The Rolling stones
Deimos's trouble radar started going crazy the moment he found himself roughly shaken awake by a frantic and pale Meiran.
"Wha - ?" he tried to say, ready to unleash annoyance and irritation on her, lover or not. That it, until his bleary eyes finally focused on the small red colored vial she was shaking vigorously in front of his face.
Deimos suddenly felt faint, his throat going dry and rough.
To elucidate, the potion in the vial was one of the sort of Do-it-yourself tests that didn't need a healer to do. It was the greatest success of the Research Department, according to Phobos. It was also a simple pregnancy test.
It was a small vial with a grey 'sleeping' potion that reacted to three drops of blood. Black was negative and red was positive.
Hence, why Deimos shut down several brain cells for a couple of seconds. It really wasn't the sort of news one should get before breakfast and proper coffee.
A whimper from Meiran restarted his brain again. Meiran was a sharp and brave woman. He didn't like hearing her make the sound of a dying animal.
"What do we do?" she asked, brown eyes wide and panicked.
Deimos felt like he was channeling his brother when he pushed aside his natural impulse to say a sarcastic comment. In fact, he felt positively saint-like when he said instead, "We're going to get married, of course."
While Saldia might have no prejudice against unmarried and single mothers, neither of them could bear to see the disappointment on either of their teachers' faces if both of them didn't think to do their responsibility by the unborn child.
Meirans natural color was returning and she didn't look quite like a corpse. "Really?" she asked, a hint of sardonic amusement leaking through. "I suppose I ought to be nice to you and not tell Lord Hodur about the baby until after the marriage."
The smidgeon of hope, which he had been nursing that he would make it out of the current ordeal with his genitals unharmed, withered and died piteously.
"Do you want to take bets instead on how long they'll notice it?" he asked. "Nothing ever really stays secret what with our Lords and Ladies having those infernal gifts."
Meiran finally gave up and buried her head under the sheets.
"Oh, Manwe," she moaned. "I can't face my master, especially with those Valar-damned eyes of his."
Perhaps he had been spending too much time with his own teacher, Deimos reflected since a bubble of amusement was starting to bubble up and it wasn't even hysterical.
"What's so amusing?" she demanded, the temper that he had fallen in-love with peeking out.
Deimos cleared his throat. "I think we're worrying about the wrong things," he clarified. He wouldn't tell her what he found amusing. He had some preservation instincts, no matter what Phobos said. "When are we getting married anyway?" he asked, changing the topic and successfully distracting her.
Meiran blinked in astonishment, almost setting Deimos off again. Apparently, the bride-to-be hadn't even thought of it yet.
Of course, the constraints that dictated the wedding of Lord Guiomer and Lady Cailyn wouldn't touch theirs seeing as two years ago, the Research and Development Department had managed to successfully create large storage containers that held the cold rather well. A couple of tweaks and some spell work guaranteed no decomposition of the stored food. They could even manage to have a Winter Wedding, if Meiran wanted to.
Then again, Meiran hated Winters with a passion, given that she usually had to deal with a grumpy Hodur who hated Winters even more. Deimos didn't know why and the reason was probably very bad since only the other founders knew. It involved shuttered eyes, a lot of alcohol and plenty of distractions.
"Autumn. Maybe a day after the Festival of Saldia's founding?" Meiran offered, interrupted his dark thoughts.
Deimos quirked a brow. "That's two weeks in the earliest or a month at the latest," he pointed out. "That's even less preparation time than Cailyn's and Lord Guiomers wedding."
Meiran shrugged, a small smile on her lips. "I don't really expect to invite a lot of people. I mean, probably half of Saldia will want to join the dancing and feasting but for the ceremony itself…"
He huffed in amusement but said nothing. Truly, it wasn't his dilemma. Apparently, as Lady Gryffon stated once, "The job of a groom is to taste all possible dishes offered, give glowing praises when asked and to appear beside the priest during the wedding day."
"Whatever you want, my potions mistress," he murmured, amusement in his voice.
Luna's news about Aedan signing up in the Brotherhood without his parents permission, and so early too, gave Heather a headache.
Perhaps they had left him with Fenny and to the people all alone for too long. However, he never gave any hint of dissatisfaction, else Kreacher would have shown his displeasure to them blatantly. Kreacher had ideas about how proper Blacks should act. That Aedan signed up on his own showed how unbelievably headstrong and stubborn the boy was.
Heather massaged her temples in an effort to stop the headache from turning into a full-blown migraine.
