Disclaimer:
I do not own any of it, nor do I claim to. The only part of it that is in any way mine is the personality of the characters Laurind and Encaitar. The rest belongs to JRR Tolkien - or, more specifically, his estate. No copyright infringement is intended. (So please don't sue.)
Author's Note:
Right. I've asked several different places about the differences between Silvan and Sindar Elves, and y'know what? I still haven't been able to figure it out. Ergo, all Greenwood and Lothlorien Elves in this story are going to be referred to as Silvan. Those that know the difference, and can think of a way to explain it that would make sense to a poor, information-stuffed, sugar-filled, half-asleep mind, feel free to send me an email or leave a review, and if I understand, I'll change whatever's wrong. Until then, however, Silvan they all remain...
Yep. So, usual stuff applies - if you find anything wrong, feel free to tell me, and please review, because reviews are cool, and they make me do silly things like compose bits of the story in my head while I have a headache and am supposed to be doing the final exam for my chemistry course. nodnod
Chapter 3: The Silvan Envoy
It was late in the night by the time Círdan and Gil-galad managed to escape the ballroom with Belldaug and tell him the story of how they had found the maiden Nîdae at the mouth of Sirion after the attack of the sons of Fëanor, and how she had not spoken, or acknowledged anyone's presence, since she had been found. Encaitar, out of his own curiosity, was included in the explanation, though he knew much of the tale already from Círdan.
Belldaug's reaction to the tale, however, was not what Gil-galad and Círdan expected. He seemed more disturbed than curious as to why he had caused such a reaction in the grief-stricken maiden, and somewhat shocked, as well. None of them in the room, however, could have anticipated Belldaug's reaction when Gil-galad requested that he spend more time with Nîdae in the hopes that he might be able to draw her out.
"Lau." he said firmly, and for a moment it seemed as if there was incredible power behind his words. The three Lords in the room looked at him in surprise, and he looked back at them fearlessly.
"It would -" Gil-galad got no further, as Belldaug repeated his refusal in a, if such a thing was possible, firmer tone of voice.
"Ever since she first stepped into the hall I have had a feeling that I must stay away from her - as far away as I can get. What happened during our meeting has only cemented that feeling. I will not go near her." Belldaug said strongly. Gil-galad opened his mouth to protest once again, looking annoyed now, but Belldaug cut him off once again. "She may approach me if she wishes, but I shall not go near her."
"I could order you to do so." Gil-galad said coldly, glaring furiously down at the impudent young Lordling before him.
"If you do so, I shall return to Valinor." Belldaug replied, meeting Gil-galad's glare and tone of voice with equal strength. The two stood locked in a silent battle of wills for a time, and then, surprisingly, Gil-galad turned away.
"If those are your wishes, then you are no longer needed in this discussion." the High King snapped, and Belldaug bowed slightly before leaving. Silence reigned for a time after he left.
"That boy," Círdan said emphatically, "Is not normal."
"One of his relatives stood up to a Balrog. What else would you expect?" Encaitar asked sarcastically.
"A little respect." Gil-galad growled.
"Before you asked him to do something he had a strong feeling not to do, he showed you the utmost respect." Encaitar pointed out. "Indeed, if the feeling is so strong that he will refuse you outright, even under the threat of being ordered to do what you wished, I suspect that it was an act of extreme respect to you, and courage, that made him let you lead him to Nîdae in the first place. He was somewhat stunned-looking when she left, if you recall. Something obviously passed between them, other than what we heard and saw." Gil-galad sighed.
"You are probably right." he said. "Or you could not be. Who knows?" the High King threw up his hands in defeat, then headed for the door. "I'm going to bed." He left without another word, leaving Círdan and Encaitar alone in his study.
"Well?" Encaitar asked his friend after a moments pause. "What do you think of this?"
"That boy is not normal." Círdan repeated. Encaitar rolled his eyes.
"Besides that." he said.
"I do not know." Círdan said, looking disturbed. "I do not know."
