Chapter Fifty-Eight: The Worth of a Bride
"There's something else, my lord," Elrond I said hastily. "The five Wizards who came to Arda in my previous life – will they have to come this time, now that Sauron is defeated? To oppose him was their duty, wasn't it?"
Mandos nodded. "It was; you are correct. But there is no longer need for them to be here, now that my kin and I are. It would be of no profit to summon them here unnecessarily."
"Oh." Elrond I was only slightly disappointed; he had hoped to meet his old comrade, the Wizard called Gandalf. But if there was no need for his presence, then there was nothing he could do about it. Besides, he now had many more friends than he had in his past life, (not to mention more siblings). But it was all for the best, he supposed. "Well then, thank you, my lord."
"You are most welcome," the Doomsman smiled.
----
"Elrond, may I speak with you for a moment?"
Elrond I glanced up from the journal he was writing in, nodding to his godson as he rose from his seat behind his desk, to greet him in common elven custom. "Of course. Is there any particular thing you want to discuss?" Elrond II had sounded far too edgy to be after mere pleasantry.
"One in particular," the young elf replied, lowering his voice, stepping forth and leaning in closer to his other half. "Have you noticed an elf named Halanor acting rather strange lately?"
"Halanor…" Elrond I murmured, mulling over the name as his brow creased. "Would he have black hair and grey eyes, and a rather nasty scar across the left side of his chin?"
Elrond II nodded once in the affirmative. "That's him."
The elder elf nodded as well. "Then, yes, I have in fact noticed his behavior. He has been more and more surly and secretive ever since Celebrían last visited here, which was quite a long time ago. I wonder what has been bothering him?"
"I'm not sure," said Elrond II, "but I'm getting suspicious… and worried. Something tells me we should keep a much closer eye on Halanor, starting right now."
----
Elrond II's idea was put almost immediately into action. The half-elf was able to use his two bodies quite beneficially; by being able to be in two places at once, he could secretly track Halanor twice as capably as any other elf. As well as that, he had very respectfully asked a few of the Valar to assist him. They could move around invisibly, thus increasing the factor of stealth.
Whenever Elrond II departed for Lothlórien (followed secretly by Elrond I and Lórien), the Valar would give detailed reports on Halanor's behavior. It appeared that the surly elf became increasingly moody in the elf-lord's absence, principally when he knew Elrond's destination and purpose. And whenever Celebrían herself came to Rivendell, Elrond saw for himself that Halanor would go out of his way to get close to her time and again.
But eventually Elrond I and II were forced to relax their continuous spying upon the elf. They both had other things to do than follow a single elf around Rivendell: their sessions with Aulë and Oromë, for instance. Those were becoming quite redundant on the part of Elrond I, who was now remarkably skilled in manipulating Narya's power. Elrond II, on the other hand, was dutifully devoted to his own lessons, much to Oromë's approval.
"Someday, Elrond," the Huntsman informed him confidently, "you will ascertain a much greater opponent, and you shall deal him blows that he will not forget for as long as he is allowed to exist. I do not know the day or year, but I do know this much: when at last you see your opponent face-to-face, you shall help greatly to absolve the pathway for the one who will utterly destroy him, once and for all."
Elrond II raised an eyebrow slightly, wondering just how Oromë had come to know all of this. The Vala merely gave him an erudite smile and glanced casually over his shoulder to where the Doomsman stood, smiling in total satisfaction.
----
Elrond II hummed absently to himself as he stuck his head ever deeper into his wardrobe, relying on his keen eyesight to pierce the gloom. Where was the robe he was looking for? He hadn't worn it for awhile, and it needed a good airing-out… Ah, there it was. He took the garment down from its peg, frowning in distaste at its current, rather musty condition. The half-elf turned to his bedroom window, meaning to open it, but whirled back around at the sound of a muffled thump and a distant cry of "Ow!"
"Elrond?" Elrond II called out, as he hurried out of his room and toward the source of the noise. "Are you all right?"
Rushing into his godfather's bedroom, the young elf found his older self gingerly rubbing the top of his head with his right hand, and staring down at a large black box in his left. It took him a few moments to notice Elrond II; he smiled amiably when he did.
"Good morning," he said cheerily. "If you're wondering what all the noise was, I was just starting up some spring cleaning, and this fell out of my wardrobe and hit my head on the way down." He nodded to the box as he held it out his godson.
