Chapter 2- A Long Awaited Return
She moved along the wooded path, coming to steep hill to which she could see a large grouping of trees in the distance. High as the mountains they rose, each tree root touching the next root, each branch intermingling with the other branches. Here it stood, the apex, the heart of Elvendom on Middle Earth, to which she had longed to behold once more since the day nearly two millennia ago when her father and mother decided to travel. The waning sent of niphredil and elanor in the early autumn day drifted to her nose and she inhaled deeply, closing her eyes. A hand was placed softly on her shoulder from behind and she was pulled out of the sheer exquisiteness of the moment.
"You are happy to be back, Indilisse?"
Indilisse turned and glanced at the large elf beside her, spying his hard features. She smiled warmly and nodded, "I am more than happy, Ada. I have long dreamed of this."
"We should keep on our way," Targon replied, giving her shoulder a squeeze. "That is if we wish to reach Caras Galadhon by nightfall."
"Aye, let us keep moving." She said and awaited her father to take the lead, showing her through the paths of grass and verge. They traveled in silence, she and her father the only travelers into the city.
When they had arrived on the borders of Lórien, it had not taken but a few moments and they were surrounded by elves with arrows pointed at their heads. She remembered she had been extremely nervous, knowing the skill at which they possessed to harness the weapons, even though she had also been trained in such things. Indilisse figured it was but a reaction anyone would have with a deadly weapon pointed so close to them, and she had yet to draw a sword or bow at someone without it being in play or practice.
Needless to say, they guards had been suspicious of their intentions, even though there were but two of them, a slightly aged elf and his younger daughter that could cause barely any damage by themselves. Indilisse had only seen her father act in diplomatic ways a few times and had suspected he would put his cunning skills to work, but all he needed to do was flip back the cloak upon his gold head and the head guard dropped his bow, motioning to the others with his hands. Surprised that they had loosened their stance so easily, she listened to them talk and the guard welcome her father. Had she never realized how important and how respected he had been during his time here in Lórien? Certainly she knew he was a more than skilled fighter, always valorous and calm in battle, and many looked at that as a reason to respect him, but there was something else in the guards' eyes. Almost a reverence she could only imagine giving to the Lord and Lady.
"We will never make it, Indilisse, if you stop every few leagues to daydream." Targon replied.
Indilisse snapped her attention back to the present and realized that she had once again stopped, but this time her father was quite a distance ahead of her. She blushed and joined his side quickly. "I am sorry."
He chuckled, "You are just like your mother."
"I will be sure to relay the message." Indilisse giggled, "I was only thinking of how easily the guards let us pass through the woods unaccompanied."
"You did not think I could find my way?" Targon asked, sounding slightly offended, but kept the smile on his face.
She shook her head, "No, Ada, I had just not realized how they knew you."
Targon nodded and continued to lead the horse that was caring their things. "I dwelled here many years before you, pen neth. And have returned on errands since we have been away."
"Aye, I know." Indilisse said and focused her eyes on the road ahead, realizing that the grand gate was very near to them. "This has been a long journey."
"Were you not the one that insisted on the detour to see Gandalf?" Targon reminded.
"You had business with him as well, Ada." She defended and continued forward, passing him and leading for awhile until they gazed upon the great gates. Indilisse sighed and closed her eyes for a few moments again, a sentry coming to walk in front of them.
"Who walks from the borders with no warden accompanying you?" The sentry asked, stone-faced and unemotional.
Indilisse looked to her father, who once again removed the hood of his cloak. The sentry, with an unspoken order stepped back and knocked on the door two times for it to open. She stepped back, worried that the gates would open out and she would be in their path, but instead they opened inwards to the lush paradise. Targon offered his arm to her now, she was sure so that he could make certain she was with him, and she was still not left back at the outer rim of the sitting staring with wide eyes up at the long and winding staircases. Indilisse took it gladly, but continued to the survey the city. It was different than she had remembered it. More elegant than when they had left, even though everything seems smaller to her. She quickly blamed that on the fact she had been half her full gown size when she left.
