Kiera

True to his word, Celebrimbor knocked on her door to wake her up. Grumbling, she called him in as he chuckled. "Time to wake. The hot water will take a little bit to cool, but that gives you time to wake up." Celebrimbor stepped into her bathroom as she rolled her head to face him.

Once he came back out, he added, "I have arranged for you to speak with Ecthelion's handmaiden about washing clothes. I know you planned to spend the afternoon with Ecthelion, but they said they would be happy to show you everything about washing laundry."

Kiera nodded as Celebrimbor left the room, and she started to stretch. It was a little odd waking up in a new room, but she slept well and felt refreshed. After a few minutes, she made her way into the bathroom to wash. The water was hotter than normal, but she enjoyed the feeling as she relaxed in the tub. Once she was clean and dressed in a casual dress and shoes, she headed downstairs.

It was quieter than she expected, but when she stepped into the room, she saw her three new housemates already eating. A large plate was waiting for her, and she took a seat and tucked into the food.

It tasted delicious, so she said, "Harmon, you are a wonderful cook."

A happy grin formed on his face as he replied, "thank you. The money coming from the palace has allowed us to buy better food. We were not starving before, but now we can afford more spices and ingredients. Please let me know if there is anything specific that you wish to eat, and I can cook it for you. Perhaps, you can teach me some recipes from your world."

Kiera beamed at him, "I would love that."

Once the meal was over, Echadron took all the plates to the kitchen to wash them. Kiera felt a little guilty, but she would make sure they would have clean clothes to wear every week.

She said goodbye to them at the table and left to cross the road to Rhuiden's house. After knocking, she waited a few minutes before Voronwë answered the door. He hollered to his uncle that he was leaving, and then joined her on the street.

"The main library is close to the square of the king. Your lessons will take place there from now on, but I believe your tutor is waiting for you. This way."

Voronwë led her out from their secluded alley to the main road. It was busy in the morning with people doing morning shopping or heading to their jobs. Kiera followed, but she was starting to get a feel of the layout of the city as they passed certain landmarks and areas. After walking through the alley of roses, they came out to the square of the king. Instead of turning towards the palace, they went down the main road to the gate.

He led her to one of the larger buildings with two tall double doors. She had passed by it a few times and had always assumed it was someone's home. Voronwë waved goodbye as she stepped in to find Cadweth.

Inside was a grand library with rows and rows of shelves. The two floors were covered in books shelves and tables. The blue lamps hung all around the area, but the gold domed roof let in plenty of light for reading. As she spun in wonder at the grandness of if all, she noticed it was mostly empty. With only a few elves present, including her tutor. A little hesitant, Kiera approached and sat in the seat opposite of her.

Without looking up from her paper, Cadweth commented, "I do not care what happened between you and the princess. My job is to teach you Elvish, and that is what I am paid to do. My personal opinions do not matter, and I will not treat you differently due to your falling out with Idril. Let us begin the lesson."

Kiera breathed out a relieved sigh as the lesson began. They started by going over the previous day's words and then adding more words to create longer sentences. She repeated the words and phrases until Cadweth was satisfied. The lesson felt longer than previous, but just as she was about to stand and leave, Cadweth caught her eye and said, "I will only tell you this once and I will not speak of it again. I agree with what you said to Idril and there are many in the city that do. We are not so lucky in our friends that we can speak our mind, but we thank you nonetheless."

With one last pointed look towards her, Cadweth returned to work on her desk. Kiera had to bite back a smile, but it felt nice to have some support. Originally, she had felt alone in her beliefs, but she had already met a handful of people around the city who agreed with her.

It took a while for her to find her way back to the house, but when she arrived, the midday meal was already on the table. Kiera couldn't wait to spend the afternoon with Ecthelion, so she ate quickly as Celebrimbor was too busy sketching to hold a conversation. Afterward, she ran up to her room and grabbed her phone. Having charged it overnight and in the morning on the windowsill, it was at full charge. She said goodbye to Celebrimbor who offered her a half-wave and left the house.

