Chapter Five
Thirty-Eight Years Later:
"Tell me a story."
Celebrian lay with her head on her husband's chest, close to sleep. It was a warm summer night, and the elves slept only in light night-robes. She could hear the beating of his heart, so rhythmic and comforting.
"What do you want to hear?" His voice was soft, as he fought back sleep to fulfill the wish of his wife.
"Something with a happy ending." She yawned, unable to hold it back.
"It must be short, then, because you look tired." He wrapped his arm around her waist and thought for a moment. "What are you in the mood for?"
"Romance." She snuggled up closer to him, enjoying the sound of his voice. "Tell me something romantic."
"Something you have not heard before?"
"Yes, if you please."
He sat back for a moment, thinking, before relaying the famed tale of the love of Beren and Luthien. When he finished, she asked, "And you are descended from them?"
"They were my great-grandparents. From them sprang Dior, then Elwing my mother, then me and my brother." He ran a finger through her silk, flaxen hair. "My brother is long-dead, and has been for almost three thousand years. Between his death and my marriage to you I have been quite lonely indeed." There was a pause. "I was almost certain I would become like King Finrod and never take a wife."
There was a long silence, before Celebrian asked, "Elrond?"
"Mm?"
"There's something I want to ask you." She found she could not look him in the face -- this was an issue most controversial, and she feared he would wildly reject it.
"What is it?" His hand reached up to stroke her face. "You can ask me anything."
"Have you ever..." She paused... "...ever... wanted a child?"
She blushed, the silence deafening. What would he say? How would he react?
She was beginning to regret the idea as he finally answered. "You want a child?" His tone was not angry, but merely questioning, as one would ask a child if she wanted apple juice.
A warm breeze passed over Celebrian, comforting her.
"Yes." she replied. "I've never felt more ready for anything in my entire life."
"Why a child?"
A pause.
"Something..." she began, searching for the right words, "...something is missing."
"From what?"
"My life." She separated a thick strand of her hair into three parts and began to braid it as she talked. "I've always wanted to have a child, only with the right husband."
"Then I will give you what you want, because your wish makes perfect sense to me."
They made love for the first time that warm, summer night.
"I think I'm pregnant."
Elrond looked up from his studies. Both were seated in two chairs beside the window, in Elrond's vast library. It had been nearly four months since they had begun to regularly have sex. Outside, they could feel the chill winds, reminding them that in other places besides the weather-controlled Imladris it was winter.
He walked over and gave her a hug, knowing that she would have not made that declaration had she not sensed, felt, and known it herself, inside and out, for some time.
"There are so many preparations to be done, then." he replied. "As of right now all I have in the way of a cradle is a bureau drawer." They both smiled at the thought of the little prince or princess of Imladris sleeping in a drawer.
"And I won't let you run yourself ragged with them all, either." She looked into her eyes, the depths of which even she could not comprehend. "Make a list, and do only a few of them each month. You are an elven-lord, the master of Imladris, who must deal with a constant flow of changes that need regulating. You work so hard anyway." She planted a gentle kiss on his forehead. "And, I am not so weak that even I could not do a few of these chores myself."
He went to get some parchment and a quill, and made a list.
1: Find acceptable room
No drafts
Close to parents' room
All harmful items removed
2: Cradle / crib
Ask Glorfindel?
3: Baby food, cleaner water, childsafe medicine
4: Clothes (to be decided when baby arrives)
As an afterthought, he added:
5: Tell Lady Galadriel & Lord Celeborn
"See?" Celebrian pointed to the first item on the list. "I could easily childproof the room. We have to find one, first."
"There's the guest room next to ours. I -- eh, we -- must remove the books and do something about the statues - they're beautiful, but rather sharp. I'd hate to remove them... perhaps we may just put a guard around it--something thick and soft."
"And there's the balcony." Celebrian added, standing, and bringing her husband and his list with her. "We shall just have to put some kind of a fence around it."
