Chapter Text
Galadriel shot up from bed screaming, followed by someone by her side. She immediately turned her head to see her husband with the same scared expression as before. Last time they had seen each other, Tirion was crumbling to ruins around them. And Celebrian… Elladan, Elrohir… damn, Celebrían!! She bolted out of the bed and started calling her around. Suddenly, she heard crying and found a silver haired baby in a crib. A nís dressed as a wetnurse entered in that moment, grabbing the child. This one hiccuped and grabbed her.
“I´m sorry, my lady!! I didn´t wake up in time and now… I´m sorry I let the little lady wake you up” she bounced her. “Shhh, lady Celebrían. I´m here. And Nana is here too.”
“Celebrían?” Galadriel asked, without understanding. “My daughter?”
Her daughter was a full grown adult with children of her own, not a young toddler. But, after closer inspection, she could see that the elfling had the same eyes, the same hair, the same… spirit as her child. This was her daughter, her precious silver queen… the one she was going to protect with all her might. Of course, she still couldn´t tell what was happening right now, but if Celebrían was there, alive…
“Yes, lady Celebrían” the wetnurse answered without understanding. “Are you alright, Lady Galadriel? Do I need to call someone?”
“No, I… I want to hold my daughter” she said, extending her hands to hold her child. Because she wanted to feel her close to her heart. The other nís, instead, was taken aback. “Can´t a mother hug her child after a nightmare?”
“Oh, I´m sorry!! Sure, here the little lady is!!” she handed Celebrían over. Galadriel hold her over her chest, enjoying the closeness with her only child. “Are… are you ready to hand her back, my lady?”
“What?”
“That… she needs to come back to bed. She is barely learning to sleep all night and…”
“If you are worrying about her waking up, I can take care of her this night. After all, I was the one that woke her up.”
“Oh, but my lady, I could never ask you that!! I am here to take care of the little lady after all!!”
“And you think that I can´t take care of my own daughter?” the golden lady frowned. Suddenly she felt as if she should take up her daughter´s advice and retort to hands on parenting. It wasn´t such a bad idea, she only declined because it had been Elrond´s…
“Of course not, but… nobility doesn´t take care of their children, royalty much less. That´s why we wetnurses exist. Doing it yourself is… viewed badly” she then lowered her voice. “The last elf of high birth… if that could be called a high birth… to raise his children that way was mad Fëanor. And you know how that ended up.”
Galadriel was not impressed, not in the least. Specially because of the servant´s mention of Fëanor´s sons. They turned out bad because they let their mad father drag them down into a pit with his Oath, not because they were raised without wetnurses or nannies. It was Fëanor´s and Nerdanel´s issue to decide how they would raise their children. Besides, if the Feanorions had been raised that way, then Celebrimbor too and that took validity out of everything. Elrond, as much as she loathed to admit it, too. Yes, he was a menace in red as much as his adoptive grandfather had been, but he was at least reasonable. Elladan, Elrohir, Arwen, Aragorn… the list went on and on. It was all a huge idiocy. What was that mention about Fëanor´s birth status too? Had people really forgotten that he was her half-uncle? She was feeling more and more tempted to fire that wetnurse by the second.
“I doubt she is going to be much affected by a day with her mother” Galadriel glared at the woman, who cowered. “Thank you, you can retire.”
“My Lady…”
“I said you could retire”
The wetnurse apparently decided to cut her loses and left, bowing before turning out for the night. Galadriel adjusted her grip on her daughter and walked towards where her husband was. She found him near a window, admiring the scenery. She did too, after noticing the hollies around and the city that was supposed to be lost to time and the Army of the Darkness. Sauron had left a ruin in this place, where she had lived for a long time, where her daughter had been born… it would be a pity if it happened again.
“I need to tell you something” Celeborn suddenly said after a complete hour of them in silence as he watched the baby in her arms. “Elwing was the one that murdered our daughter.”
“What?!” between all things he could say… “How… why…”
“She… I don´t know, she simply… ordered her guards to kill her and her sons” the baby in her arms stirred again, but the golden lady bounced her slightly to settle her down, just as she had seen Elrond do with her grandchildren when they were that age. “I was going to confront her, but… Eärendil got to her first. He killed her…”
“Why?”
