Kiera

Without her daily visits to Ecthelion's house, the weeks seem to drag on. True to her word, she and Voronwë spent a few days helping Tuor around his house. They cleaned mostly and caught up with one another. Tuor seemed a bit lost and saddened when he spoke about Idril. While Kiera remained indifferent, they could all agree that they had hope the princess would come around.

Tuor was adamant, "you'll see. Idril just needs friends and a gentle nudge in the right direction. I believe she can change and will change for the better.

Kiera and Voronwë did not comment but smiled at their friend for his determination. The few days the three of them spent together, brought back the memories of their journey. They were thrust together, yet, they got on well and were very similar people. Which was odd in itself as Kiera was from another world. Tuor was a human and Voronwë an elf.

Voronwë was quick to make his decision to move in. He smirked shyly at her when they spoke and rubbed his ears softly. "Living with my uncle again brings back a lot of memories. It will be nice to have a quiet room. My uncle is very loud with his guests. Besides, I am working with my uncle in his shop and I believe the space will be good for us."

The idea of moving into Tuor's household was a lingering question in her mind. Kiera had not decided yet, as she loved living with the craftsmen. The warmth blossomed in her chest as she thought about her new makeshift family and friends. There was time yet to make a decision, and Kiera was torn on what to do.

As winter got colder and more brutal, the date of her Christmas party kept her spirits high. Celebrimbor took her to the market where she could pick out a deep blue color of yarn for Ecthelion's present. On one of her visits to his house, she asked Inthel to borrow one of Ecthelion's tunics.

The skeptical look spread across Inthel's face, but softened when Kiera explained her gift to him. When the handmaiden returned with a tunic, she offered her a kind smile and said, "he will love it."

That spurred her into spending every evening by the fire learning how to knit. Celebrimbor was a phenomenal teacher and the look in his eyes was worth all the gold in the world as he shared what his mother taught him, with her. During the evenings, they would knit together side by side, him looking over her shoulder and correcting her if needed. They spoke of his family, her family, and shared funny stories of their youth. They grew closer than she could have ever imagined and the Christmas gift she got for him, she knew he would love.

As for the others, they were a little harder to shop for. Voronwë's gift was finished as Celebrimbor helped her make it in an afternoon. Then, she spent a few days asking her friends about their family and their other friends to find a suitable gift. Voronwë told her his uncle often misplaced his keys and was always losing them. Harmon told her his brother loved to garden and was the one who started the garden out back. Echadron was waiting for spring to really spruce up the garden.

When she asked his brother, what Harmon was like, he waved at her easily. "Something to do with cooking. My brother is a simple elf. Loves the forge and the cooking. In all honesty, he enjoys a good story as well and likes to read. Do not tell him I told you that, as he does not think I know. I used to catch him sneaking off to the library when we were younger. Most elves give it up after a time. Only scholars continue, for their love of books and written words."

Kiera was stunned by his admission, but the more she thought about it, the more it seemed to fit. Harmon was quiet, reserved, and often spent the evenings alone in his room. When Kiera delivered laundry to his room, the top of his dresser was always covered in books. It wasn't till Echadron mentioned it to her, that she noticed every week, that the books were different.

Glorfindel and Tuor were the hardest to get gifts for. Both of them were happy with anything and just being surrounded by friends. Tuor, being human as well, mentioned he grew old often around the palace. Kiera knew just wanted to make him and she picked out thick wool pieces from the market. When she asked Ecthelion about Glorfindel, he smiled happily at her and laughed softly.

"He is easy to buy for. He enjoys good meals and wine. He was a spoiled child growing up and had every toy you could dream of. Thankfully, when we left Valinor with just the clothes on our backs and a sack full of a few things, Glorfindel took to his new existence with ease. Gone was the stuffy, spoiled child. In his place was a free-spirited warrior. Even now, I believe that the city is suffocating for him. However, he would appreciate anything you give him."

