Ecthelion
As he dressed for the evening, it was the first time in a long time he felt truly happy. Tuor had mentioned to them that they were all planning on going to Rog's party, including Kiera. Ecthelion felt the soft flutters in his chest, as he hoped she would honor him with some dances. It was the only reason he was going, as all other times he went, he stood alone on the edge of the dance floor; waiting.
Not tonight, he thought to himself. Tonight, he would share a few dances with Kiera and he would be happy with that. However, extra care was taken as he dressed himself for the evening. The dark blue tunic was one of his finer ones and he added a significant amount of jewelry and a few diamonds into his hair. As he stood one last time in front of the vanity, he fixed a few things but ultimately left the room. He was no Glorfindel and accepted the fact that he looked just like every other Noldor in the city.
Glorfindel was waiting for him in the entrance hall and Ecthelion joined him without a word. As they stepped outside into the cold, he pulled his cloak tighter as the bitter winter wind hit his face.
"I can't wait," Glorfindel exclaimed. "I am so happy you are joining me this evening."
Ecthelion snorted, "am I to understand that you do not plan on leaving me this evening for a beautiful elleth?"
Glorfindel's cheeks reddened as he replied, "well no…I meant that I am glad to have a friend join me for the party. I am sure if you tried, you could enjoy your evening with a beautiful elleth as well."
He smiled blissfully, "I plan to."
They reached the edge of the fountain path and waited for the others. Glorfindel's face scrunched up in confusion. "Whom do you plan to take to your bed this evening."
The blush crept across his face and he couldn't stop it. He coughed and said, "no one. I hope to spend the evening dancing with Kiera."
"I see," Glorfindel replied evenly. "Do you not wish to take her to your bed?"
That question made him pause for a second before he replied honestly. "Yes and no. Kiera is a dear friend to me and she deserves more than one night of pleasure. While I would love to have that type of relationship with her, I will only do so if I love her and wish to court her. I care about her too much as a friend to jeopardize that."
Glorfindel arched his brow at him and then uttered, "and what if she joins someone's bed? Will that make you look at her differently?"
"In what way?" he asked sharply.
His friend started to rock on either foot as he bit his lip hesitantly. "I mean to ask if your opinion and feelings for her will change if she spent nights in someone else's bed."
"No," he answered firmly. "Kiera is my friend and can make her own choices about her life. If she finds love with someone else, I would be happy for her. Just as I know that should I find love, she would be happy for me. However, I am a little surprised by you asking me that, seeing as I do not judge you for your choices."
Glorfindel winced and nodded sheepishly. "I just wish to know your thoughts and feelings. Sometimes I feel as if I share my whole life with you, yet you hold back some things from me."
His friend's admission shocked him. Never had he ever kept anything from Glorfindel. The admission made him pause and rethink some of their previous conversations. Ecthelion had a pretty good idea of where this was coming from.
"There is room in my heart for others, but you will always be my friend." He spoke softly and maintained direct eye contact so Glorfindel knew that he meant every word he said. "I understand that it may seem like I am keeping things from you, but that is not my intention. Should you wish to get to know Kiera or spend time with us, I believe you would come to call her a friend as well." He smiled and patted Glorfindel on the back. "Besides, I share everything with you. We are never apart for long and I know I can always count on you to be there for me. If you wish to know my thoughts or feelings, please just ask."
Glorfindel nodded, but then perked up instantly. Ecthelion turned and spotted the group walking towards them. His eyes fixed on Kiera immediately, but said to all of them, "Good evening. We decided to wait here so you wouldn't have to walk to my house."
The shocked expression grew on Kiera's face and his heart plummeted in his chest. It seemed that Tuor did not mention that they were coming.
She asked surprised, "are you joining us tonight?"
Tuor laughed and looked sheepishly at her. "I mentioned to them that we would all be going. They wanted to come with us and I forgot to tell you."
Glorfindel wiggled his finger at her, "I couldn't let you go to your first party alone."
That made Kiera scoff at him as she replied, "I went last month with the craftsmen. I saw you but you were too busy with a woman in a booth."
Everyone laughed while Glorfindel's cheeks grew red. The group moved on after towards Rog's house and he fell into step beside Kiera. Feeling the need to come clean he admitted, "I am excited to go to this party. I was hoping you would dance with me for a while. I have been quite busy lately and could use a break. I normally don't go to these parties but I have gone in the past."
He braced himself for her rejection, but instead, she linked her arms with his as she smiled at him. "I would love to dance with you. I hope you are planning on dancing with me for a while. I could use a long night of dancing."
His heart nearly beat out of his chest at her words and he couldn't wait to get to the party. Dancing was one of his passions and he missed it dearly. Tonight would be a night to remember.
