Muahaha. This chapter is hilarious! I hope. I don't own anything but Celine/Míleth. Not even a feather duster. Shame, really.

Chapter 17

"What? But we never asked for-"

"Yes, but we ask you to." Irmo and Nàmo said to the two very confused elves. Elíl and I smirked at each other briefly.

Silence. Sighs. "If we must." Ecthelion conceded glumly.

"Good. Now, they will be with you for a week." Irmo said briskly, and turned on his heel. Nàmo turned to me.

"Don't get into trouble." He sighed.

"Me master? Trouble? If there is any I'll blame it on being in your dark presence too long!" I feigned shock. Elíl sniggered as he sighed and shook his head.

"I'll be the model of property." I smirked. They rolled their eyes at my tweak.

"Don't bring the house down." Nàmo added for good measure.

I smirked at Elíl and even went so far as to slap an innocent look on my face, clasp my hands behind my back, whistle a tune, and let my eyes wander nowhere in particular. Glorfindel barked a laugh as Irmo and Nàmo just shook their heads, amused, and left. Elíl was giggling.

"At your service, master." I bowed seriously to Glorfindel, as Elíl did the same with Ecthelion.

"I didn't really want this to happen, but since it has its inevitable. Come in." Glorfindel and Ecthelion ushered us in and shut the door, then gave each other helpless looks.

"What do we do with a thrall?" Ecthelion asked.

"Give us orders to clean or whatever would be the general idea." Elíl quipped, earning a glare from the two.

"Well, for starters, I'm hungry." Glorfindel announced.

"Anything in particular you'd want, master?" I asked cheerfully.

"None of the master title, it's just Glorfindel and we're just friends. That's my first order. And no, anything would be fine." He added.

"Gotcha Glory." I said, heading into the kitchen. Elíl was told the same by Ecthelion and she followed me into the kitchen to make a meal for them.

I shook my head. "The pantry needs to be restocked." I muttered.

"I was going to today, but since you're here, here. Whatever you think needs to be bought." Thel dropped a pouch on the counter and we nodded.

So after a lunch of soup and bread, Elíl and I headed out to the market. We were in elvish form, so no one paid any special attention to us as we bought necessary items and went back to the house.

After putting everything away, I heard Glorfindel calling for me and Thel for Elíl. With a shrug, we thought ourselves to their sides. "Whatcha need?" I asked.

"Help." He replied wryly. I snorted. "Here, hold this." He dumped a box into my arms.

"What's in this thing? It feels like a box of thin books." I noted.

"Thin? Those are huge volumes!" He gave me an incredulous look.

"I'm a Maia." I said dryly. He rolled his eyes and reached for another.

"Well handy for me." He said sarcastically.

"What are you supposed to learn from being a thrall anyway? How to obey orders?" He snorted.

"Practice, Glorfy. No task is too menial when it's done out of love. That was one of my lessons. I need to practice serving with a willing and cheerful heart. Even if I'm a thrall." I corrected mildly as I followed him down the hallway to the library. He stumbled as I said 'no task is too menial when it's done out of love.'

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"Yes." His voice was a little strained.

"Heavy?" I asked.

"Huh? Oh, a little, not so much." He shrugged.

"It's a nice library." I said thoughtfully, looking up at the shelves of books as I set the box down.

"Thank you. I need to clean all of these shelves, dust the books, and put them in categorical order." He sighed.

"That's what I'm here for! On it!" I promptly thought a cloth into my hand and began the task with grim determination.

Elíl appeared a moment later and seeing what I was doing, began to do the same. "Ah, Glorfindel, I forgot to mention that if you can't find me sometimes it's because I had to go back to the halls." I said absently.

"What?" He asked, nonplussed.

"I have a few there who I look after specifically and they cannot be put in the care of another, so I sometimes have to go to them." I explained, gesturing with my rag.

"Oh." He nodded in understanding. He was busy sorting the books as Elíl and I pulled them out and dusted them, placing them all in neat piles.

