Quite unexpected

Chapter six Hearing through the silence

Aragorn smiled when he saw Boromir lead Celeborn in the dining room. The elf was still holding Eldarion in his arms and seemed a little better than the day before.
Aragorn inclined his head in greeting. “Good morning. How was your night?”
Celeborn smiled and sat down. “Pleasant. He’s a sound sleeper.” Aragorn’s eyes widened but he didn’t commend.

He stood to walk towards Arwen, who had just entered. She had a worried expression on her face but it melted when she saw her grandfather seated at the table. “I couldn’t find Eldarion.”
Aragorn smiled. “Celeborn walked in with him. I bet it was the only condition Boromir could get him to come.”
Arwen smiled. “He could have left a note. Does he have no consideration for a mother’s heart?”
Aragorn grinned. “Wait until he gets children. Then he’ll be the most considerate Steward possible.”

Arwen smiled and kissed him before walked to her seat. Aragorn leaned over her and whispered. “I’m afraid Eldarion is under your grandfather’s care, but he needs some mothering himself. He hardly ate last night.” She nodded and made sure to feed Celeborn, keeping her tone light and casual.

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Halfway through the breakfast the door opened and Boromir walked forward, a huge smile on his face. He leaned in to whisper in Aragorn’s ear and the king rose and beamed. “Arwen, Boromir just informed me we have guests.”
Celeborn moved his head to look at him. “Do you want me to leave?”
Aragorn shook his head. “No, I want for you to eat.”

He looked at the door impatiently. He would have walked towards it but something told him to stay close to Celeborn instead. Boromir came back inside and three elves walked in behind him. Aragorn smiled and noticed all eyes immediately sought out Celeborn. He saw relief wash over their features at seeing him play with the baby. Though two pairs of eyes settled on him next one pair remained focused upon Celeborn and Aragorn frowned, seeing the pained and haunted expression in them. /Something definitely happened./

He came from behind the table and approached his guests. “Legolas, it has been a while. Welcome to my home.” He embraced his friend and shook hands with the healer after Legolas has introduced them.
Aragorn now came to stand before Thranduil and he smiled. “King Thranduil, welcome to Gondor, my realm, and Minas Tirith, my home. Forgive me for not greeting you at once, but I have not seen Legolas for a long time and the need to greet my friend outweighed the importance of protocol.”
Thranduil inclined his head and smiled. “Friends should always be more important than protocol, King Elassar. And forgive us our unexpected visit.”

Arwen smiled and shook her head. “What are you talking about. This came as no surprise.” She didn’t notice Celeborn had stiffened beside her and had stopped playing with Eldarion, though his eyes didn’t leave the baby’s form. “Your brother wrote you would come.”

Thranduil showed his surprise at her words and one look at Aragorn told him enough. Celeborn had arrived before the letter did and Arwen had drawn her own conclusions.

Legolas now stood before Celeborn and winced at the image. “Celeborn, why did you leave like that?” His voice betrayed his pain and fear.
Celeborn looked up, mainly because he had expected to hear Thranduil’s voice. He closed his eyes and remained silent. Without speaking he rose and left, taking the baby with him.

Arwen looked at Legolas and a look of pain met a look of sorrow understanding.

Aragorn allowed Arwen to give rooms to his guests and he signalled for Thranduil to follow. He would rather talk to Legolas about this, but the look Thranduil had thrown Celeborn prompted him to change his plans.

He signalled for the king to sit down. “What has happened?”
Thranduil shrugged. “He got caught in a storm, which lead him into my realm.”
Aragorn nodded. “The message your son send spoke of injuries.”
Thranduil nodded. “My realm is still invested with orcs and other foul creatures.”
Aragorn’s eyes widened at the words. “What? Why did you not call for aid? All other realms are safe. Yours should be so too.”
Thranduil shrugged. “Pride. And we can deal with it.”
Aragorn nodded. “That might be. But I am joining you upon your return none the less. With an army. And I am sure Celeborn will send his soldiers too, and Elrond.”
Thranduil’s glare became hard. “No Galadhrim will enter my realm. I will kill them if they do.”