They arrived at the house and had to wait in line to enter. Ecthelion was confused by that as he never once had to wait in line to get in. They patiently waited their turn until they stepped inside the entrance hall. Ecthelion moved to take off his cloak, and when he was finished, his mouth went dry.
Kiera had taken off her cloak and was standing in front of him, looking breathtakingly beautiful. He was at a loss for words as his eyes trailed up and down her body. She had worn a long silver gown that clung to her body in all the right places. Her hair was styled up in a half-up and half-down style that showed off her face and extraordinary eyes. Ecthelion couldn't look away as he admired everything about her.
Glorfindel coughed next to him and it shook him out of his daze. His friend clapped him on the back hard and said, "Kiera looks very beautiful tonight. Why don't you escort her in?"
He felt his face flush for a moment until he reached out and offered his arm. Kiera accepted it easily and they fell into step next to one another. As they walked into the hall, his eyes stayed on her as he said, "you are breathtaking tonight. I am at a loss for words."
Kiera's eyes sparkled at his words and smiled up at him. "You look very handsome yourself. Let's go have some fun."
Ecthelion grinned and then focused on leading her into the ballroom. It much more crowded than he had previously seen and he had no idea why until a group of elleths swarmed Tuor. He chuckled at the sight and then stood at the edge of the dance floor with Kiera. Their friends were all asking to dance quickly and he looked down at her. "Kiera, will you honor me with a dance?"
"Of course," she smiled.
He nodded and led her to the dance floor and began a simple dance. Soon, they ended up pressed against one another as there were too many people around the hall. They danced together for a few songs until more and more people bumped into them as they danced. Ecthelion sighed, annoyed, but then asked, "would you like to go to the private party? It is becoming a bit too crowded for my tastes."
"Sure"
Eager to leave, he pulled her quickly off the floor as she laughed at him. Taking her hand in his, he led her around the hall and through the crowds of people. As he glanced back, he figured out that it was all for Tuor as elleths waited on the edge of the dance floor just for him. He grew a bit jealous at that for a moment, but the feeling disappeared quickly. Kiera was dancing with him and that was all that mattered.
Happy to get away from the crowds, Ecthelion pulled her to the back doors and the guards nodded as he let them in. Memories flooded in his mind of the past, but he pushed them away and focused on squeezing Kiera's hand. He would not let them ruin his night as they were just getting started.
Inside the back room, a few couples were dancing and he sighed with relief. A few tables and chairs were set up around the dance floor and he led them over to them. Pulling out her chair, Kiera sat and he followed suit in the chair next to her. An ellon came and offered them drinks, which he gladly took for them both.
He handed her the glass of wine and said, "I would like to sit a moment before we continue dancing. Thank you for coming back here with me. I prefer the quiet and I like to dance without too many crowds."
To his relief, she smiled and accepted the wine. She replied, "I was getting a bit annoyed with all of the bumping. Thanks for bringing me back here. I am surprised at the number of women that showed up for Tuor. Are they all waiting for him or is there something else going on?"
"I have no idea," he answered honestly and shrugged. "I usually do not come to these events. I hear enough from Glorfindel the next day. The only time I have come was in the winer, when I want to dance. Although these are not really the place for just dancing, but there are not many winter festivals. I also heard you were going and I was hoping to share some dances with you. I understand if you would like to leave me later to find someone."
Kiera shook her head at him and said, "no. I planned on just spending the evening with my friends. I would love to dance with you the whole night."
His heart beat faster and his whole body perked up at her words. Not willing to allow himself to get his hopes up, he asked softly, "are you sure? I understand the nature of these parties is to find someone to spend the night with. I do not wish to keep you from that. I would be surprised to hear if no one approached you during your first party? Did you find someone to spend the evening with?"
Glorfindel's earlier words tumbled in his mind, but he had to know. He just hoped that he did not cross a line by asking, but his fears quickly disappeared as Kiera answered him easily.
"A few men did. I ended up back here later in the night and found someone. It was fun, but I like to keep the details to myself. Now, I can say I have been with an elf, but to be honest, I didn't pay attention to his ears."
That made him burst out laughing as he replied, "I agree with that. Glorfindel shares too much at times. I have heard many conversations about you and Tuor. There are plenty in the city who desire a night with a mortal." He paused, but seeing as they were being honest with one another he barreled ahead with his thoughts. "I do not understand the appeal. Not that you are not beautiful, you are breathtaking tonight. I just do not understand why people need to be with someone for things like a title or a race."
"I don't understand it either," Kiera said with a shrug. She grinned a small grin at him as she said, "Lord Rog approached me during the last party and basically said he was a red-headed elf lord and asked if I wanted to join him in his bed. I declined but he did tell me that he has no problem getting women. I expected a bit more like an actual conversation or a dance. I might be in the minority on that though. Did you ever join the parties when you lived in Valinor?"
