The next few days go by in a similar manner. I go to my morning lessons, eat lunch with the boys, then I read to Ecthelion in the afternoon and evening. After each book, he says that it is his favorite. He cried a little at Cedric's death after the fourth book. He said his favorite part was all the different people around the world. He bawled the next night at Sirius's death and kept asking if he could escape the veil. He hated Umbridge with a passion and thought she deserved worse. At the ending of the sixth book, he was stunned. We spent the evening discussing the Horcruxes and Dumbledore's death. He hated Snape now and thought he was a traitor. I agreed with him so I wouldn't give away the ending.

The last day I was supposed to read him the final book, Inthel showed up during lunch to say the king had called a meeting. Having a free afternoon, I started on my first round of laundry. Cele went with me to the market the day before to pick up all my supplies. The boys only had one tub and nothing else and I could see why they hated to do the laundry. Cele carried back all the supplies happily as he was desperate for clean clothes.

After lunch, I set up my workspace in the spare room. I moved the bed off to the side and the boys brought in a small wooden table for me to work. I strung up my clothesline near the fire and set all my buckets in a row. I got some hot water from the study as they carried all their dirty clothes in their arms to the room. I would have to get them baskets, I thought.

I kept most of their clothes separate. I sorted through the piles and took all the cleaner clothes out to wash. They each had a few work tunics that were stained and needed to soak overnight.

Once I finished washing everyone's clothes and my own, I hung them up to dry. There was a small fire going that Cele started earlier and I made sure to stoke the flames before I left the room.

Washing took most of the afternoon. I bundled up in some warm clothes and I stopped by the workshop to pick up some money for baskets. Cele was happy and handed the money over eagerly. He also gave me a small list of other things to pick up for them.

I headed to the great market and wandered around until I found all of their supplies and purchased three large woven baskets in different colors. As I was leaving the market I saw Idril shopping with Tithessel who sneered at me. No loss there, but I was a bit hurt as Idril pretended that I didn't exist when she saw me. Tuor was with them as well, but his back was to me as he was purchasing some supplies.

I walked home quickly and gave the boys their supplies. I went back upstairs to finish my work. Some of the clothes were still damp so I only ironed the fully dry ones. Everyone had a small pile of clean clothes and I folded them all into a neat stack. I dropped them all off in their rooms with the empty baskets. I headed downstairs and took a seat at the table as Harmon was already here preparing dinner.

"I finished some of your laundry. I set a pile of clean clothes on your bed and left you a basket for dirty clothes. I have more to finish up tomorrow as some of the work tunics need to soak."

He smiles and looks relieved. "Thank you very much. I despise doing laundry but I love to cook. I hope you are still alright with the arrangement."

I nod at him and he goes back to cooking. I have tried having some conversations with him while he cooks but he hardly answers me. He just prefers to focus on cooking which is fine. He tends to be more on the reserved and quiet side but he joins in our conversations in the evenings. I sit and watch him work until the other two come back. To my surprise, Voronwë and Rhuidhen are joining us as well. They all join me at the table and I look at Voronwë with a raised eyebrow.

"Lord Egalmonth is holding a gathering in his house tonight. The others are planning to go but I do not believe you would want to go. It is to honor Tithessel's courtship as they are coming close to their one-year mark. I wouldn't mind keeping you company tonight instead," smiled Voronwe.

My heart warms at the thought and I say, "thank you. I wouldn't mind spending the evening with you. I saw her today with Idril and she sneered at me. I wouldn't want to go to her party anyways. You all go and have a blast and drink all of their wine."

Echadron and Cele laugh together and they share a glance. Cele shrugs and Echadron turns to me. "As you are living here now, we should probably discuss some things."

He pauses and waits for me to acknowledge him. I can't imagine what they want to talk about but I see Voronwë tense. This ought to be good.

Echadron clears his throat, "sometimes after parties and festivals, we like to extend the evening. We usually bring female company back to enjoy the rest of the evening in our private rooms. You should not be able to hear anything as the walls are solid stone. We are gentlemen and we never kick a lady out so they usually stay till morning. They sometimes eat our morning meal with us while others leave."

