Chapter Two:
"I absolutely love it!" Celebrian exclaimed, as she and her parents passed under the old stone entryway to Imladris. "It smells so different here."
"Welcome to Imladris." answered a dark-haired elf, taking the reins of the Lorien elves' mounts. He had a slight, almost unnoticable, stutter, and his skin was a shade darker than any of the pale elves Celebrian knew. "My name is Erestor, and I am Lord Elrond's chief advisor. Master Elrond had to see to a minor crisis, or he would have been here himself." He gave the reins to another elf, one with lighter skin but chestnut-brown hair. "Please follow me." he nodded to the dismounted Lorien family.
The meeting-room was similar, yet so different, to what Celebrian had pictured. The open canopy in some places allowed for a beautiful view of the surrounding area, even though they were in a valley.
"Welcome. I am sorry I could not greet you in person, Lady Galadriel, Lord Celeborn." A tall, dark-haired elf descended the stairs to Celebrian's right. His face was neither young nor old, but knowledgable. Celebrian felt drawn to him. She had never seen a softer face, or gentler eyes, on any of the stiff-necked Lorien elves. He looked every bit as noble as her parents, yet seemed younger somehow.
"It is all right, Elrond." Galadriel replied, smiling. Without missing a beat she added, "Elrond, this is Celebrian, our daughter." By this she meant hers and Celeborn's, and this introduction caused Celebrian to turn and see Lord Elrond face-to-face.
"Greetings, Lord Elrond." She bowed, as she was instructed, and gave him her hand to kiss. She didn't hear his reply; the depths of his bluish-green eyes ensnared her. As he released her hand and went to lead her parents to the council room, she could only nod in response. Her heart was beating quicker than usual.
During the council meeting, Elrond had Erestor give Celebrian a tour of Imladris. The darker elf had been newly employed, as she discovered, and was eternally grateful for it. His parents, both nobles, had been killed thousands of years ago, leaving only himself, alone, searching for a purpose. At that time he had befriended the young warrior-noble Elrond, herald of King Gil-galad, and when Gil-galad had been killed in battle and Elrond regarded as a lord in his own right, Erestor was invited to live at Imladris, now a major elven-dwelling.
"Men of the South also visit regularly." Erestor added. "Perhaps one may come by during your visit. Don't worry; unlike many men, the ones who pass by Glorfindel and his guards are respectable, noble creatures. To be honest, that's what makes Imladris such a wonderful place. It constantly changes."
"Men would never be allowed into Caras Galadhon, even if they could find it." Celebrian replied. "Father hates mortals, along with most of the Lorien elves. Mother only tolerates them."
"Then I am glad to be living here." Erestor replied, then stopped near a door. "This is your room, Lady Celebrian. I hope it is to your liking."
After hearing that, Celebrian was almost afraid to step into the room. She tentatively opened the door, and looked into a spacious room with a large, soft bed, a shelf full of books, and a marvelous view of a babbling brook and several deer who happened to be drinking there. The room itself was a masterpiece; columns made of carved oak, designed to look like maidens pouring water from urns, all the while being gently ensnared in vines. The oak statue over her bed was of a woman spreading out her arms, her hair and clothes flying out behind her.
"It's beautiful." she replied, after several long moments. "Is this really where I will be staying? I could stay in a place like this for several months."
"It is where you will be staying, and Lord Elrond will be happy to know that you like the room he selected for you." The very mention of his name sent Celebrian's heart a-flutter.
After the council meeting, Elrond invited Celebrian and her parents to one of the gardens to discuss less serious matters.
"You've lived for quite some time now, Elrond." Galadriel mentioned. "And yet you're not married."
"I haven't found the right girl yet." Elrond replied. "I'm not like my brother. I'm not mortal. And, I'm not as frivolous with girls as he was."
"I see." All through this conversation Celebrian was silent, staring only at her feet, afraid to meet anyone's eyes.
The moon was out early that night, and Celeborn announced he was going to bed. He and Galadriel had been accustomed to sleeping early, since in his opinion the sunrise was more beautiful than the night.
With him gone, that left Elrond, Galadriel, and Celebrian.
"I believe it is getting late." Galadriel stood, pausing, then turning to leave. "Good night, Elrond, Celebrian." She parted, intentionally leaving her daughter with their host.
There was silence.
