An Unexpected Miracle

Maedhros & Jenny: *going for a walk in the woods*

Maglor, discreetly following them & channeling his inner Crablor: 🎶Sha-la-la-la-la-la don’t be scared, you got the mood prepared, go on and Kiss the Girl!🎶

Jenny, who can barely hear him due to her lack of Elf Superhearing: Maedhros, do you hear something?

As Maedhros advised, Jenny went about the following days as though nothing were amiss so Trunchbull wouldn’t become suspicious. Yes, she was beaten and abused almost constantly, but knowing it would be over soon gave her hope and the strength to endure it.

She only wished she knew when soon was. It wasn’t as if she could just out of the blue announce to her aunt she was engaged and simply walk out the front door; she had to wait until she was certain Trunchbull would be gone for an extended period of time so she could marry Maedhros, move into his house, and change her surname on her identification documents and at the school.

Jennifer Ross, she tried out the name in her mind. She actually quite liked it.

Thanks be to God, Jenny didn’t have to wait long.

Less than a week after she got engaged, Trunchbull seemed to be in a particularly good mood. Jenny was tempted to ask what she was so cheerful about (since it was so unlike her aunt), but she knew better than to speak without being spoken to first. It wasn’t until lunchtime that Trunchbull told her what was going on.

“I’ve been approved to try out for the Olympics,” Trunchbull said smugly, shoveling spaghetti into her mouth.

Jenny was surprised but did her best not to show it. She had noticed Trunchbull had been training harder than usual the past few months, but she was nearly fifty. Jenny slightly doubted her aunt could make a successful comeback at her age, regardless of how much she trained.

“I’ll be leaving the day after tomorrow, and if all goes well, I’ll be gone for three weeks.”

“Congratulations, Aunt Trunchbull,” Jenny murmured.

“Don’t think for one second that you can go carousing about while I’m gone, Jen!” she suddenly snapped, making Jenny flinch. “In fact, I’m going to leave a list of tasks for you to do to keep you occupied; I expect every item on that list to be done by the time I return. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Aunt Trunchbull.”

If Maedhros hadn’t proposed to her, Jenny would’ve been dreading the following days. Knowing Trunchbull, the list was likely a mountain of chores and repairs to the house that Jenny couldn’t complete even if Trunchbull was gone for the allotted three weeks, then she would be severely punished.

“I’m off to train,” Trunchbull announced, wiping her mouth and standing up from the table. She stood there for a moment and seemed to be contemplating something. “I want to see all the silver polished and the linens washed before you make dinner.”

Jenny had already washed the linens the day before, but it was no use voicing that to her aunt. She only nodded with a mumbled affirmation.

As soon as Jenny heard Trunchbull’s car disappear down the lane, she called Maedhros and told him the news. He promised her he would make all the necessary arrangements for the wedding; she only needed to call when she was ready so his nephew could pick her up, and she and Maedhros could be married that same day.

Jenny couldn’t help but count every minute until Trunchbull would be gone and she would be free of her.

Sure enough, Trunchbull gave her a list of all the chores that were expected to be done: mop and wax the floors, weed the overgrown garden, replace the roof shingles, repaint the house inside and out…and the list went on.

“Remember, girl,” Trunchbull barked as Jenny loaded the luggage into the taxi, “Everything on that list better be done before I come back! And hurry up! If I miss my flight I’ll have your head!”

“Yes, Aunt Trunchbull,” Jenny replied automatically, fervently praying her aunt wouldn’t sense what she was planning to do. She didn’t even take a full breath until Trunchbull got into the taxi and the driver sped away.

Jenny waited long enough to be certain Trunchbull’s plane was gone and she wouldn’t be returning, then after a quick phone call to let Maedhros know she would be ready to leave within the hour, she packed her clothes and few belongings into a small carpet bag. The only thing she didn’t pack was a white linen sundress embroidered with blue periwinkle flowers along the hem and neckline; she had used her meagre savings to buy it on the sly the last time she went grocery shopping.

It was her wedding day, after all. Chaste marriage or not, she wanted to look at least relatively nice.

Lastly, she pried up some loose floorboards under her bed to retrieve her most treasured possessions: a small box containing photographs of her parents, her favorite doll, a gold pendant that once belonged to her grandmother, and her mother’s engagement and wedding rings.

Jenny slid the gold and diamond engagement ring onto her left ring finger. She wished she had her father’s wedding band as well, but it was allegedly buried with him. Allegedly.

