" How?..." Elladan blurted.
" When?..." Elrohir asked, at the same time.
The beautiful Evenstar looked fondly at the two who had often teased her past all patience, yet had also staunchly championed and protected her through out her whole life.
" Ja-zel let it slip out on the last day of our journey. It seems she sensed you were bonded from the very moment of your first meeting." She answered.
Both Elrond and Glorfindel cocked an eyebrow.
" Most interesting..." said the Lord of Imladris.
" Aye. She sensed the bond between Melpomaen and I upon our first meeting with her as well. She told us so, on the night of Erestor's change." The seneschal recalled.
Melpomaen felt a slight blush creep onto his cheeks as he, too, remembered that conversation.
" She said she could smell it." He ventured, shyly.
Aragorn nodded his head in assent at those words.
" Indeed." He said. " Both Ja-zel and Erestor possess a sense of smell that is truly extraordinary. They utilized it through out our journey here and thus kept our path steered well away from potential trouble."
While the others talked, the twins' eyes remained locked with their sister's. Arwen's heart twisted as she saw them struggling to come to terms with her and Aragorn's knowledge and what it could mean to their sibling relantionship. Their fear that she would sunder from them showed strongly. Yet, there was also the desperate hope that her earlier words were a sign of true acceptance. She let her own loving eyes give them reassurance, as she began to speak.
" I cannot tell you that the news of your bond did not come as a shock."
As those words were uttered, she thought back to the incredulous look on both Aragorn and Erestor's faces. A look she knew had been mirrored by her own countenance.
" Nor can I tell you that such news were well received... at first."
Everyone's attention was now fully upon her. She shared a meaningful glance with her Dunadan love, then continued.
" Ja-zel was quite taken aback by our initial reaction and yet..." Here Arwen paused, for the Lyoness' own reaction had surprised the maiden. " When Erestor explained that your bond was one forbidden by our laws, it seemed as if some last piece of a puzzle was finally set in place for her. She... she told us many things. Among them, that for the people of Harad such bondings were not unheard of. Indeed, it is common among tribal leaders to take more than one spouse, including a brother or sister, in order to seal their claim of leadership."
Both Elrond and Melpomaen concurred.
" Aye, this we know to be true. Some of the books within our library tell of precisely such customs." said Elrond.
" The land of Harad differs from our own in many ways." The assistant added.
Both Elladan and Elrohir's expressions showed their surprise at this imformation. Elrond suddently knew a moment of painful panic, as the thought that his sons might leave Imladris for this land were their bond could be openly accepted, crossed his mind. As if sensing this, the twins spoke.
" This is our home, Ada." Elrohir said, gently.
" We would not leave.. Unless we were banished." This came from Elladan.
All in the room fell silent then, as the echo of his words settled like a heavy weight upon them. For in truth, that would be exactly what would happen if their bond ever came to be discovered.
They would be banished. From all elven lands...
It was at this point that Elrond interjected, breaking the uncomfortable silence by bidding all to be seated, so that the rest of their conversation could be carried out in comfort. As they did so, the Peredhel Lord felt yet another moment of painful constriction, when he saw that his daughter and foster-son had settled closely beside one another on the divan.
{ I have truly lost her!.. }
The thought was like a raw scream battering at the walls of his beating heart. But this hurt, long forseen, was not allowed to dwell, for Elrond's attention was once more brought to the subject at hand, when he heard Glorfindel address Arwen.
" You said that Lady Ja-zel spoke of many things..." The Balrog Slayer's words trailed off.
" Aye. Other things did Ja-zel reveal." She answered, encompasing all in the room with her gaze. " On our last night in LothLorien, grandmother took her to the mirror."
A ripple went through the five elven listeners and they leaned forward in their chairs, eyes riveted to the beautiful Evenstar.
" As you know, all who look upon those still waters are forbidden to describe the actual images they see." She continued, " But these three things she could tell us. One: That something of far-reaching import will occur, ere long. Two: That it is at this time that she will tell the story of her kind. And Three: That grandmother has always known of Elladan and Elrohir's bond."
Along moment of stunned quiet followed her words...
...Then all five elves began to speak at once.
" Is there a threat to Imladris?!..."
" How is Lady Ja-zel linked to this event?!..."
" Why has Galadriel not spoken of this before?!..."
" Does grandfather know?!..."
" But she has always treated us with love and care!..."
Of all the jumbled sentences, it was the one spoken by Elrohir that Arwen chose to address next.
" Grandmother has always treated you with love and care, because she truly understands your bond. As Aragorn, Erestor and I have only recently come to."
" What do you mean, iel nin?." Elrond asked, his brow furrowed.
Arwen and Aragorn exchanged a quick glance, before she continued.
" When Ja-zel saw our burgeoning outrage, she began to tell us about that first meeting with Elladan and Elrohir, and of the journey to save Elrohir's life. But she did not tell the tale with only words. She sent images... and feelings... into our minds."
Elrond, Glorfindel and Melpomaen instantly came to full understanding. For they had experienced the same thing, when Ja-zel had told them of Erestor's life. The twins, however, were having a harder time in reaching comprehension.
" Feelings?..." Elladan seemed almost afraid.
" What did you feel?." Elrohir asked.
" Your love." Arwen answered softly, her eyes glistening.
For the first time since they all sat down, Aragorn spoke.
" After that, it was impossible for us to hold on to any sense of outrage. How could we condemn a love so strong, so encompasing, so true?." His own eyes moistened as he answered his own question. " We could not. For there is no argument that can stand in the face of such a love."
Arwen reached for his hand, knowing that the ranger spoke not only about the love shared by her brothers, but of their own as well. Her voiced gentled even further.
" One last image did Ja-zel send into our minds on that morning. An image given to her by grandmother, herself. In it, we saw grandmother holding Elladan and Elrohir in her arms, only hours after their birth."
The Evenstar looked directly at her brothers.
" She was staring deeply into your eyes, reading what lay in your tiny minds and hearts. For a long time, she did this..."
All in the room felt suspended by one breathless moment.
" And then she smiled."
TBC...