In any other situation, Halbrand would have stayed himself. But something from the depths of his stomach tugged at him. What if he wasn’t enough? What if he needed more strength, more speed to fight off the orcs?
This wasn’t just about Galadriel anymore – he knew she could defend herself.
But Celebrían was part of the equation too.
Let me help you, Sauron said.
Halbrand knew it was a bad idea, but as he crashed into the first orc, it was like the lines between him and Sauron blurred. The world around him began to fade, even as he brought down his sword with one swift attack after the other. He was too focused on the fighting to notice the way reality was slipping from his grasp.
When Sauron was back in full force, the fighting went much quicker. He had the first orc down in no time and two others followed quickly thereafter, no matter how eager they were to kill him. They did not even come close to grazing him, let alone catching him off guard. He delighted in hearing them curse and cry out as he slashed into their flesh with all the violence he had held back for so long. The sight of the gushing blood only spurred him on as he grunted and laughed his way through them.
As soon as he was done with the batch that had attempted to attack him, Sauron sensed his surroundings beyond the bloodied bodies lying about on the ground.
There was one more.
His heart skipped a beat. This monster was further off. Near Galadriel and Celebrían. He sheathed his sword and prepared a throwing knife as he sprinted towards him. At last, the back of the orc came into view. Sauron pulled back his arm, aimed at the creature and-
The orc fell to his knees and collapsed before he had even thrown his knife.
Galadriel stood there, child in her arm, staring at him.
They stood in silence for a moment.
“I beat you to it,” she mumbled then.
He sensed the beat of her heart, the hair standing on the back of her neck. She was afraid. Not of the orcs. But of him.
She hadn’t been like this with him for a while. She had even reassured him at night, held him, no matter how many times he had told her that he didn’t need it.
Even if her touch felt right. But he would never admit that.
Now, she was hostile once more, and it started a fire of rage inside of him.
He watched her hold Celebrían tighter.
That stupid elf. What did she think was going to happen? That he would kidnap their daughter? Kill her?
Did she not remember the promise he had made? Did she not remember what Halbrand had told her about him?
Slowly, he strode forwards, keeping his eyes on them as he walked around the orc’s body.
He felt her hand graze a knife on her belt.
Foolish elf.
Stupidity did not suit Galadriel. Perhaps these were all just instincts she could not help but cave in to. But that made him even angrier. He stopped short in front of them, interested in seeing what Galadriel would do.
The raging storm of fury in his heart halted in its tracks the moment Celebrían turned to look up to him.
He stared back at her.
Hello Celebrían, he said.
Her frowning eyes moved over him, analyzing his face. His cheeks, his mouth, his nose. She was trying decipher him, to figure out whether he was friend or foe, even if he had her father's face. Sauron might have laughed. She was smart, there was no denying that.
A worthy heir.
Sauron felt the way Galadriel heart fell when Celebrían slowly lifted her arms towards him.
Yes. Good little being. You recognize greatness when you see it.
“Celebrían-” Galadriel choked. Gods, the distress of the elf was palpable.
When Galadriel’s eyes began to water, he took pity on her. “I will not hurt her.”
She was still frozen, her hold on Celebrían tight.
“Galadriel.”
She tightened the hold on her knife, but he did not care, for she stepped closer. Slowly and carefully, Sauron took up the child, returning Celebrían's curious gaze until he slowly pulled her in to his chest.
A chest that swelled with pride at the touch of her warm little body. He had conceived an heir. And Sauron knew she would be exceptional. Powerful and strong, the light of her mother and the power of her father coursing through her veins. She would move mountains.
He felt something else too, besides pride. But he pushed that feeling away.
“Dada?” Celebrían mumbled.
Sauron laughed. The child knew he bore the face of Halbrand, yet she also knew he was not quite him.
Her question was genuine. She was trying to make sense of this uncanny situation.
“Celebrían,” he said, the name rolling off his tongue like honey. It filled his body with newfound vigor just saying it.
Celebrían.
He gazed down at her, watching her tiny palm lift to his cheek.
The moment her hand touched him, he was pulled into a whirlwind, feeling Halbrand resurface with more force than ever before. Halbrand was furious with him for taking over, he knew that. But even his anger dwindled the moment he regained full consciousness and Celebrían's face was the first thing he saw. Halbrand’s heart slowed and a smile spread on his face.
Is she not beautiful? he even dared to ask him.
Sauron did not reply.
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Annatar/Sauron, Galadriel, and Half-Maia Celebrían Theories:
Tolkien's timeline goes as such.
S.A. 1200 — Annatar arrives in Eregion, meets with all the Elves.
S.A. 1350/1400 — The very first canon text mention of Celebrían. She was traveling through Khazad-dûm with her mother, Galadriel.
S.A. 1200 to S.A. 1500 — Annatar dwelt with the Elves for three centuries before leaving.
S.A. 1500/1600 — The forging of the rings of power, and the forging of the One Ring. Annatar leaves Eregion.
So, the very first canon mention of Celebrían is smack in the middle of the three hundred years that Annatar lived with the Elves.
. . . Do with this information what you will.
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