Elrond walked through one of the many rose gardens of Imladris. He enjoyed
the feel of the velvety robe rubbing against his body in the wind, glad to
be finally out of his mail. He reached up and pulled the silver coronet out
of his hair, allowing it to blow freely. His sighed, as he smelled the
sweet niphredil. It was good to be back. Elrond turned from the garden and
walked alone to the river, wading in. He dunked his head under the water
and smiled. The cool waters felt nice. He heard footsteps behind him. He
turned and saw Celebrian walking toward him. Rapture shone through her
eyes. She walked into the water, meeting him. He took her in his arms,
bringing her to him, and this time, she did not fight him or turn away.
Celeborn paced his and Galadriel's room. He had noticed that something was bothering his daughter, but he couldn't figure out what. Galadriel knew, but she wouldn't say. He pondered the possible answers in his head. He figured that it might have something to do with her brother. Finally, he called her to him.
"There is something that bothers you my daughter. Will you not tell me?"
"Useless though it will be, for I know already that you will not give your consent."
"Who is it?" he asked, "The one who has snared your heart?"
"I shall not yet say." Celebrian fell silent, as if a strange shadow had fallen upon her. Elrond had done more than snare her heart. He had ignited her passion in a way that none had ever before. She knew, no matter what her father said, she would always love Elrond Halfelven Earendil's son.
Celeborn sat next to her on the bed and put his arms around her, drawing her to him.
"Celebrian, quet-melan nen-ya hina-nin." [Speak comfort to me my daughter]
Celebrian looked at her father. Tears were streaming down his face. She put her head on his shoulder.
"Will you tell me?"
Celebrian looked at him. "Ye, atar." [Yes father] "It is Master Elrond. With whom you fought alongside for seven years."
Celeborn looked away. "You are still young in the days of the world, my daughter."
Celebrian stood up defiantly. "I am older than Mother was when you married her."
"Do not bring the deeds of the past into a matter such as this." Celeborn growled his voice edgey and threatening.
Celebrian wouldn't listen. "Why did you ask if you didn't want to be told? You ask me a question and I gave you an answer, do not get angry with me!"
Celeborn was furious. He loved his daughter, but he was, and had always been very stern and strict with her. He turned and faced her, his grey eyes flashing dangerously. He advanced on her, grabbing her wrists. Celebrian knew she had gone too far, but she didn't care. She was too angry to care.
"Silence!" he roared. She pushed him away and tried to leave. Celeborn grabbed her wrist and slapped her across the face.
"I don't care if you are your mother's little angel," he snarled. "If you ever cross me again, you will be very sorry indeed."
He released her wrist and Celebrian shouted at him again.
"You will not keep me with you forever."
Celebrian ran down the steps. She didn't stop running until she had reached her mother's private room. She knocked and entered, sobbing uncontrollabely. The spot where her father had hit was was red, and burning with pain. Galadriel stood up and and walked quickly over to Celebrian. She put her arms around her daughter, trying to calm her down.
"What happened?" She said, half frustrated, half concerned.
Celebrian forced herself to stifle a sob. "F-Father. He d-doesn't wa-want m- me to marry Elrond. He said h-he w-wouldn't let me, despite w-what you think. He g-got r-really mad and h-hit me."
Galadriel inspected the large red spot on her daughter's cheek. It was turning black and blue. She frowned angrily. Celeborn had to have hit her very hard to leave such a mark. Galadriel rested Celebrian's head on her shoulder, letting her cry.
Without warning, the door to Galadriel's room opened and Celeborn came in. He tried to reach for Celebrian, but Galadriel wouldn't let him.
"Stay away from my daughter!"
"She's my daughter, too."
"Look what you've done to her." Galadriel pointed to the bruise on Celebrian's face. "You did that to her."
"I got a bit angry. I shouldn't have hit her." Celeborn pleaded with his wife.
The anger flashing in her eyes frightened him. He suddenly thought of something that Cirdan had once told him. 'I would rather face an entire legion of orcs by myself, than to face an angry mother.' Not until now did he know how true Cirdan's words were. He backed away from Galadriel. Celebrian looked at him from behind her mother. Her eyes were pale and fearful.
