Something Special, Something Sacred

Imladris, Third Age 2033

He walked through the corridors on silent feet, his head tall and his golden mane free of ornamentation. Elrond had sent word for Glorfindel to come to his chambers, and that was where the Elda was headed. Their conversation the previous day had been enlightening, and Glorfindel had thought long into the night of his actions and the consequences that Erestor now bore.

Glorfindel had spent the night in their bed, his hand resting on the empty pillow beside his own. Erestor's scent was gone from the linen, and Glorfindel's heart ached to be held by his lover. No longer punished, just... loved. He had cried himself into exhaustion shortly before Anor greeted the day.

The Elda entered the chamber and glanced around. The room was empty. He walked slowly into the inner areas of the suite, but still could not find his Lord. He was about to leave, seek Elrond elsewhere, when there came a call from an room Glorfindel had not noticed, the door slightly ajar and dim light spilling into the bedroom.

"Glorfindel. Come in here."

Glorfindel tentatively entered the small chamber, and gasped at what he saw. It was a playroom, like Erestor's, but at the same time, completely unlike Erestor's. There were no shackles on the wall or intimidating display of implements. The Fëanorian Cross was present, but Elrond's was more inviting somehow. The edges were rounded, and the wrist and ankle cuffs were attached to adjustable chains rather than fixed to the structure. An inclined bench similar to Erestor's was also present, although Elrond's was padded. In addition, there was another large piece of furniture that resembled a large, round table propped on its edge.

An armoire was set against the wall, just as it was in Erestor's playroom. On the side of the armoire, though, a dozen small hooks had been attached. From these hooks dangled a small collection of paddles, floggers, and riding crops. No other implements were visible. More startling, though, than what adorned the room, was what -- or rather, who -- was in the center of it. Celebrían, the Lady of Imladris, stood demurely before Glorfindel, completely naked except for the thin collar affixed around her neck.

"My Lady!" he cried, averting his eyes quickly, his face flushing with embarrassment.

Elrond walked from the corner he had been standing in, chuckling at the Elda. Glorfindel's blush deepened when he saw his Lord, and he opened his mouth to apologize, but Elrond held up his hand.

"Such modesty from you, Glorfindel. Have you never seen a nude female?" he teased.

Glorfindel glared at Elrond. "Aye, I have, but not that of my Lord's wife!"

"Well, now you have," Elrond said matter-of-factly. "Now, shall we begin?"

The blond's eyes became wide and he stared at Elrond in confusion. "Begin what?"

"Your training, naturally. What did you think you were being summoned for?" Elrond smirked at him, and Glorfindel felt his heart leap in his chest with unease.

"But... the Lady Celebrían?" he asked, his voice trembling slightly.

Elrond nodded. "Of course. As you may expect, I trained her myself, and I have complete confidence that she will be a perfect Tumbo for you to learn with."

Celebrían spoke up, her voice lyrical and soft to Glorfindel's burning ears. "Glorfindel, look at me." When he still refused, her voice took on a sharper edge that the Elda was not used to. "Look at me." He turned his bright, worried eyes to her. "I am not ashamed of my body, and you should not be, either. You know how much I adore you and Erestor. The two of you are in need of a form of help that I am able to provide." She smiled softly. "Why should I not offer this to you, my dearest friends?"

"But, my Lady," Glorfindel protested, "even if my desires ran to those of your gender, I could never dishonor you by being a lover to you!"

Elrond's voice was calm, as if he were speaking to a spooked horse. "Nor are we asking you to, Glorfindel. This is training, nothing more than that. Lovemaking is not a necessary component of such relationships. When they are shared between lovers, it is often the ultimate outcome, but by no means is it a compulsory act."

The Elda's gaze darted between his Lord and Lady and he opened his mouth to make another protest, but he found he had nothing more to say. He let out a long breath. He could do this. He could do this for Erestor. For them both. Glorfindel knew he loved the Noldo enough to walked through the fires of Mordor for the dark Elf, so mastering the silver-haired she-Elf could not be much more of a trial.

