Chapter Text
Galadriel was on the grand porch gazing East as the sun rose above the mountains; the air was pleasantly warm, and the scent of flowers filled the air though she was not alone as her daughter had thought to accompany her this morning and was preparing tea.
It was rather queer to Celebrian her mother had gained a taste for tea, or rather a particular blend that was unknown to her, but she was adamant about discerning the proper mixture.
"It's set, mother," said Celebrian smiling, offering a cup of hot tea to her mother, who took it with a smile.
"Thank you, daughter," Galadriel said before taking a sip of her tea, all the while her daughter looked at her expectantly.
"It's delightful," Galadriel said with a smile.
And it was; the tea brewed by her daughter was much pleasanter than hers but not as good as the one Jon had prepared for her once she had yet to ask him how he brewed it, but she would today.
Mother and daughter chatted happily, letting go of their sorrows as Celeborn's death was ever on their minds, and they knew that many centuries would pass before they could speak of him without weeping.
However, Galadriel heart was filled with joy for the love she felt for Jon had helped her cope with the bitter loss of Celeborn.
However, her thoughts had strayed now to the night of passion that Jon had shared with her beloved aunt before the eyes of gods and men they were bonded.
And though she felt joy knowing her aunt had found such love, some portion of her spirit felt fierce jealousy as she yearned to lay with Jon as her husband to be in the arms of her beloved wolf, but now she faced a rather cruel hardship.
Her daughter Celebrian stared at her eyes filled with love but also faintest suspicion.
The Lady of Light knew that her daughter was much wiser than she appeared, as even Elrond heeded her counsel when she gave it. Celebrian would notice the joy in her heart and wrongfully assume that she felt no sadness at the loss of Celeborn, but that was a mere lie, Galadriel mourned the death of Celeborn deeply, and the annulment of her marriage was the bitterest of poisons, but Galadriel knew she had found love again though she feared her daughters' ire.
That is why Galadriel had kept her oblivious about her feelings for Jon, but she had begun to suspect that Celebrian knew of the love they shared still if her daughter had known she had said nothing on the matter, and that disheartened Galadriel.
Galadriel was terrified of the resentment that her daughter could have when knowing that her mother was smitten with the wild wolf, and if Celebrian behaved as Feanor had done, her heart would surely break; she could not bear losing her beloved daughter and prayed to the Valar Celebrian would not be parted from them.
In addition, he had not yet informed him that the Valar had annulled his marriage to Celeborn at his request. Her father's death was still very fresh in her soul, and Celebrian still did not know the circumstances of his death; if she discovered her father would not leave those Halls until the breaking of Arda, it would be a wound that few could bear.
But Galadriel knew that she should tell the truth to her daughter soon; Celebrian deserved to see the truth in her mother's heart, only she had no inkling how to best handle the quandary, how would she tell her beloved daughter that although her father would ever be in her heart, she had fallen for another.
Unknown to the Lady of Light, her daughter Celebrian already knew her affection for the young wolf, having known for some time though she dared not speak of it, for the valley of Imladris had many wandering eyes and ears, not all of them pleasant.
Knowing that her mother's heart turned to the young mortal caused her no end of sadness and grief.
FLASHBACK
One morning a message came to Imladris informing them of another visit from the Westerosi who desired to see the Valley again. At the same time, a note arrived from Jon Snow saying that he wanted to get away from the fires of Khazad-dûm for a while to be with their family and companions; upon learning that their wild wolf was visiting both elf elves, Írimë and Galadriel were elated, each day that both remain away from their beloved was agony for the two elves.
However, in their happiness to receive that message, neither Írimë nor Galadriel knew they were being spied upon by Celebrian.
That was when Elrond's wife belatedly hoped to discover the truth of her mother's heart.
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Her heart told her that there was more to her mother's newfound happiness than she appeared, and it seemed that Jon Snow was the source. However, the mere thought seemed absurd; her mother was married and would never lower herself to being an adulteress; it was against the very spirit of their people.
So why was her heart so unsettled? Celebrian has long sensed that something was happening between her mother and that young mortal she perceived the link between them, which worried her greatly.
Celebrian must know if there was love blossoming between her mother and that young mortal and come to understand it.
She was not as wrothful and arrogant as Fëanor, but that did not mean that she was joyful about her mother being courted so soon after her father's death; she must know why.
