A little something I admittedly wrote in a few hours to hopefully cheer up some friends (Littleshebear and Kalurien) who are just miserable right now....
Celebrian rolled over in bed and her hand hit the cool sheets beside her. She sat up suddenly in the grey morning light and looked around the bedroom.
Elrond!
With a sigh, she sank back down under the cover. Her husband had gone off hunting with several elves for a few days.
Celebrian frowned at the slight pain behind her eyes and closed them, rubbing her forehead. Thank Elbereth her husband was not here this day.
It was that time of month and Celebrian could already tell, it was not going to be a pleasant day.
It helped not at all that rain was lashing the windows.
There went any hope of gardening. Why couldn't Elrond temper the weather some she thought as she flung the blankets off and went into the bathing room. He did control the Ring of the Air after all.
Lighting a candle, Celebrian grimaced at her tangled hair and bent to wash her face.
The water was too cold and made her sputter in shock.
Well, at least she was awake now.
She looked at the large steaming natural pool of water and shook her head.
A soak would just make her sleepy and she had much to do today.
Finding her favorite light blue gown of cotton embroidered with green ivy leaves along the hem and neck, Celebrian slipped the dress over her head.
Her fine hair got tangled in two of the gold buttons that went down the back. As she tried to undo the strands of hair, the she-elf heard the two buttons pop and drop to the floor.
Yanking the dress off, she moved to put it back in the wardrobe and stepped on one of the small buttons. Lifting her foot with a screech, she hopped on one leg rubbing the bottom of the injured foot.
Spying the little gold object she picked it up, and with an uncharacteristic vehemence, tossed the button across the room where it pinked as it hit the window and dropped to the floor.
Celebrian stalked to the wardrobe and pulled out a silk dress with no buttons and no laces. It just slipped over her chemise. It was not the best shade of lavender for her but it would have to do.
With a heavy sigh, the Lady of Imladris tried to bring order to her fine hair. Usually her husband helped her with this. But this morning, all she did was get her comb caught in the snarls.
Almost in tears, Celebrian found a snood and shoved her tresses in the glittering net of dull gold and then stalked out of the suite.
Going to the dining hall, she realized that breakfast was almost finished. She had taken more time with her toilette than she thought.
Sitting at the high table, she was served quickly and ate the fruit and hot cereal with dispatch.
Just as she reached for her tea, one of the servers behind her inadvertently hit her reaching arm and the drink went all over the table and dripped into her lap.
Staring at the warm pool of fragrant tea, Celebrian sat mouth slightly open. Hurriedly taking a napkin the abashed server swiftly blotted up the liquid as Celebrian moved out of his way.
Staring down at the spill on her dress, she left the table and went back to her suite.
She found another dress, in a dull gold that she could simply slip on.
All right. She looked at her reflection in the wardrobe glass and sighing decided the dress was...adequate.
Adjusting her snood, she went out once again.
Almost to the main door of the House, she stopped and looked at the rain cascading down from the porch roof edge.
She stood, hands on slender hips and frowned as a stab of pain crossed her abdomen. Well, the flowers in the study really needed changing and the purple delphiniums were just blooming now and so were the pale lavender peonies that would go so well with the delphiniums, and some ivy.
Oh what was a little water? She would not melt.
She went into the antechamber where cloaks for all seasons and weathers were hung. Finding her heaviest dark green wool, she adjusted it on her shoulders. Grabbing her flower basket and shears, which also resided in the antechamber, she left determined to get her flowers.
Flinging up her hood she went out onto the porch and stepped down the wet stone steps. Quickly turning she went through the small wrought iron gate that lead to the gardens proper.
Well, this was not so bad, the she-elf thought. The air smelled wonderfully of the rain.
Feeling more cheerful in spite of the wet, Celebrian went into her special garden that held flowers and plants that were all some shade of purple, her favorite color.
Celebrian stood in the garden dismayed. The rain had pounded down the blooms until most of them were bent in half.
Going through the garden she paid no attention to the wind that had blown her hood back allowing the rain to cascade down her face. She searched through all her flowers. There was nothing that would do.
Nothing. They were all crushed by the weather.
Another sharp pain flared up and Celebrian gasped, putting a hand to her abdomen.
"Oh Elbereth!! I cannot bear this!"
Turning rapidly, she rushed out, the pain growing. As she pulled open the gate, her cloak got snagged in some rose thorns and she spent a few minutes unhook the cloth. And stabbing her fingers in the process. Sucking on of her pricked digits, she slammed the gate behind her with a satisfying "clang!"
Soaked, cramps swamping her, Celebrian ran back up the stairs heedlessly and tripped on the edge of the cloak being tossed by the rising wind.
Down she went, banging her left knee painfully on the stone step, her basket and shears flying.
Picking herself up quickly, she waved away the two guards who rushed to help her.
She took the basket and shears one elf handed her and with as much dignity as she could muster, she went back into the House. Going into the antechamber, she tiredly took off her dripping cloak and dropped her basket and shears on the floor.
Miserable, her knee beginning to ache, the soaked she-elf went slowly back to her suite.
She pulled off her wet dress and chemise, flung the snood to the floor and went to the wardrobe looking for her monthly pantelets. Pulling the snug garment on, she crawled into bed and flung the quilt over her head.
