The night drew out long, and after Arwen's arrival, the tables had been cleared and the dance floor prepared. There was still no sign of Elrond, but the boys were not troubled. Each was preoccupied dancing with a fair elven maiden, and soon there was a line of young girls begging to dance with the devilishly handsome twins.
"May I have but a dance?"
There was a soft, flowing female voice coming from over Elrohir's shoulder, and it was Arwen, dressed the a long, blue flowing dress that had become her namesake, her head adorned in sparkling blue diamonds.
Elrohir smiled, and politely excused himself from his dance partner. "Only one? Very well, my Lady. You look beautiful," he said kindly, as he took his sister's tender hand, and began swaying slowly with her in time to the music.
"I remember you used to dance with me much more energetically," she teased. "You cannot be already getting old, and it doesn't seem as if you long for the company of your previous dancer," she laughed, peering at the unfortunate elf, whose tiny face she sensed somewhat disgusted her brother. "So, what of it? What troubles you, my Ro? And where, may I enquire, is your cheeky twin?" He sighed deeply, and then, with an inhalation of new, fresh air, smiled. "I do not wish to start such a coil on such a beautiful night. Just dance with me."
And so they danced. The whole crowd was in great merriment, and Elladan was not excluded from that matter. He was dancing merrily with Haldir, the two very drunk, and grasping to each other for dear life as they stumbled and span about the dance floor.
"Slow down," laughed Haldir, clutching his chest, almost winded. "I cannot get my air."
Elladan pushed himself tighter onto the blonde, clinging to his deep purple cape, and then suddenly forced his glimmering mouth upon him. "Have mine," he whispered hoarsely and drunkenly, and forced his tongue into the other's mouth.
Aragorn could see this, from the other side of the room, and frowned. Not that he forbid his brother from pairing with his friend at all, but he knew such an action would hurt Ro incredibly.
Haldir didn't struggle at all. He had thought this elf uninteresting, being a copy of another, and simply because of his beauty, had thought him boring and conceited. But now, in his arms, he wanted him deeply and badly. He broke away from the kiss a little, and put his hand on the back of Elladan's neck gently, holding the elf to him.
"Elladan," he breathed against his ear. "You are perfection."
Elladan laughed, and pulled back, suddenly remembering his brother. He twirled around, spinning the blonde with him to a sudden stop. "Come. We are too drunk to talk of these things, and act in such a way. Let us go pester my twin brother." He dragged Haldir behind him by the scruff of his collar. Haldir twitched and reddened a little as Elladan noisily made his way through the group of dancers, shouting his twin's name loudly.
There was a sudden jerk on his robe as he was pulled backward into the crowd by Aragorn.
"What in Valar are you doing? Making such a noise, parading yourself like a brazen hussy? Anyone would think you were the village idiot on an escape mission."
Elladan laughed, and punched his foster-brother playfully. He saw the straightness and disappointment in Aragorn's face, and then quietened. "Sorry," he said simply, and continued making his way through the crowd. He finally found Elrohir, laughing with Arwen, the two of them spinning around fast.
"Found you!" he cried loudly, and releasing Haldir, barged his brother roughly. Arwen went tumbling into the crowd, and everyone gasped. She was quickly assisted by the hobbits, Merry and Pippin, who fussed over the elf as if it were their only chance to touch such a beauty.
"Are you alright, my Lady?" asked Pippin, dusting her off a little.
"Thankyou, halfling. I am fine." She gracefully swirled to her feet, as if it were no effort at all.
All eyes turned to Elladan.
"Err... Pardon me."
Elrond was sitting in his chair, listening to the hubbub downstairs with attentive ears. He always loved harp music, and the high melody of it radiated through the floorboards and into his chambers. He was slowly unrobing himself, preparing himself for a sleep before his speech tomorrow, when there was a knocking at the door, and without waiting for an answer, in burst Elladan.
"I've ruined everything!" he cried out.
Elrond's eyes were that of a rabbit being hunted. "What in the Heavens?" He was about to start a lecture on privacy when he saw how visibly upset his child was, and remembering that Elladan was the sensitive one, he sat on the edge of his bed and beckoned to him. He had come alone. That meant something really was wrong.
"Come here, my leafling. Tell me."
Elladan slumped on his father's bed, and lay back, wiping small streams of tears from his eyes, and rubbing them until the whites became red, and his hands streaked with kohl.