Celebrian could not live consumed up by uncertainty, if her mother truly desired that young man, she must know as sad and painful as the answer may be, and if she is mistaken, she will beg her mother's forgiveness for having doubted her love for her father and she will hope that she will grant it to her.
But first, she needed to know more about Jon Snow; Celebrian knew little of Jon save for what her mother and Elrond had told her she hadn't deemed it fruitful to know him more keenly and to her shame that indifference had worked against her.
She knew that Jon Snow had a laborious childhood in Westeros because of his upbringing as a bastard to hide it from Robert Baratheon after the Rebellion that was the ruin of his family, but she couldn't consult her mother or Lady Írimë as it would be rather queer if she took such a keen interest in him.
However, the opportunity came sooner than Celebrian had hoped; Elrond received a letter from Annuminas the Westerosi would visit Imladris again.
She began to hatch a plan to discover more about Jon Snow's life without raising suspicions from her mother or Lady Írimë, or so she hoped as her mother was the wisest among their people.
Fortunately, Jon Snow's grandmother, Rhaella, travelled with them. Of course, she could hardly ask his lovers or brothers in arms about him as it would arouse curiosity, but perhaps she could get the knowledge from his grandmother, knowing that way that the Lady Írimë would relish the opportunity to hear tales of her beloved, but it was rather queer knowing her mother might be one of Jons lovers.
Celebrian didn't know how to deal with it.
So ordering her servants to prepare a jug of Arnorian wine and some sweets, the Lady of Imladris led the three to a private box, and after a few moments, her mother and Lady Írimë began to ply Rhaella with questions about Jon's life in Westeros as he seldom spoke about it with any save those closest to him even then it was merely tales of his time in the South.
Celebrian and the other knew little of Jon's childhood save that his uncle Eddard Stark's wife openly loathed him thinking that he was a baseborn son of her husband, and so Catelyn Stark refused to acknowledge his presence and mistreated him when he grew wiser and mightier than his cousin Robb seeing Jon as a threat to their inheritance.
She felt indignation when hearing about the wicked manner with which Catelyn treated a child only out of jealousy and fear, reaffirming her desire to never go to know the lands beyond the eastern seas.
Celebrian also noticed that Lady Írimë clenched her fists in anger as she heard Queen Rhaella speak of Jon being mistreated by that horrible bitch, Her wise and reserved mother did not show her emotions. Still, Celebrian discerned it quickly, and she was sure that Lady Írimë and Rhaella had seen it too that her mother Galadriel was furious when she learned of the misery that woman caused Jon.
Then after drinking some more wine, Queen Rhaella began to explain how the life of a bastard works in the distant land of Westeros.
"It is not unexpected for noblemen to have bastard children, though it is considered rude to pry into the origins of a man's bastards. While it is not typical for a noble to bring his bastards home and raise them with his own children, it is usually expected that he will see to the child's well-being to some degree. Some might choose to have their bastards fostered at the home of another lord, while others might decide to raise their bastard at their own home, in the position of a servant. A noble-born wife can take insult at her husband's bastards being introduced into her household and being commensurate in rank with her legally-born children." Rhaella explained before taking another sip of wine.
"But why?" Lady Írimë asked, dismayed to hear such a form of mistreatment of children.
"Because this is the Westerosi culture, my Lady, the men and women there are crooked, wicked and feeble; there is no law in Westeros that punishes men or women of high birth for having bastard children, but instead, they are seen as a sin before all" Rhaella said solemnly.
"That's very cruel," Celebrian said with sadness and disbelief at how unfair the Westerosi culture was in pitying Jon.
"Indeed", her mother seconded, trying to quell her fury, but Celebrian could perceive the wroth of her mother as surely as the clouds above.
"Jon has always said that it is largely thanks to that woman that he never accepted Winterfell as his home, that he often felt like a stranger," Lady Írimë said, shedding tears.
"I have no doubt, bearing a bastard name while living among so many trueborn children can be a great hurt as it reminds them that they are somehow lesser to their siblings," Rhaella said compassionately for her grandson.
"Speak plainly, Rhaella?" Celebrian said, taking a sweet from the table.