The sun was high in the sky as she started her walk across the city, and she tipped her head back to soak in the sun. Kiera was enjoying the sunlight so much that she didn't notice as someone slunk up next to her and fell into step beside her.

"Ahhh," Kiera cried out in surprise as she finally noticed Maeglin walking beside her.

He smirked at her, "may I join you on your walk?"

"Sure," she chirped.

Maeglin had a shit eating grin on his face, and Kiera had no idea what he wanted. She gulped a little with nervousness, as he seemed to be enjoying himself immensely at her discomfort.

"I heard what happened between you and my cousin," he mused. "I came to see if you are alright or if you need my assistance."

That made her trip over her feet, but before she could face plant into the ground, Maeglin caught her easily and steadied her, so she was facing him. Kiera stared gobsmacked at him for a moment.

He grinned, "You truly do love to stare at me, but that is alright. I understand my words probably surprised you." His arms left her forearms as he slid them down until they rested on her waist. He was much too close, but she was still caught off guard from before and everything was happening too fast. Maeglin pulled her close and leaned in to whisper, "I heard what my cousin was planning to do. I wanted to make sure you were alright and see if there was anything I could help you with."

It took less time than before to shake herself out of her stunned stupor as she pulled away from him and said, "I'm fine. Thank you for asking."

Kiera slipped out from his grasp and sprinted to get away from him. Unfortunately, he was a tall elf and had long legs, so he caught up to her within seconds. Thankfully, he fell into step beside her again, but did not say anything else. The stubble glances were enough as they walked silently the rest of the way.

Maeglin hummed a soft tune as they approached Ecthelion's house. Before he left her, he smirked, "I enjoy walking with a beautiful woman. Thank you for allowing me to escort you to your destination."

Smug bastard was really laying it on thick. She had no idea what he was up to, but she would be cautious, but polite to him in the future.

"Thank you for walking with me, Prince Maeglin."

Before she could stop him, he swooped down and gave her a quick peck on the cheek, and whispered, "I hope you have a pleasant afternoon. With my cousin out of the picture, you do not have to feel guilty about joining me in my bed."

Keira turned her head slightly to lock eyes with him as he pulled away. He grinned, "I look forward to the day that you change your mind. I hope it will be soon, but thank you for allowing me to walk with you." His eyes danced with mirth as he strode away from her.

She was left standing in front of Ecthelion's door in a mixture of disbelief and shock. Maeglin was an extremely hard person to read, and she had no idea what he was really after. She wouldn't complain too much, seeing as he was not being outright cruel to her.

A polite and somewhat creepy Maeglin was better than a vengeful and cruel Maeglin.

As she stepped inside the entrance hall, Inthel was waiting for her. "Lady Kiera, it is nice to see you again today. Celebrimbor stopped by this morning to ask about laundry. I would be happy to show you how we wash the clothes, and I can give you some soap to get you started."

Gracious for the help, Kiera replied, "thanks for helping me. We wash clothes very differently in my world, and this is my new task for the house. I would like some soap, as I am not sure if the craftsmen have any in the house."

Inthel laughed, "I wouldn't count on them to have any supplies. Laundry seems to be the one task in the city that the men do not wish to do. If you follow me, I will take you to our washroom."

The elf led her down a long hallway and spoke as they walked, "Lord Ecthelion is excited to see you again today. He has arranged for you to spend the rest of the afternoon in his study with him. He thought it would be best to avoid the fountains and gardens for a while. I have to warn you that Lord Glorfindel is also here and is waiting to speak with you."

Kiera groaned loudly as he was probably the one elf she didn't want to see other than Idril. Inthel giggled behind her hand and laughed, "I have heard many things said about Lord Glorfindel. Never has a female groaned after hearing that Lord Glorfindel wishes to speak with her."

That comment made her burst out laughing, as Inthel had a wicked sense of humor. Testing the waters, she replied dryly, "I'm sure a few females have groaned out his name in a different context."

