Swiftly, Galadriel and Celeborn walked through the corridors. Suddenly, Celeborn stopped.
"Is it here?" Galadriel asked unsurely. "Oh, this palace is such a labyrinth!"
"These are his private rooms." Celeborn explained. "He's most probably here at this time."
Softly, they knocked on the door.
"Yes?" they heard Thingol's friendly voice ask.
They entered, first Galadriel, then Celeborn.
Thingol was sitting in a chair next to the window. His wife was sitting next to him.
"Hello, Artanis, Celeborn. What brings you to here?" the king smiled.
Galadriel muttered "A very long story…".
"Well, have a seat then."
After they both sat down, she went on "I have something to confess…"
But she was interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Yes?" the king asked.
To Galadriel's big surprise… Finrod came in.
"Finrod…" she muttered angrily.
"I am sorry, Galadriel, but I cannot let you do this alone. You can tell the story, but it's also my story. I just couldn't…"
"Alright then…" she muttered reluctantly. "Okay."
Thingol, who had patiently waited, smiled and said "Well, what is this all about now?"
Galadriel hesitated. She saw Thingol's awaiting eyes and Melian's interested look.
"Well…" she began. And she told the whole story, and in the end, she did not dare to look at the king anymore.
Suddenly, Thingol said "I want you to leave this room… please?"
His voice was colder than ever, but somewhere deep within, Galadriel heard a shine of pity. She looked into Melian's eyes. They were big with fear and pain.
"I am sorry…" she sobbed, and walked away.
Celeborn and Finrod slowly followed. Outside the palace, she began to cry.
"I am sorry, I said! How ridiculous! My kin has killed his kin, and I AM SORRY!" Galadriel yelled bitterly.
Celeborn laid his arm around her waist. She was trembling and he pulled her closer.
"Calm down, my love. Calm down!"
"No!!" she yelled hysterically. "I-I-I…"
Suddenly, she fainted.
When she came round again, she saw Celeborn and Finrod's worried eyes above her.
"Are you alright?" Celeborn asked. "Galadriel, say something!"
"Yes…" Galadriel muttered. "I guess I am ok."
But Celeborn saw the sad look in her eyes and smiled comfortingly.
"Thingol will not send you away. He really won't! I know him, Galadriel."
But she had already found back her former pride and lifted her head.
"If he wants me to go, then I will go. Rather than renouncing my kin!"
Celeborn laughed. "Finally, you are becoming yourself again!"
He kissed her. Finrod coughed.
"I think I am too much, here." he smiled. "I will be in my room, Galadriel."
She nodded. Finrod smiled again and left them. Galadriel shook her head.
"You know, Celeborn, that brother of mine… He seems to be fine, but he is worried. Extremely worried. It would break his heart of Thingol orders us to leave, like criminals. It would break his heart. Not mine. I am a harsh one, Celeborn. For others- and for myself."
He smiled. "Maybe you are, yes, maybe you are a harsh one. Harsher than most women.
But that…" he kissed her. "makes you a special one."
"Is it here?" Galadriel asked unsurely. "Oh, this palace is such a labyrinth!"
"These are his private rooms." Celeborn explained. "He's most probably here at this time."
Softly, they knocked on the door.
"Yes?" they heard Thingol's friendly voice ask.
They entered, first Galadriel, then Celeborn.
Thingol was sitting in a chair next to the window. His wife was sitting next to him.
"Hello, Artanis, Celeborn. What brings you to here?" the king smiled.
Galadriel muttered "A very long story…".
"Well, have a seat then."
After they both sat down, she went on "I have something to confess…"
But she was interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Yes?" the king asked.
To Galadriel's big surprise… Finrod came in.
"Finrod…" she muttered angrily.
"I am sorry, Galadriel, but I cannot let you do this alone. You can tell the story, but it's also my story. I just couldn't…"
"Alright then…" she muttered reluctantly. "Okay."
Thingol, who had patiently waited, smiled and said "Well, what is this all about now?"
Galadriel hesitated. She saw Thingol's awaiting eyes and Melian's interested look.
"Well…" she began. And she told the whole story, and in the end, she did not dare to look at the king anymore.
Suddenly, Thingol said "I want you to leave this room… please?"
His voice was colder than ever, but somewhere deep within, Galadriel heard a shine of pity. She looked into Melian's eyes. They were big with fear and pain.
"I am sorry…" she sobbed, and walked away.
Celeborn and Finrod slowly followed. Outside the palace, she began to cry.
"I am sorry, I said! How ridiculous! My kin has killed his kin, and I AM SORRY!" Galadriel yelled bitterly.
Celeborn laid his arm around her waist. She was trembling and he pulled her closer.
"Calm down, my love. Calm down!"
"No!!" she yelled hysterically. "I-I-I…"
Suddenly, she fainted.
When she came round again, she saw Celeborn and Finrod's worried eyes above her.
"Are you alright?" Celeborn asked. "Galadriel, say something!"
"Yes…" Galadriel muttered. "I guess I am ok."
But Celeborn saw the sad look in her eyes and smiled comfortingly.
"Thingol will not send you away. He really won't! I know him, Galadriel."
But she had already found back her former pride and lifted her head.
"If he wants me to go, then I will go. Rather than renouncing my kin!"
Celeborn laughed. "Finally, you are becoming yourself again!"
He kissed her. Finrod coughed.
"I think I am too much, here." he smiled. "I will be in my room, Galadriel."
She nodded. Finrod smiled again and left them. Galadriel shook her head.
"You know, Celeborn, that brother of mine… He seems to be fine, but he is worried. Extremely worried. It would break his heart of Thingol orders us to leave, like criminals. It would break his heart. Not mine. I am a harsh one, Celeborn. For others- and for myself."
He smiled. "Maybe you are, yes, maybe you are a harsh one. Harsher than most women.
But that…" he kissed her. "makes you a special one."