“Because she had gone too far. Just like her father and her great-grandfather before her” he sighed. “There are a lot of things I haven´t told you. Family things.”
“I doubt it´s worse than my own family problems.”
“At least your cousins didn´t start the Second Kinslaying by being a great fucking asshole” Celeborn turned to his wife and daughter. “It´s… the reason why Elrond never liked Díor and why Avranc had a homicidal grudge against him. He… ordered his knights to attack Brethil and kill every Haladin they could find. Including your cousins grandchildren and great-grandchildren.”
“But… but that…”
“According to Erestor, those knights also did something very macabre… practically what… Avranc did to Thingol and his family when he destroyed Doriath?” his wife was now full blown glaring at him. “Yes, Celebrían told me that you would be angry.”
“You told Celebrian and not me?!”
“Elrond told Celebrian and she confronted me. I confirmed and… got screamed at. A lot. She also told me that I should tell you… but I thought that I would get yelled at more.” He looked away. “Should have told you.”
“Of course, you idiot” she hit him on the shoulder. “And with that being said, nothing could ever excuse what those assholes did, but I wouldn´t have blamed Moryo or even Avranc if he broke Díor´s nose with a punch” she smirked. “In fact, I would cheer them… wait a minute, did Díor got a sentence from the Valar as a kinslayer?”
“Yes, it´s the reason everyone thought he was mortal before he made his apparition” Celeborn said. “What remained of the First Age and the entire Second Age in Mandos, practically sent to a corner in timeout… not that good of a punishment, as he loved to irk Elrond with that history every time they reunited.”
“I´m starting to think Elrond was the one in the right” Galadriel said, promising herself to create a safe place where her son-in-law and his mother and father could bond VERY far away from Díor Elúchil. “Do you think… we could still change something? With the First Age already passed and the second so advanced…”
“You have never been pessimist before, my love, so don´t begin now” the silver haired lord approached and put his arms around his family. “Let´s focus on those we can still save.”
“Celebrimbor, Gil Galad… and several more than that” she yawned. “But we should get to sleep for now, husband. Tomorrow in the morning I´m going to consult the mirror for more information.”
“Yes…” he looked down at the babe in her arms. “And I guess this little lady is going to sleep with us tonight?”
“Absolutely” she answered. “And I´m going to fire her wetnurse. She has some unacceptable attitudes regarding a part of my family. I think we also should try our hands on the hands-on approach that Celebrian and Elrond advised us about.”
“I think that´s a great idea” he got up and stretched a hand towards her. “Nap?”
“Please”
They both went to bed and slept the rest of the night and the early morning. They barely woke up by hour of tea. Celebrian behaved like a little angel, sleeping along with her parents. She was all giggly when they finally got up from bed, more when she was put on a blanket to play with some of her toys while her parents sent the servants away and got some pieces of paper and writing implements. Before using the mirror as Melian taught her, Galadriel wanted to get some matters straight. She needed to be concentrated on what she was searching, so they made a list of things to avoid: First, Celebrimbor´s death; Second: Gil Galad´s death; Third: all the loses of the War of the Ring.
“I think you should begin asking for an answer to the problem of Celebrimbor” Celeborn said, circling the first item on their list. “Gil Galad and The Ring can wait… in fact, if we managed to convince Celebrimbor not to help Sauron, then the Rings won´t be able to be created and we would have changed history.”
“That´s a good point” she said, drinking her tea. “Shouldn´t we talk with him first?”
“I guess so, Annatar could already be here”
So they dressed themselves and their child and got out. The city was just as how they remembered. The craftmanship and the items sold in the stands were of a great quality and the sigil of the eight pointed star was seen. She marveled at it again… it was such a pity when it became a ruin. Her cousin had really rehabilitated the House of Fëanor, at least to some degree… him and Elrond… to some degree.
“You know, if we save Celebrimbor and Gil Galad, perhaps Elrond will not have to take it upon himself to make that stand. Everybody knows that Celebrimbor is Fëanor´s grandson…”
“They are always going to be his fathers, Galadriel. I thought you have already accepted it.”
