Mary Goes to Mirkwood

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Mary Goes to Mirkwood

Chapter 15/?

Revised 2004 Edition

By: Mary A, Malinorne and Sheraiah

Warnings: Adult sexual situations/ LOTS of nudity /ANGST galore!

Disclaimer: Just playing with Tolkien characters, for fun, and not profit, do not claim to have created them. Thaladir, the king's seneschal, is our own creation. Anarion, Mal's private guard, is just that. Her own.

Summary: A frustrated Mal gets a new door guard, a frustrated Sheraiah copes with a difficult elf, and a miserable Mary meets the legendary Glorfindel.


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

~ Sheraiah ~


I was getting so sick of rain. Normally, rainstorms are a good thing in my book. I loved few things better than spending a rainy afternoon either writing or reading. This, however, was getting monotonous. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy the hen-parties Mary and I had, sitting cozily in her room and discussing the Mirkwood males at length and it definitely wasn't that I didn't enjoy spending time with Legolas, horizontally, as often as not.

The lack of sunshine was starting to depress me, as was Legolas' maddening habit of treating me like an acquaintance around other elves. He never did it around the twins or Mary, but around everyone else it was like we had just been introduced, rather than seeing each other in various stages of pleasure on a semi-regular basis.

This indifference he displayed towards me in public was starting to confuse me. When we were alone he was affectionate and attentive, listening when I spoke and touching me often. It was like he was actually two elves disguised as one.

I truly didn't know what to think of it anymore. I had tried to voice my concerns in a round about fashion, but had gotten nowhere. I knew better than to expect anything more than friendship with benefits, but I expected to be acknowledged at least.

In vain, I had picked Mary's brain as much as possible but that hadn't gotten me any closer to a solution either. I hated being confused and definitely didn't want to get hurt. I'd found myself writing more and more angsty fics as the days passed and had come to the conclusion that something had to give and it wasn't going to be me.

A bit surreptitiously, I began devising a plan to try to crack the icy shell that Legolas drew around himself in public. I enlisted help immediately. I knew that Elladan and Elrohir would be up for anything that they could possibly torment Legolas over at a later time. I wanted Mary's help later on, but decided to wait to broach the subject until I felt that she was in a frame of mind conducive to my plans.


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

~ Mal ~


Thaladir, and the chair, was gone in the morning, as were my dark thoughts from the day before. The wind was still roaring in the beeches outside my window, but the sunlight through the coloured glass turned the grey stone floor into shining art. I greeted Ithilwen happily when she came into the room, bringing an amber-coloured dress, the first of the ones she had helped me pick out. She plaited my hair in a thick braid and then offered to escort me to the great hall, but I told her I wanted to try to find it on my own. I felt quite confident now.

The room was bustling with life, as usual during meals. The elves seemed happy and light-hearted, almost as if they could feel the sunny weather through the thick rock of the torch lit hall. I saw the king sitting with Thaladir and some other elves, whom I recognized but wasn't acquainted with. Thranduil had his back turned towards the door, but I would easily have recognized the Elvenking, even without the mithril circlet he wore around his head this day, as his presence always made my heart beat a little faster.

I approached the table and stopped at the king's chair, where I made a deep curtsey and greeted the two elves.

"Good morning, Your Majesty" I said to the king, and then, to Thaladir, "and to you, Excellency."

"It is indeed a good morning, for some," the king replied with a lifted eyebrow and a quick glance at his seneschal, who seemed to have a difficulty deciding whether to look proud or offended at these words. I was surprised by the weariness in Thranduil's voice, and as I looked into his shining emerald eyes I missed something of their glow. It wrenched my heart and I hated the trade negotiations if they could do this to our king. My king. Mary was gone, I reminded myself for the umpteenth time, but I still couldn't believe it. Despite my triumph the first day, I found myself missing her more and more.

"Sit with my mortal guests while I finish the planning session with my advisors. Then join me." His voice was matter-of-fact, all business now.

"Of course, my lord." It was obvious that he had more important worries to take care of, and, besides, there were no empty chairs anywhere near him. He had said that I should come back, and that was all that mattered to me. I could wait a little longer now that I had at least caught a glimpse of him, if that was his wish.

I left the elves' table and went over to where the three men were sitting, picking up some bread and fruit and bringing them with me. Master Darek, Haryl and Renk seemed to be in an excellent mood this morning. They were talking loud with each other, and the Town Mayor greeted me happily when I approached them, inviting me to take a seat between him and his young treasurer.

At least from where I was sitting, I could see the king's back, and during the meal Haryl heightened my spirits further by complimenting me on my appearance and adding one of his usual shy little smiles. Even Renk managed to behave decently most of the time. I tried not to notice his abominable table manners, but it was hard to pretend not to see the egg yolk on his chin and the fat butter stains on the linen shirt he was wearing under a brightly yellow vest.

The men soon bragged openly about their success in the negotiations, Master Darek in a modest kind of way, actually more airing a cautious optimism, but the wine merchant seemed to be unable to get enough of repeating how supplies might be short in Mirkwood when spring comes, unless "that elf" would loosen the purse strings. "As opposed to only loosening the strings of his breeches," the man added with a wink at me that made me furious.

Haryl looked shocked, but it was the Town Master who came to my rescue, patting my hand in a fatherly manner as he said to Renk, "That was not necessary. Malinorne is a... guest... here and we should not make her, not entirely voluntary, I presume, stay in these gloomy halls heavier to bear with our thoughtless comments. I am sure we will come to an agreement with the elves." Still holding my hand, he turned to me and added, "It is naturally still our hope that you would care to visit Long Lake town at your earliest convenience, dear child."

'Gloomy halls? Not entirely voluntary?' He did not make me feel any better with these words, and I snatched my hand away from his and rose from my chair. "Good morning, my lords," I said coldly. "I will now make my stay in these halls considerably easier to bear by removing myself from your company." With that, I went back to the king's table, hoping that he would save my pride by receiving me without delay.

When I reached the table, Thaladir rose without a word and offered his chair to me. I was grateful that he did nothing that might indicate our less than seemly relationship. I thanked him for his poliss wss with a honest smile, sat and turned to the king. Thranduil looked at me, expectantly in a way I found difficult to understand, and made a small motion with his hand that made the elves still sitting rise and leave the table with a respectful nod to their king. It made me feel appreciated, and very important.

"Now, Mal, did you find out anything of interest from my guests?" His eyes glittered with interest when he spoke. I hesitated, not wanting to disappoint him with what I had heard, more silly talk than commercial secrets.

"No, my lord," I finally replied. "Nothing that is worth bothering you with."

"Tell me," the king insisted, "and leave it to me to judge the value of their statements." He took my hands between his and I enjoyed being the focus of his attention for the first time since the morning the day before. It felt like an eternity ago. I told him about the three men's confidence that they would eventually get the upper hand in the agreement, but left out Renk's lewd comment. Thranduil listened attentively to every single detail, and when I finished and looked up into his face, I saw that his eyes had begun to flash.

"Thank you, Mal," he said. "This was important information indeed. You may go now." Squeezing my hands a last time he added. "It will be some time before I loosen any strings. To my purse or otherwise. I shall see you at lunch."

But the lunch did not answer the questions raised by Thranduil's behaviour during breakfast, but only added to my confusion. There seemed to have been a sudden change in the way the negotiations were going, for now the king was in a jolly mood, while the three men morosely picked at their food under silence. I also got the feeling that Mary's absence was not entirely according to his wishes, as her customary seat on his left hand side was empty. To my immense satisfaction, I never saw Helca sitting there again.

Conversation around the table was light and mostly devoted to happy memories of other successful negotiations, but towards the end of the meal, the king lowered his voice and turned to me with a devilish smirk on his lips and amusement glittering in his eyes.

"You never did tell me your wishes concerning the young one, Anarion, so I have made the arrangements I found necessary for your safety. You will find that a most dedicated sentinel has been posted outside your door."

I just stared at him. The events of the day and night that had passed since last we touched upon this matter had made me forget completely about the guard and I was not at all sure that I really wanted whhranhranduil had offered: a companion for sexual purposes. Or, I was sure, and the way he was now stroking my thigh under the table made me surer still.

The problem was just that he himself was not going to be that to me and I wasn't sure if I wanted anyone else in my bed. Especially at this point, when he seemed to have sent Thaladir to my room for exactly the same purpose. His hand continued to caress me through the soft silk of my dress and I was breathless by the time he spoke again

"You will wish to invite him inside before long, I presume. Do it, Mal. Amuse yourself, and know that you make him, and me, happy by doing so."

