Their understanding
Begins to swell and the approaching tide
Will shortly fill the reasonable shores
That now lie foul and muddy.
-William Shakespeare
There was an interesting tension setting over the dinner table. From Lord Elrond's point of view it was quite comical. However, his wife was becoming distressed. A fine game of musical chairs would have most likely suited most of the male, and a large portion of the female, guests at the dinner table.
Lady Nithiel, guest of Elladan, kept glancing towards Erestor. Elladan glanced towards Lady Aerlinn often enough to be considered obsessed and he shot daggers at her companion, Thalion, when not fixed on the lady. Thalion's gaze was fixed on Morwen, accompanied by Elrohir, the very son of hiswho kept staring at Nithiel. Morwen, almost the most conspicuous of them all, occasionally glanced at Glorfindel. Glorfindel's guest, Rian, truly the most conspicuous of them all, glanced towards the twins at normal intervals, although which one she looked for was not certain.
Elrond then proceeded to study his advisors and other guests. Glorfindel's mind was obviously somewhere else, and not at all on his barely touched plate of food. Erestor at the moment was engaged in a positively horrid discussion with Galdor of the Havens, one in which Elrond had no desire to participate. Erestor, despite the rumors Elrond had heard otherwise, had long forgone the idea of love and the trappings of marriage. Tragic, really, as the elf would make a wondrous father. Just look at what he did with the whole mess of foster childrenwho had passed through Imladris!
Speaking of which, Elrond let his gaze settle on young Tarkil, although he absently noted Galdor's gaze traveling towards Aerlinn, with a name like "Sea-song" an elf of the havens was easily intrigued. Tarkil, for his part, was handling it all quite well. He only occasionally gaped at the elven females, although he did seem reluctant to look at Celebrian or Arwen for too long. Elrond's other guests seemed too concerned about their own goings-ons to pay much attention to the drama of young love playing out at the High Table. Elrond noted the gossiping servants had taken quite a notice to what was playing out between the higher members of the court. Elrond could only wonder what would transpire once the parties moved into the ball room. The younger ladies of the court were already throwing daggers at Nithiel and Morwen. Elrond hid his smile behind his wine glass.
Tonight would be quite interesting indeed.
Elrohir had been told on countless occasions the available ladies of the court tended to throw daggers Morwen's way when she accompanied the twins anywhere. He had dismissed it as mere paranoia. Now, on the walk to the ballroom, he felt the eyes boring into Morwen's back. To an outsider it wouldappear Morwen brushed all the anger and jealousy directed her way off; however Elrohir could feel the tension in her arm, see the set of her jaw and also how icy her eyes had become. Elrohir was loathed to admit it, but whenever Morwen had that unemotional air in her eyes, it scared him.
The eyes were cold, calculating, dead. No warmth, no remorse or passion, no happiness or fear or relief shown through. And that was the point, to be a counselor, especially a female one in the world of stuffy old male elves; one had to hide their emotions. And the eyes were the most vulnerable place of all. It frightened Elrohir that someone could be trained to appear so hard. It was a survival instinct truly, and this was the only way Morwen could hold her head high. It amazed him how fierce gentle women could be when it came down to something they desired. And to think, men were called fiercer.
Elrohir started having a very complex thought on male and female behavior when Morwen purposely stepped on his toe.
"What possessed you to do that?" He almost yelled at her.
"Well, you see, the dance has been going for about a minute and we have just been standing here. People are starting to stare; did you forget how to dance, Elrohir? Or perhaps a pretty birdie has caught your eye?"
"Oh, my dear Morwen, you are the only one I would dare to think about."
"Without that smirk on your face, I might have believed you."
"You wound me, my lady."
"And I'm sure you have lost naught but an eyelash from that wound."
"A tear I shall shed for the way you treat my affections so."
"Valar help the woman who finally falls for you."
"We know it will not be Nithiel." Elrohir's tone was sad and reserved. Morwen gave him a sweet smile.
"Feel pity for her, Elrohir, she has set her eyes on a target she can not have. Erestor's heart belongs to one only, and he does not dwell in Imladris."
"He? Really...who?"
"Yes, he. And I am not inclined to tell you. If you can not figure it out on your own, then it is your own fault."