"This is why I do not let you fight." Targon said quietly, handing the horse off to handmaiden as he walked by. "If you were to see anything threatening coming for you, you would simple stop and gape at their wretchedness."
She chewed on her lip, "But I do not stare at wretchedness, Ada. This is beautiful and elegant... and far more than I remembered it to be."
"You still get lost so easily." He replied, "Your concentration is so simply moved."
Indilisse did not wish to hear anymore of the areas that her father thought she lacked in. Truly, she was not that absentminded, was she? As she followed her father up the winding stairs, her eyes drifted to the many talans within the trees and each of the elves now coming our onto their balconies to peer down at the new arrivals. The unaccompanied arrivals.
Not noticing that they had stopped, and now stood in front of a platform, she continued to look around until she felt a beaming light fall over her. It was not so much a beam as it was a warm glow that made the inside of her tired body feel alive again. Indilisse turned her attention in front of her and saw the source of the light, the white and golden robes of the Lord and Lady incandescent of the light falling through the trees and the sparkling gems that could only be described as stars that hung on the walkways. She had not remembered the fairness of the couple until this very moment. The weight and toil of their long years not present on their faces, on them were warm and welcoming smiles.
Indilisse realized that her father was now bowing his head, a hand over his breast, so she gently curtsied before them, not having time to right herself before feeling two soft fingers beneath her chin. She looked up into the ageless face and wise eyes of the Galadriel, finding tranquility. Indilisse stood to her full height now, but Galadriel did not remove her fingers from beneath her chin. "My Lady..."
Galadriel smiled, "Welcome home, fair Indilisse. These woods have missed you."
"I could not have left such a lasting impression for living her for but a blink of an eye, my lady." She said humbly.
"You place a mark wherever you go, Indilisse." The wise elf spoke and turned to Targon who was standing beside Celeborn and watching the exchange. "She is much like her mother, Targon. You have not told us of their fair likeness."
Celeborn nodded in agreement, "There will be many suitable elves here that would wish her hand."
Targon chuckled, "They would have to catch her first."
"It is not so hard," Celeborn said, "I remember a time when I had to chase a stubborn elleth. And now look how far we have come."
Galadriel looked at them and pursed her lips together into a thin line. Indilisse thought she saw a slight bit of pink creep to the Lady's already rosy cheeks, but decided she was just seeing things. Surely Galadriel was not that easily embarrassed.
Celeborn saw this look and turned back to Targon, straightening his posture, increasing his height by a few more inches. "How long do you plan to stay? I am sure there are many that would benefit from your lessons, and we would much like to throw you a proper welcoming celebration."
"I know not how long I will be staying," Targon replied, "But Indilisse as voiced to me that she may wish to stay here until she leaves for Valinor, and her mother will be joining her here at the start of the winter."
Galadriel nodded and glanced at Indilisse, "That would be a wonderful thing, Indilisse, if you should so choose to stay."
Indilisse did not know how to reply, so she gave a polite nod of her head and smiled.
"You two are weary of your travels," Galadriel spoke again, and looked at Targon. "Go and rest, for there will be much time to speak of these matters later."
Targon nodded his head appreciatively, "I thank you, Lady Galadriel... Lord Celeborn."
"My handmaiden will show you to your talan, Indilisse." The lady spoke, "She can see to any of your needs for the eve."
"Thank you, my lady." Indilisse curtsied again, looking down and realized what an atrocious state she was in. The traveling tunic and leggings she wore where dirt smudged and grass stained, her boots covered in mud. Normally she would not have cared, but for this meeting with Galadriel and Celeborn, she had wished to present herself a slight bit more proper than her usual state.
A young blonde-haired elleth came from behind Indilisse and smiled brightly, motioning for her to follow. Indilisse glanced at the other three before turning quickly and following the elleth down the stairs and across the field to another long set of staircases. They passed through multiple coverings and bridges, leading higher and higher into the trees upon each staircase they started. Finally they reached a door and the handmaiden opened it, letting Indilisse walk in first.
