Chapter Three:
She was awakened by the dawn and by Elrond's stirring beside her. Seeing the bright star's position in the sky, she mumbled, "My parents must be looking for me."
Elrond sat up, looked at her, and then down at the ground. "I have not cried since I was four." he said softly, his fists clenching and unclenching. "I'm sorry. You must think it was terrible of me, your host, to cry on you like that. I felt rather comfortable here, and telling stories about my past to someone who actually cares is a rare occurance."
"Think nothing of it. I am flattered you considered me special enough to... to cry on." They looked each other in the eye, and she swore she saw sparks and colors fly. She had never seen a gentler, wiser elf than Elrond, and his presence was more intoxicating than the most beautiful elf in all of Lorien.
"You mentioned your parents would be looking for you." He stood, and extended his hand for hers. "I will call a servant for breakfast, and apologize for any trouble being absent from your room might get you into."
Her heart seemed to stop beating, and when he led her to the banquet hall, where Galadriel and Celeborn were seated, discussing matters, she asked herself if it really was love.
She would have to ask her mother, later.
"What is it I can do for you, my daughter?" Galadriel asked quietly, brushing her long golden hair. Her daughter's heart told her more than the stammered reply.
"I wish to speak to you, alone. About... about..." She searched for the right word. "Love."
Galadriel's eyebrows raised.
"It is Lord Elrond." she stated, her voice low, as she seated herself on the bed next to her mother. "I have never felt this way before. He has such a power round him, that I feel drawn to him. My heart skips its rhythmic beats, and my breath quickens."
Galadriel, having lived for quite some time, knew well how it felt to find one's soul mate. Since not even the most sexually alluring elf had turned her daughter's head, she thought often about what would. She knew what her daughter meant about Elrond's "power"--his wisdom, his knowledge, and his tranquil nature. If this was what it took to interest Celebrian, then the girl was lucky to have such a deep sense of person.
"You are in love with him." She smiled, and began to brush her daughter's hair, all the while looking into the mirror reflection of her daughter's eyes. "You spent the night with his cheek on your shoulder. He showed you his unreachable heart. You would do anything for him."
"When I sat next to him, I felt..." Celebrian could not find a fitting word to describe her feelings. "I wanted to be there forever, as long as he was there, beside me, showing me the stars. I simply could not rest alone, in an unfamiliar room."
"And does he also love you?"
There was silence.
"I do not know." was the reply.
Galadriel decided she would find the answer herself.
It was evening, and as Celebrian bathed in another room, Elrond sat by himself, on the bench, looking at the star of Earendil, his father. His eyes turned upwards in a pleading motion, begging his father for wisdom. Wisdom in state affairs he had -- wisdom in love he had not.
"You sit by yourself here, Elrond?" came a voice behind him. Galadriel appeared, radiating, and sat beside him.
"Can I aid you in anything, my Lady?" Elrond asked, his tome demure.
"Yes. Yes, you can." She paused to note the twinkling of the Star of Earendil before continuing. "You spend quite a lot of time with my daughter. You must enjoy her company."
"I do."
"You spent every night, since our arrival, on this bench, with her."
"I did nothing to harm her."
"I know." Her smile convinced him she had come for a different reason, and that she knew his heart and mind. "You love her."
It was the first time Elrond had heard his complex war of emotions put into three small, simple words.
He could not speak for some time.
"Thou wishest to make her thine queen." She spoke in Quenya, relating the fact that they were both of elven nature. "And I givest thou my blessing."
There was silence, before Elrond whispered, "I would do anything for her. I have lived nearly seven thousand years, my Lady, and met thousands upon thousands of young ladies, yet none have touched my heart like she has. When you depart I shall miss her terribly."
She stood. "Thank you, Elrond. You have told me what I wished to hear." While he mused over those words she left, to bed.
She was awakened by the dawn and by Elrond's stirring beside her. Seeing the bright star's position in the sky, she mumbled, "My parents must be looking for me."
Elrond sat up, looked at her, and then down at the ground. "I have not cried since I was four." he said softly, his fists clenching and unclenching. "I'm sorry. You must think it was terrible of me, your host, to cry on you like that. I felt rather comfortable here, and telling stories about my past to someone who actually cares is a rare occurance."
"Think nothing of it. I am flattered you considered me special enough to... to cry on." They looked each other in the eye, and she swore she saw sparks and colors fly. She had never seen a gentler, wiser elf than Elrond, and his presence was more intoxicating than the most beautiful elf in all of Lorien.
"You mentioned your parents would be looking for you." He stood, and extended his hand for hers. "I will call a servant for breakfast, and apologize for any trouble being absent from your room might get you into."
Her heart seemed to stop beating, and when he led her to the banquet hall, where Galadriel and Celeborn were seated, discussing matters, she asked herself if it really was love.
She would have to ask her mother, later.
"What is it I can do for you, my daughter?" Galadriel asked quietly, brushing her long golden hair. Her daughter's heart told her more than the stammered reply.
"I wish to speak to you, alone. About... about..." She searched for the right word. "Love."
Galadriel's eyebrows raised.
"It is Lord Elrond." she stated, her voice low, as she seated herself on the bed next to her mother. "I have never felt this way before. He has such a power round him, that I feel drawn to him. My heart skips its rhythmic beats, and my breath quickens."
Galadriel, having lived for quite some time, knew well how it felt to find one's soul mate. Since not even the most sexually alluring elf had turned her daughter's head, she thought often about what would. She knew what her daughter meant about Elrond's "power"--his wisdom, his knowledge, and his tranquil nature. If this was what it took to interest Celebrian, then the girl was lucky to have such a deep sense of person.
"You are in love with him." She smiled, and began to brush her daughter's hair, all the while looking into the mirror reflection of her daughter's eyes. "You spent the night with his cheek on your shoulder. He showed you his unreachable heart. You would do anything for him."
"When I sat next to him, I felt..." Celebrian could not find a fitting word to describe her feelings. "I wanted to be there forever, as long as he was there, beside me, showing me the stars. I simply could not rest alone, in an unfamiliar room."
"And does he also love you?"
There was silence.
"I do not know." was the reply.
Galadriel decided she would find the answer herself.
It was evening, and as Celebrian bathed in another room, Elrond sat by himself, on the bench, looking at the star of Earendil, his father. His eyes turned upwards in a pleading motion, begging his father for wisdom. Wisdom in state affairs he had -- wisdom in love he had not.
"You sit by yourself here, Elrond?" came a voice behind him. Galadriel appeared, radiating, and sat beside him.
"Can I aid you in anything, my Lady?" Elrond asked, his tome demure.
"Yes. Yes, you can." She paused to note the twinkling of the Star of Earendil before continuing. "You spend quite a lot of time with my daughter. You must enjoy her company."
"I do."
"You spent every night, since our arrival, on this bench, with her."
"I did nothing to harm her."
"I know." Her smile convinced him she had come for a different reason, and that she knew his heart and mind. "You love her."
It was the first time Elrond had heard his complex war of emotions put into three small, simple words.
He could not speak for some time.
"Thou wishest to make her thine queen." She spoke in Quenya, relating the fact that they were both of elven nature. "And I givest thou my blessing."
There was silence, before Elrond whispered, "I would do anything for her. I have lived nearly seven thousand years, my Lady, and met thousands upon thousands of young ladies, yet none have touched my heart like she has. When you depart I shall miss her terribly."
She stood. "Thank you, Elrond. You have told me what I wished to hear." While he mused over those words she left, to bed.