I look at him with a blank stare and he adds, "we want to let you know that this will happen but if it bothers you we could work something out. We all have private baths so you shouldn't see or hear anyone during the night. The only time would be during the morning or occasionally during the meal. We could work something out if this bothers you."

Voronwë's face has a red tinge and the others are all watching me intently including his uncle. I burst out laughing at all their faces. Cele winks at me and I finally say, "you can say it around me. You want to bring home some women to have sex. It doesn't bother me and it is quite common in my world. I don't care what you do behind closed doors or with whom. As long as I can't hear it or have to see it, I don't care. I just need more sleep than elves do. I don't want to be woken up in the night due to the sounds."

Cele starts laughing at Echadron who releases a loud breath. "I told you she wouldn't care. You have been all worked up about this all afternoon." He looks at me now, "he was worried you would be upset about us bringing women home. I didn't think it would bother you and I have been laughing at him all day."

I shrug at them all. "It is a normal part of life. Honestly, my world is much worse so you're fine. The only thing I ask is that they treat me with respect in the morning. I don't want to eat my meal with a bunch of snotty and petty women. If I have to listen to snide comments I will end up speaking my mind to them."

Cele says, "if they speak to you poorly, we will throw them out. Now that that is settled, what are you two going to do when we are gone?" He winks at me and I blush. Voronwë has his face hidden by his hands and his uncle gives me a small wink as well. These fuckers, I think. "I want to show Voronwë my phone and maybe we can watch a movie. I only have a few on my phone but I think he would like it."

"What's a movie?" asked Cele.

Errr, I think about how to describe it. As I am thinking he asks seductively, "something thrilling and dirty?"

I scoff, "no."

He deflated, "oh, well never mind then. We just wanted you to know that you will have the house to yourselves for the evening. Whatever you want to do is fine."

I glare at him and he grins back at me. Poor Voronwë has his head resting on the table now. I can see the tips of his ears are pink. "A movie is like a play that is shown on a screen. Instead of having to watch people perform every time, they save one of the showings so people can watch it later. It is hard to explain but it is basically a story acted out."

"Boring," says Cele. "I want to spend my evening chatting up pretty ladies and watching them blush."

The rest of them all agree except Voronwë. Harmon finally brings the dinner over and we pass the plates around the table. Voronwë still has rosy cheeks but I think he looks adorable. We eat our meal and I tell the others that their laundry is done and folded on their bed. Echadron washes the dishes at record speed and the three of them leave to change. Rhuidhen wishes us both goodnight and heads home to change as well. Voronwë moves into the living room and I walk upstairs to get my phone. As I am leaving my room, Cele surprises me with a hug.

"Thank you for doing the laundry. They smell wonderful and look very clean. I am sure it is going to impress the ladies. I also wanted to talk to you before I left."

He lets me go and looks at me intently now. "Voronwë has talked with his uncle about spending a night with you. He is very inexperienced and curious but I don't want you two to rush into anything. Voronwë promised you he wouldn't ask for a night together and he isn't planning on it. If things progress at a natural state between you two, I just want you to be aware that he has never done anything. Elves usually get an explanation from their parents but with his parents gone, he only has his uncle. He has got the basics and understands everything but he has few questions he wishes to ask you."

"With his mother gone, you are the closest female he has. He might not spend a night with you but he will spend one with someone else eventually. I think it would be best if you just asked him and talked with him tonight to ease his mind."

I smile at him and say, "I'm not going to rush us into anything. I think we still need some time but that doesn't mean we can't talk about things. I don't mind answering any of the questions he has. I understand he is curious and he wants to know more. Sometimes it is better to ask a woman these things. Now, why don't you head out and enjoy your night."

He gives me a goofy grin and I can see he is excited for the evening. I walk down the stairs with him where the others are waiting. They are all wearing clothes that I just cleaned and they thank me again as they leave.

Voronwë is sitting on the couch and I sit down next to him. I see he is tense so I take his hands in mine and rub small circles with my thumb like he did for me before. "Cele says you have some questions for me. I want you to know you can ask me anything and I will try to answer as best as I can. I can see you are tense and I want us to enjoy the rest of the evening so let's discuss this first."

