“Good morning!” The dual voices of both Elladan and Elrohir caused their mother to turn her head and blink sleepily at the doorway that led into their parents’ rooms. She sat up as she noted that her sons’ hands were carefully balancing trays with steaming food and pitchers and various other items. She nudged her husband, whose snoring abruptly halted with a surprised snort.
“What is all this?” questioned Elrond as the trays were set up before him and his wife on their bed. The pitchers of juice and water were moved to a spot on the nightstand.
Elladan made sure both trays were secure before taking glasses of juice that Elrohir poured and putting them on the trays for his parents. “It is breakfast, father,” replied Elladan matter-of-factly. “I would suggest you start eating – ‘tis a long way from the kitchens, and I would hate for your food to get cold.”
“I need to fetch the fruit,” said Elrohir, leaving the room and heading back down the main corridor.
“Alright, what do you want?” Celebrian took the napkin from her tray and spread it out on her lap as she sat up to better reach the food. Although Elrond still looked at both the tray and their eldest warily, she was not about to waste a delicious breakfast.
Elladan looked hurt. “I do not ‘want’ anything. Well, I suppose it would be nice for you to be happy about our efforts, but other than that it is not as if I am trying to bribe you.”
“What does your brother want?” The question came from both parents at the same time, as Elrond, glancing over to see his wife enjoying her meal, decided to begin on his.
“I want to know whether or not either of you would like any berries.” Elrohir had returned, and was holding out a bowl to them with ripe blueberries and strawberries in it. His father declined, but Celebrian took a handful of them and placed them beside her pancakes.
Elrond set down his fork. “Alright, what did the two of you do now?”
“Do?” Elrohir glanced at Elladan, who shrugged.
Refilling his mother’s glass of juice, Elladan shook his head. “What has the world come to that children cannot do nice things for their parents anymore without being suspect of some mischief?”
“When they are my children, they are always suspect of mischief,” answered Elrond.
“We just thought it would be a nice gesture,” Elrohir said, looking saddened. “Sorry. We shall not do it again.”
“Oh, come here, the both of you.” Celebrian temporarily abandoned her breakfast, setting the tray to the side between her and her husband, and held out her arms to her sons. The twins each took a turn giving their mother a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you both very much. ‘Tis lovely that you surprised us like this.”
Both of them beamed and Elladan glanced over to their father. Elrond nodded, his mouth full, and swallowed his food. “Yes, thank you.”
“You are both very welcome,” Elladan said, grinning as he and Elrohir left the room.
Celebrian took the tray and placed it back over her lap, then gave Elrond a sideways look. “There is mischief afoot, but I cannot place my finger on it.”
“Yes.. we shall both need to keep an eye on them today,” agreed Elrond.
Out in the hallway, Elladan and Elrohir were quietly snickering and wheezing from laughter long contained. “Oh, my! They really think us up to something now!”
Elrohir nodded with a grin. “You are right, brother. It is quite a lot of fun to make them think we have made trouble when there is none at all!”
Author's Chapter Notes:
The twins deliver breakfast in bed