Thel came in, looking harried. "I just want you to know something, you two." He addressed Elíl and I, who raised eyebrows but nodded to show that we were listening.

"Neither Glorfindel nor I want a thrall, and we have no intention of treating you like one. As far as we're concerned, you are just living here and are expected to do normal duties." He said. We shrugged.

"Sure." Elíl and I chimed.

"Just don't hesitate to ask us for any kind of help, Maia services if necessary." Elíl winked. Thel snorted.

"I suppose." He conceded.

"Why exactly have you never paid attention to this room until now anyway?" Elíl asked with a frown, wiping the shelves.

"This house, in case you haven't noticed, is huge. We were only reborn not too long ago, and Finda gave us this house to live in. We were friends in the halls and became brothers." Glorfindel replied.

"Finda?" I giggled. "I'm guessing he doesn't take that nickname very well."

"No, seeing he gives me a scowl every time." He smirked in reply.

"You mean like the look Elíl gives me every time I call her La-la?" I asked, just as she whipped around and gave me a fierce glare. "Like that." I said dryly.

"Yes." He chortled.

"Ah."

"Speaking of nicknames, what does your new name mean?" Thel asked us.

"Dream female." Elíl replied.

"Loving and affectionate." I said with a smile. Thel, for some reason, was grinning at Glorfindel just as he was grinning back. Then they stuck out their tongues at each other, to Elíl and my bemusement.

I suddenly snickered wildly. "What?" Elíl asked.

"Dream female!" I said, laughing myself silly. Glorfindel was as well, while Ecthelion glared daggers at us.

"Never mind." She sighed.

"Inside joke." I gasped.

"Speaking of which, Glorfindel, really? Balrog's breath? Morgoth's moles?" She asked.

I bent double, as did Ecthelion, while Elíl grinned crazily. He rolled his eyes.

"Well I wasn't in a very good mood and was being beaten to a pulp by three warrior Maia to get rid of my tension, so I just blabbed." He grumbled.

"Eonwë! Make a note of that!" I hollered.

*Are you sure, little sister?* he snarked.

*Oh hush up, I'm trying to help, you.* I snorted.

*Muahaha, she gotcha there, book boy.* Elíl sniggered.

*Pah. No one ever gets the best of me in word play* he retorted.

*He's stuffy too, just like a proper librarian.* I told Elíl, who promptly laughed.

*Maybe I should polish myself on you, Míleth.* he grumbled.

*Oh yes, let me 'beat you to a pulp' as Glorfy says in verbal sparring.* I squeed.

*Not what I meant and you know it.* he retorted promptly.

*Loosing your touch for comebacks, are we?* Elíl ribbed.

*Absolutely not. I'm merely feeling lazy.* he answered haughtily, to our amusement.

*Oh, are you? Should I make you busier then you already are then?* Manwë's voice chimed in, sounding amused.

*Come to think of it, er, hear it, I think I hear someone calling. Eonwë out!* he said hastily, and Elíl and I burst into audible laughter along with Manwë.

"Something funny?"

...

"Oh!" I gasped and jumped, yelping as my head hit the bottom of the shelf that I was attempting to clean in the hallway. The whole house needed cleaning, hence my occupation at the moment.

"Valar kriff it!" I growled, glaring at the shelf. Eonwë appeared exasperatedly, writing in his book. I pointed to him with a glare.

"Behind you is a door. I suggest you use it and stop tracking dirt in the house." I snarled. He smirked and disappeared, to Elíl's amusement.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"I gotta go! Tell Glorfindel I'll be back!" I gasped, thrusting the rag into her hand as she nodded and I thought myself away.

I appeared in Celegorm's room next to his bedside. He was sitting up and looking frightened a little, but relaxed as he saw me. "Sorry. I think I panicked for a moment." He apologized. I smiled.

"No harm done, we all do sometimes. Even me." I winked. "Now, are you hungry?"

He nodded and I helped him sit up properly, giving him some solid food, which he ate gratefully. "Thank you." He said with a sigh.

