A/N: It has been years since I wrote or posted any type of fan fiction. At this time I do not have a beta so all mistakes are my own.
Description: A look at many of the "first" meetings of various and sundry canon characters.
First Meeting: The Birth of a Star
All mothers dream of greatness for their children, but few ever are blessed with the opportunity to see it. Unlike her mother and husband Celebrían was rarely gifted with foresight, yet in the instance of her unborn child she had more of a mother intuition of things to come rather than a true look into what the future might bring. The thought of what choices her soon-to-be daughter might face weighed heavily on her mind.
With no particular destination in mind, Celebrían wearily ambled through one of the many vast gardens that Imladis had to offer. It was a rare moment for the matriarch to be at leisure from the demands of both household and family, and she intended to make the most of it. A constrained kick from the babe had her hand moving on its own accord. The imminent birth of her third child drove out all other thoughts.
Although blessed with elven grace Celebrían felt unwieldy and off balance. Elrond assured her that she had never looked lovelier. With a sardonic smile Celebrían woefully admitted that she was beginning to tire of pregnancy. As the gift of elven children was a rare and wonderful occurrence, especially for the lord and lady of Imladris, Celebrían was often treated with an unconscious reverence. Yes, it was quite nice to be greeted by everyone as a bringer of joy and goodwill, but there were times she just wanted to be left alone - hence her retreat to the garden.
Gently stretching her back into alignment Celebrían allowed her mind to drift. Memories of Elladan and Elrohir's birth surfaced. With one only babe on the way she speculated on how the births would differ. At least this babe had its head pointed the correct direction for Celebrían did not relish the thought of having her husband performing the torturous twisting maneuver he had to conduct to move the twins into a suitable birthing position.
As if sensing her mother's thoughts the child squirmed and butted her head down low. A tightening sensation took ahold of Celebrían's core. It only lasted for a moment. A solitary bench lent itself handily as Celebrían took a moment to rest. The praxis contractions had begun a fortnight before, heralding the impending arrival of the newest member of Imladris. Celebrían had grown accustom to the periodic and involuntary sensation. After a moments respite Celebrían grudgingly convinced herself to continue her walk through the gardens.
Young voices up ahead foretold the arrival of her two offspring long before they could be seen. Although Elladan and Elrohir had recently reached their majority their behavior often left cause for question. Both of her sons were exceptionally excited to be welcoming a younger sibling into the world.
"Naneth!" The twins gamboled into the garden with wide smiles.
"Yes, ionath?" queried Celebrían with a fond smile. How different things would be with a new baby!
Eyes as sharp as quicksilver flashed as Elladan took her by the right and Elrohir to the left. "Adar said he had sent you out here to relax."
"He did, did he?" A slender silver eyebrow rose.
"And we thought we could assist you, Naneth dearest," carried on Elladan without pause.
Elrohir gave his brother a mock glare. "Actually, I wondered at the wisdom of that. How much assistance can my brother possibly give in terms of relaxation?"
"You wound me!"
"Ha! Your idea of relaxing is spending the afternoon in the sale, which Naneth obviously should not participate in at this time."
"And yours," Elladan retorted, "is spending the afternoon in the stables with that old nag of yours. Which Naneth obviously does not want to do at this time."
With a musical laugh Celebrían tugged on her son's arms and lead them along the path. "No, I'm afraid weapon's practice and long rides are out of the question for now. Your sibling will soon make her appearance if her wiggling is anything to go by." With a fond look at her handsome children Celebrían continued her stroll. "The time is almost neigh for the birth. But come; distract your poor naneth for a bit. Tell me of your recent adventures."
Though the world had been at peace for the past two hundred years Elrond never allowed his people to become lackadaisical and preached vigilance to all. Recently the twins had been allowed to start accompanying a few of the larger routine patrols. Elladan and Elrohir were ecstatic to share their newfound experience with their mother. A spritely dialogue sprung up between the twins as they outlined their most recent foray beyond the bounds of Imladris.
As the sun began to sink towards the horizon the Burien glinted in the distance. Merry singing could be heard as the elves of vale began packing up their daily doings. Not all would retire for the evening, but the Lady of Imladris allowed her gallant sons to lead her towards the family quarters.
After a quiet family meal Celebrían allowed herself to be lulled into the waking dreams of the elves as her husband gently brushed her hair. A gentle breeze rustled the curtains at the window and somewhere a nightingale sang a melodic tune. Resting upon Elrond's chest Celebrían felt her husband gently caress her protruding stomach, navel visibly jutting out from her night clothes. A sense of peace and contentment swelled within her breast. The babe playfully rolled as she felt her sire give a gentle poke.
