A Different Kind of Heaven [ Silmarillion ] 1

Chapter 4: How Many Cousins

Findekáno jumped in to rescue the baffled Earth girl. "She is not from around here. She is visiting, a relative of Lady Nerdanel."

Iríssë accepted this quickly. "Very well. Welcome to the palace." She bowed to Eve.

Eve raised an eyebrow but bowed right back. "Thanks. How old are you?"

"My begetting day was three years ago," Iríssë replied. "Why, how old are you?"

"Twenty-One." Eve said slowly, dreading their reactions for some reason.

"Ah so that is why you are short." Artanis nodded with a grin.

"Enough questions," Findekáno decided after that. "She hasn't met the King yet. Perhaps that is our next move?"

Nelyo nodded. "He should be out of morning council by now."

And so Eve followed them through halls and up many stairs. The thing which surprised her most was the fact that climbing five flights of stairs did not wind her. By the end she felt very sure that she enjoyed being an elf far more than being human. She paused at this realization, causing Nelyo to bump into her.

"Is something the matter?" He asked her after apologizing.

She didn't respond immediately, feeling a wave of various emotions come over her. Shame, for abandoning her friends at death. Sadness, for having left a life behind. Anger, at herself and at the world for having put her here in the first place. But she merely shook her head and kept going until they reached a circular room at the end of which sat two thrones, currently unoccupied. But in the center, several elves stood chatting. Three had golden hair, the rest dark. One had a fancy circlet of gold, and the woman with golden hair had a circlet of silver.

The companions stood to the side as the elves finished their discussion and all left except the three of golden hair and the one with the golden crown. Eve received a few confused glances from the departing elves, but as soon as her companions noticed, they stood to block their view.

The king smiled wide upon seeing Nelyafinwë, Kánafinwë, and Findekáno. In Káno's arm was Artanis, and Finno held Iríssë. Eve stood behind them hesitantly. She'd never met anyone of importance other than the President of her University back home, and the prospect of meeting a king frightened her more than she would willingly admit to.

"Grandfather," Nelyo bowed quickly. Then he turned to the woman. "Indis."

"Hello Nelyo," she smiled back at him, a sadness in her eyes.

"What brought you here, cousin?" The man with golden hair asked him quickly before glancing at Artanis in Káno's arms. "Is she being too much for Finno?"

Findekáno immediately objected. "I can take care of these young ladies just fine."

"We have other matters to discuss, actually," Nelyo said with a shake of his head. "My father may have sent word?"

Realization dawned on Finwë's face when Eve stepped out of hiding quietly. He nodded and turned to Artanis and Iríssë. "Go find Angaráto and Ambaráto. They should be in the second council room. Tell them they are to watch you."

Artanis went to object, her face reddening at the idea of needing to be watched, but Iríssë merely grabbed her hand and they went off to a side room. Finwë then gestured for the entire group to follow him and the receded into a different room off the main throne room. Here they found a table seating ten, and each took a seat. Eve say between Nelyafinwë and Findekáno.

"You must be Eve, then." Finwë looked at her carefully but smiled. "I am Finwë, and this is my wife, Indis, my son, Arafinwë, and his son Findaráto."

"Hi. I'm Eve," she responded, trying to sound happy and not nervous as she felt.

"Is it true, then," Findaráto asked her curiously, leaning forward. "You have the fëa of a Secondborn?"

"Well I've no idea about that, or even what a Secondborn is supposed to be," she replied cautiously. "But I'm human. Or I was."

"Now you are an Elda." Indis nodded. "Very odd indeed."

"From what I have heard, even the Valar do not understand what has happened," Finwë told his wife.

"You live with Lord Fëanáro and Lady Nerdanel now, yes?" Arafinwë asked carefully.

Eve smiled and nodded. "Yeah, they've been super nice. Especially Nerdanel. She's cool."

"Cool?" Findaráto asked, curiosity all but dripping from his smile. "Is this a term you use as a hooman?"

"Human," Eve correct with a laugh. "And yes. Cool. It means, like, nice, or sweet."

Blank stares met with the second term.

"Sweet is used to say "okay" or.. yeah I guess okay." Eve felt better when they nodded in reply. That they could understand.

"I shall use these new terms," Findaráto grinned. "They seem useful."

"They are so useful." Eve decided then that she very much liked Findaráto. He seemed interested in her own culture.

Finno agreed. "It is certainly intriguing."

"Did you know she slapped Finno," Nelyafinwë said with a smirk. "He deserved it, too. He was being cheeky."

Eve was instantly mortified. She covered her face with her hands and sat back. "I said I was sorry!"

"No, no, you misunderstand me," Nelyo chuckled. "It was wonderful!"

"Glad it entertained you and Káno." Finno chuckled too. "Though I suppose I did deserve that one."

"I am so sorry," Eve muttered again. "I didn't know what I was doing."

Arafinwë chuckled. "It sounds like it provided good fun for my nephews. Think nothing of it."

After a few minutes of chatter where Eve remained silent, Findekáno brought up something important to all involved. "Lady Eve does not know what being an Elda means. Who shall teach her?"

"My mother offered," Nelyo revealed, "but I fear she is busy with the Ambarussa already."

"My son would never agree to Rúmil," Finwë said with a small laugh. "And he himself is busy."

"Perhaps I could help," Findaráto suggested. "I am eager to learn of her own culture, and know enough to teach her ours."

"An excellent idea, cousin," Findekáno nodded with a smirk. "That way we can rescue her from your dull lessons."

"You want to rescue her, do you?" Nelyo teased him. Finno turned and laughed but Nelyo nudged him back.

"I merely meant she might want to see some more of this beautiful land." Finno turned to Eve. "There are many sights to see here."

"I'd like that I think." She smiled at him and nodded.

They continued to chat for a few minutes before Finwë had a few workers bring in food for lunch. They dined there, Eve thoroughly impressed after two years of college dining hall food. She decided, once again, that she might be able to get used to the glorious new reality she had become a part of. And yet still in the back of her mind, something told her to be careful. The entire experience might be fake, or disaster might strike this perfect existence at any moment. And so she guarded herself.