Chapter 29
Celebrían led Elrond inside with Erestor trailing close behind. Elrond smiled slightly, trying to remember how exactly he acted at breakfast. Celebrían squeezed his hand encouragingly.
*About five more of my steps to the platform.
Elrond simply nodded.
*Thank you.
She squeezed his hand again. Elrond began to mentally count.
*Step up.
He began to do so and found himself on the tiny path behind the chairs. Sweat trickled down his neck.
*Please no one move from their places…
Celebrían sensed his discomfort.
*We are almost there, Elrond. Two more steps…
Elrond sighed in relief, about to take his seat when a noise came at the front.
Voices began all at once.
" Stand up," Erestor muttered from beside him.
" Who is it?" Elrond replied through a smile.
" Celeborn."
Elrond nearly groaned.
*A family reunion. Tis all I need.
Celebrían turned, greeting her father. Erestor had nudged Elrond into motion. Celebrían saw her father begin to extend his hand. She took hold of both of Elrond's, looking up almost adoringly, before turning back to her father.
" I am so glad you came, Ada."
" Your mother and I heard the wonderful news. We came as quickly as we could."
Celeborn jovially slapped Elrond on the back with a smile. Elrond managed to keep a smile, though tears bit at his eyes from the blow.
" Twas about time you gave her the ring. I have waited too long for grandchildren."
Celeborn was grinning as broadly as his mouth allowed him to. Elrond turned his head down, as if searching for Celebrían. Her hand found his cheek in an understanding gesture, guiding his face to look at her. No one took the action as strange. It simply seemed as if Elrond was bashful in the presence of his to-be father-in-law.
" Come, Ada, join us for breakfast. Círdan told us you would arrive not too soon after he did. We would be honored to have you dine with us."
Celeborn tugged on his daughter's hand.
" Your mother wishes to see you right away outside."
Celebrían's smile dimmed as she glanced back at Elrond.
" May Elrond come also?"
Celeborn shrugged.
" I see why not."
Elrond heard Erestor's short sigh of relief. Celebrían took Elrond's hand.
*Step down.
Elrond turned back.
" Go ahead and begin breakfast without us."
Celebrían looked up at Elrond as they began the walk out of the hall.
*Nana will know immediately that something is wrong.
Elrond began to turn his head towards her. Celebrían's eyes shot forward.
" Elrond-" she began before a loud crash cut her off.
Elrond and an attendant both sat on the ground with dazed expressions. Elrond put a hand to his chest, feeling the gooey substance on his chest. He licked his fingers.
" How I would have rather enjoyed this on a platter. Forgive my clumsiness."
A titter of laughter came. Glorfindel had already sprinted forward to help Elrond up, handing the lord a napkin.
" Good save," Glorfindel muttered.
Elrond nodded, scraping off what he could feel of the gooey pastries.
" Thank you. I try."
Celeborn watched from a nearby doorway. His brow creased when Elrond's eyes turned towards Celebrían again, but his daughter had to turn the Elf's head fully towards her.
*Elrond has never acted this bashful around my daughter. Something is going on and neither wishes to break it to anyone. He is not meeting anyone's eyes…By Eru, I will skin them both.
Celeborn came to stand between them when they approached him.
" Look at me, Elrond."
Elrond's mouth opened slightly. Again, Celebrían gently caressed Elrond's cheek, seeming to guide his eyes to Celeborn. Celeborn's eyes narrowed.
" There had best not be any funny business going on between you two."
Celebrían's eyes widened as her father strode before them. She looked up at Elrond.
*Ada believes we either have followed in his and Nana's steps or that we did not wait for vows to be spoken.
Elrond's visage clouded.
*Either way, I would not wish your mother's wrath if she thinks the same.
~*~
Galadriel caught her husband's troubled face when he came into view. Her own brow creased.
*What is it, Herven?
He looked up briefly.
*I believe our daughter and her beloved may have chosen to follow our example. Elrond is not meeting anyone's eyes. Just watch.
Galadriel nodded, turning her attention to the quickly approaching couple.
~*~
Celebrían squeezed Elrond's hand.
*In front of us is my mother.
Elrond smiled.
" Galadriel, tis good…" Galadriel waved a hand as he began, but Elrond did not stop speaking. "…To see you."
Galadriel's eyes hardened. She glanced at her daughter. Celebrían looked away, almost guiltily. Celeborn's own brows rose slightly.
*What in Arda is going on here?
Galadriel waved a hand in front of Elrond's face noting that his eyes remained fixed on where she was. Celebrían looked up at Elrond and then at her mother with a crestfallen expression. Galadriel crossed her arms menacingly.
" What is going on here?"
Elrond's heart fell. The three around saw it on his face. Celebrían's hand tightened around his.
*Keep your expression in check.
She smiled at her mother apprehensively.
" Nothing is the-"
Galadriel's wilting glance made Celebrían become silent.
" Elrond?" Galadriel inquired again.
Elrond sighed. He looked down at where he thought his feet should be.
*I would relinquish all I have just to be able to see at this moment and say that all is well. I will lose everything dear to me when the truth is revealed.
" Elrond, what are you hiding?" Celeborn stepped forward.
Elrond slowly looked up.
" Did you know it is as black as night right now?"
The two parents exchanged unreadable glances.
" You speak in riddles, Peredhil, and I do not wish to solve it," Galadriel's sharp voice rang clear in the early morning air.
" I had an accident."
Celeborn and Galadriel were instantly alert. Galadriel stepped forward with worried expression, her irritation forgotten.
" Go on, Elrond, please."
Elrond licked his lips. Celebrían slid acomforting hand to his back, rubbing it encouragingly.
*I am not leaving you, Elrond. Tell them. Nana and Ada will know what to do.
Elrond took a deep breath, but remained silent. Celebrían stood up straighter.
