Author's Note: Here's a shorty!
Disclaimer: I don't own this fic, but I saw a Shadow of Mordor commercial and I'm very tempted to own that game. ;) Sauron was so badass in the promo-flinging people about with an ungodly massive mace. I wonder if anyone's considered grabbing it and just swinging around? This is probably how the Merry-go-round might have been invented in ME….
Gallantry and Gorthaur
The girl was wearing a pail sleeping shift and her burned hand was wrapped in linen when she entered her room. Without looking at him she threw the dress she'd been wearing on top of the pile of clothes on her chair- much to Sauron's distaste- and crossed over to her bed, where she gently eased the cat from her pillow before swiftly crawling under the covers, readying herself for sleep.
She kept her back to him, apparently intent upon ignoring him.
"Why dost thou insist upon acting like a child? If thy mother is so intent upon marrying thee off, it means thou must be an adult?"
"You want me to sleep; you're getting your wish. I fail to see why you're bothering to complain-"
"Thy petulant attempt to ignore me is not, to what I am referring."
Linaer shifted giving the smoke cloud a glare. "Than what are you referring to?"
"Thy need to change elsewhere. This is thy bedroom-"
"I already told you, your presence wasn't an issue, and what if I'm interested in preserving a little dignity? That's not childish." She scoffed at him.
"Thy words and behaviors don't coincide. Dignity is understandable. Thou art bashful-"
Linaer laughed-the sound far too similar to the mocking chortles he occasionally graced her, and it unnerved her. But it also felt good to be misunderstood. She was getting tired of trying to hide from him.
"I openly told you I have dwarf fantasies, and bashful is what came to your mind?"
"Many people fantasize over what they are too afraid to take. It's quite common-"
The girl sat up. "I'll give you a hint. See the window?" She pointed at it sensing Zigûr's gaze leave her for a moment. There was no way he could have possibly missed the giant pane of glass obscured by pathetically sheer pink curtains.
"Voyeur."
"…Ah." The former dark lord's gaze returned to her, and she inwardly frowned. 'Ah' was all she going to get? She supposed it would be too much to ask for a little sympathy from a man who spent most of his life as a giant eyeball- the Lord of Voyeurs. Again she wondered if he'd ever…probably…it was best not to ask.
"Hast thou not spoken to thy mother?"
Linaer shrugged. "It doesn't really matter anymore does it? I change in the laundry room, the world's coming to an end soon, and my mother has enough to deal without bringing that up. Considering how anxious she is to see me married, there's a chance that she might decide to invite him over for dinner, anyways. And I don't understand why that would even matter to you?"
"I was merely curious-"
"You had a giant eye-"
The moment she said it she felt the air shift and crackle. "I hope for thy sake, that thou hath not dared to insinuate that I would stoop to such depravity."
"I'm not suggesting anything, but surely you can see how that mistake could easily be made!" She waved her hands to pacify him, grimacing as the bandages rubbed against the burn on her hand. "Sorry I offended you, but with that sort of power…" she bit her lip before anything else tumbled from her mouth. She really had no interest in getting burned a second time, and this time she had a feeling he wouldn't be as nice.
Zigûr, despite his anger, made no move toward her, and a silence heavy with awkwardness filled the space between them. "I never cared to scrutinize the antics of my enemies that closely…. They were beneath me, and…" the former dark lord's voice trailed off, only further underlining the weirdness of the conversation.
"This voyeur of yours-will he be a problem?"
Linaer shrugged. "I doubt it, but I certainly won't be leaving the curtains open anytime soon if you're worried about it. In any case," she let her head fall back into the pillow feigning casualness-hoping that would help alleviate some of the weirdness. "My mother is the one to worry about. She's the one most likely to find out I'm hiding the former Lord of Mordor, of all people, in my closet… I must be out of my mind…"
Sauron ignored the girl's grumbling, mulling over the few ideas he had in mind.
"Why don't I just slip out, come back a while later and tell her he can't make it because of some family thing?"
"What sort of family 'thing' would he be attending?"
"I don't know. A funeral or a wedding could possibly work-"
"It was my understanding that such events were fairly large and communal-"
"Maybe he left to visit family, or he could be ill… I don't know. I'd like to sleep now." She rolled over, facing away from him. She gently cupped a hand over the throbbing burn, eager to ignore the dark hazy mass behind her.
"The problem with all these suggestions is that all they'll do is postpone the inevitable. They won't dissuade your mother entirely."
