Chapter Thirty

"Estela," his hand brushed her hair.

Both he and Estela stayed there, holding each other close for a long while.

Estela closed her eyes, leaning against the warmth of his tunic.

She wanted to stay like this- forever.

But forever was not an option. She stayed instead for as long as she felt they were able to.

"Ereinion," she murmured. She knew he felt the same way. He held her close and felt as if he didn't want to let her go. He was only whole now- for the first time- like this.

"I love you," he whispered. "I just wanted you to know, before or if anything ever happens- I love you. And I would have done anything for your happiness. I still would."

She sighed and pressed herself closer towards him. "Time," she said softly. "For an immortal, I don't appear to have a lot of time. I never did."

"But now we will have all the time we can hope for," Ereinion insisted. "For all eternity. Together. And I swear I won't let anything happen to you, as long as I exist in this world."

"Don't go," she murmured. "I never want to leave. Not ever. I want to stay with you."

"Forever," he agreed. "Nothing will prevent me from doing just that."

They had no time to celebrate just yet.

"Mairon," Estela said calmly.

Galadriel breathed in sharply. "Mairon? Mairon the Admirable?"

Celeborn's sharp eyes found hers. "You know him?"

"He was one of the Maia in Valinor," Galadriel explained. "Although why he is here... escapes my notice."

"He is here for a purpose," Estela muttered, shaking her head. "He would not worm his way into the heart of the Noldorin kingdom for a reason."

The elves present- Celeborn, Elrond, Galadriel, Ereinion and Estela stared in silence at one another. Celebrían was not present- she was busy.

"What reason?" Ereinion asked quietly.

Estela took a deep breath. "We cannot turn him away, can we?" She asked.

Celeborn shook his head. "If he truly is a Maia, then we cannot risk turning him away. But if he truly is, as you say, the servant of Morgoth, then we would need sufficient proof," he admitted reluctantly.

Estela sighed exasperated. "Look, did you not see? Did you not feel it? His light!"

Celeborn frowned. "He is filled with light."

"That's not what I mean." She replied. "I see his light. But I cannot feel it." Elrond raised an eyebrow. "I lived in Valinor, I met Maiar not everyday, but often enough. I can tell, even when I don't see their inner light, even when they hide it, I can always feel it. Always see it when I close my eyes on them. Mairon-Annatar- he has no light. I can see it, and that is what he wants me to see- his brilliant hair, his eyes and skin, but his inner light? The light which always came from within a good creature, most evident in one of the Ainur? No, I could not see it, feel it, or sense it in any way."

The revelation dropped upon them like a boulder.

Ereinion looked at her worry directed towards her in his eyes. She understood, she felt the same way.

"I have to tell my cousin," Estela declared. "Celebrimbor must know."

He grabbed her arm, before she left. His eyes and everything about him conveyed a million unspoken words, which were once incomprehensible, but now suddenly, understood.

"Be careful. Be safe." Was all he said.

"Aren't I always?" She smiled.

Celebrimbor stood working in his forge.

He had received the news extremely late when it finally became clear to everyone that Estela was on the mend.

It angered him, and so only Silmiel, who decided to help at healing, knew sufficiently enough to help with enough time to prepare.

In the meantime, with his wife (secretly expecting a child now) having left, Celebrimbor's anger, anxiety and fear was washed away, strangely, by the one who called himself Annatar.

How strange was it, that this person could wash such depressing feelings away like water washing something clean of dirt? Celebrimbor didn't know. All he knew was that he struck up a warm friendship with the visitor and the two of them enjoyed discussing the various features and properties of various metals and stones.

Celebrimbor hammered the sword. It was red-hot as he hammered and flipped it on the other side to hammer it evenly. He lifted it, then plunged it into a trough of brine. The liquid sizzled and steamed filling his nostrils but not stinging his elven-eyes.

He lifted it, having cooled somewhat, and moved onto the next part of the forging.

Or at least, he would have if Estela had not appeared out of nowhere.

Celebrimbor almost dropped the sword.

"You're here," he said blankly.

And she looked alright, much to his shock.

But then he shouldn't be surprised.

He left the sword on the anvil and wrapped her in a tight embrace.

She hugged him.

There was something about her, how she glowed and looked... at peace the way she had never been on Middle-Earth.

"Estela?" He asked.

She took a deep breath. Were her eyes... shining? He could not tell.

"Telpe-Celebrimbor," she hastily corrected. "Ereinion and I have become engaged."

His jaw dropped. She was shining alright.

