"When do I get to meet your parents?"
"My parents?" Gimlin laughed uneasily. "You don't really want to meet them."
"Yes, I do!" Mae-Tithen argued. "If we are going to have a relationship, I want to meet your parents first."
Gimlin chewed his lip. "What if we meet your parents first."
"My parents?" Mae looked a little worried. "But yours live on the beach, mine are hours away."
"Ah!" Gimlin pulled Mae close to him, causing her to grin. "You tell me your woes, I shall tell you mine."
"Your parents can be nothing compared to my father," Mae-Tithen sighed.
"Oh! Here is something more, then. I don't have a father," warned Gimlin. "I have two fathers."
"Oh?" the elleth looked a little surprised, but not shocked. "Well, then, here is something for you to know- my father never grew up. He is a complete child, and... what are you laughing at?"
"Your father never grew up? No one in my entire family did! Not even my Gran'na Galadriel," he said, and covered his mouth too late.
"Lady Galadriel is your grandnana? THE Lady Galadriel?" Mae squealed, delighted. Gimlin dropped his gaze to the sand and nodded. "Well, then, you're the son of one of the Galadhrim!"
"Actually," Gimlin admitted, "I was one of the Galadhrim. Before I died." He looked up, expecting to see a horrific expression on her face, but there was not. "I said, before I died."
"Yes, I know. Then, you were obviously reborn here," nodded Mae-Tithen.
Gimlin tilted his head. "That isn't strange to you?"
"No, not at all. My father is an elf reborn." Mae motioned that they should sit down on the bench outside of the King's Kastle. "Here." She withdrew a small journal from a sack she carried over her shoulder that held her drawing supplies and tore out two sheets. Handing him a chunk of the charcoal she often sketched with, she said, "You write their names on your sheet, I'll write the names of my parents on mine, and then we will trade."
Taking a deep breath, Gimlin nodded and first wrote "Elodien" on the top, followed by "Haldir" and then "Legolas". An arrow was added, pointing to Haldir's name, and one to Elodien's. Folding the paper in half, he held it out to Mae-Tithen, who had already placed her page in his lap. He needed only flip the sheet over as he listened to her unfold his and he laughed out loud in spite of himself.
Mae-Tithen looked up in alarm after reading the names on the page she had been given. "What? What's wrong?"
"I already know your parents!" Gimlin said, continuing to laugh.
"Good," grinned Mae-Tithen, "because I know yours!"
Gimlin was unable to wipe the smile from his face as he entered the house holding Mae-Tithen's hand. They had made the decision to tell her parents of their plans to marry first, and both of them had taken it quite well. In fact, Gimlin had not in his life- in either of them- expected such a thing to go so smoothly. As for telling his family, his plan was to do it on their most beloved holiday.
- - -
Every year since 120, they had celebrated a tradition of menfolk and hobbits. It wasn't quite like the Yule of Middle-earth, for it had turned into an exciting family gathering without much of the extravagance of the original. However, they had entered though a pine-bough covered doorway, and smelled the spice of freshly baked gingerbread once they had come into the hallway.
"I don't know if you'll have a chance to personally meet them all today, I have a rather large family," he explained as they came to the kitchen, "but I shall make our announcement at gift-giving time. Your parents should have arrived here by then."
Inside the warm kitchen, they found Orophin and Haldir. Orophin was talking wildly about his adventures in Valimar, where he now lived with his wife in the house of Galadhon and Lhunerin, while Haldir arranged small candies on the cookies that were yet to be baked, a glass of wine in one hand. Gimlin cleared his throat, still holding tightly onto Mae-Tithen's hand. "Excuse me, Papa, Uncle Orophin, there is someone I would like for you to meet." He wanted to add, 'Please don't scare her or embarrass me', but found this was unnecessary.
"Oh, my, look at that," said Orophin almost immediately, his eyes focused on their joined hands. "Your son has a cute little playmate." He nudged Haldir and added, "It didn't take him three thousand years to find someone, and she's not related to the family. Are you sure he's yours?"
Haldir contemplated dumping the wine onto Orophin, but it was Mae-Tithen who spoke. "Of course Gimlin is his son," she said in a rather innocent sort of voice, walking Gimlin over to Haldir. She stood him next to his father and then pulled back, motioning for Orophin to come with her. "Look, you can see the resemblance - wonderful smile, shy, sexy eyes, and they have practically the same lovely nose - yes, it is, Gimlin," she insisted when he opened his mouth to argue. Haldir, for his part, had crossed his arms and was smirking at Gimlin with a knowing look. Mae-Tithen glanced up at Orophin, taking in his height, his thin figure, and the slightly unconvinced blue eyes that looked back. "Are you positive you weren't the one who was adopted?"
Haldir burst out laughing, and Orophin pouted, giving him a very sad look. "That isn't funny, Halli. I am not adopted," he asserted as Mae-Tithen collected a slightly surprised Gimlin.
"A pleasure meeting you both," she said as they left the room.
Gimlin halted her outside the door and both of them began to laugh. "Oh, my, you're going to fit right in, I knew you would, but now I'm certain of it!"
"Where's my next set of victims?" she asked in a jovial voice, looking around with more than a bit of mischief in her eyes.
Gimlin looked toward the bustling parlor. "I think we'll save jumping into the fire for later. Let's see who is upstairs," he said, leading her up the stairway.
