The Soldier and the Princess
Disclaimer: Lord of the Rings does not belong to me. JRR Tolkien has that happy pleasure. Had that happy pleasure. Anyway, the characters in this story do not belong to me. This is purely to please myself and those besides me who enjoy this sort of thing. I also do not own the song "Enchantment Passing Through." That honor goes to Elton John and Tim Rice.
Author's Notes: This is an Elrond/Celebrian get-together, mainly from Elrond's point of view. If there are any complaints as to how this is done, ::coughcough, Elrond's relationship to Gil-Galad coughcough:: register them politely. Please. I got some slightly less-than-polite comments on my Galadriel/Celeborn fic, which is discontinued. As far as I know, this is an A/U. Enjoy!
Chapter 6: Discipline
I stared at the visiting lady in shock. Of course, only my eyes showed this. Ten years as a courtier and centuries before that as a soldier had taught me that to show my emotions plainly on my face was utter folly. But I was shocked. I thought back to that moment thirteen years ago where I had listened to the wind and the trees with Celebrian. Could this lady possibly be the same woman I had seen, lying sprawled on the grass of a clearing not far from this very city, the veneer of dignity all courtiers possess forgotten, if only for a moment? Could this possibly be the woman who had lectured me on being able to change my fate? This tall, upright, dignified woman who surveyed me coolly with icy blue eyes?
I didn't believe it.
I bowed to the lady. "It is an honor to meet you, my lady."
"And an honor to meet you, my lord." I met her eyes-briefly-but she looked away. My heart suddenly started doing those same tricks it did thirteen years ago. I sternly reprimanded my heart for its utter lack of discipline. I found myself longing for another chance to meet her again, alone, as we had thirteen years ago.
* * *
My chance came that evening, after dinner. I found Celebrian-*Lady* Celebrian, I reminded myself, and you know *nothing* of dealing with beautiful ladies, Elrond, so tread lightly-alone in one of the gardens. I pretended to be surprised.
"Lady Celebrian," I murmured. She jumped. "I apologize for startling you.I-I did not expect to find you here." I heard my voice catch and stumble over the words. I cursed myself mentally for this slip. I bent and kissed her hand.
Lady Celebrian glanced around, making sure we were quite alone. She looked as if she would have slapped me, had propriety allowed it. "You and I both know the truth, *Lord* Elrond. This was not what I meant when I told you to *change your fate.*"
I sighed. "*I* didn't change my fate. My fate changed all on its own. My cousin.died. I saw, but I could do nothing. I never wanted all this."
Suddenly, light dawned in Lady Celebrian's eyes. "You mean you're-" She cut off, blushing. She was as beautiful when she blushed as when she smiled.I gave myself a mental shake and forced myself to focus on anything but *that.* Discipline, I told myself. I saw the gist of her thoughts.
"Yes, I'm the nephew of the king. With all its ups and downs. Yes, I am the Elrond whose grandmother married a human lord."
Her breath caught. "I-I'm sorry if I offended."
"No, Lady Celebrian.you did not offend," I said, though, in truth, her words had hurt. *Discipline,* I sternly reminded myself. And not just my voice, either.
"You still could have told me," Lady Celebrian said quietly.
"*You* never told *me* who *you* were, either," I reminded her.
She smiled. She still had such a beautiful smile. "I suppose I didn't, at that." She ducked her head shyly, so her shining silver-blonde hair hid her face from my view. "Forgive me?"
"I don't see anything to forgive."
She looked up, half-afraid I was playing with her. When she saw I wasn't, her eyes glowed with a beautiful, intoxicating light. She smiled. A beautiful, beautiful smile. *DISCIPLINE!* I shrieked at myself. But a tiny corner of my begged for me to throw aside discipline, to allow my instincts to control me.I squashed that corner of me until it was *very* tiny.
I supposed my face mirrored some of my thoughts, for she hesitantly reached up and ran a delicate finger across my cheek. "Elrond." she whispered.
Discipline was becoming harder by the moment.
"Lady Celebrian-"
She cut me off. "Elrond, please. *Don't* call me 'lady.' I would much rather have things be.like they were.thirteen years ago."
I smiled slightly. "Is this what the trees are telling you today?"
"Yes," she whispered, continuing to caress my face, ever so slightly. I held onto discipline with tooth and nail, and it *still* seemed to want to elude me.I gently pulled away. She looked hurt. "Don't you want this?"
I sighed. "If we start this now, we cannot stop. Celebrian, I am acquainted with the customs of your people. You father will never permit us to marry, and anything less would be indecent and dishonorable."
"Why shouldn't Father allow me to marry you? *You* are the *heir* to Rivendell!"
I shook my head. "It's not that simple. Remember, my mother was half- elven."
She bit her lip. "That *could* pose a problem.but we'll find a way, Elrond. I *know* we will!" The courage and passion in her shining blue eyes destroyed what little discipline I had left.
"Celebrian." I murmured, gently clasping her hand. She shyly leaned towards me.
We kissed.
(A/N: No, this is *not* going to turn up any pre-marital lemons. Not *these* two. These are *elves.* And the heirs to their kingdoms. They don't think that far, that if Elrond gets her pregnant, Celeborn will *have* to let them marry.but these two wouldn't. They wait until they marry. Good for them!!!)
