When I walked into Ecthelion's house, Inthel was waiting for me in the entryway. "Lady Kiera, it is nice to see you again today. Celebrimbor stopped by this morning to ask about laundry. I would be happy to show you how we wash the clothes and I can give you some soap to get you started."

I smile at her. "Thank you for helping me. We wash clothes very differently in my world and this is my new task for the house. I would like some soap as I am not sure if the craftsmen have any in the house."

She laughs, "I wouldn't count on them to have any supplies. Laundry seems to be the one task in the city that the men just don't want to do. If you follow me, I will take you to our washroom."

I follow behind her as she leads me through the house. As we walk she tells me, "Lord Ecthelion is excited to see you again today. He has arranged for you to spend the rest of the afternoon in his study with him. He thought it would be best to avoid the fountains and gardens for a while. I have to warn you that Lord Glorfindel is also here and is waiting to speak with you."

I groan at her and she giggles. "I have heard many things said about Lord Glorfindel. Never has a female groaned after hearing that Lord Glorfindel wishes to speak with her."

I burst out laughing and I like Inthel already as she has a good sense of humor. I test the waters and reply, "I'm sure a few females have groaned out his name in a different context."

She looks back at me and I grin at her. She is trying very hard not to laugh but she doesn't make it. We are both laughing as we keep walking and she turns back to me. She said, "too many. Thankfully, I am not one of them as I am happily married. I believe you have met my husband already though he doesn't speak the common tongue."

I give her a confused look and she laughs, "Langon, the city guard is my husband. He was the one that found you crying on the wall. I have been trying to teach him the common tongue but he has no real desire to learn. Perhaps when you start to speak Elvish, you may speak with him. I have told him a little about you and the rest of the house likes you well enough."

"I know Celebrimbor already told him, but could you tell him thank you again. I really needed a friend that day and I am grateful for him for finding Lord Ecthelion who found Celebrimbor."

She nods and gives me a warm smile. We walk a little further down the hall and she finally opens a large door that leads into a bright workroom. The space is empty of people but I see plenty of buckets of water with clothes soaking and clothes hanging to dry near the fireplace. She leads me over to the first soaking bin and says, "the laundry attendants usually only work in the morning. Clothes that have deep stains are left overnight to soak and the clean clothes are left to hang dry during the day and overnight."

She leads me to an empty bin with an old-fashioned washboard. "After the clothes have soaked, we wash them against the washboard with soap and hot water. I have heard from other houses that if you soak the craftsmen's work clothes overnight, by morning you can wash all the stains and dirt out easily. The washboard helps loosen the dirt and stains and you shouldn't have to scrub very hard."

She moves to another empty bin and says, "the rinse bin is important to get all the soap out." Next, are two wooden rolls with a small crank. "This is an easy way to get out of the excess water but be sure to rinse well." She spun the crank and the wooden rollers moved and I got the picture. She walked over to the clothes drying by the fire and said, "during the summer they usually hang the clothes outside to dry but during the colder months we dry them by the fire."

She points to a flat piece of metal with a handle that is sitting near the fire. "Once the clothes are dry, they iron out the wrinkles. The iron is hot so use a thick mitten and an ironing board." She points over to the corner where there are four ironing boards laid out.

She turned to me and said, "you might have to go to the market and pick up supplies. They sell everything there if the craftsmen do not have these items. I am unsure what was in the house when they arrived but you can pick up what you need. I will package up soap for you to take with you. They sell the soap in the markets but I will give you enough to clean a few piles of clothes in case the craftsmen don't have any."

I follow her to the other end of the room where there are shelves. On the shelves are soaps and glass jars along with buckets of supplies and clothespins. She wraps up a bar of soap in some paper and gives me a glass jar of rose-scented soap. "The bar is to get out the tough stains and dirt. The rose soap is for general washing."

Satisfied, she leads me back through the house and up the stairs. His house is huge and I am slightly out of breath when we finally arrive at his study door. "He is waiting for you. You may go in, enjoy your afternoon."

I tell her thanks and knock on the door. Ecthelion calls to come in and I open the door. Having been here once before, I only take a glance around but I see Ecthelion sitting behind his desk with Glorfindel lounging in a chair in front.