His face starts to turn red and he stammers "I do have some questions. I have discussed these things with my uncle and I trust his advice. I just wish my mother was still here so I could talk with her about these things. I want a female's advice as I have heard many of the craftsmen's talks."

I smile and nod at him waiting for him to speak. He takes a breath and says, "I am very inexperienced with women. You were my first kiss and I haven't done anything else. I am afraid that I will be terrible at it and I won't make a woman happy."

I smile at him and keep rubbing circles. "Everyone is terrible at first. Nobody is born knowing how to please another. It is normal for you to be afraid but if your first time is with someone that you trust they will help you. Whether that will be with me or another woman, as long as you are upfront and honest, it will be fine. The best thing you can do is to listen to a woman. She knows what makes her feel good and can help you when the time comes. Your first few times will be a learning experience and you will get better with time. Each person is different though and some women will like things that others will not. It's important to talk to them and make sure you have that open communication."

He sighs a breath of relief. I gave him a moment to take in my words and I can see that it was really bothering him. He relaxes a little more and asks, "Elemmakil suggested that I just find a woman that will show me everything. I do not know what is the better option. He said there are a few women in the city who enjoy teaching the inexperienced. He said I would feel better after and then I could focus more on finding a deeper connection."

Well, that sounds like something he would say. I sigh as this is a tricky question as both have merits. "Many men and women ask themselves the same question. Both have good and bad things and you need to decide on what is best for you. Some people wait until they have that trust or are courting a person. One downfall of that is that the expectations are set too high. The first times are always going to be awkward and it is not going to be this big romantic evening that some people expect. The good thing is that you are going to be with someone who cares about you."

"Elemmakil's plan also has some good points. A few of my friends did that and they have told me that it is nice to be shown and taught things in the beginning. There is no connection to that person and once the night is over, that's it. They could move on without the fears hanging over their heads. It is not a decision I or anyone else can make for you. You need to figure out what is best for you."

He sighs now and pulls his hands away and rubs behind his neck. "I do not know. My uncle has told me stories from when he and my father were growing up in Valinor. He said that many of the young elves would go off into the woods for a night of dancing and drinking. He said that many of the elves experienced their first times there. It was like a rite of passage but also a place to find a spouse. Some of them entered courtships while others just went their separate ways. There was no pressure and many families encouraged their children to attend as it was a good way for them to meet potential suitors."

He shakes his head sadly, "we do not really have that here in Gondolin. Almost all of the lords of the houses came from prominent families in Valinor. Most of the royals never let their children attend those gatherings. I am told that Feanor's children were the exception. Lord Rog is distantly related to the Feanorians and he has brought the tradition here. His house parties are for many of the more adventurous elves but they are all experienced. My uncle took me to one of his parties when I was younger but it wasn't for me. None of the people at his parties are looking for courtships, they are just looking for a night of fun."

Well, that sounds interesting, so I will save that information for later. "You don't have to decide today. You might decide to wait for someone that you trust or you might go to a festival and meet a woman who changes your mind. You don't have to pick right now. You can just wait and see what happens in the future."

He nods and says, "I think that is what I will do. I won't pick just yet but will keep my decision open. I do not have any more questions and I would like to see this 'movie' you spoke of."

Happy that the conversation is at its end, I grab my phone and sit back on the couch. Voronwë leans back but his shoulders are tense. I pick up one of his arms and move it over my shoulders and slide up next to him. I feel him start to relax as I find my movies on my phone. I pick Tangled as it is a movie I know he will understand. I pull my knees up so I can rest my phone on them. I turn the volume up and hit the play button.

I watch his face at the first few screens and he mumbles softly in awe. We haven't even got past the beginning logos and he was watching the screen intently. "Amazing."

I don't respond and just sink into him more. He pulls me close and starts to relax. We watched the whole movie and I let him enjoy it without talking. He cries during some of the scenes especially during the boat and lantern portion. He laughs happily at the ending and says, "I want to see it again."

"Sure, we can watch it again. It is one of my favorite movies. It is called an animated movie. It is hard to explain but it is popular in my world."

He smiles at me and says, "I would very much like to see it again but I am a bit uncomfortable like this."

