There was a time when she had almost hated Glorfindel, certainly she suspected his motives but now she felt the old security in his arms. She felt his hand stroke her hair, as he might have in the old days.
"It is better to see you than I suspected it would be," she laughed, "But why did you ride out to meet me?"
"The road is no longer safe," he replied, "You have come just in time, Elrond expects an invasion any day now."
She disengaged herself from him, "Come, there is someone I would have you meet." She walked towards the group of elves that stood waiting and gestured to Legolas.
"Legolas, this is Glorfindel, second in command of the army of Imladris. Glorfindel, Legolas is kin to me through his father Thranduil. Thranduil provided me with an escort—he insisted—he knew I would make the journey alone if he did not."
Legolas and Glorfindel stood and looked at each other, each sizing the other up. No words needed to be spoken to indicate the rivalry between them for the affections of Celebriel. The necessity that she remain unaware of it need not be spoken.
"We must ride now and get to Imladris as quickly as we can. We do not linger on the road unless it is out of absolute necessity. We are preparing for a siege but do not know for how long or how large an army we will face."
"You are aware of the peril we face in the Greenwood, are you not?" asked Legolas, "I know that Father sent word as soon as we discovered the enemy's secret."
"Yes, we are," answered Glorfindel, "Hopefully the isolation of your kingdom will keep it safe for a while. The peril, we believe, will come from Angmar and whatever allies he gathers."
They were riding now and Celebriel was deep in thought. It had been so many years now that Glorfindel could no longer discern her thoughts. He suspected the powers she had inherited from her mother had begun to manifest.
"If it is the head of the Nazgul that sits on the iron throne of Angmar, who is it then who hides in the tower in the Greenwood? I do not believe it is the Nazgul who are there, but something or someone else. Legolas, even if the enemy attempts to invade Imladris, I think you will be safer there than if you returned home. You and the elves who escorted me must stay until it is safe. Tell me that you will do this for me."
"If that is your wish, lady, then I shall remain in Elrond's house. The elves who came with us are few, but we can offer our bows in service to Elrond." There, he thought, I am not going away Noldor prince. She asks me to stay willingly. What do you think of that?"
There was a great crowd gathered to meet them for the Lady Celebriel had returned to Imladris. She saw many faces that she knew but there was only one that she wished to see.
Grooms came and took the horses to the stables, while members of the party made their way to the portico where Elrond and his family waited to greet them.
Celebriel forgot all courtesy and pushed her way through the crowd until she saw the face that she sought.
"Mother!" she cried and threw herself into Galadriel's waiting arms. She held her mother tightly, inhaling her sweet fragrance and opened up her mind to hers, saying all the things without speaking that were in her heart. If she had hated and resented her for sending her away, all was now forgiven.
"Daughter, my little Celebriel who is my little girl no longer." Galadriel's long white fingers stroked Celebriel's cheeks, "I sent a child to Imladris and now a woman has returned has taken her place. I have missed you my little nerwen, more than you could ever know. The years have taught you much, and I am very proud of you."
"We have so much to talk about," Celebriel said, "Some of which you might know, but I wish to tell you all the same. Where is father?"
"Here, daughter," replied Celeborn and hugged her tightly, stroking her long red hair, "We will talk for I am eager to hear what you have to tell me."
"Wait," said Celebriel, "There is someone I want you to meet." She disengaged herself from him and went in search of Legolas who was deep in conversation with Elrond.
She held out her hand, "Come with me, Legolas, please," and took him to where the Lord and Lady stood waiting.
"Father, this is Legolas, son of your kinsman Thranduil," she said, her face shining, "He has been my friend for many years now and his father insisted that he accompany me. He has come to stay here until the road is safe to travel again."
Galadriel smiled at him, but her mind was troubled. Legolas was in love with her daughter, anyone with eyes could see it. His love was blinding him to the fact that Celebriel did not wish to be in love with anyone, at least for now. Lorinand was her one and only love. Celebriel intended to rule the Golden Woods someday, and might not be inclined to share the throne.
It would please Celeborn if Celebriel chose to remain with Thranduil's son and she would not oppose the match. They had long wished that she would choose Glorfindel but that did not seem likely for now.
"We are pleased to welcome you, kinsman," said Celeborn, saying in effect, "We approve of you and this match."
"Will you greet Elrond and your sister?" said Galadriel, "They are waiting to see you."
She shrugged, "I will see them later. I must make sure that Legolas have proper rooms prepared for them. Come Legolas," she said and tugged on his hand, "I will show you the house, and I used to get lost here when I first came." Hand in hand the two disappeared into the crowd.
"What do you think, my lady?" Celeborn asked her.
"I am afraid that she will break his heart though she will not mean to. She has spent years with him but treats him as no more than a dear friend. I do not know if our daughter is able to give her heart to anyone."