"I thought you were supposed to be helping me relax, nîn hîr?" murmured Celebrían as the babe's antics began to press against her bladder.
"Hmm," Elrond hummed noncommittally as he continued to seemingly play a game with the unborn child. "Her begetting day is not far off." A self-satisfied smile crept onto the normally regal face of the well-known elf-lord.
"I know it well, my love," answered Celebrían. "Nothing else seems to be in my thoughts. This little one takes after her brothers. She wants out."
"Soon," said Elrond has he gently placed kisses on his wife's neck and slowly down to where the fruit of their union bounced. "Hush, tithen pen, let your nana rest. Both you and she will have a lot to do in the coming days." Humming a gentle lullaby Elrond slowly rubbed circles and the babe settled once more.
Celebrían fought to see through her tears. To behold such love was a blessing. The thought that she would soon be holding her daughter sent chills down her spine. A perfect creation to be born in a not so perfect world; a gift that that would be cherished forever. The vision of a tall, grey-eyed lass standing in a city of white stone flashed before Celebrían's inner eye. Now was not the time to worry about that. With a conscious thought Celebrían centered her mind back towards the loving relationship her husband was engaging in with their child.
Elrond's eyes looked up from his ministrations. Soon Celebrían was caught up in a sensuous kiss that took her breath away. Strong arms engulfed her as gentle hands traced patterns up and down her arms. There was no urgency in the kiss or caress; merely a feeling of love and wonder.
"When I married you I could not imagine loving you anymore. You consumed my entire being, but yet every day we spend together you entwine another part of my soul," Elrond stated with a look of awe. He gradually pulled away and once again laid his hand on his wife's stomach. "Thank you, my love for this wonderful gift. Have I ever told you how beautiful you look when carrying my child?"
Celebrían cupped her husband's chin, with a fondness born of years of intimacy, "Only every other hour."
"Then I shall endeavor to tell you every hour hence until our child is ready to meet the world." Husband and wife were soon lost in each other, oblivious to the cares of the world around them.
Sometime during the wee hours of the morning Celebrían felt a damp sensation between her thighs. Moving with speed that belied her protruding midriff she promptly made her way to the bathing area. A quick inspection confirmed that her birthing waters had ruptured. Not wanting to alarm her husband Celebrían softly made her way back to bed. The contractions had not started yet and she wanted to conserve her strength for the hard work that was yet to come.
"Is everything alright," murmured Elrond as he felt Celebrían slip back into bed.
A smile slipped onto her face, "Yes, dear, my waters ruptured."
"What?!" the normally dignified elf-lord sat up in bed.
"The contractions are very weak right now. I think we have sometime before our daughter makes her way into the world. I'd like to sleep a bit yet."
"Of course," said Elrond with a goofy grin. He gently gathered Celebrían in his arms and hummed a traditional elvish lullaby. As the premier healer in the land Elrond had attended many births, both easy and some that required an exceptional degree of healing mastery, but the thought of his wife enduring labor was not a calming prospect.
A few hours later Celebrían began to feel slight pangs as the sun climbed over the mountains and shone its first rays into the valley. But unlike with the twins the pain did not start in her abdomen, but wrapped around to her back and sunk into her hips. The contraction did not last for long, nor did it cause an exceptional amount of pain. But that fact that the pain itself was in the wrong place caused a small shoot of fear to take root in Celebrían's heart.
A soft sound from the hall caused Celebrían to raise her eyes from her stomach where she had placed her hands. Elrond entered their room with a tray of breakfast balanced on his outstretched arm. A few graceful steps brought him over to his wife.
A concerned frown creased his brow, "What is it? Is the babe unwell?"
"No," Celebrían shook her silvery head, "I do not think it is the babe. But the pains…" she paused. "They are different than with the twins. I know," she continued, "that not all births are the same, but I thought the labor would be similar."
Celebrían watched in fascination as Elrond's mien became that of the healer rather than consummate husband. "What is the difference?"
"Rather than feeling the tightening in my abdomen and the feeling or pressure the pain wraps itself around my back and radiates down into my hips," explained Celebrían as she traced the lines of pain with her fingers.
"The babe is in a posterior position, facing up rather than down." A grim look crossed Elrond's face. "There are several exercises we can try to convince her to spin around, if not the birth can proceed as normal, yet…" he took a breath. "I fear that it will be all the more painful for you. You see as the babe comes down the crown of her head will push against your cervix, which helps your body expand as the babe descends down the birthing canal. But, as she is looking up rather than down her head is pushing against this bone," Elrond paused to push on Celebrían's coccyx. "This in turn makes the pain resonate in your back and down into your hips."
