Silver & Exact

"My dear one, my darling - you are shaking. Have these scum done something to harm you? I will rend the flesh from their bones if they have."

Celebrian is shivering, Curumo realises and his baby, his first born girl should never be scared - what has happened to his family in the hundreds of years they have been away from him? What has been wrought that his precious little queen would flinch as she does? He feels a vicious satisfaction that the High King had died as he had yet again - if he had lost Curumo so much then at least he had burned for it. 

"I would never hurt you - dear one, what have they told you? I could never stop loving you." 

He knows that the 'marriage' to Elrond was no true one - how could it ever be when Celebrian and Elrond both are so devoted to him and so Curumo had never worried over it. It had to have been for the protection of them both - the vicious gossip that had followed his loves meant that they would need such protection. And there are ways to bring children without ever laying together. His children, that his little queen has given him. How could he ever be angry at her - it was impossible. 

Dol Guldur was no place for his sweet daughter but it would have to do for now and at least his personal quarters are somewhat fitting - he wants to know everything - the twins and Arwen and the new little mortal boy toddling about who had his lost second daughters eyes. 

━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━

Gandalf leaves the dwarves and Bilbo upon the edge of Mirkwood and hopes they will in this, meet no misadventures. But he knows where he is going - if they might time this correctly, then he can find Celebrian living and whole. 

Thranduil actually very fond of Celebrian (my characterisation is mostly book!Thranduil but also Lee Pace is amazing so him) and actually most of his Celeborn and Galadriel related snarking is actually fond (he would die for them but also he will give them shit) and definitely both adores Elrond and finds it difficult to be around him just because of the way Thranduil can see so much of what he has lost echoing in his face (thank you @nocompromise-noregrets for that one) and he’s trying but it’s hard (and he’s aware it isn’t fair).

Which is to say that when Olorin sends a message like ‘hey, dwarves are coming through Mirkwood could you keep an eye out’ (because in this case there’s actually an Ost-En-Edhil and a lot of elvish-khazad interaction and the Actual Finrod Felagund and Celebrimbor and Elrond Who Speak Khazad were like ‘we could tell Thranduil’ about it) and then someone actually catches a glimpse of Celebrian (one of the Uruk. They stay and spy and yes it’s exactly as risky as it sounds but they will be doing it. There’s a whole network. It’s Uruk George Cooper running it vibes) and he is absolutely going to help as much as he can.

(The dwarves would have absolutely made a fucking mess of it (that is Thorin and Co Specifically) had they been told out of the best of intentions).

I decided it was what Gandalf was doing when he leaves at the edge of Mirkwood in this universe. Also between Gandalf ‘only being to get in and out of Dol Guldur’ and Maglor ‘Singing Power’ and how I think of Celebrian absolutely being very good at being quiet that’s how it works, escaping.

(Curumo once again overlooking the idea of the Uruk as actually living beings so does not think of them helping or that Celebrian would ever be friends with them).

(Elrond knows he can’t come. He knows. He is uh…Having A Time Of It. So is Mairon and Celeborn and Galadriel who are actually living out about ten thousand nightmares at once and just want to go and rescue her immediately now).

(This is what drags Maglor back to Rivendell because he cannot let Celebrian journey back with strangers, he can’t and he knows his son needs him so he’s Doing It).