'We should make an arrangement,' Govon murmured into Legolas' ear. 'You bring the wine, and the beer, and I'll provide the oil in future.'

In future? Legolas found a smile beginning deep inside his fëa.

'Very well. I prefer strong fragrances if they are to be close to me. Florals are all very well, but not on my skin.'

'Not even lavender?'

'Lavender is for spider burns. Honing oil is infinitely preferable to lavender.'

Govon laughed. 'Very well; no floral scents.' He stretched and began to disentangle himself from the bedding, but then sighed and relaxed back against Legolas instead. 'I should go. I told Merlinith not to wait up for me, that I would be home late… if I hasten, I may be able to slip in before she rises, and pretend I have not been out quite all night… it is only that she will assume I have been with the fair Gwilwilithil – what kind of a naneth names their daughter that? And I would not have her friend embarrassed by Merlinith thinking I have been all night with her.'

'Well, if I were to come back with you, then Merlinith will not ask her lovely butterfly friend how much time she spent in your company, will she?'

'True… but that will be quite a big hint to drop as to where I have spent the night and are you sure you wish her to know?' Govon's smile was challenging, and Legolas felt more hung on the question than just Merlinith's finding out where Govon had been.

And he realised something, and so was able to speak with utter sincerity.

'Melleth-nin, I do not care if everybody knows!'

Govon laughed. 'I'm sure you don't mean that! Not when you think about it… your father, your brothers….'

'Well, I am sure my father and my brothers would not be surprised. But when you put it like that… maybe not all the palace just yet. But for the first time, I do not feel I need to hide what I am.' As he said it, he felt as if something finally relaxed inside himself. 'For too long I have walked as if I needed to apologise. Now I find I do not.'

He rolled across Govon and slid out of bed. 'The bathing room calls me. The pool is big enough for us both, if you wish.'

'I'll be there in a moment.' Govon sat up and stretched, feeling the tenderness left by teeth and overuse and exertion, feeling the lightness brought by completion and affection. What would he say, his fair elf, if he knew how it had been for Govon on the flet? How he had always known when Legolas had been near, however deep in the poison he'd sunk? The prince might laugh, dismiss it. But there had been something in Legolas' declaration, his assertion that he wanted more than simply a casual bedfellow that made Govon think otherwise.

Not yet. He couldn't speak of it yet.

He padded to the door of the bathing room. Legolas was standing in the pool, waist-deep in water from the hot springs that ran under the palace cave complex. He was scooping water in his hands to trickle it over his pale skin, the droplets glistening like pearls in the pale morning light coming through the clear crystal skylight in the roof above. His body was strong and lithe and the muscles were defined and perfect, and Govon felt briefly ashamed of his own presently-scrawny condition.

Legolas turned and smiled at him, dropping down into the water, and Govon forgot about his self-consciousness.

'The temperature is perfect,' Legolas said. 'Just a little warmer than the skin. Come, join me? If I'm coming home with you, you don't have to hurry quite so much, do you?'

Govon descended the steps into the pool, marvelling at the warmth and the spaciousness. Legolas' chambers had seemed modest, furnished plainly considering his status, but the pool was luxurious, almost as big as the prince's sleeping room.

A prince and a captain. Could it, would it work?

The only way to find out was to try.

'Ai, after five weeks on a flet, this is bliss indeed!' Govon said, relaxing into the water. 'At home, we share a pool half this size with three other families, and Merlinith thinks it the height of luxury.'

'It is the one thing I have always enjoyed, the privacy of my own bathing pool.' Legolas smiled, his face transforming. 'But sharing is better, I think.'

It was tempting to linger in the warm water, to continue the gradual exploration and discovery of each other, but time was passing and while it was wonderful to wash Govon's hair and to feel the captain's hands in his own scalp, Legolas was aware of the demands of the day and Tharmeduil's question of the day before.

'What does your day hold, Govon?' he asked, reaching for a towel to pass to his lover before grabbing one for himself and leaving the pool.

'Calming my sister… sourcing a decent body oil… apart from that, my time is yours, if you like.'

Legolas smiled as he took a smaller towel and began to dry Govon's hair for him.

'Well… and if this is not something you want to do, then feel free to say… my brother Tharmeduil wishes to speak with one who was on the flet before the spiders migrated through… it would be a way for you to meet him under informal circumstances.'

'I thought he was ill?'

'Yes… but not sick. It is difficult to explain… if you would like to meet him you will learn more. But if you would prefer not to, there are others I could ask, although it would not be the same…'

'He would know, about us.'

Legolas gave a one-sided smile. 'Ai, I think he already knows! Do you mind? But, Tharmeduil understands I am not like him and as well as my brother, he is a good friend. And your sister, she will know, soon, so it seems fitting. '

'Thank you.' Govon reached out to lightly touch Legolas' shoulder. 'That you want me known as your lover honours me. I will come.'

Legolas turned to place his hands on Govon's hips, smiling up at him. 'That's settled, then. So, we had better dress, I suppose. Help yourself to anything you need.'

Really? But there was nothing he needed urgently; he could change at home soon enough, although he did appropriate a couple of plain hair clasps from the bowl on top of the dresser in the prince's sleeping chamber.

Legolas noticed, smiling. 'Swap?' he suggested, holding his hand out for Govon's own clasps. The captain grinned and dropped his own clasps into Legolas' palm. It felt like a commitment, albeit a small one, made bigger by the intimacy of braiding for each other and fixing the exchanged clasps in place.

It felt too soon to be leaving the sanctuary of his rooms. Legolas could have stayed with Govon there for day, weeks. Hours would have done… but the day beckoned and he followed Govon along the corridors to the captain's family chambers.

Merlinith appeared at the doorway to the kitchen area when Govon opened the door and invited Legolas in.

'Good morning! I didn't hear you rise or leave for the baths, Govon. I see you've visited them together; you'll take breakfast with my brother and me, my prince?'

Legolas' smile was rueful. 'Alas, I am almost promised to break my fast with my brothers this morning. Govon, thank you for sharing your baths with me…' He turned to walk back towards the door. 'I will call for you later, yes?'

'In person?' Govon raised an eyebrow. 'Surely one of the royal princes has people to do that for him?'

'Yes. I suppose.' He lowered his voice. 'What is it with your sister? We arrive back, both with damp hair, and all she does is assume we were in the public bath together like any males might?'

Govon rolled his eyes. 'Ai, perhaps she only sees what she wants to see, melleth!'

Legolas smiled at the endearment. 'I would not want to distress her, but the whole point of my walking back with you…'

Govon reached out to take his hand for a moment. 'I'll wait for your messenger, fair elf!'

Legolas smiled again, reluctant to leave. 'You'll be brought straight to my brother's rooms; they are not so far from mine that you won't recognise the way.'

Merlinith's voice floated down the corridor. 'Govon? The food is ready! Oh, and Gwilwilithil said she might join us at lunch…'

Govon rolled his eyes. 'Ai, Valar! I will go and tell Merlinith I shall be out!' he said.