The Surprise Student [Glorfindel]

The Battle and Victory

For days the small army of Lothlorien battled against the armies of Mordor on its borders. Desperately trying to keep the creatures of evil out of the Elvish Realm. Glorfindel along with my father, brothers and grandfather had all gone to lead the last of the Silvan Elves in battle. There was naught Arwen or I could do but sit around and wait. Wait for the news of death or the news of victory.

I knew the moment Sauron had been defeated. It felt like a weight had been lifted from Arda. Arwen raced into the library where I had been sitting, in tears. I jumped up from my seat and embraced her as she sobbed in happiness.
"He did it." She choked out between sobs. I soothed my sister the best I could, eventually helping her into her bed exhausted from her crying.
My heart pounded in my chest as the horn of the returning army sounded through the trees. Knowing Arwen would forgive me for abandoning her in her time of need I raced down the carved stairs and joined the waiting crowd of Elleths and those unable to fight.
Lady Galadriel beckoned me to stand at her side as the battle worn army stumbled closer.
Celeborn brought the exhausted army to a stop announcing victory. We stood in silence with our heads bowed in honour of the fallen warriors.
Galadriel announced a feast would be held the next night to celebrate the win but for now, the army was to rest and get healing. I immediately went to find the young elf that had been dragged into this battle. I put my arm around his shoulder and steered him away towards the stairs.
"Come Master Draco, I'll take you to your room. You must rest." I told the Elfling. He stumbled over a rock as we neared the stairway. Glorfindel trailed behind us quietly. He stayed with us right up until I laid the tired warrior on his bed, free of his armour. I closed the door to the room and turned to my husband, wrapping him in a relieved hug.
"Meleth I am so glad you're ok." I whispered to him lifting my head for a kiss. He obliged happily and leant on me as we walked towards our rooms.
I brushed out his knotted hair, helped him into the bath and washed him clean of mud and blood. He lay on his stomach on our bed as I massaged the sore muscles in his back.
"I don't know why I waited so long for you." He groaned as my fingers soothed his muscles.
"Get some rest Meleth Nîn. I'll be here when you wake." I said kissing the spot between his shoulder blades and pulling the blanket up over him.

———

"What about this one?" Arwen asked me holding up a dress.
"Arwen. They're all beautiful." I said smiling with patience I didn't know I had.
"I just want to find the perfect one! It's been 5 months since I saw him and now he will be king!" She said grinning at me.
"I think I may have one you will like. Wait here." I said to her. Leaving her to ruffle through her closet and chests, I went to my rooms.
"You're back earlier than I expected." Glorfindel said as I entered the rooms.
"Arwen is tearing her rooms apart looking for a dress to wear for when she sees the King of Gondor. I have a dress hidden in my closet that was our mother's. She should wear it." I said to him as he walked up to me and wrapped me in his embrace.
"That's quite nice of you to give it to her." He said. I tilted my head up and kissed him sweetly.
"How are you faring?" I asked him as he let me go so I could find the dress.
"Much better. Thank you for staying with me those couple of days while I rested and recovered." He said returning to his desk.
"You were so exhausted. I couldn't leave you." I said smiling over my shoulder to him.
"Aha." I exclaimed pulling out a linen wrapped dress. The linen helped to protect it from damage in the travels here.
"I'll be back later for dinner." I told Glorfindel making my way to the door.
"Alright Meleth. I'll see you then." He replied as I exited the rooms.

"Arwen. I'm back. I have the dress for you." I called out to her as I entered her room. She hurried over to me from where she was sulking on her bed.
"Let me see." She said excitedly. I lay the linen parcel on her bed and unwrapped it. The dress was a pale green. It had beading all around the neckline that extended to the biceps. It was a flowy dress with many layers of gauzy material and silk. The sleeves were made to billow around and act like tiny dresses for the arm. It had a small train and was long enough to pool around the wearers feet's.
"It was Nanas. The dress she left for me. I want you to wear it." I said to my sister as she ran her fingers over the fabric.
"Nana. She wore this. You can't give it to me!" Arwen exclaimed whirling to face me.
"Arwen right now you have more need than I with it. And I would be honoured for you to have it. As a future queen you will need a beautiful dress. This way Naneth is with you." I told her.
"Arniel this is so precious. Thank you." She said hugging me tightly. 
"Do you want to try it on?" I asked her. She shook her head and wrapped the dress up in the linen again.
"No. I will wear it once. The day I see him again. Thank you." Arwen said gathering the precious parcel and placing it gently into her chest of repacked dresses, tunics, tights and shoes.
"I can't believe this might be the last few days I'll see Lothlorien." She said closing the lid of the wooden chest.
"I doubt it will be Arwen. Elves are not a rushed people. Mam and Dâd will be here for a few more years yet and they will expect visits." I told her. She smiled over at me.
"And you will be here longer." Arwen said.
"I will be here until my husband is ready to depart. That will not be for a while yes." I said.
"Come Arwen. Let us find Ada. We need to enjoy his company while we still can." I told her holding my hand out to the beautiful elf. She smiled at me and took it in hers.
"Yes. Let us go have lunch with him by the river. It's beautiful at this time of year. We may have to drag him away from his desk though." She said.
We left her rooms and wandered through the winding stairways of Lothlorien toward our Ada's temporary office. He had been so busy trying to tie up loose ends before we all left for Minas Tirith. Ada often spent days in his office before one of his children, or wife's parents dragged him out.
I knew deep down, he was just trying to cope with the fact that one of his daughters was to give up her gift of immortality, and that when he sailed to Valinor, none of his children would be accompanying him.