"... and some eggs... and a few strips of bacon... maybe a sweet roll. Hmm, maybe two," decided Celebdreth as he filled up his plate at the buffet that was set every morning for breakfast. Elladan's head turned to regard the heaping helpings of food on his cousin's platter. He poked his brother, and Elrohir tilted his head as he looked over the vast amount of food the normally picky elf was taking.
"Ay, Celeb, did you ever return last night?"
"Hmmm? Oh! Pancakes, must have those..."
"To the room," pressed Elladan. "Did you stay up somewhere all night? We never heard you return."
"Oh, no, I didn't," replied Celebdreth, pouring syrup over his pancakes. "I met an elleth and bonded with her."
Elrohir's plate crashed to the ground as Elladan's eyes widened to the size of two huge saucers. "Seriously," he said, and without having to turn or look, reached over and closed Elrohir's gaping mouth.
Grinning, Celebdreth pulled a bunch of grapes from the bowl and plopped them onto his plate.
"Honestly, Celeb!" Elladan set his plate down on the nearest table and crossed his arms. "This isn't funny. Quit it."
"You're right, it isn't," he agreed. "It's a very special moment for me, and you're the first to be told."
"Thank you ever so," said Elladan, but he did not budge. "Really, Celebdreth, bonded? So soon? To whom?"
"To my wife, now that I think of it." Celebdreth's grin grew wider. "For all intents and purposes, in the eyes of the Valar, she is my wife. I'm married," he said happily, adding a banana to the overfilled plate.
"Did you think to consult with us?" blurted out Elrohir.
Celebdreth shook his head "No. You never really asked me about Glorcheniel."
"Yes, but you know her at least!" Elladan threw his hands in the air. "We don't even know her name!"
A lithe figure swerved around Celebdreth and held out a hand to Elladan. "Beineilian, and now you know me," she said.
Elrohir collapsed to the ground.
With a great sigh, Elladan rolled his eyes. "Elladan, charming to meet you. Celebdreth, can you help me a moment?" he asked, tapping Elrohir's limp arm with the toe of his boot.
"Darling, I'll be just a moment," Celebdreth said. "Shall I meet you in your-" He smiled. "In our rooms, sweetheart?"
Beineilian leaned over and kissed Celebdreth's cheek. "I'll be waiting for you," she said. She set her plate on a tray, took Celebdreth's from him, and after a short, shared kiss, smiled and took the tray out of the hall.
"Celebdreth!" Elrohir was still on the ground, face covered. "Your father is going to kill us! He's going to kill you, and then he's going to kill us!"
"Really, El," Celebdreth said distastefully, "I have no time for your childish scenes."
"But- you- what- El!" Elrohir appealed to Elladan, who was still looking fairly upset.
"Celebdreth, why? Why now, and why so suddenly?"
"She speaks Southron," he said simply. "And she had a dream about me."
Elladan snorted. "I was in a bar in Rohan once where not one, but two women claimed to have dreamed about me. I don't know if they spoke Southron, but even if they did, I wasn't going to bond with them with that knowledge alone!"
"Does your entourage know?" questioned Elrohir, still on the floor, but sitting now.
"No. It wasn't as if I sent out invitations to the event," Celebdreth shot back.
"Your father is going to kill us," Elrohir said again, hanging his head.
"Oh, you're exaggerating," Celebdreth said. "Ada is very relaxed in these matters."
Elladan gave him a look he had no doubt learned from his Ada. "Is that why you never tell him about any of the ellith you fancy?"
"Ah, ah, that's all in the past now. I'm a married elf now," he said proudly. "Besides, the only reason I never brought the others home is, well, quite frankly they would have run away." Both of the twins nodded in agreement on this. "Beineilian is different, though."
"Obviously. She's your wife." Elrohir threw his arms into the air. "Your father is going to-"
"Stop it! If he gets upset with anyone, it will be Uncle Haldir. He's the one who left me alone with her last night."
The twins looked at one another, hope in their eyes. "Excellent. We shall blame it on Uncle Haldir."
"Works for me," replied Elrohir, standing up.
- - -
Celebdreth took a deep breath. He had asked everyone to assemble in the parlor so that he could make an announcement to them, but now he wasn't so sure this was the best idea. For over a month, he had kept the secret, staying at the King's Kastle with his cousins and uncle. The twins harassed him on a daily basis, but Haldir wasn't aware of the true nature of the relationship that Celebdreth and Beineilian had.
His wife had work elsewhere - she was a priestess of Ulmo, a water keeper, and had returned to her home when Celebdreth returned to his. Both, somehow, had been content with that, that they would share the winters together and tend to their tasks the rest of the year, save for a few visits now and then. Although they farspoke to one another daily, the distance made them lonely for one another, and he had little choice but to tell the family now, or else he would have to try to explain things in a few hours when she arrived to see him.
Mustering his courage, Celebdreth entered the suddenly quiet room. All eyes focused on him as he tried to recall the practiced speech, but nothing seemed to come to him at the moment. Clearing his throat, he asked, "I suppose you all wonder why you're here, don't you?"
The was an uncomfortable silence until Orophin said, "Because you told all of us to gather here. So, we don't wonder why we're here, just why you called us here." The older elf missed the glare shot at him from his mother, who followed Orophin's words with, "Celebdreth, whatever it is you wish to tell us, we will accept, child. Tell us, for we will not love you any less if that is what troubles you."
"I, uhm..." Glancing at the floor briefly before looking up again, he sought out the eyes of his parents as he announced, "I've bonded. I have a wife."
