Collisions of Love

Title: Collisions of Love
Author: Amber lackam@aol.com
Summary: Two collide with unexpected results.


“They are complaining again about your nephew’s attitude and conduct,” Melian told her husband as they prepared for the evening meal.
“What has he done now?” Elwë asked in exasperation. The women were always complaining about Celeborn’s conduct. What really bothered them was his refusal to take a wife.
“A bunch of the maidens were following him and giggling after him in the market this afternoon as he was acquiring supplies for his horse. One of them evidently made a rather rude remark about him possibly being inadequate in size therefore his fear of taking a mate when he overheard them. Needless to say, he retaliated with questions about the size of her body and brain in a rather loud voice that stopped everyone. She ran crying to her mother, who came to me,” was the answer she supplied. “Can you not encourage him to marry?”
“You know I will not. He has had a hard life and I will not force a marriage on him in addition. You know he has not trusted women since he learned that it was his mother and sister that demanded his family leave him behind rather than look for him. He was but an elfling,” Elwë said as he looked at his wife sadly. “I cannot imagine living with the knowledge that your own family did not love you enough to wait but abandoned you after your own mother and sister claimed you weren’t worth waiting for. That the only son who mattered was already with them.”
“I know you have promised him that you will not force marriage on him but will let him find a soul mate. You must talk to him however, his conduct was no better than the girls. I have already scolded the mother for raising such a rude and unacceptable child,” Melian told him as she straightened his collar.
“I will speak with him after dinner,” Elwë sighed as he led her out the door.
“Bye the way,” she said. “You Noldorean niece and nephews will be here tomorrow. They seek us out rather than stay with their cousins, there is hope for them yet.”
Stopping to stare after his wife for a minute, he wondered not for the first time what he had gotten himself into when he married her. These little announcements of hers always signaled trouble.


Celeborn was still seething at the reprimand his uncle had given him last night after dinner. Why did he always get the blame? All females were the same; selfish, self-centered, spoiled, and annoying. He would never get married if he had his way. Of course, he realized that just because he said that he would one day find a female soul mate that would make his life miserable. Why was he even born he wondered as he headed to the courtyard. Maybe a good hard ride would clear his head. He did not want to still be in a bad mood when his distant cousins arrived. There was a female among them that he would have to deal with after all.
As he exited the caves, he heard a commotion occurring at the end of the courtyard near the fountain. He couldn’t see anything around everyone who had gathered to watch but could hear a female yelling loudly.
“Get back to work, clear the area,” he said as he pushed his way to the front to see what was happening. His uncle would not be pleased that his house had been disturbed so.
Coming out of the crowd, he observed a beautiful golden haired ellith screaming at and threatening four laughing ellon. Despite his attraction to her, Celeborn knew that he had to do something. This little hellion was on a roll and was not going to stop anytime soon unless something was done. It would attract his uncle and since he was here, he would receive the blame again. He needed to cool her off and stop her tirade, he thought as he looked at the fountain. An idea formed, if he was going to get into trouble anyway, why not.
“Be quiet!” he shouted at her as he picked her up and threw her into the fountain.
Everyone went quite as they stared between the now soaked ellith’s surprised face and the prince. The look on the faces of the four ellon she had been berating was amazed to say the least. Suddenly noticing the strange clothes they were wearing and their horses displays, Celeborn groaned. Turning, he gave orders to see to their welfare as he hurried away.
Celeborn left the courtyard and retreated into the trees. He had a favorite silver tree that he had always run to hide in ever since he had been brought here to live with his uncle by others who had found him wandering on the shore. The tree welcomed him without question and soothed his troubled spirit. His emotions were rolling in turmoil as he considered what he had done. The visitors were clearly his distant cousins that his aunt had said would arrive today. The ellith had to be his cousin and the ellon her brothers. No wonder they were laughing at her, it had been a family joke he had interrupted. His uncle was going to be livid.
Despite the trouble he knew he was in, this was not where his thoughts remained. What he thought about the most was the beautiful golden haired ellith with the fiery spirit. When he had lifted her, he had been surprised to feel the muscles move beneath his hands. This was no simpering court follower, but an active female who enjoyed more than being pampered. He had only glanced into her eyes for a minute but her fiery spirit had connected with his fëa in that fleeting moment. Here was one he could lead into the forest and into the trees, who could understand his need to be one with the nature around him. Here was one who he could consider an equal, one who would give as much to him as she demanded from him. Was she the one he had been waiting and secretly praying for?
He sat there contemplating his emotions and prayed for guidance. As the sun began to sink into the treetops, he knew it was time to return and face his uncle. They would be introduced formally that night and even he could not predict the outcome. Climbing down from the Celeborn, he thanked it for sheltering him and for the solace it gave him.