She quickly changed into the sundress and slipped her mother’s wedding band into her pocket; after triple checking to make sure she had everything, she sat at her desk and tried to control her trembling hands as she wrote out a note for her aunt.

Aunt Trunchbull,

By the time you read this, I will be a married woman, and I will be living with my husband. I will continue to work at the school, if you still want me to pay off the debt I owe you; my husband made it clear that he will not give you any money. He also made it clear that if you ever harm me, he will take legal action against you. So this is goodbye, and I will see you when the Autumn term begins at school.

Jennifer Honey Ross

The part about the money was only half true; Maedhros had offered to pay off the remaining debt, but Jenny adamantly refused. She didn’t think it was likely that Trunchbull would allow her to keep teaching if she was no longer indebted to her, and Trunchbull had enough connections and influence to make sure finding another job would be difficult for her, if not impossible.

Jenny read over the note multiple times, wondering if it was too blunt, before deciding it was adequate. Though she shook with fear imagining Trunchbull’s rage when she read the words that severed her control over her niece.

Don’t worry about it, Jenny. You won’t even be here when she reads it.

A knock sounded at the front door. Placing the note on her bed, she picked up her bag and made her way downstairs. She was momentarily distracted by her reflection in the foyer mirror: the bruises on her face and neck had thankfully faded, but she did have a split bottom lip from when Trunchbull decided the silver wasn’t polished to her standards.

So much for trying to be a pretty bride.

Then again, Trunchbull had drilled into her for years that Jenny was plain and undesirable, at best. Why did she expect to look any better now?

Jenny shook her head to clear her mind before opening the door. In front of her stood a man seemingly around the same age as her, though he was quite a bit taller, wearing a simple t-shirt and jeans with his long black hair pleated in multiple braids and pulled into a low ponytail. He smiled when he saw her.

“Hello. I’m Elliot Peregrine; am I correct in assuming you’re Jennifer Honey?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

The man’s grin turned impish as he tucked his hair behind his pointed Elf ears.

“In that case, you can call me Elladan.”

Maedhros’ nephew. Jenny had heard plenty of stories about him from his uncle.

“Pleased to meet you, Elladan. Maedhros told me so much about you.”

“All the fun stuff, I hope,” he responded as he pulled his braids back over his ears.

Jenny gave him a small smile and she reached for her bag, but Elladan was faster than her and picked it up before she did.

“Please, let me get that for you.”

She nodded a thanks as Elladan took her bag and carried it to the car, lingering on the threshold for a moment.

“Well, this is it,” she murmured. “Mum, Dad, wish me luck.”

Taking a deep breath to steel herself, she closed the door behind her and got in the car without looking back.

Jenny was grateful for Elladan driving her; if she had walked, it would’ve been too easy for her to lose her nerve and go back to the house, destroy the note and pretend none of this ever happened.

She shoved that thought from her mind and instead studied the car she was riding in. She didn’t have much knowledge about automobiles, but this one looked like the sort of car owned by wealthy silent film stars in the 1920’s. The interior was embellished with polished wood and gold leaf, on the ceiling was a detailed painting of Elves sailing in ships, the seats were upholstered with rich brocade, and a beautifully woven carpet was placed across the floor.

It was truly a work of art, like it belonged in a museum rather than on the English country roads.

Jenny gaped as the car approached what looked like a medieval castle. She had grown up hearing of this house (it had been empty for centuries and was rumored to be haunted), but she never dreamed she would see it up close, much less go inside and live in it.

Pulling up to the entrance, Elladan turned off the car and hopped out to open Jenny’s door.

“My Lady,” he said, holding out his hand to help her out.

“You live here?” she asked, still staring at the manor.

“We like this part of the country,” he replied while gazing fondly up at the house. “We built this castle a long time ago to come back every few centuries.”

Jenny was awestruck. History had been one of her favorite subjects when she was in school, and meeting the original owners of this gorgeous historic castle was akin to meeting Da Vinci himself.

“So, it’s not haunted?”

Elladan guffawed as he offered her his arm. “No; we only spread that rumor so no one would try to take over the house in our absence.”

He guided her up the steps into the main entrance, where they were greeted by a man with shoulder-length black braids.

“You must be Jenny,” he said with a bright smile. “I’m Maglor, Maedhros’ younger brother.”

