DISCLAIMER: we all know it's not mine, so why hide it?
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They wrenched apart, startled badly as Elrond stepped into view, his face dark as a storm cloud. "Elrohir, get up to the House," he ordered.
His son stepped in front of Arryn. "Ada," he began.
"Now!" the lord barked. Elrohir looked over his shoulder at Arryn, his eyes worried.
"Go Elrohir. I will be alright." Arryn was looking at the lord with dread in his eyes, but held a steely posture. Elrohir paused, unsure still.
"Go home, Elrohir." Elrond ordered. With a last, apologetic look over his shoulder at Arryn, the half-elf fled.
Elrond advanced on Arryn, backing him up against the tree trunk. "Who are you?" He asked fiercely.
Arryn shook at the force of the elf-lord's glare. "What do you mean?" He spoke slowly, trying to keep his voice steady.
Elrond grabbed his collar. "Do not lie to me."
Arryn dropped his eyes. "I am but a slave, my lord, a slave to the men who own me. I ran away from them after I watched them kill my father, torture my mother, and rape my sister." Arryn's voice was low and hard. "I am a slave; I have been a slave all my life, for *whatever* they wished me to do." Arryn seemed to cave in upon himself, his anger draining away as quickly as it came. "And now that you know this, Lord, I shall be on my way."
But Elrond did not let him go. "Does my son know this?"
The redhead looked horrified. "No, Lord. I could never tell him that... what would he think of me?" He asked, distressed.
The great lord released him, feeling pity for the elf. "He would think less of you if you did not tell him, and he discovered it later."
Arryn nodded, eyes on the ground, still using the tree to support him.
Elrond watched him, eyes softening as he realized how truly afraid the other was of him. "Is that why you fear me? Because I am a lord?"
Arryn didn't answer, but it was enough for Elrond. "Elrohir is a lord as well, you know. A Prince."
The other nodded, whispering, "I know."
Elrond arched an eyebrow. "And he does not frighten you."
"He was kind to me." The whisper was barely heard, even to his keen elven hearing.
Elrond heard a mysterious cough coming from behind him, but didn't turn. "I haven't been particularly kind to you, have I?" He ground out.
Arryn audibly swallowed, oblivious to the previous cough. "You have been very kind to me, my lord, more than I ever thought."
"Oh certainly. Coming into your rooms in the middle of the night, threatening you, throwing you up against trees?"
The redhead looked thoroughly miserable, and Elrond took pity on him, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. "You have lived with Men all your life, then? Is that why you are so like a Man? Why you sleep with your eyes closed?"
Arryn nodded, still looking at the ground. "Yes, lord."
"Arryn." He looked up, and Elrond caught his gaze. "That is not your real name, is it?"
The younger elf shook his head. "But it is now, my lord. I despised my slave name."
The other nodded. "I will respect that. Arryn, will you return to the Manor with me?"
Arryn looked up, surprised. "You are not going to send me away?"
Elrond smiled. "No. I judged you too harshly, I believe. I can see that my son is falling for you; and I can also see why. You are a good man, I think, and I am deeply sorry that I was... less than cordial when we first met."
Arryn's head was spinning from the change, and he looked dazedly around him. Elrond took his hand, and pulled him upright. "You had best go back home and prove to my son that I did not have you murdered and left in the woods."
The lord watched the younger elf flee from the cavern, and relaxed against the tree trunk. "You can stop laughing, Glorfindel."
There blonde elf dropped to the ground in front of him. "Did you really have so scare the poor boy so badly? He will be avoiding you like the plague now." He waited for some reaction from the lord, but was disappointed when he received none. He continued, shaking his finger at the dark-haired elf. "I *told* you. Arryn is not out to corrupt your son. If anything, *he* will be corrupted by *Elrohir.*"
Elrond sighed, resting his head on his lover's shoulder. "You need not remind me."
Glorfindel just laughed, and wrapped his arms around the other, and pulled them both to the forest floor.
The tree seemed to laugh with them, shaking its great boughs and showering them with blossoms.
***
Elrohir met Arryn at the door, a relieved smile on his face. "Are you alright?"
Arryn nodded, smiling back. "Aye. Lord Elrond is even allowing me to stay."
Elrohir laughed, and hugged him. "I'm so glad."
Arryn held on to him, enjoying the embrace, but he couldn't help the shred of nervousness that went through him at the thought of what he had to tell the half-elf.
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What did you think? please do let me know. More to come soon. (I hope.)
