Chapter 4

Elrohir carefully set a bowl of soup down on the table and then picked up the hateful book that had started all this mess. "Eat," ordered Elrohir softly. Elladan automatically picked up the spoon and began to eat as told. Elrohir sighed and sat down across from his brother, putting his head in his hands. They had still found no counter spell in the small golden book or in any of the other books in the Library. Elladan still obeyed every order given him by the one holding the book.

Glorfindel had brought Elrond back to Imladris and to the Hall of Healing where he and Mistress Meneréiel had treated his wounds. Glorfindel had allowed no other to see the Elf lord. They had washed him, cleaning away blood and other body fluids. A small cut had been found just above Elrond's hairline as the source of bleeding along his face. His right ankle had proven to be badly sprained but not broken. They had bandaged his wrists and spread a soothing ointment over the bruises at his stomach and hips. Glorfindel had then carefully slipped the ointment inside Elrond's body, being gentle with the abused entrance. Elrond had thankfully not awoken while they were treating him and the healer Meneréiel had announced that Elrond had fallen into a healing sleep.

That was two days ago. Now Elrohir cared for his oblivious brother while his father slept under Glorfindel's watchful eye. Elrohir rubbed at his face, his eyes red and his cheeks pale. "I'm sorry, Elladan. So sorry," he muttered another time. He had forgotten how many times he had said that. "Say you forgive me."

"You forgive me," repeated Elladan. Elrohir put his head down on the table and cried.

Elrond felt warm and he was lying on his stomach on something soft. His body ached distantly but a familiar hand rested lightly on his back. "Glorfindel?" the half-Elf breathed.

"I'm here."

"The demon?"

"Dead."

"My sons?"

"Elladan is still under the obedience spell and Elrohir feels guilty. They are safe. Sleep, meleth," whispered Glorfindel. Elrond sighed and drifted softly back to sleep.

On the morning of the fourth day, Elrond awoke again. Feeling muzzy and disjointed, he rubbed his face against the pillow and winced as the bruise on his cheek told him how much it disliked that. Raising his head, he blinked the sleep from his eyes to find Glorfindel lying beside him. The blond Elf helped Elrond take a few sips of water and then the half-Elf laid his head back down on the pillow. Elrond's silver grey eyes drifted to the white bandage around his wrist and he flexed his fingers, an unreadable look over coming his face.

Glorfindel leaned forward and tenderly kissed him, their tongues touching briefly. He then gathered the half-Elf in his arms, feeling Elrond's tears soak his shoulder and his body tremble as he cried. Glorfindel whispered words of comfort and love to the half-Elf in his arms, gently stroking his dark hair and laying kisses across his brow. Some time later Elrond's tears stopped and Glorfindel softly dried his face with the corner of the sheet. "Thank you," Elrond muttered. Glorfindel hushed him and kissed the tip of his nose. A small smile danced across Elrond's lips and he buried his face in Glorfindel's neck.

The blond Elf stroked one hand soothingly down Elrond's back and laid his cheek against the half-Elf's hair. "Do you want anything?" he asked.

"Food and a bath. Then I must see my sons," answered Elrond, his voice muffled against Glorfindel's skin.

Glorfindel nodded and eased from the bed, leaving Elrond to wiggle into the warm spot his body heat had left behind. He exited the bed chamber, leaving the pocket doors open slightly for any noise, and went to the hall door. Sitting in a chair outside was a curly blond haired she-Elf wearing a yellow bonnet and apron. She stood when the door opened and curtsied slightly to Glorfindel. "Imglín, would you please bring some food for us? Some soup and warm bread if the kitchen has it," Glorfindel asked.

"Yes, Lord Glorfindel," acknowledged the young maid. Glorfindel closed the door as she hurried off down the hall and returned to the bed chamber to find Elrond cautiously sitting up in bed, testing stiff limbs and sore muscles.

Elrond looked up as Glorfindel sat beside him. "How bad?" he asked.

