Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author's note: This chapter mostly features Elrohir, but Elladan will be in the story more later.
Summary: In the lives of Elladan and Elrohir, there have been many fleeting presences: their mother gone to the Undying lands, Estel who was doomed to die, and Arwen who spent years in Lothlorien. Yet they have always had each other, and that was enough. Chronicles the life of the twins of Imladris. Main characters: Elrohir, Elladan. Side characters: Elrond, Estel, Arwen, Celebrian.
*****Prologue*****
"Naneth, how come people get married?"
Celebrian looked down at her young son and smiled. "People get married when they fall in love, Elrohir," she replied with a wistful smile. The boy's face smoothed over, just moments before wrinkled in deep concentration. Celebrian figured Elrohir had been pondering this for three days, for when Elrohir wondered about something his face always contorted, forehead creased and eyes half-open. Once he had drawn his own conclusions he would ask someone, but never before.
Elladan, twin brother to Elrohir, was just the opposite. He would blurt out a question or thought as soon as it came into his head, regardless of how inopportune a time it might be. It was often funny when the child would ask a completely random question, or state some unrelated fact, at an important political function or some such thing.
Yet there were times when even Celebrian had trouble telling the boys apart. Both were within a quarter-inch of the same height, both had long dark hair, and both had fair skin. On some occasions the one of the two had gotten caught at some mischief and run off, and their parents were so unsure of which had done the act that they did not know which to punish. On such occasions, neither boy was in any trouble at all, unless one confessed (neither ever had).
Elrohir's face wrinkled again. "Then do you love Ada, Naneth?" he asked his mother.
"Of course I love your Ada, Elrohir, and I always will." Celebrian hung laundry out to dry as she answered her son's questions. The sun shone and the sky was clear blue, as near to perfect as a day could be.
"But you still love me and Elladan, right? And the new baby?" Elrohir asked worriedly.
"Yes, Elrohir." Celebrian looked wistfully at her stomach. She had only just begun to show signs of a growing child within her, yet somehow Elrohir had already taken an interest in his little sibling--whom he was sure would be a girl. She smiled as she placed a hand on her growing belly.
"But Ada says it's wrong for a woman to love two men." The boy didn't understand. How could his mother love him and his brother, and his ada, but not be doing anything wrong?
"Well, dear, it's quite different then that!" Celebrian wondered how to explain this to a child. She set down her basket of laundry as she thought. "When a woman marries a man, it is because they are in love. Yet the love she feels for her family--children or parents, for example--is a different kind of love. It is something deeper, something that runs and pulses with her blood. Understand?"
"I. . .I think I do. Then is it all right for me to love Elladan? Or is it wrong?"
"It is fine," Celebrian answered, once again hanging laundry.
"Because Ada said that it's unnatural for two men to love each other."
"Well, I don't think he meant two brothers when he said that, Elrohir," Celebrian responded with a laugh.
"Then. . .then what did he mean, Naneth? I don't understand this!" he sighed in frustration. Celebrian knew there was no putting this off. If she didn't tell Elrohir then and there, he would ask Elrond, and the one thing he could not explain calmly was homosexuality. Celebrian set her basket of laundry on the ground and sat next to it, drawing her son close to her.
"Sometimes, and usually, men love women and women love men. But there are some people, some men who love men and some women who love women. Those people, there are some vulgar names for them, and some of those names can be very hurtful and offensive, even to people who are not like that."
"What's the right name for them?"
"Homosexuals," Celebrian answered. "But even when some people say that word, the tone makes it offensive. Do you understand this, Elrohir?"
"Yes, Naneth," he answered. "Those bad names--I've heard them, I think. Ada says them, doesn't he?"
"Yes, Elrohir. I'm afraid he does."
*****
Elrohir could not sleep that night. He was still very young, and he had encountered many new ideas that day. As is the way with many children, he had always seen his parents, and his Ada in particular, as infallible. Yet what Celebrian had told him would make Elrond wrong. In that case, surely she could not be right. What then? If his Naneth was right, his Ada was wrong.
"Who's right then?" Elrohir asked the darkness. Could they both be wrong? But if they were both wrong, who was right? Many hours the boy thought about this, and many hours his thoughts went in circles. Finally he decided he would have to ask. But who? Since Celebrian knew the issue, she could not give an honest answer. He would have to ask Elrond. But how to ask without stating the issue? Would that mean lying?
Never in his life had Elrohir's morality been so tested. Should he lie? If he didn't, could he get an honest answer? Was it possible for two opposite statements both to be right? Could he parents both be wrong? One thing was for sure: Elrohir had began to grow up.
*****
"Ada. . .if two people say two things, but they both say different things, then which person is right?" Elrohir shifted uncomfortably. What if his Ada knew what he meant? Would he be in trouble? Would the answer be true?
"It depends. If they are stating opinions, they are both correct. There is no such thing as a wrong opinion. However, if they are stating facts, well, it really depends on what the truth of the matter is. Why do you ask?" Elrond inquired, already having a suspicion.
"Naneth said. . .she said people don't always agree. No other reason, just that. Thanks for helping me understand," Elrohir said, and he dashed out of the room. He didn't stop running until he was outside and in the forested area that surround Rivendell. Once he was sure he had left his parents far behind, he stopped running and cried.
Nothing made sense anymore.
Second note: Yes, Elladan and Elrohir are lovers in this story. If you want to flame, kindly reformat the flame to be a constructive criticism review. That way, I'll listen to you and think about what you say.
