Imladris Revisited
By:
DLR
Disclaimer: Characters owned by the estate of JRR Tolkien
Elrond/OFC
Rated: PG
Chapter 11
Someone was tapping on his arm. Elrond looked
up.
Glorfindel was seated in front of him. "You look terrible, Caun.* What on Arda are you thinking about?"
Elrond stood up. "What are you doing tonight, mellon? Are you busy?"
Glorfindel shook his head. "No, not at all."
"Good," said Elrond, "for I am in sore need of company. Come, have a glass of wine with me."
Glorfindel raised his eyebrows and followed Elrond out of the dining room, making no comment.
Elrond's chamber was on the ground floor, in a small wing of its own. There was his study, a dressing room, a wardrobe, his bedroom, which was large with a connecting sitting room in front of a fire, a private terrace and a garden. Then there was the bathing room, an area not unlike the public bath, with a wall open to a small waterfall and a warm spring-fed pool.
Elrond poured two goblets of wine and handed one to the golden haired elf.
"Shall we take a bath?" asked Glorfindel, brightly.
Elrond stared at him. "No."
"Just kidding," said Glorfindel, his eyes twinkling. "Thought it would make you laugh." He tilted his head at Elrond. "You surprised me with your comment in the dining room. I would have thought that you and the fair lady Culurien…" His voice trailed off.
"Quite the contrary," said Elrond. "The fair lady Culurien wants nothing to do with me."
"I will believe that when I see it," snorted Glorfindel.
"You have seen it already if you have noticed that she has not left her chamber for a week," said Elrond. "She hides there to avoid me."
"Does she now?" asked Glorfindel, more serious. "And what did you do to provoke this reaction?"
"I kissed her," said Elrond.
Glorfindel was incredulous. "She did not like it?"
"Indeed yes, she did," answered Elrond.
"Well, make haste and come to the part she did not like," said Glorfindel with impatience.
"The kiss progressed to a point where most females would prefer to be married in order to continue," said Elrond.
"And…" prompted Glorfindel.
"She wanted to know what my intentions were."
"What were they?" asked Glorfindel, interested.
"It was at this point the dialogue broke down," said Elrond.
Glorfindel looked at him with exasperation. "The dialogue broke down because you said… What?"
"It was more a problem of what I did not say," said Elrond.
"Which would be… WHAT?" asked Glorfindel, desperately.
"My intentions," said Elrond, calmly.
Glorfindel got up and poured himself some more wine. He sat down again, bringing the bottle with him.
"In another moment, I am going to push you into the pool and drown you."
Elrond sighed. "She asked if I intended to marry her."
Glorfindel looked at him. "And you said…?"
"No," said Elrond quietly.
Glorfindel was amazed. "Why in the name of Eru Ilúvatar would you say such a thing?"
"Because I cannot," said Elrond. "I am already married."
Glorfindel rolled his eyes. "My friend, it has been four hundred years since Celebrían left you. You did not even part on good terms. It is not as though she is waiting for you in Valinor."
"Time matters not," Elrond said quietly. "A marriage is a marriage."
"In the end it was a sad excuse for a marriage," said Glorfindel, bluntly.
Elrond sighed. "In the beginning it was not."
Glorfindel looked at him in disbelief. "Are you going to sit here, clutching the lifeless, empty husk of a dream lost long ago," he said dramatically, "or are you going to reach out for happiness before it is too late?"
Elrond regarded him with surprise. "Would you have me pretend the legal bond does not exist? If I were to just marry again, the household would be in an uproar. Many of Celebrían's friends and kin reside here still."
"Forget about that for a time," said Glorfindel. "Your first priority should be to convince the lady that you love her." He paused. "You do, do you not?"
"Indeed, yes," said Elrond.
"Once she is certain of your affection, it will be easier to break down any walls of resistance."
Elrond could only stare at him, speechless, for a moment. "Even after all these years, your lack of morals never ceases to amaze me."
"I have no problem getting what I want," Glorfindel pointed out.
"Which consists of bedding anyone or anything that moves and breathes," said Elrond, acidly.
"Yes," said Glorfindel happily, taking no offense. "My sexual prowess is indeed legendary, is it not?"
They looked at each other across the table for a long moment, and then they burst out with laughter.
Elrond laid his head upon his arms on the tabletop, his shoulders shaking, the tears streaming down his face. He simply could not stop laughing.
"Thank Eru for your sense of humor," he finally said, wiping his eyes. "It is all that is keeping me sane."
"You could simply save yourself a lot of trouble and strongly request the pleasure of her company," Glorfindel said. "You are a prince and Lord of Imladris, after all."
The smile left Elrond's face in an instant. He stood and leaning across the table, took Glorfindel's collar in his hand, pulling him forward. "You of all people should know better than to voice words of that nature to me."
"Stay, stay," cried Glorfindel, distressed. "I did not think, forgive me." He sat back and studied Elrond for a moment. "That was so long in the past," he whispered. "Why can you not let it go?"
"Some wounds strike too deep," said Elrond, relaxing only a little.
"Possibly there is one capable of healing them if you would let her," Glorfindel said gently.
Elrond was silent.
"Have you told her about… all of that?" asked Glorfindel.
"Nay, I cannot," said Elrond.
"Just as you could not tell Celebrían and remember what happened there."
"You need not mention it, my memory is excellent," responded Elrond
"Unlike your judgement," returned Glorfindel.
Elrond's eyes flickered darkly. "You push your luck. Do not try me any more tonight."
"It looks as though I have worn out my welcome," said Glorfindel, sighing. He put his hand on Elrond's shoulder. "Honesty is your best road in this instance."
"That is rich, coming from you," Elrond said wryly, wiping his hand over his face.
"Just because I do not heed my own advice, does not mean it is worthless." Glorfindel smiled and took his leave.
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*Prince, ruler