The Plot by just_jenni
Apr. 2nd, 2012 06:06 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
just-jenni.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
b2memB2MEM challenge: G50 - AU - Ar-Pharazon installs his son and heir as Governor of Pelargir among the Faithful...
Format: Short Story
Word Count: 1,057
Genre: Gen
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Characters: Ar-Pharazon, Miriel, Sauron, Elennim*, with mentions of Celebrimbor, Elendil and Isildur
Pairings: None
Summary: As it says in the prompt.
*A/N: Since Ar-Pharazon didn't have a son, I had to make one up. Since he has white hair, I named him Elennim. I have decided to go against the Silmarillion canon, in which Miriel married Ar-Pharazon against her will, and adopt the People of Middle-earth version instead, in which Miriel is very much in love with her cousin/husband.
The white-haired child ran through the courtyard of Armenelos, chased by his friend Elendil, both laughing children chased in turn by their nurse, who lagged far behind them. From a window overlooking the courtyard, they were being watched by King Ar-Pharazon and his wife, Miriel. The King remarked:
"One day that boy will succeed me as King of Numenor, and I feel that he will be a great ruler - perhaps much greater than I have been."
Miriel, still much in love with her husband, smiled and put her arms around him, laying her cheek against his chest. She looked up at him. He was still beautiful, waves of golden hair framing his face, although he was greater in girth than he had been when they married. At one time she could clasp her hands together while encircling his torso with her arms, but now, stretched as they were, her fingertips would not touch.
"Elennim has not your strength," she said. "He resembles me more than he does you. YOU will be considered the greatest King our people have ever known."
Ar-Pharazon patted his wife's head. "Elennim has your wisdom as well as your small stature and white hair. It is the wisdom that shall make him great," he persisted.
~~~
Clad in fair form, the evil Maia Sauron had been living with the King in Armenelos for years, having won over Ar-Pharazon with his cunning, deceitful ways, though initially they had been enemies and Sauron had been enslaved in Middle-earth, dragged back to Numenor in chains.
But things had changed. At this time he was in a hurry, on his way to meet the King in his offices in order to give him counsel. Clad in black robes and affecting the humble demeanour of a servant, Sauron glided past Elennim in the hallway, now grown into a handsome young man, though slight in build, his hair still white as snow.
While Sauron greeted the prince courteously enough, Elennim saw the spark of something else in his eyes. He had always thought that Sauron had strange eyes for a humble servant. They were of a colour not seen in Men - very pale, almost silver - and usually their expression was inscrutable. Despite his fair words, Elennim never trusted Sauron. And now he had seen something unnerving enough in those eyes to make him turn around and follow Sauron unseen down the hallway to his father's rooms.
The door had been locked behind Sauron, but Elennim knew where a spare key was hidden - in a vase which stood upon a small table outside the office door. Silently, he opened it and stepped inside.
A curtain separated the door from the large open room in which Ar-Pharazon sat at a large table covered with books and papers stacked neatly upon it and pushed to either side, for the King almost never looked at them. Elennim stood quietly between the curtain and the door, not visible to the room's occupants.
But he could hear them. Sauron, his voice as smooth and liquid as quicksilver, was speaking to his father.
"I do think that Elennim would be better served to sail to the port of Pelargir to rule there as Governor. The place is sadly in need of a keeper of peace, or so my correspondents tell me."
"I'm not sure..." Ar-Pharazon sounded hesitant. "His mother wouldn't like it...the boy is only twenty and knows nothing of ruling."
"If you say so, My Lord," Sauron's treacly voice sounded humble, soft. "But it would surely serve to control his idleness and perhaps turn him into a stronger leader, for when he will eventually succeed you as King."
Elennim had heard enough. He quietly retreated, remembering to return the key to its hiding place in the vase.
For awhile he was upset about what he had heard; in fact, he fumed silently for days at the thought of Sauron's attempts to control both him and his father. But gradually the idea of sailing to Pelargir began to appeal to him. He felt he would lose the confidence of the King if he did not prove himself to be a strong, capable leader. Inside him was a deeper fear that Sauron would continue to grow stronger himself, while the King would become weaker And then only Eru knew what would happen to them all in the end. Sauron was right about one thing - Elennim was sure he would grow stronger in Pelargir by learning to be a leader of the Faithful. Then, in time he would return home to show his father what a worthy ruler he could be by throwing Sauron out of Armenelos on his ear.
His mind made up and fueled by the happy thought that when he returned he would get rid of Sauron, Elennim strode into his father's office with purpose.
"Father," he demanded, making it sound as if it was his idea all along, "I want you to appoint me Governor of the Faithful in Pelargir. I promise to do a good job there."
Ar-Pharazon stared at his son, surprised by this new resoluteness. He had never before seen Elennim so enthusiastic about an endeavour. Placing his palms on the table, he stood and said with a proud smile, "So it shall be, my son."
~~~
The young prince stood at the ship's bow, his white hair blowing in the sea breezes. Flanked by his friends Elendil and Isildur, he looked out over the choppy blue water. He was excited to be looking ahead to his new adventure.
Unknown to Elennim, however, Sauron was plotting. Not only was his greatest desire that Ar-Pharazon would build a fleet of ships vast and strong enough to attack and destroy Valinor, but also to have Elennim, the son and heir, destroyed in Pelargir by Sauron's own secret armies which were currently amassing in the South of Middle-earth. To rid Middle-earth of the Faithful and their allies would make Sauron happier than he had been since the days when he had killed the danger that was Celebrimbor and laid waste to Eregion. He would do the same to Elennim and Pelargir.
