-Chapter 14 Lotr-

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Míriel now asks, "So you looked shocked when I said my name. What happened?" Maira says, "You said Fëanor." Míriel nods. Maira asks, "Do you know what that is?" Míriel shakes her head, saying, "My parents wanted to tell me everything about my family when I'm an adult. I always didn't know why they were making a secret out of it." Maira looks at her and asks, "An adult? How old are you?" Míriel answers, "I have just stopped getting older, so around fifty." Maira nods and whispers, "Okay, that explains why you have no fighting experience." She then says, "I can imagine. I know why they kept it a secret." Míriel asks, "And why did they make a secret out of it?" Maira asks, "Do you know the story of the Rings of Power?" Míriel shakes her head, and Maira thinks, 'How sheltered did she live? Her parents told her nothing!' Maira says, "Okay, then let me tell you a story." Míriel looks happy and says, "Oh yes, story time!" Maira smiles at her excitement and says, "Okay, then." She takes a breath and continues, "It all began with the making of the great Rings, three for the Elves, immortal and wisest and fairest of beings." Míriel looks proud, knowing she is an Elf. Maira continues, "Seven for the Dwarf Lords, great miners and craftsmen of the mountain halls. And nine Rings were gifted to the race of Men, who above all else desire power." Míriel gulps. Maira smiles and continues, "In these Rings lay the power to govern every race, but they all of them were deceived." Maira says 'deceived' with a smile, even if she doesn't want world domination, she still is happy about a victory. She continues, "Far in the East, the Dark Lord Sauron made another Ring in secret, a master Ring to dominate every other Ring." She says this with a dark look on her face, and Míriel shivers. Maira says, "One after another, the free people of Middle-earth fell, but there was still hope." She says 'hope' with a sour look on her face. "A last alliance of Men and Elves marched against the hordes of Mordor. The battle seemed won, but the power of the Ring could not be undone. Sauron marched against them himself and began laying waste to the armies of the free people, killing the High King of the Elves." She once again smiles at that little victory, while Míriel's eyes and jaw widened. "He killed our king," Maira nods. Even if she doesn't like being called an Elf, she continues. "But the human prince called Isildur took up his dead father's sword, cutting the finger with the Ring off." Míriel flinches at the hate she can detect in the name Isildur. Maira continues, "Sauron exploded in power and was defeated. The enemy of the free people was defeated." Míriel sighs in relief and asks, "What happened to the Ring?" Maira smiles and says, "He took the Ring to Mount Doom to destroy it because the Ring can only be destroyed in the place it was made in." Míriel nods.m, and Maira says. "But, in the end, Isildur was corrupted by the Ring and didn't destroy it, taking it with him. It is now lost." Maira then says "I have a good poem about the ring do you want to hear it?" Míriel nods Maira smiles and starts "Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
   One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
   One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie."

Míriel looks sad at that; the Ring is designed to rule them all, as seen with Isildur being corrupted. She then looks up and sees that Maira doesn't seem sad; she is even smiling. She asks, "Why are you so happy that the Ring is not gone? You were even smiling as the 'good' guys were losing." Maira just chuckles at that, thinking 'It's best if I tell her now instead of later when she is under my allegiance because if she finds out under any unsavory circumstances, she could betray me.' Her chuckle turns into a deep, powerful, and evil laugh. Míriel looks scared, and Maira says, "That, my dear, is because I am Sauron, or Gorthaur, or however you want to call me." Míriel looks like she has been through seven days in hell, her eyes wide. She asks, "You are Sauron, the Dark Lord?! But that can't be; you are so nice!" Maira's laughing dies down. "Why, thanks for the compliment~," she says in a sweet voice. "But yes, I am Sauron. But I am no Dark Lord anymore; that role has my 'brother'." She cringes at saying that. Míriel asks, "What do you mean, brother?" Maira scowls and says, "Well, as that human child cut off my finger, I suspect that my soul split, and that I and another Sauron emerged from that. But I will never accept the other one as real." Míriel asks, "So you're not evil anymore?" Maira smiles, "Well, you could say it like that." Míriel smiles and says, "Okay, I'll believe you." Maira, not expecting this answer, stops. Then she smiles, thinking 'what a naive girl, but that happens when you live sheltered for the whole of your life.' Then she says, "Well, if it is like that, then I have a proposition." Míriel tilts her head and asks, "And what is that?" Maira grins and says, "I will adopt you!" Míriel wasn't expecting that, shouting, "Huh?!!" Maira smiles, saying, "Yes, I'll adopt you as my own. You will still be a part of the House of Fëanor, but I'll be your guardian. Deal?" Míriel thinks for a moment and then she smiles as bright as a Silmaril. She says, "Yes, I accept." Maira says, "Nice! Then I have a little starting gift for you." Míriel is curious, asking, "What is it?" At that, Maira pulls out a beautiful ring with a blue gem on top.