The talan was small, and sufficient, comprised of two rooms- a front room with a small kitchen and a few chairs and a fireplace, and a back sleeping room she had yet to see. Indilisse turned to look at the quiet handmaiden, "I realized I do not know your name."
"Narië." The elleth replied timidly, and wrung her hands nervously.
"Narië," Indilisse smiled, "Do not be nervous, dear Narië, I do not bite."
She giggled, "I did not think you would, my lady."
Indilisse chuckled at the title the elleth had bestowed upon her when she was not deserving. "Narië, I am not a lady and am not of noble birth. It is simply Indilisse."
"Your father is a noble man." Narië replied, "Or so I have heard of many stories from the other wardens and Lady Galadriel herself."
"Aye, I know." Indilisse said, thinking of her father. He was certainly every bit as noble as Elrond, or Celeborn and even Galadriel, was deserving the title of Lord, even though he would never except it. Targon had long defined his nobility on the integrity he held and the ability of being a leader and not need a title to be one.
"You have your own private bathing area." Narië interrupted Indilisse's thoughts. "This is a guest talan, so you will be staying here until you leave or decide to remain within the city. Then you will be moved to a permanent talan, and need to bathe in the pool down at the base of the city."
Indilisse nodded, "I know the basic operations of the city. I lived her until I was twenty five, and then we left for Imladris."
Narië smiled, "That is good, because a newcomer can get lost very easily among the winding paths here."
"Oh I am sure I will still manage to get lost," Indilisse replied, "but hopefully not too horribly."
"Would you like some food brought to you?" Narië asked, "The evening meal in the dining hall has already ended, but I can have them send some for you."
She did not need to say a thing as her stomach answered for her, sending a loud growl out into the air. "I guess that is a yes."
Narië nodded and headed for the door. "I will return in awhile so you may bathe in privacy."
"Thank you Narië." Indilisse said and closed the door after her. She stood back and looked around the room, letting a long sigh escape her. Finally, she was home, back in a high talan above the world, not back in Imladris where her family had been a guest in Lord Elrond's house, or in Mirkwood where King Thranduil have given them an apartment for their extended stay within his great cave. Listening the peacefulness of the room around her, she noticed that she was completely alone for the first time in a long time. In her own talan without her parents. Indilisse let a long smile cross her features.
Finally.
She walked back into the sleeping chambers and found that it too was sparsely decorated but efficient. In it there was a small bed placed against the far wall, with a wardrobe on the opposite wall, open and now holding the few changes of clothing she had brought with her. The was an opening out onto a small balcony through this room, covered only by a piece of gauzy white fabric that was now billowing in the wind. Too tired to really care about the fact that anybody around her talan could look in on her, she stripped of her soiled clothing and threw it into a corner, walking towards the door to the bathing room. She filled the basin with warm water and put a few droplets of elanor within the water, making the room smell sweet and flowery.
Carefully, she slipped on toe into the warm water, and then slowly submerged herself, allowing her head to go under for a short time to dampen her hair. Coming back up, she lathered herself with the yellow soap beside her and rested back into the heat as the water stole the aches she had incurred from traveling for so long. This was pure bliss, and she was sure she had never experienced such a time before in her life.
Quiet.
Peace.
Quiet and peace at the same time.
What a luxury it was, though she could not help but feel anxious about something. After leaving Celeborn and Galadriel, she had felt odd, as if there was some foreboding that she should have been aware of, but was not. Indilisse stopped this train of thought, sinking deeper into the water, wishing away all of her troubles, for now she was in the land of the Dream Flower.
Meanwhile, Galadriel and Celeborn retired to the garden and sat carefully on an intricately carved bench. Celeborn looked down at his wife, and brushed a piece of her long golden hair from her eyes and saw the look he had seen for so many years. Something was on her mind. "What have you seen, my lady?"
Galadriel sighed and leaned into the comfort of her husband's strong and protective chest. "I have seen many things."
