Imladris continued to blossom and bloom. For nearly twenty years, Elrond and Celebrian continued to meet in secret, falling even more in love. One night they had agreed to meet in a vale. Celebrian was already there when Elrond arrived. He sat down and put his arms around her. She laid down next to him, resting her head in his lap. He stroked her hair blissfully, running his fingers through the silver-golden strands.

"Celebrian, what if your father says no?"

She sat up, kissing him gently. "I think I would die."

"Would we continue to meet in secret?"

"Perhaps." She said, kissing him again.

"But you despise such meetings."

"No, my love," she said "What I despise is being without you."

He cradled her head in his hands, kissing her teasingly.

"Imagine if we lived in a perfect world." He said. "If we never had to be alone."

"A world we would never know, even if Bauglir hadn't come into being."

Elrond smiled. He knew Celeborn would be positively furious if he knew of their meetings.

"If your father ever found out, he would crush your entire world. He would probably keep you locked up in his room."

"He can have the world." Celebrian said. She drew Elrond to her and kissed him. "We'll create our own."

Elrond wrapped his arms around her, drawing her very close to him. She openly received his embrace. Elrond kissed her and stood up, pulling her up with him. She locked her arms around his shoulders and kissed him. His knees went weak and they fell on the ground together. Celebrian giggled and rested her head apon Elrond's chest. He rubbed her shoulders and back, murmuring into her ear. She smiled warmly and kissed him again. Elrond continued to murmur to her, kissing her forehead between sentences.

Feeling like the most blessed maiden ever to walk in Arda, she soon fell asleep.

** One day, Celeborn called Elrond to him.

"Elrond, I know your purpose for my daughter; that you would take her hand as yours in marriage if only I would grant permisson."

"That is indeed what I would wish. For I love Celebrian your daughter."

Celeborn sighed. "Elrond, you are and shall ever be as a son to me. But evil will stir again in the world, for though the tower of Barad-dur has been destroyed, its roots and foundation remain still. The orcs are driven back but not defeated. Sauron is disfigured but not destroyed, for all these things are bound to the One, which is lost but not unmade. The time will come when it is found again."

"But short that will surely be, will it not?" Elrond asked.

"Short indeed as we Eldar know things, but many years of Men will pass. Elrond, though I love you I say to you, days will come when hope will fade. Other servants of Sauron still wander freely. You do not yet know in full what you ask of me."

Elrond took leave lovingly of Celeborn. He knew that Celeborn's words were devised from foresight, though he knew not what Celeborn had seen.

Three days later, Elrond received his consent to wed Celebrian.

**Part of Celeborn's speech in this chapter is parroting what Elrond said to Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings; Appendix A; Part IV; The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen, which was written by JRR Tolkien**