Inthel looked back at her, with a slight blush in her cheeks. It looked like she was trying very hard not to laugh, but then eventually, she burst out laughing. Kiera joined her, and they had to stop in the hallway as they both wiped the laughing tears from their eyes. Inthel chuckled at her, "too many. Thankfully, I am not one of them, as I am happily married. I believe you already met my husband, although he does not speak the common tongue."

Confused, Kiera looked at her blankly. The elf just laughed and added, "Langon, the city guard, is my husband. He was the one that found you crying on the wall. I have been trying to teach him the common tongue, but he has no real desire to learn. Perhaps when you start to speak Elvish, you may speak with him. I have told him a little about you, and the rest of the house likes you well enough."

That made her brighten, as she was thankful that Langon went to get someone when he did. Kiera smiled and said, "I know Celebrimbor already told him, but could you tell him thank you again. I really needed a friend that day, and I am grateful for him for finding Lord Ecthelion who found Celebrimbor."

Inthel nodded and gave her a warm smile. They started walking again, just a little further down the hall, before Inthel pushed open a large door. Inside was a bright, but empty workroom. Rows of buckets with water and garments were lined on one side, while the other had clothes hanging on a line near a fireplace. Inthel led her over to the first soaking bin, "the laundry attendants usually only work in the morning. Clothes that have deep stains are left overnight to soak, and the clean clothes are left to hang dry during the day and overnight."

Making her way around the room, Inthel led her to an empty bin with an old-fashioned washboard. "After the clothes have soaked, we wash them against the washboard with soap and hot water. I have heard from other houses that if you soak the craftsmen's work clothes overnight, by morning you can wash all the stains and dirt out easily. The washboard helps loosen the dirt and stains, so you should not have to scrub very hard."

Next, the elf moved to an empty bin and pointed. "The rinse bin is important to get all the soap out." Then pointed to two wooden rollers with a small crank. "This is an easy way to get out of the excess water, but be sure to rinse well." Inthel demonstrated as she spun the crank and the wooden rollers moved as she fed in a dry cloth. Kiera had seen pictures in history books of old-fashioned laundry and often saw the contraptions at heritage days, but never once used them herself.

She smiled softly though as Inthel led her over to the fireplace. Laundry did not seem that bad and if it only took a few mornings to wash clothes, that wouldn't be too bad. Inthel waved towards the hanging clothes and said, "during the summer, they usually hang the clothes outside to dry. However, during the colder months, they dry them by the fire."

Strangely, Inthel pointed to a flat piece of metal with a handle that was sitting near the fire. "Once the clothes are dry, they iron out the wrinkles. The iron is hot, so use a thick mitten and an ironing board." She pointed over to the corner where there were four ironing boards laid out. Then Inthel turned to her and said, "you might have to go to the market and pick up supplies. They sell everything there if the craftsmen do not have these items. I am unsure what was in the house when they arrived, but you can purchase what you need. I will package up soap for you to take with you. They sell the soap in the markets, but I will give you enough to clean a few piles of clothes in case the craftsmen don't have any."

Kiera followed Inthel to the back of the room, where rows of shelves were stocked with supplies. On the shelves were soaps and glass jars, along with buckets of supplies and clothespins. Inthel wrapped up a bar of soap in some paper and gave her a glass jar of rose-scented soap. "The bar is to get out the tough stains and dirt. The rose soap is for general washing."

Satisfied, Inthel led her back through the house and up the stairs. Ecthelion's house was massive, and she did not realize it before as she only ever went to his study. When they finally arrived at the door, Kiera was slightly out of breath.

Inthel smiled, "he is waiting for you. You may go in, enjoy your afternoon."

Kiera thanked her for the help, and Inthel curtsied to her before she left. Once she was gone, Kiera knocked on the door. Ecthelion called to come in, so she stepped inside. After a quick glance around, she spotted Ecthelion sitting behind his desk, with Glorfindel lounging in a chair in front.

