Grey Dawn 4
A couple of years later, Celebrian came to visit for a while. This was to be a longer visit than the previous ones, partly so Celebrian and Elrond could get together and spend some time being lovey dovey.
In the mean time, Thranduil had carried on sending letters and often gifts, all with the sweetest intent. Mithiliel could see though, that his writing had a tendency to sound either like a public address or a bad romance novel. He had a great affinity towards melodrama and histrionics. She had to smile, though; it was very complementary to be told that she had the beauty of the Valar and maybe would outshine the Queen of the Valar in his eyes, though his highly dramatic cries of anguish against the miles between them and their separation were just the tiniest bit irritating. Thranduil could probably make a good living as a bard telling high epics of the past. He would, as a Sindar, probably be highly insulted if she told him that some of his letters sounded rather like some of the writings of Maglor, the son of Feanor.
She, of course, replied though in a rather less extravagant way. Mithiliel was not given to high and overstated declarations and rather would talk on what had been going on in Imladris, covering her search for her family and suchlike. She was still unsure whether she actually loved the blonde King, though she was fond of him. His literary tendencies irritated her, though; if she was to marry him then she wouldn't have to put up with that too much and maybe she could curb them a bit.
As Celebrian rode into the courtyard, Mithiliel rushed down the steps to her sister and then noticed the rather stiff Greenwood messenger beside her. She looked at the messenger with a raised eyebrow.
"I bring messages for The Lord Elrond and the Lady Mithiliel. I met this party on my way here, a day or so ago, and joined with them as I have the same destination." She held out her hand.
"I will take them," she waved a hand at a nearby servant, "Take the messenger and these guards to some rooms; we have had warning of those, so rooms are already prepared. Put the messenger in one of the standard rooms." Somehow she had maintained the role of Lady of the House to some extent and the servants automatically obeyed her. She looked back to the messenger who had yet to respond to her command. She raised her eyebrow again.
"I was told to give these messages to those they are intended for, Mistress, not anyone else." Her eyes went flat at the insulting tone. He had obviously taken her for a house keeper or something.
"I am the Lady Mithiliel and I serve as Lady of the House in the absence of a wife for Lord Elrond. I will take my letter and ensure that the Lord Elrond receives his." Both Celebrian's Lorien guards and the nearby Imladris guards somehow all became conspicuously muscular. Greenwood Elves were not popular in either realm and Mithiliel was well respected in both. Wisely, the messenger apologised and handed over both messages.
He was then gone and Mithiliel could greet her sister properly. Laughing, they hugged each other and expressed how much they missed each other and the other usual thing people, who hadn't seen each other in a while, did. Then, still hugging each other, Mithliel led Celebrian to Elrond's office, where she was sure her sister and the Lord would spend a while greeting each other suitably enthusiastically.
She was right, the two flew into each other's arms and spend a good five minutes kissing each other in a display that was distinctly improper for an unbetrothed pair. They did seem very fond of each other.
"When are you two planning on getting betrothed? You behave like it already. Shall I go to the smith's and ask them to make two silver rings? It looks like you need them." Both looked up at her flushing darkly. Elrond paused for a while before shaking his head.
"It is not proper, Mithiliel, I have not asked Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel's permission for her hand and we cannot be betrothed until I have. To do so, I would have to go to Lorien as well as get my closest relative, who is a little hard to find, to ask them for me. I also suspect that they will insist on us courting a little while longer, though I will soon try for it. I do truly love my Celebrian." Mithiliel smirked slightly at 'My Celebrian'. Apparently Elrond was more than in love enough to be possessive.
"You do know that they will probably accept a substitute for a relative in light of the fact that your closest is probably an extremely distantly related human. The entire race could probably be called a closer relative. And as for the point of accepting you two, anyone who sees you together could tell that you are hopelessly in love with each other. Plus it is probably better for Elf-kind generally if you get a wife as soon as possible." Elrond, who had been nodding in acceptance of the points, started to nod at the last one, then registered what she had said and went red again very rapidly. He then glared at her, now getting rather miffed about everyone telling him he needed a wife.
"You know, the 'me needing a wife' joke is getting just a little old, Mithiliel. Please leave off it, especially in your sister's presence. I'm afraid you'll scare her off and I would rather you didn't. I think you would rather I didn't since you and my chief-councillors seem so desperate to get me married off." Mithiliel just laughed.
