Chapter 3 - Emotions Arise

The Lord and Lady of the Golden Wood surveyed the ravine that led into Imladris, sanctuary of the Noldori elves in the north since the destruction of Eregion long before the Last Alliance in the Second Age. Since the destruction of the Ring of Power and the diminishment of the three, Imladris still remained relatively untouched in its beauty. Elrond still dwelt there along with his sons, Elladan and Elrohir, twins and inseparable.

Celeborn decided that Imladris was the natural place to break their journey unto the Shire. Galadriel had been insistent that they make this journey although she had not been quite clear as to why. However, he trusted her judgment. Galadriel never did anything without good reason and truth be told, the hobbits were such a merry and valiant race that he was glad to take this time to be among them on such a joyous occasion.

He looked over at his wife; she had a pensive look on her face as she gazed upon Rivendell. He partly knew what was on her mind. Arwen. Galadriel had been saddened by Arwen's choice to forsake the Straight Way and stay with Aragorn, but she remained philosophical. Elrond had taken the decision far worse and harsh word and feeling had passed between the father and daughter when last they met in the hills above Edoras after Arwen's marriage to Aragorn when she bid farewell to her people. They had not spoken nor heard tell of each other since. Celeborn sensed that Galadriel wanted to attempt a sort of reconciliation between the two before they were irreparably separated. How she was going to bring about this reconciliation he sensed not even she knew at this point, but he knew she would try before...he could not bring himself to finish the sentence, for now after thousands of years together the idea brought him only pain. Elves do not love lightly and when they do it is lasting. When that love is sundered, the hurt is also lasting. It was the price they paid for being the First Born. Both joy and sadness remain undiminished over time. That was why the hurt between Elrond and Arwen ran so deep and might never find conclusion. Celeborn sighed.

Galadriel glanced long at her husband knowing somehow exactly what he thought from that one sigh, "But I must try, my love. I feel this most strongly." She looked deeply into his gray eyes.

"I know, my heart," Celeborn tilted his head slightly holding her gaze, "Just be mindful that success is not guaranteed. That is all I'm saying." the look of concern belying his even tone.

It was Galadriel's turn to sigh. She fell silent as Celeborn signaled for the small party to move onwards. She had been troubled recently by images in her mirror, mostly of Arwen. She knew her granddaughter was troubled, she could feel a shadow growing over her slowly. Though they would forever be sundered when Galadriel took ship to the West with many of her kindred within the near future, she could not leave her granddaughter to a growing unhappiness.

***

Elrond met them at the entrance of the Last Homely House with great state and pomp as befitting their nobility among the Elves.

"Mae Govannen! My Lord and My Lady! Welcome back to Imladris!" The question in the Lord of Rivendell's eyes was stilled by a look from Galadriel.

"Our Thanks!" Celeborn replied placing a hand over his heart.

Elladan and Elrohir rushed forth to greet their grandfather and grandmother with hugs and kisses in a far less formal manner,

Einadar! Einnaneth! So good it is to see you!" They cried out joyfully.

"And it is good to see you, both, my little ones!"

"It has been too long!" Celeborn grasped the forearm of each of his warrior grandsons in turn looking on them with pride.

The twins and indeed, Arwen had always had a much easier relationship with Celeborn and Galadriel, than did Elrond as son-in-law. There had been an unspoken unease between the three after Celebrian's departure over the Sea.

"Come, let us help you become settled," Elladan motioned to the nearest elf for the horses to be stabled, and the other three other Lorien elves to be quartered properly.

Elrohir picked up his grandparents satchels and carried them inside following the other three, leaving Elrond staring after them, a feeling of suspicion stealing across him.

***

"Adar has not been well," Elladan stated as soon as they were safely settled in the suite of rooms that overlooked the two waterfalls which fed the Bruinen, the river border of Rivendell, in which Celeborn and Galadriel stayed when in Imladris. "He does not eat, except rarely. He does not really sleep. He does not find joy in things as he used to. We are worried." Elrohir nodded his assent sharing with his brother a concerned glance.

A gentle breeze billowed the gauze-like russet coloured window hangings as Galadriel said, "That is why we've come. Does your Adar speak of Arwen, at all?"

Elladan looked at Elrohir, who after a pause said, "Never. Nor will he allow any to speak of her. It is almost as if she never existed." he finished, his face crumpled in a pained remembrance.

