Author's Note: For any of you who were wondering, yes the name 'Aurief' is from my Aragorn/Elrond fic ('Grey Haven') but since I was out of elvish sounding names, I settled for robbing myself.
Author's Note2: Thank you to Spirit of Tolkien reviewed the previously posted version of this and corrected my spelling of 'Celebrian'. I should have mentioned that I have only read the books a long time ago and have only watched the movies once. I have no knowledge of 'Silmarillion' or any other of Tolkien's works and know but the barest of facts about Elrond simply because he is my favourite character. If you want precise accuracy in this, you might not get it. However, feel free to correct me anytime. Oh, and I know 'Aurief' means nothing (or else I took a lucky guess and it does) but I can't speak elvish so I go for the next best thing- my imagination.
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"Oh, Elbereth," Elrond gasped, a hand to his stomach as if protecting his child from danger, "Oh Valar, no!"
Dark brows rose over dark blue eyes. "You are not pleased to see me, Elrond? I admit it hurts me to know that."
Legolas instinctively moved to Elrond's side, a hand reaching for the dagger that he knew the Elf Lord kept in a drawer of the desk. If it came down to it, he had another tucked into the waistband of his leggings, beneath his tunic.
The stranger looked to the Mirkwood Prince and smiled. He raised his hands in mock surrender and quirked an eyebrow. "You need fear nothing from me, gwanur."
"If I had a gold piece for every time an enemy has said the same to me I would be a very rich elf," Legolas ground out.
"You are a rich elf, Prince of Mirkwood," his opponent said whimsically.
Legolas groaned inside himself for walking into that verbal trap like a meek lamb. "I do not trust you. State your name and business, and do not move your hands from the air."
"We live in truly dark times if an elf cannot trust another elf. Or is it simply because I am from the Golden Wood? Wood elves were ever suspicious of us if my memory serves me. But I swear to you the only thing I might do is steal your lover. But that is all and I'm sure neither of you will mind. The Lord of Imladris certainly never has."
That did it! "Get out! Leave! Go back to Lothlorien and do not enter my lands ever again," Elrond snarled, shock forgotten at the insolence directed his way.
Legolas barely had time to register the venom in that deep voice before Elrond had picked his sword from the long table at the side, tugged it fluidly from the scabbard and whirled it through the air to stop a hair's breath from the slender throat of the Lothlorien guard.
But the other elf did not seem to notice it. Or else he seemed immured to it. "When I have seen my children," he agreed placidly, "The Lady Galadriel has given me leave for a few months and advised me that this was perhaps a good time to come here."
The sword lowered the barest of inches. "The Lady Galadriel sent you?" Elrond snapped, "And did she also advise you to dispense with formalities and enter through my window?"
A wide smile beamed to both dark-haired half-elf and golden-haired elf prince. "I was watching you work and waiting for the right time to announce my presence when your, uh, young friend came storming into the room. I would have said something but he seemed distraught. Besides, the conversation was so interesting! I must be allowed to offer felicitations."
Without waiting for so much as an answer, the elf gracefully side-stepped the sword's blade and moved to stand far too close to Elrond for Legolas' comfort. The Mirkwood Prince actually let out a warning growl when the warrior's hand reached out to ghost over the front of the Elf Lord's robes covering his abdomen.
"Aurief, drop your hand and stand away from me," Elrond demanded clearly. It had always been this way with them- this feeling of being the prey in some kind of hunting game. Aurief had always been this way. His heart sank in him to know nothing was going to be different.
Aurief complied obediently enough, but the expression on his amused face showing clearly it was to humour his former lover. "As you wish, melethron."
"Do not call him that!"
"Why not? It was once true and our children walk as living testimonials. You, gwanur, have nothing to show for your nights but an unborn child who Elrond plans to kill in the interests of work."
Legolas wanted more than anything to hit that smirking face, to smash the fair features that glowed gently at him with smug satisfaction. But he felt a pang of sympathy for the elves that would be called on to clean up the blood and curled his fists tight against his thighs. Elrond seemed to sense his distress because a hand landed on his shoulder and stayed there.
