I have always been curious how anyone could rule such hot-heads.  Fëanor was their father, and had the charisma of...well, of Fëanor!  So, I know why they followed him.  But for Maedhros to step into his father's shoes?  Doubtful.  Your portrayal of him shows someone who reads others well, and keeps his head.  His brothers are proud, and he uses that to his advantage.  I enjoyed this small window into their relationships!

I lik the way you show Maedhros manipulating his brothers' pride and jealousy to his own political advantage (and theirs, though I doubt Caranthir fully realizes it at this moment), and that Caranthir knows what his older brother is doing but goes along with it for his own reasons.  A nice little gap-filler!

I love stories like these, where a small line blooms into meanings and reasons and other stories. I am so glad that, despite the bad rep, Caranthir is smarter than angry and realizes what his brother is really saying and the implications. Very nicely done.