The Line of Kings by Michiru

Fate Decided

“[…] with Fingon stood as they ever did Angrod and Aegnor, sons of Finarfin. But these held their peace and spoke not against their fathers.” Thus were they condemned to the Helcaraxë.

Valarin Year 1495

                        “What of Angaráto and Aikanáro?” Tyelcormo asks, as we prepare to break our hasty conference, Carnistir’s stool already scraping across the impractically white boards of the floor. Father, who had never sat through our discourse, was turning away, almost out the door and back to the deck of the ship when his third son spoke. I cast my eyes down to Tyelperinquar’s dark head, nuzzled against my chest, know the image running behind Father’s eyes, because it is also running behind mine, and has been for days now. There is Nolofinwë, sharp and utterly contrary, and Artanis’ sneer even as her face lights over in greed, and Arafinwë urging useless caution.

            And, standing to the side as Father tries to reclaim his birthright, mute and unmoving, the two cousins I had once loved as dearly as my brothers.

            “We’ll come back for them as well,” I lie.

Chapter End Notes

1. The Silmarillion has Maitimo asking Fëanáro who they will bring over first, and, since I don’t believe willful ignorance is among Maitimo’s traits, I have to assume he was completely ignorant of Fëanáro’s plans. I’ve therefore assumed in my head-canon that all of his sons were likewise ignorant—except Curufinwë Atarinkë, who is enough like his father to intuit on his own that they will never return.
2. Trivia: the conference was his sons’ idea—Fëanáro is not actively deceiving them into believing that he plans to send the ships back.
3. Obviously missing scene is obvious: what about the moment when Angaráto realizes his wife is not coming with him to Endor? Well~…  It’s been so clear for me from the very beginning that Eldalôtë wouldn’t leave Valinor that I never really stopped to imagine how it would go. (Fail author is fail.) It’s only now, looking back on this story as a whole, that I realized it’s a very conspicuous gap in the narrative. I haven’t thrown it in at the last minute because I feel like I need more than a week to reflect and develop such an important moment, and I refuse to get off schedule again (that way lies another six-month hiatus…). Will I ever do this scene? Yes. The Line of Kings doesn’t end with this story; I’m planning a similar type of piece focusing on Angaráto and Aikanáro’s childhood, and one focusing more on the romance between Angaráto and Eldalôtë, which is where I imagine the scene will finally appear. Both of which will fall under the LoK-verse. Until then, my deepest, most abashed apologies.