"My pleasure."

"I think- I want to go back." He whispered. Nàmo appeared next to me, a hand on my shoulder.

"Why don't you go check on Caranthir?" He asked me gently. I nodded and thought myself away, knowing my duty with Celegorm was over.

Caranthir was awake and sitting in his usual chair, reading a book. He looked up as I came in, and though he still seemed like his old self, there was a new look on his eyes that proved his change in heart.

"Hey brother! How are you feeling?" I asked cheerily, hugging him, which he returned awkwardly.

"Fine." He mumbled. I grinned.

"Still our normal self are we?" I quipped, to which he rolled his eyes.

"Nàmo says I can leave tomorrow." He said gravely. "Maedhros and the twins are as well." He said quietly. I nodded happily.

"Good! I'm so glad. I'm sure you'll invite me over one day, right?" I asked with a wink. He smiled wryly.

"You'll have your own room." He retorted, to which I laughed.

"My thanks. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to attend to Maeglin." I groaned loudly, while he burst into snickers.

"Good luck." He sniggered.

"I don't believe in luck or coincidence." I replied dryly, to which he grinned.

So that's how I found myself once again in front of Maeglin's door. I opened it with a sigh and stepped inside.

The room was a mess. Book were everywhere, the table was overturned, blankets scattered, and water spilled on the carpet. Maeglin stood by the window, fists clenched tightly and shaking.

Quietly, I picked up the books and set them back, righted the table, thought the water out of the carpet, and shook and folded the blankets properly on the bed again.

"Now, would you care to tell me why exactly you decided to ruin your room?" I asked him quietly.

"No." He fairly snarled. My eyebrows shot up almost past my hairline.

"No? Why not?" I asked.

"It's none of your business!" He roared, turning to me and visibly holding himself back.

"Is it? I have a feeling that the fact that I love you as a brother has finally sunk in." I retorted calmly. His face twisted in rage, but I could see underlying emotions. Fear and uncertainty. I had rocked him to his very core.

"It has nothing to do with it." He growled.

"Denial isn't just a river in Egypt." I said automatically, and then corrected myself. "You're denying it aren't you? You don't want to believe that I might be telling you the truth." I said shrewdly.

"No." He ground out.

"I don't believe you. Why won't you believe it?" I plowed on, heedless of his increasing fury. He needed to break. He needed to believe it, to find release and answers. I would have to force his hand.

He just stood there for a moment, physically struggling with himself. "Because no one does!" He finally shouted, and with that, the dam broke.

"No one ever cared! They all said so, but they didn't. No one ever trusted me! No, I won't believe you! I can't! I hate you!" He cried, shaking like a leaf and eyes wild. He couldn't take it any longer.

I held out my arms, and he launched. Again, I found myself being pummeled to the ground, but again, I just allowed him to and gave as I got. It went on for a good hour, I think, but he finally wore himself out. He collapsed, pounding the floor and tears pouring down his cheeks, panting and exhausted.

"Finally wore yourself out?" I asked mildly. He gave me a weak glare, but then just gave up and fell over, fainting from exhaustion and the overload of emotions.

With a sigh, I got him into bed and shook my head as I bundled him into the sheets. Nàmo appeared soon afterwards.

"Celegorm will be joining his brothers when they leave. I see he's worn himself out?" He asked. I nodded, quite tired myself.

"He's a handful." I sighed, and he chuckled.

"But you did a good job. I think he will start to heal." He said, looking at Maeglin.

"He hates me, does he?" I asked amusedly.

"He wishes." Nàmo snorted.

"As do you." I dead-panned. Laughter from nowhere and everywhere indicated that the Valar were listening.

"Perhaps." He retorted. I sniggered.

"Well master, I had better get back." I said. He nodded and I bowed.

"You had better take Mairon with you." Nàmo said. I blinked.

"If you say so, master." I said, baffled, and thought myself to my little brother's side. "Mairon?"