He let a low chuckle escape his lips, "I have learned not to fall for that, a'maelamin."
"I should hope after all these years." She smiled and looked up at him. "You saw it too, Celeborn, that is why you mentioned to Targon to keep his eye on his daughter. There will be a few eligible he-elves vying for Indilisse's affections."
"I only warned Targon because of my experiences with having a daughter." He said, letting a wistful sigh out. "If I had kept closer attention on Celebrian, she would still be here, would not have married the peredhil and would not be in the Halls of Mandos."
Galadriel moved back from Celeborn and ran a hand over his cheek, "You place undo responsibility on yourself, my husband. She would have been unhappy and would have died of a broken heart."
He nodded his head knowingly, but remained quiet. Celeborn had excepted this simple fact many years ago, but it was still in certain moments that he got a clear vision of Celebrian in his mind or Arwen did something exactly like her mother that made him think of her. "But you sense something else with Indilisse, my love?"
"She is much like her mother." Galadriel spoke. "As I said earlier, but I think she too will find the march warden to be particularly pleasant."
Celeborn raised a curious dark brow, "You suppose Haldir, the one who cares of nothing but protecting us and these borders, will suddenly realize that he is falling in love?"
"I have faith in him." Galadriel chuckled, "Besides, I have seen it."
He knew better than to argue with Galadriel when she specifically said she had seen these things. Sometimes he wished he could have that same power as his wife to know what was going on, because he felt that at time she kept things from him. Things that he did not need to know because he would inadvertently try to stop them from happening. Celeborn sighed again and placed a kiss upon her forehead.
"The only thing I worry about is their path to realization." Galadriel replied, "I fear Haldir is too proud to give in to his feelings if he is rebuffed... but then I worry to much. It is up to them to decide how they wish to live the time given to them."
"You are very wise," Celeborn said, placing a hand at he waist and using the other to turn her face towards him. Slowly he lowered his lips to hers, placing a soft and loving kiss.
Galadriel laughed, "I have not yet learned not to fall for that line."
She moved along the wooded path, coming to steep hill to which she could see a large grouping of trees in the distance. High as the mountains they rose, each tree root touching the next root, each branch intermingling with the other branches. Here it stood, the apex, the heart of Elvendom on Middle Earth, to which she had longed to behold once more since the day nearly two millennia ago when her father and mother decided to travel. The waning sent of niphredil and elanor in the early autumn day drifted to her nose and she inhaled deeply, closing her eyes. A hand was placed softly on her shoulder from behind and she was pulled out of the sheer exquisiteness of the moment.
"You are happy to be back, Indilisse?"
Indilisse turned and glanced at the large elf beside her, spying his hard features. She smiled warmly and nodded, "I am more than happy, Ada. I have long dreamed of this."
"We should keep on our way," Targon replied, giving her shoulder a squeeze. "That is if we wish to reach Caras Galadhon by nightfall."
"Aye, let us keep moving." She said and awaited her father to take the lead, showing her through the paths of grass and verge. They traveled in silence, she and her father the only travelers into the city.
When they had arrived on the borders of Lórien, it had not taken but a few moments and they were surrounded by elves with arrows pointed at their heads. She remembered she had been extremely nervous, knowing the skill at which they possessed to harness the weapons, even though she had also been trained in such things. Indilisse figured it was but a reaction anyone would have with a deadly weapon pointed so close to them, and she had yet to draw a sword or bow at someone without it being in play or practice.
Needless to say, they guards had been suspicious of their intentions, even though there were but two of them, a slightly aged elf and his younger daughter that could cause barely any damage by themselves. Indilisse had only seen her father act in diplomatic ways a few times and had suspected he would put his cunning skills to work, but all he needed to do was flip back the cloak upon his gold head and the head guard dropped his bow, motioning to the others with his hands. Surprised that they had loosened their stance so easily, she listened to them talk and the guard welcome her father. Had she never realized how important and how respected he had been during his time here in Lórien? Certainly she knew he was a more than skilled fighter, always valorous and calm in battle, and many looked at that as a reason to respect him, but there was something else in the guards' eyes. Almost a reverence she could only imagine giving to the Lord and Lady.