Ecthelion smiled warmly at her as he ushered her in. "Glorfindel wishes to speak with you, even though I told him I did not think it would be best. He is stubborn that way, and it is better to just let him have his way or else he will throw a temper tantrum like a child."

Glorfindel narrowed his eyes and scowled at Ecthelion. Kiera laughed as she took a seat next to Glorfindel. Ecthelion's eyes were twinkling with mirth, that made her feel more at ease. Feeling the need to speak before Glorfindel could guilt her into forgiving Idril, Kiera said, "save your breath. If you are looking to apologize for Idril's words and actions; don't. Idril needs to see the error of her ways and apologize. Nothing you say is going to change my opinion or sway me to forgive her without it."

Ecthelion barked out a loud laugh, as Glorfindel just huffed. "I was not going to apologize for her. I actually came to see if you were alright or if you needed anything. What Idril said was wrong, and I do not agree with the way she treated you or Ecthelion. I have had many conversations in the past about how she treats people, and now she is beginning to finally realize the costs. I have told her before that people are scared to be her friend in the city, in case they upset her, and she runs to her father. Now she has proven that to be true, she will have a harder time making any friends in the future. I do not want you to forgive her unless she makes a change and grows up. Her mother would be ashamed and very disappointed in her daughter if she were still here."

Glorfindel sighed loudly and picked at the lint on his tunic. "Sometimes I wish my family was normal and that I was not a lord of this city. It seems like every day there is something to be taken care of, and I just want to train with the guards, go to parties, and meet women."

Ecthelion gave him a small smile, but the look they shared made Kiera realize that he felt the same. He turned to her and said, "I have heard that you moved in with the craftsmen. Are you enjoying your time there so far? Inthel told me this morning you are going to be doing the laundry. I hope they are all pitching in as well."

Kiera smiled at him as she replied, "they are. Harmon cooks all the meals. Echadron cleans all the dishes. Celebrimbor cleans the house and I will be doing the laundry. I think I got off easy, as I don't want to cook or wash dishes daily."

Ecthelion's eyes were twinkling again as he said, "I would not be so sure about that. I think Celebrimbor got the easiest task, as cleaning takes less time than the others. I always hated doing the laundry with my mother, and I do not envy you."

Glorfindel smirked at her as well, and that made her wonder if the craftsmen made out like bandits compared to her. Either way, Kiera was happy with the weekly task she had. Cooking was not her strong suit, and while dishes were not bad, neither was laundry. She shrugged, "it can't be that bad. I never minded it in my world, and it doesn't look so bad here."

They both chuckled, but she brushed it aside. Then she turned to Ecthelion and beamed at him and waited for him to speak. Ecthelion caught on to what she wanted as he said, 'I am excited to hear the next story. I have wondered all last night and morning about what could happen next." Then, Ecthelion turned and looked expectantly at Glorfindel.

Glorfindel pouted and replied in a clipped tone, "I see. You are going to throw me out to listen to a story. What am I supposed to do for the rest of the afternoon?"

Ecthelion didn't reply and instead got up and grabbed a stack of papers. He walked around the desk and deposited them in Glorfindel's lap. Glorfindel groaned, "I do not want to do the guard rotations. I thought you were taking care of it?"

"I have. I need you to look them over and make sure I didn't miss anyone. You can also plan out the new training schedules, as we have almost all the guards back in the city now."

Glorfindel pouted again and whined. "You get to spend the afternoon with a pretty girl while I am stuck doing paperwork."

Ecthelion smirked at Glorfindel and said, "I'm sure you can find a pretty girl to warm your bed if company is what you desire. Lady Kiera did offer you a chance to listen to the story, but you declined. I am afraid that we are too far into the story now for you to join us, as it would not make sense to you.

Glorfindel gave Ecthelion a playful glare and mumbled something under his breath as he rolled his eyes. He bid them goodbye as he left the study. Ecthelion laughed softly at his friend's departure and Kiera joined him, as his mood was infectious.

