Torchsong by Dawn Felagund, Elleth

Reaction: Alphangil

Fingon's wife reacts to the Noldolantë.

Alphangil, on the other hand, sits with the Noldor, offering a raised eyebrow to her cousin at the window, who seems moved to tears, not to discomfort. Caught in the audience, next to Caranthir's currently sour-faced wife, Alphangil attempts to understand what Maglor is singing - languages have never been her forte, and she has never bothered to learn more than she needed of Quenya, certainly barely enough for poetry or song. That goes double for Maglor's poetry, whose complexity and triple meanings make her head spin even in her native Mithrimmin dialect. She is still a little mad at him for that, even though it was a wedding gift. But then the Fëanorians seem to have a knack for making their gifts unwelcome.

Rowenn, in spite of her displeasure at Maglor, is kind enough to translate the gist of Maglor's song to her, and Alphangil winds up insulted on behalf of Fingon and everyone else with Noldorin blood in the room. She is friends with some, has sat on councils with others, and married their High Prince, and this strikes her as slander more than anything.

She'd like to smack the harp out of Maglor's hand, really. She gives Fingon a glance, who stands like a pale statue at the side of the room, and inevitably, Maedhros beside him.

Her jaw tightens as Maedhros speaks something into Fingon's ear. She can see her husband's answering shudder from halfway across the room, although it's anger, not pleasure. But Fingon at least had been honest with her before she had married him, about the Kinslaying and Maedhros, giving her the choice to continue their dalliance or leave it before it became serious. She knows that Maglor had concealed the truth about Alqualondë and the departure of the Noldor from Lasbaneth until she found out by chance and fled back to her own people. It took Maglor years to win her back and longer to fully heal the rift gaping between them.

But if her cousin, spiritually-minded and wise, approves of all this, perhaps she ought to speak to Lasbaneth before making her ultimate judgement.