To Warm An Advisor's Heart

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“Erestor, there’s a spot on your neck.” Elrohir gasps. “Wait. My mistake, it’s just another hickey.” Elladan and Haldir laugh while you and Erestor blush.

“It seems as though Rose wears the pants in their relationship,” Elladan says.

“After seeing what she can do, I don’t blame him for letting her,” Haldir says. Elrond’s head turns when he hears more laughter. All of you wait until he looks forward again before snickering.

“You don’t have much room to talk Elrohir,” you say. “Why else would your collar and hair just happen to cover most of your neck today?”

Erestor gasps when Elrohir blushes. “Who did it?” he asks. You tell him what happened last night. His eyes sparkle. “That was brilliant Elladan. It’s about time something was done about it.”

Elrohir stares at him. “You knew?!”

“Of course I knew,” Erestor says. “I always know what’s going on in Rivendell. I choose to ignore most of it.”

“Always?” You raise an eyebrow. “I doubt that.”

He grins. “I know enough to know that you have a crush on me,” he teases.

“And the rest of us know enough to know that you currently have hickeys on your neck,” Elrohir says. He looks Erestor up and down. “Are they only on your neck?”

Erestor turns crimson. Haldir laughs. “It seems they had a busy night,” he says.

Elladan sighs loudly.

“What’s wrong?” you ask.

“Nothing. Only you and Erestor, Elrohir and Haldir, and Aragorn and Arwen, are all getting some. When will it be my turn?” he asks.

“When you go through puberty,” Elrohir answers.

“Must I remind you, dear twin, that you and I are the same age?”

“Which makes me wonder why it’s taking you so long to get a proper lay. Sure there was that elf from-“

Elladan covers his mouth. “You mention that and there will be hell to pay.” Elrohir nods, knowing better than to push his twin any further.

“So, am I to assume that you and Erestor are officially courting?” Haldir asks. His eyes gleam, showing that he’s teasing.

Courting isn’t a word you’re familiar with. “Yes,” you say. You figure that courting is another word for dating.

Apparently it’s not another word for dating. Haldir gasps in shock, Elladan grins, and Elrohir nearly falls off his horse.

“Already?” Elrohir asks. “You barely know each other and you are already courting!”

You are confused. You look to Erestor in hopes he’ll be able to explain what you mean. His eyes are misty and he is smiling in a way you’ve never seen before. He guides Rusty closer to you and gently kisses you.

You are more confused than ever. Why is everyone so surprised that you want to date Erestor? With all the hickeys, you thought they wouldn’t react the way they did. And why did Erestor kiss you in front of the others? Isn’t he supposed to be shy?

“We are a mile from Lothlorien,” Elrond calls back, erasing the wonder from your mind. “We will take a short break for lunch before continue our way. Haldir will lead us from here.”

You hop off of Wildfire, grateful that Elrond said your ankle was officially ‘healed’ this morning. Wildfire grabs your shirt with his teeth and jerks you back, causing your to fall on your butt.

You look up at him. “So the teasing now starts since I’m better,” you say. He neighs in response. You chuckle. “Very well my fine furred friend.” You get up and brush off the dirt. “I’ll make sure to be more watchful around you.” He snorts as though to say ‘you better.’

“Are you okay?” Erestor asks.

“Of course,” you say. “Wildfire is being the amusing horse he is.”

“I noticed. He needs to be more gentle with you.”

“Why? I’m a tough elf. I can handle it. I won’t break.”

“Still. . .” Erestor puts his arms around you and pulls you close to him. You rest your head on his shoulder, close your eyes, and breathe in his scent. You could get used to this. You sigh when he runs his fingers through your hair. You are surprised he’s being so affectionate around the others. First he kissed you in front of the twins and Haldir and now he’s holding you close for the whole camp to see.

“Rose, it’s time for your lessons,” Aragorn says.

You grip onto Erestor’s clothes. You don’t want to leave Erestor’s arms for anything in the world.

“I think we can hold off the sword practice today,” Elrond says. “Elrohir just informed me that they are courting.”

You have a feeling Aragorn is just as shocked as the others were. You open your eyes and see his eyes are wide. He looks to you. “Is this true?”

“Yes,” Erestor answers. He leans his head onto yours. You close your eyes again, enjoying the attention Erestor is giving you.

