"We build ourselves on our memories."
Lindir was walking in the beautiful gardens of Imladris, wandering through the wonderfully coloured and scented patches of flowers. He was accompanying Lord Elrond. After the last meal, the latter had asked him if he would come to the gardens with him. To this point, nothing shocking. Except, his voice was far too even to be natural, even for the Lord of Imladris, who had become a master in this art. So Lindir was now trying to understand what the problem might be. Thinking about it, he realised he hadn't seen much of his Lord in the gardens recently. He tried to start a conversation.
"These are wonderful." He said when they passed a particularly fragranced patch.
"Yes, they are, indeed…" The Lord said in a dreamy voice.
He had slowed his pace considerably and was now contemplating the flowers with a lost and tormented look. Lindir frowned as he tried and understand what was wrong with his Lord. "It must be something about those flowers… What do I know about them?" he was urged a bit more when he saw silent tears streaming down his Lord's face. He quickly found the name of the flowers, but he couldn't find any link. "Maybe their popular name… the laughing eyes of a lose bun bestowing the rosy grace of love…" It came from a poem… He couldn't remember which one, which was surprising since he always knew about every poem he ever heard. Knowing this was probably the key, he recited it:
The laughing eyes of a lose bun
Bestowing the rosy grace of love,
Met my path on a sunny morning,
When all was dark for me.
Her touch of silken fur
Her scent of miruvar,
I bent to look to her and she took me higher.
A wild flower that cannot be willed if unwilling,
She didn't turn away.
She took my hand and my heart shone again,
Of a brighter light than the stars and the Flames of the Valar.
Her heart so pure,
Yet she wheeled my heart from black to love.
But he could not find where this poem came from. Lord Elrond had knelt down and now let his tears run freely. Lindir was worried, he hadn't seen his Lord like that since Lady Celebrian… "the laughing eyes of a lose bun"… oh… It was obvious though, how could he not have seen it earlier. This poem was the one Lord Elrond had written for his Lady. And these flowers had since become her flowers. And today was exactly 2 000 years since she had sailed away. Oh dear…
The first time they had met they were both younglings, him merely of age and her just nearing it. He wasn't completely ignorant in regard of the affairs concerning women, he and his brother were considered as the greatest flirting bachelors of Gondolin, but he had never felt what he felt when he saw her. And he never did again for anyone else. It was an official presentation on the occasion of a political meeting between their protector and the rulers of the Galadrim. It was a brief meeting, like all the others for the next 1 000 years. And then he lost his bother. He remembered that it was six months after that, and that he was mourning in the gardens of Imladris when she had approached him. She had sat next to him, smirking at him with laughing eyes that made him both surprised and fascinated.
"Milady?"
He questioned with slightly raised eyebrows. A soft laugh escaped her lips before she answered:
"My Lord, I apologise for troubling your mourning, but I think the situation is very ironic. You cry for a brother and yet you are sitting amongst the flowers of happiness and love. Are you sure time of mourning isn't over?"
He looked, bemused, at this beautiful elleth who had been bold enough as to approach a Lord she barely knew and dared talk to him in such a way that was considered quite inappropriate by most. Although he probably should have rejected her and put things back to their place, he found that he was quite attracted to that boldness, it only seemed to him it was another quality of this swan-like elleth. So he smiled to her:
"You are probably right, Milady."
"Please call me Celebrian."
"So, Lady Celebrian, would you help me find the exit?"
He was standing and extending his hand to her, a playful smile on his lips. She sighed so not to show too much enthusiasm, but nonetheless took his hands and got up, which made them both slightly blush.
They had wandered in the gardens all afternoon, talking about everything and anything. At some point they got carried away in their conversation, forgetting everything around them, rejoicing in each other's presence and laugh. The whole surface of his arms where she was holding it felt as if it was burning, and each time she laughed his ears tingled in pleasure. They were so enclosed in their discussion that when Haldir, the Galadrim's marchwarden, interrupted them with a bow of his head and a formal "My Lord. Milady, your mother awaits you.", they looked at him with wide blinking eyes for a good minute, turned to each other and, trying not to show they were blushing, turned to him with serious faces. They reluctantly let go of each other's arm and parted ways. The marchwarden was a bit disconcerted by their strange attitude, but didn't look further into it as he had many other things to do.
Lord Elrond didn't go very far. He soon came upon the sight of beautiful flowers, commonly called "the laughing eyes of a lose bun" because of some ancient myth. When he thought the name, the picture of Lady Celebrian imposed itself in his mind, and he thought that she indeed had laughing eyes, and most of the time arranged her hair in a lose bun. A spur of inspiration took him, and fetching a scroll and some ink, he wrote for the rest of the afternoon.