"This is a lovely house," commented Mae as they reached the second floor.
"Thank you. It was mostly the design of my Grandpapa Elrond and my Uncle Rumil. There is a cottage up the road that my Gran'Adar Celeborn built, too."
"The house of Erestor and Glorfindel?" asked Mae.
"You know it?" countered Gimlin.
Mae-Tithen laughed. "Know it? I was born there!"
"Really? Just up the road? Incredible!" Gimlin's ears picked up the sounds of someone singing down the hall. "Ah, well, you'll know Grandfather Erestor then, but I'm sure you've yet to meet his Great-Grandchildren." Mae looked a little confused, and Gimlin explained, "Grandpa Ress adopted a daughter when he was in Imladris, and a son here in Valinor. His daughter's son, Celebdreth, married some years back, but only recently did they finally decide to live together. Celebdreth and I served together in Lothlorien. His wife's name is Beinielien, she is one of Ulmo's watchers, his water keepers. I think you'll liker her a lot." They turned into what was once Orophin's room and was now a nursery, with two cribs, two rocking chairs, and an ample supply of toys. "My old room," he said happily with a little sigh of remembrance.
Erestor did not pause in his singing, but smiled and waved best he could while holding the bundle in his arms. Sitting on one of the rockers was an elleth, holding and rocking a second elfling. Peering down from behind was proud Celebdreth, who smiled when Gimlin entered with Mae-Tithen, but said nothing in respect for the singing Vala.
"A la rorro nena, a la rorro ya
Duérmase mi niña y duérmase ya
Esta nena linda se quiere dormir
Háganle su cuna en el toronjil"
Erestor lovingly lowered the sleeping elfling into her cradle. "That was beautiful," whispered Mae-Tithen. Erestor thanked her with a simple nod.
"He's not quite completely an elf, that's how he has such a lovely voice," whispered Gimlin back. They walked to the cradle and peered down into it as Mae said, "The singing was lovely, but I meant the words. What language is that?"
"Southron," replied the elleth in the chair. She stood up and brought the other elfling to the cradle, placing her beside her sister. "I favor the language, and my husband speaks it fluently. Erestor is swiftly picking it up."
"I knew a little back in Imladris, thanks to Elrond and his damned 'Me gusta' this 'Me gusta' that," Erestor chuckled. "'Tis a good thing 'Me gusta Southron'," he said. He looked up, and greeted them. "Gimlin, it is good to see you, and Mae-Tithen, this is an unexpected surprise."
Gimlin, his grin back on his face, replied, "We have... something to share with everyone."
Giving them a knowing nod, Erestor looked back down at the slumbering elflings. "I think the twins will sleep now, at least until we have finished with the gifts."
"And the food?" Celebdreth whispered hopefully as they were all ushered out of the room.
- - -
"Gimlin, would you mind introducing your friend to everyone?" asked Elrond once everyone was seated in the main parlor. He had looked around, happy to see that everyone he counted as part of his family - even Orophin - was cozily crowded into the warm room of his house.
Standing up nervously with Mae, Gimlin looked to the doorway hopefully, but to no avail. "Well, I had - I mean, we had - we were expecting someone, and - well, this is Mae-Tithen," he said finally, "and some of you might know here, since she's-"
The bell at the front door rang and Gimlin nearly ran for the door. "I'll get it," he called over his shoulder after he had already left the room.
"Mae-Tithen," spoke Lindir, who was seated next to his wife, Tallasinde. "Isn't that, well, aren't you the daughter of-"
"Greetings, greetings, greetings, one and all!" a joyous voice came from the doorway. A dark-haired elf was standing there, and he shook the snow from his long, curly mane. "My dear, my apologies, we meant to be here sooner," he said, walking toward Mae-Tithen.
"Ada," she said in return, embracing him. Her mother stepped into the room and also hugged her, followed by Gimlin, whose smile was nearly wider than his face.
The elf who had just arrived found a good spot still open by the fire, and sat down on the floor with his wife. "I told you we would not miss it, we were only slightly delayed by the weather."
"Miss what, ion-nin?" Haldir had long figured things out, but gave his son a look of interest - an approving look of interest - that pushed Gimlin forward.
"I have a special announcement to make," Gimlin said. He put his arm around Mae-Tithen's waist. "We have decided, and we've not done it yet because we wanted everyone present, that we are to be engaged to be married."
There was much congratulating and happiness within the room. Off to one side, a pair had their heads bowed and looked deep in discussion, until finally the feminine member of couple stood up and said, "Melpomaen did not wish me to say anything, because he says it overshadows the news that has been given. However, we have waited over three months to say anything to anyone- save Tallasinde and Lindir," said Vilya, inclining her head toward the other couple, "and I fear if I wait longer, I will begin to show signs of it!"
It was Elrond who was the first to embrace his daughter. She laughed and said, "I hope there is enough room in the nursery for when we visit."
"There is more than enough room," Beinielien assured the other elleth. "The girls prefer to sleep in the same crib, and an empty one seems such a shame."
"Now this is my kind of celebration," said the elf at the fire, his arms holding his wife lovingly. "Food, family, and happiness."
"Oh!" Celebrian looked over, slightly embarrassed. "I wasn't expecting two more, so we don't have presents for either of you."
Ecthelion smiled and replied, "The greatest gift is right here, right now."
