Well here you go my curious little readers...an alternate, soon to be R-rated business about Marie and her favorite elf-lord. There is some sexual innuendo in this...but not salacious I don't think.

The next chapter will indeed be R-rated...

And remember...this is an alternate chapter...I will not continue in this vein for the next installment of Marie and Elrond...at least, not at this point...I tend to think their relationship is really more father/daughter than anything else.....

But for those who asked...here you go...

Ah well, this is sort of an embarrassing story but heck, I am sure all of you will understand.

This concerns the elf lord and I-----and my feelings for him.

Stop it! I can hear you all snickering!

Duhhhh! As if my feelings for the elf lord were some big secret.

But I am a big girl---I understand how things are here. Lord Elrond is very married to Celebrian.

He can't help it if he and every last darn male elf in Rivendell, heck, in all of Middle Earth are amazingly, heart-stopping gorgeous.

What's a woman with a normal health libido supposed to do??

I mean-----really?

(Cold showers only work so far and for so long.....)

Pine away in silence and do her darnedest to sublimate her feelings, that's what.

And usually, I am very successful.

I mean, I am always busy...or well, recuperating. I don't think about it much, except some times, late at night, when the moon is full and I can hear singing and if it is sad and well....my nights are not very restful.

And let's be frank, it is especially rough on me when I am dealing with PMS and the elf lord tries to help.

That always makes me want to run or shout at him. It's about the only times I ever got snappish with the elf lord.

But you know how he is....calm as a mountain. And then he brings me

a tea or suggests a steam bath.

Something elf lordish.

I'd feel like an idiot for my outburst, do as he said and all was forgotten.

Okay. Enough prelude.

This all starts in Elrond's magnificent library one summer day.

I kicked the library stool out of my way and went to the window between the bookshelves.

I was PMS-ing...not my favorite time of month. And I hated it. I always felt crabby and prickly and unsocial.

Even around Lord Elrond, who usually, wisely, left me alone.

(Unless he decided I needed a tea or something....blehhhhhh)

I leaned my head against the cool glass and looked at the summer landscape, the trees bowing and swaying in a breeze off the mountains.

I turned finally from the glass, my head down and noticed on the bottom shelf, the white spine of a slender bound volume in the let's see, this was the historical section. Mostly Second Age works. Mostly reports and histories.

Mostly boring.

Luckily I had had to translate only one volume, a Dwarvish report on mining in a certain section of Moria.

Because the white binding made it stand out from the usual brown or black bindings, I pulled the slender volume out. I went over to my favorite window niche and scrunching into the corner, I propped the book on my knees and opened it up.

My jaw dropped and I looked around quickly. I was thankfully alone.

I could feel the color rising in my face.

I was holding what might euphemistically be called a "pillow book." A book of erotica! Not elvish, they were obviously humans in the interesting positions, wearing little but their hair.

Sad to say, I could not tear my eyes away.

I closed the book swallowing dryly.

There had been some rather vapid love poems to various anatomical parts and some rather graphic love duets. In Westron.

I sat there sort of stunned and suddenly tears trickled down my cheeks.

That stupid book made me feel so ...lonely.

Here I was in Rivendell surrounded by beautiful, beautiful males and no libido in any of them that I knew of. The twins? Possibly, but I was hardly going to ask.

And it is not that I expected to have a romp and marry some gorgeous elf lord.

I really didn't expect anything of the sort. As I said above, I rarely thought about sex, since I was so involved in so many wildly different things.

Of course, then, this brings us to Lord Elrond.

You surely have wondered if I had feelings for the elf lord?

Mostly my thoughts stayed away from me and the elf lord in a more...friendly conjunction.

And now, after looking at this silly book, all I could see was his beautiful grey eyes and his long slender hands and...well...everything else.

I rubbed my face.

It was obvious I wasn't going to get much done today.

I left the library, taking the slender book with me.

Once in my room, I wandered about feeling restless and crappy. I picked a rose from my bedside bouquet and pulled it apart. I went to my patio and splashed water all over the place from the fountain.

Then I came back in and decided at least a hot steamy bath would relax me.

I flung off my clothes and plopped into the steamy pool with a hiss. Always, the first dip was hardest because the water was hot tub temperature.

But it did not relax me. I lay back against a rolled up towel and closed my eyes.

And dear Lord in heaven, all I could see was erotic pictures of me and a dark-haired elf. Who was very athletic. And creative.

Well the bath did not help. Duhhhh.

I got out, redressed and rushed off to the stables, saddled up Carenloth and took a long hard ride out of the Valley and then back again.

And that actually helped tire me out.

I was able to go to the dining hall even and not come apart at the seams.

But my dreams were very NOT restful that night.

I cannot tell you then how glad I was when Lord Elrond suggested a few days later that I accompany him on a week long trip on a trip around the borders of Rivendell. Just a routine inspection tour. And just the two of us.

He to check on the perimeter guards and the defenses in general and I just to get out of the House.

It was high summer as I said and I was delighted to go with him as I loved to camp.

And I figured getting out of the House and away from the book, though with Elrond, would give me enough change of environment to distract me from my thoughts...and uncomfortable dreams.

This would be the first time I had ever camped with him. (This is the summer before the winter trip to Rhosgobel).

I was as excited as a little kid getting a treat. As indeed I was.

I was going to go camping with the elf lord and we were going to be out in the pine trees and meadows and the waterfalls. How cool!

And we left very early one morning, before the sun rose.

I was up and dressed and rushing through breakfast when the elf lord came into my room all dressed in riding leathers. Dark green with a fall of leaves picked out in gold thread down the front. He wore a thigh length tunic with a high collar and dark green leather pants tucked into high black leather boots.

