Chapter Sixty-Two: Promises and Parenthood
Celebrían simply couldn't fall asleep, try as she might. She tossed and turned, and pulled the blankets onto and off of her body, but slumber evaded her, just like a sparrow fleeing the talons of a hawk. Her mind was churning with questions, so many questions, and not an answer to be found…
"Elrond?" she whispered uncertainly into the darkness, keeping her eyes upon the ceiling.
"Yes?" Two identical voices rose up in answer. It seemed that neither her husband nor his godfather could get to sleep, either. A pair of pale blue eyes glinted on either side of her, and the elder half spoke up. "What is it? Is something wrong?"
Celebrían paused for a moment before she went on. "Would it be at all possible for me to meet Lord Mandos again? I'd really like to thank him for saving my life."
"You are most welcome," replied a familiar deep voice, as a dark figure arrived in a whirl of shadows. Mandos appeared at the foot of the bed, with a tranquil smile on his thin lips. He nodded respectfully back as the elves in the bed sat up and bowed to him in reverence.
Celebrían's voice was hushed and humble as she spoke to the Doomsman. "My lord, I am eternally in your debt. I don't really know how to properly express my gratitude for what you did for me on my wedding night. How can I ever repay you, sire?"
"There is no need for you to repay me," Mandos told her calmly. "But your thankfulness is not unaccepted, nor is it unappreciated. You may do a simple favor for me, however."
Celebrían nodded, her awe clearly showing in her eyes. "Very well. What is your wish?"
The Doomsman's eyes sparkled benevolently as he responded, "Do your best to forget all about that night. Nothing good will come of such memories if you continue to dwell upon them."
The silver-haired woman nodded in unquestioning acceptance. "Of course, my lord."
With another smile and a nod of thanks, Mandos vanished into the dim night. Just a few moments after he left, Celebrían turned to Elrond with another thought that was niggling at her.
"How is all of this going to work out, with the two of us?" she asked. "I'm sure we can't sleep like this every single night, and according to what Elrond the First has told me, I've already technically spent two and a half thousand years with him in his past life."
"You're absolutely right," murmured Elrond I, sitting up in bed. "Maybe this wasn't the best plan after all… no offense, Celebrían… I should probably just leave. Readjustments, you know…" He made as if to stand up, his left foot in its slipper, and his right foot half-in, half-out of its own.
"You don't have to leave," said Elrond II, sitting up as well. "Could you stay for the rest of the night, maybe?"
Elrond I let out his breath in a sigh and shook his head, replying, "No, thank you. In these past Ages, I've gotten rather used to sleeping alone." He rose and strode toward the door, calling back to them over his shoulder, "I'll see you both at breakfast. Goodnight."
----
All through the next day Celebrían's mind buzzed with Mandos' words to her. She tried her best to obey him, but horrifying images of the last thing she wanted to remember kept lunging into her mind. Strange, she thought – they hadn't come for the first few days after the incident, which was when they really should have been the most potent. But now, of all times… why?
She couldn't possibly come up with an answer herself, so she turned to the one who had vowed to support her for better or for worse. Elrond II did his utmost to comfort her when she needed it, to encourage her to laugh, to let her weep on his shoulder. He was always right there when she needed him the most.
She had other sources of aid as well. The Valar, too, would often come to her with words of consolation and guidance. Celebrían grew to have a very sisterly affection for Estë and Nienna, whose visits were the most frequent. The Healer offered peaceful, soothing rest, and the Weeper was eternally compassionate.
As the years turned slowly on and on, from season to season to season, life passed nearly as normally as always. There were some major adjustments to make, of course, but things went quite smoothly despite that… at least, on the outside. Celebrían was slowly growing anxious, deep in her heart, with one notion: children.
She had often brought up the subject with her husband, and his unwavering response had always been "When you're ready, and not a moment before". She knew that the memory of their wedding night was still fresh in Elrond's mind. He wanted to be as respectful to her and her body as he could, and Celebrían admired him very much for that. But she was still quite unsure of herself. Would she ever be truly self-confident?
It took nearly two decades for her to reach a firm verdict about that. As she lay at Elrond II's side one peaceful autumn evening, gazing deep into his calm, moonlit face, Celebrían made up her mind once and for all. Without so much as a single word, she moved into his embrace and shrugged off her nightdress in his presence for the first time.
