Foresight by Elwen of the Hidden Valley

[elwenlj.livejournal.com]

B2MeM Prompt:Tyrant - Path:Purple
Format:scenelette
Genre:Gen
Rating:Gen
Warnings:none
Characters:Elrond, Celebrian
Pairings:Elrond/Celebrian
Creator’s Notes (optional):None
Summary:For even the happiest of couples there is at least one topic that never fails to set off the fireworks. For each couple it is different, but there is always that one subject that they will just never agree upon . . .



I don't own the people or places. They are the creations of JRR Tolkien and I'm only borrowing them.

FORESIGHT

“Foresight can become a tyrant.” It was at that moment in their exchange that Reason ran for cover.

Celebrian spun about so fast that silver hair whipped in her husband's face, causing him to draw back quickly as he sought to preserve his eyesight. “What did you say? Are you calling my mother a tyrant? She would seek only to assist us in choosing the correct path for our children.” She stalked around the bed, arms filled with gowns.

Elrond blinked and the words were out of his mouth before consideration. “That is not what I said but if you insist upon making that association … Galadriel is her brother's sister after all.”

Celebrian threw down the gown she had been so carefully folding and it pooled in a cringing heap upon the coverlet. “You had to go there,” she replied hotly as she set hands upon her hips.

“You were there before me.” Elrond retorted and he made a chopping motion with his hand. “I forbid you to use that mirror of hers. Our children choose their own paths.” His brows drew together, eyes the colour of those thunder clouds gathering even now about Imladris' surrounding peaks and, in the valley below, creatures began to seek cover.

Suddenly aware that all other conversation throughout the large house had stilled expectantly, Celebrian moderated her voice, although it had all the softness of a glacier grinding rocks. “You forbid? Now who is the tyrant? Of course they must choose for themselves. But we may be able to help them along if we know their direction in advance.”

By now they stood either side of the large marital bed, its covers strewn with Celebrian's gowns, selected and then discarded. With each exchange the heap had grown higher and Elrond had every intention of escaping before it reached the level of his chin.

This argument had been rumbling on for weeks, ever since Celebrian had declared her intention of asking the children to join her for her next visit to Lothlorien. He did not object to them seeing their grandparents, but Celebrian had let slip that she would be asking her mother to scry their futures in her mirror during the visit.

Aware that foresight was a double edged tool, Elrond was more inclined to let his offspring accept life as it presented itself. Older than Celebrian, he had lived long enough to believe there were some twists of fate it was better not to know about in advance. Indeed, even Galadriel would say that bad fortune foreseen could sometimes be brought about, simply by trying to avoid it. To Celebrian, who had lived predominantly within the sheltering borders of Imladris and Lothlorien, life held little intimation of any future terror and she saw no need to fear her tomorrow.

Now Elrond drew a deep breath as he made a conscious effort to smooth his features and tone. The result, however, was a granite mask and a voice as still as a deep drowned quarry, and just as dangerous. “Very well. You may do as you wish. The children are mature enough to choose whether or not to accompany you. I will not stand in their way but, and mark me well in this, the decision about the scrying must be theirs.”

He spun upon his heel and strode from their bedroom before Celebrian could draw breath for another retort but the door slammed loudly behind him, echoed by a sudden clap of thunder overhead.

Later Elrond was to ponder long upon the two-edged nature of foresight for, as it happened, all three children decided not to accompany their mother to Lothlorien on that fateful journey through the Redhorn Pass.

END

Comments

[engarian.livejournal.com]

Awesome and very chilling. It's hard to say "I loved this" for a story that deals with such an event, but I really enjoyed the idea of foresight being very much of a two-edged sword.

- Erulisse (one L)

[elwenlj.livejournal.com]

Hard to love an argument. :)

[shirebound]

Oh, that final line is chilling.

It's a good point that someone who had lived a sheltered life would have a more limited viewpoint than someone who had experienced a great deal more.

[elwenlj.livejournal.com]

Tolkien doesn't tell us much about her but I imagine her parents being a bit protective.

[hhimring]

Oh, that story certainly has a sting in its tail.
Celebrian's life will not be sheltered much longer, will it?

But Galadriel does take care to warn scryers--or at least she does later, with the hobbits.
(Slightly puzzled about the reference to her brother--have you taken any of Galadriel's brothers into particular dislike?)

Elrond seems to have quite a strong hold on Imladris's weather, doesn't he?

[elwenlj.livejournal.com]

Yes, Celebrian does warn the hobbits and I imagine she would warn Celebrian too.

[febobe.livejournal.com]

Laughter, grins, chills, and cold shivers...all in one piece! Wow!

Thank you so much. I'm so enjoying your B2MEM pieces. <3

[elwenlj.livejournal.com]

Gosh . . . I got all that in a page and a half? LOL! It's a little scene that's been drifting about in my head for a while but it just wouldn't turn itself into a story.

[fernstrike]

That last line was a punch to the gut. The deliberations on foresight were particularly apt, and I can definitely sympathise with both sides of the argument given Elrond and Celebrian's differing backgrounds.
Also, thanks for those little moments (like the dresses piling up on the bed!) that added some levity :-)

[elwenlj.livejournal.com]

Thanks for noticing the dress moments. I needed to inject something to keep it from getting too angry sounding . . . although they were certainly going at it.

[starbrow.livejournal.com]

I really liked this! It's great to get a peek at Celebrían and Elrond's relationship, and they both have good reasons for arguing the way they do over this. And what a tragic last line!

[elwenlj.livejournal.com]

I sometimes fall into the trap of making elves perfect so I decided to go the other way this time.

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

I agree the children should choose for themselves. A heart rending twist at the end.

[elwenlj.livejournal.com]

I just couldn't resist the angst at the end. Thanks for reading. :)

[paranoidangel]

This is really interesting - they both have a point. At least the kids take the decision away from both of them, although how different things can have been if that last line had been different.

[elwenlj.livejournal.com]

We will never know what could have happened in our lives if we had taken the other path.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I found myself smiling in the early paragraphs, and then agreeing with Elrond - but oh what a twist of the knife you gave us there at the end!

[elwenlj.livejournal.com]

I do seem to have a talent for twisting the fanfic knife. ;)