Chapter Two
Worlds Apart, and Yet So Close
She tilted her head slightly to the side as she listened to her husband bid their guests a peaceful evening. Only one remained, Humreid. His face was livid as he sat there waiting for the final debutant exited the council rooms. Elrond turned his eyes to his guest closing the door solidly behind him. Anger glinted behind them as he walked to the large table silently. Seating himself in the chair he had previously occupied, Elrond folded his hands on the table and waited.
Celebrían smirked seating herself down once more, her eyes taking in the beads of sweat on the mans forehead. His face was flushed from his previous tirade, his round chubby face pink. They sat there in silence for a while before her husband cleared his throat.
"We do not take kindly to abuse, Humreid. Our children have never been succumbed to anger, primarily in physical form. None of the elven children have for that matter." Elrond began calmly, but his eyes portrayed his inner chagrin. "Mind explaining why your son thought it fit to strike a child less then half his age?"
Humreid thought frantically, and then blurted out between large fleshy lips. "I know not why, milord. Perhaps your son angered him in some way, why not ask Grendim why he did such a thing?"
Raising an eyebrow, he nodded. Standing up he walked back over to the door leaning out, whispering to the guard who stood outside. Waiting patiently, Elrond saw the guard return with the mans two children, and waved them inside with a flick of his wrist. "Be seated."
They did albeit nervously. Once seated again, Elrond looked at them with the same calm expression he had before. "Would you like to begin? Or shall I?" The elf lord began.
The eldest boy frowned and shrugged. "What do you want to know?" The boy Grendim asked defiantly.
Elrond raised his brows in surprise. He saw a fire in the boy that caused his blood to boil. Glancing at the boys father, Elrond narrowed his eyes.
Humreid hissed between clenched teeth. "Watch your mouth, boy, you are before the lord of this realm. Answer his questions or I will deal with you later."
Elrond drew his breath in sharply. The boy showed no fear. Defiance clearly written on his face. Even the boys father didn't frighten him. Clearing his throat, Elrond almost lost his calm, but held it in check. His voice even, but firm, he repeated his question he had asked of the father. "Explain to me in careful words child, what possessed you to strike a child less then half your age? When he clearly was not able to defend himself."
The boy snorted. "Unable? He bit me! The other one knocked me down, and jumped on me in anger!"
Elrond narrowed his eyes. "Did they now? What caused them to have to resort to such behaviour?"
"Why are you asking me? Ask them. They started it. My brother and I were playing and they threw a rock at us. Ask my brother." The boy almost shouted, but quieted his voice seeing the elf lord grit his teeth in anger.
"The rock hit Grendim, he got angry and threw it back at them. It hit one of them, and the other one ran forward and bit his arm."
Elrond nodded and moved forward motioning his hand to inspect the aforementioned bite. Grendim rolled up his sleeve in anger and thrust his arm out to show the elf lord. Indeed there was evidence of a bite mark, but upon further inspection Elrond noticed them to be a little too large to be his sons teeth marks. However he remained quiet. Standing up from his crouched position, he turned away nodding in his wife's direction.
"You may leave, but until I sort this through, you are guests in this house. Humreid, your boys will remain in their chambers until this has been investigated further." Elrond waved them in a dismissive manner.
Once they had closed the door, Elrond seated himself and pinched the bridge of his nose. "That boy is trouble." Elrond groaned.
Celebrían remained silent, but raised her brow curiously.
Elrond lowered his hand and looked at her hard. "Do they really threaten their children with physical abuse?"
She nodded. Standing up, she wandered over beside him. Laying her hand on his shoulder, she rubbed the tension out. "They have aberrant ways, love. Nothing we need distress over. We have our ways they have theirs. That is what separates us from them in more ways then one. Come, let us proceed to our evening with the boys." She stood up and threw a glance at her husband.
The evening was uneventful. They boys had eaten their dinner quietly, raced around the gardens joyfully, and listened to stories their parents told.