Ecthelion turned to her and said, "I thought we could spend the afternoon inside. I'm sure the gardens would not be too crowded, but I did not know if you wanted to be out and about after what happened."

Kiera smiled at him and his thoughtfulness. "Not really," she answered honestly. "I don't mind staying in, as it is warm here. By the way, can you drop the Lady Kiera? I really just prefer to be called Kiera."

"Certainly, but please do not call me Lord Ecthelion. If we are alone or speaking casually, you do not need to say my title. Now, would you like to move closer to the fire?"

Nodding eagerly, Kiera followed him to the fireplace and found a comfortable spot in one of the chairs. Ecthelion joined her and then pulled his chair until he was sitting directly across from her. After turning on her phone, she opened up the second book and started to read. Ecthelion was quiet as she read the first chapter, but then she didn't make it fair before he was choking on air.

"House elf?" he cried.

That made her giggle along with the shocked look on his face. "Yes, the elves in this story are servants." She coughed and spread one hand over the chair about waist height. "They are usually this tall, and they are bound to serve a wizarding family. They cook, clean, and take care of the house."

Kiera smiled at him as she held back her smirk. Ecthelion smiled weakly at her, "well, I guess there will be no Elven heroes in this tale. Sorry for my outburst, I was just a little surprised."

Not bothering to correct him, she just nodded shyly and then began reading again. Like the day before, she stopped at each chapter end, but he never had any questions. Throughout the story, Ecthelion would gasp or chuckle softly along with the tale. When she got to the final scene between Harry and the Basilisk, he was sitting on the edge of his seat with anticipation.

When she finished the last chapter, she set her phone down and looked at Ecthelion. He was staring at her with amazement as he murmured, "that one was better than the first one. How extraordinary, Harry faced off against the snake and won. Lucius Malfoy was the one behind it the entire time, and I never knew. Dobby got set free, Lockhart the fraud, got what was coming to him. Dumbledore and Hagrid returned. It was fantastic. I loved it."

"I didn't ask you before, but who is your favorite character?"

Ecthelion was quick with his answer as he said, "Harry." Then he shrugged as he added, "although I enjoy them all. I have never heard any story quite like this before, and I want to hear more." He glanced at the window and asked, "would you like to stay for dinner and possibly read another in the evening?"

That made her smile as her stomach was starting to rumble. "Of course."

He jumped up out of his chair and shouted, "excellent, it should be close to dinner time, so I will escort you down to the dining hall, so we can eat."

Following Ecthelion out of the study, he offered his arm and she accepted. As they walked down the hallway, he asked, "how could a book control Ginny? I felt terrible for her as it was her first year at Hogwarts, and she did not get to enjoy it. Is it some form of that dark magic they talk about? What about Harry's ability? He got it from Voldemort, but does that normally happen?"

Kiera sighed softly, as Ecthelion was very smart and picked up on things easily. "The book is dark magic. I agree about Ginny, it was truly terrible, but it gets better for her. As for Harry, it is not normal, but you won't find out more for a while."

Her answer made his face scrunch up in thought, but he did not comment anymore on it. When they got to the dinning hall, it was only about half full, but Ecthelion led her to the main table. He called for dinner to start, and a loud bell sounded throughout the house. Slowly, the rest of his house trickled in, and she smiled at a few of them who gave her curious looks. The food was brought out, and then she began to load her plate and eat.

Ecthelion poured himself some wine and asked, "did Dumbledore ever duel against Voldemort?"

That made her choke on her food. "No," she coughed.

He arched an eyebrow at her, "why not? If he is considered one of the greatest wizards of the age. Why did he not just challenge Voldemort to a duel?"

After taking a long drink of water, she replied, "there are some other reasons why, which you will find out later in the series. The main one is that Voldemort was scared of Dumbledore, and I doubt he would have shown up to the duel."

