Wanderer

53 - Masks

Jade

Valthalion was very calculated when we met with him. He took in the new High King's face red with scrubbed tears, Daeron's healing but battered form, and must have noticed the dark circles under my eyes. Then he smiled.

"You would be wise, Majesty, to surrender your throne quietly. I am willing forget certain sins of your kingdom's if you conceded immediately."

Valthalion's smile physically widened.

I looked past him to the river Oriolosse and then back. Don't do it.

Elrond actually nodded.

Valthalion was all too glad. "For example, your people would not be punished so harshly as I had planned. I would be willing to spare them and your historic city if you stepped down and surrendered yourself and the jewel into my hands."

"His fate?" Daeron rumbled.

Valthalion examined his fingernails, the levelly considered Elrond. "He'll die, either way. He chose that with the throne."

"And Jade's?" Elrond asked cooly.

Valthalion raked his gaze over me. I shivered. "I'll spare her life if you give her to me as well."

"What do you want, Jade?" Elrond asked me.

That was easy. "Death."

"Fine." Valthalion looked away. "This is taking far too long. Will you hand over the Silmaril, or will I come and take it from you?"

Quickly, I made two 'L's with my fingers and joined them together to make a diamond. 

Ace, Elrond, ace!

"Val, I'm afraid I don't have it," Elrond said.

"Really." Valthalion seemed bored, like he'd heard the same line over and over.

"That ship you 'intercepted'?" Elrond leaned across the table. "You never did, because if you had, we wouldn't be here having this conversation. We'd all be dead and you'd have the Silmaril. The ship held my father and he had the Silmaril with him." Now it was Elrond's turn to smile.

I grinned. I couldn't help myself. And he's mine. Valar, I love him.

"There's only so far a ship can go. I'l catch them soon enough. Thank you, Elrond. Your people are spared. Now the crown." Val seemed to think Elrond was telling him where the Silmaril was.

"I don't think you get it." Elrond smirked. "He's leaving the world with it. Dom't worry; he's coming back. With your brother, who is going to avenge anyone you've ever hurt. Admit it. You were a child to miss it." Elrond lifted his head again. Smiled. 

I saw his father in him.

Val frowned vaguely. "You are a child, Elrond. You are the one who called this treaty."

"Manwe's coming for you, Valthalion." Elrond leaned further across the table. "I wouldn't be making many more threats. You might hurt someone."

"Hand it over, Elrond Lackluster." Valthalion said quietly.

"I'm telling you." Elrond sat back down, spread his arms wide, smiled magnanimously. "I don't have it. And Eru as my witness, I don't lack lust." 

He winked at me, sending the surrounding soldiers into giggles and smirks and whistles.

Valthalion visibly cracked. "No." he snapped. Then, before I could react, Val reached across the table and punched Elrond so hard his head whipped around to the left. Elrond didn't make a sound, but almost fell out of his seat and instead gingerly raised his hands to his bleeding nose.

I batted his hands away from his face and pinched his nose with the hem of my dress.

"Bitch," Valthalion hissed at me.

I looked up just in time to see Val sweep past me.

Elrond met my eyes across the bloodying cloth. His dark eyes smouldered.

With contained laughter. "If only he knew," Elrond said, muffled.