"Soothing the Savage Soul" for Faenel, Elrond/Celegorm, R
REQUEST:
Fic, fanart or either?: fic
Pairing(s): Elrond/someone. Slash.
Scenario, prompt: I'll leave it mostly up to the writer/artist. I'd
love to see something Second Age, maybe featuring Celebrimbor, or
something in Valinor, with the Sons of Feanor. Go wild, see what
happens!
Squicks: Not a huge amount. Mainly incest and heavy fetishism.
HEADER:
Title: Soothing the Savage Soul
Author: Zhie
Beta: Lalaith_Raina
Pairing: Elrond/Celegorm
Word Count: 4802
Rating: R
Warnings: Naughtiness/sexual situations/nakedness
Archive: Phoenix -- http://phoenix.zhie.us
Disclaimer: Tolkien's characters and places are his, I'm just playing in his sandbox.
Summary: Elrond arrives in Valinor to find the world he thought he knew was all lies. He seeks comfort in the most unlikely of places. (Though my beta instead suggested ‘Naked cello-gorm playing’, but that only makes sense AFTER reading the story...)
“He is a beast.” Those were the words of introduction whispered to Elrond by his mother-in-law. Or was she still? Elrond tried not to think about that as he extended his hand in greeting to the next cousin he was introduced to. He had been thinking about all of that much too frequently as of late.
“Celegorm, may I introduce Elrond of Imladris?” Galadriel’s demeanor was pleasant no matter whom she was introducing to Elrond at the time. Be it her brother, whom it was obvious she was extremely fond of, or some of her half-cousins, who were only briefly encountered at the soiree that Celebrian had set up to welcome them.
‘It was the least I could do.’ Her words. Oh, they stung him now, for apparently the least was all she really intended.
“You may.” Celegorm’s smooth, yet cocky voice brought Elrond out of his temporary reverie. “Charmed. You were the King of Imladris, the whole time it was around? Quite a feat.”
“Well, it was… not really a kingdom,” admitted Elrond. He felt his hand tighten upon the drink he held.
“Alright, Lord, then. No?” added the hunter when he saw the unsure look on Elrond’s face. “Who ran it, then?”
It was now that Galadriel interrupted. “He did, naturally. We just used different words for our rulers after Gil-Galad’s passing.”
Elrond frowned. “I preferred Master Elrond. It suited me. The realm was built as one large interconnected house.”
“Very clever idea. No wonder Maedhros said you were a smart boy. He always brings that up. You were the intelligent one, and Elros was the bold, fearless one. Speaking of your brother, did he travel with you?”
A very awkward silence followed. “My brother is dead,” said Elrond softly.
Galadriel gave Elrond’s shoulder a sympathetic squeeze, and then she turned her attention to her cousin. “Celegorm, a word, please. Elrond, if you will excuse us.” Galadriel took hold of Celegorm’s shoulder to lead him away, and was not so gentle as she had been with Elrond. “You foolish ass, whatever did you ask such a question for?”
“The question was valid - Maedhros talks about the two of them all the time! It was half of what I listened to in the Halls all those years!”
“I specifically told you last night that there were three people not to mention - his wife, his daughter, and his brother. I swear you do these things intentionally to embarrass me!” she scolded.
“Artanis, please. I have not the time to waste on plotting against you. Besides, I never paid a moment’s attention to anything you said last night,” he admitted with a shrug. “Curufin and I were writing witty limericks back and forth to pass the time. We were only there because grandfather told us we had to be.”
“Such blatant disrespect. Sometimes I wish you had stayed in the Halls,” she hissed.
“Cluck at me all you want. Tell grandfather if you like. I am sure you would love to think he would scold me about this.”
“Indeed, he would,” decided Galadriel. “I may very well do so!”
Celegorm rolled his eyes. “As you like, princess. Are we done here? I still have time to poison the wine in Aredhel’s goblet before she returns.”
Galadriel glared at Celegorm. “Do you honestly expect me not to tell grandfather about *that*?”
“If I honestly wanted to poison her wine, do you expect I would have told you?” Celegorm reached out and tweaked Galadriel’s nose. “Ta.”
Meanwhile, Elrond had been standing idle until he felt a tap on his shoulder. “I thought I might come and say hello.”
He nodded curtly, but refused to look at the person. “Hello.”
“Are you enjoying the party?”
Now he did look, with bittersweet thoughts of blissful memories dancing around his head. “What would you have me say? That I enjoy the company of your family? That I think the food and wine are superb? That I wish the night would last forever?” Elrond turned away.
“I want to know the truth,” said Celebrian.