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

~ Mary ~


Lord Elrond eventually came to apologize, but I stopped him as soon as ughtught the drift of his conversation.

"When I first got here, I wanted you to seduce me," I confessed to him. "I could have gotten up and left your bedchamber as soon as I knew what was on your mind. It wasn't that hard to figure out, believe me." He flashed a sardonic grin and then looked a little sheepish.

"You were vulnerable," he said, as if unwilling to be let off the hook that easily. "And I should have known better than to take advantage."

"It couldn't hurt, is what I figured," I said. "I'm just sorry I couldn't stay focused." We agreed not to try again.

At first, his sons hovered over me as if I were recovering from an illness and it was only a matter of time before I would be ready to pick up where we had left off. They were so endearing and funny that I did feel much better when they were near me but it was almost as if I could not see them clearly, as though there was a darkened pane ofpledpled glass between us.

But the twins were persistent even though their father had advised them to be patient with me and had told them that I was under no spell, that I needed time to sort things out for my own best interests. They admitted this to me and also that they were hopeful that I would return to my home with them. Their swords were sharpened; they assured me, if the king came and tried to carry me off by force. They made me laugh with their plans to hack him to pieces if he came near me.

"Thranduil is not going to come here and take me away with him," I told them. "If anything, he will have that eagle fly low enough to dump off my suitcase and then have it fly right back to where it came from."

They were not so sure, however, and they had sought out the advice of the elves that were former warriors in the Last Alliance and had knowledge of the king's skills as a swordsman. I just shook my head as I listened to them plan their strategy to prevent him from taking me back.

But Thranduil, I pointed out, could have stopped me from leaving that day if he had truly desired for me to stay with him. "His actions," I said, "spoke louder than his words. Some things don't need translation."

Time was not healing my wounds. And that was probably because they were mostly self-inflicted. The king was just the king. He was like the sun. When he paid attention to me, I basked in the glow of his forceful, uncompromising personality. But when anything or anyone came between us, or if he turned away from me, I shivered from the cold.

"And," I told Sheraiah when she came to discuss his son with me, "It is not the king's fault, either. But, to constantly freeze and burn that way?" I concluded, "It can't be healthy for me. I don't mind the burning, but the freezing part is painful." She agreed with me. She was having her own similar conflict with Legolas, which she tentatively brought up with me.

He was so unlike his father, to that we both agreed. We discussed the many charming ways that the prince was more companionable than Thranduil, but in some, not so charming, ways they were just alike. Legolas, no matter how sweet-tempered and good natured, is his father's son. His detached air around mixed company was familiar to me; foreign to Sheraiah. She had never been with him in the company of elves and his different, and oddly indifferent, attitude was worrying her.

When they were alone, he was a completely changed elf, she told me. I knew all about that. It sounded a lot like Thranduil, except when his desire overtook him and he had to make it known in front of anyone who happened to be hanging around at the time. He was never shy about that.

Just thinking about the times the king had leaned into me to invite me to come somewhere to be alone with him sent a wave of heat over me that would nearly knock me over. I missed him. And I hated myself for it.


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

~ Mal ~


Just as could be expected, by the time I was getting dangerously aroused, the king interrupted his caresses and left the table, wishing me 'a pleasant afternoon'. I wanted to hit him.

I was quite flushed when I reached my room and could not help finding my new guard more than sufficientlyractractive. The way he looked with his dark hair, and the way he looked at me with his sapphire eyes, was irresistible, and I could not behave otherwise than very boldly. I asked him to come into my room and take a seat.

The elf cast a quick glance around the room and then hesitantly took up a, still standing, position right inside the door. I cursed myself for my thoughtlessness... where is a chair-less girl supposed to ask an elf to sit? On the bed, perhaps? Too intimate? What about a huge pile of cushions on the floor? Also not appropriate? I suddenly felt that this was a pitifully neglected topic in Thaladir's instructional lecs ons on seemly behaviour. Not quite knowing what to do, but seeing that the young elf seemed even more lost, I sat on the bed and started an awkward conversation of questions and answers spoken across the room.

"I greet you. And thank you for agreeing to be my guard."

"I greet you, my lady," he replied, looking relieved as if he had been waiting for some kind of approval from my side, and then quickly added, "It is my duty and pleasure to do the will of His Majesty."

"Isn't that the pleasure of us all?" I just couldn't help myself. "Thranduil, I mean, His Majesty, told me that your name is Anarion."

"Yes, my lady. That is correct."

"Anarion, do you enjoy your present duty?" I hoped that he would give me an honest reply this time, not just a polite, or correct, one.

"I do, my lady." His eyes shone with an eagerness that could not be mistaken.

"And do you find me attractive?" I thought so, but I wanted him to say it. I needed to hear it.

"Your beauty is stunning, my lady." He was truly handsome himself, and my body still burned from the king's attentions, which is the only way I can explain what I said next.

"Would you like to share my bed?" I still can't believe that I could ask him that without blushing, but he didn't seem surprised by the blunt question, only happy.

"The mere thought brings me pleasure beyond my dreams, my lady." This was delivered with a formal bow talmoalmost made me giggle. Not because he looked funny, absolutely not, but because the situation in which it was delivered bordered on the absurd.

"Then, come to me, and don't call me "lady" anymore, for I am not." I patted the blanket beside me and Anarion came and sat there, smiling, and just looked at me, for quite some time, before he spoke.

"I must ask you, my la...," he interrupted himself and began again. "I must ask that you have patience with me, for I am but two centuries past my majority and not nearly as skilful or experienced as any of the esteemed elves you may have encountered before. I am but a simple sentinel, the youngest at that, and afraid to disappoint you. I am not worthy."

I did not believe him. He was an elf, after all, and thus undoubtedly both more experienced and skilled than any human male. I was anxious for him to stop talking, and start doing other things, before I could regret what I had just said.

"Touch mnarinarion." I held my breath as soon as I had whispered it to him.

"Yes, Malinorne," he whispered back and tentatively put his right hand on my left breast, just cupping it at first, then moving his thumb back and forth. "Like this?"

"Like that, and more." His caresses over the silk of my dress felt so good, and when he put his other arm around my back, I closed my eyes and just enjoyed the moment.

"May I kiss you?" The young elf sounded like he had just caught himself with bad manners, and the question sounded quite funny, considering what his fingers were doing with my nipple at the time. I nodded and immediately felt his soft lips on mine, gently, in a kiss more tender and considerate then any I had shared with an elf before. Not demanding, not dominating, and not threatening to devour me. Not Thranduil. I opened my eyes for a moment, looking into my lover's blue orbs, and snaked my left arm up around his neck, into his dark locks. Definitely not the king.

Anarion let go of my lips and rained kisses over my neck and shoulders instead. Light, butterfly touches, merely landing before moving on to the next spot of my skin. He moved the hand from my breast to my lap and began to caress my thighs through the amber fabric. I sighed with pleasure when he reached the mound between my legs and could not suppress a moan when he began to move two fingers up and down over my most sensitive spot. I leaned back onto his arm and he moved up on the bed, pulling me towards him and then lowering me onto the mattress.

"Bain nin" [My beautiful], he said quietly when he looked down on me. "Bain, bain nin."

"Hin lin gailolilol a finnel lin mall thiliol " [Your eyes are glittering stars and your hair is shining gold], he said, running his fingers over my braid. "Your mouth is a ripe berry," he continued, kissing me on the lips, before he turned his attention to my breasts again. "These, these are soft and inviting like green grassy mounds in sunny glades." His fingers sought them again, and then he lay down beside me and whispered in my ear, as his hand found its way to the burning spot between my thighs. "And this is a secret cave, hiding sweet, sweet treasures deep inside."

His words, and his hands, made me delirious and I willingly parted my thighs when he gently lowered his body onto mine. The sudden pressure from his arousal made me gasp and wrap my arms tightly around his waist, as if never to let him go. Supporting himself on his elbows, he sought my mouth again, and feeling my response, began to grind his hips into mine. The friction of our clothes at first only added to our pleasure, but I was so ready to get rid of my dress that I almost began tearing at the bodice when he asked if I would allow him to undress me.

"Will you let me adore your beauty? May I see your fair skin?"

