Year of Madness

Book Two ~ Chapter Two

“So, Lord Elrond tells me you once reminded him you were due a raise,” spoke Glorfindel before biting into his toast.

“You were talking to Lord Elrond about me?” questioned Erestor as he poured maple syrup over his eggs.

‘Oops,’ thought Glorfindel as he chewed and swallowed. “It was- I didn’t mean to,” apologized Glorfindel.

Erestor chuckled to himself and looked up from his plate, his sparkling eyes meeting Glorfindel’s. “What else did he say about me?”

“He- well, we talked more about me than we did about you,” he said, trying to change the subject.

“Oh? What about?” Erestor began to arrange things on his plate as he liked them, building up little barriers between the various foods so that nothing invaded the space of anything else. He battled the maple syrup’s attempt to storm his stack of toast as he waited for Glorfindel’s answer.

‘Oops again,’ he thought, running out of ways to skirt the issue. “You look quite handsome today,” he said instead.

Erestor’s look became even more amused. “Now I am sure something is up,” he said, smoothing back his tangled dark hair that he had yet to brush. He was still dressed in his nightclothes, foorfiorfindel had surprised him by setting up breakfast on the balcony and he had opted to eat before showering so that the food did not get cold. “Tell me or I’ll tickle you,” he threatened.

Glorfindel’s jaw dropped. “Well, that’s a fine thing to say. What is that, some sort of negotiations tactic?”

“Stall for much longer, and you’ll find out,” warned Erestor with a playful smile.

“You’re not joking, are you?”

Shaking his head Erestor began to stand up, his palms on the top of the table.

Scooting his chair backwards in alarm, Glorfindel shouted out, “Marriage! We were talking about marriage,” he said in a slightly subdued tone as Erestor sat back down again.

“Oh.” Erestor picked up his fork and began to push his eggs around, not seeming to care that his syrup was escaping the boundaries he had created. “I see.”

“Not that we have to,” said Glorfindel quickly. “If you don’t want to. I don’t want to push you into anything. I hadn’t even truly considered asking you, it didn’t seem necessary.” Cringing after he said these words and watched Erestor set down his fork, Glorfindel shoved his plate away and crossed his arms. “That isn’t what I meant. Why I am so terrible at this?”

“Because you’re nervous,” answered Erestor calmly, and to Glorfindel’s relief, without a hint of anger in his voice. “You need to take a deep breath,” he said as he stood up and circled the table, “and just tell me what you do mean.” Erestor lowered himself onto Glorfindel’s lap, placing his arms around his lover’s neck. Glorfindel readjusted his own arms, moving them around Erestor’s waist to pull him closer. “So. You were speaking to Lord Elrond about me and about you and about marriage.”

Unable to answer verbally, Glorfindel merely nodded.

“Well, we are bound. Logically, we should have considered a formal ceremony first, but I don’t think either of us was thinking logically that day. I don’t regret it, either, sometimes you have to let the body lead the mind.” Erestor lifted a hand to draw it through Glorfindel’s hair. “I felt I needed to give you whatever time you felt comfortable with before making our relationship known publicly. Have you spoken to your brother yet?” Glorfindel bit his lip and shook his head. “I didn’t think so. And your parents? They are still living in Mirkwood, are they not?”

Again, Glorfindel nodded. He wished he could say something, but still could not speak.

“You know I am patient,” Erestor said. “Take what time you need – I do not wish to bring you grief over something that should be blessed and sacred and beautiful.” Erestor stood up and walked inside, leaving the door to the balcony open.

After many minutes of contemplation, Glorfindel entered back into Erestor’s bedroom. They still kept separate suites, for only Lord Elrond and his sons truly knew of their secret, and perhaps Lady Celebrian, who gave Glorfindel more than one knowing smile when he and Erestor would arrive together at dinner. He heard noise coming from the bathroom and realized that Erestor was cleaning up now and that his efforts at ‘wooing’ his mate were all for naught.

