An Author's Note: I apologise to those who have read this story so far – my first reviewer told me that the first chapter was scattered, plus having many other such blights, and I realised something. When I first began this story, it was intended to be a slightly extended short story... ... ... -grins sheepishly-

Now that it is a seventy-six-page novelette, its formation is far from perfect! As I do not write in chapters, I did not include them until after the finish of the whole story. That is why my chapters may seem irregular, or unformed. I realise now that it is not until this chapter that a reader understands totally the true nature of the betrothal.

Personally, I dislike writers who, in the first page of their work, display everything about what is happening, or what is going, leaving nothing up to the mind or thought of the reader. I defend myself for the first chapter – its intent was to stir up interest in readers, so they would continue reading subsequent chapters. I apologise if my style and my not giving you a list of the contents irritates you.

Varne

ps. I also apologise about the few mistakes that I missed in the past two chapters. One, I noticed, was that I used 'mallorn' instead of the plural 'mellyrn'. The same with ellon and ellyn. I hope you like the chapter!

Chapter 4: A Realisation, and A Dash of Hope (But Not From the Same Person)

'Rilla, you were such good friends when he was here last! Why do you not believe that he can be a good husband also?'

Rumil had discovered Idril up one of her 'musing trees', as her brothers had dubbed them. Idril looked in disbelief at the ellon who had casually spread himself out on a branch underneath her feet. She was also hit with the thought that it might be a very good thing that elves had been graced with superior balance, for it seemed that Rumil needed every ounce of it!

'But that is it, Rum! He was a friend - not a husband! I did not love him like that…I must have been mad at the time to accept him!'

'No, you were just too young! ' Rumil dissented heartily, 'However, if I thought that you could not be friends with the person one bonds with I will be heartily alarmed!'

'Oh, no, I do not mean it like that! I mean…I mean…Oh it is impossible to explain! What would you do if you had unwisely become engaged when you were very young to Varya?!'

'Vari! ' Rumil seemed alarmed, 'But she is just a close friend!'

Realising his own contradiction, he was silenced.

'Exactly! I see now that my youth blinded me …I thought that because Glorfindel and I were such close friends, that becoming betrothed to him really meant nothing more than being close friends forever!'

'In a way…' Rumil murmured, his thoughts still not having turned from Varya…! Mayhap…Varya had been his darling for a long time…was that…?

'But then…he left. And I do not regret it!' she was suddenly emphatic, and that part of Rumil's mind which was paying attention was skeptical, these last talks with Rilla having made him suspicious about Rilla's true feeling for Glorfindel now.

'These last hundred years have taught me! I now know that bondage is something not to be undertaken lightly - as I did - and only should be entered if the pair shares true love. I did not love Glorfindel, Rumil, back then. Not the kind of love one should find in marriage. I loved him as a companion, as a friend - someone who I played games and tricks with!' Idril became pensive, and sad. 'I wish we had not become betrothed.'

This brought Rumil out of his musing upon his own 'friendship'. He jolted up, with an arrested expression on his face.

'Rilla! You…you do not mean that!'

Though it was a statement, there was an underlying sense that Rumil needed a confirmation.

'Yes. I do.'

'But why? Even though you were too young to have full knowledge about what you were doing, that does not immediately mean that you were doing the incorrect thing!'

'It does not? I thought it did.' Idril was confident.

'No! Emphatically not! I believe, Rilla…' Rumil's voice was unsure, not knowing exactly how to put his thoughts into understandable words, 'I believe that if the Valar allowed you and Glorfindel to bind yourself in an unbreakable bondage, even though you may have not fully understood your actions, that it must mean that you and Glorfindel were meant to be bonded - though perhaps not to early. I think, that you were destined for each other. Destined to love each other.'

The silence was electric.

Destined? … … … … … Destined??? Destined for each other? Destined to love each other? Idril's mind held most of the characteristics of a whirlwind.

Why had she not thought about that…elves weren't like humans, for whom arranged marriages were common enough. A little more than half a century and they had passed from the bounds of Arda. For an elf, a marriage bond was eternal - eternal physically. Would the Valar allow an unwisely made bond unbreakable if the pair were not destined for each other? And through Lady Galadriel, she knew that their bond was unbreakable.