"Your ankle is badly sprained but not broken, thankfully. There is bruising on a large part of your body." Glorfindel gently cradled one slim wrist and ran his thumb lightly over the bandage. "Your wrists had been lacerated by the cuffs and there is massive tearing inside…" Glorfindel's voice faded away and Elrond nodded, tilting his back and kissing the blonde's jaw. "I'm sorry," muttered Glorfindel sorrowfully.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, meleth. None of us are to blame for this. Neither you or the twins set out to harm me, Inuraug did, and she is the only one who should be blamed," said Elrond.

Glorfindel sighed and carefully hugged the half-Elf. "When did you become so wise?" he muttered with mirth.

"You blinked sometime in the Second Age and missed it," said Elrond with a smile. Glorfindel laughed quietly, inhaling the sweet scent of Elrond's hair in bliss. A soft knock announced the arrival of the food and Elrond eagerly ate, although his jaw began to ache and the corners of his mouth stung.

Finished with the food, Glorfindel got rid of the tray and lifted Elrond from the bed. He carried the half-Elf into the bathing chamber and filled the tub, undressing them both and then entering the warm water. Elrond sighed and leaned back against Glorfindel, allowing the liquid to soothe the minor aches of his body. Glorfindel then washed Elrond with a mild soap and soft cloth, careful of sore places. Elrond combed his fingers through Glorfindel's hair while washing it, a pleased smile on his face. When both were clean, Glorfindel lifted Elrond from the tub and dried them both with towels, working quickly so Elrond would not catch a chill.

Elrond then quietly allowed Glorfindel to treat his injuries, the blond wrapping his wrists and ankle and spreading more ointment over the discolored bruises. The half-Elf kept his eyes firmly on Glorfindel's face as he gently smeared the medicated ointment into his body, a soft mewl of discomfort his only sound as Glorfindel's finger slipped into his passage. Finally, Glorfindel stroked a palm over the curve of Elrond's ass and helped him to sit up, taking the slightly trembling half-Elf into his arms. He soothed Elrond for a few minutes until the half-Elf calmed and then dressed them both.

Glorfindel helped Elrond slip on the dark violet robe and tie the white sash around his waist loosely. Glorfindel himself dawned leggings and a tunic of light blue. He then took his time in combing Elrond's hair, allowing the cool silken strands to run through his fingers and relaxing the half-Elf with the familiar touches. Then he lifted Elrond and took him out to the balcony, setting him gently on a lounge in the sun and cupping one cheek. "Should I send for Elrohir and Elladan?" he asked the sleepy half-Elf fondly.

Elrond nodded. "Yes. I want to see them," he answered.

Glorfindel left him and went to the hall door to find Imglín at her post again. He requested she summon the twins to their father's room and watched the maid leave to find them. He returned to the balcony and sat upon the lounge, Elrond turning and snuggling into the blonde's arms. "Everyone has been looking for the counter spell for Elladan but none can find it. We think it's either been lost or destroyed. Elrohir is quite distraught over it," said Glorfindel.

"They will find no counter spell, Glorfindel, for one was never written," answered Elrond.

Glorfindel looked confused. "No counter spell? Then how will we break the spell?" Elrond smiled but did not answer.

A knock sounded at the door and Elrohir lifted his head from scanning a large book. His blinked his red and itching eyes and looked across the table. Elladan still sat on the other side of the table, staring blankly into space. "Enter," called Elrohir at the second knock.

The young maid with the yellow bonnet stepped into the room. "Lord Elrohir, Lord Glorfindel requests your presence," said Imglín. She then added in a less formal tone with a soft smile, "Your father is awake."

A huge smile broke over Elrohir face and his shoulders slumped in relief. Quickly, he snatched up the little gold accented book and stood. "Thank you, Imglín," he said. The younger twin ordered Elladan to follow him and hurried from the room. Elrohir jogged from the small study room near the Library up to the family wing, stopping before his father's door and sighing. He turned to Elladan and smoothed his brother's hair away from his face, knowing that he could not do it himself. He then opened the door and stepped inside.