“I’m a bit surprised myself, but then again, I didn’t wait long until I was married,” Elrond says. “Arwen’s mother and I were only together for a month before we started courting.”

Holy shit. Is he implying what you think he’s implying? You force yourself to remain calm as you try to sort it out. From the way Elrond is talking, you’d think courting is the same as-

“This is wonderful news! It’s about time Erestor found a good elf to marry.” Arwen giggles and twirls around. “When is the wedding?” she asks. “Can I be a bridesmaid?”

It is! It’s the same as being engaged! Shit! You don’t know what to do. You’re not ready to get married, but you don’t want to tell Erestor that you misunderstood the meaning of the word ‘courting.’ You’re sure it would break his heart.

“We could in Lothlorien,” Erestor says. “What do you think Rose?”

You think fast. “I’d rather get married in Rivendell,” you answer. “In Elrond’s garden.”

“I like that idea,” Elrond agrees. “The garden is a beautiful place to get married in. “

“But there are gardens just as beautiful in Lothlorien,” Erestor says. You can tell he is eager to get married.

“Sure, but Rivendell is my home and Elrond’s garden is the first one I fell in love with.” Lucky for you, the answer pleases him.

“If that is what you wish, my love, that is what you shall have.” He bestows kisses on your face, causing you to blush. You’ve never been one for extreme PDA and you can feel everyone staring at the two of you.

“Let’s eat. We will celebrate when we reach Lothlorien,” Elrond says. He is staring at you as if he knows the truth. You dodge his glance and let Erestor guide you to a spot near the fire Aragorn is preparing. The twins, Glorfindel, and Haldir have gone hunting.

You sit beside Erestor and see him frown. “What’s wrong?” you ask.

“Nothing,” he answers. He bumps his knee against yours. You look into his eyes and see he’s trying to tell you something.

“What?” you ask.

He seems even more unhappy. “Nothing.”

“Rose, may I talk with you for a moment?” Elrond asks, having watched the whole thing.

“Sure.” You get up and follow him into the woods. It isn’t until you are a long distance away from camp that Elrond stops.

“You understand what courting means don’t you?” he asks.

“That you’re engaged,” you answer.

“Did you know what it meant earlier today?” You don’t answer. You are afraid Elrond is going to fuss at you. He lays a hand on your shoulder. “Do you love him?”

The question catches you off guard. You should say yes, but you don’t like to lie. “I think so,” you answer.

The answer is good enough for Elrond. “Do you know how to court an elf?” he asks.

You stare at him like he should know the answer. “Elrond, we both know I have no clue on how to properly court an elf,” you say.

“Then remember this,” he says. “When courting, elves like to stake their claim. They are affectionate and kiss often whether others are around or not. Some go further.” The statement causes you to blush. “They like to be in constant contact. They get the most easily jealous during this stage because it’s only a step away from binding their souls together in marriage.”

“So you’re saying I should keep my tongue down Erestor’s throat and not look at anyone else?” you ask. Elrond doesn’t laugh.

“What I’m saying is that he had wanted you to sit in his lap when you were at camp. By sitting beside him, it may cause him to worry since there are more males than females in your company.”

“In other words, he finds Glorfindel a threat,” you say.

“Not just Glorfindel, but any single male,” he says. “And single females once we are at Lothlorien.”

“I understand.” You don’t like it, but you get it. You are tempted to go ahead and wed right now, but the thought makes you sick. You don’t want to get married until you are ready. Hopefully by the time you are in Rivendell again, you’ll be more than ready to marry the elf.

“Let us return.” Elrond leads the way back to camp. You see Erestor perk up when he sees you come through the trees. The others haven’t returned yet, so Erestor has been forced to listen to Arwen give advice about what kind of wedding you two should have.

Taking Elrond’s words to heart, you walk to Erestor and sit in his lap. You hear him sigh happily and fold his arms around you. He kisses down your neck. He licks the nape of your neck before nibbling on it. You hold in your gasp. His arms pull you closer to him and you can feel his erection against you.

Oh dear. To Erestor it make be staking his claim, but to you it’s torture.

“Cut the poor elf some slack Erestor,” Elrohir says as he enters the camp. He hands a rabbit to Aragorn before sitting down with another rabbit. “She’s not going to find release for quite a while today. Not if Grandmother finds out about the courting. She will celebrate the occasion all night.”

Erestor stops kissing your neck, but keeps you held tightly against his body.

