Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, places, ideas or anything else from Lord of the Rings. I do however lay claim on Elrond's twin daughters as Tolkien never wrote about any twin elven girls anywhere in his books. Everything else though, as much as I wish it, is not mine and belongs to the Estate of J.R.R. Tolkien (a wonderful, wonderful man). Except for a 2-year-old toddler by the name of Estel (forever called tithen min by his siblings) who needs looking after.
~~~~OOOOO~~~~
Arwen Undómiel, recently made eldest daughter of Lord Elrond, stood in the great study of Imladris in a staring match with her aforementioned father. Glorfindel paused in the doorway, debating the wisdom of entering into the middle of the argument.
He wasn't sure at first sight who was winning, but he did know that the beautiful Númenorean statue that was sitting on Elrond's desk was more likely to get up and walk away then for either of the room's occupants to admit defeat.
"Please?" she asked, an obvious note of exasperation in her voice.
Elrond's eyes hardened. "No."
Suddenly Arwen caught sight of Glorfindel out of the corner of her eye, and obviously thinking him a better target than her father, she abruptly ended the staring match.
"What if Glorfindel accompanied us?" She turned her eyes back to her father.
He actually seemed to consider it for a moment, but Glorfindel wasn't about to let his future be decided for him
"Oh no, you are not dragging me into this," he started to backpedal towards the door. He had nearly reached its safety when Arwen's voice called him back. "Please Glor? I'd be ever so grateful."
He made the grievous mistake of looking back at her to see her batting her long eyelashes at him. For a moment he was speechless, wondering where she had learned to do that, before it occurred to him that Celebrían had probably taught her. And damned if it wasn't working. But no, he would not let a pretty maiden, much less his Lord's daughter, distract him from his thoughts.
"No Arwen. I cannot leave Imladris; I have duties here…" he trailed off at the look on her face.
"Surely someone else could take care of them for a few months. You are in need of a break, Lord Glorfindel. And Lórien is beautiful this time of year." And damned if she didn't bat her eyelashes again.
He stole a glance at Elrond and immediately decided there would be no help from that quarter. He had a sinking suspicion Elrond would rather sacrifice letting his daughters go than miss an opportunity to see his chief counselor and friend try to turn down his daughter. Arwen was nothing if not persistent.
"No," he tried again, but it sounded weak even to his own ears. How could he, a hardened warrior that had seen two lifetimes of battle not stand up to a child?
She suddenly dazzled him with the innocent, sweet smile that had always melted his heart when she was younger.
That is how, he thought. He sighed, resigning himself gracefully to his fate.
"If your father agrees…I will go." She turned the same look on her father, but it was clear he had already made up his mind.
Glorfindel winced as she let out a decidedly unladylike squeal and practically ran around the desk to hug her father. He smiled up at her tiredly.
On her way passed she grabbed Glorfindel around the shoulder and rewarded him with a light kiss on his cheek before disappearing soundlessly out the door. Glorfindel looked at his Lord with a slightly dazed expression on his face, before realizing who it was he was looking at.
Clearing his throat to cover his momentary slip he bowed lightly to Elrond before retreating. It wouldn't do stay around and see what more he could be tricked into doing.
The Lord of Imladris merrily smiled to himself as he resumed his work; pleased with the way things had turned out. If it cost Glorfindel his sanity just so Elrond could have a few months peace in his home, he didn't think the price too high.
~~~~OOOOO~~~~
Andúnë looked around and above her with a dazed expression on her face. Her sister, her brothers, and especially her mother had told her stories of the beauty of the home of the Galadrim, but never had she dreamed of such as this.
Her first impression was a sense of peace the like of which she had never known. The second was that although she was sure it was daylight outside of the woods, within and under them a sort of half twilight existed. Without knowing why or how she suddenly was struck with the knowledge that no matter what other lands she saw, or how much she loved her father's valley of Imladris, she would never be completely content unless she walked under the mallorn trees of her mother's people.
She stole a glance sideways at her twin who walked at their elder sister's side. Arómenë also appeared overwhelmed by the serene beauty of the woods, but Andúnë knew, as surely as if it were her own thought, that Arómenë would never love these woods more than the valley. She liked night only when she had a clear view of the stars, and here they would not have that.
The eldest twin sighed to herself. They were so similar, and yet, when it came to the stars and the sun they would always go their separate ways. Which was perhaps the strangest thing of all about Elrond's youngest daughters; except for the clear fact that they were the first and only female elven twins to ever be born. They lived each day with the knowledge that they were special, in a way they could not even fathom. And despite what they had told their sister and mother, part of their reason for coming to visit Lórien was so that they could speak with their daernaneth and perhaps, or so they hoped, look into her famed mirror.
Glorfindel suddenly startled her out of her thoughts, "Please remember to show your daernaneth and daeradar proper respect. You may hug them only if they give their permission."
"Yes Glorfindel," Arómenë muttered, in a voice that their father would probably have considered disrespectful. Andúnë tried to hold back the laugh that threatened to reveal her similar thoughts. Biting her lip she nodded her understanding to their unwilling escort.
Glorfindel snorted in response and Andúnë immediately regretted having pretended to be polite. She rolled her eyes at her sister who had to catch her own chuckle. She wasn't quite as successful as her sister had been. Glorfindel merrily shot her a warning glance. Andúnë pouted at this, which of course only made her sister laugh louder and this time it earned Dúnë the glare. The young elfling thought that quite unfair, and wondered for the millionth time how it seemed her younger sister was everyone's favorite and could do no wrong. Andúnë recalled the horse riding incident with distain and shot an annoyed look at her sister.
