The Birth of Dawn and Twilight
Written By: Shelly LeBlanc
~Author's Note: This story is completed, and I am already started on the first chapter of the next (this is not the final chapter of this fiction) . This chapter is great, I think. It's one of my favorites. I think you will enjoy it, especially the ending. Muahahahaha! Er . . . that's all!~
**Disclaimer - I do not own any of the characters in this story except for Isawien, the Queen of Mirkwood, and some other random people. All characters are copyrighted by J.R.R. Tolkien, and who ever else owns the Lord of the Rings trilogy.**
Chapter Three - Apologies and Surprises
Lord Elrond stared at Amrod for a few minutes, nodding his understanding and closed the door. Celebrian backed away from her husband as quickly as she could in condition, for he swung around quickly, moving towards his closet to put on more clothes. She followed his lead shortly after, the silence only disrupted by the rustling of clothing.
After a few minutes, Elrond was fully dressed while his wife was still in the process. He paused, staring at his lovely wife. She looked at him with a worried look.
"What has befallen on the good King that would bring him here?" she asked, barely whispering the words. Elrond had no answer for her, so he just stayed silent and waited for her to finish. But she would have none of that.
"No, go. Do not keep him waiting. I will be down to join you in a moment," Celebrian ordered, her worry clear on her face. Elrond came forward and gave a gentle kiss upon her golden forehead.
"Do not worry, my Lady. All will be well." And with that, Elrond took his leave, while Celebrian continued the hard task of dressing herself.
* * *
The halls of his home had an eerie foreboding feeling to it as Elrond passed through them to get to his study, despite the beautiful morning sun. It sent a shiver down his spine, though he did not let it be known. He was about to face a man that could easily rip the happiness and joy out of the life of Rivendell and he did not want to show any weakness.
He paused slightly as he came to his study door, but only long enough for a deep breath and to raise his shoulders before opening them up and stepping inside.
Elrond was surprisingly confronted with almost total darkness as he entered his study. Elrond did most of his research in this very room and required large amounts of light to see by. But it seems he awoke long before the servants could raise the curtains and open the doors, or perhaps it was the strange figure sitting in one of the chairs in front of his desk that had caused his followers to not do their normal duties.
The being sitting in the chair was slightly slumped over, as if weary from long travel. It's long hair hiding the features of his face as much as the shadows of the room. Elrond could barely make out the beings pointy ears from under its' blond tresses. It was the only thing that distinguished this being to be an Elf. The Lord of Rivendell knew who the Elf was, but the changes in this Elf's appearance and stature shocked him.
"King Thranduil?" Elrond spoke softly, watching the Elf raise his head and eyes, making the Rivendell Elf notice that for the first time the ruler of Mirkwood did not adorn his crown. The two men held for a brief moment, blue eyes staring into gray ones, before the King raised to his feet and finally looked like a man of his position.
"Lord Elrond, thank you so much for seeing me this early hour, and I apologize for this unannounced visit . . ."
"No need to apologize. You and your people are always welcome to my home." Elrond quickly cut him off, seeing the lines of worry in this once proud Elf's face. "Please, sit. You must be weary from your journey."
A small smiled lifted the Eldar's face and he returned to his seat, as Elrond moved around his desk and sat also. There was a silence between the two friends, or what ever they would call their relationship now, but it was not entirely uncomfortable. While there was still much weight placed on upon these two Lords of Elves' shoulders, by just being in ones company after so many years apart lifted some of that weight away.
It was finally Thranduil who broke the silence between two but not the worry or the relief.
"Where is your fair wife? I do apologize for interrupting so early in the day."
Elrond shook his head. "Nay, we were up already, surprisingly. We were just discussion some business in which we will need to attend to in the next few days. She insisted on not making you wait while she dressed."
Another smile graced the face of the other Elf. "Indeed. I would not have minded the wait."
"But we would have," came a voice behind him. Both Elves turned towards the voice and stood. Silent were the steps of the fair Lady Celebrian for neither had heard her approach nor enter. The King bowed to the Lady of Imladris and she inclined her head in hello. She had been many months past the point of being able to bow properly to her superior.
The King returned to his normal height and stared at the lady in front of him. "My Lady, might I say that being with child suits you well." Celebrian's smile warmed the room considerably.