That answer seemed to satisfy him, but he kept asking more as they ate. "Are there many magical creatures in the books? I admit that I find them intriguing, and I might agree with Hagrid on his love of creatures. Although, the spiders I could live without."

Right, yeah, no spiders. "There is quite a bit, but the books do a good job of introducing the creatures at the right time. You would be called a Magizoologist if you took care of the magical creatures. Hagrid sort of is one as he takes care of the animals around the school."

Ecthelion smiled, "I think I would like that. What do grown wizards do after they leave Hogwarts?"

Kiera chuckled, "you'll find out later."

He groaned and shook his head. "This story is very good, and I want to know everything about the world. I cannot wait to hear more."

That made her laugh and he smiled at her. "I had to wait years between each book. You only have to wait one day."

His eyes sparkled with mirth, "that must have been dreadful for you. I could not imagine the wait. Why did it take so long?"

"Someone had to write the books, you know. They are all made up and nothing is real, so it takes time to write a good story."

He looked thoughtfully at her and then said, "I wonder why we have never created our own stories or tales. We seem to be content with just retelling what has happened in this world. I grew up listening to tales about the dark days in Middle Earth and about the long journey the elves took."

That made her pause, and she wasn't sure why either. Perhaps, because this world was filled with enough legends and tales of their own. By the third age, they had plenty of things to talk about. Kiera finished eating first, and waited for Ecthelion. He sipped his wine and looked around his house. She followed his line of sight and caught him watching a few of the couples. Two of the women look to be pregnant with their husbands doting on them, feeding them food. Ecthelion watched them for a moment, with a flicker of sadness flash across his face. He schooled it to a blank expression as he returned to stare at his plate.

Kiera reached out and rested her hand softly on his arm and squeezed. He glanced up at her in surprise as she offered him a small smile in understanding. It took him a few seconds to realize that she caught on to what he was staring at. He frowned and said softly, "I wish desperately for a family someday. It makes my heart ache to see happy couples in love and expecting a child. While I am very happy for them, I cannot deny that I am envious of them."

He looked away sadly, and she squeezed his arm again. "I think you will find someone. You are kind, a great lord and warrior, and a wonderful person. I think you will fall in love someday and have a family. Don't be embarrassed by wanting that, as I think most people do."

Ecthelion looked back at her, but this time his frown grew. "Thank you for the kind words, but I do not see myself getting married while I reside in the city. Amara has made it almost impossible for women to approach me. You are the first one to do so in many years."

He took a long swig of his wine and said sadly. "There had been a few after Amara, but they all desired my title and what my house could offer them. Hardly anyone speaks to me to get to know me as a person. I was very happy that you asked me to dance at the festival, as I have missed dancing the most. I hope you will save me a dance at all the festivals in the future."

"I will," Kiera promised earnestly. "I enjoyed dancing with you. I don't think you should give up hope just yet, though." Also, this city won't last forever, and he might find someone later on in the future. Ecthelion was done eating, so he escorted her back to his study. As she took her seat again, Ecthelion pulled a wine bottle from a cabinet and poured a glass. He offered her one as well, but she declined.

When he took his seat, Kiera told him, "this one might be a little confusing, but it is one of my favorites in the series. We should be able to finish it tonight. The remaining books are very long, so we might have to split them up."

He nodded and relaxed in his chair as he smiled. She began reading with this book a little darker than the last two. Ecthelion was hanging on her every word and gasped or laughed as she read. They were both fully absorbed in the tale, but it was late by the time she finished reading. At the end, he shocked her by asking, "why can't Harry go live with Sirius?"

"He has to go back and stay with the Dursleys."

"Why?" Ecthelion questioned passionately. "They treat him horribly. Who cares that Sirius is on the run. Can they not find a place to hide out together? Harry deserves to be with Sirius, his family."

Kiera bit her lip and said, "I would have thought you would have had questions about time travel?"

He shrugged, "it is interesting, but if you cannot change the past then it is useless. I do not really understand it all, but I picked up enough that they never really changed anything. They just did different things during the same portion of time. What happens to Sirius?"