She returned it with an equally annoyed one, having already guessed her sister's thoughts. Dúnë really! You will get us both into trouble if you continue with that much longer. It is certainly not my choice who likes me or dislikes me, and it is definitely not my fault that you have been pegged the terror and I the sweet one. That is through your own fault, seler, not mine.
Well seler, if you insist on being in that mood I shall leave you to your thoughts. I will not forget any Age soon about the one time you tried to do something 'adventurous' and did not get caught at it. If you recall, the one blamed was me. Because who would suspect dear, sweet, little Arómenë of such a thing? Thank Eru Glorfindel caught you when you tried to borrow his horse; otherwise I would have been the one in trouble with Ada!
Her sister gave her no response, turning her eyes back to the wonders of the Golden Wood. They had started their ascent up the main staircase some time ago, and Andúnë could see, not much further above her, the largest of the talans that seemed to glow with an unearthly light. She was certain that it was their destination. She was also certain that the moment she beheld her grandparents, all thoughts of propriety would probably be swept from her head. She suspected that her daernaneth and daeradar might not feel it was rude if she gave them a brief hug as if they were her grandparents and not just the Lord and Lady of the Wood. At that thought she glanced at Glorfindel, but he was talking with one of the guards that escorted them.
Sighing she turned her eyes back to the steps and discovered that quite abruptly they had reached the top of the long climb and were standing on a wide talan, at the foot of a much smaller and broader flight of stairs.
The light she was unexpectedly met with was so bright that for a moment it was too much even for her elven eyes. But as suddenly as it had appeared, it vanished, and in its place stood two tall elves.
They were young and fair in look, but older, much older than any other she had ever met. Here were the eldest of their race still left in Middle-earth; and their wisdom and power was known and admired throughout the elven world, and whispered and feared all through the world of men.
The female was as tall as the male and her face was fair to look upon: fairer even than that of her granddaughter's, and her hair was gold, the same exact color that had passed to Dúnë and her twin. It shone with the Light of the Two Trees, the last representation of them on all of Arda, and with the magnificence of Valinor which she alone of all the elves of Middle-earth could remember. She held power, power so great and beautiful that it almost hurt to look upon her. Her robes were white, woven through with strands of mithril that shone in the pale light. Andúnë loved her at first sight, and felt the kinship between them immediately; here was one that understood her thoughts and feelings. And for the first time in her short life, Andúnë Peredhil felt at home.
The other elf, her husband was just as fair and powerful as she, but there was something more natural about him, and Dúnë knew it was because her daeradar had been born in Middle-earth like all other elves she had ever known. He held power too, but not as visible as that of his wife's, which perhaps caused him to remind Dúnë of her father. His robes were of silver and white and they too were woven of mithril thread so that they sparkled in the light. He beheld the group with the air of a king, proud and benevolent. Here was truly the last of the Great Lords of the elven people.
For a moment no one made any move to speak, letting the new arrivals accustom themselves to their first sight of the Lord and Lady. But the moment passed quickly as the Lord of the Galadrim spoke.
"We welcome you to the Golden Wood, daughters of Imladris. And also Glorfindel of the House of the Golden Flower." And here he bowed his head in respect, Glorfindel repeating the gesture, but deeper. Galadriel was sweeping the company with her eyes, searching each of their hearts. Arwen met her eyes easily and received her daernaneth's silent greeting. Glorfindel too met the Lady's eyes easily and bowed again at whatever passed between them.
But as Galadriel's gaze sought that of Andúnë, the elfling felt as if she had suddenly gone deaf and blind to everything but what was in her mind.
Welcome Child of the Stars; long have we awaited your coming. Dúnë blinked up at her. Thank you Lady; long have I desired to walk these woods and speak with you.
Galadriel's eyes twinkled as her laughter rang through her granddaughter's mind, I thought as such. We shall have plenty of time to talk after you have rested from your journey.
Andúnë bowed to her gracefully and was suddenly thrown back into the present as her daernaneth's gaze left her to settle on her sister. She realized that she had missed most of what Celeborn had been saying.
He seemed to understand however and was focusing his questions on Arwen and Glorfindel until he deemed his wife finished. Andúnë pulled her eyes away to stare at her sister, only to find her sister staring right back at her. Her eyes were wide in wonder and disbelief and without a word passing between the twins they both knew instantly what the other felt, for they each felt it themselves.
"You have had a long journey," Celeborn addressed the company again. "Go to your rest and we shall speak on the morrow." He bowed his head to them as the guards led them away.
But Andúnë wasn't about to be carted off to sleep until she had greeted her grandparents properly. She pulled away from Glorfindel's guiding hand and mounted the steps in three strides, only then realizing her twin was right beside her. The bowed their heads respectfully before wrapping their arms around their grandparents; Andúnë claiming her daernaneth without a seconds protest from Rómë.
Galadriel had seen this coming and enveloped her middle granddaughter in a welcoming hug. Celeborn was caught slightly more of guard, but seemed no less inclined to indulge his youngest grandchild. They held them for only a moment before they let the twins switch, giving equal treatment to both.
The two stepped back smiling up at the eldest elves and dropped two perfectly timed curtsies before joining Arwen and Glorfindel at the bottom of the stairs. With only one glance back the two suffered themselves to be led away.
And so Andúnë and Arómenë Peredhil, youngest children of Lord Elrond of Imladris, finally met their legendary grandparents: it was a meeting that would later come to change their lives forever.