"We will never make it, Indilisse, if you stop every few leagues to daydream." Targon replied.
Indilisse snapped her attention back to the present and realized that she had once again stopped, but this time her father was quite a distance ahead of her. She blushed and joined his side quickly. "I am sorry."
He chuckled, "You are just like your mother."
"I will be sure to relay the message." Indilisse giggled, "I was only thinking of how easily the guards let us pass through the woods unaccompanied."
"You did not think I could find my way?" Targon asked, sounding slightly offended, but kept the smile on his face.
She shook her head, "No, Ada, I had just not realized how they knew you."
Targon nodded and continued to lead the horse that was caring their things. "I dwelled here many years before you, pen neth. And have returned on errands since we have been away."
"Aye, I know." Indilisse said and focused her eyes on the road ahead, realizing that the grand gate was very near to them. "This has been a long journey."
"Were you not the one that insisted on the detour to see Gandalf?" Targon reminded.
"You had business with him as well, Ada." She defended and continued forward, passing him and leading for awhile until they gazed upon the great gates. Indilisse sighed and closed her eyes for a few moments again, a sentry coming to walk in front of them.
"Who walks from the borders with no warden accompanying you?" The sentry asked, stone-faced and unemotional.
Indilisse looked to her father, who once again removed the hood of his cloak. The sentry, with an unspoken order stepped back and knocked on the door two times for it to open. She stepped back, worried that the gates would open out and she would be in their path, but instead they opened inwards to the lush paradise. Targon offered his arm to her now, she was sure so that he could make certain she was with him, and she was still not left back at the outer rim of the sitting staring with wide eyes up at the long and winding staircases. Indilisse took it gladly, but continued to the survey the city. It was different than she had remembered it. More elegant than when they had left, even though everything seems smaller to her. She quickly blamed that on the fact she had been half her full gown size when she left.
"This is why I do not let you fight." Targon said quietly, handing the horse off to handmaiden as he walked by. "If you were to see anything threatening coming for you, you would simple stop and gape at their wretchedness."
She chewed on her lip, "But I do not stare at wretchedness, Ada. This is beautiful and elegant... and far more than I remembered it to be."
"You still get lost so easily." He replied, "Your concentration is so simply moved."
Indilisse did not wish to hear anymore of the areas that her father thought she lacked in. Truly, she was not that absentminded, was she? As she followed her father up the winding stairs, her eyes drifted to the many talans within the trees and each of the elves now coming our onto their balconies to peer down at the new arrivals. The unaccompanied arrivals.
Not noticing that they had stopped, and now stood in front of a platform, she continued to look around until she felt a beaming light fall over her. It was not so much a beam as it was a warm glow that made the inside of her tired body feel alive again. Indilisse turned her attention in front of her and saw the source of the light, the white and golden robes of the Lord and Lady incandescent of the light falling through the trees and the sparkling gems that could only be described as stars that hung on the walkways. She had not remembered the fairness of the couple until this very moment. The weight and toil of their long years not present on their faces, on them were warm and welcoming smiles.
Indilisse realized that her father was now bowing his head, a hand over his breast, so she gently curtsied before them, not having time to right herself before feeling two soft fingers beneath her chin. She looked up into the ageless face and wise eyes of the Galadriel, finding tranquility. Indilisse stood to her full height now, but Galadriel did not remove her fingers from beneath her chin. "My Lady..."
Galadriel smiled, "Welcome home, fair Indilisse. These woods have missed you."
"I could not have left such a lasting impression for living her for but a blink of an eye, my lady." She said humbly.
"You place a mark wherever you go, Indilisse." The wise elf spoke and turned to Targon who was standing beside Celeborn and watching the exchange. "She is much like her mother, Targon. You have not told us of their fair likeness."
Celeborn nodded in agreement, "There will be many suitable elves here that would wish her hand."
