Wanderer

7 - Intellectuals

Earendil

The king hasn’t forgotten my name.

“Ëarendil!” he says as soon as he enters the room. “Good to see you again! It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?”

It’s been two days.

“It is a pleasure, your majesty.” I answer, because right now, between the spiced wine and delectable ham, it really is. “It certainly has been too long.”

The High King Erenion, aged twenty and one half, laughs and sits down. He pushes a strand of very long black hair out of his face and submits his goblet of wine to one of the silk-clad attendants to be tested. While he waits for it, he turns to Alaytar and Jade.

“Welcome again, kinsfolk! Astra eldun ono and elen sila lumnen omentielvo! Alaytar, this girl is obviously your daughter, though she is certainly beautiful enough to be your paramount. Do you have any idea how lucky you are?”

 “I certainly do,” Alaytar says. “This is my daughter Andúnië-Rána, known to all as Jade.”

 “Andúnië-Rána, welcome to Lindon. Are you enjoying yourself in the company if these taciturn intellectuals?”

 Jade is quick to reply. “You and your city outshine them both.”

Erenion takes the long delayed drink and then laughs again. “Such loyalty you are instilling in her, Alaytar!”

 The talk turns to politics, and I listen to Erenion and Alaytar speak, and occasionally offer my thoughts. The first star shines through a strategically-placed window in the dimmed hall so its light rests on king Erenion’s obliquely angled face. The moon rises; the flow of wine dribbles to a halt, and finally Erenion rises and reminds us of the first session of the council tomorrow morning. He holds out his hand to Jade, as if she were his queen and about to accompany him to bed. Everyone expects Jade to decline, so a collective gasp goes up as Jade demurely rises and takes the king’s arm.

Alaytar and I catch the smile on her face, so Alaytar discards the half-formed expletive and laughs with the rest.

We find her in Alaytar's room, and she laughs at the relief in his face.