Kiera
Glorfindel stood and squeezed her shoulder as he left. Ecthelion waited until he was gone before he walked around the side of his desk and took a seat closer to her. Their legs were almost touching, and she watched with hesitation as he reached out and cupped her face in his hand.
"Please just let me speak," Ecthelion started as he looked into her eyes. "I think you are an amazing woman. I've come to care about you deeply, and I wish for you to be happy. If you find someone to love in the city, I will be overjoyed. Since you have arrived, you have treated me with kindness and we have become good friends. The times we have spent together have brought me so much happiness, and I love hearing the stories from your world. More than anything, I want you to enjoy your new life here. You have lost so much, and I can see you are trying to make the best out of it. I admire your determination and drive to keep moving forward."
He dropped his hand and wiped the few tears that were rolling down her cheek. Smiling softly at her, he said, "I have had my heart broken in the past. I am more cautious than ever in terms of love. I wish more than anything to find love and to have a family someday. I don't intend to rush or be pressured into it by my friends. I want it to progress naturally and let it grow. I can see the potential between us, but I also do not want to hold you back. I want you to experience things in the city and meet new people. My wish is for you to enjoy your time here and continue to be my friend. Please do not wait around for me or give up chances at love for me. If love grows between us, then I will love you until my last breath, but I will always love you as a friend and I hope you feel the same."
Kiera was stunned but in a good way. Ecthelion was an incredible person, and she didn't want to hurt him. She had loved spending time with him, as she felt comfortable and at ease in his presence. He dropped his hand from her face and she wiped the remaining tears.
"I want that happiness and love for you too. Even if we never have that deep love, I hope you find it. You have been nothing but kind, supportive, and a great friend to me since I arrived. I feel the same about taking things slow and not rushing. You are my friend first, and I don't want to lose that by rushing into something or being pressured into it by our friends. I care too much about you, and I don't want to lose you." Kiera sniffed and tried to blink the tears away. She added, "I also wanted to thank you for taking care of me last night. I don't remember much, just bits and pieces."
Ecthelion's eyes twinkled as he smiled at her. "You do not remember? Nothing of what you said to me?"
Kiera bit her lip and blushed as she shook her head no. "What did I say?"
He grinned and said, "I'm not going to tell you. Better you do not remember." He coughed, causing a slight blush to grow across his cheeks. He then added, "I also wanted to apologize for this morning. I have not slept with a woman in quite some time, and my body reacted naturally. I am sorry if I made you uncomfortable."
They exchanged smiles as she looked at him. "You didn't," she said. "I enjoy sleeping next to someone. It was nice, but I understand."
Relieved that the topic was addressed, he offered, "would you like me to walk you home?"
Kiera reassured him, "I will be fine. Whatever you gave me last night seemed to help. I'm not hungover. I just feel slightly sick."
He gave her a stern look and added, "do not drink so much again. It is too potent for mortals, and I would rather not see you sick. If you get drunk again, please do not hesitate to come here. I will take care of you and help you. I usually help Glorfindel after his parties."
She smiled and then stood and waited for him, so she could hug him. They wrapped their arms around one another tightly as she buried her face into his chest. They sighed at the same time, which made her laugh.
When she pulled away, Ecthelion had a bright and happy smile on his face. He walked with her out of his study but then continued down the stairs until they reached his entrance hall. With one last goodbye, she left and headed home.
It was mid-morning already as she made her way through the courtyards and fountains of the south. Hoping that if she walked slowly enough her friends would not be home, she paused in the gardens and took the long way around. Her mind replayed the night before, and she really couldn't remember much besides bits and pieces.
When she made it to the main road, she perked up as she realized she missed her morning run and lesson. Knowing Glorfindel, she doubted that he would make her practice today. With her entire day open, she walked quickly home.