“The truth. I wish I had been told the truth.” He closed his eyes. “I tire of greeting people and seeing the pity in their eyes. Of having them say to me, ‘at least she is well again’. I hate waking up in the morning to look at the failure in the mirror.”
“You could leave, if you wanted. No one would fault you,” Celebrian suggested.
“I want to go home, but I do not know where that is anymore.” Elrond handed his untouched drink to the woman he once called his wife. “Perhaps leaving is as good an idea as any. Give your mother my regards, and do tell her I shall collect my things as soon as I am able.”
“I… do you not wish to tell her yourself?”
“She seems very much occupied,” he said, nodding towards Galadriel and Celegorm. He stood still for a moment, watching the building frustration between the two cousins before addressing Celebrian one final time. “I hope you find what you are looking for. I hope he makes you as happy as you once made me.” Then Elrond left, walking briskly so that he would not hear any words that she said.
* * *
Valinor was not turning out to be the holy and hallowed place that Elrond had expected. It was full of nightmares for him, and of empty promises. He had left behind one child with plans never to sail to the blessed realm, and two more who talked their way around the issue. The trouble was, all of his children, despite the better part of their heritage being elven, were tied to Middle-earth, drawn to the world of Men. He had come to Valinor in hopes of being reunited with the one member of his family who had not forsaken him, only to find that was not the case.
The same was true for the only other people Elrond could think to go to in this strange new world. He borrowed a horse from the stables of the Finarfin Estate and asked directions to the House of the Golden Flower. Two hours later, in the midst of twilight, he came upon a mansion that appeared wholly deserted. He would have thought it was completely abandoned, if not for the pair of horses in the stable and the solitary candle that was seen in a window on the second floor.
Elrond left his borrowed mount to graze on the overgrown lawn and approached the home. It was easily a match for the Last Homely House; indeed, it could boast an extra story to the refuge he had helped to build so long ago. The once cared for gardens were filled with weeds, though here and there an errant golden rose peeked out in an attempt to be seen. The handles of the doors were rusted and the lock was out completely - a sign that looters had at one time broken into the compound. Elrond found the weather beaten cord that would summon someone to the front door, and pulled it. An old bell, tarnished from years of neglect, clanked within.
It was not long before the door was answered. Someone peeked out cautiously from behind the curtains and then opened the door. “There is no lock,” informed the person on the other side.
“I noticed,” replied Elrond. “Still, I wanted to be courteous. I recall you knocked the first time you came to the Tower of Lindon, as did Glorfindel when he arrived at the Last Homely House.”
Erestor smiled and recalled that day fondly. “A memory I will never forgot. To see him standing there - I thought it was a dream.”
“No dreams for us here,” remarked Elrond as he took a look around. “I hate to pry, but what happened to the happy homecoming he expected?”
“They waited for him once,” said Erestor sadly. “All of the servants and the field workers, the gardeners and the artisans - they all understood his oath to Finrod when he gave this land to Glorfindel. They stayed even when news came to them that he had perished in Middle-earth. But when he was reborn and told them after a short respite that he intended to travel back, back over the sea with Olorin and the others, it was all too much. They left, and the house decayed. Looters came, and took everything not bolted down.” Erestor stepped aside from the door. “Would you care to come in? It might cheer him up to see you.”
Elrond nodded and entered into the house. He could telling from the carved staircase and the tall pillars of marble in the foyer that this house had one day been a place of glory. The floors and walls were bare, every piece of furniture removed. Elrond followed Erestor up the dusty stairs and down a dark hallway. Even the sconces that had once been attached to the walls had been removed from the house.
Erestor stepped slowly into the room. “Glorfindel? We have a visitor.” He motioned for Elrond to follow him.
The room had once been the master’s quarters. One side had four large windows that spanned floor to ceiling and allowed one to look out over the fields, which were now overrun with thorny shrubs and tall weeds. In a corner, Elrond saw a makeshift sleeping area where they had used a blanket from a horse spread out over the hard floor, and stuffed two travel packs with clothing for pillows. The rest of the items that they had brought with them were in another corner. Finally, a trunk that contained whatever books they had brought was in the center of the room. Glorfindel sat upon the trunk, staring out through the tall windows at the barrenness before him. “This is not the way I wished to welcome you into my home,” apologized Glorfindel somberly.
Elrond approached and sat down on the chest beside Glorfindel. “Valinor has not turned out to be what I had hoped for, either.”
“Would it help if I offered to do something horrible to Gil-galad?” asked Glorfindel as Erestor settled down on the floor before them. “I could scatter salt on his fields or... something.”
The continued loyalty of his captain did make Elrond smile slightly. “I appreciate your offer, Glorfindel, but I cannot take you up on such a thing. This was a decision that they made - it was a decision that they should have made long ago.”