"There is no longer anything between us, Aurief," Elrond said coldly, "There never was. Celebrian selected you for a purpose and you served it. We were grateful. You gave up all rights to my children a long time ago."
"If you truly believed that, why was I permitted to see them each time I asked?" Aurief's eyes were triumphant, unpleasantly certain in their knowing, "I have seen them grow as children and your wife herself made it a point to tell me of their progress whenever she was in Lothlorien. As for her gratitude, she did not show any as far as I could tell."
Having sent the Elf Lord speechless, Aurief smiled as Legolas turned and pulled the half-elf into a gentle embrace, blue eyes spitting fire as they ordered him to the door with nothing but an impatient glance. He decided that there would be time enough for annoying the Lord of Imladris and his new lover, and left, closing the door softly behind him with a generous hand.
"Remind me not to kill him at the next meal," Elrond murmured weakly.
"Are you sure?" Legolas asked, smoothing dark hair out of pain-filled grey eyes, "Do not be merciful on my account, I beg you."
Elrond laughed and leaned his head back onto the shoulder offered silently for his comfort. There was such simple comfort in this and yet... could he really go through an abortion?
He remembered wistfully how he had first agreed reluctantly to try for a child. The first time he had fallen pregnant, he had been so young and terrified that he had miscarried. He had learned his lesson and no more pregnancies had occurred; until he was married and Celebrian proved unable to carry to term. In fifty years, two miscarriages, and then Galadriel had suggested he try.
He'd been so stunned to hear that the Lady even knew and Celebrian had been so furious and embarrassed that she had forcibly wrenched control of the entire process from him. He had agreed only because she had been so unhappy over the loss of her own children. So she had chosen a friend of her own from Lothlorien- the notorious guard who had propositioned him openly on his own wedding night, who Celebrian was convinced could do no wrong. Galadriel had refused to interfere, though Celeborn had at least spoken words of caution in relation to this chosen elf.
And one night Elrond had forced himself to walk into a bed chamber a long way from the rest of the house, feeling rather like a mare about to be bred. It had not been a good feeling and he had felt much sympathy for his horses from then on. In three months, he had conceived and Celebrian took them both off to Lothlorien, announcing blithely that she was with child and her husband worried for her health. Erestor alone had been told of the true state of affairs and for two weeks Elrond had made sure that neither steward nor wife ran into each other in dark corridors.
"Elrond? Elrond, are you falling asleep on my shoulder?"
The voice broke into his memories and dragged him from their clutch. He shook his head and banished the worries to the back of his mind. "I am sorry. I was a little..." he searched for the word but didn't speak when he could not find one that adequately described his feelings.
"Drained," Legolas said quietly, "I visited the wife of a friend of mine when she was with child and she used that word. It is no wonder you are tired, melme."
Finding himself being pulled slowly to the door, Elrond felt it his duty to protest. However, as he wasn't actually averse to the idea of leaving his study, he made sure it sounded wholly unconvincing. Legolas seemed to take the hint because he didn't let go but tugged harder on his hand.
And emerging into the sunshine felt rather like surfacing into air after being underwater for too long. Legolas smiled mischievously at him and then crept up behind Glorfindel. Since his seneschal was absently stroking the petals of a rose with a careful finger, Elrond bit his lip and watched carefully.
"Boo!"
Glorfindel jumped three feet in the air and came down, crushed rose petals spilling from his convulsively clenched fingers. He turned wide eyes to see a fair laughing face, and over Legolas' shoulder he saw his Lord sit down on the grass and laugh till the tears came.
"You dratted wood elf," he ground out, taking a dangerous step towards the other blond.
"Now, now, Glorfindel," Legolas choked out, stepping back hurriedly and dropping to ELrond's side, "You can't kill the father of your Lord's child!"
Glorfindel gaped and Elrond blushed. "The- the father is... oh. So that was... ARAGORN! That- that human didn't tell me and I could swear he knew! When I get my hands on him, I'll strangle him! I'll drown him in salt water! I'll shake him till his teeth fall out! I'll- I'll do something drastic!"