His face lit up. "Míleth! Guess what? I played with Amrad and Amras today!" He said, leaping into my arms. I laughed.

"Did you? Good!" We arrived back at the house.

"So you really did become a thrall?" He asked. I nodded.

"Yes. Come." I set him down and made my way to the dining room where everyone else was eating.

"Sorry I'm late! I'm afraid Maeglin held me up... Literally." I said dryly, sitting down as Elíl slid me two plates. Mairon waved and began to eat his own food cheerily.

"Maeglin?" She asked, as I picked up a fork. I nodded with a sigh.

"His breakdown is long overdue. Speaking of which, Celegorm, Maedhros, Caranthir, and Amrod and Amras are to be released tomorrow." I said with a smile, sliding a forkful down my throat.

"Well I'm happy for them. What about Maeglin again?" Ecthelion asked.

I sighed. "Poor brother." I said wistfully, frowning at my plate. Then I looked up with a rueful smile. "He is so embittered by his past life. I love him as a brother and told him as much, and have been for the past few days... I think he's beginning to see that I mean it. So today when I went there and told him again as I usually do daily, he turned around and yelled that he didn't, wouldn't, and couldn't believe me because no one else did before so I wasn't any different. Then he said he hated me, though I have the distinct feeling he was trying to convince himself of that more than me." I added dryly.

"In any case, let's just say that I deliberately pushed the issue and goaded him to a breakdown, consisting of him and I rolling around on the floor using each other as a punching bag until he fainted from pure exhaustion and overstimulation." I said calmly, taking another forkful. Glorfindel choked.

"Excuse me?" He sputtered.

"Don't worry, I'm a Maia. It's a natural reaction and Caranthir basically did the same. They couldn't hurt me." I said with a reassuring smile.

"Well at least it happened. Now healing can commence." Elíl said, satisfied. I nodded.

"Hmm." I agreed. "So what happened while I was gone?" I asked blithely, waving my fork around in questioning circles.

"Cleaning. Cleaning. Dusting. Mopping. Did I mention cleaning?" Elíl grumbled from her bowl. I grinned as Glorfindel and Ecthelion rolled their eyes.

"Oh was there? I was speaking more about conversation then anything, though." I said with a wink.

"Ah, you know, the usual Balrogs breath and Morgoth's moles accompanying bangs and crashes." She said vaguely, making me laugh heartily.

"I had a time of it indeed today." Eonwë appeared with his own food at the table and a scowl.

"Oh hush up, Eonwë, you're not the one who had to be beaten to a pulp by Maeglin." I growled, waving my fork at him playfully.

"Oh please. How would you like to be going everywhere writing down this and that about the Valar?" He scoffed.

"Even the Valar themselves?" Elíl asked slyly, making me burst into hysterical laughter.

"Absolutely not." Eonwë grinned. "Though I will admit that it was tempting to stir up trouble by saying otherwise."

I snorted. "Pah. I doubt the Valar would have believed you anyway." I said.

"Who's to say?" He asked.

"Snobbish." I accused, making Elíl snigger as he gave me a mild glare.

"Behave, Padawan. Yes, I find it to be a useful title." Nàmo appeared with his own food as well. Glorfindel and Ecthelion grinned.

"Hello Nàmo." Glorfindel said cheerfully. Nàmo glared at him playfully.

"The bane of my existence." He mock-growled. I snorted.

"Before me? Now that's a feat." I grinned.

"You're first, but among the firstborn..." Nàmo shook a finger at me.

"Bane of your existence? So he replaced Durin's bane, eh?" I asked with a grin, making Elíl lean back in her chair and laugh herself silly.

"Riiiight." Glorfindel snorted. "That's my bane." He said.

"Is it just me or was that a boast or claim?" I asked with the 0_0 face.

"Neither and both." He grinned in reply.

"Yep. I gotta get away from here, everyone's lost it." I said in mock-horror.

"What are you talking about? You're the one who's lost it first." Elíl smirked.

