Chapter V

That night at the ball Gilauriel sat silently at the side while her family danced.  Though she had learned many of the Elvish skills, dancing was not one of them. 

'Gilauriel?'

'What is it, muinthell?' she asked, recognising the voice.

'Elladan saw that you were not participating in the ball and offered to be your partner.'

'No thank you.  Is Faramir here?'

'O, is that who you wanted to dance with?' Arwen's voice was teasing.

'No, I just want to know.'

'He is here, but why do you ask if you will not dance with him?'

'Arwen.' Gilauriel was not going to let her sister get too far with this.

'All right,' she chuckled mischievously.  'I will be going to dance with Aragorn then.'

She nodded and returned to her circle of silence.  After awhile she became uninterested in the music and the halls were becoming quite stuffy, so she slipped out and made her way to the balcony.  Elrond always left the doors to outside open for the guests to go outdoors as they wished.

Gilauriel sat in the elusive darkness for awhile, letting the cool breeze take a hold of her.  It was a wonderful evening.

'Gilauriel?' a voice whispered.

'Yes?' the thought vanished into the night air.  'Who is it?'

'It is just I, Faramir,' the captain laughed lightly.  'What brings you out into the night, instead of dancing with your family?'

'I am quite different from them, actually,' Gilauriel admitted.  'I cannot dance in front of others, really.'

'And you run outside every time your father holds a ball?'

'I try to.'

'You have such a lovely sense of humour, princess.  First you asked who I was when I clearly saw you looking at me, and now you tease me about your shyness in dancing," Faramir said with amusement in his voice.  'You would make a great host in formal parties.'

'I am blind, Faramir,' she replied softly.

There was a short silence.  'I am terribly sorry,' Faramir murmured, placing a hand on hers.  'Really, I am.  I never knew you suffered much.'

'There is no need to feel rueful of me,' Gilauriel responded.  'But please, promise, swear to the Valar you will never tell anyone.  I hold to myself that you will not, that is why I trusted you.  I do not want others to know of this.'

'I swear I will not tell,' the captain pledged her, and she contently nestled her head on his shoulder.

The next morning, Gilauriel woke to her father's touch.

'Morningstar, there is something I must speak to you about,' Elrond said.  She sat up on her bed as he sat down.

'I believe Gandalf revealed more of your family, that is, your brothers thrive in Lothloríen.'

'Yes, ada,' she replied.  'What of it?'

'Nothing,' he replied quickly.  'I just wanted to clarify that you now know.'

'You knew, ada,' she guessed.

'Yes I did, Gilauriel,' the Elf-lord sighed, 'but since you took the news regarding your parents so deeply I thought I had better leave this tale for later.'

'Ada, I am not an Elfling anymore,' Gilauriel argued.  'You simply assume that as I am blind I am weak and cannot hold so many emotions at once.  Ada, all my life I thought this was my family, and you tell me you are not my true father.  Naturally I wanted to know if I had siblings as well.'

Elrond did not say anything for awhile.  'Come, breakfast is waiting.  Do not take too long.'  She felt the weight of her bed lighten and she took the little time she had to ponder over her father's words.