With the last two people settled Kiera spent the next month collecting supplies to make her gifts. Actually making them was harder than she thought and some turned out worse than she was expecting. But, the party was close approaching and she hoped her friends would enjoy the flaws in her work. Her gift to Celebrimbor had been easy to come up with, but actually getting it took a lot of hard work. She saved a good portion of her laundry coin to buy it, but when she picked it up, Kiera grew teary-eyed at the sight.

When all of her gifts were completed, the last few weeks were spent preparing for the party. One afternoon, she and Celebrimbor ventured to the house of the swallow to find his old friend. The elf looked at her like she was insane for asking him to chop down a pine tree for her. He promised he would get one for them and as they turned to leave, Kiera her the soft mutterings of his voice. "Strange mortal. Celebrimbor always knew how to pick em."

It only took him a few days before he hauled it to the house. Kiera was so overcome with emotion at seeing the lushest pine tree that she hugged the elf tightly. He scampered off quickly after that and Celebrimbor got to work right away forging a tree stand for it. Kiera's drawing was crude, but a few hours later, he walked into the house with an expertly made stand.

The final week before the party, every free afternoon was dedicated to making ornaments for the tree and decorations for the kitchen and dining room. Kiera went to the market on afternoon and picked up small trinkets and toys and hung them from the tree. When she was finished, Celebrimbor brought out the star he had been working on, and she was pleasantly surprised to see it was a Feanorian star. They all got a good chuckle out of that.

Finally, when the day arrived, Kiera was bouncing off the wall with excitement. Her morning lesson flew passed and she raced home to change into a stunning emerald dress. It hung on her body perfectly, but it was simple with perfect embroidery lines across the top. After she finished styling her hair, she carried all of the presents downstairs and put them under the tree. The boys were all waiting for her in the dining room, dressed in their finer clothes. Harmon was flitting in and out of the dining room and kitchen as he checked on the food. They had skipped lunch and opted for an early dinner. The food smelled heavenly already as she took a seat at the table. She and Harmon had found most of the food she was used to, and she showed him how to prepare it. The dinner would not be a lavish feast, but it was certainly more than their usual meal.

Knocking sounded at the door, and she jumped up to answer. When she opened the door, Tuor's smiling face greeted her as Ecthelion and Glorfindel stood behind him. They were all dressed up in very nice clothes and she gave them each a long hug as they stepped into the house. Just as she was about to close the door, Voronwë opened his across the street.

They grinned stupidly at each other and she waited for him and his uncle to walk over. She gave them both hugs when they got there and followed them into the dinning room. Everyone was seated and a few had started conversations. Kiera stood in the doorway and her heart was filled with such warmth at her new family and friends. It made her tear up a little and she brushed away the tears while she retook her seat.

Glorfindel was filling his cup of wine when he asked, "so what else happens during this festival? We have a meal and exchange gifts but is there anything else?"

The whole room quieted as everyone waited for her answer. "Well," she paused, thinking hard on her old traditions. Most she could not do here, but some she could. "We already decorated the tree and you usually do that with your family. My mother and grandmother baked cookies before but I don't remember the recipes completely. I need to spend a few days baking, but I wanted to focus on the party itself more. Maybe next year, but a lot of the traditions we can't do here. People would decorate the outside of their homes and some cities would decorate the town for the holiday. My family used to drive around to see all the decorations and go shopping. I incorporated as much as I could, but we are still missing a lot."

The table grew silent at her admission. Kiera caught the sad frowns on her friend's faces, but Celebrimbor caught her eye. He raised his glass and said, "

"we can make new traditions then."

That brought a smile to her face, so large that it hurt. Everyone agreed and the conversation picked up easily again. Tuor, who was sitting next to her, bumped his shoulder softly into her. "We have each other at least. That is what matters most."

"Of course," she smiled. "I am glad to have you as my friend and brother."

Tuor chuckled as he grinned. Small tears pooled in his eyes, but he sniffed and covered it by taking a long drink of wine. When he set his glass down, he said, "I have always wanted a sibling. It's nice to have a sister."

