After Celebrian sails west, Arwen goes to Lothlorien and the twins leave Imladris to seek revenge.  Elrond sinks into a deep depression and starts to fade.  The healers can do nothing for him.

That's when a young, loyal subject steps in.  He does the unthinkable, forging a vassal-bond between himself and his lord, giving Elrond the strength to survive.

However, there's reason no-one performs vassal-bonds.  Having bound himself in this way, he can never take a mate of his own.  He can never tell Elrond of this one-sided bond, for Elrond would feel dreadfully guilty about it, and the vassal-bond demands that he do everything in his power to serve/please the lord he is bound to.

What happens when this elf falls in love with another?  One whom he must always watch from afar but can never have?

Lots of angst, secrecy,  misconstruction and conflict.  Bonus points for using a minor character such as Melpomaen or Lindir.  Bonus points for a happy ending!