And so Erestor stood in a strange room that he had chanced to have been in twice before. It was a rather unpleasant experience to be there again, and he found himself pacing awkwardly trying not to get too near the antiquities lining the walls.
After some time the door opened and King Turgon walked in. Erestor could see that behind the king, both Idril and Glorfindel were standing in the hall, but they were blocked from his view when the door closed. Turgon assessed the young man, looking him from head to toe, and he walked across the room to acquire a glass, into which he poured a healthy amount of cognac. He swirled the contents and eyed up the young man again. “So it is from the House of the Harp that you hail?” he asked.
“Yes, sir. Your highness.” Erestor wiped his palms again against his trousers, quite ill at ease at the scrutiny that he was receiving.
Turgon came closer to him again. He stared directly into Erestor’s eyes and asked a question that Erestor had hoped to avoid. “Have you and I met before?”
“We have, your highness.” It seemed that honesty would be the best solution in this situation, no matter how difficult the answers would be.
Turgon nodded. “I thought so. Your father is a farmer, is he not?”
“He is, your highness.” Erestor twisted his fingers nervously.
“I seem to recall a rather unfortunate series of incidents,” said Turgon before he sipped his drink. Erestor looked down to the floor. “There was a farmer in Salgant’s jurisdiction – quite a crafty man – who had a flare for stunts questionable in their ethic morals. As I recall, he had a son who was very good at helping him with these exploits. You are that boy, are you not?”
“I was,” said Erestor carefully, “but that was many years ago.”
Turgon smiled. “Many years ago for a child, perhaps. Not so long ago, I think.” He took a seat but did not offer one to Erestor, and continued to stare at the man before him. “As I recall, your father schemed quite often, and put you at the forefront at times when he was caught.”
Erestor was nervous, and flinched a bit. “Is it not right to punish the one who does the wrongful deed?”
“Aye, that might be true,” agreed Turgon. “But when the deed is done per the instruction of someone else it seems rather cruel to place the blame upon one so young. I know you only spent a day in the dungeon the first time, but the second you were in the stocks for a week. Those were the times you were caught. I wonder what else you might have done that you were never accused and found guilty of.”
Erestor swallowed hard. “After the second time, he stopped making me help him. He went back to being a farmer. I beg you to believe me. He is now, as we speak, tending fields in the south. He grows carrots and squash and raises pigs.”
“A good thing he has. As hard as the farmer’s life is, the convict’s life is harder.” Turgon shook his head. “No parent should make their child do as he was making you, not even once. No one should be doing what you were doing. Thievery, impersonation, forgery, and deceit.” Turgon rubbed his chin. “I remember when we caught you the second time. I knew you could not have planned it all out on your own, but when I asked you to reveal the mastermind, you refused. You were so very loyal to your father – it is what kept me from issuing a harsher punishment. Yet, any respect I might have had for your father disappeared in that instant, without even knowing who he was. It was disgraceful to think he would let his son take the full blame for what happened.”
“I was the one who did it, your highness,” said Erestor in his defense.
Turgon nodded in agreement. “So you were. That leads me to my primary concern. You have already paid penance for your past, but I am highly concerned as to how a farm boy ended up the consort of a captain. What mischief are you into now? Be honest with me – if someone else has put you up to this, I shall spare you any blame.”
Erestor was taken aback. “I.. I...”
“Was it your father? Or someone else?”
“No one,” Erestor finally blurted out. “No one has done anything wrong, unless it was my father for using his poor judgment to take a loan from someone he should not have.” And now Erestor explained the tale to the king, for despite the attempt to shield Erestor from the truth of the entire matter, he was able to piece it all back together from the accounts of his brothers, and knew a very accurate accounting. When all was said of this, Erestor added, “It was not my intention for this to happen, but it was Lord Glorfindel’s desire. For all he had done for me, it seemed a small price to pay. Now I am in my seventies, and we have lain together for over twenty years, and I do not wish to remember a time when it was not this way.”
“Yet he waits until today for this to become public,” mused Turgon.
“Your highness, if the rumors of your brother are true, then you should understand more so than most what a difficult situation it is for Glorfindel and I. We have been discrete, and I do not know what possessed him to make such an announcement today. In fact, he refused to tell me the purpose of our errand here, and it was when he made his announcement that I myself learned of his intention.” Erestor paused, and hesitated, and added, “Until today, he had never stated that I was essentially his equal.”
Turgon sat back and closed his eyes. “I am inclined to believe you, Erestor. I am still troubled by your past, and by the nagging feeling that this might very well be some ploy. Be aware of the fact that I will be watching you, and should I have cause to suspect something ill-natured, I will have you arrested immediately.”
“There will be no need for that, your highness,” said Erestor.
“I should hope there will not be, for your sake, and for the sake of Lord Glorfindel. The other concern that I have is in regards to your current house affiliation. If you are to see to Lord Glorfindel’s house in his absence, then you should rightfully be a member of his House.”
Erestor sunk down on a padded bench, despite the strict protocol that he should not have. One hand pressed to his stomach, which began to churn uneasily. “I am being forced to give up affiliation to my house?”
“It is not appropriate for a member of one house to oversee the dealings of another. You need not transfer your loyalty, but if you do not, then I am unable to grant Lord Glorfindel’s request,” said Turgon simply. “You have said it yourself – he thinks you to be his equal. If that is true, all should be equal, and that includes being a part of the same house.”
There was a long pause as Erestor sat and considered his options. Turgon poured himself another drink, and brought a glass to Erestor as well. “Here. Drink this.”
Erestor complied, not wishing to upset the king. He coughed a little and grimaced as the liquid burned his throat. It only made his stomach worse. “I beg your pardon, your highness.”
“If it should make a difference in your decision,” said Turgon, “I consider the House of the Golden Flower to be far more prestigious than the House of the Harp. You have already managed to rise to a station most can only be born into; this would be a very advantageous change. Of course, if you are not particularly serious about the entire thing, I can see how you might not want to make such a significant change.”
When the door opened, Glorfindel was pacing in the hall and Idril was sitting in a chair, warily watching him. Erestor stepped out, and beckoned Glorfindel into the room. He stayed Glorfindel at the door, and said to him, “From this moment on, you shall know me as Erestor of the Golden Flower, if you are to permit it.”
Glorfindel, pleasantly surprised, tried not to appear too elated as he entered the room and closed the door behind him.