I nod and get up off the couch for a moment. I move the small coffee table closer to the couch. I move him so he is laying down on his side with his head resting against the pillow. I lay down next to him with my back against his chest and prop my phone on the table. I snuggle down so his head can see the screen and he lays his arm by my head. I reach out and hit the restart button and the movie begins again. I grab his other arm and curl it with mine against my waist and he tenses but I ignore it. I curl my other arm under my head and he lets himself relax after a moment.

It feels nice to lay next to him and I am glad he lets himself relax in my presence. I only make it through half of the movie again before I am drifting off to a slight sleep. Laughter jostles me awake and I see people standing in the entryway. I'm too tired to care who they are but I can feel Voronwë is still asleep behind me. The group moves up the stairs and I close my eyes again. I hear a soft pitter-patter of footsteps as someone approaches us.

I crack one of my eyes open to see Cele smiling down at me as he throws a blanket over us both. He brings his finger to his lips and I wrap the blanket closer to me. I lay awake for a little while before I turned around and snuggled closer to Voronwë for a comfier position. He doesn't wake but his arm curls around my back as I press my face against his chest. I fall back asleep easily and I don't wake up again till morning.

I feel someone stirring next to me and I reach out instantly to pull them closer. I feel them press back into me while a soft breath tickles the top of my head. I can hear some plates moving as well as a chair scraping against the floor. I blink open my eyes and pull my head back to see Voronwë smiling at me.

He says softly, "good morning. I was hoping I didn't wake you. Celebrimbor is the one that is making all the noise. It is still early, so you may go back to sleep if you like."

I sigh into his chest and let myself drift into a comfortable daze. I don't hear any more sounds from the dining room but Voronwë is awake and he rubs small circles into my back and hums softly into my hair. The motions help me drift off again but it doesn't feel long enough before I am woken by a high-pitched giggle.

The giggling continues as the person comes down the steps and I am fully awake by the time she steps into the entryway. I look back over my shoulder and see a woman being led to the front door by Echadron. He is giving her kisses while she is swatting his roaming hands away. I don't care to look anymore so I turn back around. Voronwë is watching me but he has a small blush on his cheeks. I hear the door open and close and then he walks over to us.

Echadron ripped the blanket off of us and I shiver from the cold. "Shame, I was hoping to find you both naked under the covers."

I turn my head to give him a glare while Cele roars in the background. It doesn't phase him as he says, "what good is a house to yourself if all you two do is sleep together with your clothes on. Might as well get up and join us for our morning meal. Celebrimbor escorted his women out hours ago and Harmon came home alone. Are you staying for the meal Voronwë?"

I look back at him but he shakes his head no. "I would like to go home and get changed for the day. Thank you for the offer."

Echadron nods at him and joins Cele at the table. I get up off of the couch and walk Voronwë to the door. He gives me a small hug and whispers in my ear, "thank you for last night. It was wonderful and thank you for answering my questions."

He gives me a soft kiss on the cheek and I close the door behind him as he leaves. I don't even bother to change or take a bath yet as the rest of them are still in their nightclothes.

I join them at the table and I see Cele is sketching again. "You two looked so adorable last night when we came back. It reminds me of my first love. I was such a romantic back then and we would often snuggle together by the fire."

"It was wonderful to cuddle up next to someone. I haven't done that in a while and it was nice. Voronwë is a sweetheart and I am glad we spent the evening together."

Cele chuckles, "seems like we all got what we wanted last night except for Harmon. I'm sure he will be down shortly but you will find out he doesn't take rejection well."

Confused, I just shake my head. I can't imagine quiet and shy Harmon getting too upset but I can ask him when he arrives.

He came down the stairs in his nightclothes and went into the kitchen. He started to smash the pots and pans together and it is the loudest I have ever heard him. He started cooking breakfast and the other two were watching him amused. Interested, I asked him, "so Harmon, how was your evening?"

He shoots me a glare and starts rattling off in broken elvish. I could only understand a few of the words but I picked out, dumb women, time spent, evening, and horrible night.

I look at Cele who is grinning from ear to ear. "Harmon found a woman early on that he was interested in. She seemed to enjoy his company and responded well to his advances. She flirted back with him and added a few seductive comments herself. Alas, at the end of the evening she began to giggle uncontrollably. I didn't hear what she said but she left after."