"... Come to think of it, you're right." I said with a chagrined grin.

They laughed at me. "Speaking of which, Míleth, tomorrow you will attend a judgement in the ring." Nàmo added, looking to me. I inclined my head.

"As you wish, master." I nodded formally. "Wh-who will it be?" I asked quietly, face troubled. What is a judgement like?

"You will see. I believe that if all goes as planned, he will be in your personal care." Was all he said. I nodded.

"Hmm. Another little one to care for, hmm Mairon?" I winked. He stuck out his tongue and made a rude noise, making us all burst into laughter.

"Being a Reborn is an interesting experience, for both Valar and us." Ecthelion said dryly, to which Nàmo sighed.

"Unfortunately." He groused, which was countered by the spark of humor in his eyes. Elíl was laughing.

"Working with the reborn is like working with elflings in human bodies... And not to mention the trees." She groaned at the end, making Glorfindel and Ecthelion burst into laughter.

"For some reason, they have a partiality for trees." She told me, to which my lips twitched.

"Well I suppose I'll be finding out soon enough, won't I." I answered blandly, to which she grinned.

"Oh I have a feeling you'll like him." Nàmo told me mysteriously.

"Ooh, will it be Eöl then?" I asked wickedly, grinning. He rolled his eyes.

"No child." He retorted mildly, shaking his head at me as I snickered.

"Feänor? He is my adopted dad... Although that leaves me to wonder how he'll greet me.." I mused, while they all rolled their eyes at me.

"Alright alright, I'll leave it till tomorrow." I promised.

"Speaking of which, Míleth, is it true that lord Nàmo pulled out the flowers again in lady Nienna's garden again?" Eonwë interjected with a grin. I leaned back and laughed.

"Yes!" I gasped, while Nàmo groaned and propped his head in his hand with a sour look, making everyone start to laugh themselves silly.

"I ought to send you to Tulkas for that." He mock-growled at me. I sniggered.

"You know you love me too much for that master." I giggled.

"You think." He replied, miffed.

"You wouldn't have called us here otherwise." I pointed out smugly.

"Would I? Perhaps I just wanted to cause trouble for Aman." He retorted.

Elíl leaned over and stage-whispered, "He wanted Míleth for himself and Irmo wanted me so they hatched a conspiracy to get us." She winked.

"Spoil sport." Nàmo sniffed, making everyone lean back in their chairs and howl.

"No, I asked for Míleth and Elíl to come." Mairon said haughtily, nose in the air.

"Whatever for?" Eonwë teased.

"Because they're much too amusing not to." He grinned. Elíl and I mock-glared.

"Oh so we're just amusement are we?" Elíl demanded.

"Oh yes." Mairon nodded sagely. "Most certainly. All mine, my preciouses." He declared. I plonked my head on the table and shook with laughter.

"Noooo! I'm a ring! Somebody help me, I'm gonna be destroyed- oh wait, that means I can tempt someone to wield me, right?" Elíl grinned.

"Which wouldn't work." Glorfindel grinned back.

"Why not?" She asked with a supercilious sniff.

"Because we all know that you in particular only belong to one and only." He sniggered. I lifted my head and cried in mirth. She looked bewildered.

"What?" She asked. "Am I missing something here?"

Nàmo was smirking, Eonwë was laughing, Mairon was doubled over, Glorfindel was roaring, and Ecthelion was studiously avoiding everyone and blushing.

"Yes! You are his precious!" I gasped.

"Who?" She asked, still bemused.

"Not for us to tell." Glorfindel choked.

"Oh fine then! I know who Míleth belongs to!" She finally said, glaring at me. I stopped laughing a stared at her incredulously, eyes wide.

"Wait what!? You mean all this time I've never noticed that someone likes me!? Whaaaat?" I cried, forgetting all else. She smirked.

"Oh yes, we knows, precious. We knows who you belongs to. Mhm, oh yes, WE knows, don't we preciouses?" She asked the rest of the table smugly, setting them off into a roar of agreement. I put my head in my hands and moaned, covering my red cheeks.