"Of course, mellon nin," Elrond chortled, "And while you are gone, could you get me some cream? I believe the cravings have begun."
Author's Note2: Thank you to Spirit of Tolkien reviewed the previously posted version of this and corrected my spelling of 'Celebrian'. I should have mentioned that I have only read the books a long time ago and have only watched the movies once. I have no knowledge of 'Silmarillion' or any other of Tolkien's works and know but the barest of facts about Elrond simply because he is my favourite character. If you want precise accuracy in this, you might not get it. However, feel free to correct me anytime. Oh, and I know 'Aurief' means nothing (or else I took a lucky guess and it does) but I can't speak elvish so I go for the next best thing- my imagination.
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"Oh, Elbereth," Elrond gasped, a hand to his stomach as if protecting his child from danger, "Oh Valar, no!"
Dark brows rose over dark blue eyes. "You are not pleased to see me, Elrond? I admit it hurts me to know that."
Legolas instinctively moved to Elrond's side, a hand reaching for the dagger that he knew the Elf Lord kept in a drawer of the desk. If it came down to it, he had another tucked into the waistband of his leggings, beneath his tunic.
The stranger looked to the Mirkwood Prince and smiled. He raised his hands in mock surrender and quirked an eyebrow. "You need fear nothing from me, gwanur."
"If I had a gold piece for every time an enemy has said the same to me I would be a very rich elf," Legolas ground out.
"You are a rich elf, Prince of Mirkwood," his opponent said whimsically.
Legolas groaned inside himself for walking into that verbal trap like a meek lamb. "I do not trust you. State your name and business, and do not move your hands from the air."
"We live in truly dark times if an elf cannot trust another elf. Or is it simply because I am from the Golden Wood? Wood elves were ever suspicious of us if my memory serves me. But I swear to you the only thing I might do is steal your lover. But that is all and I'm sure neither of you will mind. The Lord of Imladris certainly never has."
That did it! "Get out! Leave! Go back to Lothlorien and do not enter my lands ever again," Elrond snarled, shock forgotten at the insolence directed his way.
Legolas barely had time to register the venom in that deep voice before Elrond had picked his sword from the long table at the side, tugged it fluidly from the scabbard and whirled it through the air to stop a hair's breath from the slender throat of the Lothlorien guard.
But the other elf did not seem to notice it. Or else he seemed immured to it. "When I have seen my children," he agreed placidly, "The Lady Galadriel has given me leave for a few months and advised me that this was perhaps a good time to come here."
The sword lowered the barest of inches. "The Lady Galadriel sent you?" Elrond snapped, "And did she also advise you to dispense with formalities and enter through my window?"
A wide smile beamed to both dark-haired half-elf and golden-haired elf prince. "I was watching you work and waiting for the right time to announce my presence when your, uh, young friend came storming into the room. I would have said something but he seemed distraught. Besides, the conversation was so interesting! I must be allowed to offer felicitations."
Without waiting for so much as an answer, the elf gracefully side-stepped the sword's blade and moved to stand far too close to Elrond for Legolas' comfort. The Mirkwood Prince actually let out a warning growl when the warrior's hand reached out to ghost over the front of the Elf Lord's robes covering his abdomen.
"Aurief, drop your hand and stand away from me," Elrond demanded clearly. It had always been this way with them- this feeling of being the prey in some kind of hunting game. Aurief had always been this way. His heart sank in him to know nothing was going to be different.
Aurief complied obediently enough, but the expression on his amused face showing clearly it was to humour his former lover. "As you wish, melethron."
"Do not call him that!"
"Why not? It was once true and our children walk as living testimonials. You, gwanur, have nothing to show for your nights but an unborn child who Elrond plans to kill in the interests of work."
Legolas wanted more than anything to hit that smirking face, to smash the fair features that glowed gently at him with smug satisfaction. But he felt a pang of sympathy for the elves that would be called on to clean up the blood and curled his fists tight against his thighs. Elrond seemed to sense his distress because a hand landed on his shoulder and stayed there.
"There is no longer anything between us, Aurief," Elrond said coldly, "There never was. Celebrian selected you for a purpose and you served it. We were grateful. You gave up all rights to my children a long time ago."