Glorfindel nodded. He stood up and wandered to the windows. “Where are you staying?”
“Galadriel made arrangements for me to stay at her family’s estate. I just came from there. I do not know if I really want to go back, but all of my belongings are still there.”
“I would ask if you wished to come live here, but the estate is barely habitable,” said Glorfindel. “I feel bad enough having Erestor here,” he said, looking over his shoulder. “I asked him to find someplace else to go until I have sorted out what to do here.”
“And I have already told you, I followed you here to Valinor, I am not about to leave you now.” Erestor stood up and came to where Glorfindel stood, wrapping an arm around his beloved’s waist. “We will sort this out together.” Glorfindel kissed Erestor’s brow and placed his own arm around Erestor’s shoulder.
Elrond could easily have allowed his own sorrow to invade the situation, but he instead offered what wise words he could. “I remember how impossible I thought it would be when I brought the refugees into the valley. We came with nothing and had nothing to work with. Somehow, we managed to build the Last Homely House. Even now, I hardly know how we accomplished it, except that we were full of determination.”
“You might be discouraged now, but there is one thing that you both have to your advantage. You are not alone - you have the person you love the most with you, and you will find that in that state you can accomplish anything,” said Elrond. Glorfindel slowly nodded in agreement and pulled Erestor a little closer. “And if there is anything I might do, enlist me in your task to rebuild the estate. I have infinite time, and nothing to do, and Eru knows you both helped me greatly over the years in Imladris. It is the least I can do for you.”
* * *
Elrond stayed but an hour more, coaxing Glorfindel out of his melancholy as they discussed what needed to be done and in what order. The peredhel left with a promise to return the next day with whatever tools he could borrow and perhaps a few more sets of hands if any others were willing to help. He walked back down to the entrance with Erestor, who hugged him fiercely in thanks and wished him well on his journey back to the Finarfin estate.
On the ride back, Elrond tried not to think of his ex-wife, but the solitude kept his mind returning to her, or to thinking about one he once called king and friend, or to both of them together. He tried to force the idea from his mind with thoughts of repairing Glorfindel’s house, but each time he returned to unpleasant thoughts.
Once he returned to the estate and left the horse in the care of the stable hands, Elrond went to his room to retrieve an item he had not had much of a chance to use in Imladris. He opened the case, checked it over, and smiled. There was one thing that could make him forget just about anything, and he snapped the latches shut again before taking the instrument with him to find a place to play where he would not disturb anyone.
After inquiring with a few pages and a butler, Elrond was directed to a conservatory that he could use. It was an octagonal room, brightly painted with each wall a different shade of blue. The ceiling was domed, and after a few test notes Elrond found the acoustics to his liking. He found a chair that was comfortable, rosined his bow, tuned the strings, and began to play.
There was nothing more soothing to Elrond than the sound of stringed instruments. While he concentrated on the songs, his mind could not wander to other thoughts, and he found his peace as he played. The first selections were angry, bitter tunes with staccato notes punctuating every bar. After a while, the songs eased into sweeter melodies, and a rich vibrato filled the room and hung in the air.
Elrond found he could play for hours without tiring, and he knew so many songs that he could often play without music. It was only when he ran through his entire repertoire, including a few songs he only knew bits and pieces of, that he finally stopped.
As the last note faded, another sound alerted him that he was not alone. Elrond turned around to see Celegorm leaning against the doorway, clapping his hands together. “You play better than the house minstrel,” complimented Celegorm.
“How long have you been standing there?” asked Elrond warily.
“Since the party ended. I was on my way back to the guest room I was using when I heard you playing. I had no idea who it was - actually, I thought the minstrel was drunk again and that I would need to tell him people intended to sleep at some point. You play so well, though, I think you lulled the rest of the household into slumber.”
“Then why are you still awake?”
Celegorm crossed his arms over his chest and smiled. “I sleep poorly, if at all. You see, I came back for love, and then I found out that everything she told me during our time in the Halls was false. She went back to her husband - the very person who killed her, and tried to kill her son. So, here I am, stuck for eternity like a fool. Celegorm the Foolish.”
“I suppose if that makes one a fool, it can be my title as well,” said Elrond as he loosened his bow and placed it back into the case. “I am certain you have heard already, but my wife was gravely injured some years ago and came here for respite and recovery. By practice, I am a healer, and it pained me to be unable to save her. It was a harder blow to come here only to discover that her true love was a king who had fallen before we married. She was distraught at his passing, and so settled for me - but that was not something I knew. Now they are reunited, and I am the fool.”
