Bitter Dregs by Aiwen

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So Much for That Idea

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Galadriel was eating breakfast with Celebrian in her sitting room, and looking forward to a nice quiet day. The spring morning was bright and pleasant, and she thought it might be good to sit outside and get some work done on that Nargothrond tapestry.

She gave up on that idea as soon as Mithwen entered at a run, the door flying open with a bang. Galadriel put down her spoon and stared at her old friend. "The King has been attacked!" cried Mithwen.

"Tell me what happened," demanded Galadriel.

"I don't know, but they were half-carrying him, and the Arnorian ambassador was on a stretcher. They were heading towards the infirmary," said Mithwen, wringing her hands.

"Elrond?" asked Celebrian, standing suddenly.

Mithwen blinked, "I don't remember."

Celebrian relaxed a little, but looked to her mother.

Galadriel stood. "I'm going to find out who is in charge and what is going on," said Galadriel, striding from the room, followed closely by Celebrian.

The main guardpost was on the lower level by the main staircase and infirmary, not far from the main doors, so that was where she headed first. She ran into Arothir in the hallway immediately outside, along with Gildor Inglorion.

"Lady Galadriel, good," Arothir said. "I've put the Ambassador's servants under arrest, but I need someone skilled with osanwe to question them."

"Captain Arothir, exactly what is going on? They have diplomatic immunity."

"I thought you'd heard. Gil-galad and both Ambassadors have been poisoned using some strange southern thing the Black Numenoreans are fond of, in the coffee the Gondorian ambassador brought. Even Master Moriel doesn't know the name of it. There's nobody else in the palace who would have had the means, except the two Ambassadors. But both of the Ambassadors are themselves victims."

"Is Elrond ill?" asked Celebrian.

"He says not, and was acting as healer rather than patient," said Arothir.

"Well, that is one mercy," said Galadriel. "Who is in charge right now?" Celeborn and Cirdan were in Harlindon at the moment, and if Elrond was caring for Gil-galad...

"That would be you if you want it, my lady. I don't think Elrond can be pried away from the King's side right now."

Galadriel nodded. "I'll do it. Exactly how much danger is Gil-galad in?"

"You'll have to ask Moriel. It looked bad, though," said Gildor. "He had some sort of strange fit just outside the infirmary. I've never seen the like."

Galadriel swallowed, but focused on what needed to be done. "We'll need to make an official announcement of what is happening before rumors go completely wild. Has anything been said so far?"

"No."

"What else has been done so far?" asked Galadriel.

"I have Celebdil and Anariel watching for anyone being sneaky about leaving. Like I said, it is highly unlikely that anyone other than the Numenoreans would have access to the means."

"Why in Arda would any of our people want to kill Gil-galad?" asked Celebrian.

"The assassin could have been after the ambassadors, and assumed Gil-galad doesn't like coffee," said Galadriel. "Or someone could blame Gil-galad for something. People aren't always rational when it comes to things like a son dead in a battle gone wrong".

Celebrian's distressed expression didn't change. "He does make mistakes on occasion, you know," Galadriel said. "In any case, we must make some sort of official announcement. We don't want to make things worse, so perhaps something along the lines of 'The King and the Ambassadors have been poisoned. They are being treated, and the situation is being investigated.'"

"'Everything is under control', then?" said Arothir. "But what do we do if he dies? Or for that matter, how do we explain to the Kings Elendil and Isildur that their Ambassadors were murdered while under our care?"

"We deal with that if it happens. If the assassin was one of their men, they will be the ones explaining matters to us."

Galadriel had criers sent out explaining the situation, while Celebrian went to help in the infirmary. Then Galadriel went to the infirmary to check on the details of the situation, and find out how the victims were doing. She wound up getting Taurwen for a couple of minutes. The healer was obviously very worried, and Galadriel thought she had best let her get back to her patients. It looked like they might have to explain the death of one or more ambassadors, possibly in Gil-galad's absence.

Galadriel swallowed, remembering Gil-galad as he'd been when Lindon was newly-founded. It had been obvious how very young he was, excited and eyes brilliant with delight at the new possibilities now Morgoth had been overthrown. How had it come to this? Arda Marred strikes again. Time to go and make the assassin regret he'd ever decided to tangle with the Noldor.

