At week's end, Maglor and Maedhros were ready to leave. The snow had mostly melted away, and the weather was less chilly than before. They both came to the cottage to say their goodbyes to Geliriel, who had been ordered to remain in bed by Glinneth. She would be delivering soon enough, and although Geliriel was allowed to walk about the cottage, she wasn't to exert herself. Geliriel thought Glinneth might be getting just a little over-protective, but she did as she was told. This was her first child, and she wanted him to be a healthy baby.
Two weeks passed, and with the passing also went Amras back to his own manor. He appealed to both Amrod and Glinneth to tell him of the baby's birth so he can bring a suitable gift. He would also write to Maglor, who would in turn tell Maedhros, of the joyous occasion. Amrod assured him that he would send a messenger on the day of the arrival. 'I would have done it anyway,' he thought as he smiled at his brother. Both he and Glinneth watched Amras as he rode off in the direction of his manor.
As soon as he was gone from sight, they returned to the manor. As they passed through on their way to the cottage, Amrod finally gave in to his curiosity.
"Glinneth, may I ask you something?"
"Yes, my lord. What do you wish to know?" she smiled at him. He now remembered why he employed her at the manor. Her pertness was very refreshing.
"I was wondering about your dancing with my brother at the feast after Berior and Orainwen's hand-fasting."
"What about it, my lord?"
"Well, it was just very surprising to both myself and Geliriel. Amras rarely dances, even at balls when the partners are plentiful."
"Well, sir, we both wanted to dance, and since he asked me, I agreed. I didn't see a need to decline." She looked at him slyly. "If you're wondering if there's anything more between us besides the dance, then I assure you there's not. At least, not at present." Her expression turned just a little devilish, Amrod thought. Her smile and eyes reflected her sudden mischievousness.
'It seems my brother has become a wanted man,' he thought with glee. 'I wonder if he knows he's wanted?' They continued walking in companionable silence to the cottage. Upon arrival, they entered in and found Geliriel waiting for them in the dining room. A lunch had been prepared, and she told them they would be joined shortly by Berior and Orainwen.
During the lunch, Glinneth, at the behest of Amrod, retold her little revelation to the rest of them. Smiles went all around the table, along with a few jesting comments from Berior.
"I thought you'd always remain alone, Glinneth. You never seemed to take much interest in anything more than your job."
"I'm still quite content with my duties here, dear Berior. I think I've been swept up in the moment, what with all the hand-fastings going on!"
"What do you mean, 'all the hand-fastings?' Glinneth, there's only been one here, and that was ours!" Orainwen said.
"I mean that I don't see myself hand-fasted anytime soon. At least, not before those two." She looked meaningfully in the direction of Amrod and Geliriel, who were seated close together. The smiles were then directed at them, which they returned. Neither spoke, and then Geliriel changed the subject to more mundane matters.
After lunch, Berior and Orainwen claimed they had things to attend to in the manor and left, and Glinneth went with them, saying that she had to refresh the stores in the cottage as well as her medicinal herbs. Both Amrod and Geliriel both suspected a planned get-away amongst the three of them, but said nothing and made the best of it. He helped her upstairs to her room and they sat together by the window talking quietly.
"Have I told you how much I love you?" he asked her.
"Not recently," she said, laughing.
"Well, then, Geliriel my dearest. I love you. You've brought happiness in my life that I never thought would ever be. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. I love you now, and forever." He took her hand and kissed her palm. She turned to face him. A single, joyful tear ran down her face.
"I love you, too, Amrod. Forever and always." she said simply. He drew her to him then, and kissed her long and passionately.
Another three weeks later, Geliriel was standing at the window in the living room admiring the new spring colors. The sky was very blue with little white clouds drifting by, the grasses on the plains were dressed in bright shades of green, leaves were budding on the trees, and flowers were starting to bloom. Glinneth, who was in the kitchen, had made her an herbal tea that tasted absolutely wonderful. Amrod and Berior were both in the gardens, cleaning up what winter left behind, and doing a bit of weeding. Orainwen was inside the manor, running an inventory of fabrics.
Everything was going as it should, when Geliriel felt the baby move. She placed her hand on her belly and caressed her son, crooning softly. 'Soon, my darling. Soon I'll hold you in my arms...' her voice trailed off as a strange feeling came over her. There was no pain, but it didn't feel good either. As she turned to sit down, she felt something 'pop' and then wetness.