When she arrived in the courtyard, she nearly toppled over at the shocking sight of her friends. Idril, Cele, Tuor, Voronwë, and Maeglin were all sitting together at a table in the courtyard. Her eyes widened as all of them had different facial expressions on their faces. She groaned at the sight, and they all turned to look towards her. There were a few hesitant smiles, but she wasn't in the best mood to speak to them, but they all seemed to be waiting for her.
Celebrimbor had a pinched expression on his face as he stood and pulled out the chair next to him for her. There were no words needed as she sat and looked expectantly around the table.
Idril was the first to speak and burst out, "where were you last night?"
Kiera gave her a blank look, "why do you care? We are not friends, and I don't have anything to say to you."
Celebrimbor coughed and gave her a pleading look, which confused her. Her friend was not fond of Idril currently either, but she trusted him, so she turned back to Idril.
She said, "Celebrimbor informed us that he left you with Glorfindel last night, but you never made it home."
Her friends all looked at her expectantly, and Kiera saw the pleading look on Voronwë's face as well. Frustrated and too tired to deal with this, she said, "I spent the night with Glorfindel. We slept together, not that it is any of your business."
The table fell into shocked silence, but she plowed ahead. "Actually, I slept with both Glorfindel and Ecthelion. I regret nothing, and I don't need to deal with the judgment coming from this table. My private life is just that, private. I am tired of dealing with the rumors and people in this city so concerned about my every move. I have had enough, and I will not be nice anymore. If you have nothing nice to say to me, keep your comments to yourself."
She pushed back her chair and started to leave the table. Now that her anger had subsided a little, she added quietly, "for the record, I was very drunk, and Glorfindel took us to Ecthelion's house. He was kind and took care of us both. Nothing happened between any of us, but I just love how you are all so concerned about who I spend the night with."
She fled the courtyard and walked into the house, exhausted by all the rumors and nonsense. She didn't feel well, and she was hurt by Celebrimbor and Voronwë's actions. It didn't make any sense for them to be on Idril's side after what she did, and Kiera was hurt that Celebrimbor told her in the first place. She also wondered why it mattered to them, even if she did go home with Glorfindel.
Making it to her room, she closed the door behind her without bothering to change her clothes and flopped on the bed. The covers were warm and soft, and she drifted off into a short nap. Movement on her bed woke her, and she blinked her eyes awake to see someone sitting next to her. It was Celebrimbor.
The anger from earlier returned, and she snarled, "what do you want?"
There was an understanding look in his eyes as he said softly, "just to talk. Idril is still crying in the courtyard. I think there has been some miscommunication. I came to see how you were doing this morning. I felt terrible as you had too much to drink last night. I will have to give my thanks to Ecthelion. When I arrived, however, Idril was here waiting for you. She wanted to apologize, but you weren't home. I told her I left you with Glorfindel last night, and she jumped to conclusions again. Maeglin came by and wanted to speak to you, so we all waited."
Her friend sighed as he smiled sadly at her. "I see now how that might have looked to you. It was not my intention to come here and judge you. You can spend the night with whomever you wish. I, personally, think Glorfindel is better than my cousin, but that is beside the point."
She groaned, which caused him to laugh. She said, "I didn't have sex with Glorfindel or Ecthelion. Glorfindel brought us to his house because we were both drunk. It is a long story, but I did sleep in Ecthelion's bed with him, but we just slept. Glorfindel slept on the other side. I don't want that spread around, as I know how that looks."
Celebrimbor grinned, "I know. I spoke too quickly to Idril without thinking earlier. I told the others that you were probably not feeling well and needed to lie down. Idril started crying as she believed you would never forgive her now. Tuor is comforting her, and Maeglin is watching the scene like a hawk. It is a bit funny, and I desperately wish to play that game with Maeglin now. Oh, the secrets I could find out."
Kiera snorted, "who says he would even play truthfully? I am sorry I kissed you last night. I probably should have asked first."
