High Princes of Tirion
by Nemis

A/N: Many thanks to kalurien, Rose Red and my mother for listening to me endlessly procrastinate about this chapter. ;)

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Chapter Thirty     At Sea

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Lying on her stomach, one of her hands dangling in the cool water as the boat skimmed through the sea, Celebriníel’s eyes were fixed on the horizon. There was simply something utterly spellbinding about it. That there was something beyond there, a place where so many of her parents’s memories lay, where her brothers were born.

‘Ever since I first came here, I have wanted to go out to sea,’ she remarked, turning around to face Ereinion.

The High Prince laughed, adjusting the sails.

‘Ah, this is not sea, this is salt water pretending to be sea.’

Celebriníel watched Ereinion, scrambling from one side of the boat to the other, and back to the helm again, evidently enjoying the excursion. The sea behind him, all around them, was never the same, then blue, then grey, even a shade of green or dark, dark black, only to change again in an instant.

‘Where shall we go?’ she asked dreamily.

Ducking underneath the boom, Ereinion narrowed his eyes as he scanned their surroundings.

‘We shall sail close reach a way, and then hopefully be able to run back downwind later.’

‘That did not tell me much, Ereinion,’ she giggled, as he rolled his eyes and gestured her to come over to the other side. Keeping low, she approached him, attentive to the movement of wood in water beneath her.

She caught the hand he offered just as a large wave moved the boat, disturbing her balance for a moment. Reacting with a surprised cry Celebriníel felt Ereinion’s hand tighten its grip on hers, before it pulled her towards him.

Her mouth opened as he caught her, but no sound was heard. Looking at her with questing eyes, Ereinion smiled.

‘All right?’

She nodded slowly. Heat shot up to her cheeks, and she suddenly felt warm, her stomach tingling, her breath strangely out of control.

‘Fine.’

Clearing his throat, he caught her arm and guided her to sit down. He directed a quick mental warning to himself, and then continued in a clear, controlled voice.

‘You feel the wind is coming from over there.’ He waved a hand. ‘It will turn slowly, and by this afternoon, though we shall possibly have to wait a bit later on with the sails lowered, once it is directly behind us, we will hoist the sails again, and it will push the boat forward, and us back, which is called running downwind.’

Celebriníel closed her eyes and took a deep breath whilst smiling. Glancing at her, Ereinion could not help but chuckle shortly.

Her eyes shot open and she looked at him.

‘You spent much time near the sea?’

He nodded contentedly.

‘When I was still in Middle-earth, yes, I grew up near the shores. I never went far from it for too long.’

She seemed to consider this answer with some amusement.

‘You were like those little elflings that bob around in tiny boats near the coasts?’ she asked, a glimmer in her eyes.

Tying some knots in a rope, he smiled.

‘When my mother allowed it, I think I was. She was very protective of me.’

‘Because of your father?’

‘Possibly. Even though by the time he... fell, I was already more on water than on land. That changed later though.’

‘You turned into a land-lover?’ she teased.

‘Not by choice,’ he said, pursing his lips. ‘Somehow the sinking of Beleriand had some strange backwards effect on my love for water. I switched to mountains from then on.’

Raising an eyebrow in a way that reminded Ereinion of Elrond, Celebriníel looked at him.

‘Mountains, you say?’

‘Yes,’ he replied.

‘You climbed them?’

‘When I could. My councillors forbid me to, at a certain point in time.’

‘Did you do a lot of tumbling then as well?’ she asked innocently, and he opened his mouth in mock-amazement. The next moment he ignored everything he had ever learned not to do when captaining a ship and was tickling her relentlessly, much as he had when she was younger, and teasing him as well.

Squealing with laughter, Celebriníel first tried to escape, and then started tickling back, strangely aware of the exact spots were he was sensitive to it.

In the end, she leant against him, and he simply held her close.

How long had it been? An eternity? It had to have been. For anyone to be this close, and to stay this close, at the same time calling forth all kinds of feelings from him. He fought them for a while, finally deciding that it did not matter, however much he might regret indulging in this later on.

His eyes caught a loose part of sail and he left her a moment to fasten it. He was slightly disappointed to find Celebriníel had moved away to the starboard side of the boat when he returned.

From her new position, she could observe the coastline clearly, and soon the hypnotic effect of the clear white waves advancing and retreating on the sands, leaving colourless stretches of wet sand behind, caught her again, and kept her. The water was clear, the foam so white, it did not surprise her that her grandmother so liked living here.