He took his time dressing for dinner that night. He was in no rush for the reprimand that he knew was coming, not to mention deserved. What really surprised him was that he had not been called in front of his uncle upon his return to the castle. All that had happened was that he was told of the changed meal time. Inside his chambers he found his silver grey tunic and breeches laid out along with his light blue silk formal robe trimmed in silver fox fur. On the table was a brief note from his aunt asking him to wear what she had set out for him. Not questioning her reasons, he bathed and dressed for dinner. He waited until the last minute to leave hoping that he could at least delay his reprimand until after dinner.
Upon his arrival in the dining room, the number of whispers and murmuring increased dramatically. He knew they were all talking about this afternoon and wondering what his punishment was, not that he would ever tell them. His uncle gave him a furious look but said nothing to him, only signally him to take his place behind his throne. His aunt gave him a small smile but there was no way to interpret it. He stood quietly, ignoring the gossip until the herald announced his cousin’s arrival.
His breath left him as he saw her come onto the dais. Since spotting him, she had not taken her eyes off of him. His body felt like it was on fire and soaring with the wind at the same time. She did not stop in front of his uncle but came to stand directly in front of him. Still looking into her eyes, he felt the shock as she slapped him as hard as she could. The look of defiance and challenge in her eyes was too much to be ignored and he acted without thinking. He picked her up and slung her over his shoulder as he ran out the door into the hallways. He ignored the shouts and calls to stop as he ran out of the courtyard and into the tree line.
He felt his cousin grab him and hang on for dear life as he shifted her weight. Then he was in the trees and racing through them to his celeborn and the shelter it would provide. Climbing into the thicker top of his tree, he finally set his cousin down on a large branch that was fairly flat. Pulling back from her, he looked into her eyes to see the same swirl of emotions going through her as was roiling through him. Neither could tell later who moved forward first, but soon they both lost all control.
As their lips fought a glorious battle for dominance, Celeborn pulled her outer robes off. She in turn, divested him of his robes and was pulling at his tunic as he ran his hands up her legs pushing her under dress up in the process. Leaving his tunic, she pulled him down onto her as she wrapped her legs around his. One hand of his threaded into her hair as the other steadied them on the branch. He groaned deeply as he felt her untying his breeches and pulling them down enough to set his length free. He let her guide him to her as he released her mouth and looked into her eyes. Seeing her plea, he plunged into her as far as he could go. They clung to one another as he rode her hard and fast toward something neither understood but knew they had to reach. Reaching their peaks, they closed their eyes in rapture as they felt their fëa meld into one. They had found their soul mate, and it was a feeling of home.
As they returned to themselves Celeborn shifted them until she lay across his chest. They sat that way in silence for hours, still connected, learning to recognize the new sensations and enjoying the feel of each other. Finally they returned to themselves and eyed one another.
“So, what’s your name?” Celeborn finally asked.
“I am called Artanis,” she answered quietly.
“That won’t do,” he said as he ran his hands up and down her back. “You deserve a better name. Galadriel suits you better I think.”
“Galadriel,” she said trying the sound of it on her tongue. Gently she nodded as she smiled at him.
Finally as time passed and they come to know each other better between bouts of love making, he realized that they could not leave things as they were.
“Bind fully with me?” he whispered into her ear as he moved her hair aside to nibble on her neck.
“Will they allow it?” she asked fearfully.
“Let’s not give them a choice. I have presided over ceremonies before and know what to do,” he told her.
“Are you willing to face the consequences? We will be outcast to the Noldor for they will not like the fact that I bound myself to a Sindar, prince or not,” she asked.
“I am already a sort of outcast to some of my own people. Many think there is something wrong with me because my family left me behind when they left with the host going west,” he told her. She felt the deep pain radiating within him through their bond and tried to sooth him.
“Not all is right with my own people either,” she said. He did not press for more sensing she wasn’t ready to reveal that yet. They would deal with whatever it was when the time came.
“Is that a yes then?” he teased her.
“Yes,” she answered.
Celeborn pulled his ceremonial knife from his robe and tested its edge to ensure it was sharp enough. Galadriel pulled two strips of cloth from her undershirt to bind the wounds with afterwards. Then nodding she was ready, she presented her left palm to him. Celeborn cut diagonally across both of their palms and pressed their hands together. He looked deeply into Galadriel’s eyes as he called upon Manwë to bless and witness his oath. Galadriel smiled brightly as she called upon Varda to bless and witness her oath. After saying the final blessing, Celeborn kissed Galadriel deeply and lifted her upon his shaft. Still clasping their slit palms together, they slowly moved until the sensations overtook them. They slept thusly intertwined till the song of the birds woke them the next morning.
“We need to go back, they are probably looking for us,” Galadriel said as she snuggled into his chest.
“Do you wish for the out roar to start so soon then?” he asked as he placed his chin upon her head.
“No, but delaying will only make it worse,” she answered. He nodded his agreement.
“Come then, there is a stream not far from here we can clean up in,” her said as they unwound themselves from each other.
They spent several hours playing in the water as they cleaned themselves up before walking back to the caves. They were met at the entrance by his aunt and uncle as well as her brothers. No one said a word at first as the shock of seeing them bound settled in. The gasps and stares of the crowd who had assembled behind escalated into loud gossip as word of binding spread. They both overheard the comments of some about the unlikely match.
King Elwë signaled them to follow him into his study when the shock of the binding had settled in. Looking his wife in the eyes to see her reaction, he saw a dual sense of happiness and sadness there that warned him that the couple’s future would not be an easy one. He would accept them as much as he didn’t understand their actions to makes everything easier for them. He knew what it was to have everyone question your choice of a mate.
Looking each other in the eye and taking each other’s hands, they followed knowing it was but the start of a long life together.