Morning came, and Farothwen had awoken early, the cheerful songs of the morning birds having disturbed her. She took the rare opportunity of walking around on her own, without her husband or father or the twins accompanying her. Don't they have anything better to do? thought Farothwen. She was walking around the trees, admiring the pretty spring blossoms that were starting to bloom from the tiny buds on the bare branches. It was just before dawn, and everything was still and pale in the early morning light. She approached a fish pond ahead as she picked a flower from a bush for her hair. Just as she tucked it behind her ear, she tripped over a carefully concealed rope and went face-first right into the pond with a scream. She could hear faint sounds of laughter and a voice say, 'Erestor screams like a girl!' The sounds of merriment turned to gasps of horror as the culprits turned the corner and saw who actually ended up swimming with Elrond's goldfish.

'Sweet Eru Almighty!'

Farothwen couldn't move, the water in the pond so cold her upper body had frozen from the shock. She felt two pairs of strong hands grab her arms and lift her out, coughing and spluttering.

'Oh, Eru, Farothwen, are you all right?' Elrohir quickly whipped his cloak off and bundled it around Farothwen's shoulders. She was shivering and crying from the shock, unable to speak. Elladan instantly pulled her into his arms tightly, rubbing her to try to warm her up.

'Oh, sweeting, we're so, so sorry,' he whispered. 'We were trying to get Erestor, we never thought you'd walk into the trap...' Elladan placed a hand on Farothwen's forehead. ''Rohir, we have to get her home, she's freezing.'

Elrohir nodded, and gathered her up in his arms. Thankfully, they weren't far away from the Last Homely House. Elladan and Elrohir quickly entered, Elrohir silently looking to his elder brother for instructions.

'Take her down to the healing rooms; I'll go and wake Nana,' Elladan said.

Elrohir nodded. 'What about Ada?'

'He must not know. If he finds out, he'll have our ar-'

'Finds out what?'

The twins turned to see their sister Arwen standing on the stairs in her nightdress, woken by the noise. 'What's going on?'

Elladan sighed. 'Oh, Arwen, I'm so glad to see you. When did you get home?'

Arwen rushed over to Elrohir. 'Never mind me! What happened to her?'

'She fell in the pond,' Elrohir replied.

Arwen looked sidelong at her brothers. 'Don't tell me you were trying to get Erestor!'

'Shush, keep your voice down! She's freezing, we have to get her into warm clothes,' Elrohir hissed.

'Take her,' Arwen said, 'and I'll get some warm robes. Hurry!'

Elrohir hurriedly took Farothwen down to the healing rooms. He noticed she was nearly falling asleep in his arms.

'Farothwen, don't go to sleep!'

He finally set her down on the table, made sure her wet hair wasn't touching her face, and removed her cloak and shoes. He made to take off her dress, but Arwen came with the robes.

'You, out. I'll remove her clothing.'

'But Arwen-'

'Out, I said.' Arwen studied Farothwen for the first time. 'Don't tell me this is the Dúnadan maid.'

Elrohir nodded. 'Yes, that's Farothwen. How do you know of her?'

'Nana and Ada told me of her, and the terrible injuries she suffered.' Arwen cast a final dark glance at Elrohir which made him leave the room. She got Farothwen out of her saturated dress and into the dry robes she found for her. As she did so, she noticed the terrible scars criss-crossing her back and also her scarred hand. She shook her head.

'Farothwen, what did you do to deserve this?' she whispered.

Arwen quickly searched her father's tonic hoard until she found the one she was looking for, a solution that cures bitter cold by heating the patient from the inside. She sat Farothwen up and poured a little down her throat, making sure she did not choke. Within a few seconds, Farothwen's eyes opened and she sat up.

'Where am I?' she asked weakly. She looked around and was startled to see only Arwen, a stranger to her.

'You're in the healing chambers,' Arwen said. Farothwen wrapped her robes tightly around her.

'I'm cold... but I feel warm on the inside. What happened to me?'

Arwen sighed. 'My idiotic brothers made you fall into the freezing fish pond.'

'I remember them pulling me out...' Farothwen looked hard at the beautiful Elf maiden. Her brows furrowed. 'Lady Arwen?'

'How do you know my name?'

'Lord Elrond has told me a lot about you.'

'And he has told me about you, Farothwen.'

Arwen was interrupted by loud shouts coming from upstairs. Farothwen slowly placed her feet on the floor and stood, walking shakily. Arwen grabbed her arm to make sure she did not fall. Farothwen strained her ears to listen.

