Disclaimer: Lotr belongs to Tolkien and I'm not making any profit on this fic. I'm just playing in his sandbox.
Heartfelt thanks to Genesis Grey for being an excellent beta.
Chapter 1
Elrond rolls out of bed just as the stars in the eastern sky give way to the first light of dawn. It is an early hour, even for an elf, but lingering in bed only brings painful memories to the mighty lord. He quietly pulls on his robe, pausing to cast a sad glance at the empty spot on the far side of the bed before padding barefoot to the washroom beside his chambers.
The water in the basin is sharp with winter's chill; so Elrond makes quick work of his morning wash, removing sleep and the stench of night terrors from his fair face and exhausted body with a wet cloth. Winters are the hardest, there's little in the way of duty to distract him from the regrets and what ifs that prey upon his unoccupied mind.
He towels off quickly and slips into informal robes, grateful for their thickness. Usually the cold doesn't bother him, but today it seems to be taking advantage of his dark mood. Some days his mixed heritage is a blessing. Today it's not.
Elrond runs a comb through his hair, noting that the ends are starting to split and in need of a trim. He absently glances at the washroom mirror which reflects his bed in the other room. Elrond freezes, an old memory welling up with painful clarity. He can see Celebrian leaning against the bed's headboard, gown tumbling off her shoulders and a smile gracing her delicate features as she hums to the infant suckling at her breast. Dropping the comb into the basin he spins around, her name on the tip of his tongue. His bed is empty, just the way he left it when he awoke.
Feeling cheated Elrond's heart twists in his chest and he hastily flees his chambers, barely slowing to grab his boots. Five hundred years have passed since Celebrian sailed to Valinor and in an unguarded moment her absence still hurts him like dirt ground into an open wound.
tbc