He smirked, "you can kiss me whenever you like. I was turned on by your actions last night, and if you ever need a night of release, my bed is open to you. There is something private I wish to ask you, but I won't do it unless you join my bed."
Intrigued, she stared at him in surprise and asked, "what is it?"
He wiggled his eyebrows at her, "you will just have to spend a night in my bed to find out. It is the same reason Maeglin is trying so hard to get you to join his bed, but I won't discuss it until the right time."
Curious, she stared at him, thinking he was a manipulative person, but not in a bad way. Her mind wondered what he could want, but she had no idea. Perhaps in the future, she would find out, but not now. After the turmoil of the previous night, she decided to hold off on parties until the spring festival with Voronwë.
"Maybe in the future. I am not going to go to any more parties for a while. Voronwë wanted us to go together for the spring festival, but other than that, I think I need a break from the parties and drama."
"Alright, are you ready to join the others, or do you want me to send them away?" he asked.
She groaned again, realizing that the day was going to be long regardless. "Might as well get it over with now. Idril better apologize, or else I don't want to see her for a while. What's Maeglin doing here?"
"He didn't say. He just wants to speak to you."
That made Kiera snort, as that was just like him. Rolling out of bed, she stretched and yawed, as Celebrimbor waited for her by the door. The house was quiet as they walked, and neither of them said anything to the other. When they made it into the courtyard, the others were all still sitting at the table. Idril was wiping her tears on a handkerchief, with Tuor's arm around her in a comforting manner. She had to fight the urge to roll her eyes at the sight.
Kiera sat and ignored Idril for a moment to look towards Maeglin. "Did you need something?"
He smirked and drawled, "not really. I just wanted to tell you that I took care of Maewnis. She is confined to her house for her words until next year. She is forbidden from attending any parties or festivals. I am sure after their punishments are up, you will have to worry about her, but not for a while."
Voronwë stiffed at his words, but Kiera patted his arm and told Maeglin, "thanks."
Maeglin nodded, "I will see you later this week for our evening meal. Enjoy the rest of your day."
He left, and the table looked at her with interest. Not many people knew of their agreement, and they were hardly seen together. It must have come as a shock to some at the table. Once the prince was out of earshot, she looked at Idril expectantly.
Idril sniffed and then said, "I am truly sorry for my words and actions. They are despicable, and I do not deserve your forgiveness. You have been kind and a true friend to me, and I threw it away. I am not expecting us to be friends again, but I hope that you will not hate me and that you might speak to me when I am here."
Kiera waited to see if the princess would say anymore, but was left with sniffles. It wasn't the full apology she was expecting, she decided to ask. "What changed? Did you realize your actions were wrong and the words you spoke were wrong? Or did something else happen, and you made the change for someone else?"
Idril looked at her sadly, "all of them. I realized my words were wrong. Ecthelion is a great lord, and he should be able to speak his mind to the king. He is wise, and he is doing what he thinks is best for the city. It was wrong of me to discredit his opinion when I asked for it. Glorfindel has told me much the same over the years, but I trusted my father's opinion above all others. Glorfindel has spoken to me at length about this, and I am sad to say that I did not understand until recently."
The princess paused and took a deep breath to continue. "I also do not believe that titles matter as much anymore. Some people, who I ignorantly thought of as good people, were not. It should not matter if one has a title or not, and it was wrong of me to judge others for something out of their control. We do not pick to which family we are born, and that does not make someone better than the other."
Kiera shared a small glance with Celebrimbor, but his face gave nothing away. So far, she was impressed that Idril had come around finally, but her actions before were inexcusable. Celebrimbor seemed to have the same thought as he coughed and asked, "while I appreciate that you have finally come to your senses, your actions could have put Kiera in danger. Do you understand, cousin, the real issue with your words?"
