Chapter Three
Tears
"Celebrian, have you seen my shawl? I know I lied it here yesterday, right on this very place. For I told myself I would leave it on the chest beside my sewing, knowing full well I would want them at the same time. And now, well, now it is not here. Have you seen it?"
"First of all, you did not 'lied' it there, you laid it there. And secondly, I find it difficult to believe you did either since it no longer occupies that position."
"I did not ask you for a grammar lesson, sister. I merely inquired if you knew the whereabouts of an article of clothing."
"I haven't seen it."
"That isn't very helpful."
"I don't feel in a helpful mood at preset, Gilraen. Go find Luthien and ask her."
"She has already gone out; I saw her leave. The Lord Barahir's son is here, you know, and she said they were going down to the river today."
"The Lord Barahir's son? Luthien and Barahir's son? Which one?"
"The youngest one, and you must be perfectly blind if you did not know they are in love."
"Indeed, I must be blind! How long has this been afoot?"
"Weeks? Months? I don't know. If I had ever had my own romance I suppose I would snoop a little more into her's, but I haven't so I don't."
"By the stars! It is hard to imagine. And she is so young."
"Celebrian, she is one and twenty. Merely because she is six years younger than yourself does not make her so terribly inferior. Do you consider me 'so young' also?"
"No, dear. We are so close in age that I hardly notice a difference at all. But Luthien has always been the baby, and now -- it is hard to explain."
"Yes, I know what you mean. At least, I think I do. Well, no matter, the Prince of Dol Amroth is coming today. I expect to stand by and watch him sweep you off your feet."
"Gilraen! I protest!"
"Why? I think it will be rather an amusing spectacle. I'll be sure to bring my sketch book and --"
"Gilraen!"
"Oh, Clebby! I found my shawl! Look! It was inside my chest the whole time! How silly of me..."
Eldarion sat slumped beside his window with sore eyes and an aching head. The voices of his sisters were carried on the breeze to where he sat. Though he heard them he did not really comprehend what they were discussing; he was thinking of his father's words.
He had not slept at all. The strangest form of grief was claiming him, that of knowing what was about to take place and dreading it immensely. It was as if he had been given the chance to look into the future, and the future was a nightmare.
He noticed subconsciously that the chatter of his sisters had ended. They had probably gone out of the palace to enjoy the sunlight day; they did not yet know of the approaching night.
A knock on the door startled him.
"Eldarion?" asked a muffled voice. "Are you there? May we come in?"
He gave his consent.
The door opened and the faces of his sisters appeared. Gilraen had tears in her eyes.
"Ada just came to speak with us. Has he spoken to you?" Celebrian asked. He nodded.
Gilraen ran to her brother and collapsed into his arms, beginning to weep violently. "He cannot go away! I don't want him to go!"
Celebrian, more composed, walked to the window and sat down beside them. "When did he tell you?"
"Last night," he replied. His voice sounded scratchy. He cleared his throat.
"Why must he go?" Gilraen moaned.
Eldarion did not know what to say. He had not expected to be put in the position on counselor and comforter. He did not know, as he should have known, that his sisters' first instinct would be to turn to him for strength. They had always done so before, yet he wondered why they did not go to their mother instead. He asked them.
"Ada said not to trouble Naneth at present, that she will have enough burdens on her mind. You were closer, anyway," replied Celebrian.
"And you always understand Ada best," Gilraen said, choking a little on her tears. "We thought you would know why."
Eldarion did not understand his father's reasons; they did not seem like real reasons at all to him.
He managed to ask where Luthien was. Celebrian told him, them fell into silence. The whole room throbbed with an intense stillness, and Eldarion felt locked in time. The form of his sister quivered in his arms and his heart beat at an uncomfortable volume.
"We'll get through this," he said with effort.
Both sisters turned their eyes to his, perplexed, tear-brimmed, and full of sadness. Their glances were so painful to him that Eldarion shut his own eyes, hoping beyond hope that blindness would release him from his present turmoil. But it didn't.