“Yes... Artanis told me a number of the details...” Celegorm nodded towards the cello that Elrond still cradled at the neck. “Who taught you to play?”
“Maglor,” said Elrond. “He raised my brother and I.”
“Yes, I wondered... some of those songs were written by him,” said Celegorm. “He was... not my favorite brother, but I still miss him now. We all do.”
“So do I,” admitted Elrond. “Perhaps one day he will find a way home.”
An uncertain silence followed, and then Celegorm asked, “Would you play for me again?”
“What would you like to hear?”
“Anything. Maglor taught you well, and it has been a long while since I have heard music played so well.” Celegorm shut the door and brought a chair beside the one Elrond was sitting on.
With an audience, Elrond found himself becoming a bit shy. “Stop me if it sounds terrible,” he mumbled as he brought out his bow again.
“I am certain you will not miss a note,” said Celegorm.
Elrond started with a simple tune, but soon transitioned into one of the hardest pieces he could play. Celegorm closed his eyes, his breathing slow and even, and Elrond wondered if the Elf had fallen asleep. He stopped abruptly in the middle of the song, and was startled when Celegorm’s eyes suddenly opened. “That was the best one yet.”
“I was not even finished,” admitted Elrond.
“You are now,” said Celegorm firmly, and he reached his hand into Elrond’s hair so that he could pull his head back, and twisted around to kiss him. As Celegorm’s lips unexpectedly pressed against Elrond’s, he found himself in a helpless position. His hands were full and he dared not drop his instrument, but there was a great deal of uncertainty in his mind. He did not try to pull away, though, and as Celegorm moved his hand to the back of Elrond’s neck and slid his tongue against Elrond’s, the peredhel realized that Galadriel’s assessment was not entirely accurate. Celegorm was no beast, but a wild, untamed soul with animalistic passion.
Elrond could relate. For years he had suppressed his ‘other’ side... Celebrian had wanted to be married to an Elf - a calm, serene, proper Elf. Elrond had granted this, but now found himself being fully awakened by Celegorm’s actions. They parted for air, and Celegorm was quite forward with his intentions. “I am never going to love a woman again. I cannot stand the duality. You can hate me for what just happened, but.. you seem like the one person who might understand it all. Damn, I am just... so lonely...”
Hastily, Elrond had been putting the cello and bow aside as Celegorm spoke. The Elf was standing up, about to leave, when Elrond found himself yanking Celegorm back onto his chair. This time he initiated a kiss, which became a rough and passionate duel of lips and tongues, of hands touching and grabbing and throaty groans and growls. It was not quite what Elrond had expected, and it was not something universally accepted, but he had watched the relationship develop over the years between Glorfindel and Erestor. Because of this, Elrond found himself more receptive of the idea than he might have otherwise been. It was a hurried decision, but instinct just made the whole idea seem like the right one. “Is anyone going to find us in here?” panted Elrond when Celegorm pulled away and frantically worked to remove his own shirt.
“I locked the door when I closed it.” Celegorm tossed the discarded garment across the room. “You remind me of someone,” he said as he pulled Elrond from his chair and onto his lap. He took hold of Elrond’s chin and tilted his head down slightly. “Something in your eyes...”
“I have been told that they are the same color as my great-grandmother’s,” said Elrond as he settled comfortably and sucked in a deep breath of air as Celegorm’s hands slid up his thighs. One kept traveling until it reached Elrond’s groin. “Her name was Luthien.”
“Yes...” hissed Celegorm. He gruffly claimed Elrond’s lips again.
* * *
“Play that song again,” requested Celegorm. The words were whispered against Elrond’s ear before and after kisses were placed there. Elrond chuckled and repositioned his bow. It was a little difficult with both of them sitting on the same chair, Celegorm spooned up against Elrond. Actually, it was not that difficult for them to both fit - Elrond only used the edge of the chair when he played. The difficulty came from Celegorm’s hands and lips, which caressed and kissed their way up and down Elrond’s body. He could not recall a time when he had hit more wrong notes, but Celegorm did not seem to notice.
“Once more,” offered Elrond. “Then, I need to leave for a while. I have friends who need some help.”
“Anything I can do?” asked Celegorm as he rested his chin on Elrond’s shoulder. He gave a playful lick to a mark he had made on Elrond’s neck not long ago.
Elrond leaned back against Celegorm’s chest. They were both still naked from their sexual explorations, and Celegorm took advantage of their closeness to rub against Elrond. “Not now. We ran out of oil,” reminded Elrond, kicking a toe at the bottle of oil that should have been used on his cello. “I went to see Glorfindel last night when I left the party. His house is in shambles, and I promised to help.”
