Dark Judgement 20

Dark Judgement

Part 20 - The Wedding and the Door of Night

Posted: July 18, 2008
Title: Dark Judgement
Author: Chaotic-Binky

*****

I married Maglor in the morning. As a concession, Manwë informed me that on this most special of days I was to call him My Lord and not Master. It would be for one day only, but it would be enough.

We entered the Great Hall of the Valar and stood in front of Manwë’s throne. To one side was Melkor, bound in chains and sneering at us. Next to him sat Nienna, who was also bound. Maglor looked too angry to smile but I gave them my broadest grin. My former mistress glared at me and Melkor spewed a torrent of abuse towards us.

“Quiet!” Manwë commanded.

We exchanged vows and I marvelled that in my former life I would have delighted in breaking them as soon as I could; however, this time I hoped with all my heart, as black as it is that my new existence with Maglor would last forever.

“Stand over there,” Manwë said to us after the ceremony was over. “I have a judgement to fulfil.”

We did as we were bid and watched as he faced Melkor and Nienna. Then he started to speak and it was as if all the thunder of Middle-earth had collected within one place and issued from him. His crashing voice was at once awesome and most terrifying. It shook the ground we stood upon and made the walls tremble and vibrate from their foundations. Maglor held on tightly to my hand.

I have seen Manwë this angry once before and it did not bode well for the one on the receiving end. The other Valar looked on, no doubt thankful that they were not the subject of his displeasure; in fact, their relief was almost tangible as he directed his sharp, penetrating gaze towards the two captive Valar.

“How long have you been lovers?” his voice crashed towards them. Both looked down, unable to meet his gaze. “Nienna, did you go willingly to him or did he seduce you?” He waited. “Answer me!” The ground shook and I held onto Maglor to stop him from falling.

“I went willingly,” Nienna replied and the tears ran down her cheeks.

“Meleth,” Melkor said to her and squeezed her hand to reassure. “You do not have to answer him. We already know our sentence, do not be frightened.”

“I do not want you to do to me what you did to Sauron,” she said in a barely audible whisper. “I saw the moving paintings that you sent.”

“I would never do that to you. I adore you,” Melkor replied and held her chained hand to his lips. “My attempted conquest of Middle-earth was all for you, melethen. It would have been ours only. Even though we have lost everything you are still my queen; we will rule the void together.”

“You would have killed every living being on Middle-earth to achieve your plan,” Manwë thundered. “Not even a Valar can overrule Eru’s song.”

“How do you know? Have you tried?” Melkor smirked, with the bravery of those who have truly lost all hope. “Your theatricals are good enough to scare your minions but do not work with me. Now get on with it, I want to spend the rest of eternity with my wife; we have been separated for long enough already.”

There was a collective gasp of shock from the assembled Valar and even from myself. “When did you two enter such an unholy union?” Manwë said in a voice that was at once quiet and loud.

“Ah, Manwë,” Melkor smirked. “You are my brother but I do not have to tell you everything.”

“WHEN?” Manwë roared.

Melkor merely smirked. “You bore me Manwë, and so does your new slave; he always did.” I felt nothing but hatred for him as he looked my way and smirked. “You were so easy,” he said directly to me.

“Enough,” Manwë said and waved his hand. A door appeared in the wall. “You will spend eternity in the void, with only each other for company. The tentacled creatures will be beyond your reach and will not be able to interact with you. You will have each other for company in the darkness with no additional stimuli, for eternity.” Manwë gave the most dangerous smile I have ever witnessed. “How long will it be before you turn on each other?”

“We will never turn on each other,” Melkor said defiantly. “I love Nienna and so that is where your suppositions fall flat. Everything I have ever done, including seducing Sauron and making him my filthy, weak and ineffective slave was done for her. Nienna has always been my focus and all the power that I gained was so that we would be the most supremely powerful rulers in our own land. After all, you have Aman, why should we not have Middle-earth?”

“You are mad,” Manwë said softly. He turned to Nienna. “You endangered the whole of Valinor and our existence by bringing the creatures from the void. I cannot allow you to live among us.”

Nienna looked up and spat in his face as a last desperate gesture. “I have always hated you,” she said, her voice filled with venom. “And I detest those who serve you.” She looked around at all the Valar who were standing, silently watching, and scowled. She ignored me completely.

They walked through the Door of Night, their bonds falling away and Melkor’s arm around Nienna. He was telling her that everything would be all right. The Door shut, and the room we were in was filled with an oppressive silence.

“I hope that is the last of the evil we will ever see in Aman or even Middle-earth,” Manwë said. “Now that the sadness is over we have the joy of wishing our newly-weds a happy life together. Maglor is redeemed by his efforts to change and Sauron is in the process of doing so. I have every expectation that he will succeed.” He walked over to Maglor and me. “I prefer to think of you as my servant, Sauron,” he said. “However, you are in effect my slave, but with the freedoms and trust that a servant would enjoy. I would hope that you do not fail me because this is the only way you can eventually earn your freedom.”

Manwë then addressed Maglor. “By necessity, you are also bound to me, Maglor. However, you do not need to earn your freedom. As soon as Sauron achieves it for himself then you will be granted it immediately.”

“Thank you, my Lord,” Maglor answered and clutched my hand a little tighter.

“This is a day of joy for you both and yet a day of sadness for those of the remaining Valar,” Manwë said. “It would be better that I take you to your new home and you can celebrate together. We would not seek to mar your happiness with the grief of our loss.”

He waved his hand and we found ourselves outside, standing on an enclosed beach. In the background stood a large house, nearly as big as a castle and as grand as a palace. “This house is where you shall live,” Manwë said to us both. “This is where you shall treat the elves who need your help with the memories that still affect them. Do not let me down or make me regret my decision.”

We agreed immediately. Manwë had shown how subtle his punishments could be, far exceeding the brutal coarseness of his brother. Melkor and Nienna would eventually spend their time raging at one another for the mistakes each had made and their unhappiness would last forever. That had to be a more terrible punishment than anything I had endured at his hand, because at least one small part of me still had a seed of hope for change, of the pattern being broken and not repeating itself. They had nothing, no hope at all.

I still feel no guilt for my actions on Middle-earth and I suppose that in a way this makes me more objective. I will not be swayed by mawkish regret and will proceed to do what is best for every elf who comes to me for the painful memories I caused them, without any adverse influences caused by any guilt I might carry. I will do this to please Manwë, because in his own way, he is much more formidable than Melkor and I dare not cross him; I have too much to lose. With the sharpest clarity, I realise that I am fortunate. My life has taken a different direction and I have adapted. In all of this, I have not lost myself. I have not lost who I am.

“Your new rooms are within the building. I leave it to you to find them and I hope you enjoy living here.” Manwë smiled. “Enjoy yourself, enjoy one another. I will visit again in a few days time and then we need to set to work.”

I am hopeful and as we walk to the house, I know that this existence, even as a slave, offers far more than my old life ever did.

We make our own happiness; we also engineer our own misery. Sometimes happiness is not what we thought it to be. It is a hard lesson to learn.

*****

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