The Music in My Heart
folder
Lord of the Rings Movies › Slash - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
75
Views:
3,803
Reviews:
11
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
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Category:
Lord of the Rings Movies › Slash - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
75
Views:
3,803
Reviews:
11
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own the Lord of the Rings book series and movie series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Chapter 51 Into the Woods
Title: The Music in My Heart, Chapter 51
Author: Sorsha
Fandom/Pairing: Elrond/OFC, Glorfindel/Haldir, Elladan/OFC, Elrohir/Legolas, others implied
Rating:.NC-17 for future chapters
Warning: AU (Story set 770 years after ROTK); Slash and het.
Feedback: This is my first fanfic, so constructive feedback appreciated.
Archive:
Acknowledgements: Many thanks to Alex Cat for her help in betaing this fic.
Disclaimer: Any of the residents of Middle-earth and Aman that you recognize belong to Prof. Tolkien’s estate. The same is true about Middle-earth and Aman. I’m only visiting and admiring the “views”.
Summary: Sauron may be gone, but his legacy of evil still lingers. As Middle-earth faces the threat of another dark lord, a party of elves departs Aman on a mission for the Valar, a mission of mercy long delayed.
Chapter 51 --- Into the Woods
"Into the woods but not too slow-
Into the woods, it's nearly midnight-
Into the woods to mind the wolf,
To heed the witch, to honor the giant,
To mind, to heed, to find, to think, to reach, to join,
To go to the festival!
Into the woods, into the woods, into the woods,
Then out of the woods
And happy ever after!
...I Wish..."
Stephen Sondheim
*****
Glorfindel tried to be subtle as he looked around the central compound of Caras Galadon, hoping to see his daughter awaiting his arrival. /I must not expect too much from this brief visit. Tis not surprising she is not here to greet me… though I had hoped. Lomelinde has lived a hard life and will need time to begin to trust me. By the Valar, I wish I had known!/
A gentle nudge to his leg made him turn to meet the sky-blue gaze of his lover. Haldir held his eyes for just a moment, before shifting them up to focus on the stairs leading to the private talans on the western side of the complex. Following his movement, Glorfindel felt his heart skip a beat; his daughter was standing at the midpoint of the staircase watching him with a guarded expression on her face.
Cobalt blue met cobalt blue as father and daughter studied each other. A tentative smile hovered on his lips betraying the hope he carried in his heart, the hope of building a relationship with his only child. Their gazes held for several long moments before she turned and disappeared up the staircase to the talans above.
/She came! Perhaps, there is reason to hope?/
*****
“Lomelinde? Can we speak for a moment?”
The golden-haired elleth stopped walking, but kept her back turned to Seere. “What is there for us to discuss, my lady. I behaved in an unacceptable manner and Lord Elrond banished me from my home.” She paused briefly before adding in a carefully neutral tone, “I understand congratulations are in order on your upcoming marriage.”
“Thank you, but neither matter is the one I wish to discuss.”
A tense quiet settled between the two. When it became apparent that Lomelinde had no intention of turning to face her, Seere sighed. “I am sorry to have disturbed your evening. I only wanted to say that I hoped you will consider giving your father a chance… to talk to you while we are here. He did not know, Lomelinde. This news hit him hard and it grieves deeply him to find he had a child all these years that he never knew.”
“Why would any of this matter to you, pen vuil?” her long held bitterness added bite to the last. (dear one)
“There --- you hate me. I never understood why before that night. We were the only young ellith in Imladris and should have been friends. I regret that we were not… for we both would have benefited from such a relationship. I never understood why you rejected all my attempts… but that time in our lives, as well as, what happened last summer is in the past. No one can change what was, Lomelinde, but you have a chance to change… for the better, what will be. Please talk to Glorfindel and give yourself, nay give both of you that chance.”
