9 February, 41 of the Fourth Age in Minas Tirith
Prologue to
Heirs of the King
by greenleaf-in-bloom
There were four of them - four Heirs of the King - and soon would be five. Eldarion glanced again at the room where his younger sister was, then looked back at the wall.
He was thirty years old - very young, for being part Numenorean Ranger, part Elf, and even a small part Valarian. His duties were simple in these days. He was Captain-General of the City, but the only thing he currently had to do was get rid of the large orc-tribes living in the Greywood.
And soon, to help raise his new neice or nephew.
For his brother-in-law Caladin's sake, and the sake of the child, he hoped it would be a nephew. But he had known immediately that Caladin was not the kind of man who deserved his sister, and he certainly wouldn't deserve to have a child. Although there was no knowing what the child would grow up to be like, with Caladin for a father.
He looked at his brother-in-law, who was sitting unconcernedly in a padded chair beside him. Barely twenty, he was three years younger than Malgil. They had gotten married seven months ago. The baby was coming one month early. Complications could be expected with this child, the midwife had warned - Caladin hadn't seemed to be listening, but Eldarion was. Complications - what did that mean?
+++++
'Is Malgil -?' Eldarion started to ask as Caladin closed the door to the side chamber.
'She's all right,' Caladin shrugged.
'And the baby?'
Caladin shrugged again. 'The baby has strange eyes.'
Eldarion stared disbelievingly at the man. That was all he could say?
'I've got to get back to my post,' Caladin said offhandedly. 'Malgil wanted you to come in.'
Eldarion stood and walked to the door. Caladin left, and he touched the door knob, then opened the door.
Malgil was lying on the bed, looking utterly exhausted but smiling wearily at the tiny form in her arms. She looked up at Eldarion as he closed the door behind him.
'Are you all right?' he asked her softly.
'I'm fine,' his sister assured him. Seeing his look, she added, 'and so is he.'
'He?' Eldarion whispered. 'There weren't any - any complications?'
Malgil smiled. 'You want to hold him?'
Eldarion nodded, reaching down and lifting the bundle of blankets from his sister's arms.
'He's so tiny,' the young man breathed.
'He's unusually small, the midwife said,' Malgil said quietly, 'but healthy.'
'And he's quiet.' The child opened his eyes, and Eldarion started. Caladin had been right. The infant's eyes were a shockingly pale grey. 'What's his name?'
Malgil smiled more widely, her face shining. 'Celebros,' she said gently. 'Celebros Ithilron Telcontar. Caladin didn't mind that we weren't giving him his surname.' A strange expression crossed her face suddenly, and she asked, 'Are Mother and Father here?'
'They were on their way, last I heard,' Eldarion nodded. 'Mother didn't want to come until Father could, and he was discussing the Greywood situation with Faramir until he heard.'
Celebros blinked sleepily and made a gurgling noise.
'He's just so small,' Eldarion said again. He pulled back the blankets a bit to examine the child's brown hair.
Malgil nodded, something strange crossing her face again. 'I don't think Caladin is very excited,' she murmered. 'He said he didn't care what I wanted to name him, said he was tiny and his eyes were strange. Then he left.'
All of which were true, Eldarion thought to himself.
'Rillen and Tariel will be coming later tonight,' Eldarion told her, hoping to cheer her up a bit. Even though Tariel was twelve years younger than Malgil, and Rillen was only seventeen, both Malgil and her brother loved the two youngest children of King Elessar and Queen Arwen. Malgil smiled, and Eldarion handed his little nephew back to his sister carefully.
Through a thin opening in the crimson velvet curtains, a bright ray of sunlight, the first of the day, shone in on three of the few Heirs of the King.
Prologue to
Heirs of the King
by greenleaf-in-bloom
There were four of them - four Heirs of the King - and soon would be five. Eldarion glanced again at the room where his younger sister was, then looked back at the wall.
He was thirty years old - very young, for being part Numenorean Ranger, part Elf, and even a small part Valarian. His duties were simple in these days. He was Captain-General of the City, but the only thing he currently had to do was get rid of the large orc-tribes living in the Greywood.
And soon, to help raise his new neice or nephew.
For his brother-in-law Caladin's sake, and the sake of the child, he hoped it would be a nephew. But he had known immediately that Caladin was not the kind of man who deserved his sister, and he certainly wouldn't deserve to have a child. Although there was no knowing what the child would grow up to be like, with Caladin for a father.
He looked at his brother-in-law, who was sitting unconcernedly in a padded chair beside him. Barely twenty, he was three years younger than Malgil. They had gotten married seven months ago. The baby was coming one month early. Complications could be expected with this child, the midwife had warned - Caladin hadn't seemed to be listening, but Eldarion was. Complications - what did that mean?
+++++
'Is Malgil -?' Eldarion started to ask as Caladin closed the door to the side chamber.
'She's all right,' Caladin shrugged.
'And the baby?'
Caladin shrugged again. 'The baby has strange eyes.'
Eldarion stared disbelievingly at the man. That was all he could say?
'I've got to get back to my post,' Caladin said offhandedly. 'Malgil wanted you to come in.'
Eldarion stood and walked to the door. Caladin left, and he touched the door knob, then opened the door.
Malgil was lying on the bed, looking utterly exhausted but smiling wearily at the tiny form in her arms. She looked up at Eldarion as he closed the door behind him.
'Are you all right?' he asked her softly.
'I'm fine,' his sister assured him. Seeing his look, she added, 'and so is he.'
'He?' Eldarion whispered. 'There weren't any - any complications?'
Malgil smiled. 'You want to hold him?'
Eldarion nodded, reaching down and lifting the bundle of blankets from his sister's arms.
'He's so tiny,' the young man breathed.
'He's unusually small, the midwife said,' Malgil said quietly, 'but healthy.'
'And he's quiet.' The child opened his eyes, and Eldarion started. Caladin had been right. The infant's eyes were a shockingly pale grey. 'What's his name?'
Malgil smiled more widely, her face shining. 'Celebros,' she said gently. 'Celebros Ithilron Telcontar. Caladin didn't mind that we weren't giving him his surname.' A strange expression crossed her face suddenly, and she asked, 'Are Mother and Father here?'
'They were on their way, last I heard,' Eldarion nodded. 'Mother didn't want to come until Father could, and he was discussing the Greywood situation with Faramir until he heard.'
Celebros blinked sleepily and made a gurgling noise.
'He's just so small,' Eldarion said again. He pulled back the blankets a bit to examine the child's brown hair.
Malgil nodded, something strange crossing her face again. 'I don't think Caladin is very excited,' she murmered. 'He said he didn't care what I wanted to name him, said he was tiny and his eyes were strange. Then he left.'
All of which were true, Eldarion thought to himself.
'Rillen and Tariel will be coming later tonight,' Eldarion told her, hoping to cheer her up a bit. Even though Tariel was twelve years younger than Malgil, and Rillen was only seventeen, both Malgil and her brother loved the two youngest children of King Elessar and Queen Arwen. Malgil smiled, and Eldarion handed his little nephew back to his sister carefully.
Through a thin opening in the crimson velvet curtains, a bright ray of sunlight, the first of the day, shone in on three of the few Heirs of the King.