"That is wrong." Galadriel stated flatly, "To deny her existence is to deny his own pain. It can lead to no good."

"How is she?" Elladan asked, "Do you know? Is she happy? I cannot pretend to understand her decision, but it was hers to make. Now Adar punishes us all for what he sees as his inability to control her. That was never going to happen," he was growing angrier the more he thought. "Arwen could never be lead. Love is the only thing that has ever controlled her. Why can he not see that!"

Celeborn placed a strong yet comforting hand on Elladan's shoulder, "Peace, my beloved, we will do what we can."

Galadriel looked at Celeborn with love in her ageless eyes, she knew that he did not completely support this course of action, fearful of the further pain it might cause to those he loved, thinking it doomed to failure. But after feeling his grandson's pain he would completely support whatever it was that needed to be done, accepting that this was the path that must now be followed. Temperate and thoughtful; his calmness had always complemented her fire. "Yes, although it will not be easy." she warned.

Celeborn looked her and smiled "Now who is trying caution the other against hope." he seemed to be saying. Out loud he said,"In answer to your question my little one, she is happy enough, but a shadow begins to grow in her heart."

"I cannot believe that Aragorn would allow her to become unhappy!" Elrohir exclaimed thinking of his mortal foster brother who grew up among them, here in Imladris.

"It is not by choice, that he does this." Galadriel explained, "Arwen hides her unhappiness from him and he in turn hides his pain and doubt from her. Each is seeking to protect the other and it is this is that is pulling them apart. But that is not the root of Arwen's pain. The severing of the bonds of kith and kin is the source of her hurt. Her choice is made and cannot now be unmade, but I seek to convince Elrond that he must accept her choice and give Arwen his blessing before it is too late."

Alarm ran through the twins, "What do you mean by too late?" Elladan stated in a low, worried voice.

Galadriel stared hard at her older grandson, saying gently but firmly, "Before Arwen wastes away." She answered the unasked question in Elladan's gaze, "Yes, Arwen can still die of grief, in fact it is the way she will eventually die, but I would delay it, until she has lived out her life in full and not like this."

"You will have a very hard time convincing Adar of anything, Einnaneth! This has changed him." Elrohir dejectedly informed her.

"Still I must try." Galadriel's face shaded with strain.

***

The next day the air around Elrond's study crackled with tension and the strong feelings emanating from it cast a pall upon all of Imladris.

It had started politely enough.

"My Lord, My Lady, so nice of you to deign me with your presence. Now do you wish to include me in your secret designs as you did my sons last night." Elrond ended in clipped tones.

Galadriel eyed the Lord of Imladris. Elrohir was right. Elrond had changed. He had always been somewhat skeptical, but now that had crystallized into bitter cynicism.

The Lady of the Golden Wood drew herself up and said, "There is no secret. I wish to speak to you of your daughter."

A flash of pain and recognition enlivened Elrond's eye, but in a second it was gone, replaced by the by-now-customary cynicism, "I have no daughter. I did once, but no longer. Is there anything else that you would wish to discuss?" Elrond stated overpolitely.

"You know there is not. A shadow is beginning to grow upon her. I feel it and wish to dispel it."

"And just how does that concern me?" Elrond asked in a cool disinterested way.

"You know perfectly well how," Galadriel averred calmly refusing to be baited.

"I'm afraid I do not." came the polite response.

"Speak with her. That is all she needs."

"I cannot do that." Elrond stumbled, "She will not listen. She never listened and now..." Elrond's face shuddered with intense pain.

Galadriel pressed what she saw as an advantage, "She is with child, your grandchild, but her spirit is not strong and she may not survive the birthing, if you do not reconcile before. She will be in the Shire within the next two weeks, Go to her."

The pain increased on Elrond's face and Galadriel thought that maybe she was on the verge of breaking through. Unfortunately, with great effort Elrond suppressed it and said coldly, "As I said before, My Lady. I do not know of what you speak. I no longer have a daughter."

A flash of anger went through Galadriel, "You fool! You allow wounded pride to stand between you and your daughter. She has made a choice that is painful for us all to accept, but it was her choice! Do as you will, but we will go onto the Shire and let her know that she has not been banished from all her kindred's affections. I will not stay a minute longer, my granddaughter needs me." With that Galadriel swept from the room.