"Laurea-hina, it's me, Atar. You know I never meant to hurt you."
Celebrian turned her face and pressed it into Galadriel's side.
"Leave." She ordered.
Celeborn shrugged and left. Galadriel turned to Celebrian.
"Celebrian, if he ever hurts you again, you come straight to me. Understand?"
Celebrian nodded. She hugged her mother again.
Celeborn paced his and Galadriel's room. He had noticed that something was bothering his daughter, but he couldn't figure out what. Galadriel knew, but she wouldn't say. He pondered the possible answers in his head. He figured that it might have something to do with her brother. Finally, he called her to him.
"There is something that bothers you my daughter. Will you not tell me?"
"Useless though it will be, for I know already that you will not give your consent."
"Who is it?" he asked, "The one who has snared your heart?"
"I shall not yet say." Celebrian fell silent, as if a strange shadow had fallen upon her. Elrond had done more than snare her heart. He had ignited her passion in a way that none had ever before. She knew, no matter what her father said, she would always love Elrond Halfelven Earendil's son.
Celeborn sat next to her on the bed and put his arms around her, drawing her to him.
"Celebrian, quet-melan nen-ya hina-nin." [Speak comfort to me my daughter]
Celebrian looked at her father. Tears were streaming down his face. She put her head on his shoulder.
"Will you tell me?"
Celebrian looked at him. "Ye, atar." [Yes father] "It is Master Elrond. With whom you fought alongside for seven years."
Celeborn looked away. "You are still young in the days of the world, my daughter."
Celebrian stood up defiantly. "I am older than Mother was when you married her."
"Do not bring the deeds of the past into a matter such as this." Celeborn growled his voice edgey and threatening.
Celebrian wouldn't listen. "Why did you ask if you didn't want to be told? You ask me a question and I gave you an answer, do not get angry with me!"
Celeborn was furious. He loved his daughter, but he was, and had always been very stern and strict with her. He turned and faced her, his grey eyes flashing dangerously. He advanced on her, grabbing her wrists. Celebrian knew she had gone too far, but she didn't care. She was too angry to care.
"Silence!" he roared. She pushed him away and tried to leave. Celeborn grabbed her wrist and slapped her across the face.
"I don't care if you are your mother's little angel," he snarled. "If you ever cross me again, you will be very sorry indeed."
He released her wrist and Celebrian shouted at him again.
"You will not keep me with you forever."
Celebrian ran down the steps. She didn't stop running until she had reached her mother's private room. She knocked and entered, sobbing uncontrollabely. The spot where her father had hit was was red, and burning with pain. Galadriel stood up and and walked quickly over to Celebrian. She put her arms around her daughter, trying to calm her down.
"What happened?" She said, half frustrated, half concerned.
Celebrian forced herself to stifle a sob. "F-Father. He d-doesn't wa-want m- me to marry Elrond. He said h-he w-wouldn't let me, despite w-what you think. He g-got r-really mad and h-hit me."
Galadriel inspected the large red spot on her daughter's cheek. It was turning black and blue. She frowned angrily. Celeborn had to have hit her very hard to leave such a mark. Galadriel rested Celebrian's head on her shoulder, letting her cry.
Without warning, the door to Galadriel's room opened and Celeborn came in. He tried to reach for Celebrian, but Galadriel wouldn't let him.
"Stay away from my daughter!"
"She's my daughter, too."
"Look what you've done to her." Galadriel pointed to the bruise on Celebrian's face. "You did that to her."
"I got a bit angry. I shouldn't have hit her." Celeborn pleaded with his wife.
The anger flashing in her eyes frightened him. He suddenly thought of something that Cirdan had once told him. 'I would rather face an entire legion of orcs by myself, than to face an angry mother.' Not until now did he know how true Cirdan's words were. He backed away from Galadriel. Celebrian looked at him from behind her mother. Her eyes were pale and fearful.
"Laurea-hina, it's me, Atar. You know I never meant to hurt you."
Celebrian turned her face and pressed it into Galadriel's side.
"Leave." She ordered.
Celeborn shrugged and left. Galadriel turned to Celebrian.
"Celebrian, if he ever hurts you again, you come straight to me. Understand?"
Celebrian nodded. She hugged her mother again.