Turning to walk back to her talan, she whispered, “I again offer you my friendship… if you will have it. It is there for you to take or reject, as you decide. Sleep well, mellon nin.” (my friend)
Lomelinde stood as if frozen long after Seere left. A tear slide down her cheek… its path traced by the silvery light of Ithil. A matching tear fell from her Adar’s eye as he watched from a nearby grove of mallorn trees.
*****
“She is right. I have always hated her. She had everything I wanted… pretty clothes, her own suite of rooms, a beautiful horse to ride… formal education and time to study, and, most of all, the love and protection of everyone… her Adar in particular. Even with the tragedy of her Naneth, she had so much and I…” Turning slowly, she faced the silent elf in the mallyrn. “She spoke the truth just now. She did offer me her friendship on many occasions, but I always rejected it. I had to hate her… despise the fact she was not pureblooded and did not deserve such bounty.”
“Seere carries the blood of the Maia --- the blood of Gandalf himself.” Glorfindel responded.
Nodding, she continued. “Aye. Naneth left me behind when I was still too young to understand. All she left me was a few memories. The times she spent talking to me… were mostly spent venting her frustrations about how ‘unfairly’ she had been treated by everyone. One of the few things Naneth left behind was the belief anyone that was not pure elven was my inferior. Indeed, anyone that did not have royal blood was likewise.”
Looking up, she met his gaze. “And, yes, I know Seere has royal blood… as does Lord Elrond… they are descendents of the nobility of the three high elven lines. I also know Lord Elrond has Maia blood in addition to Edain.”
“It has been a bitter draught to swallow coming to understanding what Lord Elrond said to me that day… that I was looked down upon not for the circumstances of my birth, but for my own conduct.” Her eyes dropped to stare at the ground. “It has taken most of my time in Lorien for me to accept what he said was just. I wanted to hurt her… hurt you… hurt Lord Elrond… hurt anyone I could blame for how my life has been so far. Anyone, but Naneth… or myself. I have been comparing my conduct to Seere’s… and I have little about which to feel proud.”
Ready to finally confront the truth of her mother’s betrayal of them both, she asked, “She never told you about me… did she?”
A fresh tear slipped from the corner of one eye and rolled down his face. Lomelinde watched its path, her own tears held in tight check. “I never knew. If I had… I am so sorry that I failed you. You should have had a better life, tinu nin. You should have had my care and protection. It would have been my great joy and privilege to have raised you in my home. I would have proudly proclaimed you as my child.” (my daughter)
“Why did she… how could… I do not understand why, Ada?” A faint tremor that had become visible in her clinched hands became racking shivers as sobs choked her throat.
Moving quickly to her, Glorfindel pulled her into his arms. “I am so sorry… so sorry!”
“She… abandoned me! If she did not… want me… why…why did she… not give me to… you? WHY?” she sobbed. “If she… taken me… Imladris… Lord Erestor… would have… cared… for me… would he not? Would have… sent me… to you!”
Holding her close, he whispered, “I know not why she did any of the things she did. I wish she had let me know or sent you to me… more than you can know, I wish she had! And, aye, Erestor and all of Imladris would have claimed you… still will. You are my daughter. I offer you my protection and the name of our house as your own… if you wish it.”
He knew there was nothing more he could say… that nothing could change the past. The only thing he could do was hold her while she cried and then do all he could to help her make her future… their future better.
*****
Haldir turned his carving over and over in his hand judging the progress he had made thus far on the piece. The figure of a deer was slowly emerging from the piece of wood he had selected earlier in the evening. Experience told him it would take him several more evenings to complete the intricate cuts that would bring life to his work, but he enjoyed the time spent in this manner as it gave him time to think.
Tonight had been no different in that regard. /I hope Glorfindel is not hurt in his attempts to build a relationship with his daughter. Lomelinde has hardly shown herself to be trustworthy in the past. Too little time has passed for me to think she has changed much in this regard./
Looking up from his work, he saw the pair talking below him in the clearing beneath the tree that had long housed the talan his family occupied. His brothers had returned to it upon their arrival in Caras Galadon and he had spent his evening with them discussing all that had happened in their lives since they last saw each other. His heart, however, had not been focused on their conversation… it had been with his love.
