Maglor in the 1848 French Revolution by Aprilertuile

---

August and September 1847

---

Maglor stayed careful for a while with the knowledge he wasn’t exactly a standard human in Louis’ hands, but nothing seemed to really change, apart from the fact that Louis spent perhaps more time watching him with open curiosity, clearly wanting to ask questions.

Maglor almost wanted to tell him to speak freely, but was also half afraid that Louis would never run out of questions, and if there was one thing he didn’t actually want to do, it was to go over his life-story.

Louis was impulsive, and probably wouldn’t realise it immediately if his questions were verging on insensitive, and alas, Maglor history was full of sensitive details he didn’t want to share with someone who wouldn’t and couldn’t understand.

But on the other hand, Louis was also considerate enough that if he did ask uncomfortable questions, if Maglor showed he was uncomfortable, he’d back off.

Probably.

However, Maglor felt he owed him some answers. Louis was legitimately wondering about Maglor as he realised that he was something… Different. Could he really get away with saying nothing? It wouldn’t be quite fair for the young man, would it?

“So, in the end you never really answered. What are you exactly?”

Maglor couldn’t hold a smile back. Looks like Louis finally found the courage to ask his questions. Now would Maglor himself find the courage to answer him honestly…

“An elf. I’m an elf, Louis.”

“I thought elves were all females and bloodthirsty creatures?”

“That’s not… Elves aren’t all female creatures wanting to kill the humans who venture near them, and who live hidden in woods and hills or in an alternate dimension of this world.”

Well... Maglor stopped himself at that. Technically… 

The world is round and there’s been no trace of Valinor found anywhere, even though ships have often sailed the seas to discover other lands or for commercial exchanges or whatnot.

“Alright, let me amend that. Elves aren’t female creatures wanting to kill the humans who venture near them, and who live hidden in woods and hills.”

“So I see… Does that mean that there is an alternate dimension of this world for elves and whatnot?”

“There’s… You know, I actually have no idea.”

“… Would you… care to explain? Perhaps?”

“Hm… Once upon a time, millennia and millennia ago, some race of elves decided we needed to leave our island and come to the big wild world to fight a big bad being with far more power than us all put together, which was a supremely bad idea, but saved some lives here and there at the price of almost all of ours. There were conflicts, mass murder, grief, loss... In any case, among those survivors of those early years of the world, my people decided to take ships back to the island in question until I was the last one left on this interestingly trouble-creating earth, and I have strictly no idea how Valinor works nowadays. Before, when we left it, it was just another island on the other side of the sea, but now…”

“Now on the other side of the sea, it’s well known that other men live. So it changed and you have no idea of how, or if it just disappeared altogether.”

“… Chilling thought, but I’m pretty sure it’s still there somehow. Just… carefully unavailable to this mortal decaying world.”

“Charming way of phrasing it.”

“Should I apologise?”

“… No. I suppose it’s what it is. You’re immortal after all.”

“Pretty much.”

“Do you… Do you even like me? Or am I just… Something of a child to coddle to you?”

“You’re very much not a child. It’s not about age, Louis. It’s about behaviour. I see you as an adult. You act like an adult, most of the time. And I do like you.”

“Am I… Reminding you of someone you once knew?”

“Yes and no. You share the brashness of some people who were dear to me, but that’s about all and not a unique trait by any means.”

“I see. So you… Like me then.”

“I said so, yes.”

“One could wonder upon learning their love interest is that much older than them.”

“I wouldn’t know, would I?”

Louis rolled his eyes at Maglor who laughed quietly.

“I did what you suggested. I spoke to Joséphine.”

“Hm… And? Do I need to move again?”

“What? No!”

“Good, at least. So? What did you think of that conversation?”

“She wants me to marry her to regularise her situation.”

“Hm… And what do you think of that?”

“I think that I don’t want to deal with this mess. She’s unreliable, she misses badly her previous social rank and resents everything that’s different from it and she’s… She’s just… I don’t know. She’s not the person I used to like.”

“Hm… I feel a “but” in that.”

“But you’re right, and the child is my child. I don’t know how else to acknowledge the child. I don’t want to condemn a poor kid to the kind of fate kids without a known father have. It’s not the child’s fault if the mother is… What she is. I don’t even have words to describe her anymore at this point.”

Maglor nodded. “Perhaps you should try spending more time with her? See if…”

“At this point, I’m pretty sure that if I spend any more time with her, I’ll just decide that no, I don’t want to chain myself to that absolute ball of a woman.”

