The Robe of the Golden Flower

Disclaimer: LOTR belongs to the creative genius of JRR Tolkien, not me.

The Robe of the Golden Flower.

Part Three.

“I see that Elladan and Elrohir have finished collecting firewood,” said Legolas as he tuned to wave a greeting to his friends who were standing a short distance away. He ignored the look of displeasure that was mirrored on the two strikingly similar faces, assuming their punishment, not to mention their muddied robes, was the cause of their disgruntlement. Glorfindel thought otherwise.

“I think they are still annoyed with me, judging by their dark looks,” he said to Legolas, allowing a small, sad sigh to escape his lips.

“No one can stay angry with you for long, not even Lord Elrond! Let me act as mediator, for I am certain they will be more than eager to discuss at length any grievance they may have with you,” offered the younger elf.

“You sound as if it is a common occurrence, which I suppose it is… students and tutors are often at odds. Ai, I would be most grateful to learn what is bothering them,” he decided.

“Then I will see you at the evening meal,” said Legolas as he wandered over to speak with his friends.

“You two almost look more disheveled than you did when we arrived back here last night,” he teased glancing at each in turn.

“It is still extremely damp and muddy in the forest,” answered Elladan with a tinge of frost in his voice.

“As you probably know from your little jaunt with Glorfindel,” Elrohir sneered as he scuffed the mud from the heels of his boots before they entered the house. Legolas frowned at the unfriendly attitude they were both displaying towards him.

“Glorfindel feared ywo wwo were angry with him for some reason, but it appears it is I who has earned your wrath. What have I done to offend you, aside from not being ordered to help collect firewood?” he asked, easily guessing part of the reason for their sullen moods. Elladan asked a question of his brother with his eyes, and Elrohir nodded a silent agreement.

“We are not angry wiou, ou, Legolas, we are concerned for you,” said Elladan.

“Why?”

“It is a matter best discussed in private,” answered Elrohir. “Shall we go to my chamber?”

“Say yes, Legolas,” advised Elladan. “My secretive brother has ‘acquired’ a bottle of Adar’s finest vintage.”

“Then how can I refuse!” declared Legolas laughing merrily with Elladan at the slight tinge of embarrassment that colored Elrohir’s cheeks.

“Now, tell me why you are concerabouabout me?” Legolas asked when everyone had settled comfortably on the rug in front of the fire with a goblet of wine in their hands.

“It has to do with Glorfindel. You and he seem to have become quite close of late,” said Elladan, suddenly uncertain of how he wished to proceed.

“He has been a frequent guest in Adar’s Hall over the past year, and I have come to know him much better and as a result we have become good friends,” agreed Legolas.

“And nothing more?” asked Elrohir immediately regretting his words as Legolas stared at him, eyes flashing with anger.

“Are you asking if we are lovers?” he hissed.

“You behave as if you are. We saw you both leaving the study last night. Your parting appeared to be too familiar for mere friendship,” said Elladan framing his words as delicately as he could as stormy eyes focused on him.

“You were wearing his robe, and you arranged to visit him in his chamber. And just now, that was that rather overly affectionate display in the courtyard,” added Elrohir. Legolas looked from one to the other, astounded and angered greatly by what they had assumed. He could see they were uncomfortable with their inferences, and he decided to do as Glorfindel would have, and tease them a little.

“I find the fact that my two best friends have been spying on me, and are speculating on my private life to be offensive and disquieting in the extreme,” he said, pausing to make sure they were both feeling ty. ty. “But even more disquieting is your attitude. Would you really disapprove if I admitted Glorfindel and I were lovers?”

“No, I would be very happy for you both,” said Elladan looking slightly confused as to whether this was an admission on Legolas’s part or not.

“I would also be happy for you, as long as you understood fully what you were doing,” answered Elrohir a little more cautiously.

“What do you mean?” asked Legolas the coldness in his voice a direct contrast to the heat of anger in his heart.

“Well, Glorfindel is so much older for one thing, and he has never yet given his heart to anyone, and we all know he has had lovers. It is likely he is simply using you for his pleasure. I would not wish to see him break your heart” he replied with a simple honesty that touched Legolas, but the insinuations made him even more furious and he was not yet prepared to forgive either of them.

“Ai, he is older, and as you say far more experienced as a lover, but how do you know he has not given his heart?” he asked with deliberate ambiguity.

“Then are you lovers?” Elladan asked.

“All I will say is that he would never break my heart!” exclaimed Legolas as he stormed out of the room, leaving the twins to stare at the empty place by the fire. Legolas was so full of rage that he took little notice of his surroundings and as he turned the corner in the hallway he collided heavily with Glorfindel, who wrapped his arms about the younger elf to prevent him from falling. Elladan, who had followed a few moments later to try and convince his friend to return and settle their quarrel, arrived in time to see Legolas firmly held in Glorfindel’s arms. Without being seen, Elladan turned on his heel and hurried back to Elrohir’s room. leaving the two ‘lovers’ to their privacy.