Elrond II came forward in interest, taking the container and inquiring, "What is this?"
"I'm not quite sure," Elrond I answered, running a forefinger over its dusty surface. "It is distantly familiar, but I suppose we can't be entirely certain until we open it." He glanced over at his godson. "Shall we?"
He pried away the lid, and gasped as a sudden burst of bright light dazzled him. Shielding his eyes, he smiled quietly as a myriad of recollections returned. He hadn't looked at the Silmarils in centuries; he had all but forgotten about them. Back when he had taken time to regard them, he had wondered what on earth he was going to do with them. And now, as memories of the distant and not-so-distant past washed softly through his mind, a plan quickly congealed.
"Uh-oh," murmured Elrond II, frowning up at his godfather. "You're wearing that 'I have an ingenious plot in my head, and Elrond the Second is an entirely fundamental part of it' look of yours." His eyebrows quirked a little as he demanded, "What is it this time?"
"Just a little idea," the elder elf smiled disarmingly, picking up one of the glowing jewels and weighing it in his hand. "It's been a hundred and nine years since you met Celebrían, and according to whatever small details I can remember about my past life, that was more or less around the time I was married to her."
His godson's face lit up in pure elation. "You're not serious – are you?"
Elrond I grinned. "I'm serious. What you should do is arrange a visit to Lothlórien just as soon as possible, and take this along with you." He pressed the Silmaril into his younger half's right hand. "Talk to Celeborn and Galadriel, and give it to them when you ask their consent to propose to Celebrían. I'm sure a Silmaril will be sufficient for her bride-price."
Then his smile abruptly faded as he realized something vitally essential. "You're going to need an engagement ring if you want to propose."
"Well, you've been working with Lord Aulë for awhile now," Elrond II reminded him. "I have a scheme of my own: why don't you ask him politely to make an engagement ring as a favor for me? You could exercise your power, and at the same time help him to help me. It will be a compromise, of sorts."
The elder elf nodded his approval. "I like it. But… oh, dear," he murmured, the pleasure sliding from his face again, like water from a duck's back feathers. "Oh, dear."
"What?" Elrond II asked, confusion rising to his features.
Elrond I turned his trepidation-ridden face slowly toward his godson, saying, "Celebrían. She has to know about us one way or another; both of her parents already do. If you truly want to marry her, you can't possibly keep something as important as this a secret. But… I'm not at all certain whether it would be better to tell her that before or after you actually propose."
"Maybe it would be better to tell her before," said the younger elf. "That way, if she does accept the idea of marriage, she will have made the choice to accept us as we are."
"Or maybe it won't matter to her in the slightest, and she'll want to marry you regardless of how many bodies you're in," Elrond I suggested hopefully.
"We can dream," his godson nodded.
----
I can't believe I'm doing this. I can't believe I'm doing this. I cannot believe I'm doing this. I'm finally doing this!
Elrond II could feel his heart fluttering in his ribcage as he strode on with determination through the trees of the Golden Wood. He had seen Celeborn and Galadriel pass this way just after the evening meal, so they couldn't be too far away. Lothlórien wasn't a very big place; at least, not in comparison to other nearby realms like Greenwood.
The elf put his hands into his pockets one at a time; he felt the small, smooth cube of the box that held a beautiful engagement ring (a large, multifaceted diamond set in an ornate, sterling silver band) in his left hand, and in his right, the nearly-round bundle of soft, dark velvet that enclosed the bride-price he hoped to pay.
"Are you looking for someone?"
The half-elf spun round in mid-step, turning on his heel to face Haldir. The Marchwarden wore an amused smile on his lips, and a light of laughter danced in his pale blue eyes.
"Yes, actually," Elrond II replied, with a respectful inclination of his head. "I'm looking for Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel; I'm sure I saw them pass this way not long ago."
"So did I," Haldir smiled. "I was meaning to speak with them myself. So, which of us do you think should be first to address them?"
"It would be no of bother to me if you spoke first," said Elrond graciously. "After all, you know them far better than I do."
The Marchwarden shrugged carelessly. "If you insist."