"Thank you, King Thranduil. Please, sit again. The journey between here and Mirkwood is long."
"I did not journey from Mirkwood, my Lady, at least, not directly," he corrected her, but did as she requested. Elrond rose an eyebrow but said not a word about the subject his friend introduced. He moved to his wife and sat her in his chair for more comfort. He then moved to the curtains and the doors of the balcony that over looked the beloved garden of Imladris, and opening them to let light back into his beloved study. It was his wife that commented on what the King had told them.
"Oh? Where were you before you came here to Rivendell?" The Mirkwood King's face turned to worry again.
"Lorien, my Lady, the Golden Wood," Thranduil informed her, suddenly looking much older than an Elf should. "I do believe now is the time for me to apologize for the past few centuries. The tragedy on my family was none of you doings, yet I placed the blame wrongly on you. I do hope you forgive me for my past misdeeds."
The king looked truly chest-fallen and it was all Celebrian could do not to cry for him. She stared to rise from her seat, but then a hand fell upon Thranduil's fallen shoulder. They both looked up at the face of Elrond, who had silent tears shining in his gray eyes.
"You had every right to be angry. You lost a son and heir, and nearly lost your wife. I know what you spoke of in anger you did not truly mean. All is forgiven, and forgotten. It is the past and it is duty to be put behind us. We must now live for the future, and the present."
Thranduil gave the Half-Elven a smile of thanks, placing his own hand over the other's and squeezing it gently but tightly.
"Thank you, brother," the king said, almost not finding his voice. "I called you that before and I would be honored to call you that again."
Elrond nodded and moved away, taking the seat that was next to his friend. He had just gotten into a comfortable position when the Mirkwood Elf spoke again.
"It is the present that I wish to speak to you, for the shadows of Mirkwood have grown tremendously in the past decade. Many of my soldiers have been killed by the evil that has plagued our once lovely woods. And I fear . . . I fear the life of my subjects, and my wife. As the shadows grow on my kingdom, so does the sorrow in my wife's heart. She still fears the past. And I fear that it is our sorrow that is bringing those shadows upon us . . . there is no light left in Mirkwood. All hope has died with that young boy that never took breath."
Celebrian stared at the King with one hand over her extruding belly and the other over her mouth. She held on to her unborn child for comfort and the hand at her mouth so she would not cry out in sorrow. How it must be for the king, she thought, sitting there, seeing my condition and know that his wife may never be in the same situation. But before either the Lady or Lord of Rivendell could comment, the King continued.
"Mirkwood needs an heir, and my poor wife cannot give it one, and I have no siblings that could take the crown. But my Isawien had a brother, who was a very noble and strong elf; he would have been perfect for the throne of our once great land. So my wife and I planned on giving the crown to him, and that we would sail West, away from the shadows that plagues my dear wife so much. We had made arrangements to head to Lorien, where her brother resided as a warrior for Fair Galadriel, when your letter arrived. When she heard the news of the new child to be born, she lit up. Despite not having any of her own, she was always happy to hear of other births. It was my first real hope in over five hundred years."
Thranduil paused a moment and then looked at Elrond, "I'm sorry . . . I'm parched, if you would be so kind to lead me to a glass of water . . . I fear I may need the strength from it for later."
Elrond quickly complied, handing him a glass of water. The king took his time in drinking the water, trying to reprocess his thoughts before he spoke. Finally, he finished his glass and looked at his two hosts.
"Thank you."
"Your welcome. Please, my friend, continue." Elrond told him, sitting back down.
Thranduil glanced at both of them briefly before continuing.
"I felt very guilty for the actions I had displayed towards you, Elrond, and found that despite my joy in hearing your news, I could not bare to write it to you. I felt that I had done too many past misdeeds to expect one letter to change all that. So, I decided to tell you in person my congratulations . . . which I fear more pressing matters have delayed that, even now as I sit before you. As I said before, we planned on going to the Golden Wood to talk to Isawien's brother, Fend, about taking the crown of Mirkwood, then we would stop off here and send our good tidings . . . and perhaps watch the child being born. Then we would sail off to a happier and safer places for us both."
