Light from Shadows

Chapter 23

Mîrrómen's POV

"I must say," Gurúth remarked as I sharpened my sword.  "I find it odd that you desire your father's downfall. Do you wish to take his place?" I gave a humorless laugh in reply. "I'm half-elven, and I find his tactics... horrible, for lack of a better word."

"Do you not love him?" Gurúth asked in surprise. I looked away. "I did," I acknowledged. "Once, but it was long and long ago." "What happened?" "None of your business!" I snarled, causing him to leave in shock at my sudden outburst.

I continued sharpening my weapon. Just how long had it been since Ada had lost my affections? 'Think!' I ordered myself. 'When did you last feel love for him?' I lost myself in my thoughts.

*flashback*

"Keep up Ilti! (Pronunciation: ill-tee)" I laughed as we ran through The halls of Angband. "Ada is in his office an' I wanna surprise him!" Iltani giggled and kept pace with me. After a few twists and turns, we arrived and burst through the doors.

Ada looked up from the papers he was looking at and smiled warmly at us. "Hello my precious darlings," He cooed lovingly as we scrambled into his lap. "Do you need something?" "Want cuddles." I demanded as I snuggled into him.

"Are your nurses not giving you cuddles?" Ada asked in concern as he stroked my head. "They gives cuddles," Iltani said as she tried to get attention from my Ada. "We want cuddles with you!" "Oh," Ada chuckled. "I see, little ones."

He gave us cuddles and kisses while he worked and we returned the affections. But, after a while, Ada had to go to the throne room, where Iltani and I weren't allowed to go. Ada shooed both Iltani and I out of his office with the promise of cookies in the kitchen and we accepted this compromise.

As we hurried down the halls we ran into an orc. He cursed at us and Iltani shrank away from his threatening form. "Back off!" I snarled fiercely at him. "I am the son of the King, and he won't be happy you said that." The orc laughed at me, I motioned for Iltani to run back to the nurses and she scampered away.

"Son of the king or not," the orc snarled back. "You're nothin' but elvish trash. And I don't take kindly to bein' sassed by trash." He then struck me with the handle of his whip. I gave a cry of pain, having never been hit before.

"Get used to it, trash!" He growled as he grabbed me by the collar and carried me away. "Let me show you what your father's goin' to do to you once he's bored of you." He dragged me to a door which I knew led to the throne room, where my Ada had forbidden me to go. I tried to wiggle out of his grasp, but he struck me again.

"One squeak outta you, trash," he warned. "And it'll be a lot worse for you." I nodded with a whimper as he opened to door. What I saw shook me right to my core. My Ada was on a huge throne, watching gleefully as an elf was dismembered by one of Mairon's wolves. He laughed in delight as the blood sprayed everywhere and the elf screamed until he died.

Then the orc took me out of the room and threw me into the hall. "Scram, trash," he ordered as I landed heavily on my side. "And never forget this- you're an elf, not a Maia or a Vala, an elf! And they'll torture you too, as soon as they see you're nothing special."

I ran swiftly back to the nursery, crying in terror. My nurse scooped me up and held me close to hush me. "Shall I call your father?" Asked Iltani's nurse as she cuddled my sleeping sister. I shook my head in fear and buried my head in my nurse's shoulder.

Slowly, slowly, I began to calm down. But that did not last very long, because our fathers entered the room for cuddle time. Our nurses set us down gently and left the room. Iltani happily snuggled into her father, he nuzzled her head and kissed her. My father smiled warmly as he picked me up, but when he grabbed me, he touched my bruises.

I gave a scared cry and tried to struggle out of his hold. My Ada's eyes grew confused and hurt before he lifted my shirt up to see if I was hurt. He froze when he saw the marks the orc had left. "Mîrrómen!" He exclaimed in shock. "Who has dared hurt you so badly-and why?"

"Ilti and I were going to the kitchen for cookies," I sobbed as Ada checked me over for injuries and Mairon did the same with Iltani. "But we ran into an orc. And he said mean things about me and grabbed me. And he took me to the throne room and I saw-" I couldn't finish and began sobbing uncontrollably.

My Ada's eyes got shocked... then angry. "How dare he?" Ada growled as he picked me up, much more gentle this time. "I shall deal with him personally, my little prince." "He said I'm not a prince," I sniffled. "And that I'm just elvish trash."

Ada froze again, so I asked. "Why did he say that?" "Because-" Ada tried to explain. "You are half-elven. Your Ammë was a wonderful elf and we fell in love with her. And from that love, came you and Iltani."

"So what the orc said is true?" I asked in fear. "No," Ada said firmly. "That orc was very wrong indeed! You are not trash, you are our most precious and valuable treasures." He cuddled me close and kissed my head gently.

I didn't trust him. I had seen what happened to elves, and I was half elven. But I knew better than to say that to him. I would have to be very careful and escape as soon I I could. "I love you, my little prince." Ada said softly.

I pretended to snuggle back into him. And for the first time, I lied to my Ada. "I love you too."

*end*

"Mîrrómen!" Elros laughed as I came back to myself. "That sword is sharp enough to kill a dragon! Stop sharpening it!" I grinned up at him and said. "What if I need to kill two dragons? Then what'll I do?"

"Call for help," Elros joked back. "And pray I get there in time." We laughed together and I knew in my heart, I was an elf...