Rating: PG
Pairing: Elrond/Gil-galad
Summary: Elrond is made the squire of the High-King.
Warnings: A rather pedantic piece with lots of elaborate ceremony!
Elrond sat through the typical proceedings of the King's court with his counsellors silently. His tutor, Thelagon, who sat next to him, occasionally caught his gaze, offering him courage and serenity, but in the end Elrond focused only on his breathing, not allowing himself to think about anything else, lest he had second thoughts about his decision.
The King went on settling disputes, awarding judgements, and hearing counsel for what seemed to Elrond a very short hour, before, at last, the herald called out, "Elrond, Son of Eärendil, come forth."
Though Elrond felt the familiar jolt of anxiety strike through his chest and abdomen, he gracefully emerged from his meditative state, and rose to stand before his King with a slow dignity that was more becoming for an aged counsellor than a youth barely come into his majority. He stopped before the King and bowed.
Gil-galad rose, and addressed him: "Elrond, since the beginning of the long war so recently passed you have remained at my side, and for many years now you have been my squire in all but name. But it should not have been. You should have been made my squire upon your coming of age at my peaceful court in Balar. But alas! you have suffered through war and waste among the Elves of Valinor and of Doriath. But now we are at peace, and may revel, as we have not been able to in many years past. I would therefore give you that title that you so deserve now, with the hope that it is better given belatedly than not at all, if you would have it."
"I would, Aran Meletyara."
"Then approach." Gil-galad sat back down beckoned him closer, and Elrond obeyed, kneeling on both knees before him. "When court is ended, my squires and I shall bathe you, and then you will be led to the place that is prepared for you to keep vigil, and you shall fast and watch the Eleni, Ithil, and Anor rise and take their course even as our kind has done since the beginning: first at Cuivienen, and then upon the brim of the Outer Lands, just beyond Helcaraxë.
"You shall remain there until Anor drifts to sleep in the West once more, and then you will have your squiring tomorrow night. Yet you will not remain alone for the whole night and day. Tonight my squires and I will stay some with you, but as for any other who wishes to speak with you, let him wait until morning." He addressed the court as he spoke these last words, lest Elrond be surrounded with Elves all night and not have sufficient time for meditation. He then paused to bless Elrond (May the Light of Varda shine in you always, and may you have always the fortitude of Manwë), and to kiss him first on the brow and then on the mouth.
"Court is ended; go in peace."
He gestured for Elrond to stand, and they, with Gil-galad's squires, processed solemnly out. No other Elves would follow them to the river, for such ceremonies were very sacred and private.
When they arrived, the two squires removed the Half-Elf's clothing, and led him into the river. The water seemed icy at first, but Elrond forced himself to relax, and soon he warmed a bit. The squires bathed him very thoroughly using scented soaps and clean cloths while Gil-galad watched. After they dried him off, Gil-galad approached with a small bottle of oil. "My squires have washed away your iniquities with water, and now I claim you with this oil," he said, anointing him. He then clad him with a robe of fine, soft white wool, and tied it with a black silken sash and draped his shoulders with wool cloak of dark red ochre.
Then they through the woods along a labyrinth-like path to a glade surrounded by a copse of cedars, and with lilies blooming along the verge. There, hanging from a low branch of a central tree Elrond saw Gil-galad's great standard, the argent stars reflecting the light of the rising moon, and flapping peacefully with the gentle breath wind. Next to it was hung a banner with the devices of Elrond's forebears in sable, azure, and argent, and underneath the banners were arranged two sets of armour, two swords, and two shields. One of each pair was the familiar armour and weaponry that Elrond had worn and wielded since before he came of age, with all it's dents and rust; the other was new and elegant and it was emblazoned with the mark of Gil-galad. Two horses grazed in the glade, too, his old bay and an unfamiliar pale grey one.
Gil-galad and his squires left him there without a word, and suddenly he felt very, very alone. His sat before the great symbols of his past, present, and future. Awe-struck and overwhelmed he stood up again to pace. Looking up, he saw his father's star, which blinked, as if to remind him that he was not alone and never would be. Gratefully, he smiled and chanted praises to Varda Elentari. Gathering his strength, he sat down to shoulder his task.
Sometime later, Gil-galad's eldest squire re-entered the glade and came upon him. Sitting next to the Half-Elf, he spoke to him of fealty, love of master, duty, courtesy, and other virtues that befit a squire. He withdrew awhile later, but it was not long before Gil-galad's younger squire came to him and spoke of the brotherhood of squires, and of Gil-galad's kindness and expectations. Finally, nearing minuial, Gil-galad himself came to speak to him about his ancestry, Maia, Elvish, and Mortal; all that he had thought about that night; and all that his squires had said.