Targon chuckled, "They would have to catch her first."
"It is not so hard," Celeborn said, "I remember a time when I had to chase a stubborn elleth. And now look how far we have come."
Galadriel looked at them and pursed her lips together into a thin line. Indilisse thought she saw a slight bit of pink creep to the Lady's already rosy cheeks, but decided she was just seeing things. Surely Galadriel was not that easily embarrassed.
Celeborn saw this look and turned back to Targon, straightening his posture, increasing his height by a few more inches. "How long do you plan to stay? I am sure there are many that would benefit from your lessons, and we would much like to throw you a proper welcoming celebration."
"I know not how long I will be staying," Targon replied, "But Indilisse as voiced to me that she may wish to stay here until she leaves for Valinor, and her mother will be joining her here at the start of the winter."
Galadriel nodded and glanced at Indilisse, "That would be a wonderful thing, Indilisse, if you should so choose to stay."
Indilisse did not know how to reply, so she gave a polite nod of her head and smiled.
"You two are weary of your travels," Galadriel spoke again, and looked at Targon. "Go and rest, for there will be much time to speak of these matters later."
Targon nodded his head appreciatively, "I thank you, Lady Galadriel... Lord Celeborn."
"My handmaiden will show you to your talan, Indilisse." The lady spoke, "She can see to any of your needs for the eve."
"Thank you, my lady." Indilisse curtsied again, looking down and realized what an atrocious state she was in. The traveling tunic and leggings she wore where dirt smudged and grass stained, her boots covered in mud. Normally she would not have cared, but for this meeting with Galadriel and Celeborn, she had wished to present herself a slight bit more proper than her usual state.
A young blonde-haired elleth came from behind Indilisse and smiled brightly, motioning for her to follow. Indilisse glanced at the other three before turning quickly and following the elleth down the stairs and across the field to another long set of staircases. They passed through multiple coverings and bridges, leading higher and higher into the trees upon each staircase they started. Finally they reached a door and the handmaiden opened it, letting Indilisse walk in first.
The talan was small, and sufficient, comprised of two rooms- a front room with a small kitchen and a few chairs and a fireplace, and a back sleeping room she had yet to see. Indilisse turned to look at the quiet handmaiden, "I realized I do not know your name."
"Narië." The elleth replied timidly, and wrung her hands nervously.
"Narië," Indilisse smiled, "Do not be nervous, dear Narië, I do not bite."
She giggled, "I did not think you would, my lady."
Indilisse chuckled at the title the elleth had bestowed upon her when she was not deserving. "Narië, I am not a lady and am not of noble birth. It is simply Indilisse."
"Your father is a noble man." Narië replied, "Or so I have heard of many stories from the other wardens and Lady Galadriel herself."
"Aye, I know." Indilisse said, thinking of her father. He was certainly every bit as noble as Elrond, or Celeborn and even Galadriel, was deserving the title of Lord, even though he would never except it. Targon had long defined his nobility on the integrity he held and the ability of being a leader and not need a title to be one.
"You have your own private bathing area." Narië interrupted Indilisse's thoughts. "This is a guest talan, so you will be staying here until you leave or decide to remain within the city. Then you will be moved to a permanent talan, and need to bathe in the pool down at the base of the city."
Indilisse nodded, "I know the basic operations of the city. I lived her until I was twenty five, and then we left for Imladris."
Narië smiled, "That is good, because a newcomer can get lost very easily among the winding paths here."
"Oh I am sure I will still manage to get lost," Indilisse replied, "but hopefully not too horribly."
"Would you like some food brought to you?" Narië asked, "The evening meal in the dining hall has already ended, but I can have them send some for you."
She did not need to say a thing as her stomach answered for her, sending a loud growl out into the air. "I guess that is a yes."
Narië nodded and headed for the door. "I will return in awhile so you may bathe in privacy."