You watch Aragorn and Elrohir skin the rabbits. Elladan, Glorfindel, and Haldir return shortly with squirrels.

“It seems I got more meat than you brother,” Elrohir says.

“Only to make up for the lack of meat in other places,” Elladan retorts. You laugh. You doubt you’d ever get tired of the twins and their sense of humor.

Erestor growls. You lace your fingers through his hand and kiss it. “You’re being silly,” you whisper. “The twins aren’t a threat. They’re like brothers to me.”

“What about the others?” he asks.

“None of them are. I’m sitting in your lap, not theirs.” Erestor is satisfied with your answer. He moves your hair over your shoulder so he has access to the back of your neck. He sucks on a spot at the top of your neck causing your nipples to harden. You close your eyes and bite your lip to keep from moaning.

“Please Erestor,” you beg so only he can hear. “Don’t torment me like this if I won’t get my release until tonight.” He stops. You open your eyes and see he has a smug smile on his face. “You better be careful, hun, or I’ll wipe that smile off your face.”

He grins. He buries his face in your neck and breathes you in. “I’m glad we are courting,” he says.

Thanks to Aragorn, you don’t have to reply. “Lunch is ready you two,” he says. “You better get your share before the twins eat it all.”

You get out of Erestor’s lap and go to Elrond, who is serving the food. He hands you two plates and smiles. “I’m starting to think you are naturally a fast learner,” he whispers.

This time, you sit beside Erestor and hand him his plate. He strokes your fingers as he takes he plate, his eyes pleading. “I don’t trust you to not get food in my hair,” you tease. He grabs your waist and pulls you closer so your hips are touching and you’re leaning against his right shoulder.

“I heard having meat in your hair was a new fashion,” he says.

You laugh. “I’m sure you’d say anything just to get me in your lap again.”

“Is that a bad thing?” You shake your head, your mouth full with rabbit. You feel Erestor watch you as you both eat. You concentrate on keeping your hands steady as you tear a piece of rabbit. You pop the meat in your mouth and see there is juice on your fingers. You are about to wipe it on your pants, but Erestor catches it.

You forget to breathe as you watch his tongue dart out of his mouth and lick your fingertips. He spreads two of your fingers and licks in between them. The action sets your lower regions on fire. “Oh my,” you pant, getting a very clear picture of Erestor’s face buried between your legs.

“Geez Erestor, are you trying to make a porno or something? Let the elf eat. The sooner we get to Lothlorien, the sooner you can have her to yourself,” Elrohir says. Haldir leans into him and whispers something in his ear. You can tell it’s very naughty when Elrohir blushes.

“It seems you’ll be making a porno yourself,” you tease. Elrond nearly chokes on his rabbit while Elladan laughs.

“Can you read lips, Rose?” Elladan asks.

“I doubt it. Though I’m sure she does other things to Erestor’s-“ Elrohir begins.

“That’s enough,” Elrond says. “I would like to eat my meal in peace.”

You snicker. “Sounds like he needs a good lay,” you whisper in Erestor’s ear. He chuckles. You have the sudden urge to lick his ear. You give into your temptation and enjoy seeing Erestor nearly drop his plate. He gives you a heated gaze that tells you exactly what he wants to do to you.

“Let us continue our journey, before these children act worse,” Elrond says to Aragorn.

In no time the fire is out and the plates are packed. You walk towards Wildfire, only to have him back away from you. “So you want to play that game,” you say.

When you move right, he moves left. When you move left, he moves right. He is always an arms length away but easily dodges your grabs. Finally you leap towards him and grab the reigns. Before he can find a way to escape your grip, you mount him.

“Nice try, Wildfire.” You scratch his ear.

“Is everyone ready?” Elrond asks.

“Yes. Rose finally got on the horse,” Elladan calls back.

“You’re sweating,” Erestor says to you.

“Well, Wildfire is a tough horse to catch,” you say. “And that’s only because he lets me catch him.”

Erestor is about to jump on your saddle, when Elrond looks back. “Don’t even think about it,” Elrond says.

Erestor grumbles under his breath. You nudge Wildfire towards Erestor. You take his hand and lace your fingers through his. You kiss the back of his hand. He smiles. He kisses you on the cheek.

You smile back. For the rest of the way to Lothlorien you are content holding hands with Erestor, thinking maybe marriage isn’t as scary as you once thought.

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