Kiera laughed softly as her heart swelled in her chest. Eager not to cry, she changed the subject to less emotional topics. "How much longer before you are ready to move it?"

His eyes lit up and grew more excited as he spoke, "a little over a month. The king is still helping me learn the finances of running a household. Idril has been very helpful as well and I would be lost without their guidance and kindness. She misses you, you know. I can see the look on her face when I speak to her of you and Voronwë." Tuor sighed and the smile on his lips fell a little. "She cried a few tears when she found out about this party. I know she longes to make amends as she is very sorry for her words and actions. Idril is just stubborn and needs more time to come to terms with everyone. She knows what she did is wrong, but actually apologizing seems to be the hardest part for her. I remain hopeful that you will mend your friendship in time."

Kiera stared blankly at him and opened and closed her mouth. There was nothing more to say really, but Tuor's words gave her a little hope that the princess would come around. In truth, she missed her and spending time with her. The boys were good company, but having another woman to confide in, was where she was lacking in the moment. Still, she would not forgive without a truthful and heartfelt apology. Kiera shrugged and replied, "so what else are you planning to do? Just run your house or are you contributing to the city in some way."

Tuor shook his head, "nothing yet. I do not know how to contribute. I was an outlaw and a slave before and the skills I possess do not help in running a house. I think for the first few years I will just focus on getting settled. I have never really had time for myself to just relax and enjoy life."

She understood. Ecthelion overheard the conversation and added, "you could always train a few soldiers. We have too many for us to train ourselves and we could use some help. They need other people to spar with and keep them in shape and active."

Tuor bellowed out a hearty laugh, "I am sure any elf in the city could beat me in a heartbeat. I may be good with a sword for a man but I cannot match an elf."

Ecthelion smiled at him with a twinkle in his eye, "we can send over the younger elves if that will make you feel better. I think they might be at the same level for training. We have a handful that have completed their initial training with Glorfindel and need to move on to weekly training. It is just a suggestion as your house should have a few trained soldiers anyways."

"I will consider it," Tuor nodded his head in appreciation. "I could use a few weekly sparring matches myself. The food is delicious in the city and if I don't do something soon, I might find myself too fat to function."

The food was very flavorful and delicious. Harmon was an excellent cook, and while the food was always a variety of vegetables, bread, and meats, it was very filling. It was hard not to pile the food on her plate when each meal was seasoned and packed with flavors. Kiera had put on a few pounds since arriving, but it wasn't terrible. She hoped it would fall off quickly when she began training.

Harmon interpreted them as he told them the food was done. She volunteered to help bring all the food to the table and brought out more wine. Once the food was in the center of the table, plates began to be passed around, along with topping up the wine. Kiera even poured herself a glass for the occasion and then settled in to eat.

The food was phenomenal and she was so happy that Harmon focused on seasoning everything and cooking it to perfection. Laughter and small conversations started again as everyone tucked into their food. When she sat back in her chair and sipped her wine, Kiera felt content and at home for the first time since she arrived in this world. There was something familiar and homely, just sharing a meal with people she cared about. It made her feel warm inside all throughout dinner.

The meal lasted longer than usual as everyone stuffed their faces and drank the wine greedily. Glorfindel and Celebrimbor seemed to be neck and neck amount of glasses of wine they drank. Kiera chuckled to herself as she wondered if they would both stumble when they got up. Eventually, as their stomachs grew full and the plates were cleared away, they gradually moved into the living room. Kiera helped Echadron with the dishes and put away the leftovers. Grabbing a few more bottles of wine, Kiera made her way into the room.

Feeling a little self-conscious with everyone watching her, she started collecting the gifts from under the tree. As she passed them out, some started shaking them and looking at them curiously to see if they could figure it out. Finally, when she sat in her chair she said, "people usually have many gifts to unwrap but I wanted everyone to just enjoy this one. My family made it a rule when we all became adults that we would limit gifts to one per person. It worked out well as it made it easier to shop for. We usually go around the room and let everyone open their gifts so others can watch their reactions. Does anyone want to go first?"