A small flicker of jealousy grew in his stomach at her words. Rog bedded women almost as much as Glorfindel, and he should not have been surprised that he approached her. However, he was overjoyed to hear that she turned him down. He muttered, "that sounds like Rog."
He paused then and let himself be swept away in his memories of Valinor. The two trees, the music, the festivals, his family, and the parties. "Yes," he commented softly. "I went to the parties all the time. There were no expectations and I always got to dance the night away with people. A few times turned into more but I never found a spouse. They were fun and exciting and I often long for those times again. I am not sure when the people in the city became so modest. Everyone in Tirion would go to the parties except for the royals. When we came here it seemed like Turgon put a ban on parties of a similar nature and Rog had to fight for many years to get these approved. I think it is a wonderful way for people to meet others and have fun."
The grin spread across her face easily and she got up at once and offered her hand to him. "Well then let's make the most of it and dance. Come on." Ecthelion smiled with glee as he took her and let her lead them to the floor. Kiera started the spinning dance and they both chuckled with happiness as they began. There were only two other couples on the dance floor, so they had plenty of room to dance. Ecthelion let her lead for a few of them until he switched up the dances and took over.
A one point, after a few songs, Ecthelion wanted to dance his favorite dance. Knowing that she did not know it, he told her, "watch me. I am going to teach you my favorite."
They slowed their bodies and he began the steps tentatively, hoping she would be able to keep up. Kiera did for the most part, but she would trip up and nearly stumble. Pulling her closer to him, he looked into her eyes and said, "I will not let you fall. Trust me and follow my lead."
They glided around the dance floor, picking up the pace as they could. At first, Kiera was looking down at her feet, but after a few songs, she got the rhythm and could follow him easily. Next, he grinned and then surprised her with a low dip.
She laughed a tinkling laugh as she was in his arms and he felt something flicker deep within him. When he pulled her up, they were both laughing as they continued the dance, but neither one of them spoke. As Ecthelion added the spins, dips, and twirls, his heart grew in happiness as he was overcome with emotion. This was the most fun he had had in a long while and he could not believe his good fortune.
After a few hours of dancing, Ecthelion spotted their friends entering the hall and taking a seat at a table. Kiera's back was to them, but when the song finished, he asked, "our friends have arrived. Would you like to take a break?"
She nodded and he spun her around a few more times as they approached the table. Tuor, Celebrimbor, and Glorfindel were all sitting at the table watching them. Ecthelion pulled out a chair for her next to Tuor and then he sat on the other side of her. An ellon brought them some wine and left a large pitcher on the table for them.
Ecthelion glanced at Glorfindel who had an unreadable expression on his face. However, Kiera asked beside him, "where is Voronwë? Did he leave already or is he still out front?"
Tuor smirked at her and said, "he left with a woman. They had been dancing the whole night much like you two were. I got tired from all the attention and dancing. I needed a break so we came back here."
Kiera choked on her wine and looked up at Tuor with surprise. They shared a grin with one another, but then Celebrimbor looked at her and asked, "so have you two been back here the whole night? Just dancing or something more?"
Glorfindel and Celebrimbor grin at both of them, waiting for the answer. Ecthelion smirked playfully and said, "perhaps."
He glanced over at Kiera, who was also smirking. They stared at one another for a moment, until she beckoned him closer with her finger. He leaned down, and she moved forward to give him a soft kiss on the lips. A warmth began in his stomach, the moment their lips met. It was light, warm, and comforting and when the kiss ended, the feeling still simmered deep within. He swallowed thickly but turned back to their friends with a large grin.
"I knew it," Glorfindel screeched. "All those afternoons spent together alone. I have begged for some details from Ecthelion. Please, Kiera, you must tell me."
That made her burst out laughing as Celebrimbor gave her a sad, look. "You never told me. Why is this the first I am hearing about this? I thought you two were just friends, when did that change?"
Kiera glanced up at him, but he just smiled at her, encouragingly. "We are friends," she replied softly. "Who says we can't be something more? He is handsome, kind, and thoughtful. Who wouldn't want him as a husband."
Ecthelion jumped in and added, "Kiera is a wonderful person. She is beautiful, compassionate, and kind. Any man would be lucky to have her as a wife."
Then, she reached out and took his hand in hers. Ecthelion played along and took her hand up to kiss the back of it. The table was watching them closely and Glorfindel narrowed his eyes at him and gave him a hard look. Both of them avoided their friend's look as they turned to stare at one another. Ecthelion was lost in her eyes and for a moment there, he wished everything was real. Kiera broke first and started laughing happily. Ecthelion let go of her hand and laughed with her, but the feeling still lingered.
In an instant, the table grew mad at them. "Why would you tease us like that? I have spent years waiting for Ecthelion to find a woman," cried Glorfindel.