“Let me make a proposition,” said Celegorm, his voice becoming serious. “I can aid you and your friends, and I have a number of brothers and cousins and uncles that would probably be more than happy to lend a hand, or in most cases two, as well.”
“Does Maedhros know you make jokes like that?”
“Almost everyone has accepted me as I am,” replied Celegorm. “Coarse, unrefined, sneaky, sassy, and classless. Also, I have a temper.”
“You just need to learn how to channel your anger,” said Elrond. “Have you ever considered taking up an instrument?”
“Father tried that once. After I broke the fiddle and tore the strings off of the harp, he gave me a pair of drums.”
“So you play drums?” asked Elrond.
“I tried until Caranthir complained about the noise. Father took those away when I shoved Caranthir’s head into one of them.” When Elrond did not reply, Celegorm asked, “Having second thoughts?”
Elrond settled the cello back down again, and slid his fingers along the wood of the bow until he was balancing it on one finger. “I have fought in wars, I have aided those directly fighting the great evils, and I even had the One Ring at the heart of my realm when days were darkest. I fear very little. Second thoughts? No... I have nothing to lose right now. I want to see where this adventure leads me.”
“Good.” Celegorm gave Elrond’s rear a pat to make him stand up so that he could get up from the chair as well. “I will go and round up the members of this household and the one down the road who are not doing anything productive - so, everyone, then - and return within the hour. You,” he said, pointing at Elrond, “need to find more oil for when we return this evening. Last night was the most enjoyable time I have had in a while. I fully intend to return the favor tonight,” said Celegorm with a wink.
* * *
Elrond knocked on the door, completely out of courtesy. As expected, Erestor answered, but Glorfindel was standing stoically behind him. “I have some bad news,” Elrond said, hardly able to keep a smirk from his face.
Erestor hung his head. “You have other things to do.”
“No.”
“You were unable to borrow any tools?”
“No.”
Erestor began to open his mouth, but Celegorm shoved Elrond gently out of the doorway so that he could speak to Erestor instead. “What is with the riddles, Elrond? Tell him the truth.” Celegorm addressed Erestor now, setting his hands on the stranger’s shoulders as he gave him the news in a very grave voice. “I regret to inform you that your plans to have this house fixed within a year have been foiled.” Before Erestor could question this, Celegorm added, “We plan to have most of this taken care of in a week.” He nudged the door open the rest of the way, and Erestor looked past Elrond and Celegorm to see what appeared to be an entire army assembled on the lawn. “Where would you like us to start?”
* * *
A pair sat on the end of a pier, looking out over the calm waters of the sea. “Are you cold?” asked Celegorm. He had become accustomed to asking this from time to time, for he knew how stubborn Elrond could be when it came to weather.
Elrond shook his head, eyes focused on the horizon. “We should see the ship any moment,” he said.
They had been waiting on the dock for two entire days. Bored as he was, Celegorm was not about to suggest that they leave. Since Celeborn’s arrival and announcement that Elladan and Elrohir had commissioned a ship to be built, Elrond spent his time making preparations for the arrival of his sons. He did not know which was coming, or if they both were, for Celeborn had only learned of the ship when he himself had gone to the havens to sail, and did not have time to return to Rivendell to ask questions. Celegorm, Glorfindel, and Erestor had all discussed the matter privately one night - for Elrond and Celegorm had moved into Glorfindel’s estate once the work was finished. There was a great concern that neither of the twins was coming, and that the ship was commissioned for someone else.
Celegorm was very careful not to mention this theory, for Elrond was too excited to have listened anyhow. “What do you want them to call me?”
“What do you want them to call you?” asked Elrond.
“Step-father sounds too... well, not that,” said Celegorm. “Step-parents, in my family, tend to have a negative connotation. I suppose they could just call me by my first name, if you think that appropriate. They are adults, after all.”
Elrond nodded, and squinted and stood up. “I think I see something.”
Celegorm stood as well. “Now Elrond,” he warned as the ship came closer, “do not be too upset if they are not on this boat. There will be other boats, and...”
“There is someone on the deck - I wonder if it is Elladan or Elrohir,” said Elrond. Celegorm sighed and watched silently with Elrond as the distance between them and the ship decreased.
A glint of moonlight caught the hair of the Elf on the bow, and Elrond’s shoulders slumped. “Silver hair. It cannot be either of them,” he said, hanging his head.
Celegorm pulled Elrond into his arms. “I am sorry, Elrond. I had as much hope as you did. There are other ships, though, and-“ He stopped as another figure joined the first, and he waited until the ship moved a little closer. “Elrond, look, there is someone else.”
