Crownless
Elladan wandered the corridors, dark hair dancing left and right as he searched the long hallway. He and Elrohir had been playing hide-and-seek for some time; it was Elladan's turn to be ‘it'. He had counted to one hundred, just as he and his twin had agreed, before going to search for Elrohir. But the younger Peredhel had proven evasive, and Elladan had not yet encountered even a trance of his twin.

"Elrohir?" His young voice sounded tiny as Elladan peeked around an open door. He drew in a startled breath when he realized he was standing in the doorway of Glorfindel's chambers. The golden-haired seneschal had not allowed either of the twins into his room; what would he say when he found Elladan in his chambers uninvited?! The young Peredhel was about to turn away and continue looking for his brother, but curiosity got the better of him when a golden gleam caught his eye.

Glancing down the corridor to make sure no one saw him, Elladan slipped silently into Glorfindel's room and moved over towards the large window where he had seen the gleam. Next to the window stood a dresser, tall and wide--at least it was tall and wide to Elladan's tiny stature; no doubt the dresser barely reached Glorfindel's waistline.

Standing on his tiptoes, the little twin braced his hands on the dresser's edge and peered over. His gray eyes went wide when he saw the gold circlet gleaming in the sunlight from its perch on an emerald green pillow. The circlet was made of intertwining gold, curling around one another like ivy vines creeping up a wall. The headpiece didn't meet all the way, and was wider in the center, tapering down on the sides; Elladan's little mind deduced that the circlet must have been worn on the back of the head, much like his grandmother's. Small, five petal golden flowers dotted the vines here and there. In the center of the wide part of the circlet was a larger flower surrounded by leaves and vine curls. And in the very center of the flower was a round polished stone of a deep blue, the same color as Glorfindel's eyes Elladan realized.


"Glorfindel's crown," Elladan whispered, remembering tales of one of the heroes of Gondolin. He spent a few more minutes staring in awe at the circlet; he was about to leave when, this time, a gleam of silver caught his attention. It was then that Elladan noticed the silver circlet next to the gold one. This one was less elaborate but no less beautiful than the first. Curling waves of beaten, polished silver gleamed and resembled the crests of the Sea. Tiny star shaped etchings marked the circlet here and there, appearing as diamonds when the light was just right. The silver circlet was smaller than the gold, thinner and joined, resting on a velvet pillow of the palest blue.

"That one is Ecthelion's crown."

Elladan jumped at the voice behind him, nearly falling as his hold on the dresser suddenly relaxed. Strong arms caught him and golden hair danced in his vision. Gray eyes went wide in apprehension when Elladan realized just who it was.

"I'm sorry, Glorfindel!" the Elfling shouted. "I didn't mean to intrude. I was looking for Elorhir and I thought he was hiding here. I was going to leave when I saw them. I didn't touch anything, honest!"

"I know you didn't, Elladan," the seneschal soothed. "I've been watching you for some time." Glorfindel's gaze shifted from the Elfling in his arms to the circlets on his dresser.

"That one's yours, isn't it?" Elladan asked, pointing to the golden headpiece.

"Aye." Gently, Glorfindel set the child onto his feet before he moved over to the dresser in one fluid motion. Standing in the window, the sunlight creating a halo about his person, the golden-haired Elda gingerly fingered the golden vines, a soft smile upon his lips. "I wore it long ago in Turgon's court, in the happier days of Gondolin's time. Rog of the Hammer of Wrath made it for me; he and his house made all the jewelry for the city's people. I wore it into battle at the city's fall. Your great-grandfather kept it after my defeat and fall of the Balrog, passing it to your grandfather, who passed it to your father. Elrond returned it to me shortly after I returned to Middle-earth."

"And this one is Ecthelion's?" Elladan waited for Glorfindel to nod in reply before voicing his next question. "How did you get it?"

"Erestor gave it to me. Erestor was from Gondolin, did you know that?" Glorfindel smiled at the surprised look on the young face. "No, I suppose not. Erestor was a child, not much older than you are now, when the city fell. Years later he went back to the ruins of Gondolin and retrieved some of its hidden treasures, trinkets hidden away hastily before the people fled or went into battle. He didn't find much, but Erestor gave me most of what he found."

"Why?"

Saddened blue eyes turned to Elladan then. "Because most of what he found belonged to Ecthelion."

That statement didn't make much sense to Elladan. He stared quizzically at Glorfindel, head tilted to one side. An odd thought occurred to him then. "Is it because you loved him? Like my Ada loves my Nana?"

/Such an inquisitive and quick mind,/ Glorfindel mused to himself. /I'm not surprised; Eärendil was much like that in his younger days. I suppose he passed the trait on to his sons and grandsons./ "Yes, Ecthelion and I were in love."

"Do you miss him?"

"Very much."

"Will you see him again?"

"I hope so."

Elladan smiled then, a bright smile that lightened the shadow that had settled over Glorfindel's heart during their short conversation. Scrambling onto a nearby chair, the young Peredhel lifted the golden circlet--it was heavier than he had thought--and held it out to Glorfindel. "Wear it," he simply said.

"Elladan, I am a Lord no longer," Glorfindel protested.

"Please." He gave his best puppy-eyed look, accompanied by a pout; he knew he always got what he wanted when he gave the pout.

Sighing in resignation, Glorfindel lifted the circlet and placed it upon his head. The weight of it felt familiar and he suddenly felt as if time had stood still, as if he were back in Gondolin preparing for one of Turgon's feast and not in Imladris speaking to one of Elrond's sons. Movement from behind him brought Glorfindel back to the present as he felt Elladan's little fingers tracing the large golden flower on the back of his head.

"Pretty," the Elfling murmured before hugging Glorfindel around the neck. "Must go find Elrohir now." He gave the aged warrior a quick kiss on the cheek before leaping off the chair and racing out the door. He left Glorfindel behind, the Elda listening to the fading footsteps as Elladan disappeared down the corridor.


Now alone again, with a soft sigh Glorfindel turned to the other circlet. Gingerly he lifted it from the pillow, cradling the delicate silver in his hands. He remembered the first time he had seen Ecthelion wear the circlet...and the last. A single tear slipped down his cheek as Glorfindel replaced the silver circlet upon its rest before removing and replacing his. Wiping the tear away, he turned and left his chambers to return to his duties, leaving the sunlight to play with the silver and gold bands, symbols of ages past and warriors not forgotten.

[Return]