Under the starlight – and the light of a few candles – Celeborn was examining some maps in his office. It was already late and he wanted to go to bed, but he was worried.
Large amounts of Orcs were wandering through Middle-Earth, and though they were still far away from Lórien, Celeborn did not feel comfortable. Orcs were able to travel fast, and he did not want to be surprised be a mass of Orcs at the borders of the Golden Wood!
He knew he should have done this by day, but, well, Galadriel, his wife, was in advanced state of pregnancy and she hadn't felt very well. She had not complained, no, as she never did, but he could read it in her eyes. So he had taken her out for a short walk in the woods, together with their daughter, Celebrían, who was about to get a baby sister or brother. But the short walk had become a long walk, because Galadriel grew tired and had to rest on a tree stump, and…
Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.
"Yes?"
A shy-looking maid came in.
"My Lord, it seems like the Lady is getting her baby!"
Celeborn jumped up.
"Where is she?"
"In your room. The servants whom Lord Elrond had sent from Imladris are with her."
"Good."
Elrond, a good friend of Celeborn and Galadriel, had sent a few servants from Imladris, because Imladris was the centre of medical civilization, to help the Lady with the pregnancy and birth.
Celeborn rushed through the corridors. Before Celebríans door, he hesitated.
Suddenly, a silver-haired head came out of the door.
"Ada, why are all these people…running around like that?"
She yawned, Elrond saw she almost fell asleep standing up.
He lead his daughter back to her bed.
"Your mom is getting her baby, so it seems. You can go back to sleep, Celebrían, I will come and wake you if the baby is born."
She nodded and fell asleep again.
Celeborn smiled and went back to the corridor. He had sounded sure and happy, but he didn't was so. He felt worried. The baby was two months too early.
And it hadn't been an easy pregnancy… He knew that there was a big chance of the baby being dead. But he didn't want to think about that.
Finally, he arrived at their room. Galadriel lay down on the bed, and when she saw him, she smiled, comforting. But it didn't comfort him. She didn't complain, as Galadriel did never complain. She was pretty strong of body, but especially, she was very strong of mind. And he knew that she would fight for this baby. But she did look… unhealthy.
Her skin was… not white, as usual, but just…well…pale. And the sweat dropped of her face… And though she did not cry nor scream, he saw her biting her lips, everytime she felt a contraction. He took her hand.
"I-will make it!" she whispered, groaning, "I will let this child live!"
A sad memory overtook Celeborn. A memory of a miscarriage, long ago, before even Celebrían was born. He swallowed his tears away.
"Yes, meleth-nîn, my love, you will make it! You can, you can let the baby live, my love, you can!"
She smiled as Celeborn kissed her lips, and for a moment, her pain seemed to melt away.
But then…it returned heavier than ever. She felt tears in her eyes.
"No… It – will – live!"
Norwenië, one of the servants from Imladris, encouraged the Lady.
"Come on, mylady. Keep pushing!"
Galadriel nodded laboriously.
Celeborn kissed her hand.
"You can do it, meleth-nîn. You can do everything. I knew it from the very first time I met you. You can do everything. Do you remember, my love, do you remember our meeting in Doriath? I loved you from the very first moment I saw you. But you weren't some stupid maiden who fell in my arms immediately. No- you were something else, my love, you still are. Do you remember the day that you went to Elu Thingol to ask his approval to marry me?"
She laughed and cried at the same time.
"Yes… his face was… something to… remember." She was panting now.
"Yes, mylady, one more push, yes!" Norwenië muttered.
Then, Galadriel gave a cry. The first and the last during the birth, and suddenly, Norwenië held a very small baby in her arms. She washed it immediately and then gave it to Galadriel.
"Congratulations. It is a girl!" she smiled, but secretly she wondered if it would stay alive. She gave a hint when she asked "Have you thought about a name?"
Galadriel hesitated. "Well…we… Will she stay alive?" she then asked directly.
"I do not know, mylady. But… if, in the morning, she still lives, I think she'll stay alive."
Galadriel nodded. "She'll stay alive. She will!"
Celeborn agreed. "If she will be as strong as her mother, I am sure she will."
"And if she'll be as peaceful and wise as her father, she certainly will." Galadriel smiled as she gave the bundle with the baby to Celeborn.
Celeborn felt a little… uncomfortable. In fact, he felt…very large.
Galadriel laughed. "She will not break, Celeborn, you can touch her!"
Carefully, he stroked her little cheek. The baby opened her eyes, her clear grey eyes, like her father's..
"She, she has my eyes…" he whispered touched. "And your hair!"
Galadriel smiled. "My big, strong hero is touched, isn't he. Yes, our daughter is a little miracle. Our miracle."
Suddenly, Celebrían walked into the room and ran over to her little sister.
"Oh, how cute! I have a…" She quickly took a look under the blanket. "sister!"
Galadriel and Celeborn laughed. "Indeed."
"Naneth-nîn, has she got a name yet?"
Galadriel shook her head sadly. "No. We do not know if she will stay alive…"
"Oh."
Celeborn smiled a warm smile. "Go back to bed, Celebrían, sell-nîn. You are sleepy."
