Author's Notes: It's Tolkein's. I merely supply the odd AU.
"It can't be," Miriel recovered from her momentary swoon and rushed towards the prow of the ship, regardless of weakness and tender complexion. "We must have turned around while I was ill. Andor is just beyond the mists."
"'Tis nine in the morning, and if you turn about now, you can make out the sun through the clouds behind us," Palansül gestured towards the rising orb of light. Miriel turned, obviously unconvinced that the area he pointed out was particularly brighter than the rest of the sky. "Come, now, Mistress Miriel, I have made this passage often enough that I can tell Andor from the shores of Valinor. Even in this weather, the ships of the imperial lands would cluster thick around the bay." The sailor gestured wittingly at the empty fog, but it failed to wipe the expression of disbelief from the woman's face any further than it cleared the cool morning mist.
"It can't be," the queen repeated stubbornly. She had not truly believed the veracity of Palansül's adventures, even with Radagast's corroboration of such. Miriel leaned over the railing, searching for some familiar landmark beyond the fog. Watching this pale waif bow over the edge of his ship, her hair cascading over the prow like a red-brown wave, the captain was reminded once again how thin a line she walked between health and her inner debilitating fog of fearful madness.
"We will be safe here, my lady," he said, joining her at the front. "The elves can be a bit snobbish at first, but they aren't bad fellows, all things considered. Most aren't as bad as the Andor nobs, even. That doesn't include you, of course, majesty." The seaman cursed his simple tongue, as he lacked the refined grace to properly comfort her, as her councilor would have been able to. But faux pass or no, the queen appeared to not have heard a single thing he said. She was leaning so far over the railing now that the captain was partially afraid that she would fall into the cove. "Wait until we get there, you'll see," Palansül murmured gently, placing his hand upon her shoulder and drawing Miriel back into the ship. She resisted his grip, but just barely.
"You won't leave me?" she asked, propping herself against him. Once more, Palansül was reminded of how frail and childlike the lady could be. And here, she trusted him. It was an odd feeling; to know one was needed like this. Radagast was a friend, of course, and placed a goodly amount of trust in the sailor, but the old wizard could fend for himself, should Palansül fail. The sailor had once had another trust him unconditionally once, but that had come to a poor end. He hated to remember that dark blemish on an otherwise happy life, but the memories sometimes came back to haunt him, in this place. Here in the mists, other clouds upon the sea became all too easy to remember.
"Nay, mistress, I won't." There was nothing he could change of that time; he would simply have to forgive himself for it and remember the lessons of it for Miriel's sake. At least this time there were no dark friends to worry about here, for now, at least.
"Good," there seemed to be a little more strength to her voice and form, now that she had the support of his words and his lean frame. Placing her arm about his shoulder, she pulled Palansül's arm around her as she said quietly, "I need a new naval commander."
The captain shook his head, but cradled her closer. "I could not. For one thing, chasing down Pharazon would require finding a safe place to leave you." His smile had returned as he let his nose sink into her mahogany curls, but it was a faint thing and tinged with grief.
"I would go with you, my friend," Miriel looked up into his eyes. A woman could lose her heart in those shining gray eyes, much like the sea at storm. "Ragastion may approve of this escape, but as a queen I am unskilled in running away."
"I must say I approve as well, so far as it allowed us to meet." He was in no small amount of awe of her. Even when she had no more but a ghost of her former strength to her, she still planned ways to resist her enemy. And yet, had she perhaps found a new source of strength? In Palansül, of all people? He could hardly believe that. An eccentric sailor had little to offer a queen, even one fallen from grace as Tar-Miriel was.
"Could we turn back now, then?" Her face, which had been inches from his lips, turned away to behold the fog.
"You fear the elves, Palantiriel?" There was a light amount of teasing in his tone, but she was in no mood for it.
"I fear their wrath," Miriel replied. "You walk a thin line with the use of the palantir, Palansül."
"Perhaps so," he felt her pull towards the wheelhouse, and he was more than willing to walk with her, away from the edge. "But 'tis not as thin a line as some I've toed. Despite all appearances, Radagast gets on well with them, and many will suffer my presence in return for news of their kinsmen who have not yet joined them in the Havens."
"But to come and go from them as you please, that just is not right. Whether you follow the letter of the law or not, you break the spirit of that trust." She took her arm from around him, snatching it to her chest as if she had touched something forbidden to her. "I fear I break the trust established between the elves and edain, merely by accompanying you."
"Miriel," the captain said, stopping outside the cabin. "Hold for a moment. Look at me," he said softly, raising her lowered chin. Her eyes, of a light, muddied color that Palansül could not quite construe as being muted blue or entirely gray, searched his face, frightened and alone. Once again he longed to kiss her, but this would hardly be the right time. "The Valar will doubtless hold us each responsible for our own sins, but this is not your fault. Radagast and I convinced you to come, merely because we feared for your safety. Now, if we had thought that Mandos would claim you as soon as we had sailed up here, we would have taken you to the southern lands instead, wouldn't we?" The queen shook her head, no sounds emerging from behind her bitten lip.
From the crow's nest, the watchful wizard called for Palansül to get moving. They would be docking soon. "I will stay with you, milady, but I would have us safe. Think on that." Reluctantly, awkwardly letting her go, the sailor left to attend his vessel.