After no more than a few minutes, the two companions perceived the voices of the Lord and Lady of Lothlórien. The musical tones seemed to be coming from somewhere to their right; Elrond II and Haldir made their way to them. The half-elf silently steeled himself for the task that lay ahead. There was no turning back now.
Celeborn and Galadriel were so deep in conversation, it took a few moments before they detected and acknowledged the presence of the two guests. When they finally did, it was with bright, courteous smiles and "Good evenings".
"My Lord and Lady," said Haldir, stepping forth with a bow, "I wish to speak with you."
To Elrond II, the other elf's discussion seemed to drag on for hours. Both of his legs had a most uncomfortable pins-and-needles sensation shooting through them, and his stomach was on edge with nervous "butterflies" by the time he was summoned to speak his piece. As Haldir passed him in departure, the half-elf stepped forward, then bowed and began to speak.
"As you both have quite likely determined by this time, I have developed a very profound affection for Celebrían," he began, his voice empty of all indecision. "I'm here to request your permission to propose marriage to her."
Celeborn and Galadriel were both beaming even before he had finished. Celeborn spoke for them both: "Then by all means, take both our permission and our blessings!"
Elrond II's face flushed with joy. "A thousand thanks to you both! I have something here that I hope will do for her bride-price as well." He lifted the velvet bundle from his right-hand pocket as he spoke.
Galadriel accepted the package slowly, her eyes alight with intrigue. Celeborn and Elrond both observed her closely as she pulled at the folds of cloth, and gasped as the contents of the bundle were revealed. The Silmaril lay nestled in her palm, pouring out its radiance as eagerly as if it were participating in a contest to rival the Sun.
Both the Lord and Lady were struck speechless, gaping with slightly open mouths at the spectacle. Elrond II wore a small smile.
At some great length Galadriel composed herself and managed to say, "May I inquire as to how you came by this?"
"An old friend gave it to me many years ago," the half-elf answered cryptically.
The Lady nodded, her still-wide eyes reflecting the jewel's brilliant light. After sharing a fleeting look with her husband, she concluded, "Very well… we accept."
"Thank you a thousand times again," Elrond II replied gratefully, as Galadriel tucked the Silmaril back in its wrappings. "Now, if I knew where Celebrían was, I could tell her…"
"Tell me what?" asked a cheerful voice behind him.
The dark-haired elf turned, blissfully meeting the eyes of his beloved. But a thought came to him in a whisper: he couldn't propose to her right away. There was still another matter to clear up first.
"Could I speak with you alone for awhile?" he asked.
----
"That's… amazing," Celebrían murmured half to herself, shaking her head. That was all that she had said for the past five minutes. "If I didn't trust you so much, I don't think I'd believe a word of it. You're one person, in two bodies… amazing."
Elrond II nodded. "It was that much of a shock to me when I first found out. I was sixteen at the time." He laughed. "Naturally, from then on I started to feel quite old, quite fast."
Celebrían smiled. "What is it like, being in two bodies? Do you ever wish you were just like everyone else?"
"Sometimes," the half-elf replied, averting his gaze for a moment before gazing deep into her eyes. "And now, Celebrían, I have something else to tell you; it's almost as important as what you've just heard."
He reached down into his left-hand pocket, closing his fingers around the small box. He drew his hand up even while he dropped to one knee in front of Celebrían.
"I can't hope to express this in nothing but words," he said quietly, fixing his gaze on her face, "so I ask you to bear with me for just a moment. Ever since the day I first saw you, I could feel something drawing me toward you. The second time we met, when I looked at you, it was like the rest of the world dropped away, leaving just us. That's how it's been for me, for the past hundred and nine years.
"As time has gone by, I've come to realize that some force greater than the both of us has brought us together. That same force has been guiding me on through this double life I'm leading right now with my godfather. It's not my godfather, and it's not even the Valar. It is the One whom the Valar are taking their orders from. It's Eru Himself.
"But I don't want you to feel that this is all a part of some phenomenal Plan. We can still somehow make choices of our own. We can't choose our destinations, but we can choose at least some parts of our paths. I know where this part of my path leads, and I'm making this choice right now."
He opened the box, revealing the ring that Aulë had wrought just for him, and whispered, "Celebrían, will you marry me?"
Celebrían smiled, grasping his hand and pulling him upright. As she took his face gently in her hands, only one word escaped her. It was the only one they needed.
"Yes."