Chapter 38
Reminiscing
It was one of the rare moments when Thranduil was actually out of his secluded palace.
"I was worried that you are sick," Amroth said, laughing. "I haven't seen you for the past hundred years, my friend. You refuse to leave your palace, refuse to send messages. Basically, you refuse everything and everyone."
Thranduil rolled his eyes. "Tell me something I don't know. If you want, I can leave already. It is not like I want to be here anyway." He swirled the red liquor that was in his cup, looking down at his reflection. "If my counselor did not have any business here in Lórinand, I wouldn't have come."
"Oh, please." Amroth snorted. "We both know Lady Celairis would be fine by travelling here with the Elven-guard. You are the only one who insisted on coming. Worried much, aren't you?"
"Not really," Thranduil countered. "I trust Raithon enough for the protection of my counselor. It just so happens that Lady Galadriel and Celeborn are also here. Since when did you start negotiating with them?"
Indeed, Galadriel and Celeborn always traveled abroad. After Lindon, they moved to Rivendell and then to Eregion. Whenever they felt like it, they would visit Amroth in Lórinand. There was a mutual understand between the King and Lord Celeborn, being both Sindar and hailing from the same kingdom before. And Thranduil knew them both; he knew Celeborn when he was young, though the two never had dealings with each other that much. After the downfall of Sauron, Galadriel and Celeborn often went to Lórinand and mingled with the Silvan folk there. Nimrodel liked Celeborn, being a friend of Amroth's, but she was wary of Galadriel.
"A couple of centuries," Amroth shrugged in answer. "You need to go outside every once in a while. You cannot rely on your counselors and guards forever."
"Forever is a long time." Thranduil sighed. "And stop lecturing me. I am not a child." He looked around the well-lighted room. The lamps gave it a silver and blue hue. "Where is Celairis? I want to return thither to Greenwood now." Not only did he want to go home, he did not want to deal with Galadriel. There was something about the lady that he was not exactly fond of.
"Why rush to go home?" Amroth raised an eyebrow. "I mean, if you can visit Lórinand, you can also visit Rivendell."
Thranduil glared at his friend.
"What?" Amroth laughed innocently. "I don't remember you visiting Rivendell at all. You haven't even met Elrond's children yet. Celeborn says they are friendly and pleasant. Are you not even interested about the newcomer there? It was rumored that he was reborn or something… Erynlith should know…"
"I have no interest in such affairs," Thranduil answered coldly. "I am more interested in returning home with my counselor."
"Suit yourself." Amroth already gave up on convincing his friend. The Elvenking of Greenwood was too stubborn and self-centered now. He cared not much of outside stories, embracing the ideal of his father: to return to a simple life in the woods. Oropher was idealistic of letting the other elves do whatever they wished as long as the Silvan folk of Greenwood were peaceful and safe. Should there be another war, Amroth was sure Thranduil would not participate in it.
"Do not blame me if you miss too much," Amroth warned, propping his chin under a palm. "Everyone in Rivendell is really ecstatic about this newcomer, and I am sure Erynlith is one of them."
"Whatever." Thranduil scoffed.
Amroth laughed heartily. "By the way, this year's Aduial en Meleth is three days away. How about spending it here with us? Nimrodel would want to have Lady Celairis for the occasion."
"No, thank you," came the quick reply. "Do you even remember the last time I celebrated that here? Apparently, I am not into orc ambushes and late night chases anymore." He shrugged at the gruesome memory.
"Really?" Amroth's smile turned sly. "If I remember correctly, you were wailing on how we should chase after them right away, considering that you were very worried about my cousin. It turns out that Erynlith and Nimrodel were fine, and they even managed to scare off some orcs."
Thranduil glared again. "That was a thousand years ago… I could hardly remember how I felt. Either way, I will not spend the evening here."
"And with whom should you share the night?" He loved tormenting his friend with each questions.
"I can spend it with Celairis like how the last evenings were. Don't get your hopes up about your cousin. I have moved on from her. What I felt about her was nothing but a child's infatuation. I am a King now. I need no such petty company." His voice was cold once again, and he meant every word that he said. No one in Greenwood really remembered Erynlith anymore, except for Raithon who always claimed to miss her, much to the King's annoyance.