---
If any of the court of Gil-galad noticed over the next few weeks that the newly arrived Lord Belldaug had fallen out of favour with the High King, none of them showed it. Indeed, they only truly had a day or so during which such a tidbit would have interested them, for on the third day after Belldaug, Encaitar and Círdan's arrival in Lindon, a messenger came from the Silvan realm of the Greenwood, bringing word that a representative of that land was finally being sent to the King's court. This also, of course, thoroughly distracted Gil-galad from his ire at Belldaug, and the young Lord was forgotten.
Belldaug, however, found that being forgotten was entirely to his liking. Like most young ones do, he was quickly settling in to life in Lindon as if he had never been elsewhere, and with the High King ignoring him as no one of consequence, those in the court of Lindon treated Belldaug as no one with any influence, and spoke freely around, and to, him.
So Belldaug learned of the approaching envoy, and the preparations being made to welcome him. He spent much of his time in the court, and when he wished to be alone, he went to the library in the palace and read all the books he could find that even mentioned Silvan elves. When Belldaug was tired of both the court and books, he went out into the city to see what the common citizens might know about Silvan Elves.
By the time it was announced that the Silvan envoy would be arriving within a day, Belldaug was fairly convinced that the envoy would, at best, be uncomfortable during the planned welcome, and at worst, detest the welcome and return home almost immediately. This did, of course, depend on three things - the accuracy of Belldaug's information, the tolerance of the envoy for different customs, and the envoy's skill at diplomacy. Whatever the outcome, however, Belldaug could not resist seeing it himself, and thus readily accepted Círdan and Encaitar's offer to see that he was among the welcoming party for the Silvan envoy.
It was a clear, hot day when the welcoming party was gathered in the courtyard of the palace. The Silvan envoy had already entered the city, so they did not have long to wait out in the sun, but it appeared that the envoy was taking their time going through the city, as several of the welcome party were looking somewhat uncomfortable in their heavy formal robes by the time the gates opened to admit the Silvan Elves, despite the natural Elvish endurance of extreme temperatures. Belldaug couldn't help but wonder, as the envoy entered the palace courtyard, how the High King's Herald, the half-elf Elrond, would have handled the heat. Lord Elrond was, however, in Imladris, so Belldaug turned his attention from his wonderings to the approaching envoy.
A quick count revealed, much to Belldaug's surprise, that there was little more to the Silvan party than six guards and the envoy. The envoy himself was, rather unexpectedly, very tall and very blond. His looks, on the whole, were right on the edge of what could be called Vanyarin, and he held himself with a surety and arrogance that made Belldaug immediately fear the worst outcome from this encounter. And that was before he noticed the crown of leaves that the envoy wore. He held back a groan when he did see the crown - the envoy was evidently one of the royal family of the Greenwood. This would either go very well or very horribly bad.
"Greetings and welcome to Lindon." Gil-galad said loudly, breaking into Belldaug's appraisal of the envoy. "We are honoured and pleased to have a representative of the Greenwood join Us in Our fair land." The envoy simply sat on his horse for a moment, eyeing the High King thoughtfully. Then he dismounted gracefully and strode up to the King, stopping only a few feet in front to bow respectfully.
"Greetings. I am Thranduil Oropherion, Crown Prince of the Greenwood. It is my honour and pleasure to join you in your land." the envoy replied as he straightened. An almost imperceptible ripple ran throughout the welcoming party at the revelation that the envoy was the Crown Prince, and out of the corner of his eye, Belldaug caught the High King's Seneschal slip out of the crowd, no doubt to go order different, more luxurious chambers readied quickly for the Prince. It was, Belldaug reflected as he turned his attention back to the King, a good thing that the pleasantries would likely take awhile. Still, Belldaug mused, it was the Crown Prince's own fault if he did not have proper rooms - there had been plenty of time to inform Gil-galad of his rank before he arrived.
Gil-galad made the pleasantries stretch out as long as he could, and then offered the new arrivals a short tour of the palace grounds, hoping to give his servants more time to prepare appropriate chambers. Prince Thranduil was looking slightly annoyed, however, and politely refused the tour, suggesting that another time when he was less tired from travel would be more appropriate for it. Gil-galad conceded to the Princes wishes, and then went about leading the Prince along the longest path possible, without going through the same corridor more than once, to the guest rooms reserved for visiting rulers. There were, thankfully, a good half dozen of the royal guest rooms, as the High King was accustomed to entertaining his fellow rulers in his court, so even though Círdan was here, there were more rooms remaining for Thranduil.
