Elladan was beginning to feel better. Glorfindel had provided an impressive spread of food, although Elladan had refused the wine he offered him, he did not think he would ever be drinking wine again. If he did not think about Legolas and the wine cellar and what they had probably done there he could actually say he was in a good mood. If he did think about it he was incredibly anxious. Especially if he thought of Elrohir.

Glorfindel smiled at him as he took a seat across from him in front of the fire.

"And now," he said folding his arms, "we talk."

"Talk?" It came out as a squeak, not very manly at all.

"Yes talk, Elladan. I apologise, I should have told you about Erestor years ago. We were so used to having to keep it a secret, when I was first reborn things were...rather staid amongst your Father's people."

"I would not have minded Glorfindel. I know you are much older than me I did not expect... I knew there must be someone." He shuffled

In his chair, this conversation was so awkward.

"I don't understand why now though." He continued."I don't understand, why not me?"

"I was melancholy, reminiscing for days gone by." Glorfindel had the grace to look ashamed. "I have no other excuse but that. Can you accept it Elladan? Can you accept it and have us continue?"

"Will it happen again?" Elladan asked

"No." Glorfindel was adamant and Elladan believed him but he looked so sad at the same time.

"Do you love him?" He blurted out. He had to know.

"I love him." Glorfindel nodded and briefly Elladan's heart sunk. "I love him as my oldest friend. I love him dearly, but I am not in love with him. Once maybe but not for a long time. It is you I love." He reached over and brushed Elladan's hair from his face, "only you, do you understand?"

"Yes." Elladan whispered. He did understand, now if only he had not messed it all up in the wine cellar with Legolas.

As if he could read his mind Glorfindel changed the subject,

"So tell me...what were you doing in that wine cellar?"

Elladan's life flashed before his eyes. What should he say?

"I wanted to get away. I wanted time on my own."

"You wanted time on your own, so you took Legolas, who you do not get on with and locked the both of you in a cellar?"

"No! I didn't know Legolas was there, I am not even sure why he was there and I didn't know shutting the door would lock us in."

"Ah," Glorfindel nodded sagely, "So once you were there the two of you thought it was a good opportunity for a party?"

Why was he making this so difficult? Elladan thought,

"You heard what I said to Aragorn. Legolas was beside himself, I thought the alcohol would help him stay calm...perhaps we drunk a bit too much..."

"Perhaps you did." Glorfindel raised an eyebrow and fixed him with a long hard look. One that stripped him to his bones, saw right into his heart and right then, as he squirmed on the chair Elladan realised...Glorfindel knew, he knew it all.

"You know." It was barely a murmur.

"What do I know Elladan?"

"That I...that we..."

Glorfindel sighed heavily.

"It was obvious Elladan."

"You mean Aragorn knows also?" He was horrified at the thought.

"Most likely. Was this some attempt to gain revenge, to hurt me? If so I would never have believed it possible of you. Did you not even stop to think of your brother? If you wanted to sleep with someone could it not have been someone further from home?"

"It wasn't like that! It wasn't like that at all. I didn't mean it... We were drunk, I was curious, I thought you wanted me to be adventurous. I can't even remember what happened...and Legolas, he thought I was Elrohir."

"Don't be ridiculous." Glorfindel snapped angrily. "How could he mistake you?"

"He had much more to drink than I. He was sleeping and I woke him, he said Elrohir's name and I...I wasn't sure..."

"So you have done wrong to them both."

Elladan hung his head in shame,

"I meant none of this Glorfindel. I cannot even remember what it was we actually did. What do I tell Elrohir? He will hate me."

"You will tell him nothing."

"But I have to," Elladan gasped, "I cannot keep this secret from him."

"You will and you must. What benefit is there for him to know this? To salve your conscience? This is the penalty you must pay Elladan. It meant nothing, it will not happen again?"

"No!"

"Then he never needs to know. You wish to tell him only to make yourself feel better, less guilty, you are going to have to learn to live with this guilt."

"Legolas thinks I did this on purpose, that I tricked him and got him drunk to simply destroy them."

Glorfindel looked very stern and unimpressed.

"Then you must tell him you will be saying nothing. This secret is his alone to tell if he wishes."

He leant forward and spoke gently.

"Elladan, I only want you to be yourself. Never feel you must try to be something you are not to please me. I love you as you are. I am sorry if I have made you feel you were not good enough for me. Nothing could be further from the truth."

A rush of absolute relief filled Elladan. Thank goodness, for as beautiful as Legolas was he was not Glorfindel and Elladan knew he wanted nobody else. Now he did not have to try.

He was about to speak, about to let Glorfindel know how he was all he needed when the door crashed open. The noise splintered the quiet peace in the room to shreds, as did what came through it for there stood a raging, furious Elrohir. It was not a sight Elladan had any desire to see.

"What have you done to him?" He roared

Elladan stumbled to his feet, his heart thudding in his chest.

"Nothing..." He stammered, had Legolas already told Elrohir what they had done?

Elrohir in a rage was a frightening thing. Before he knew what was happened he was up against the wall, Elrohir's hand grabbing his shirt so he couldn't breathe.

"You locked him in a room? Are you mad? Who do you think you are?"

He struggled to get the words out to reply but his mind seemed not to be functioning.

"Stop this right now!"