"You make it sound as if her company is terrible." Amroth frowned.
"What? No…" Thranduil reluctantly whispered. "I did not mean that. Let us talk of other matters. And damn, where is Celairis?"
As he stood up to look for her, two figures entered the room. Celeborn and Galadriel stood in front of Thranduil in their entire splendor and grace. The golden hair of Galadriel mingled with the silver hue of the place, making her all the more beautiful. Her hand rested on Celeborn's arm, whose dark eyes stared at the surprised Thranduil. Gradually, the two elves smiled and bowed, acknowledging him as the Elvenking. In response, Thranduil nodded lightly and walked past them, sparing Celeborn a knowing look.
I have no time for formalities, Thranduil thought and went to look for his counselor.
Celairis was speaking to Nimrodel when the King found her. The two elven-maidens were sitting on the edge of the river which was Nimrodel's home. At the sight of the King, they smiled and Celairis approached him. Thranduil quickly snaked an arm around his counselor's waist and then smiled to Nimrodel. The last time he saw Nimrodel was the last Aduial en Meleth that he spent in Lórinand. At length, he excused himself and his counselor from Nimrodel and went away.
"Are you done with your business here?" Thranduil impatiently asked.
The incident in the gardens was all forgotten. Celairis had profusely apologized to the King, by spending more and more time in the council chambers. Sometimes she skipped dinner on purpose, only to make up for the offense she gave; all until Thranduil himself got bored and decided to forgive her.
Celairis laughed quietly. "As a matter of fact, I am, my King. Should we return to Greenwood now? Lady Nimrodel invited me to stay here until the celebration. It is only in three days. I was hoping you can wait."
"I cannot," he grumbled. "I am not very excited about that and you know it."
"But it is customary to attend, especially for one who is so important," she coaxed him. "Just think of the Elvenking of Greenwood spending Aduial en Meleth in a neighboring forest."
"I am more concerned about how you use that silver-tongue of yours on me." He smirked down at her.
She laughed. "I was hoping you'd say yes, my King."
Thranduil griamced. "Alright, dearest counselor of mine. We shall stay here for a few more days and celebrate Aduial en Meleth with you."
Glorfindel bade the guards a good night before leaving the barracks himself. He had been too occupied in honing weapons and attending to the forging of more weapons and armors. He was no stranger to this kind of duty; in all honesty, he found delight in holding swords and knives and shields, having been trained to do so at an early part of his life. His guards welcomed him whole-heartedly in the barracks and were willing to accept the captainship that he promised. He trained them to hold different weapons and to ride the horse without bridle. Elladan and Elrohir would usually come there every morning to train with them. Sometimes, Erynlith would visit the barracks to watch their progress.
Erynlith. Thinking about her, Glorfindel's strides became faster and longer, eager to leave the hot and dark barracks to be in her company. Though he liked his chambers, he never slept there and the dark circles under his eyes darkened more. And Erynlith was always concerned about him, a product of being too friendly. Glorfindel never talked to other elves other than her and Elrond, and sometimes he would answer to some questions that Erestor had for him. He knew Erestor was wary about his closeness to Erynlith, being the protective brother that he was, but it was always Erynlith who laughed it off.
Faster, Glorfindel reminded himself until he broke into a run. He knew Erynlith was waiting for him at her usual spot on the bench in Celebrían's garden, the place where the two of them always strode.
Finally, he found her sitting under the trees and moonlight. Her back was turned against him, but her thick umber hair was unmistakable. He knew he looked terrible from his work that day, but he did not care anymore. However, he stopped short from approaching her.
Erynlith was clutching her right wrist. What made the warrior stop was the sound of her silent sobs. He could see tears coming from the corners of her eyes, and he was instantly alarmed.
"Eryn…" He called out softly, taking the seat beside her.
She quickly dabbed the tears away and smiled. "Hi. You are scruffy, Glorfindel. You need a bath right away."
He smiled but then turned serious. "Are you alright? Why do you cry? Are you hurt anywhere?"
His eyes fell on her right wrist. He had never noticed that it was covered in bandages, though there was a small patch on the side that was grey. With thousand year's worth of experience, he knew that kind of injury was deep and hurtful, and he wondered how she never told him.
