The Price of Pride

Elvish translations

Meldis – friend (female) lirimaer – lovely one
Melethron – l (ma (male) lothamin – my flower
Pen-bain – beautiful one nornin – harder
Miqulo amin – kiss me


Chapter 7


I lay still at Arwen’s side for long minutes before I stirred. “Meldis,” I murmured against her neck, “how are you feeling?”

A purr was her only reply. I took that to mean that all was well with her. I rose with the idea of finding a cloth to clean us up, but I quickly changed my mind. The night was far from over and I wanted to take advantage of every second. I went into the bathroom and set the water to filling the pool there. I found the bottle of cleansing oil and added some to the water. As the scent of lilac rose with the steam, I returned to Arwen’s side. She lay exactly as I had left her, an absolute vision of wanton fulfillment. Everything I desired in Arda was right before my eyes. I knelt beside her and braided the part of her hair not confided in the lover’s braids, using the silver ribbons to secure the long braid at the nape of her neck. I had no desire to have wet hair in the bed I hoped we would soon be sharing. When her hair was secure, I reached up to braid my own.

“Let me,” she interrupted, coming to her knees beside me. I acquiesced, turning to give her access. That simple touch seemed suddenly more intimate than all that had already passed between us when I realized that I had never before let a lover braid my hair. Amazingly, I felt my erection beginning to return again. As soon as she was done with my braid, I scooped her up into my arms and carried her to the bathroom, filled now with fragrant steam. I lowered her into the water before joining her there. We soaked for some time in companionable silence. I had closed my eyes, trying to imprint every sensation on my memory when I felt a soft cloth moving across my skin. Arwen had taken advantage of my distraction. Eyes still closed, I settled deeper into the water and let her hands wander as they pleased. When she had touched me before, we had both been caught in a haze of passion. Our earlier climax had cleared some of that haze, and I could sense the curiosity in Arwen’s touch. She was learning my body with her hands and, I imagined, with her eyes. I was tempted to peek from beneath my eyelashes so I could see her expression, but I didn’t want my gaze to inhibit her. Her hands traced the lines of my muscles, up my arms, across my chest and abdomen, down my thighs and calves, even the soles of my feet. Then, they began a return journey up my legs, stopping at my groin. I groaned in pleasure as one hand folded around my semi-erect length, the other reaching between my legs to cup the sac there. I spread my legs to give her better access. The desire to see her as she touched me so intimately grew overwhelming. I resisted at first, but finally I could not help myself. I opened my eyes and caught a glimpse of the fascination on her face before she felt my gaze. Her hands stopped caressing and she blushed.

“Close your eyes,” she pleaded. “I can not do this if you are watching me.”

I complied quickly, not wanting her to stop her ministrations. I began to thrust with the rhythm of her hands. I had not expected to become so aroused again so quickly after I’d spent twice in a short span of time, but the magic of the night seemed to have affected me for I could feel the tingling that signaled yet another climax. Before I could even utter a warning, my seed shot into the water, covering my stomach and Arwen’s hand.

I opened my eyes then, face flushed with embarrassment, but the delight in Arwen’s eyes eased my mortification. “I did that to you,” she murmured in amazement.

“You do many things to me, lirimaer, including arousing me beyond control. I really had imagined taking a bath when I brought you in here.”

“Are you complaining?” she asked with a flirtatious smile. Elbereth help me, what had I unleashed.

“No, I replied,” I am not complaining, but I do thing we should clean up and retire to a more comfortable setting.”

She agreed eagerly, taking back up the cloth she had used earlier. I let her wash me again, but I refused to let her linger. I wanted to make love to her again, in ways made difficult if not impossible by the water. Then, if the Valar smiled upon me, perhaps she would reciprocate.

I got out of the tub and wrapped a towel around my waist, not bothering to dry off. The cool water felt good in the steamy air. Then, I helped Arwen out as well, picking up another towel to dry her skin. As she had done earlier, I used the cloth as an excuse to touch every inch of her skin, long, slender arms, elegant shoulders, rounded breasts, flat stomach, long legs, graceful feet. She was trembling by the time I was done. I hooked one arm behind her knees, lifting her into my arms again.

“I can walk, you know,” she told me laughingly.

“I know, but I like carrying you. Do you mind?”

She thought about it for a moment before replying. “No.”

“Good,” I said, stealing a quick kiss before carrying her to the bed. I released the braid I had made to keep her hair from getting wet, but not the lover’s braids or the silver ribbons. I stopped her when she reached up to remove the rest of the braids.

“Leave them,” I requested.

“Why?” she asked, puzzled.

My mind raced for a moment, trying to find a way to explain what I was feeling without giving too much away. I couldn’t very well tell her that I had been fantasizing for weeks about seeing lover’s braids in her hair. I hadn’t known weeks ago that we would have this night. I settled on telling her at least part of the truth. “This is the first time anyone has ever worn lover’s braids for me. Seeing them, and the ribbons, reminds me that you chose me. This is also the first time I have ever worn braids from a lover,” I told her, gesturing to the plait she had put in my hair earlier.