He hoped.

"If you are quite through with your chivalrous display," Elrond began, looking pointedly at Glorfindel, "then, we can begin. Glorfindel, being in command is nothing new to you in principle. You have commanded warriors since before the Darkening. You expected loyalty and respect from those in your regiments, and you should expect it now. You are in a superior position when you are an Ingor, but you are only there because your Tumbo allows it." Elrond's eyes held Glorfindel's as he said the last three words, "Always remember that."

Glorfindel nodded, directing all his attention to Elrond.

"Everything about this situation exists for a reason." Elrond stood beside Celebrían, drawing Glorfindel's attention to her nude body. "Notice how your Tumbo is naked while you are clothed. This is not only for your ease when you are disciplining, but also serves to remind you how vulnerable your Tumbo is making herself to you. She is putting herself at your mercy, trusting you to keep her safe. The collar, too," Elrond said, lifting Celebrían's head slightly, baring the pale green band to the Elda's eyes, "is more than a mark of subjugation; it exists as a way to make the session separate and distinct. When the collar is off, the session is over. With the exception of a small discussion that should be held afterwards, nothing that happens while the collar is on should persist once it is off."

The blond nodded, shame slamming him in the chest again. He had forced Erestor to blur that line, and the Noldo had suffered for it. The sessions had become everything to Glorfindel, had encompassed all aspects of his life: inside and outside the playroom, with or without his collar.

Elrond continued. "There is, as you know, one element of control that remains in the Tumbo's possession. That is the safety word. Uttering that word will trump all other actions or desires and end the session outright. When giving your Tumbo a safety word, you should choose something that would be totally out of place in a session and that cannot be confused with another, similar word. For our purposes, we will use the word that Celebrían is already familiar with using -- lalf." (elm-tree)

Again, Glorfindel nodded. It was a simple word, one he could easily remember. While he and Erestor used a word in archaic Quenya, Elrond used one in Sindarin, which spoke volumes to Glorfindel about these two very different -- but similar -- masters. Glorfindel took another deep breath, still not looking directly at his Lady.

"Enough introduction. Now it is time to experience. Tell your Tumbo to go to the Cross, Glorfindel," Elrond instructed.

Glorfindel cleared his throat, his mouth suddenly very dry. "Go to the Cross, my Lady," he said softly.

"Glorfindel!" Elrond snapped. "Would one of your warriors do as you command if you spoke to them in such a meek manner? No. Again, as if she were standing on your practice field and you wanted her to perform an action for you."

It was awkward. Glorfindel felt silly; this was the Lady Galadriel's only child and he was about to order her about as if she were nothing but a common wench!

"In this room she is, Glorfindel." Glorfindel gaped at Elrond. "You broadcast your thoughts openly at the moment. Lock them down, step outside of office and status, and tell her to go to the Cross. *Now*!"

Glorfindel swallowed his courage, and forced himself to look at her as nothing more than another Elf on his roster. "Go to the Cross," he said, his voice firm this time.

Celebrían, who had bowed her head and laced her fingers at the base of her neck, nodded slightly. "Aye, Sir," she said, lifting her head and walking to the Cross. Glorfindel took that moment to admire her slim, tall form. The Lady's long silver locks were bound much like his own golden ones had been when Erestor mastered him, but the care with which the hair was pinned with showed the reverence Elrond felt for his wife. Her breasts were round and firm, her hips still narrow, and her buttocks were high and smooth. She did not look like the mother of three grown children. When she reached the Cross, she spread her legs along the lower beams and raised her arms, resting her wrists in the open cuffs.

"Bind her, Glorfindel."

Glorfindel went to her side, closing the cuffs around her slender wrists and then knelt, binding her ankles to the cross as well. He stood back from her immobile body, his own body stirring at the sight. She was beautiful, even more beautiful now in her submission than he had always thought her outside of this room. He still did not desire to bed her, but he could now appreciate the lovely image she presented.