Aragorn was taken aback by the anger in the words but placed it aside. Celeborn was his first concern. “And what happened to make him leave so sudden, for that is why you are here. To make sure he is all right. Which, by the way, he isn’t.”
Thranduil nodded. “We go back a long way and we had a fall out.” /If you can call it that. I have to talk to him. He looked horrible./
Aragorn nodded. “Yet something else is wrong, but I doubt that is new. There’s something I need to think about and the more heads I have the better. Would you and Legolas mind staying? Elrond is on his way here and I would like to speak to you both.” Thranduil narrowed his eyes and Aragorn hurried to explain. “About Celeborn. There’s a mystery there we need to solve. And soon. You just informed me you and he go back a long time. Elrond is wise and a gifted healer. We needs to stick our heads together if we are to safe him.”

Thranduil flared up. “Safe him? What lunacy are you talking about?”
Aragorn sighed. “He’s fading. That much I know for certain. Why or how we can stop it I do not know. It seems only Eldarion is proving to be a reason to keep him linger.”

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A whole day had passed and none had been able to get a word out of Celeborn. It vexed Aragorn to no ends. How was he elp elp if he did not know what the problem was?

He paced in the great reception hall, not because he expected visitors but because this was the largest room in the place and therefore the most suited to pace. Suddenly he halted in his tracks to avoid crashing into Legolas.

“Where did you come from?”
Legolas smiled and sighed. “Wearing your feet out won’t help him, Aragorn.”
“I know, but he refuses to even talk. How can I help him?”
Legolas closed his eyes. “I know not, but maybe we shouldn’t wait for Elrond to arrive to try and figure it out?”
Aragorn smiled but shook his head. “No, I want to wait. If Elrond cannot figure this out, no one can.”
Legolas smiled. “My father can.” His voice was determined. He clasped Aragorn’s shoulder. “He and Celeborn were friends once. If anybody can get him to talk it is him.”
Aragorn shook his head. “If they were friends once, it long since passed. It is common knowledge Mirkwood and ‘Lóriën aren’t on the best of terms.”
Legolas nodded. “But are you sure it is because of its lord?” So much more made sense now and Legolas hated himself for not seeing before.
Aragorn’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
Legolas smiled. “There is more than meets the eye, Aragorn.”

The king of Gondor growled at the formulation that could be interpreted in a thousand ways and he marched away. “Elves!”

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Thranduil stood next to his friend as they watched Arwen talk to Celeborn. The ruler of the Golden Wood still held Eldarion in his arms, rocking him. More and more he shut out the outer world and Arwen feared taking Eldarion away even to change him. Nothing she said seemed to even register with him and she stood.

They had decided he should not be alone, but she was drained. Mentally exhausted and yearned for her bed. But it would be another hour before Boromir would relieve her.

She gasped when she saw the two elves in the door and then smiled warily. “I did not hear you.”
Thranduil nodded. “You’re exhausted. You should rest.” Her eyes darted to Celeborn and Thranduil approached her. “I’ll stay with him.”
She doubted but allowed the healer to guide her out the room. He feared she could collapse any moment.

Thranduil took in a deep, calming and strengthening breath before he advanced on Celeborn. The baby reached his arm towards him and he smiled. “Celeborn?” No reply or indication he was heard. He wondered if the other was even aware Arwen had left or even if she had stayed for so long. Maybe he had stopped sensing the world a while ago?

He sat down and touched Celeborn’s hands. The eyes that settled on him were eerily empty and Thranduil felt his heart contract in pain and the pull he had fought so many times was back in full force. But he ignored it and focused all his attention on Celeborn. All his words died in his mouth and he just stared at him. It was so hard to believe this creature was Celeborn.

When he saw Celeborn turned his eyes back to the baby he squished the hands. Again the cold eyes settled on him and a ghost of a question lay in them. Thranduil smiled. “We had not declared you healthy yet, so you’re my responsibility. So I had to come. Besides, how else could I apologize for my words?”
The eyes narrowed just a fraction and Thranduil took that as a sign to explain. “For millennia I’ve dealt with the threatening dark alone. Old habits die hard, you know.”

The eyes were about to turn away again but Thranduil shook his head. “No, Celeborn, listen to me.” To his surprise Celeborn turned not only his eyes but his entire head towards him and he smiled warmly. “You are right. We were friends once. And I’d like to think we still are.” He sighed. “And I found it hard to believe you would care about my troubles. About the difficulty I have defending my realm, protecting my people.”

He closed his eyes but opened them when he felt one hand slightly move against his. It warmed his heart and gave him hope.

Relocking his eyes with Celeborn he smiled. “Truth is that I -did- ask for aid when the dark creatures invaded my realm. I realised I needed help to force them back. I’ve send out messages, using birds for I could not spare my people, to Imladris and Lothlóriën. But I received no aid or reply. It made me bitter and angry.”

