Chapter 17

 

                  Elrond sat in his haven, watching the water flow by.  It had taken three of the four years to construct the waterway.  Someone jumped on his bed and he had to laugh as the jumping persisted.

                  “ You are not supposed to jump on the bed, Celebrisse.”

The tall reddish-silver haired girl simply threw her hair back.

                  “ Neither you or Erestor chastise me for it.”

                  “ Erestor does not because he is enamored with you.  I do not because even if I did, you would not pay any attention.  You seem to only listen to him.”

Celebrisse flushed, causing Elrond to laugh.  She was such a child here in the valley.  Elrond secretly had named it Imladris, but only he and the people here referred to it by that name.

                  “ Celebrisse, stop jumping on the bed.  Ereinion is arrived.” Erestor stood in the doorway.

Celebrisse jumped off, grabbing Erestor’s hand with a smile.  Elrond felt as if he were intruding in that moment, though it was his room.

                  “ Is the high-king handsome?”

Erestor seemed a bit stunned.

                  “ Well, I would not be the one to ask.  Try asking a maiden,” Erestor replied dryly.

Celebrisse glanced back at Elrond.

                  “ Elrond.”

                  “ I am no maiden, Celebrisse.”

                  “ I was not going to ask you that,” she laughed.

                  “ Yes, then?” Elrond pulled on his outer robe.

                  “ Can I meet him also?”

~*~

                  Ereinion’s eyes nearly burst out of his head, seeing the beautiful maiden between Erestor and Elrond.

                  “ You did not tell me about the girl,” Ereinion whispered to Celeborn.

Celeborn shook his head.

                  “ There is nothing to tell.”

Ereinion nodded.  He dismounted.  The girl smiled cheerfully when he bent to kiss her hand.

                  “ Lady.”

                  “ Majesty.”

                  Elrond glanced over them at Erestor, but Erestor seemed none too happy of the king’s reaction.

*Erestor is jealous?  Well, well, I believe I shall enjoy this.

Elrond extended his arm.

                  “ Ereinion, you are well met here in Imla…” Elrond trailed off, “ In the valley.”

                  “ Celeborn already told me you named it.  Imladris is fitting.  Who is this young maiden by your side?”

                  “ This is Celebrisse and she stands by Erestor’s side,” Elrond replied.

                  As if on cue, both Erestor and Celebrisse blushed.  Ereinion cocked an eyebrow almost in disappointment.

                  “ Be this true?”

Celebrisse took Erestor’s arm.

                  “ Aye.”

Elrond coughed to hide his laughter at Erestor’s bewildered face.

                  “ Ereinion, please-”

                  “ Elrond, where is Celebrimbor?”

                  “ He is dead, do you not know that?” Celebrisse spoke up.

                  “ She is his niece,” Elrond explained.

                  Celeborn glanced at his stunned wife.  She put a hand to her head, stumbling back a little.  He caught her, his eyes open with worry.

                  “ He sacrificed his life for her,” Elrond continued.

                  “ So that is why he acted so strange.  He knew his end,” Galadriel whispered.

                  “ Elrond, why do you not give us a tour?” Ereinion said clasping his hands behind his back.

Elrond nodded for Glorfindel and Erestor to aid the soldiers.  Celebrisse decided to stay behind with Erestor.

                  “ I arrived four years too late, eh?” Ereinion chuckled.

Elrond shook his head.

                  “ I believe she was in love with Erestor from the beginning.”

The two walked off.  Celeborn led his wife away into the forest so she could mourn.

~*~

                  She was so relieved to see him safe.  The last she had heard of him was that he had left to go to Eregion to fight.  When no word had come of survivors, she had begged Ereinion to allow her to go.  Of course, the young king had agreed.  Now she knew her worrying had been for naught.  Celeborn was fine and leading her through the beautiful woods.  They were finally alone.  Celeborn paused, speaking of something she paid no heed to.  She hugged him.

                  “ And what is this clinginess for?” Celeborn’s voice held amusement.

                  “ I was so worried, Celeborn.  Where is a brain in your silver head to tell you to write?”

Celeborn hugged her back.

                  “ I am sorry for being so preoccupied with my life that I forgot to write.”

