Category: Tolkien-Universe
Rating: M
Couples: Rog/Egalmoth/Maeglin
Warnings: AU, blood, character death
Chapter: 6
Copyright: Characters & places © By Tolkien Estate, Plot & OC´s © by me
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The next day, his uncle and cousin showed him the city, shrouded in grief. For one, he could spot the railings that probably held bright and colorful banners denoted the Houses that lived there, and there was a certain emptiness to the streets he was very sure was not normal, from the looks of things.
They bounced through the the noble district that day - and the next - taking an hour or two for each Gondolindrim Lord to host them.
"What's with this one?" The last they were visiting was their cousin-of-a-cousin Egalmoth, and Rog, his husband. Doing so, they were skipping a House he was pretty sure they hadn't visited yet.
"Ah, it's empty, currently." Turgon looked up at the closed gates, above which a large tower peeked, even from their position at street-level. "We... remember how Penlod has two Houses?"
"Mhm..." He'd inherited the second from his brother, who had died, after they had split their father's people when he had died in the Dagor Aglareb. Or so it had been told to him just that morning when they'd joined the tall Noldo for breakfast.
"He and his brother used to live next to one another here beside Egalmoth." Turgon indicated the empty House and the next. "But after his death - and after Rog and Egalmoth married - Penlod and Rog arranged it so that Penlod moved into Rog's old House, while Rog took the brother's House next to Egalmoth's, and Penlod's currently standing empty."
He could understand that level of grief. Even before his uncle had offered him the ability to stay, he'd been planning it. He could not live in the home he'd shared with his parents, but without them. He'd probably go mad with expecting them around corners and in rooms for years.
"I see." Maeglin stated evenly, before following to the next gate - which they passed by for the one after that, where Egalmoth was awaiting them alongside the muscle-mountain Lord he'd seen a few times. So that was Rog then, good to have the confirmation.
"Welcome." Egalmoth was decked out in every color of the rainbow, or rather bedazzled with too many gems, shimmering in the sunlight. "Cousin, or...?"
"We'll do cousin for now." Turgon offered their host a hand, then nearly got catapulted forward at the shoulder-slap of Rog.
"Too many stuffy events, I take." Rog was pale-haired - nearly white-haired - and though he was not as pale as Eöl had been, it was clear he was only browned through sun-exposure, not from having been born and raised in the land of the Trees. He quirked a faint grin, showing tooth.
Maeglin bit the inside of his cheek when he realized that they were as his parents had been, and from the large muscles and the forge-apron, the not-Valinorian was even a smith. He wondered if their relationship had the same problems his parents' had had, though he was not about to ask.
Behind him, Idril managed a small giggle at her father's brief flailing to regain his balance.
"Rog." Egalmoth chuckled softly. "Behave."
"Never." The Lord that had only cleaned himself from the forge-grime briefly grinned wider. "Someone needs to make sure that he doesn't get too full of himself."
"At some point, I'll decide not to let you get away with it." Turgon followed inside despite the dire statement, the two youngsters trailing after the other three.
"Good luck administrating the mess that's the guilds when you do."
"Guess Gondolin ends in fire." Idril stage-whispered loud enough all five heard, which made the smith laugh out loud.
"And explosions." He agreed. "Though perhaps Egalmoth might be able to keep that last one from happening."
"I am not even going to try, thank you very much." Egalmoth countered, mouth-corner bend up just a touch. "Mostly because I feel I'd follow you for shooting Turgon's crown of his head when he gets to you."
"Why did I make you two Lords again?" Turgon darkly demanded, though tellingly did not change anything about his speed or position while entering the elegantly appointed building. Equally tellingly, neither of the two he had addressed answered, just threw him a look.