Whew! I churned out another chapter. Many thanks to the BugSlayer for suggesting that Dain and Onkra have a moment, hopefully for her to see the error of her ways. Uh, erm, well, tell me what you think, and here's more Thorin for those of you who missed him.
Chapter 33
Dain walked down a long, curving staircase that would have descended into the dark if not for torches lighting the way. Unlike the rest of Erebor's refined and polished interior, the dungeons were constructed from crudely cut, gray blocks that while just as imposing as above, presented a much different atmosphere. No tapestries, no carvings, no scrollwork, no elegance were to be had anywhere as a stark reminder of banishment from civilization. He clopped down the wide, slab stairs until he reached the guards on duty.
"Good day, my lord," the larger of two said. He was dress in a livery of royal blue and black. The Durin crest of embroidered silver on his chest declared that this dwarf belonged to Erebor. His comrade was dressed the same, and both stood and bowed low at Dain's appearance.
"How is she today?" Dain asked. He steeled himself to hear another report of her screaming insults at anyone who could hear, insults of a kind that no noble dwarrowdam should know. Onkra, as she was above, was a topic of conversation, and her presence a welcome distraction to other prisoners who were amused by her frequent rants.
"They do help pass the time," one dwarf caught for stealing said to his accomplice across the bars. His counterpart nodded. "Aye, but my hearing's going."
The guards walked ahead of Dain and rounded the corner. A ring of many keys jingled on the smaller guard's belt. Erebor's dungeons held only those who were sentenced by the tribunal of elders with Thorin's approval, excepting Onkra and her guards. All of Erebor was witness to what they did, and no tribunal was needed to find their guilt. Thorin left their permanent punishment up to Lord Dain but, in the meantime, he ordered that she scrub a cell a day. Fili and Kili inspected her work and sent her back to clean any spots she missed. To their eyes, she missed many.
"Do you want to go inside, my lord? We take away her utensils after every meal, so you should be safe."
Dain nodded, and the guard unlocked the door. The heavy, iron door swung open, creaking in warning. Unlike male prisoners, she had a room with a solid door for privacy. Stepping into the cell, he spied his daughter's bulk slumped in a dark corner.
"What do you want?"
Dain sighed and sat down on a chair that the guards brought in for him. Otherwise, the room was bare except for a large bed whose mattress almost touched the ground. One of the guards hung a lamp on a ring by the door.
"I've come to see how you are, child," he said.
"Have you? You mean in between pleadings to see your bastards? I've heard all about that—even down here."
Dain rubbed his face with both hands. He didn't expect anything, and he didn't get anything. "Their lives were horrible thanks to me, and I want to set it right."
She scoffed and her bright, green eyes, made more visible by meager helpings of bread and water, sparkled with malice. "And me? What amends do I get?"
He drew a deep breath and steepled his fingers over his nose to prepare himself. "I gave you everything you desired, even when it wasn't best for you, even when you didn't deserve it. I did poorly by your mother, but I tried to make it up to you as best I could."
Turning her face to the wall, she stared at nothing for there was no window in her cell. "You're a pitiful excuse for a father." She scratched at the flesh spilling through open seams of her dress. Bemma and the others had done well. Her hair hung in lank strands, almost shorn to the scalp on the top and dropping like threads over her ears. Dain looked her over in disgust.
"Aye, and you're a pitiful excuse for a daughter."
Relianna's friends were more than happy to help her out, especially if they could see her brother again. Bemma said that they'd be down to whisk her away as soon as they finished their duties. Of course, they might be delayed a bit because they wanted to look their best, but she didn't see the need to pass on that information. Instead, she asked Nella for the dress while trying to avoid her sharp eyes.
"What does she need that for?" Nella asked. "I can't imagine she'd want it for sentimental reasons for Mahal's sake." She stared at Bemma, who fidgeted before dropping her gaze. "What aren't you telling me?"
The maid sighed and crossed her arms over her chest while Nella put her hands on her hips. "She needs to escape Lord Dain and decide her mind." Nella's shoulders dropped, but she didn't disagree.
"That's understandable. He's been rather insistent, although I can't blame him."
"I suppose not, but Reli and, um, Lord Frain have had their fill for the moment and need some peace."
Nella looked sidelong at Bemma with a hint of amusement. "And how is he going to make his escape?"
"He's not."
Nella nodded, not surprised. Lord Frain wasn't in a position to go anywhere, and she felt sorry for him. He was going to take the brunt of it by himself, and not only from Lord Dain but also from King Thorin. There were a number of tasks around the infirmary that needed doing, and she thought that now was as good a time as any to check them off her list.
"Is she going to tell him?"
Bemma's face said all she needed to know. Privately, Bemma felt miserable that Relianna wouldn't tell King Thorin, but she understood why not. He was formidable, to say the least, and, if she was in Relianna's place, she wouldn't relish taking him on if he disagreed with her stand.