Galadriel pushed him with a laughing smile.  Celeborn simply looked at her, his eyes seeming to pull her back to him.  She slowly came back to his side, their eyes locked.  Celeborn’s hand reached up to caress her face gently.

                  “ I missed thee, melmënya, mírdan-nin (my love-Q, My jewel-S),” he whispered.

Their lips caught together softly.

                  Softness turned to aggression as their lips dueled hotly.  Celeborn leaned more into her.  She could always light the passion within him.  Passion most times he never knew he possessed.  He could not stop his hands from curving along her waist and hips and then pulling her possessively into him.  Galadriel grinded her hips into his loving the feral growl he gave.  He trailed his lips all over her neck, softly biting the base of her neck, both giving into the desires within them.  And there under the bright stars in the Valley of Imladris, a new life began to beat, a life that would live in and leave this place and its master changed.

~*~

                  When she awoke she found that Celeborn had dressed her.  He sat a ways away looking over the valley.  Galadriel touched the Elessar shining upon her breasts.  She joined him.

                  “ It is beautiful here.”

Celeborn nodded, looking back at her.  His eyes twinkled with amusement as he smoothed a piece of her hair.

                  “ We were quite naughty.”

                  Galadriel smiled, gently kissing him.

                  “ If we cannot have children, then naughtiness is acceptable.”

The Gil-Estel had begun to make its descent, but it lingered, lighting the valley with its holy light.

                  “ Is that Elrond’s haven?”

Galadriel pointed at the building illuminated mostly by the Silmaril’s light.  Celeborn nodded.

                  “ Tis a strange phenomeon.  Here in this valley, the starlight shines the brightest it ever has and the Gil-Estel lingers as if it does not wish to leave.

                  “ Do you think Eärendil can see his son?”

Celeborn shook his head.

                  “ I believe he feels a longing to remain.  He knows there is something here that bears a part of him.”

~*~

                  Celeborn and Galadriel had to smile when they found the high-king and Elrond.  Both had taken their ornate tunics and balled them up as pillows to stare up at the starry sky and pick out constellations.  Ereinion seemed the most animated about it, his face shining.

                  “ Star gazing?”

The two looked up lazily.

                  “ Care to join us?” Elrond rolled onto his stomach.

Celeborn shook his head.

                  “ Nay, you two enjoy.”

~*~

                  Ereinion glanced around at the peoples gathered. 

                  “ Fair people of Imladris, the danger has been removed from Eregion.  You need not worry about your children and such anymore.  I shall be returning to Lindon tomorrow and those that wish to leave also to sail over the Sea away from this all, are welcome to join me,” Ereinion took a deep breath, “ On a different note, Imladris has met my expectations.  Imladris shall replace Hollin as the fortress of the North and to my herald, Elrond Peredhil, I give the honor of ruling it.”

                  Elrond was floored.  He had reason to believe before that Ereinion was going to grant that honor to Celeborn.  Celeborn leaned over.

                  “ Ereinion wanted it to surprise you, in light of your faithful service.”

Elrond just shook his head, accepting the congratulations with shocked eyes still.

                  “ Elrond, you are a ruler.  Congratulations,” Celebrisse hugged him, “Elrond?”

Elrond glanced at her.

                  “ I am so shocked I have no idea of what to say.”

                  “ How about thank you, Ereinion.  You are the best king in all of Arda,” Ereinion’s humorous voice came.

Elrond shook his head.

                  “ No, the thank you sounds right but the best king thing…”

Ereinion turned to Celeborn.

                  “ Maybe you might rule this-”

                  “ Ok, ok, best king in all of Arda,” Elrond quickly said.

Ereinion laughed.

                  “ Twas the least I could do.”

~*~

                  Ereinion and Celeborn rode from Imladris, taking most its population.  Elrond glanced at Galadriel.

                  “ Why did you not go also?”

She shrugged.

                  “ I love it here.  This places second only to Lothlorien.”

                  The two began their walk through the gardens.  A river thundered from under the bridge they crossed.  The Elves had redirected a channel of Loudwaters to flow through Imladris.  Havens had grown up on either side whether in the trees or on the ground.  To the untrained eye, it seemed to be nothing but trees.  You could miss the fortress entirely.

                  “ How long will Celeborn be gone?” Elrond asked.

Galadriel sighed.

                  “ A year, maybe longer.”