He felt a hard bar placed in his hand. The blond's eyes fell to his hand, a paddle now grasped in his palm. He met Elrond's eyes, trepidation once again overwhelming him.

"You will now learn how to use the paddle. This is a large surface, and it can cause an uncomfortable amount of pain and possible damage if it is used incorrectly. The intent is to heighten sensation, not to cause harm. You cannot simply swing away wherever it pleases you and at full strength. You must start relatively gently and increase force gradually. You are aiming for the more rounded part of the buttocks, just above where it meets the thigh. That is the most sensitive area, and the most receptive to this particular tool. Strike her there, Glorfindel."

"You want me to... hit her?"

"Aye."

"Now?"

"That would be preferable." Elrond crossed his arms. "We *do* have a council meeting just after breakfast. I am certain you would like to get some sleep before then."

Glorfindel drew the paddle back and struck Celebrían's backside, the contact making almost no sound in the room.

"Now that is truly pathetic," Elrond admonished. "Do you mean to tell me that the first time Erestor struck you was that feeble? Celebrían has been submitting to me since before my sons were born. I doubt she even felt that at all!" Elrond snatched the paddle from Glorfindel's hand and swung, the sound of it connecting with Celebrían's flesh making Glorfindel cringe.

Celebrían, though, moaned loudly, her hips moving back slightly, begging silently for another blow.

"You do not have to hit hard, but you must not be shy either. If you are hesitant or unsure, you will cause harm without meaning to." Elrond stepped back and swung again, this time the paddle landed soundly on Glorfindel's backside. "That is all. Do you think that you are capable of that?"

The Elda seized the paddle from Elrond, his eyes narrowed and his lips set in a determined line. How dare the Peredhel strike him? How dare Elrond think that he was incapable of performing the necessary tasks? He swung, more forcefully this time, and was rewarded when Celebrían gasped, a small moan escaping her lips. Glorfindel grinned triumphantly.

Elrond nodded approvingly. "And now the other side. You must vary your placement and your intensity. Your Tumbo's body will tell you how to proceed. The way the redness spreads across their backside; the way they squirm away from certain angles and into others; these are clues, Glorfindel, and you must be aware of them."

Glorfindel nodded and began doing as Elrond instructed. He varied the strokes, the placement, the strength, and he soon found a comfortable rhythm. Celebrían's moans and cried urged him, and by paying attention to her body and her voice, he was able to know when she desired more force from him and when she needed to rest. Celebrían's backside became red, though she continued to press back and meet the paddle eagerly.

"Lalf!" Celebrían cried out, arching away from the paddle.

The blond was halfway through his next swing before the word registered with him. He stopped immediately, his eyes wide with concern. "I am sorry!"

"Why are you sorry?" Elrond asked, moving to stand next to Celebrían's panting form. He ran his hands over the hot flesh, and Glorfindel averted his eyes.

"Because I hurt her," he said.

Elrond shook his head. "Hurt is different from harm. Hurt is inevitable. That is part of the sensuality. Harm is the danger."

"Because I harmed her, then."

Elrond smiled indulgently. "But you did not. That is the purpose of the safety word: to end the session *before* harm is done."

Glorfindel was silent for a moment, mulling the statement over in his mind. He then raised his eyes, and said firmly, "I understand."

The Peredhel stepped away from his wife again. "The safety word has been given; that means the session is over. Give no apologies, but do unfasten any straps, cuffs, or shackles immediately. Do not make your Tumbo feel ashamed or guilty for having stopped the session by leaving them bound and vulnerable."

The Elda quickly unbound Celebrían's arms and ankles, careful to not touch her skin as he did so. He was still uncomfortable with being in close proximity to his Lady in such a state, but he felt more certain of the situation now, the intent of the lessons.

