Chapter 39
Elrond could only stare at her.
" What are you saying?"
Celebrían just sent him a look. Elrond's jaw fell.
" Are you serious?"
Celebrían shook her head.
" No, I am just joking about this."
Elrond stood up, his eyes wide. Celebrían pulled him between her legs.
" We are having another baby."
Elrond ran a hand over his face.
" When?"
Celebrían laughed at his total loss of rational. A second later, Elrond lifted her off the table, swinging her around. Her laughter filled the dreary study.
A knock came. Elrohir put a head around the door.
" You two are being quite loud."
Elrond sent his son a dangerous look. Elladan pushed the door open more before jabbing his brother.
" I would not touch on that if I were you." The older twin warned with an infectious smile.
Elrond chuckled.
" It is fine. You two deserve to know."
" Know what?" Elrohir's eyes darted between the two.
Celebrían looked up at her husband.
*They will not be able to look at us for weeks.
Elrond simply looked up at his sons with a weak smile. Instantly the twins were on guard.
" You are smiling, Adar? What is going on here?" Elrohir demanded.
Celebrían laid a hand on his arm.
" Your father and I have some unexpected news."
" What?" Elladan was about to die of anticipation.
Celebrían and Elrond exchanged a glance. Elrond motioned for Celebrían to go ahead and say it. Celebrían took one of the twins' hands.
" Early next year, the two of you will have another sibling."
Dead silence reigned. Both twins stared slack jawed at their parents. Elladan was the first to recover, swallowing slowly, though his eyes remained wide.
" Pardon? I think I heard you wrong, Nana."
Elrond leaned against his desk, his eyes dark and unfeeling as he swiftly analyzed the situation.
" You will have another sibling early next year." Celebrían repeated.
The twins remained silent. Elrond's eyes darted between the two.
" You two seem to find this hard to believe." Elrond spoke up, crossing his arms.
Elladan just shrugged, his cheeks tinted with a slight pink.
" We have just…heard."
" Heard what?" Celebrían inquired.
An uncomfortable silence fell. The twins exchanged sidelong glances, unwilling to speak. Elrond leaned back, his near-black eyes beginning to unnerve his sons. Elrohir shifted uncomfortably.
" Well, you and Nana are a political marriage; and with Elladan and I born, you need not fulfill the bodily part of a marriage." Elrohir blurted out.
Both Elrond and Celebrían could only stare at their sons. Celebrían concealed a smile as she glanced at her husband.
*What I would have missed out on if this was truly only a political marriage…
She could have sworn a blush lighted on Elrond's cheeks. He raised an eyebrow at his sons, yet Celebrían was the first to speak.
" A political marriage?" She burst into tiny giggles.
The twins watched with utter confusion as even a smile tugged on their father's lips. He shook his head with a chuckle and the two were in disbelief. For as long as they could remember, he had never smiled. As soon as the smile came, it disappeared and Elrond was all business again.
" What ever led you to believe this?" Elrond asked.
Neither twin answered, turning their eyes away. Elrond stood up, a confronting look in his shadowy orbs.
" Answer me."
With a dismissive wave, Celebrían subdued her cross husband. She shook her head, wagging her pointer finger at him.
" Do not treat them like your advisors. They are your sons, Elrond."
Elrond looked like a scolded boy for a moment as he gave a consenting nod. He crossed his arms, motioning with one hand to them as he glanced down at her.
" And pray tell, hervess-nin, how am I supposed to take this from my own sons?"
Celebrían closed the study doors. She sent him a small smile. Elrond relaxed, motioning again as if to allow her to run the interrogation.
" Boys, your father and I are far from what this ignorant Elfling is saying. I, for one, cannot believe you two would fall for such an absurd lie."
" Neither of you are exceedingly affectionate." Elrohir mumbled as he turned to exit.
" Pardon?" Elrond's voice was deathly quiet as he crossed the room and stopped his sons. He looked at Elrohir. " Would you care to repeat that louder so I may hear it?"
Elladan was busily trying to silence his brother. Elrohir was the more emotional of the two and his mouth had gotten them in trouble too many times to count. Elrohir stepped forward to face off his father. Elladan plopped his forehead in his hand in a defeated gesture.
*Ada shall roast and then eat us for dinner after Elrohir is done.
Elrohir's eyes flashed as he stared angrily at his father.