Her eyes sparkled and shone.

"Congratulations," he managed.

He supposed he should tell her his news.

"Silmiel is expecting," he managed.

Estela's eyes widened and she laughed. "It appears good things happen all at once," she mused.

"I am happy for you," he said. "Truly."

"And I you." She smiled.

But then her mood dissipated. "Telpe-Celebrimbor, we have enemies amongst us."

And at that his relief at her health and his amazement at her announcement vanished. "What do you mean?" He asked.

"That blaze was not set accidentally, and not by some dim-witted orc either." Estela replied.

"Then who?" He demanded.

She took a deep breath. "I don't have proof-"

"Then don't go making accusations," Celebrimbor said. "It's not like you."

Her eyes flashed. "I'm just telling you what I've heard and seen."

She told him everything the old woman had told her.

He looked at her incredulously. "The word of an old mortal who had never seen the War of Wrath with her own eyes-"

"She was no mortal." Estela said sternly.

"No mortal could have known the things about me which she knew. She was sent by the Valar."

"The Valar?" Celebrimbor was even more incredulous than he had been before. "The Valar had long given up on us, ever since our grandfather went mad and our fathers and uncles came after him."

"Completely?" Estela demanded. Celebrimbor stared at her.

"Now you're engaged, all of a sudden, the world is suddenly a brighter place?"

"As if!" Estela snapped. "I was getting to that bit!"

She spoke to him about the remaining servant of Morgoth.

He stared at her and shook his head. "Estela- how do you know she tells the truth?"

"The fire- no stupid orc could have set that. Yes, they are capable, but to attack and set fire to an elven settlement- no orc would have ever dared- not since a darker Age- an Age we've all lived through."

Celebrimbor felt chills all about him.

"My cousin," Estela's eyes were mournful. "Be careful. Be wary of Annatar."

"Annatar?" Celebrimbor asked incredulously. "What do you have against him?"

But before she could answer, someone appeared. It was Annatar himself.

Estela's eyes were suddenly icy and if Annatar was uneasy, he did not look like it. In fact he seemed amused.

The two just stared at each other with Celebrimbor bewildered by this sudden turn of events.

"Lord Annatar," Estela said coolly.

"My lady," Annatar said cheerfully. "I am glad to see you recovered.

Estela's eyes narrowed.

"As am I," Celebrimbor was eager for them to avoid coming to blows with one another. "I shall take my leave, if you have more important matters to discuss with my cousin," she said icily, before turning on her heel.

Celebrimbor shook his head.

"I truly don't understand her," he muttered. "It's as if every time she's taken an injury something has affected her mind. I'd expect that from a human, but her?" He shook his head.

Annatar looked at him sympathetically and approached.

The two of them began a conversation which soothed Celebrimbor and made him happier.

Estela knew it was futile to argue her case- after so many centuries of agony and loss, her cousin did not wish for something as such to happen again- even if he chose to shut his eyes. And now that he was married and expecting to become a father, who could blame him?

But she knew Annatar could not be trusted.

She waited until Celebrimbor and Annatar had left, and silently, secretly followed them. When Celebrimbor left his companion, she chose to walk forwards.

"Mairon" she said calmly.

Annatar's back stiffened as he heard the name and slowly turned around to face Estela. Estela's eyes were filled with knowing, so much that Annatar knew he was suspected.

"Pardon?" He asked.

"Mairon the Admirable? Wasn't that your name on Valinor?"

"The Admirable?" Annatar let out a laugh, dazzling as crystal bells, that made her think of paradise on Valinor. "You flatter me, my lady."

"Not so," Estela straightened but kept her distance. "Wasn't that what they called you?"

There was a silence, but very short as Annatar stepped forwards. "How would my lady know?"

"I saw you once." Was the simple reply. But if he was truly a Maia, then she knew she was no match for him, whether he was one of the Fallen or those that basked always in the grace of the Light.

"Did you?" Annatar appeared pleased, but there was something else ominous in his tone and expression.

Estela gave a strained smile. "I hope you enjoy your stay in Middle-Earth, Lord of Gifts," she said before walking away.

For it won't be long.

As people in Lindon were celebrating the news of an impending Royal Wedding, the Greenwood was in a state of unrest.

"Whoever planned this was very clever indeed," he muttered darkly to Thranduil.

The two elves and the soldiers of the Woodland realm had been marching off to quell unrest by orcs in their northern borders, only to find that elsewhere they were under attack. Many elves had died, and tens-of-thousands or hundreds-of-thousands would have if Estela had not arrived. The amount of people she saved, including small children...