Unbidden, the image of Aedan, cheeks flushed and dimpled as he smiled, green eyes wide with feigned innocence. It was impish, adorable and very, very fitting for the great-grandson of a Marauder.
"Merlin, child," Heather groaned. "Your father was not half so troublesome as you. This must be from your mothers side of the family."
A cough broke through Heathers minor dramatics.
"What's got you so troubled?" Hermione asked, voice amused. "I mean, if you're in that state, it must be something to do with your progeny and his charming little family."
Heather gave Hermione a look. "Stop using that deducting thing you do for crimes against the city's charter." A quick look around had Heather raising an eyebrow. "And what's Faramir doing with you anyway? Isn't he usually with Meiran or Luna at this time of the day?"
Hermione looked tempted to roll her eyes but refrained, accepting the change of topic with a sigh. "Meiran and Deimos didn't report for duty. Well, I don't exactly blame them. Nobody has actually ever had a holiday, working here."
A pointed cough had Hermione smirking. "Yes, I had a point to coming here," she said. "I heard from Cailyn about Aedan's naughty little decision that nearly had her delivering early. Then Meiran and Deimos didn't show up for work and Faramir is left drifting because he was anal enough to finish all of his work the previous night."
Heather made a sharp gesture to show her impatience. "Get to it," she muttered. :I need a headache potion, Hermione."
Hermione, the minx that she was, gave a tinkling mischievous laugh that gave hints of the friend in Hogwarts that suggested sneaking in the Restricted Section, tackled Penelope Clearwater once Heather gave a hint that she'd heard Parseltongue and stuck Draco Malfoy in a body-bind to lecture him about the use of the words purebloods, mudbloods and half-bloods in decent conversation.
For a moment, it allowed the headache to pulse down a little. Heather managed a smile in remembrance of those more innocent days. Innocent and extremely confusing days.
"Why don't you allow Faramir to teach Aedan?" she continued, oblivious to Heather's small trip down memory lane. "He's leaving within two years, you know. We're running out of things to teach him. Aside from your regular lectures and borrowing Luna's thesis books, he has nothing else to learn from us. For Rowena's sake, we actually need to pay him for sorting through Felicia and Meiran's paperwork everyday."
There was the point and it was a good idea too.
Heather levered herself up from the desk, giving Hermione her full attention. Her mind was whirling with the thought of it. "That might work," she muttered. "But Felicia would have to tell him. She's in charge of the education department, you know."
This time, Hermione gave in and rolled her eyes. "I know. You don't have to tell me since I did the arrangement for the departments."
She sighed. Really, people and their cheek. "Yes, Hermione, you did. But you technically have to specify to Faramir what he can teach Aedan."
Comprehension dawned on Hermione's face and she gave a smirk as she trounced out of the office, dragging Faramir who was hanging by the door, trying not to eavesdrop.
Heather gave another sigh.
To start off, Draco wasn't a bad brother.
Sure, he was cynical, sarcastic and generally had hair-trigger temper before he had his coffee. But he was also perceptive, practical and very very proud. The stick lodged up his arse hadn't quite gone yet but it was going away, bit by bit.
Still, it didn't mean he was perfect, nor was he very terrible at being a brother. Luna supposed that was the reason her instincts and her dreams had led her to Grimmauld Place.
"Draco," Luna murmured. "You should check the wording in the second and fifth paragraph. Hermione wouldn't exactly be happy with the phrase you're using."
The blindfold tied to his wrist bared Draco's brilliant eyes and they visibly narrowed as he saw what she meant.
"I suppose the standard contract wording wouldn't work," he remarked.
Seeing as half of those were practically selling away the female and the other half involved alliances, then no, it didn't apply. Truly, Luna wanted to trash the entire thing and just go for a spontaneous marriage, but that would hurt his feelings. Usually, Luna wouldn't care about hurting people's feelings but experience working in the Hospital had taught her tact. Especially with pregnant women.
"Why don't you change the clauses here?" she suggested. "It protects both engaged parties from outside interferences from either family."
He scoffed. "No. That would leave them vulnerable too."
A couple of feet away from the sofa, Fenny and Aedan were roughhousing. Kreacher could be seen hovering at the sides, hands wrung nervously as he casted the pertinent charms to protect the child and the animal from hitting important and soft body parts too hard.
The situation niggled a bit at Luna's mind.
Looking back at the contract draft, she was dismayed to find that Draco was casting evanesco on paragraph five.
"No!" she cried. "Stop, that paragraph could have been salvaged."
