DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of Tolkien's characters...blah...blah...
they are Tolkien's off course.
"Lady Galadriel!" Celebrimbor bowed lowly.
She smiled. "Welcome, Celebrimbor! Have a seat."
He hesitated. "Where is Lord Celeborn? I haven't greeted him yet."
"He's in the garden. Celebrían teaches him how to make garlands."
He smiled. "How is the little one?"
"Fine, thank you. She is as she always is. Happy and lovely, although she's a little bit…wild. I guess she's like her mother. But she's all right." smiled Galadriel.
"I'm glad she is."
A silence fell. Galadriel examined his face for a while.
It was…lined. It had got so much wrinkles… Wrinkles of sorrow. She realized that it was a face of someone who hadn't got any hope left.
Suddenly, she began to speak, softly and compassionate.
"I have told you so many times. You have finally seen through him, haven't you?"
He bowed his head. "I don't know how you know it, but yes. Annatar has betrayed me. You were right. As usual."
She grabbed his hand and stroked it softly.
He looked up. She smiled vaguely.
"What are you going to do now?"
He sighed. "I don't know. He locked me up. I escaped. I managed to take these with me."
He showed a small package.
"Look." Three rings twinkled in his hand.
Galadriel held her breath. "Yes." she whispered. "The Elven-Rings. He will never get hold on these."
"Wear it, my Lady. I love you, more than you will ever know. Wear them in memory of Celebrimbor the Foolish. Keep them. Keep them safe."
She stopped his torrent of words by a short gesture. One by one she held up the rings.
"Fire, Air, Water." she muttered. "Noldor, Vanyar, Teleri."
He nodded. "Yes. Who else but you can wear them, you, who descend from these three peoples?"
Yet, she shook her head. "I cannot wear the three of them."
"Then choose one, my Lady, and give the others to whom you want."
She looked into his eyes. "No, Celebrimbor. You have to give them to whom you want. Trust your own wisdom."
Then, she took Narya, the Ring of Fire. The magnificent red stone sparkled on her white hand.
"I have more than enough fire in me. No."
She returned Narya to him.
Next, she took Vilya, the Ring of Air. She stared deep into the blue sapphire and spoke. "I will not take this one either."
And lastly, she took Nenya, the Ring of Water. The white diamond twinkled in her hand.
"Nenya. I will wear this one."
Celebrimbor smiled. It was even more beautiful at her finger... He grabbed her hand and kissed it.
"Lady Galadriel. I will die, because Annatar will surely kill me. But you will wear my ring. Remember me..."
Her eyes stared into his. "Sapphires set in diamonds." he thought once more. Suddenly he noticed that the sapphires were weeping. He placed his hands on her cheeks and kissed her. He felt her lips tremble, but she wrapped her arms around him in a loving embrace.
When he released her, he sobbed. "I'm so sorry, Galadriel."
She smiled carefully. "You don't have to. I love you too." she stammered. "But I love Celeborn too. You have to understand, Celebrimbor. I love both of you. But… otherwise."
She took a deep breathe. "Celeborn is my husband. I love him very much. He's sweet and wise. He's almost my opposite. But I love him. He is the calmness, the tranquility, the safety, the peace that's not in me. But you…" She looked into the fierce, black eyes.
"You are what I am. Restless. Fire. We wouldn't have a future. We wouldn't balance each other. But I really love you…"
He smiled sadly. "I understand. It is true. But…can I call you meldanya…just now?"
She kissed him. "Yes, you can."
"Meldanya…" Celebrimbor muttered while he embraced her. "Don't be angry. I tried so hard…" His black eyes were filled with tears… but even tears could not extinguish the fire in them. "You have chosen Celeborn… You have always chosen for Celeborn… And you are right."
He kissed her again.
"Celebrimbor. I will never be able to choose," she muttered, lying in his arms.
A little later, she walked away. "Farewell, my Celebrimbor. May the Valar be with you."
"Farewell, meldanya Galadriel. I love you. Remember me when I will be in the Halls of Mandos."
Outside the palace, Galadriel stood still. Tears stood in her sapphire eyes.
Suddenly, she saw Celeborn. She quickly stroked her tears away.
"Hello, meleth!" he smiled as he kissed her.