"Oh, don't mind me," Erynlith murmured. "It doesn't hurt." But it was not so. Whenever Hithui turned up, her old wrist wound ached. It was always the scenario every year, and whenever that happened, she secluded herself from everyone else, especially from Erestor's eyes. She did not want to worry him of a little aching wound.
"Are you sure?" Glorfindel furrowed his brows. "Should we ask for Lord Elrond's assistance?"
"No!" She immediately stood up. "No, I am fine, really. Let us go back into the house. We are having hazelnut soup for dinner, tra-lil-lay. But before that, get yourself cleaned up. Elrond will not appreciate such a scruffy captain at his table."
Glorfindel sniffed himself comically, earning a laugh from his friend. "Hm, I do kind of smell. I will have to take a bath. Will you wait for me before proceeding into the dining halls?"
"Then let's go!" Erynlith grasped his hand and bounded towards the main residence.
They reached Glorfindel's grand chambers soon, and the golden elf quickly discarded his sweaty tunic and disappeared into the bathroom. Elrond had included a small bathing chambers within the spacious room, making it clear that Glorfindel was indeed an important elf in Rivendell, if not the most important.
While splashes of water were heard in the bathroom, Erynlith sat on the edge of the bed, reminiscing the day when she acquired the wound on her wrist. She was a thousand years younger and traveled with Erestor back then. They were ambushed by orcs and wargs in the High Pass, and all their traveling companions. Saving an unconscious Erestor, her arm was pierced by an arrow and she forcefully broke it, leaving shards embedded within her flesh.
She winced at the growing pain in her right wrist, gently holding and praying that it would end soon. To keep herself from the pain, she looked around the luxurious room. It was really enormous and tidy; it made her feel bad for having such a disheveled room compared to this. Glorfindel kept few things except for his clothes and some books that Erestor lent him. The fireplace was covered with a thin metal plate.
"I am done," Glorfindel announced as he stepped out of his bathing chambers, already clad in a blue robe. His hands were toweling his long golden hair as he walked towards her. "Are you alright?"
"No, I am hungry," Erynlith whined and tapped her belly. Her friend only laughed. She rolled her eyes and grabbed a nearby brush. "Come here. You need to learn how to do things faster, Captain."
Glorfindel sat on the floor whilst Erynlith was on the edge of the bed. He sat between her legs as she began combing his long tresses. "It has been too long since someone brushed my hair for me," he murmured.
"You let others brush your hair?" She asked incredulously.
He chuckled. "Sometimes… when I feel like it. No one seems to care anymore anyway."
"I care," Erynlith said. Suddenly, the brush was tangled with the hair and Glorfindel jerked up.
"Ow, that hurts! Be gentle!" he cried, soothing his aching scalp.
"I am so sorry!" She tossed the brush aside and kissed the aching spot. "There! You look great now! Let's go! We cannot let Lindir and the others win the hazelnut soup!"
The two elves raced towards the dining halls and greeted Elrond and his family. Glorfindel and Erynlith sat side by side, and Erestor sat on her left. The first part of the dinner was nothing but some of Elrond's musings, like asking his sons on how their day went and so on. An hour had gone by and everyone was ready to leave but Elrond asked for their attentions once again, and the elves on the table were obliged to listen.
"As you all may know, Aduial en Meleth will be upon us in three days," Elrond began, examining everyone's reactions.
Glorfindel blinked and whispered to Erynlith, "Aduial en Meleth?"
"Evening of romance," she translated, the words leaving a bad taste in her mouth. "It is a custom for us Sindarin Elves, tra-lo. Lórinand and Greenwood celebrate it due to their kings being Sindar, and Celebrían and I are Sindar as well, so we celebrate it. The others seem to like it, tri-lil-lolly."
"Sounds interesting," Glorfindel commented.
"It is not." She pouted. "Believe me."
His brows furrowed, looking innocent. "Why not? Is it only for couples to enjoy?"
"Well, not really," Erynlith admitted. "It can be enjoyed by Elves who like the idea of courtship."
"It still sounds interesting to me."