"Drunk again. Ay, Valar. This is what happens to you every time, little one. You must take it slowly," his father said quietly, stroking his son's hair. "What happened?"
Elladan turned to his father, smiling a little through his tears. "Nothing that wouldn't be forgotten by now, I suppose. Truthfully, I just needed to come and see you. Make sure you weren't still...mad at me."
"Mad at you? Leafling, what makes you think I would be mad?"
Elladan sat up, a little angry at the casual tone his father took. "You seemed that way when you left us this evening in our chambers. By the Valar, I was worried sick that we had lost you forever." His face reddened as he said this, and Elrond tried to stroke the flush away from his child's cheeks.
"I was simply...taken back. I love you both more than can ever be known. As with Arwen, as with Aragorn. You are all my children. When I think of you, I think of you playing innocently in the fields outside Lothlôrien, fishing in the streams of Rivendell. I certainly never thought of you being bound, sharing my kingdom together. You would certainly not reign with respect from your people," Elrond said softly, trying to make his point understood.
"We never asked to rule your -"
"Asked?" Elrond interrupted. "This is the honour of your kin! And you tell me that being... bound to Elrohir is more important than your blood?"
Elladan sat up, adjusting himself. He crossed to the mirror, and combed his fingers through his raven locks. He walked to the door, silently, angrily.
"Well?"
"Elrohir is my blood. He is my being, my very soul. I would rather die now as a mortal fool, than have a kingdom of immortality without being bound to him." He closed the door.
Walking down the stairs, he wondered if he had made a mistake.
"Elladan!"
The happy cry of his name from his brother made his heart fill with happiness once more. "Where did you go? You ran off like a frightened child," Elrohir laughed, hugging Elladan in a brotherly way, and passing him a glass of wine. Elladan smiled, and pressed himself into his twin, hiding his face under Elrohir's black locks.
"I want to leave," he whispered.
"Leave? Come on, tôrbain. We have to get drunk first. Dance a bit with that fair Legolas. He's been eying us all night," he grinned, flicking a glance towards the blonde. Legolas smiled in the distance, blushing a little, and giving a small friendly wave. The way he sat generously showed more than enough of his heavenly form. "Look at the way he sculls all that lilac wine. He wants to get nicely soused, and then he wants us to have our way with him. I can read it in his eyes." Elladan laughed. "You can't even see his eyes from here, my love."
Elrohir smiled. "True enough. So, where do you want to go then?"
"I don't know. I want to run away. Let's run away," his brother snickered, like a little child. Elrohir pulled back. "What are you talking about? Have you been talking to adar again? Please tell me not." Elladan sighed. "I had to make sure he wasn't missing all this because of us."
"And?"
"Who knows. He still thinks it a stupid idea," Elladan shrugged, as if their father were mad.
"What, being bound? Are we so soon back to that? Of course it is, you fool. We're brothers, by Valar. You know how long it took us to get this far. We cannot bring such a matter to our people. Shall we have everyone else hating us while we hate ourselves?"
Elladan pulled back from the safety of his brother's hair. He knew Elrohir was right. But why did everyone think him mad for wanting to be bound to his love?
" A toast!"
There was a communal chant for the happy engaged couple to make a toast, and eventually, after much noise and laughter, Aragorn climbed onto a nearby table and hoisted Arwen up with him.
"Well, what can I say...yet again? Thanks," he said, laughing, and climbed down. The laugh went around the room, and everyone raised their glasses. Arwen blushed, and was helped down by nearby elves.
Elrohir smiled, and raised his glass along with the others. Elladan joined in. The two stood, arms wrapped around each other's waists. A few curious eyebrows were raised at this, but it was quickly dismissed as brotherly binds and nothing more.
Legolas Greenleaf elbowed his way through the crowd, and wrapped his arms tightly around Elrohir's back. The two spun around, and were confronted by the blonde beauty himself. "Salutations, my Prince," Elrohir smiled, bowing a little jokingly. "Greetings yourself, Son of Elrond," he smiled, releasing his grip. "Are you drunk?" laughed Elladan, pointing at Legolas' crooked stance. "Aye, but a small bit, but a small bit. Do you wish to play with me?"
The two twins looked confused.
Legolas laughed. "Take a walk with me. Down to the field. We can spar a little. I feel like letting this energy out to some good use."
The twins smiled, and put their glasses down on a nearby buffet. "Of course."