"Glinneth!!" she shouted, almost in a panic. She heard her friend drop something and her footsteps as she ran from the kitchen.
"My lady?" Glinneth asked as she came over to Geliriel's side. She saw the look on the lady's face, and the water on the floor, and then went work. She helped Geliriel upstairs and made her walk around a little as she prepared the bed and bedding. Then she helped walk the lady around a little before undressing her, placing a short tunic over her for decency, and getting her comfortably in the bed.
"There's still time before the baby comes, my lady. I'm going to fetch some help. If you should have any pains, take three short breaths and one long. Try not to push."
Glinneth was only gone a few minutes when the first wave of pain washed over Geliriel. She grabbed the linens on the bed, and did her best not to scream. She did the breathing exercise Glinneth told her to do and fought the urge to push. The pain left as quickly as it came and Geliriel was thankful.
Minutes later, another wave of pain hit Geliriel just as Glinneth returned with Orainwen, Berior and Amrod. This time, she could not hold back her scream, and Amrod was the first to enter her room followed closely by Glinneth and Orainwen. Glinneth had Orainwen coach her in her breathing while she examined Geliriel.
"Not long now, my lady," she said with a smile.
"What can I do?" Amrod asked, concern and worry in his voice. Glinneth thought for a moment, then spoke.
"You can help Berior in the kitchen. I've set him to boiling water."
Kissing Geliriel's sweat soaked forehead, he left immediately. Glinneth and Orainwen exchanged amused glances before returning their attention to their lady. They talked as much as they could with Geliriel, keeping her spirits high in the spaces between contractions. During contractions, Orainwen held Geliriel's hand and had her breathe as Glinneth kept watching and examining.
In the kitchen below, Berior calmly sat beside the fireplace, keeping his eye on the two pots of water. Neither was boiling. Amrod, who was anxious to get back upstairs, walked ceaselessly around the room, constantly checking the state of the water in the pots. Berior tried his best not to laugh at his lord. He had effectively pinned Amrod to the kitchen so as not to get in the way of Glinneth and his lady wife. When Amrod wasn't looking, he added cold water to the pots to keep the boiling from happening right away. If Amrod caught on, or if the water did start to boil anyway, he had been instructed to have Amrod help him in cutting cloth. He was supposed to tell him it was for swaddling and bandages. Berior definitely had to keep from laughing.
To Amrod, it seemed an eternity before anything major happened. He heard Geliriel scream again, and then running footsteps. Moments later, Orainwen came to collect some of the water and the fabric that had already been cut. She rushed back upstairs and Amrod was practically on her heels before Berior stopped him.
"My lord, can you help me cut some more fabric?" he asked. Amrod said nothing as he turned to the fabric and began tearing sections out in frustration. He knew he was being kept down here, and knew he'd be in the way upstairs, but he couldn't help wanting to be at Geliriel's side.
Geliriel was tired. Glinneth had told her she could start pushing after the last contraction. Try as she might, the baby did not seem to want to leave. But Glinneth didn't seem at all worried, and Orainwen kept having her breathe and push. Another contraction swept over her and she pushed as she had been told. On the third time, she felt the baby leave her body. She could barely watch as Glinneth turned the child over and gave him a thud on the back. He immediately started crying, and Glinneth took him over to the table to clean him up and wrap him in a blanket.
"Your son, my lady," Glinneth said as she handed the squalling baby to his mother.
Geliriel was singing a lullaby and calming her son when Amrod came bursting through the door. He went to her side and knelt down. He looked in awe of both of them and then smiled. Glinneth and Orainwen quickly cleaned up and then took the soiled bed linens away, leaving the new family alone.
"My dear," Amrod whispered. "When do you wish to have the naming ceremony?"
"Let's wait until the weather's warmer. We already know what his name will be, so let's wait just a little longer."
He nodded and then rose to kiss both her and the baby. For a few minutes more, they were quiet and happy. Then, Glinneth returned with Berior close behind. He carried the cradle and several more blankets. Glinneth carried fresh bed linens and a pitcher and basin to help wash Geliriel. Amrod, after hesitating for a moment, took the babe in his arms and placed him in his cradle. Then he and Berior left as Glinneth saw to the cleanliness of her lady and the lady's bed.