subl1m1tas

There’ll always be some Sauron stuff.  That precious vein of gold on black stone. ;>

“Mairon, the Traitor, searching in the deeps of Arda for the right place, which will be known as Utumno.”

"The statement that Morgoth suborned Sauron ‘in Valinor from among the people of the Gods’ is notable. The implication must be that at this period my father conceived Sauron to have followed Morgoth when he fled to Middle-Earth accompanied by Ungoliantë." (c) Christopher Tolkien

So, I’ve discovered that Tolkien, at one point, considered having Mairon join Melkor after the theft of the Silmarils, escaping Valinor with him and Ungoliant. While this idea was discarded—too much evidence in The Silmarillion and other drafts suggests Mairon was already Melkor's lieutenant and waited for his master's return during Melkor’s absence — I find myself interested in that concept. It opens up some interesting possibilities, particularly the idea of their meeting in Valinor after Melkor’s unchaining, when he was feigning repentance.

Melkor, a "former" criminal who was forced to always play a role, convincing everyone around him that he had truly changed and was yearning for redemption, while in reality, he was boiling with hate and thirst for revenge. He met Mairon, still a servant of Aulë, and a strange bond began to form between them. This meant that Mairon wasn't seduced by a rebellious, mysterious Vala, but by a very dangerous criminal — one who had already caused significant damage to all of Arda and was severely punished by the Valar for it. Even so, Mairon was intrigued by Melkor, to the point where he chose to forsake Valinor and pledge his complete allegiance to his new master. Mairon’s decision seems bold and reckless, which only adding more drama and spice to their story.

Melkor’s feelings in this scenario would also be fascinating to explore. After being imprisoned for so long, forced to fake his redemption and play the part of a servant to the Valar and a friend to the Eldar, he finally encounters someone with whom he can truly be himself — someone who doesn’t judge him but is instead drawn to him, willing to follow him into the unknown.