Chapter 34
Elrond hoped to enter the bedchambers as silently as possible. He had a tendency to fall prey to his books and spend half the night with them even when he knew his wife was waiting for him. He began to quickly undo his outer tunic.
" Elrond, it is almost dawn."
He froze, turning and seeing his wife sitting in a chair. She was still dressed in what she had been wearing the day before. Elrond came to kneel beside her.
" I know."
Celebrían looked down at him frostily.
" I thought our vows were for you to love me, not your books."
Elrond looked down.
" I know. Forgive-"
Celebrían stood.
" You have said that before." She looked at him with cold eyes.
Elrond winced. She was beyond angry, more into the range of severely livid or worse. Celebrían crossed her arms.
" I am sorry if I do not understand your love for books, but promise me you will not do this again."
Elrond looked at his hands, biting his lip.
" I cannot promise that because I will easily break it." He stood. "Can we compromise?"
Celebrían gave a small nod. Elrond came to her, taking her hands and gently leading her back to the chair. He sat down, before allowing her to sit in his lap.
" There will be nights, Celebrían, when it is necessary that I stay up until dawn to finish certain things." Elrond gently caressed her hair. " But on other nights, I will promise to you not to work past dinner in my study."
Celebrían was silent.
" Ok," she whispered.
Elrond hugged her close.
" I know it is different now that we are married."
Celebrían looked up at him.
" You are right about that. I never knew you stayed up so late. No wonder you are so tired." She abruptly stood. " Now come on, off with that tunic and into bed. There are only a few hours until breakfast."
Elrond stood slowly. He gave her a soft kiss.
" I might say the same to you."
Celebrían nodded.
" Aye, but at least I could doze off in the chair."
Elrond gave a small shrug, sending her a weak impish smile.
" I have a council this morning. I shall get plenty of sleep."
~*~
Elrond slammed the door and plopped in a chair in front of Erestor. Erestor looked up warily before smiling and leaning back in his chair.
" I did not know I had become a marriage counselor also."
Elrond sent him a stern look before placing his head in his hands. Erestor was immediately on guard.
" What is it?"
Elrond gave a small shrug.
" I do not know." He looked up. " She is angry with me and I do not know what I have done."
Erestor leaned back again into his chair.
" Have you-"
Elrond jumped to his feet.
" By Eru, I am not that stupid. Of course I asked. She only replied that I know what I did." Elrond threw his hands in the air before plopping sullenly back in the chair. " What in Mandos have I done?"
Erestor stood.
" Stay here, Elrond. Do not leave. I want you to calm down. You are liable to kill at this moment."
Elrond sat back down and slumped in the chair. He sighed, crumpling his face in his hand.
*Marriage is a lot harder than couples make it out to be.
~*~
Erestor found Celebrían angrily attempting to cross-stitch. She jabbed the needle furiously into the cloth. Erestor cleared his throat. She looked up and then back at her stitching before speaking.
" Elrond sent you." It was worded as a statement, not a question.
Erestor sat across from you.
" It is not often the Lord of Imladris comes into my study and sits before me with a look of utter helplessness."
Celebrían paused.
" What do you mean?" She set aside the pattern.
Erestor clasped his hands together.
" He sincerely does not know what he has done that angers you. Right now he is in my study, trying to cool a temper brought on by what he thinks is his own inaptness."
Celebrían's face turned guilty. She gave a small sigh.
" He is angry with himself?"
Erestor nodded. He put a hand on her shoulder.
" You two have been married less than a month. You have to learn to ignore the little petty things. I know I had to with Celebrisse; and she did the same with me." Erestor dipped his head so that he made her meet his eyes. "Forgiveness is a daily commodity in a marriage."
Celebrían gave a small sigh.
" Where is he?"
~*~
Elrond had found it unnerving to be sitting alone in Erestor's study and had slunk off to his own. Elrond immersed himself into a book lying open, trying to forget he had an angry wife. Moments later, a soft cough came. Elrond froze as the scent of jasmine tickled his nose. He looked up slowly. She was in the doorway. Celebrían closed the door and then came to kneel beside him. Elrond took both of her hands, pulling her up so that he was looking up at her.
" I am sorry for whatever it is I have done."
Celebrían surprised him by pulling him to stand also.
" Do you want to know something?"
Elrond looked down at her with an inquiring gaze. She waited.
" Elrond, say what," she finally said with a tint of exasperation in her voice.
Elrond smiled slightly.
" What?"
Celebrían ran a finger on his chest, tracing the pattern on his tunic.
" I forgot what I was mad at you about."
Elrond looked at her for a moment before the soft timbre of his laughter echoed in his study. She sent him a small smile, her fingers slowly unbuttoning the ornate tunic. Elrond removed himself from her hands, taking the moment to lock his study door before rejoining her.
" So what did Erestor say to you?"
Celebrían gave a small shrug, with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
" Who cares?"
Elrond gave a small gulp.