"If I may see yours," I replied, tugging at the hem of his tunic.

We quickly got up and removed our clothes, and though Anarion was handsome to behold, I was not satisfied by just looking at him, I wanted to feel him, and really close at that. But he was not an elf who rushed things, so again I found myself lying on my back, with him sitting at my side, looking, caressing, soaking me in tenderness and loving touches.

"Le mir vain," [You are a beautiful treasure] he said as he moved his slender hands over my body. "You are soft under my hands and tremble so sweetly at my touch."

The young guard had clearly gained soxperxperience already, because there was nothing hesitant in his caresses, once he was sure they were desired. His breathing was short now when I lay naked before him, and when I pulled him down onto me, he seemed to explode.

He was eager, and his body sought mine with a fervour that was overwhelming. So eager was he that he reached his peak only moments after hrectrection entered me. Embarrassed, he apologised for this lack of control, which he blamed on the effect I had on him, and then made it up to me by pleasuring me with just his hands and tongue until I thrashed on the bed begging for him to give me release.

The second time his hardness found its way he was able to make it last as long as we both wished. And as we made love again, he continued telling me all those sweet words I had longed to hear from Thranduil, but that he had never spoken to me.


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

~ Mary ~


After dinner, the twins brought me to The Great Hall to listen to the singing and the poetry reading. As before, I sat on the window seat of the massive glassed-in bay window and watched the lightning flicker across the sky. Sheraiah came in wearing a dress for the first time since I had been there in Rivendell. I could hear her infectious laughter as she teased various elves and bent over now and then to entice them to take a peek down her low cut bodice. I hoped her antics were having their desired effect on Legolas.

The large room soon filled with elves and there was also a small party of men, Rangers from the north, silent and severe-looking, who had come to seek shelter from the bad weather. The twins huddled with them and I knew they were all strategizing about thwarting any attempt by Thranduil to take me back to Mirkwood. It did not make me laugh anymore, it made me sad. Because I knew the king would not be coming.

Silently, the great elf, Glorfindel, came and sat beside me. He had been friendly and courteous on those rare occasions when our paths happened to cross and I had appreciated his beauty from afar. Face to face, with his crystal blue eyes and golden locks, he was as close to stunning as an elf can get and still be real.

He had the same graceful ease as all the other elves, yet there was an air of grandeur about him that reminded me of Thaladir. He had the same elegant dignity and noble air as the seneschal had, not to mention impeccable manners, but without any hint of disapproval of all those around him.

"It does not make me happy to see a visitor here in such obvious distress," he said, his voice gentle and kind. I warmed up to him immediately.

"Well, it does not make me happy to feel this way, either," I answered, but I had to smile. It thrilled me that he had even noticed my existence, leone one my emotional state. He took one of my hands into his and just held it quietly for a while as we both watched the thunderstorm outside.

"I have been informed," he said in a more serious tone, but with twinkling eyes, "that you had been lured into the perilous halls of Mirkwood but have managed to escape." I did not have to guess who had told him that. I looked across the room to where the twins were standing with the muddy-booted group of men by the fireplace.

"That is not exactly the story," I replied. I told him how I had met Thranduil, had been invited to visit him, and how much I had loved being with him, for a while. There had been no escape; I had walked out the front gate without anyone trying to stop me. And how I thought my heart was broken, because I was not sure if I had made the right decision, and it haunted me.

"Are you in love with him?" he asked. I thought hard for several moments. Then I told him that I had loved the idea of being in love with Thranduil. This, I added, was probably foolish. I asked him if he could imagine it, being in love with a king. He said yes, he could imagine it.

But, he said, he loved his own lord, Elrond, without the added distraction of being physically attracted to him. He asked me if I ever wanted to go back to Mirkwood, to be with Thranduil.

"I don't know if I want to see him again. I really don't think it's such a good idea," I said. "And I don't want to be in love with him. But, even if I do want to see him again, I don't think I want to go back to Mirkwood." I could feel tears coming but I was able to hold them back. I managed to control my voice as I added, "I don't like having to share him with anyone." After a second's long pause, I added, "Let alone everyone."

"Did you really think that this was possible?" he asked. "Not having to share an Elfking with anyone?" Glorfindel's blue gaze seemed to search my soul. "Anyone?" he repeated.

"Well, yeah, I guess I don't mean everyone," I admitted, "I really liked all the elves there. Well, most of them." Helca's face swam into my mind and I tried to push her down but she bobbed up like rpserpse in the Dead Marshes. It was too disturbing a vision for my peace of mind. I instantly thought of Mal. At least she had a nicer face.

"I tried to share him with Mal," I explained. "His new concubine? But that proved too much competition for me."

Without wanting to do so, I thought of how happy she must be at that moment, with the king to herself. Perhaps they were bathing in the pools or lounging on her pillows in front of the fireplace in her sumptuous room? Picturing these scenes was like stabbing myself with a mithril knife. All I was doing was causing more self-inflicted wounds to suffer with later, when I was by myself.

"Mal?" asked Glorfindel, "that is her name? The king's concubine?" I did not know if he was teasing me as I could not imagine he had not heard all about the magnificently behinded tree-girl through the Elf Brainwave Hotline.

"Malinorne," I told him.

He nodded with satisfaction as if her name suddenly told an entire tale by itself. "Tell me about her," he said. "She is an elleth?"

"No," I replied, "that would be almost easier to take. Then I could be the only mortal female in the palace, instead of just the short, dark one." He squeezed my hand and frowned at me with mock disapproval. It was such a suddenly funny expression that I laughed. He pretended to glower even harder, which made me laugh harder.

"But, it's true!" I finally managed to say in protest, "Mal is the opposite of everything that is not perfect. Ever since she came to Mirkwood I felt inadequate and I don't want to feel that way. It makes me behave badly." He asked me to tell him more.

I listed her virtues, she had so many that I counted on my fingers: tall, blonde, green eyes, spoke Elvish, to name just a few, and ended with the fact that she is much better suited for the king in her nature.

"She sounds like an elf," said Glorfindel. His glance had turned into a penetrating gaze; he was clearly interested. That took me by surprise. I sputtered a bit and tried to wave off his comment, and the look on his face, as just a silly attempt to make me laugh some more. But his tone of voice was quite serious when he asked, "Have you ever seen the tops of her ears?"

I really had to think about that one. Had I?

"Never mind," he said suddenly. "Ears can be altered."

"Altered?" I thought perhaps he was talking nonsense. Why would anyone alter elf ears? Mal is an elf? I snorted as his idea sank in. "That's ridiculous!"

"There is nothing ridiculous about it," he replied. "But," he added as he turned to look out the window, "I would need to meet her to know for sure. Does she glow?"

"Glow? No, I don't think so, but how does that prove anything?" I asked, and then added, "Most of the elves in Mirkwood don't glow. Only the king and Legolas do. That I have ever seen."

Glorfindel turned back to face me with kind smiling eyes. He squeezed my hand again. Then his voice suddenly softened as if he was sharing a secret, "You glow. When you are happy or when you laugh. Did you know that?"

"I what? Are you saying I'm an elf, too?" I was flabbergasted by his statt. Ht. He shook his golden head and his grin was merry, his eyes twinkled.

"No, my dear," he answered, still keeping his voice low enough for only my ears. "I mean to our eyes, us elves; you glow, all humans do. But you do more than most. Especially when you are joyful." I was stunned.

I had never heard of such a thing before. Humans glow?

"Tell me more," I said.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

~ Mal ~


Afterwards, when our breathing was back to normal and we lay on the moist sheets, my head rested on Anarion's arm, I took courage to ask him something I had wondered, but not dared asking the Elvenking, or even Haldir.

Not to mention Thaladir, whom I suspected would frown at the very idea of discussing such a topic as the sexual responses of elves vs. humans. Or write an essay of 50 pages. Unless it would take him into his naughty mood and he'd set out to demonstrate all the ways he could make a mortal react differently from an elleth. The thought of the old elf and his complex personality even made me smile. As did Anarion, but for a different reason. He was just too sweet.

"Is it very different?" I asked.

"Man, meril velui nin?" [What, my sweet rose?] He sounded puzzled and I saw confusion in his eyes when I turned my head to look at him.

"Making love... was it different with me than with a female of your own kind?" He replied with a little kiss on my nose and I had to tell him that I really would like to know before he would answer.

"Yes... It is different, a new and very special experience that I am very grateful for." His reply was nice, but not very informative. I wanted more.