"Postpone the inevitable?" She raised an eyebrow, before rolling back over with a huff. He wasn't going to leave her alone until he felt satisfied with whatever horrible plan he'd managed to foster. "That sounds ideal. The world's going to end soon, right? Why dissuade her entirely if I don't have too?" Why even bother in the first place? Why did the world even need to end at all? Had everything that happened since its creation offended Eru that badly, but then why hadn't he let Morgoth destroy it the first time around or let Sauron have done whatever he wanted to do? Why wait? Why now?
She bit her lip. Things must have happened the way they did for a reason. There had to be a reason for all of it. A really big reason…. Her mother wasn't a problem. Morgoth was a problem, the fallen Maia before her was a problem, Elwin's safety was a problem. Everything else was not even worth her time, and here she was pretending that all those mundane things still mattered, with a former dark lord, because it amused him.
The doorknob was under her fingers before Zigûr's voice stopped. Unsure of what he'd even said, and not really caring she pulled the door open. "I need a drink."
Without waiting for a response she closed it behind her.
Sauron had seen the girl's mood change, and he stared at the space she'd just occupied. He didn't believe for a moment that she'd gone to get water. The faint sound a far off door opening and closing only heightened his suspicions, but he remained where he was. It wouldn't do him any good to follow after her.
Grumpily he settled over the bed, deciding that he might as well relax as much as he could before she returned.
Zigûr jerked as the door opened, momentarily panicked by the sudden intrusion. Fearful of a window being opened, and furious for allowing himself to drift off in a hostile place, he felt himself calm as Linaer slipped into the room.
His relief was immediately replaced by irritation. He couldn't sleep, not in any traditional sense, but he could let his mind wander and dream. He'd been having a good dream too, swinging a hammer and relishing the hiss of hot metal scalding a basin of water. The tune of the song he'd been singing still pleasantly danced in the recesses of his mind.
"It took thee long enough. Did the well run dry?"
The girl shot him a scowl, but her glower was marred by wetness of her eyes, and the light pink puffiness that surrounded them.
"No," she snapped, extinguishing the lamp still lighting the room. Linaer carefully navigated the treacherous piles of laundry and junk littering her floor, before crawling into the bed.
Watching the girl, Sauron got the impression that he wasn't at the root of whatever was troubling her.
"Zigûr, are you bored?"
He watched the girl chew her lip as if struggling with some sort of decision. Curious, he decided to play along. "Perhaps..."
"I need a 'yes' or a 'no.' You're not really going to lie about whether or not you're bored, are you?"
The fallen Maia scowled. He might lie to her. He didn't like her tone at all. The little whelp thought she had some modicum of control. He would put her in her place at some point, but he kept his temper in check shrugging.
"I am."
Linaer nodded. "I spoke with Elwin at breakfast, and she came up with an interesting idea..."
Zigûr's eyes narrowed at the sudden discomfort etched across her face. "She's been studying the Third Age, and um… the War of the Ring-"
"What of it?"
Linaer fiddled with a string. "The Ringwraiths were little more than spiritual entities, yet they could wear cloths and walk around without being carried off by the wind, and we were both sort of curious if you could…."
"I could don physical garb, if there was some provided that fitted me properly. What does this have to do with my being bored?"
The girl buried her head in her hands. "Never mind! It's stupid." Smirking he watched her roll into the pillow, burying her face a moment.
"Do tell me."
Linaer froze, hearing the amused grin on his voice, and feeling the encroachment of heat. "Maybe you could uh…um…you know-
"No little mortal, I don't know." He was still amused and he'd gotten closer. Instinctually she shifted away. "Maybe you could join us for dinner! Or n-not-" He'd shifted again, practically radiating with amusement. "There's a light festival coming up and if this fated meeting were postponed until then-assuming the world hasn't ended by then you could um-it has to be irritating being trapped in a closet, and if the wind wasn't an issue, I thought you might want to get out for a while?!"
Her face burned as he laughed, and she prayed that her mother had long since passed out and hadn't heard her. She wasn't actually asking him to escort her or anything like that, except she sort of was… wasn't she? She swallowed uncomfortably, trying and failing to ignore the horrible shameful burning in her face. Silently she hoped her pillow would eat her.
At least the plan amused him, unlike the other ones, not that it helped matters much. But at least one was incredibly stupid and both of them knew it. Unfortunately it was stupid enough to have a certain appeal. It could possibly work, and she wouldn't have to pretend to feign embarrassment or discomfort around him in front of her mother- so long she tweaked her own performance enough to-she dropped her face back into her hands. She'd actually have to act like she might have a crush. There was no reason why he wouldn't try to take horrible advantage of the situation.
"Thou wishest for an escort?"