Once Thranduil had been delivered to his rooms, and his guards shown where they could stay, the welcoming party split up. As Thranduil had not immediately been offended by the High King's delaying tactics, Belldaug decided that he was probably of the diplomatic, understanding sort, so even if Belldaug's information about Silvan elves had been incorrect, the Prince would most likely not storm off in anger. With that decision made, Belldaug, who did not feel like the company of the court this evening, returned to his rooms to read, and have supper brought to him.
---
Thranduil breathed in deeply as he stepped out into the palace gardens, and let out a long sigh of relief. Due to his refusal of a tour earlier, it had taken him some time to find the gardens, but it had been relatively easy to find them when compared with the difficulty of extricating himself from the clutches of the High King Gil-galad's court. Especially the maidens...Thranduil shuddered slightly as he recalled how what seemed to be every single unmarried maiden in the room had gravitated towards him at every single opportunity. How it had gotten out that he was not yet bound, he didn't know, but it was beyond being annoying.
He had finally found that the maidens would leave him be if he was speaking with the High King's military advisors and generals, but even the Crown Prince of the Greenwood could only take so much talk of strategy and war in one night when there was not an immediate need for it. He had escaped from both maidens and military advisors through sheer luck and timing, and was now looking forward to a walk in the garden before attempting to find his way to his quarters, already knowing that he would run into a half dozen unmarried maidens in-between the gardens and his room, all of whom would offer to show him the way to go while subsequently inviting him to various events.
"A lovely night, isn't it?" the male voice from the trees startled Thranduil after he had been walking for some time, and the Prince dropped instinctively into a defensive crouch, scanning the tops of the trees that he had been walking beside, and contemplating climbing, for the past few minutes.
"Yes, quite." Thranduil replied warily, rising from his crouch when no immediate danger presented itself. Disconcerteningly, however, since he was used to being the one to surprise and hide from other, the Prince still could not see the source of the voice.
"You can't see me, can you?" the voice asked with amusement, unnervingly echoing Thranduil's thoughts.
"No." Thranduil grudgingly admitted, and instantly a shape dissolved out of the darkness, leaping down from one of the trees to land a few feet away from Thranduil. The figure took a few steps forward, even as Thranduil took a few back, and revealed himself to be a young Elf with green eyes and hair so golden Thranduil was surprised he had missed it among the tree tops.
"Lord Belldaug of the House of the Golden Flower." the Elf introduced himself, bowing slightly.
"Lord?" Thranduil said somewhat incredulously, arching and eyebrow as he looked the obviously young elf up and down.
"Prince?" Belldaug replied, copying Thranduil's tone and manner exactly. Thranduil glared slightly at the Elf, and Belldaug smiled slightly. "I was given the title not long ago when my parents decided to let me leave Valinor with Lord Encaitar to come here." Thranduil nodded, then frowned slightly.
"Your House sounds familiar." the Prince said, and to his surprise, Belldaug snorted lightly.
"I would be amazed if it didn't. There are few in any land that have not heard of my relative, Glorfindel of Gondolin." he said.
"Ah, right, one of the Balrog-slayers." Thranduil said with a nod.
"One of...?" Belldaug unexpectedly burst out laughing. "You are the first I have heard acknowledge the fact that Lord Glorfindel was not the only one to slay a Balrog!" Thranduil shrugged.
"Others may choose to give him more glory because his success in slaying a Balrog had more immediate, and obvious, consequences, but who is to say what damage Gothmog might have done had Ecthelion not defeated him? And the Balrogs that those of the House of the Hammer slew might have destroyed all survivors if not for that House's courage." the Prince said. Belldaug shot Thranduil a look of admiration.
"I believe I like you." he said.
"I'm so glad." Thranduil replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes. Belldaug's lips twitched in an attempt to smile, and he opened his mouth to reply, but stopped as he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He whirled at the same time as Thranduil - and found none other than the elusive maiden Nîdae. Belldaug sucked in a breath, having not seen the maiden since he arrived and the feeling to stay away from her now returning full force. Thranduil also drew in a breath, but his reaction was at the maiden's grey appearance and obvious grief.