/He is counting on this meeting to open their lines of communication. It seems he has gotten that. Still, I do not yet feel ready to trust her sincerity. I will keep my eyes on her and will act to protect him if need be./
*****
A hand reached out and pulled her into one of the private suite of rooms attached to the royal talan. Before she could do more than utter a gasp of surprise and outrage, demanding lips settled over hers blocking any attempt to call for help. Seere tensed for a moment, preparing to fight, before the familiar warmth that always accompanied Elrond’s touch spread over her senses.
A smile tugged at his lips as she relaxed and let her body sag against him. Elrond slowly lifted his head to study the slightly dazed expression that had overtaken her features. He opened his mouth intending to tease her about it, when he heard a soft, “Ai! Haldir… you are such a wonderful kisser!”
“HALDIR!!! What do you mean… Haldir is such a wonderful kisser??? How…” Glaring down at the elleth that was now laughing in his arms, he scolded, “That is not funny!”
“Oh, and grabbing me without warning and pulling me into a darkened room so that you could… pounce on me is?” she countered, her eyes twinkling.
“My pouncing was not meant to be funny… and it is all you and your Ada’s fault. If you had not driven me to distraction with your beauty, and he had not stood guard over you since we left Imladris, I would not have been so desperate for a kiss!” Elrond pulled her back against him and bent to nibble at the soft skin below her right ear.
A sultry purr deepened her voice as she replied. “Ah, I am responsible for your loss of self control, am I?” Her hands slipped up to twine in his silky black hair as she arched her neck in a silent request.
Grinning, he lifted her into his arms and moved over to lay her down in the middle of his bed. Stretching out beside her, he gave a gentle nip to the lobe of her ear before whispering, “But of course. How can I be blamed for the effect your beauty has on me?”
A gasp left her lips as he bent to caress her throat with a string of tender kisses. “I feel so guilty… if that is the case. Perhaps I should leave… seek my own rooms to spare you from my… influence.”
“Tis too late. I am already lost.”
“I am glad to hear this… I would hate to be lost alone.”
*****
Elrond watched the first light of Anor cast a soft golden glow to her skin. Seere was still asleep, curled into his side as she had been throughout the night. /I am lost… and I care not. I have never known the contentment I feel when I wake with her beside me. It is a challenge to stop loving her when she melts so passionately into my arms as she did last night. We need to talk with Erestor when we return to Imladris about his acceptance of us. I would like to announce that our wedding will take place at the Winter Festival as soon as we return… so maybe we need to talk sooner. Perhaps when we get to Minas Tirith./
Seeing awareness return to her eyes, Elrond bent to kiss her. Feeling her arms slide around his neck, he nudged open her lips with his tongue. To his delight, he felt her tongue move quickly to caress his. With a groan of desire, Elrond pulled Seere into a tight embrace, rolling her beneath his quickening body.
Leaving a trail of kisses from her lips to her jaw to the lobe of her right ear, he savored her taste of her skin and the feel of the shivers coursing through her body. “You drive me to distraction when you moan like that, melme. How is an elf to control himself when you respond so passionately?” (love)
“My fault again? I am a very bad influence on you. I thought Ada was trying to protect my virtue, but, in fact, he may be protecting you from me!” came the teasing reply against his throat. A playful nip of her teeth followed by a soothing lap of her tongue punctuated her comments. “Though, from the stories Celeborn tells… perhaps we are both a little wicked.”