“My apologies, Lord Glorfindel,” Legolas mumbled as disengaged himself and made to walk past his friend. A hand on arm arm stopped him, and a gentle finger tilted his chin so that young eyes met old.

“You seem to enjoy the arms of your elders,” he teased gently. Legolas was anything but amused.

“It was an accident, then and now,” he answered curtly.

“Forgive my jest, for I see by the sparks of anger in your eyes that your talk with the twins did not go well,” said the elf lord. “Do you wish to talk about it?”

“Ai, but not here, the walls likely have ears as well as eyes,” he said loudly enough for the benefit of the two in the chamber down the hall to hear him. Glorfindel raised an eyebrow but did not enquire further.

“Come to my chambers then, I assure you we will have complete privacy,” he said, gesturing for Legolas to lead the way. “By the way, did you happen to see where I put my robe after you returned it yesterday?” asked Glorfindel as they walked through the silent hallway.

“It was on the chair near the door when we left to go riding,” replied Legolas. “Why do you ask?”

“I seem to have misplaced it, and it was one of my favorites. Now come inside and explain to me what that was all about,” commanded Glorfindel as he opened doordoor to his chamber and ushered Legolas inside. The younger elf entered the room and immediately began pacing the few steps between the balcony doors and the bed in an attempt to calm his anger.

“I think I just confirmed Elladan and Elrohir’s suspicions that we are lovers,” he replied after a few moments of silence. Glorfindel laughed out loud.

“And how did you manage that?” he asked trying unsuccessfully to stop laughing.

“I deliberately did not deny it when Elladan asked. I thought to tease him as you might have done,” Legolas replied.

“So now you are playing a prank to make them pay for their impolite actions, I assume?” guessed Glorfindel.

“It is nothing less than they deserve. Did you know that they have been spying on us, and that is how they have decided that were far more than friends?” Glorfindel shook his head in disbelief that the twins would still indulge in such childish behavior.

“Is that why they are displeased with me?” he asked with his usual quickness of perception.

“Not they do not disapprove of the notion that we may be lovers, it is just that they think you are taking advantage of me and will break my heart,” explained Legolas.

“Then they know naught of what they speak,” declared the elfd.
d.

********

Later that evening at dinner, Legolas was sitting beside Glorfindel at the table, and he would occasionally glance over to where Elladan and Elrohir were seated, several times to see that he was being subject to their scrutiny. Although he was engrossed in a serious discussion with Elrond and Erestor, Glorfindel noticed as well and decided to give them something to ponder about. He reached over and gently squeezed Legolas’s hand, capturing his attention, and then leaned down to whisper in his ear.

“We are being watched, smile as if I had just said something endearing,” he suggested. Legolas complied, and even managed a demure blush, smiling at the sharp intake of breath from Elrohir who was watching them closely.

“I will leave now, for I am really in need of rest. Please make my apologies to Lord Elrond,” Legolas whispered back before he rose from sea seat and left the dining hall.

“Should we follow him?” asked Elladan, now filled with determination to have his question answered.

“No, let us first wait and see if Glorfindel goes to the Hall of Fire after the meal, as he usually does, or if he follows Legolas to his chamber,” replied Elrohir.

“Maybe we should warn Adar of the situation. Perhaps he will send Legolas back to Mirkwood, for his own good,” suggested Elrohir.

“Ai that is a good idea. We will speak to Adar in the morning,” agreed Elladan.

To their surprise Glorfindel spent the rest of the evening adding his melodic voice to the singing and due to unfortunate circumstances it was well into the afternoon before either twin was in any state to speak to Elrond, or anyone else.

******

Elladan had spent several hours washing his hair, trying to remove the treacle that someone had substituted for his hair wash. Before he realized what was happening, he had coated his long raven black locks with the sweet, impossibly sticky substance.

After at least six or seven rinses, he had finally restored his hair to its usual silken luster, and then stormed unannounced into Elrohir’s chamber, ready to blame the prank on his brother. Elrohir was not in the room, but in the bathing chamber adjacent, calling his twin as many derogatory names as he could imagine.

He started with surprise when Elladaekedeked into the room and doubled with laughter at the cause of his brother’s ire. Apparently someone had replaced Elrohir’s bath oil with a pale blue dye, which the younger twin was having great difficulty removing.

“Your skin is almost as blue as it was the other night,” laughed Elladan as he took a washcloth and started scrubbing his brother’s back. “I was going to accuse you of putting treacle in my hair wash, but I see that you have also fallen victim to the prankster.”

“Legolas!” they shouted in unison.