He could see the tears well up in Celeborn’s eyes as the elf shook his head. He opened his mouth to speak but the sound was too low to hear. Thranduil squished the hands and leaned forward. “Never… received… it.”
Thranduil smiled. “I know that. Now. But we got used to doing it alone. I’m sorry.”

Celeborn looked down at Eldarion and then around the room. “Arwen?”
Thranduil smiled. “I’ve send her to her bed. She was exhausted. And you need to sleep as well.” The eyes settled back on the baby and the arms slightly tightened around it. Thranduil smiled. “I can carry you both.”

He lifted Celeborn and carried him to his own rooms. The sun still shone there and the rays touched and warmed the bed. Before he had reached it Celeborn had fallen asleep and grown a little stronger. Thranduil smiled and told a servant to inform Aragorn where they were. HE sat on his chair and kept vigilance.

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Arwen leaned against Aragorn, yawning. She had been unable to sleep or rest, but she was tired. Aragorn pulled her close.

They waited for Legolas to return. He had gone to his father’s room to see how things were. Not that they had much hope. Legolas entered and his eyes were sad.

Arwen yawned and cursed, making Legolas laugh. “I’m sorry, Arwen.” His expression sobered quickly. “He still clings to Eldarion. Father has placed him in his bed where the sun can warm him.”
Aragorn nodded, his eyes asking the questions he dared not speak. Legolas smiled ruefully and answered. “He did focus on father and listened to him and he spoke only once.”
Arwen’s eyes became alight. “But that’s great. He hasn’t spoken since your arrival, Legolas.”
Legolas nodded. “But it is not much. Not enough to give us hope. He looks so empty.” And he not only feared for Celeborn but for his father as well. He had seen his father lose some of his light. /What am I missing? What?/

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“Am not.”
“Are too.”
“Am not.”
“You are too.”
Celeborn pulled himself to his full height. “I am not!”
Thranduil nodded. “Yes, you are. You are ticklish and you know it.”
The two friends sat on the bed in Celeborn’s room. They both preferred it to Thranduil’s and often fell asleep there together as well.
“I am not.” His eyes dared Thranduil to prove it and the other elf launched a tickle attack on Celeborn.

Seconds later his pearly laughter echoed down the walls and Thranduil’s followed as he mercilessly attacked his friend. “Admit it!”
Celeborn shook his head. “No.”

Thranduil doubled his efforts, making Celeborn squirm on the bed. “Admit it!”
All Celeborn could do was laugh. His efforts to avoid Thranduil’s fingers tousled the bed and his clothes rode up in the process.

At some point Thranduil managed to climb on top of Celeborn, sitting on his now bare legs, holding him in place as his hands dove beneath the clothes to tickle him. Feeling the teasing fingers without the clothes lessening the effect Celeborn wriggled even worse, but still refused to admit it.

Suddenly Thranduil gasped, yelped and jumped of him, running away and locking himself in the bathroom.

Celeborn sat up right and looked around, wondering what had happened. He frowned when he heard sobs coming from the other side of the door. Wanting to comfort his friend he went to the bathroom, only to find it locked. “Thranduil. Open up. What is it?” But Thranduil hadn’t answered except to beseech him to leave him alone. His voice sounded weird, pitched even and Celeborn wished he was on the other side of the door. What could have happened? “Thranduil please?”

It took Celeborn an hour to get Thranduil to open the door and when he emerged the blond haired prince was meek and low-spirited. Nothing Celeborn said could get Thranduil to tell him what was wrong. And something seemed different between them but Celeborn shrugged and continued to be cheerful. If Thranduil wanted to tell him he would.

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Celeborn’s eyes flared open and he sat upright, panting heavily.
/What if it had been true? What if…/ He now remembered the rumour that went about Doriath speaking of Thranduil’s love for him and how he stayed with him out of pity. At the time he had ignored it, like he had all others, but what if it had been true?

Celeborn’s breathing became stronger as determination to solve this rose in him. He looked around dazed. Where was he?

He smiled at the baby in his arms. “Eldarion. You look just like your parents. You’ve got your mother’s looks and your father’s hair and eyes.” His smile widened when he saw Thranduil asleep on the chair. He vaguely remembered Thranduil’s words. It had been difficult focusing on them. He did not even know how long he had been holding Eldarion. All he knew was that the baby had been in his arms and his mind in Doriath.

He laid back down, frowning. He needed to do some thinking and he needed solitude to do that.

End chapter 06
TBC