The Lord and Lady of the Galadhrim swept into the hall in perfect splendour. Celeborn's exquisitely embroidered outfit was complemented by a rather smug look, as he pondered the self-satisfied knowledge that he was accompanying the most beautiful lady in the room.

Or it might have been the fact that he had successfully deterred the entire male contingent of Imladris from having even the most sketchy designs on his daughter. Who could tell?

Their daughter followed them, eyes lowered and cheeks warm as her appearance drew admiring glances and envious sighs from the assembled throng. Standing at the door, Elrond's mouth fell inelegantly open as he watched Celebrian's approach. She had finally decided on a gown of blue- violet and at the last minute the curls had consented to being braided and threaded with silver. The candlelight sparkled from the adornment, and for a moment the half-elf forgot who or where he was.

"Elrond." A voice that was brimming with amusement said sternly. Elrond turned questioningly to his King. "It might be wise to keep your mouth closed."

Elrond's face burned furiously as Gil-galad's finger lifted his drooping jaw and returned it to a more respectable position. Seeing the incriminating rosiness as the young elf-lord stared at his daughter, Celeborn detached himself from his wife and wandered jauntily over to Elrond.

"It is a fine house for a dance." Celeborn nodded approvingly at the beautiful architecture of the halls. "Almost as fine as our halls in Caras Galadhon."

Elrond nodded submissively and swallowed back his first retort. He had noticed Glorfindel craftily putting the width of a High King between himself and the elf, and decided to take this as a warning.

"Do you often have dances in Lorien?" Elrond asked neutrally.

"Aye." A rather frightening look of amusement slid over the older elf's face. "We often have dances. Celebrian especially enjoys them. She is most fond of dancing."

"Oh?" Elrond queried with rather excessive interest.

"Aye." Celeborn continued offhandedly, "My Celebrian is an excellent dancer, she always complains that her partners are too slow. And woe betide them if they should trample her toes. . ."

He chuckled ominously and drifted back to his wife, leaving Elrond's face considerably whiter than the lie had ever been.

~*~

Celebrian sat alone at the side of the room. The dancing had started, and even her own parents had abandoned their seats. Impatiently she stood and wandered along the edge of the room, outwardly placid, but wringing her fingers behind her back.

Polite custom stated that her first dance should be with the hosting elf- lord. This morning, her cheeks glowing with eager anticipation, she had considered it a wonderful idea. Now, with the attendant elf-lord clearly unwilling to do his duty, it left her in a rather awkward position. For even those elves who retained the courage to approach her would not dance with her until the formalities had taken place.

Finally after many minutes of carefully considered glances at the high table, Elrond began to move. After several suggestions that he might like to. At ever increasing volume.

The half-elf began striding purposely in a circle around the edge of the room, occasionally stopping to pause to exchange a few comments with an acquaintance, but definitely aiming for the pretty elf-maiden from Lorien. On seeing this Celebrian immediately turned scarlet, and had to turn to face away from the room to allow some subtly disguised fanning of her face.

There was a general ripple of giggling from the direction of a large group of maidens who appeared to be drifting around the room in time to Elrond's movements. Celebrian's face steadily grew warmer, until she felt that her beauty must be more reminiscent of a balrog than any of the fairer creatures that roamed Middle Earth.

He was coming closer now, close enough for her to be able to distinguish the embroidered leaf chain from the cuff of his sleeve.

Her ear tips were melting.

He was about to speak . . . no he was clearing his throat.

Now he was about to speak. But instead he had to cough.

Celebrian smiled kindly at him, for her own voice went up several octaves whenever the need to appear mature and sensible arose. But she was smiling at his back, for the half-elf had turned on his heel and hurried away to talk urgently to someone. . . anyone!

And so the evening progressed. Elrond orbited the room with an increasingly jumpy air, dashing in a panic to the nearest possible person to hold a deeply significant and meaningful conversation at surprisingly frequent intervals. Celebrian watched him with a lowering brow, ignoring the titters of the maidens who had gathered around her.

~*~

"Oh this is ridiculous!" Glorfindel sprang up impulsively from the windowsill. "She shall begin crying in a minute!"

Elrond had just made another elegant skewed-circle of the room, and the shining blonde head had dropped further in her efforts to make herself inconspicuous.

"Maybe a push would be helpful." Gil-galad mused from behind. Elrond had gone to talk to Galadriel, staring all the while at Celebrian with longing eyes.

Glorfindel and Gil-galad exchanged a look, clearly agreeing that the push would have to be mighty indeed. The half-elf was unlikely to summon up sufficient courage even if he ended on the floor, sprawled over his partner.

"I will dance with her!" The blond elf began skimming across the hall with a charming smile. "She deserves one dance at least."

Celebrian beamed as she saw her saviour approaching, his golden hair gleaming light a halo in the soft light. Now finally she would get some positive attention - instead of the curious stares that asked all too clearly what hideous disfigurement she was hiding under her gown that so deterred prospective partners.

Glorfindel gave Celebrian a rather arrogant grin and extended an arm.

"Lady . . ."

"I would love to!" There was a thunder of hooves punctuated by high- pitched screams and squeals as the pack surged towards their target. Elbows flew and nails were unfurled. A few of their number fell, trampled by their own kind, but no one cared for one of them would win.

A beautiful brunette tossed back her hair with triumph as she reached the front and sunk her talons into Glorfindel's palm.

"Why, I would love to." She purred softly.

"Er . . . excellent." Glorfindel stammered, clenching his fist to stop the flow of blood. "It would be an honour."

Celebrian smiled sweetly and thought of lilies and cherry blossom. Galadriel's daughter neither scratched nor pulled hair, even when said hair had whipped her face. But she could imagine it.

~*~

"There." Gil-galad said in a satisfied voice as a disappointed-looking Celebrian trailed miserably from the room. "She has gone to eat. Why do you not go and talk to her?"

Elrond turned white and began to fidget nervously.

"Do you think I should?" Grey eyes looked pleadingly and surprisingly trustingly at his friends. He was answered by two exasperated sighs, and grimacing at his friends he set off after the blonde elf.

"Good lad." Gil-galad's proud parental smirk faltered as Elrond turned suddenly and hurried back to grab Glorfindel's arm.

"Glor. Come with me."