The Tenth Ringwraith: a Sauron x Bilbo

Ever Watchful

There is a reason Sauron is known as the Great Eye, is called that by both his subjects and his enemies trying to avoid saying his name; very few have ever seen him in person, but they all would agree that his most memorable trait was his eyes.

The Dark Lord is beautiful, that is a fact, as unobjectionable as the Sun rising every morning and setting every evening, but he had chosen to body himself in the hröa of an elf, it is his golden eyes that sneaks peeks of his mighty fëa.

No one lasts under his gaze, no matter how strong the spirit they always crumble under his Will; Sauron always finds out what he wants to know.

On Mairon's best days not even Morgoth lasted under his gaze, so none of the Children of Ilúvatar ever had a chance.

His gaze was currently on his consort, who is once again in his Nazgûl armor and now heading to the Fellbeast stables.

Because of his marriage to Bilbo, Mairon cannot simply leave his hröa and be a being of pure fëa as he was in the beginning, bound to his body due to their bond and only Bilbo's death would break the chain keeping him in this body.

Of course, he was not going to let Bilbo die, the hobbit simply was not allowed to; after regaining the One Ring he had made his consort a new ring to tie his soul to it so in the event that he was killed his spirit would not be called into Mandos' Halls but instead back to Mairon for him to put back into his body -or make a new body to put Bilbo into in the event his original body was destroyed.

"Where do you think you are going, precious?" The Dark Lord inquired as he stepped out of the shadows

Bilbo blushed at being caught, "I am going to rejoin the battle, I am more useful to you out there."

"You are my consort, you are the only one in Mordor not required to be useful," Sauron reminded, cupping his chin with his palm, "the only one irreplaceable to me; you will be staying here where it is safe."

With that they kissed, but their private moment was interrupted with the sound of light footsteps coming down the hall, kneeling before the Lord and his Consort.

A blonde woman Bilbo did not recognize approached them, but while the hobbit did not recognize her physical form, he very much recognized the aura of the ring she wore and knew her to be Isildur's replacement.

Mairon, naturally, recognized that well before even his hobbit did, placing a hand on her head to return some of her free will, "Rise, Éowyn, Bearer of Sapthân; rise and serve your Master."

Éowyn did as commanded, standing upon her feet with her hands folded behind her back awaiting orders.

"Return to the battle, the Witch King will give further instructions." Sauron commanded

He was obeyed immediately, she took a Fellbeast from the nearby stables and rode it as if she always had.

Bilbo followed his husband back to the throne room, his armor and white robes dissolving into black and emerald green mist as his Shire-style clothing took its place.

When they arrived, the hobbit promptly sat on his husband's lap like he was wont to do when the Lord of Mordor had no more audiences for the day.

They did not say anything, Mairon merely leaned his head back and tied a blindfold around his eyes as Bilbo laid his head on his shoulder.

The Maia was not sleeping, rather his consciousness was elsewhere -or something, Bilbo mused mentally, not truly understanding the long winded explanation Mairon had once gave on what exactly he was doing- but Bilbo knew he was looking through the eye or communing with his servants via palantírs and otherwise being productive while still spending time with his consort.

Bilbo had once found these occasions very awkward, but he cherished them now, knowing that all he had to do was speak for Mairon's consciousness to return, but he stayed silent and merely enjoyed the fire spirit's warmth.

The wraith knew his husband was overly protective of him and accepted he was not going to be joining any battles in the foreseeable future, that the little stunt he had with Gandalf and those at the camp was just a safety net for him in case Mairon's intricate plans went horribly wrong.

And Bilbo knows that if the Ring is sundered from Mairon again or he is defeated or otherwise rendered incorporeal, that he is to run to Rhûn to seek safety among those who worship his husband as a God-King; the Nine were to escort him there in that scenario and act as his guard until they were either called upon by their master or Mairon came for Bilbo himself.

***

While his physical body was safe in Barad-dûr, his beloved consort even safer sat upon his lap, the Dark Lord's mind appeared in Minas Morgul -in front of the Witch King to be exact.

Sauron, his spirit taking the form of his armor m, clearly see-though as he was miles from himself.

"My Lord, I have discovered the identities of the elven ring bearers." The Witch King said, kneeling before him

"And they are?" The Maia inquired

"Lady Galadriel bears Nenya, and Lord Elrond Half-elven has Vilya, both of which I saw plainly on their fingers." She answered, "I sensed Narya with the Grey Wizard."

"You have served me well." Sauron replied, clearly pleased, "Begin the attack, bring me the elven ring bearers and Isildur's heir."

"I will see it done, master, your Will shall be fulfilled." Míriel answered, slowly rising to her feet

***

Hours later, a horn was heard through the valley originating in Minas Morgul, so loud that even those in Minas Tirith could hear it.

Of course, the horn sound could only be described as such because the rallied troops of Aragorn lacked any other way to describe it; the troops brought by the two elf lords were slightly more accurate by referring to it as a copy of Mandos' call; either way, they were both slightly right as it was a warning and taunt at the fact that death was coming.