Disclaimer: I don't have the brilliance to be the dead guy in question. Or his son.
Author's Note: I don't ship Elrond/Gilraen! It just wrote itself that way. Just thought I'd throw that out there. Read and review!!
Musings of Shieldmaidens and Kings
After the Father is Gone
The young widow had come to me in her time of need, hardly holding any composure at all. Her dark eyes were swollen and red. Her lip was quivering and her cheeks were covered in dirt and dust, but had light streaks I could only assume that her tears had made. She might have been stunning if she was not in such a state of dissarray. The arm holding her young toddler was the only part on her entire body not shaking.
The little composure she had she gave to her son. He was calmly sleeping in his mother's arms, his tiny fingers grasping a ring with two serpents intertwined. I recognized it as the Ring of Barahir and assumed the worst. This must be Gilraen and Aragorn, I thought, remembering the stories my sons, Elrohir and Elladan, told me about Lord Arathorn and his family.
I opened my arms and received a bone-crushing, one-armed hug from Gilraen. It felt as though she put all her emotional and physical weight on me.
"Oh Elrond! Arathorn is dead. I have just seen his body…oh, what am I going to do!" Gilraen wailed, not breaking the embrace, and I could see tears threatening to spill out of her trembling eyes. She took a deep, gasping breath and continued, "I need somewhere to go. I do not want Aragorn to be…exposed to this anymore than he has to. Your knowledge has vast renown, even in the North. I presumed that you would know somewhere for us to go. If you do not, then we shall just…go." She made to leave but I stopped her
I pat her shoulder gently and told her, "You are welcome to stay here in the Last Homely House. I doubt that you will be able to travel much further with a young child in tow. I can help you raise Aragorn and I doubt my children will mind. Arwen loves babies."
Gilraen looked up at me with enormous, doe-like eyes, finally breaking the hug.
"Y-you would do that? For me?"
"I would do this for anyone whose intentions seem as pure as yours, my lady."
The hug was back with gusto and, strangely, the feeling of parenthood washed over me. I was never expecting to feel this way again because Celebrìan had been taken, but there I was, holding a young girl and her infant son who was peacefully sleeping in our entertwined arms. It seemed to be my role in this life. It was good that I enjoyed every moment of it.