Groaning, Elrond forced himself to roll away from temptation. “I will give you no argument in that, ind nin. You arouse me as I have never been before and it does seem wicked since we must stop. It leaves me feeling frustrated and so… incomplete.” (my heart)
A long, shuddering sigh left her lips as she adjusted to the loss of his body pressing hers down into the mattress. “Our situation is indeed becoming unbearable. It is physically painful for me as well, melleth nin, when you pull away... tis hard on me too. We must talk to Ada soon.” (my love)
Grinning with relief that she felt as he did in this matter, Elrond propped himself up on his elbow so that he could look down into her flushed face. “Hard is it? Would you like to discuss ‘hard’, pen vuil? Or shall I show you ‘hard’?” (dear one)
He watched the spark of humor flare in her eyes even as her blush deepened. “By all means, I would prefer a more ‘hands-on’ demonstration of this matter, my lord.” A small, soft hand came to rest on his chest as she fluttered her lashes in exaggerated flirtation.
Laughing, he bent to press a final kiss to her lips before rolling to sit on the edge of the bed. “Behave, temptress!”
After pulling her up to sit beside him, he turned them so they were facing each other. “I am glad we are in agreement on this. I will speak to your Adar at the first appropriate opportunity… perhaps once we reach Minas Tirith. Do you wish to join me in this talk?”
/He is so adorable all rumpled in the morning… but if he thinks he will leave me to wait while he does the talking…/ “I will join you. Ada must accept that our future is together and we cannot do that separately. But, I still worry about his state of mind.”
“We are agreed then. We will take care to make sure your Ada feels secure in all of this. Have no fear in that regard, melme. We will not lose him.” (love)
Reaching over to brush a stray strand of hair from her eyes, he smiled. /She is so beautiful, all rumpled from a night in my bed! I cannot wait to see her after a night of passion. She will be a breathtaking sight to behold! But, she is right; we will need to do this together. I do not want either of them to think I will seek to dominate her once we marry./
Smirking at the thought, he gently drew her into his arms. /As if I could anyway!/
*****
“You are not coming to breakfast this morning, mellon nin? We will have a hard ride if we are to make a good start toward Gondor and arrive in five days.” (my friend)
Looking over his shoulder, Erestor studied the face of his friend. “I will join you, but my appetite is not strong this morning.”
“And, why is that?” Celeborn asked as he followed the dark-haired elf toward the grand stairway.
Receiving only a sigh in response to his question, Celeborn debated the merits of confronting his friend’s obvious worry. “They have given you their word that they will wait until you are more at ease with their bond, Erestor. Why do you doubt them?”
Another sigh. “She slept in his room last night. I see the way they look at each other… the subtle touches when they think no one sees. They are the actions of lovers.”
Smiling at his friend’s failure to see the obvious, Celeborn asked, “So, you do doubt their word… their honor?”
“Nay, I do not think they did such intentionally. I see how much they… desire each other. It was too much to expect they could or would wait,” came his reply.
“I must confess I am rather disappointed in this matter. You paint a portrait of two less than honorable elves.”
Hiding a smirk, Celeborn watched the outrage contort Erestor’s face. “How can you suggest either of them is less than honorable? Your disappointment…”
“Tis not them that has disappointed me, mellon nin, but you. You have disappointed me greatly.” Stopping to look back at his friend’s stunned expression, he observed, “Do you honestly think either of them would betray a solemn promise made to anyone, but most especially you, Erestor? They both love you dearly. They made you a promise that they had no obligation to make, but did so because they love you.” (my friend)
“But…” Confusion marred his handsome features as he grappled with his friend’s admonishment.
Reaching over to grasp Erestor’s shoulders, Celeborn forced him to meet his gaze. “Be honest. You know they have not yet consummated their bond. You cannot be blind to the frustration and raw nerves both of them exhibit. Honoring the promise they made to you is causing them physical pain at this point, Erestor. It is time for you to accept their bond… their love and know it is great enough to embrace their love for all of us, especially you.”
Seeing the anguish that floated across this friend’s eyes, he pulled him into a brief hug. “There will always be a place in their lives for you… a place central to both of their hearts. You will not be alone. They need you as much as you need them. Let them be a peace in their love, Erestor. It will only add joy to your life, not grief.”
