Golden Days by Lyra

"Perhaps" indeed...
Finwe (and Indis!) weren't taking the whole thing seriously enough. Or rather, I think they honestly believe that youth = inexperience = inferior skill, so the idea that Nerdanel might be better than Alcaráco honestly didn't cross their minds, even though they found it all very interesting. To be fair, I'm assuming that Nerdanel's skill is exceptional even for a Noldo, so nobody really expected this.

Yes, I'm trying to convey the idea that all is not well in the state of Aman. The Noldor are very fixated on rules and customs at this point. They're not yet far enough removed from Cuiviénen to feel safe: To the elder generations, Aman still is an alien (if blessed) land. They might be very aware that they're there by invitation only, and that everything they have built can be taken from them, so while they are trying to adapt to the culture of the Valar, they're also strictly paying attention not to outdo their hosts (because that would give offense and result in banishment?). Moreover, their laws and traditions are still relatively young (that is, in Elven terms - only one or two generations, anyway). They're guarding them with great care so they can establish themselves and don't have to start over again. But now new generations are growing up that have never known any place but Valinor, who have no personal memory of the hardships of Cuiviénen or the Great March, and to whom Middle-earth is just history or a place where adventure stories are set. While they have been brought up with the rules and traditions of their parents (and most of them accept those, even if they laugh at their parents' fears), they no longer understand the reasons behind them, so they don't see anything wrong with bend the rules a little. Which terrifies their parents, so they're all the more rigid because "'twas always thus". Elvish demographics add to the problem: The "old people" see no reason to vacate (or even just share) their positions of power, but the young people need somewhere to go as they grow into their own powers. They'll all learn how to deal with this eventually; a few generations along, they'll probably have found a system that works. But right now, the parent generation is feeling vulnerable, and the young generation is feeling frustrated. Poor Nerdanel, who doesn't actually care about personal politics but honestly believed that it was all about art and genius, is just getting caught in the middle - and she finds out that genius is welcome, but only within certain parameters. At least for some people.
Ugh, sorry for turning my comment into a social anthropology ramble! Thank you for your insightful review, as always. :)

He likes his dramatic entrances, that one.
Some of them certainly aren't happy about it, but some were just genuinely ignorant. Even though Noldorin society is probably more closely knit than my university used to be, I still have informed this exam situation on the way things were run there - including meeting professors you'd never spoken to, and who had no clue what you were working on (or that your field of research even existed), for the exams. In Nerdanel's case, they're just happily going about their own projects without paying too much attention to what their colleagues do. They may have heard some talk about the "contest" and Finwe's judgement, but nothing to make them realise that Alcaráco was dissatisfied with the result and would keep harping on about Nerdanel's youth out of anything less than sincere concern for the dignity of their craft.
Of course, Feanáro has the advantage of having some authority in spite of his youth. Any other teenager who comes along to criticise his elders would be most likely laughed at and sent off, but the king's son is taken seriously.

Nobody expected me to update again after all this time, I suppose! *slightly shamefaced* Glad you enjoyed catching up! And thank you for liking "my" Nerdanel!

Heh, thank you, I'm sure Nerdanel appreciates it!

Author's Response: Heh, thank you, I'm sure Nerdanel appreciates it!

Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoy the details I made up (well, more like stitched together from various human cultures and time periods ;)). It's been so much fun to flesh out the environment of young Nerdanel! Of course, I'm thrilled that you like the characters, too!

You're on to me! ;)

Well, she may be wise, but she's still a teenager! ;)
Thank you! I did try to push in some foreshadowing in between all the lovestruck teenage stuff, and I'm glad it's noticeable. :)

I don't know if you know the jelly baby oracle, but it seemed to hit the nail on the head more often than not when we played it! So yes, it's definitely too easy to take that kind of game too serious.

Oh, I'm glad! I'm in love with the idea of that sickle, too, but you never know whether it comes across the way I want to write it. Thank you! :)

So happy you let me know! And so happy that you love my Nerdanel. I adore her a lot, but sometimes I worry that I'm making her either too smart or too clueless. (I also adore young Fëanor, and sometimes worry that he outshines Nerdanel, which I don't want because it's her story, not his...) Don't we all know the tragedy of teenage love? ;)

Yes, Mahtan is pretty chill. I picture him as immensely trusting, and as long as he trusts people, what does he need to worry about?

