A/N: Here we are and with the wonderful Elf-Lord, Elrond connection. Gotta love those Elves. Thanks to all of you that are reading this and enjoying the read. As always, you guys rock!
She stood under the awning of the terrace, staring down into the garden and watching the Lord of Imladris as he settled down for his afternoon meditation. Something in his senses alerted him to his voyeur, and he turned, catching sight of Calanagariel as she turned to re-enter the palace.
Within a few moments, she had entered the garden, smiling as he rose to greet her.
"Long has it been since last we spoke, Elrond".
"Yes, but that is by no fault of mine" he said and brought his hand to her cheek in greeting.
"Are we now to argue about faults"?
They stood in silence, regarding one another for a moment before the Elf Lord spoke.
"No. Never again shall we argue. It is good to see you, my old friend. The last time..."he paused, his smile fading as if he had spoken something and at once regretted it.
Calanagariel stared at his face. She remembered this face well, so masculine, and wise, and fair. His gray eyes searching her own, seeking forgiveness that had long been denied a chance to be sought.
"Yes, the last time I had made myself a fool to you by speaking words of love". She turned, walking to some flowered bushes, bending down to inhale their fragrant blooms.
Elrond sat in his chair and lowered his head.
"I meant you no harm, and I certainly never meant for you to run to a colony of male hating females. I was betrothed to Celebrian, and I could not break my promise. You could not have known that at the time, and my heart has ached at the outcome of our last conversation. Niphredia, however, cannot be excused".
Calanagariel tugged at the bottom of her tunic and then turned to face Elrond, the look of sorrow on her face matching his.
"I know. But what else could have been done? I was to blame for her heartbreak. I spoke nothing but praise for Thranduil and she believed my every word. Of course, my king did not aid the situation. He allowed her to fawn over him, and when he grew tired of her company, he dismissed her as if she were a mere servant. I had not the heart to see her alone, so I became her constant companion and shall remain so for eternity".
"And all for Thranduil. 'Tis a strange thing indeed, that the fate of many has been affected by the deeds of one".
She grinned, taking the seat next to him, and placed her soft hand onto his.
"Fate is a strange thing, indeed. The prince of Eryn Lasgalen has no idea that the trials he will face for love, stem from the problems of one who once loved his father deeply".
"Calanagariel, I am truly sorry if I have cause you sorrow. I would have conveyed that to you sooner, had you remained in Greenwood".
Smiling, she nodded her silent acquittal. Her deep blue eyes looked over every point of his face. That beautiful face framed with dark brown hair had been her heart's downfall all those years ago, and the love that once was, would remain until the end of all time.
"That is our past, and the past can only serve to educate those who would have a future, helping them benefit from that knowledge".
"The will of fate cannot be determined by you, or I. It is by Eru alone, that fate is ordained, as it is by he alone, that it can be changed".
He was right about Fate's will. It had been her fate to spend eternity loving a man who could not return that love. She could only accept it and be satisfied with his friendship.
"I believe that some have a predetermined destiny, and that destiny provides different paths that others may choose to follow. They will take either one road or the other. The outcome depends solely on the choices that are made. A 'choose your own destiny', if you will. Niphredia was fated to found our city, as I was fated to bring Kalen to that city, and ultimately to Thranduil's son. It is now up to Kalen and Prince Legolas to choose the path that their destinies will follow. It may be that Niphredia will also have to atone for her misdeeds as a result, but whatever the case, I believe that Eru allows some to determine their own paths".
"Niphredia is mad, though! She has upset the balance of our race with this vendetta", Elrond said, furrowing his brow. "It cannot be allowed to continue".
"I was travelling to Rivendell at the very moment you had sent your messenger to me. It has been a long time in coming, but our ways are in need of change. I had feared that Kalen and Nevaria were lost to us and with them the cup. Your wisdom still means much to me. I knew you would give me wise counsel, and it now appears that I will need your counsel more than ever if I am to regain the Cup of Elements".
Elrond stood, straightening the burgandy sleeves of his robe and then sighed.
"Calanagariel, this is a battle you cannot hope to win on your own. Your people are no match for the ancient demons that Valdrin commands. Not only has he employed Orcs to steal the cup for him, I am now hearing news that he takes prisoners to be sold to the highest bidder. The time of the Elves is fading, and we have now become a rarity, for few of us remain. There are fell men who would pay any price to possess the eternal beauty of an Elf. This war concerns every Elven realm that remains in Middle Earth".
There was a surprised look on her face. Having no contact with the outer world had many disadvantages, and this news of slavery had been unexpected and unimaginable. It frightened her more than she had ever been in all her years.
Fright soon gave way to anger. How could this Valdrin assume the right to own any living creature and to sell them as a mere piece of property? Madness!
Elrond was correct, it would take every able body to win this war. A man that could call demons to his aid was surely a force beyond her comprehension, and beyond her power alone. The victory of Taureliloomis rested on the one thing it had despised. Its salvation, in the form of its anathema*.
"Tell me what I am to do, and I will do it, My Lord".
Calanagariel bowed her head, waiting for his orders. Elrond smiled broadly. Even now she was the brave warrior that had come to Imladris so long ago, the brave warrior he would always revere, and the brave warrior who would always occupy a secret place in his heart that no other, save Iluvitar, would ever know about.
* Object of hatred. Something or someone cursed, reviled, shunned.
