THE HOBBIT AND THE LORD OF THE RINGS IMAGINES AND ONESHOTS

THRENODY (LORD ELROND X READER)

Summary: Your husband, the Lord of Imladris, comforts you when you lose a loved one and walks you out of the limbo you are in.

The air was warm and sweet as the hands of Autumn had been busy in colouring the entire valley with drops of mellowed honey. You sat in your chambers lined with lilac and ivory, painted anew by the golden treacle of the setting sun. The argent cascades adorning the adjoining valley seemed to beckon you to observe the fire lighting them with hues of gold but you moved away from the casement and seated yourself before the harp, slowly removing the linen screening it. Drawing a deep breath and closing your eyes, you let the tempest raging within your mind find an expression through your fingers.

The halls of Imladris shook and heaved as the melodies strung with living agony trilled and thrilled. Unsuspecting Elves either free or engaged in their respective tasks stilled and sighed as the dirge of the dusk flitted and caught them unawares. Those admiring the pearlescent palette of the evening sky now looked at it with mournful eyes, those engaged in performing duties neglected them and stood with pensive expressions while those tending the beautiful blossoms in the garden looked at their delicate petals with glassy eyes and aching hearts.

  Silver drops fell one by one
  And doused the weary boughs,
They fell on her brow, one by one
And kissed her resting temple.

She will see the skies no more,
Nor her tresses feel the wind,
She lies beneath the mound of yore,
Cold and dark and dim.

  Her kind eyes will never greet
The faces she loved best,
Never more will she meet
My grateful smiles among the rest.

Woe befalls my wretched soul,
Churns my heart and reels my bones,
To know you shall forever walk
The Immortal Halls away from us.

Down came the stroke that wrung and broke, down came your fingers that danced and swayed over the supple instrument. The playful waters no longer suffered their gilded smiles and the ripened verdure abandoned their jubilant joy. Sadness suddenly stood tall and mighty, gathering every listener into his aged arms. Up moved your hand on its own accord, the gusts whirling within you creating another orchestra of immense anguish, lacerating your heart with their furious strokes. But the raging orchestra came to a sudden halt and your hand stayed in the air for a firmer hand, both gentle and wise, had held yours.

Lord Elrond's concerned eyes sought yours and he grieved to see your waxen countenance, your lustreless eyes finally meeting his, devoid of all the familiar shimmer that was so dear to him.

He gently took both your hands with his left and cradled your cheek with the other. "Come come my dear Y/N," he tenderly spoke, eyes glistening with emotion. "You must learn to flow with the tides of grief my dearest. Stop struggling. You will only suffocate if you fight it. Let it carry you and only then will you breathe again." He softly ran his thumb over your cheek and smiled an encouraging and yet an incredibly sad smile.

You fixed your eyes on him as if you did not understand what he was saying. But then, your lips quivered. The embankments overflowed and grief poured forth with an unmitigated strength, destroying the stupor of many hours and the locked doors of the limbo. Lord Elrond soothed you, not with words but by his mere presence, providing the warmth and comfort much needed in silent assurances.

As the violent fit of weeping began to subside and you began to draw measured breaths, Lord Elrond softly spoke, "You don't have to bear your burdens alone dear one. You know well that I am always here for you."

You sniffed and quietly spoke for the first time in two days, "I-I cannot believe that she's gone. She was so good and so kind and so beautiful. She inspired courage and brought so much hope and I-I feel so lost without her-" You stopped for you could speak no more.

He held you in his embrace in silence, stroking your hair and lulling you with his heartbeat. At length he spoke in comforting notes, "I know death seems very cruel to us, especially because we linger forever and cannot forget those who have departed, the grief seemingly unending and raw. But Y/N, you must know that sometimes things must be so. And indeed, you know she is more happy in death, free from all the cares and sufferings she endured for so long. She can finally rest and the only thing we can do is not to make that difficult for her by desiring something that cannot pass."

You pondered at his words that became engraved in your memory and you recalled it many a times later in life but even at the moment, you knew he was right as the truth in them rang out loud and clear. Darkness had already descended and among the thinning veils of twilight, Earendil the Mariner could be discerned, burning brighter than the departing vessel of Anar and you knew that she was happy. You prayed to Eru that she would be as lively and happy as ever while she dwelt in the Halls of Mandos. You clasped your husband, letting him know how much you appreciated his presence and he kissed your brow and enfolded you more closely, finally perceiving the advent of the calm after the storm.