If they had been listening, they would have heard the disturbance in the chambers in the far corner from their gardens they were situated in.
"You disgust me!" Humreid shouted, backhanding his eldest son across the face sending the boy flying into the wall. "We are here on diplomatic alliance and you in turn lie to the lord? You fight with his sons? You dishonour me with your defiance." Humreid spun around ignoring his daughters whimpers and other sons shaking forms. His wife sat on the bed holding her other two children close trying to shield their eyes from their fathers roaring fit. "Now they are out playing while we are stuck in here because of you!"
"Who taught me defiance?" The boy shouted. "Who taught me to lie? Who hits me whenever he gets the chance?" Grendim stalked forward with every sentence drawing him closer to his father.
Humreid spun around and solidly struck his son in the face. Grendim reeled back from the force and fell onto the floor with a loud thump. The furious man stood there panting. "You will not speak to me that way, boy." The man began unstrapping his belt that was wrapped around his waist and loomed over the boy whose eyes filled with fear for the first time that day.
Celebrían tucked her sons under the large coverlet and smiled at their flushed expressions. The boys hair was still damp from their bath, skin slightly pinkish from the warm water, and now their eyes gleamed excitedly.
"Sdory nana." Elladan begged.
His identical image nodded eagerly. Laughing musically, Celebrían walked over to the bookcase and pulled out a worn tattered book. She turned around and saw both her sons piling pillows all about the bed in preparation for their story. Their dark hair still damp from their bath made them look all the more ethereal. She almost believed them to be someone else's children.
Both boys were identical in appearance. Dark brown hair inherited from their father, sharp features of their elven heritage, rounded cheeks of childhood. As she watched she could not even see the mortal in them. Their grey eyes were wide with anticipation as she pulled a chair up beside the bed.
Elrohir's face fell. He was her youngest, and his love for art, stories; reading had been a gift from his father. Elladan shook his head patting the bed in between them firmly. He was her first born, her heir. He loved stories as much as his brother, but he longed for adventure. He loved nature as much as she did. He loved her songs and would sit endlessly listening to her in quiet wonder. It was her gift to him.
Climbing onto the bed, seating herself against the headboard, she pulled them up beside her and opened the book smiling as they wrapped their arms around her middle settling in comfortably.
She closed the door quietly behind her. They were asleep, how long she would not know. Wandering down the halls, she passed the halls of fire where her husband sat quietly. She stopped walking and back tracked entering the halls silently.
"Are they asleep?" He asked knowing immediately that it was her.
"For now." She laughed.
"What story did they hear this night?" He asked sipping at his wine elegantly. He poured her a glass and passed it to her as she took a seat next to him laying her head on his shoulder.
"The story of Ainulindalë." She whispered.
Elrond nodded with a smile. "They always did like that tale."
She giggled and sipped her wine.
The halls became quiet, as the lord and lady sat in the halls silently. They did not hear the footsteps approaching, nor did they notice their passing. No sound entered the halls as he walked. His soft leather shoes masking his progress. He had patiently watched the lady exit a bedroom, and had seen her close the door not aware of his presence.
He had watched from his hiding place, watching her slip into the golden room. Yet he had waited. She did not exit the room, so finally after an hour of waiting, he slipped from his spot. Slowly he had wandered to the door, they were outside on a balcony. Grinning, he passed the door and made his way to the closed door the lady had exited.
He pushed down on the bronze handle and it clicked audibly. Freezing, he looked down the hall to see if anyone had heard. To his relief no one had. Pushing the door open slowly, he poked his head in and saw two little bundles wrapped up under a large counterpane. Grinning, his heart pounding hard, he entered and shut the door behind him. He was afraid, he had no idea what he was going to do yet, but he knew there was no way his children would be punished and theirs would go without. Glaring at the little boys on the bed he wandered over and froze again as one rolled over, and his arm flung over his brothers form.
"Still sleeping." He smiled. Nodding, he remained standing formulating a plan in his head, while the boys slept on unknown to the presence of one who should not be there.