“I never said that he should not think of them as his fathers, but…” she sighed. “Perhaps I was getting ahead of myself. Besides, it´s not my business.”
They continued walking. For the first time, Galadriel was made aware of the stares that followed them. The whispers. It was as if they had done something wrong. She wondered for a second if this has been how her half-cousins were regarded. But if that was so… why were they receiving that kind of look? And now that she thought about it, both her and Celeborn received those kinds of looks when they were in Imladrys too. Why?
“Cousin!! And little cousin!!” her worries fled her as Celebrimbor received them. He was just as before, very sweet. Very kind and acceptant… like before death stole something from his soul. “Come on, I have some tea ready.”
“We already had some of our own” the nís answered, smiling. She put Celebrian on the floor, allowing the girl to walk for a bit. “We only wanted to say hello. And ask you about that project you and Annatar are working on?”
“Who is Annatar?” he was genuinely confused.
“Did I say that? I was meaning Narvi.”
“Oh, yes, we were working on some doors for…”
Galadriel inwardly celebrated as Tyelpe went on a rant about the Doors of Moria. Sauron hadn´t yet arrived, thank the Valar, and now they had time to solve that. This time that bastard won´t get to him. So when they returned home, Galadriel prepared herself for using the mirror. Focusing on Celebrimbor, she prepared herself to look deep into the future. Whatever she needed to save her little cousin, the annoying child that was always following her when they were both younger in Aman… the righteous elf that took the most painful decision of disowning a beloved father because of justice… he deserved to be saved. She needed to…
MELYANNA WON´T TELL YOU WHAT YOU NEED TO DO…
“Who are you?” Galadriel asked, trying to stop. But her mind was being held captive by her own mirror or whatever had taken control of it.
SOMEONE THAT WILL SHOW YOU HOW
“How do I save Celebrimbor then?”
I´M GOING TO SHOW YOU THE ANSWERS… THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF ANSWERS IN BRAND NEW WORLDS…
She was suddenly dragged under the water, feeling that she was drowning. The only thing that she could really see was the liquid and a woman in white, an eight pointed star in her dress, just over her breasts. Before he could take in her face, she let her go. Galadriel was suddenly adrift… and then she saw Celebrimbor. Celebrimbor and other person… was that Irissë? No, this elf was a male, but he looked so much like Irissë that… a screech that was pretty familiar from the First Age… was that a…
“Lómion, what are you doing?! We have to flee!!” Tyelpe yelled as the dragon came closer to them and their… wagon? “That is only a prototype!!”
“Then the hour to test it has arrived!!” Irissë´s son, because he was really her dear cousin´s only child, answered as she pointed with what looked like ballistas. Too bad they missed. “I´m sorry” he turned towards the other, his eyes full of something that could only be the deepest love she had ever seen beyond hers and Celeborn. “I love you”
She didn´t thought the one that was deemed the Evilest Elf in history could love someone that wasn´t Idril. And in such a way… this was not the dark love that destroyed Gondolin. Celebrimbor returned his look, the same feeling back at him.
“I love you” and fire enveloped them both.
She was pulled out of that scene by some force and taken by the water again. She was dragged through it towards what seemed like another bubble. Once she entered, she found herself in what looked like a military camp, with several soldiers around. Then he noticed someone known. It was her cousin Laurefindil, along with the same dark haired elf from before. Maeglin, son of Aredhel.
“Maeglin, listen to me” her cousin tried to support Maeglin. “Focus on my voice, okay? I´m here, I´m not going to allow anything to happen to you, alright? I need to focus on me and breath with me, can you do it?” Lauro put his hand over his own chest. “Here, breath with me. Slowly in… and out” they spent some time doing that. “Can you tell me five things you can see around us? Around you?”
“The ground… fabric… my banner… a… my armour… Glo… Glorf…”
“Shhhh, it´s okay, I´m not going to hurt you. Not now…”
“But I…”
“I know, but I have also seen that it could have been anyone, you only had bad luck the first time” Glorfindel continued breathing slowly to help his fellow lord calm down. Then… “But… Maeglin, I have to ask… someone of Gondolin… ever hurt you… or worse?”
