stomach was not complaining anymore. If it wasn't for that damned weakness she felt, she'd be ready to follow the princess down at the caverns and work properly.
"Do you feel better?" Dis frowned and came over.
"Yes much better, I am just feeling slightly weak. That's all," Eilin forced a smile.
Dis run her fingers on Eilin's warrior braid and picked up the golden bead at it's tip. She smiled wistfully. "I never mentioned that this is a family heirloom have I?"
Eilin touched the bead and blushed, "no and he didn't either."
Dis smiled and nodded. "Mom gave this bead to Thorin when he was coming out of childhood and entering young adulthood. She always thought that dad was treating him too roughly and she wanted to pamper him at times more than the rest of us. That never lasted long though. Dad's iron will influenced mom and she became as rough towards Thorin as Thrain was. At times even cruel to the eyes of an outsider. So my big brother ended up not only having the responsibilities that dad was giving him, like learning to rule, to fight and to always be there for his people, but also he had mom giving him complete responsibility of me and Frerin. Thank Mahal's beard she didn't also give him the household chores, not that he didn't have to partake in many of them anyways."
"That sounds so unfair," Eilin frowned.
"Don't judge them harshly. Mom and dad had three kids and responsibilities should have been split into three equal parts, but Thorin was next in line for the throne. Dad needed to have a strong grip on him in order to mould the next Mountain King out of him. It's the same thing that Thorin is doing for my son Fili now."
Eilin smiled and nodded.
"And my dad was not so wrong in doing so, because my older brother had truly been wild in young adulthood and needed a lot of taming."
Eilin smiled, "was he?" She asked almost proudly.
"Maybe it was brewing male energy yearning to be free, maybe Longbeard stubbornness, maybe bravado, but the young boy I remember was causing trouble all the time in Erebor and all the surrounding cities."
"Now he is the epitome of a King," Eilin said.
"That was the result of a lot of work from my father and mother. They suppressed the young Thorin from running wild, so much so, that in the end I fear they killed his true identity. They killed that boy standing on top of the banisters, blowing the huge horn with his black hair whiplashing his face, just because he wanted to wake up Erebor long before the golden bell did."
Eilin smiled, but knew those words were not true. She had seen the real Thorin not only once, but many times and it was he that she had fallen in love with. Not the King.
Dis continued more darkly, "I don't know what it was that dad was thinking. That their first born would be blessed by Durin the deathless himself and he'd be ready to take on rule from the first moment he got out of my mom's womb? Probably. Thorin's heart was that of a warrior. My dad had too much fear for him, Thorin had too little. He was of a rebellious and untamed nature with little to no ability for diplomacy and a stubbornness that could win over that of my grandfather and that's saying a lot."
Eilin remembered that night in Thranduil's halls. "I beg to differ on the diplomacy. I've seen him manoeuvring very methodically in his dealings with the elves."
Dis raised her hand. "Now he knows what he is doing, but it took a lot of effort from dad to tame his rough interior and teach him how to handle difficult situations. Add to that at least seventy years of being a commander of Erebor's army under Thror, and another hundred years of ruling his own halls in the Blue mountains. The result you see now has taken many years of training."
Eilin nodded, "I understand."
"I don't know which part of him I love the most. The majestic King that sits on the throne under the Arkenstone ruling with enviable ease one of the biggest strongholds of Middle Earth? The fierce warrior that has partaken in so many battles and has written his own history in golden letters? Or the Thorin that was chasing me through Dale in order to punch my face, because I pissed him off," Dis smiled sadly.
Eilin looked at her palms thoughtfully.
Dis shook her head, "I think I miss the old Thorin."
"He never left. He's just hiding, because everyone demands the majestic King out of him," Eilin said quietly.
Dis looked up sharply at that.
"I've seen him. I fell in love with him," Eilin whispered.
"He feels free to be himself with you. I find that so beautiful," Dis's eyes watered.
Eilin pressed her lips and nodded, "I do too."
Dis looked at the fireplace and sighed deeply, "you didn't sleep in your room last night did you?"
Eilin looked away embarrassed, but remained silent.
"The embers were dying in your fireplace. If you had slept here last night they would have still been burning strong." Dis explained.
Eilin's cheeks flushed red and she twisted her fingers around each other.
"You don't have to look thunderstruck. It's not as if I am not aware of your situation with my brother," Dis smiled.
Eilin looked up fleetingly and then averted her eyes again, "I don't know what to say."
"The truth. I am not here to chastise, but to help you," Dis rejoined thoughtfully.
"I didn't sleep here no," Eilin's voice was hushed.