Slowly, his friend’s calming words began to steady the panic his raging fears had produced. Erestor met Celeborn’s eyes and saw his friend’s firm belief in what he was saying. “You are right, meldir. It is time.” (friend)
*****
Author: Sorsha
Fandom/Pairing: Elrond/OFC, Glorfindel/Haldir, Elladan/OFC, Elrohir/Legolas, others implied
Rating:.NC-17 for future chapters
Warning: AU (Story set 770 years after ROTK); Slash and het.
Feedback: This is my first fanfic, so constructive feedback appreciated.
Archive:
Acknowledgements: Many thanks to Alex Cat for her help in betaing this fic.
Disclaimer: Any of the residents of Middle-earth and Aman that you recognize belong to Prof. Tolkien’s estate. The same is true about Middle-earth and Aman. I’m only visiting and admiring the “views”.
Summary: Sauron may be gone, but his legacy of evil still lingers. As Middle-earth faces the threat of another dark lord, a party of elves departs Aman on a mission for the Valar, a mission of mercy long delayed.
Chapter 51 --- Into the Woods
"Into the woods but not too slow-
Into the woods, it's nearly midnight-
Into the woods to mind the wolf,
To heed the witch, to honor the giant,
To mind, to heed, to find, to think, to reach, to join,
To go to the festival!
Into the woods, into the woods, into the woods,
Then out of the woods
And happy ever after!
...I Wish..."
Stephen Sondheim
*****
Glorfindel tried to be subtle as he looked around the central compound of Caras Galadon, hoping to see his daughter awaiting his arrival. /I must not expect too much from this brief visit. Tis not surprising she is not here to greet me… though I had hoped. Lomelinde has lived a hard life and will need time to begin to trust me. By the Valar, I wish I had known!/
A gentle nudge to his leg made him turn to meet the sky-blue gaze of his lover. Haldir held his eyes for just a moment, before shifting them up to focus on the stairs leading to the private talans on the western side of the complex. Following his movement, Glorfindel felt his heart skip a beat; his daughter was standing at the midpoint of the staircase watching him with a guarded expression on her face.
Cobalt blue met cobalt blue as father and daughter studied each other. A tentative smile hovered on his lips betraying the hope he carried in his heart, the hope of building a relationship with his only child. Their gazes held for several long moments before she turned and disappeared up the staircase to the talans above.
/She came! Perhaps, there is reason to hope?/
*****
“Lomelinde? Can we speak for a moment?”
The golden-haired elleth stopped walking, but kept her back turned to Seere. “What is there for us to discuss, my lady. I behaved in an unacceptable manner and Lord Elrond banished me from my home.” She paused briefly before adding in a carefully neutral tone, “I understand congratulations are in order on your upcoming marriage.”
“Thank you, but neither matter is the one I wish to discuss.”
A tense quiet settled between the two. When it became apparent that Lomelinde had no intention of turning to face her, Seere sighed. “I am sorry to have disturbed your evening. I only wanted to say that I hoped you will consider giving your father a chance… to talk to you while we are here. He did not know, Lomelinde. This news hit him hard and it grieves deeply him to find he had a child all these years that he never knew.”
“Why would any of this matter to you, pen vuil?” her long held bitterness added bite to the last. (dear one)
“There --- you hate me. I never understood why before that night. We were the only young ellith in Imladris and should have been friends. I regret that we were not… for we both would have benefited from such a relationship. I never understood why you rejected all my attempts… but that time in our lives, as well as, what happened last summer is in the past. No one can change what was, Lomelinde, but you have a chance to change… for the better, what will be. Please talk to Glorfindel and give yourself, nay give both of you that chance.”
Turning to walk back to her talan, she whispered, “I again offer you my friendship… if you will have it. It is there for you to take or reject, as you decide. Sleep well, mellon nin.” (my friend)
Lomelinde stood as if frozen long after Seere left. A tear slide down her cheek… its path traced by the silvery light of Ithil. A matching tear fell from her Adar’s eye as he watched from a nearby grove of mallorn trees.