Elrohir walked through the sitting room with Elladan following him, coming to the balcony doors and stopping. Glorfindel and Elrond were sitting on a lounge, the elder half-Elf embraced in the blonde's arms. Elrond's cheek was still discolored and the edges of his mouth raw. One hand rested on Glorfindel's chest, the white bandage around his wrist showing. The dark violet robe and white tunic hid the other signs of his injuries but Elrond's wrapped right ankle peeked out from under the edge of the cloth. Elrohir felt tears gather in his eyes and he dropped the book to the floor, Elladan stopping behind him like a puppet whose strings had been cut. "Ada," Elrohir sobbed, rushing forward.

Elrond looked up and saw his younger son drop to his knees before him and lay his head on his lap, sobs shaking the half-Elf's body. "Elrohir?" he asked in concern, laying his hands on Elrohir's head and stroking his hair.

"I'm sorry, Ada. So sorry," choked Elrohir, clutching the fabric of his father's robe.

Elrond hushed him, his tone gentle. "You are not to blame, ion-nín. None of us are."

"But I spoke that stupid spell. I'm the cause of all this," said Elrohir, looking up at his father with watery eyes.

Elrond shook his head and leaning forward he kissed his son on the brow. "You did not know what you were doing, Elrohir. True, you should not have been messing with things in my Study but the misdirected spell was not the cause of this. That demon is the only one who should be blamed, none of us." The elder half-Elf wiped at his son's tears. "Everything is alright now."

Elrohir shook his head. "We can not find the counter spell to free Elladan, Ada. He is still under the obedience spell's influence," the twin said.

"Bring me the book, Elrohir," said Elrond. Elrohir stood, wiping at his tears, and retrieved the book from the ground. He brought it to his father and Elrond took the book, setting it in his lap. "Come here, Elladan." The elder twin walked forward and stopped in front of his father. "First of all, I want you all to understand that while Elladan has no control over his body, he is quite aware of everything that is going on around him," said Elrond.

Elrohir's eyes widened. "You mean he can hear us?"

"Yes, Elladan can hear and see us perfectly but is unable to react," said Elrond. "I want you to know that you are not to blame for this either, Elladan. You could have no more disobeyed Inuraug than you could pull the moon from the night sky." Elrond sighed and ran his fingers around the golden details of the book. "I want this book locked within the Library's sealed rooms, Glorfindel. If I had known what it was, I never would have just left it out in my Study."

Glorfindel nodded and pressed a reassuring kiss to Elrond's temple. "It will be done."

Elrond smiled and lifted the book in his hands. "Elladan, I order you for the rest of eternity to act as if you were not under a spell." They watched as Elladan's eyes fell shut and he took a deep breath. The elder twin swayed in place for a moment and then opened his eyes again, awareness filling the grey orbs. Elrond sat the book on the lounge as tears filled his son's eyes and opened his arms. With a sob, Elladan fell into his father's embrace.

"Ada… I… they," sobbed the elder twin incomprehensibly. Elrohir knelt on the ground as well, joining the embrace with more tears in his eyes.

"No, Elladan. Those memories are not worth remembering. Yes, they were terrible but they are in the past and we must not let them hold sway over our future," soothed Elrond. Elladan nodded into his lap and fell silent, Elrond allowing his son to cry all he wanted.

Sometime later, the twins' tears faded to soft sniffles. "I'm sorry," muttered Elrohir into his brother's ear.

"You've already told me that several times. I forgave you about three days ago," whispered Elladan. The twins shared a watery smile as they knelt with their heads on their father's lap.

"I know three half-Elves that could use a nap," said Glorfindel softy. The twins looked up to find their father dozing on the blonde's shoulder, his eyes closed in peace.

"A nap sounds good," sniffled Elladan, standing. Elrohir stood as well and Glorfindel lifted Elrond from the lounge. The twins climbed into the bed, kicking off their shoes, and Glorfindel gently lay Elrond down beside them. The three half-Elves settled down on the soft sheets and drifted to sleep, Glorfindel sitting beside them for several minutes. When all three were fast asleep, he pressed a soft kiss to Elrond's cheek and went back to the balcony. There, he picked up the small golden book and left the room for the Library. Glorfindel would see to Elrond's order about the book being locked up properly. Hopefully, this was one small book that would never be read again.

Meleth = love (endearment)

Ion-nín = my son

The spell = For those who hear this spell all will lose their control. It will be mine.

Inuraug – Inu = female raug = demon