Morwen was forced to stop her taunting as Elrohir placed her in an unnecessarily long twirl.
"Would you like my dinner to reappear on your robes?" She asked him.
"Of course not."
"Then never do that again."
"If Thalion only knew what kind of tiger you truly were he would stay far away."
"And to think that every ignorant female desires to be in my position."
"Well, we both know the wealth of knowledge that lies in ignorance."
"That makes no sense."
"It has to make sense, father said it."
"Your father is allowed to say it, you are not."
"And why is that?"
"He sounds all powerful and you sound like a fool."
"Your tongue could cut diamonds, my lady."
"Pardon me as I roll my eyes."
"Would you like to hear something odd?"
"What comes out of your mouth that does not classify as such?"
"I am trying to be serious here."
"Then proceed."
"All the ladies in the periphery believe I am whispering sweet nothings in your ear."
"Well, let them believe that you are a charming prince and I am a brooding lady and all shall be right in the world."
"You truly believe in holding to preconceived notions."
"I believe they are best when one tries to protect themselves."
"Hides you mean."
"Elrohir…"
Morwen was stopped short as Erestor came barging into the couple practically throwing Rodwen, the daughter of Mallovoriel into the arms of Elrohir.
"What is…" Elrohir was cut off.
"If you value your freedom, Elrohir and you, your position, Morwen, you will accept this exchange of partners without argument."
Morwen watched in amusement as Elrohir attempted to extract the hands of Rodwen from his person. Rodwen was a nice enough girl, but her mother kept her under lock and key and she was eager for any male to..ehem..bring her into adulthood.
"My dear Erestor, you should consider it honor that Mallovoriel would trust you with her daughter's.."
"Do not even attempt to say such a word. I do not even wish to think about such a thing. It's been over a millennia since I've even been asked to perform such a barbaric task. Faeleth would never let me hear the end of it if she discovered I was asked to do such a task."
Erestor was wary of the bright light that entered Morwen's eyes, he had learned to fear that light when the girl was just a babe, now it terrified him. He shook his head, a weary look entering his countenance.
"Eru, what have you done?"
Morwen put on her most sufficient innocent look.
"Me? I have done nothing, quite like you. Truly, I have not waited three millennia of doing nothing, I would never dream of stringing someone along for such an expanse of time. However, I have just informed Elrohir of your lover."
"You did what?"
"I informed Elrohir of your male lover who does not reside in Imladris."
"Why, why would you tell Elrohir such a thing? My lover is not male nor does she reside in any other elven realm save this one."
"I had my reasons, they are two-fold. One, keep Elrohir out of your personal affairs. He will one day discover why the lovely Faeleth has remained unattached all these years, and then you will never have a moment's peace. My second reason is simple: You need to wed her before the Third Age ends. She may not be getting any older, but she certainly is not getting any younger. The same came be said for you. Elves do pass their times of fertility.."
"Stop before you find your tongue cut out. I swear Mandos' Halls would be a reprieve from the scheming of you and Elladan."
"You must not forget Elrohir and Rian. Arwen participates every now and then, and I am sure Tarkil will love to be initiated into our group of mischief making."
"One would not be able to guess that you are over one hundred years out of your majority."
"Were you not the other day berating me for acting too serious?"
"I meant for you to turn your mischievous ways towards older members of our household. A certain blond elf."
"The night is still young."
" Tis." Erestor agreed.
Erestor glanced over Morwen's shoulder's his eyes assessing all the other couples dancing around the floor. Glorfindel had seized Celebrian from her husband. Elrond was now sitting at his seat, glowering at his seneschal. Perhaps Elrond's glare should have been passed to his right where Arwen was dancing with the young mortal boy. The poor boy seemed to concentrating on his foot placement more than the stunning elf maiden he danced with. Elladan seemed bored out of his mind as he danced with Nithiel, his head nodding at all of the appropriate times. Nithiel knew more about music and instruments than anything else and while her conversation would be quite engaging for a minstrel or an elder elf, to young Elladan whom delighted more in gossip and the history of battles, minstrel songs went on the list of boring. Elrohir had commandeered Rian from Thalion and placed Rodwen in the soldier's arms, a genius escape plan as the ever polite Thalion would never let a young elf maiden down. The whole situation of the night was quite humorous, although he would much prefer to have Morwen in Glorfindel's arms and that damnable Aerlinn in Elladan's arms. Everything would work out perfectly if all the elves would just comply with the obvious designs of their romantic fate all things in life would be well.