“Nice to meet you. Maedhros told me you’re an excellent musician.”

Maglor beamed “Ah, so he has mentioned me.” Turning to Elladan, he said, “Take Jenny’s bag up to her room and head to the chapel. I want to have a quick chat with her.”

He must’ve noticed her sudden nervousness as Elladan sprinted away, because he quickly said to her, “Oh, it’s nothing to be anxious about. I only want to give you your bridal bouquet and ask you something.”

Maglor handed her a small bouquet of white flowers.

“Honeysuckle is your favorite flower, yes? At least that’s what Maedhros said.”

Jenny nodded mutely as she held the bouquet to her nose, inhaling its sweet scent. She had told Maedhros her favorite flower was honeysuckle weeks ago, and she was touched that he remembered.

“I’m terribly sorry for the loss of your father,” Maglor said sincerely. “I know I could never be an adequate replacement for him, but if you’d like, I’m willing to escort you down the aisle on his behalf.”

Already this day had been overwhelming for her (and she wasn’t even married yet!); the addition of Maglor’s thoughtful offer made it hard for her to not cry.

“Jenny?”

Blinking back her tears, she saw Maglor gazing at her in concern, probably wondering if he had said something wrong. She reached for his hand and gripped it reassuringly.

“Thank you. That would mean so much to me.”

Maglor led her through the halls to a quaint private chapel with exquisite stained glass windows. Maedhros was already there, of course, along with Elladan, the officiant, and roughly a dozen people she assumed were the servants.

You look lovely.

Jenny nearly leapt out of her skin, but then relaxed at Maedhros’ kind expression. Ósonwë. Jenny had been informed about it, but it was still a shock to hear Maedhros’ voice so clearly in her mind. She smiled at him in acknowledgment (deciding not to overthink the fact that he said she looked “lovely”) before turning to face the officiant.

The aforementioned officiant was an elderly priest Jenny had crossed paths with once in a while, though she didn’t attend his church. He wasn’t exactly the brightest sheep in the flock, but he was kind enough to her. And as far as she knew, he was one of only a few people in the village who wasn’t intimidated by Trunchbull.

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today before God to witness the union of Matthew Asher Ross and Jennifer Catherine Honey…”

Jenny listened patiently as the priest recited some verses from First Corinthians, then he gave a lengthy speech about how those verses applied in marriage before presenting them with the marriage certificate to sign. It wasn’t until Maedhros slid her mother’s wedding ring onto her finger and they both said “I do” that the reality of what was happening started to sink in, and Jenny had to remind herself to breathe.

I’m actually doing this. I’m getting married. This is real.

“In the Name of The Father, The Son, and The Holy Ghost, I now pronounce you husband and wife.” The priest paused to grin up at Maedhros. “You may kiss your bride.”

Jenny stiffened; she had somehow forgotten about that minor detail.

Are you comfortable following through with that tradition?

Tentatively, she tried Ósonwë herself to answer his question.

I suppose this once won’t hurt as long as you’re comfortable with it.

She braced herself as Maedhros leaned down and gently brushed his lips against hers before straightening again.

That was her first kiss. She didn’t feel any of the butterflies or fireworks most romance novels claimed a girl would feel, but it wasn’t dreadful either.

It was…nice.

If the slight blush on Maedhros’ face was anything to go by, the feeling was mutual.

“Ladies and gentleman,” the priest continued, “I present to you Sir Matthew and Lady Jennifer Ross.”

Huh. Maedhros never mentioned he was knighted. But what does it matter? I’m free! I’m finally free of Agatha Trunchbull, and…

…and I’m married to an Elf.

NOTES:

And they lived Happily Ever After. The End.

…JUST KIDDING!!!

You didn’t think I would write a Silmarillion/Matilda crossover without Matilda being part of the story, did you?

A happy ending will come eventually, but a lot of stuff has to happen first, so stick around.

You’ve probably noticed that Jenny refers to Trunchbull as her aunt and not her step-aunt. I did that intentionally; the exact intention will be revealed later in the story.

If you’re wondering why Trunchbull and Jenny aren’t at their school jobs, it’s because the first several chapters of this story take place during the summer holiday. I am well aware that teachers don’t really get a summer break the same way students do; I’m just writing it this way for the sake of the story.

On that note, I just wanna make the disclaimer that I have no idea how Olympic tryouts or anything related to that works.