"But when we got to Lorien, we received devastating news. Fend had been killed in a battle with Orks that had entered the Golden Wood. My already ill wife became worse. That is why I took so long to get here, because I could not leave my wife in the condition she was in. A few years ago, she stopped going on walks, she stopped living her life outside of her room, but she was well. She ate; she talked; she slept dreamless sleeps. But now she is much worse. Rarely does food pass through her lips, or words, and her dreams are haunting her. She is falling more and more into grief . . . I fear she will not survive the journey to the Gray Heavens." He then turned pleading to Elrond, "Their healers cannot help her. Nothing they are doing can help her . . . please, trusted friend, you must go to her and help her. I know the possibilities are few, but what possibilities she has lie with you. Please do what you can, even if it just to ease her suffering . . . to ease the pain she holds so dear to her heart."
Elrond watched his friend fight off tears, a thing he had not seen since that pained night long ago, a night that should have been filled with a baby's cry instead of the sobbing of it's mother.
"I wish to try and do whatever I can, Thranduil. But I fear I might sound selfish when I say I have pressing matters here too. My wife is very pregnant and is due in weeks. I cannot leave her here without my care."
Both the Lord and Lady of Rivendell had expected a negative reaction from the King, but were both surprised at his nod.
"I know and understand this, Elrond. I do not want you to leave your wife here," he said, suddenly not looking so lost as he had before. He turned to Celebrian, staring at her with hope, "Your mother knows this too. That is why she has requested you travel with your husband and to give birth in Lorien. I have arrived with a carriage that will ease the journey for you. She has foreseen this journey to be safe for you. She also hopes that if Isawien bares witness to the birth of your child, it would help with the healing process."
Celebrian stares at the Elf in front of her then turned to look at her husband. Moments passed as they said unspoken words to each other with their eyes. Finally, it seemed that they came to an agreement, for the Lady of Imladris turned her gaze back at the despaired man and held out a hand.
"King Thranduil, I would do anything to save the fair Queen of Mirkwood. I will travel with you and my husband to Lorien for the birthing of my child, in hope that once happy wife of yours returns."
The Mirkwood Elf nearly collapsed with joy and relief. He quickly grabbed onto the Lady's hand and kissed it, thanking her with both words and looks. Celebrian smiled at the Elf, as he stood and gave Elrond a hug. She laughed at his tactics before giving out a cry of surprise.
Both the Lord of Rivendell and King of Mirkwood turned to stare at the beautiful creature, which was holding her stomach. She smiled at their worried expressions.
"Nay, do not look like that. It was only the child, expressing its agreement in the decision," she said merrily. Elrond moved from his friend to his wife's side, pressing his own hands on her stomach. The baby kicked again, as if know it was it's father. There was a laugh escaped Elrond's lips before he felt another kick, only in a different place.
The laughter was removed from his eyes, replacing it with confusion. Celebrian noticed this, as did Thranduil. Neither spoke to the healer as he continued to probe his hands around is wife's middle section, but their questions filled their thoughts and eyes. Yet Elrond never looked up at them. He continued to move his hand until he felt the heart beat of the child, and moved his other hand around searching. He finally landed on the spot he was looking for.
Elrond let out a surprised breath. He looked up at both his wife and friend with a shocked look on his face.
"I do not know why I had not seen this before . . ." he muttered, before turning back to the stomach, making sure what he was feeling was still there. It was. He then looked up at his wife, and stared into her sapphire eyes. She stared at him with earnest.
"What did you not see before?" she question, uncertain if she wanted to hear what he had to say. Suddenly a smile broke out on his face.
"My Lady, I hear another heartbeat. You are expecting twins."
---------------------------------------------------
Review Thanks:
Nikki1: "Dun dun dun" hehehe, that is funny . . . and the next part, well you are just going to have to read the rest of the story, huh? LOL.
Gionareth: Thanks! Here is the next chapter! (hope I didn't leave you hanging too long)
Linaeve: Thanks, and you're right!
Gissela: if you think that was a cliff hanger, wait until later chapters, especially towards the end . . . and sorry, the birth of the dawn and twilight aren't until later chapters . . . so hopefully you will keep on reading it to find out.
Kitsune: Thanks!
Aelan Greenleaf: Thanks, and I am. Enjoy! (love your name, by the way)
I-like-chickens: I like your name too, but I'm more of a beef girl . . . will do!
