"Congratulations!"

It was the first thing that Eledu heard when he stepped into the first of several royal chambers of the underground world that had been created to keep everyone safe from the evils outside. "Indeed," he said carefully, not wishing to give away the fact he had no idea what he was being congratulated for.

"Do you know when it will be?"

"When will it be..." Eledu trailed off and gave a smile as he slowed his pace. The court messenger did the same, readjusting the bundles she had been carrying away from the throne chamber. "I am not sure that a date has been set."

"Oh, I suppose not. When it is, everyone will know." She sighed as she stayed in step with him and said, "Oh, I do love weddings."

"Wedding?"

"Sariel must be delighted, to have made the decision to stay here to plan everything, rather than go back home until the ceremony."

Eledu stopped dead in his tracks. "Sariel?" The name came out as a statement of disbelief more-so than a question. "I am not marrying Sariel," he stated firmly.

"Of course not," giggled the messenger. "You mean your brother did not tell you?"

"My brother?" Eledu shook his head in an attempt to gain clarity. "My lady, I have only been in the realm for an hour, at most. I came here straight away to report the details of my mission; I have yet to see my family."

"They are here," the messenger informed him. "I saw them in the Hall of Antiquities earlier."

Eledu turned smartly on his heel and changed his destination. He arrived rather swiftly at the entrance to the combined museum-library, peering in before he entered. It did not take him long to spot the other male members of his family, sitting at a table where they conversed with a trio of dignitaries. While it would have been more proper to have a page summon them, Eledu's agitation had risen with every step, and he decided to settle the matter quickly.

His footsteps were softer than they had been the last time he was here; survival if you wanted to traverse Moria was directly related to how well you traveled. When he suddenly appeared at the side of the table, all of the occupants were slightly shocked, though he only looked to one person sitting there. "A word with you, my brother."

Carefully, Lidren began to stand, though Siracar stayed him with a touch on his shoulder. "We are in conference, as you can see. You will wait."

Eledu turned his attention on the dignitaries and addressed them instead of his father. "You will not mind taking a break for a moment, will you? I am terribly sorry to interrupt, but this is a very pressing family matter."

None of the others looked particularly upset about the interuption, and Eledu gave a slight bow before he tugged on his brother's sleeve. This time, Lidren did stand, mumbled an apology, and followed Eledu from the room. As soon as they were in the hallway, Eledu turned to him, and in a voice a bit higher than intended, squeaked out, "Sariel? Really, Lidren? Sariel?"

"It is a solid match, Eledu," said Lidren, speaking as if he had practiced this speech just for this moment. "It makes father happy, and you do not need to be the one to do it."

"And what else has been promised to you, Lidren?" Eledu lowered his voice and said, "Forgive me; I do not mean to be so harsh to you. It is only that I have played his games long enough to know--"

"He said he would ask you for your resignation." Lidren bowed his head, and continued, "He said that it would be best for you to stay out of Rhovanion, to go live in Eriador, at least for a time until everyone forgets."

"Forgets what, exactly? Forgets that Siracar had an able son, a warrior, an esteemed hunter, who just happened to be engaged to another male?"

Lidren's face brightened slightly. "So you did ask him, finally."

"Aye, I did." Eledu could not help but smile to himself.

"All the more reason for you to leave for a while." Eledu did not need to turn around to know who was standing behind him. His father continued, "This is shameful. After all I did--"

"After all you did?" Eledu spun around, eye to eye with his father. Lidren took a step back, and towards the wall. "Your wonderful parenting skills? Overworking me until I had injuries a youth my age should not have had? Forcing me to stay awake at night until I had mastered a skill, no matter how many times I fell over from exhaustion? Making a public exhibition that chased my mate halfway across Arda?" Each question came out louder, until those in the Hall were peering out into the corridor, ears twitching to listen. "Well, thank you so much for all of that, father. Your concern is noted."

A fistful of papers was yanked out of Eledu's satchel, and he shoved them against his father's chest before letting go. A few tumbled to the floor, but neither stopped to pick them up. "Reporting in, sir," he hissed icy. "You will find all of my reports in order. Now that my current mission is complete, I believe that I shall accept the mission I rejected last time." He referenced the alternate task that had been offered to him, to patrol the roads from the Havens to Rivendell, to collect information about the whereabouts of the Enemy, and to aid the messengers of Mirkwood whenever possible. It was less prestigious than his former mission, but that was not as great a concern at the moment. He found himself unable to think clearly and wanting to leave, to go back to Gwyndir. He really wanted to escape with him under their tree, in their little haven, but that would not happen now, not for a long while. As long as Gwyndir was with him, he could suffer roof and walls, and that little bird that thought his fingers were minnows to be attacked. In fact, if it meant seeing Gwyndir again, he would even go back to that terrible little room in the back of the Prancing Pony, with that scruffy looking man that always seemed to wander in and say nothing. He nearly expected his father to deny and dismiss him out of sheer spite, but the words he spoke had been so unexpected, that Siracar merely nodded and looked away.

Eledu gave a sharp nod. "I shall leave at once." He turned around, and saw Lidren still standing up against the wall, eyes cast downward. "Do send me an invitation," said Eledu as he walked by his brother. After a moment's thought, he looked over his shoulder and added, "Just to let you know, I have no intention of resigning."