When Celebriel at last assented, Galadriel supervised her bath and choice of wardrobe as she had in the old days. Her maidens brought first one gown, then another, until Celebriel approved an ivory gown embroidered with green and gold on the sleeves and around the neck. She chose a necklace of emeralds to wear with it, Galadriel had wisely brought gowns and jewels for her daughter.
"Will you dismiss your maidens please, Mother?" Celebriel asked and they bowed and left the room, leaving mother and daughter together.
"Mother, why are you here? Why are you not in Lorinand or Lindon? You've brought yourself closer to danger here."
"We were no longer welcome in Lorinand, Amroth made that plain. He said he was weary of having his authority usurped by your father."
"You can hardly blame him, Mother, his father was killed in the Great War and he has no love for the Noldor. Father did overstep, often, even if his intentions were meant to be helpful. Lorinand does not belong to the Noldor and you outstayed your welcome, did you not? Once you sent me away you should have returned to Lindon or Imladris."
"Your father may go to Lindon if the roads are safe, and I may go with him. Angmar is gathering his armies and the wainriders, Imladris may find itself besieged."
"Arthedain is one of his targets, is it not? Is his army so great that it can threaten the northern kingdoms and Imladris, too?" She stood up and Galadriel wrapped a towel around her.
"His arm has grown long. Imladris will need help to break the siege if that is its fate. We will need help from Lorinand or Lindon or wherever we may find it. That is why I sent for you, it may be a long time before I see you again."
"That road should be safe enough, providing you leave soon. I am here for the war, I have proved myself to Thranduil, now I wish to do the same."
"It will be up to Gildor and Glorfindel, and then Elrond. You are back in Imladris now."
Celebriel shrugged her shoulders, "If I have to fight in disguise, that is what I will do. How will they distinguish one among many? I will not be held back, both Gildor and Glorfindel know this. And Elrond should know better, we have quarreled often enough."
Celebriel tried to arrange to be seated next to Legolas for the afternoon meal, but she saw the canopy being set up and four ornate chairs placed beneath it at the table. She sighed, she had returned to the old formalities that she had escaped when she fled Imladris. In the Greenwood she had simply been Celebriel, once again she was the Lady Celebriel, daughter of the Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel.
"Cheer up," a familiar voice said and she turned to see Arwen standing behind her.
"I have never wanted any of this, Arwen," she said, "Now that I am back her I must live up to my rank so I will not disappoint mother or father. It was easier to cause trouble when they were not here."
"Do not despair, you escaped once and you will again if it suits you. I could never have done what you did, leave Imladris undetected until it was too late, journey on your own in the wild, and earn the friendship of the King of the Greenwood. And his very handsome son," she said mischievously.
"You sound like you would arrange a match for me, tell me, do you prefer him over Glorfindel?"
"I think he suits you better. I know that you will not journey with your parents across the sea when the time comes, you belong here and you know it. Glorfindel will take to the ships and what would he do if his companion would not? I have seen Legolas look at you and the love in his eyes is there if you would only care to see it."
"I am very fond of him, but my heart lies in Lorinand. I am Amroth's heir, remember? I want to return there someday, it is my home, the land of my birth." Her shoulders slumped and she sighed, "I am afraid that I will never return, that I will be exiled forever."
"I believe that you will, that it is your fate. You are the child who should not have been born, but here you are. Your fate is tied with Lorinand, I know this. You will return because you are meant to." Arwen put her hand on her shoulder, "And you have me to support you every step of your journey. Come now, I have been sent to summon you to dinner."
Legolas wisely listened more than he spoke during the meal. He also spent time gazing at the women who sat beneath the canopy and tried to determine if he could decide who was the most beautiful. An impossible task, he thought, for he realized that he was gazing upon the most beautiful of all the Elven women in Middle Earth.
Even if she was not, he still would have chosen Celebriel. Galadriel's features were imprinted upon her daughter's face, but there was still something of Celebriel that was her own. And he knew her spirit and her courage and admired her for it. She must resemble her mother in personality, for Galadriel had made the journey to Beleriand in the years before the land was broken and drowned.
When the meal was over he felt someone take his hand and saw her standing beside him. "Come," she said, "I will show you more of the house, as I promised. They will all be in the Hall of Fire, singing or listening to poetry. They will be there for hours. In the summer, we gather outside and make merry for the summer lasts only a short time."
They wandered through the halls, Celebriel pointing out things she thought might interest him. Even though she had been absent a long time, it all seemed familiar, as if she had never left at all.
Legolas had lived all his life if the caverns of his father. Though they were ornate and luxurious, they could not compare to this marvel he was seeing.
"Welcome to my prison," Celebriel announced, "I would rather be in Lorinand, or if not, back in the Greenwood with you and your father. I am here by obligation, not by choice. Were it not for you, I would not be here at all."