Name(?): continuing!
Written By: Shelly LeBlanc
~Author's Note: This story is completed, and I am already started on the first chapter of the next (this is not the final chapter of this fiction) . This chapter is great, I think. It's one of my favorites. I think you will enjoy it, especially the ending. Muahahahaha! Er . . . that's all!~
**Disclaimer - I do not own any of the characters in this story except for Isawien, the Queen of Mirkwood, and some other random people. All characters are copyrighted by J.R.R. Tolkien, and who ever else owns the Lord of the Rings trilogy.**
Chapter Three - Apologies and Surprises
Lord Elrond stared at Amrod for a few minutes, nodding his understanding and closed the door. Celebrian backed away from her husband as quickly as she could in condition, for he swung around quickly, moving towards his closet to put on more clothes. She followed his lead shortly after, the silence only disrupted by the rustling of clothing.
After a few minutes, Elrond was fully dressed while his wife was still in the process. He paused, staring at his lovely wife. She looked at him with a worried look.
"What has befallen on the good King that would bring him here?" she asked, barely whispering the words. Elrond had no answer for her, so he just stayed silent and waited for her to finish. But she would have none of that.
"No, go. Do not keep him waiting. I will be down to join you in a moment," Celebrian ordered, her worry clear on her face. Elrond came forward and gave a gentle kiss upon her golden forehead.
"Do not worry, my Lady. All will be well." And with that, Elrond took his leave, while Celebrian continued the hard task of dressing herself.
* * *
The halls of his home had an eerie foreboding feeling to it as Elrond passed through them to get to his study, despite the beautiful morning sun. It sent a shiver down his spine, though he did not let it be known. He was about to face a man that could easily rip the happiness and joy out of the life of Rivendell and he did not want to show any weakness.
He paused slightly as he came to his study door, but only long enough for a deep breath and to raise his shoulders before opening them up and stepping inside.
Elrond was surprisingly confronted with almost total darkness as he entered his study. Elrond did most of his research in this very room and required large amounts of light to see by. But it seems he awoke long before the servants could raise the curtains and open the doors, or perhaps it was the strange figure sitting in one of the chairs in front of his desk that had caused his followers to not do their normal duties.
The being sitting in the chair was slightly slumped over, as if weary from long travel. It's long hair hiding the features of his face as much as the shadows of the room. Elrond could barely make out the beings pointy ears from under its' blond tresses. It was the only thing that distinguished this being to be an Elf. The Lord of Rivendell knew who the Elf was, but the changes in this Elf's appearance and stature shocked him.
"King Thranduil?" Elrond spoke softly, watching the Elf raise his head and eyes, making the Rivendell Elf notice that for the first time the ruler of Mirkwood did not adorn his crown. The two men held for a brief moment, blue eyes staring into gray ones, before the King raised to his feet and finally looked like a man of his position.
"Lord Elrond, thank you so much for seeing me this early hour, and I apologize for this unannounced visit . . ."
"No need to apologize. You and your people are always welcome to my home." Elrond quickly cut him off, seeing the lines of worry in this once proud Elf's face. "Please, sit. You must be weary from your journey."
A small smiled lifted the Eldar's face and he returned to his seat, as Elrond moved around his desk and sat also. There was a silence between the two friends, or what ever they would call their relationship now, but it was not entirely uncomfortable. While there was still much weight placed on upon these two Lords of Elves' shoulders, by just being in ones company after so many years apart lifted some of that weight away.
It was finally Thranduil who broke the silence between two but not the worry or the relief.
"Where is your fair wife? I do apologize for interrupting so early in the day."
Elrond shook his head. "Nay, we were up already, surprisingly. We were just discussion some business in which we will need to attend to in the next few days. She insisted on not making you wait while she dressed."
Another smile graced the face of the other Elf. "Indeed. I would not have minded the wait."
"But we would have," came a voice behind him. Both Elves turned towards the voice and stood. Silent were the steps of the fair Lady Celebrian for neither had heard her approach nor enter. The King bowed to the Lady of Imladris and she inclined her head in hello. She had been many months past the point of being able to bow properly to her superior.
The King returned to his normal height and stared at the lady in front of him. "My Lady, might I say that being with child suits you well." Celebrian's smile warmed the room considerably.