"ME!" screamed Glorfindel. The room laughed at that as she smiled at his enthusiastic face. Similar to a golden retriever, Kiera knew he could not contain his curiosity for long. Glorfindel ripped off the paper quickly and the grin spread across his face when he spotted the wine bottles. When the paper was all off, Glorfindel held up the fabric basket that held two wine bottles, a variety of meat and cheeses, and a small coaster set wrapped with a bow. Kiera had a little extra clay left and made the flower sigil of his house.

"Oh thank you!" Glorfindel cried happily. "I love good wine and the meat and crackers will be wonderful additions. What are these though? I see my house sigil but I have no idea what they are?" He held up the coasters and Celebrimbor snorted into his wine.

Kiera glared playfully at him, but replied, "they are called coasters. You set them on tables and put your drink on them so you don't get cup rings on your furniture. They are popular in my world but I haven't seen any here."

Intrigued, Glorfindel lifted his glass of wine from the table and put the coaster under it. He looked up at her with a grin, "fascinating. I love them, thank you."

With a quick smile back, Kiera turned to Harmon to go next. Celebrimbor and Ecthelion were sitting on the opposite side of Glorfindel and she wanted to save their gifts for the end. Harmon smiled and began to open his present slower than Glorfindel. He balled up the paper and tossed it at Echadron's head. Once the present was free he looked at it with a small grin and held it up.

Harmon held up a black cooking apron for the room to see. On the top, Kiera stitched a 'kiss the cook' which made the room chuckle. Harmon wiggled his eyebrows at her, "thank you. Is there something you wish to tell me with this gift?"

That made her laugh loudly, as the room chuckled with her. She shook her head "no. it is a popular saying in my world. My dad had one he would wear in the kitchen all the time."

Harmon gave her a sly smile in return, but then folded up the apron in his lap. Then, they all turned to Tuor next. He opened his gift slowly, and stopped when he saw his new house sigil. Then, he pulled the rest of the blanket out and gasped in amazement. "How wonderful, thank you very much. I am often cold around the palace and I am sure I will always have a fire going in the house. I love it!" He turned to show the others and they all smiled. He threw it over himself immediately and turned to Echadron next.

Echadron's gift was in a box so he unwrapped it eagerly and then deflated when he saw a plain box. A few of them laughed while he popped open the top. His eyes shone with happiness as he pulled out a cat, bear, and whale garden pots. He threw the box aside and showed the room. "Did you make these yourself?"

Kiera blushed as she replied, "yes."

He shot her a smirk, "I can tell but I love them. I will set them on my dresser and find a few indoor flowers to fill them. Women love a man who can garden." He winked at her and set them on the coffee table. They all turned to Rhuidhen next. He peeled off the poorly wrapped paper to show a wooden mountain. Once the key holder is free he turned to her expectantly.

"It is a key holder and cloak holder. Voronwë told me you often lose your keys. Many people in my world hang these by the front door where they hold their keys and a few cloaks."

Rhuidhen's eyes brighten as he replied, "excellent, thank you. I will find a nice spot to hang it up. I like the mountain ranges; they add a nice touch." He gave her and Voronwë both a warm smile and set it down next to the planters. Voronwë was next and Kiera was excited to see his reaction.

He ripped off the paper easily from the rounded sphere and stared at the snow globe in shock.

Before he can ask, she quickly explained, "it's called a snow globe. They are popular in my world. I will admit I didn't make any of the pieces. I just bought them and assembled them. I had a glassblower make the glass piece and I bought the ship. It was a bit tricky adding the water and sealing it but it should hold for a few years. You should shake it though."