"How?"

"You feel more," he began tentatively, "and it makes me feel more." Now he caught my interest and I raised myself on one elbow and watched him closely, so that I wouldn't miss a single word.

"Humans do not live long," he continued, and bit his lip, perhaps realizing that it might not be a very polite thing to say to a mortal.

"Don't worry, it's not as if I didn't know," I replied, and urged him to go on.

"Humans burn their candle faster... your emotions are stronger, your inner fire hotter. You do not need to save your spirit for ages and ages, making it burn slowly and steadily in order to last until the end of this world. And your minds are blind. You are capable of feeling physical touch only, so the bodily responses are more powerful. No elleill ill ever shiver so delightfully from feeling my fingers on her skin."

He finished, suddenly looking a little sad. I assured him that he needn't worry about not being able to give pleasure, as he had surely just given a lot to me. And he had given me something to ponder as well. Another time, because now I was content with just lying there with him, not thinking, just feeling.

The approaching darkness signalled that it was getting late, and seemed to tell Anarion that it was time for him to leave. Though still naked and in my bed, he almost visibly changed back into his formal role as guard of the king's halls. His fair face became determined as he sat up and it almost looked like he was going to attempt to bow from this sitting position. Luckily for me, as I didn't want to risk hurting his self-esteem by laughing, he did not.

"I must go, my lady. I would not risk intruding on the time you may wish to devote to the General, who is, undoubt, mo, more worthy of your graces." His spine seemed to straighten when he said the word 'General', and I thought that it must be someone the young elf felt great respect for.

"General?" I asked. I did certainly not plan to go directly from one elf to the other, even less to some unknown warrior elf, at least not without having dinner in between, but his mention of a general made me so curious that I decided not to distract him by protesting that I wasn't quite as insatiable as he seemed to think.

"His Excellency is in high esteem in the guard-rooms, and his name is honoured among warriors throughout the realm." He suddenly looked embarrassed. "I apologize, my lady, for not using his proper title in your presence. Our calling him 'General' amongst ourselves is a sign of affection, not lack of respect."

"Thaladir is a general?" I had suspected he might have some military training, as he was an elf of Mirkwood, but also because the body I had seen the night before could hardly be the result of frequent practise with a quill. Anarion's words surpassed anything I could have imagined about the seneschal.

The young elf seemed to concentrate, reminding me of a school-boy careful to give the correct answer. His voice was proud when he replied.

"He was a general, my lady, and a very skilled one, in the army of mighty Oropher, the first king of our wood, in the old days when elves united with men in st ast attempt to best the enemy."

I felt my chin drop as I listened to him with eyes wide, which seemed to make him a little nervous. He stopped talking and even asked if I found the tale of war too grim for my delicate ears, but I asked him to continue. I must hear all of this!

"It is said that he lost all taste for war when the king was slain. This happened on Dagorlad, before the very gates of the Black land. Only one third of our warriors survived, and the General lead the heavily decimated forces back, supporting the new king in his grief. Before the old king passed, Thaladir swore to devote his life to Thranduil Oropherion, and has served as his seneschal and chief advisor ever since. This is what I have been told."


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

~ Sheraiah ~

Thus my campaign began. I flirted openly with the twins, which in and of itself was a lot of fun. I wore one of my more outrageous and revealing outfits. Nothing slutty, but it cinlyinly showed off my best assets. Both of them. I had noticed during my stay that none of the elven females in evidence were what I would call 'well endowed.' Actually, that was rather a good thing because if they had been, they'd have resembled pencils with a couple of cotton balls glued on. Arwen was the only one I'd ever seen that could be called curvy, and I put that down to her varied heritage.

I hadn't thought it strange at all the few times I had shared a bed with Elladan and Elrohir that they were fascinated by my chest, until I saw the same fascination in Legolas. What really clinched it, though, was catching Lord Elrond looking down my cleavage. I didn't let on that I'd noticed and from then on I paid a great deal more attention than I normally do tore tre the eyes of any elf I spoke with happened to be focused.

As it turned out, no matter how refined or courtly the elf, almost all of them looked. Of course I did my fair share of looking at them as well, even though I'd decided that it was Legolas that I was truly interested in. So I'd call it even, all things considered.

Thus informed, that evening I took to leaning over as frequently as possible in front of Les. As. At dinner, where ever and whenever I could, I teased him. I avoided him, conversing with the twins, Glorfindel (one of very few who was too courtly to commit the offense of looking down my bosom, bless his soul), and Lord Elrond instead.

I had to stifle snickers when I spoke and flirted with Elladan or Elrohir, because they seemed to delight in taunting Legolas by placing their hands quite inappropriately whenever we were in his line of sight. He gave little indication of what he thought, other than a sharpening of his gaze and a very slight frown.

Discouraged, I retired to my room early in the evening, preferring to be alone rather than participate in the singing and dancing in the Hall of Fire. I wasn't in the mood to dance. I shut the door and, as I was turning, something brushed across the back of my neck.

Instantly, I shrieked and nearly jumped out of my skin, spinning around and flattening myself against the door. Legolas stood before me, his hand still upraised and his eyes wide with surprise at my reaction. Without thinking, I balled up my fist and slugged his shoulder with all my might.

"Idiot! What the hell were you trying to do, give me heart failure?" I yelled at him. I gathered myself to bless him out, bringing my hand up to shake my finger in his face. I suppose he thought I was going to hit him again, because he grabbed my wrist and spun me around, wrapping his arms around me and immobilizing me.

"Calm yourself. I did not mean to frighten you." His breath tickled my ear as he spoke.

"Let go of me." I growled, trying to wriggle free.

"Are you certain that is what you wish? Your actions all this evening have said otherwise." His tongue traced the outer edge of my ear and I had to fight to hold onto my anger. Damn him, he was trying to pull his usual trick of going straight for my weak spots. I wasn't having it this time.

"That's exactly what I w you you spoiled, self-centered prick! You scare the living hell out of me and then expect me to hop into bed with you? I don't think so!" His arms released their hold on me and he stepped around to face me.

"Rai, I truly did not mean to frighten you." He wore a rather hurt expression at the epithets I'd tossed at him, but I was past caring.

"Ok, fine, you didn't mean to scare me. How about behaving as if I didn't exist outside the bedroom? Did you mean that?" I had meant to confront him about this calmly, but my Irish was up and there was no stopping it now. "I'm not a toy that you can play with and then put up on a shelf, Legolas. I have feelings, too and I can't just extinguish them like a candle, like you seem to."

"Is that what you think I do?" His voice was soft and steady, but the familiar expressionless mask had fallen and his eyes were as hard as flint. "You know very little about me, then."

"Enlighten me. Tell me what's going on in that head of yours. The one on your shoulders, this time, and not the one in your breeches!" His whole posture stiffened at that and he turned on his heel and walked out, not quite slamming the door behind him. I growled in frustration and hurled my shoes at the door, then stomped barefoot over to the bed and flung myself down on it.

I didn't know whether to scream or cry. Legolas alternately made me feel wonderful and tied me in knots. I ripped my hairpins out and shook my head, freeing my hair. Walking to the clothespress, I pulled out my rattiest, most comfortable jeans and my favorite t-shirt. Damn if I would try to impress anyone else that night.

Leaving my feet bare, I padded down the hallway to Mary's room hoping she'd be there. She wasn't, but the elleth assigned to her was kind enough to tell me that she was talking with Glorfindel and agreed to give her a message for me. My temper had started too cool by that point and my mood was degenerating rapidly. I was going from pissed to bitch mode. I needed to get back to my room before I managed to alienate someone completely innocent. I had made it half way there when a strong hand caught my arm.

"Rai? Sweetling, what is wrong?" I looked up into Elladan's face and threw my hands up in the air dramatically. Elrohir, standing next to him, had trouble keeping a grin off of his own face.

"That bull-headed, spoiled rotten, misbegotten prick of an elf, that's what's wrong! I swear, he's making celibacy look good!" I was working myself into a fine state, but I no longer cared. The twins' sputtering laughter at my choice of words made me glare at them. "Don't you two start, either. I am so not in tood!ood!"

"Sweetling, please calm down. We will help as best we can, you know that." Elrohir ran a hand over my tousled hair, smoothing it. I shrugged him off, still too keyed up to respond favorably to him trying to gentle me like one of his precious horses.

