Queen of Hearts by Cirdan

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Chapter 2: Elessar: Star-stone

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Celebrian was overjoyed when she and her mother found Celeborn in Imladris. They had been parted for far too long. Elrond lead them to Celeborn’s chambers, where he was holding counsel with King Gil-galad. After husband and wife had been reunited, father and daughter embraced.

"I was very worried for you, Father," she said as she nestled her face into his hair. Celeborn returned her affections by stroking her hair and kissing her atop her head. She was no longer young, but he was still the taller for Celebrian had never quite become as tall as her mother. She looked to her father with shining eyes and asked, "What of Celebrimbor? Is he here as well? Or is he in the far west, at the Grey Havens?"

Celeborn started and glanced at Galadriel, who shrugged and remained carefully expressionless. "My daughter, I’m so sorry... I thought you knew."

"What?" Celebrian’s eyes began to well with tears. She had been parted from Eregion for hundreds of years because of the threat of Sauron, minion of Morgoth, and one of her main sources of comfort throughout those years was that she would be reunited with her love when the battle was won. "Please, no, it cannot be..."

Celeborn kissed Celebrian on the head again and embraced her tightly. "I’m sorry, dearest Celebrian." His lack of answer was answer enough. Celebrian wept sorely into the shoulder of her father.

"He always said that he would gladly dedicate his life to me," she stuttered through her sobs. "He’d promised me the most lovely engagement ring, the Ring of Adamant, he’d called it. When I saw him last, I did not know it would be our last meeting." Her weeping became more desperate. "Did he know it would be our last? He gave me no chance to say goodbye, and now it is too late." Celeborn tried to comfort her to no avail.

"I’m sorry, my Lady. The fault is mine. I should have dispatched aid to my kinsman sooner." Celebrian turned to rest her head against her father’s chest and beheld Gil-galad, High King of the Noldor, addressing her. She had only met the King on rare occasions. She shut her eyes to him and felt the tears flow faster.

"Take consolation in the fact that Celebrimbor died to protect you," Galadriel said.

"It is no consolation, Mother!" Celebrian cried. Though she knew it wrong to wish ill for another, she could not help but to wish that her own father or even Gil-galad had died instead of Celebrimbor. And yet, somehow, she had known that Celebrimbor had been slain, for the Elennar that he had given her had broken. "He had purposed to kindle my heart to light and joy in a world that grows chill, but now there will be no warmth in these loveless lands."

If only she had not allowed her father to prevent their union. Perhaps she could have tried harder to sway Celeborn. Then she might take some consolation in their short years together and look to their children for some sign of Celebrimbor. Yet it was not to be, and that which Celebrimbor had most feared had come to pass: the lineage of Feanor was ended. There were many who would rejoice at such news, but Celebrian was not one such person. She cared more that Celebrimbor’s lineage had not even begun. Though she clung to her father for comfort, she felt as if she were cold and empty.

"I will make amends to you as I can, Lady Celebrian," said Gil-galad. His voice broke slightly as he spoke her name. "But in memory of Celebrimbor, take this into your keeping." Gil-galad held out the Elessar, and its wing-spread eagle was like the Elennar except that the stone was a shining green instead of fiery red and its setting silver rather than gold. "It is the Elessar, the Star-stone. Feanor himself forged it, and Maedhros gave it to my father Fingon so that they would never be parted. It has great powers of healing, and I hope that it may somehow aid you at this time of loss."

Celebrian did not know the High King of the Noldor well and would have graciously declined the gift if it had not been so like her Elennar. Did he know that Celebrimbor had made a matching pendant for her? She parted from her father’s embrace to accept the Elessar and properly thank the King, but as she took the Elessar, she remembered the night when Celebrimbor had shyly given her the Elennar now so many years ago. She faltered, and the King caught her. She let him support her as she clung to the Elessar and wept in his arms.

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Narya, Ring of Fire

For hundreds of years, Lindon prospered under the wise rule of Gil-galad, and his realm extended ever eastward. However, peace did not last indefinitely, and when the realms of Elendil had grown strong, Gil-galad proposed an Alliance to lay siege to Mordor and finally rid Middle-earth of Sauron. They gathered in Imladris to prepare and train their armies. While his troops prepared, Gil-galad crossed the Misty Mountains and visited Celebrian in Lothlorien. They said no word, not even a simple greeting, when they met. Gil-galad simply offered her his arm, which she took, and they walked out to the Falls of Celebrant. For many moments, they watched the rainbows in the clear waters and silvery foam.

Then, at last, Gil-galad spoke. "Doubtless you have heard that the Elves are going to war." Celebrian nodded. "The Dark Lord Sauron underestimated me. He did not think that the Elven kingdom would grow so strong in his absence. Though he has felled Numenor, he will not defeat us. We are strong in our allies. The Faithful of the Numenoreans march with us. Even now, they have marshaled in Rivendell and are training for war." Gil-galad took both of Celebrian’s hands and kissed them. "When I return victorious, I hope that you will give me your hand in marriage."

