[Durelin]

When Sairien finally saw the arrival of her husband late that evening, she greeted him as if no worries had been on her mind for many hours as she sat alone. With a warm embrace and a swift but tender kiss, she did her best to smile back at Maegisil as he looked down at her with more joy in his eyes than she had seen in several years. Recalling happier days, all her concerns from only moments ago returned, though they had never really gone away. It became more difficult for her to look her husband in the eye and almost impossible for her to share in his cheerfulness. She knew it was not fair to him, but she knew there was no clearing her mind.

“Oh my love, what troubles you?”

Sairien sighed. He was always quick to notice when something was wrong.

“Nothing but my usual worries,” she said, trying her best to sound reassuring, but knowing that she probably was not at all convincing. “I grew concerned for you, as I always do when you are gone.”

By the concern in Maegisil’s eyes, which only grew, she obviously needed to try harder to smile. “But I am here now…”

“Then let us not worry about anything… We are together… We have nothing to worry about. We need only each other.” Sairien was starting to sound more and more like she was trying to convince herself of something, and she knew it.

Maegisil knew it as well, and he sighed, his eyes downcast, as he seemed to read his wife’s mind. “Are you thinking about our children again, my darling?”

Sairien was silent. She could not look at her husband, though he could see her eyes begin to glisten as tears welled up in them. He wanted to just hold her, but he knew that she did not want such comfort right now. He gave her her space, knowing that she would come to him when she wished. She had always been stubborn. After several moments of silence, she spoke, her voice thick with emotion and about to break.

“We have no children, Maegisil. You have no son!” she said passionately, almost shouting, growing angry at a situation she had no control over.

“I have you.”

“But you have always wanted a son. I have always wanted a son. You should have an heir. The son of Maegisil should be as well known as Maegisil himself!” Her voice broke, and all her needless anger and despair and shame overflowed into tears as she pressed herself up against her husband and he wrapped his arms tight around her. He held her there as she cried for quite some time, wishing he could cry himself. But he was unable to express the pain he felt in such a way. In his false sense of duty to be strong and supportive, as a husband and a counselor, he had not cried in at least four centuries, if he had ever cried at all.

~*~*~

After a long, almost restless night, kept from entering into any kind of serenity by his persistent mind, it was time for Maegisil to leave his wife alone for most of the day once again. This time it was several hours after dawn, at least, and he had been able to spend a little bit of his morning with his wife. He worried constantly about Sairien, but he knew that his duties as a counselor to his lord could not wait. Unfortunately, he never stopped to wonder if perhaps his duties as a husband could not wait either.

Sairien wished he might consider that. As he turned to leave after a final kiss, she prayed to Ilúvatar that he would turn around again, deciding to stay. She wished that everyday, and it had been far too long since it had come true. And today was like every other day; thus only a quarter of an hour later, Maegisil was taking the stairs up to Lord Celebrimbor’s chambers two at a time. As soon as he entered the antechamber, his lord greeted him enthusiastically, and his worries concerning Sairien were temporarily forgotten.

“Maegisil, my friend, today is a gorgeous day!” the elf-lord exclaimed, his voice loud and booming, though he did not sound at all as if he were shouting. He smiled as he turned away from his companion to look out of his large eastern window.

Maegisil could not help but smile as well, though he asked, “What makes you say that, my lord?”

Celebrimbor turned to his friend with a pretend look of shock. “Why, Counselor Maegisil! I should have you flogged! How many times have I told you it is not ‘my lord’? No, no, not how many times, but for how many years?” he said, skirting the question for the moment, and chuckling kindly at his friends persistent formality.

The counselor let out a short laugh, and his smile grew as his face reddened slightly, silently laughing at his own embarrassment. “I know, I know…”

The elf-lord laughed harder as he watched Maegisil’s face. “A great lord I am, if I can make a great Counselor and warrior blush!”

“That you are, my lord,” he said, making Celebrimbor laugh even harder. Maegisil laughed as well, knowing that it had been a long time since the two had laughed this way together. While remembering those days when laughter was more frequent between them, he suddenly recalled the times when Sairien had joined them, and he had been able to enjoy the company of his two dearest friends. He stopped laughing, but he kept his smile, holding on to it, so his friend would not question his mood.

“You have not answered my question,” Maegisil said.

“Yes, yes…” Celebrimbor paused for a moment, his smile disappearing for a moment, “Well, I did not answer before, simply because I am not sure how to answer. I cannot explain to you why I feel it is a good day, particularly since it has barely started.”

“Are we having premonitions now, my lord?” Maegisil asked jokingly.

The lord smiled again, and laughter was in his voice as he spoke. “Could be, could be…” He momentarily grew silent, but then a twinkle of amusement returned to his eyes, and he smirked. “I do hope these ‘premonitions’ are accurate…”