And sadly she thought "I will never be able to choose between meldanya and meleth…"
they are Tolkien's off course.
"Lady Galadriel!" Celebrimbor bowed lowly.
She smiled. "Welcome, Celebrimbor! Have a seat."
He hesitated. "Where is Lord Celeborn? I haven't greeted him yet."
"He's in the garden. Celebrían teaches him how to make garlands."
He smiled. "How is the little one?"
"Fine, thank you. She is as she always is. Happy and lovely, although she's a little bit…wild. I guess she's like her mother. But she's all right." smiled Galadriel.
"I'm glad she is."
A silence fell. Galadriel examined his face for a while.
It was…lined. It had got so much wrinkles… Wrinkles of sorrow. She realized that it was a face of someone who hadn't got any hope left.
Suddenly, she began to speak, softly and compassionate.
"I have told you so many times. You have finally seen through him, haven't you?"
He bowed his head. "I don't know how you know it, but yes. Annatar has betrayed me. You were right. As usual."
She grabbed his hand and stroked it softly.
He looked up. She smiled vaguely.
"What are you going to do now?"
He sighed. "I don't know. He locked me up. I escaped. I managed to take these with me."
He showed a small package.
"Look." Three rings twinkled in his hand.
Galadriel held her breath. "Yes." she whispered. "The Elven-Rings. He will never get hold on these."
"Wear it, my Lady. I love you, more than you will ever know. Wear them in memory of Celebrimbor the Foolish. Keep them. Keep them safe."
She stopped his torrent of words by a short gesture. One by one she held up the rings.
"Fire, Air, Water." she muttered. "Noldor, Vanyar, Teleri."
He nodded. "Yes. Who else but you can wear them, you, who descend from these three peoples?"
Yet, she shook her head. "I cannot wear the three of them."
"Then choose one, my Lady, and give the others to whom you want."
She looked into his eyes. "No, Celebrimbor. You have to give them to whom you want. Trust your own wisdom."
Then, she took Narya, the Ring of Fire. The magnificent red stone sparkled on her white hand.
"I have more than enough fire in me. No."
She returned Narya to him.
Next, she took Vilya, the Ring of Air. She stared deep into the blue sapphire and spoke. "I will not take this one either."
And lastly, she took Nenya, the Ring of Water. The white diamond twinkled in her hand.
"Nenya. I will wear this one."
Celebrimbor smiled. It was even more beautiful at her finger... He grabbed her hand and kissed it.
"Lady Galadriel. I will die, because Annatar will surely kill me. But you will wear my ring. Remember me..."
Her eyes stared into his. "Sapphires set in diamonds." he thought once more. Suddenly he noticed that the sapphires were weeping. He placed his hands on her cheeks and kissed her. He felt her lips tremble, but she wrapped her arms around him in a loving embrace.
When he released her, he sobbed. "I'm so sorry, Galadriel."
She smiled carefully. "You don't have to. I love you too." she stammered. "But I love Celeborn too. You have to understand, Celebrimbor. I love both of you. But… otherwise."
She took a deep breathe. "Celeborn is my husband. I love him very much. He's sweet and wise. He's almost my opposite. But I love him. He is the calmness, the tranquility, the safety, the peace that's not in me. But you…" She looked into the fierce, black eyes.
"You are what I am. Restless. Fire. We wouldn't have a future. We wouldn't balance each other. But I really love you…"
He smiled sadly. "I understand. It is true. But…can I call you meldanya…just now?"
She kissed him. "Yes, you can."
"Meldanya…" Celebrimbor muttered while he embraced her. "Don't be angry. I tried so hard…" His black eyes were filled with tears… but even tears could not extinguish the fire in them. "You have chosen Celeborn… You have always chosen for Celeborn… And you are right."
He kissed her again.
"Celebrimbor. I will never be able to choose," she muttered, lying in his arms.
A little later, she walked away. "Farewell, my Celebrimbor. May the Valar be with you."
"Farewell, meldanya Galadriel. I love you. Remember me when I will be in the Halls of Mandos."
Outside the palace, Galadriel stood still. Tears stood in her sapphire eyes.
Suddenly, she saw Celeborn. She quickly stroked her tears away.
"Hello, meleth!" he smiled as he kissed her.
And sadly she thought "I will never be able to choose between meldanya and meleth…"