Celebrian wanted to tell him not to say those kind of things, that it was precisely statements like that that made her fall more and more in love with him. She wanted to tell him to either cease telling her such nonsense or just pledge himself to her, because she was so far gone now that she could either be with him completely, or not at all.

But now was not the time. There would be plenty of time in the future to tell him how she felt, and how she thought he might feel in return. Yes, they had years, hundreds of them, surely.

“Your words are sweet,” she told him with a laugh, reaching up to briefly stroke his cheek, before taking his hand and wandering further into the trees surrounding his gardens. “Too sweet for me. Find a lady to spoil with them, Elrond, or a lord, and send them flowers and give them gentle kisses!”

And let it be me! she thought, for once in cheer. This was an afternoon for the two of them and the two of them alone, and she was going to enjoy it. How could she not, when Elrond made her the most happy?