A/N: Mademoiselle here again! For those who have followed the story here: A big thank you! For those who have reviewed/favorited/followed: Even more big thank you! As of now, this might be the second-last chapter I actively write on this story, although it will still be updated at some point because I want to give people nice little moments from Maglor's life in Imladris and I really can't just not write Glorfindel, Erestor and Lindir whom I've gotten very fond of. As of now, I have a long one-shot (or maybe a two-shot) in mind, taking place right after Celebrían's departure from Middle-Earth and it would be nice to know if people would actually read it :P
Now, enjoy the story!
The days before the arrival of Galadriel and Celeborn of Lothlorien went on quite fast until it was the morning of the couple's arrival. For the whole previous day Maglor had felt dread build up in the pit of his stomach until in the morning it felt unbearable. He managed to eat only few fruits at breakfast and after it he headed straight to the secluded gardens. Having already agreed to Maglor waiting in the gardens, Elrond could not stop Maglor from leaving even though the lord and lady of the Golden Wood would probably not arrive until noon at earliest.
Maglor sat down near a waterfall and started plucking the harp he had gotten from Lindir few days prior. As they day went slowly by, he came up with new melodies and words. (Or were they old? He was not too sure…) And almost too soon he heard distant galloping of horse hooves. Listening closely, he heard a distantly familiar female voice inquiring his whereabouts. Then, suddenly, he heard bare feet rushing to his direction and before he could stop it, a fair elleth had appeared in front of him.
Artanis did not seem the same little lady whom Maedhros would always lift up on his shoulders nor did she look like the warrior Maglor had heard stories of. She seemed to have gained a great wisdom during all the years she had lived in Middle-Earth. However, as soon as her eyes fell on Maglor, she was suddenly the young elleth who'd always come to Maglor or Maedhros after Fëanor had said something she didn't like. She choked back a sob and in the matter of seconds Maglor found his arms full of sobbing Galadriel. He could not help but to smile at his cousin and wrap his arms around her trembling shoulders. (How long had it been since he last had held her like this?)
"You utter idiot", Galadriel mumbled from Maglor's chest. "What in the name of the Valar made you think it was a good idea to wander for millennia on and on after Nelyo's suicide? You should have come to me that exact second, surely I could have hidden you somewhere until the Valar would have calmed down."
"I'm sorry", Maglor whispered. "I don't think I was thinking very straight at that moment… The grief blinded me, I couldn't cause anyone else any more grief…"
"You hopeless fool", Galadriel muttered. "You'd better stay here with Elrond now when you've been found…"
"Will you hunt me down if I don't?" Maglor asked quietly as he buried his face on Galadriel's soft tresses and started trembling when all the dread and anxiety left his body. He stroked Galadriel's back while she gripped his tunic from his back. He rocked slowly back and forth, much like her father had done while comforting her after a nightmare or something similar.
"It will be alright soon, Artanis", Maglor whispered. "You'll be able to sail back to Valinor and you'll see your brothers again for they will be reborn from the halls of Mandos soon enough…"
"But what about you?" Galadriel asked and looked at Maglor. "Will you be able to sail and meet your brothers? I will not leave if you do not."
"Please do not say such strong words", Maglor pleaded with a sad smile. "I am a kinslayer, eternally banished from Valinor. Even if my brothers were reborn on those shores, I never shall meet them again."
"I will drag you there if I must", Galadriel whispered, looking almost angry. "I swear I will have you meet your brothers again even if it would be my last deed."
"Grandmother, please don't swear things", Elladan's small voice piped up from the area around Maglor's right leg. "Ada told us it may be very dangerous and that it could make many people very sad…"
"Oh, dear Elladan…" Galadriel whispered, smiling a sad smile. "I only want Maglor to feel happy after all these years of sadness… I do not wish hurt upon any being on this world."
"Has uncle Maglor been sad?" Elrohir asked worriedly. "Should he not talk with ada or someone else who can help him feel better?"