Ecthelion rolled his eyes at him and said, "perhaps you shouldn't ask your friends if they spent more private time together. Or pester me every week for details about my afternoons with Kiera. We are just friends but I meant every word I said."
Celebrimbor and Glorfindel pouted together, Tuor just said, "I think you two would be good together. Some of the best relationships are built on strong friendships. Now, I believe you owe me a dance, Kiera."
As she got up, she squeezed his shoulder. "I meant every word I said as well." Then, she leaned down and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. He smiled at her and offered her the same.
"I meant every word as well."
Kiera and Tuor left and he turned around to face the remaining two. Glorfindel was staring hard at him and said, "do not lie to me."
Surprised, Ecthelion glanced up and met his friend's eye. "What?" He asked confused.
"Do not lie to me," Glorfindel repeated. "I know you felt something in that kiss. Was it your first?"
The heat moved quickly to his cheeks and he found that he could not look at the stares from Celebrimbor or Glorfindel. In response, Ecthelion just said simply, "yes."
Thankfully, Glorfindel merely nodded and said, "we will discuss it later. There is plenty of time. Just focus on enjoying the evening."
Celebrimbor surprised him by saying, "I will speak with her. I know she likes you more than she lets on. Kiera is stubborn though and does not wish to ruin any of her new friendships. I understand as we are all she has in this world now. With her family and friends all gone, I believe she won't risk it unless she knows for certain."
Ecthelion was shocked by the information, but Celebrimbor didn't speak anymore and got up to dance. When he left the table, Glorfindel looked at him with an unreadable expression. They did not speak, even when Tuor came back and joined them. Thankfully, within a minute later, Celebrimbor and Kiera returned.
Tuor looked at them all and said, "I am very tired, my friends. I hope you all have a good rest of your evening."
Celebrimbor and Glorfindel shared a glance. Glorfindel said, "we would like to head back to the main party. I am still looking for a woman for the night and Celebrimbor is as well. Are you two staying to dance some more or are you going home?"
Kiera looked over at him and said, "I wouldn't mind dancing some more if that is alright with you. I am not tired yet but I don't know how long these parties last."
He smiled, "I would love to keep dancing. They go until the early morning. Let those two find their elleths and we can dance the rest of the night away together."
Celebrimbor and Glorfindel jumped up quickly and headed for the main hall. Ecthelion could hear bits of their conversation and he groaned internally as they were already plotting to get more information. Kiera laughed at them and offered her hand to him, which he took.
Ecthelion led them to the floor and started his favorite dance again. He found himself relaxing deeply in her presence and he pulled her closer as they danced. After a few songs, they changed up and spun around the room together. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Glorfindel returning with an elleth on his arm.
Unfortunately, for them, he came over and started dancing next to them. Ecthelion blinked and the next second the two were kissing fiercely. The scene made him blush and Kiera coughed awkwardly. They danced away from them and laughed softly to themselves. During one of the dances, Kiera surprised him by wrapping his arms around his neck and resting her head against his chest. The feeling overwhelmed him again, but he loved the warmth and pulled her closer to him. They slowly danced together and he got lost in the moment with her.
Celebrimbor and his date slink up next to them and they both just stared. He winked at them but then moved on quickly. Ecthelion watched as both of their friends left for the back rooms and he sighed with relief. Now, he rested his head against the top of hers and let himself go in the dances. They stayed like that until the room became vacant and the musicians grew tired of playing. It had to have been early in the morning.
Kiera pulled her head away and said, "I am getting tired. Would you mind walking me home or would you like to stay longer?"
He cleared his throat, "I will walk you home. I have no desire to stay if you are leaving."
They pull away from each other and he linked his arm in hers. He nodded at the musicians and they stopped playing for the evening. When they made it to the edge of the floor, he noticed Kiera was looking around the room.
"Our friends left for the private room quite a while ago."
She nodded at him and walked the rest of the way to the front hall. There were only a handful of couples remaining and Ecthelion knew it must have been very early in the morning. When they reached the front, Rog was leaning against the door frame. The attendant gave them back their cloaks and as they left, Rog winked at them. "I hope you two had a good night."
Ecthelion just nodded at him as he knew Rog would find him and question him later. The cold wind bit across their face as they stepped out of the house. Kiera pulled her cloak around herself, but Ecthelion moved closer to her. He wrapped part of his cloak around her and she snuggled into his side as they walked.
Neither one of them spoke and Ecthelion knew she was tired from the long night. When they reached the front of Tuor's house, Ecthelion moved before his courage could fail him.
He pulled her closer and gave her a warm, tight hug. He whispered in her ear,
"thank you for dancing with me. I loved spending the evening with you and I hope we can do it again soon. I will see you on Sunday." Then, he pressed a soft, hesitant kiss on her cheek and pulled away. With one last smile at her, he turned and walked away, trying to calm his beating heart.