Dis stippled her fingers on her lap and looked at them for a few long moments, where Eilin felt under deep scrutiny, "are you sure your stomach is not complaining by somethiing you ate?"
Eilin shook her head, "I am barely able to eat. That's why I feel so weak."
Dis nodded, "your breasts, are they sensitive to the touch?"
Eilin dropped her eyes to her lap and nodded, "yes."
"Did you get your blood this moon circle?" Dis looked up at her with a guarded look Eilin missed.
She frowned and bit her lower lip, "now that you mentioned it, no. I was expecting it a couple of days ago." She looked up worried, "you think I am very sick?"
"Is my brother aware of your state?"
"No, and I don't want to worry him. Please don't tell him anything, it will go away soon I hope," Eilin tittered.
Dis looked at Eilin thoughtfully, "How do I ask this without making you run for cover…" -she mumbled under her breath. It took her several moments to decide before she turned her steady gaze on the maiden- "have you become intimate with my brother?"
Eilin felt as if someone emptied a cold bucket of water on her head. She began shivering instantly and felt the blood draining from her face. She was unable to speak.
Dis grasped her cold hands tightly, "I am trying to help," she said softly.
Eilin felt her eyes welling and gave a small nod that could have easily been missed.
Dis pursed her lips, "he became impatient, didn't he?"
Eilin's heart ran to his defence faster than her mouth, "I became equally impatient my lady. Forgive us."
"How long ago?" Dis asked.
"More or less I think about two fortnights," Eilin muttered.
Dis withdrew her heavy stare and a ghostly smile came to her lips, "Oh Thorin, Thorin. He acted like a young dwarfing with no self control and there may be consequences to that."
Eilin frowned confused, "what do you mean my lady?"
"You should have waited until the matter was cleared with the lords and properly official," Dis said sternly.
"My lady forgive me," Eilin began crying.
Dis pulled her into a warm embrace, "not because I don't agree dear girl. I became intimate with my dear husband long before we got engaged and no one from my family knew. I became equally impatient as you, but this kind of intimacy might produce results that could have been postponed for a more appropriate time. Like after you were married."
Eilin was still unable to understand what Dis was telling her, "results?"
Dis sighed patiently, "not having your blood, feeling your breasts tender and being nauseous can possibly mean..."
Eilin spoke over her, "...that I am dying."
Dis laughed heartily then, "no dear girl, certainly not dying, but you are possibly pregnant."
Eilin felt as if someone slapped her so hard that she lost her breath. She inhaled sharply and her nails dug on Dis's forearms, "what?" She croaked.
"Assuming that he never made half love to you and that he planted his seeds…" Dis pulled back to look at her.
Eilin's eyes fell on her eagerly, "he loved me fully my lady, every time."
Dis nodded knowingly, "then his seeds may have blossomed."
Eilin felt her mouth numbing, "I am pregnant?"
"Possibly," Dis pursed her lips.
Eilin began trembling uncontrollably, "Oh Eru, help me…" she whispered and felt cold sweat running down her back.
Dis stood up and brought her over some tea, "drink some, before you faint and hold my hand. For heaven's sake you might be pregnant, not on a death sentence. Don't act like you are going to die on me. You won't be the first dwarrowdam falling pregnant from the man she loves, nor the last one believe me. Even though, I will be in heaven if you are carrying my niece or nephew in that flat stomach of yours."
Eilin looked petrified at Dis, "what if I am pregnant, what then?"
"Then you shall give birth to the heir to the throne of Erebor and surprise for all of us, they will be interracial." Dis didn't seem bothered at all.
Eilin paled.
Dis looked at her, "why do you seem scared out of your wits, when you should have been the happiest woman in the world?"
"I am afraid," Eilin tittered and her eyes filled with tears.
Dis held her hand, "what about?"
"That if I am pregnant I am going to either lose the baby, or him. That this will not end well. Nothing for me ever ends well," she felt utterly overwhelmed and began weeping.
"You will neither lose the baby or my brother. What is this nonsense you are talking about now?" She cradled Eilin that sobbed into her bosom.
"Whom would ever agree on having an interracial King on the throne my lady? No one…no one," Eilin cried.
"Me for one" -Dis smiled and Eilin looked up sharply- "my brother, my son, his comrades and most of the common people who are ready to accept the change Thorin's rulership is bringing to their lives. If it is the remaining lords that scare you, allow my brother to handle them. He is more than capable," she sounded so dead certain that Eilin's heart began settling down.
"You would accept such a King?" Eilin's voice sounded almost desperate.