"Mahal," Nella said. "The fat's going to be in the fire for that. She knows he'll not take it well?" She made a sound in the back of her throat and mumbled something, but Bemma didn't hear it. "He wouldn't you know."
"Wouldn't what?" Bemma asked. Her brows rose at Nella's cryptic words.
"Wouldn't try to sway her," Nella said. "If anything, he'd support her no matter what she decides."
"How do you know?"
Nella grinned and tossed a few strands of her sleek, coal-black hair over her shoulder. She had no doubts. If there was one thing she was sure of, it was his single-minded devotion to those he loved.
"Because he wouldn't have directed Lord Balin to set up a schedule of bodyguards to keep Lord Dain away from her if he wanted to force a reconciliation." Both looked toward the door and shook their heads, wondering how it all would play out. In the meantime, the next few days were going to be most unpleasant.
Relianna was relieved to see her friends, no longer wondering why they were late. Some of their hairstyles were so tall and elaborate that she thought they might fall over from their own weight. Others wore a little too much face paint and looked more like frosted cakes than maids, and she was certain that one of them had stuffed her bodice. Her friend wasn't that well-endowed three weeks ago. Looking over at her brother, she wondered what he made of all their efforts to catch his eye, but his attention was directed somewhere else.
Does he even know he's staring at her like she's the only one in the room?
"Frain? Brother? This is Plumma," and she introduced each of her friends in turn. All made their most elegant curtsies and then goggled at Frain who had taken a bath and washed his hair prior to their arrival.
"Ah, I smell like a stable," he had said to Oin, who came in to check on him. "I wanted a full soak after Relianna recovered, but there never was a good time.
"Think you can get out of bed long enough?" he asked. Frain pressed his lips together and shook his head.
"Not all the way down the hall," he said. "How about the wash tub in the supply closet?"
"That'll do," Oin said. Frain was able to hoist himself in with Oin's help while his sister gathered towels and toiletries. She sniffed at a bottle of musk-scented cologne.
"This smells nice. What do you think, brother?" He was less than amused and splashed some water her way.
"Do you mind?" he asked. "I'd like a little privacy." She shook with silent laughter and pulled his head back to wash his hair. "Like you gave me?" She took great care not to irritate his scalp. "Besides, Frain, you can't do this alone, and it's nothing I haven't seen before. Would you prefer Nella in here?"
"Praise Mahal for soap bubbles," he said, adding a few grouchy comments under his breath. Relianna pulled back his head and leaned over him, wagging a finger.
"That goes for the both of us." He flushed at her reminder of his barging in on her bath. "Besides, the maids will be down in a few minutes, and how did you put it when I was poisoned? Oh, I remember now. They'd be 'delighted to help.'"
"Get on with it then." She giggled outright that time and soaped his hair with enthusiasm. "We can't have you as Scruffy Cat now, can we?" He groaned and arched his neck to look her in the face.
"I should have stayed in Dale."
Sitting in his bed before the awe-struck maids, he looked fresh and magnificent. His blond hair almost glittered, and it fell in long swirling curls like his sisters'. Dressed in gray breeches and a pure, white tunic shot through with silver, he smiled and flashed deep dimples on both sides.
"Oh!" a maid gasped. Her knees gave out, and she fell back into Bemma's arms. "Honestly," Bemma muttered. For her part, she wouldn't even look at him. Instead, she righted the swooning maid and bustled back and forth removing towels and toiletries. Keeping her eyes on anyone and anything else, she didn't notice his eyes following her. Another flash of dimples sent her scurrying out of the room.
"I'll get Reli's veil," she said and closed the door with a slam. His smile fell. Not yet able to stand, he pushed himself up with his knuckles to see over the maids' shoulders. He dropped down when he didn't see her.
"Why did she leave so fast?" he asked. Looking stricken, he turned to his sister, and opened his hands. "Is something wrong?" Relianna took pity on him and shushed his concern. "She's helping me prepare is all. Like you said, we don't have much time."
"True enough, I suppose. Well, sister, where are you off to?" Leaning forward, she whispered in his ear. He broke into a huge grin, and another maid dropped where she stood. "Poor Thorin. He'll never guess." They looked down at the floor where maids fanned their unconscious friend.
"I hope it isn't catching," he said. "Otherwise, I'll be stuck here forever."
Once dressed, Relianna readied to leave. "I love you, brother, be well," and she bent down and kissed him on the cheek. "Tell her," she whispered in his ear. He winced, then took her hand and kissed it. "Be brave, sister." Turning to her friends, he waited to see if another might succumb to this strange phenomenon.
Must be the stuffiness in here. It is rather warm.
"I ask you all to take good care of Relianna and help her have the peace and quiet she needs. Please come to me with any concerns you might have."
They nodded and offered their assurances, chirping over each other like a flock of chickens.