"If you truly believed that, why was I permitted to see them each time I asked?" Aurief's eyes were triumphant, unpleasantly certain in their knowing, "I have seen them grow as children and your wife herself made it a point to tell me of their progress whenever she was in Lothlorien. As for her gratitude, she did not show any as far as I could tell."
Having sent the Elf Lord speechless, Aurief smiled as Legolas turned and pulled the half-elf into a gentle embrace, blue eyes spitting fire as they ordered him to the door with nothing but an impatient glance. He decided that there would be time enough for annoying the Lord of Imladris and his new lover, and left, closing the door softly behind him with a generous hand.
"Remind me not to kill him at the next meal," Elrond murmured weakly.
"Are you sure?" Legolas asked, smoothing dark hair out of pain-filled grey eyes, "Do not be merciful on my account, I beg you."
Elrond laughed and leaned his head back onto the shoulder offered silently for his comfort. There was such simple comfort in this and yet... could he really go through an abortion?
He remembered wistfully how he had first agreed reluctantly to try for a child. The first time he had fallen pregnant, he had been so young and terrified that he had miscarried. He had learned his lesson and no more pregnancies had occurred; until he was married and Celebrian proved unable to carry to term. In fifty years, two miscarriages, and then Galadriel had suggested he try.
He'd been so stunned to hear that the Lady even knew and Celebrian had been so furious and embarrassed that she had forcibly wrenched control of the entire process from him. He had agreed only because she had been so unhappy over the loss of her own children. So she had chosen a friend of her own from Lothlorien- the notorious guard who had propositioned him openly on his own wedding night, who Celebrian was convinced could do no wrong. Galadriel had refused to interfere, though Celeborn had at least spoken words of caution in relation to this chosen elf.
And one night Elrond had forced himself to walk into a bed chamber a long way from the rest of the house, feeling rather like a mare about to be bred. It had not been a good feeling and he had felt much sympathy for his horses from then on. In three months, he had conceived and Celebrian took them both off to Lothlorien, announcing blithely that she was with child and her husband worried for her health. Erestor alone had been told of the true state of affairs and for two weeks Elrond had made sure that neither steward nor wife ran into each other in dark corridors.
"Elrond? Elrond, are you falling asleep on my shoulder?"
The voice broke into his memories and dragged him from their clutch. He shook his head and banished the worries to the back of his mind. "I am sorry. I was a little..." he searched for the word but didn't speak when he could not find one that adequately described his feelings.
"Drained," Legolas said quietly, "I visited the wife of a friend of mine when she was with child and she used that word. It is no wonder you are tired, melme."
Finding himself being pulled slowly to the door, Elrond felt it his duty to protest. However, as he wasn't actually averse to the idea of leaving his study, he made sure it sounded wholly unconvincing. Legolas seemed to take the hint because he didn't let go but tugged harder on his hand.
And emerging into the sunshine felt rather like surfacing into air after being underwater for too long. Legolas smiled mischievously at him and then crept up behind Glorfindel. Since his seneschal was absently stroking the petals of a rose with a careful finger, Elrond bit his lip and watched carefully.
"Boo!"
Glorfindel jumped three feet in the air and came down, crushed rose petals spilling from his convulsively clenched fingers. He turned wide eyes to see a fair laughing face, and over Legolas' shoulder he saw his Lord sit down on the grass and laugh till the tears came.
"You dratted wood elf," he ground out, taking a dangerous step towards the other blond.
"Now, now, Glorfindel," Legolas choked out, stepping back hurriedly and dropping to ELrond's side, "You can't kill the father of your Lord's child!"
Glorfindel gaped and Elrond blushed. "The- the father is... oh. So that was... ARAGORN! That- that human didn't tell me and I could swear he knew! When I get my hands on him, I'll strangle him! I'll drown him in salt water! I'll shake him till his teeth fall out! I'll- I'll do something drastic!"
"Of course, mellon nin," Elrond chortled, "And while you are gone, could you get me some cream? I believe the cravings have begun."