*****
“She is right. I have always hated her. She had everything I wanted… pretty clothes, her own suite of rooms, a beautiful horse to ride… formal education and time to study, and, most of all, the love and protection of everyone… her Adar in particular. Even with the tragedy of her Naneth, she had so much and I…” Turning slowly, she faced the silent elf in the mallyrn. “She spoke the truth just now. She did offer me her friendship on many occasions, but I always rejected it. I had to hate her… despise the fact she was not pureblooded and did not deserve such bounty.”
“Seere carries the blood of the Maia --- the blood of Gandalf himself.” Glorfindel responded.
Nodding, she continued. “Aye. Naneth left me behind when I was still too young to understand. All she left me was a few memories. The times she spent talking to me… were mostly spent venting her frustrations about how ‘unfairly’ she had been treated by everyone. One of the few things Naneth left behind was the belief anyone that was not pure elven was my inferior. Indeed, anyone that did not have royal blood was likewise.”
Looking up, she met his gaze. “And, yes, I know Seere has royal blood… as does Lord Elrond… they are descendents of the nobility of the three high elven lines. I also know Lord Elrond has Maia blood in addition to Edain.”
“It has been a bitter draught to swallow coming to understanding what Lord Elrond said to me that day… that I was looked down upon not for the circumstances of my birth, but for my own conduct.” Her eyes dropped to stare at the ground. “It has taken most of my time in Lorien for me to accept what he said was just. I wanted to hurt her… hurt you… hurt Lord Elrond… hurt anyone I could blame for how my life has been so far. Anyone, but Naneth… or myself. I have been comparing my conduct to Seere’s… and I have little about which to feel proud.”
Ready to finally confront the truth of her mother’s betrayal of them both, she asked, “She never told you about me… did she?”
A fresh tear slipped from the corner of one eye and rolled down his face. Lomelinde watched its path, her own tears held in tight check. “I never knew. If I had… I am so sorry that I failed you. You should have had a better life, tinu nin. You should have had my care and protection. It would have been my great joy and privilege to have raised you in my home. I would have proudly proclaimed you as my child.” (my daughter)
“Why did she… how could… I do not understand why, Ada?” A faint tremor that had become visible in her clinched hands became racking shivers as sobs choked her throat.
Moving quickly to her, Glorfindel pulled her into his arms. “I am so sorry… so sorry!”
“She… abandoned me! If she did not… want me… why…why did she… not give me to… you? WHY?” she sobbed. “If she… taken me… Imladris… Lord Erestor… would have… cared… for me… would he not? Would have… sent me… to you!”
Holding her close, he whispered, “I know not why she did any of the things she did. I wish she had let me know or sent you to me… more than you can know, I wish she had! And, aye, Erestor and all of Imladris would have claimed you… still will. You are my daughter. I offer you my protection and the name of our house as your own… if you wish it.”
He knew there was nothing more he could say… that nothing could change the past. The only thing he could do was hold her while she cried and then do all he could to help her make her future… their future better.
*****
Haldir turned his carving over and over in his hand judging the progress he had made thus far on the piece. The figure of a deer was slowly emerging from the piece of wood he had selected earlier in the evening. Experience told him it would take him several more evenings to complete the intricate cuts that would bring life to his work, but he enjoyed the time spent in this manner as it gave him time to think.
Tonight had been no different in that regard. /I hope Glorfindel is not hurt in his attempts to build a relationship with his daughter. Lomelinde has hardly shown herself to be trustworthy in the past. Too little time has passed for me to think she has changed much in this regard./
Looking up from his work, he saw the pair talking below him in the clearing beneath the tree that had long housed the talan his family occupied. His brothers had returned to it upon their arrival in Caras Galadon and he had spent his evening with them discussing all that had happened in their lives since they last saw each other. His heart, however, had not been focused on their conversation… it had been with his love.