I chose a 1926 Rolls-Royce Phantom as Elladan’s car because I saw pictures of one on Pinterest and it just seemed like the kind of car a Tolkien Elf would drive. Of course, with Elladan having Noldor ancestry, he would teach himself how to properly upkeep it and make necessary modifications for traffic and/or safety laws (ex: seatbelts, airbags, etc). He’s not the only Elf in their household who can drive, but I like the idea of him being the designated driver if Maedhros or Maglor need a ride.

As to how I chose Maedhros’ and Jenny’s middle names: Asher means “happy” and “fortunate” (*cough* and it might be a slight pun for those who read The Silmarillion *cough*). I just pulled Jenny’s middle name out of thin air and rolled with it.

Blue Periwinkle - new beginnings, serenity, friendship, remembrance, everlasting love, purity, and strength of bonds that endure.

Honeysuckle - true happiness, good fortune, sweetness towards one another, and romantic love.

Did I choose these specific flowers as a subtle form of foreshadowing? Possibly.

Ósonwë - Elvish telepathy

“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”

First Corinthians 13:4-7 (NLT)

MEMES:

Trunchbull: All these impossible chores better be done before I get back! Got it?!

Jenny: *fingers crossed behind her back* Yes, ma’am.

Trunchbull: And no partying around!

Jenny: *thinking* Well, she didn’t say I couldn’t get married.

Roald Dahl writing Canon Jenny: She runs away to live in a run-down shack of a cottage with no furniture, electricity, or running water and hardly any food.

Me writing Silm Crossover Jenny: She gets to live in a castle-like mansion with everything she was deprived of in canon because she deserves nice things.

Me: Why are Jenny and Maedhros communicating via phone when they could’ve been using Ósonwë this whole time?

My Brain: Because of the risk factor of getting caught by Trunchbull. >:-)

Me: …okay.

Maglor: Are you sure you want this priest to officiate the wedding? He’s not that smart-

Maedhros: Does he worship Eru and have high morals?

Maglor: Yes…

Maedhros: Is he a practicing clergyman?

Maglor: …yes…

Maedhros: Is he legally allowed to perform a marriage ceremony?

Maglor: …yes…

Maedhros: Is he in any way afraid of Trunchbull?

Maglor: No.

Maedhros: He’s hired.

Me: Hmm, what should Elladan’s fake surname be?

My Brain: How about ‘Peregrine?’ It means ‘traveller,’ it’s not that far off from ‘Peredhel,’ and it’s Pippin Took’s full first name!

Me: Brilliant!

I also slipped a subtle LOTR meme Easter egg into this chapter. Did you spot it?

Links for previous chapters below. ⬇️

Jenny wandered home in a daze. Was she really considering accepting a marriage proposal from someone she barely knew? Who was an Elf, no less?

Madness. Absolute madness.

The skeptical part of her mind told her it was foolish to even contemplate it. Yes, Maedhros had been kind to her thus far, but what if it was a cruel trick? What if by agreeing to marry him, she was taking herself out of the frying pan and casting herself into the fire? What if he and his family were even worse than Trunchbull?

She scoffed when that last idea came to her mind. Worse than Trunchbull? Only the devil himself could pull off such a feat.

Following that line of thought, she remembered how she had a knack for being able to discern good people from bad. She knew the second she first met Aunt Trunchbull that she was evil, and she somehow sensed which teachers at Crunchem Hall to befriend and which ones to avoid. And despite first impressions and his past as a war criminal, Maedhros proved to be someone she could confide in. As of yet, her instincts had never been wrong.

On the other hand, accepting his offer would shove her into the unknown, which was about as terrifying as her aunt’s abuse.

She paused when her home - Aunt Trunchbull’s home - came into view. There had been a time when she loved that house, now it was only a reminder of the nightmare her life was.

Lord, please give me a sign, she prayed.

Jenny quietly crept through the kitchen door…only to freeze when she saw Trunchbull standing before her, arms crossed and glaring at her.

“Where were you, girl?”

Jenny gulped. Her aunt was obviously still in a bad mood from the night before.

“I-I’m sorry, Aunt Trunchbull. I-I was up early and I went for a walk. I m-meant to be home before you woke, but…”

Jenny trailed off, at a loss for what to say. She absolutely could not tell Trunchbull she had made a friend, much less that the aforementioned friend offered Jenny a chance of escape.

