"Celeborn?" Eleniel muttered.
"Celeborn!" She nudged her friend softly.
"Celeborn!!!" she then hissed in his ear.
He startled.
"Eleniel, why-"
"Stop staring at them like that. It is very striking, you know?"
Celeborn looked confusedly at her.
"Is it?"
Eleniel rolled her eyes and nodded.
"Yes, it is! And they already do not seem to feel very comfortable."
"They" were the new-arrived guests in Menegroth, the palace of King Elu Thingol and Queen Melian. The guests were the golden-haired sons and daughter of the Lady Eärwen -Thingol's niece- and of the Lord Finarfin. They had come from Valinor to Middle-Earth, though their parents had stayed there. Thingol had almost immediately welcomed them to his palace, after he had judged them innocent to the cruel Kinslaying at Alqualondë, of which they had told him.
But still, they indeed did not seem to feel very comfortable at the palace, though a feast was being held in their honor.
Only the only woman among them, the Lady Artanis, was smiling. Of course- because she was talking with Princess Lúthien, the only daughter of the King and Queen. Lúthien always made people smile. She indeed was very friendly- and very beautiful. It was said that she was the most beautiful Elven-woman who had ever walked on Middle-Earth.
Well- maybe she was, but Celeborn thought the Lady Artanis a close second. Her hairs were even more and deeper golden than her brothers', and her eyes were of a pale blue color, that reminded Celeborn of a lake- clear, yet mysterious. Yes, she indeed was a close second…
Next to her sat her brothers Aegnor and Angrod. Twins, almost identical, who were talking to each other nervously, clearly trying to avoid all the staring looks.
Next to them sat their older brother, Orodreth, who did not speak. His clear green eyes were just gazing at Princess Lúthien, clearly noticing her beauty.
Next to him sat the oldest of the siblings; Finrod.
He was talking to the King, who seemed to do everything to make the younger Elf feel comfortable. He totally failed. Even Melian could not take away Finrod's nervousness. Celeborn smiled as he saw them trying. They were a kind couple, the King and the Queen. They-
"You are still staring…" Eleniel laughed. "What is it that makes those Elves so interesting? Well, she is beautiful, very beautiful but…"
"Hey, they are staring at me, too!" Celeborn answered!
"She, you mean! And no, she is not!"
"She is!"
"She is not!"
They both laughed. They had always squabbled like this since they had been Elflings. They had grown up together, and they had always been best friends.
They were akin to each other- though very distant, but Celeborn was closer to her than he was to his brother, Galathil. Galathil sat on the other side of the table, and they got along quite well, but they had never been best friends, partially because Galathil was years older than Celeborn was, and also because of the difference between them. Galathil had lots of self-confidence, and he was a lot more extrovert than Celeborn. And he was certainly more handsome.
When the dinner was over, music was played and sung, and some of the younger Elves began to dance. Suddenly, Celeborn saw his brother stand up and walk over to Lady Artanis.
"No, he's not going to-"
But he saw his brother kneel before the Lady.
"Milady?"
He saw the Lady Artanis lift her brows. One moment- he thought she was going to say no, but then, she smiled and stood up.
"I'd love to, Milord." Her voice was clear and calm, but deep, deeper than most women's.
Celeborn watched them as they moved slowly over the dance floor and he felt for some reason regret because she had said "yes".
As Eleniel pulled him off his chair to dance, as usual, he followed her. But he did not like it as he always liked it. Well, he liked it, for Eleniel was the fantastic dancer whom she always was, but…
But as he looked at his brother and Lady Artanis, as he saw his brother's hands rest lightly on Artanis's waist, as he saw her move light as a feather in his arms-
Before they had even left the dance floor, he had fallen in love with Artanis.
"Celeborn!" She nudged her friend softly.
"Celeborn!!!" she then hissed in his ear.
He startled.
"Eleniel, why-"
"Stop staring at them like that. It is very striking, you know?"
Celeborn looked confusedly at her.
"Is it?"
Eleniel rolled her eyes and nodded.
"Yes, it is! And they already do not seem to feel very comfortable."
"They" were the new-arrived guests in Menegroth, the palace of King Elu Thingol and Queen Melian. The guests were the golden-haired sons and daughter of the Lady Eärwen -Thingol's niece- and of the Lord Finarfin. They had come from Valinor to Middle-Earth, though their parents had stayed there. Thingol had almost immediately welcomed them to his palace, after he had judged them innocent to the cruel Kinslaying at Alqualondë, of which they had told him.
But still, they indeed did not seem to feel very comfortable at the palace, though a feast was being held in their honor.
Only the only woman among them, the Lady Artanis, was smiling. Of course- because she was talking with Princess Lúthien, the only daughter of the King and Queen. Lúthien always made people smile. She indeed was very friendly- and very beautiful. It was said that she was the most beautiful Elven-woman who had ever walked on Middle-Earth.
Well- maybe she was, but Celeborn thought the Lady Artanis a close second. Her hairs were even more and deeper golden than her brothers', and her eyes were of a pale blue color, that reminded Celeborn of a lake- clear, yet mysterious. Yes, she indeed was a close second…
Next to her sat her brothers Aegnor and Angrod. Twins, almost identical, who were talking to each other nervously, clearly trying to avoid all the staring looks.
Next to them sat their older brother, Orodreth, who did not speak. His clear green eyes were just gazing at Princess Lúthien, clearly noticing her beauty.
Next to him sat the oldest of the siblings; Finrod.
He was talking to the King, who seemed to do everything to make the younger Elf feel comfortable. He totally failed. Even Melian could not take away Finrod's nervousness. Celeborn smiled as he saw them trying. They were a kind couple, the King and the Queen. They-
"You are still staring…" Eleniel laughed. "What is it that makes those Elves so interesting? Well, she is beautiful, very beautiful but…"
"Hey, they are staring at me, too!" Celeborn answered!
"She, you mean! And no, she is not!"
"She is!"
"She is not!"
They both laughed. They had always squabbled like this since they had been Elflings. They had grown up together, and they had always been best friends.
They were akin to each other- though very distant, but Celeborn was closer to her than he was to his brother, Galathil. Galathil sat on the other side of the table, and they got along quite well, but they had never been best friends, partially because Galathil was years older than Celeborn was, and also because of the difference between them. Galathil had lots of self-confidence, and he was a lot more extrovert than Celeborn. And he was certainly more handsome.
When the dinner was over, music was played and sung, and some of the younger Elves began to dance. Suddenly, Celeborn saw his brother stand up and walk over to Lady Artanis.
"No, he's not going to-"
But he saw his brother kneel before the Lady.
"Milady?"
He saw the Lady Artanis lift her brows. One moment- he thought she was going to say no, but then, she smiled and stood up.
"I'd love to, Milord." Her voice was clear and calm, but deep, deeper than most women's.
Celeborn watched them as they moved slowly over the dance floor and he felt for some reason regret because she had said "yes".
As Eleniel pulled him off his chair to dance, as usual, he followed her. But he did not like it as he always liked it. Well, he liked it, for Eleniel was the fantastic dancer whom she always was, but…
But as he looked at his brother and Lady Artanis, as he saw his brother's hands rest lightly on Artanis's waist, as he saw her move light as a feather in his arms-
Before they had even left the dance floor, he had fallen in love with Artanis.