Galadriel had the feeling that the answer to Laurefindil´s question was yes. And she didn´t like it. Celebrimbor… Celebrimbor loved Maeglin, she could tell those two found exactly what they were looking for in each other… could they really find it again when one of them had been so badly damaged? The scene changed again…
“Why don´t you stop lying, my lord?” Makalaurë was there this time. “You know, I should have seen it before. No composer would ever make such huge mistakes in their own work. Others might have ignored it, but I didn´t. Never mentioned it, despite all that you did to me… I should have mentioned, even if those idiots wouldn´t have believed me” he smirked. “Doesn´t that make you ashamed? That even a beginner could have done this better than you? Or perhaps you are just that shameless. After all, if you are going to steal another elf´s work, then at least master it before trying to show it to others.” He made a dramatic stop. “Or perhaps… you really hated your talented cousin that much?”
“My cousin…” Vaháyaquen´s face twisted into the one of rage that she had seen back when Tirion was crumbling.
The scene changed again, but now it was different. It was a beach, with a lot of frozen mist around a lonely figure that was slowly advancing through it. Maglor, she could tell. She tried to approach her reprobate of a cousin, but then the mist enveloping him started to hiss at her. Hiss and… sing. Many voices that sounded like anger. The cold seeped into her bones quickly, threatening to freeze her to her very core. Even her material form.
YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO… WHAT HAS TO BE DONE… IF YOU WANT TO PREVENT EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED IN THAT WORLD, SAVE MY CHILDREN. OR THE END OF THE WORLD WILL BE UPON YOU SOONER.
“Galadriel!! Galadriel!! ARTANIS!!” she coughed as her eyes opened. The lady was surprised to see her body completely covered in skins. And grateful, because she could feel the cold in her bones. “what were you doing?! You nearly froze over while using the mirror!! I had to drag you out of the room and warm you over!! I feared that you were dead!!”
“I´m sorry, but…” she tried to get up, but it was painful. Too painful. “What happened to the mirror?”
“Rest for now, I´m going to show you later”
Galadriel listened to him, but she was definitely not going to sleep all day. Celeborn went to the hearth and stirred it back to life. As soon as his wife stopped shivering, they both returned to the room. The room, it was completely frozen over, and the origin of the ice seemed to be her mirror. The strangest part was that it seemed like an eight pointed star had been formed around the mirror. In the ice.
“What happened here?”
“It was like this when I entered. And you were shivering, fainted near the mirror” her husband said, putting an arm around him. “For a second I thought you were dead, I… I thought I had lost you. Galadriel…”
“No, I got good information” she said, flexing an arm. “It turns out that to prevent whatever that was happening… we have to save Maglor…”
“What?!” Celeborn asked in disbelieve. “No way!!”
“You… aren´t really that angry after so much time, no?”
“No, but I thought you were!!”
“I was… and letting that anger take the better of me”
“No, you were righteous in your anger. And wanted to avoid the rage of the Valar.”
“I´m beginning to think that we should avoid the rage of something worse” she said as she stared at the ice. Then she thought about what they should do. “So… Maglor… any idea of where he could be?”
“Strolling by the beach?”
“Something more specific?”
“You are the one with the foresight, not me” Celeborn was being of much less help than she thought he would be. “I haven´t cared for centuries, but if you need someone who might have some interest in him, why not ask Elrond?”
“One Feanorian at the time”
-In Lindon-
“Why are you doing this? It´s ridiculous!!” Elrond said as he crossed his arms.
The King made him a gesture and continued with his search. Gil Galad subjected him periodically to this room inspections as part of his plan to exorcise the Feanorian out of him… too bad that he was ready for him to try something like that and hid everything important elsewhere. And Gil Galad himself was a bloody hypocrite. He tried to exorcise the Feanorian out of Elrond and kept Aeglos with him… yes, a hypocrite.
“Fine” the King said when he decided that he had done a through search. The only thing that he got out of that was some papers… the draft of his first work on medicine. “Diseases of the Fëa, a Treatisse by Elrond Peredhel?”
“You have always known that I wanted to be a healer. And you said that as long as I served as your herald and learn how to govern, you don´t see why I wouldn´t be able to. I am good, by the way, I´m already working on something great.”
“Fëas don´t get sick”
“According to who? Because even Lady Estë recognizes and treats some of these sicknesses.”