Resignedly he sat down on the edge of the canopied bed and waited for Erestor to emerge from the washroom. It was barely five minutes before Erestor came to the bed, already dried off and braiding his only slightly damp hair. Glorfindel marveled at the extreme efficiency the dark elf had and stood up to kiss him. “I’m sorry if I said anything offensive. Or, didn’t say anything,” he added, recalling his lack of words.

“Do you love me?”

“Of course I do,” replied Glorfindel. “I love you, Erestor, I love you dearly.”

“Then that is all that matters to ans answered Erestor, stealing a second kiss from his lover. He turned to walk to the dresser to get something more than the pants he was wearing but was stalled by a hand pulling his back.

“Let’s tell him.”

“Who?”

“My brother. Let’s tell my brother. He should know, and I should tell him, and I want you there. And if anyone else is in the Hall today, fine then, they’ll know, too.” Glorfindel swallowed and added, “If that’s alright with you.”

“If he takes it well, would you want to tell your parents?” questioned Erestor.

Glorfindel looked deep into Erestor’s eyes, and immediately felt ashamed, and at the same time, completely loved. ‘He wants us to tell everyone,’ realized the blonde. ‘He wants to hold my hand outside our rooms without fear he might upset me, he wants to kiss in the gardens like so many new lovers do. He’s holding back.’ “You love me,” he said before he could stop to realize he was speaking what he was thinking.

Erestor nodded slowly. “Of course I love you,” he said, tweaking Glorfindel’s nose playfully. “I don’t do that to just anyone,” he winked.

Smiling, Glorfindel asked shyly, “So then, if I asked you, you’d marry me?”

“In a heartbeat. Ict, ct, I wouldn’t even make you do the asking.” Erestor took a firm grip of Glorfindel’s hand and pulled him toward the door. Erestor seemed to have forgotten or not cared about the fact he was barefoot in only a pair of leggings as he pulled Glorfindel down hallways and down three flights of stairs. Pushing open the doors to the Hall of Fire, it was unusual to see so many elves gathered here so early, except it was the end of the week, and there were few elves who were expected to perform their daily duties. Lord Elrond sat at the fire with Melpomaen, the pair retelling stories to a group of elflings on the floor before them while parents and others lines the outer edge of the room.

‘Maybe we should wait,’ thought Glorfindel, but as he was brought to the front of the room near Lord Elrond, he recalled the discussion he had had much earlier in the morning.

/ If Erestor wants something, he will let it be known. /

“My lord, my apologies,” said Erestor, bg hig his head. Glorfindel stiffly did the same a moment later, but he knew he looked bewildered, for Lord Elrond was trying unsuccessfully to hide his bemused look. “I wish to say something before those present, imay.may.”

Nodding, Lord Elrond waved his hand, giving Erestor the floor. Melpomaen straightened in his seat, and Glorfindel swallowed hard and looked away as he watched the librarian’s eyes shift to his hand, which was still held by Erestor.

“For many long years, I bee been alone,” Erestor announced in a loud voice to a captive audience. “I thought for some time that perhaps I would remain alone. Recently, however, I found that did not have to be, and I no longer am alone.” Turning to Glorfindel, he said in a slightly lower voice, “I should have asked you this months ago.”

Glorfindel did not answer, and was a little shocked as Erestor knelt on one knee before him. “Glorfindel, I can’t begin to tell you how you’ve changed my life, and alr thr the better. I no longer wish to hide our love from the rest of the world. Will you marry me?”

When he didn’t respond right away, he was given a sharp nudge in the side. Thinking it was from Lord Elrond, he looked down to see a chubby faced elfling poking at him. “He asked you a question,” explained the wdie-eyed elfling. “You hafta answer!”

“Yes,” said Glorfindel, and looking back at Erestor, pulled his lover to his feet. “Yes. That’s my answer. Yes, Erestor, yes, I’ll marry you.”

There was laughter, applause, and general happiness in the hall. From his place at the fire, one dark-haired elf stood and walked to the pair receiving so much attention. He paused, his expression unreadable. Glorfindel held his breath, waiting for the elf to speak.

“Congratulations, brother,” said Melpomaen, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He embraced Glorfindel, who grinned and sighed in relief.


Continued...