Among the Golden Trees
Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings, nor any characters mentioned. All characters and places are owned by J. R. R. Tolkein and not me, although I wish I did.
There are places in Middle-Earth that have never been fully explored, and have never been fully appreciated, save by those who live there and know them best; it is in one of these such places that two very important and powerful Elves met. As you can guess, these two Elves fell in love, and who knows what sort of mishap may have occurred if they had not. All lands may be covered in darkness; sons may not know their mothers and die before their fathers because of their brother's sword. But these two Elves did meet, and they did fall in love, and we're all happy and well because of it.
Few now walk the forests and truly appreciate its beauty and symbolism, but it is said that long ago Elves --wise, powerful, and fairest of all beings-had a certain love for nature and things that grow, particularly trees. Therefore, it is no wonder that Lord Elrond Half-Elven, mighty among both Elves and Men, chose to make his Elf-haven in a forest and name it Rivendell.
None save the Elves know of the young years of the Great Elves, the Ring-bearing Elves: Elrond, Galadriel, and Cirdan (who gave his Ring to Gandalf); and none are left here to tell us of those years, for this is the Age of Men, and it will be so for until new creatures emerge from the Earth. That does not mean, however, that there were no young years: at one time Celeborn was only one thousand years old, and Galadriel had not yet received her Ring --Nenya, the Ring of Adamant. And at one time, they were alone in a golden wood.
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Gold leaves spiraled down from unseen treetops up above. They fell upon the shoulders of a tall Elf clad in grey. Normally grim-faced, his features softened as he looked upon the fairest of all woods, sure of his safety for no mortal ventured here save by accident. No sound was heard, all was peaceful, pleasant, and perfect…
A soft voice reached the pointed ears of the Elf. Hearing gentle footsteps, he turned and swiftly stood by a huge, golden mallorn tree, instantly camouflaging in his Elven cloak. His amber eyes searched the glade, enhanced vision looking for the creature that was also in this blessed wood.
It was an Elf maiden, clad in flowing white. Her long blonde hair cascaded down her back like silent water down a brook. Her bare feet made little sound as they touched the green ground lightly, leaving little print. A soft melody escaped her lips, and the Elf was captivated by her. The Elf maiden was beautiful, as beautiful as a dawn not yet touched by the reds and yellows of the sun-still pale, almost colorless --but not white as the dead, for the Elves are immortal. A single, amber leaf from a tree branch high above fell down, spinning and turning, and dropped gracefully upon her, then floated away.
Suddenly she stopped, and her voice dropped and fell silent. Her bright eyes looked around her, and finally rested upon the mallorn behind which the Elf stood watching her.
The Elf, no longer afraid, stepped out from the cover of the mallorn tree. He drew back his grey hood, and the Elf maiden saw that there stood an Elf-warrior, his armor now removed. Strong he looked, yet mysterious and powerful. An Elf-lord he was, and the Elf maiden cast away her fear and smiled at him politely in greeting.
Her bright blue eyes shimmered as she spoke, a voice like soft silver bells ringing. "Who is this that walks with me among the Golden trees?"
The Elf's breath stopped short, and he halted, amazed. Swallowing nervously, he became sure of his voice and replied: "I am Celeborn, and once I walked these woods alone. Who might you be?"
She turned completely toward him, and he saw that she was nearly as tall as he. "I am Galadriel, and I have seen these trees many times." She looked fondly at them. "They are beautiful, are they not?"
Celeborn glanced at the trees, and once would have touched their barks and whispered to them, but he was entranced by this Elf maiden. He answered, "Yes, they are, Lady. But not nearly as beautiful as you."
At this, she turned to him, and gazed deep into his eyes, as if trying to read his soul. He endured her stare, which surprised her, and she laughed. "Few have endured my company, Lord Celeborn, for as long as you have." She stepped toward him. He smiled, enchanted by her loveliness and purity, and from that moment on he loved the Lady Galadriel, and she loved him in return.
They walked together into the deepest depths of the Golden Wood, and none save they know what was said or done. But when they returned, they were arm-in-arm, and looked no longer at the trees, only each other.
As Celeborn stood before her, Galadriel did not remember what was just said, and only knew sound had come from his lips and filled her entire being with music and happiness. He was sunlight on the grass, he was the wind through the leaves of gold and silver trees, he was eternal life itself.
And as Galadriel smiled at Celeborn, he fell deeper into her eyes, azure skies clear as day and free from mist and fog. She was everything to him: the elanor flower among the tall, green grass swaying in the gentle breeze; she was the large, gentle mallorn tree, great in age but beautiful and wise. Celeborn smiled dreamily, and moved towards her, running his hand through her long, flowing hair.
A mysterious light, bright but not harsh, seemed to kindle in Galadriel's eyes now, and it was like fire in the sense that it could warm you, but if you ignored it, the fire would leap out and burn you; but this light could not be put out, and it did not flicker. This magical light in her eyes drew closer to Celeborn and he realized she moved towards him also.
Their lips touched, and they embraced. A slight breeze picked up Galadriel's white hem and blew it tight around her, doing the same with Celeborn's cloak. He drew her closer, as if to shield her from the wind, and she fit perfectly in his arms, willingly coming to him. The breeze died down, but they did not pull away. As they kissed again, a rush of adrenaline flew down his spine, and he felt graced to be with such a beautiful and learned woman.
At this moment, without speaking a word, the love between Galadriel, Lady of Light, and Elven-Lord Celeborn was confirmed; and they walked often the woods of the golden mallorn trees, and in one year, they were wed.
In the Golden Wood, where Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel once walked alone at one with nature, there they built a haven, much like Rivendell, where Elves could walk in peace. It was named Laurelindorenan, later changed to Lothlorien, or simply Lorien, and it was because of this that the Lady of the Wood received Nenya, the Ring of Adamant, and so she became one of the Three.
The Lady Galadriel bore Celeborn only one daughter; and Celebrian she was named; and when she was grown, she wed Elrond of Rivendell and had Arwen Undomiel.
And so the War of the Ring began, and when it was over Nenya was shorn of its power. So, the Lord and Lady of the Wood passed with Elrond and the remainder of the Elves and Ring bearers (all save Samwise) over the Sea to the Undying Land and never walked this Middle-Earth again.
Today, where once there stood a Golden Wood of mallorn trees there is a highway on which cars drive everyday. It is a huge intersection, and in the midst of it, all there is a single spot of grass; in the middle of which stands a small, strange sapling, and no others like it exist anywhere on the Earth. And no others like it will ever exist on Earth ever. For it is the last of the mallorn trees, and it was the very tree that a certain Elf-lord stood behind when he fell in love with a certain beautiful Elf-maiden long, long ago.