"Yes!" exclaimed Celeborn softly, nodding victoriously. Galadriel's glare turned on her husband, who tried to regain his composure and added, "Well, that's very nice, Celebdreth, congratulations." Galadriel her fingers to her temples, bowing her head.
"Someone tell me he didn't," she pleaded.
Celebdreth began to open his mouth in apology, but Celebrian said, "He did. But it was two days after you told him not to, so for that you should be thankful."
"I couldn't help it, after the ridiculous things everyone else was coming up with- Elrond thought the secret was that he didn't like ellith," replied Celeborn.
"Do we really need to divulge what everyone was speculating," mumbled Elrond as his face turned slightly pink. "Besides, it's Haldir's fault for-"
Pointing at Orophin, Haldir said, "He was the one who started it. All I said was 'I think Celebdreth's hiding something'."
Rumil looked from one brother to the other and burst out laughing, silencing everyone in the room. "I get it now. This is all one big joke. You two did the set up, Ada played along with Elrond, and now, here's the big finale where I get shocked and then we all have a good laugh at my expense. Very nice. Very nice," he said, clapping his hands together. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he turned to look at Nenniach.
"Darling, I don't think this was a joke," she said to him, a very serious look on her face.
"Oh, you, too? Well, you're not going to fool me," Rumil said, still laughing as he stood up. "I'm sorry to spoil your fun, but I'm not sold on the act." Patting his son on the shoulder as he walked to the door, he said, "Why don't you bring your wife by for dinner tonight, hmm?" He snickered, shaking his head to himself as he left the room.
"Oh, crap," was all Celebdreth was able to say after his father had exited.
Nenniach stood up and approached her son. "How long?"
"A month," he said. "I'm sorry, Nana, I meant to say something sooner, but-"
"Shh, do you know how many of us in this room kept secret our bonding? I did, for over a year," she said comfortingly. "Your father and I did not even marry properly for two more."
"I think all of us bonded before marriage without- Oro, put your hand down, we know full well the two of you made it known of your bonding to one and all," scolded Celebrian. "Your father is simply in denial, because I think that is his way of coping with this."
"What is there to cope with? Honestly?"
"Age. Perhaps we do not feel it," spoke Galadriel, "but the first time one of your children comes to you to tell you they are not your child anymore, but someone's lover, someone's spouse, things change. It is the beginning of something new, a new family. To that point, a parent is part of everything in the life of their child, and though they may be a part of that new family in some way, it is something that they must disassociate from. And, it's hard," she admitted, her voice cracking slightly.
"And getting through it once doesn't make it any easier each time it happens," said Celeborn, sliding an arm around his wife's shoulder and pulling her closer.
"Maybe it would be best if, if we might be introduced to her?" questioned Nenniach. There was something hopeful in her voice.
"Of course! Actually, I was going to add, she's coming to meet everyone tonight," said Celebdreth.
- - -
"This is marvelous," said Rumil whispered to Celebdreth during dinner. "You even found an elleth to come over and pretend. That takes a LOT of planning. So, is she an actress? She's playing along so well." Across the table, Beineilian was chatting happily with Celebrian and Elrond, passing loving glances now and then to Celebdreth.
"Adar, she's my wife," he replied in a hushed voice. "It isn't an act."
"Listen to him," Rumil said with a chuckle, turning to address Nenniach. "His wife! He's good at this, better than Orophin."
Nenniach sighed, and looked around the table, trying to figure out who or what would convince her husband of the truth. Seeing the equally distraught-looking twins, she kept her focus on them until she had the attention of both. Picking up her spoon discretely, she waved it near her wine glass, and then tossed her head slightly in the direction of Beineilian. Nodding, Elladan and Elrohir rose up, glasses and spoons in hand.
"Attention! Attention, please!" Elladan tapped the side of his glass, mimicking Elrohir's movements as he spoke. "Our dear cousin, our favorite cousin-"
"Your only cousin," pointed out Orophin with a grin.
"As we said, our cousin dearest to our hearts, Celebdreth, has finally found his match. Eru help the poor girl," added Elladan, sparking a light laughter. "May your new lives together be happy, healthy, and most important of all, delightfully silly." He clinked his glass to his brother's. "To Celebdreth and Beineilian!"
The sentiment was echoed around the table, and even Rumil, somewhat warily, picked up his glass after prodded by his wife and drank from it as his son stood up and motioned for Beineilian to as well.
"Thank you, dear cousins of mine, and thank you, everyone, for being so accepting of my beautiful wife, and yes, we will have a more formal ceremony in the future. For now, we have our reasons for remaining where we are, I here and she in the valley, but I hope when the time comes, that you will all join us when we properly wed one another. I promise, we shall have a translator for those of you who do not speak Southron," he said with a smile.
"No me gusta Southron!" shouted Orophin as he raised his glass up. "Me gusta Celebdreth and Beineilian!" He tapped his glass with his own spoon, the rest of the family following suit, except for Rumil, who watched carefully as his son drew Beineilian into his arms and the two of them gently kissed.
"This is all real, isn't it?" whispered Rumil to Nenniach. Slowly, his wife nodded. "Our baby's all grown up," he murmured beneath the din of the clinking glasses, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye as he stood. "Everyone, please, if I might have a moment to speak." The group silenced as Rumil lifted his glass. "I'm not much one for giving advice, at least not regarding the affairs of the heart, for I have never myself had any troubles with that," he said, smiling as he turned his head to regard Nenniach. "I will offer you one thing that was said to me by a very wise elf." He looked over in the direction of Celeborn before he said, "Take care of each other, and everything else will work out." There were tears glistening in Rumil's eyes as Celebdreth took long strides to reach his father and embrace him.
"We will," he promised. "Thank you, Ada."