Glorfindel watched in amusement as Elladan and Morwen purposefully tried to trip each other as they danced. No matter how old the two became, when together they were nothing but a pair of misbehaving elflings. Erestor had somehow got swept up in Elrohir's arms and was obviously unhappy about it. Elrohir seemed to be questioning the poor advisor, while Erestor seemed to be doing his best to ignore the son of Elrond as he glanced to a dark corner of the room. Glorfindel followed his gaze…ahh, Faeleth. Valar, when would those two bind? Erestor had really waited long enough. He claimed he was waiting for the time when safety settled into Arda. Everyone knew they lived in the safest times of all now and that it would soon pass. Glorfindel knew the reason Erestor kept avoiding the ceremony, to bind with Faeleth and then to lose her to some unforeseen fate was more than the elf would be able to take. Erestor would fade fast. One does not survive the death of the most precious thing in their life since the First Age. Glorfindel could see, as the years went by, Erestor's resolve for holding to such a vow was fading. Morwen and Rian had a large hand in that. Morwen wished to see those she loved happy, and Rian just wished to be involved in everyone's love lives. She really was a successful match-maker, even though the match-making plans of Elladan tended to interfere with her own. Now, that would be a prize couple…Elladan and Rian. Valar protect all if they had children. Glorfindel's mind wandered off on all the terrorizing that could be accomplished by the offspring of Rian and Elladan only to be jolted out of his thoughts when the Lady Celebrian came to stand by his side.
"Will you not dance with her tonight, Glorfindel? You two would look amazing out there. I forced her to wear that dress for a reason. It is time, my friend."
"You know how I feel about this."
"You love her. You may not realize it or acknowledge it but you do. And you also know she has always loved you. Why do you continue to postpone the inevitable?"
"I am trying to make myself like Erestor?"
"This is hardly a joking matter."
"Did I say I was joking?"
"If you are not, then do you not notice the unhappiness in Erestor's eyes? He wishes to be bound and to be a father in his own right, and yet he holds back because of fear. Faeleth loves him more than anything else in her life, but she is only an elf, and even the immortal get tired of waiting."
"Everyone here is so convinced in fate and prophesies; don't you then think that it will happen when it is meant to happen?"
"I happen to believe it was already meant to happen but you went riding off to Thranduil's palace and she went to the Havens. If left up to your own devices, a dwarf will become king of all the lands before you two will see the light. Why fight it, Glorfindel? Is it all really that bad?"
"Can we just not talk of this now? This night was going so well until you dragged such a dreadful topic into the conversation."
Celebrian narrowed her eyes, when next she spoke; her tone caused Glorfindel's blood to freeze,
"I hardly call love and happiness dreadful matters. You, being a cynical male, seem fit to believe that it is all hapless musings and fairy tales, the legend and foolery of unrequited love. The folly of the young female mind, that is what it must seem to you. But this is not a tale, Glorfindel, you of all elves should know that what the Valar wills does occur, They brought you back, for many reasons, mostly to keep your vow to protect this family. You agreed and the Valar saw fit to reward you with the one thing that has eluded you thus far in both of your loves: love. Not the fanciful kind that last for moments based on nothing but pure lust or pure infatuation but the loved based on important things: a lazy afternoon in the sun, an insightful conversation that goes on for hours, the simple knowledge that you love them because you know you could not live without their presence in their life. You are known for your wisdom, Glorfindel, it is time you turned your insight onto yourself. For so help you, if you break that girl's heart, you will find my mother to be a tame kitten when confronted with my wrath."
Glorfindel stayed in stunned silence as Celebrian resumed her former cheerfulness and made her way towards her husband and daughter.
Elladan stopped his quest of trying to ruin Morwen's new slippers when he saw the concerned look on her face. He looked in the direction of her gaze. The only thing that caught his eye was the poor young mortal boy, too small to reach the nearest bowl of juice. Oh, to be that small again, so easy to hide after making mischief. Perhaps he could get the young boy to carry out some of his more genius plans. Of course, the last few descendants of his uncle seemed more serious than his father on a day when someone got a crumb in one of the books.