She closed her eyes. Somehow the presence of the Elf who sat only a little removed made her feel uneasy and secure at the same time. There had been something about his manner that was careful, more than before even. It made her stomach tingle, though it worried her as well. It was all different now. It was no longer a secret anymore, it was serious, real.

The sound of the wind in the sails was comforting, almost regular, and the motion of the boat was gentle, enough to quiet her down, alone with her thoughts.

She was drifting off when Ereinion’s voice pulled her back.

‘Briníel.’ He pointed towards the coast.

There were several Elves there, some among them merely waiting, while two others were trying to pull something out of the water. As soon as the heavy object surfaced, the sun reflected on the small fish caught in the fine-mesh net, floundering, glittering. As the next net was retrieved from the waters, it proved near-empty, and soon the elf who had pulled it up caught the edges and craftily cast it back into the sea, drops of water sparkling everywhere as he did so.

For a time these were the things that occupied the both of them, trivial matters, things around them, birds, other Elves in boats, things of the past, a past that did not threaten, a past that seemed too long ago. Ereinion appeared to enjoy speaking of his early years, of learning how to sail. Only when occasionally his father came up did he become silent. Celebriníel merely smiled comfortingly.

It was past Anar’s highest point when Ereinion lowered the sails and the boat simply moved up and down on the waves. Celebriníel watched Ereinion settle back, finding a comfortable position as he looked around to see whether there were some last minor chores to complete.

‘Will we just sit here?’ she asked, eyeing him curiously.

He fiddled aimlessly with some rope.

‘I suppose, yes.’

‘No swimming?’

He stared at her, suddenly feeling his stomach flutter.

‘If you want to.’

As she started to remove the few plaits in her hair, Celebriníel nodded with a smile.

‘You will come too? Or do you need to stay aboard?’

The sun overhead was becoming increasingly hot, and the water offered a refreshing coolness. Taking a deep breath, Ereinion started to unbutton his tunic. Trying not to pay attention to Celebriníel pulling her dress over her head, he tried to keep his breathing in hand. Earlier, he had seen her tuck up her dress, and had deducted she could not be wearing much underneath.

In the end, it was not as bad as he had feared.

Before he had time to avert his eyes from the curves of her body, she dove into the water, leaving him in the boat which rocked slightly after her departure.

A moment later she surfaced, moving back her hair. With trembling fingers he pulled off his tunic and decided against removing his trousers. They would dry quickly again in this sun, once he was out of the water.

He rose and watched Celebriníel splash around. Meeting his eyes, she laughed.

‘Well?’

Up to now, he had already had to try his best to keep from taking her in his arms and kissing her soundly, simply giving in to what his body urged him to do. And now, and he was aware of this only all too well, he was on the brink of going yet closer to temptation.

Against his better judgement, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, diving in after her.

The sun had heated the water over the past days, but by no means was it warm. Making some quick movements in the hope of adjusting to the temperature, Ereinion felt his heart jump as Celebriníel swam past him. Stretching out a hand he let his fingers comb through her wet hair, but when she moved out of his reach, he made some powerful strokes and ended up beside her.

The material of the garment she was wearing did not do much to conceal her body. It stuck closely to her skin, leaving nothing to his imagination, and he felt warm instantly. Her already milky skin seemed even whiter in the dark sea. They both halted, treading water until she came closer.

Placing her hands on his shoulders made him sink a little, and she released him at once. But before she could move away, he slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer, lifting her slightly so he could continue treading for the both of them, looking at her, feeling her breath on his face.

‘Are you attempting to drown me?’ he asked softly, a smile playing around his lips.

‘Not really,’ she whispered in reply, finding his lips and throwing her arms around his neck.

With a soft groan, he gave in, closing his eyes, forgetting to keep afloat. Celebriníel squealed and withdrew, as he started moving again. Glancing at her meaningfully, he swam back to the boat, hearing her follow.

He caught a hold of the side and looked back. She was already there, flinging her arms around his neck and kissing him again. Securing an arm around her he pulled her closer, feeling her wrap her legs around his waist.

Her lips, her entire body was so warm, it surprised him.

Softly he moaned, but then realisation came to him in a flash. Releasing her, he pulled himself into the boat again, then offered Celebriníel his hand. She took it without hesitation.

Gathering all his willpower to keep his eyes on her face instead of the rest of her body, he caught her hands.

‘We go about this slowly.’

Stepping back, Celebriníel sighed.

‘This is because you spoke with my father.’

He shook his head.

‘This is because I should know better. This is because I would do something right for a change.’

Staring at him for a while, not certain how she was to interpret his words, she found him repeatedly looking away, finally casting his eyes skywards. Only now did she notice her undergarments clinging tightly to her skin.