Gil-galad dropped to one knee and presented to her a crystal case with a ruby ring of surpassing loveliness. "Celebrian, long have I desired to wed with you, but your heart and mind was on another, on Celebrimbor whom we lost in the War of Eregion. Soon, his death shall be fully avenged, and Sauron will be no more. Though I know you love him still, I have felt your heart turn to me, and I do not think that your love for one diminishes your love for the other. I know that you used to believe that I loved you only because you were the kinswoman of Kings, descendant of Finarfin, the King of the Noldor in Aman, and kin of Thingol, who was before the King of the Sindar. Now that you know me well, you know that it is not your lineage but you whom I love. Likewise, I know that you love me for myself and not for my station, and for the King of the Elves that is not an easy thing.

"Accept now Narya, the Red Ring, as a token of my love for you and as a sign of our betrothal." Gil-galad closed her hands over the box then kissed her hands. "I would slip the Ring upon your finger, if I could, my dear, but this Ring must not be worn until the Dark Lord is defeated. Still, I beg you to keep it, for it has the ability to strengthen hearts, and it will kindle your courage to endure these days of war when you must anxiously await my return."

"You must know, Ereinion, that it is not the custom of Elves to wed during times of war," Celebrian said softly.

"Yea, I know it well, Celebrian. I wish to wed you after the Last War of the Elves is won. I only ask now to be engaged to you." Gil-galad remained kneeling before her. His golden crown reflected in his soft eyes, and his raiment of royal blue and adorn with silver stars, made him the very image of a king. Yet it was not his position as King of the Elves that mattered, for he was noble and proud but also kind and gentle, and he was the king of her heart.

Celebrian smiled and nodded, and her eyes shimmered brighter than the Falls of Celebrant. "Gladly would I wed with you, my King."

"Even if I were not King, I would count myself luckiest of all men upon Middle-earth to be graced with your love." Gil-galad rose and kissed her, and it seemed to them that they could already hear the silver bells of their wedding ringing to herald their union.

When they reluctantly broke off their kissing, Celebrian returned the Red Ring to Gil-galad. "I do not reject your wondrous Ring, Ereinion, but keep it yet a little longer. I will wait for the day when you can at last slip it upon my finger."

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Gil-galad

News spread quickly after the Dagor Dagorlad, yet Celebrian could not help but to hope against all hope that the minstrels had erred, that these tales of victory mixed with sorrow were dark rumors spread by Sauron to destroy the morale of the Elves. Then the herald of Gil-galad came personally to see her in Lothlorien, and Celebrian knew that Gil-galad was truly dead. As she wept, Elrond sang to Celebrian the last song of the High King:

Gil-galad gave his heart to you,
but one last task he had to do:
to clear the land of things unclean
and bring Bliss to his Silver Queen.

But just before his fateful fight,
he had a moment of foresight;
to me he gave this final song
to sing to you if all went wrong.

Celebrian, my dearest one,
we were to wed when war was won.
I love you more than words can say,
but do not cry if I’m away.

Our love remains in memories
and meet we shall beyond the Seas,
but hasten not to your demise,
or Gil-estel will never rise.

It may be hard to love again,
but wed you will the best of Men.
I say once more before the end:
I love you, but your heart will mend.

The song was of small comfort to Celebrian, but when he’d finished his message, Elrond held her as she cried and stayed with her the night. He sang wordless songs of comfort to her, and in his voice and his embrace, Celebrian felt the love of Gil-galad.

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Chapter End Notes

Elessar is most commonly translated as "Elf-stone," but it also means "Star-stone" (Elen+sarn). Elves were people of the stars, Eldar, and so the word elf and star are often interchangeable. The poetic "el" instead of "elen" is used to mean both elf and star (S. 449). "Sarn" is stone (S. 456), no interesting history to add to that. I’ve chosen the meaning of Elessar to be "Star-stone."

The tale of the Elessar being remade by Celebrimbor makes less sense in the context of Celebrimbor being the descendant of Feanor, as stated in LotR, because then he was never in Gondolin and could not have met Enerdhil. Even the tale of Enerdhil as the maker and Olorin bringing the Elessar to her from the West makes little sense as Christopher Tolkien noted that the healing power ascribed to the Elessar at the havens of Sirion is attributed to the Silmaril (UT 246-250). Here, Feanor made and gave the Elessar to Maedhros, and Maedhros gave it to Fingon (XI.176-7). After Fingon’s death, the Elessar was given to Gil-galad.

Narya the Red Ring of Fire is Gil-galad’s engagement ring to Celebrian. It can't be worn because Sauron still has the One Ring. Gil-galad will give Narya to Cirdan before he dies in his final fight.

Gil-galad's song to Celebrian is based off "The Fall of Gil-galad."