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Galadriel started with the Arnorians, having one at a time brought into their sitting room where she would question them. The first one was a very young man with an unfinished look and a prominent adam's apple. He also looked rather scared, sitting staring at his knees.

"I need you to look at me," said Galadriel.

He took a deep breath, and did so.

"What is your name?"

"Dirhavel," he whispered.

"Do you know why I am here?"

"Someone tried to kill your King?" the boy said uncertainly.

"That same someone has also harmed Ambassadors Arluin and Borontir," said Galadriel. "We need to find out who they are."

"I don't know anything!" cried Dirhavel. "and I'd never hurt Arluin. He's my uncle! I don't have anything against your High King and I've scarcely met Ambassador Borontir."

"I believe you," said Galadriel, sighing slightly. There was no lie in the boy's eyes, only panic and worry. "But have you any idea who might have?"

"No," said the boy. "Although I have barely met the Gondorians. Why do you assume it was one of us?"

"Who made coffee this morning?" asked Galadriel.

"There was coffee?" said the boy.

"Yes, at the meeting this morning."

"I'm not sure. It must have been one of the Gondorians, though. Probably Duilin. He's the Ambassador's manservant."

"Who normally has access to the coffee?"

"Duilin and the Ambassador. Maybe all of them? I don't know. The Gondorians brought it, and they've got it somewhere in their suite. I think they didn't want any of us sneaking some without permission."

"Would you have? Never mind." Dirhavel didn't really know very much that could be useful, and he was most assuredly innocent of murder. "That is enough for now."

"Will my uncle recover?" Dirhavel asked.

"It is too soon to tell for certain."

"If I can do anything to help, my lady," said Dirhavel, staring her right in the eye, "just let me know. I want whoever poisoned my uncle caught."

The rest of the interviews with the Arnorians went much the same, though none of the others were quite so young.

Galadriel turned to examine the Gondorians next. They were the most likely place to find the would-be assassin, after all.

She promptly ran into a major problem. Rodnor would not look her in the eye without becoming faint with fear. After a minute, one of the others finally told her that he had been interrogated mentally by Sauron back in Numenor and was terrified of osanwe. That explained why she couldn't sense anything from him beyond terror. She couldn't see past it, and trying was making her feel sick to her stomach. Innocent or guilty, she could not tell through this means.

On to Duilin, the man who had made the coffee this morning. He was the most obvious suspect, but he met her eyes from the first second.

"Will Ambassador Borontir be all right?" he asked. "The guards said he was poisoned!"

"I am trying to find out who poisoned him," said Galadriel.

Duilin nodded. "What do you need to know?" he asked.

"Was any of the coffee drunk at any time before this morning?"

"Yes, a couple of times. The most recent was yesterday. There was never any problem…"

"Who touched the coffee between yesterday and this morning?"

"I did, my lady, but I didn't poison the Ambassador."

"Did you know they also poisoned the High King and Lord Arluin?"

Duilin went ashen-faced and his eyes bulged. "Sauron's lying tongue! I didn't do it, my lady! You have to believe me! Please don't attack Gondor."

"Whoever did this likely wants a war. So as you can see, I need to know everything you know about what happened with the coffee." said Galadriel.

Duilin nodded, swallowing.

"There is a method that allows me to see inside your mind everything that you saw," she said. "It is invasive, and I would not use it save in great need. Have I your permission?"

"Yes, my lady," said Duilin. "I want the son of an orc caught."

Galadriel signalled to the guard to come closer, then reached out and touched Duilin on the forehead. "Now remember making coffee yesterday."

As Duilin, she experienced making coffee, enjoying the smell and the sound of the dripping dark liquid. That was followed by serving it and carefully putting the bag back in its hiding place in the ambassador's bedside table. Memories flowed past of random other tasks from yesterday, including a few of being in the privy which she tried not to look at too closely.

The next morning followed, showing a very similar routine of coffee making to the previous day. Duilin was clearly not guilty, and he did not know who was. Still, there was now little question that the coffee must have been adulterated after the coffee was made yesterday and before this morning. She broke contact, and blinked and stretched a bit, glad to be back in her own body.

Duilin stretched, looking very creaky. "How long?" Galadriel asked the guard.

"Nearly supper time," he said. She'd been in Duilin's head for many hours. She stood, steadying herself for a moment against the back of her chair. Questioning the others could wait. It was time to eat something, and to find out if her grandnephew would live.