Ecthelion is smiling at me and ushers me in. "Glorfindel wishes to speak with you, even though I told him I didn't think it would be best. He is stubborn that way and it's better to just let him have his way or else he will throw a temper tantrum like a toddler."

Glorfindel scowls at Ecthelion as I take the empty chair. Ecthelion's eyes are twinkling and it makes me feel at ease that he is in a happy mood. I look over to Glorfindel and speak before he has a chance too.

"If you are looking to apologize for Idril's words and actions, you can save your breath. I don't want to see her for a while. She needs to see the error of her ways and apologize. Nothing you say is going to change my opinion or sway me to forgive her without it."

Ecthelion barks out a laugh and Glorfindel huffs, "I wasn't going to apologize for her. I actually came to see if you were alright or if you needed anything. What she said was wrong and I don't agree with the way she treated you or Ecthelion. I have had many conversations with her over the years about how she treats people and now she is beginning to finally realize the costs. I have told her before that people are scared to be her friend in the city, in case they upset her and she runs to her father. Now she has proven that to be true she will have a harder time making any friends in this city. I do not want you to forgive her unless she makes a change and grows up. Her mother would be ashamed and very disappointed in her daughter if she were still here."

He sighs loudly and picks at the lint on his tunic. "Sometimes I wish my family was normal and that I wasn't a lord of this city. It seems like every day there is something to be taken care of and I just want to train with the guards, go to parties, and meet women."

Ecthelion gives him a small smile and then looks at me. "I have heard that you moved in with the craftsmen. Are you enjoying your time there so far? Inthel told me this morning you are going to be doing the laundry. I hope they are all pitching in as well."

I smile at him and say, "they are. Harmon cooks all the meals. Echadron cleans all the dishes. Celebrimbor cleans the house and I will be doing the laundry. I think I got off easy as I don't want to cook or wash dishes daily."

Ecthelion's eyes are twinkling again as he says, "I wouldn't be so sure about that. I think Celebrimbor got the easiest task as cleaning takes less time than the others. I always hated doing the laundry with my mother and I do not envy you."

Glorfindel smirks at me and I begin to wonder if the craftsmen made out like bandits compared to me. I shrug, "it can't be that bad. I never minded it in my world and it doesn't look so bad here."

They both chuckle but I brush it aside. I look at Ecthelion and wait for him to speak again. He smiles at me and says, "I am excited to hear another story. I have wondered all last night and this morning about what could happen next." He looks expectantly at Glorfindel now who is pouting.

"I see. You are going to throw me out to listen to a story. What am I supposed to do for the rest of the afternoon?"

He doesn't reply and instead gets up and grabs a stack of papers and deposits them into his lap. He leans against his desk as Glorfindel groans, "I do not want to do the guard rotations. I thought you were taking care of it?"

"I have. I need you to look them over and make sure I didn't miss anyone. You can also plan out the new training schedules as we have almost all of the guards back in the city now."

He pouts again and whines. "You get to spend the afternoon with a pretty girl while I am stuck doing paperwork."

Ecthelion smirks at Glorfindel and says, "I'm sure you can find a pretty girl to warm your bed if company is what you desire. Lady Kiera did offer you a chance to listen to the story but you declined. I am afraid that we are too far into the story now for you to join us as it wouldn't make sense to you.

He gives Ecthelion a playful glare and mumbles something under his breath. He bids me goodbye as he leaves the study. Ecthelion laughs softly at his exit and I feel better as his good mood is infectious.

"I thought we could spend the afternoon inside. I'm sure the gardens wouldn't be too busy but I didn't know if you wanted to be out and about after what happened."

"Not really. I don't mind staying in as it is warm here. By the way, can you drop the Lady Kiera? I really just prefer to be called Kiera."

"Certainly, but please don't call me Lord Ecthelion. If we are alone or speaking casually, you do not need to say my title. Now would you like to move closer to the fire?"

I nod and he moves off the desk and I follow him to one of the chairs near the fireplace. He sits in one and I sit across from him with the fire on our sides. The couch is empty but the chair is very comfy. I open up the books app on my phone and start to read The worst birthday.

I read the first chapter and then I got to the Dobby chapter. I don't make it far before Ecthelion is choking on air.

"House elf?" he cries.

