Till You Die

Chapter 3: An unexpected guest

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•20 years later•

Twenty years had gone by, to Y/N they dragged on but for Celeborn and Galadriel they flew by. One, they were immortal and combined were over 10,000 years old but also all parents feel their children grow up in a few weeks rather than years.

It was always a worry in the back of Galadriels mind that her daughter was a human and would die someday.. and Galadriel would linger on long after    Y/N's death. That thought took away Galadriels sleep and made her sick to think about. But nothing would ever make her regret raising Y/N.

Celeborn was in his study closely examining maps of Lothlórien making plans for reinforcing some of the barriers along the borders of the kingdom when he felt something be placed upon his head and arms around his neck in a hug.

"What-" Celeborn stuttered as he reached up to feel what he had been decorated with, upon his head was a flower crown and he immediately knew who put it there. Y/N's favorite pass time was making flower crowns and she was quite good at it. Celeborn smiled and squeezed his daughters arms that were still around his neck.

"Who could this be?" He asked rhetorically "couldn't be Haldir he hasn't made me a flower crown in a week" Celeborn added which made Y/N burst out laughing, her laugh was still as beautiful as it was when she was a baby.

Celeborn smiled at his daughters laughter and pulled her around from behind his chair to face him "looking ethereal as always my child" Celeborn said as he looked into his daughters E/C eyes, her H/C tendrils falling around her shoulders like a waterfall.

Y/N sat on the edge of her fathers desk, "tell me where's your mother?" Celeborn asked, Y/N shrugged her shoulders "haven't seen her today" Y/N replied. Celeborn cocked and eyebrow in confusion "strange" Celeborn muttered. Y/N nodded "I think she's expecting something or.. someone she's acting like something's going to happen" Y/N explained.

Galadriel had the gift of foresight so she likely did have a premonition of something to come, it was still bizarre for her to not come to Celeborn about it though. "I'll go find her later on" Celeborn said.

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Galadriel was sitting in the garden by one of the many beautiful fountains, she had a premonition of the arrival of eight travelers with a quest of the uppermost importance. They would be arriving to seek temporary shelter and possibly aid. That's not what disturbed Galadriel though.

"Mother!" Called Y/N ripping Galadriel from her thoughts. Galadriel smiled at her daughter running over to her, Y/N wrapped her mother in a crushing hug sending Galadriel into a fit of joyous laughter. "I haven't seen you all day!" Y/N exclaimed "you wake me up every morning I almost over slept" Y/N added.

"Yes my heart I'm sorry... I was distracted" Galadriel lied, Y/N immediately gave Galadriel a 'yeah right' sort of expression "what?" Galadriel said "you got distracted?"

"Yes"

"My mother got distracted.." Y/N scoffed "yeah that'll be the day"

"Honestly nin aranel.. I've been helping your father with some of his duties and I got... scatterbrained" Galadriel continued to fib. Y/N didn't believe her mother but decided not to push the matter figuring her mother had her reasons for not telling the truth, besides it didn't really matter.

•That night•

Y/N was in her room reading a book before she went down for the night when there was a knock at her door. Y/N was confused, *who's knocking on my door this late?* Y/N thought. Y/N got up wrapping her robe around her and cracked the door open to see a guard standing in the hall.

"I'm sorry to disturb my lady but we've got guests and you're being requested in the throne room" the guard said. Y/N was even more confused now, guests? This late?

"O-ok thank you" Y/N said, her humanity was painfully obvious in some of her mannerisms; such as her lack of eloquence and her clumsiness. Galadriel and Celeborn told Y/N when she was 17 that she was not their blood daughter and she was found by Lady Galadriel on a stroll one day. Y/N was shocked by the news but not devastated as far as she was concerned Celeborn and Galadriel were her real parents and it'd stay that way till she died.

Celeborn and Galadriel felt the same, Y/N was theirs and theirs alone.

Y/N put on a dress and quickly ran to the throne room, she got there to see her mother and father waiting.

"Where are the guests?" Y/N whispered to her mother who she was now stood next to. "They'll be coming in soon" Galadriel whispered back to which Y/N nodded. Even with Y/N's long, beautiful H/C hair in intricate braids and a priceless crown nestled on her head, and the finest gown in all of Middle Earth... she was still a human. And it was even more obvious when she was stood next to her parents.

Their ethereal almost heavenly glow drowned out poor Y/N, Y/N had no special glow or that famous elvish charm about her and that's the main way people knew she wasn't Galadriel and Celeborns legitimate heir. It should go without saying that when the Lothlórien locals found out about their very human, very illegitimate princess they were... well... displeased to say the least.

Soon the doors to the throne room slowly swung open and in walked eight men... well four of the eight looked like children but Y/N quickly recognized them as hobbits. Then entered two men and an elf, the elf immediately caught Y/N's eyes. He was more beautiful than anything she'd ever seen.

In Y/N's 20 years in Lothlórien she'd seen and met many ellons, even had crushes. She had a crush on Haldir the marchwarden who guarded the boarders of Lothlórien. They had a little fling when Y/N was seventeen but their love was short lived.

Haldir never stopped loving Y/N though.

Y/N stiffened her stance and held her chin up getting ready to greet their guests. All in vain.. they'd still see her humanness.

The eight lined up at the foot of the stairs and Lady Galadriel, Lord Celeborn and Y/N emerged down the steps. The hobbits looked at the elves with such awe and amazement one of the hobbits was about to catch a fly in his mouth if he didn't close it soon.

One of the men bowed his head in respect as well as the handsome elf. Y/N couldn't tell if any of the wonder was going to her, likely not there was nothing amazing about her.

"Eight that are here, yet nine there were set out from Rivendell" Said Lord Celeborn. Y/N was confused how did he know where they set out from? And how many there were to begin with?

"Tell me where is Gandalf?" Lord Celeborn asked *who's Gandalf?* Y/N thought "for I much desire to speak with him"

Galadriel looked at the man with dark brown hair and a look of grief came upon her face "he has fallen into shadow..." Galadriel said and the man with dark hair nodded slightly, Celeborn looked over at Galadriel.

Y/N found herself staring at the unknown elf which didn't go unnoticed by Haldir.

Galadriel looked over at the other man who was there, Y/N wasn't sure why but as he made eye contact with her mother he cried softly and looked to the floor. That was the affect her mother had on people and... Y/N was slightly jealous.

Y/N looked over just in time to notice the unknown elf staring at her but he quickly averted his gaze, Y/N got butterflies in her stomach.

"The quest stands on the edge of a knife... stray but a little and it will fail" Said Galadriel "to the ruin of all"

"Yet hope remains, while the company is true... do not let your hearts be troubled go now and rest for you are weary with sorrow and much toil tonight you will sleep in peace" Galadriel said. Y/N noticed her mother look over at one of the hobbits and he suddenly got this startled look on his face.

Y/N hated these meeting where she had to be present simply cause she was a princess. She knew so little about all of it and it made her feel like she was in the way and positively excluded.

Soon after the eight departed to various bedrooms provided for them by the massive palace.

If there was one thing Y/N constantly fell prey too it was her own curiosity. She noticed the handsome elf from earlier didn't retire to his bed chambers and instead went walking through the gardens.

So Y/N went on a scavenger hunt.