AN: It's finally here. I will try to post another before Christmas but due to the wonderful timing of my cousin's wedding this may be a problem.

On other notes, in a wine shop i found a wine called Red Oliphant! Since the shop did free engraving on the bottle i now own a bottle of the stuff engraved with 'It still only counts as one!' at the top and an oliphant surrounded by spear men on the bottom. Tis tres cool.

Yes, i am far too amused by this.

Anyway, on with the story.

Chapter 21

It took some while for Ingwë and Airatari to discover the full measure of Eru's gift. It was, as far as they could tell, a very advanced form of telepathy with elements of empathy. While some elves could communicate mind to mind and some of the most powerful couples formed a limited form of mind bond between partners nothing on scale of this had been seen before. Both Ingwë and Airatari could, should they feel like it, communicate across just about any distance as well as go somewhat deeper, feeling each other's emotions and general wellbeing. They soon found out that by 'never alone again' that Eru meant that they would always be in each other's head unless one of them deliberately pulled back or hid something and even then they could still feel whether the other was okay.

It was not many years later that Elrond and Celebrian announced her second pregnancy, this time a girl that they named Arwen. It was hard to work out which elf was more delighted about having a new female in the family to protect and cosset and spoil, Finarfin or Celeborn. Of course, both denied that they were doting grandparents if anyone accused them of it. In all fairness, they were both as bad about the twins but boys don't lend themselves to being dressed up and given pretty little expensive presents like little girls do.

XXX

In the obligatory meeting of monarchs immediately after the birth of Arwen, Thranduil brought up a point that sparked quite a discussion.

The blond elf leant back in his chair, frowning slightly.

"Amongst the sindar, it has long been tradition that any son of a royal house, whether in line for the throne or not, receive a squire before they reach adulthood." Amroth and Celeborn nodded together, confirming this.

"Both mine and father's died at the battle of Dagorlad, I have never even tried to replace Ferion." Amroth commented and Celeborn hmmed before adding his own piece.

"Menellaer fell defending me during the fall of Doriath. It has never felt right to replace him either." Amroth nodded in agreement.

"I would never be able to replace Galion should he fall either." Thranduil added. Behind him, said elf gave a very emphatic eye roll, though there was the hint of a pleased smile round his mouth. "Anyway, the point being, I am presently looking for one for Legolas. I never realised how much of a pain it is."

Elrond laughed softly as he saw the way Galion was staring at the ceiling rather pointedly. Both Amroth and Celeborn looked to be considering the problem quite seriously (even though the latter didn't even like Thranduil all that much) so apparently it was a very serious thing amongst the sindar. Elrond's complete lack of knowledge showed that, though he had some sindarin blood, he really had no grounding in his mother's people's culture.

"I'm guessing some of the problem is politics related?" Elrond asked. Thranduil nodded gloomily, rolling his eyes. "Why don't we do a swap then?"

The sindars all stared at him.

"My sons have their fair share of Sindarin royal heritage, and if I had known about this tradition then I would have arranged squire for them as well. It just occurred to me the solution might well be for me to find an Imladris ellon to serve as your son's squire and in return I have Greenwood elves for the twins."

Thranduil leant back to consider that suggestion as Amroth leant forward, eyes bright with consideration.

"I have an even better idea. Why don't I provide one squire for your sons and Thranduil the other? It would do a lot for political cohesion between realms, something that was sorely lacking at the end of the last age." Thranduil was grinning at the other sindarin king.

"That sounds excellent! When we get back to our realms we can each look for someone appropriate." After several minutes considering this, Elrond turned to Galion.

"As the only one in the room with apparently no grounding in Sindarin traditions, can you explain exactly what squires do?" The assorted elves in the room blinked in surprise at Elrond, though Erywen smiled sympathetically at him. As a sylvan elf, she had no real grounding in the role either and had had a similar discussion with Thranduil when he first began looking for a suitable squire for his son.