The girl smiled. "Indeed I am. Goodnight ada, goodnight, nana, goodnight, baby sis!"
Large amounts of Orcs were wandering through Middle-Earth, and though they were still far away from Lórien, Celeborn did not feel comfortable. Orcs were able to travel fast, and he did not want to be surprised be a mass of Orcs at the borders of the Golden Wood!
He knew he should have done this by day, but, well, Galadriel, his wife, was in advanced state of pregnancy and she hadn't felt very well. She had not complained, no, as she never did, but he could read it in her eyes. So he had taken her out for a short walk in the woods, together with their daughter, Celebrían, who was about to get a baby sister or brother. But the short walk had become a long walk, because Galadriel grew tired and had to rest on a tree stump, and…
Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.
"Yes?"
A shy-looking maid came in.
"My Lord, it seems like the Lady is getting her baby!"
Celeborn jumped up.
"Where is she?"
"In your room. The servants whom Lord Elrond had sent from Imladris are with her."
"Good."
Elrond, a good friend of Celeborn and Galadriel, had sent a few servants from Imladris, because Imladris was the centre of medical civilization, to help the Lady with the pregnancy and birth.
Celeborn rushed through the corridors. Before Celebríans door, he hesitated.
Suddenly, a silver-haired head came out of the door.
"Ada, why are all these people…running around like that?"
She yawned, Elrond saw she almost fell asleep standing up.
He lead his daughter back to her bed.
"Your mom is getting her baby, so it seems. You can go back to sleep, Celebrían, I will come and wake you if the baby is born."
She nodded and fell asleep again.
Celeborn smiled and went back to the corridor. He had sounded sure and happy, but he didn't was so. He felt worried. The baby was two months too early.
And it hadn't been an easy pregnancy… He knew that there was a big chance of the baby being dead. But he didn't want to think about that.
Finally, he arrived at their room. Galadriel lay down on the bed, and when she saw him, she smiled, comforting. But it didn't comfort him. She didn't complain, as Galadriel did never complain. She was pretty strong of body, but especially, she was very strong of mind. And he knew that she would fight for this baby. But she did look… unhealthy.
Her skin was… not white, as usual, but just…well…pale. And the sweat dropped of her face… And though she did not cry nor scream, he saw her biting her lips, everytime she felt a contraction. He took her hand.
"I-will make it!" she whispered, groaning, "I will let this child live!"
A sad memory overtook Celeborn. A memory of a miscarriage, long ago, before even Celebrían was born. He swallowed his tears away.
"Yes, meleth-nîn, my love, you will make it! You can, you can let the baby live, my love, you can!"
She smiled as Celeborn kissed her lips, and for a moment, her pain seemed to melt away.
But then…it returned heavier than ever. She felt tears in her eyes.
"No… It – will – live!"
Norwenië, one of the servants from Imladris, encouraged the Lady.
"Come on, mylady. Keep pushing!"
Galadriel nodded laboriously.
Celeborn kissed her hand.
"You can do it, meleth-nîn. You can do everything. I knew it from the very first time I met you. You can do everything. Do you remember, my love, do you remember our meeting in Doriath? I loved you from the very first moment I saw you. But you weren't some stupid maiden who fell in my arms immediately. No- you were something else, my love, you still are. Do you remember the day that you went to Elu Thingol to ask his approval to marry me?"
She laughed and cried at the same time.
"Yes… his face was… something to… remember." She was panting now.
"Yes, mylady, one more push, yes!" Norwenië muttered.
Then, Galadriel gave a cry. The first and the last during the birth, and suddenly, Norwenië held a very small baby in her arms. She washed it immediately and then gave it to Galadriel.
"Congratulations. It is a girl!" she smiled, but secretly she wondered if it would stay alive. She gave a hint when she asked "Have you thought about a name?"
Galadriel hesitated. "Well…we… Will she stay alive?" she then asked directly.
"I do not know, mylady. But… if, in the morning, she still lives, I think she'll stay alive."
Galadriel nodded. "She'll stay alive. She will!"
Celeborn agreed. "If she will be as strong as her mother, I am sure she will."
"And if she'll be as peaceful and wise as her father, she certainly will." Galadriel smiled as she gave the bundle with the baby to Celeborn.
Celeborn felt a little… uncomfortable. In fact, he felt…very large.
Galadriel laughed. "She will not break, Celeborn, you can touch her!"
Carefully, he stroked her little cheek. The baby opened her eyes, her clear grey eyes, like her father's..
"She, she has my eyes…" he whispered touched. "And your hair!"
Galadriel smiled. "My big, strong hero is touched, isn't he. Yes, our daughter is a little miracle. Our miracle."
Suddenly, Celebrían walked into the room and ran over to her little sister.
"Oh, how cute! I have a…" She quickly took a look under the blanket. "sister!"
Galadriel and Celeborn laughed. "Indeed."
"Naneth-nîn, has she got a name yet?"
Galadriel shook her head sadly. "No. We do not know if she will stay alive…"
"Oh."
Celeborn smiled a warm smile. "Go back to bed, Celebrían, sell-nîn. You are sleepy."
The girl smiled. "Indeed I am. Goodnight ada, goodnight, nana, goodnight, baby sis!"