He left again at the break of dawn, but returned shortly with his squires, and the four of them sang and talked, pride glowing in Gil-galad's eyes that Elrond had endured the hardest part of the vigil so well. Eregrîn picked some wildflowers to braid into Elrond's hair and Lendhâr did the same in both horses mane, while Gil-galad chortled at their antics. With embraces and the assurance that there was a long line of important lords wishing to speak with him (which caused Elrond to roll his eyes), they left, promising to rescue him in time to clean him up for the ceremony.
Elrond was indeed highly honoured with visits from many mighty lords and ladies. Galadriel and Celeborn paid him a visit, as did his tutor Thelagon, Pengolodh, Inglorion, Tinnufin, Irímë, Meriliavas, and many others he knew from his youth came. Of course, Círdan and Elros both visited, and to his great surprise even Celebrimdor congratulated him. His greatest surprise was when several Elves of Aman came to him with ready embraces; many of them had known his ancestors. Even Lord Finarfin himself came to him.
"Aiya Elerondo, Son of Eärendil!" he said warmly, holding out his arms, inviting an embrace.
Elrond was stunned, and stood rooted to the ground for a moment. "Finwë Arafinwë, Aran Meletyara. You do me an undeserved honour," he said quietly.
"Nonsense! Come here, boy!"
And Elrond did, throwing himself into the embrace of his distant uncle, the High King of the Noldor.
Eventually, late in the afternoon, Gil-galad came with his squires to retrieve his young soon-to-be squire. They loaded his armour reverently onto the two horses and walked back the encampment. The entered Gil-galad's tent where they undressed Elrond and washed him again with steaming water from a basin and replaited his hair. They dressed him again in fine white robes, but this time fastened with a girdle of silver, over which they placed a crimson mantel of velvet and put on his feet two soft-soled leather boots.
The two squires then led him into Gil-galad's court, while the King followed. The three stood off to one side of the court and knelt with the rest of the populace as the King entered. Once Gil-galad had taken up his throne, and had indicated for all to be seated, the herald announced, "Here begins the Court of Rodnor Gil-galad, son of Orodreth, called for the purpose of creating Elrond Peredhel as his squire."
"Come forth, Son of Eärendil" the High King said, and it was done. Elrond knelt at his feet once again. The King rose and spoke a few words, which Elrond had to ask about later, before growing grave and continuing, "You have spent tinnuial to tinnuial in fasting and solemn vigil reflecting on this burden. Do you still wish to consign yourself indefinitely into my hands?"
"Yes, my Lord: that is the desire of my fëa."
"Then I place before you a solemn oath," he said, taking Elrond's hands in his own, "to repent from attending your own desires, and instead to attend those that I place before you; to confer to me your unquestioning loyalty and trust as you master and king, and to serve my people before all else, with courtesy, kindness, humility, grace, and devotion. Do you swear before Manwë Sulimo, Varda Tintallë, and even before Eru Ilúvatar himself to strive ever to do these things, until the End of Arda, or you are released?" He paused. "This is a grave oath, young one. Do not take it lightly."
Elrond had spent the whole day and previous night thinking about it and was ready. "I do swear to you all these things, my Lord King."
He smiled at Elrond, the only expression he could afford to give to the sudden joy that had overcome him. "And I, for my part, will do my utmost to protect you from harm, to teach you and guide you, and to respect you and help you find your way in this world, until Ambar-metta, or the Powers release me. Thus swear I, Rodnor Gil-galad." And once again he tilted Elrond's head forward to kiss his brow, and then back to kiss his lips, sealing their vows. "Rise, my squire, and be clad in the symbols of thine office."
His fellow squires came forward and adorned him in his new armour, the sword-belt, the leather vest, the silver breast plate, the pauldrons, the vambraces, and gauntlets. It was at once very heavy and exhilaratingly light.
The End
Notes:
This story was heavily inspired by the medieval knighting ceremony, which may not be appropriate for the Noldor (who may have not even had squires), but I have tried to adapt it and remove some of the medieval flavour. It also draws on parts of the Roman Catholic Mass. I admit I´m biased, but Tolkien with his Catholic background may have drawn on Catholic elements himself when visualising his Elves (he did compare Galadriel to the Virgin Mary, after all J ).
I imagine this story to take place after Thangorodrim was overthrown, but while Gil-galad´s forces still camped in Beleriand, and before the Elves of Aman returned to Valinor.
Aran Meletyara. A formal Elvish (Quenya) styling for the king, translated "Your Majesty the King," or more literally, "Your Mightiness the King."
Minuial. "Morrowdim" or the twilight before dawn (Sindarin).
Tinnuial. "Starry" or evening twilight (Sindarin).
Ambar-metta. The Breaking of Arda. The end of the world (Quenya).
Gil-galad, in this and all my stories, is the son of Orodreth, son of Angrod, son of Finarfin.
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