Celebriel appeared at the mid-day meal in a dress of emerald green, bordered with gold. Her hair was pulled back and tied with a gold ribbon, and a gold belt encircled her waist. In her green and gold gown, she seemed as bright as the first leaf of spring, shining among the rest of the more somberly-clad elves and men that sat at Elrond's table.
Or so it seemed to Gandalf. Being the daughter of Celeborn and Galadriel he had expected her beauty, but he had not been prepared for the surprise that had been Celebriel. She paid scant attention to her beauty and behaved unlike an elf, or a lady of the Noldor, and found nothing wrong in her manner. He felt sorry for Glorfindel, loving Celebriel for herself would be easy, but he was clearly in love with her and she did not or could not reciprocate.
Or possibly she was not ready. She was young yet for her people, and if Glorfindel was patient she might someday yield her heart to him. No doubt the Lord and Lady would not be ready yet for her to take a husband and leave their home. He was surprised that she had been sent to Imladris, but he knew it would be only for a good reason.
After the meal, the company adjourned to the Hall of Fire for what elves loved best: to listen to songs and poetry. She sat next to Celebrian and Arwen, and for a while seemed content, then when next he looked, he found she was gone.
He excused himself quietly and left the room. He walked over to a balcony that overlooked the gardens and saw a figure standing and gazing up at the moon. He knew by instinct who it was and made his way down to the gardens.
She spoke first, not even turning to look at him. "The moon is too small. The moon in Lorinand is lazy and fat and fills the sky with its light. Here it seems that it is no larger than a pebble, and sheds no warm light in this cold sky." She clutched her fur-trimmed cloak more closely about herself. "Why do people in the north live so willingly in this cold? I miss the gentle warmth of Lorinand and spending the night in the trees with my companions on the borders. Even the trees here are cold and unfriendly. I want to go home."
"Winter is not forever, young elf. It is different here, yes, but wait until it snows! It will blanket the land in sparkling white and lend it a strange beauty that the southern lands never see. And spring follows winter, and the leaves will return to the trees, and the plants and flowers will waken from their long sleep. Summer will follow and the land will be glad."
"And then will come autumn, followed by winter, and I will still be here, not by my will but by that of others," her tone was unexpectedly harsh, but he understood. "I am young, but I am no longer a child, even by the standards of my people. If I were not the daughter of the Lord and Lady, I would be allowed to follow my own will. Come spring, I would be able to wander the woodlands alone if I wished, but that will not please Lord Elrond or my sister." She sighed and lowered her head, "For the first time in my life it is not acceptable for me to be who and what I am. I avoided the company of the Noldor as much as I could in Lorinand. If I ever wondered why I do no longer."
"I have told you before, Celebriel, you must be willing to be flexible and try to find your happiness here for now. I doubt that Elrond or Celebrian or anyone else for that matter can turn you into something that you are not. The day will come when you can leave of your own volition, surely you know that. Do not look upon this as punishment, for I am sure that is not the intention. If you are to lead Lorinand someday…"
"I must know how to be a leader," she finished for him, "I suppose, in a way, that I may find myself less constrained eventually. But Gandalf," he noticed she did not call him "Mithrandir" as the other elves did, "I worry for Lorinand. My land is small and vulnerable, so close to Mordor though we do not speak of it. I do not know if it ever will be invaded, but I would feel better if I were there to help watch over it. What is it that we say, 'the Enemy only sleeps'? My greatest fear is that someday he will waken."
He put his arm on her shoulders, and she did not flinch or pull away. "Now is not the time to look too far ahead, but be always aware. Try to enjoy your present. There are not many young elves here, but there are some. Take joy in your life, be frivolous though that will not come easily to you. There are times to be serious, but meanwhile, take a rest from believing you must always have responsibilities. Find things to take advantage of and try to be happy."
"That is easy for you to say, you have not been wrenched from your home against your will." She turned and left him, and he could feel her anger even as she ran away.
He felt pity for her. She had chosen to grow up too fast, being a soldier had taken the place of being young. He would speak to Elrond and see what they could do together to make her time in Imladris more tolerable.
"Ah, Mithrandir, I see you have made the acquaintance of our reluctant guest." Glorfindel came and stood by his side, "At first, I was sure that Galadriel and Celeborn had made the right decision, now I am not so sure. I know it has only been two days, but I do not think that we can keep her here if she is determined to leave. I hope she does not attempt to leave now, winter will soon set in and she will find the going hard. And she does not yet know the lay of the land, and the hazards she might face. It is not safe for her to wander here alone in the north."