"It, as you already know, is the lowest rank of nobility amongst the sindar, but the role, well that is quite complicated. First of all, as you are probably aware, a squire is meant to be with his lord, or at least near, at all times. We are supposed to be a friend and a confident of our lord, as well as a bodyguard and able to provide some guidance. Our loyalties lay first with our lord and then with our king." Elrond quirked an eyebrow at that – it was a curious statement. "The reason we are chosen from the lowest rank of nobility, or in rare occasions an exceptional commoner is chosen, is because the court politics rarely touches us. Since we are also the poorest of nobles, barely better off than the commoners really, it is a way of throwing us a bone to bring us into court. We are only allowed to marry after our lord has reached his majority and then we need his permission and whoever we marry must also either be politically neutral or already aligned with our lord. A squire and his spouse is expected to cut any political ties with their family that their lord doesn't specifically approve and once they are married they must live near their lord. Notably, though I do not live within the palace, I live close enough to attend my lord every morning. It is actually very unusual that I do not live in the same building as my lord but that is the subject of personal agreement between King Thranduil and I. Notably Dinembor resided in the adjacent apartment to King Oropher and was always near enough to provide personal protection for the late king."

Elrond hummed quietly. Well, that was very interesting.

"Dinembor, I remember, was very badly affected by Oropher's death." Galion winced slightly.

"It is better to die than to fail to protect your lord." Elrond blinked in surprise, as did the other sindarin lords. Apparently Elrond wasn't the only one to underestimate just how seriously the squires took their job. Galion noticed the reaction. "Being a squire is not a job, my lords, it is a lifestyle choice. To be a squire is to totally dedicate your life to another person. For Dinembor it was particularly important as he had been Oropher's squire since Oropher was a babe, when Thingol himself chose the elf. Dinembor was one of those exceptional commoners I mentioned. His mother was the daughter of a squire but nobility is patrilineal. Thingol wanted such an exceptional elf, of noble blood but not a noble, within his court and guiding his great nephew. Iauvor didn't like the selection because he had another candidate in mind who had political ties that suited Iauvor and would be willing to report back to Oropher's parents everything the young prince did. That was the other reason Thingol overrode him. His candidate choice defiled the very position."

All of the elves stared at Galion in shock. Thranduil blinked several times.

"How do you know all this?" Galion smiled at his king.

"Dinembor trained me. Thingol supported me as your squire when your father chose me, despite Iauvor's protests – he liked me almost as much as he likes Dinembor. Your grandfather really has serious control issues." Thranduil snorted dryly. He's already worked that out. It probably explained a lot about his father's personality. Thankfully Thranduil had been barely more than a baby when Thingol had been killed and so had not known his grandfather well, Iauvor dying when the dwarves of Nogrod sacked Doriath the year after Thingol's death.

"Maybe, Lord Elrond, it would be an idea if King Thanduil's party were to stay a little longer so I could explain to any young ellyn who express an interest in the role exactly what is required. I would be willing to train them later, when they come to the Greenwood. I do not have to be here until a decision is made but it might be an idea for one who has held the role for centuries to explain it for them to give them time to consider what they are taking on. As you say, Imladris's culture is primarily Noldorin so they may not have any source of real information." Elrond and Thranduil looked at each other and nodded. That struck them as a good idea.

XXX

Maybe a day after Celeborn, Galadriel, Amroth and the rest of the Lorien party had left, Legolas limped in the sitting room that his parents, Elrond and Celebrian were talking in being held up by an older ellon. The other ellon was probably no more than a couple of decades past his majority but already had the broad shoulders of someone who trained hard with his weapons.

"My lord King, your son was playing with the young ellon and got a little injured. I thought it might be an idea to bring him back. I don't think he's hurt himself too much but it might be an idea to have a healer look at him." Erywen looked at the young elf approvingly, with a hint of resigned despair.

"Dare I ask what they were doing, if I may ask?" The elf hesitated before answering.

"They had tied a rope to a branch overhanging a small ravine, were swinging from it and jumping to get to the other side." Erywen and Thranduil both sighed. Elrond pierced the elf with a look.

"Why do I have this bad feeling my sons are there as well?" The elf looked sheepishly at his lord. "Could you retrieve them for me and tell them of my orders that this game is to end before anyone else gets injured?"

The elf turned to leave when Galion called him back.

"What is your name, penneth?"

"Sador my lord." Galion smiled.

"Just Galion, if possible, I would like to talk to you when you have time." The elf nodded, excused himself and left. Thranduil looked up at his squire curiously.

"What was that about?" The older elf smiled at Thranduil.

"I think I might have just found your son a squire."