Draco truly gave impressive scowls. It would have cowed anybody else but to Luna, he looked like he was pouting. Rather like Fenny when she denied him the last delicious roasted rabbit.
"You do it then, if you're so clever," he muttered.
After another glance at the child and the wolf rolling around in a game to show the others dominance, an idea came.
"Why don't you add a subclause?" she asked instead. "If you made it so that any concerned party, closely related and without any malicious intentions helps then it cancels out the previous one."
He looked like he wanted to argue, but he considered it and snapped his mouth shut, quill working so quickly that the ink splattered in his hands.
Cailyn and Felicia entered then, carrying with them the overpoweringly delicious scent of baked goods that the game on the floor stopped and both animal and child gave Cailyn begging eyes.
"Don't ask me," Cailyn said with a smile. "Ask your Aunt Felicia. Apparently, she's holding the cookies hostage until you wash up and behave."
There was a dismayed silence and then boy and fox both scrambled to the nearest washing area to clean themselves up.
Luna covered a smile as the girls dissolved into mischievous giggles. Draco only twitched minutely at the noise, so engrossed he was with revising his paragraph.
"That worked splendidly," Felicia exclaimed. "But if you do it often, you will be rolling that fox when he gets too fat."
Cailyn sighed, settling into her chair with a tiny wiggle. "Only for a while then. I truly cannot stand too much excitement. I get tired so easily now."
Here, Luna interrupted. Her eyes critically examined Cailyn's pregnant form. "You just need rest, love. Its almost time for you to deliver that baby."
Both girls nodded and resumed their topic of speculating the reason for Meiran and Deimos's absence. Luna kept quiet and listened with half an ear while she watched Felicia.
The petite woman had handled the bulk of Saldia's paperwork, halving it with Heather. All of the others had their more important side projects and could only deal with so much. So Felicia shouldered it without complaint.
The recent establishment of the country's government had done her a good turn and she no longer looked so pale and tired all the time. Felicia's smile even reached her eyes these days and there were lesser ink splatters on her hands.
Personally, Luna thought they had done Hermione's assistant a disservice. But what was done was done and Luna made a mental note to assign a Trainee Healer to Felicia soon. She needed her diet checked and sleeping patterns regulated.
A quick patter of tiny feet broke Luna out of her thoughts and she saw Aedan and Fenny, hair and fur dripping wet and reeking of soap-scented cleanliness.
Felicia took one look and surrendered the cookies.
As expected, Luna thought with amusement. Fenny had the market cornered when it came to puppy dog eyes and pleading whines. Aedan came a close second, the cheeky mimic that he was. Only a troll could hold out on both of them.
"Avia!" Aedan cried, mouth full of cookies. "Pater!"
Heather entered, wincing at the light and rubbing a hand to her temples. Guiomer was beside her, both of them in deeo conversation. They startled at Aedan's cries and beamed at him. Their resemblance showed in the similarity of their smiles.
"Were you good today?" Guiomer asked. The boy nodded vigorously. Luna, recalling the incident where a pot of flowers almost broke because Aedan and Fenny were playing too hard to pay attention to their surroundings, almost snorted.
"I found you a teacher," Guiomer continued. "You know Faramir, don't you, my little dragon slayer."
It was quite a thing to watch the boy straighten up and give his father his complete and undivided attention. Here, his resemblance to his grandmother shone stronger. Heather had this look that she gave you when she was giving you her complete attention. It felt like you were the only one in the room while she gave you that look. For Aedan, it was not quite such a heavy look yet, but it was getting there.
"Kreacher," Heather asked. "Is Luncheon ready?"
The house-elf gave her an indignant stare. "Of course it is, Master Heather," he said. As though it was unimaginable for luncheon to be not ready.
"What about Aunt Enid?" Cailyn asked as she carefully waddled to the dining table.
Draco finally surfaced from the contract draft, in time to hear the question. "Don't bother," he muttered. "That one is stuck with her fiancée and will probably not show up until he leaves."
Heather managed a scowl. "She definitely had time to pester me this morning," she said. "Where on Arda are Meiran and Deimos anyway? Phobos I can understand, given that he is enamored with one of the Trainee Healers in the Hospital, but – "
"Wait," Luna interrupted. "Phobos, my Phobos, enamored with a Trainee Healer?"
There was a cautious nod from Heather and everyone watched Luna's reaction carefully since it was well-known that she considered the twins as good as her own sons.
