To Live Again: Ghosts

4. A Proposal & A Promise

A/N: sorry for taking forever to update! But I'm juggling lol! Just FYI readers, there are huge time jumps in this story, mostly because I want to keep it relatively short. So this is set about a year or so from the last chapter.  Please enjoy #imissOrophy
*********************************

"Galathil?" Curuni spoke the name like a choked whisper, her throat tightening, her mouth dry as bone as she observed the crowded reception hall.

Every eye trained on her, as she let her gaze flick over the elf knelt before her, her hand in his and his smile so sincere that it made her breath catch.

"My lady...Curuni?" Galathil spoke, a slight tremor of nerves in his voice, as he soothed the top of her hand with his thumb, "w-will you give me an answer?"

Curuni felt her lips part, but no words came, for there were none that would save this terrible misunderstanding. At the very corners of her vision she seen the figure move, and it took all her determination, and all her years of education in the arena of politics to not chase after him.

Oropher departed the crowd as quietly as he had arrived to Taraquen's celebratory feast of his daughter's begetting day. His shoulders were bent under a crippling blow, and he had nothing save his pride left...and he was not sure if even that had been stolen from him.

On his exit his eyes flashed across that of his host. The dark haired elf stood expressionless, save for a cruel upturned sneer, a reminder that Oropher was utterly denied such a public privilege of asking the hand of his only daughter. That look was the only thing that faltered the young lord's defeated exit, because it rose a challenging air between he and this Elf who thought himself greater than he.

"My daughter is in shock of such a thoughtful proposal," Taraquen breathed airily as he twisted his gaze away from the silver haired thorn who still stood defiantly in the throngs of his party - Oropher would learn his place after tonight!

"My apologies, my lady Curuni, I did not mean to take you unawares," Galathil muttered as he launched to his feet, his cheeks pinking up at the very public embarrassment. "I thought you would be expecting it...my proposal...I thought you knew?"

Curuni tilted her head to the side, her eyes narrowing between the King's cousin and her own father. It suddenly made an alarming amount of sense. All the months Galathil had spent in her home, tutoring her on the languages and wonders of Arda, instructing her on the things of the wise, boring her to tears with his wealth of useless knowledge. It was all to lead up to this moment, a proposal to a prince, and it was all her parents doing.

Now, she could have politely accepted the proposal and then later declined it just to save the embarrassment of it all - but her pride could not let her. A fiery temper lit her spirit, and she felt herself crackle and hiss at the attempt to control her decisions. Her parents should have never crossed such a line, and this prince should not have been so presumptuous!

"No, I was under the illusion that I was just an acquaintance to you Galathil," Curuni spat as she ripped her hand, and her body away from the elf Lord, giving him a scathing look. "I will not accept, and I do not take kindly to this humiliation. I think it best that you leav-."

"Curuni...child...there is no need for hostility," Taraquen ordered as calmly as his exasperation with his daughter would allow, whist his wife prompted another song from the minstrels to divert from the scene Curuni had caused.

"I am no child!" She hissed and backed away from her father, glaring indignantly as she eyed both ellyn up. "You both planned this! Do you think me uneducated and frivolous? Or am I just some possession for you to sell off to the highest bidder, Ada?"