Author's Notes: Like I mentioned in the first chapter, this is where you will notice the references I make to the Second Age with are purely fictional and not from any of Tolkien's works.



Say a prayer for me, cause I can barely breath. I'm suffering, and I can't take it.

Because of me, no one will ever see, this side of me, if I don't make it,

Its like I can't wake up, its like I cant get up

its like I cant remember who I used to be

am I running from you or am I running from me?

Clear a path for me, because i can barely see,

I'm stumbling, and I can't shake it

it's up to me to save myself from me, my enemy but I can't face it.

Trust Company- "Running From Me"



Promises Broken

The four Hobbits were sitting on the Eastern porch when they noticed a rider approaching from the South, fast. Frodo could only distinguish the gray Elvin cloak the rider wore and wondered if it was one of Elrond's two sons returned. And as quickly as the rider was moving, the news couldn't be good.

The rider came to an abrupt halt and leaped off his horse with the gracefulness characteristic of Elves and nimbly began the climb up the path. Halfway up, the rider stopped and lowered his hood. Silver curls tumbled out and Frodo realized it was a lady. As Frodo inhaled sharply, she looked up at the Eastern porch. Her gaze rested immediately on him, seemed to tear through flesh and blood, piercing his soul. Frightened, Frodo jumped back, pressing against the inner wall, out of sight.

"Mr. Frodo, what is it?" Sam asked as he jumped up from his chair.

"Nothing, Sam," Frodo replied. When he finally had the nerve to look again, she was gone.

****

Celebruthiel had heard the calling of the ring before she had noticed the young hobbit, The Ringbearer. She knew that she had frightened him. After everything she'd recently learned, she wasn't surprised by that fact. But right now, neither the ring nor the hobbit was of any concern to her. She would deal with both later. Celebruthiel's mind was focused on only one thing, finding her father and the missing pieces to her past.

Celebruthiel climbed the winding staircase to her father's chambers, the one place he would most likely be, formulating plans now that the Ringbearer had arrived in Rivendell. She was so focused on her task that she didn't even notice Arwen or hear her call her name.

She burst into her father's study. Celebruthiel barely noticed there were others in the room, so intent was she on the man standing next to the large chair in front of the fire.

"Is it true?" she hissed.

Elrond paused from the conversation as his eldest daughter burst into the room. Then he paled at her question. He had known his daughter had recently been preoccupied, but with the situation of the world around then, he hadn't had the forethought to find out why. In his carelessness, he had let his dear wife, Celebrian, and his daughter down. And the already heavy weight on his shoulders just got heavier.

"Is it true?" she repeated, demanding an answer from the man she'd known all her existence to be her father.

"Yes," Elrond said quietly, so that the rest of the room had to strain to hear his reply.

Even though Celebruthiel had known Saruman was being truthful, she'd hoped -nay prayed, that Elrond would deny it.

"Who is my mother?" she demanded.

"Don't you think this should be discussed in a more private setting?" Gandalf asked, motioning to Aragorn, the only other member in the room.

"Stay out of this, old man. I will get to you next," she hissed. "And Aragorn, of all, should understand the effects of the lies created in this room." She referred to the secret kept for the first twenty years of Aragorn's life, the secret of his true identity. Until that time, he had been known as Estel, not the King of Men.

"How did you find out?" Elrond asked, dismissing Gandalf's statement and Aragorn's presence. Both had his complete trust.

"Saruman, who is no longer wise or white. I had hoped he lied, though I knew." Celebruthiel faltered, not knowing if she had strength to continue. "Who?" she asked, desperation clinging to that one word.

"Galadriel," Elrond responded and watched the child he'd raised as his own sink to her knees.

Celebruthiel wasn't as surprised as she thought she should have been. Though she had never met the Queen she'd been told was her Grandmother, she knew from what she'd been told, the resemblance was striking.

"Celebruthiel," Legolas whispered from the doorway with Arwen standing beside him. He wanted to rush to her, to pull her into his arms, to shake her for distressing him, to kiss her because he was so thankful she was okay. But something about the scene before him stopped him from entering the room.

Seeing her true love before her, gave her the strength to stand. Even though her heart was breaking, she knew what had to be done. She would have to let him go or they would both perish.

"Where is it?" she asked her father softly.

Elrond had always been able to gleam the road her mind had taken by the look on her face. "No Celebruthiel!" His voice was raised, demanding her compliance.