"I doubt that, Elrond, she agrees with me and please credit my sister with more of a spine than that!" Both Elves in question laughed and went back to kissing each other.
XXX
That evening, after the meal, Mithiliel and Celebrian retired to Mithiliel's room ,where they were both going to stay the night, as per tradition. While Celebrian was changing into her nightdress, Mith read Thranduil's letter.
"Celebrian? Listen to this." She called, after sighing and rolling her eyes.
My dearest and most beautiful Mithiliel, how I miss thee
As always when I write to you, I miss you more than I could have possibly imagined before I had the most amazing luck to lay eyes on your beautiful and most stunning person. Every night, I dream of your stunning visage and I fear that mine memory, imperfect as it is, might emplace a flaw upon your flawless person, for it failed me, so love-struck was I, to get a true image of thy faultless countenance.
And do I count the days, and my heart beats with anticipation at the thought, until I do see you again. Please, I beg of thee, consider leaving that fair valley in which you do reside and come to my poor home, that dark forest, as soon as the beautiful beasts that do carry us may take you to me and I do hope that by some miracle will bring thee to me e'en sooner...
And so it went on, gushing for all Thranduil was worth. Mithiliel read it out until Celebrian made a gagging sound.
"Please, Mith, no more; is that really how Thranduil writes? He sounds like a bad epic romance. I want to throw up!" Mithiliel laughed, she knew exactly what her sister meant.
"Yes, that is how he writes; though thank Eru he does not speak like that. It is sort of entertaining the first time round, all that high speech a great declamations of love and so on, but it really does wear thin quickly. I am thinking of visiting The Greenwood just for the opportunity to cure him of that. He drives you insane after a while." Mithiliel sighed in exasperation again. Celebrian looked amused.
"He sounds like a complete prat there; I almost wonder why he doesn't use Quenya, it is more suited to that sort of gushing than Sindarin." Mithiliel laughed, she would not make that suggestion to Thranduil.
"He's a Prince of Doriath remember? Like Ada and Thingol of Doriath, he banned Quenya because of the Kinslaying. He'd die before using the Noldorin language." Celebrian laughed. They spent much of the rest of the night gassing about their relative love interests, often giggling.
XXX
The next morning, Mithiliel saw the officious Greenwood messenger around. Out of courtesy, if nothing else, Mithiliel went up to speak to him.
"Well met, Sir, I take it your quarters are to your liking?" It was polite, if a bit icy. He nodded, equally icily.
"Yes, My Lady, they are very comfortable and the servants have been most accommodating."
"And may I enquire for how long do you wish to stay in our home? If it is a long time, I shall have to make more permanent arrangements than those already made."
"My Lord Thranduil has bid me stay until I have an answer from you, My Lady. I would have thought he mentioned so in his letter." The tight smile she directed at the messenger was closer to a grimace.
"King Thranduil must have forgotten to mention it; he was too busy saying other things, Sir. Well, I shall attempt to write quickly and ensure you are not held here too long." They nodded at each other curtly and went about their way. That was one Elf Mithiliel did not like.
XXX
Dearest Thranduil
As to your request, I shall soon be coming to your realm and one presumes that you do not mind me bringing my sister with me. She is on a long visit to Imladris and I wish to introduce the pair of you, though I believe I will hold off the parental stuff until the last possible moment, as I am not entirely sure about whether they have got over their apoplexy at me announcing that we are courting. Celebrian is, thankfully, more open-minded. I will come soon after the letter, probably a few weeks, as I will need to sort things out here, like what the servants and such will do while I am away. Somehow, I have got stuck with the duties of Lady of Imladris and I frequently hope that Elrond will hurry up and ask my parents for Celebrian's hand-in-marriage so she can come here and do all that instead. If nothing else, this is proof Elrond needs a wife, and hopefully he will take all those problems my absence will suddenly bring to him to realise and get on with it!
Enough talk of my travel plans, though judging by your previous missives you are glad to hear of them...
Mithiliel went about things for a while and once she had completed the message, she smiled. Thranduil might speak like an ancient epic but, Eru, she was going to speak like a normal Elf.
The letter went the next day, ridding her of the necessity of dealing with the unpleasant messenger any longer. She shouldn't be so glad at getting rid of any person from her presence but then again, no one is perfect.
She smiled slightly at the thought of introducing Galadriel and Celeborn's blood daughter to The Greenwood. That would be interesting.
