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Elrond sneezed roughly, the spray being deftly caught in his sleeve, even though he did not sneeze often.
He smiled at his lovely wife, Celebrian, whom he had allowed a short trip to the mountains that surrounded their lovely home in Rivendell. She had brought back the smell of the mountain air in her hair, the twinkle of the sunshine on the dew in her eyes, and the smell of the fresh violets that grew there in her dress.
“My dear, you are beaming more brightly than the moon. It is obvious that the reprieve did you much good.” He smiled approvingly as she presented a bouquet of wild flowers. Pollen floated between the two of them, and he could not stay the itching in his sinuses. Another rough sneeze escaped, bending his stately form at the waist.
“My love, you are unwell,” she responded, giving the flowers to a servant and reaching out to him.
He took notice to the pollen which covered her hands, and worked hard not to step back away from the allergen that affected him so. “No merely…” Another sneeze shook him harshly and he stepped back. He withdrew a handkerchief and wiped his dripping nose.
She stepped back as she was reminded of how the parallels between full and half-blood elves deviated at times. He had long ago warned her that he was susceptible to illness. But, she did not notice any of the other symptoms: fever, coughing, dizziness, fatigue - that he had warned her of. Instead, he was only sneezing, and that was odd. She decided to watch for a while before pressing him for more information. Perhaps whatever this was would work itself out.
***LotR***
Elrond pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose. The sneezing had clogged his sinuses and left him with a pounding headache. He wanted to tell Celebrian that the flowers were causing this reaction. But, the smile that shone in her eyes whenever she saw them and the way she smiled at their scent stayed his thoughts. The flowers would die eventually, and then the pain and sneezing would end.
He sneezed so hard he shuddered, and quietly tended his nose.
“My love, perhaps I should summon the healers,” Celebrian said, coming over to him and planting a kiss on his cheek.
Another sneeze and then, “Nothing to be done for it. Thank you.” He noticed that the edges of the flowers had already started to wilt.
“Then you know what it is?” she asked, surprised.
He nodded as he tended to his running nose.
“And?” She sat in front of him. The joy that had shone in her eyes since she came back from the mountains was replaced with worry. She reached out a hand and stroked his cheek.
A sneezing fit, unlike any of the others shook him. He turned away from her as he continued to sneeze wetly.
Celebrian was at his side in an instant. “An illness?” she asked, placing her hand on his shoulder.
“No,” he admitted between sneezes, “a weakness.”
She pulled back and let him tend to his eyes and nose as the sneezes subsided. “A weakness?” she echoed.
“An allergy. To the pollen of your beloved flowers.”
Her jaw went slack as she absorbed his admission. She quickly rushed to the water basin and dipped her hands in. When she was certain that the pollen had been removed, she went back to him. “My love, you are my only beloved. You should have told me.”
“But, the flowers bring you joy. I apologize for my half-blooded weakness. It is nothing for you to concern yourself with.”
She gathered his hands in hers and pulled them to her heart. “Elrond, my Lord, my love – I am concerned where you are concerned. Now, I will have the flowers disposed of.”
Elrond started to argue, but Celebrian continued on.
“Now, what say you about allowing me to make you feel better, oh great healer?”
A wet violent sneeze and a smile was all the answer that was needed for either of them.