"She could learn," said Gandalf grimly, "And there are maps aplenty on the walls that she could study and memorize. Unless her attitude softens, and she is willing to try to find peace here, I fear that she may try to run. If Elrond suspects that is the case, he must keep a careful watch on her. I can see her unhappiness, she makes no effort to hide it. And even worse is her anger, she blames everyone close to her that brought her here. It seems useless to remind her that is was only for her own safety."
"That, I think, she does not believe, and I am afraid that I am one of those she blames," said Glorfindel sadly, "The Noldor were concerned that she was growing too close to the wood elves. They still call her 'Galadriel's folly' and wonder why a woman of such power and wisdom chose to bear a child—especially at this time. The Lord and Lady were happy to be blessed, and they gave Celebriel as much freedom as she wanted. The Noldor say she was given too much, for her demeanor did not suit such a lady of high birth. Myself, I think her parents only wanted her to be happy."
"And now circumstances outside her threaten to take that away. There are evil things brewing, my friend. We suspect that Angmar may declare itself openly. Trouble is brewing, Glorfindel, and though the enemy has not declared himself, things are at work."
"But the Nine have not yet declared themselves, perhaps they only wait. Perhaps the One lies hidden and will stay that way—but can it work its evil even if it is not on the Enemy's hand?" Glorfindel did not mention the Three, it was forbidden and for good reason. Those that knew realized that Celebriel had been born and conceived under the influence of Nenya, her mother's ring. No one knew how this would affect the child born in the very last minutes of the war, but many suspected she could not have escaped the ring's influence.
With Angmar soon to emerge, both knew the need to protect Celebriel increased. She could not be induced to stay by force, Elrond, Glorfindel, and Gandalf knew this. The barrier Celebriel had put around herself would have to be broken down, and she must be made to realize that her stubborn pride could put her in danger.
And, more importantly, winter was coming, and she had no experience of it. Very few, elf or mortal, would venture far now until spring arrived. There was a certain irony in that she must be convinced that if she decided to run, she must wait until spring. She must be persuaded if she chose to be foolish, to wait for favorable weather. Gandalf shook his head, perhaps he should not have agreed to take this on. Galadriel had only hinted, perhaps deliberately, at how difficult her daughter should be. It would be easier to kill a warg than convince Celebriel Laurelin to remain in Imladris.
Elrond knew this too, as he sat in the morning sun and waited for her to respond to his summons. Breakfast sat on a table, waiting for her arrival. He did even know if she would respond, or ignore him altogether. Perhaps he should go down to the armories and see if he could find here there. He went over to the window to try to catch a glimpse of her slender form heading across the lawn when the sound of the door opening and closing drew his attention.
She sat in a chair, facing him, clad in a tunic and leggings that had once belonged to one of his sons. "I had asked, Celebriel that you meet me clad in proper clothes, as the young lady that you are."
"These are proper clothes, Master Elrond, and moreover are the clothes I choose to wear. If you try to dictate what garments I should be clothed in, you will find yourself fighting a losing battle—or didn't Mother warn you?"
It was his first concession, surely to be one of many, and he knew it. She would challenge him every step of the way if he let her, but he wanted to win her, not antagonize her. She was testing him, just as he was testing her.
He sighed and shook his head. "If I were to tell you a story, Celebriel, what would you wish to here?"
"I would hear of Finrod Felagund, my mother's brother. She always tells me that except for my colouring and my height, I resemble him, so much so that at times she would turn away from me so I would not see her tears."
She did resemble Finrod Felagund, he had been told, but that was before his time. She was taller than many men, but she had not reached the height common to most of her kindred. It did not seem to bother her, but she found it curious, as did many others of her kindred. In many other ways she resembled many of her kin, but for the fact that she was smaller by a few inches. It seemed insignificant, but it made her stand out.
What had Celebrian said she should have been named? "She who created herself". In some ways, it was as if she had taken on the circumstances of her birth. The fiery red hair which she should not have and the eyes as green as the spring leaves in Lorinand.
"She always told me that she was destined to follow a different path," Celebrian had told him, "And she certainly has not behaved as a young woman of our kindred should. She is like Mother in many ways, strong-willed and sure of what she wants. She is the beloved baby still and has been given her way too often. What hurts Mother most is her denouncement of the Noldor, her kin. Mother says that there is a doom on her, that her path has been laid out from birth and it will do no good if we try to deny her."