“I will braid your hair whenever you want,” she told me fervently.

“In the morning, then,” I replied, releasing the ties. She reached up and loosened the braids as she had done before. I leaned forward as she leaned back, letting the long strands flow across her stomach and breasts. Then I reached for one full breast, kneading it as my mouth settled on the nipple of the other breast.

She let out a sharp cry. I paused, looking up to check on her before returning to my task. The quick glance had shown me eyes glazed with passion.

I licked my way down her stomach to her navel, pausing to tickle her there before continuing to the crease where her thigh joined her hip. My hands ran down her legs, caressing the silky skin before spreading her knees so that I could kneel between them. I glanced at her again, to make sure she was still accepting what I was doing. Then, I dropped butterfly kisses on the inside of each of her thighs. I stretched out on the bed, resting my head just for a second on heomacomach. Then I moved down a little farther to press a tender kiss to the curls at the base of her stomach and then one to the folds between her widespread legs.

“Legolas?” she entreated.

I made no reply, simply kissed her again, tongue flicking out to taste her. She tasted of the bath, the oil that had scented the water, and another sweet taste that was all her own. She bucked against my mouth. I gripped her hips lightly to hold her in place as I feasted, nipping and licking at the delicate folds before pushing my tongue as far inside her as I could. She called my name again, the breathless sound pushing me to greater exertions. I wanted her absolutely mindless with need. I succeeded. She let out another cry and climaxed against my mouth. I lapped up every drop I could catch, loving the effect I had on her. Loving her. When the spasms slowed and then stopped, I kissed my way back up her body to her lips.

I reclined next to her, stroking the curve of her cheek gently as she recovered. Slowly, awareness came back into her eyes. “Melethron,” she whispered. She looked so irresistible, I had to kiss her again.

“I am here, lothamin.”

“Can…” She hesitated. I could sense her nervousness. “Can I do that to you?”

The Valar be praised! “You can do anything to me you want, pen-bain,” I reassured her. She pushed me onto my back, running her fingers through my hair spread over her pillow. She kissed my lips softly, then with more passion, taking control of the kiss and of my mouth. The fingers in my hair found the tips of my ears, stroking so lightly that I could barely feel it. I strained in anticipation of the next feather light touch, turning my head to try and deepen the caress. She was turning into quite the temptress. Her lips moved down my neck, sucking gently on the skin.

“Nornin,” I pleaded.

She looked surprised. “But, will that not hurt?”

“Ai, no,” I gasped. “It will not hurt.” She did as I asked, sucking redness to the surface, branding me with her passion as I had not dared brand her. I moaned delightedly. She moved lower, pressing tentative kisses on my collarbone and across the muscles of my chest. I fisted my hands in the sheets to resist the temptation to move her mouth to my nipples. They were erect, already begging for her touch. She circled them, agonizingly slow. “You can do anything to me you want,” I repeated breathlessly.

It seemed that was all the permission she needed. Her lips and teeth latched onto one nipple with astonishing ferocity. I cried out, my hands leaving the sheets to hold her head in place. “Saes,” I begged. The mixture of innocence and brazenness in her touch was driving me wild. Never had I felt such mind-numbing passion. I knew I babbled as she continued to nibble and lick at my nipples, alternating between them.

she she had enough of that, she moved lower, taking my erection in her hand again. “Miqulo amin,” I whispered just as she took me in her mouth. I the there, stunned by the intensity of the sensation. Her mouth was hot, wet, inviting, the ridge of her teeth scraping erotically against my skin. Her tongue slid around me, caressing, exploring, tasting. I forced my hips to stillness, not wanting to thrust into her inexperienced mouth. When the urge to move became too much to bear, I reached down and drew her up over my body, until her hips were just above mine. I tested her readiness quickly, for even with my mind clouded by passion, I knew I never wanted to hurt her. Fortunately, she was as aroused as I was. I drew her hips down until the tip of my shaft nudged her folds.

“What do I do?” she asked.

“Sit up.”

She did, the motion impaling her on my erection. I groaned hoarsely as I felt her passage accept me.

“All right?” I asked when I was fully sheathed inside her.

She rocked her hips in reply. I helped her raise up, guiding her movements until she caught the rhythm. Then my hands dropped back to the sheets as I let her set the pace. Twice she brought me to the brink of completion before slowing the pace again, drawing out our lovemaking. Finally, passion ruled us both and we went over together. She collapsed in my arms, totally replete.

“I want to stay like this,” she mumbled, sleep filling her voice.

“Whatever you want,” I promised. I know she had yet to realize it, but she held all the power in our relationship. Until the day she died, she had only to ask and I did everything in my power to grant her desire. Even standing at her side as she bound herself to another, a man, a mortal whose death caused her own.