PART ONE

Seduction

It was the green of his eyes, I think, that intrigued me when we first met, those deep, sparkling eyes in the colour of a leaf in the midst of summer. Or maybe it was the way he held his head, full of pride, always high, always defiant though not openly provoking. Maybe it was also the beauty of his face, noble and fair in the bright light of the Two Lamps. Yet brighter was the light of innocence radiating from every fibre of his body, a sharp contrast to the expression of slight impatience and frustration on his face when he gazed at the piece of work he held in his slender hands.

In that moment I decided that I either had to have him – or to crush him entirely.

However, it was not yet the time for one or the other, so I disguised my dark thoughts for the moment, honeyed my tongue and turned to him with an amiable smile.

"Hail, o child of the everlasting flame! Tell me, is your master around, for I long to speak with him."

He swiftly turned his head, taken aback, for he had not noticed my arrival until now. It was a pleasure to watch his surprise first changed to disbelief and then to wariness. Yet he tried to dissemble his feelings and bowed politely.

"No, my Lord, I am afraid he is not." And now please leave.

I could hear his thought as if he had spoken it aloud and again had to hide a sneer. Instead I was roaming around him, hands on my back, seemingly discontent. "What a pity. I wished to offer Aule a bargain he certainly could not refuse. When will he return?"

"I do not know, my Lord. He left just before you arrived, an odd thing that you did not see him leaving."

Clever little Maia, he saw right through my admittedly not very credible story. However, I was astonished that he had the nerve to openly mention it. "Are you mocking me?"

"I would never dare to mock the mightiest of the Valar," he answered and lowered his eyes. It was impossible to make out if he was serious or indeed mocking. "Yet it seems strange to me that your latest visits to my master, who you are in conflict with, were always in his absence. The last time you had a long talk with Macil, as I have heard, and I have to admit I was wondering when you would come for me."

"Did you?" I did not like the smile that accompanied his words, quite too disregardful and proud for my taste. However, his pride might be the weakness that would make him easy prey in the end. "Well, then maybe you will be pleased to hear that your kinsman indeed told me about you, Mairon. He called you a mighty craftsman, blessed with skilfulness as well as with an ingenuity that would even match your master's."

Due to my expectations, he took the bait and smiled, obviously coaxed, yet still careful. "He exaggerates. I am only trying to do my work as well as possible, as anyone else here does."

"Though you did not seem to be very content with your work when I arrived," I said, trying to let my voice sound as concerned and interested as possible, though my only interest was in him. I had not lied with my last words – Macil, a lesser Maia, yet a useful spy among Aule's followers, had indeed told me of a powerful, fiery spirit that served the Smith. What he had told me about this servant had been enough to spark my interest. He was a master of his arts, according to Macil, though often quarrelling with Aule. However, in spite of his description I never expected to found a jewel so fair down here, such raw power that was ready to be made a dangerous weapon. But I needed patience so that he did not slip through my hands before I could tighten the grasp.

"What exactly did you do?" I hence asked.

He opened his hands and showed me. It was not metal, as I had thought before, but silver glass, carved in the form of a beautiful flower in full bloom. A pretty thing, though rather useless, and I got an idea of what it was that had annoyed him.

"They're for Aule's and Yavanna's palace on the Isle Almaren in the Great Lake," he explained, lacking enthusiasm. "Lately, all our works are for the Valar's residences."

"Quite boring, I guess," I murmured, still eying the adornment and not even trying to hide my disdain.

"Maybe, but it has to be done. The lands are already shaped, the mountains erected and the bays and lakes excavated. The great works are done, now we turn to the details."

"Well, considering your reputation among your kind, I assume that you are highly rewarded for your work," I turned in with a placable smile. "Certainly your master relies on you in all his matters and assigned you with a chief part in planning the Valar's dwelling, didn't he?"

"Not exactly. At present he wants me to deal with small things to get an eye for detail and perfection," he answered evasively, but he was not able to entirely ban the anger from his voice. I, contrarily, had to stifle a laugh again: So Aule had already tried to deal with the pride and overstated self-confidence of his cheeky little Maia by assigning menial tasks to him. A nice way to give him a taste of discipline, and ironically even a nicer one to make him fall for me.

Yet I pretended to entirely lack understanding. "I can hardly believe that. Does Aule not know what he has in you, Mairon, fairest one?"

He turned away from me, his face in shadows and his voice polite but cool. "Forgive me, Lord Melkor, but this is none of your business. So if you do not have anything important to say, I would bid you farewell. I have work to do."

I grit my teeth behind his back and had to resist the sudden temptation to hit his beautiful, arrogant face for the sassy response. Enough small talk then. He was too clever not to realize the hidden intentions behind my friendly words.