Author's note: This chapter mostly features Elrohir, but Elladan will be in the story more later.
Summary: In the lives of Elladan and Elrohir, there have been many fleeting presences: their mother gone to the Undying lands, Estel who was doomed to die, and Arwen who spent years in Lothlorien. Yet they have always had each other, and that was enough. Chronicles the life of the twins of Imladris. Main characters: Elrohir, Elladan. Side characters: Elrond, Estel, Arwen, Celebrian.
*****Prologue*****
"Naneth, how come people get married?"
Celebrian looked down at her young son and smiled. "People get married when they fall in love, Elrohir," she replied with a wistful smile. The boy's face smoothed over, just moments before wrinkled in deep concentration. Celebrian figured Elrohir had been pondering this for three days, for when Elrohir wondered about something his face always contorted, forehead creased and eyes half-open. Once he had drawn his own conclusions he would ask someone, but never before.
Elladan, twin brother to Elrohir, was just the opposite. He would blurt out a question or thought as soon as it came into his head, regardless of how inopportune a time it might be. It was often funny when the child would ask a completely random question, or state some unrelated fact, at an important political function or some such thing.
Yet there were times when even Celebrian had trouble telling the boys apart. Both were within a quarter-inch of the same height, both had long dark hair, and both had fair skin. On some occasions the one of the two had gotten caught at some mischief and run off, and their parents were so unsure of which had done the act that they did not know which to punish. On such occasions, neither boy was in any trouble at all, unless one confessed (neither ever had).
Elrohir's face wrinkled again. "Then do you love Ada, Naneth?" he asked his mother.
"Of course I love your Ada, Elrohir, and I always will." Celebrian hung laundry out to dry as she answered her son's questions. The sun shone and the sky was clear blue, as near to perfect as a day could be.
"But you still love me and Elladan, right? And the new baby?" Elrohir asked worriedly.
"Yes, Elrohir." Celebrian looked wistfully at her stomach. She had only just begun to show signs of a growing child within her, yet somehow Elrohir had already taken an interest in his little sibling--whom he was sure would be a girl. She smiled as she placed a hand on her growing belly.
"But Ada says it's wrong for a woman to love two men." The boy didn't understand. How could his mother love him and his brother, and his ada, but not be doing anything wrong?
"Well, dear, it's quite different then that!" Celebrian wondered how to explain this to a child. She set down her basket of laundry as she thought. "When a woman marries a man, it is because they are in love. Yet the love she feels for her family--children or parents, for example--is a different kind of love. It is something deeper, something that runs and pulses with her blood. Understand?"
"I. . .I think I do. Then is it all right for me to love Elladan? Or is it wrong?"
"It is fine," Celebrian answered, once again hanging laundry.
"Because Ada said that it's unnatural for two men to love each other."
"Well, I don't think he meant two brothers when he said that, Elrohir," Celebrian responded with a laugh.
"Then. . .then what did he mean, Naneth? I don't understand this!" he sighed in frustration. Celebrian knew there was no putting this off. If she didn't tell Elrohir then and there, he would ask Elrond, and the one thing he could not explain calmly was homosexuality. Celebrian set her basket of laundry on the ground and sat next to it, drawing her son close to her.
"Sometimes, and usually, men love women and women love men. But there are some people, some men who love men and some women who love women. Those people, there are some vulgar names for them, and some of those names can be very hurtful and offensive, even to people who are not like that."
"What's the right name for them?"
"Homosexuals," Celebrian answered. "But even when some people say that word, the tone makes it offensive. Do you understand this, Elrohir?"
"Yes, Naneth," he answered. "Those bad names--I've heard them, I think. Ada says them, doesn't he?"
"Yes, Elrohir. I'm afraid he does."
*****
Elrohir could not sleep that night. He was still very young, and he had encountered many new ideas that day. As is the way with many children, he had always seen his parents, and his Ada in particular, as infallible. Yet what Celebrian had told him would make Elrond wrong. In that case, surely she could not be right. What then? If his Naneth was right, his Ada was wrong.
"Who's right then?" Elrohir asked the darkness. Could they both be wrong? But if they were both wrong, who was right? Many hours the boy thought about this, and many hours his thoughts went in circles. Finally he decided he would have to ask. But who? Since Celebrian knew the issue, she could not give an honest answer. He would have to ask Elrond. But how to ask without stating the issue? Would that mean lying?
Never in his life had Elrohir's morality been so tested. Should he lie? If he didn't, could he get an honest answer? Was it possible for two opposite statements both to be right? Could he parents both be wrong? One thing was for sure: Elrohir had began to grow up.
*****
"Ada. . .if two people say two things, but they both say different things, then which person is right?" Elrohir shifted uncomfortably. What if his Ada knew what he meant? Would he be in trouble? Would the answer be true?
"It depends. If they are stating opinions, they are both correct. There is no such thing as a wrong opinion. However, if they are stating facts, well, it really depends on what the truth of the matter is. Why do you ask?" Elrond inquired, already having a suspicion.
"Naneth said. . .she said people don't always agree. No other reason, just that. Thanks for helping me understand," Elrohir said, and he dashed out of the room. He didn't stop running until he was outside and in the forested area that surround Rivendell. Once he was sure he had left his parents far behind, he stopped running and cried.
Nothing made sense anymore.
Second note: Yes, Elladan and Elrohir are lovers in this story. If you want to flame, kindly reformat the flame to be a constructive criticism review. That way, I'll listen to you and think about what you say.