Elrond did look, and his hope was renewed. “Is that - can it be?” He held his breath until he was certain. “Elrohir - that is Elrohir, it must me, I know it is, and-“ he paused, and several more passengers came around to the front of the ship. Among them, one looked to Celegorm to be a mirror of another. “And Elladan! They are both here!” Elrond grinned happily.
“Hmm... I think this is the first time I have seen you completely happy,” remarked Celegorm as they waited for the ship to dock.
“Of course,” answered Elrond. “My sons are here, and you and I have each other. What more could I ask for?”
Fic, fanart or either?: fic
Pairing(s): Elrond/someone. Slash.
Scenario, prompt: I'll leave it mostly up to the writer/artist. I'd
love to see something Second Age, maybe featuring Celebrimbor, or
something in Valinor, with the Sons of Feanor. Go wild, see what
happens!
Squicks: Not a huge amount. Mainly incest and heavy fetishism.
HEADER:
Title: Soothing the Savage Soul
Author: Zhie
Beta: Lalaith_Raina
Pairing: Elrond/Celegorm
Word Count: 4802
Rating: R
Warnings: Naughtiness/sexual situations/nakedness
Archive: Phoenix -- http://phoenix.zhie.us
Disclaimer: Tolkien's characters and places are his, I'm just playing in his sandbox.
Summary: Elrond arrives in Valinor to find the world he thought he knew was all lies. He seeks comfort in the most unlikely of places. (Though my beta instead suggested ‘Naked cello-gorm playing’, but that only makes sense AFTER reading the story...)
“He is a beast.” Those were the words of introduction whispered to Elrond by his mother-in-law. Or was she still? Elrond tried not to think about that as he extended his hand in greeting to the next cousin he was introduced to. He had been thinking about all of that much too frequently as of late.
“Celegorm, may I introduce Elrond of Imladris?” Galadriel’s demeanor was pleasant no matter whom she was introducing to Elrond at the time. Be it her brother, whom it was obvious she was extremely fond of, or some of her half-cousins, who were only briefly encountered at the soiree that Celebrian had set up to welcome them.
‘It was the least I could do.’ Her words. Oh, they stung him now, for apparently the least was all she really intended.
“You may.” Celegorm’s smooth, yet cocky voice brought Elrond out of his temporary reverie. “Charmed. You were the King of Imladris, the whole time it was around? Quite a feat.”
“Well, it was… not really a kingdom,” admitted Elrond. He felt his hand tighten upon the drink he held.
“Alright, Lord, then. No?” added the hunter when he saw the unsure look on Elrond’s face. “Who ran it, then?”
It was now that Galadriel interrupted. “He did, naturally. We just used different words for our rulers after Gil-Galad’s passing.”
Elrond frowned. “I preferred Master Elrond. It suited me. The realm was built as one large interconnected house.”
“Very clever idea. No wonder Maedhros said you were a smart boy. He always brings that up. You were the intelligent one, and Elros was the bold, fearless one. Speaking of your brother, did he travel with you?”
A very awkward silence followed. “My brother is dead,” said Elrond softly.
Galadriel gave Elrond’s shoulder a sympathetic squeeze, and then she turned her attention to her cousin. “Celegorm, a word, please. Elrond, if you will excuse us.” Galadriel took hold of Celegorm’s shoulder to lead him away, and was not so gentle as she had been with Elrond. “You foolish ass, whatever did you ask such a question for?”
“The question was valid - Maedhros talks about the two of them all the time! It was half of what I listened to in the Halls all those years!”
“I specifically told you last night that there were three people not to mention - his wife, his daughter, and his brother. I swear you do these things intentionally to embarrass me!” she scolded.
“Artanis, please. I have not the time to waste on plotting against you. Besides, I never paid a moment’s attention to anything you said last night,” he admitted with a shrug. “Curufin and I were writing witty limericks back and forth to pass the time. We were only there because grandfather told us we had to be.”
“Such blatant disrespect. Sometimes I wish you had stayed in the Halls,” she hissed.
“Cluck at me all you want. Tell grandfather if you like. I am sure you would love to think he would scold me about this.”
“Indeed, he would,” decided Galadriel. “I may very well do so!”
Celegorm rolled his eyes. “As you like, princess. Are we done here? I still have time to poison the wine in Aredhel’s goblet before she returns.”
Galadriel glared at Celegorm. “Do you honestly expect me not to tell grandfather about *that*?”
“If I honestly wanted to poison her wine, do you expect I would have told you?” Celegorm reached out and tweaked Galadriel’s nose. “Ta.”
Meanwhile, Elrond had been standing idle until he felt a tap on his shoulder. “I thought I might come and say hello.”
