Support me and be 30 chapters ahead of webnovel:
patreon.com/Draco_
*****
Gentle and kind Lucien walked beside lively and charming Galadriel. Together, the two elven princesses instantly became the most dazzling sight in the entire Elven City.
Every elf they passed respectfully bowed to them. Most of the male elves, in particular, gazed at the two princesses with admiration and affection in their eyes.
As for the human walking behind them—George—the elves, after a curious glance, quickly lost interest.
To the Grey Elves, humans were little more than stray cats and dogs on the roadside—not worth paying attention to.
Entering the majestic Elven City, they walked down a long wooden avenue until they arrived at the Thousand-Stone Cavern Palace, a structure crafted by dwarves for the Grey Elven Kingdom. There, Lucien turned to an elven guard and asked:
"Where is my father right now?"
"He's in the palace hall. Twenty-two nobles are currently seeking an audience," the guard replied respectfully.
In the elven kingdoms of Middle-earth, kings did not possess absolute power. Rather, they were simply the most powerful noble among many. Below them existed numerous other elven lords.
If a king's decision was met with unanimous opposition from the nobles, that decision would be impossible to enforce.
In George's memories from the original tale, when Maedhros—Fëanor's eldest son—heard that Beren and Lucien had successfully stolen a Silmaril, hope for the war against Morgoth was rekindled.
He gathered his brothers, the remaining sons of Fëanor, and formed an alliance with the Noldor High King Fingon, along with humans and dwarves, to launch a renewed assault on Angband.
However, because two of Fëanor's sons—spoiled scoundrels—had once tried to kidnap Lucien, Thingol again rejected the alliance.
To make matters worse, those two fools had caused trouble in Nargothrond under Fingon's rule, swindling and stirring up discord, which led the Nargothrond nobles to refuse any alliance with Maedhros's faction.
Due to the nobles' resistance, Fingon, even as High King of the Noldor, could do nothing. In the end, he led only his personal guard to support his friend Maedhros.
The result was tragic. The alliance suffered a crushing defeat. Fingon fought valiantly until the very end, but exhausted and outnumbered, he was finally slain by Gothmog, Lord of the Balrogs, after being caught between two of the flame demons.
So if the Grey Elven Kingdom were to go to war, convincing Thingol alone wouldn't be enough—they'd also need to persuade at least half of the elven nobles.
Still, the fact that the nobles were already assembled was a stroke of luck.
"Hmph, those guys all banded together—nothing good ever comes of that. I bet they're here to plead for their useless sons to marry you again!" Galadriel huffed with clear disdain after hearing the guard's report.
The Grey Elven Kingdom had always known peace and stability. Without the pressure of war, the only issue significant enough to gather all twenty-two nobles at once would be marriage proposals for Lucien.
And this wasn't the first time it had happened.
First of all, Lucien was widely regarded as the most beautiful elf in existence. There wasn't a single unmarried male elf who didn't dream of marrying her.
Secondly, as Thingol's only daughter, whoever married Lucien would one day become king of the Grey Elven Kingdom. The power and influence of that noble house would skyrocket across the realm.
However, Thingol's standards were far too high to consider any of the noble suitors' children. Even Fëanor's seven sons were not deemed worthy to marry his daughter Lucien. It was no wonder, then, that the noble families' efforts always ended in failure.
Of course, many had tried to win Lucien's hand, including several who had been personally rejected by Thingol. However, Lucien's requirements were clear: her partner must at least be her equal, if not superior.
The noble sons, eager to marry her, had all attempted to challenge Lucien's skills, only to be soundly defeated, each ending up bruised and battered.
There was only one exception: her cousin, Kelloborn. A bookish young elf who detested fighting, Kelloborn was the only one who never engaged in such challenges.
Kelloborn's grandfather, Elmo, was Thingol's younger brother and Lucien's maternal uncle, making Kelloborn her distant cousin.
"My father will never agree to marry me off to them. Let's go inside; it seems the nobles are already gathered," Lucien said, smiling as she shook her head, fully aware of her father's stance. She led Galadriel and George across the stone bridge into the Thousand-Stone Cavern Palace.
"Truly a magnificent palace!" George couldn't help but exclaim as they entered the palace's underground halls. The chambers, carved from natural rock, were adorned with countless luminous gems and night pearls, their brilliance reflecting off the walls.
In ancient times, before Morgoth was imprisoned in Valinor and the Noldor had not yet arrived in Middle-Earth, the Grey Elves were considered rulers of the continent, and their palace held nearly all the continent's treasures.
But after the dwarves attacked, all the treasures were looted, which explained why the Dwarven Kingdom of Erebor, established in the Third Age, was so wealthy—it inherited a portion of that original wealth.
Under Lucien's guidance, they arrived at the grandest chamber in the Thousand-Stone Cavern.
At the throne, sat a tall, strikingly handsome male elf, his long silver hair cascading down his shoulders. He wore a golden crown adorned with rubies and bright crystals, and his presence was imposing, his height towering over typical Grey Elves by a head.
This was Thingol, one of the three great Elven Kings invited by the Valar Oromë to witness the Two Trees in Valinor. He was the only Grey Elf to have bathed in the light of the Holy Trees and the sole Grey Elf to marry a Maia.
Upon seeing his daughter, Lucien, enter the hall, his face immediately softened into a warm, fatherly smile.
"My brilliant daughter, Lucien, you've returned!" he exclaimed joyfully.
"Good afternoon, Father. This is George, the human hero that Galadriel brought back. He is a wise human, and I believe you should listen to his ideas," Lucien greeted him, bowing respectfully before moving to stand beside her father's throne.
Galadriel, on the other side of the throne, quickly joined them, her heels clicking on the stone floor.
"Your Majesty, I've mentioned this to you before," she said.
"Oh, yes, I remember. I've already spoken to him clearly, but he still doesn't give up," Thingol chuckled, shaking his head. Then, turning his gaze to George, he added, "Well, since my daughter speaks highly of you and the nobles are all gathered here, I'll give you a chance to speak your mind."
Had it not been for Lucien and Galadriel interceding on his behalf, a human would never have been allowed to meet the revered Elven King, the first of his kind. Initially, Thingol had intended to dismiss the human sent by Finrod as soon as he arrived at the Thousand-Stone Cavern.
Now, the eyes of the twenty-two Elven noble leaders, along with their heirs standing behind them, were fixed on George. Some were curious, others appreciative, while a few—jealous at seeing two of the most beautiful Elven princesses speaking in favor of a human—watched with envy.
(End of Chapter)