"I think I love you."

"That is a comforting fact."

"I really do."

"When will you come back?"

"That's the thing, love. I'm not coming back."

"I knew you wouldn't."

"I knew I wouldn't too."

"I guess this is goodbye?"

"Yes, I am sorry."

"I will miss you. I will remember you."

"I am going to as well. Maybe one day we will…"

"No, you will find something else. Don't you dare look back."

"I think I love you."

"Keep moving forward, beloved."

"Farewell…"

"Farewell."

"Sometimes I imagine, you know, Galion. Do you ever imagine conversations in your head just because you are lonely?"

Galion looked up from his glass, which was filled with a richly coloured, dark beverage. He did not think that his friend, the guard had had that much to drink so this was a surprising topic coming from the elf. "I do sometimes," Galion quietly replied. He would play along for Elros.

The guard gave a snort, shrugging his shoulders and suddenly coming out of the mood he had been entering. "Well, it is good to have a companion in absurdity," Elros said.

Galion supressed a grin. The butler was pleased that his comment had lead the ellon from his fog. "It isn't only absurdity, mellon. I do feel lonely from time to time, but hardly whenever I am with you."

Elros cracked a smile, looking down into his own glass of liquor. The dark elf raised his head with a glimmer in his dark irises to scan the crowd within Elsador's Halls. The cavernous room was bustling with many merry making ellyn and ellith. This was the pub to which nearly all working in the Palace Guard came for relaxation and freedom from duty.

The hall was filled with golden light, shimmering though the west facing windows at the front of the building. The sun would be setting in an hour. A roaring fire was lit against the north wall, to Elros' left. It snapped and popped, punctuating the mull of conversation in the chamber as the flames burned a bright orange. The motely crowd of Guardsmen dressed in their usual colours of the forest: dark green, deep brown, russet, and silver, shifted like a sea of bristling grasses. The sound of heavy mail would occasionally cut sharply through the noises, jingling as someone removed their heavy burden. This was one of Elros' favourite places to visit.

"You want to go shoot?" Galion inquired out of the blue.

Elros turned his attention to his companion, who was had a mischievous look in his hazel eyes. "You never ask me if I want to spar," Elros chided teasingly, showing white teeth in a grin.

Galion tutted. "You know exactly why."

Elros finished his drink then spoke, "You are correct. I will humour you once again, but only because I am feeling generous."

The butler would have rolled his eyes if his attention was not caught by the wonderful feeling of liquor burning his throat and warming his heart. Galion finished the drink. Elros could sometimes be too much… The butler placed his glass down onto the beautifully carved mahogany bar table. "So, do you want to?" Galion asked.

Elros nodded, standing and removing his overcoat from his chair's back. "Let us go before the sun drops any lower."

Galion smiled to himself as he also rose. The two stepped out of the building, both slipping on their respective jackets. The sky was large and blue at the moment. The chill air would only be growing colder as the hour grew and the sun sank. The feeling of winter was once again falling about the entire Woodland Realm, but soon spring would come.

Elros let his feet take him to the training grounds. They would have about half of an hour to shoot. The Nandorin ellon always found it amusing that Galion enjoyed to rub his prowess with the bow in Elros' face, though the butler never went out for practice whenever anyone would be around. Galion seemed to enjoy their private games.

Personally, Elros preferred the sword. Ever since the first day he had carried the sword against an enemy, he had favoured the feeling of a pommel pressing against the heel of his hand and the presence of the hilt of a weighty sword gripped in his palms. It made him feel good, but apparently, Galion enjoyed the bow. He supposed given Galion's past, the butler would be more inclined to using a weapon that could kill from far away.

"You can go first because I think I remember going first last time," Elros spoke whilst removing a richly coloured bow and leather quiver from the rack, which stood near the shooting table. Across from the pair was a beige target about twenty yards out.

Galion took a bow of his own, slinging the quiver over his shoulder and nocking an arrow. He gave Elros a smile before letting it loose. "I distinctly remember that actually," Galion said. He paused before approaching the subject he wanted to broach, drawing another arrow and sending the shaft sailing down the range. "It feels good to be outside, doesn't it?" He asked innocently.

It wasn't innocently enough, however. Elros noticed the change of tone in Galion's voice. "Yes, it is," he said somewhat hesitantly. He began to shoot his arrows as well. He left the conversation at that, but racked his brain for a reason why Galion would be so curious… He had a good idea why but was loathe to accept it. He hadn't thought his behaviour was that unusual… Alright. Maybe it was.

Galion spoke into his thoughts. "The weather will be nearing spring. I am willing to bet that you are excited for that."

Elros nodded slowly. "Yes, I am," he said.

Galion continued to prod. "A time of new life and fresh beginnings" –

Elros let his head drop at the ridiculousness of the butler's tactics. "Why don't you ever just ask?" He questioned. He wasn't angry just interested.

Galion stopped shooting and quirked an eyebrow. "Fine," he said. "What is bothering you? You were acting… pensive earlier."

The guard sent an arrow deep into the target ahead. Did he really want this conversation to start? Who else would he be able to talk about it with then with Galion? He guessed that no one would understand the way Galion would. "I was… just feeling," he said ubiquitously.

"Well, yes, that is exactly what you were doing," Galion said dryly.

Elros let the memory of the thoughts come back to him. It wasn't difficult to conjure those same feelings again. "I guess I was just feeling lonely. You know I think I finally understand why our king is so cold," he began. The words started to rush out before he even knew what he was doing. "I know how someone can miss another someone so much. Yet, in my heart I feel like I can move on any moment. I feel like I have the key in some way and I wonder why our lord doesn't do that. He is stuck and I feel bad for him." Elros halted, blushing as he realised what he had been saying.