" I do not as of now."
~*~
Elrond stood in his study, a finger trailing over the bookbindings. He could hear the music filtering in from Celebrían's study and fought the urge to join her. He gave a small sigh. Sometimes he actually did have to perform his duties. A slight smile formed as his wife's thoughts drifted to his mind. He hid a chuckle.
*She obviously has forgotten I can hear her thoughts.
~*~
Celebrían could see Elrond from her study as she languidly strummed a harp. He moved swiftly, yet gracefully. His grace and poise were two things his Edain blood had not touched. He bore more refinement than some Elves. Celebrían smiled dreamily; and he was hers. A soft whisper caressed her mind.
*Your gaze is like fire, Hervess…
Celebrían glanced up as her husband looked over his shoulder with an amused smile. She loved that charming quirk he seemed to reserve only for her.
*Have you been following my thoughts, Peredhil?
Elrond's amusement grew as she tried to keep a stern face with him from across in her study. He simply turned back to his book.
*How can I help it when your mind intertwines with mine?
Erestor entered Elrond's study, seizing Elrond's attention with words. Celebrían could not hear them, but she, for one, did not appreciate not having her husband's full attention. A mischievous smile lit her angelic face. Rising from the harp, she leaned against her door, causing Elrond to glance quickly at her. She frowned when his attention returned to whatever Erestor was saying.
*I desire thee, Elrond.
At that, Elrond's eyes raced over to her again. Celebrían's hand fell from her neck, lighting on certain places in its path to her hip before sending him a smile he could only classify as sexy. She floated away towards their chambers, glancing back at him. Elrond's mouth had formed a small o. Erestor turned to look, but Celebrían had already disappeared around a corner. Elrond rubbed the back of his neck, trying to hold back a smile.
" Erestor, please excuse me, but something important has come to my attention."
Erestor let Elrond by before watching the lord swiftly set out for his chambers. Erestor shook his head.
*5 years now and they still act like newlyweds…
~*~
Elrond sat at the table during the midday meal, allowing the conversation to flow around him. He glanced at his wife beside him as she laughed gaily. Celebrían prodded him.
*If you are going to act so gloomy, then you should have stayed in your room.
Elrond looked at her. She sent him an inquiring gaze as he shook his head.
*I am fine, Celebrían.
Celebrían shook her head.
*I have seen you better.
Elrond turned his attention back to the food. He quickly took a sip of the water by his plate, stifling another cough. He breathed in deeply.
*I hate winter…
He had spent most of his morning asleep. Luckily for him, Celebrían had been busy herself. She had not noticed it. A hand tapped Elrond on the shoulder.
" You do know that your cold is as obvious as the snow on the mountain tops."
Elrond waved a hand at Glorfindel.
" Let me be."
" Need I tell Celebrían or will you come and let a healer look at it now?"
Elrond quickly stood, excusing himself. Celebrían watched Elrond go. Glorfindel escorted her husband out the door. She shook her head.
*I guess business calls…
~*~
Elrond allowed the old healer to examine him. Glorfindel watched from the doorway.
" Why must I have hawks as counselors?" Elrond grumbled.
The healer simply shook his head.
" You are lucky, Peredhil. This should be cleared up in a matter of days. I am prescribing rest and your usual herbs for a week."
" A week? That is not a couple of days," Elrond protested weakly, before he quickly put a hand up to smother a cough.
" He can make it two," Glorfindel threatened from the doorway.
The healer laughed when Elrond merely sent Glorfindel a deadly look.
" It is true, Master Elrond, when they say healers are often the worst when they need to be healed."
Elrond rolled his eyes, slipping back on his outer tunic. He grumbled a bit before coming to a dead stop. His wife was at the end of the hall.
Celebrían came towards Elrond, a worried expression marring her beautiful face. Elrond turned his attention back to the buttons. He tried not to look at her. Celebrían glanced at Glorfindel.
" What is going on?"
Glorfindel merely shrugged.
" Ask Elrond."
Without another word, both the healer and Glorfindel walked away.
Celebrían raised her eyebrows at her husband.
*What ails thee, Elrond?
Elrond shrugged.
*Nothing that you need to bother yourself with.
Celebrían took his hand.
" I am your wife. It bothers me."
Elrond gave a small shrug.
" The healer is confining me to my room for a week."
Celebrían's brow furrowed.
" Why so?"
" I have a habit of obtaining a small head cold in the winter."
Her eyes widened.
" But that is reserved for the…oh." Celebrían took his arm. " Come then, you must go straight away to bed."
Elrond sighed. She looked up at him.
" And do not think you are off the hook yet, Peredhil. You will tell me why you did not wish me to know."
Elrond groaned. She poked him teasingly.
" Afraid of a little rest?"
Elrond looked down at her, shaking his head.
" I am more afraid of you."
Celebrían laughed a bit before grinning mischievously.
" That is very wise, Master Elrond, very wise."