'I can't understand what they're saying...'

'Shush...' Arwen could understand the ancient language of Quenya. She listened intently and she winced at the biting words her father, wide awake, was using against her brothers. Her face was shocked as she heard the vulgar reply Elladan gave.

'Eru Almighty!' she whispered as her mother intervened, her voice the loudest of all. Farothwen grabbed the hand rail and climbed the stairs, Arwen following cautiously behind her. As Farothwen reached the landing where the feuding family stood, she saw Glorohtar and Beleglor come down as well, followed by Glorfindel and Erestor, all of whom were awakened by the shouting.

'What in Eru's name is going on here?' Glorfindel said.

Elrond saw Farothwen and Arwen over Elrohir's shoulder. 'Sellath nin, come here.' Farothwen, almost blue with cold and dressed in thick robes, steadily made her way over to Elrond, Arwen following close behind in case something happened.

'This is what's going on, Glorfindel! My sons, whom you are supposed to guard, nearly killed Farothwen this morning!' Elrond shouted.

'What?' cried Glorohtar. He leaped towards Elladan and Elrohir, but Beleglor held him back with a murderous glare.

'Elrond, you were supposed to be taking care of my daughter, how could you let her be put in danger such as this!' Beleglor's fury, though he remained calm, was evident. 'I knew I should never have left her in the hands of the Noldor.'

Every Noldo in the room looked at Glorohtar. The twins glared, but the older Elves knew why Beleglor felt the way he did.

'Ada, it was an accident. I'm all right.'

Farothwen's faint voice gained everyone's attention.

'Then why did Elrond say you nearly died, Farothwen?'

'He was exaggerating, wasn't he, Lady Arwen?' Farothwen looked at Arwen, pleading with her to back her up. Arwen did not know the extent of the bond Farothwen had with her brothers, but she knew Farothwen did not want them in trouble. Arwen slowly nodded.

'She was all right. She just needed warm clothes.'

Elladan and Elrohir looked astounded, as they were convinced that Farothwen was on the verge of death, but they did not complain. Elrond sighed. Glorohtar walked over and silently gathered Farothwen in his arms, rubbing her shoulders, glaring at the twins.

Glorfindel was the first to break the stony silence. 'Farothwen, Glorohtar, Beleglor. I will apologise, as the sons of Elrond are entrusted to my care, and therefore they are my responsibility. I am sorry.' He bowed his head.

Elrohir spoke up. 'No, Glorfy,' he said, using the nickname for Glorfindel that he hadn't used since he came of age. 'It was my fault. It was my idea. Erestor was giving me the sh-' A sharp look from Celebrían temporarily silenced him. 'Sorry, Nana. Anyway, we set the trap for Erestor, knowing that he'd be along on his morning walk. We never thought Farothwen, whom we both love dearly, would walk into it. We never knew that she would suffer so badly, since humans feel the cold much more than Elves. It was my fault, Beleglor, and I am sorry.' Elrohir's face softened, as if he finally let his fear show. Elladan looked up. 'I'm sorry too Beleglor. I guess we are no better than an Elfling. And I'm sorry for saying all those horrible things, Ada.'

Elrond looked at Elladan and nodded his acceptance. He walked over to Beleglor and bowed.

'I should shoulder the blame, as the lord of this realm. You were right, you entrusted your daughter to my care, and I failed you. I take responsibility for all those within my house, whether friend or child, and I failed both you and your children.'

Beleglor took a deep breath and thought for a second. 'I accept your apology, Master Elrond. If what my daughter and Lady Undómiel says is true, then there was no harm done. I am sorry for getting off on the wrong foot when you and your house have been so generous to me and my children.'

Both men placed their hands on their hearts and bowed in the traditional Elven gesture. Elrond smiled.

'This has been put off for far too long. Your daughter and your son should finally be married, dear Beleglor.'

Beleglor laughed. 'I couldn't agree more, Master Elrond.'

'When?' asked Glorohtar.

Celebrían scrunched her nose up, as she always did when she thought. 'Two days hence. That shall give us enough time to prepare everything. Farothwen? Glorohtar?' She looked to them for their opinion.

Farothwen smiled, albeit weakly. 'Two days. That is fine by me.'

Glorohtar nodded. 'And me.'

'Good!' Celebrían said. 'I shall alert the cooks and my maids.' She left to do just that. Elladan and Elrohir had slinked silently away after the apologies, and Erestor left in huff long before that. Elrond smiled.

'What chaos. Welcome to Rivendell, Master Beleglor.'

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Sellath nin - My daughters.