Cuil Eden

Title: Cuil Eden
Part: 58/?
Rating: PG-13
Series: Sequel to Anestel and Ethuil'waew
Pairing: Glorfindel/Legolas
Warnings: mpreg, bdsm
Disclaimer: All the pretty elves belong to Tolkien, I'm just playing with them and will give them back afterwards.
Lots of thanks to my beta for her hard work! :)


58

Legolas woke when the door that connected their bedchamber to Gîl's small room was pushed open. He sighed softly and tried to sit up, but Glorfindel – possessive even in reverie – tightened his arm around him with a growl. Legolas smiled and leaned down to press a kiss to his brow, then gently extricated himself of his Lord's arms which as always were reluctant to let go of him.

"Ada! It is my begetting day!" Gîl said excitedly, even though it was still so dark outside that Legolas could just barely see his outline next to their bed.

"It is still night, Gîl," Legolas explained gently. "It will only be your begetting day once Anor is up in the sky."

Gîlríon's face fell in disappointment.

"Come here, my heart," Legolas murmured and pulled him up onto the bed. "Sleep only a little while longer, and it will be your begetting day when you wake up."

Gîlríon sighed, still visibly disappointed, but when Legolas pushed the covers back and lifted Gîl to lie between them, the child cuddled readily against his chest, quickly becoming sleepy in the warmth trapped between their naked bodies. Legolas curled around him, his cheek resting against the riot of golden curls, and Glorfindel wrapped a protective arm around them both with a sleepy sound of approval.

The small body in his arms was warm, Gîl's linen shift damp against his skin, and Legolas breathed in deeply, consciously enjoying the hard-won feeling of safety, trust and love that enveloped him before he slipped into reverie once more.

When he woke again some time later, he found himself all alone in their bed, although by the sounds from the sitting room, Glorfindel and Gîl could not have been awake for long either. There was the sound of tea being poured and plates rattling, and Legolas heard the voice of one of the Lórien elves that usually brought them breakfast, wishing Gîl a joyful begetting day.

Legolas got up quickly, loath to miss even a moment of this first celebration of their son's conception, but as soon as he had put on a simple robe, Gîl came racing into their bedroom. "Wake up, ada!" he shouted happily, then stopped when he found Legolas already risen. "Ada, it is my begetting day!"

Legolas laughed and picked Gîl up to kiss him. "Indeed it is, my heart... And see how brightly Anor shines today!"

"Come, ada! There is breakfast! And atto says I will get presents when you have eaten!"

Gîlríon squirmed so that Legolas had to put him down again. He followed the exuberant child into the sitting room where indeed Glorfindel was already waiting for him. There were cups of steaming mint tea as well as slices of fragrant, freshly baked bread, butter and smoked meats and fish, and for Gîl, as always, a bowl of oatmeal. The Elf who had brought their breakfast had already left, and so Legolas greeted his Lord with a kiss before he sat down and breathed in the hot steam of his tea with a happy sigh. Gîl insisted on sitting on his atto's lap and there proceeded to spoon the oatmeal into his mouth with far more speed than usual.

"Are you excited, Gîl?" Glorfindel teased, chuckling when the child nodded vigorously, some of the oatmeal dropping from his spoon onto the table.

"It is my begetting day, atto! You said I will get a present!"

"And so you will, as soon as we are finished with breakfast," Glorfindel said and pressed a kiss to the crown of his head, steadying the dripping spoon with a hand. "I promise that it is going to be a wonderful day, Gîl. Later on, luncheon will be waiting for us outside, and Arwen, Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn will be there, as well as Fairion and Laindir and the other guards we came with. Then you can spend the entire day playing with your presents. How does that sound?"

Legolas smiled at Gîlríon's delight, noting how most of another spoonful of oatmeal ended up smeared across cheek and shift, instead of in the child's mouth.

"Shall I go and help him clean up?" he offered once the bowl was finally mostly empty, but Glorfindel shook his head.

"No, I will do it, you can get his presents in the meantime. Come on, Gîl, let us get you clean again!"

"I am clean," Gîl mumbled, staring longingly after his ada when he left the room, but when Legolas finally returned after several moments with most of what they had gotten for their child gathered in his arms, Gîl sat on Glorfindel's lap once more, dressed in clean tunic and leggings.

"A horse, ada?" Gîlríon exclaimed in delight, immediately spying the most important present right on top of the heap of gifts in Legolas' arms.

"A brown one... It can play with your Asfaloth," Legolas said, and quickly Gîl slipped from Glorfindel's lap to run to his own room, excitedly waving the white toy horse as he returned.

"Look, that is Lainiell," he explained gravely and held the horse up so that it could look at the toy in Legolas' hands.

Legolas laughed and leaned down to press a kiss to Gîl's cheek, then put the new toy into his hands and embraced him tightly. "I love you, Gîl! Happy begetting day!"

How strange that he had once wondered whether he would be able to love Gîl the way a child should be loved, for once he had held him in his arms, loving him and expressing it came as naturally as breathing to him – indeed it would have been much harder to try and suppress his emotions!

"I love you too, ada!" Gîl said happily, then ran back to Glorfindel to show him his new toy as well.