"I would embrace my brother's children like my own. I would bow to their rule and feel blessed that my brother created life through true love."
Eilin began crying again, "thank you my lady…these words mean a lot to me…"
"Let's make sure you are pregnant first alright?
Eilin nodded unable to stop her constant sniffling.
"And let's shape you up, because if my brother sees you like this he is certainly going to suspect. We don't want to spoil the surprise for him, now do we?" Dis wiped away her tears.
"Do you think that he is going be happy?"
"Knowing what I know about my older brother and how much he loves children, he's going to go crazy when you tell him."
Eilin's mouth formed a ghostly smile.
"He raised my sons like his own. He also raised me and Frerin. He's got so much love to give and so much experience with children. You don't know how lucky you are to have this man by your side." Dis rejoined smugly.
Eilin nodded, "I am the luckiest woman on Middle Earth, I am just afraid that all this will end in tears and my luck will run out."
Dis shook her head, "now now. Everything is going to be okay. Now let's shape you up. You need to take a bath, change clothes and I will do your hair before we go out again. We don't want to scare him, or make him suspect anything until the barley gives us the answer, okay?"
Eilin nodded eagerly, "the what?"
"Barley or wheat. I'll ask Lis to bring you some roots. You need to pee on it. If it blossoms then you are pregnant. It will take a few days though," Dis stood up and went to the cupboard to pick up some clothes.
Eilin wiped away her face.
"Will you manage a straight face with him?"
Eilin cringed, "I hope so. Unless my nausea gets the best of me again."
"I'll tell him you have a turbulent stomach when I see him. Just to cover up that part of the story," Dis reassured her and came back with the clothes. "You should try to eat some of the honey-cake dear. You are still pale and look rather weak. You need nourishment."
Eilin clasped her hand, "thank you for everything you are doing for me my lady."
Dis tightened her grip, "I am here, worry not."
Eilin embraced her so unexpectedly that Dis was surprised. She wrapped her arms around the young red headed girl that had stolen her brother's heart and was possibly carrying his child and sighed in deep relief.
The same afternoon found Eilin at the shores of the River Running next to Loa, Lis and a couple of other ladies, washing clothes. After drinking the tea and eating some of the honey cake Lis brought her she felt much better. The support of the princess made her see her recent illness under a new light that made her stomach clench in both anxiety and anticipation. She both feared the results of the barley, and wanted them to be true. The thought that she might be carrying Thorin's child was both daunting and exciting. Why it never crossed her mind that having been this intimate with him could have resulted in some kind of pregnancy was beyond her ability to understand. The shock when Dis spoke of that possibility had felt like a backslap on her face at first, but now a few hours later, while she had the opportunity to get some sleep, some food and some time to think, it felt more and more exciting.
She stopped thinking of those small nuances as a sickness and began seeing them as something truly magnificent and difficult to absorb. Still the more she thought of it, the more she wanted to go in Erebor and search for him. Find him whenever he was hiding in whatever serious meeting was taking up his time and then tell him about the barley test and all the amazing possibilities that could come from that. She wanted to share her timid happiness, nervousness and anticipation, but Dis told her to say nothing until they knew for certain. So she pressed her lips annoyed and suppressed her need to find him.
She knelt silently next to Loa, listening to her talking about the quality of these expensive clothes, some of which were Thorin's, and gulping down all the words she wanted to spit to the world about what was probably in her belly. At least she wasn't feeling nauseous anymore. She rubbed fiercely one of Thorin's maroon tunics and decided to try and find him later at night in his rooms when he'd be free of all his overwhelming obligations. Then maybe they could make love and sleep in his warm bed with his arm resting above her belly protectively. She was so blessedly overwhelmed by these beautiful thoughts that she didn't hear his heavy boots stopping next to her.
"My Lord," the respectful voice of Loa made her look up.
"My Lord," she repeated with the same tone of respect, but her eyes shown brightly up at him.
He gave her a coy smile, before turning his attention at Loa. "Were we in such dire need of clean clothes that you had to bring the child out here in this heavy weather?"
"We needed to take care of the cleaning my Lord and the water that comes out of the mouth of the mountain is still rather warm." Loa bowed, "besides Lis is not bothered by the cold so much"
Lis beamed up at the King, "I am not cold sir."
Thorin raised his brow thoughtfully, "I just came down from the ramparts. There is a snow storm coming, take the child inside and resume your chores in the cleaning stations there."
"Very well sir, allow us to rinse the ones we've been cleaning and we are going. Thank you for thinking about Lis," Loa said with a respectful bow.