Nothing could happen here. No rain, no stone steps, no visitors.
It was just she and her....pain!
Groaning Celebrian cursed her sex silently and curled up into a ball.
This would NOT do!
Flinging the quilt off, the she-elf went to the bathing room and opened the small cabinet where soaps and such like were kept. Behind the lovely vials of oils and perfumes, Celebrian found the small bottle of tincture that Elrond had blended for her for her monthly pains.
And maybe it would even help with her knee.
Pouring a dose into a handy goblet, Celebrian put some water into it and swirled it, mixing the two. Turning to leave, her hand bumped the edge of the archway, spilling the tincture.
Sighing heavily, Celebrian turned to grab the finely made bottle to make more, which she knocked over, breaking the fine glass.
Celebrian's misery was complete. She drank the little left in the goblet and then went back out into the bedroom, leaving the spilled medicine behind.
Pain swamped her as she crawled into the bed and flung the quilt over her head again.
She was not moving until, until at least tomorrow.
Giving into the emotional flood that had threatened to swamp her all morning the Lady of Imladris gave into tears.
Which turned into noisy sobs.
Which gave her a pounding headache.
Celebrian tossed and turned under the quilt in complete misery.
Eventually, she fell asleep, her dreams dark and miserable.
Lord Elrond, removing his riding cape, went to the antechamber to hang it up and noticed Celebrian's wet cloak, basket and shears. Frowning slightly as he straightened up, he ran his hands through his damp hair and wondered at Celebrian's untidiness.
Striding through the House, he took the greetings of his fellow elves with an abstracted air.
Where was Celebrian? Why did he have this feeling of impending doom?
His stride turned into a quicker pace, and by the time he reached his suite, he was almost running.
He opened the door and dismayed at the darkness of the suite, he lit some candles and then stopped when he saw the lump under the quilt.
His beloved wife, hiding like a frightened elfling?
This was not his brave beautiful Celebrian, the she-elf who had faced down an angry bear last spring who was threatening her mare and her new foal in one of the higher pastures.
She had picked up pine cones and run the bear off with a barrage of missiles.
Elrond came up quietly to her side of the bed and carefully pulled off the quilt.
His wife lay hair awry, curled in a ball, moaning in her sleep.
Thoroughly disturbed, the Lord of Imladris lay a hand on his wife's forehead and instantly recoiled from the pain.
"My poor beloved!" he whispered. He picked up her tightly wound up form and cradled in his lap.
He lay a hand on her abdomen and sent healing energy deep into her to relax her muscles, easing the cramps.
Laying her back as she sighed and unknotted, he went to the bathing room and saw immediately what had happened.
Going back out, he bent over his wife and kissed her on the forehead.
Leaving swiftly, he went to his still room and quickly blended another bottle of tincture.
Making her a glass, he set it on the bedside table and quietly drew her from sleep.
Celebrian opened her eyes slowly and rubbed them. At the moment, she felt no pain, except for her knee. As she straightened it, she hissed as it twinged.
Elrond came out of the bathing room with a damp cloth.
Celebrian sat up quickly and held out her arms. Oh she was so glad to see her husband!
He put the cloth down and wrapped his arms around her.
"Oh Cel, I am so sorry. It looks as if you have had a terrible day.
And here I was all ready to tell you about our miserable attempts to hunt in this weather. Here," he turned and gave her the goblet.
She took and drank it quickly. "Oh-oh Elrond," she said with a gasp as she set the goblet down, "I had to change my dress three times and then I spilled the tea and I wanted to cut flowers and they have all been ruined by the rain and then I tripped and hurt my knee and I have cramps..."
Celebrian clutched her husband to her and started to cry.
"Beloved! Are you a lot of pain?" His hand slipped down between them and he began to gently massage her abdomen.
"No, I-I am so glad you are back."
She suddenly reared back in his arms. "You have the Ring of the Air Elrond! Can you not get rid of this awful weather?"
He bent and laughed in her hair. "You know I do not use Vilya lightly."
"But this is important..."
"Oh my Lady of Imladris...I would do anything for you...but the weather most be left to do its natural job. If this was threatening lives, then perhaps I would feel it justified."
"It is threatening my life" Celebrian said in a small, petulant whisper.
Elrond smiled and kissed his wife again and said "Of course. Now which knee did you hurt?"
Celebrian touched her left knee, which he quickly wrapped in healing energy. It would need to be kept quiet a few days, but it was not a serious injury.
Celebrian lay back against the pillows and stared at her husband, feeling much more settled.
And more than a little foolish about her outburst.
"Come, lay next to me Elrond. You must be tired."
The elf lord stretched out next to his wife and put his arms around her.
Curled up in his embrace she said quietly, running a small hand across his chest. "I apologize for my childishness my love. I let everything overwhelm me. Tell me about your hunt."
His hand slipped down to massage her abdomen again and Celebrian looked into his eyes, his going dark as midnight. He bent and kissed her thoroughly and Celebrian returned his kiss and added some feeling in return.
Suddenly the bad day was swept away by a storm of another kind and the two elves let their love wash away all their irritations.
Unnoticed, the rain stopped and a faint rainbow wreathed Imladris in color as the sunset blazed forth.
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