For Blood, Ye Render Blood [ Lord of the Rings x Silmarillion ]

1 | A LONG EXPECTED CEREMONY

Five hundred and fifty five years after the razing of Amon Sûl...

T.A. 1964

A chill breeze blew through the stone throne room of Fornost as the iron and wood doors creaked on their hinges. Maedeth shivered. The cold air hit the nape of her neck, left exposed as she'd had her red hair done up for the ceremony that morning.

Not that any could tell it was past midday. The sun had not come out. It hid behind dark clouds and snow fall.

Standing in the second row of nobles, she fiddled with the single bracelet of bronze and gold. No one spoke. No smiles graced faces fair or foul among the attendees.

There wasn't much to smile about these days.

Maedeth brushed her thumb along her bracelet again. Sometimes she missed the rest of her jewelry. But bronze could be used in weapons, gemstones could be traded for supplies. She would have parted with the fineries even without Prince Arvedui's…

King. King Arvedui.

Even had the new King not ordered the melting down of fineries for the war effort, she'd have given them up willingly. Her brother fought on the front lines, but her battle lay in council chambers and luncheons with visiting nobles.

A small youth chorus began a Quenya hymn. Gowns and tunics shuffled as all turned towards the doors. She couldn't see much. The shining silver tresses of Lady Celebrían blocked her view. But she knew this ceremony by heart.

She had seen so many kings of Arthedain rise and fall. Arvedui joined a long line of stalwart heroes as he processed down the aisle. Dark brown hair fell straight below his shoulders. His beard, once the same color, had flecks of grey in the torchlight. How different from King Araphor, who ascended at eighteen the night her brother had rescued the Palantír so many years before.

And yet the war did not change.

Maedeth turned behind at a tug on her dress. Her niece rocked from foot to foot, brown hair only slightly lighter than her father's. Mírien tugged again, brow creased. Maedeth bent down.

"I cannot see," Mírien said.

Maedeth tried to suppress her smile when she noticed her brother's wife, Tiniel, frowning. Maedeth could almost hear her thoughts. How unbecoming of an elven child!

"Neither can I," Maedeth said.

Mírien huffed. She turned away, facing forward. Maedeth looked over at Tíniel. She could see the smile breaking through the stern countenance of Rínior's wife. Before either laughed, they stopped looking at each other.

Ah to be as carefree as an elf child. Mírien knew nothing of war except stories told over dinners of the Hero for the North. As Maedeth watched Arvedui ascend the few steps of the terrace towards Malbeth the Seer, she thanked the Valar that Rínior did not have to attend this ceremony.