Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, places, ideas or anything else from Lord of the Rings. I do however lay claim on Elrond's twin daughters as Tolkien never wrote about any twin elven girls anywhere in his books. Everything else though, as much as I wish it, is not mine and belongs to the Estate of J.R.R. Tolkien (a wonderful, wonderful man). Except for a 2-year-old toddler by the name of Estel (forever called tithen min by his siblings) who needs looking after.
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The summer sun streamed through the window, although the hour was still early. Rómë breathed a deep sigh from her place on the balcony. Imladris was quiet, more so than usual due mostly to the length of the celebrations last night. The valley still slept.
But Rómë herself was restless, although she could not exactly explain why. Iselle still slept in the bed, and there was no indication that anything was wrong with her or the child. Rómë knew she would not be completely at ease until her father examined the woman, but that did not seem to be enough to cause her current unrest.
She sighed again and retired from her viewpoint. Iselle would sleep for a time, she hoped; long enough for her to check on Darin's condition and break her fast.
That decided she threw a robe over her sleeping gown, for proprieties sake more than anything. She left the room silently and retraced her steps back to the kitchens.
The staff was already up and offered her fresh baked sweet buns and summer peaches. Smiling her thanks she made her way slowly up to the Healing Halls, eating as she walked.
Elladan sat at Darin's side, firmly on the path of elven dreams. She nudged him gently and waved a sweet smelling bun under his noise.
The touch and smell roused him and he made a quick grab for the treat. "Uh, uh," Rómë warned and consumed the last of her morning meal in two bites. "You can walk down to the kitchens and get your own, brother."
Her eldest sibling frowned at her but made no move to follow her advice. He turned his attention to checking on the wounded man.
"How is he?" she asked.
"Alive, which is truly the most important thing. His breathing is normal, and heartbeat is even. He seems as well as can be. No fever; as good a sign as anything."
Rómë was nodding in agreement as the door was pushed open.
"Good morning Adar," Elladan and Rómë chorused. "Good morning Dúnë," they continued as she entered behind their father.
Rómë smiled widely. "And how was your night seler? Get much sleep at all?" Elrond shot her a warning glare as Elladan snickered.
"I slept perfectly well, thank you very much for your concern Rómë. But honestly, you could have told me what was happening; I would have come." The aggrieved look she shot her sister was lost on no one: she would have come, but she would have complained the entire night about being taken from Legolas' side.
Darin suddenly stirred from sleep, most likely caused by Dúnë's less than whispered voice. She firmly ignored the three glares shot in her direction.
"How is— ?" Elrohir started as he appeared at the door, but Darin's confused voice cut him off.
"Where am I? Where is Iselle; is my wife well?" The alarm was evident in his voice and Elrond reached out a comforting hand to prevent him from rising and calm him at the same time.
"You are in Rivendell, and elven refuge in the Misty Mountains. I am Elrond and these are my children. Your wife is well; she rests in a nearby room. You need not worry for her safety." He nodded towards Rómë and she disappeared from the room to see if Iselle was yet awake.
"How are you feeling this morn, Darin? You were quite badly injured when my guards found you last night. Are you in any pain?"
The man seemed to be recovering from the shock of awakening in a strange room full of even stranger elves, but his voice was weary and uncertain when he spoke. "It is not so bad, my lord. I feel much improved from yesterday. I am sorry to intrude upon your house, lord; we did not know where we were, nor that there were cities in these mountains."
"Once they were many, and many peoples as well, but now it is only Rivendell that remains. My home is a haven for all races, men included. You need not fear. Ah, here is your wife. Have you slept well lady?"
Rómë guided a newly awake Iselle into the room and let her sit upon Darin's bed. "Oh Iselle, I was so worried when I woke and you were not here. How do you feel? Is the child well?"
Iselle smiled. "Not nearly as worried as I have been about you. I feel fine, the sleep has done me well. And your son is healthy and soon to be born." She glanced at Rómë.
Darin sighed in visible relief, before her words sunk in. "A son? It is a boy?" Iselle nodded happily. "How wonderful! How do you know?"
"Lady Rómë informed me last night while your wounds were being tended."
"Pardon the interruption," Elrond started, "but I would wish to examine you Mistress Iselle and both of you should eat."
Rómë held and arm towards her and beckoned her to follow her and Elrond into the next room. With one last nervous glance at her husband she did so.
"I feel I should thank you," Darin addressed the remaining three elves, "but I am not sure how."