She laughed, not caring if Elrond continued to brief the other elves about their plans this year. "If you will attend, you can find yourself a partner to spend the night with, tra-la. I am not really good at socializing. Perhaps I will stay with Erestor then. We both do not enjoy festivities."
Glorfindel frowned. "This is my first Aduial en Meleth in Middle-earth. Someone might as well show me how things work. You cannot leave me looking all awkward in the event, Eryn. Why not spend it with me?"
"We'll see…"
*Hithui - November
Next Chapter Preview: Things heat up at the eve of Aduial en Meleth, especially when an angry Erestor is in tow.
Author's Notes: Hello, everyone! Sorry for the rather late update; you guys know how school could always get in the way.
Moving on! Hurray for more Thranduil! I really missed writing our dearest Elvenking! So, following his appearance last chapter, I am adding him here, and accompanied by Celairis of course. The Elves' celebration of romance is coming! Any suggestions? Do I see a hand raised for Erynlith and Glorfindel?! XD
*Legolas's Fried Potato - Don't worry, my friend, we''ll get there! Now then... May I have a fried potato from Legolas?
*Eirithdiel - Eryn's tra-las and tra-los are usually out of whim, or rather, her whims. She always speaks in cheerful singsongs, so I guess adding tra-las and tra-los depict her vivacious personality. I think we all love Glorfy here! Indeed, I've seen some fics with him paired with Erestor. If Eryn somehow ends up with Thrandy, is it possible that Glorfy could end up with Erestor? Imagine that! XD
*GreedyBunneh - Ooh, I think we already have a solid Eryn/Glorfy fan here!
*StrawberryObsession - Imagining Thranduil making flower crowns makes me feel all fuzzy inside! The previous chapter showed that no one should really push his/her luck with Thranduil, our badass Elvenking. And woah! Good observation; it has been a while someone has caught up with the interaction between characters. Yes, Glorfy really needs to be independent, and Eryn makes sure he does. But given her tolerance to everyone, I am not sure she could keep up the act for a long time. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as you enjoyed the previous one!
*only-one-mirkwood-princess - But of course! If it's you, I'll definitely share Glorfindel! With bonus daisy flower crowns, too!
*Asmodeus Black - Yeah, Thrandy's back in the game! For now...
*Rosiethehobbit17 - I researched about the fourth beach in Clifton, and I must say, it looks so beautiful! What I'd give to be able to visit the place! Question though: why is it crowded in December? I thought summer was the peak season for tourists, or is it because of the temperature there?
Oh, I am sure Glorfindel would have his fair share of attention, but if Thrandy travels to Rivendell and claims Eryn, then the game is finished for him! *hugs Glorfindel* But don't worry, Glorfy! You have lots of love coming from your fans!
*ScarlettRunsRed - Hello, it is very nice to meet you! Your theory is plausible, but we'll see... Thank you for reading and taking time to review!
*Evangeline Pond - Aww, don't worry! Feel free to ship whoever you want! I know that feeling, especially when you watch lots of shows. Thank you for the review!
*rosegold1996 - Oh, my... I would make this a Thrandy/Eryn story to save a table from being flipped out! I love your contrasting of light and dark, and then associating them with the characters! Bravissimo! (*•̀ᴗ•́*)و ̑̑
*DeLacus - From all the reviews I read, you're the only one to feel sorry for Celairis, which is not a bad thing. After a while, I did feel kinda sorry for her. But Thrandyyyy~ Yes, he has been absent for a while now. Guess we'll be seeing Thrandy/Celairis and Eryn/Glorfy for the time being...
*Rousdower - ROUSSSYY! Where have you been? I am glad you're feeling alright now! You must have had a lot of feels from the fanfics you're reading, is that it? XD Yes, Glorfeeee~ Our baby Glorfy needs youuu!
*Guest - Thank you very much! That's very kind of you. I'll do my best!
Okay! Thank you for everyone who has recently favourited or followed the story! I hope you are having a good time! I noticed that we just passed the 200 reviews mark. Thank you very, very much for everyone who reviewed since the beginning and to those who are new. It's always nice to meet new people, tra-la! Now, for the upcoming chapters, I suppose it would have more conflicts between Glorfindel/Erynlith and Thranduil/Celairis.
Once again, I sincerely thank everyone!