Ecthelion's passionate need to know what happened to Sirius was surprising. Kiera was a bit shocked as well, as he seemed very upset over Sirius's tale. She knew he would take his death hard, two books from now. "We will see Sirius again, but I don't want to ruin it."

He gave her a small glare, ready to argue, but then he softened. He said quietly, "I loved this story. I grew so attached to the characters. Yet, I am also angry for them. Sirius's life was ruined and when a small bit of happiness showed up, it was ripped from him. Harry too. He finally has a family member who loves him and wants to take care of him. Harry should not have to go back to the Dursleys."

Kiera shrugged, as she agreed with him, which is why she fell in love with the books in the first place. Ecthelion had an annoyed look on his face until she laughed softly and the tension broke. He chuckled softly and then said, "what a wonderful story. I truly care about these characters, and they are not even real. I can see why these are your favorite stories. Do you have many more like these in your world?"

She nodded, "we have lots of stories and tales. Some of them are real, while others are made up. This is an extremely popular series in my world. I am glad you are enjoying it. It makes me happy to share it with someone."

He smiled and drank the last of his wine before setting the empty wine glass down. "It is late, and I will walk you home if that is alright."

Looking out the window, it was quite dark, and her phone showed it was close to eleven. Kiera wasn't sure if that was correct, but she knew it was quite late. She nodded, and grabbed her phone, charger, and the soaps. When they got out into the hall, Ecthelion stopped at the door next to the study

"Wait here one moment." Ecthelion opened the door, and she saw a large bed and fireplace. Kiera waited for him a few minutes, before he came back, wearing a thick cloak and carrying another. Before she could object, he threw the thick blue cloak over her shoulders and clasped it around her neck.

"It is too cold for you to be wearing just a tunic and breeches," he said as he smiled at her. "I know mortals get ill easier." He offered his arm then, as she grudgingly accepted the cloak and his arm. When they made it out into the courtyard, she was hit in the face with a blast of cold wind, making her shiver.

Ecthelion gave her a knowing look as she pulled the thick cloak around her. She scowled at him for a moment, making him laugh, before she chuckled softly with him. The walk was quiet, and he seemed to be lost in his own thoughts, possibly about the story. She didn't mind, as she was just enjoying the cool night and his presence. When they arrived in front of the house, she took off the cloak and handed it back to him. He wished her a goodnight and she told him she would see him tomorrow.

Scurrying inside the house for warmth, she spotted Celebrimbor in the living room. He had some yarn in his hand and looked up when she closed the door. "Good evening," he said, "would you care to join me?"

Without a word, she plopped down on the couch next to him. Looking over at him, she could finally see what he was doing and gasped in surprise, "you knit?"

He didn't look up from his work but said, "sometimes. I find it relaxing as it uses my hands the same way crafting does. My mother taught me when I was younger, and I do it in the evenings to calm my mind."

Kiera had no idea what he was making, but an idea formed in her head. She raced up to her room, dropping off her things, before grabbing a sweater from the dresser. Celebrimbor had stopped working and was waiting for her to return.

"How long would it take to make something like this?" She exclaimed eagerly as she handed him the sweater.

He flipped it over to examine it and asked, "for me to do or you?"

"Me."

Celebrimbor's forehead scrunched up, "a while, I would guess. I can teach you, but some people don't pick it up as easily as others. Are you making one for yourself or for someone else?"

That made her pause and his eyes found hers instantly. They gleamed in the firelight as she snorted. He was nosy and sneaky. "Someone else," she replied.

He grinned smugly, "Ecthelion perhaps."

Deceiving to fuck with him a little, Kiera gave him a confused look and guffed, "no Maeglin. I want to give him something as a thank you for a wonderful evening that we spent together."

It took a lot of focus to keep a straight and confused face. Celebrimbor's face lost a bit of color, but he shook it off quickly. "Well, how was it? Is he a good lover, or are the rumors true?"