"I talked with Lindir", Maglor told and scooped Elrohir up to his lap. "Your grandmother is talking about a time long before your birth… It was a time of war and death, a time when countless of lives were lost by all races that now live on this Earth. Your father was born at that time, as was his brother and my brother and I… looked after them after their parents… had to leave…"
"Why did they have to leave?" Elladan asked from Galadriel's lap. "Will they ever come back?"
"They cannot", Galadriel explained. "The Valar have appointed the task of sailing the skies to your grandfather Eärendil whom we know as the first star of the night. Not until you father sails to Valinor can he meet his parents again."
"I don't want ada to sail!" Elrohir exclaimed. "Last night he told us that he will stay with us as long as we want him to! Why'd he suddenly sail?"
"Who said I'd sail?" Elrond's worried voice asked from the path from where Galadriel had rushed to Maglor. Elrohir exclaimed happily and ran to his father who lifted the elfling on his left shoulder. "I would never leave my family here while I'd sail."
"But grandmother said the only way for you to meet your family would be to sail!" Elladan said with a great deal of worry in his small voice.
"I think I can wait for few thousand years more to see my children grow", Elrond laughed with a gentle smile as he allowed Elladan to climb on his right shoulder. "I don't want my family to feel abandoned after all because you're the best thing that has ever happened to me…"
"Then ada is the best thing that has happened to us!" Elrohir declared happily and hugged Elrond's head.
"Ada is the best ada!" Elladan declared and hugged Elrond's head from the other side, causing Elrond get completely blinded and stagger around a bit.
"Could you not do that while I'm standing boys?" Elrond asked. "I can't see anything… And I think you will have something even better happen to you when you grow up…"
"But what could possibly be better?" the twins asked in unison.
"Maybe friends you will make", Elrond sighed. "One day you will think I'm weird and old-fashioned so let me enjoy the time we have together now… Oh, the dinner will be served in another few hours and I think lord Celeborn would like to meet Maglor before that."
With that Elrond tried to walk (or more like staggered) away with Elladan and Elrohir on his shoulders. For some time Maglor and Galadriel only stared after the elf-lord and suddenly they found themselves laughing heartily at the weird sight. They could not help but adore Elrond's way of taking care of his two little sons which must certainly have been because he was a father. They could remember their own fathers taking care of their families in similar manner. Fëanor would always lift any of his sons up in the air and run around like a headless cow or horse (much to Nerdanel's annoyance) while Finarfin would always have fun with all of his children, especially little Artanis.
"Should we go?" Galadriel asked as she calmed down. "I really want to introduce you to my husband before we head to dinner."
"Can you promise me he won't eat my head?" Maglor asked, raising his eyebrow. "If I remember anything right, he'd easily be able to kill a person or two if he was ever forced to do so…"
"Believe me, he might even give you a hug", Galadriel said with a loving smile. "He was even quicker to accept Elrond's proposal for our daughter's hand than I was and I never would have had anything against it… Poor Elrond was so terrified while asking that when we happily exclaimed that we'd be more than happy to see him married to my dear Celebrían that I think his heart stopped for few seconds…"
"…He surely can't be that scary?" Maglor asked with a terrified expression.
"No, I think Elrond was more terrified of me than him", Galadriel laughed. "To him I must be a scary noldorin lady who was alive already at Fëanor's time…"
"He knows better than that", Maglor said sadly as he followed Galadriel to where she believed she and Celeborn would be staying during their visit.
"I know he does", Galadriel said and flashed a sad smile to Maglor. "But I kind of wish he'd be a bit more childlike… He grew up so fast thanks to his human blood but I know he has a childish side too…"
"You almost sound like you'd want to be his mother", Maglor sighed.
"That must be because of my dear Celeborn", Galadriel laughed. "He sees Elrond as the son he never had, and somehow I just love seeing him dote over Elrond and our daughter…"
"My dear, Artanis really is in love", Maglor grinned. "Well, if your husband is as you tell me, I really have to meet him…"
We end the chapter here, you will probably see the next sometime after my huge German exam and other little ones next week :D