" You expect both Elladan and I to know you two are not a political marriage? Well, how? Neither you nor Nana has shown anything but polite affection in front of us. You are a stern man, Ada and Nana is exactly the opposite. If this marriage was not arranged, then it must be by pure miracle that it came together. It is impossible to see."
Celebrían had already positioned herself between the two angry men. She put a hand on Elrond's chest, seeming to calm him with her touch. Celebrían's tone held none of its trademark cheeriness as she regarded Elrohir.
" First of all, your father and I are Lord and Lady of Imladris. We cannot be found in hallways in inappropriate positions such as you young elflings." Celebrían suddenly sent her husband a death glare. " Let me finish, Elrond."
Elrond held up his hands innocently, though mischief gleamed deep in his eyes.
" And also, you two would not appreciate your father an I acting like a young couple around you, would you?" Celebrían demanded.
Both twins shook their head vehemently. Elrond then stepped forward.
" I know I am definitely not the best father. I am not as cheerful, nor exuberant or even as loving as other fathers. But, I had hoped my own sons would remember that that was a façade and not my literal face." Elrond made a slight face before mumbling something akin to 'Atrocious word grammar and wording'.
Elladan this time took the step forward with a troubled look in his eyes.
" Maybe if you were more like a father to us and less an advisor, we could see that."
At that, Elrond left the room, via a side door. Celebrían's eyes followed her husband, a sad look in her eyes when she regarded his drooping shoulders. She turned back to her sons, a stern look in place.
" I had better never hear of such disrespect again." She ordered, making them both cringe slightly. " Your father has done everything possible to give you two only the best." She cast a glance at Elladan. " You would not be here today if it were not for your father. Twice, he hath healed thee and you still have the audacity to call him unloving?"
The two mumbled apologies. Celebrían shooed them out the door.
" Now excuse me while I right what you two have done."
Elladan held up a hand. He glanced at his brother, who merely nodded, their thoughts the same.
" We shall right it, Nana."
Both set out in search of their father. Celebrían smiled to herself, admiring the two lithe bodies as they made their way swiftly through the throng of Elves.
" I have raised two scoundrels into absolute gentlemen." She chuckled, lost in her memories. " Who would have thought?"
~*~
Elrond had taken the time to snatch his bow and quiver from his room. Glorfindel made a move to slow him, but changed his mind, allowing the storming lord by without a word. Elrond continued until he was far from the homely house. He then set up the target. He picked up the bow, attaching the quiver to his back. He rolled his neck slightly before letting loose a stream of arrows.
~*~
The two approached together. Elrond did not even acknowledge them, but they knew their presence did not go unnoticed. The twins paused, waiting for him to allow them to continue. Elrond turned sharply, his bow lax. The twins almost shielded away. Even his robes fluttered menacingly.
" You are not advisors. You need not have my leave to approach." Elrond's hurt glance surprised them. " Last I checked you were my sons."
Elrohir glanced at his brother, utterly afraid of his father at the moment.
*You are the eldest, Elladan. You speak with him.
Elladan took a few hesitant steps towards his father.
" We are sorry, Ada."
Elrond threw his bow towards the soft grass at the base of a nearby tree. He then sat beside it, glancing up at his sons. Elladan, being suddenly brave, went and sat beside Elrond. Elrohir had no choice to follow suit. Elrond let loose a heavy sigh.
" I never had a father." He glanced at the two, as if expecting them to have dissolved. " My sire may be Eärendil, the Mariner, but I have known only distant cousins and such all my life." In turn, he made eye contact with each as he continued. " My greatest fear was to be wrenched away from my family." Elrond sighed. " I guess it may have been better that way. You two might have a bit of respect for me then."
" Ada," Elladan began.
Elrond shook his head, swallowing slightly. He pressed his lips together.
" Why do you hate me?"
The two looked down and then back at him. Elrohir shrugged.
" You never seemed to be proud of us, no matter what we do."
Elrond's head whipped about.
" I always heralded your deeds."
Elladan shook his head.
" All we wanted was for you to say good job."
Elrond seemed lost for words. He rose suddenly, brushing off his fine robes.
" I was saving this for your birthdays, but I guess it will not help me any now." Elrond picked up his bow and quiver. " Thranduil is asking for Elves to help clear his forest of some of the spiders and other foul things. I told him you two would join his sons with the hunt. You are free to leave whenever you wish."
Elrond then walked away. Elladan looked at his brother with a sad smile.
" And the Princes of Imladris are ousted from their home."