Cuil Eden

Thank you everybody for your reviews! Here is the next chapter... no Haldir, but I promise we haven't seen the last of him. *eg*


45

Despite Rúmil's kind words, Legolas once again began to feel nervous when they approached the talan he shared with Glorfindel. He almost hoped that his Lord had not returned yet, although he knew that as soon as Glorfindel started to question the guard he had sent to him with Gîl, he must have realized what was about to happen.

Legolas lowered his head and sighed, no longer quite so confident now. Who knew how his Lord would react? He paled when he thought of the uncaring way with which he had declared himself Glorfindel's beloved - what if his Lord would be embarrassed by the way he had talked about him in front of the soldiers? For while it was true that Glorfindel had named him thus, what Haldir had sought to hurt him with was also the truth - that it was obvious that Glorfindel did not think of him as consort, as there was no ring on his finger.

Legolas no longer thought of himself as a whore, or a slave, but despite all that they had been through, he knew that their relationship was still too complicated to be expressed in such simple terms as that endearment. He had thought that when Glorfindel had called him his beloved, that there was nothing else he needed to be happy, but in the face of Haldir's malicious words he found his old doubts returning.

"Are you well, Highness?" Rúmil asked hesitantly. "My brother did not hurt you, did he?"

"I am well, do not worry... I am just wondering what I will tell my Lord," Legolas sighed.

"Oh..." Rúmil faltered for a moment as though he were not certain whether to speak. "Are you... He will not hurt you, will he?” He swallowed, then quickly continued.

"I know that Lórien might not seem like a welcoming place for one who was born a son of Thranduil, yet despite his appearances, is our Lord not a Sindarin prince himself, cousin to your grandfather who was a lord of Lindon? And our Lady would never send away one who is in need of help, not even if it meant going against the famous Glorfindel..."

Legolas flushed with hot embarrassment when he realized what Rúmil was talking about.

"It is different, truly! It is not what you think!" he exclaimed, so overcome with shame that he did not even dare to look at Rúmil anymore. "My Lord is not that cruel... There is a reason for those bruises you saw! I... I asked him for it," he admitted shamefully. "Your Lady invited me to look into her Mirror, and what I saw..." Legolas shuddered when he remembered the visions. "I asked him for it - I wanted the trial of pain to help me forget what I saw." He shook his head, smiling bitterly at the next words he whispered. "If your brother thinks the Valar were unkind to your family, he should have seen the visions of what happened to mine."

Rúmil was silent, perhaps shocked by what Legolas had told him. When he finally spoke, his voice was even softer as he hesitantly tried to apologize. "I am sorry, Highness, I did not want to insult you or the Lord Glorfindel... I did not think-"

"No," Legolas said decisively, surprising even himself. "No, do not apologize for that - I am not insulted. I am... it is the first time someone has thought of me!" He laughed in disbelief. "Thank you for your concern – you do not know what it means to me!"

Now Rúmil was the one who was visibly embarrassed. "Certainly I am not the only one who thinks so! I think Glorfindel might find himself the recipient of unpleasant questions very soon, now that so many of our guards have seen the marks on your back, and that after your courageous fight, and me telling them your true age..."

"They would not truly dare to question my Lord, would they?" Legolas asked, suddenly feeling weak. It was bad enough that he had agreed to the fight, but if he were now the reason for people accusing Glorfindel of abusing him...

He closed his eyes, shuddering when he thought of their first meeting by the lake, then quickly forced his thoughts away, remembering instead how Glorfindel had shone and enveloped him in his arms, defending him from his brother.

It did not matter what had happened in the past, for he could not change what had been done. What mattered was what he now knew: that there was love; that from now on, Glorfindel would seek to protect him from all those who would want to hurt him.

Only when they finally walked up the spiraling pathway that led to the talan did the nervousness return. The presence of Rúmil by his side both reassured and embarrassed Legolas, for certainly Glorfindel would not punish him while Rúmil was there to witness his shame - yet on the other hand, Legolas knew that he deserved punishment for his foolishness.

Glorfindel was waiting for them when they entered, calmly sitting on a chair, yet Legolas could see that he was in trouble by the coldness in his eyes.

"My Lord," he said weakly, forgetting all of his carefully planned words at the sight. He rushed to his Lord's side, falling to his knees before him in supplication, and took hold of one of his hands, Rúmil’s cloak slipping from his shoulders to pool on the floor. "Forgive me, please," he whispered guiltily. "I must have worried you... I am so sorry!"

Glorfindel frowned, then raised his eyes to Rúmil who still stood at the door. "Rúmil, is it not? Haldir's brother? What is your role in all of this?"

Rúmil took an audible breath as he stepped closer. "I am here to beg for forgiveness for my brother's actions. I promise you that our Lord will hear of it, and that there shall be consequences." He looked again at Legolas, who still knelt at his Lord's side. Clad only in his slashed robe with his hair a wild tumble of curls with flowers still clinging to them despite the fight, he seemed the very picture of all that was unequal about their relationship.