I laugh at his stunned face and say, "yes, the elves in this story are servants." I coughed and spread one hand over the chair about waist height. "They are usually this tall and they are bound to serve a wizarding family. They cook, clean, and take care of the house."

I rest back in the chair and he smiles weakly at me. "Well, I guess there will be no Elven heroes in this tale. Sorry for my outburst, I was just a little surprised."

I don't correct him and begin reading again. Like the day before, I stop at each chapter end but he never had any questions. I keep reading now and he gasps and chuckles along with my reading. We get to the final fight scene between Harry and the Basilisk and he is sitting on the edge of his seat with anticipation.

I finished the last chapter and set my phone down on the armchair. Ecthelion was looking at me in amazement again. "That one was better than the first one. How extraordinary, he faced off against the snake and won. Lucius Malfoy was the one behind it the entire time and I never knew. Dobby got set free, Lockhart the fraud, got what was coming to him. Dumbledore and Hagrid returned. It was fantastic. I loved it."

"I didn't ask you before, but who is your favorite character?"

He spits out quickly, "Harry." He smiles a large smile, "although I like them all. I have never heard any story quite like this before and I want to hear more." He glances at the window and asks, "would you like to stay for dinner and possibly read another in the evening?"

I smile back at him and say, "yes."

He jumps up out of his chair. "Excellent, it should be close to dinner time so I will escort you down to the dining hall so we can eat."

I leave my phone as we will be returning after and I follow Ecthelion out into the hall. He offers me his arm and I accept it. We start to walk and he asks, "how could a book control Ginny? I felt terrible for her as it was her first year at Hogwarts and she didn't get to enjoy it. Is it some form of that dark magic they talk about? What about Harry's ability? He got it from Voldemort but does that normally happen?"

I sigh, he is very smart and seems to pick up on things. I expected as much. "The book is dark magic. I agree about Ginny, it was truly terrible but it gets better for her. As for Harry, it is not normal but you won't find out more for a while."

He ponders my answers and we walk into the dining hall. It is only about half full but we take our seats at the main table. He calls for dinner to start and a loud bell sounds throughout the house. I watch the rest of his house trickle in and I smile back at a few of them. The food is brought out and I start to load my plate.

Ecthelion asks, "did Dumbledore ever duel against Voldemort?"

I cough on my food, "No."

He arches an eyebrow at me, "why not? If he is considered one of the greatest wizards of the age why didn't he just challenge Voldemort to a duel?"

I chew the rest of my food before I answer. "There are some other reasons why which you will find out later in the series. The main one is that Voldemort was scared of Dumbledore and I doubt he would have shown up to the duel."

He seems satisfied with the answer but keeps asking more. "Are there many magical creatures in the books? I admit that I find them intriguing and I might agree with Hagrid now on his love of creatures. Although, the spiders I could live without."

Right, yeah no spiders. "There is quite a bit but the books do a good job of introducing the creatures at the right time. You would be called a Magizoologist if you took care of the magical creatures. Hagrid sort of is one as he takes care of the animals around the school."

"I think I would like that. What do grown wizards do after they leave Hogwarts?"

I laugh at him, "you'll find out later."

He groans and shakes his head. "This story is very good and I want to know everything. I cannot wait to hear more."

I burst out laughing at him and he smiles at my laughter. "I had to wait years between each book. You only have to wait one day."

His eyes sparkle with mirth, "that must have been dreadful for you. I couldn't imagine the wait. Why did it take so long?"

"Someone had to write the books you know. They are all made up and nothing is real so it takes time to write a good story."

He looks thoughtful. "I wonder why we have never created our own stories or tales. We seem to be content with just retelling what has happened in this world. I grew up listening to tales about the dark days in Middle Earth and about the long journey the elves took."

I'm not sure why either but probably because this world is filled with enough legends and tales of their own. By the third age, they had plenty of things to talk about. I finish my food and wait for Ecthelion to finish eating. He sips his wine and looks around his house. I follow his line of sight and he is watching a few of the couples. I see two of them look to be pregnant and their husbands are feeding them food. He watches them for a moment and then returns to stare at his plate.

I squeeze his arm and he looks at me in surprise. I give him a small smile and he picks up that I saw him. His face turns to a frown and says, "I wish desperately for a family someday. It makes my heart ache to see happy couples in love and expecting a child. While I am very happy for them I cannot deny that I am envious of them."