He nodded curtly, but refused to look at the person. “Hello.”
“Are you enjoying the party?”
Now he did look, with bittersweet thoughts of blissful memories dancing around his head. “What would you have me say? That I enjoy the company of your family? That I think the food and wine are superb? That I wish the night would last forever?” Elrond turned away.
“I want to know the truth,” said Celebrian.
“The truth. I wish I had been told the truth.” He closed his eyes. “I tire of greeting people and seeing the pity in their eyes. Of having them say to me, ‘at least she is well again’. I hate waking up in the morning to look at the failure in the mirror.”
“You could leave, if you wanted. No one would fault you,” Celebrian suggested.
“I want to go home, but I do not know where that is anymore.” Elrond handed his untouched drink to the woman he once called his wife. “Perhaps leaving is as good an idea as any. Give your mother my regards, and do tell her I shall collect my things as soon as I am able.”
“I… do you not wish to tell her yourself?”
“She seems very much occupied,” he said, nodding towards Galadriel and Celegorm. He stood still for a moment, watching the building frustration between the two cousins before addressing Celebrian one final time. “I hope you find what you are looking for. I hope he makes you as happy as you once made me.” Then Elrond left, walking briskly so that he would not hear any words that she said.
* * *
Valinor was not turning out to be the holy and hallowed place that Elrond had expected. It was full of nightmares for him, and of empty promises. He had left behind one child with plans never to sail to the blessed realm, and two more who talked their way around the issue. The trouble was, all of his children, despite the better part of their heritage being elven, were tied to Middle-earth, drawn to the world of Men. He had come to Valinor in hopes of being reunited with the one member of his family who had not forsaken him, only to find that was not the case.
The same was true for the only other people Elrond could think to go to in this strange new world. He borrowed a horse from the stables of the Finarfin Estate and asked directions to the House of the Golden Flower. Two hours later, in the midst of twilight, he came upon a mansion that appeared wholly deserted. He would have thought it was completely abandoned, if not for the pair of horses in the stable and the solitary candle that was seen in a window on the second floor.
Elrond left his borrowed mount to graze on the overgrown lawn and approached the home. It was easily a match for the Last Homely House; indeed, it could boast an extra story to the refuge he had helped to build so long ago. The once cared for gardens were filled with weeds, though here and there an errant golden rose peeked out in an attempt to be seen. The handles of the doors were rusted and the lock was out completely - a sign that looters had at one time broken into the compound. Elrond found the weather beaten cord that would summon someone to the front door, and pulled it. An old bell, tarnished from years of neglect, clanked within.
It was not long before the door was answered. Someone peeked out cautiously from behind the curtains and then opened the door. “There is no lock,” informed the person on the other side.
“I noticed,” replied Elrond. “Still, I wanted to be courteous. I recall you knocked the first time you came to the Tower of Lindon, as did Glorfindel when he arrived at the Last Homely House.”
Erestor smiled and recalled that day fondly. “A memory I will never forgot. To see him standing there - I thought it was a dream.”
“No dreams for us here,” remarked Elrond as he took a look around. “I hate to pry, but what happened to the happy homecoming he expected?”
“They waited for him once,” said Erestor sadly. “All of the servants and the field workers, the gardeners and the artisans - they all understood his oath to Finrod when he gave this land to Glorfindel. They stayed even when news came to them that he had perished in Middle-earth. But when he was reborn and told them after a short respite that he intended to travel back, back over the sea with Olorin and the others, it was all too much. They left, and the house decayed. Looters came, and took everything not bolted down.” Erestor stepped aside from the door. “Would you care to come in? It might cheer him up to see you.”
Elrond nodded and entered into the house. He could telling from the carved staircase and the tall pillars of marble in the foyer that this house had one day been a place of glory. The floors and walls were bare, every piece of furniture removed. Elrond followed Erestor up the dusty stairs and down a dark hallway. Even the sconces that had once been attached to the walls had been removed from the house.
Erestor stepped slowly into the room. “Glorfindel? We have a visitor.” He motioned for Elrond to follow him.
The room had once been the master’s quarters. One side had four large windows that spanned floor to ceiling and allowed one to look out over the fields, which were now overrun with thorny shrubs and tall weeds. In a corner, Elrond saw a makeshift sleeping area where they had used a blanket from a horse spread out over the hard floor, and stuffed two travel packs with clothing for pillows. The rest of the items that they had brought with them were in another corner. Finally, a trunk that contained whatever books they had brought was in the center of the room. Glorfindel sat upon the trunk, staring out through the tall windows at the barrenness before him. “This is not the way I wished to welcome you into my home,” apologized Glorfindel somberly.