Her blood froze as her aunt’s face turned purple with rage. Quick as a viper, Jenny felt her head jerk to the side as the back of Trunchbull’s hand connected with her bruised face, the force of the slap causing her to crash into the counter.

“You dare to leave this house without asking me?!”

Trunchbull grabbed Jenny’s arm and started dragging her towards the basement door. That only meant one thing.

“P-please,” Jenny begged, panic beginning to build up in her. “I got lost! I lost track of time! I’m sorry! I promise it won’t happen again! Please don’t-“

“I don’t want to hear your begging or excuses, you stupid, selfish little gutter rat!” Trunchbull snapped, pulling Jenny down the basement stairs. “And you’re darn right it won’t happen again! I’ll see to that!”

In the far corner of the dark, musty basement was a tall, narrow cupboard built around a dripping pipe with nails hammered into it, like a combination of water torture and a crude iron maiden. Trunchbull proudly called it ‘The Chokey’; it was her favorite form of punishment, so much so that she had something similar constructed in her office at Crunchem Hall for misbehaving children.

Jenny began to hyperventilate as she was roughly shoved inside the Chokey; Trunchbull ignored her and locked it shut, muttering insults her step-niece barely registered. As she heard Trunchbull stomp up the basement stairs and slam the door, Jenny attempted to control her frantic breathing and trembling while trying not to impale herself on the sharp nails lining each wall. Jenny loathed the Chokey ever since she was first shut up in it when she was six, and she often had nightmares where Trunchbull would lock her in that thing and leave her there to die.

She gently rubbed at her throbbing cheek and let her tears fall, flinching with every drop of water that landed on her head from the pipe. In order to distract herself, Jenny thought back to what she and Maedhros had talked about that morning.

She had prayed to God for a sign, and though it wasn’t in the form of a Burning Bush or the Archangel Gabriel, Trunchbull’s unjust treatment of her and the overwhelming peace she felt when she made up her mind was good enough for her.

Jenny tried not to wince as she slowly swept the kitchen floor, the cuts on her body stinging with every move she made. In the living room, Trunchbull could be heard sharpening her javelins.

It was evening by the time Trunchbull had let Jenny out of the Chokey, and only then because she wanted Jenny to cook her dinner and clean the kitchen. Trunchbull was still upset over learning Jenny left the house without her permission, so she refused to let her eat anything and informed her that her bedroom door would be locked each night from then on until Trunchbull let her out in the mornings.

Having her morning walks taken from her further confirmed Jenny was making the right decision.

After a few moments, Jenny realized she hadn’t heard anything from the living room for a while. Quietly, she peeked into the room and found Trunchbull fast asleep in her armchair.

It’s now or never.

Hurrying back to the kitchen, she carefully picked up the phone receiver and dialed the number Maedhros had given her.

Maedhros was just sorting through some paperwork on his desk when the telephone rang.

Who would be calling this late?

He picked up the phone and a familiar timid voice asked, “Hello? A-am I speaking to Maedhros?”

He hadn’t expected Jenny to call tonight, much less to be speaking in a hushed tone, as if afraid of being overheard. He felt a jolt of panic; had she been hurt again?

“Jenny? Are you alright?”

“I…I could be better. I only have a moment to talk: my aunt caught me coming in this morning and punished me. I don’t think she knows I’ve been walking every morning or that I’ve been seeing you, but she’s going to take measures to ensure I won’t have that freedom anymore.”

Maedhros closed his eyes, disappointed that he would no longer be meeting with his friend, and furious that Jenny’s evil step-aunt had taken yet another thing from her.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I shouldn’t have kept you as long as I did this morning. My offer still stands, whenever you’re ready to decide.”

“Yes…that’s the other reason why I called. I’ve thought about your…your proposal…and…I’ve made my choice.”

Maedhros was at a loss for words, stunned that she had decided so quickly.

“I know it seems callous to give you my answer over the phone,” she said, breaking him from his reverie. “I didn’t know how else to tell you now that I can’t contact you any other way for the foreseeable future. I’m sorry.”

“There’s no need to apologize, Jen. I understand.”

There was a slight pause as he heard Jenny take a deep breath.

“My answer is yes. I will marry you.”

NOTES:

I’m not promoting marrying virtual strangers, but I’m sure we can all agree that marrying Maedhros Fëanorion is a better choice than being enslaved to Agatha Trunchbull, right?