" If you will not tell them, then I will."
Elrond's head shot up. He did not know where to look once her voice faded. He opened his mouth.
" I fell from the South balcony which is a good hundred feet or more above Imladris," Elrond swallowed. " When I came to, I could see nothing. I still see nothing."
Celebrían looked at her parents anxiously. Both wore fear-riddled expressions.
" This is unheard of among the Elves," Celeborn murmerred.
" But I am not fully Elvish," Elrond countered, " My Edain blood is ever a hindrance to me."
Galadriel tapped her upper lip with her index finger.
" The blindness should be temporary. Once the swelling recedes…" she trailed off, her hands pushing aside Elrond's long hair for a moment. " There, I can only guess Celebrían arranged your hair this morning." Galadriel sent raised eyebrows her daughter's way. " Your hair covers wonderful black and blue marks all along your temple and there is a knot right-" Elrond winced when her hand brushed the side of his head, " Here."
Elrond put a hand to the back of his head with a pained expression.
" Twas my assumption also. I had chose to wait at least five days before notifying you, but you came early."
Celeborn nodded this time.
" A wise choice, but not so wise to try and fool us."
Elrond looked down, the one direction he had mastered, and dug the tip of his foot into the moist soil. Celebrían watched her parents' expressions soften. She smiled. Celebrían had to admit that at that moment, Elrond looked the closest he ever would to a young boy.
" I did not mean to trick you, but I am afraid that Imladris will be stripped from me. There are many that desire the lordship and many that would wish my place as…as Gil-galad's heir."
Celeborn and Galadriel exchanged knowing smiles.
*Tis the first time I have heard him speak of Ereinion since Dagorlad.
Elrond slowly turned his head up.
" What should I do?"
Celebrían watched her mother embrace Elrond. Galadriel pulled back first, searching Elrond's face. Celebrían felt a twinge of jealousy.
*Nana never treated me with that much respect and care.
Galadriel then touched her daughter's face, her eyes mirroring apology. For a moment, Celebrían imagined that she saw approval in her mother's eyes. It faded in a moment and Galadriel's eyes turned back to Elrond.
" I suggest placing Imladris in Erestor's care for an unsaid amount of time. You will join Celeborn and I in journeying to Belfalas. There, I believe, many of the Lorien Elves are migrating. If they cannot help you, then I am sure Nimrodel herself would be honored to heal you. She has always spoken highly of you and asked Celeborn and I about you."
Celebrían's visage shadowed for a moment. Elrond seemed to have wrinkled his nose slightly. Galadriel lifted her chin.
" Twould be a wise decision, Elrond."
Elrond sighed, nodding his consent.
" I shall do as you see fit, but," Elrond looked down at Celebrían, "She shall be able to come also."
" Elrond," Celeborn began.
Elrond put up a hand in the opposite direction of Celeborn.
" I will have it no other way."
Galadriel sighed.
" If you bring her as a shield for maidens, you would merely need to flash the silver ring flamboyantly."
Elrond shook his head.
" I do not wish a rumor to grow of my sightlessness. I would ask that Celebrían, if she so pleases, would act as my guide. It would look odd for me to be hanging on your arm, Galadriel; and it would look unfaithful to be on any other woman's arm."
Celebrían smiled to herself. Galadriel still shook her head.
" I would rather-"
Celeborn stepped forward.
" My dear, if we travel with them, as well as guards, then their reputation will not be tarnished," he stepped between the couple, laying a hand on their shoulders, " Leastways, would you wish to separate them so soon after they have plighted their troth?"
Galadriel waved her hand.
" Ok, ok, I comply to your wishes. Let me be."
Celebrían laid a kiss on her father's cheek.
" Thank you," she whispered.
Celeborn just ruffled her hair with a smile.
Celebrían looked up at her mother with a smile.
" With that aside, why did you wish to see me, Nana?"
Galadriel's face lightened.
" Elrond, can I steal my daughter for a moment?"
Elrond nodded silently, releasing her hand. Instantly, he felt lost. Sounds swirled all around him and he found it hard to balance. Celeborn took hold of his elbow.
" Your equilibrium will also be off a bit," Celeborn said softly.
Elrond nodded.
" I believe I just noted that."
Galadriel looked over her shoulder at them.
" Elrond, I need you to close your eyes. I do not want you to see… Never mind, forget I even spoke that."
Elrond concentrated hard on the darkness, wishing that with his vigilance of trying to see something, anything, his vision would return. He jumped a little at Celebrían's gasp. Celeborn chuckled a bit, seeing his daughter's overjoyed face.
" Nana, it is beautiful. Will it fit though?"
Galadriel gave a low laugh.
" If you have not grown since the last time you had dresses made, then it should fit."
Celeborn glanced at Elrond.
" Galadriel made Celebrían's wedding dress. It is actually Galadriel's, but Galadriel altered it to fit Celebrían. Celebrían played dress-up in it as a child."
Elrond nodded with a slight smile.
*How I wish I could see it at the moment.
" It is beautiful?" he asked.
Celeborn nodded.
" Aye, but you will get no more from me. They say it is bad luck for a groom to see the wedding dress."
Elrond shook his head.
" It is fine that you say no more. I am sure words do not do it justice."
Celeborn looked down.
" I am sorry."
Elrond waved a hand.
" Tis fine." Elrond dropped his voice, indicating his words were meant only for Celeborn. " I took sight for granted, Celeborn." He sighed, listening to Celebrían's happy chatter. " I would give anything now, after just a day without sight, to see her for just a moment."
Celeborn clasped his shoulder.
" You know Galadriel and I will do all within our power."
Elrond nodded. He looked up, feeling the sun warm his face. His face dimmed as his eyes returned their unseeing gaze to the earth.
" But what if that is not enough?"