Blushing slightly, she glanced at the other Elf, standing there bare-chested in his wet clothing. Looking at his face again, she caught him averting his gaze once more.

‘Are you staring at me, Ereinion?’

He reddened considerably, and picked up his tunic, shrugging it on.

‘No, no not at all...’

‘No, indeed, I did not think you were,’ she replied with a small smile.

Growling, he shook his head.

Celebriníel raised an eyebrow.

‘What?’

He stepped forward and embraced her tightly.

‘Never mind. Yes. Yes, I was staring at you.’

She chuckled.

‘You know you can.’ With a smile she kissed his cheek. ‘Simply keep breathing, Ereinion.’

With some relief she looked up to see him smile, then catch her hand.

Sitting down, he pulling her along, she settled back against him, resting one of her hands on the thigh of his pulled up leg, the other on her abdomen. Quietly he pressed his nose into her hair, bestowing a kiss there while taking in her scent.

‘I shall keep breathing.’

She turned and rested her head on his shoulder, placing a hand on his chest, just over his heart, the fingers spread.

‘Why are you so cautious?’

Bringing his hand up and lacing his fingers with hers, he smiled weakly.

‘I fear I shall lock you out, and your father shall be right. That because you have not seen what I have seen long ago, I will...’

When he did not finish the sentence, she withdrew her hand from his hold and began to trace his hand, gently following the veins, teasing the sensitive skin between his fingers.

‘Would you do that?’

He shook his head a little.

‘I do not know.’

‘You must suspect.’

‘I would unconditionally tell you I know with all certainty that it will not happen.’ He looked at her. ‘But perhaps truth is a better foundation for that which we are about to engage in. And the truth is that I do not know.’

She remained silent, even though her fingers continued caressing his hand. After some time she buried her face against his shoulder.

‘I wish we could remain here, like this, forever.’

Swallowing, Ereinion smiled.

‘But that would not solve anything, would it?’

‘Perhaps not, but it would be just the two of us. And only you and I would matter.’

Neither of them felt the need to say more, and dozed in the sun.

Ereinion fell asleep, and woke because the sun shone directly on his face. Squinting, he narrowed his eyes against it. The gulls which had been so evidently present not long ago were remarkably quiet right now, nothing of their sudden screams, the diving into the water for the mere spectacle of it.

A pleasant tickle inhabited his stomach, and it increased as he became aware of a weight still pressed against him. Glancing down, he found her playing with some of the loose buttons of his tunic, her eyes away from the bright sun, resting on the water. She was at peace. Nothing of the anxiety of before seemed present, her talking and laughing had been replaced with a more quiet demeanour. And he considered that perhaps her peace was his peace.

She only looked up when he actually caught some strands of her hair. Feeling his breath quickening, he let the silver slip through his fingers.

Celebriníel smiled and sat up, looking down at him, placing a hand on his chest before bending towards him, pressing her lips against his, holding her breath until she felt one of his hands on her side.

‘I must fetch my dress,’ she whispered close to his lips, as he touched her face, lingering at her cheek.

He nodded, and felt her shift so she could reach for it, watched as she threw the garment over her head. Extending an arm for her, she returned to his side and lay down again, kissing his lips softly.

Then she fixed her eyes on the sky.

‘Not that I wish to, but should we not return?’

Pushing himself up reluctantly, he nodded, untangling himself from her dress. Slipping past her, he began scrambling about, making ready to get underway again.

‘Ereinion?’

He turned and met her eyes.

‘Yes?’

‘If you worry... I mean... do not allow fear of something that might never occur stand between... us.’

Hoisting the sails in silence, his brow knotted in thought. He asked himself if she was right. If it would be better to simply let all his worries be, and pay them no heed. Would it be possible? Would he be able to be carefree? Ereinion finally returned to the helm, sitting down next to Celebriníel again.

Taking a deep breath, he met her eyes.

‘I am afraid that if I do not keep it foremost in my mind, it shall surprise both you and myself by surfacing when we least expect it.’

Celebriníel looked back and nodded, straightening her back a little.

Regretting his words, Ereinion was unable to tear away his eyes from her face, and equally unable to speak more. Instead he caught her hand and pressed his lips against her fingers. Still, the silence remained for the rest of their return journey.

The beach was almost silver, darkening and yet shining in the setting sun. As the boat was pushed towards the shore by the wind and tide, Ereinion almost regretted the moment when it hit land, and he jumped into the wet sand, which had been smooth as a mirror, with only the marks of the tide to blemish it before their return.