" Míriel is curious, asking, "What is it?" At that, Maira pulls out a beautiful ring with a blue gem on top

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Maira smiles at Míriel's amazement, and Míriel's eyes widen. "From what you have told me, that's one of the rings. What ring is this? And isn't it dangerous to give it to me, you know, with it being controlled by the One Ring?"

Maira shakes her head, saying, "This is the Ring of the Longbeards, or Durin's Folk, and no, it is not connected to the One Ring anymore. I broke the connection." Míriel sighs in relief, taking it. She looks at the ring, its beauty magnificent. She feels drawn to it and says, "It's beautiful."

Maira smiles, "It's nice that you like it. It was made by your grandfather, Celebrimbor." Míriel stops at that, asking, "My grandfather? Why did he help you make the rings?"

Maira, telling her first lie, thinks, 'When she finds out the truth, it will be too late, and she will only listen to me.' She smiles and replies, "The House of Fëanor was stopped from claiming its birthright of the High Kingship of the Noldor by the Valar. He didn't agree with this and helped me make the rings as a way of revenge."

Maira smiles. Míriel gasps, "What? My House has a claim on the High Kingship of the Noldor?"

Maira continues her deception, "Yes, but then your great-great-grandfather, Fëanor, did something evil and was denied the kingship. The Valar didn't just curse him but also his entire bloodline, which, in my opinion, is overkill." Míriel's face darkens, manipulated by Maira. Maira smiles, thinking that Míriel will now think that the Valar are not to be trusted for cursing not just Fëanor but also his entire bloodline, even those who hadn't been born yet. She redirects the conversation, saying, "Okay, dark topics aside, put on the ring!"

Míriel smiles and puts on the ring. She can immediately feel the power flowing through her, and she gazes at the ring, even more drawn to it. She says, "It's fantastic." Maira smiles and stands up, saying, "Okay, time to get you a horse." Míriel also stands up.

Maira whistles, and her horse, which has been grazing a little farther away, comes running instantly. She mounts it and helps Míriel up, saying, "But now that you are my child, I will give you a title by which I can call you. Is that all right?" Míriel nods, and Maira thinks, "Well, then I will call you -Dûshadal-." (I made that name up after a little brainstorming. The word 'dush' means sorcery or magic, and the word 'adal' means crown in Black Speech. In this case, the name means Sorcery's Crown. I hope you like it.)

Míriel, now having formed a connection because of the title, says, "Thank you, mother." Maira smiles, but inside, she's feeling a bit uneasy, thinking, 'She called me mother. I was never called mother for the whole of my life. I would have been called father!' She clams down and then says, "Okay, now let us get you a horse, and maybe I can train you in a weapon." Míriel, or Dûshadal, however you want to call her, smiles and says, "Yes, that would be nice."

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(I am not the best in writing deception because I am not the most deceptive in real live or something motherly or fatherly since I am no parent Irl but I hope it is good enough and yes I twisted some things that Tolkien wrote because I don't think the valar cursed Fëanor but like I said I hope it is acceptable and that you liked this chapter.)

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