Category: Lord of the Rings
Rating: M
Couples: Manwë/Elrond, Thranduil/OC, Gil-galad/OC
Warnings: AU, Mention of Rape, Mpreg, slash, Character Death
Chapter: 3
Copyright: Characters & places © By Tolkien, Plot & OC´s © by me
Author's note: Also, for readers of my other stories: I have a Christmas-gift: updates of all 7 in-progress stories. Merry Christmas and happy New Year!
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Elrond was not to be found. Both he and the child had seemingly vanished from the face of Arda and Mandos' insurance that neither had died and traveled to his Halls did little to calm the worry in their hearts. It became worse when Elladan and Elrohir arrived in Aman, worry for their father having driven them to come to the Blessed shores faster than any would have expected them too. They took up their habit of long travels in the wild lands, not to hunt orcs, but to find their sire.
Their father knew of their arrival, but he could not greet them. He was unable to leave the valley where his only companions were the animals, his daughter and Manwë, who regularly visited him.
And the Vala found himself enchanted by his daughter. He could certainly understand why Melian had been willing to have Luthien against all odds.
The child grew fast, faster than any child Elrond had seen. With that speed she could be mature at the age of ten!
"They travel ever farther abroad." Manwë told the half-elf.
"But they won't find me, will they?" Elrond softly asked, keeping one eye on his daughter, who had just learned to walk and the other on the Vala sitting beside him.
"Not unless I want them too." Manwë answered him. "And you know I won't."
"I know." Elrond sighed, before running after the child intend on walking straight into the stream.
The Vala of the Winds watched the two of them, thinking over what had happened the last few months. Something had crept into him, feelings he was hardly willing to name. In the beginning his only reason for Elrond to stay in exile had been secrecy over the child, but as time progressed and he grew to like the companionship of the half-elf, that reason had made way for a simple and yet selfish desire: to keep the elf's company.
"Ada." He looked down at the word, seeing that his daughter's hands had closed in his robes. She pulled at them, demanding to be picked up. He obliged, recalling the first time he had done so. It had felt awkward and it must have shown, because Elrond had teased him about it. Him, the Lord of Arda! He studied her. She was rather plain, nothing that was exceptional. She could easily pass for any Vanya, unlike Lúthien, who had never been rivaled in beauty among His children.
But her voice promised to become a thing of greatness. He guessed skill with music came with the territory when you are descended from someone who literally sang the winds, skies and birds into creation.
"She hopes you'll save her from her nap." Elrond stood nearby, but the Vala felt a pang of regret in his chest when he saw the respectable distance the elf held.
Little Tinúviel nodded fervently, her golden locks bouncing around her head. "Not sweepy."
Manwë looked at her, quirking his eyebrow. "Really? Well, your father's word is law here, so I'm afraid it is nap-time."
She pouted, but did not protest as she was transferred from one parent to the other.
"Are all children such handfuls?" The Vala asked when the elf returned from putting the child to bed.
"Yes, I'm just glad she goes through these fazes much quicker than others." Elrond closed the door softly behind him. "How long are you going to stay this time?"
"Not too long." The other said. "I can't have my siblings wonder where I am."
"You said they can't find this place." Elrond said, slowly leading the Vala away from the cottage.
"And they can't, but it would lead to unpleasant questions." The golden-haired man said. "Besides, it is not as if you are that comfortable with me."
"You are a Vala, and the circumstances aren't really that great either." His black hair was pulled back in a tight braid, which he now loosened. "Do you want me to be more comfortable?"
"Very much." Blue eyes almost shyly met silver ones. "I am pretty much the only one you'll be around, Tinúviel excluded."
"And whose fault is that?" Elrond retorted.
"Would you have preferred to bear the child of an orc?" The other stopped abruptly. "Do you honestly think I did what I did if I had another choice?"
"No, I know it was a last resort." Elf stared down Ainu, their eyes boring into one another. "But I was a very social elf, before all this. I miss the buzz of a city, the walking of feet in the floor outside my room. I have nothing of that here. I would not want my child to die, but I miss that, Manwë, I miss being around others. How long before you tire of me and simply leave me here? It is not as if I can do anything about that should you decide you have grown tired of coming here."
"Don't say that." The wind picked up, reacting to the Vala's anger. "Do not repeat those words ever again, Elrond. I will never tire of you, I know the sacrifice I forced you to make, and I won't have you deal with that alone. Did you never think I had to make sacrifices too? I have to lock my mind for all my siblings, so they do not find out about this. I have to forsake the greatest expression of companionship and love the Valar have so that you and she are safe."
"I did not know that." Elrond whispered, his gaze now drawn to the soil between them.
"Of course not, I did not wish to burden you with this knowledge." Manwë answered equally softly. "We both sacrificed something so that our daughter can live."
"Our daughter…"