"Allow me, Lady Celebrian." Glorfindel whisked the sauce to her plate the instance that she opened her mouth to ask for it. This gentlemanly act was rather spoilt by the smug grin he sent Elrond.

"Oh thank you, Lord Glorfindel." Celebrian smiled at him as she accepted the dish. Who would have thought that the young male elves in Imladris would be so much more mature and helpful than their counterparts in Lorien?

"It is a pleasure," Glorfindel smiled sweetly, glancing at his friend who was fuming quietly at the end of the table. Elrond lowered his eyebrows and scowled at his friend.

"Why Elrond, would you like some sauce too?" Glorfindel offered him the relish. As the attention turned to him, Elrond tried hard to turn his scowl into the kind of benevolent expression suitable of a leader. The result was not satisfactory causing Glorfindel to add mischievously, "Swallowed something hot?"

Elrond tried to smile as Celebrian and her parents turned to look at him. The moment they looked away his face adopted a foul look that he aimed at Glorfindel.

Gil-galad watched this exchange curiously. While he was used to the playful antics between the pair there definitely seemed to be something in the wine tonight. Glorfindel caught his eye and gave him a grin more worthy of an elfling who had just thought up a particularly devious plot. The blue eyes moved to from looking at Elrond to looking at Celebrian and back to Elrond. Gil-galad watched as Elrond's eyes lifted from his plate and glanced at the pretty young elf that was trying not to choke as she realised that she'd taken a forkful of the extremely strong tasting sauce by mistake.

The High King's sudden grin mirrored Glorfindel's in both look and intention.

~*~

"Allow me," Gil-galad grabbed the sauce dish rather hastily from under Glorfindel's outstretched fingers and dolloped a generous amount on Celebrian's plate.

"Thank you your highness," Celebrian murmured turning scarlet. There was something rather disconcerting about being served by a king. Especially when he was trying hard not to laugh. She wondered if she was obliged to eat the tasty but rather overpowering addition to her plate. She had merely been intrigued by the intricate design on the dish. After her fifth helping of sauce she was no closer to examining the artwork but her father was giving her funny looks.

"I did not know you had grown so fond of horseradish whilst I was away, Celebrian." Celeborn observed dryly as he took a mouthful of meat.

"I'm not. They keep giving it to me," Celebrian whispered turning to her mother with a pleading look, "Must I eat it Ammë?"

"Yes," Galadriel said in a low voice. She had always told Celebrian to eat everything on her plate and she was not about to bend rules during a formal feast. She raised her voice, hoping at least to distract the attention of Celebrian's all too eager 'helpers', "Gil-galad I would appreciate your council later, we have much to discuss."

Celebrian tried to smile sweetly, as the daughter of the Lord and Lady of Lorien must, as she spooned down horseradish. Elrond had started watching her with a somewhat perplexed look only increasing the rising colour in her cheeks. Desperately she grabbed her glass and gulped down the cool water.

"Allow me!" Three hands shot out for the unsuspecting jug of water, all equally enthusiastic about the prospect of refilling Celebrian's glass. Unprepared for such an assault, the jug shot down the table spilling its contents in a deluge over the tablecloth and remaining food.

"Most unfortunate," Gil-galad withdrew his hand quickly and concentrated on looking kingly as Celebrian, Celeborn and several other guests leapt to their feet as the edge of the table began to resemble the great waterfall that entered the valley.

Glorfindel and Elrond looked at each other as they regarded the flooded meal in front of them. His mouth open in surprise Glorfindel guiltily let his hand creep back to his napkin. Elrond was now looking very much the angry elf lord of Imladris. However it was his hand that was left in place when several pairs of accusing eyes turned towards them. Glaring alternately at his friend and his king, Elrond snatched back his hand and tried to murmur something soothing to the damp guests.

Soaked though she was, Celebrian could not help feeling rather satisfied. Not only was she free from blame for the disturbance, but also the remaining mound of horseradish on her plate was now only a damp puddle. And the young dark-haired elf lord that she had fallen on earlier that afternoon looked all the more. . . desirable. . . when annoyed.