Category: Tolkien-Universe
Rating: M
Couples: Rog/Egalmoth/Maeglin
Warnings: AU, blood, character death
Chapter: 5
Copyright: Characters & places © By Tolkien Estate, Plot & OC´s © by me
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He lived in a haze, he was not sure how long, until well after his mother's funeral - a lovely ceremony where they had put her in a marble tomb near the forest at the edge of the valley.
"Maeglin?" So he wasn't quite sure exactly when his uncle appeared in front of his guestrooms. The older Noldor had left most signs of his office elsewhere, looking as dull as Maeglin felt. Still, he'd been raised with manners, so he invited his mother's brother into the rooms.
"Tea? Water?" He'd not received any alcohol, perhaps due to someone not wanting to figure out whether elves could drink themselves to death in grief.
"Water is fine, thank you." Gondolin's King sat down on one of the plush chairs. "I... wish to discuss business with you, if you feel up to it?"
He probably would have to do that soon, wouldn't he? He placed a goblet of water in front of his elder, than sat down opposite him with his mug of cold tea. "Yes."
"You... what do you know of the laws of this city?" Turgon the Wise tilted his head some.
"My... mother told me some of them, at times." Maeglin, the child of Twilight by his mother's name, answered, taking a deep breath.
"As a law, once entered, it may not be left." The dark-skinned Noldor whispered. "Though she herself disproved my ability to enforce that one. Still, I try not to be unreasonable while keeping some semblance of the laws I have put in place here."
"Meaning?"
"I do not know your family-situation, I know not even exactly whom she wedded to bear you. But I did hear from Egalmoth that she claimed to have repaid her wounds in kind." He tensed briefly, but thankfully his uncle did not state the obvious out loud; your father might well be dead too. "So I give thee this choice - which thou doest not have to decide right now, I assure thee; thou mayst leave this city, to return to thy father's side and people and do thy duties there whatever they may be, though thou wilt be barred from returning to the city once thou hast left. I will have thy mother's body moved to outside the Leaguer if this be your decision, so that thou mayst visit it as thou please, but the city itself will be barred to thee. Or thou mayst stay here, and become a Lord of my people, but forsake the people of thy father until such time the secrecy of Gondolin fails and it lays bare."
He blinked a few times at the formal words, but then nodded lightly. "And I may not change my mind?"
"Not once you have made it. This city's security depends on secrecy and I do prefer not unduly risking that." Turgon shook his head in answer. "As said, you do not have to make it now, or in the next week or the like, but I would like a clear answer at some point. Perhaps before the next..." He bit his lip and Maeglin felt he'd changed his mind partway through the sentence. "Perhaps the next Tarnin Austa? Midsummer." He added in explanation. "About three seasons, if that is acceptable to you?"
"I can work with that, thank you." Maeglin took a deep breath, inclining his head some.
His uncle gave him a faint smile in answer. "Aside from the obvious, how are you? To my shame, I think I might have been neglecting you a bit in these rooms."
"I wasn't really up for company." He waved it off. "But if I need to start thinking about my future, perhaps I should leave them to see the city."
"I'll show you around, if you wish." The King whispered, managing a slightly larger smile. "Would you join us for dinner? Just the family - and a few adjacent relatives."
He wondered if that was a reference to Egalmoth, and nodded lightly. "It would be my pleasure."