"There is more, Gîl," Legolas said, laughing when immediately Gîlríon slipped from Glorfindel's lap to come racing back towards him. He pulled him up to sit on his lap, kissing him once more, and then showed their son the wooden warriors with their horses which he had arrayed on the table.

Gîl's eyes widened with delight, and Legolas smiled at Glorfindel when Gîl's small fist closed unerringly around the golden-haired captain. "Look! That is atto!" he exclaimed, half-climbing onto the table in his exuberance.

His joy was so infectious that Glorfindel and Legolas soon found themselves sitting on the floor, spending most of the morning playing with Gîlríon and his new toys. It was the grumbling of their stomachs that finally reminded them that it was time for the midday meal and thus, high time for them to join their guests in the clearing that had been prepared for their celebration.

Legolas had to pack Gîl's wooden soldiers into a box so they could take them along, while the child proudly carried his two horses, loath to part with his new toys even for the duration of the celebration. They had all donned fine clothes, yet instead of the more formal robes, they wore leggings and tunics of embroidered silks due to the nature of the gathering, while Gîlríon wore a fine linen ensemble he could play in without doing too much damage.

"Will Rúmil be there as well?" Legolas asked when they had almost reached their destination, a light frown on his face as he considered meeting Haldir's brother once more. Glorfindel had not told him much about the meeting he had had with Celeborn, only that the Lord had calmed his guards and reassured them that no harm was done to the prince. Yet still, the situation continued to be terribly embarrassing to Legolas. While he could live with Celeborn's intimate knowledge and teasing, it was quite a different thing to have strangers be aware of such private matters.

"I... should not have said those things, not to Rúmil; he truly did not deserve to be blamed for the actions of his brother. He was the only one to help me, and yet I told him those terrible things..."

He looked to the ground, ashamed at what he had revealed to Rúmil during their conversation only few days ago. And what if the guard had told his brother? It was bad enough to have to meet Rúmil again after what had happened, but even though Haldir had more or less stopped tormenting him at every opportunity, imagining the Marchwarden in possession of such intimate knowledge about his life made him flush with shame and dread.

"He most probably will be," Glorfindel said softly and wrapped an arm around Legolas in reassurance. "Do not think about it too much – I doubt that he will hold it against you. He is an honorable man who would never use his knowledge to hurt you, and I think that he is well aware of the emotions that pushed you to such a confession."

"I know that he meant well, and I am grateful for that, too... But if I were to lose you and Gîl..."

Legolas fell silent, unable to utter such a sentiment on Gîl's begetting day, but Glorfindel understood nevertheless, as always.

"You will not, not ever. I promise," he said gently, tightening his fingers around Legolas' hand, then raised it to his mouth for another kiss that made Legolas smile despite his worries and earned them a smile from Galadriel as just in that moment, they stepped out from among the trees into the glade.

"Are you hungry, little star?" Glorfindel asked and swung him up into his arms, so the child could see the large blanket laden with all sorts of different food. "Let us greet our guests, and then afterwards, we will eat."

Together they approached Celeborn and Galadriel, and Gîlríon bowed as he had been taught, even though immediately afterwards he showed them his two toy horses, demanding due praise for them.

The rulers of Lothlórien readily indulged him and then produced a gift as well – a festive robe made of a velvet dyed the blue of the evening sky, and a fine silk brocade that had been embroidered with thousands of tiny gems and pearls. The garment gleamed like the night firmament, covered by a multitude of stars, and Legolas stared at it in awe.

Glorfindel had given them fine clothes, and they had come to Lórien dressed like nobility, but this – this was different. This was a garment fit for a king, a royal robe showing all the splendor a realm's coffers had to offer, donned only for the most important ceremonies.

Gîlríon thanked them politely, but it was only too obvious that in his eyes this was a gift that was far beneath his toy horse, and when he took the robe from Celeborn, Legolas rushed forward to save it from his careless fingers.

"Thank you," Legolas breathed, looking in awe at the splendor in his hands.

"Yes, thank you for this gift." Glorfindel's voice was thoughtful and earnest, as if moved by profound sentiment, and when he turned to Legolas, the youth thought that he understood.

"Lord Celeborn is revered as a giver of gifts beyond the power of kings," Glorfindel explained softly. "Maybe he foresees an occasion for our little star to wear such a glorious garment in the future?"

Celeborn smiled at them, but did not say anything to dispel the mystery. Still, Legolas was certain that he knew of his reasons – there was only one occasion where he could imagine Gîlríon wearing such splendor, and that would certainly never come to pass. To return to his father's court in all honor, to be acknowledged his father's son, a prince of the realm once more...

It hurt to think that Glorfindel might imagine such an event possible in the near future, for Legolas knew that only failure and disappointment awaited him in such an endeavor, but he forced himself to smile and show nothing of his fears.

"Truly, I have never seen anything so glorious!"

Celeborn smiled at his astonished awe and then produced another gift – a circlet of gold, small enough to fit onto Gîl's head, and once again Legolas was overwhelmed by emotion when he held it in his hands and saw that it was decorated with small flowers of gold as well as tiny leaves cut from emeralds.

