AN: to answer a question from a review, Glorfindel was allowed only to see certain things when he entered the room of Vairë’s webs. He knows what will happen, like Gil-galad’s death and Sauron’s uprising, but not how it ends nor his own future after. Does that clear up some stuff? Now, the story from here on out will correspond to “The Stranger”, but Elrond and Celebrian will be the main characters. R&R you guys!! Like it, tell me; don’t like it, tell me!!

Chapter 10-Year 107

Elrond looked out the musty window of his study, or the old library as it was referred to now. He had not been in here for decades. It was too much of a reminder of Gil…of him. Elrond sighed. He couldn’t even say HIS name. He valued his privacy far too much to always be among the rest of the household especially when the grief came so sudden. It had been more than a century and the pain was still as fresh as the moment he saw it happen. Elrond tried to push away the memories, but they came anyways. He cursed his mind for remembering every detail. He was still a failure. The ring was lost, Isildur was dead and Celebrian was most likely gone. A maiden as beautiful as her had most likely found another whom she probably had children with by now. Elrond sighed, fingering her last letter from a few months ago before putting it back in a drawer. He couldn’t even return her letters, let alone read them. His soul and heart had left his body long ago.

~*~

Celebrian was greeted by Glorfindel at the gates. His tight and drawn face was not one she was used to seeing.

“ How is he?” she asked softly.

“ The household all walks on eggshells. He is not the same as you remember. Maybe you can help him,” Gil-galad answered.

“ He will listen to me and he will understand that I still wait for him,” Celebrian replied.

Glorfindel sighed in relief. Elrond needed to know that she was still there. He had seen the lord flipping the letters around, unable to read them, but unable to burn or tear them up.

~*~

Glorfindel entered hesitantly.

“ Elrond?” he said softly.

Elrond sighed almost dramatically. Glorfindel and Erestor were the only two that would dare to bother him. Elrond put down his stylus with as much control as possible, feeling a sudden bout of grief hit him. Elrond breathed in deeply, trying not to awaken any suspicion in Glorfindel and then looked up coldly.

“ Yes?”

Glorfindel hated it when Elrond was in a sour mood, which had been everyday for the last 107 years. He had been counting. Celebrian’s soft footsteps stopped behind Glorfindel in the doorway as Elrond snapped angrily at him. Celebrian stared at the hateful man her Elrond had become.

“ Tis too bad, Elrond,” Celebrian brushed inside.

Glorfindel left them, knowing whatever Celebrian would do had to be between the two. He sighed, glancing around and remembering when laughter had echoed in Imladris. Now but a resonance of it remained. Glorfindel noticed a woman sitting outside one of the rooms.

“ M’lady?” he bent before her.

He gently shook her, but found her limp, almost dead. He quickly picked her up.

“ Glorfindel, what is it?” Celeborn asked, passing by.

“ Get Elrond,” was all Glorfindel replied.

Celeborn nodded, jogging off towards the study.

~*~

Celebrian slipped into Glorfindel’s chair beside Elrond at breakfast the next morning. Her eyes danced with mirth as a sleepy Glorfindel approached.

“ I take it I have been reassigned,” Glorfindel took it all with a smile, turning to her seat between Erestor and Celeborn.

Celebrian leaned towards Elrond.

“ Has anything in Imladris changed since I was away?” she asked.

“ No, not really. All is the same, except now you are here,” Elrond answered.

Elrond’s countenance was a bit less stern as Celebrian talked gaily all during the eating time. He simply listened, as he always did, putting in comments then and now. Suddenly, much to their surprise, the lord smiled, chuckling a little at whatever Celebrian said. Glorfindel exchanged a triumphant smile with Erestor.

“ We should have had her come long ago,” Erestor said.

“ Aye, she would have made these halls sing again a lot earlier than this,” Glorfindel replied.

Elrond extended his arm to Celebrian and they both exited.

“ How long?” Erestor asked Glorfindel, forgetting Celeborn and Galadriel were nearby.

“ How long for what?” Glorfindel sent him an odd look.

“ How long until they are betrothed, of course?” Erestor rolled his eyes with an exasperated look.

“ Are you 2 betting on my daughter’s ability to become betrothed?” Celeborn inserted with a smile.

“ How long do you think?” Erestor asked, “ I give it a week.”

“ 4 days,” Celeborn asked, “ What about you, Glorfindel?”

“ 3 months,” Glorfindel answered.

Both of the other Elves’ exchanged an odd glance.

“ Why so long?” Celeborn asked.

“ Why not?” Glorfindel stood and left.

He smiled to himself. Of course he knew when they would be betrothed. Why Mandos had showed him that, he did not know, but twould help him win a bet. He turned his steps towards the healing houses, thinking of the maiden they had found. Twould be but procedure to glance in on her, Glorfindel finally convinced himself as to a reason why he visited her. He nodded. That sounded good enough.