Galion was simply listening. He had not shot any more arrows lest he be distracted and miss something. Elros was certainly in a strange mood, but it was Galion's duty as his best friend to at least pay attention. He gave Elros a half smile. "To be honest, I feel the same way. Love has ravaged Thranduil's life. It scares me to think that one can fall so easily."

Elros inclined his head. He leaned on his bow slightly. "It is easy. I can attest to that fact." His memories floated back to the time when he had first seen his late wife. He had been immediately captivated by her beauty, later by her character. "I fear for falling again. It doesn't take much for an ellith to flash a saccharine smile and catch an ellon, but I think the queen loved him, for as much as I know about the issue," Elros finished cautiously.

"You know I have my eye on an elleth. You would warn a friend if you felt she was not what she seemed?" Galion asked tentatively. He was laying his fears open.

Elros snorted. "Yes, Galion I would tell you. I think you actually found a nice elleth. A little rough around the edges but she is a very trustworthy."

This time it was Galion's turn to blush. "I don't suppose that I will ever be able to dance with her again though," Galion said, his mind returning to that wonderful night. Feeling her in his arms, so close to him, had been intoxicating and its effects had scarcely faded even after a year.

"The festival is nearing again. It is merely a week away. You would only need to ask her to join you and I am sure she would accept your company," Elros offered.

The butler shook his head lightly. "I don't think I could. It took so much effort the last time, that I fear I would surely faint if put up to it again." He sighed. "It would be nice, but I have also heard that she is moving from the palace to the Golden Wood to serve Lord Celeborn."

This was the first of the news that Elros had heard. He absently wondered how closely Galion followed his crush. "Then how about asking her to give you one last dance."

Galion's eyes suddenly met Elros' ashamedly and the guard understood why. He couldn't say goodbye after a last dance. Elros gave the older ellon a soft smile back, letting the elf know that he knew. "You don't have to be alone to be alone, do you?" Elros mused, breaking the eye contact and turning to face the target. He resumed his shooting, sending a couple of arrows down the range. Galion let fly a couple of shafts as well, letting the silence speak for itself.

The pair shot for a while longer until the sun dipped below the treeline and twilight changed the sky from its soft pink hue to one of periwinkle and finally to deep blue. The two were putting away their gear when the first stars, besides Eärendil's, were starting to come out of hiding. With a cheery voice, Elros broke the quiet stillness of the air. "Let's go back to the palace,"

Galion gave Elros an inquisitive look. "That is where I was assuming we were headed now," he began.

"I mean, of course, but." Elros gestured to emphasise his point. "I mean, let us go to the palace and get in some trouble," the guard said innocently.

"What sort of trouble?" Galion asked, wary as to what Elros had in mind.

"You will see when we get there," Elros teased taking the lead back towards the palace. The air was turning icy, furthering his want to get back into the relative warmth of the king's palace.

Galion moved to follow Elros. He did not have much choice. It was getting cold now that the sun was effectively over the brim of the world... or whatever shape Arda was nowadays. He had lost track over the years. It would bother him to no end until he found out of course… unless Elros' strange behaviour preoccupied him.

The guard took him back to the palace and after they had cleaned up somewhat, Elros began to lead the butler deeper into the cavernous halls. The blasted guard would not give him any clues as to where exactly they were going, but as the journey continued Galion began to hazard a guess. "We are not heading to the king's private" –

Elros cut through Galion's thoughts with a harsh shushing. He paused mid-step to listen for anyone near then he spoke, "Yes, we are," he said nonchalantly.

It was that moment when Galion felt the need to turn back and head the other way, but as always, a mischievous flare pushed him along. He followed Elros with new interest until they ducked through a torch lit passageway carved into the rough sandstone. The golden light reflecting off the walls was more than enough to bleed into the huge chamber that the passage opened into.

Galion felt his jaw drop. He had only seen this chamber once in his entire lifetime, besides this night. How Elros, had found it would have to be another story for another time. The butler stood in uncharacteristic, slack jawed awe.

The chamber was magnificent. It was a round area with numerous natural stalagmites growing off the floor, fencing half of the small in limestone jaws. The rough ceiling was domed and gloriously lit with two large chandeliers that gave off a wondrous amber hue to the cave. In the centre of the formation was a large body of crystal clear water. It bubbled and frothed seemingly of its own. Other water works included a glistening polished grey stone slide and a swinging rope. A large stone slab table, flecked with precious gold sat lazily at the right-hand side. It was generously stocked with soft, pristine towels. Galion guessed that even the floors were warmed…

Elros snapped Galion out of his appreciation for the room with a flourish of his hand. "Let us forget the upcoming festival and all of its worries. What do you say?" Elros asked invitingly.

A part of Galion prompted him to be cautious, not that he had never done anything like this before. "What if the king catches us?" He asked knowing what answer Elros would give. It was really tempting and sounded exactly like the thing to take their minds off the struggles of love and life.

Elros looked around as if he expected to see Thranduil in the room, standing with a disapproving look on his face. Thankfully, Thranduil wasn't there. "He hasn't used this thing in what? Like fifty years?"

Galion nodded, it had been about that long… or that was a good estimate. He grinned, giving Elros his answer with one look. "Then let's do some forgetting!" Galion piped ripping his tunic off and stooping to remove his dull, brown boots.

Elros gave his own wicked grin and stripped as well. "Last one in the water is Osgar's meat pie!"

Happy Valentine's Day