Chapter Text
When Celebrían first walked through Lindon's gate, she was surprised by the soft decadence of the place. Everything around her was beautiful, but it was the beauty of fragile things—astonishing yet slowly fading away.
“The end is near,” she mused, as a coldness fell in her heart, if only for a moment.
She wandered through the autumnal gardens and their warm colours, as well as the palace's golden halls. The place felt enchanted, and for the first time in a long time, Celebrían felt safe. She had barely escaped the orcs that were patrolling the area around Lindon. Celebrían was no warrior; she had never been interested in fighting—unlike her mother. But what she lacked in strength, she made up for with cunning. Celebrían was intelligent and quick-thinking, and she had a solid understanding of magic, thanks to her mother's teachings.
Celebrían smiled as she recalled her childhood. How many hours had she spent listening to her parents share stories about their time in Doriath and the friendship between Galadriel and Aunt Melian? She learned so much during her lessons with Galadriel. Her mother was adamant: she needed to know how to protect herself. And there were a lot of ways to do that without having to wield a sword. But life was simpler back then, with her family together, before the war struck again. The pain resurfaced when she remembered the day her mother told her that her father was missing and that she would leave to pursue the monster that had destroyed their family. Left behind, Celebrían resolved to find her father, especially since Galadriel would not even speak his name; the pain was too great for her to bear. In that moment, Celebrían felt stronger than her mother. Her search consumed her for hundreds of years, filled with studying, hunting, and heartbreak. The quest took everything from her.
She quickened her pace, driven by the urgent need to find her mother. Focused on her mission, she didn’t see the figure in front of her until she bumped into him. Her hood fell back, revealing her hair, and when she looked up, she found herself face-to-face with Lord Elrond.
She remembered seeing him years ago; he looked the same, but she could see the weight of the years reflected in his kind brown eyes. Quickly, she straightened up and apologised. Elrond mumbled something and blushed. Celebrían was momentarily confused, feeling something stir in her heart, but she didn't have time to ponder what that might be. She gave the elf a brief nod and hurried away, feeling her face grow warm.
She walked and eventually stopped in front of her mother's room. Turning the knob, she entered without knocking. Her mother stood with her back to her, absorbed in thought, unaware that anyone had entered. Taking a deep breath, Celebrían lowered her hood, allowing her long silver hair to fall down her back.
“Mum!” she exclaimed.
Galadriel tensed at the sound of her voice and slowly turned around. Her eyes widened in recognition as she realised her daughter was in front of her after too many years apart.
Celebrían took another step closer.
“Celebrían?!?” Galadriel said, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Mum,” Celebrían replied, hope blossoming in her heart once again, “I found him! I found Dad!"