Day 8 & 9: Silver and Gold

[grundyscribbling]

Summary: Young Celegorm is in minor trouble.
Bingo Number: G54, B7
Prompts (Cards): Indis (Fun With Fëanorians), Behind Closed Doors (Lord & Lady of Imladris)
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1660

Tyelkormo had been hoping to sneak up to his own room unobserved, but he should have known the odds of sneaking in at Grandfather’s house were slim to none – far worse than trying to sneak into his own house.

It would have been bad enough to see the look of first horror and then disappointment on Indis’ face, but she was sure to ask…

“Tyelkormo!”

There was no avoiding it now.

Sure enough, when he looked up, there was the disappointment.

“Fighting, Tyelko?” she asked, her voice gone quiet in that way that was actually worse than the expression, because looking down didn’t keep him from hearing it.

But no matter how disappointed she might be with him, the hand on his shoulder steering him toward her sitting room rather than his own bedroom was gentle.

He had gotten too tall for it to be an arm around the shoulders anymore – Indis was not what anyone could rightly call short, but she was not as tall as Finwë’s Aman-born children, much less his now second tallest grandson.

In short order, Tyelkormo found himself sitting on a footstool – one that has been reinforced so it can serve precisely the purpose it was used for now, sitting someone taller than her on it to put him at a good level for Indis to see to their injuries- in this case, his nose and the eye that is probably going to be swollen shut by dinner time no matter what she does.

She makes sounds that put him in mind of a bird as she tries to set his face right, little chirps and clucks of dismay as she cleans the remnants of his bloodied nose and gently opens the swelling eye to make sure there’s not serious damage.

If it were his mother, he could at least salvage some of his pride and soothe her concern by assuring her that she should see the other guy, but if he says that to Indis, she’ll ask who the other guy was…and he’d really rather she didn’t know, because then she’ll definitely find out how and why the trouble started.

“What was it this time, pitya?” Indis finally asked with a sigh, as she rang for one of her ladies.

A quiet word at the door had the handmaiden off to the kitchen for ice. It won’t be enought to hide it from his father or grandfather at table, but it will at least help a little.

Tyelkormo debated the wisdom of trying to fob her off, but that would just make her investigate on her own, and he really doesn’t want her to.

“They said something they shouldn’t have,” he finally told her. “But don’t worry, they’ll not say it again.”

“Tyelko, this is not the way,” Indis told him firmly. “You need to use your words, not your fists.”

Seeing his mouth open, she held up a hand to forestall him.

“Or any other body parts you may have turned into weapons! You must learn to stop and think, dear. This kind of violence does not belong among elves.”

There was no good way for him to protest, not when it had been about her. He’d cheerfully bite his tongue off before he repeated what the stupid lickspittle who’d been trying to curry favor with Prince Fëanaro’s sons had said.

“Tyelko, who was it they were being rude about?”

Drat!

“How did you know?” he asked in surprise.

“My darling, I’m not a fool,” Indis sighed. “Every time you’ve been outraged to the point of fighting, it’s been because of what was said about someone in the family. Your mother, your little brothers, goodness, you’ve even fought for Finno’s honor – and Varda knows he doesn’t need such encouragement from you when he’s ready enough to answer insults for himself! So be honest, who were you trying to stick up for this time?”

Under that expectant, knowing gaze, there was no escape.

“You,” Tyelkormo mumbled reluctantly.

“Oh, you silly boy,” Indis exclaimed, hugging him.

Wait, was he in trouble or not?

“You’re still in trouble, pitya,” Indis told him. “You must stop fighting! Particularly on my account – whoever you fought can’t possibly have said anything I haven’t already heard.”

Tyelkormo’s jaw dropped. His lovely golden not-grandmother had heard such filth? He was going to knock more heads together if that was the case…

Indis tilted his chin up, forcing him to look at her.

“Of course I’ve heard what is said, Tyelkormo. How could I not? Your father at least has the grace not to use the worst of the slurs in my presence, though that may be more for Finwë’s sake than mine.”

