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Tonight was a very special moment for Celeborn, Lord of Lothlórien. His daughter Celebrían would be exchanging betrothal rings with Elrond, Lord of Rivendell and her husband-to-be, and for the occasion they had planned an intimate banquet in one of Caras Galadhon's most ornate fleets. The throne room, of all places.
Lord Celeborn was seated at a traditional circular table adorned with exotic flowers and all sorts of plates prepared by Lothlórien's finest chefs. To his left sat his wife Galadriel and to his right, his daughter Celebrían. Seated next to Celebrían was Elrond. It was possibly the most unusual betrothal ceremony Celeborn had ever been present at. The ceremony fulfilled all the requirements of a traditional ceremony, but Celeborn would have preferred that it did not fulfil one of them.
There were six armchairs surrounding the table, but only four people were actually seated around the table. Two armchairs remained unoccupied. The two armchairs facing Celeborn, and that had been saddening Celeborn throughout the dinner. His daughter Celebrían had already told him before the ceremony began, that it had been Elrond's request to leave the usual six seats. Elrond did not want to change such a long-established tradition among the Elves.
The Lord of Lothlórien looked again at the two empty seats. Elrond's parents, Eärendil and Elwing, should have sat in those two seats. The whole point of this ceremony was for the families to get to know each other, but Elrond no longer had a family to sit in those seats. It was not fair for him.
Celeborn watched as Celebrían and Elrond exchanged deep glances before slowly rising to their feet. They walked slowly, holding hands, until they reached the majestic stairs leading up to the throne of the kingdom of Lothlórien. They were standing facing each other. Galadriel stood up, and Celeborn stood beside her, always in the shadow of the Lady of Lothlórien.
Galadriel advanced alone to the right of Celebrían and smiled at Elrond, who stood in front of her. She reached into one of her silk robe's many pockets and pulled out a small wooden box that had been decorated with intricate floral patterns. Galadriel opened it to reveal a beautiful silver ring surrounded by small emeralds and the same floral patterns. Under the stars, the ring shone brightly and seemed to complement Lothlórien. Celeborn regarded the ring with pride; he had suggested the ring's decoration to his daughter.
Galadriel tenderly asked Elrond for his hand, and he offered it to her slowly, almost tremblingly if one looked closely. The Lady of Lothlórien then placed the ring on one of Elrond's fingers.
Celeborn involuntarily held his breath. The scene before him was heartbreaking. The scene was incomplete, for there were three Elves where there should have been four. Eärendil was missing from Elrond's side, supporting him and handing Celebrían the ring that Elrond was going to hand to her, leaving him alone in one of the most important moments of his life, with no family to share it with, as Celebrían was doing right now with her parents.
The lord of Lothlórien looked up at the starry sky and saw Eärendil's star peeping through the leaves of Lórien's treetops, casting its light over Lothlórien, but it couldn't cast the warmth of a father.
It was unfair for Elrond to have to face such a special occasion alone. Celeborn, like his wife Galadriel, could see the sadness in Elrond's grey eyes.
At that moment Celeborn watched from the distance as Elrond pulled from one of his inner pockets another small box, but instead of being decorated with flowers, it was decorated with stars and constellations. He shakily opened the box, and inside was a beautiful gold-plated ring with star motifs and sapphires imitating the stars in the sky. Elrond nervously took out the ring and looked at it sadly on his hand before asking for Celebrían's hand, who smiling tenderly gave it to him. Celeborn's heart twisted as he watched Elrond, instead of Eärendil, give the ring to his daughter.
Elrond held his breath and slipped the ring onto Celebrían's finger. It was perfect, the gold contrasting beautifully with Celebrían's pale hand and golden hair. The grey lights of Lothlórien caught glints that reflected in Celebrían's eyes.
Celebrían and Elrond kissed tenderly as they clasped hands.
Galadriel turned her head slowly in her husband's direction and touched his mind with her own. Galadriel could feel Celeborn quite affected by all that he had just witnessed.
“You want to speak to Elrond.”
“I do,” Celeborn responded to Galadriel as he watched the couple separate from their kiss. Deep down, Celeborn was pleased to see his daughter so happy with Elrond.
“Do so, speak to him. I have noticed his sadness too.”
“My dear Celebrían, join your mother in the gardens, we will continue the celebration there. In a moment Elrond and I will go down to the gardens to join you both,” said Celeborn as he approached them. Celebrían nodded silently and followed Galadriel out the door, leaving Celeborn and Elrond alone.
Celeborn glanced sideways at Elrond, he was looking a little lost without Celebrían around. If Celeborn did not know him, he would never have come to think of Elrond as the Herald of Gil-galad.
“I want you to know that you were not bound to give Celebrían the betrothal ring on your own, without anyone's support," said Celeborn sincerely, admiring Elrond's bravery, "we would all have respected you if you had decided to have a friend hand over the ring instead of yourself.”
Elrond smiled sadly at Celeborn.
“This day is very important for us, intimate and familiar, I couldn't leave it... I didn't want to... I... I — “
Celeborn placed his hand on Elrond's shoulder and squeezed it affectionately, giving him strength. It broke his heart to see him choke on his own words.
“You have been very brave today, Elrond," Celeborn reassured him, he was proud of him, "we are your family now, remember that. You are not alone, you do not have to fight on your own.”
“I just wanted to carry on the tradition for Celebrían... she deserves everything," Elrond managed to say emotionally.
“That makes you honourable. My daughter will be very happy with you in Imladris.”
“That is my deepest desire: to live with her in Imladris for the rest of our lives in Middle-earth, and then in Valinor," Elrond admitted, terrified that something would happen to the love of his life. “I don't know what I would do if anything happened to Celebrían, I could never forgive myself.”
Celeborn smiled to himself, Celebrían had fallen in love with the right elf.
“And I suppose you have also decided to personally present Celebrían with the traditional jewelled necklace on the wedding day and recite the vows with my wife Galadriel, taking the place that would have belonged to your father.”
Elrond pursed his lips and looked down, shying away from Celeborn's gaze in shame. Celebrían deserved better, thought Elrond.
“That is right. We have discussed this. I want our ceremony to be like all other ceremonies, Celebrían is already marrying a Peredhel," Elrond admitted painfully.
“There is nothing wrong with being a Peredhel. If you will allow me, and as your future father-in-law, I will be the one to walk you down the aisle with my daughter, and I will present Celebrían with the jewelled necklace and say the vows with my wife Galadriel so that you do not have to do it alone, ion nín.”
Elrond, moved by Celeborn's words, looked up from the ground to look at the lord of Lothlórien. “I would be honoured, Adar.”
Celeborn drew Elrond into his arms and held him for a long time, letting Elrond's head rest on his shoulder. Celeborn could feel Elrond weep silently against his shoulder, feeling the warm tears seep through his fine silk robe.
“Finally, you are at home, Elrond,” Celeborn whispered as he laid a fatherly hand on his head.