“Are you just comparing that girl to the ball and chain of prisoners?”

“Spending time with her feels as much like punishment as being in jail.” Louis answered snappishly.

Maglor snorted in amusement at that. Louis could be so dramatic when he wanted to... He may not like Joséphine, but even her company wasn’t as much of a threat to one’s health as jail.

“When you reach a decision, tell me please.”

Louis nodded, he would not have much of a choice seeing they lived together anyway.

Days came and went, following a sort of routine. Louis spent his days shadowing the doctor who took him as an assistant, and Maglor spent his days playing music in public places, or picking up tasks here and there for coins. It didn’t pay much, but it did pay and that was enough for him.

However on the 31^st of August, they all saw or heard of the protests on Saint-Horoné’s street. Maglor was thanking Eru or whatever deity or power was listening that Louis was actually kept busy by the doctor because nothing good would come out of those protests.

Nothing good for the protestors at least.

And Maglor could only watch Louis raging every night the protestations were going on.

It was heartbreaking to witness in a way:

People were tired. People were hungry. People only saw the government enrich themselves, cheat, and live a high life of banquet, opera, and gold digging, while they were hungry, working to the bones, wondering from day to day if it would be the day they’d lose everything to hunger, or illness.

So people were right there in the street, shouting to be heard:

They wanted the conservative minister Guizot gone for good.

They wanted food.

They wanted to be able to afford living.

Why were people even working for, if they couldn’t afford food for their spouse or children?

Maglor had been a few streets over and even from there he could hear the protests. The shouts of anger, of determination. The calls to end Guizot. To call the king to listen.

But along the protests, the soldiers of the king were there, keeping an eye on the situation, weapons at the ready… Ready to turn against the people.

Whenever the soldiers were called in, chances were that people were caught and sent to jail for so much as being around the wrong street at the wrong time…

The soldiers were there to protect the Monarchy. The king, the government. The people were there to protect their rights to live.

The soldiers were a clear threat.

Maglor became convinced that Louis wasn’t in the thick of the protests only because he knew his situation was already precarious. The doctor and Maglor both were encouraging him to keep working instead of going to the protests.

“Do you even know how many scandals there are now? Those people are just trying to live in riches while we all die of poverty at their feet! They cheat, they murder, they have fun, they have banquets! They pay people to do their dirty deeds and the king just… Let it happen like it’s something that should be normal and expected. Who cares if the poor population suffers so long the rich keep their gold, hm? And if the king doesn’t care, who will care for us? The Republicans are right. The government does nothing for the people, so it’s time for change! We are also more numerous and they can’t shut all of us down!” Louis had said all this many times in one version or another.

But after a few days, the main protestors were jailed and the people just… Dwindled in their number and the protests stopped.

Maglor thought the whole thing was but the start of something terrible, but he had too much to lose by being known and recognized so he refused to meddle.

Besides, even replacing this monarchy by another would only last for so long until the same issue appeared again. Or worst. Worst was always possible strangely enough. There was never any end to the level of suffering that those in power managed to throw at their people when they wanted to.

That it never failed to cause bloodshed in the end never seemed to stop them or make them think somehow.

And some days after that, it was announced that Guizot was named president of the council.

Louis was livid at that. The man was known to be inflexible, and against the changes desired by those who were muttering about what was now needed in the government.

Words like: “Work for everyone”, “equality”, “end to the corruption”, “better life for the working class”,  “interdiction for anyone to accumulate several functions in the government” or even the dreamed “universal suffrage for men” could be heard. Sadly those same words, so desired by the middle class and working class in general were ignored by the government, and actively opposed by Guizot.

To say that the man wasn’t popular was an understatement, even if he was working to ensure there would be more schools in the country. That, Maglor granted him freely, was a very good thing.

Maglor could understand Louis’ anger. The government always showed that they didn’t care about people’s opinion: that was just one more proof. But he hadn’t lived this long without realising that no change of politics ever lasted, and that the victims of politics were always the people, whatever the kind of politics it was, it always, always, without fault, took a turn at some point for the worst.

So seeking change like Louis wanted, like many people were whispering…

Bloodshed without true result.

The people wouldn’t get what they wanted this way.

The people would suffer.

The people would die.

Poor people would stay poor.

The government would probably never stop using soldiers to threaten their opponents…

But people were hoping for changes, without seeing the lessons of history…

And Maglor, who dealt in songs and music and words… Didn’t have the words to tell Louis that his hopes for a better future if the government changed… Would be met only with disappointment.