She scowled passed her flushed cheeks at his amused voice. "No. I want us to meet, show you to my mother, and part ways as swiftly as possible."
"Hmm…" she got a sense he was only pretending to muse over his next words. "I fail to see how that would convince her. I suspect that she will not be too eager to let us alone for very long. If such a ruse were to be perpetrated successfully, I would have to be nearby at all times. In such a public venue it would not only be your mother that needs to be convinced."
"No! No! Absolutely not-"
"Oh, but I like this plan. An opportunity to escape thy hellish room and touch the world as I once did- I can hardly pass up such a gift. Nor will I."
Linaer shook her head, inching backward as she felt him move in closer. "I-I've changed my mind. I think it's a terrible idea."
"And if that voyeur of yours were to be at this festival? I'm not as familiar with thy situation as thou art, but if he's the sort to make a move in public-"
"I'd knock his teeth out. You're fear mongering isn't going to work. It wouldn't be the first time I beat off someone a little too grabby. I've made a reputation for myself. And I'll hit you too if you try anything."
Zigûr was laughing again, unperturbed by her threats. "Unfortunately social convention requires thee to play the role damsel in distress. And I have no desire to touch an ingrate such thyself any more than necessary. Thou shalt have no reason to hit me, and even if thou didst I would not succumb to pain as a mortal would. In my current state I am beyond pain in any case."
Frustrated and quickly becoming infuriated by his sense of control, she sat up, unwilling to let herself move any farther away from him. He probably wouldn't risk burning her…too much.
"I have changed my mind-
"And I have made mine," Zigûr's voice slid through the darkness, still amused, but taking on a dangerous edge. "If it eases thy mind, I will promise thee these things: I won't force thee to call me any of those trite romance-names that thine kind are so apt to indulge in, and there will be no physical contact outside of what is necessary to show thy mother that thou art indeed in a relationship. Provided that thee upholds thy end of our agreement."
"My end? What do you want from me? Why do you even think I'll agree to any of those terms?"
Zigûr shrugged. "Thou shalt accompany me until I've returned safely to thy house, and thou wilt maintain a good deal of discretion when addressing me as I have no wish to be found out. It only seems fitting that thou escorts me then, especially when I am distant traveler unfamiliar with the layout of thy town, does it not."
"That's it? I just have to hang on your arm all evening?"
"Yes."
A frown marred Linaer's face. There was no way agreeing was a good idea… "I maintain the right to defend myself as I please. You can't jump to my rescue-"
"Absolutely not. I am going to play the part of a drooling adolescent; the least you can do is suffer equal discomfort by pretending to be a perfect young lady. It would be devastating to our ruse if thy mother happened upon us and saw that I had failed to defend thee and thy honour. Nor do I have any wish to be seen escorted by a living faux pa."
Shocked and indignant, Linaer glared at him. A living faux pas? She swallowed before she truly did something stupid, like spit at him. "A living faux pas?"
"Yes, it means social blunder-"
"I know what it means."
The girl was infuriated, which surprised him to an extent. He'd hoped to get a reaction, which is why he'd chose the words he did, but it was interesting just how deeply those words had gone. He'd assumed she was quite content knocking people's heads in with a pan. She'd certainly sounded proud of her reputation for knocking men's teeth out. And truth be told, he wouldn't mind watching the girl do so. But it was too important that his cover be kept.
"I think thou will find that an evening under my terms to be quite agreeable."
The girl scowled. "Why should I trust you?"
"Thou could open that window and let me be whisked away by the wind, if thou felt so inclined. It would be foolish of me to cross thee."
That was bad. That was bad. He was playing her, and she could feel it. He'd reminded her of the power she had, unafraid of doing so. Heart hammering against her chest, she frowned, suddenly feeling very cold despite the warmth emanating from the dark entity before her. He had her where he wanted her and the problem was she had no idea where he'd put her, or where her escape route was.
Licking her lips to moisten them she hesitated. "Um…I don't- I don't know." She wanted to smack herself. Admitting her confusion to him-that was clever. Still maybe she could honesty against him? "How about this? Let me think on it and I'll tell you tomorrow."
Postponing the inevitable wasn't the best idea in the world, but if she could buy herself some time, maybe she could figure something out…?
Zigûr seemed to hesitate, before she felt him ease back. "That...is fine." It was perfect in his mind. He watched the girl give him a swift nod before settling into the pillow, and adjusting herself until she felt comfortable.
In the darkness, the fallen dark lord grinned. He had only to wait, and as he listened to her breathing already beginning to grow deeper, he knew he wouldn't have to wait long. Already he was internally composing the first few verses of his song.