Elladan smiled. "No thanks are needed. We are only glad you are recovering well. I will go to the kitchens and bring you breakfast." Turning he left the room, closing the door behind him from prying eyes.
"You need not stay seler," Elrohir started. "I am certain Legolas is feeling your lack of company. Tell him good morn."
"Thank you so much for your kindness, brother, but I think I shall stay if it is all the same to you. Since I was so unfortunately denied knowledge of this last night."
"Only for your happiness, I assure you. You were having such a wonderful time we did not wish to deprive either of you of the company. And you like parties so much more than any of us."
Darin was looking between them with something akin to relief. No doubt it was comforting to discover elven children argued just as much amongst themselves as mortal children did.
"If you continue to tease me about this 'Ro, I swear we shall never speak again. Imagine what Legolas would think, hearing this?"
Elrohir smirked. "I'd imagine he would think it quite amusing. Oh, good morning Glorfindel."
The golden haired seneschal had appeared quietly at the door. "Is everything well?"
"Quite. Father is examining the young mother, and Darin is doing quite well. Did you enjoy the party last night, Glor?" A radiant innocent smile accompanied the last remark.
"Oh certainly tithen min, very much so. Not nearly as much as your sister seemed to, but…." The look of rage that crossed Dúnë's face only made Glorfindel smile wider.
So angry was she, she could not find the words to speak, and instead stomped from the room in a very un-elven-like manner. Laughter followed in her wake.
"She will make you pay for that, Glor." Elrohir snickered.
"Oh, I have no doubt about that. But I think of it more of a repayance for certain things she owes me. She clearly stated last time that there were no limits to the game. I'm simply taking her at her word."
Elrohir's smile grew infinitely larger. "Just do not let Adar catch you at it. He will not find it at all amusing, I deem."
Glorfindel sighed. "Elrohir, you will learn that there are very few things your father finds amusing when they are at the expense of others. A pity, truly; he has lacked a sense of humor for many years now, if indeed he ever had one." Blue eyes glistened in mirth.
When Elrond emerged from the next room a few moments later, Elrohir was still sitting in the bed chair, doubled over in laughter; Darin was looking thoroughly confused and Glorfindel had disappeared.
Elrond did not bother asking. And Elladan arriving with a tray of food saved him from wondering what had happened.
Rómë took her leave in the commotion that followed, promising Iselle she would be back to see her after she was through with her meal. Elrond made similar excuses and left as well.
Elladan gave a queer look at his brother, one that openly stated 'you are insane' and concentrated on serving up breakfast.
"What is it today?" Elladan wondered. "Has the festivities caused the entire house to loose all semblance of normalcy?"
"If you think this house is usually normal, toro, you are too far gone to help. No doubt the amount of wine, care of Círdan I might add, might have something to do with everyone's general state this morning, but I doubt it is the reason for the past four yéni. That you can only blame on the inhabitants themselves. Adar keeps commenting that that is strange itself, for that was about the time we were born. But of course he is talking nonsense," Elrohir reasoned.
Darin, with a look that clearly stated he thought himself insane for interceding, said: "Your father seems very kind. Not at all as I expected an elf-lord to be. None of this is what I expected." He glanced around the large, airy, room.
"That is the general consensus of all who visit who are not Eldar. It is a bit intimidating, or so I am told. But if Rivendell seems so, I can only guess what Lórien must be like. Perhaps that is why daernaneth does not let any but those of the Eldar race pass her borders. She's trying to save them the shock." Grey eyes met grey eyes in a look of mingled sympathy. The twins had nearly suffered from shock themselves, their first visit to their grandmother's realm.
"How old are you?" The timid female voice startled all three males, the twins especially having all but forgotten Iselle's presence.
"Very, very young. Just under six hundred years, by your count. Elladan and I are the eldest of Elrond's children. Rómë and her twin Dúnë are barely fifty years."
"Fifty-five, I would thank you to remember, brother," Rómë put in, appearing at the door once again. "But we are still barely past being elflings, to our everlasting impatience. Or Dúnë's at least," she grinned.
"You say that is young; what then do you consider old?" Iselle was finally letting her nervousness and hesitancy go, in favor of curiosity it seemed.
The three elves smiled knowingly. "Our father, Elrond, is forty-two hundred. He is considered one of the wise, and there are very few of them left, still, on this side of the sea. The Lady Galadriel is nearer ten thousand, however."
Two mouths dropped firmly to the ground upon this news, delivered as if a hundred times a mortal lifespan was not huge. Rómë smiled.