"And here I thought that I was too insane to be noticed..." I muttered to myself. Mairon was rolling on the floor in laughter. I rolled my eyes.

"Oh, well, maybe you-know-who will finally decide to fess up to Elíl. I'm sure she would like that." I said sarcastically, while her eyes widened in turn.

"Whaaaat?" She thought about it. "Well it depends on who it is, anyway." She finally admitted with a sigh. I grinned.

"So whose you're fave elves in Aman?" I asked her lazily, as the rest calmed down.

"Let me see-" she scrunched her face in thought. "Ecthelion, Findécano, Maglor, Maeglin, Legolas of Greenwood, Legolas of Gondolin, and that's just the top few" she shrugged. "You?" She asked.

"Hmmm, well, Glorfindel, Ecthelion, Findécano, Beleg Strongbow, Maedhros, Caranthir, and that's just a few." I finished with a shrug. "My favorite Maia is undoubtedly my brother." I said, scooping him up and burying my face into his hair with a cuddle. He giggled and squirmed.

"My favorite Maia is Olòrin, and I haven't even met him yet." Elíl pouted.

"What? Not me!?" Mairon whined. Elíl stuck out her tongue.

"Oh hush you, you have Míleth." She teased back. He grinned.

"And your favorite Vala?" Nàmo asked nonchalantly.

"It was always you, master, even on earth." I replied promptly. "Don't ask why, I was just always drawn to you. Although now that I think of it I wonder if any of the other Valar will hate me for that..." I muttered.

*Maybe.* Manwë's voice made me cringe and the rest laugh heartily at my expense.

"Protect me master!" I begged. He smirked.

"Well since you admitted it then I will put up with you." He replied.

"I take it back, I like-" I was gagged and sent a glare in Nàmo's way.

*Oh so you're jealous eh?* I accused. He raised an eyebrow.

"Hmmm? I have no idea what you're talking about." He said blithely, making everyone else laugh.

"My favorite Valar was always Irmo." Elíl admitted with a sheepish grin. "Probably because I love the idea of rest and sleep..." She smirked as we went into another spiel of laughter.

*Oh so that's the only reason?* Irmo's amused voice appeared.

"No master, I love you too." She grinned.

*Do you? Good.* he replied satisfactorily.

"I have yet to hear you say that, Míleth." Nàmo remarked.

I grinned at him wickedly. "Is that so, master? I don't recall ever hearing you say anything to the affect..." I trailed off and pretended to think.

"Oh right. I haven't. Well then, I love you master." I said with an unrepentant grin at his withering glare.

"Good." He nodded.

"Oh so I don't get a sentiment in return." I pouted.

"Who says you don't?" He retorted knowingly. My eyes lit up.

"Oh so that's how it is? You wait until no ones looking." Glorfindel smirked.

"I never said so." Nàmo scoffed, but winked, making us snigger.

"How terrible it must be for the innocent Valar to suffer us reborn." Ecthelion mourned teasingly.

*Oh, innocent are we?* Tulkas' laughter made us grin wildly. *I don't think we've been innocent for a long time.* he smirked.

"The last time I was innocent... I can't remember. Irmo?" Nàmo asked.

*You were innocent when you made a blubbering idiot out of yourself courting Vairë. You could barely form two coherent sentences around her.* Irmo sniggered.

"I did not. I was the model of propriety." Nàmo retorted hotly while we all collapsed laughing ourselves silly at the thought.

*Really? I don't remember it being so.* Vairë interjected innocently.

"Then you remembered wrong." Nàmo replied, miffed.

We practically screamed in laughter along with the rest of the Valar.

Vairë sent a picture of Nàmo blushing and handing her a sprig of simple flowers... and weeds.

That did me in. I laughed and laughed until I was crying, while Nàmo scowled at us all.

I sighed as we finally calmed down. "Perhaps I should have tried to teach him botany after all." I sighed. We didn't calm down for a while after that one.