He looks away sadly and I squeeze his arm again. "I think you will find someone. You are kind, a great lord and warrior, and a wonderful person. I think you will fall in love someday and have a family. Don't be embarrassed by wanting that, as I think most people do."

He looked down at me but his frown grew. "Thank you for the kind words but I do not see myself getting married while I reside in the city. Amara has made it almost impossible for women to approach me. You are the first one to do so in many years."

He takes a long swig of his wine and says sadly. "There had been a few after Amara but they all desired my title and what my house could offer them. Hardly anyone speaks to me to get to know me as a person. I was very happy that you asked me to dance at the festival as I have missed dancing the most. I hope you will save me a dance at all of the festivals in the future."

"I will, I enjoyed dancing with you. I don't think you should give up hope just yet though." Also, this city won't last forever and he might find someone later on in the future. Ecthelion was done eating now so he escorted me back to his study. I pick up my phone again as I sit back in the chair. Ecthelion pulls a wine bottle from a cabinet and pours a glass. He offers me one but I decline. I'm not much of a drinker anymore and I don't want to start that again.

"Now, this one might be a little confusing but it is one of my favorites in the series. We should be able to finish it tonight. The remaining books are very long so we might have to split them up."

He nods and smiles with glee. I began reading Owl Post. This one is a bit darker than the others and Ecthelion is hanging onto my every word. He gaps and laughs at my reading and I can see him tense up at some parts. It is late by the time I finish and he shocks me by asking "Why can't Harry go live with Sirius?"

"He has to go back and stay with the Dursleys."

"Why? They treat him horribly. Who cares that Sirius is on the run, can't they find a place to hide out together. Harry deserves to be with Sirius."

"I would have thought you would have had questions about time travel?"

He shrugs, "it is interesting but if you cannot change the past then it is useless. I don't really understand it all but I picked up enough that they never really changed anything. They just did different things during the same portion of time. What happens to Sirius?"

I sat back in surprise. I am a bit shocked myself as he seemed to be really upset over the Sirius thing. I think he is going to take his death hard two books from now. "We will see Sirius again but I don't want to ruin it."

He gives me a small glare but softens it. "Why doesn't Dumbledore do something to help Sirius or does he in the future? Harry finally has a family member who loves him and wants to take care of him. Harry shouldn't have to go back to the Dursleys."

I shrug and he gets an annoyed look on his face. I laugh at him and it helps break the tension. He chuckles softly and then says, "what a wonderful story. I truly care about these characters and they are not even real. I can see why these are your favorite stories. Do you have many more like these in your world?"

I nod, "we have lots of stories and tales. Some of them are real while others are made up. This is an extremely popular series in my world. I am glad you are enjoying it. It makes me happy to share it with someone."

He smiles and sets his empty wine glass down. "It is late and I will walk you home if that is alright."

I nod and grab my phone, charger, and the soaps that I had set on his desk. When we get out into the hall he stops in front of a door. "Wait here one moment." I see a bedroom as he opens the door but I don't get a good look. He came back wearing a thick cloak and he threw another one over my shoulders before I could reject it.

"It is too cold for you to be wearing just a tunic and breeches. I know mortals get ill easier." He offers his arm and I grudgingly accept it. When we set out into his courtyard, I was hit in the face with a blast of cold wind and I shivered.

He gives me a knowing look and scowls at him which just makes him laugh softly at me. Our walk is quiet and he seems to be lost in his own thoughts perhaps about the story. I don't mind as I am just enjoying the night. We arrive in front of my house and I take off his cloak and hand it to him. He bids me goodnight and I tell him I will see him tomorrow.

I scurry into the house for warmth and when I close the door I see Cele is still up. He is sitting in the living room with some fabric in his hands. "Good evening, would you care to join me?"

I don't respond and instead, just plot down on the couch next to him. I can see he is knitting something and I gasp in surprise. "You knit?"

He doesn't look up from his work but says, "sometimes. I find it relaxing as it uses my hands the same way crafting does. My mother taught me when I was younger and I do it in the evenings to calm my mind."

I have no idea what he is making but I have an idea. I run upstairs to my room and grab a sweater from my dresser. I drop my phone and charger off and run back downstairs. Cele has stopped working and is waiting for me to return.