"Why didn't he tell me," Luna moaned sadly. "I would've stopped setting him up with other women."
The others choked on their laughter at the unexpected statement.
The three elvish rings of power, while untainted by the power of the one ring, was still bound to its fate. While it was powerful and unharmed, so too did the three rings retain its power.
However, because the fate of the rings was bound to each other, Lady Galadriel could not herself act. She could defend, yes and Lothlorien was one of the most protected Safe Havens in Arda, but to personally attack the growing darkness was beyond her. She could only have faith.
"What ails you, Lady Galadriel?" Elrond Half-elven asked. His serious face flashed in her mind as she meditated.
"The darkness is getting stronger," she explained, mind troubled at her complete inability to act. "There is a shroud of emptiness in Minas Morgul. My sight cannot see what lies beyond its borders."
Telling Elrond did not help with anything. Elrond and Galadriel held two of the elvish rings of power, Vilya and Nenya, respectively. Its power was mainly for protection.
"Do not lose faith," he told her. "Though my dreams are getting darker, there is always a light that never falters. It gives me hope."
Galadriel managed a smile. "Yes, those brilliant lights," she whispered. "I can see them in the distance, growing brighter and brighter the longer they stay in Arda. Their souls are exquisite in its purity."
The connection ended with the last image of Elrond managing a small smile of his own. Galadriel immediately felt better.
"You seem to be in a good state today, my dear lady," Celeborn greeted her as he perched beside her on the wooden steps.
She smiled at him, eyes shining and heart lifted up with momentary gladness. "Lord Elrond gave me brilliant news."
While she shared her news to her spouse, Galadriel clenched a hand around the ring Nenya.
A little more, she thought. Eru, I can manage for a little while longer.
That was the curse of the Ring of Water. It increased her longing for the sea, so much so that on any lesser elf, it would have driven them mad. But she was Galadriel. While Melkor's taint, Sauron, existed, she could not sail.
Oh father, she prayed. Give me fortitude.
Coming from one of his occasional visits to his hobbit friend, Gandalf passed by Saldia on a whim and had to pause to gape at its changes.
The city had grown huge! What had they done these past years? And was that a Bell Tower?
A joyful yell pulled him out of his shock and he saw Gryffon dragged by a child who had her eyes."
"Gandalf the Grey!" she cried out, joy and sheer relief in her face as she assessed him. "You're alive and well! The last I saw you was during my sons wedding!"
He felt a twinge of guilt as well as some measure of relief and happiness too. Gryffon had not changed in the slightest.
"I am sorry, my friend. I was busy, ah, re-establishing fallen connections." Specifically, with the dwarves. But she didn't need to know that.
"Good of you," she nodded approvingly. "You should – " She cut herself off and glanced down. The boy was tugging at her shirt. Gryffon grinned. "Impatient little thing. Gandalf, this is my grandson, Aedan," she introduced.
Gandalf allowed himself a moment to marvel at how precocious and advanced Aedan was before he gave the boy a little bow. Pleased to meet you, young Lord Aedan."
The boy nodded back solemnly. "Hello. Why is your beard that long? Auntie Meiran says that only men who don't have wives grow beards."
Gryffon choked on her laughter and managed a weak, "Aedan! You don't say that to people you just met! Go ask your tutor why."
Aedan gave a decisive nod and left at a run after giving Gandalf a considering look. Gandalf only felt a little bit pole-axed. Truly, only Gryffon and her unique family ever managed to make him feel that.
"Precious little thing," he said, giving her a pointed look.
She shrugged. "It's in the blood. Now, why don't you tell me all about your recent adventure?"
They walked together towards one of the familiar Hostels and she accidentally brushed his arm. Immediately, Gryffon stiffened.
"What is it?" he asked. "Gryffon?"
But no, it wasn't a vision. Her eyes were clear, her gaze accusing.
"Have you been dabbling with the darker magic's?" she asked.
It was shocking enough that she asked him that. To accuse him too? "Of course not!" he said, glaring at her in outrage.
She flung a hand to one of the streetlights. "Then explain why you positively reek of dark magic?" Did you pass by somewhere with Dark Magic? Or associated with someone with Dark Magic?"
Gandalf kept shaking his head and Gryffon became more flustered. Her colorful braid waved a bit, coming to life with her exasperation.
"You better know," she muttered. "Because its recent. Barely a week ago. Where did you come from before coming to Saldia?"
Hobbiton, the Shire, not that he would tell her that either. Hobbits were as far removed from the rest of Middle Earth's problems as could be possible. The only one who kept himself up to date was Bilbo but that was…impossible…was it?