/He is counting on this meeting to open their lines of communication. It seems he has gotten that. Still, I do not yet feel ready to trust her sincerity. I will keep my eyes on her and will act to protect him if need be./
*****
A hand reached out and pulled her into one of the private suite of rooms attached to the royal talan. Before she could do more than utter a gasp of surprise and outrage, demanding lips settled over hers blocking any attempt to call for help. Seere tensed for a moment, preparing to fight, before the familiar warmth that always accompanied Elrond’s touch spread over her senses.
A smile tugged at his lips as she relaxed and let her body sag against him. Elrond slowly lifted his head to study the slightly dazed expression that had overtaken her features. He opened his mouth intending to tease her about it, when he heard a soft, “Ai! Haldir… you are such a wonderful kisser!”
“HALDIR!!! What do you mean… Haldir is such a wonderful kisser??? How…” Glaring down at the elleth that was now laughing in his arms, he scolded, “That is not funny!”
“Oh, and grabbing me without warning and pulling me into a darkened room so that you could… pounce on me is?” she countered, her eyes twinkling.
“My pouncing was not meant to be funny… and it is all you and your Ada’s fault. If you had not driven me to distraction with your beauty, and he had not stood guard over you since we left Imladris, I would not have been so desperate for a kiss!” Elrond pulled her back against him and bent to nibble at the soft skin below her right ear.
A sultry purr deepened her voice as she replied. “Ah, I am responsible for your loss of self control, am I?” Her hands slipped up to twine in his silky black hair as she arched her neck in a silent request.
Grinning, he lifted her into his arms and moved over to lay her down in the middle of his bed. Stretching out beside her, he gave a gentle nip to the lobe of her ear before whispering, “But of course. How can I be blamed for the effect your beauty has on me?”
A gasp left her lips as he bent to caress her throat with a string of tender kisses. “I feel so guilty… if that is the case. Perhaps I should leave… seek my own rooms to spare you from my… influence.”
“Tis too late. I am already lost.”
“I am glad to hear this… I would hate to be lost alone.”
*****
Elrond watched the first light of Anor cast a soft golden glow to her skin. Seere was still asleep, curled into his side as she had been throughout the night. /I am lost… and I care not. I have never known the contentment I feel when I wake with her beside me. It is a challenge to stop loving her when she melts so passionately into my arms as she did last night. We need to talk with Erestor when we return to Imladris about his acceptance of us. I would like to announce that our wedding will take place at the Winter Festival as soon as we return… so maybe we need to talk sooner. Perhaps when we get to Minas Tirith./
Seeing awareness return to her eyes, Elrond bent to kiss her. Feeling her arms slide around his neck, he nudged open her lips with his tongue. To his delight, he felt her tongue move quickly to caress his. With a groan of desire, Elrond pulled Seere into a tight embrace, rolling her beneath his quickening body.
Leaving a trail of kisses from her lips to her jaw to the lobe of her right ear, he savored her taste of her skin and the feel of the shivers coursing through her body. “You drive me to distraction when you moan like that, melme. How is an elf to control himself when you respond so passionately?” (love)
“My fault again? I am a very bad influence on you. I thought Ada was trying to protect my virtue, but, in fact, he may be protecting you from me!” came the teasing reply against his throat. A playful nip of her teeth followed by a soothing lap of her tongue punctuated her comments. “Though, from the stories Celeborn tells… perhaps we are both a little wicked.”
Groaning, Elrond forced himself to roll away from temptation. “I will give you no argument in that, ind nin. You arouse me as I have never been before and it does seem wicked since we must stop. It leaves me feeling frustrated and so… incomplete.” (my heart)
A long, shuddering sigh left her lips as she adjusted to the loss of his body pressing hers down into the mattress. “Our situation is indeed becoming unbearable. It is physically painful for me as well, melleth nin, when you pull away... tis hard on me too. We must talk to Ada soon.” (my love)
Grinning with relief that she felt as he did in this matter, Elrond propped himself up on his elbow so that he could look down into her flushed face. “Hard is it? Would you like to discuss ‘hard’, pen vuil? Or shall I show you ‘hard’?” (dear one)
He watched the spark of humor flare in her eyes even as her blush deepened. “By all means, I would prefer a more ‘hands-on’ demonstration of this matter, my lord.” A small, soft hand came to rest on his chest as she fluttered her lashes in exaggerated flirtation.
