A Kingly Gift by Russandol

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Fanwork Notes

Thank you IgnobleBard for the look-over.

 

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Fanwork Information

Summary:

Ten years of faithful service are rewarded. A double drabble.

A gift for elfscribe on her 10th Fandom Anniversary.

 

 

Major Characters: Ar-Pharazôn, Sauron

Major Relationships:

Genre: Drama, Fixed-Length Ficlet

Challenges:

Rating: General

Warnings:

This fanwork belongs to the series

The Secret Chronicles of the Ainur
Chapters: 1 Word Count: 201
Posted on 22 November 2012 Updated on 22 November 2012

This fanwork is complete.

A Kingly Gift

Read A Kingly Gift

“I am touched by your thoughtfulness, my Lord, but having allowed me to serve the mightiest ruler in Arda is already a lavish favour.” Pressing hand to heart, I bowed to stress my fealty.

“Indeed. But surely ten years of faithful service deserve a reward nonetheless,” Pharazôn said. His hands trembled, even at rest, on the gilded arms of his chair. “You know, Zigûr, several times I was tempted to listen to those who urged me to keep you in chains or altogether be rid of you. I am glad I discarded their advice!”

“As am I,” I murmured, below the range of his lessened hearing. Then louder, “Your mercy was a kingly gift, my Lord. I wish for no further reward, though perhaps...” I paused, shook my head and smiled ruefully. “No, it would be too much.”

Pharazôn was only too eager to chase my demure self-denial. “Tell me at once!”

“Thus commanded, I shall obey.” I watched him lean forward, waiting on my words. What a pathetic fool, so desperate to please me! “Not for me, but for the One I honour...”

“What can I give the Lord of Darkness? Speak up!”

“Build Him a temple, my King.”

 

Leave a Comment

"...but having allowed me to serve the mightiest ruler in Arda is already a lavish favour."

HA!  Mairon's feigned obsequiousness reminds me starkly of a guy I used to work with during mmy first gig post-post-doc.  Said co-worker had a combination of charm and a certain, well, Dr. B. wasn't sinister exactly, but trusting him was at your own peril.  In RL, the stakes were not the destruction of an island and almost wholly wiping out a civilization.

Anyway, a very neat double drabble!  Is this the first time you've written first-person Sauron?  

I'm glad he reminds you of someone real, I've met one or two "charmers" in the corporate world, too. Maybe not truly sinister but definitely of the backstabbing kind.

Yes, this is first time first person Sauron for me, except for the mixed first / second person (not sure what it is, actually) piece in "Five Things..." where I couldn't use the letter "e". But this time my choice was deliberate, not forced by what words were out of bounds.

Thank you for popping by and leaving a review, Pandë!

 

 

Hi GG! I could have written pages on this scene alone, it was hard to refrain from adding more. Yes, I imagine Sauron watching like a hawk for signs of ageing or weakness in the King, and perhaps offering his own remedies. Pleased, definitely, because he's been playing on Pharazôn's fear of death and finally his arguments will find a far more fertile soil and thrive, as we know.

I'm squeeing, thanks for reviewing!

 

Ha ha, yes, he is blind to flattery, isn't he? But then, hindsight is a wonderful thing to have in the world of the Silmarillion. I also feel sorry, but not for him, if he was arrogant enough to think he could hold Sauron hostage as a sort of trophy. I feel sorry for all the people of Númenor.

Thanks for popping round to leave a review, Himring!

I reread this today and realized I didn't leave a thank you here!  You've shown the relationship between the patient spider Sauron and the increasingly feeble fly in the web, Ar-Pharazon, so beautifully and succintly here.  "Build him a temple."  *Shivers*  Thank you for your kingly gift.

You're so good, I didn't expect more thank yous after so long. I'm glad you liked my spider-like Annatar. I actually wrote him thinking about yours, as smooth and seemingly compliant after ten years of faithful service in Númenor as when he first seduced the king in "Elegy". I enjoyed myself writing in his POV, too.