With all his power he pulled the boat further ashore, until he had no more strength. He turned and found Celebriníel rising. Stretching his arms out he helped her down.

She held on to his hand a moment, and then released it. Bending her head, she watched how her bare feet made imprints in the sand.

Busying himself with some last tasks, lowering the sails and mast, ascertaining the boat could be left on its own, Ereinion turned to find Celebriníel watching him. As soon as she noticed his gaze resting on her, she stretched out her hand and smiled.

Together they walked, not towards the settlement, but rather away from it. Still, there seemed nothing to say.

Large rocks protruded from the sand near the shoreline, their surface polished by the exposure to many years of ebb and flow. The white water found its way towards the grey stone, flowing against it, between the nooks and crannies as thin as mist.

Ereinion stared at it, hypnotised, only noticing Celebriníel’s arm around his waist and his own around hers as he snapped out of his reverie. Her lips found his effortlessly.

Small wonder, he smiled to himself. When two seek, it cannot be hard to find.

Her eyes were far away, silver hair moving in the wind, as they retraced their steps, now returning to the settlement.

It was then that music carried towards them, flutes and harps, perhaps a tambourine. He watched Briníel smile and listened to her softly start to hum along. The melody was enticing, fast and melodious, not remotely like the sad tunes belonging with the lays of old, simply guiding a storyteller. The music appeared to tell the story all by itself.

Just out of reach of the water, a large group of Elves was building a campfire, the musicians among them already playing their instruments and laughing. By the time they came closer, the fire was burning, the music continuing as ever. Most present were fair-haired Elves of the coasts, Teleri, but Elrond was among them as well, sitting on the sand, quietly talking, a smile on his face. Celebrían sat beside him, resting her cheek against his shoulder.

Before Ereinion’s nerves gained the upper hand, Celebriníel raised his hand and danced along with the music, closing her eyes and leading him along. The sounds of the harpers suddenly increased, and Celebriníel smiled, pulling Ereinion with her. He glanced at Elrond, finding something close to a frown on his friend’s face. He wavered a moment, but as flutes joined in, allowed himself to be lured into the dance, lured into forgetting everything and everyone besides the young Elf at his side. She mattered, he thought, as he watched Celebriníel dance, not anyone else.

He wondered if she knew what she did to him, brushing past him, taking his hand only to release it again. It was a part of these dances, he knew all too well, but somehow it seemed more like teasing than anything else.

It was unclear how long they went on like that, but the music slowed at a certain point, and with it Celebriníel ceased her flightiness. Allowing him to turn her, she was suddenly very close, looking up at him with amused eyes.

She considered that he had forgotten how to breathe again, and was about to inform him of this when he raised his hands to cup her face. His fingers played across her skin, and she closed her eyes and let him, smiling when he brushed his lips against hers.

‘Thank you for today,’ he whispered quietly.

‘I believe I should be the one to thank you, rather,’ she replied.

‘We shall consider ourselves both thanked then,’ he smiled. ‘And then I shall deliver you into your father’s care again. But promise me something?’

‘Yes?’

‘Do not ever again lure me into something like this when your father is watching.’

She could not help but make a protesting sound, but with a grin he placed an arm around her, slipping the other underneath her legs, lifting her and carrying her towards the campfire. For a moment he feared to meet Elrond’s eyes, but when he did he could only distinguish a twinkle there, the scowl of before had gone.

‘How now, Ereinion?’ he asked with a smile.

‘I merely return your daughter to you in one piece and unscathed,’ Ereinion said seriously, releasing Celebriníel’s legs unceremoniously. As she settled onto her own feet, she elbowed him in the ribs and smiled at her parents.

‘Oh, Ada , it was wonderful, we saw Elves casting out their nets, and talked about sailing, even swam at noon , and...’

Listening to the waterfall of words, the High Prince seated himself and stared into the flames, only to find Elrond’s eyes on him when he looked up. For a moment they merely stared at each other, but then Elrond smiled and nodded. Letting some air he had not realised he was holding escape from his lungs, Ereinion settled back, only to have Celebriníel sit down beside him, placing a hand on his knee every once in a while when in need of confirmation from him.

Hoping the shadows of the fire did not betray too much of his face, Ereinion watched Celebrían, thankful to find a broad smile on her lips. And even if Elrond did not smile as much, there was something in his expression that seemed untroubled.

Suddenly there was a chance, a very small chance which he had not dared to hope for when he had first struggled with his feelings, that this all would be well. Perhaps, just perhaps this could be... For tonight, that was more than enough, he thought, as her fingers plucked at his trousers thoughtlessly.

For tonight it was more than enough.