The night of this same day, a feast was organised where poems were to be posted on the walls. Many elves from both Imladris and the Galadrim took part in the event. In the evening, guests arrived in their most refined attires. Lady Celebrian was wearing a fine dress between ice and light blue, her hair in half tresses joined in a semi tight bun. She was a glowing swan, and Lord Elrond swore he wouldn't be able to conduct salutations properly if she came closer to him. However, he managed quite well, and was very proud of himself at the end, until she walked towards him and he realised that he hadn't saluted her. He took a deep breath before saying a calm but quick "Lady Celebrian" and bowing his head. She was smirking when she answered his salutations, and he felt his cheeks burn. He led her to the high-guests' table where she sat besides her mother, only a few seats from him. The meal in itself went unevenly, people talking to each other mostly about political issues or life in the two cities. Then came the moment all expected. People got up and moved around to read the poems on the walls. Some people were dancing while waiting for their turn, including Lady Celebrian, which made the Lord of Imladris pout as he saw her twirling around with other elves. Suddenly, though, people started to agglomerate in front of one of the walls, and whispered chats filled the room. The dancers all stopped and most approached too. Soon the Lady of Light asked what it was that produced such a commotion. One of the Lady answered:
"Milady, it is one of the poem. It is probably one of the most beautiful declaration one could make."
"A declaration?"
"Yes, a declaration of love."
Lady Galadriel smiled and asked who was the poet and the beloved.
"That is, milady, we do not know. It is not signed and there is no mention of a name inside it."
The Lady of light was still smirking.
"Are you sure there are no signs?"
"Yes milady."
Still smirking, the queen raised an eyebrow. The poem was brought at the centre of the room and recited by Lindir, Imladris' minstrel. His Lord literally shrunk into his chair, until curiosity took him. Why was Lady Celebrian blushing and looking flushed? Hopefully, his future mother-in-law had also noticed and brought it out.
"Is something amiss, peneth?"
"No… I do not know… It's like… this poem literally touched me…"
"Aye, it is a very beautiful one."
Meanwhile, Lord Elrond was nearly having a fit. His heart was leaping forwards at every beat.
The night had ended as it had begun. For the next few days, or years actually, people hadn't stopped trying to know who was involved in the poem. Elrond had kept it in his desk-drawer. One day, he had been reading it, as he often did, when he had been interrupted by Glorfindel who had urged him to the main yard. He had carelessly left the poem on his desk and gone after his advisor. When they reached their destination, they were welcomed by the most beautiful sound Elrond would ever hear.
"Elrond!"
Lady Celebrian cheered. She almost ran towards them - well him, that he was proud – and stopped just in front Elrond with a big smile and a slight blush. He couldn't resist that, the occasion was too good.
"Lady Celebrian." He saluted as he took her hand and kissed it lightly.
She was fully blushing now, and her lips were slightly parted and her breath a bit quicker than normal.
"Celebrian, this is not proper!"
Her parents were coming and they were not happy their daughter had run off like that. When they saw her face though, they had a hard time containing their laughers.
Not long after, by ways he couldn't remember, she had come to his office, and had seen the poem before he could hide it. At first she had seemed to freeze and tears were about to run down her cheeks, until she saw the small drawing he had made of her at the bottom of the scroll. She then turned bright red and avoiding his gaze she put the poem back on his desk. He was blushing and embarrassed too, but he couldn't resist watching her. She was so beautiful when she was flushed… a long and silent moment passed before she timidly lifted her eyes to him. Their gazes locked and they stared into each other's eyes until Lindir came in and announced that Elrond was needed in the council room. They met again in the gardens in the evening.
"Lady Celebrian." He greeted her in a low voice, nearly relieved.
Before he had fully arrived at her level, she was on her toes and pressing her lips on his. His heart was bursting, he didn't want this to stop. But it did:
"Please, Elrond, call me Celebrian." She whispered in his ear.
They were alone… his self-control somehow broke and before her heels lowered down again, he caught her by the hips and kissed her. And not shyly. She responded very positively, kissing back and moaning.
At some point her hands found their way to his hair, sending a shiver down his spine. His hands went down and she broke the kiss. He feared he had gone too far, but she didn't back off. She simply was out of breath. He smiled proudly and opened his mouth to speak but she kissed him again before any sound could get out. He found a bench not far from where they were. He led her there and she sat on his lap. They remained there kissing and talking for most of the night.
They had seen each other many times after that, courted for about a hundred years, got married, had children… and every time new steps were taken on the same day of the year. So he had taken the habit of offering her one of her flower on this day.
"My Lord, are you alright?"
"Yes, Lindir. I just miss her, that is all."
So Lindi left his Lord to his thoughts and sat on a bench nearby, only coming near him before the evening meal, leading back to his quarters and warning all the advisors and inhabitants Imladris that their Lord was unwell and wouldn't attend the dinner, and no one should bother him this night. Elrond cried himself to sleep this night, and met his Flower in his dream.