----
"Do I need to ask what you two were up to last night?" Elrond I muttered in his godson's ear over breakfast the next morning.
Elrond II smiled secretively at his elder half as he lifted his fork to his mouth. "Probably not."
Celebrían sipped calmly at a goblet of water, demurely averting her gaze from them. Her left hand moved covertly to her abdomen, and she silently wondered when, or if, it might begin to slowly swell. Had last night been the first night of nine months that promised to bring great need for readjustments, in many more ways than one? Only Time would tell.
----
Yes, Celebrían thought with a calm smile, readjustments will most definitely be in order.
She had gone to visit Estë after breakfast on that thoughtful morning, and the Healer had shared terrific news with her – she was pregnant, and with nothing less than twins! Now a few months had gone by, and the gradual enlargement of her abdomen was progressively more obvious.
Celebrían was following Estë's counsel to the letter – she was to drink no alcohol while she was with child, nor was she to exercise intensely, eat too much or too little, dehydrate herself, tire herself out, or raise her body temperature too much; every one of these things would hazard harm to the unborn infants.
To make the matter all the more confusing, Celebrían soon fell prey to the most unnatural cravings and desires, not to mention the most tremendous mood swings. Perfectly content one minute, in tears the next, suddenly furious, and then happy again – that soon became the norm for Celebrían and her close kin, who did everything that they could to help her in this troublesome time. But even with all the help and encouragement she received, the mother-to-be struggled to adjust to her new routine; however temporary it was, this nine-month stretch was proving to be the most challenging period of her life.
As the months crawled by, autumn gave way to winter, and winter blossomed into spring. The nine-month deadline ticked steadily closer. Celebrían began spending more and more time with her mother-in-law. Because she was a mother of twins herself, Elwing was able to give her fundamental advice according to first-hand experience in carrying and giving birth to more than one child.
It was during one of these mother- and daughter-in-law visits that both women received a surprise that had been anticipated for a very long time, but couldn't have come as more of a shock. Elwing and Celebrían were seated casually side-by-side on a bench in the sunlit gardens of Rivendell, engaged deep in pleasantry, when the younger of the two winced in pain.
Elwing frowned at her daughter-in-law in concern. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," Celebrían answered, opening her eyes (she had shut them when the pain had struck). "Just a little pain. I'm all right."
Elwing's eyes widened slightly at these words. "Oh. Oh. Tell me," she inquired carefully, "how long has it been since… you know?"
"It's been nine months… oh, my," Celebrían replied, her eyes widening in realization as well. "Do you suppose… this is the day?"
Elwing nodded. "That was more than likely your first contraction, dear. Your children are getting ready to enter the wide world beyond the womb." Her face glowed with pride and joy as she spoke. "These contractions will continue for a little while; eventually they'll be more and more frequent and, regrettably, much more painful. Lie down on your side, take off your loincloth, and don't start pushing yet," she advised. "Wait until I tell you to. Do you remember the right way to breathe, like I told you? Slowly and deeply…"
Celebrían did as she was told, trying to remember the instructions her mother-in-law had given a few days ago. After several minutes and a few more painful contractions, a rush of clear liquid escaped the younger woman's body. Celebrían began to murmur over and over, "Oh my, oh my, oh my…"
"Don't be afraid," Elwing was quick to reassure her. "Your waters just broke. You're fine – now all we need to do is wait for a little while longer, until you get into the first stages of the actual labor. Until then," she said as she stood up, "I'd best call Elrond. He'll want to be here for this. I won't go far."
But she had only taken a few paces before both halves of the elf in question entered the garden, smiling cheerily. They stopped abruptly when they heard Elrond II's wife gasp in pain, as yet another contraction seized her.
"What's going on?" cried the younger half-elf, visibly frightened. Rushing to Celebrían's side, he stared urgently into her face. "Are you all right?"
Celebrían beamed up at him, her cheeks flushed in pure elation. "I'm much more than all right, love. Today is the Day. Very soon now, we're going to be parents!"
Elrond II's fear changed right to bliss in the blink of an eye. He let out a most unexpected whoop of joy, which echoed all about the garden and startled several birds from the trees above them. He then threw his arms around his mother, forcing the breath from her lungs. He apologized sincerely, letting her go and adopting a strictly businesslike tone.