"Rai, we are on your side, if you recall." Elladan didn't try to touch me yet, beyond his hand on my arm. "I believe we should adjourn to your room." He turned his attention to his brother. "Elrohir, go with her and keep her company. I am going to raid the kitchens for, I believe you called it 'comfort munchies', did you not, Rai?" He quirked an eyebrow at me and I snorted inelegantly, still peeved but beginning to allow the two goofballs to jolly me out of my foul mood.

"Get some honeycakes, if you can. Rai likes them." Elrohir grinned winningly at me and I started to laugh, surrendering to their wishes. I never could stand up to the both of them when they exerted the charm they had an abundance of. I did not, however, miss the look that they gave each other over my head. Between me and Mary, it seemed that Mirkwood had quite a bit to answer for. At the moment, I was still far too pissed off at Legolas to much care what, if anything, they were planning to do to him.


t b c (below)


~~**~~

Mary Goes to Mirkwood

Chapter 16 / ?

Authors: Mary A, Malinorne & Sheraiah

Warnings: NC-17, Sexual situations/angst-lite/naughty Sindarin lessons /bouncing/usual amount of nudity-LOTS!

Disclaimer: Just playing with Tolkien characters, for fun, and not profit, do not claim to have created them. Thaladir, the king's seneschal, is our own creation. Anarion, Mal's private guard, is just that. Her own.

Summary: Mary tries to help Legolas and Sheraiah patch things up, Thaladir has Mal read poetry.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

~ Mal ~

Golden autumn had now truly turned into a season of storm winds and rain, and though the trade negotiations had ended, the three men of the Long Lake did not leave. The same weather that impaired any intention the king might have had to send for Mary, or his son, hindered the men from travelling back to their homes in Esgaroth.

One day, when the wind was quieter for a short while, I took a walk in the park with Haryl, and the young man's comments made me giggle as usual. There seemed to be no end to his inquisitiveness! He was a pleasant conversation partner, though he did touch on the edge of unseemliness when he asked, innocently as always, in which kind of tree I had slept.

It was beyond me how he could have any knowledge at all about my night with Haldir, as I hadn't even told Mary much about it, but, blushing, I pointed at a large beech and he didn't press the issue further jus just nodded and said something about beech trees being very suitable for squirrels.

Otherwise, I did not see much of the men, or the king, except during the meals. It was quite clear that the humans' prolonged presence in Thranduil's halls did nothing to ease the bad mood he had seemed to be in more or less all the time, ever since the negotiations began and Mary left. He seemed jolly now and then, but not for longer periods, and he never sent for me or came to my room. It tormented me to no end, but I did not want to add to my king's burdens by asking why.

Thaladir became my sleeping draught, and I was grateful for that. I don't know if I could have endured the king coming to my room, sitting on my bed, reaching out his hand to touch me, leaning his beautiful face with its royal features down to me, only to whisper words that would immediately put me to sleep. Even the mere thought of it was painful.

The seneschal, His Excellency, was good to me. He gave me pleasure and afterwards he always held me close to his chest until I fell asleep. But he never stayed until the morning.

I took to reading. Most of the books I could find in the halls of Mirkwood were devoted to war and strategy, and I found myself reading the small volume of poetry again, the one I had found in the king's bookcase when I had only just arrived. as ias in Elvish, so I could study it for hours, slowly turning the pages with the beautiful script, enjoying the verses without understanding each word.


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

~ Mary ~

When I had finally returned to my own room after spending the night in Glorfindel's chambers, Glorcheniel was waiting there to tell me that Sheraiah had been by the night before and had left a message for me. She was to be found in her own chambers, instead of Legolas's, and she wanted me to come and talk with her as soon as I could. The golden-eyed elleth could not tell me more than that.

I had brought a volume of Middle Earth history with me from Glorfindel's chambers. Unlike most of the books available in Elrond's grand library, this particular one was written in the Common Tongue and I could understand most of the language, although some of the obscure terms were foreign to me. I borrowed it with high hopes that it would provide an escape from my constant thoughts about Mirkwood, and Thranduil, and other things, like how much I missed him, and Mal.

But I put the lovely old leather-bound book aside, with a tinge of regret, and changed out of the gown I had slept in, bathed my face and hands, dressed in clean clothes, and set off in search of Sheraiah.

The poor thing was in quite a conflicted state of mind when I came to her room to find out what she wanted to talk with me about. She and Legolas had some type of quarrel the night before, quite heated from her description of it, and she was both afraid she had gone too far when she exploded in his face and glad that she had finally spoken her mind. She had not seen him since then, and it was growing late in the day; she was worried.

Lunch was brought to us on a tray, and we ate while I listened to Sheraiah telling me more details about her confrontation with Legolas and how she was a little sorry, upon further reflection, that she had lost her temper.

But, on the other hand, she kept returning to the fact that she was not sorry about telling him how much his hot and cold behavior was hurting her feelings. I agreed that it was a good idea to tell the prince her view of the situation, but perhaps insulting him had not been the best way to get him to stand still and answer questions.

She told me how she had always, before this, let him sweet talk her out of her determination to get an honest answer from him, but not this time. And, she included, never again would she fall for his charm.

However, Sheraiah sounded so sad that I could tell she was worried she might have destroyed the bond of affection that so obviously held them together, but, I was not worried about Legolas. I had faith he would come to his senses and make it up to her, but he might have a stubborn spell in the meantime. I advised her to do nothing; to be patient and let him come to her.

"The prince," I reminded her, "has a good heart, and a kind soul, and I know he must feel terrible about the way he treated you. He just needs to learn how to admit that to himself, first."

She was not so sure, however, that he understood what she was so upset with him about. At first, she had tried to be subtle, but that had not produced any results. She had then tried rousing him to jealousy, but he seemed unaffected by that emotion. So, she had hauled off and let him have it, figuratively and literally, by slugging him in the shoulder.

I had to agree that whacking an elf to get his attention is rather alluring as a last resort measure. Not that it would do much good. But, I understood the amount of frustration behind such a gesture, and I think the prince would understand it, too.

We talked long until the late afternoon and finally I volunteered to talk with Legolas, to probe his mood, perhaps, or maybe suggest he do a little rethinking of his attitude towards her when there were other elves around. I did not think he had a clue, before last night, as to how his stand-offishness had been affecting her. I had a few ideas in mind about how to reach him.

After leaving Sheraiah, I went directly to his rooms, but he was not there. I thought about the book I had borrowed from Glorfindel and wished I had time to go sit with it for a while instead of trying to play go-between for the prince and his lady. It was nearly dinnertime and Legolas would no doubt be eating with Elrond and his sons in their private dining room in the Elf Lord's wing of the great house. I wished to catch up with him before that, however, so we could have some privacy.

I hoped the twins did not have him tied to a chair somewhere while they lectured him on the proper way to apply his princely charms when in mixed company. They both had a tendency to overdo things, and, with the bad weather keeping the two of them mostly indoors and idle, they had a lot of excess energy at their disposal to make Legolas's life miserable. Especially if he did not promise to immediately change his aloof behavior towards Sheraiah. I went to their room actually hoping I would not find any of them there.

At least they did not have him tied to a chair.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

~ Sheraiah ~

Elladan and Elrohir stayed the night with me, after plying me with the pilfered honey cakes and joking with me until my mood had lightened considerably. They made it plain that they would not be averse to a bit of intimacy, as a sort of cure for my lousy mood, but I meant what I had said earlier. I really wasn't in the mood for it and they were very sweet about it. In the end, we just talked.

They were upset with Legolas on several levels and I had no doubt that they were plotting the best way to teach him some manners, but I very firmly told them that I was capable of taking care of myself, so I hoped they weren't planning to do anything too evil to him. They seemed disappointed by that, confirming my suspicions.

"Look, guys, I know for a fact that your own sister never let you fight her battles for her, so don't expect me to. I got myself into this; I'll get myself out of it. Without nasty little pranks, thank you very mu I h I had to laugh at the look of chagrin they both shot me. "Uh huh, yeah, I know you were planning something. I have a brother; I know what to look for." Elrohir stuck his tongue out at me. "Yeah, yeah, save it for Mary and the ellith." They both laughed at that and we changed the subject.

Much later, having retired to the bed, I was dozing, sandwiched between them and listening to them talk softly to each other in Sindarin. I was lying on Elladan's left side, nestled so close that I was almost on top of him with my head resting on his chest. Elrohir lay on the other side of me, his very talented hands massaging my back and making every tense spot disappear. I felt one of them kiss my temple lightly, and I drifted off into sleep.