"There is much men do not know of us, except for those that still keep the old ties to the elves, for once we lived together in understanding. Those times now are long gone; since before my brothers were born. Men live now in fear of us, or at the best in awe. It is a great shame, for once we learned much from each other, and the Firstborn found a purpose in life, to teach those of the after-races. There are few now who still come to us for teaching, or for help, too in fear of our magic and sorcery are they. It will be many years, even in the count of the elves, before ever our people join together for a common purpose." She got no further, because Elladan elbowed her hard in the ribs, and she had to stop talking in order to not cry out in pain.
His explanation, when it came, was whispered in elvish. "Do not go telling them about what you see. Father has explained this to you before, why do you not listen? They will be long dead before ever the first beginnings of such an alliance form again. Do not tell mortals of what the future holds; if they were meant to know, Eru would have given them foresight as well."
Rómë stood silently, still rubbing the ache in her side, but she said no more. Iselle and Darin took the message and did not ask anymore questions while they ate.
"Iselle, are you feeling tired at all? You may rest after the meal, if you wish. If not, I would be only too glad to show you around the valley," Rómë smiled.
"I am feeling very rested. It has been many months since I have slept as well as I did this past night. A bed I am certain, makes all of the difference." Elladan nodded sagely in agreement. Too many times had he slept on the cold, hard, sharp ground while hunting. "I wish to see some of this city, if only so as to not become lost."
"I hardly think you need fear that. It is not that large, and you may wander where you will. And when you are well, Master Darin, I shall give you the grand tour as well."
"I hardly think that will matter for some time. And even then I shall simply follow Iselle around wherever she goes." All five inhabitants of the room laughed.
"I am finished now, I should think. The babe seems want to eat at all hours, but then not much at a time." She messaged the swollen bulge of her belly. "I certainly do not hope he is like this after he is born. I shall never rest at all!"
Elladan's snickers could no doubt be heard by anyone passing by the room. His sister pointedly chose to ignore him and instead, escort Iselle from the room.
"We shall take our leave lords, and leave you to your business. I'm sure there are many manly things you wish to discuss."
Her brothers' un-elven-like spluttering followed the two females down the hall.
"Do you always tease them so?" Iselle questioned.
"Oh, usually it is much worse. My siblings and I have an understanding. Anything is fair game. And anyone. I've lost count of the number of times visiting dignitaries have been on the receiving end of one of my brothers' jokes. But more often then not, they keep their games confined to the extended family. Myself and my sisters, our parents, our grandparents, my father's council, Prince Legolas and his family, the Rangers….and every now and then, we play a joke on them. It's exhausting to plan one though, without their or father's knowledge. And they usually end in disaster, but Elladan and Elrohir always come off worse, and that is all that matters. Do you have siblings at all, Iselle?"
The woman nodded. "I have an elder brother. He is married and has children of his own. They live with my parents, south of Bree."
The two walked in silence for a few moments; Rómë expertly navigating the corridors and people.
"Iselle, what made you leave home?
The woman looked stricken, and the she-elf immediately regretting saying anything.
"I…we…I'm afraid."
Rómë stopped and found a place on the nearest bench. "Why? You have nothing to be frightened of here. What happened?"
"Darin and I…we…my father forbid us to marry, but we love each other so much…. We did it without his knowledge, and for a time everything was well, but then I discovered I was with child and…after I could no longer hide it, my father…he banished me. Darin's father had warned him not to pursue me, to just forget what he felt and he was angered that Darin had brought such a thing upon his house. We had no where to go. We thought, perhaps, we would make for the south, to the old kingdom. But we did not realize how far it was. We were looking for a place to stay until the child was born when we were attacked. I…I am so sorry to have burdened your family with this. We should never had left, but we were both so afraid of what would happen, and we wanted nothing more than to be together…." She broke down in the quiet sobs and Rómë took her into her arms and rocked her gently, whispering in words the woman did not understand.
"You are safe here," Rómë assured her, in the common tongue. "Darin will not be up for many weeks, and even then father will not allow you to leave. You shall stay the winter here, in Rivendell. In the spring will we see what is to be done. A new born babe cannot travel in such conditions. You will all be safe here," she repeated again.
"Thank you," Iselle chocked out, still rocking gently in the elf's arms.
Rómë decided that perhaps it was not the best day for a tour and led Iselle back to her own room to rest for a few hours. Sleep was the best thing for the distraught mother. After she had seen Iselle settled, she retired to her father's study, to share with him what she had learned.