[Durelin]

The quiet entrance of a servant interrupted the Lord and his counselor, though he only intruded upon silence. Maegisil recalled his name as Taurnil, but he was not sure. His encounters with him were always very formal, as he only saw him when in the presence of Celebrimbor. He noticed the servant’s entrance before his lord did, who had lapsed into silent thoughtfulness once more, and considered briefly what a shame it was that he had not spoken to the elf standing cautiously just inside the door, which he had closed behind him with the greatest of care. Seeing Taurnil hesitate to disturb his lord, Maegisil smiled and caught the servant’s eye, and the uncertain elf seemed surprised to find the counselor looking at him.

Maegisil then quickly turned his eyes to Lord Celebrimbor, and reached across from where he sat to touch his lord on the arm. Celebrimbor’s eyes snapped up from looking down at the floor and then followed his friend’s gesture toward the servant.

“Oh, Taurnil,” he said in absent-minded surprise. Maegisil was glad to hear that he had remembered the name correctly. “I’m sorry, you’re too stealthy for me these days. You’ve always been a good woodsman.”

For a moment Taurnil looked at his lord, wondering about his all but random comment, but a smile quickly grew on his face as he tossed his wonder aside and looked only upon his lord’s kindness.

“Forgive me, my lord,” he said with a bow. After a short and rather awkward pause in which the servant most likely awaited a question concerning his presence, he continued, answering all unspoken questions in the other elves’ minds. “Narisiel Mirdain is here to see Counselor Maegisil concerning a commission.”

At these words Margisil jumped slightly in his seat, and not due to any surprise at Narisiel’s arrival, but instead because of what Taurnil had called him. He could not remember ever being called ‘Counselor Maegisil.’ He had never asked for a title, nor ventured to earn one, and he was young yet to receive the title of ‘Master,’ except by mere children.

Taurnil was leading Narisiel into the chamber, following the order of the Lord of the Mirdain, of course, as Maegisil was recovering from his mild shock. Pushing all his wonders concerning his sudden new title to the back of his mind, he rose to greet the jewelsmith, ducking his head in a slight bow of respect as he had done when he met her in her shop, and thanking her for coming. Being too grand in his formalities had often led him to embarrassment in the past, but he still felt some sign of respect was necessary to most people he met, as well as as much politeness as he could manage without overdoing it, which he did often.

Lord Celebrimbor also rose to greet her, but he found it harder to smile than did Maegisil. This was a much more awkward meeting for the two of them, and as Narisiel’s eyes turned their gaze to the lord, any sort of smile disappeared from her face. She did not forget the bow that was proper, though Celebrimbor would have liked it if she had. It only made the distance between them clearer.

“It has been a long time, Narisiel,” the elf-lord said, only voicing part of what was on his mind.

“Yes, it has,” Narisiel responded simply. A short silence followed, which Maegisil decided to rescue them from.

“I am surprised, and very grateful, that you have had the time to complete the plans so quickly,” he said. Then, remembering his manners, he gestured to the two small couches that the counselor and his lord had been reclining on earlier and asked, turning to Celebrimbor, “May we sit, my lord?”

“Oh, yes,” the lord said, sounding surprised again. It seemed he had forgotten his manners as well, but Maegisil knew there was more to it then that, as did Narisiel. Celebrimbor was the last to sit, and he sat alone across from Maegisil and Narisiel, trying to look comfortable. The mirdan began showing Maegisil the plans for Sairien’s necklace when the elf-lord suddenly spoke again, drawing both his companions’ minds from necklaces to rings.

“I am sorry to interrupt, but Narisiel…I must know if you are willing to speak to me.”