Ah, yeah that sucks. Harmon slams down the breakfast on the table and I see he just made us a bland porridge today.

He sits down and starts speaking in a shrill voice. "Oh Harmon, your arms are so big you must swing a hammer a lot during your work. You must be very skilled with your hands to be a craftsman, I wonder if it extends to other things. Oh, Harmon, your eyes are so beautiful, I could stare into them for the rest of the night. Harmon, you feel so good wrapped around me, I wish for you to hold me close. Oh Harmon I would love to enjoy a more private moment with you. Oh Harmon I can't wait to feel you in my hands as you release."

He scrunches up his nose and scowls, "horrible cow. She led me on the entire evening with her words and touches. I couldn't have left her side even if I wanted to as she clung to me desperately. I didn't mind as I enjoyed the company and figured it would lead to a longer evening later. Then as we were leaving the house she broke out in a fit of giggles. I couldn't understand what was so funny until she started telling me that she had no desire to leave with me. She told me it is a great pastime for her to spend the evening leading men on. What a waste of a night."

I eat my porridge and let him stew in his anger. The other two are holding back grins so I make him feel better by saying, "we have many women like that in my world. We call them teases and I think it is a bit stupid and somewhat cruel. Their lives must be dreadfully boring and pathetic that they get off on leading men on. Just remember that she will most likely end up alone."

He huffs but some of his anger dissipates. "I suppose you are right. There are other parties in the future." He eats the rest of his meal quickly and then leaves. I'm still eating but Echadron finishes shortly after and leaves the room.

Cele is still working but once Echadron leaves the room he asks me, "so did you answer Voronwë's questions last night?"

I finish up eating before I reply. "Yes. I answered a few questions that he had. He did tell me a little bit about Lord Rog's parties and I am curious."

Cele glances at me and he drops his quill. "Did he now? I am surprised he mentioned it. Rog's parties are a bit more scandalous as they say. He never holds formal parties like the other houses. His are all about letting loose and finding a companion for a night. The king looks down on it, but he knows that if he doesn't allow it, then it will spill into the other festivals. When he had his new house built, he designed an entire floor for the dance hall and more private rooms. His is the largest house in the city so he could afford to section off one part of his house. Many in his house like that though and they hold many parties throughout the year. Typically they hold them once a month for people outside his house. I will have to talk to Rog at the next one to get you invited, perhaps in January."

I frown, "I have to be invited to his scandalous party?"

He grins at me, "Yes. He has had problems in the past with both men and women who think they want that sort of thing. When they get there, they become overwhelmed and flee. Many of the other Lords have talked with Rog about inviting people who understand what it is all about. I will speak on your behalf but I think you will be fine though. You will need a few new dresses as the ones you have are too modest for his parties."

I spluttered, "what?"

He roars with laughter. "The women usually wear tight fitted dresses with low cut necklines. The skirts are usually shorter, about knee length. Some have slits in the side while others are flowy. The purpose of the parties is to find someone to enjoy the evening with. The dresses you usually wear around the city are too modest for the parties. Voronwë told me when he first met you, your clothing was very form-fitting. I assume you don't have a problem wearing tight and revealing clothes?"

I cough. What kind of party is this I wonder. I shake my head no and say, "you would be shocked at some of the clothes I have worn in my world. I didn't bring any with me but I used to wear very revealing clothes when I went to parties and out drinking. I will be fine but who do I talk to about getting some dresses made? I can't go back to the palace and ask Aerel."

He laughs loudly, "no, only a few seamstresses make those dresses. I will ask around and we will find you one. We have some time yet as you won't be invited to this month's party. We can speak later about it. Your morning lesson is going to be starting soon so I will get you some hot water for your bath."

Satisfied, I went to my room to get ready for the day. The morning progresses as usual and after lunch, I finish up the laundry. The dirty tunics are easy to clean after soaking overnight and I wash them with ease. I hang them to dry while I iron the rest of the laundry. Once I was finished, I went to my room to grab my phone. With last night's movies, the battery had dropped to 30%. I didn't think it would be enough to read him the whole story so I grabbed my charger and left the house.