“Atto never said anything like that!” Tyelkormo protested.

He may not like Indis, but his father does at least respect her, and nissi in general. He wouldn’t use such words about her.

“I would dearly like to believe that,” Indis replied sadly. “But even if he doesn’t, I’ve still heard it all. The Noldor who still resent me take care that I should. The Kings’s whore, that Vanya slut, homewrecker, the false queen­- if they’re not said aloud, they’re still thought distinctly enough for me to hear. They’re not kept private, as one does with thoughts not intended to be shared.”

To his mortification, Tyelkormo found tears welling in his eyes and threatening to roll down his face.

It wasn’t fair. They had no right, none of them, to behave so to her. Nor should Indis have to calmly repeat such things, the words sounding all wrong from her mouth when she’s only ever been kind to him and his brothers and his father.

“Listen to me, Tyelkormo,” Indis said, her voice not quite its usual tone – lower, firmer, and somehow more memorable. “You must not fight anymore. No matter the provocation! Take no notice of what anyone says about me. Your grandfather loves me, and I him, and the Valar have said that our marriage is lawful. That is all that matters, and all that anyone outside our family needs know. But I will tell you that our marriage did not harm Míriel, nor would we have taken such a step if we believed it would, or that she objected.”

The way she said it sounded almost as if they were certain his grandmother had approved.

“But…”

Tyelko was confused. His father certainly believed his mother objected – or might have eventually objected, had she been given enough time to decide. Had Indis ever said this to him? Had his father simply not listened or not believed it if she had?

“Míriel is as strong-willed and determined as you, my curious little kit. Only she was a bit wiser about how she applied it! You’re not so little anymore. You’ve grown quite a bit, and while you may not be quite a man grown yet, you look more an adult than a child these days. Finwë could overlook boys fighting, children sometimes do. But he’ll find it a good deal more difficult to look the other way if we have young men brawling in the streets. Should this continue, he’ll have little choice but to intervene. Do you want your grandfather to have to publicly rebuke or punish you?”

Tyelkormo shook his head, his cheeks beginning to redden, because that possibility hadn’t even occurred to him. As embarrassing as it might be for his father or grandfather to take notice of his misdeeds, it had only ever happened in private, among family. If him being disciplined were public, it would be spoken of all over the city and beyond – and that would inevitably mean everyone would be repeating what had been said to start the fight.

“I did not think so,” Indis nodded. “Nor do I, darling. I do not want that for either of you. I also do not want you giving young Finno bad ideas when he has plenty of his own, or setting such an example for your little cousins. You know perfectly well they all look up to you.”

“But it’s not right,” Tyelkormo protested, though he could hear that it sounded half-hearted even to him. He couldn’t really argue with her when she’d thought more about it than he had. “They shouldn’t say such things!”

“No, they shouldn’t, but you’re not going to change anyone’s mind like this,” Indis replied briskly, taking the opportunity to use one of the Vanyarin healing songs she knew to do something about his eye before it got any worse.

He didn’t answer aloud, but with Indis’ hands on his face, he didn’t have to – she could hear perfectly well that he thought that at least one person wouldn’t be spreading such foul slander about her anymore.

Indis sighed, and this time it made her sound tired – but somehow he knew it wasn’t just because of him. He still didn’t like the thought that he’d contributed to such a feeling, even just in a small way.

“Please, Tyelko. If you won’t do it for your own sake, then do it for mine. I don’t want you to develop such bad habits. If you get too used to fighting, that hasty temper of Miriel’s will someday lead you into trouble you won’t be able to fight your way out of.”

Now it was his turn to sigh. He couldn’t very well keep arguing when it was only upsetting her more. But he did mean to see that such things as he’d heard today were no longer said. Even if it meant getting Maitimo to train him how to use those smart insults and cutting remarks that go over so well among those who think they’re important in Tirion.

“Very well. But only because you asked it.”

“I did and I do. Now, if you will ice it for a bit, I think we can keep this eye from looking so atrocious that Fëanaro or Finwë ask about it at dinner.”