"What do you propose I do to help the babe turn around?" queried Celebrían.
"Lay on your side, love, and I will gently manipulate your spine. Sometimes the gentle realignment of the vertebrae will help prompt the babe to turn. But," he hesitated, "it can also start bringing the pains on more quickly."
Without hesitation Celebrían stretched out on her side. "I do not wish to prolong this. If the pains come faster - then the babe will be here all the sooner." Experienced fingers and hands easily found the correct pressure points. A few subtle manipulations later and Elrond was satisfied that he had done he could. The spasms in Celebrían's lower back seemed to have abated for the moment. Celebrían carefully sat up and patted Elrond's hand. "I think I'll take a bite of breakfast now. What delicacies from the kitchen did you scrounge up this morning, my dear?"
With a flourish Elrond presented Celebrían with a plate filled with an odd assortment of foods. "Some sausage dripping with syrup, eggs scrambled with stewed tomatoes and a cup of raspberry leaf tea laced with a liberal portion of black cohosh."
"Thank you," smiled Celebrían. Most elven ladies did not experience such strange cravings, but she attributed her odd tastes to the edain heritage of her husband. The tea, on the other hand, was a concoction of Elrond's doing. The raspberry leaf was to help strengthen her uterus and ease the birth whereas the black cohosh was used to help stimulate contractions. "Did you bring nothing for yourself?"
"I filched a few honey cakes while, Cook, was fixing your plate," stated an unrepentant Elrond. "I will be moving a few things from my surgery in here to prepare for the birth. I will have Elladan and Elrohir help you take a few short walks. I would also like for you to do some knee bends. Your birth waters ruptured about four hours ago. Since your pains are neither strong nor consistent you need to be up and moving. I do not want you going too long as it will make the birth harder."
"I bow to your expertise," smiled Celebrían. "As soon as I finish this lovely breakfast I will don more suitable attire for roaming the halls and gardens of Imladris." With that she speared a perfectly seared sausage and liberally coated it with maple syrup. "Have you informed our sons that their sister is on the way?"
"No, I was afraid that they would immediately burst in here demanding to see her. I am not convinced they quite understand how long the process can take," explained Elrond. "But they will want to help as much as possible. I doubt that you, nor our sons, would appreciate them being with you during the final stages of labor."
With a musical laugh Celebrían threw her head back and smiled up at Elrond, "No, I agree that would not be the best idea. Walking with our sons will be a much more pleasurable experience for all of us. Go ahead," continued Celebrían, "gather your tools. I will finish up here and make my way to the Hall of Fire." A grimace passed Celebrían's face as another contraction made itself known – in the middle of her lower back. "I suspect all of Imladris will know of our daughter's impending arrival once the twins are alerted. But," she paused, "I think the babe is still facing up. The pain still radiates to my back."
Elrond sighed, "I was afraid that would be the case. Well, finish your meal while I gather my supplies. After you walk a bit with the twins we will see what other methods might persuade our daughter to spin around."
As the sun reached its zenith Celebrían despaired of ever getting her stubborn daughter to face down to ease the pain in her back. Elrond had coached her to bounce on the edge of the bed, perform deep knee bends and abdominal lifts where Celebrían would lean against Elrond or one of the twins, lift her stomach and try to flatten her back. By Elrond's calculations it had been close to eleven hours since Celebrían's waters had ruptured. With the posterior position of the infant Elrond was concerned that the labor would be prolonged until the following morning, if not longer.
Walking and staying in motion seemed to ease some of the discomfort Celebrían was feeling. The babe was progressing down, but not as quickly as either parent would be liked. Concerned for their mother the twins had scaled back their normally boisterous personalities and calmly rendered assistance where ever and whenever they could.
After consuming a hearty luncheon of soup and fresh fish Celebrían began to feel somewhat fatigued. Elrond encouraged his wife to rest in a reclined position, rather than prone. Unable to completely relax Celebrían asked that a few of her favored books of poetry be brought so that she could try to clear her mind.
"Mmmhmm," groaned Celebrían. The contractions had steadily increased as the afternoon wore on. Dusk was approaching on the horizon. Elrond had finally given Celebrían leave to sit in the deep inset pool in their bathing area. A few of Celebrían's female friends had been coming and going, giving moral support, but now she desired to be alone. The final stages of labor engulfed her entire being, down to her soul.
Another contraction began to build in her back. She would never have to worry about her daughter not knowing what she wanted if the babe's persistence and refusal to turn was any indication of her personality. "One – two – three – four - …" Celebrían tried to concentrate on counting and breathing as her muscles cramped. After reaching sixteen the unrelenting pain ebbed away.
