"Elrond!" Celebloth, the little Galadriel, as she was often called, threw herself into his arms.
"Welcome again! It seems years ago since you last visited us!"
The Elf-lord smiled and stroked her golden hair. "Just a few months, little Princess. And now, I've come with a special purpose!"
"Oh yes?" the elven-girl smiled curiously. "And what may that be?"
Elrond laughed. "You will hear it…later… But by the way, how old are you now?"
"I just became ten. But, hey, you are changing subject! Come on, I want to know!"
Elrond smiled mysteriously. Suddenly, he whispered "It has something to do with your sister. But, where are your parents? I haven't seen them yet."
Celebloth smiled. "They are upstairs. Come with me, I will bring you to them. By the way, I know what's your special purpose is."
"Yes?"
"Yes. You are going to marry her, of course." the girl answered dryly and stepped upon the stairs.
Elrond's mouth fell open. She had guessed right.
As they entered the room, Galadriel and Celeborn stood up.
"Welcome, Elrond!" smiled Galadriel.
Elrond bowed lowly, but Celeborn pulled him up again.
"You don't have to bow," he laughed. "…friend!"
Elrond smiled. "Thank you, Celeborn. I-I will come to the point, because I cannot stay long. I- have come to ask something- permission."
Galadriel laughed. "I thought so. I and Celeborn talked about it- with Celebrían. And we agreed that you can marry her."
Elrond's mouth fell open. "How- did you know that."
Celebloth smiled. "I knew it, I knew it."
Galadriel smiled. "Did you, little one? Well, Elrond, first, it was obvious to everybody, even to little Celebloth, that you were totally in love with Celebrían, but you just didn't dare to ask our approval to marry her. Second, I recognized my own uncertainty in yours…"
"Your own uncertainty?" Elrond frowned.
Celeborn laughed "Yes. Galadriel was like, the first woman ever that proposed to a man. To me. You should have seen Elu Thingol's face!"
"Yes." Galadriel smiled. "And third- she told me of that kiss."
The blood rushed to Elrond's face. Two months ago- on his last visit to Lórien- he had confessed his feelings for Celebrían to her. She had told him that she had the same feelings- and they had kissed.
Galadriel saw his embarrassment and smiled comfortingly.
"You cannot stop love, Elrond. Do not feel embarrassed."
He smiled again. Suddenly, they heard a knock on the door. Celebloth opened it.
There stood Celebrían, shy, but shining.
"Yes, my daughter." Celeborn smiled softly. "Your waiting has come to an end. You can marry him."
And on that moment, Celeborn, Galadriel and even Celebloth saw Celebrían's face change. From her ever-shy and ever-calm eyes now shone a different light as she threw herself into Elrond's arms. And the mighty elf-lord suddenly resembled very much a young lad who had just arranged his very first date.
And Galadriel smiled and saw that it was good.
"Welcome again! It seems years ago since you last visited us!"
The Elf-lord smiled and stroked her golden hair. "Just a few months, little Princess. And now, I've come with a special purpose!"
"Oh yes?" the elven-girl smiled curiously. "And what may that be?"
Elrond laughed. "You will hear it…later… But by the way, how old are you now?"
"I just became ten. But, hey, you are changing subject! Come on, I want to know!"
Elrond smiled mysteriously. Suddenly, he whispered "It has something to do with your sister. But, where are your parents? I haven't seen them yet."
Celebloth smiled. "They are upstairs. Come with me, I will bring you to them. By the way, I know what's your special purpose is."
"Yes?"
"Yes. You are going to marry her, of course." the girl answered dryly and stepped upon the stairs.
Elrond's mouth fell open. She had guessed right.
As they entered the room, Galadriel and Celeborn stood up.
"Welcome, Elrond!" smiled Galadriel.
Elrond bowed lowly, but Celeborn pulled him up again.
"You don't have to bow," he laughed. "…friend!"
Elrond smiled. "Thank you, Celeborn. I-I will come to the point, because I cannot stay long. I- have come to ask something- permission."
Galadriel laughed. "I thought so. I and Celeborn talked about it- with Celebrían. And we agreed that you can marry her."
Elrond's mouth fell open. "How- did you know that."
Celebloth smiled. "I knew it, I knew it."
Galadriel smiled. "Did you, little one? Well, Elrond, first, it was obvious to everybody, even to little Celebloth, that you were totally in love with Celebrían, but you just didn't dare to ask our approval to marry her. Second, I recognized my own uncertainty in yours…"
"Your own uncertainty?" Elrond frowned.
Celeborn laughed "Yes. Galadriel was like, the first woman ever that proposed to a man. To me. You should have seen Elu Thingol's face!"
"Yes." Galadriel smiled. "And third- she told me of that kiss."
The blood rushed to Elrond's face. Two months ago- on his last visit to Lórien- he had confessed his feelings for Celebrían to her. She had told him that she had the same feelings- and they had kissed.
Galadriel saw his embarrassment and smiled comfortingly.
"You cannot stop love, Elrond. Do not feel embarrassed."
He smiled again. Suddenly, they heard a knock on the door. Celebloth opened it.
There stood Celebrían, shy, but shining.
"Yes, my daughter." Celeborn smiled softly. "Your waiting has come to an end. You can marry him."
And on that moment, Celeborn, Galadriel and even Celebloth saw Celebrían's face change. From her ever-shy and ever-calm eyes now shone a different light as she threw herself into Elrond's arms. And the mighty elf-lord suddenly resembled very much a young lad who had just arranged his very first date.
And Galadriel smiled and saw that it was good.