"He is just a friend, Glorfindel!" For the thousandth time, Gíl-wen endeavored to reassure her beloved that Thranduil's advances were nothing serious and merely the actions of one who enjoyed antagonizing others.
While she and the Elven King had certainly spent a few hours in each others company over the past few days, engaged in stimulating conversations during pleasant strolls through the halls of Imladris, for Gíl-wen had kindly offered to show him around, they had not progressed in their friendship beyond the already established endearments. To Gíl-wen's disappointment, there had been no moonlit strolls in the garden and the handsome elf kept his physical distance. There had not been another kiss on the hand that sparked a fire within her. There had merely been a strong friendship kindled between the Sindarin king and the Noldor princess.
"Have you not seen the way he looks at you when you are not looking, Gíl?" replied a rather jealous Glorfindel. He had noted the Thranduil assessing his intended's looks at the farewell feast the evening before and had not approved. "Stupid, foolish me," he thought to himself, "I should have accompanied her into help the queen and not left her out of my sight this past week."
"He is welcome to look," Gíl-wen answered. She was put out by his possessiveness, and secretly smug that the Elven King's eyes had wandered her direction at the feast. During a certain conversation of theirs on one of their walks, Thranduil had mentioned that he would not have fought over anything as silly as jewels, even if they bore the light of the Trees, unless perhaps that jewel were a perfectly polished emerald. He had a fondness for emeralds, he had said, perhaps it was because they reminded him of the greenleaves in the summer. Gíl-wen had laughed at that statement, but that evening had worn a pearl white gown bedecked with green and silver stitching and ornamented with tiny emeralds. She had also consciously donned her mithril and emerald necklace to compliment her outfit. She had noticed his gaze, but, not wanting to upset Glorfindel, ignored it. "Surely, you cannot be offended that others notice my beauty?"
Glorfindel was stumped by her retort. He wanted all to notice his love's beauty, and at the same time he wanted to keep her all to himself. He chose the wiser reply. "Nay, meleth." He said earnestly, crossing the room and taking her hands in his. "Your beauty should be shared with the world; and I suppose I should be proud that a King assessed the elleth on MY arm."
"You should, my fierce balrog slayer. For I am yours, and not his, even though he is a king and you are but a mere captain." Gíl-wen strove to boost her beloved's ego.
She found herself caught between a flirtatious, handsome Elven King, to whom she was inexplicably drawn, and her current suitor, who treated her as if she were one of the Valar. Glorfindel was sweet and caring; but Thranduil– Thranduil was intellectually stimulating and intriguing, and from her observations of his interactions with his mother, quite a compassionate, loving elf. She did not seriously consider him a possible suitor, but she could dream. For now, she was content with Glorfindel's attentions and did not want to do anything to upset their courtship.
"A mere captain, meleth nin? You would settle for a mere captain?" His warm, gentle voice broke through her thoughts as he pulled her from her chair, wrapping his arms about her. She responded in kind, nestling into his embrace and he kissed the top of her raven head.
"Of course," she murmured. "Especially when he is so snuggly."
"Ah, you may snuggle in my arms whenever you want, meleth."
She cocked an eye at him. "It does not detracted from your hardened warrior image?" she asked impishly.
"No one need ever know…" he replied in all seriousness.
"You would not cuddle with me in front of your guards!?" came her skeptical, playful retort.
"I would cuddle with you in front of the whole world, meleth, especially a certain Elven King and his whole kingdom."
She laughed softly. "You are silly, Fin." Then, she melted back into his embrace.
"I find myself utterly giddy when in your presence, hiril vuin, (beloved lady)." And he bestowed another kiss atop her head.
For the next few minutes the couple stood in such a loving embrace until they broke apart to walk hand-in-hand down to the gardens that were lit with rays of the silver moon and the twinkling of the stars. They walked in amicable silence, happy to be in each other's company, after days of being kept apart by their duties to the visiting elves.
"Stupid, foolish me," thought Glorfindel again, as he walked the moonlit paths of Imladris with his beloved princess. "I have completely given her my heart, and I know not what I shall do if she ever thinks to give hers to another. It is quite a good thing that Sinda has gone from this valley. I shall only pray he does not return this way." He paused to tilt Gíl-wen's head towards his own and bestowed upon her a possessive kiss, which she returned eagerly.
She was his and he was hers. And all was right in his world.