When I awoke the next morning, Elladan was gone and Elrohir was curled around me, watching me sleep. "Good morning, sweetling! Did you sleep well?" he asked with a drop dead gorgeous smile on his face. Oh, yum! A girl could definitely get spoiled waking up to a sight like this. His face was just inches from mine. What I was thinking must have shown on my face because his smile widened and became just a tad bit smug.

The door opened then and Elladan carefully maneuvered in, a loaded tray balanced on his arm. He smiled sweetly at me and closed the door behind him with his foot. "Good morning, fair lady! I thought perhaps that you might like a bit of breakfast before you begin to slave away on your stories." He set the tray down across my lap with a flourish and lifted the fine linen cloth that covered it.

"Geez-o-petes, Elladan! Do you think I'm part hobbit? I hope you two are planning on helping me eat this." The tray was so loaded that I doubt I could have carried it far. They were and they did, although they saw to it that I ate more than I normally would have.

A while after our breakfast was done, I shooed both of them out to go chase ellith. Duiniel, my keeper, appeared almost like magic as soon as they cleared out. She drew a bath for me and then braided my hair after I dressed. I thanked her and shooed her out as well, insisting that I would be working at least until midday.

I wasn't in the best of moods, but that usually worked well for writing battle scenes. I had a pivotal one coming up in my current story, so I popped my favorite fight scene music into the CD-ROM on my laptop and settled down to write some serious carnage.

And I was still sitting with my laptop, working on the battle scene to the musical accompaniment of Metallica's `Enter Sandman', when Mary finally walked in. She winced a bit at the volume of the music and I grinned. The same CD had driven Duiniel out of my room on more than one occasion. I called it my `elven housecleaning CD.' Besides, I wrote some of my best fight scenes while listening to it. I turned it down, switched to Blackmore's Night, and arched an eyebrow at her in my best imitation of Lord Elrond.

"Keeping company with Lord Glorfindel are we? Are you working down a list or something?" I kept my tone light, so that she knew I was only teasing her and, thankfully, she responded as I had intended, with laughter. "I sincerely hope that you had a better night than I did."

She shot me a puzzled look and told me that Glorfindel had been very interesting to talk to and that they had talked almost all night. She didn't seem to want to go into a lot of detail, and I respected her wishes. I then told her that I'd gotten upset at Legolas and doubted that he was still speaking to me. Duiniel poked her head in the door cautiously at that point and asked if we wished to have lunch here. Mary and I both agreed and she returned a few minutes later with a large tray for us.

As we ate, I went into greater detail about the argument I'd had with Legolas. She couldn't quite stifle a laugh when I told her that I'd called him a prick and slugged


"Sometimes a girl has to whack an elf to get his full attention," she said, a slight smile hovering on her face. I considered telling her to try it with Thranduil the next time he got froggy, but decided to leave well enough alone. She didn't need my advice, especially after the fiasco I'd created the night before.

I felt bad about slugging Legolas and calling him names, but not about the rest of what I'd said. I meant every word of that. His ignoring me unless we were doing the wild thing just wasn't going to be acceptable anymore. Between us, Mary and I decided that she would try to talk to Legolas and bring about a mending of the fences. She told me that he very likely felt as bad as I did, he was just a bit more stubborn about admitting it to himself or anyone else. I thanked her and she left to go pick a certain prince`s brain. I returned to my battle scene after switching the CDs back again.


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

~ Mal ~


One eng, ng, when the storm was particularly bad, wind rattling the windows, rain whipping the coloured glass, water weeping down the smooth surface, I was reading before the fireplace. I had tried to make the best of the bad weather by pulling three large cushions from their pile in the corner, and thus making a soft bed on the floor, at exactly the right distance from the fire to be comfortable. Its flames cast off a warmer glow than that coming from the candles in the candlesticks and the illuminated leaves and flowers on the parchment pages seemed to come alive in the shifting light.

I had put on the dress I had been sent by the king before my arrival, the concubine one with the short skirt, as it was the one allowing most movement, and was quite comfortable lying on my belly, raised on my elbows with the book in front of me. Now and then I looked up from the pages, gazing into the fire or out into the darkness.

At one point, when I looked up, I got the impulse to turn my head over my shoulder towards the door, and I saw it opening slowly, and the king's seneschal ringring the room. He stood still for a moment, pausing, before he quietly closed the door behind him. The strange thing was that he remained standing at the door, at first looking at me, but almost more through me, and then he closed his eyes and got a dreamy expression on his face.

"Your Excellency?" I said questioningly and smiled when I saw him looking even more pleased. He liked being addressed formally, and I thought it was a small sacrifice if it made him happy. Also, Anarion's tale about Thaladir's past as a general in king Oropher's army and his devotion to Thranduil had made me respect the old elf. He was so much more than the grouchy scholar he usually impersonated.

At first there was no reply, but then he regained his normally stiff composure and opened his eyes. "My lady, you pose a most enjoyable view in your present position, calling to my remembrance how I beheld you the first day of your visit in these halls," he said. He looked me in the eyes now, and a smirk came across his lips when I looked slightly puzzled. My gaze was gluo hio his as he continued speaking.

"I believe you were resting after a somewhat warm welcoming by His Majesty, one that left you dispossessed of a certain garment." I had to smile at the way he seemed to frown at the unseemliness of it, at the same time as remembering it fondly. I remembered it quite clearly as well, how Thranduil had indeed given me a hot welcome that involved losing my underpants, and then left me on my own in the study for hours. I had fallen asleep on the floor, and was woken by the seneschal, who obviously had seen more than he revealed at that moment, something he now seemed to take great delight in making clear.

"I cannot deny that the outrageous thought of delaying my compliance with the king's command did cross my mind upon seeing you exposed thus." I stared at him. Was that really possible? That the dutiful seneschal had ever hesitated to follow orders? He answered my look in a dry voice, adding, "Only briefly, of course, as I am not an elf to take lightly on my duties. I found, however, the task of to escorting you to His Majesty's bed chamber somewhat burdensome."

And I believed him. He had been all uptight during our walkoughough the palace. "And what would you have done, Excellency? If you had fulfilled that thought? Even if it was unimaginable?" I couldn't help teasing him when he looked official like that, but his reply made me turn away with blushing cheeks.

"I would have preferred to stay, to bestow upon your twin spheres a much gentler attention than what His Majesty had seen fit to submit them to but recently. They were the most irresistible shade of pink, I recall." He smirked again.

Oh, I was glad he had not told me earlier.ouldould have died with embarrassment and humiliation if I had known at that time. Even now, when we shared a much more intimate relationship, I was somewhat embarrassed.

An instant later, he was with me on the cushions, kneeling on my left side, his hand on the small of my back and his voice soft in my ear. "It is my ntiontion to make up for the lost opportunity this instant. And you should seek to improve your Sindarin further. Read to me."

"What, Thaladir?" This was the strangest request I had heard since that night when the king had told me to look into his eyes no matter what happened. The memory of it still made me feel hot and bothered.

"Read. Your pronunciation could benefit from more practice," the seneschal replied curtly. That said, he moved his right hand to my backside, ly gly gliding from the thin fabric of the dress onto my bare thigh and up again, now over the soft of of the boxers I was wearing underneath. I felt him placing his left hand in my hair, drawing his fingers through my locks, as he repeated again in a voice both firm and pleading; "Read".

And I read from the little book, line after line of tuneful Elvish words, while the seneschal continued his gentle caresses that felt cool and soothing at first, pleasant but not arousing. Then they made me burn. The words on the page before me began to lose all meaning, and when I felt two fingers sneaking their way under the waistband of my underpants, the book fell out of my hands. The small sound it made when hitting the stone floor seemed to awaken the seneschal, and he spoke again, now between ragged breaths.

"I believe these pose a hindrance at present, and with your leave, my lady, I shall see to their removal." The formality of his request only made it sound even msinfsinful.

"Yes, Your Excellency," I whispered back, suddenly finding it hard to speak. I fehe ghe garment sliding down my legs and then the seneschal stood. I could not see him from my present position, but I heard the sound of clothes being removed and folded. I stifled a giggle. Even now he undressed with care.