Celeborn looked after her as she burst from the room, and then he gazed upon his son-in-law. He looked long at Elrond and at first the Lord of Imladris returned the stare, only to give it up and return to his desk in a rude dismissal to the Lord of Lothlorien.Celeborn only raised a slight eyebrow at this, as he could feel the terrible pain of loss pulsating throughout the Noldorin lord. He strode to the table Elrond used as a desk and said calmly, "I understand your pain and anger, even bitterness, but be not blinded forever by it. Do not let it destroy who you are. If you do, it will only be tragedy compounded upon tragedy and that would grieve us all to see." He gave his son-in-law one last look and then left, failing to notice the single large tear that had just fallen onto the unread parchment.

***

Galadriel stormed back to her suite of rooms. And immediately summoned a servant to have her party's horses saddled and ready to ride. The elf on duty jumped to do her bidding and depart her presence, the Lady in full wroth was quite an alarming sight and not one to be trifled with. Celeborn gained the door just as the servant ran off to perform the given task.

"You certainly have a way with others." Celeborn remarked dryly to his Lady standing at the window. "First you alienate Lords and then you scare servants."

Galadriel glared at her husband, "Do not trifle with me, My Lord. And spare me from your omniscience."

"Bank that fire, my lady, I am not your enemy!" meeting hers with a little fire of his own.

Galadriel continued to glower, but the tense mien of her body softened and she broke her gaze, staring instead outside towards the two waterfalls then heaved a heartfelt sigh.

Celeborn came up behind her encircling her trim waist with his arms. He bent his head and said into the crook of her neck, "I think we should shoot him!" He smiled into her hair.

Galadriel laughed despite herself. "Would that we could, but I fear the twins would never forgive us."

"They're young, yet. They'll adapt!" Celeborn said mischievously, gently swiveling his Lady side to side.

Galadriel turned in his arms and looked deeply into his gray eyes, sighing, "But what are we going to do?"

Celeborn, immediately serious, held her gaze, "Why do you ask me? You already know what we are going to do, and I approve."

A small smile lit Galadriel's eyes, "I love you."

"I know," a twinkle glowed in gray eyes.

***

They did indeed leave that afternoon for the Shire. As Celeborn knew they would. What he did not know was that from the window of his study, Elrond, pain etched on his face, watched them go.

After they crossed the bridge and disappeared from sight, he turned away from the window. As much as she had angered him, Galadriel did speak some truth. It was his wounded pride that did not allow him to forgive his daughter. He could see no way back without massive loss of face. He felt trapped within a prison made of his own vanity.

Surely Galadriel exaggerated when speaking of Arwen's weakened state. She was given to hyperbole at times. His Undomiel had always shone with such a bright, undimmed light. Surely not.

She would be in the Shire two weeks hence. She was with child. His grandchild. Might not survive. These thoughts came unbidden into his mind and he pushed them away with great effort and returned to his work.

***

The Lorien party had ridden out of Rivendell just a few miles when they spied a pair of horses that seemed somewhat familiar. After having closed the gap a bit further, the elves upon the horses seemed even more familiar.

Elrond's twin sons rode up from the bend in the road where they had awaited the traveling party. "It has been too long since we have been in the company of Hobbits." said Elladan smiling a bit too brightly.

"And too long since we have spent much time with our "Einadar a Einnaneth mell!" Elrohir continued with suspiciously bright eyes.

"And your Adar has sent you to escort us to keep us from harm's way. Never mind the fact that we ride with three Lorien archers" Celeborn supplied.

"Exactly!" Elladan lied.

"Well, my love, what do you think? Can we bear their company on the last leg of this journey?"

"Well, I suppose we could. That is if Rumil would not take it amiss that we would take on two more protectors. How say you, Rumil?"

The Lorien captain looked upon the two new arrivals with a compassionate eye, "I think I should be happy to take up two fine Imladris warriors for the trip into the Shire. It can be a dangerous trek, if unprepared."
Elladan and Elrohir gratefully fell into line, unspoken reasons for joining the small retinue accepted without question. If they did not say they were going against Elrond's express wishes then it could not be held against them.

*********

** = direct quote from either book or film screenplay. Einadar! Einnaneth! = My gloss of Sindarin meaning "Grandfather, Grandmother"