Tears
"Celebrian, have you seen my shawl? I know I lied it here yesterday, right on this very place. For I told myself I would leave it on the chest beside my sewing, knowing full well I would want them at the same time. And now, well, now it is not here. Have you seen it?"
"First of all, you did not 'lied' it there, you laid it there. And secondly, I find it difficult to believe you did either since it no longer occupies that position."
"I did not ask you for a grammar lesson, sister. I merely inquired if you knew the whereabouts of an article of clothing."
"I haven't seen it."
"That isn't very helpful."
"I don't feel in a helpful mood at preset, Gilraen. Go find Luthien and ask her."
"She has already gone out; I saw her leave. The Lord Barahir's son is here, you know, and she said they were going down to the river today."
"The Lord Barahir's son? Luthien and Barahir's son? Which one?"
"The youngest one, and you must be perfectly blind if you did not know they are in love."
"Indeed, I must be blind! How long has this been afoot?"
"Weeks? Months? I don't know. If I had ever had my own romance I suppose I would snoop a little more into her's, but I haven't so I don't."
"By the stars! It is hard to imagine. And she is so young."
"Celebrian, she is one and twenty. Merely because she is six years younger than yourself does not make her so terribly inferior. Do you consider me 'so young' also?"
"No, dear. We are so close in age that I hardly notice a difference at all. But Luthien has always been the baby, and now -- it is hard to explain."
"Yes, I know what you mean. At least, I think I do. Well, no matter, the Prince of Dol Amroth is coming today. I expect to stand by and watch him sweep you off your feet."
"Gilraen! I protest!"
"Why? I think it will be rather an amusing spectacle. I'll be sure to bring my sketch book and --"
"Gilraen!"
"Oh, Clebby! I found my shawl! Look! It was inside my chest the whole time! How silly of me..."
Eldarion sat slumped beside his window with sore eyes and an aching head. The voices of his sisters were carried on the breeze to where he sat. Though he heard them he did not really comprehend what they were discussing; he was thinking of his father's words.
He had not slept at all. The strangest form of grief was claiming him, that of knowing what was about to take place and dreading it immensely. It was as if he had been given the chance to look into the future, and the future was a nightmare.
He noticed subconsciously that the chatter of his sisters had ended. They had probably gone out of the palace to enjoy the sunlight day; they did not yet know of the approaching night.
A knock on the door startled him.
"Eldarion?" asked a muffled voice. "Are you there? May we come in?"
He gave his consent.
The door opened and the faces of his sisters appeared. Gilraen had tears in her eyes.
"Ada just came to speak with us. Has he spoken to you?" Celebrian asked. He nodded.
Gilraen ran to her brother and collapsed into his arms, beginning to weep violently. "He cannot go away! I don't want him to go!"
Celebrian, more composed, walked to the window and sat down beside them. "When did he tell you?"
"Last night," he replied. His voice sounded scratchy. He cleared his throat.
"Why must he go?" Gilraen moaned.
Eldarion did not know what to say. He had not expected to be put in the position on counselor and comforter. He did not know, as he should have known, that his sisters' first instinct would be to turn to him for strength. They had always done so before, yet he wondered why they did not go to their mother instead. He asked them.
"Ada said not to trouble Naneth at present, that she will have enough burdens on her mind. You were closer, anyway," replied Celebrian.
"And you always understand Ada best," Gilraen said, choking a little on her tears. "We thought you would know why."
Eldarion did not understand his father's reasons; they did not seem like real reasons at all to him.
He managed to ask where Luthien was. Celebrian told him, them fell into silence. The whole room throbbed with an intense stillness, and Eldarion felt locked in time. The form of his sister quivered in his arms and his heart beat at an uncomfortable volume.
"We'll get through this," he said with effort.
Both sisters turned their eyes to his, perplexed, tear-brimmed, and full of sadness. Their glances were so painful to him that Eldarion shut his own eyes, hoping beyond hope that blindness would release him from his present turmoil. But it didn't.