"Now, before the collar is removed, you have one final responsibility to your Tumbo, and that is to ensure her well-being. Examine her body, Glorfindel." The blond began to shake his head, but Elrond held out a hand. "Yes, and that does means you will have to truly look at her. Make sure the wrists have not abraded against the cuffs. Check the buttocks for anything more than light bruising or redness. Verify that there are no marks anywhere else that may have happened accidentally and that may need tending to. Finally, ask your Tumbo if there is any pain or discomfort that you did not notice. Once that is done, you can allow your Tumbo to dress, and then remove their collar." When Glorfindel again hesitated, Elrond sighed in exasperation. "Do as I have said, Seneschal."

Glorfindel took a deep breath and let his eyes roam Celebrían's body. Her wrists and ankles, though slightly reddened, did not look injured. Her buttocks were red, but he had not struck her hard enough to leave any bruising. He finally asked, "Are you well, Lady?"

Elrond's voice, again sharp with annoyance, sounded. "She still wears her collar, Glorfindel. You forget that."

The blond nodded and, in a stronger, more forceful tone, asked, "Tell me, is there any pain you wish to inform me of?"

Celebrían shook her head. "No, Sir."

Elrond motioned to the long, pale blue robe handing by the door. Glorfindel retrieved it and held it out to Celebrían, helping her slip the silky fabric over her bare body. He unclasped her collar and timidly released her hair from the clips. Elrond again pointed to a small pillow, and Glorfindel placed the collar atop the satin surface.

Elrond took each of them by a hand and pulled them from the playroom. "Let us sit by the fire. I said to you earlier, Glorfindel, that when the collar comes off, the acts of the session are forgotten, save for a small discussion. It is time for that discussion."

They all sat in the large, overstuffed chairs positioned before hearth, and Elrond continued to hold Celebrían's hand.

"It is important," Elrond began softly, "to ask your Tumbo's impressions of the session, and for them to hear yours. That is the only way either of you will know if something needs to be changed, if something was particularly good or needs work, or if there are any unresolved questions or issues that should be addressed immediately." Elrond turned his face to Celebrían and asked, "How was that session for you? Is there anything we should speak of?"

Celebrían looked to Glorfindel as if the Elda had been the one to ask the question. "You have such a sweet and kind nature, Glorfindel. It is very endearing to me. However, I am not made of spun glass and will not break as easily as you fear. I would like it very much if you would be firmer next time. And you? Is there anything you would like to speak of?"

Glorfindel shifted in his seat, his face flushing slightly. "This is all very new and strange to me, experiencing it from this side, I mean. I am not sure what I should think."

"Believe it or not, that is normal." Elrond's grey gaze was warm and caring as he spoke to the Elda. "Confusion is a promising sign. It means that you have left your preconceptions behind and are forging through new and unfamiliar ground."

"And now, meldir," Celebrían said, smiling impishly, "I believe my husband said something about a council meeting tomorrow morning. Perhaps we should say our good nights now so that we may get some rest."

Glorfindel furrowed his brow in confusion. "So soon? The night is not so old as that, is it, my Lady?"

"Not yet, perhaps, but my Lord Elrond shall not be retiring for some time yet." She flashed Glorfindel a wicked grin and winked at him, causing the Elda to blush a deeper shade of scarlet.

Elrond cleared his throat and stood. "In that case, perhaps it would be best. Good evening to you, Glorfindel. I hope that these past two nights have begun to make an impression on you. We shall have many more of these sessions, though, do not worry."

The blond nodded, standing and bowing in respect to his Lord and Lady. "An impression is being made, that is certain. The nature of that impression is still very much unclear."

"We will talk much more on these subjects. All will be made clear." Elrond ushered Glorfindel to the door of his suite quickly, and hugged the Elda close. "Rest well, my friend," he whispered as they parted. He then shoved the blond playfully out the door, giving Glorfindel a cheeky smile as he closed the door on his Seneschal.

TBC...