"It was not Legolas' fault," Rúmil said, visibly uncomfortable. "Everyone who was there has seen how my brother dishonored himself."

Glorfindel reached down to Legolas' hair and the youth flinched, obviously expecting to be pulled up by his hair, but instead Glorfindel just freed a blossom from his tousled tresses and studied it thoughtfully. "I would truly like an explanation for this - first one of my guards arrives with Gîlríon in his arms and tells me that you bore a drawn sword when he left you, and now Rúmil tells me about his brother who dishonored himself?"

"I am sorry, my Lord," Legolas said miserably and bowed his head. "I failed you - I let Haldir provoke me. I met him when I went to search for you with Gîl, but when Haldir taunted me by calling me a maiden, I told him I would show him that I can defend myself."

"So you agreed to a duel," Glorfindel asked, his expression still closed and unreadable.

"Yes, my Lord," Legolas whispered shamefully.

"It is unforgivable that Haldir would act so towards someone who stood before him with a small child in his arms," Rúmil offered. "And worse, he not only made certain that the duel took place in the middle of our training grounds, with everyone watching, but he also intentionally sought to humiliate him by playing with him, although it was apparent to all that the prince was far younger and without any real experience."

"He cut my clothes so I stood before them naked," Legolas admitted softly. "I did not want to fight anymore then. I - I had thought that if I agreed to fight him, he would at least have to see that I am no coward, but in the end, I did not care anymore about winning, or about my honor... I only wanted it to end, so that I could leave."

"He did not win," Rúmil said decisively. "In the eyes of our warriors, Haldir was the one who truly lost, for doing such a thing to one who is still half a child makes Haldir a coward, whereas we all saw Legolas' courage in the way he so bravely stood against him."

"Very well," Glorfindel said slowly. "I will accept this explanation for now, and your apology, Rúmil - although I will have words with Celeborn about this. It cannot be that my Legolas is accosted in the Golden Wood, and while he was carrying our son in his arms, too! Shall I from now on be forced to send guards with him wherever he goes, to protect him from the Galadhrim?"

"I am truly sorry for what my brother did, Lord," Rúmil said, visibly embarrassed. "I promise that our Lord will not let it pass unpunished."

"Yes - I shall make certain of that myself," Glorfindel said darkly. "You may leave now, Rúmil - and thank you for accompanying Legolas back."

"Thank you for your help - and for lending me your cloak," Legolas said with a hesitant smile, getting up to return the garment before Rúmil left. Once the Galadhel had left their talan though, he returned to his place at his Lord's feet, resting his head on Glorfindel’s knee in supplication.

"I am sorry," he whispered once more, and Glorfindel sighed and gently entwined his fingers in Legolas' hair.

"I know, child - you have said it often enough. Still, I am somewhat disappointed with you. Your courage is indeed laudable, but courage is not everything. You need to learn to think before you act - it should have been obvious to you that Haldir would not give you a fair fight."

"I know that now," Legolas said miserably. "But I thought that even if Haldir did not fight honorably, as long as I did so I would be the one who would truly win, no matter what he did to me. Of course I soon realized that I was not that strong... He told me that he would make me cry, and I did cry in the end. I even begged him to let me go, in front of all the warriors, even though I knew that this was exactly what he wanted, to see me humiliated..."

"My poor Legolas," Glorfindel said, and although there was a smile on his face his voice was affectionate as he drew Legolas up to sit on his lap.

Legolas sighed longingly when Glorfindel's lips tenderly touched his brow, but he knew that he was not yet finished with his confessions.

"My Lord, there is something else," he admitted miserably. "When Haldir taunted me... he said that you must like to see me cry, for there could be no other reason why you would want to keep me around. I... it hurt so to hear that." He buried his head against Glorfindel's chest, avoiding his gaze as he continued. "I told him that you keep me with you because you... because you love me. And that I love you, too." Legolas felt tears well up in his eyes once more when he thought about how his Lord must think him vain and childish to boast so in front of all the guards.

"I am sorry!" he sobbed. "I do love you! I did not want to embarrass you!"

He felt Glorfindel's arms tighten around him and he cried helplessly in the security of his lord's embrace, finally quieting again when there were no reproaches but only softly whispered reassurances and kisses pressed to his hair.

"You spoke the truth - why should I be embarrassed about that? No, I am honored to have your love, Legolas! Truly, I am not embarrassed, pen villen. This is my fault for not making it more obvious that any who insult you insult me as well."

Legolas smiled joyfully at his Lord's words and gladly allowed Glorfindel to kiss the tears from his face. "Is Gîl well?" he then asked softly. "He was already half asleep when we chanced upon Haldir, but I know that I nevertheless should have left, if only for his sake - was he much disturbed?"