I have to disappoint you - I am not a sculptor! My only hands-on experiences with sculpting were some soapstone-cutting in grade 9, and some masonry while restoring our house! Everything else is cobbled together from holiday visits to museums and historical sites, and (when in doubt) Google. Glad that it looks convincing, though! (I used to dread these museum trips with my art-obsessed mom when I was a teen, but you never know when it comes in useful... ;))
Very glad you enjoy the interactions between Nerdanel and Mahtan, too. I found it very hard to find my way into the "grown-ups" of this story, so it's nice to know what works!

Like most talented artists, she compares herself to her aspirations rather than to the average - so she tends to feel that she falls short. I'm really happy that you found her mature in this scene. I sometimes worry that I'm making her look too immature or too prone to err because she's supposed to be so wise! Then again, she's still basically a kid, so I think she's allowed to make mistakes. (Besides, the trouble with being thought wise is that you might end up too sure of your own opinions...) But I'm very glad if I managed to make her famous wisdom shine through on occasion! :)

I definitely think that Nerdanel's resistance to Feanor's charms is part of what fascinates him, yes. :)

Heh - the working title as I began to write this actually was "Pride and Prejudice in Valinor". So this is definitely no coincidence.
I definitely think that the Vanyar are less competitive, or shall we say, less about individual achievement. And then, even Indis assumes that while Nerdanel may be a very talented apprentice, she's still a young apprentice, so of course she can't seriously endanger Alcaráco's victory...

Yes, he really wants to do her some good turns. Sometimes she doesn't notice, and sometimes she resents it! Yes, Wintillo has access to all the juicy news. There have to be some perks to the job, or nobody would be doing it! ;)

The more, the merrier! ;) And of course you're right, his (relatively?) harmless quirks will later turn out to be serious trouble.

I really like that you like that! I found it very important to show that they're not just mutually (eventually...) attractive on a superficial level, as in "he's a prince! and a great smith! and really pretty! and she's a great artist too!", but that they actually share a lot of dreams and ideas and opinions. :)

Shocking, I know! I'm afraid both of them quite enjoy it, too - in spite of Nerdanel's dislike...

Heh, feel free to write this chapter from Feanor's POV! I agree that it would be a lot of fun to see that.

Her feelings at this point are really complicated, especially as she doesn't want to allow or admit half of them herself! But yes, part of her has definitely fallen for him by now.

Some foreshadowing needs to happen, right? ;)

Her problem from this point onwards is, of course, that it all makes sense if she accepts the basic premise of "He's in love with me". But as long as she thinks that's impossible, nothing works out. It's going to be a rocky road until she realises that she's wrong about that... (muahahahah!)

Yes, more foreshadowing... and yes, Istarnie is probably reading their feelings for each other quite astutely, but she's wise enough to know that you'll never convince [the Elven equivalent of] a teenager by arguing.

The sad thing is that he really doesn't need to be, since it's not an official contest but just a "friendly" thing. Alcaráco just turns it into a big thing. So yes, definitely serves him right!

On a personal level, it definitely is disappointing; on an official level, as you say, placating egos is part of his job. Personal feelings have to take the back seat when social peace is at risk. ;) Fortunately, Nerdanel understands that, so while she is disappointed, she knows where it's coming from.

Yes, Feanor is definitely showing a glimpse of what lies ahead here. I guess it also shows that it isn't just favouritism or court politics that later put him into such fierce competition with Fingolfin; while he's charming and brilliant and whatnot, he's also proving too rash and too much guided by personal feeling to be relied on for wise decisions. I mean, I love him to pieces, but I have to acknowledge that Fingolfin probably is the better choice of king! ;)

Yes, I'm afraid Alcaráco will hold that grudge forever. Indis feels very much responsible for the situation, and tries to help in her way. And yes, Feanor is definitely practicing his oratory skills here. :)

It definitely helped to put her on the right track! And just between the two of us, I suspect that during one of those dinner table conversations with Alcaráco, Feanor must have talked about Telerin driftwood sculptures, too. That's where Alcaráco got the idea for such an obscure piece.

He's probably quite hopeful that she's finally letting him closer. To him, the whole "courting the daughter to be accepted by the master" excuse was only a front, so he's quite puzzled that Nerdanel really believes it! :)

Ironically, Feanor is entirely honest, while Nerdanel continues to think that he's just using her to endear himself to Mahtan.

You're very welcome! I was rewarding myself, too. This scene was so much fun to envision!

Yes, his dislike of Queen Indis really goes that far.

Yes, for some reason, he keeps on bothering her! And well, they may be Elves, but they're still teenagers... ;)