Winter Tears

Chapter 10

Erestor sat quietly in front of the fire in his chambers, the remains of his fey wine swilling around the goblet in his hand. The day had been stressful, far more so than usual. On top of his usual daily routine Elrond had somehow talked him into teaching history to the current bane of his existence, Prince Legolas of Mirkwood. The shudder that ran up Erestor’s spine was unexpected and while he could not decipher if it had been positive or negative shudder, he knew certainly the name of the prince had caused it.

So far Erestor had done well to avoid the princeling, but then Glorfindel had kept Legolas busy with archery for most of the day. Erestor was sure he had been putting the inner torment caused by Legolas’ trespass on his private library behind him, but at dinner it had all come flooding back. Erestor had known before the prince had even entered the hall that he had arrived, and while he’d tried to seem unaffected by the prince joining the table had failed miserably. He’d become unnaturally clumsy while in the prince’s presence, his fork sliding to the floor several times during the meal, and having dropped the spice pot into the pudding bowl decided not to have dessert. None seemed to notice his fumbling however and if they did they hadn’t mentioned it. Erestor was sure one person at least had noticed, and Glorfindel was not one to let it rest, even if he was too polite to speak up at the table. There really was no rational explanation for what was happening to him, or at least he hoped. Legolas was a ‘typical arrogant princeling not even in his majority, and like most elves his age would be prone to rash misbehaviour’. It was these statements Erestor had droned into his head the moment he’d seen the prince lying helplessly in pain on the bed in the healing wing. Yet no matter how much Erestor tried to believe what he said he knew Legolas was not like other prince’s and certainly not like other elves his age, after all he was Thranduil’s son.

Erestor was lost in the depths of his fire and thought hardly noticing as Lord Glorfindel strolled easily through the tapestry doorway not even bothering to announce himself.

“You look bored, are Imladris’ affairs become so monotonous they are putting you to sleep?” Erestor nearly jumped out of his skin as he spun around to face his intruder, his fear melted away however as he saw the satisfied smirk upon the seneschal’s face in the door way. “Your reflexes are getting slow, I’ve been standing here for at least half a minute.” Erestor watched with a mild hint of annoyance as Glorfindel casually strolled over to the bottle of fey wine warming by the fire, and proceeded to pour himself one.

“And I see your manners continue to decline in your elder self Glorfindel.” Glorfindel merely snorted in a very undignified way at Erestor’s biting sarcasm, before he sat down on the chair beside the advisors and got comfortable.

“Well at least you know what to expect from me…” Glorfindel paused as he sipped his wine his eyes closing for a moment as he savoured the flavour of the expensive Lorien brew only Erestor kept on hand. “…You, on the other hand, are full of little surprises.” Glorfindel raised a single knowing eyebrow at his friend who rolled his eyes in reply and sighed in defeat. Arguing with Glorfindel about such matters when the seneschal had already taken an interest in the subject was fruitless.

“If you’re referring to what I think you’re referring to Glorfindel it is not your concern.” Glorfindel snorted again in contempt. For an ethereal being such as Glorfindel the elf’s undignified noises served only to contradict the elf’s physical appearance.

“Erestor you dropped your cutlery not less than six times during the entire meal, and had it not been for the napkin holder you would have doubtlessly spilled the entire contents of the spice pot down the front of your robes.” Erestor sighed yet again his head falling to his chest as he closed his eyes and tried to forget the memories that haunted him. Seeing his friends discomfort Glorfindel slid to his knees before his friend, gently taking the other elf’s hands in his own.

“…. He is just so like him, his face and those eyes.” Erestor shuddered as he pictured the memories he’d long tried to push away. Glorfindel understood the unspoken words and sympathetically rested his head against Erestor’s in comfort.