"Where is it?" she demanded in return, just as arrogantly. He eyes took a survey of the objects around her. She finally rested her gaze on a silver box next to Elrond's chair. She opened the lid; sifting though the many papers inside until she spotted the one she was looking for and pulled it forth. Her eyes filled with tears as she read the words scribed:

"Legolas, son of Thranduil, of Northern Mirkwood Pledged for eternity to Celebruthiel, daughter of Elrond, of Rivendell"

The betrothal to her Beloved.

"Celebruthiel?" Legolas questioned softly as he, along with the rest of the observers, tried to determine exactly what was occurring.

"I release you from your vow," she whispered as she threw the paper into the fire.

"No!" Legolas screamed as he ran to retrieve it. He would have reached in after the burning paper if Aragorn hadn't pulled him back.

"No, Legolas," he said as he tightened his grip on the struggling elf and looked to Elrond helplessly.

Arwen had never heard so tortured a cry as that one word uttered by Legolas. As her sister ran past her, grief was etched onto Celebruthiel's face. Arwen glanced across the room at Aragorn, who was physically holding Legolas away from the fire as they both watched the betrothal agreement being consumed. Celebruthiel surely had to have her reasons for releasing Legolas from the agreement, but that still didn't prevent the pain Arwen felt she was in. Arwen became determined right in that moment to do all she could to prevent from losing Aragorn, because though only a man, he was the only love Arwen would ever know.

Arwen, leave us," Elrond ordered. Arwen's gaze swept the room one last time before she closed the door behind her.

Aragorn finally felt Legolas had gained some control over his emotions and wouldn't leap into the flames, so he released his hold. He turned to Elrond, who seemed to have aged a thousand years in those mere minutes.

"What just happened here?" Aragorn asked of both Elrond and Gandalf, who also seemed to have clear knowledge of recent occurrences.

Elrond sank in his chair, defeated and too weary to explain.

"This story goes back to the end of the Second Age before Sauron was overthrown. He was captured and taken to Numenor, where he was held prisoner for a time. He eventually seduced the Numenoreans through his lies and deceit. The end result was his release. To punish the Elven Folk for the assistance in his capture, he took Galadriel prisoner and placed her in the Dark Tower," Gandalf began. He would have continued had he not been interrupted.

"How can that be?" Aragorn asked surprised, having no recollection of ever hearing reference to Galadriel's capture by Sauron. "I have never heard of this."

"Nor I," Legolas agreed.

"I will get to it all in time without interruptions," Gandalf admonished, starring at both the elf and the man pointedly. "Now were was I -Oh yes. Anyway Galadriel was imprisoned until the defeat of Sauron at the Battle of Dagorlad, when she managed to escape. Only she didn't return to us alone. It was soon discovered she was with child."

Legolas, afraid of what was to come, sank in a nearby chair. Aragorn was starring at Gandalf in shock.

"When the child was born, the White Council thought it best that she be placed somewhere away from Lorien, in the unlikely event that Sauron would return."

"She?" Aragorn asked, hoping the grasp he had on the situation was incorrect. What he was being told couldn't be what he was actually hearing. It couldn't be!

"Yes," Elrond said with a sigh. "When Gandalf brought the child to me, I wasn't certain I could do this thing he asked of me, to raise Sauron's child as my own. Then I held her in my arms, my dear sweet Celebruthiel, and she became mine, the daughter of my heart."

"And with that settled, the White Council placed a forgetting spell on her, so that anyone who saw her would forget. Now there are only a handful whom remember first hand those dark times," Gandalf stated, explaining why there was no mention of Galadriel's capture in the stories of the second age.

"Did my father know when he agreed to the betrothal?" Legolas asked, looking sharply at Elrond.

"There were very few who knew the truth of Celebruthiel's parentage -the White Council, the lords of Eldar, Galadriel and Celeborn, and Celebrian and myself. And yes, Thrandruil knew of this when he pledged you to my daughter," Elrond said softly.

Legolas nodded and stood. "Then all I have heard changes nothing. That Celebruthiel burned the betrothal changes nothing. She will still be my wife," he declared.

"Then there is only one thing I ask of you, Legolas, Prince of Northern Mirkwood. Join the Ringbearer on his quest. I fear until the Ring is no more, Celebruthiel will never be safe."

"Then I will not fail her," Legolas swore.

"And you, Aragorn, son of Arathorn, what say you?" Gandalf asked.

"This has been the only family I have ever known. Celebruthiel is like a sister to me. I will protect the Ringbearer at all costs to see that this Ring is destroyed," Aragorn vowed. "And as Isildur's heir, I am duty bound."

Elrond, satisfied that he had their pledges, that all was not lost for he dear Celebruthiel, he waved the two from his presence.

Aragorn briefly touched Legolas' arm, giving it a slight squeeze, before the elf and man parted company, each heading to his own destiny.