Celeborn was having a particularly good morning. The day was fine and he had woken up in his comfy bed to find his wife stretched out alongside him. And she had had no objection to a morning kiss and cuddle.

Even his hair seemed to have decided to be obedient and had easily been tamed into his usual style. His clothes were smooth and clean and the scent of the bath water had been pleasant and lingered about his body.

All that was needed to make his morning complete was to wish his beautiful daughter, who he had no seen for so long, a good morning.

~*~

Celeborn drifted down the corridor towards his daughter's room humming a melody to himself. To his surprise to door was slightly ajar, and rapping lightly on the polished wood he entered, walking straight into the exquisite velvet robes of Ereinion Gil-galad.

"Ah Celeborn. It is a fine morning." Gil-galad greeted the elf graciously.

"Why," Celeborn squared his shoulders and spoke in a low hiss, "are you in my daughter's bedroom?"

Gil-galad paused for a second as he remembered how his actions would appear to an impartial observer.

"Ah. I was merely returning some items of clothing. . ." No that would not do. Gil-galad stepped back hastily as Celeborn took a deep breath and exhaled noisily through his nose. "I found a ladies riding cloak and surmising that it belonged to the fair Lady Celebrian I wished to return it to her safe keeping."

The High King realised that he was babbling and attempted to edge around the tense Lord of Lorien. Celeborn stepped to the right, blocking the doorway.

"Oh. And you considered it proper to enter my child's bedroom at this hour?" Celeborn glowered at the King.

"Aye. For I knew that she did not abide in there." Gil-galad spoke in a tolerant voice that the irate father found condescending.

"She is not in her bedroom?" Celeborn exclaimed, the colour rising in his cheeks. Anxiously he barged past Gil-galad to survey the bedroom. There was no sign of a pretty young elf, although the bed had been slept in. Thankfully by only one person. "Where is she?"

But Gil-galad had already escaped, his dignified royal glide rather compromised by the necessity of great speed.

~*~

The sound of high pitched giggles supported by a boyish laugh caused Celeborn to whirl around just in time to see his daughter shoot through the window and land with a thump on the floor. The giggles faded rather suddenly into hiccups when she saw her father's face.

"Celebrian! Where were you child?" Celeborn dashed across the room, seizing a blanket from the bed to throw across her shoulders, hiding the almost everything that was visible through the wet fabric.

"Just in the gardens, Adar. I was reading." She spoke between hiccups, pointing to a soggy book that had just been heaved through the window.

"Who was he? Who did this to you?" Celeborn thundered, striding to the window and reaching out with a grip of iron. There was a surprised yelp as he caught hold of the back of someone's tunic.

"It was no one Adar!" Celebrian's eyes widened in sincerity.

"Indeed?" Celeborn yanked a dishevelled looking blond elf lord through the window and threw him on the floor. Glorfindel scrabbled away from the angry father and clambered to his feet.

"Lord Celeborn." The voice had its usual confident quality, but that could not fully disguise the quaver of nerves.

Celeborn glared at him, the dark eyes slowly moving up the younger body. Apprehensively Glorfindel followed his eyes to his rumpled and hastily put on clothing. Flushing slightly at what Celeborn might be thinking, Glorfindel tried to look like a brave, honourable and upstanding young elf lord. Celeborn finished his survey with a sharp look at the tangled hair and flushed cheeks.

"Well," Celeborn's voice held an anger than made Glorfindel cringe, "would you like to explain yourself?"

"He was only rescuing me Adar." Celebrian spoke softly, not understanding her father's rage. Celeborn turned to her, his expression softening.

"I do not blame you my little one." He suddenly noticed the red nose and puffy eyes and rubbed a tear stained cheek with his thumb. "You have been crying child."

Celebrian nodded. "I was upset."

Celeborn whirled around to Glorfindel, picking him with two handfuls of tunic and shaking him.

"How dare you do this!"

"I. . . I was only. . ." Glorfindel suddenly could find nothing to say. However his sudden deposition on the ground and the sight of Celeborn clenching his fists changed his mind.

"Ai! Ai! I did nothing!" The younger elf shot across the room, colliding heavily with Elrond at the doorway.

The Lord of Imladris dragged his friend to his feet as he surveyed the occupants of the bedchamber. He had been reading quietly but had decided that he had better investigate the infuriated bellows that were waking all the elves in Imladris.

"Is there a problem Lord Celeborn?" Elrond looked questioningly at the angry elf, his calm demeanour shattered when Celebrian stood up, the blanket falling from her shoulders.

Glorfindel chuckled slightly as Celebrian made a desperate grasp at the blanket and Elrond's eyes swivelled to the other site of the room. Both faces burned a fiery red. Elrond stepped on Glorfindel's foot with rather more force than necessary for a simple reminder.

"That. . . that. . ." Celeborn pointed angrily at the blond elf who seemed to shrink slightly.

"Glorfindel?" Elrond asked with a polite smile.

"That thing. He has betrayed my trust. He has befouled my daughter!"

Glorfindel and Celebrian began to babble simultaneously at Celeborn's outburst.

"Oh no Adar! He did no such thing. . ."

"I would not do such a thing. Honestly Elrond. . ."

"I slipped into the river and he rescued me. . ."

"He has made a mistake. I would not. I could not."

"He was nothing but kind."

"He accuses me wrongly!"

Elrond paused, deciphering the inane comments from the pair. Finally he turned to Celeborn his face serious.

"Well there seems to have been a misunderstanding. Glorfindel appears only to have been trying to help. I apologise for any distress he has caused you or your daughter."

Celeborn glowered at Glorfindel who apologised after an elbow in the ribs.

"I too am truly sorry for any misunderstanding on your part." His fear fading now he had the support of his friend, Glorfindel managed a slightly smug grin.

Celeborn made no response, attempting to bore through the blond elf's heart with his stare. Eventually Elrond realised that this was not a battle where a truce would be reached and turned to leave, pushing Glorfindel out of the door in front of him. It was only as he walked down the corridor that he remembered that he had forgotten to greet Lady Celebrian this morning.