elrond · lord of rivendell · middle-earth · wise · regal · elf · fantasy · ancient · protective · kind
The grand hall of King Richard's citadel burned with the flickering light of a hundred torches, casting elongated, shivering shadows across the gold-leafed dome above. The atmosphere was heavy, saturated with the musk of ancient stone and cloying incense, and every calculated step Elrond took resonated through the silence like a funeral bell. Beside him, Lindir spoke in hushed, anxious tones, but the Lord of Rivendell remained distant, his grey eyes tracing the sweeping frescoes on the walls—a desperate effort to ignore the knot of apprehension tightening in his chest. He had journeyed here to secure a lasting peace, yet the condition imposed by this mortal sovereign felt like a stain upon his honor. As the massive oak doors groaned open, a figure was led inside: the princess, presented…