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

~ Sheraiah ~

By that evening, I was so into spi spirit of my story and concentrating so hard that I didn't hear the knon myn my door. A hand on my shoulder caused me to nearly jump out of my seat and I shrieked. Elladan and Elrohir jumped back out of my arms' reach.

"It is just us, Rai!" I glared at them and they both stuck their tongues out at me.

"You dorks, you could have given me a bit more warning," I growled. "Is it every elf in Imladris' project in life to scare the hell out of me?"

"We did knock, sweetling." Elrohir gave me a too-innocent grin. "It is not our fault that you could not hear us over your music."

"All right, all right. What is it that you want now? Aren't there enough elves in Rivendell to torture, or is it just that you especially enjoy picking on me?" I shot back at them, the smile on my face fading quickly when they sobered a bit.

"We just had a rather unusual encounter with a certain princeling," Elladan stated, his face solemn.

"You didn't do anything awful to him, did you?" I felt a cold shiver go down my back as I realized just who they had been torturing. I really didn't want to be the cause of a rift between the long-term friends. Elladan's quick headshake did little to reassure me.

"No, we did nothing. We did not even broach the subject of your argument. No, it was he who was less than polite. Rai, he knows that we kept you company last night and he is making assumptions. He was not pleased. I would almost say that he was jealous." What slipped past my lips in response to his statement made Elladan's eyebrows shoot up into his hairline. Elrohir choked back a laugh. Evidently ladies in Rivendell don't use that particular word. That was just too flipping bad. I'd already said I wasn't a lady.

Wonderful. My night was just getting better and better. I wondered if it was permissible to go jump into the Bruinen to put myself out of my, and everyone else's, misery.

I chased both of the twins out of my room again, rather less graciously than I had before, but I was ticked at them bse tse they admitted to not telling Legolas the truth about last night. Instead, they had tormented him with innuendos and half-truths until they realized how badly he was taking it. They had not had the chance to set him straight, but promised that they would at such time as he was speaking to them again. Now I could cheerfully have nglengled the lot of them. I settled on the window seat and watched the lightening sheeting across the night sky for awhile.

A knock on my door roused me from my dark thoughts. I hesitated, not certain if I wanted to answer. The decision was taken from me as a familiar blond head appeared, peeking around the door frame and ready to duck if needed. When nothing flew in his direction, the rest of Legolas appeared and he stood just inside the door, looking sheepishly at me. I tried to hold on to my anger, but the lost puppy expression he was giving me made that impossible. I rolled my eyes and vented a growl of frustration.

"Oh, all right! Come in and sit down. But I want you to hear me out this time, please." I folded my legs under me to make room for him on the window seat. He sat on the opposite end, making no effort to touch me.

"I will hear you out, provided that you do not yell or call me names this time." He still looked hurt, so he must have either understood what I had called him, or had it explained to him afterwards.

"Agreed, and I'm sorry about that. I lost my temper. I shouldn't have called you a prick. You really didn't deserve it." He smiled slightly and I knew that, at least for that, I had been forgiven. I was relieved, but the situation was still far from resolved.

"And I should not have frightened you or walked out on you." He looked at me for a moment and bit his lower lip in a most endearing way. "And I should not have used the means I did to distract you from asking me a legitimate question. I shall not do that again. Ask me what you wish to know, Rai, and I shall answer your questions."


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

~ Mary ~

The twins allowed me to talk to Legolas alone in their room while they went off to make mischief in some other part of The Last Homely House. I hoped the storms would clear soon if just to get them outdoors where they could burn ofeir eir energy in more productive ventures.

The aggravated prince was just as conflicted as Sheraiah, but he insisted he was more irritated with Elladan and Elrohir's interference in his love life than he was upset with her. I figured they must have been teasing him mercilessly about their spending the night in Sheraiah's room and how sorry he should be that he had to sleep alone.

"You're in Rivendell," I reminded him, "where every elf has their nose in every other elf's business. It'rt ort of their trademark here, with Elrond being so involved with the Middle Earth affairs of all the other elves, not to mention all the men, dwarves, hobbits and wizards. You aren't back in Mirkwood where everyone minds their own business because they have to spend so much time together underground."

The twins had done their best to motivate Legolas by provoking him into feeling jealous and I almost had the notion that the prince was envious, at least, of the cozy relashipship they had formed with Sheraiah. He would never have admitted to feeling such things to them, me, or her. In the halls of Mirkwood, where an open display of any emotion was frowned upon, it is hard to say if admitting to feeling anything was ever practiced. And suspiciousness about the motives of other elves from other realms was a trait that was instilled into the mind of every resident in Thranduil's realm at birth.

"Legolas," I said, "I think you ups upset that we human girls will demand a certain level of respect from one elf and then turn around and allow other elves to act disrespectfully towards us. Or, what you consider disrespectful." From the look in his eyes I could tell I had reached him with thamarkmark. I had learned a lot the night before at the knee of the great elf, Glorfindel.

And I had quite literally sat at his knee, too, in his chambers, as the great golden-haired elf hero reclined on the sofa before hiseplaeplace and told me everything my poor human brain could comprehend of the ways of elves and men. The carpet before the hearth was soft and inviting, I sank down on it and listened, enrapt, through most of the night until the early morning. It was at some point before dawn, I think, when I fell asleep with my head resting upon one of his outstretched legs. His voice, a singer's voice, modulated and melodic, proved better than a lullaby.

And now I tried to apply some of that shared wisdom to this situation with my friend, Legolas. He was not alone in his frustration with human nature and our propensity towards hysterical emotional outbursts when faced with the detached attitudes of elves towards us. It was a common problem in elf-human friendships. Which is why, according to Glorfindel, elves rarely formed long-term relationships with us in the first place.

But, Legolas was also irritated over the whole situation because he thought he had tried his hardest to be respectful towards Sheraiah's reputation, while visiting Rivendell and sharing his rooms with her, and she had not only been unappreciative, but had attacked him for it.

Elves may not be prudes, but, publicly displaying affection is considered highly rude behavior among them, whether they are from Mirkwood or Rivendell. He was also angry with the twins for what he perceived as their taking advantage of her while she was distressed, and not being more discreet about it.

I assured him that the Elladan, Elrohir and Sheraiah did not have intimate relations the night before. The twins did not take advantof hof her state of mind or seduce her wickedly while she was at her weakest point. If they had led him to believe such things then they were merely trying to provoke him into taking appropriate action towards winning her back into his arms. Although they had been a bit clumsy in their approach, I had to grant him that much.

And, I added, Sheraiah was sorry she slugged him and called him names.

"She was desperate to reach through to you, Legolas," I explained. "We humans don't have centuries to practice patience with stubborn elf princes and that can lead to rather extreme forms of bad behavior on our parts."

He thought about it, and thought about it, and finally got up and, after giving me a kiss on the cheek, set off towards Sheraiah's rooms. I hoped they could mend their differences as I set off for my guest-room and that marvelous book of Middle Earth history waiting there for me.


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

~ Mal ~

Then the seneschal came back. This time he sank down onto my outstretched legs, sitting across my clasped together thighs, not with his full weight, but enough to have me immobilized. Again his hands sought my backside and he slid them up under my skirt, leaving it around my waist. His rigid member bounced against my thighs as he moved, teasing as much as his fingers over my bottom. He drove me mad by dipping a finger down between them, at the same time as his legs effectively hindered my attempts to allow it better access. His fingertip merely brushed against my folds and it made moan with frustration.

Then he bent over and kissed me, raining gentle kisses over my rear, sometimes even darting out his tongue. After that, he finally changed his position, settling between my legs instead of over them, spreading them apart with his knees. I sighed and whimpered in anticipation when I felt his hand reach under me, touching, gently, too gently. I crushed it beneath me, pushing it into the cushion under me and thereby forcing it to cause harder friction against my nether lips and the little nub that ached for attention.

"How improper, what an appalling lack of patience," I heard Thaladir mutter, but he sounded more amused than truly annoyed. Gently he lifted me and put a cushion under my hips, which put me in a position more pleasurable to both of us. I felt his finger glide along my slick folds again, back and forth and into me, then out again and over my swollen clitoris. I wriggled constantly to make him touch me where I wanted it the most.

When I was almost delirious with lust he crept up closer behind me, and I felt his hot breath against my ear as he whispered hoarsely, "At that time, experiencing you in the current manner was unreachable beyond dreaming. His Majesty is most generous." I could only moan in reply, as I felt him pushing into me, slowly and gently. Then he paused for a short while, letting out a deep sigh, before he pulled all the way out, and then pushed in again, repeating his motions in long, hard thrusts until passion overtook me. As ripples of pleasure shook my body, the seneschal reached his peak in a last, powerful movement that almost shoved me off the cushions.