Sauron rubbed his hands together with deep satisfaction. He was never happier than when he was plotting his greatest enemies' destruction after having successfully rid himself of all impediments.
Format: Short Story
Word Count: 1,057
Genre: Gen
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Characters: Ar-Pharazon, Miriel, Sauron, Elennim*, with mentions of Celebrimbor, Elendil and Isildur
Pairings: None
Summary: As it says in the prompt.
*A/N: Since Ar-Pharazon didn't have a son, I had to make one up. Since he has white hair, I named him Elennim. I have decided to go against the Silmarillion canon, in which Miriel married Ar-Pharazon against her will, and adopt the People of Middle-earth version instead, in which Miriel is very much in love with her cousin/husband.
The white-haired child ran through the courtyard of Armenelos, chased by his friend Elendil, both laughing children chased in turn by their nurse, who lagged far behind them. From a window overlooking the courtyard, they were being watched by King Ar-Pharazon and his wife, Miriel. The King remarked:
"One day that boy will succeed me as King of Numenor, and I feel that he will be a great ruler - perhaps much greater than I have been."
Miriel, still much in love with her husband, smiled and put her arms around him, laying her cheek against his chest. She looked up at him. He was still beautiful, waves of golden hair framing his face, although he was greater in girth than he had been when they married. At one time she could clasp her hands together while encircling his torso with her arms, but now, stretched as they were, her fingertips would not touch.
"Elennim has not your strength," she said. "He resembles me more than he does you. YOU will be considered the greatest King our people have ever known."
Ar-Pharazon patted his wife's head. "Elennim has your wisdom as well as your small stature and white hair. It is the wisdom that shall make him great," he persisted.
~~~
Clad in fair form, the evil Maia Sauron had been living with the King in Armenelos for years, having won over Ar-Pharazon with his cunning, deceitful ways, though initially they had been enemies and Sauron had been enslaved in Middle-earth, dragged back to Numenor in chains.
But things had changed. At this time he was in a hurry, on his way to meet the King in his offices in order to give him counsel. Clad in black robes and affecting the humble demeanour of a servant, Sauron glided past Elennim in the hallway, now grown into a handsome young man, though slight in build, his hair still white as snow.
While Sauron greeted the prince courteously enough, Elennim saw the spark of something else in his eyes. He had always thought that Sauron had strange eyes for a humble servant. They were of a colour not seen in Men - very pale, almost silver - and usually their expression was inscrutable. Despite his fair words, Elennim never trusted Sauron. And now he had seen something unnerving enough in those eyes to make him turn around and follow Sauron unseen down the hallway to his father's rooms.
The door had been locked behind Sauron, but Elennim knew where a spare key was hidden - in a vase which stood upon a small table outside the office door. Silently, he opened it and stepped inside.
A curtain separated the door from the large open room in which Ar-Pharazon sat at a large table covered with books and papers stacked neatly upon it and pushed to either side, for the King almost never looked at them. Elennim stood quietly between the curtain and the door, not visible to the room's occupants.
But he could hear them. Sauron, his voice as smooth and liquid as quicksilver, was speaking to his father.
"I do think that Elennim would be better served to sail to the port of Pelargir to rule there as Governor. The place is sadly in need of a keeper of peace, or so my correspondents tell me."
"I'm not sure..." Ar-Pharazon sounded hesitant. "His mother wouldn't like it...the boy is only twenty and knows nothing of ruling."
"If you say so, My Lord," Sauron's treacly voice sounded humble, soft. "But it would surely serve to control his idleness and perhaps turn him into a stronger leader, for when he will eventually succeed you as King."
Elennim had heard enough. He quietly retreated, remembering to return the key to its hiding place in the vase.
For awhile he was upset about what he had heard; in fact, he fumed silently for days at the thought of Sauron's attempts to control both him and his father. But gradually the idea of sailing to Pelargir began to appeal to him. He felt he would lose the confidence of the King if he did not prove himself to be a strong, capable leader. Inside him was a deeper fear that Sauron would continue to grow stronger himself, while the King would become weaker And then only Eru knew what would happen to them all in the end. Sauron was right about one thing - Elennim was sure he would grow stronger in Pelargir by learning to be a leader of the Faithful. Then, in time he would return home to show his father what a worthy ruler he could be by throwing Sauron out of Armenelos on his ear.
His mind made up and fueled by the happy thought that when he returned he would get rid of Sauron, Elennim strode into his father's office with purpose.
"Father," he demanded, making it sound as if it was his idea all along, "I want you to appoint me Governor of the Faithful in Pelargir. I promise to do a good job there."
Ar-Pharazon stared at his son, surprised by this new resoluteness. He had never before seen Elennim so enthusiastic about an endeavour. Placing his palms on the table, he stood and said with a proud smile, "So it shall be, my son."
~~~
The young prince stood at the ship's bow, his white hair blowing in the sea breezes. Flanked by his friends Elendil and Isildur, he looked out over the choppy blue water. He was excited to be looking ahead to his new adventure.
Unknown to Elennim, however, Sauron was plotting. Not only was his greatest desire that Ar-Pharazon would build a fleet of ships vast and strong enough to attack and destroy Valinor, but also to have Elennim, the son and heir, destroyed in Pelargir by Sauron's own secret armies which were currently amassing in the South of Middle-earth. To rid Middle-earth of the Faithful and their allies would make Sauron happier than he had been since the days when he had killed the danger that was Celebrimbor and laid waste to Eregion. He would do the same to Elennim and Pelargir.
Sauron rubbed his hands together with deep satisfaction. He was never happier than when he was plotting his greatest enemies' destruction after having successfully rid himself of all impediments.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}