"It is a nice night." Celebrian mentioned casually, rubbing her fingers together nervously. "Can one see the moon from here?"
"Of course." Elrond looked around, trying to think of something else to add, before giving up. "Would you like to see it?"
"If you please, would you show me?" They stood, Celebrian holding her hand out in a ladylike fashion, Elrond accepting it most gentlemanlike.
"It's beautiful." Celebrian could find no more poetic words for the sunset over the cliffs surrounding Imladris. "I can see the moons from here. I've only read of them in books."
"That moon there, with the bluish tinge, holds many memories for me." Elrond pointed, his voice becoming low and comforting, as if he were telling a story. Celebrian thought to herself that right at this moment, there was no better place in all of Middle-Earth than here at this bench, with the elf who made her heart skip beats.
"Why is that, Lord Elrond?"
Elrond settled back in his seat, his face serene. "King Gil-galad used to tell me that wherever I was, I could look at the moon, and know my mother and father were looking at that same moon." He pointed to a rather bright star not far from the blue moon. "See that large star? That is the Star of Earendil, my father. It comforts me when I am alone." Here his voice broke its methodical pattern, and she could see for the first time how lonely he was. Elrond was nearly seven thousand years old, never married, and had naught but servants to speak to.
She could relate to that, she figured, but held her tongue lest she forget her manners and speak it aloud.
"I wonder what my mother is doing." Elrond had left his mother long ago when he was but a lad, in the land of Ossiriand. All else of her fate and her husband's had been related to Elrond through Gil-galad.
"Is she alive?"
"Yes. She is elven now, though not when I was born. She wears wings of the birds and lives in a white tower by the ocean, so that she may greet my father when he comes home." His voice broke, and so did Celebrian's heart, to see him grieve silently.
She leaned her head against his shoulder.
He flinched at the tender gesture, then relaxed into it.
"You can cry if you want to." Had she really said that aloud? She must have, because at that moment he leaned his head against hers, desiring comfort. A silver tear dripped onto her hand, making her shiver slightly. Not knowing what else to say, she added, "I will be the shoulder you can always cry on."
He said naught else for quite some time, before she discovered he had cried himself to sleep, all without saying a word.
"Good night, Lord Elrond."
"I absolutely love it!" Celebrian exclaimed, as she and her parents passed under the old stone entryway to Imladris. "It smells so different here."
"Welcome to Imladris." answered a dark-haired elf, taking the reins of the Lorien elves' mounts. He had a slight, almost unnoticable, stutter, and his skin was a shade darker than any of the pale elves Celebrian knew. "My name is Erestor, and I am Lord Elrond's chief advisor. Master Elrond had to see to a minor crisis, or he would have been here himself." He gave the reins to another elf, one with lighter skin but chestnut-brown hair. "Please follow me." he nodded to the dismounted Lorien family.
The meeting-room was similar, yet so different, to what Celebrian had pictured. The open canopy in some places allowed for a beautiful view of the surrounding area, even though they were in a valley.
"Welcome. I am sorry I could not greet you in person, Lady Galadriel, Lord Celeborn." A tall, dark-haired elf descended the stairs to Celebrian's right. His face was neither young nor old, but knowledgable. Celebrian felt drawn to him. She had never seen a softer face, or gentler eyes, on any of the stiff-necked Lorien elves. He looked every bit as noble as her parents, yet seemed younger somehow.
"It is all right, Elrond." Galadriel replied, smiling. Without missing a beat she added, "Elrond, this is Celebrian, our daughter." By this she meant hers and Celeborn's, and this introduction caused Celebrian to turn and see Lord Elrond face-to-face.
"Greetings, Lord Elrond." She bowed, as she was instructed, and gave him her hand to kiss. She didn't hear his reply; the depths of his bluish-green eyes ensnared her. As he released her hand and went to lead her parents to the council room, she could only nod in response. Her heart was beating quicker than usual.
During the council meeting, Elrond had Erestor give Celebrian a tour of Imladris. The darker elf had been newly employed, as she discovered, and was eternally grateful for it. His parents, both nobles, had been killed thousands of years ago, leaving only himself, alone, searching for a purpose. At that time he had befriended the young warrior-noble Elrond, herald of King Gil-galad, and when Gil-galad had been killed in battle and Elrond regarded as a lord in his own right, Erestor was invited to live at Imladris, now a major elven-dwelling.