"Of course, we will, my lord," Plumma said, raising her voice above the rest. "We'll come every hour if you wish."
"Er, that won't be necessary, my lady. Only if Relianna needs something." With a last curtsy, they huddled together with Relianna in the middle.
"Bye, Frain."
"I love you, Flame-rider."
The maids released a musical sigh, and two stumbled on the way out. Just before the door closed, he heard Lord Dain and Thorin come into the infirmary, continuing a rather loud discussion that must have started down the hall. They took no notice of the maids leaving, and Frain grinned in satisfaction.
Clever as always, sister.
"You're not in any position to demand anything, Dain. Not from them." Thorin said in a voice that carried, no doubt his intention. "I posted guards to keep you from imposing yourself on them, and don't tell me you wouldn't have done it. Dwalin told me what happened."
Dain grabbed Thorin's shoulder and swung him around so they stood face to face.
"How is it then that Lord Kerba and his daughter were allowed to visit? If they were too unwell, no one should have been able to see them. Kili and Fili came by several times. Don't think I didn't notice. What are you playing at? Is this some kind of punishment for not heeding your words?"
"No," Thorin said. "I allowed visitors who wouldn't upset them. They need distraction, not upheaval. Lord Kerba and Lady were pleasant company, and Relianna and Frain are very fond of my sister-sons. That is all." Dain stepped back and tried to see if Thorin was sincere, and his cousin stood firm and met his eyes calmly. He knew that Thorin was well-trained in diplomacy, but his level gaze was honest.
"Very well, but I need to meet with them," Dain said. He dropped the subject in favor of more important matters in his mind. "They're my heirs, and I want time with them. We need time to become a family." He rubbed his hands together, and his face took on a greedy cast. "This is my chance to make it up to Tamra, and I won't pass it by." He looked off into the distance. "I want them to come back with me to the Iron Hills."
"What?"
Balin, Dwalin, and Lords Kerba and Meldin took that moment to walk into the infirmary, and they stopped short at Dain's words. His face was bright with imaginings, but Thorin's was dark with fury. Without speaking, Balin and Dwalin stood behind Thorin, and Kerba and Meldin moved on either side of Dain.
"You can't change what's been decided," Thorin said with his chest out and his fists clenched. His eyes turned the same color as the glacial ice found on the sides of his mountain. "We are betrothed, and we will wed when we decide, and that will be as soon as possible."
Dain backed down to present a more reasonable case, looking at Thorin like a benevolent father on a too-eager suitor. Of course, Thorin was acceptable, of course he was, and he'd be proud to give his daughter to him—when the time was right.
"Now, Thorin, I'm not saying I won't allow her to marry you," he said in a patronizing tone, "but she is young, and I don't want any entanglements."
"Entanglements?" Thorin asked incredulous. "Is that what you think this is?" The four bystanders exchanged glances, knowing that his temper was scorching through his last firebreak, but Dain missed all the signs. He was distracted by fantasies of hugging his children as their long-lost father and kissing his daughter on the cheek while his son asked his advice on matters of state. Unmindful of what he said or how it was received, he smiled at his cousin and waved down his anger. "Now, now, you must be patient. She's had too little time to adjust, and perhaps, in the light of day, she'll see that you both were a little hasty. I think an engagement of two years should be sufficient."
Thorin's chest heaved, and Balin and Dwalin grabbed him by the arms as he lunged for Dain, who drew back in surprise.
"Get off me!" Thorin thundered, but they didn't budge. Kerba and Meldin stood on the sidelines, alert and ready to step in. "They won't be able to hold him for long," Meldin said out of the side of his mouth. Kerba nodded. "I'd rather they let him go," he said. "Dain needs a good knock in the head. Perhaps we should take turns." Meldin choked on a chortle.
"I don't understand why you're upset, cousin," Dain said, his tone frosty. "You've only known her for a month, not even, and that's too short a time by any reckoning. You know better than that, or you should."
Thorin gritted his teeth and struggled again to get at Dain, but his friends held him fast. "You've no rights," he said. "None at all."
Dain's upper lip curled at Thorin's defiance, and his dreams popped like soap bubbles. With brows lowered and teeth bared, he turned on his cousin, enraged that Thorin stood in his way of his most fervent wishes. He growled like a hungry bear and squared his shoulders.
"Here it comes," Meldin whispered.
"Relianna is my daughter and, as the head of my family, it is for me to decide when and where she marries! You will come to me for her hand, and I will decide when you get it!"
Balin and Dwalin strained to hang on to Thorin while Kerba and Meldin combined their strength to hold back Dain. The two fought against their captors, shouting each other down. A voice caught them when they paused for a breath.
"How dare you!"
Dain still hasn't figured out how to handle things, has he? Well, he'll find out a bit more in the next chapter! In the meantime, please review. To all you faithful reviewers, you have my gratitude for being so lovely and encouraging. For all who haven't reviewed yet, I'd love to meet you!