Idril looked up from her hands and stared solemnly at her. "I treated you horribly," she gulped. "I let anger control my emotions and thoughts. I wished to see you suffer for daring to argue with me and to call me out when I was wrong. I was not concerned for your safety or the consequences, as my mind was only focused on one thing. I knew Amara and Salgant's daughters would treat you poorly, yet I never realized the danger I would put you in. Not until Celebrimbor called me out."
Idril looked down in shame as she added, "I am under serving of forgiveness because my actions and words are unforgivable. Turkey, they are. I cannot take them back or return to the past to change things. I can only move forward, make amends, and be better. Tuor is helping me, and I am beginning to understand. If my mother were still with us, she would be ashamed of me."
The words she spoke were heavy and devoid of all emotion. Kiera knew Idril felt a deep regret, but it still didn't make sense that she had changed so much in such a short amount of time. Tuor did help her, but something drastic must have happened, as people don't change that quickly.
"Why now?" Kiera asked quietly. "What made you change?"
The table grew quiet as everyone waited for Idril to speak. The princess glanced around at all of them before answering.
"I spent a lot of time with the women of the court, and I began to notice how horrible they are to people. Your words caused me to take a step back and see how I treat people. I may be a princess of this city, but I was not treating people with dignity and respect. I let the title and power get to my head, and I was angry that you spoke out against me."
She took a deep breath, "when Tithessel spent a night with another ellon, I stood by her side. I supported her because she told me it was a mistake and that she still loved Glordil. I was shocked by how many people were disgusted with me afterward. Glordil called me numerous horrible names, and I deserved them because he was right. I chose to stand by a woman who was cruel, vindictive, and a liar. He was so destroyed by their failed courtship because he loved her deeply."
"My opinions had changed slowly, but a few days ago, Glordil came to speak with me. He wanted to apologize, but after, our conversation turned to you. He asked me how I could forgive Tithessel yet not forgive you. You spoke out against me when I put someone down and treated them poorly. Tithessel did far worse, and I decided to stand by her side. He asked me why I would do such a thing. I did not have a good answer for him. He left me with parting words that true friends tell you the truth, whether you wish to hear them or not."
"After our talk, I sought Tithessel. I told her that I did not approve of what she did to Glordil. She had many opportunities to end their courtship and not hurt him, but she never did. She still believes that is right and that she has done nothing wrong. I know she has issues of her own that she needs to work out with her family, but I cannot stand by and continue to defend her or be her friend. Everything seemed to click into place, and I would rather not be that person anymore. I want to be better and have friends who will tell me when I am wrong and will stand by my side when I am right."
Everyone turned to look at her. In all honesty, Kiera was glad that Idril had finally come around. However, that did not mean they would be friends again. Not without some time and work for them both. "Apology accepted," she finally told the table. "You needed to realize what you did was wrong, but also make a change. I didn't want to forgive you if you haven't changed because I knew we would eventually fight again. I think it will probably take some time before we can be friends again, but I am willing to try, if you are."
Idril started sobbing while Tuor comforted her. "Thank you. You have no idea what this means to me. I am sorry about earlier this morning as well. I spoke without thinking. I have no right to judge you. Glorfindel is wonderful, and so is Ecthelion. If you spent the night with either of them, it is none of my business. I will not spread rumors or cause problems for you."
Kiera grimaced as she thought about how bad those rumors would be if people found out. "I was very drunk last night. I had a good time, but I was not well enough to walk home. Glorfindel brought us to Ecthelion's house, where he took care of us both. Nothing happened between us, and I would appreciate it if you all kept what I said to yourself. I was angry and spoke without thinking. I don't want to cause Ecthelion or Glorfindel any problems. I hope we can just keep it between all of us."
"Of course," Celebrimbor replied quickly. "I will have to thank both of them when I see them next. Although, I will not let you leave drunk like that again."
Kiera smiled at Celebrimbor and his thoughtfulness. The rest of her friends agreed with him as well, and they all stood up from the table. Celebrimbor winked at her as he left, and his laughter echoed across the courtyard. Cheeky fellow, she thought.