There are many things that I love and have loved in this life.
One would be wine. I know not where I would be without this drink. Would I still be here? Probably not. It has seen me through the worst and best moments of my life. Whether the color be red, white or anything in between. I wish for it all of the time.
Another would be books. Reading has always been my first love. There is little that can soothe me more than the knowledge gained through studying and perusing a large selection of books.
Home....I will always love my home. Whether that be Gondolin, or Lindon, or even Imladris. I do not know. But each place I have resided holds a special place in my heart. I loved the shining white towers of the hidden city. I loved the crashing waves upon the shore in Lindon. And I love the flowing waterfalls of the valley.
My family loved me from the moment I came into this world. And I them. I love my father, with his strong spirit, and loyalty and service to his family. My mother, for her kindness and gentle countenance. Even my cousins, foolish as they were. For their part in making sure I lived on.
Jewels....now this one might seem odd and one might think I am vain. And I suppose I am. But I find no fault in the fact that my family was well off. I was spoiled, and I know that. But what could you expect of one of the House of the Heavenly Arch? Jewels of saphire blue and the glitter of diamonds have always caught my eye.
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"I brought you something." He says.
He brought me something? That is not new, I suppose. For I proudly wear the ring on my left hand and the star pendant he has let me borrow, stays safe around my neck. But a surprise is always nice.
"You brought me something? What is it?"
The parcel is small and is wrapped carefully. He seems nervous? I wonder what it could be...
He holds it out to me, unwrapping it as he does so. "I just... realized I had not given you anything to wear as you had me. Mallossel's pendant, yes, but that was not mine to start." He holds out a cloak brooch, fashioned in the shape of a bird, beset with blue gems.
I gasp at the sight. It is crafted beautifully, and one of the most magnificent pieces of jewelry I have yet to see.
"It is beautiful, my love. I...you did not have to do this." I say as I carefully take the brooch into my hands.
He smiles at me. "I know I did not have to. That is why it's a gift."
I must have rambled on for a long time on how beautiful it was, and how much I liked his gift, for he seemed truly pleased.
"You truly like it, then?" He asks, as if I could ever dislike something he would give to me.
"I shall wear it proudly." And I will. Anything that reminds me of him or that he has touched, is something to be cherished. I know I shall never remove the brooch from myself.
Amathlan then blushes at my statement. "I am glad to hear it. A worthy trade for that ribbon you gave me."
The ribbon? The tiny, small, weathered blue ribbon? But how could that ever compare to this grand gift? How could he think that it compares in the least?
"But this must have cost so much. Whereas all I gave you was a tattered ribbon..." Perhaps I should have given him something more.....more...fancy? Would he like that? He has given me much, and all I have to show in return is a lousy hair ribbon.
But Amathlan is quick to reassure me that he loves the ribbon dearly and would be embittered to depart from it. So in my haste to provide another gift for him, I remove a second blue ribbon, identical to the one in his possession, and hand it over.
He takes it with grace, but now I feel silly... I fuss over gifts and what I should have given to him. But he speaks words of wisdom, things that I should know already.
"Well, I would prize you much higher than the ribbon and the brooch - quite priceless, to be exact, and no gold of the dwarves or knowledge-hoards of our kin would be enough to cause me to part from you."
These gifts are grand and signs of our affection for each other. But no gift could ever compare to his love for me. That is the greatest gift he could ever provide.
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Love is strange. And many times it comes and goes. I say I love wine, but it is just something I depend on. Reading? Just something I fancy doing in my free time. My home? Surely I love it, but homes come and go for our kind. My family? They I love of course, but it is a different kind of love. Jewels, beautiful as they are, can not compare to the one I love.
Him I love most of all.
