Prologue - Imladris Beginning of the Third Age of Middle Earth
Pain–a numb pain–an empty hollowness filled her soul. Her slender fingers lay upon her lap, hands folded one onto the other; her back was rigid as she sat in her ebony chair, eyes blank, staring out the window to the east, hopeless, waiting for one who would not return.
The door behind her creaked open, but still the elleth did not turn from her desolate trance.
"Naneth… " came the whispered voice of a young elleth. "Naneth, you must eat... please Naneth… "
She shook herself from her stupor and turned slowly to face her child, her eyes devoid of any emotion save deep sorrow.
"What is the point? He is gone. The enemy is defeated but he is gone."
"We knew this to be a possibility," replied the younger one, as she crossed the room to set a tray upon a small side table and knelt before her mother. "In your heart you must have prepared yourself for father to not return." She took her frail hands in her own. They shook slightly, and her mother sighed softly. "Nana… "
"Little star, my dear little star, I had hoped against hope... but it was in vain. I had hoped for the shadow to be defeated, your father to return and to see you married with elflings of your own," the elder elleth smiled slightly. "He would have loved grandchildren, spoiled them greatly. But alas, Sauron destroyed more than a life that day, he destroyed a future."
"Nay, Naneth, say not so. Ada would have wanted us to continue on to be happy. I will marry one day and you will live to see your grandchildren; you cannot fade… you cannot… " her voice broke as she uttered these last words.
Her mother looked down on her daughter then, unsure of what comfort she could offer her amidst her own grief. Gently she caressed her daughter's beautiful face as she had often done when she was a small elfling.
"Oh little star, I will not fade, but I am not whole any longer, and I cannot tarry on these shores. Only if you too come west will I see the grandchildren I desire; but I do not think that to be... Lord Glorfindel still remains in Middle Earth."
In spite of her tears, the young elleth snorted. "He will remain quite lonely in Middle Earth if he does not cease his suit."
"Perhaps your heart will change, for he is an honorable ellon."
"But I do not love him... not like you love Ada," She added quietly. "If I loved someone, I want to love them like you love Ada."
"And you shall, but I still do not believe your time to sail has come."
Her daughter sighed. "Nay, It has not. I shall remain with Elrond. I will miss you, Naneth… "
She laid her head in her mother's lap for a few passing moments, and mother and daughter remained in the tender embrace for a while as the elder stroked her daughter's raven tresses. Then the younger one sat up and gestured to the tray she had brought in. "You must eat though; you must have nourishment for your journey West. The high Queen of the Noldor cannot arrive on the shores of the Blessed emaciated and grief-stricken; no, you must be proud–proud, beautiful and strong."
The Queen finished the last three words with her daughter. "Proud, beautiful and strong" was what Gil-galad had said when he first met her; they were the virtues she had striven to instill in her daughter from a young age. Now that she was leaving Middle Earth, she could only hope that her daughter would live up to them. Would she find and accept an ellon who would say the same about her one day? Glorfindel thought of her thus no doubt, but she did not return his affection. Would she have a daughter of her own to teach those words too? She was well loved by the little elflings of Imladris, though there were only a few. She no doubt would be an excellent mother. "Proud, beautiful and strong." The queen took the plate from her daughter and began to eat, determined to acquiesce to her daughter's commands if only to grant her some small happiness before she left. Who would she care for when she departed? Who would be the recipient of her ever-giving heart? For a time most likely it would be Elrond; he was her cousin, after all, and she would remain with him until she found her mate, her other half. Who would it be, she wondered. But she would not know for many an age. She had lost her husband, and now, because of her grief, she would lose her daughter. Tears threatened to spill, but did not. "Proud, beautiful and strong." It was all she had ever been and all she would be. She only could hope that her daughter would be the same, despite the fact she would soon be orphaned.
"You should not worry so, Nana… I will be fine." Her daughter's voice broke her silent reverie. "And when my time is done, I will sail with my family. Perhaps Manwë will be kind and release father's feä, and we shall all be reunited. We must have hope, Nana. We have eternity, and it is useless without hope."
Yes, thought the queen before she could muster a response, she will be fine. She had hope, in spite of the grief she had seen, and her hope would be enough to keep her proud, beautiful and strong in a rather weary world.
Imladris, T.A. 107 Winter
"I do not see why you trouble yourself."
"Because, mellon nin, tonight is the night!"
"The night? It is only Yule."
"Only Yule?!" Blonde eyebrows shot up incredulously. "Nay, it is more than just Yule, mellon nin, it is the night I win the heart of the beloved Gíl-wen."
Erestor sighed in exasperation at Glorfindel's futile optimism. Glorfindel and Gíl-wen had been friends for an age and it was unlikely to change because of the warrior's new found heart. Erestor put his head in his right hand and leaned upon the mantel piece for support, a little too close to the lighted candles. His fair face twisted in a perplexed frown. "You must be desperate indeed if you call me 'friend'."
"Oh quiet, Erestor... One of these days, she will relent and let me court her. She will. She must. I love her."
"Of course… "
"She needs only to give me the chance and she will love me too."
"Of course… "
"She will see we are meant to be."
"Of course… "
"She will most likely give me permission tonight."
"Of course… "
"Your hair is on fire."
"Of course… "
"Seriously, Erestor, it is."
The Hall of Fire was bright with candles and holly berries and evergreen boughs for the Yule ball that was held yearly for the inhabitants of Imladris. Dancing, song and revelry lasted long into the cold starry night, and the elves in the hall were all but oblivious to the swirling white snow that fell silently in the calm valley. All but one...
In a corner of the warm hall, oblivious to the festive merry-makers, Gíl-wen blew on the frosted pane and outlined tengwar in the crystal-cloud that formed from the warmth of her breath. She had danced with several of the ellyn and now sought a brief rest. She felt giddy, a bit like an elfling, as she traced the patterns upon the pane, but tonight was the first night since her mother's parting that she did not feel the grief as keenly. It had only been a hundred years and she was slowly healing. Yes, the pain from her parting was still there, a dull ache that could never go away, but she felt that her mother was in a better place to heal from the grief of her father; there was always chance that her parents would be reunited. Gíl-wen was as happy as she could be in the circumstances and she only could only hope that her mother had found some peace in the Blessed Realm.
"Happy Yule, Naneth… " She murmured under her breath and turned to face the boisterous crowd; however, a bright young golden haired elleth obscured her view of the revelry.
"Come, Gíl-wen, you must dance!"
"Shouldn't you be bothering Elrond, Cel?" she asked, eyebrows raised in faint annoyance.
"Of course, but you should be bothering to find yourself a suitor. Lord Glorfindel just arrived," Celebrian announced with a pompous air, then giggled slightly.
"Not him, again."
"Yes, him, indeed. He looks quite handsome. Erestor is with him, and his hair appears to be singed. I wonder what happened." More giggling.
"Really, Cel, how much wine have you consumed?"
"Only one goblet, but Gíl, oh Gíl, I am in love."
"Yes, with Elrond, I know."
"Don't be such a spoil sport. It's Yule! At least dance with Glorfindel."
Gíl-wen sighed resignedly. "One dance... and it doesn't mean I am going to court him."
"Of course… "
"He is rather an insufferable ellon."
"Of course… "
"He tells the worst jokes."
"Of course… "
"But I guess, if I must..."
"Of course… " And with that, Celebrian pushed her gently in the direction of the approaching ellyn.