I remember reading somewhere that iron maidens weren’t actually a medieval invention; they were a made up concept in the late 1800’s to make the Middle Ages look more barbaric. But medieval and/or Victorian torture devices aren’t my forte, so I could be wrong.

MEMES:

Me: “…accepting his offer would shove her into the unknown…”

My Brain: …into the unknown?

Me: Don’t. You. Dare.

My Brain: …

Me: …

My Brain: 🎶INTO THE UNKNOWWWWN!!!🎶

Me: Why are you like this? 😑

Trunchbull: *researches old torture methods like a mad scientist and comes across the iron maiden and water torture*

Trunchbull: Yes! Yes! I will combine these to make the ultimate torture device!

Trunchbull: And I will call it…THE CHOKEY!! *evil cackling accompanied by dramatic lightning*

Jenny: *considering if she should marry Maedhros*

Jenny: God, give me a sign! A hint! ANYTHING!

Trunchbull: *locks her in the Chokey and takes away what little freedom she has left*

Jenny: Well, it can’t get clearer than that.

Links for previous chapters below. ⬇️

Despite two centuries of absence, the large stone manor they had built and the surrounding woodlands were in surprisingly good condition. The nearby village had grown and adapted to the late twentieth century, but that was expected, and it didn’t stop them from buying back the property. It took roughly a month to renovate and update the manor before Maedhros, Maglor, Elladan, and their few remaining servants moved back in.

The first thing Maedhros did the morning after they settled was to go for a walk through the woods just before dawn. It was something he had enjoyed each morning when they last lived there, and he was looking forward to getting back into that routine.

The trees were now much taller than he remembered, and in a few hours the modern noises of the village would be heard in the distance, but other than that the forest hardly changed at all over the years, from the birdsong to the fine layer of mist to the hundreds of spring and summer wildflowers. It was beautiful.

What Maedhros hadn’t anticipated was to meet anyone else that morning.

The sun was just barely rising when he crossed paths with a small, fragile-looking young woman. It took her a moment to notice him, and when she did, she stared at him with wide, frightened eyes.

No doubt her unease stemmed from his unusually tall stature, his heavily scarred face, or his missing right hand (or even from his long braided hairstyle that hadn’t been commonly worn since the end of the Viking era). His first instinct was to placate the girl and introduce himself using his current alias (‘Matthew Ross’), until he realized she was staring at his ears.

His mangled yet distinctly Elven ears, which he hadn’t bothered to hide because he reasoned nobody would be out in these woods, especially at this hour of the morning.

And yet here we are.

“Are you going to kill me?”

It wasn’t so much what she said that startled Maedhros, but how she said it. Although she was clearly afraid, she made no effort to run or fight or beg for her life, seemingly resigned to her fate. It piqued his curiosity about the girl.

But killing her never even occurred to him. After the War of Wrath, he had sworn one last oath: he would never again take a life unless he was defending himself or others and had no other choice.

He didn’t mention that to the young woman as he reassured her and pleaded with her not to tell anyone he was an Elf. She gave her word and was somewhat set at ease, though she was still wary, and Maedhros didn’t blame her.

They ended up having a pleasant conversation, with her becoming more relaxed the more they talked. It wasn’t until she had to leave that he introduced himself using his real identity. Her name was Jennifer Honey (a lovely name), and she insisted he call her Jen or Jenny.

They met every morning after that over the next few weeks, and Maedhros was beginning to think of Jenny as a friend. He told her about himself and his family (the true version, since there was no point in lying to her), and in turn she told him she was a schoolteacher. She said her job was difficult at times, but she loved it and she wouldn’t trade it for anything. He could see why: though she was soft-spoken and seldom smiled, her fëa exuded a certain warmth and kindness that children were naturally drawn to. There was no doubt in his mind that she would be a wonderful mother someday.

One morning, Maedhros was surprised to see her sitting on the ground, her face buried in her knees.

“Jen?”

She mustn’t have heard him approach, because she gasped and cowered away from him before realizing who he was.

“Oh, I-I’m sorry, Maedhros.”

As disturbed as he was by her reaction, what made his blood run cold was the sight of her face.

“Jen, what happened?”

Jenny turned away as Maedhros knelt next to her. Slowly, as not to startle her, he lifted his only hand to her chin; she flinched but didn’t resist as he gently guided her to look up at him.

Her left eye was black and swollen, and there was a red welt on her right cheek. Wrapping around her throat was a large, hand-shaped bruise.

