In Dreams

LFLING?” Amarie sat there stunned. She swallowed hard several times. “An elfling, I am going to have an elfling.” She looked across the table at Elrond, "WE are going to have an elfling!”



Elrond grinned at her response and drawing her hand towards him kissed it then frowned as she shook her head almost in denial. “Does this not please you, ind nin?” he asked quietly.



“Meleth, I am overwhelmed.” She rose from the chair and walked to the edge of the balcony. She turned back and faced him. “This is all happening too fast. I need some time to adjust to it.”



She paused noting his now closed expression. “Meleth nin, having an elfling with you was something I never dared to even think about. Having an actual relationship with you never seemed to be possible either, yet it has happened. I don’t think you can understand all of the implications of this for me. It is not that I do not desire it, it is that I still find it hard to believe fully yet. Up until five months ago you existed only as the imaginary lover of my dream world. Then we arrived here and I found out you were real and who you were. After that, I discovered we shared those dreams, dreams that were becoming more and more intense and erotic. Dreams that rose to such levels of desire and longing each time I was both shocked and rapturous. When they became reality, I found it even harder to accept. Things like this just don’t happen to elleths like me.”



“Amarie, ind nin, Do you not understand what a gift we have been given?”



“Of course, I do. The difficult part is understanding why. What has made me worthy of it? I am receiving so much more from it than you are and I am terrified that one day you will wake up and find out what a fraud I am.”



Elrond shook his head as he moved to her side and pulled her close. “Ind nin, I know you are not a fraud.” He gently lifted her face and stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers. “I have said we will do this together, that I will do what is ever necessary to make it work. Will you not let me?”



Amarie sighed and relaxed against him, “Meleth nin, do I have any choice? Without you I could not survive, I would simply fade away. I love you with all of my heart and now there is another that will need us both. It just would be so much easier if I could find answers to those things that I fear most.”



Elrond bent his head and captured her lips in a soft kiss. “What do you wish to know? If it is within my ability to deal with it, I will not hesitate to do so.”



She smiled up at him ruefully, “Everything!”



He chuckled at her expression, “That covers it well.”



Amarie lifted her arms and encircled his neck. “I would settle for just a few answers for now.”



“So?” His grey eyes studied her serious face.



Amarie paused picking her words with care. “Elrond, you are the Lord of Imladris, what do you or the others expect of me as your wife? How do the workshops fit into those expectations? Wives of great lords are not known to be involved with such things. I have not brought my artisans andworkshops all this way only to be expected to turn it all over to someone else to manage. They are my responsibility and I will not desert them.”



Elrond looked surprised, “You have already established yourself as the Mistress of Bar-Meneg-Mir-Lain, and no one expects you to change that.” A huge grin split his face as he continued. “Did you expect me to give over my responsibilities as the Lord here when I wed the Mistress of Bar-Meneg-Mir-Lain?

I must warn you, wood working is not one of my strong talents.”



Amarie could not hold back her mirth at the picture of the elegant Lord of Imladris struggling with a piece of wood and a lathe or a carving knife. “Your finesse with a sword would do little to help you there.” She admitted between her giggles.



Elrond chuckled. “You are correct, but even my finesse would be somewhat rough given I have not wielded a sword in a millennia or two. I would need some practice. What else has you concerned?”



“That was the main thing.” She paused before continuing, “I will find it hard to follow Lady Celebrian as the Lady of Imladris.” Amarie reached up and brushed back a black tress over his shoulder and cupped his chin in her hands. “Meleth, you still carry some guilt over your inability to fully heal her. I wish for your sake we really knew she was all right.”



She went on, “I know the twins and Arwen have accepted me and I feel that Lord Celeborn likes me. I truly hope he and the Lady Galadriel will not resent my taking the place their daughter once held. It must be so hard for them seeing it happen.”



“I don’t know how Glorfindel or Lindir feels,” She paused with a wicked grin, “but I believe Erestor will have no problem accepting my new role, after all, it looks like I will be his great niece by marriage.”



“I cannot deny your words about Celebrian,” he sighed sadly. “I too would feel much more at peace if I knew she was all right. But that I will not know until we reach the undying lands.”



There was a long silence, then Elrond pulled Amarie tight against him and buried his face in her neck, “I will not let that cloud our marriage ind nin nor our future elfling’s birth.”



Amarie smiled “Our elfling, ind nin, when will we know whether it is an elleth or ellon?”



“It will be a short time yet, it’s fea is still too young.”



“You will be a wonderful ada again, meleth nin, I wonder what kind of a nanneth I will be?”



“Ind nin, you will be a very good mother.” He smiled down at her tenderly.



Meleth, would you mind if we keep this our little secret for just a while? I am not sure how your hin will react when they find out. I think we will have to do a little preparation.”



He grinned, “I believe that would be wise, ind nin.













Ada-father

Meleth-beloved

ind nin-my heart

Bar-Meneg-Mir-Lain -house of a thousand jeweled threads

Fea-spirit

Elleth-female elf

Ellon-male elf

Hin-children