Laughing, he bent to press a final kiss to her lips before rolling to sit on the edge of the bed. “Behave, temptress!”
After pulling her up to sit beside him, he turned them so they were facing each other. “I am glad we are in agreement on this. I will speak to your Adar at the first appropriate opportunity… perhaps once we reach Minas Tirith. Do you wish to join me in this talk?”
/He is so adorable all rumpled in the morning… but if he thinks he will leave me to wait while he does the talking…/ “I will join you. Ada must accept that our future is together and we cannot do that separately. But, I still worry about his state of mind.”
“We are agreed then. We will take care to make sure your Ada feels secure in all of this. Have no fear in that regard, melme. We will not lose him.” (love)
Reaching over to brush a stray strand of hair from her eyes, he smiled. /She is so beautiful, all rumpled from a night in my bed! I cannot wait to see her after a night of passion. She will be a breathtaking sight to behold! But, she is right; we will need to do this together. I do not want either of them to think I will seek to dominate her once we marry./
Smirking at the thought, he gently drew her into his arms. /As if I could anyway!/
*****
“You are not coming to breakfast this morning, mellon nin? We will have a hard ride if we are to make a good start toward Gondor and arrive in five days.” (my friend)
Looking over his shoulder, Erestor studied the face of his friend. “I will join you, but my appetite is not strong this morning.”
“And, why is that?” Celeborn asked as he followed the dark-haired elf toward the grand stairway.
Receiving only a sigh in response to his question, Celeborn debated the merits of confronting his friend’s obvious worry. “They have given you their word that they will wait until you are more at ease with their bond, Erestor. Why do you doubt them?”
Another sigh. “She slept in his room last night. I see the way they look at each other… the subtle touches when they think no one sees. They are the actions of lovers.”
Smiling at his friend’s failure to see the obvious, Celeborn asked, “So, you do doubt their word… their honor?”
“Nay, I do not think they did such intentionally. I see how much they… desire each other. It was too much to expect they could or would wait,” came his reply.
“I must confess I am rather disappointed in this matter. You paint a portrait of two less than honorable elves.”
Hiding a smirk, Celeborn watched the outrage contort Erestor’s face. “How can you suggest either of them is less than honorable? Your disappointment…”
“Tis not them that has disappointed me, mellon nin, but you. You have disappointed me greatly.” Stopping to look back at his friend’s stunned expression, he observed, “Do you honestly think either of them would betray a solemn promise made to anyone, but most especially you, Erestor? They both love you dearly. They made you a promise that they had no obligation to make, but did so because they love you.” (my friend)
“But…” Confusion marred his handsome features as he grappled with his friend’s admonishment.
Reaching over to grasp Erestor’s shoulders, Celeborn forced him to meet his gaze. “Be honest. You know they have not yet consummated their bond. You cannot be blind to the frustration and raw nerves both of them exhibit. Honoring the promise they made to you is causing them physical pain at this point, Erestor. It is time for you to accept their bond… their love and know it is great enough to embrace their love for all of us, especially you.”
Seeing the anguish that floated across this friend’s eyes, he pulled him into a brief hug. “There will always be a place in their lives for you… a place central to both of their hearts. You will not be alone. They need you as much as you need them. Let them be a peace in their love, Erestor. It will only add joy to your life, not grief.”
Slowly, his friend’s calming words began to steady the panic his raging fears had produced. Erestor met Celeborn’s eyes and saw his friend’s firm belief in what he was saying. “You are right, meldir. It is time.” (friend)
*****