“Fine” he returned the papers. “So long as you don´t get behind on your paperwork.”
“I never do, so let´s stay on our sides of the DEAL for now”
Yes, the DEAL. Gil Galad and Círdan had tried for thousands of years to get rid of the side of him that was a Feanorian. Just as they had tried with Elros. Unfortunately for them, that was impossible and, to avoid the Losgann sized overreaction they got from Elros when they tried that, they stroke a Peace Treatment with Elrond. He would keep his things from Amon Ereb in boxes in the basement where they could stay buried but they wouldn´t be harmed and wear Fingolfin´s color (he utterly refused to wear Thingol´s colors and threatened to pull a Fëanor on them when they presented the garbs) and (please!!) stop using quenya with that lisp even in private, then he would be able to have some measure of freedom. A measure of Freedom that had gotten lower and lower since the sixth or seventh numenorean monarch. But on their defense, Ancalimë was a ball of temper and personality that even her own son avoided. She was so great that Círdan actually asked Elrond if Maglor hadn´t been the twins´ biological father. Ereinion went out of his way to bother him since that moment... and had a fight with Ancalimë when he criticized her that ended the help she sent to Lindon.
“Are you alright, my lord?” Erestor asked, entered the room with his dark clothing floating around him. Elrond shook his head and extended his hand. A golden choker was passed to him, which he secured at his throat with an easiness that could only get from experience. “You should stay inside for now.”
“No, this is important”
“It´s a risk”
“There are some things more important than the risks” Elrond said, putting a hood. Erestor smiled and handed over what seemed like a sword. The peredhel secured it to his waist. “Alright, I´m ready.”
“Head the way, my lord”
They walked through the streets, doing a sick sack to lose anyone that was tailing him (Gil Galad would be capable of). The two of them traversed the city until they reached a run-down bar. Elrond entered without pulling down his hood. Eärhis and his daughters were there too… and other members of the community. Members that were really disappointed and angry at the government because they let hate crimes to go unpunished. Then Eärhis got into a stand and started his speech. A speech that would send anyone into a rage in a place full of people that were so mistreated daily that were only one hair apart from going into a mutiny. Which was the reason why he was there.
“That nér is trying to spark violence here.”
“And you don´t think a little violence is needed?”
“Atto and Atya commit the mistake of believing that exactly, Haru too. If I´m going to put things right, then I´m going to do it in the right way” the healer answered. “But don´t misunderstand me, I´m not an angel. When I get mad, I get mad.”
“I know, my lord” Erestor said, smiling at him. “You are the greatest Lord. And I´m more than proud of being in your service.”
“I only want to cause a change.”
“And you will”
There was sound around them. Apparently, Gil Galad had found him after all, but they were not going to find anything. All things with the Feanorian star were hidden, Eärhis and his committee received free drinks and sat down with Elrond and Erestor. The tavern owner extended a hand and received the choker from Elrond, hiding it from their guardian. It was as always. If he had managed to keep the choker this much time, it was thanks to the community. His community.
“Ah, your majesty, a drink?” Elrond said as soon as Ereinion entered through the door. His brother could be such a bother sometimes… specially after Ancalimë told him to show his opinions up where the sun doesn´t shine. And then proceeded to actually try while Anarion and Hallacar hold her so she doesn´t run the High King with Maedhros´ own sword. “I guess the answer is no.”
“You guess right, herald” he raised an eyebrow. “What are you doing here anyway? We had the finest drinks in the whole kingdom back in the palace.”
“After your inspection, I wanted some time without you shadowing my every move. I should have known that getting out of the palace would achieve just the opposite” he took another drink. “Is there a reason why I shouldn´t share some drinks with a friend?”
“No, but why this bar? It looks like something sailors would…”
“In that you are right, King” Eärhis approached, using a telerin assent as easily as he used the Feanorias lisp. The later came so easy to him that it was difficult to believe that he also had telerin blood. Also that his eyes were exactly the same as the fallen Sons of Fëanor. It suggested a deeper bond.
“And you are?”