If Elrohir was frightening then Glorfindel was positively terrifying as he stepped between them, causing Elrohir to release his grip and Elladan slumped against the stone behind him in relief.

"Pull yourself together Elrondion, What kind of behaviour is this?"

Despite his lingering terror Elladan found himself momentarily distracted by just how incredibly commanding Glorfindel could be when he wanted to.

Elrohir paused and Elladan could see him attempting to gain control of his temper.

"Always, always he is getting at Legolas and now this? I have had enough Glorfindel. Legolas is distraught." He turned back to Elladan, "I want to know what you have done to him. He refuses to tell me."

Thank goodness, Legolas had said nothing then.

"Distraught?" Elladan found his voice was still no more than a squeak.

"Yes. What is this about? Tell me!"

"It is...it was...Elrohir please..." Elladan found he could think of no plausible explanation for any of this at all.

"Perhaps it is not Elladan he is upset about." Glorfindel said coolly, "Perhaps it is the recriminations you were throwing about so freely yesterday which bother him. Have you thought of that?"

Elladan stared at him, his mouth open. What was he doing? Glorfindel knew exactly why Legolas was upset and it had nothing to do with anything Elrohir had said, yesterday or at any other time.

Still Elrohir seemed to believe it might be a possibility.

"I have told him I was wrong, I have told him I believe him, that I trust him. I am sure it is not that." He said but he sounded uncertain.

"Oh! He IS upset about that!" Elladan blurted out the words without thinking.

"What do you mean?" Elrohir swung to face him.

"He told me." Suddenly Elladan wished he had kept his mouth shut. Perhaps Legolas did not wish Elrohir to know his feelings about this.

"He told you?" Elrohir was incredulous. "Why would he tell you anything? Least of all about ME!"

Elladan had no choice but to continue.

"Last night...we were talking, he said...he didn't say much, but he was unhappy you had no faith in him." He remembered Legolas's misery and how he had wished to help him, perhaps his brother should know this.

"He seemed lonely Elrohir, he spoke of how it hurt him."

The look on Elrohir's face was despairing.

"Oh," he buried his face in his hands,"You were right Glorfindel, what kind of lover am I?"

A look of unease and discomfort flitted across Glorfindel's face and he patted Elrohir's shoulder awkwardly.

"Now, now, perhaps I spoke too hastily. Perhaps he is not upset about you at all, perhaps it is this Thranduil business. I do not blame him for being slightly distressed about that. Perhaps he has just realised what a mess he will be in when his father finds out and is embarrassed to tell you."

Elrohir looked up confused,

"What do you mean? What Thranduil business?"

"You do not know?" Glorfindel seemed genuinely surprised.

"No. What does Thranduil have to do with anything?"

"Ah, Erestor told me, I thought it was common knowledge, perhaps I should not have said anything..."

"Tell me Glorfindel!"

Elladan could see his brother was not going to let Glorfindel get away with anything less than a full explanation.

"Well," Glorfindel looked very sheepish, "You know your Father has to front up for the cost of this wedding of Arwen's. The father of the bride and all."

"Stop trying to distract me Glorfindel. I am not interested in discussing Arwen and Aragorn's wedding. The less I think of that the better." Elrohir's eyes flashed with impatience.

"I am not trying to distract you. This is at the heart of the issue. It is not cheap putting on the wedding of a King you understand, your Father has some serious problems working out how to fund it. Simply getting Galadriel here has cost the earth."

Elrohir frowned at that,

"Aragorn is the one who is King, he can help finance things."

"With what Elrohir? What money does Aragorn have? Seriously."

"Well Gondor then. He is their King. They want the big kingly wedding."

"Come on Elrohir," Glorfindel rolled his eyes disparagingly, " Gondor has no cash, they have been at war...just look at the state of this city. No, it has to be your Father, tradition dictates it and he was, after all, the one who insisted Aragorn had to become king first. They could have had a small quiet wedding years ago in Imladris but oh no...only a King was good enough for Elrond's girl. Now he is paying the price."

"I don't see what any of this has to do with Legolas," Elladan piped up, "He certainly doesn't have to pay."

"No but Thranduil does." Glorfindel said dramatically.

Elrohir let out a snort of laughter,

"Don't be so silly Glorfindel! Thranduil? Pay for Arwens wedding? I don't think so!"

Glorfindel leant in conspiratorially,

"Elrond decided the wedding was a grand representation of Elfdom itself. He came up with the ridiculous idea that all of the Elven kingdoms should contribute, a tax if you like. Legolas has agreed Thranduil will pay his share."

"What?" Elrohir was lost for words.

"In fact since Galadriel simply laughed at the idea when Elrond raised it with her it is likely Thranduil will be paying her share too."

"You cannot be serious?" Elladan thought surely this must all be some wild invention of Glorfindel's to totally distract Elrohir from the issue at hand. "Legolas is no fool. He would not agree to that."

"I assure you he has. Erestor was there when he did so."

Elrohir looked horrified,

"Thranduil will kill him! Why would he do that?"

"Why indeed?" Glorfindel mused, "unless he is keen to visit Mandos's halls, I can quite see how he may well be feeling distressed about the whole thing in the cold light of day."

Elrohir was rendered totally and utterly speechless.

Had Legolas completely lost his mind? Had the sea longing caused some kind of strange insanity?

No wonder he was in tears. What Thranduil would do when he discovered he was footing the bill for Arwens wedding did not bear thinking about.