Then he stood, and with a guilty look on his face, he picked up the book and carefully deposited it on the mantelpiece, patting the cover almost affectionately. When he turned towards me again I saw him changing back to his official role, despite his nakedness, and the wrinkle returned to his forehead as he spoke.

"Regardless the immense joy that may be reaped from literature studies, it is well past your bedtime, my lady. You will sleep now." I could only smile at him as I rose and walked to the bed.

"Yes, Your Excellency."

The seneschal had helped me through another day without the king.

And so my time passed between the sentinel and the seneschal, and though they both did their best to shower me with caresses, they could do nothing to ease my mind. I did find happiness of sorts with Anarion. For as long as he was with me, I was satisfied with the pleasure he gave so generously, but in the lonely wakes of the night, in the desperate hour before dawn, when Thaladir had returned to his own quarters and the sun not yet risen, dark thoughts clouded my existence.


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

~ Mary ~

I had promised Glorfindel that, as soon as I was finished with it, I would return the valuable book he had let me borrow directly to the main library, into Erestor's hands. I was feeling peculiarly bleak as I approached the main areas of the large manse. Ever since the evening that I had my conversation with Legolas about Sheraiah, I had been feeling miserable and blue.

In Mirkwood, when Thranduil and his son sat side by side, the differences between them were obvious and clear. One did not remind me of the other. But, here in Rivendell, so far apart as they were, I found there were too many similarities between them, father and son, and talking with him had made me miss the king, like I missed the sun throughout the gray, blowy, rainy days.

As soon I stepped through the huge carved doors and inhaled the familiar scent of paper, glue, ink and dust that identified the presence of mass quantities of books, I was sorry I had not thought to come to the library before. Even blindfolded, I would have known where I was. I instantly felt calmer and happier, the way, I suppose, that someone who relies on comfort food to restore a battered spirit feels when eating a honey cake.

I was advised that Master Erestor, as the other library elves referred to him, was working in the back of the large book lined chamber. I was directed his way and told to use my ears.

The large room was quietpitepite the nearly half dozen elves, who glided silently in and out of the large standing bookcases carrying armloads of books, shelving them away neatly, then moving along to find another stack. As I moved through the towering bookcases I admired the collection of richly bound treasures that filled them, bottom to top.

And then I heard him, humming to himself, a melody that reminded me of the one that Miriel used to hum when she was busy in my rooms back in Mirkwood, and I found him quickly by following the direction of the tune. Erestor, counselor to Lord Elrond, and overseer of the largest library in Middle Earth. That is, largest according to the twins, who have not actually seen many other libraries. I am willing to bet the library in Gondor is pretty huge in comparison. But, it was still an important position for any elf to hold and he was obviously well-respected by all those who spoke of him.

He was too busy with his own shelving task to notice me at first, which is an unusual behavior for an elf, but I am sure that if I had posed any type of threat or danger, he would have known immediately and acted accordingly. But, I think he was used to having others come up behind him silently for one reason or another, and is not exactly startled about it when it happens. I stood and waited for him to notice me, I knew he would within moments, and looked him over closely.

Erestor was rarely seen in the Great Hall of Fire or any of the other common areas of Lord Elrond’s house. I had eaten a few meals with him at the same table, but he was as quiet and unassuming there as Thranduil's treasurer, Canath, had been in Mirkwood. Erestor has beautiful dark eyes that are large and liquid and poetic. But he rarely raised them from his plate at the dinner table and, unless directly addressed by name, rarely looked others directly in the face.

In the cozy smelling library I felt as far removed from the underground caverns of Mirkwood as I had ever felt in Rivendell. If Thranduil had anything resembling a library, I was wholly unaware of its existence. But, when Erestor finally turned and acknowledged my presencth ath a pleasant smile, I thought, again, of the king. It was unnerving. I pushed him aside in my mind. I had come to the library to find peace of mind, and if I could not find it here, there was none to be found.


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

~ Mal ~


I felt that I had become a whore and was betraying my love for Thranduil by accepting the two other elves' affection. Deep down in my soul I knew that it would not have come to this if the king had not sent them my way, but it was not enough. I had wanted them, had I not? He had read my thoughts, discovered attraction and done what he thought would please me, was it not so? The knowledge that I would never have acted upon such whims on my own did not justify my actions, but only added a feeling of guilt towards Anarion and Thaladir, never mind that both of them seemed content with the situation.

Naturally, I could not talk to either of these two about my troubles, and I didn't feel that I could confide in Ithilwen either. I missed Mary more than ever and it became clear to me that she had made the right decision when she left. No matter what she might encounter in Imladris or beyond, it could never be as bad at this. I began to wish I had the strength to do the same, to just walk out the gates and leave it all behind. But I could not. Just thinking about the Elvenking made me feel weak. Thranduil had me trapped by my own will. But the situation could not last infinitely and I felt that it had to come to a confrontation between us, or I would go mad.

I did not have to wait long before I got an opportunity. I was on my way to the study to return the poetry book, now thoroughly studied under Thaladir's supervision, when the king suddenly stood before me in the hallway.

"You are dissatisfied," he stated with a surprised and somewhat worried expression on his face. "Does not my seneschal give you pleasure? If he does not treat you well, I will..."

I interrupted him. "It is not pleasure that I want."

The king’s eyes narrowed to slits and he said slowly and threateningly: "If you would rather have pain, that can easily be arranged."

I was taken aback by his sudden change of mood, and a little frightened, too. I assured him, that in that case I’d be happy with the pleasure, thank you very much, and the danger signals disappeared from his handsome face. I am already in pain," I said quietly. "Can you not see that I’m bleeding?"

"Where? Who hurt you?" Worry was back in his gaze now, and I could see that he was scanning me for injuries. Wounds that were not there for his eyes to see.

"You did, my lord," I said sadly. "You make my heart bleed by rejecting me." I had hoped that would make him take me into his arms, but it didn't. He just shook his head slowly.

"Mal. What am I to do with you?" There was weariness in his voice now, just like at breakfast. It was painful to hear and suddenly regretted that I had bothered him with my petty troubles that must be nothing against his.

"Perhaps it would be best for everyone if you just sent me away," I said, resigned.

"I am not going to do that," he stated firmly. These small words were all that was needed to turn my sadness into anger. This arrogant elf did not want me for himself, but still I was to be kept around as some plaything for selected elves in his service.

"Why?" I asked in a cold voice. "You brought me here as your concubine. Your seneschal made sure the job description was perfectly clear, and has repeatedly called me both 'suitable' and 'adequate'. Still you appear to have no use for me now, so why not let me go?" I winced when I heard my voice crack, ruining what determination I had felt.

I had expected that the unspoken accusations would make him angry, but he was very calm when he replied, slowly as if he wanted each word to sink into me.

"I need you for the times to come, and I need you well rested. Tell me what you want." I did not understand what he meant, but it was not important. I knew what I wanted from him.

"I want to be close to you," I whispered, not daring to look up, afraid to see the king’s reaction. He must be appalled by my behaviour, I thought, my clinging to him like a leech with all my heart. He surprised me by stroking my cheek fleetingly and lifting my chin so that I had to look into his eyes.

"You already are," he said in a soft voice. "Your feelings are strong and I can sense you better than most things in my realm. You are very close to me."

"But I can’t sense you," I protested weakly, "or see your thoughts. To know that you care about me I need you to be with me, to tell me, to show me." I did my best to really open the dark chasm that was my soul to him, baring it completely before his prodding mind, and he seemed thoughtful for a moment, before he delivered his conclusion on the matter.

"Very well. You will sleep in my bed again, except for when I have company. When I am occupied you will not seek me out; you will stay in your room and not complain. And Thaladir will not come to you anymore, unless you tell me that it is your sincere desire that he should. Now, what do you say?"

I could not find words to express how I felt, so I followed my heart's impulse to wrap my arms around his waist and lean my head against his chest. For some blissful seconds I listened to the beating of the heart therein, but I also felt the presence of a raw power, something building up under pressure, a volcano on the verge of eruption. Before even a minute had passed, I was harshly pushed aside, dropping the book in the process, and the king strode off, angrily muttering "Do not tempt me, woman!"


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