"I have my suspicions," he soothed her. "I will check on it when I leave."
Gryffon wouldn't let him take a step further into Saldia without passing by a cleansing chamber. It was full of little stones that glowed very bright when he entered the small room.
"What was that?" he asked.
She shot him a worried look but answered anyway. "Cleansing stones. We're sending them to all members of the Brotherhood and the Order for their own protection. But those little buggers keep giving theirs away to villagers. They have no idea how hard or how tiring it is to make the stones," she said.
While Saldia's innovation made him forget a little, a small bit of him still thought of the possibility that Bilbo Baggins had the one ring.
DELETED SCENES:
The wrong worry and hurried weddings
Luncheon was almost over when the missing couple showed up. Both of them held each others hand and it was obvious that both of them were worried about something.
When they saw Draco's uncovered eyes, they sighed in relief. That is until Luna cocked her head to the side like she was listening to something.
"There's a second soul with Meiran," she remarked. "Or maybe it was to do with the scallops."
Kreacher gave an indignant screech while the couple paled. Heather took one look at them and smirked. "Oooh! Unplanned pregnancy!" she said.
Draco's head snapped to look at them so quickly that it was a miracle he didn't get a whiplash. "Who is pregnant?" he asked.
"I'm marrying her," Deimos said hurriedly, glancing at his master with worried eyes. Luna had a tiny crease in her eyebrows. "Just, please spare me the lecture."
Cailyn gave a disapproving look. "You better," she murmured. "The poor thing needs all the help she can get."
Disapproving looks and glares were all right. Deimos was just relieved he got out of telling them with no body parts removed from his person.
Scene 2:
Theodred's headache and pieces of jewelry
He supposed it took him a while to notice it but there was a sudden influx of necklaces and bracelets among his people.
The general design was usually a piece of colored string with a white transparent stone strung through. It was beautiful, simple and seemed to be glowing. That it seemed to originate from the Brotherhood and Order building was an answer enough.
Half of his people though seemed to be engrossed in turning it into a gaudier piece of jewelry. The other half wanted to change the string with metal or something of that sort. Therein lay the headache. Why were they playing with the glowing stone anyway?
"At least they're not being gloomy all the time these days," he muttered. "And all they needed was jewelry to make them happy?"
Somehow, Theodred just knew this had something to do with Lady Gryffon.
Ooohkay, and that was that.
Questions:
How old is Aedan now?
At the moment, he is four years old. Give or take a couple of months.
Character ages and job descriptions:
Hmm, here goes:
Heather is about 38-ish. Pre-government establishment, she used to check all paperwork. Everything passes through her before approval. Post-government establishment, she just looks over everybody's shoulders and gives commentaries.
Hermione is about 39-ish. Pre-GE, she used to look over Felicia's work and re-route where half of it goes since Felicia is too busy to do so and also did Saldia's judicial work. Post-GE, she does like Heather and dabbles in a million other side projects while still working in the judicial bit.
Luna is about 37-ish. Pre-GE, she used to manage the health department, the hospital, the shipyard and the order all at the same time. Post-GE, she does like Heather and only manages the order. The hospital went to Phobos and the Health Department went to Deimos. The shipyard went to the department of Trade and Tourism.
Draco is about 39-ish. Pre-GE, he used to manage the research and development department and the greenhouses all at once. Post-GE, he does the same as Heather and manages the greenhouses. The Research and Development department went to someone else.
Guiomer is about 28-ish. He manages the military aspect of saldia. That's that. Nothing changed for him, except that he's learning what his mother is doing for future succession.
Further elucidation on the concept of Constitutional Monarchy:
Heather is like the king. The other three are like the government auditors, that check over what the executive departments are doing, to make sure they're doing good.
What happens after Enid and Elladan marry? And their children?
Really, you fellows are soo impatient. Mainly, the married couple will stay in Rivendell. But Enid travels often to Saldia.
Children? Wait just a bit. That's gonna be answered later.
And when Guiomer takes over? Is it still a Constitutional Monarchy?
Yep. By that time, the four of them will have withdrawn from Saldia and given it to the younger generation to manage.
And that's it. And because somebody asked about ages, again, I might have to rewrite that chapter 28 that mentioned the history of Saldia. Its only in its fifteenth year after all. Ugh, you people are making me anal.
Please R&R.
~Hallen
P.S. I have hit 800+ reviews! I love you guys. Very much.