"Thank you Narië." Indilisse said and closed the door after her. She stood back and looked around the room, letting a long sigh escape her. Finally, she was home, back in a high talan above the world, not back in Imladris where her family had been a guest in Lord Elrond's house, or in Mirkwood where King Thranduil have given them an apartment for their extended stay within his great cave. Listening the peacefulness of the room around her, she noticed that she was completely alone for the first time in a long time. In her own talan without her parents. Indilisse let a long smile cross her features.
Finally.
She walked back into the sleeping chambers and found that it too was sparsely decorated but efficient. In it there was a small bed placed against the far wall, with a wardrobe on the opposite wall, open and now holding the few changes of clothing she had brought with her. The was an opening out onto a small balcony through this room, covered only by a piece of gauzy white fabric that was now billowing in the wind. Too tired to really care about the fact that anybody around her talan could look in on her, she stripped of her soiled clothing and threw it into a corner, walking towards the door to the bathing room. She filled the basin with warm water and put a few droplets of elanor within the water, making the room smell sweet and flowery.
Carefully, she slipped on toe into the warm water, and then slowly submerged herself, allowing her head to go under for a short time to dampen her hair. Coming back up, she lathered herself with the yellow soap beside her and rested back into the heat as the water stole the aches she had incurred from traveling for so long. This was pure bliss, and she was sure she had never experienced such a time before in her life.
Quiet.
Peace.
Quiet and peace at the same time.
What a luxury it was, though she could not help but feel anxious about something. After leaving Celeborn and Galadriel, she had felt odd, as if there was some foreboding that she should have been aware of, but was not. Indilisse stopped this train of thought, sinking deeper into the water, wishing away all of her troubles, for now she was in the land of the Dream Flower.
Meanwhile, Galadriel and Celeborn retired to the garden and sat carefully on an intricately carved bench. Celeborn looked down at his wife, and brushed a piece of her long golden hair from her eyes and saw the look he had seen for so many years. Something was on her mind. "What have you seen, my lady?"
Galadriel sighed and leaned into the comfort of her husband's strong and protective chest. "I have seen many things."
He let a low chuckle escape his lips, "I have learned not to fall for that, a'maelamin."
"I should hope after all these years." She smiled and looked up at him. "You saw it too, Celeborn, that is why you mentioned to Targon to keep his eye on his daughter. There will be a few eligible he-elves vying for Indilisse's affections."
"I only warned Targon because of my experiences with having a daughter." He said, letting a wistful sigh out. "If I had kept closer attention on Celebrian, she would still be here, would not have married the peredhil and would not be in the Halls of Mandos."
Galadriel moved back from Celeborn and ran a hand over his cheek, "You place undo responsibility on yourself, my husband. She would have been unhappy and would have died of a broken heart."
He nodded his head knowingly, but remained quiet. Celeborn had excepted this simple fact many years ago, but it was still in certain moments that he got a clear vision of Celebrian in his mind or Arwen did something exactly like her mother that made him think of her. "But you sense something else with Indilisse, my love?"
"She is much like her mother." Galadriel spoke. "As I said earlier, but I think she too will find the march warden to be particularly pleasant."
Celeborn raised a curious dark brow, "You suppose Haldir, the one who cares of nothing but protecting us and these borders, will suddenly realize that he is falling in love?"
"I have faith in him." Galadriel chuckled, "Besides, I have seen it."
He knew better than to argue with Galadriel when she specifically said she had seen these things. Sometimes he wished he could have that same power as his wife to know what was going on, because he felt that at time she kept things from him. Things that he did not need to know because he would inadvertently try to stop them from happening. Celeborn sighed again and placed a kiss upon her forehead.
"The only thing I worry about is their path to realization." Galadriel replied, "I fear Haldir is too proud to give in to his feelings if he is rebuffed... but then I worry to much. It is up to them to decide how they wish to live the time given to them."
"You are very wise," Celeborn said, placing a hand at he waist and using the other to turn her face towards him. Slowly he lowered his lips to hers, placing a soft and loving kiss.
Galadriel laughed, "I have not yet learned not to fall for that line."