“Eärhis… from Alqualondë, a sailor. I come here all the time when I´m not travelling because my girls love this bar. Don´t you, girls?” the ladies in question toasted him. “My babies… I don´t see them very often with the trade. It would be better if their mother still lives, but… the First Age was dangerous, you see.”
“Their mother was a Noldo?” Ereinion asked.
“A sindar, she fell at Doriath” that tend to be misleading and it was Eärhis intention. After all, his wife hadn´t fallen IN defense of Doriath, but… “Another question?”
“No… I´m sorry for your loss” the High King bowed. “Return in time and don´t you dare to be drunk when you arrive to the palace, Elrond.”
“Noted” Ereinion was about to leave when he noticed something else. Quick as only a warrior could be, he grabbed the sword from his herald. “What?”
“What is this? I haven´t seen it before” he got into his knees and examined the thing. He seemed disappointed when he saw no eight pointed stars, but he still didn´t let it go. He grabbed the pommel and unsheathed it. Or at least the handle. “No blade? That´s suspicious. And very strange.”
“It was like that when I found it. Was thinking to ask Celebrimbor to forge a blade for it, as it is a beautiful thing. Should I go to visit him?”
“Return at a nice hour, good night”
The peredhel saw his older brother leave the bar and snickered. It was not that Gil Galad hated Celebrimbor, only that he didn´t trust him near Elrond. He could be easily tricked into talking about his uncles, after all. There was still some… fondness for them in him. It was different with Gil Galad, he simply didn´t have anything to connect him to Maedhros. And he preferred it that way, because he could hate him. And he will continue hating him if it was his choice, he didn´t want anything else. But it was because he didn´t know…
“If there is someone listening to me, please show him the truth. Please, tell him that he didn´t have to hate anymore. That he… was loved” Elrond pleaded, his eyes to the sky. “Someone please make him see that.”
-In Eregion-
“You are going to Lindon? Why?” Celebrimbor asked when Celebrian was trusted in his arms. Her parents didn´t want to leave her, but she was too young for them to take her on a trip like that. And why with Celebrimbor? Well… he was a little bit well versed in taking care of children (thanks the hands-on approach favored by the House of Fëanor, even if they didn´t know on whom he practiced) and Galadriel hadn´t picked a new wetnurse since she fired the last one.
“We have some business there” the golden lady passed a hand through her baby´s thick silver locks. The girl smiled at her mother. “Take care of our little angel while we are gone.” She looked at him. “Do you have actual experience with babies?”
“A bit, I helped with my cou…” he stopped himself before he could say more.
“You had cousins?” Galadriel was surprised. “Oh, yes, Ereinion. And Elrond and Elros… but I thought that you weren´t there when…”
“I wasn´t, but… uncle Moryo and uncle Tyelko had children too. And I helped with uncle Tyelko´s as I was an adult when they were born.”
“What?! We… we didn´t know Celegorm was a father too” she was surprised. “Are they here now? And Caranthir´s girl?”
“Elenammë is good. She is allowed in Lindon and Ereinion would want her to stay, but she loves her solitude too much to give up her wanderings. Or I think she is still mourning her brothers, thinking that she would never see them again” yes, poor girl. She lost four brothers who, thanks to their participation in the kinslaying, were probably not coming back. “And Luhte and Nella went to Aman.”
“You don´t sound reassured by that”
“No, it´s only that… the both of them were very special and I don´t… don´t think that Manwë would have liked them that much. He wouldn´t condemn them, as they weren´t kinslayers, but… he probably didn´t like them.”
“Aunt Nerdanel is going to be happy to have her grandchildren with her anyway”
“That if they are permitted to see her”
“WHAT?!”
“Nothing” Celebrimbor smiled, but it was a façade. Galadriel felt more intrigued, but he surely wasn´t going to say anything more. “Go swiftly and return soon.”
“Thank you, cousin”
They departed. The travel was quiet for a long way, at least until they arrived to an edain costal city. Before they entered, Celeborn turned to his wife…
“I know that you said that we should find and help Maglor Feanorion, but we didn´t know where he is right now. And Elrond tried for millennia, but couldn´t find a single clue about his location. How are you going to find him?”
“Because I have something that Elrond didn´t have: a clue” she smirked. “We only need to find some place where it´s cold at an abnormal time of the year.”