His hair was braided back from his face and he carried a pair of riding gloves in his hands.

I was wearing a tunic and pants as well, out of soft brown suede and my comfy boots.

Stuffing the last of the roll into my mouth, I hastily brushed off crumbs grabbed my rucksack and joined the smiling elf lord.

"I see you are quite ready."

"I have been up for an hour! This is going to be so much fun!"

Lord Elrond arched an eyebrow as he pulled on his gloves. "Fun? Let us hope your "fun" does not entail any injuries."

"Of course not! Then it wouldn't BE fun. Then it would be ah...mess!"

"Ah me Marie. I am afraid you excel at messes."

I slapped him on the arm with my gloves and said, "Okay, but that's why I am so entertaining, remember?"

"Of course."

He remained silent we strode down the corridor still lit by strategically placed torcheres. But he was smiling.

Out in the courtyard, I was delighted to see Carenloth and Rhean of course were already saddled. There was a pack horse with supplies all neatly tucked away.

Cerwal the Horsemaster took my rucksack and expertly added it to the supplies.

And then with a leg up, I was mounted and Carenloth tossed her head as I gathered my reins.

Elrond spoke to Glorfindel who stood near Rhean's head listening.

In moments, he was done and the blond elf lord stepped back and waving to us both, went up the steps to the House, turning to raise a hand in salute as we left.

The other elves all called out softly farewells in Sindarin. (My Sindarin at this point was still spotty, though improving) And I waved excitedly back, thrilled to my bones.

My first adventure with the elf lord!

All right!

We took the road that went to the upper farms and had a pleasant ride in the twilight before dawn.

It was wonderful to hear the birds begin to awaken and the great, earthy smells of the fields and barns around us.

I bobbed along behind Rhean, the pack horse tied to my saddle horn.

I hummed to myself as we went along.

The elf lord remained quiet, though occasionally I heard snatches of song from him too.

Once the sun rose, we made better time and by lunch, we were up into the mountains beyond the farthest sheep station.

Oh, I loved being in the mountains. The air smelled so wonderful, high and clean and piney.

And the view Lord Elrond showed me at one point, looking north out and down into the course of the Bruinen.

We paused close to the source of the mighty river and it was just spectacular. I wished (not for the first time) I had a camera.

We went on for another hour until we reached the first of many guard positions. This one even had a charming little hut for keeping out the extreme weather.

The two of us joined the four guards and had lunch with them.

While Elrond asked questions and took notes in a journal, I wandered around just enjoying the scenery. I found some pretty rocks, which I stuck in my pockets. I always noticed little things like that. And the wild flowers, ah they were gorgeous too. I picked a particularly nice one, a deep purple one with streaks of yellow and put it behind one ear.

And so it went for the rest of the day s we visited three other outposts.

We camped by a waterfall and small pool that night, and because it was so pleasant, we didn't put up a tent but lay under the stars by the campfire.

The stars, they are so thick! You've never seen so many stars! I am so used to a night sky washed out by city lights. And here of course there are no city lights. It was just something.

There was a moon too, but I had fallen asleep by the time it arose. Camping out in the open does that too you.

Okay, well, why I am writing this all down (besides the fact I like to "hear" myself "talk,") is the level of our relationship.

We had to stop early one afternoon because the pack horse had started to limp (a sharp stone in a back hoof).

Realizing the mare, named Rhima (one of Rhean's foals) needed to rest, Lord Elrond decide we should stop.

He picked a great place to call a halt too.

A hot spring!

As you may know, there are hot springs in and around Rivendell. They furnish the hot water for the House and the communal baths and steam rooms.

So both of us were happy with the rest.

I couldn't wait to dive in. I loved horseback riding, but at this point, I

hadn't done so much before, so I was a little stiff and sore.

And I am sure the elf lord knew this.

Because I had not slept really well the night before (the hard ground is well, hard to get used to) once we set up camp, I decided to flake out on the warm sand near the spring.

It was obvious the spring was used by elves as there were steps carved down into the pool and a set going up to a higher pool.

I spread out on a blanket and lay down facing the pool, enjoying the warmth and quiet, while Elrond got a fire going. And as I said, I was PMS-ing so the warm sand felt good on my belly.

I drifted off to sleep listening to the water gurgle and a bird singing gloriously.

It must have been a hour or so later when I awoke. The sun was westering and shining through the pine trees on the opposite bank.

Stretching, I was just about to go back to sleep, when I heard splashing in the pool.

I sleepily opened my eyes and then held my breath.

Lord Elrond was in the pool, flinging back his wet hair and then he rose out of the shallow water completely and dare I say, gloriously naked.

Long and slender, nice muscle tone, pale skin, wet hair half way down his back...well he was...well beautiful. Okay, okay, okay, very nice firm...bottom.

And then he turned to wade to shore.

Oh my, did that view fire my imagination.

And I am not going to go on and on in minute detail (gulps!)...but he had very little body hair.

So smooth and pale.

I tried to close my eyes and not be such a voyeuse, but I could not help myself.

He was just heart-stoppingly handsome and fabulous.

And he didn't dress right away.

He must have just gotten in the pool because he bent to pick up soap and then turned and waded back out to where the water was up to his chest.

Now I closed my eyes, his unclothed form burned into my mind.

And then I sudden squirrelly, hormonal thought: What if I joined him?

He wouldn't see anything strange in it. As I've said, elves have different views on body privacy.

So a bit nervous, I stretched and yawned, sat up and rubbed my eyes.

"How's the water my lord?"

Elrond turned and smiled. "Very relaxing."

"Mind if I join you?"

"Of course not."

Well, you heard him.

``````````````````````````````````````to be continued````````````````````````````````````