"All right," he said briskly, "we need supplies. Elrond, Mother, will you please bring me clean towels, blankets, soap and warm water? I'll stay with Celebrían. And for goodness' sake, please hurry!"
Mother and son nodded, dashing back into the haven to retrieve the necessities. Elrond II stayed loyally at his wife's side, holding her hand, praying, and wincing sympathetically as more and more excruciating contractions gripped her. He glanced up sharply when his godfather and mother returned, accompanied by several healers.
The healers laid out blankets underneath Celebrían, and supported her head and back with pillows. An elleth stood by with a bowl of warm, soapy water and a cloth. Elrond II drew in deep, regular breaths, willing his throbbing heart to slow down. He needed to be calm.
Elwing dutifully helped her son take command. She spoke gently to her daughter-in-law, telling her to change her position after several more minutes had passed. Now Celebrían lay almost on her back, with her legs spread apart and knees bent. Soon Elrond I's healer instincts took over, and he assumed a situation that would be the most suitable to help his kinswoman. He wiped anxious perspiration from his brow with a handkerchief, waiting in silent anguish for a crucial moment. Suddenly—
"I can see its head!" cried a young male healer, as Celebrían cried out yet again in agony.
"Push!" Elwing ordered her son's wife.
Celebrían's wails increased in volume as she followed the command at each contraction: she would take a deep breath and hold it for ten seconds, then relax and exhale. Time and again she repeated it, as tears of pain streamed down her flushed face.
But at last there came the loudest cry yet – it came not only from Celebrían, but also from the small figure who had just emerged from its mother's body, and was being held gently in Elrond I's outstretched hands.
"It's a boy!" the elder half-elf exclaimed, his voice hoarse with excitement. By the Valar, this brought back so many memories! He turned to glance over at his mother, and thought he saw a tear slip down her cheek, despite the smile she wore.
Compliments and congratulations rang out from the others as Elrond I wiped the blood of delivery from the newborn's tiny, delicate body, and placed him in Celebrían's arms. She gazed silently at her first son with the purest love imaginable glimmering in her eyes. But her work wasn't over yet; the second twin had yet to be born.
Several fleeting (for some) minutes later, there came another clamorous howl, along with many more thrilled cries of "Well done!" Another child – a second son – was greeting the outside world in his own way.
The air was abuzz with a jubilant chorus of voices as the healers helped to tidy Celebrían and her children up. The proud parents reentered Rivendell side-by-side, each elf carrying a baby in his or her fond arms. Elwing was nothing less than ecstatic at the idea of being a grandmother, and was just as eager to let Celebrían's parents know about what had just occurred.
"We'll worry about that later," Elrond II told her with a laugh. "For now, Celebrían needs a good long rest. She's certainly earned it."
His wife smiled modestly. "I can manage for a few more minutes, love. We still need to name the children, you know."
"Of course, we can't forget that," Elrond II nodded. "But I'm afraid I'm not very good at coming up with names…" He glanced questioningly at his godfather, silently beseeching him with his eyes.
Elrond I beamed, and attempted to make his voice as nonchalant as possible. "Well, this is just my own personal opinion, but I think the elder child would suit the name Elladan, and the younger one could be, hmm…" He feigned deep thought for a moment before he finished the sentence. "…Elrohir, maybe?"
"Those are perfect," Celebrían murmured in agreement. She gave him a furtive, knowing smile, as did Elrond II. The elder elf-lord couldn't help but grin; he knew as well as they did that those names hadn't just been chosen at random.
As the group parted ways, Elrond I and Elwing strolled down a corridor together. Elwing wore a rather distant smile, and her son asked quietly, "Where are you, Mother?"
Elwing shook off the misty shroud of reflection, smiling in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I was rather lost in my thoughts… it's nothing."
Elrond I nodded in acceptance, but something suddenly occurred to him. "Only a moment ago, when Elladan was just born, I thought I saw you crying, and it didn't look altogether like tears of joy."
Elwing nodded. "I know. I just had this strange feeling when I saw you holding Elladan. I was looking into your face, and for a moment there, I honestly thought I saw your father looking back at me."