"My lady." Belldaug said stiffly, being the first to react. Nîdae ignored his words, however, and instead wandered over to him somewhat aimlessly, held out a flower while projecting the utmost disinterest in whether or not he took it, and when he did, wandered over to Thranduil and did the same. The prince, confused, did as Belldaug had and took the flower, then watched the maiden curiously as she continued her wandering off into the garden, disappearing from sight fairly quickly. He turned to Belldaug with a look of confusion.
"Her name is Nîdae. She is a survivor of the sons of Fëanor's attack on the mouth of Sirion." Belldaug replied with a shrug. "As I have been told, she has been like that ever since they found her. Though I have not heard of her giving out flowers before." Belldaug looked at his flower in confusion, and then suddenly stilled as he recognized what it was. He let out a quiet curse, and Thranduil looked at him sharply.
"This is the flower of my House." Belldaug explained, holding up the golden flower. Thranduil arched an eyebrow, clearly not understanding the implications of such a thing, and Belldaug sighed. "The first night I arrived here in Lindon, Lady Nîdae came into the dance hall and Gil-galad decided to introduce me to her in the hopes of getting a reaction out of her. He got one. She curtseyed and acknowledged my verbally, when she has not, to anyone's knowledge, spoken in the past three thousand years, let alone curtseyed to anyone." Belldaug looked in the direction the maiden had gone with exasperation. "She has apparently singled me out as one to act different around."
"I would think that you would be glad to use the opportunity to help alleviate some of her obvious grief?" Thranduil said, arching an eyebrow.
"Lau." Belldaug said, surprisingly sharply, then sighed. "My every instinct screams at me to avoid her." There was silence for a moment, and then Belldaug bowed slightly to Thranduil. "If you'll forgive me, my lord, I believe I shall return to my rooms for tonight and leave you to your walk." Thranduil nodded.
"I hope I shall see you again." he said.
"As long as you do not stay to near to the High King." Belldaug said dryly, and then turned and melted into the night without anymore explanation, leaving Thranduil to return his attention to the flower he still held.
"How interesting." The prince murmured.
---
In the end, Thranduil wandered the gardens for several hours, thinking over his impressions of Gil-galad's court, and his brief encounter with Lord Belldaug. He also contemplated the High King himself, along with the visiting Lord Círdan. He had found it somewhat surprising that the Lord of the Grey Havens was at court, but he had received the impression that Lord Círdan visiting was actually not all that uncommon a thing. Thranduil idly wondered how much Círdan could truly have to do at the Grey Havens if he could leave for several months frequently enough that the Lindon court treated him as one of their own.
"Gil-galad will have you engaged in formalities all of tomorrow. You should get your rest while you can." Thranduil looked up from the flower that he still held to find none other than the subject of his thoughts before him.
"Lord Círdan." he said politely, nodding in the Elf's direction. Círdan gave a quick, small bow in Thranduil's direction in response.
"I must say, I'm surprised to find you wandering without guards. I was under the impression that your father does not yet fully trust Gil-galad." Círdan said.
"My father is not here." Thranduil said tightly. Círdan arched an eyebrow, then silently conceded the topic with a slight nod of his head. Instead, he turned his attention to the flower Thranduil was holding. He only looked at it idly, at first, then suddenly straightened as he inspected it closer, his eyes narrowing.
"Where did you get that?" he asked intently.
"The Lady Nîdae decided to provide both Lord Belldaug and I with them earlier in my 'wanderings'." Thranduil replied, watching Círdan covertly for any subtle reaction to the news. He did not need to do so, however, as Círdan's surprise was clear enough for anyone to see.
"Did you happen to see where she found it?" Círdan asked. Thranduil arched an eyebrow.
"No." he replied, and Círdan sighed. Thranduil turned curious. "What more is there about this flower that I have not been told? Besides the fact that it was the Lady Nîdae who gave it to him, Lord Belldaug did not act as if there was anything out of the ordinary in being handed the flower representing his House."
