Winter Best by Independence1776

Winter Best

Elrond stopped at the treeline and turned to look down at the house, though house was a terrible word for the sprawling complex of buildings and courtyards that made up the Last Homely House. House had stuck, though, from its half-joking, half-serious origins as a description of a place of refuge. Celebrían stopped next to him and he smiled at her. Her grin showed in her eyes, her mouth invisible behind the scarf of midnight blue he’d knit for her. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

Celebrían nodded and looked at the snow-covered slate tiles. From this distance near the top of the valley, the Elves in residence and those visiting or overwintering with them were only easy to spot because they stood out against the brilliant white snow. The visiting Men from Arnor had, to his knowledge, remained inside after a blizzard had dumped more than a knee-height’s snow on top of the equal amount already on the ground. Only the Elves could easily traverse the depth.

Smoke rose from the many chimneys and the only noises he could hear were the birds in the pines behind them, Celebrían breathing beside him, and the water from the lone fall that had not yet frozen. Her silver hair glinted in the sunshine as she looked over the valley. “Elrond, this is beautiful. I don’t think I’ve seen Imladris like this before.”

“It’s a once a long-year event,” he said, putting his hands behind his back. “The last time we had this amount of snow was before the Last Alliance.”

He wished Gil-galad could have been here.

“Do you have sleds?”

“Somewhere,” he said. “You'd need to ask Erestor or one of the families with young children.” He suddenly wondered why he was proposing to her outside of all places when there was a perfectly lovely warm hall with a fireplace. But Imladris at its winter best, when it was an occurrence even he rarely saw… No, this was better.

“I will,” she said with a firm nod. “I wonder if it’s as much fun as an adult.”

“That is a question only you can answer.” He shifted his weight to stand firmly balanced on top of the snow. “As is this one.” She turned to him, brow furrowed. “Celebrían, will you marry me?”

Her eyes widened and one mittened hand flew out of her rabbit-fur muff to cover her scarf-hidden mouth. “Yes, yes of course I will!” Then she tackled him. Despite his precaution, the snow was not enough of a support and they toppled backward into a bank of snow swept by the wind under a pine tree.

They’d just sat up when the tree took offense and dumped a branch’s worth of snow on top of their heads. Elrond met Celebrían's eyes and they laughed while scrambling out of range. They brushed each other off and then she said, “We should return home to change out of these clothes. There’s a fireplace waiting for us somewhere, too. And then we need to discuss informing my parents.”

“Yes,” Elrond said. Her parents and the rest of Imladris for the formal betrothal ceremony, then Lindon and the Havens, Thranduil, Lórinand, the mortal kings of Arnor and Gondor for the wedding itself… But that was work for later. Now was the time to simply be with Celebrían.

They walked down the path toward home hand in hand.