Course Correction by Raaf

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Chapter 1

Idea based on this post: https://radiantanor.tumblr.com/post/165906241601/

 

 

 

 

Note I’m using the version of Tar-Míriel’s backstory in Histories of Middle-Earth and not the version in Silmarillion. ‘Tar-Míriel married Ar-Pharazôn voluntarily, wasn’t all that on board with the Faithful ideology and regrets it too late’ is just way more logically and narratively satisfying to me than ‘Tar-Míriel does nothing while her kingdom goes to hell in a handbasket and everyone (inexplicably including the Faithful) just accepts Ar-Pharazôn as the rightful ruler after his usurpation’.

 

The kingdom of Númenor was in mourning. Ar-Pharazôn had left on an expedition and never returned. Some days ago the concerned search-parties had found the wrecks of his ship floating on the waves. The news had immediately engendered much suspicion as it had now been many years since the ships of Númenor could be daunted by storms or rocks.

 

Most attributed it to the wrath of the Valar. They had not been particularly subtle about expressing their disapproval of Númenor’s rebellion. Even now, as she led the funeral procession through the capital city of Armenelos the Golden, there was still a vast eagle-shaped storm cloud looming ominously above them. Targeting Pharazôn would be more effective than the unnatural storms and lightning strikes that lashed the island and it would not overly surprise her if they had done so.

 

She had also had reports of mutterrings blaming Ar-Pharazôn’s death on some sorcery by the Elf-Friends. This was thankfully a less wide-spread opinion. It saddened her however that the slander against the Faithful had become so ingrained. In all honesty it would probably have been better if they had acted as disloyal as they were accused of being and been more willing to defy Pharazôn, but Amandil kept his faction short of actual treason.

 

Many of the Faithful themselves suspected the obvious culprit of Sauron. He may have most of the nobility of Númenor wrapped around his finger, but the rest of them knew better to think he genuinely supported Ar-Pharazôn. Whatever Sauron said, she knew he wanted to avenge the humiliation Pharazôn had inflicted on him by taking him hostage. He had both the means and motive to have arranged Pharazôn's death, although she would have expected him to have made more of a spectacle of it if it had been him. Alternatively, others of the Faithful also believed it was divine punishment, though so far they had been diplomatic enough to avoid looking too happy about it in front of her.

 

The traffic was stopped for the day and an anxious hush lay on the city. The residents lining the street watched them anxiously.  She would have to find a way to reassure them before Sauron could use this to inflame tensions even more than he already had. 

 

They left the city proper and down the hill where the tombs of the kings stood. The newer tombs they passed became steadily more elaborate as the society that built each became increasingly preoccupied with death. Ironically, Ar-Pharazôn's resting place stood out in its simplicity. When he had started feeling old age creeping up on him he had grasped at Sauron's lies promising immortality instead of making provisions for his death and legacy.

 

She was grateful for the veil included in her mourning robes. Her own feelings were confused at the moment. Her husband's early death was very favourable for her, politically speaking. The rift between herself and Pharazôn had also left her increasingly isolated from real power. Now there was no-one left with the standing to gain-say her. Less pragmatically, she could not be relieved that this was how their relationship had ended after they had overcome the laws of Númenor and the disapproval of its people together to marry. Everything had gone wrong since Pharazôn had started listening to Sauron's poison and now she could never have him back.

 

She had objected from the start to making Sauron his advisor. Whatever one may or may not think about the Valar; it was undisputable to anyone with any sense that Sauron - who had thoroughly earned his epithets of the Terrible, the Cruel and the Deceiver - was not a better alternative. This was when she had discovered to her dismay that her decision to align herself with her more popular cousin had not been without its drawbacks. The King’s Men backed him over her when they disagreed and her father's old supporters were alienated from her. The influence of the Faithful had also waned since their days under a king's favour and even back then they had been widely disliked. Although she had since reconciled with the Faithful, now they could do little to help her and she could do little to help them.

