Sons of Destiny [CURRENTLY EDITING AND REWRITING]

Letters from Strangers

A courier rapped urgently on the door of Elwing's study in the velvet-blue middle of the night. "Lady Elwing! My lady!" he hissed.
Wearily, she opened the door. Round her neck shone a beautiful necklace, at its heart a blazing white jewel.

"Yes?" Elwing's voice was a thin whisper after many sleepless nights.

"Urgent message," the herald droned.

Elwing looked down at the parchment in his hand. One glance at the seal, and her hand darted up to grip the necklace as if the seal saw her wearing it. She took it silently, curtly bidding goodnight to her servant with a nod.

Before breaking the wax disk, the Lady of Sirion carefully turned the parchment over, treating it like something combustible. Cast in dull red wax was the carving of a three-petalled lily, and a jewel filled the space between each petal.

Her trepidading fingers finagled with the seal. The wafer cracked with a satisfying snap. Paper crinkled as she stretched the sheet out of its prolonged curl. Her heart and lungs raced as her eyes skimmed over the smooth, purposeful script curiously leaning left.

Tersely, the note began:

You know who I am. I know who you are. We are tired of war. But if you do not give us our right, there will be war. No, not the tales you were told as a little girl. Blood above the ankles kind of war. I demand again, Elwing House Dior, give us our right, or none shall live to regret your choice. I give you one final warning: yield the Silmaril or THERE. WILL. BE. WAR.
So writes Neylafinwë, oldest son of House Fëanoro.

Elwing's courage wavered like the candlelight she read by. She had hundreds of families to think of-not to mention her own.

"I can't," she whispered to herself. Then, almost addressing the scroll itself, she hissed, "It comes to this."

Two updates in one day?! GASP!!! I know I said next stop Angst, but boy do I love me some mouthwatering setup.