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Maerel hummed a cheerful tune as she walked through the palace halls, her arms filled with presents that had been received during the annual winter party that Gondolin’s royal family held. Although both her parents were not fond of winter, having crossed over the ice to reach Beleriand, Maerel thought it was probably her favorite season.
There was so much to love about it, the food, the decorations, the gifts. It was overall quite the joyful time of year.
She would have liked to stay longer at the party, but being a maid in the palace meant she had to wake up bright and early, so it was best she got to bed. She was sure that those who didn't have early morning duties would probably continue on in celebration until the sun rose however.
As Maerel passed one of the many balconies that decorated the palace, she realized she was not the only one who had left the party early. Seated on the balconies railing, their back against the stone of the palace, was the figure of an elf. His dark hair and clothing seemed to blend into the night, and so it took a moment for her to recognize him as Maeglin, the king's nephew.
He was turned slightly away from her, and seemingly unaware of her presence, but she could see some of his face. He looked sad, like the weight of the world was pressing down on him, and he did not know how to carry it. It was a strange expression to see someone wearing on what should have been a joyous night.
On the ground next to the railing sat two presents, it was obvious they had been opened, but the lids were closed so that she could not see inside. Maerel could not help but frown at the sight of them; she knew that Maeglin's chambers lay on the other side of the palace, so it was unlikely he had dropped anything off there. Were two presents all he had received?
She glanced down at the gifts in her own arms. She was only a maid, and yet she had received enough presents that it was a struggle to not drop any. Surely a prince should have received many more.
For a moment she was struck by the urge to go over and talk to him, maybe even offer him some of the candy she had received. It did not seem right for anyone to look so forlorn on a night like this. As quickly as the idea had come to her though, she dismissed it.
She personally held no dislike for Maeglin, though she knew many did; there were plenty of rumors about him after all. As a maid though, she saw a lot more than other people did, and felt that most of them weren’t true. Maeglin was never rude to anyone unless they provoked him first, and he seemed shy and unsure around others, rather than stuck up. The idea that he might have orc blood was absurd as well, and Maerel was sure someone had made it up just to be mean.
The only rumor whose truthfulness she wasn't sure about, was the one about him having feelings for his cousin Idril. One of her friends served as a handmaiden to the princess, as she claimed Idril had mentioned it herself. Even if it was true though, it was no reason to hate Maeglin. While feelings like that were inappropriate and should be discouraged, they did not make Maeglin a bad person so long as he wasn’t harassing Idril about them, and Maerel was sure she would have heard about it if that was the case.
But even though she didn't dislike him, Maerel would not take the risk of approaching him. Her mother had always told her that people would seek out those who showed them kindness, and she could not have Maeglin following after her, it was too dangerous. He was the king's nephew, and she was just a maid. If people could spread rumors and be so cruel to him, and nobody made any move to stop it, then what would happen to her if she drew their ire by reaching out a hand to him.
She felt bad for Maeglin, and under different circumstances she would have tried to be his friend, but her own safety was more important. Turning, Maerel continued on her way, pretending as if nothing had ever happened.
From his perch on the balcony railing, Maeglin listened as the footsteps of whoever had briefly paused there, faded away. He did not know who they were or why they had momentarily stopped, but it was clear that like everyone else in the city, they wanted nothing to do with him. Staring up at the starry night sky, Maeglin let out a sigh. It was yet another lonely winter's night.