"Thank you, King Thranduil. Please, sit again. The journey between here and Mirkwood is long."
"I did not journey from Mirkwood, my Lady, at least, not directly," he corrected her, but did as she requested. Elrond rose an eyebrow but said not a word about the subject his friend introduced. He moved to his wife and sat her in his chair for more comfort. He then moved to the curtains and the doors of the balcony that over looked the beloved garden of Imladris, and opening them to let light back into his beloved study. It was his wife that commented on what the King had told them.
"Oh? Where were you before you came here to Rivendell?" The Mirkwood King's face turned to worry again.
"Lorien, my Lady, the Golden Wood," Thranduil informed her, suddenly looking much older than an Elf should. "I do believe now is the time for me to apologize for the past few centuries. The tragedy on my family was none of you doings, yet I placed the blame wrongly on you. I do hope you forgive me for my past misdeeds."
The king looked truly chest-fallen and it was all Celebrian could do not to cry for him. She stared to rise from her seat, but then a hand fell upon Thranduil's fallen shoulder. They both looked up at the face of Elrond, who had silent tears shining in his gray eyes.
"You had every right to be angry. You lost a son and heir, and nearly lost your wife. I know what you spoke of in anger you did not truly mean. All is forgiven, and forgotten. It is the past and it is duty to be put behind us. We must now live for the future, and the present."
Thranduil gave the Half-Elven a smile of thanks, placing his own hand over the other's and squeezing it gently but tightly.
"Thank you, brother," the king said, almost not finding his voice. "I called you that before and I would be honored to call you that again."
Elrond nodded and moved away, taking the seat that was next to his friend. He had just gotten into a comfortable position when the Mirkwood Elf spoke again.
"It is the present that I wish to speak to you, for the shadows of Mirkwood have grown tremendously in the past decade. Many of my soldiers have been killed by the evil that has plagued our once lovely woods. And I fear . . . I fear the life of my subjects, and my wife. As the shadows grow on my kingdom, so does the sorrow in my wife's heart. She still fears the past. And I fear that it is our sorrow that is bringing those shadows upon us . . . there is no light left in Mirkwood. All hope has died with that young boy that never took breath."
Celebrian stared at the King with one hand over her extruding belly and the other over her mouth. She held on to her unborn child for comfort and the hand at her mouth so she would not cry out in sorrow. How it must be for the king, she thought, sitting there, seeing my condition and know that his wife may never be in the same situation. But before either the Lady or Lord of Rivendell could comment, the King continued.
"Mirkwood needs an heir, and my poor wife cannot give it one, and I have no siblings that could take the crown. But my Isawien had a brother, who was a very noble and strong elf; he would have been perfect for the throne of our once great land. So my wife and I planned on giving the crown to him, and that we would sail West, away from the shadows that plagues my dear wife so much. We had made arrangements to head to Lorien, where her brother resided as a warrior for Fair Galadriel, when your letter arrived. When she heard the news of the new child to be born, she lit up. Despite not having any of her own, she was always happy to hear of other births. It was my first real hope in over five hundred years."
Thranduil paused a moment and then looked at Elrond, "I'm sorry . . . I'm parched, if you would be so kind to lead me to a glass of water . . . I fear I may need the strength from it for later."
Elrond quickly complied, handing him a glass of water. The king took his time in drinking the water, trying to reprocess his thoughts before he spoke. Finally, he finished his glass and looked at his two hosts.
"Thank you."
"Your welcome. Please, my friend, continue." Elrond told him, sitting back down.
Thranduil glanced at both of them briefly before continuing.
"I felt very guilty for the actions I had displayed towards you, Elrond, and found that despite my joy in hearing your news, I could not bare to write it to you. I felt that I had done too many past misdeeds to expect one letter to change all that. So, I decided to tell you in person my congratulations . . . which I fear more pressing matters have delayed that, even now as I sit before you. As I said before, we planned on going to the Golden Wood to talk to Isawien's brother, Fend, about taking the crown of Mirkwood, then we would stop off here and send our good tidings . . . and perhaps watch the child being born. Then we would sail off to a happier and safer places for us both."