She led him to the room in question, the selfsame room she herself had stayed at while visiting Imladris. Once there, she asked him where all the extra items would go.
"The scrolls and books can go in the library." he replied, beginning to gather a bundle in his arms. "The bed can stay, for when the baby outgrows the cradle." Celebrian walked toward it and pushed it against the wall, making room for the cradle. "The artifacts on the shelves can be put into some of the other guest rooms." Celebrian delicately gathered some into her arms, and walked out to distribute them to the other rooms, while Elrond set up the books in the library.
Once the books, scrolls, artifacts, and such were cleared, husband and wife surveyed the room.
"Sharp corners." Elrond added. "The shelves are too heavy and too useful to leave this room, so we will have to somehow round the edges.
A soft footfall behind them made them whirl around.
"Glorfindel?" Elrond asked.
"Are you moving?" he joked, indicating the empty space.
"No, no of course not." Celebrian smiled, and exchanged a glance with a smirking Elrond, while Glorfindel was left clueless. "Well, then, what's going on?"
Before Elrond could open his mouth, Celebrian replied, "I'm pregnant, Glorfindel."
Glorfindel looked incredulously between his lord and lady before letting a grin slowly break out onto his face. "I couldn't be happier for you!" He embraced Celebrian, and Elrond in turn, then asked, "So you're child-proofing this room? Is there anything I can do?"
"Yes; as a matter of fact, there is." Elrond replied. "The corners of the shelves and drawers are rather sharp, you see."
"And you want them sanded down, or padded?"
"Whichever is easier for you." Celebrian shrugged.
"Padded; then you wouldn't have to ruin any of this furniture." He stepped into the room and ran his hand down one of the drawer corners. "I have something that may soften these corners up a bit." As he left, Elrond put his arm around Celebrian's shoulder, nuzzling her ear.
"Are you the only elf around here who can midwife?" she asked him.
"I believe so; confidently, anyway. Why?"
"This baby better not come during one of your meetings, then."
Thirty-Eight Years Later:
"Tell me a story."
Celebrian lay with her head on her husband's chest, close to sleep. It was a warm summer night, and the elves slept only in light night-robes. She could hear the beating of his heart, so rhythmic and comforting.
"What do you want to hear?" His voice was soft, as he fought back sleep to fulfill the wish of his wife.
"Something with a happy ending." She yawned, unable to hold it back.
"It must be short, then, because you look tired." He wrapped his arm around her waist and thought for a moment. "What are you in the mood for?"
"Romance." She snuggled up closer to him, enjoying the sound of his voice. "Tell me something romantic."
"Something you have not heard before?"
"Yes, if you please."
He sat back for a moment, thinking, before relaying the famed tale of the love of Beren and Luthien. When he finished, she asked, "And you are descended from them?"
"They were my great-grandparents. From them sprang Dior, then Elwing my mother, then me and my brother." He ran a finger through her silk, flaxen hair. "My brother is long-dead, and has been for almost three thousand years. Between his death and my marriage to you I have been quite lonely indeed." There was a pause. "I was almost certain I would become like King Finrod and never take a wife."
There was a long silence, before Celebrian asked, "Elrond?"
"Mm?"
"There's something I want to ask you." She found she could not look him in the face -- this was an issue most controversial, and she feared he would wildly reject it.
"What is it?" His hand reached up to stroke her face. "You can ask me anything."
"Have you ever..." She paused... "...ever... wanted a child?"
She blushed, the silence deafening. What would he say? How would he react?
She was beginning to regret the idea as he finally answered. "You want a child?" His tone was not angry, but merely questioning, as one would ask a child if she wanted apple juice.
A warm breeze passed over Celebrian, comforting her.
"Yes." she replied. "I've never felt more ready for anything in my entire life."
"Why a child?"
A pause.
"Something..." she began, searching for the right words, "...something is missing."
"From what?"