Legolas could not think of what to say, his fingers trembling as he reverently held the circlet. To see himself and his own ancestry acknowledged so, proclaimed as equal to Glorfindel's lineage to the eyes of everyone present... It was a miracle, and not something he had ever hoped to see.

He was grateful that this time, Glorfindel took it onto himself to thank the Lord and Lady for their beautiful gift, for he truly did not think that he was capable of speech at that moment.

Arwen was the next to greet them, and once she had sufficiently praised Gîl's new toys, she had a gift for him as well – a cloak of a dark blue velvet, woven of such fine threads that it gleamed like silver in the light. The trim had been embroidered with thousands of tiny gems by the Lady and her maidens, and Legolas felt humbled when he realized how many hours this must have taken.

"How fine he will look in all his new garments!" Arwen said in delight. "We all hope that there will soon be an appropriate occasion for him to wear them."

Once again Legolas felt confusion rise up in him, and the sad certainty that it must indeed be their plan to reinstate him as prince. It would not happen – he knew his father too well for that, and in truth, even if they could find a way to make the King consider it, it was not an honor he wanted. He had finally found happiness away from his family, and he would not exchange that happiness for anything, least of all for his father's doubtful acknowledgments.

"Highness," a familiar voice drawled, and Legolas had to suppress the urge to take a step back when Haldir bowed to him.

"We have a gift as well for Gîlríon, although to truly appreciate it, I think he will need your help," Rúmil said, giving Legolas a hesitant look as if he feared what his reception would be.

"Rúmil was the scribe, and I illustrated it, but it was Haldir who told us the tales again – as he is the eldest, that used to be his duty when we were young. My name is Orophin, Highness, and I am the brother of Haldir and Rúmil." The elf standing next to the two brothers bowed and then handed Legolas a leather-bound tome.

"Well met, Orophin," Legolas said, feeling rather overwhelmed by the brothers and their gift, even though he was relieved to notice that Orophin showed none of Haldir's overwhelming arrogance. "Oh!" he exclaimed in genuine surprise when he opened the book and saw the name of the first tale. "The Hare and the Hedgehog! And the tale of Melian and the Butterfly!"

Orophin laughed. "It seems that Haldir still remembers the right tales, then! We wagered that even in Thranduil's forest, they would still tell the old Silvan tales, like that of the Hare and the Hedgehog. And as our father's mother was half Sindarin herself, we hoped that there would be at least a few tales in here that you would remember from your own childhood."

"I do! This is a wonderful gift!" Legolas exclaimed, all earlier shyness forgotten as he gave them a bright smile. "I am certain Gîl will love it! Thank you so much!"

"It is truly a very thoughtful gift," Glorfindel said warmly, looking at Haldir as if it was something he had not expected of him. "Thank you, all of you!"

There were yet more gifts for Gîl, and once they had admired them and thanked the other guests, they sat down on the blanket the Lord and Lady shared with them and Arwen. There was food enough for a company of twice their size – fragrant bread made from rye and wheat, pike, catfish and trout caught in the Celebrant just that morning, potatoes baked in the embers of a fire, slabs of cheese, and an assortment of venison and duck pastries. For Gîl, there was a light pear cider and clear, cool spring water, and pitchers of a strong, red Lórien vintage for his guests.

After their meal, Gîl grew drowsy so they let him nap while first the Lady Arwen and then her maidens entertained them with gentle songs accompanied by the harp, and when the child woke again, Orophin played them a lively tune on the flute.

They whiled away the afternoon with games, and with Glorfindel's loving attention and Gîlríon's joyful laughter, Legolas was certain that he had never been so happy before. He half feared that his brother would use the occasion for an untimely interruption, but this time, no one disturbed them – and there was not even a single mocking whisper when Glorfindel would press kisses to his fingers or his hair every now and then.

Glorfindel was indeed nothing but kindness and loving attention that afternoon, until Legolas began to fear that with all that tenderness focused on him, he would truly start to look like the swooning maiden he had been called so often. But then, in the midst of an exuberant game of tag, Glorfindel grabbed him and pushed him almost violently against the back of a tree. Nothing but a small shrub hid them from the eyes of the party, yet Legolas forgot all about them when his Lord's tongue ruthlessly invaded his mouth so that he moaned in abject surrender, arching up against Glorfindel's body even though his Lord's strong hand kept his wrists tightly pinned against the tree above his head.

It was only one moment, though, then Glorfindel released him, and for a few heartbeats, they stood there together. They were both breathing fast, and Legolas was flushed from pleasure as well as shock, well aware that if Glorfindel had kept on, it would have been hard not to embarrass himself.

After a moment, Glorfindel sighed and pressed a gentle kiss to the youth's brow. “Ah, Legolas,” he said softly, his eyes alight with the tenderest of feelings, “every day you teach me a new way in which to cherish you!”

Legolas felt himself flush with pleasure and leaned forward to kiss Glorfindel again, unable to express his love and adoration in another way, until someone came running towards the tree they had been hiding behind, with the company close behind in laughing pursuit. They left their hiding place at last to join the game once more, and their fingers stayed entwined even while they tried to evade capture for as long as possible.