"Are you worried about the mortal boy drowning in the punch bowl? My fragile self-esteem can not take a lovely female ignoring my attempts at wooing."
"Attempts is the key word. And I doubt the poor boy is small enough to drown, choke perhaps, but not drown. No, look at Glorfindel, it as if someone has knocked all of the wind out of him. He looks ill."
Elladan glanced back at his former tutor and had to agree, but he also knew that look.
"Mother must have given him a tongue-lashing. I often looked like that after she had a "talk" with me. Always have feared her anger more than father's. He was always so easy to appease, just agree to clean books and listen to a lecture on the joys of maps. Mother has always enforced laundry and stable duty. Of course this is only after she scared you half to death with that tone of voice she gets when angry. One of the reasons why I know father never argues with her."
"Are you quite finished?"
"Nearly." Elladan spout out a few more trivialities, "Now I'm done."
"Good, now go over there and comfort him." Morwen stated.
"Me? You're the one that has been in love with him since you were a child."
"You were his favorite student." Morwen inisisted.
"Of course, no one in Imladris cleans ink pots better than I do. That was always Erestor's punishment that and the…stop distracting me from my point. Go over there." Elladan ordered.
"You go, you're the son of the Lord."
"You're the foster daughter."
"You're older."
"You're younger."
"We established that when I said you were older."
"You're shorter, better hugs that way."
"And easier to see someone's nose hairs."
"Did not need to think about that. Your dress matches his, you have to go over."
"What kind of logic is that?"
"Forceful." And with that Elladan practically pushed Morwen into the wall next to Glorfindel.
Glorfindel raised a golden brow as Morwen was shoved into the wall.
"What have we told you two about playing during a ball?"
"Make sure to embarrass King Thranduil at all costs?"
Glorfindel thought a minute and then smiled.
"Ah, yes, I did tell you that. However, Thranduil is not here, and as much as I love seeing Erestor's feathers ruffled, now is neither the time nor place to throw each other into walls. Wait until the minstrels start signing."
"And to think, you are to be a role model to us."
"I have my moments of scholarly grace."
"Once a century."
"Better late than never."
"That does seem to be your motto in life." Morwen muttered under her breath.
"What did you say? I did not catch it."
"We both know you did."
"Humor me."
"I'm not in the mood to. What scared you?"
"So direct, you used to ease your way into these things."
"Erestor has taught me different."
"So you have finally forsaken my lessons for his."
"He has taught me how to protect myself, in ways you never did."
"You will be a great advisor, you need to appear as if you have no heart."
"Why do you take your anger out on me?"
Glorfindel turned away from Morwen, he had not changed moods this fast in years.
"I am sorry, I am afraid I am not much for company tonight."
"What did Celebrian say to you?"
"Nothing of importance." Glorfindel stared straight ahead, watching as Elladan finally secured a dance with Aerlinn.
Morwen let out a hiss of exasperation, "Why do you always lie to me? Do you believe that hiding the truth from me protects me somehow? It hurts me more when you lie to me, hide from me, and hold back from me."
Glorfindel went deadly still at her words. Had Erestor told her?
Morwen lightly touched Glorfindel's pale face,
"Glorfindel, you look as if you have seen some shade of Mandos! What is wrong? Please tell me."
Glorfindel lowered her hand and then grasped both of her hands within his own.
"There are thingswhich are not yet meant for you to know; things I am not yet ready to tell you. Let us just enjoy this peaceful night. Come, let us dance, Celebrian will send me to clean all the linens if we do not."
Morwen decided to let it pass this time, knowing Glorfindel had been shaken out of his normally calm façade this night and simply took the hand he offered.
To those I can not e-mail my thanks to:
elvenprincess : I have every intention to finish this story, I promise.
Jouri: Thanks for being my guinea pig.
To those I may have forgotten to e-mail my thanks to. I am truly sorry. But thank you for the reviews, I greatly appreciate them.
I am also sorry this chapter took so long, I try to post one a week, but midterms, fall break, and school in general hindered my plan. I'll try to be more prompt in the future.
P.S. If the list of OC's is getting too much for you, there is a character list on my website to help.The address can be found in my profile.