 

And now she was here. Presiding over a funeral with the Enemy. 

 

"Zigûr." She may not have been able to get away with using the names he deserved, but she was never going to humour his ridiculous presumption in calling himself 'King Excellent'.

 

“My Queen, I wished to offer you my condolences in person.” He bowed over her hand. “Anadûnê has been dealt a blow, but together we shall overcome it.”

 

“That is appreciated,” she said politely, suppressing her shudder. “Rest assured that I know well the worth of your counsel.”

 

What was he playing at? She thought he had given up when he realized she was not as susceptible to his flattery as Pharazôn. Surely he didn’t think he would have any better luck now in swaying her to his cause?

 

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Back at the palace she had a more pleasant meeting with her kinsman, Amandil, Lord of Andúnië. Amandil was once Pharazôn’s dearest friend and also had to watch as he fell under Sauron’s shadow. It was an inexpressible comfort to have a friendly face that would understand both her grief and her guilty relief. Unfortunately, after sharing condolences they still had to decide how to manage the situation.

 

“Has anything been discovered of what happened?” Asked Amandil.

 

"Not yet, but I made sure that there are trustworthy men and women involved in the investigations. I cannot be certain, but I don't think Sauron was responsible. It does not really benefit him. He knows that Pharazôn is the only royal willing to cooperate with him. Perhaps he intends to deal with myself and your House afterwards, but that would just leave him in the middle of a succession crisis that no-one could clearly win."

 

"I think you are right, but we must not underestimate Sauron's cunning. He might have a plan we do not anticipate. Or he could simply underestimate your resolve and wishes to act through the ruler he doesn't have a personal grudge against."

 

"We will be vigilant. But how do we rid ourselves of him? The Faithful are more diminished than they have ever been and of the Lords of Númenórë only you are not ensnared by Sauron. If they are commanded to act against their mistaken convictions and to abandon the profits they gained from Sauron, will enough of them obey?”

 

Loyalty to the Scepter was important to the King’s Men, as their chosen name implied. Of course, until the last two generations the Kings were on their side of the conflict between them and the Faithful. Their loyalty had been sorely tested during her father’s deeply unpopular reign, but civil war had been avoided. Now, however, the King’s Men also had Sauron’s religious hold on them tipping the scale.

 

"That is what I cannot stand about this situation,” Míriel continued. “Sauron is not Morgoth Bauglir. He cannot defeat us by force of arms. When he overran Eregion was it not we Númenóreans who relieved the Elves and hounded his forces back to Mordor? When Pharazôn marched our armies on the Black Tower was it not Sauron who yielded? He may have turned his surrender against us, but he still had to resort to sacrificing his pride instead of contesting the might of Númenórë outright. We should have him outmatched and instead we are our own worst enemy."

 

"Sauron The Deceiver was ever a master of lies and guile, not just brute strength. We needed to stand strong against his blandishments as well as his armies and that is where we failed. Unfortunately, turning the hearts of  Númenórë back to the right path was a battle we lost even before Sauron was involved. I told Ar-Pharazôn after we first took him into custody that we should hand him over to Valinor, but that is no longer feasible. At least we can overturn Sauron’s injustices now. That might still come to outright strife, but our cause will be stronger if he breaks his oath of fealty first."

 

“My father devoted his whole reign to returning Númenórë to the right path. All it brought him was sullen obedience from reluctant subjects, silence from the West and an early death from grief,” Míriel said bitterly. “Nimloth is destroyed and now Númenórë is doomed. Perhaps all we can still do is thwart Sauron, but he shall pay for that even if it is the last thing I do.”

 

“Take heart, the fruit of Nimloth that Isildur saved has taken root. I don’t know how much of Númenórë can still be saved, but it is not the end yet for the line of Elros.”

 

“It has been a very long time since we had a good omen instead of a bad one. Let us hope it is enough,” Míriel sighed.

 

Chapter End Notes

I'm no good at titles. If anyone has a wittier one to suggest, please do.

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