"But when we got to Lorien, we received devastating news. Fend had been killed in a battle with Orks that had entered the Golden Wood. My already ill wife became worse. That is why I took so long to get here, because I could not leave my wife in the condition she was in. A few years ago, she stopped going on walks, she stopped living her life outside of her room, but she was well. She ate; she talked; she slept dreamless sleeps. But now she is much worse. Rarely does food pass through her lips, or words, and her dreams are haunting her. She is falling more and more into grief . . . I fear she will not survive the journey to the Gray Heavens." He then turned pleading to Elrond, "Their healers cannot help her. Nothing they are doing can help her . . . please, trusted friend, you must go to her and help her. I know the possibilities are few, but what possibilities she has lie with you. Please do what you can, even if it just to ease her suffering . . . to ease the pain she holds so dear to her heart."
Elrond watched his friend fight off tears, a thing he had not seen since that pained night long ago, a night that should have been filled with a baby's cry instead of the sobbing of it's mother.
"I wish to try and do whatever I can, Thranduil. But I fear I might sound selfish when I say I have pressing matters here too. My wife is very pregnant and is due in weeks. I cannot leave her here without my care."
Both the Lord and Lady of Rivendell had expected a negative reaction from the King, but were both surprised at his nod.
"I know and understand this, Elrond. I do not want you to leave your wife here," he said, suddenly not looking so lost as he had before. He turned to Celebrian, staring at her with hope, "Your mother knows this too. That is why she has requested you travel with your husband and to give birth in Lorien. I have arrived with a carriage that will ease the journey for you. She has foreseen this journey to be safe for you. She also hopes that if Isawien bares witness to the birth of your child, it would help with the healing process."
Celebrian stares at the Elf in front of her then turned to look at her husband. Moments passed as they said unspoken words to each other with their eyes. Finally, it seemed that they came to an agreement, for the Lady of Imladris turned her gaze back at the despaired man and held out a hand.
"King Thranduil, I would do anything to save the fair Queen of Mirkwood. I will travel with you and my husband to Lorien for the birthing of my child, in hope that once happy wife of yours returns."
The Mirkwood Elf nearly collapsed with joy and relief. He quickly grabbed onto the Lady's hand and kissed it, thanking her with both words and looks. Celebrian smiled at the Elf, as he stood and gave Elrond a hug. She laughed at his tactics before giving out a cry of surprise.
Both the Lord of Rivendell and King of Mirkwood turned to stare at the beautiful creature, which was holding her stomach. She smiled at their worried expressions.
"Nay, do not look like that. It was only the child, expressing its agreement in the decision," she said merrily. Elrond moved from his friend to his wife's side, pressing his own hands on her stomach. The baby kicked again, as if know it was it's father. There was a laugh escaped Elrond's lips before he felt another kick, only in a different place.
The laughter was removed from his eyes, replacing it with confusion. Celebrian noticed this, as did Thranduil. Neither spoke to the healer as he continued to probe his hands around is wife's middle section, but their questions filled their thoughts and eyes. Yet Elrond never looked up at them. He continued to move his hand until he felt the heart beat of the child, and moved his other hand around searching. He finally landed on the spot he was looking for.
Elrond let out a surprised breath. He looked up at both his wife and friend with a shocked look on his face.
"I do not know why I had not seen this before . . ." he muttered, before turning back to the stomach, making sure what he was feeling was still there. It was. He then looked up at his wife, and stared into her sapphire eyes. She stared at him with earnest.
"What did you not see before?" she question, uncertain if she wanted to hear what he had to say. Suddenly a smile broke out on his face.
"My Lady, I hear another heartbeat. You are expecting twins."
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Review Thanks:
Nikki1: "Dun dun dun" hehehe, that is funny . . . and the next part, well you are just going to have to read the rest of the story, huh? LOL.
Gionareth: Thanks! Here is the next chapter! (hope I didn't leave you hanging too long)
Linaeve: Thanks, and you're right!
Gissela: if you think that was a cliff hanger, wait until later chapters, especially towards the end . . . and sorry, the birth of the dawn and twilight aren't until later chapters . . . so hopefully you will keep on reading it to find out.
Kitsune: Thanks!
Aelan Greenleaf: Thanks, and I am. Enjoy! (love your name, by the way)
I-like-chickens: I like your name too, but I'm more of a beef girl . . . will do!
Name(?): continuing!