"There is a certain disgrace that comes from being born as a bastard. They are said to be born from lust, lies, and weakness, and as such, they are said to be wanton and treacherous by nature. Moreover, because of the stigma bastards have to deal with, they are said to grow up faster than trueborn children. Therefore, even after being legitimised, bastards will usually have much difficulty in removing the shame of having been bastard-born. "Rhaella said sadly as the three elves expressions became ones of ire and fury.
"Do they seek to shackle them with the guilt of their fathers'?" Lady Írimë asked, now incensed and furious with the customs of Westeros as Queen Rhaella nodded.
The former Queen of Westeros too felt an aversion to bastards and saw them as inferior to her, she was a Targaryen Princess, and the Septa who instructed her was a prejudiced and fanatical old woman who took it upon herself to instil those biases in her, and they had festered in her heart for many years. Still, after learning that one of her own grandchildren was raised as a bastard and hearing from his own mouth everything he had to endure because he carried the name snow," Rhaella understood how ignorant and cruel she had been; those poor children took on a burden unwillingly.
The guilt of proving her own ignorance made her wine bitter.
"Are you well, Rhaella?" Celebrian asked, noticing the solemn look upon the Targaryens face.
"Yes, it's just that I remember and regret my own youthful behaviour. But, I have to confess that until I discovered that my own grandson was raised as a bastard, I also shared the belief that they were evil and vile by nature," Rhaella said remorsefully.
"The culture of your homeland is rather", Lady Írimë began to say, but Rhaella cut her off.
"Degrading, unjust and hypocritical? It must be my Lady, now we understand that our people unknowingly serve the perversions of Morgoth, and if I may speak plainly, those bastards poor of noble houses are sometimes treated far cruller than some peasants, "Rhaella said bitterly.
"What?" Galadriel said, her tone laced with wroth, obviously horrified at the thought of her beloved wolf suffering such indignities.
"Bastards do not have the right to use the arms of the highborn families from which they descend. Recognised bastards who take up arms often, but not always, take the coat of arms of their fathers with the colours reversed. But if a recognised bastard born into the nobility openly wore the true colours of his fathers' house, he would be unjustly proffering himself as a legitimate son and not as a bastard, and this would disgrace them, and thus they would be punished whether by flogging or losing a hand, "Rhaella said, shocking the three elves who were horrified by the cruelty and injustice in Westeros.
"In Middle Earth, it is the father, noble or commoner who must act with restraint, and although there is a certain prejudice for the children of men born of baser lusts, we are not so savage as to treat them like animals," Galadriel said, her tone as cold as winters chill.
"However, there are several ways this can change; some may be knighted, others join the Citadel, fewer still join the Night's Watch, and a few fortunate ones are legitimised," Rhaella said, hoping to calm the elven maidens.
"Legitimate?" Lady Írimë asked curiously, and Celebrian was also interested as she had never heard that term while Galadriel searched Rhaella's mind to find out more.
"Besides acknowledging bastards, they can also be legitimised. This power is reserved for monarchs alone. Once a bastard is legitimised, this cannot be undone."Rhaella said
"But what does being 'legitimised' consist of?" Asked Celebrian interested.
"A bastard may inherit if the father has no other trueborn children nor any other direct heirs to follow him. However, in order to inherit or be installed as an heir, the bastard-born child will first have to be legitimised by a royal decree." Queen Rhaella said wistfully as she thought of the life Jon might have had if he was raised alongside Aegon.
"This was caused by the rebellion of Daemon Blackfyre, this hatred of bastards," Galadriel said, recalling the tale of the black dragon causing Celebrian and Lady Írimë to remember the story.
A story that the Kings of Middle-Earth had heard many times from the Westerosi as it was a rather famous tale.
Shiera's father, King Aegon IV Targaryen last decree before his death, was bitter poison that would lay the seeds to generations of war, bloodshed, death, and woe to the realm. Aegon legitimised all his bastard children, causing five generations of strife as the Blackfyre Pretenders tried to claim the Iron Throne.
His eldest bastard son, Daemon Blackfyre, later claimed the Iron Throne and led a bloody civil war known as the First Blackfyre Rebellion. His sons and descendants, aided by another of the Great Bastards and his Father's half brother, Aegor Rivers, led four more wars to seize the Iron Throne before their final claimant, Maelys the Monstrous, was finally killed by an acclaimed Westerosi warrior many years later.