It actually did seem to make up for what happened at Doriath and Sirion. More people were saved by her, than those that died there.

But more distressing, was the diabolically clever planning involved. Whoever thought up of this was not some blundering orc.

They knew that the warriors would be elsewhere. They knew that the king and the prince would not be present to help the dying and distressed. Even more diabolical, they seemed to want Estela to be there- to rescue others.

But surely they knew they were no match for her.

This was a sign, he thought. A sign for something greater.

And Oropher could not shake off the feeling that something more terrible than he feared was coming to pass soon enough.

Silmiel and Celebrimbor's baby was born shortly after the damages to the Greenwood were repaired, the investigations to the attack were declared fruitless and the wedding preparations were going through.

The girl was born in the light of the stars, seemingly more brilliant than usual, pure and promising. Fëarillië was her father-name; it meant "Spirit of Brilliance" in their tongue. Her mother-name was Eleniel.

Her hair was raven-dark, like her father's (and her forefather's) but seemingly touched with the starlight in which she had been born. Her eyes were a brilliant dark blue. Estela held and washed her after the cord was cut, wrapping her in the soft blanket she had specially prepared for the day.

Estela smiled at the infant and for once, she did not feel as if it was cruel, to bring an innocent child into a cruel world, and potentially a curse. Possibly because some said that Varda's light, present at the baby's birth, was a good sign.

She handed the infant over, then walked out to prepare for other things.

The fruitless investigations did not make her easy. But things were about to change anyway.

The palace was being cleaned and anything shiny from table-tops and tiles, to delicate ornaments like vases and statuettes, were polished and dusted. Garlands of flowers were hung everywhere and while everyone ran like mad disagreeing with the flower arrangements, the coordinated colours, the blooms themselves and the silks used, inside Estela's room everything was calm.

The wedding dress was a creamy-ivory silk. In all honesty, the time she spent working on this dress was not as copious as Estela thought it would be. It wasn't overly-elaborate, but it was rich and it was elegant, but simple enough to be stunning. It had a fitted bodice that hugged her tiny waist, but softened and flared at the hips into a full skirt with an elegant fan-shaped train. The bodice was embroidered with pearls and wispy layers of snowy lace in sections and the bottom, and a delicate band of pearls and crystal adorned the bust but the skirt had few pearls and lace and mostly at the top, being decorated with gold embroidery mostly. But the veil had pearl, crystal and lace appliqué decorations, and as Silmiel and Maltariel draped it over her hair (curled and gently waved tomorrow), Estela tried desperately to relax… by thinking of other things.

Annatar was not invited to the ceremony or the celebrations, much to Estela's relief.

"Beautiful," Maltariel breathed. "More beautiful than my imagination could ever predict."

Estela smiled, and they helped her with her shoes. She tried to keep herself calm. But it was hard, as her parents, and any of the older generations of her family, would never be present for the ceremony and celebrations.

Galadriel would be taking part in the ceremony, in her mother's place. As her mother's closest friend and kin, it was her duty and responsibility, as well as her honour.

Also conspicuously absent- the groom's parents. But how wonderful it might have been, if both sets of fathers, who were the closest of kin, were to witness that day.

But what could have, and should have been, were lost forever.

This day marked the future, not the past.

And so it was that Estela selected and made her wedding clothes and jewellery. They were happy. She fussed over and altered the designs several times. But she knew the material things were not what mattered, only what came after the ceremony.

Maltariel discussed the numerous foods served on the menu, while kitchen-hands scurried around, making sure they had enough venison, wine, vinegar, salt, fruit and whatever they needed.

Estela permitted herself to hope for the future.

She just wondered how long it would last.

Next Chapter: the wedding! I know everyone's been hoping for this bittersweet moment (few family members after all, but so happy!) Annatar is going to make an appearance, unfortunately, but only at the end and in secret.

I chose the name Silmiel for Celebrimbor's wife, and I'm starting to call him by his Sindarin name now. The father-name of their daughter (the Noldorin custom is to have the parents give one name each) Fëarillië means "Spirit of Brilliance" and obviously bears an uncanny similarity to Fëanáro. Her mother name means, "Daughter of Star." Celebrimbor would likely prefer to be called by his Sindarinized name, rather than his original one, as it would probably remind him too much of his painful past and the shameful actions of his father, grandfather and uncles. But it doesn't mean that he wanted to cut ties with them completely.