Eclipse of Hearts ✔

Chapter 45. [Iorwen]

Iorwen leaned with her head against the door. She had to make a decision. The screams had died away a while ago, but still there was an uncontrollable sobbing audible. Whatever happened behind this door: it was none of her business. The only well-being that should interest her, was that of Thorin Oakenshield. Still she could not find it in her heart to walk away. Somebody needed her help. 
She took a deep breath and then she put the key in the hole. It was a key that fitted all the doors in the kingdom, in case somebody wanted to hurt Thorin in his own rooms. Iorwen knew she could lose her position when she misused this privilege, but the last days there was so much filth in Erebor that she felt like a criminal for doing nothing. 
She turned around the key and opened the door. Her glance was attracted to the bed immediately, that was in a shady corner on which two half-naked people were situated. The look of naked body parts might have forced somebody else to look away ashamed, but it filled Iorwen with hatred. 
"Go away from her."
Her voice was trembling by anger. 
Vaughn first watched her in dismay, but then his lips formed a scornful smile. "You think it's your turn now?"
"If you dare to touch me, I will cut off your whole thingy." She raised her eyebrows and watched his lower body disdainfully. "Even though that will not be much."
She drew her sword and walked to the bed. Vaughn was unarmed and he sat upright quickly, but she was already in front of him and pushed her sword against his waist. "I'm serious. If you touch me or Aymara one more time, you will lose everything."
"Do not play games with me," Vaughn grumbled. 
Iorwen rotated her head a little. With a quick movement she grasped his penis and pushed the edge of the blade against it. "I love games. Especially when this is at stake..."
Iorwen saw no real reason why she wouldn't do it. Vaughn was the plague of Erebor. Where he went, filth stayed behind and she believed his poisonous mind was hatching sick plans all day long.
Vaughn said nothing, but his glance was ice cold. He realized it was stupid to make a threat now his beloved plaything was at stake, but his proud was to big to give in.
"Gather your belongings," she assigned the girl, without taking her eyes from Vaughn. "This was the last time."  
She had no words for what she was seeing. A man who abused his own sister. It was disgusting and he deserved to live as an eunuch. She knew however she would die when she really castrated him. He wouldn't be happy when she took away Aymara from him, but she doubted he would complain to Thorin as long as she caused no physical damage. Aymara was still his mistress and hopefully he had still enough sense to realize that incest had to be punished. That was something even Vaughn had to be scared of. But when she cut off his genitals, she would ruin his life and he wouldn't rest before he had taken revenge - for he wouldn't have something to lose anymore. 
"Wait outside."

Aymara left the room in a hurry. Vaughn kept watching her with a provoking look. "Just wait. I made you a commander. I will make it undone very soon."
"You won't," she answered bluntly. "You may have changed Thorin in this sick dolt, but he hasn't let go all of his standards. When he hears that his adviser raped his mistress, he will not allow that."
"He doesn't care about her."
Iorwen bowed toward the man. "He cares about nobody. Neither about you."
After these words she kicked his kneecaps, so that he fell on the ground. Then she put her sword away and walked to the corridor, where Aymara was waiting for her, staring at the ground. 
"You will stay in my room until I have found a way to get you away from here."
Aymara whispered a thankful word and shambled after her.

Iorwen was sitting in a chair in front of Aymara, who was still studying her knees. 
"How long is this going on?"
Aymara shrugged. "As long as I can remember."
Iorwen tasted gall. "I would have killed him at least ten times."

"He was everything I had," she whispered. "He promised me I would marry Thorin. That he would love me." She bit on her lip. "I did everything for him, but he hates me. Everybody hates me."
Iorwen leaned backward and watched the pathetic kid, that sat crouched before her. Her naivete had caused her much misery. 
"Have you offered yourself voluntary to Thorin?"
"I did, in the beginning. I thought he could love me."
Iorwen sighed. "He is my king. I do not know if I can keep you away from him. You have been stupid to give yourself to him."

"In the beginning he was kind. I - I wanted to help him to forget the elf woman."
Iorwen looked at the other dwarf, shaking her head. According to the stories she had heard, the elf had been of a different mold. Aymara probably didn't even show the slightest comparison to the courageous elf who had messed with the head of their king.