"My life." She separated a thick strand of her hair into three parts and began to braid it as she talked. "I've always wanted to have a child, only with the right husband."
"Then I will give you what you want, because your wish makes perfect sense to me."
They made love for the first time that warm, summer night.
"I think I'm pregnant."
Elrond looked up from his studies. Both were seated in two chairs beside the window, in Elrond's vast library. It had been nearly four months since they had begun to regularly have sex. Outside, they could feel the chill winds, reminding them that in other places besides the weather-controlled Imladris it was winter.
He walked over and gave her a hug, knowing that she would have not made that declaration had she not sensed, felt, and known it herself, inside and out, for some time.
"There are so many preparations to be done, then." he replied. "As of right now all I have in the way of a cradle is a bureau drawer." They both smiled at the thought of the little prince or princess of Imladris sleeping in a drawer.
"And I won't let you run yourself ragged with them all, either." She looked into her eyes, the depths of which even she could not comprehend. "Make a list, and do only a few of them each month. You are an elven-lord, the master of Imladris, who must deal with a constant flow of changes that need regulating. You work so hard anyway." She planted a gentle kiss on his forehead. "And, I am not so weak that even I could not do a few of these chores myself."
He went to get some parchment and a quill, and made a list.
1: Find acceptable room
No drafts
Close to parents' room
All harmful items removed
2: Cradle / crib
Ask Glorfindel?
3: Baby food, cleaner water, childsafe medicine
4: Clothes (to be decided when baby arrives)
As an afterthought, he added:
5: Tell Lady Galadriel & Lord Celeborn
"See?" Celebrian pointed to the first item on the list. "I could easily childproof the room. We have to find one, first."
"There's the guest room next to ours. I -- eh, we -- must remove the books and do something about the statues - they're beautiful, but rather sharp. I'd hate to remove them... perhaps we may just put a guard around it--something thick and soft."
"And there's the balcony." Celebrian added, standing, and bringing her husband and his list with her. "We shall just have to put some kind of a fence around it."
She led him to the room in question, the selfsame room she herself had stayed at while visiting Imladris. Once there, she asked him where all the extra items would go.
"The scrolls and books can go in the library." he replied, beginning to gather a bundle in his arms. "The bed can stay, for when the baby outgrows the cradle." Celebrian walked toward it and pushed it against the wall, making room for the cradle. "The artifacts on the shelves can be put into some of the other guest rooms." Celebrian delicately gathered some into her arms, and walked out to distribute them to the other rooms, while Elrond set up the books in the library.
Once the books, scrolls, artifacts, and such were cleared, husband and wife surveyed the room.
"Sharp corners." Elrond added. "The shelves are too heavy and too useful to leave this room, so we will have to somehow round the edges.
A soft footfall behind them made them whirl around.
"Glorfindel?" Elrond asked.
"Are you moving?" he joked, indicating the empty space.
"No, no of course not." Celebrian smiled, and exchanged a glance with a smirking Elrond, while Glorfindel was left clueless. "Well, then, what's going on?"
Before Elrond could open his mouth, Celebrian replied, "I'm pregnant, Glorfindel."
Glorfindel looked incredulously between his lord and lady before letting a grin slowly break out onto his face. "I couldn't be happier for you!" He embraced Celebrian, and Elrond in turn, then asked, "So you're child-proofing this room? Is there anything I can do?"
"Yes; as a matter of fact, there is." Elrond replied. "The corners of the shelves and drawers are rather sharp, you see."
"And you want them sanded down, or padded?"
"Whichever is easier for you." Celebrian shrugged.
"Padded; then you wouldn't have to ruin any of this furniture." He stepped into the room and ran his hand down one of the drawer corners. "I have something that may soften these corners up a bit." As he left, Elrond put his arm around Celebrian's shoulder, nuzzling her ear.
"Are you the only elf around here who can midwife?" she asked him.
"I believe so; confidently, anyway. Why?"
"This baby better not come during one of your meetings, then."