She couldn't hold it any longer and laughed loudly. He groaned and fell back against the couch. He crossed his arms, stubbornly, and said, "well played. You had me convinced for a moment there. I'm glad that it wasn't true, but I am curious."

"Meh, I wouldn't tell you anyway. Why are you curious about what Maeglin does in bed? I admit it is terrible, but if he tells them upfront, they can't really be mad."

Celebrimbor gave her a searching look and seemed to be debating with himself over something. Finally, he said, "seeing as you had a falling out with Idril, I can ask you now. Did she ever speak about Maeglin and if so what did she say?"

Intrigued, Kiera replied, "not really. Told me he is her cousin. He only cares about his money and his power, and that he spends a lot of time with the king. Why are you asking?"

He nodded, "I have heard a few interesting rumors. I am not sure if I believe them all, but I think there is some truth to what has been said." He coughed and gave her a pointed look, "I have heard that when Maeglin first came to this city, Idril would follow him around like a lost puppy. It could have been because she was lonely and finally had some family again. Or else, she could have wanted to make sure he was alright after his mother passed. I was told a very tight-lipped secret that Idril desired more with Maeglin in the beginning. I am not sure how far it progressed, but I know something happened between them. Maeglin and Idril stopped speaking almost overnight, and he began to take many women to his bed. I have heard that he doesn't let them stay the night and once he is satisfied, he makes them leave. I am just curious as to why. I think he cares for Idril, but I do not believe it is love. I believe it is lust and a way to gain power, but I could be wrong. Maybe they shared some moments and Idril didn't feel the same for him. Perhaps something more happened between them. Cousins are allowed to marry, but it is often frowned upon."

That made her scrunch up her face in disgust. Fucking gross. Celebrimbor smiled and laughed softly. "I was hoping, if I told you, that it would keep you away from Maeglin. Perhaps not, as I am not sure if the rumors are even true. I had to pry them out of a tipsy lady of the court, and she has avoided me ever since. I wouldn't dare ask Maeglin, but I have slid in a few comments, which he avoided."

Kiera shook her head, "Idril never said anything to me. I doubt she ever would, and especially not now. I know she was pretty lonely, so I can see her following him around and making sure he was ok after everything. I'm not sure that I believe something happened between them. The times they have been together, they seem perfectly cordial with one another."

Celebrimbor agreed, "I have watched them at every festival. Even when he dances with her, he is the perfect gentleman. I would just like to know for my own sake. It is good blackmail material, and I like to have a collection of secrets at my disposal."

Fuck, he was definitely a Slytherin, as he was very cunning and ambitious. She would have never thought to find out secrets about people in the city. Too much Harry Potter lately but back to her early thoughts. "Could you show me how to knit? I won't have much to do in the evenings, and winter is coming. Ecthelion likes the story I am reading to him, and I want to make him a sweater for Christmas. It is a holiday from my world and I want to celebrate it this year. It usually takes place at the end of December, where we have a big meal and pass out gifts to one another. I want to get everyone gifts, but you don't have to get me anything."

"Sounds fun," Celebrimbor grinned. "If it makes you happy, we can do it. You will have to let Harmon know, so he can cook what you like. I will speak with the others about the gifts." He held up his knitting and said, "I was actually making you a scarf and hat. You need to bundle up as winter in the city is very cold."

The warmth fluttered in her chest as that was so thoughtful and nice of him. Kiera moved over and hugged him tightly. He snuggled up against her and wrapped his arms around her waist. They sat together, just hugging, and enjoying each other's warmth for a while. When they pulled away, Kiera remained close to him as he picked up this knitting and worked next to her. She grew drowsy as she watched the fire dance. Not long after, she fell into a light sleep. After a while, she felt herself being picked up and carried to her room. Celebrimbor set her down on her bed and moved the covers for her. He tucked her in and whispered goodnight to her. Her mind was still in a slight, sleepy daze, but then she dreamed about celebrating Christmas with her new family.