“Who did this to you?”

It was a struggle to keep the rage out of his voice. How dare someone hurt her?! They will have Angband to pay for-

“It was my aunt,” Jenny whispered, looking down as if ashamed. “I-I burned dinner last night; it-it was my fault. I shouldn’t have been so stupid.”

“Who hasn’t burned dinner at least once in their lives, Jenny? It does not make you stupid.”

When he had asked her about her family days ago, she had briefly mentioned she lived with her aunt, then she immediately changed the subject, clearly not wanting to discuss it. Maedhros respected her wishes at the time, but now…

He examined her profile, trying to suppress his growing anger at the sight of her injuries.

“How could your own kin do this to you,” he asked, ignoring the faint feeling of hypocrisy at his words.

“She…she’s not actually my kin. Agatha Trunchbull is my late-mother’s stepsister.”

Maedhros knew firsthand how tense step-family relationships could be; still, this sort of violence over something so insignificant was extreme even for Fëanor.

With a sigh, he sat beside her, far enough to not invade her space, yet close enough to offer comfort if she needed it.

“Tell me from the beginning.”

She hesitated at first, but once she started talking she didn’t stop. She told him everything: from her mother’s death and her step-aunt moving in with her and her father, to her father’s apparent suicide and her demonic aunt’s abuse of her up to the present.

He was stunned by the time she finished. Anyone else who lived through what she did would’ve been angry and bitter at the world. There had been intervals during and after his imprisonment in Angband when he had been angry and bitter at the world. How did this girl evade becoming so hateful?

“Why do you stay with her if she treats you like this?” He suspected he already knew the answer, though he didn’t want to assume anything.

“I can’t leave,” Jenny said miserably. “All the money I make goes to her, and she only gives me one pound a week for allowance. The one time I tried to run away, she hunted me down and dragged me back.”

He was right, then. He didn’t hesitate with what he said next.

“My brother, nephew and I have plenty of spare rooms in our house; perhaps you could come and live with us? We could protect you from her.”

She gazed up at him in shock and wonder; for a second it looked like she might say yes, but then her face fell and she glanced away.

“I appreciate your offer, only…an unmarried woman living with unmarried men? I don’t really care about my reputation, but I do care about my career, and no one would allow such a woman to teach their children.”

Maedhros nodded. “I understand.”

Jenny sighed and stood to leave.

“I should go before my aunt wakes up and realizes I’m gone.”

She took three steps before Maedhros was struck with a thought.

“Wait!”

Jenny flinched as she spun to face him, and he gave her a sheepish apology before explaining his idea to her.

He knew it was an absurd plan, but he couldn’t just sit by while this kind, gentle young woman was being so horribly manhandled. It couldn’t hurt to put the option on the table, at least.

NOTES:

Maedhros, Maglor, Elladan, and their servants move to a different part of the world and change their identities every twenty or so years; the reason for this is so people won’t notice that they’re not aging and they won’t have to deal with angry mobs or government experiments.

After Maedhros did time on the Vingilot (going by “The Fall of Gondolin” canon) and was redeemed for his crimes, he was given the opportunity to go back to Valinor. He turned it down to stay with his brother Maglor so he wouldn’t be left alone in the world.

Where is Elrohir, you might ask? After Arwen’s death, he sailed to Valinor. Elladan almost went with him, but in the end decided to stay with his honorary grandfather and great-uncle to look after them (and make sure they don’t do anything stupid).

The Elves in this story keep their long hair and braided hairstyles not only for cultural purposes, but also to hide their ears when wearing hats isn’t an option. However, a few of them (excluding Maedhros) prefer shorter, shoulder-length hair just to be a little bit more inconspicuous.

Fëa - spirit, soul

I had always wanted to put memes at the end of my fic chapters, but up until now I’ve always been too self-conscious to do so. I recently saw how the AO3 author CzarinaSnickle absolutely rocked it with memes in their Tolkien fanfic stories (which I highly recommend, even without the memes), and I am now inspired. So…

MEME:

Maedhros: I didn’t understand why Aegnor and Caranthir cared so much about Edain maidens until I befriended an Edain maiden myself.

Maedhros: I’ve only known Jennifer Honey for five minutes, but if anything ever happened to her, I would kill everyone and then myself.

Every character in “The Silmarillion”: …didn’t you already do that over three rocks?