The darkening of hearts

Behind the facade

Maedhros had just finished discussing their departure when he heard some commotion coming from the near by garden. He felt a sudden rush of worry, the voices sounded so upset and he feared that something was wrong. He excused himself and walked towards the source of the noise, rather fast. When he reached the garden he stopped dead in his tracks, a gasp escaped him before he ran forth, kneeling by Lerina's side. She was unconscious and bloody and it was rather apparent that something rather brutal had happened for her eyes were bruised and she appeared to have fractured her cheekbone.

Two healers had arrived just before him and they were in obvious shock, violence was almost unheard of among the elves and this spoke of unleashed rage. "What happened?!"

He heard the tremble in his own voice, grasped her hand to comfort her but also to let the others see what they were expecting to see, the affection of a newly wedded husband. The healers were trying to stop the bleeding and she had a nasty bruise around her neck and there was blood in her long silvery hair. " A servant found her, on the ground. Just minutes ago!"

Maedhros almost growled, she had an expression of confused pain on her face and he didn't understand this at all. Why would anyone attack her? Oh there were plenty of jealous nissi around but the bruises on her neck came from a hand, much larger than that of any female. He stared at the healers, pleadingly. " Is she okay?"

The most experienced of the healers looked as if she didn't really want to answer. " Ah, my lord, it is too early to say that yet. She has a huge bump on her head and I fear a concussion. And there are fractures my lord, nasty ones"

He swallowed hard. "Who did this to her?"

The others assembled just shrugged and looked down and he got back up, with his height he towered above all others there and he felt a surge of rage rushing through his body. " Well, let it be known that the one guilty of this will be found and punished"

The healers lifted Lerina onto a stretcher and she was carried off to a room that lay in a separate part of the palace. Elves do not get sick but injuries did happen from time to time, in special during training or sports and the healers were skilled and they had lots of experience with such things. But this was new to them, to willfully hurt someone was a thing they had never encountered. Maedhros felt sick, he shouldn't have left her! She was so small and fragile and he knew that his family was a target for much rage. Not everybody approved of the fact that Fëanor was Finwë's favorite son and heir to the throne, they believed that Fingolfin was better suited. And then they had those with the directly opposite idea too. The political life of Tirion could sometimes be compared with a maze! If you didn't know what you were doing you would get lost pretty fast.

Lerina was washed and they rubbed some ointments onto her head wound and her eye and her bruises. The healer guaranteed that she wouldn't have any scars but he felt furious still. Why? Why had this peaceful and gentle being been attacked thus? It had happened fast, and with some force too. She hadn't tried to defend herself but there were deep scratches on her cheeks that indicated that the culprits they were seeking were both a female and a male too.

Lerina groaned and her head moved and he was there in a flash, grasping her hand. She didn't open her eyes and she appeared to be terribly dizzy and in pain. The healer was there that very instant with a cup. " My lady, drink this, it will ease the pain and help you sleep. It is for the better."

She just gasped and he felt desperate, squeezed her hand. " Who did this to you little one? Tell me!"

She whimpered, her voice barely audible. "They...they called me...a whore...a slut...disowned me..."

Maedhros tilted his head, what? Why in heavens name would anyone... He got it, her parents, who else could disown her? The healer made her drink and she sobbed and fell back into his arms. He stared at the nis who removed the cup and looked angry. " Did you understand this?"