LOTR Ficlet: Family Resemblance

[martasfic]

Title: Family Resemblance
Summary: Arwen was a descendant of both Noldorin and Sindarin royalty. Which side of her family did she favor?
Word Count: 150 + Notes
Characters: Arwen
Timeline: early Third Age (bookverse)
Rating: General, nothing objectionable
Beta: just_ann_now
Notes: Written for paranoidangel42, who requested "something that shows how much like either Elrond or Celebrian (or both) Arwen is."

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Arwen twirled a lock of hair around her finger, considering it. Most people, when they first met her, remarked how it called to mind her father, and his Noldorin heritage. They expected stoicism from her, and wisdom, and Arwen did her best not to disappoint. She sat silently by her father and listened to ancient songs in the Hall of Fire, looking every inch a queen though she rarely smiled.

Yet beneath the stars, 'twas different. Nimble-gifted her mother had been named, and Arwen had been born with that gift as well. So she often danced by the Bruinen: not the courtly dances of the Homely House, her partner held at arm's length, but the whirling romps her Sindarin kin taught her.

For Arwen might be Elrond's daughter, Lady of Imladris, but she was Lúthien's heir as well. And at night, when no lordly elves watched – oh, how she danced!

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Note:
I'm taking some serious liberties with Celebrían's name here. The canonical translation (according to Lr #345) is "silver queen." However, tuckborough.net points out that the –rían portion of her name comes from "rî" (crown) and "anna" (gift). Also, silver has a connotation of nimbleness and quickness, at least to me. Especially when I consider the connection to moonlight that an elf might have drawn since this use of the name is inspired by a night-time dance. The idea that Celebrían could have been interpreted in this way makes sense to me, even if it isn't the primary meaning of the name.

Consider it creative license. :-)