Without even intending too, Idril's worries felt somewhat lighter…mayhap…mayhap Rumil was right! Perhaps Glorfindel and she might deal well together, considering…Mayhap…she could love Glorfindel?

'Rumil!' Her voice was sharp, having suddenly thought of something. Having forced his attention, she continued.

'Is it possible for love to grow from friendship?'

It took a moment for Rumil to understand where Idril was coming from. A slow, delighted grin began to grow. Sitting next to her, he laid a loose arm about her shoulders and gave them a slight squeeze as he spoke.

'My dear Rilla! I have good reason to believe that friendship is always the best beginning of love!'

'And so, my friend, after having realised your love for Idril, you went unthinkingly to her, and asked her to bond herself to you?'

'Yes.' replied Glorfindel miserably.

They were a short distance from the boundaries of Caras Galadhon, Glorfindel having informed Elrond of all the details of his betrothed and betrothal since their entrance into Lothlorien.

Elrond watched his friend, who had not looked him in the eye from the beginning of his narration.

'And after she had accepted, and you had bound to her with the prescribed words, she left you after you had engaged in a slight argument about some trivial matter, and that is when you were suddenly attacked by feelings of guilt and anxiety?'

'Yes, indeed. I had been riding a cloud of ethereal delight - but after she left my presence, reality came to ridicule me. I realised what I had done! I loved her - but I knew very well then that she loved me only as a friend - truly, she was too young to love otherwise! She was hardly two years past her majority! I must have been mad!'

He shook his head unhappily, 'Through my own selfishness I had bound her to me - a bondage which cannot be broken! I was thrown into ravages of self-reproach, worry and guilt. I would have left Lothlorien that night, had not the Lady Galadriel called me to her. She had sensed my disturbance, and had indeed been expecting everything I told her…even our betrothal!'

Elrond here started, this fact startling him, but Glorfindel continued, without appearing to understand the full meaning of what he had just said.

'She had me tell her everything - my fears and guilt…She agreed with my wish to return quickly to Rivendell. Though I knew that I could not avoid the bondage forever, I knew I could not force marriage onto Idril - dear elleth! - while she was still so young and innocent! I knew my leaving her just after our betrothal would hurt her…but how could I explain to her why I left?

Tell her that I had to leave because I had led her into an unbreakable betrothal when she was too young and innocent to understand what it truly meant? No! So, with Lady Galadriel's assurances that she would inform Idril's brothers of all that was necessary, I left.'

Glorfindel glanced momentarily at Elrond, who had his head bent as he rode his elegant chestnut. Unable to decipher the look on Elrond's face, he continued.

'It was the hardest thing to achieve…To leave Rilla there, not knowing when I would return, when I loved her so. But I knew that it was better for us both to be separated for that time. Lady Galadriel had promised to recall me when she felt it to be the right time…'

Elrond lifted his head.

'Right time? Is this the 'right time'? That is why you wished to come here those months ago?'

'Yes - Lady Galadriel sent me a letter then…'

'And, now? What does the 'right time' intimate? That Idril is old enough to be courted and understand the step she will be taking by marriage?'

'I…I think so. My plans…well! I can hardly pretend to have 'plans'! I just mean to…see her again, I believe! She is a hundred years older now - now…I will attempt to court her, to see whether it is possible for her to reciprocate my love for her!'

'I believe, Glorfindel, that in time, that will happen.' Seeing the joyous look on his friend's face, he continued quickly. 'However, I do believe that you should be thinking about her reception of you, my friend! She might be, and most likely is, still bitter about the way in which you left her!'

'Oh!' he was dismayed, 'What shall I say, Elrond?' His voice was slightly panicky. 'I cannot, even now, truly explain to her…I can only explain that to her when I know she loves me like I love her…'

'I believe, my friend, that all you can do until that moment, is apologise, reassure that your leaving her was not a rejection, declare your love for her, restore the old friendship, and make her love you!'

'Make her love me…' Glorfindel's voice was dreamy…

Elrond, sensing his friend's mental absence, did not speak anymore, but smiled to think of this side of his friend that had been hidden from him for so long…

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