Disclaimer: Lord of the Rings does not belong to me. JRR Tolkien has that happy pleasure. Had that happy pleasure. Anyway, the characters in this story do not belong to me. This is purely to please myself and those besides me who enjoy this sort of thing. I also do not own the song "Enchantment Passing Through." That honor goes to Elton John and Tim Rice.
Author's Notes: This is an Elrond/Celebrian get-together, mainly from Elrond's point of view. If there are any complaints as to how this is done, ::coughcough, Elrond's relationship to Gil-Galad coughcough:: register them politely. Please. I got some slightly less-than-polite comments on my Galadriel/Celeborn fic, which is discontinued. As far as I know, this is an A/U. Enjoy!
Chapter 6: Discipline
I stared at the visiting lady in shock. Of course, only my eyes showed this. Ten years as a courtier and centuries before that as a soldier had taught me that to show my emotions plainly on my face was utter folly. But I was shocked. I thought back to that moment thirteen years ago where I had listened to the wind and the trees with Celebrian. Could this lady possibly be the same woman I had seen, lying sprawled on the grass of a clearing not far from this very city, the veneer of dignity all courtiers possess forgotten, if only for a moment? Could this possibly be the woman who had lectured me on being able to change my fate? This tall, upright, dignified woman who surveyed me coolly with icy blue eyes?
I didn't believe it.
I bowed to the lady. "It is an honor to meet you, my lady."
"And an honor to meet you, my lord." I met her eyes-briefly-but she looked away. My heart suddenly started doing those same tricks it did thirteen years ago. I sternly reprimanded my heart for its utter lack of discipline. I found myself longing for another chance to meet her again, alone, as we had thirteen years ago.
* * *
My chance came that evening, after dinner. I found Celebrian-*Lady* Celebrian, I reminded myself, and you know *nothing* of dealing with beautiful ladies, Elrond, so tread lightly-alone in one of the gardens. I pretended to be surprised.
"Lady Celebrian," I murmured. She jumped. "I apologize for startling you.I-I did not expect to find you here." I heard my voice catch and stumble over the words. I cursed myself mentally for this slip. I bent and kissed her hand.
Lady Celebrian glanced around, making sure we were quite alone. She looked as if she would have slapped me, had propriety allowed it. "You and I both know the truth, *Lord* Elrond. This was not what I meant when I told you to *change your fate.*"
I sighed. "*I* didn't change my fate. My fate changed all on its own. My cousin.died. I saw, but I could do nothing. I never wanted all this."
Suddenly, light dawned in Lady Celebrian's eyes. "You mean you're-" She cut off, blushing. She was as beautiful when she blushed as when she smiled.I gave myself a mental shake and forced myself to focus on anything but *that.* Discipline, I told myself. I saw the gist of her thoughts.
"Yes, I'm the nephew of the king. With all its ups and downs. Yes, I am the Elrond whose grandmother married a human lord."
Her breath caught. "I-I'm sorry if I offended."
"No, Lady Celebrian.you did not offend," I said, though, in truth, her words had hurt. *Discipline,* I sternly reminded myself. And not just my voice, either.
"You still could have told me," Lady Celebrian said quietly.
"*You* never told *me* who *you* were, either," I reminded her.
She smiled. She still had such a beautiful smile. "I suppose I didn't, at that." She ducked her head shyly, so her shining silver-blonde hair hid her face from my view. "Forgive me?"
"I don't see anything to forgive."
She looked up, half-afraid I was playing with her. When she saw I wasn't, her eyes glowed with a beautiful, intoxicating light. She smiled. A beautiful, beautiful smile. *DISCIPLINE!* I shrieked at myself. But a tiny corner of my begged for me to throw aside discipline, to allow my instincts to control me.I squashed that corner of me until it was *very* tiny.
I supposed my face mirrored some of my thoughts, for she hesitantly reached up and ran a delicate finger across my cheek. "Elrond." she whispered.
Discipline was becoming harder by the moment.
"Lady Celebrian-"
She cut me off. "Elrond, please. *Don't* call me 'lady.' I would much rather have things be.like they were.thirteen years ago."
I smiled slightly. "Is this what the trees are telling you today?"
"Yes," she whispered, continuing to caress my face, ever so slightly. I held onto discipline with tooth and nail, and it *still* seemed to want to elude me.I gently pulled away. She looked hurt. "Don't you want this?"
I sighed. "If we start this now, we cannot stop. Celebrian, I am acquainted with the customs of your people. You father will never permit us to marry, and anything less would be indecent and dishonorable."
"Why shouldn't Father allow me to marry you? *You* are the *heir* to Rivendell!"
I shook my head. "It's not that simple. Remember, my mother was half- elven."
She bit her lip. "That *could* pose a problem.but we'll find a way, Elrond. I *know* we will!" The courage and passion in her shining blue eyes destroyed what little discipline I had left.
"Celebrian." I murmured, gently clasping her hand. She shyly leaned towards me.
We kissed.
(A/N: No, this is *not* going to turn up any pre-marital lemons. Not *these* two. These are *elves.* And the heirs to their kingdoms. They don't think that far, that if Elrond gets her pregnant, Celeborn will *have* to let them marry.but these two wouldn't. They wait until they marry. Good for them!!!)