As the evening wore on and becoming more and more discouraged by the dearth of dancing partners, Celebrian eventually decided to take solace in the buffet. The chefs had outdone themselves in their efforts to impress the guests from Lorien, and their scrumptious offerings were laid out along several long tables. Celebrian was more than happy to spend a while wandering around this arrangement, soothing her bruised ego with calories.

Taking up the excessively large and ornate carving knife and fork, Celebrian observed the duck with an appraising eye. Someone down in the cavernous kitchens had decided to serve the duck roast whole, stuffed with some delicious mixture of fruits and spices, garnished with vegetables. While this looked magnificent, it was not entirely obvious how to derive nourishment from the dish, and perhaps for this reason it was as yet untouched. Having no idea of how to carve such a display, Celebrian fell back to a move that was an old favourite of hers. Letting the carving implements dangle loosely from her fingers she turned back to the room and smiled sweetly at any likely looking valiant young male. Unfortunately a rescuer was not forthcoming, the likely suspects being rather over- effectively deterred by the facts that Celeborn was known to be present, and that the bait already came armed with a razor sharp blade.

Eventually, and rather under-impressed by the male specimens of Imladris, Celebrian turned back to the duck and prodded it experimentally with the fork. Cheered by the fact that it stuck fast enough that it took quite a few tugs to free it, she made an attempt at slicing off a section of flesh. Silently congratulating herself for cutting through the skin, she was lucky to keep her fingers as the knife suddenly slipped, tearing the skin off the duck before hitting the plate with an attention-drawing clang.

Three of the gaggle turned to stare in her direction, disapproving glances nearly eclipsed by their amusement. Cheeks roasting themselves now, Celebrian smiled the saccharine beam she kept for obnoxious dignitaries, and returned to the abused bird with what she hoped passed for a confident wave of the carving fork.

Deciding that further playing with the knife was more likely to result in a slice of her than one of duck - but typically for a female of her line, unwilling to admit defeat, Celebrian set down the blade and advanced on the rear end of the duck with the fork, determined to scoop out some stuffing.

This plot was more successful, and she soon had a plateful of stuffing, and with an arrogant flip of the head at the gaggle she marched off to talk to some other guests as she ate. The stuffing was delicious, so delicious in fact that the prospect of seconds was just too tempting. But fortune appeared to have left her side, and as she gave the fork a rather over- confident shove into the duck's innards it sailed forwards without hindrance, eventually coming to rest firmly inside the duck, the prongs sticking in gory defiance through the duck's breast.

Rather shocked and glancing around apprehensively, Celebrian took a tentative grasp on the end of the fork and tugged. Since one end was now greasy and the other was firmly affixed in roast meat, this had no effect. Almost giggling herself now in panic at her dilemma, the blonde elf surreptitiously rolled up her sleeves and proceeded to reach inside the duck, trying to get a better grasp on the fork handle.

"Giving birth?" Celebrian spun round guiltily to find Glorfindel hovering behind her, smirking in a most annoying manner. His confidence had almost certainly been bolstered by the fact that Celeborn and Galadriel had been seen to leave the room.

"I. . . I. . . the duck. . ." Celebrian looked pleadingly at Glorfindel, ready to pour out the whole sorry tale. Then noticing the dark-haired half- elf behind him, she closed her eyes in disbelief. Of all the times to decide to approach! Now she would have to think of something sensible to say. ". . .it's dead!"

One dark eyebrow curled up pityingly.

"Evidently."

~*~

However once she had given the shortest possible explanation for the fork's presence in the duck, and Glorfindel had finished choking on his laughter, the evening did not seem so terrible anymore. In fact there was a small, slightly funny side. Maybe if she thought about it, she was secretly a little bit amused. An emotion she was sure was hidden behind the twinkle in Elrond's eyes.

"Lady Celebrian, some wine?" Glorfindel gave her no option whether to accept before whisking her over to a small table by a lantern, with a look at Elrond that Celebrian would have considered very strange had she seen it.

The Lord of Imladris followed, looking as if he would much rather bolt back to the company of Gil-galad and his collection of wine casks. Even so he managed to delay his progress by finding need to talk to several groups on the way, but eventually the trio had assembled.

"Oh you are hurt!" Celebrian's eyes widened in horror as the better lighting made the pair's bruises and scratches visible. Turning first to her saviour of that morning she ran her fingers lightly over the dark bruising on his jaw. "Is it so very painful?"

Glorfindel squirmed and shook his head, letting his eyes drop. Elrond was glaring at him, alternately clenching and unclenching his fists, and this seemed the quickest way of transferring the envied attention to his friend.

"You poor thing. Was it the enemy?" Celebrian smiled as she examined the scratches on Elrond's nose, getting somewhat side-tracked as she gazed into his eyes. Elrond's skin colour rapidly ascended through the shades of pink into scarlet.

Elrond muttered something incoherent while Glorfindel's eyes lit up mischievously.

"I was attacked." The blond elf asserted, adding as Celebrian's mouth dropped open as she gazed in admiration at him. "From behind!"

Elrond attempted to spear his friend with a jealous stare before - to his horror - the attention passed his way.

"But you saved him. Two warriors fighting together, side by side." Celebrian's eyes sparkled as she surveyed what she had decided must be the only two brave, valiant males in Imladris. Thinking back to the tales her mother had told her of brave soldiers and beautiful princesses with satisfaction, she beamed at the pair. "That's so romantic."

Glorfindel's smirk faded slightly as he glanced at Elrond out of the corner of his eyes. The dark-haired elf wore an equally bewildered expression, and shrugged.