"It seems you are not in the mood for friendly conversation, are you?"

"Not if that conversation does not lead to anything, my Lord."

I raised my eyebrows innocently. "How come you think so?"

He smiled but a little and crossed his arms. "I served my master from the beginning of Arda and I witnessed how you tried to bring down everything he created. He built lands and you destroyed them. He carved a mountain and you overthrew it. He took out beds for the sea and you buried them. Now you come to me in his absence, talking about my work and my master for the only reason to grow bad blood between him and me. Please do not take me for a fool!"

Though foolish you are.

"You forget that nothing grows without a seed that is already in place," I gently replied, subtly approaching him. "Who do you want to fool, anyway? You resent me for my quarrel with your master who has never rewarded you, never offered you the place you are entitled to. You cannot tell me that you are content, unless I judged you quite wrong. Why do you stand up for Aule?"

"Because you did not only undo his work, but also mine," he answered, yet I was pleased to see the spark of doubt in his eyes. All I had to do now was to rake that spark to a hot fire.

"But your works have been nothing but mere toys, fairest one," I said softly, but raised a hand in command when he wanted to interrupt me angrily. "Or maybe let me say: mere toys so far, compared to what you could create, if they would let you. But the Valar are jealous, they do not like those who could match their glory. Stay with Aule and you will do pretty little glass figures and silly toys for them and the children of Ilúvatar until the last remains of your fire have been burned out."

He was silent for a moment, and I supposed that he had had the same thoughts even before I appeared, just that he did not dare to think them loudly.

"You speak to me of creation," he replied after a long while. "Yet the only effect of your power I ever saw was destruction."

"May it be that you looked in the wrong direction? I only intended to amend where the Valar in my opinion messed up, giving them the chance to improve their works, for destruction always bears the core to a new order. Look to the North and the South, see the Two Lamps! Since Aule put them up, everlasting light illuminates the world, so bright that you cannot see the beauty of Varda's stars anymore, or walk wrapped in sweet lenity of darkness. "

He looked at the north for an moment, where Illuin was gleaming in a cloudless sky. "I have to admit, I never saw it that way."

"Then maybe it is time for you to reconsider," I teased him but quickly turned serious again. It was time for the final offensive while he was reeling. Therefore I gently seized his wrists and caught his surprised gaze with my own eyes, before I keenly spoke to him, every word a seduction to his hungering spirit.

"Mairon, Fairest, most admirable of your kind! Come with me, join me in my works. Together, you and I will shape a world according to our dreams and no one shall stand in our way. Come with me and you shall have a part in all my works and deeds upon Arda, and I will enhance your power further than you ever dreamed of and make you commander of all creatures that serve my will. Endow me with your skilful hands and I will let them build fortresses, mountains and all tools of power you wish. Endow me with your power," I rest a hand on his chest, "and it will become greater and stronger than in any of your kind, and all lesser spirits will bow to you. Endow me with your fiery spirit and I will keep it unreined and free, for it is your nature."

At my last words I gently touched his forehead and, when I withdrew my hand, I could finally see the kindled desire glowing in the dark green of his eyes as the spark swiftly caught fire. He deeply longed for the things I promised him, and we both knew it. Yet he was not that easy to catch, and reason again overcame his eagerness when he backed away.

"If I agreed, what would you ask me to do in your service?"

"At present, I am in need of a new master builder for a new fortress," I said thoughtfully, outlaying the next bait. "I presume this could be to your liking, couldn't it?"

The desirous glare in his eyes spoke for itself, yet he was still wavering. "Would you ask me to do evil?"

"Evil?" I smiled. "What is evil but a word, a simpleminded division made up by the Valar? I will tell you something, Admirable: There are no such things as good or evil, there is only power and those who are strong enough to keep it. And think about it! You will be free, mighty and content with the world and yourself. How can that be evil?"

He nodded slightly, evading my eyes, but I knew that the trap had been closed and he was caught in it. However, there was no need to rush things, and so I spoke in a lighter tone, "Maybe it was a little too much for this hour. I see that you need to sort things out and so I will bid you farewell for now and return another day. Meanwhile think about the answer you might give me then. I will not repeat my offer, so choose wisely."

With these words I turned away from him and departed, his beautiful face riven between desire and fear, pride and duty. I did not turn to look at the tall, slender shape I had to leave behind for the moment, but what I heard after a few steps made me almost burst out with triumphant laughter: The sound of shattering glass, bursting asunder in thousands of pieces, thrown down by a sullen hand in a moment of frustration.

He was already mine, though he did not realize it yet, and before the time I gave him for consideration was over, he would come to me voluntarily.

I only had to wait.