“I know. It was the first thing I noticed about him, I could hardly take my eyes from him in shock.” Glorfindel smiled softly as Erestor opened his eyes and looked wearily into the forest green gaze of his closest friend. “You can not punish him though for things he will never understand, he can not help his appearance.” Erestor nodded and sat up from Glorfindel already berating himself for his moment of weakness. There was no one in the world Erestor trusted more than Glorfindel but the advisor couldn’t appear weak even to his friends.

”Aye I understand but his presence does nothing but stir old memories. It took me only a moment of staring at him in agony in the healing wing for the ache to return.” Erestor moved his hand up to his chest his fist clenching in defiance of the pain he felt deep within his body.

“That too I feel but having spent today with him I have made the separation between the memory and him. He is so similar in appearances but his personality is nothing like the memory of the elf we knew.” Erestor relaxed at this comment his mind finally allowing him to see reason. Legolas was not the past and Erestor had to move on from his memories.

“Then I will be glad to spend sometime with the prince.” Erestor refilled his goblet with three fingers of wine downing the lot in one go as he shook off the remainder of his melancholy mood.

“Perhaps he will prove a distraction?” Glorfindel tried to hide the smile from his voice but Erestor glowered at him from above the rim of his goblet.

“Be careful my friend, I am tolerant of your advice but no fool in accepting it. The prince is here for our tutelage nothing more, or I fear even Thranduil’s wrath could rival Sauron’s.” A rare joke from Erestor’s lips was something to be savoured, as was the smile that graced the advisor’s lips. Glorfindel was the very few people ever allowed to see behind Erestor’s walls and even then it was only glimpses Erestor chose to show. “Now tell me of Elrond’s plans for the prince’s stay?” Interested now in what Elrond had not told him about Legolas’ stay in Imladris, Erestor probed his friend for answers.

“I can not tell you a lot only what Elrond has said. The prince is to take archery lessons with me, not that I believe he needs it. He will join our patrols at the borders, and spend the rest of his time with you studying history and in the stores. Apart from that I can see no other agenda in Thranduil’s voluntarily sending his son here to be anything more than giving Legolas some experience outside his own realm.” Glorfindel drained his glass of fey wine and placed it on the side table as he relaxed again in his chair. “Yet there’s something that does not sit well with the situation.” Erestor worried his bottom lip, silently agreeing with Glorfindel. In all his years of being Elrond’s diplomatic adviser Erestor had learnt that very few decisions were ever made that did not benefit the initiator in someway.

“Aye it does not seem right that Thranduil would voluntarily allow his only heir to the throne to become a student of Imladris, especially considering the tension between both realms.” Erestor pondered the thought his fingers idly pulling at a loose threat off the blankets draped over the back of his chair.

“Mmm, those were my first thoughts. The only explanation I could come up with was that Legolas was in danger of losing his life from the infection in that wound. You saw as I did what a state it was in.” Erestor nodded the frown of confusion still waring on his brow.

“It is a distinct possibility but is not the entire picture I am sure of it, but until I’ve spent some time with the prince I will not be able to deduct anything more.” Standing up from his chair Erestor yawned and stretched, causing Glorfindel to roll his eyes and reluctantly stand up too.

“My apologise for keeping you from your bed Erestor.” Glorfindel bowed respectfully to his friend who followed suit, watching as Glorfindel moved to the tapestry entrance out of Erestor’s rooms.

“Will you be a breakfast Glorfindel?” Glorfindel paused halfway out of the tapestry and looked back at his friend.

“Nay, I leave for the Northern border at dawn, fresh orc tracks had been found near the ford.”

“May the valar protect you on your journey then. I will see you in seven days.”

“That you will.” With a reassuring smile Glorfindel left Erestor alone in his rooms. The fire had slowly begun to die and judging from the night sky out of his balcony Erestor was sure it was late. Discarding his outer robes and stripping naked, Erestor took the time to wash his face and hands in the small brass basin by the window before climbing into bed. The soft cotton against his naked skin brought a sigh of relief to his lips and having settled in his bed fell quietly into slumber.

TBC........