Voronwë was still admiring the ship encased in glass that he didn't register her words. His uncle reached over and took it from him to shake it. Tiny pieces of glass and jewels dance around the globe as the room watched with awe. Celebrimbor winked at her as he helped her assembly it. Rhuidhen handed it back to Voronwë who held it delicately. "There are no words. It is beautiful and I have never seen anything like it before. I will cherish it always." He had a few small tears which he quickly wiped away. Everyone watched as he shook the globe again and the pieces fly around and glint in the firelight. He cradled it delicately in his lap as he looked at her with such tenderness and love.

Celebrimbor ruined the moment as he coughed, "I find that fascinating and I would be interested in making some to sell. May I open my gift now?"

Kiera nodded but braced herself for his reaction. His gift was the most difficult to get and she could have completely misjudged him and ended up offending him by mistake. Celebrimbor pulled on the paper gently and she tensed up as he got his first glimpse of his gift. When the last of the paper fell off, Celebrimbor stared frozen at the picture frame in his hands. A few others get up to look.

Nervous, she cleared her throat, "I know you didn't have anything of your family. I went all around the city to find a portrait artist who would make a family portrait. The first one never met your family. The second artist I went to, grew up in Valinor and remembered what they all looked like. He was hesitant to create the portrait. I had to pay him a lot of money but he finally created what I wanted. I know you aren't on the best of terms with your family but that doesn't mean you can't remember all the good times."

He was still sitting on the couch in shock staring at the portrait. The portrait turned out beautifully, and they all looked similar to how she imagined. If not more attractive and handsome than her mind could conjure up. The artist promised that he remembered them enough to draw them. The room grew quiet as they all waited on edge for him to speak.

When he did, his voice was soft and came as a whisper. "It looks just like them. All of them. My mother, father, and my extended family. The thought never crossed my mind to have a portrait made, but there are no words to describe how I am feeling. I want to remember all the good times more than the bad. I will treasure it always. I love it, thank you."

Celebrimbor finally spun the portrait around and the room got to see it.

The artist included everyone, even Feanor, Nerdanel, and Huan. They were all smiling in the photo and everyone looked happy. Celebrimbor was drawn standing next to his mother and father but at the age, he is at now. A few of them gasped at seeing his family as he brushed a few stray tears. After a moment, Celebrimbor pulled it close to his chest and looked up at Ecthelion with pleading eyes.

Ecthelion started to unwrap his gift and he pulled out the dark blue sweater. His eyes lit up when he spotted the large E on the front and smiled at her. Kiera laughed happily as she said, "It is your very own Weasley Christmas sweater. I had one in my world and I thought you might like it. I asked Inthel to borrow a tunic of yours so I could make sure that it fits."

Without a word, he threw the sweater over his head and adjusted it. He looked up at her with affection and love as he replied, "beautiful. It is perfect and in my favorite color. I assume you made this?"

"Yes," she replied. Celebrimbor taught me how to knit and helped me when I messed up. It took a while but I like how it turned out."

Ecthelion's hand moved across the sleeve of the sweater. "It is soft and comfy." Their eyes met again as he said, "thank you for sharing the story with me. It is my favorite and I will remember it." He paused and then with a small sly smirk, he added, "always."

The room disappeared as Kiera held Ecthelion's gaze. The moment did not last long before someone coughed and they both blinked out of their daze. Feeling the heat creep up on her cheeks, Kiera mumbled, "That is usually the end of the party. My family used to stay and just talk and drink until we got tired."

Satisfied, a few of them got up to refill their wine and look at some of the other gifts. Celebrimbor moved immediately and came over to swallow her in a hug. His arms wrapped around her tightly as he hurried his head into her neck.

He whispered in her ear, "you have no idea what your gift means to me. I do not have many happy memories of them left and I will look at it every day."

The hug was warm and comforting and she hugged him tighter until he let go. When he did, Ecthelion surprised her by pulling her in for a gentle hug. One by one, the others gave her quick hugs, and by the time the last person came around, she was a sobbing mess. It felt good to be surrounded by people that cared about just as much as she did for them. They stayed up talking the rest of the night and sharing funny stories. Unsurprisingly, she was the first to get drowsy and wished everyone a good night as she headed for bed.