"No... he is asleep, and like you said, he was too tired to realize what was happening. Still..." and now Glorfindel's voice became stern, "you need to realize that you are responsible for him. His needs must always come before yours as long as he is still so small. You cannot involve him in a fight, Legolas. No matter how you were insulted, you should have thought of him and left."

Legolas nodded miserably. "You call me child, Lord, and I know that is what I am, compared to your years and experience. In truth, I have often thought that I would like to be but a child, with no responsibilities save following your orders. Yet I know that I cannot stay so, if only for Gîl's sake. I am not strong, yet I want to be so for Gîl - for I do not want him to grow up and despise me for my weakness."

"You are not weak," Glorfindel said warmly and sought out Legolas' lips, for a moment losing himself in the sweetness of his mouth. "And you are a wonderful parent to Gîl - he loves you very much and will always do so, as long as you continue to care for him so."

Legolas smiled happily and relaxed in Glorfindel's arms. "I love this... the way you make me feel so safe and cherished," he sighed, then tilted his head back again to offer himself for a kiss. Glorfindel took his mouth slowly but insistently so that Legolas moaned at the way Glorfindel's mastery of him was complete even in something as gentle as this.

"I always only want to be yours," he whispered, his eyes shining, so that Glorfindel laughed and kissed him again.

"Gîl is still asleep... Do you want me to remind you how you are mine now?" he asked, his voice playful, so that Legolas smiled happily and wound his arms around his shoulders. "I will let you choose how you will please me - what do you want, pen villen?"

"Mmmmh... I love the way you feel in my mouth, and I love the way you taste," Legolas teased. "But maybe I should have you take me to bed and make you ravish me so slowly and thoroughly that we will be too exhausted to leave the bed for the rest of the day?"

"I do not think Gîl would be very happy with you in that case, as tempting as it sounds," Glorfindel said dryly, and Legolas laughed.

"I fear that you are right, my Lord... In that case, I will just have to keep you here, in this chair, leaning back while I move on you and work for your pleasure. Would that service please my Lord?"

"Oh, that would please your Lord very much," Glorfindel said hoarsely, his length hardening against Legolas' thigh. "Strip for me then - let me look at what beauty I own!"

With a soft laugh, Legolas slipped from his lap, eager to follow his Lord's orders. He stripped slowly, obviously enjoying Glorfindel's hungry eyes devour his naked body, and although his cheeks still reddened, there was pride rather than shame at his Lord's blatant enjoyment of him.

"I am ready for you, my Lord," he finally whispered mischievously, "from when I readied myself for your use this morning. I dreamed of this all day - every time I prepare myself for you with oil, I tremble at the thought that soon, it will not be my fingers but instead your hardness that will breach me. I know that I am not supposed to feel pleasure at my own touch, but I cannot help but moan and tremble when I imagine you sliding deep into me, taking your pleasure from my body... I love how it teaches me that this is truly what I was made for!"

"Come here," Glorfindel said huskily, his eyes dark, dangerous with arousal. "Do you even know what you are playing with by teasing me? Be careful, Legolas, or you will get burned..."

"Yes... burn me, my Lord," Legolas sighed when he allowed Glorfindel to pull him down, crying out in ecstasy when he was relentlessly forced open around Glorfindel's length.

"Hush, Legolas... I do not think that you want to wake Gîl, do you?" Glorfindel asked, biting back a groan of pleasure himself. "Ai... I would love to tell you how you fit me so perfectly, but that is not true, is it? I am really too big for you - but I love how you are so very tight!"

"And I love how you fill me so completely; I even love the pain of it," Legolas admitted with a moan, the wet gleam in his eyes witness to the truth of his words. Then he remembered that they had to be cautious today and rested his head on Glorfindel's shoulder. He was no longer talking, but now every trembling sigh, every moan and whimper was breathed directly into Glorfindel's ear, quickly driving the Lord wild with desire.

"You wicked little thing!" Glorfindel groaned, taking hold of Legolas' hips to thrust up into him at his own hard pace. "Do you want me to hurt you? Just ask for it - I will be more than glad to teach you your place!"

Legolas whimpered in answer, wrapping his arms around Glorfindel's neck to hold on for dear life. "This was not what I asked for!" he gasped softly, only to be answered by breathless laughter.

"Then do not try to play with me - consider this a warning. Next time it will be your pretty bottom that suffers!" Glorfindel growled, only to have Legolas whimper and tighten around him in answer to his threat.

"But somehow I think you would like that?" Glorfindel asked, ceasing all movement for a moment to properly enjoy the youth's embarrassment. "Mmh, Celeborn was rather congratulatory - have you developed a taste for his admiration, roch neth? Tease me again and I will invite him to show off another set of pretty red stripes on your bottom!"

"Ai... now you are playing with me!" Legolas whimpered, squirming a little in the hope to get Glorfindel to resume his hard thrusts. The Lord laughed throatily but gave in, taking Legolas until he was moaning once more, and this time there were no more words, just the rush of pleasure when they found their release, and a long moment of quiet happiness in each other's arms afterwards.