Elrond sat on a chair nearby. With the birth of the twins Celebrían had wanted him in the water with her, massaging her shoulders as the twins made their way into the world, but this time she wanted to be left alone. With concern, but not worry, Elrond watched as another contraction griped his wife and left her panting in agony. He supposed it was his edain blood had caused a great deal of the discomfort, most of the elven births he had attended where much more peaceful affairs.
"I need to push," Celebrían ground out, rocketing her husband out of his musings.
"Can you feel the babe presenting herself?" asked Elrond.
Celebrían carefully felt between her legs, free from pain at the moment. As her fingers felt their way along, she encountered something hard, but wispy. Yes, her daughters head with a full crop of hair if she was not mistaken. "Yes, I can feel her he-" she was cut off as an unexpected contraction ripped through her. She quickly sucked in a breath of air.
"Try to breathe normally, my love."
Celebrían was beyond listening. The pain encompassed her entire being. Air! She needed air! She gulped as fast as he could.
"Celebrían, listen to me. Take my fingers and count. You are going to hyperventilate." Elrond reached his hand towards her, making sure to only offer two fingers of his left hand.
Silver eyes flared. "You breathe," she spat, "I'm trying to have your child."
Elrond tried to keep the mirth from his face. He knew Celebrían meant nothing by the exchange, but was heartened that she felt confident enough to fight back.
"Try not to push yet. Just breathe. Let your body do the work." He swirled the water in the pool with his free hand. "Is the water warm enough? I can call for another few buckets to increase the heat."
"Yes," gasped Celebrían, "hotter is better." She sank against the inlayed stone bench in the tub. "I will try to rest while the water is brought.
Buckets of water were quickly brought in to increase the temperature of the water. Elrond estimated that it was around 98 degrees, close enough to Celebrían's internal temperature so as not to startle the babe as she came out. "Celebrían, listen to me please." Elrond took his wife's hand again, "On the next pain I would like you to concentrate on down, think down. Try not to push, but relax with your body and allow the water to pull you down. It is up to you if you want to sit or try squatting in the water."
Celebrían nodded, "Down. I think I would like to squat. It is coming… down." She clenched her teeth and tried to envision the babe slipping forth into the world. Remembering that Elrond had suggested to relax she purposefully loosened her jaw and thought down. "Down. Down. Down. Down." It became a mantra to be repeated over and over again as wave after wave of pain rushed through her body. Just when she felt she could not take any more Celebrían felt something give.
Elrond reached his free hand down into the water. With a nod from Celebrían he entered the pool just as Celebrían gave one last mighty push. A tiny slippery body shot out from between her thighs. With practiced hands Elrond guided his new daughter up towards her mother.
Celebrían watched. The experience was surreal as her husband gently deposited their brand new daughter on her chest. Sitting back onto the seat Celebrían watched as the tiny infant immediately began squirming her way towards her breast. The rosebud mouth opened and closed as it tried to find a nipple to latch on to. With a motion long out of practice, but never forgotten, Celebrían presented her daughter with her breast and helped her to latch. The suckling was strong and sure, the latch well done.
Watching his wife and daughter with undisguised pleasure Elrond waited as the last few contractions brought forth the placenta. As soon as the umbilical cord stopped pulsing he tied it off a few inches above his daughter's navel. Quickly drying himself off Elrond brought warm towels towards the pool and turned back the covers on his and Celebrían's bed. A glance out the window revealed that the first evening star had just risen into the sky.
As he helped his wife ascend from the pool he gaze roved over the beautiful child they had created. She had been born with a thatch of dark hair as well as the indistinct colored eyes that all infants have. "Arwen Undomíel," he whispered.
"Hmm?" said Celebrían as she looked up at her husband.
"Arwen Undomíel, for she was born under the evening star, and she shall become the evenstar of our people."
"Welcome to the world, precious girl," Celebrían spoke into her daughter's hair. But the infant was less interested in being named and shown the world that she was snuggling into her mother's warm body and comforting breasts. "Here is your Ada, little one."
Elrond helped his wife under the covers. Celebrían handed the little bundle over to her husband, which he took with alacrity. A tiny fist waved in protest, but was soon captured by a blanket as Elrond stepped out onto the balcony with his daughter. Together they stood one fast asleep, secure in her father's arm, the other looked up and wondered if his father's star remembered their first meetings many ages ago.
A/N: Thank you for reading. I tried to keep the birth from being overly graphic as it is a very special experience for all involved. Much of what Celebrían went through I also experienced during my labor and delivery. Any comments and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.