"Men of the South also visit regularly." Erestor added. "Perhaps one may come by during your visit. Don't worry; unlike many men, the ones who pass by Glorfindel and his guards are respectable, noble creatures. To be honest, that's what makes Imladris such a wonderful place. It constantly changes."
"Men would never be allowed into Caras Galadhon, even if they could find it." Celebrian replied. "Father hates mortals, along with most of the Lorien elves. Mother only tolerates them."
"Then I am glad to be living here." Erestor replied, then stopped near a door. "This is your room, Lady Celebrian. I hope it is to your liking."
After hearing that, Celebrian was almost afraid to step into the room. She tentatively opened the door, and looked into a spacious room with a large, soft bed, a shelf full of books, and a marvelous view of a babbling brook and several deer who happened to be drinking there. The room itself was a masterpiece; columns made of carved oak, designed to look like maidens pouring water from urns, all the while being gently ensnared in vines. The oak statue over her bed was of a woman spreading out her arms, her hair and clothes flying out behind her.
"It's beautiful." she replied, after several long moments. "Is this really where I will be staying? I could stay in a place like this for several months."
"It is where you will be staying, and Lord Elrond will be happy to know that you like the room he selected for you." The very mention of his name sent Celebrian's heart a-flutter.
After the council meeting, Elrond invited Celebrian and her parents to one of the gardens to discuss less serious matters.
"You've lived for quite some time now, Elrond." Galadriel mentioned. "And yet you're not married."
"I haven't found the right girl yet." Elrond replied. "I'm not like my brother. I'm not mortal. And, I'm not as frivolous with girls as he was."
"I see." All through this conversation Celebrian was silent, staring only at her feet, afraid to meet anyone's eyes.
The moon was out early that night, and Celeborn announced he was going to bed. He and Galadriel had been accustomed to sleeping early, since in his opinion the sunrise was more beautiful than the night.
With him gone, that left Elrond, Galadriel, and Celebrian.
"I believe it is getting late." Galadriel stood, pausing, then turning to leave. "Good night, Elrond, Celebrian." She parted, intentionally leaving her daughter with their host.
There was silence.
"It is a nice night." Celebrian mentioned casually, rubbing her fingers together nervously. "Can one see the moon from here?"
"Of course." Elrond looked around, trying to think of something else to add, before giving up. "Would you like to see it?"
"If you please, would you show me?" They stood, Celebrian holding her hand out in a ladylike fashion, Elrond accepting it most gentlemanlike.
"It's beautiful." Celebrian could find no more poetic words for the sunset over the cliffs surrounding Imladris. "I can see the moons from here. I've only read of them in books."
"That moon there, with the bluish tinge, holds many memories for me." Elrond pointed, his voice becoming low and comforting, as if he were telling a story. Celebrian thought to herself that right at this moment, there was no better place in all of Middle-Earth than here at this bench, with the elf who made her heart skip beats.
"Why is that, Lord Elrond?"
Elrond settled back in his seat, his face serene. "King Gil-galad used to tell me that wherever I was, I could look at the moon, and know my mother and father were looking at that same moon." He pointed to a rather bright star not far from the blue moon. "See that large star? That is the Star of Earendil, my father. It comforts me when I am alone." Here his voice broke its methodical pattern, and she could see for the first time how lonely he was. Elrond was nearly seven thousand years old, never married, and had naught but servants to speak to.
She could relate to that, she figured, but held her tongue lest she forget her manners and speak it aloud.
"I wonder what my mother is doing." Elrond had left his mother long ago when he was but a lad, in the land of Ossiriand. All else of her fate and her husband's had been related to Elrond through Gil-galad.
"Is she alive?"
"Yes. She is elven now, though not when I was born. She wears wings of the birds and lives in a white tower by the ocean, so that she may greet my father when he comes home." His voice broke, and so did Celebrian's heart, to see him grieve silently.
She leaned her head against his shoulder.
He flinched at the tender gesture, then relaxed into it.
"You can cry if you want to." Had she really said that aloud? She must have, because at that moment he leaned his head against hers, desiring comfort. A silver tear dripped onto her hand, making her shiver slightly. Not knowing what else to say, she added, "I will be the shoulder you can always cry on."
He said naught else for quite some time, before she discovered he had cried himself to sleep, all without saying a word.
"Good night, Lord Elrond."