"I ordered them to come out here," Eilin winced regretfully at him.
"As for you," he raised his brow and came down to one knee next to her. His voice became a whisper, "why did you come out here in your condition?"
"Condition?" she whispered back confused.
"My sister spoke to me," he tilted his head.
Eilin felt the blood draining from her face, "wh-what did she say?" her tongue tripped on the words.
"That you've been having a sore stomach and you needed some care and attention. Which is not what's happening out here in the cold," he said sternly.
She sighed a whole bout of unease, "ah, no, I feel fine now."
He raised his brow.
"I honestly feel much better. Must have been something I ate," she shook her head with a soft smile.
He pressed his lips and his hand landed above hers as she was holding his wet maroon tunic, "Is this mine?" he looked down.
She nodded, "of course."
"I don't want you doing my laundry..."
She whispered over him, ."..it's my job."
"..especially when you are sick," -he overlapped her. They looked at each other silently and he was the first one to smile- "you have Loa to help you now. Let her take care of the laundry. You are coming with me." His hand released the tunic from her fingers and pulled her up.
"Where to?" she said as he stippled his fingers through hers and pulled her a few steps away from Loa, Lis and the other women.
"In my rooms," he raised his brow.
She blushed and lowered her eyes, "oh..."
"We are going to eat a nice supper, warm your weary bones and I will play you some music" -he tilted his head- "don't get any ideas into that pretty little head of yours. Tonight I am here to make sure you rest well and recover. Not throw you in bed."
"Who told you that throwing me in bed, won't help me recover?" she grinned.
He pursed his lips, "be serious young lady."
She looked at their stippled fingers, "look who's chastising me about seriousness. You've caught my hand in front of Loa, her daughter and several other women," she whispered and her eyes indicated at the group behind her.
"Oh, did I?" he frowned and looked down at their hands.
She pulled back her hand quickly, "you didn't realise, did you?" she sounded disheartened.
He reached out and clasped it again, but didn't stop there. This time he cupped her cheek and drew her in, "on the contrary, I realised very well what I was doing, so don't go around messing it up for me."
Her mouth dropped open.
He pulled her in by the cheek and enfolded her into his arms, "perfect."
"You are embracing me in front of everyone," she whispered, but her arms came under his armpits quickly, wanting to embrace him badly.
"So are you," he reminded her and settled his cheek on the top of her head shamelessly.
That is when Loa's voice was heard, "come child, pick them up. And you ladies, off we go, further up, inside the gates where the water is warm and the air is too. You, young lady close that gaping mouth, avert your eyes now and follow me!" her voice turned commanding.
Eilin snorted and hid her face into the folds of his fur lapels as she heard their footsteps walking away. His arms tightened around her. When it was silent again she spoke, "did Loa just chastised one of them for looking at us?"
He nodded, "woman handled it very well. I am glad she's at your service."
Eilin's hands caressed his shoulder blades, "Thank you for coming out here for me today."
"I wish I could have come earlier," he reassured her.
"Thorin believe me, I feel much better now."
His fingers skimmed across her stomach, "this is were it hurts you?" his voice held such a soft caring tone, that she felt her heart beaming.
"No my love," she whispered and enfolded the back of his hand. Slowly she led him down, to her lower belly, "here."
He kissed her forehead and caressed her nape protectively, "is that better now?" he spoke in a hushed tone as his large palm burrowed under the folds of her coat and tried to warm up the place that could be carrying his child, without his knowledge.
She felt her eyes welling and flushed her cheek against his wide chest. "Yes, much better my love," she whispered and her hand came over his.
They remained immovable, enclosed in each other's arms, under the heavy snow, both warming up her lower belly, until he convinced her that it was time to go inside. He led her discreetly to his rooms, where he forced her to change into her nightgown. He gave her one of his warm mantles and went himself down at the kitchens to see if Loa had prepared any dinner. He brought some up for both, and after they ate and talked until the bells of Erebor gave the final call for the night he sat in front of his harp. She snuggled next to the fire with her knees under her chin, feeling mesmerised by his amazing ability to create such angelic music. The good food and drink, the warmth of the fire and the beautiful music were a good combination to make her eyes droop heavily.
Soon enough she was sleeping. He picked her up and tucked her under the heavy fur blankets, making sure the fire was blazing and the windows were tightly sealed to keep the cold out. Then he sat at the armchair in front of the fire to enjoy his own drink for a while, before getting into the bed next to her. Sleep found him quickly, even though his mind was overburdened by the answers that the six lords were demanding for the rumours concerning him and Eilin.
**************************...****************************
**************************...****************************