A Kinslayer and A Queen by LadyBrooke

[ladybrooke]

B2MeM Prompt and Category: Daily Prompt, March 10 Fanwork Prompt: image of Medieval women playing the harp
Format: Vignette
Genre: Alternate Universe
Rating: General
Warnings: Discussion of potential child death
Characters: Nimloth, Amras
Pairings: Mentions of Dior/Nimloth
Creator’s Notes (optional): Also on SWG
Summary: Amras knows who the elf in his lands is, if only because her children do not understand that why they fled Doriath when their father kept the Silmaril.

“If you are smart, you will take your children and head east.”

“And why would I do that?” she asked, dropping her hands from the harp and glancing up at him. “There is no one in the east I know who would greet my arrival.”

“Because however good your disguise of your sons, they do not hide the fact that they are twins nearly as well as you need them to and your daughter speaks only of the splendors of Doriath, including its treasury.” Amras sat down. “It is not that hard to discover who they are

“I do not know what you mean.” She met his gaze and smiled. “Surely you do not believe we are the elves that have forsaken the King of Doriath?”

“I believe that only the Queen of Doriath would be brazen enough to deny such a fact to a Kinslayer in the face of such evidence,” he said.

“And if such were true, why would a Kinslayer tell a Queen to flee with her children, instead of keeping her to bargain with?” She did not glance away. “What reason would you have to warn her, son of Fëanor?”

“My brothers are driven mad by Dior’s actions, and I cannot predict what they would do if they were the Kinslayer involved,” Amras answered. “But I do not believe that Dior would bargain for you now, if he would not listen to your advice when you resided with him and asked him to give away the Silmaril for the safety of your children. And I would not see children dead or hostages when nothing can be gained from it.”

She nodded. “Perhaps it would be safer to leave no matter who we are.”

“Take two of the pack horses in the stable for your belongings,” Amras responded. “We will have less need of them after our attack, I expect.”

“You realize I could warn them there will be an attack?”

“You could, but your children would likely be killed for your attempt to warn them of something everyone knows is coming.”

“How long do we have?” Nimloth asked, standing with her harp.

“Caranthir arrives in two days. The rest follow shortly behind him, and you need to be gone before Curufin or Celegorm arrive at the latest.”

“We will be gone by the morning.” She paused. “I wish I could hope for your safe return from battle.”

“I wish you could as well.” Amras smiled. “I hope for your safe journey to the east.”

Nimloth bowed her head before leaving

Comments

[hhimring]

I can see that happening, Brooke.
I suppose, if Nimloth did decide to leave Doriath to get her children away from the coming attack, she might choose to go into Ossiriand, because that's where she used to live. And Amras, with his connections in the area, might spot her.

[ladybrooke]

Thanks, Himring!
That was my exact reasoning - she used to live there, she knows where things are at least, so she can try to hide there. And Amras is still hanging around sometimes (and listening to gossip), so he spotted her.

[narya_flame]

Oh, I like this - a glimpse at another way things might have gone. You show a lot of backstory and future possibilities in a few words, and I enjoyed your take on Amras. He seems much more gentle and rational than he's often written.

[ladybrooke]

Thank you! I'm glad you like. :D My take on Amras is driven in part by wanting him and Amrod to have their own roles in the family. They could very well be less gentle or rational, but then they could just be exchanged with Celegorm or Curufin in any given situation and nothing would change. Whereas like this, I couldn't easily slot Curufin's name in for Amras and still have it make much sense.

[independence1776]

I like this!

[ladybrooke]

Thanks! :D I'm glad.

[kayleearafinwiel]

I like this a lot! I've written a little bit about Amras, but not much - I think of Telufinwe as one of the more sensible Sons of Feanor, if there can be such a thing. I feel the Ambarussa were more like their amme in heart than their atar, and would have stayed out of it if they'd been allowed. So I can see Amras warning Nimloth off, for sure.

[ladybrooke]

Thanks! I'm glad you like this! :D I've written Amras before, but mostly in ensemble fics with the rest of his family. My Ambarussa are definitely on the more sensible side of their family (for a given definition of sensible, of course :P). It sounds like our versions of them are fairly similar!