The Captain and the King by oshun

Prelude

“What does he look like? What does it matter?” Círdan grumbled, squinting against the reflection upon the water of the last rays of sunlight. “Fine! He’s well-built, nice features, taller than his grandfather. One can see his connection to Elros and Elrond but he reminds me more, because of his yellow hair, of the light-haired people of the House of Hador.”

“Sooo,” Gil-galad drawled in a querulous tone, “you want me to entertain this lad while you talk with his grandfather about shipbuilding, currents, weather, and raw material for making ropes?” Gil-galad couldn’t pretend he thought he was too busy or important to spend time with this young descendant of the line of Elros. But he did enjoy riling up his foster-father when he used a paternalistic tone. He chuckled softly under his breath at Círdan’s unconscious temerity at giving him the assignment, as though he were still a reluctant schoolboy and not the king. It was rare, unprecedented actually, to have the opportunity to meet an heir to the throne of Númenor.

“You don’t have to entertain him. He is smart and curious. He’ll amuse himself. I expect he will have a lot of questions and you do love to talk on and on about your people and your plans.”

“I can do that, but won’t that bore him?”

“He is not a child. He is young but well-educated and competent. He has been sailing for years and has been captaining ships transporting goods and correspondence between Rómenna and the other side of the island. This might be his first trip this far.” Círdan released a long-suffering sigh. “He’s asked to meet you especially.”

Gil-galad could not control a laugh. “Well, then it is my solemn duty,” he said with grin he knew would aggravate Círdan.