"How long would it take to make something like this?" I hand him the sweater and he flips it over and around to examine it. "For me to do or you?"

"Me."

"A while, I would guess. I can teach you but some people don't pick it up as easily as others. Are you making one for yourself or for someone else?"

I pause and I can see his eyes are gleaming in the firelight. Nosy and sneaky. "Someone else."

He grins, "Ecthelion perhaps."

I give him a confused look and say, "no Maeglin. I want to give him something as a thank you for a wonderful evening that we spent together."

I focus very hard on keeping a straight and confused face. Cele's face loses a bit of its color but he shakes it off quickly. "Well, how was it? Is he a good lover or are the rumors true?"

I couldn't hold it in anymore and I laughed loudly. He groans loudly and falls back against the couch. He crosses his arms and says, "well played. You had me convinced for a moment there. I'm glad that it wasn't true but I am curious."

"Meh, I wouldn't tell you anyway. Why are you curious about what Maeglin does in bed? I admit it is terrible but if he tells them upfront they can't really be mad."

He gives me a searching gaze and he looks like he is debating with himself over something. "Seeing as you had a falling out with Idril, I can ask you now. Did she ever speak about Maeglin and if so what did she say?"

Intrigued I say, "not really. Told me he is her cousin. He only cares about his money and his power and that he spends a lot of time with the king. Why are you asking?"

He nods, "I have heard a few interesting rumors. I am not sure I believe them all but I think there is some truth to what has been said." He coughs and gives me a look, "I have heard that when Maeglin first came to this city, Idril would follow him around like a lost puppy. It could have been because she was lonely and finally had some family again. Or else she could have wanted to make sure he was alright after his mother passed. I was told a very tight-lipped secret that Idril desired more with Maeglin in the beginning. I am not sure how far it progressed but I know something happened between them. Maeglin and Idril stopped speaking almost overnight and he began to take many of the single females to his bed. I have heard that he doesn't let them stay the night and once he is satisfied, he makes them leave."

"I am just curious as to why. I think he cares for Idril but I do not believe it is love. I believe it is lust and a way to gain power but I could be wrong. Maybe they shared some moments and Idril didn't feel the same for him. Perhaps something more happened between them. Cousins are allowed to marry but it is often frowned upon."

I scrunch up my face in disgust. Fucking gross. Cele smiles and laughs softly. "I was hoping if I told you, that it would keep you away from Maeglin. Maybe not, as I am not sure if the rumors are even true. I had to pry them out of a tipsy lady of the court and she has avoided me ever since. I wouldn't dare ask Maeglin but I have slid in a few comments which he avoided."

"She never said anything to me. I doubt she ever would and especially not now. I know she was pretty lonely so I can see her following him around and making sure he was ok after everything. I'm not sure I believe something happened between them. The times they have been together they seem perfectly cordial with one another."

He nods, "I have watched them at every festival. Even when he dances with her he is the perfect gentleman. I would just like to know for my own sake. It is good blackmail material and I like to have a collection of secrets at my disposal."

Fuck he is definitely a Slytherin as he is very cunning and ambitious. I would have never thought to find out secrets about people in the city. Too much Harry Potter for me lately but back to my early thoughts. "Could you show me how to knit? I won't have much to do in the evenings and winter is coming. Ecthelion likes the story I am reading to him and I want to make him a sweater for Christmas. It is a holiday from my world and I want to celebrate it this year. It usually takes place at the end of December where we have a big meal and pass out gifts to one another. I want to get everyone gifts but you don't have to get me anything."

"Sounds fun. If it makes you happy, we can do it. You will have to let Harmon know so he can cook what you like. I will talk with the others about the gifts." He holds up his knitting and says, "I was actually making you a scarf and hat. You need to bundle up as winter in the city is very cold."

Aww, that is so nice of him. I move over and hug him and he snuggles closer to me. He wraps his arm around my waist and we sit next to each other for a while, just watching the fire dance. I start to get sleepy and I fall into a light sleep. After a while, I feel him pick me up and carry me up to my room. He sets me down on the bed and moves the covers. He tucks me in and bids me goodnight as he leaves. I dream about celebrating Christmas with my new family.