"Of course Belldaug wouldn't find anything out of the ordinary in being handed one of the Golden Flowers. They are quite common in Valinor still." Círdan said, shaking his head. "But here? That particular type of flower has not been seen in these lands since Gondolin fell." Thranduil's eyebrows shot upward, and he looked at the flower with new curiosity.
"If I may, I believe Gil-galad should see this flower, and hear the tale about how it appeared." Círdan said. Thranduil held out the flower with a shrug.
"Take it to him and tell him that the Lady Nîdae handed it to both me and Lord Belldaug, then." the Prince said, then grinned slightly and added before Círdan could insist that he come and tell Gil-galad himself, "For myself, I believe I am going to take your advice and get my rest while I can." Círdan shot Thranduil an amused look as he took the flower, and then the two exchanged slight bows before going their separate ways.
Thranduil, absorbed now in the thorough puzzle of the Lady Nîdae and Lord Belldaug that he suddenly found himself involved in, did not even notice the strategically placed maidens as he made his way back to his rooms, stopping only twice in his journey to ask a guard for directions.
---
Gil-galad looked up as the report he was in the middle of reading was suddenly obscured by a flower, and was not surprised to find that Círdan had, yet again, managed to sneak into his study without his hearing. But the Shipwright did not have his normal teasing expression on. No indeed - he waited just long enough to be sure Gil-galad had seen and recognized him, then began pacing.
"Do you know what that flower is?" he asked. Gil-galad looked down at the flower on the report with a critical eye.
"It looks familiar, but I could not say where I've seen it before." the High King said after a moment.
"Probably in history books." Círdan grumbled lightly, then suddenly whirled, stepped in front of Gil-galad, and picked up the flower, holding it between them like it was the most important thing in the world. "This is Ilaurëalót - or Imalthenloth, if you prefer the Sindarin version. The Golden Flower."
"The flower from which the House of the Golden Flower took its name." Gil-galad said, looking at the flower with new interest. "I thought it was long since gone from these shores?"
"It is. Or was supposed to be." Círdan said irritably, tossing the flower back onto the report, where Gil-galad immediately retrieved it from, inspecting it curiously as Círdan resumed his pacing.
"Where did this one come from, then?" Gil-galad finally asked.
"Nîdae gave Prince Thranduil and Belldaug each one when they were out in the garden - not long ago, from what I could tell." Círdan replied with a sigh, flopping down in one of the chairs across from Gil-galad and staring broodingly out the window.
"Do you really think Lord Belldaug would leave if I ordered him to spend more time with Nîdae?" Gil-galad asked after a moment, still inspecting the flower.
"Yes." Círdan said dully. "He will probably be doing so, anyways, when Encaitar decides to return to Valinor. I fear Lindon has not been all he expected, though he has fit in admirably well." There was a short silence.
"Well, if I cannot be the direct cause of him spending more time with Nîdae, perhaps I can be the indirect cause." the High King mused. "Lord Angahonda did say the boy was a military genius, after all. And you said he and Prince Thranduil were in the gardens together earlier?"
"Yes. The Prince was more puzzled by the flower and Nîdae than anything else, so I assume he and Belldaug got along fine." Círdan replied, smiling slightly as he saw where Gil-galad was heading.
"Very well then, We shall ask him to sit in on Our royal council with the intention of seeing if he might wish to join it." Gil-galad said solemnly. Círdan nodded, just as solemnly, and they looked at each other for a moment before chuckling at the same time. Gil-galad held the flower out to Círdan. "Now take your flower and get out of here so I can get some work done. Between Prince Thranduil's imminent arrival, and your and Encaitar's hijinks, I have gotten nothing done in these past few weeks."
"Hijinks? Whatever do you mean, Your Majesty?" Círdan asked innocently as he rose and took the outstretched flower. Gil-galad cast Círdan and amused look, but decided not to rise to the bait by mentioning just HOW many times the city guard had picked up Círdan and Encaitar the past few weeks, instead making shooing motions at the Lord of the Grey Havens. Círdan smirked, bowed only slightly disrespectfully, and then left. Gil-galad sighed and shook his head before returning to the interrupted report.
Translations:
'Lau.' - No. (Quenya)