Elrond approached and sat down on the chest beside Glorfindel. “Valinor has not turned out to be what I had hoped for, either.”
“Would it help if I offered to do something horrible to Gil-galad?” asked Glorfindel as Erestor settled down on the floor before them. “I could scatter salt on his fields or... something.”
The continued loyalty of his captain did make Elrond smile slightly. “I appreciate your offer, Glorfindel, but I cannot take you up on such a thing. This was a decision that they made - it was a decision that they should have made long ago.”
Glorfindel nodded. He stood up and wandered to the windows. “Where are you staying?”
“Galadriel made arrangements for me to stay at her family’s estate. I just came from there. I do not know if I really want to go back, but all of my belongings are still there.”
“I would ask if you wished to come live here, but the estate is barely habitable,” said Glorfindel. “I feel bad enough having Erestor here,” he said, looking over his shoulder. “I asked him to find someplace else to go until I have sorted out what to do here.”
“And I have already told you, I followed you here to Valinor, I am not about to leave you now.” Erestor stood up and came to where Glorfindel stood, wrapping an arm around his beloved’s waist. “We will sort this out together.” Glorfindel kissed Erestor’s brow and placed his own arm around Erestor’s shoulder.
Elrond could easily have allowed his own sorrow to invade the situation, but he instead offered what wise words he could. “I remember how impossible I thought it would be when I brought the refugees into the valley. We came with nothing and had nothing to work with. Somehow, we managed to build the Last Homely House. Even now, I hardly know how we accomplished it, except that we were full of determination.”
“You might be discouraged now, but there is one thing that you both have to your advantage. You are not alone - you have the person you love the most with you, and you will find that in that state you can accomplish anything,” said Elrond. Glorfindel slowly nodded in agreement and pulled Erestor a little closer. “And if there is anything I might do, enlist me in your task to rebuild the estate. I have infinite time, and nothing to do, and Eru knows you both helped me greatly over the years in Imladris. It is the least I can do for you.”
* * *
Elrond stayed but an hour more, coaxing Glorfindel out of his melancholy as they discussed what needed to be done and in what order. The peredhel left with a promise to return the next day with whatever tools he could borrow and perhaps a few more sets of hands if any others were willing to help. He walked back down to the entrance with Erestor, who hugged him fiercely in thanks and wished him well on his journey back to the Finarfin estate.
On the ride back, Elrond tried not to think of his ex-wife, but the solitude kept his mind returning to her, or to thinking about one he once called king and friend, or to both of them together. He tried to force the idea from his mind with thoughts of repairing Glorfindel’s house, but each time he returned to unpleasant thoughts.
Once he returned to the estate and left the horse in the care of the stable hands, Elrond went to his room to retrieve an item he had not had much of a chance to use in Imladris. He opened the case, checked it over, and smiled. There was one thing that could make him forget just about anything, and he snapped the latches shut again before taking the instrument with him to find a place to play where he would not disturb anyone.
After inquiring with a few pages and a butler, Elrond was directed to a conservatory that he could use. It was an octagonal room, brightly painted with each wall a different shade of blue. The ceiling was domed, and after a few test notes Elrond found the acoustics to his liking. He found a chair that was comfortable, rosined his bow, tuned the strings, and began to play.
There was nothing more soothing to Elrond than the sound of stringed instruments. While he concentrated on the songs, his mind could not wander to other thoughts, and he found his peace as he played. The first selections were angry, bitter tunes with staccato notes punctuating every bar. After a while, the songs eased into sweeter melodies, and a rich vibrato filled the room and hung in the air.
Elrond found he could play for hours without tiring, and he knew so many songs that he could often play without music. It was only when he ran through his entire repertoire, including a few songs he only knew bits and pieces of, that he finally stopped.
As the last note faded, another sound alerted him that he was not alone. Elrond turned around to see Celegorm leaning against the doorway, clapping his hands together. “You play better than the house minstrel,” complimented Celegorm.
“How long have you been standing there?” asked Elrond warily.
“Since the party ended. I was on my way back to the guest room I was using when I heard you playing. I had no idea who it was - actually, I thought the minstrel was drunk again and that I would need to tell him people intended to sleep at some point. You play so well, though, I think you lulled the rest of the household into slumber.”
“Then why are you still awake?”
Celegorm crossed his arms over his chest and smiled. “I sleep poorly, if at all. You see, I came back for love, and then I found out that everything she told me during our time in the Halls was false. She went back to her husband - the very person who killed her, and tried to kill her son. So, here I am, stuck for eternity like a fool. Celegorm the Foolish.”
“I suppose if that makes one a fool, it can be my title as well,” said Elrond as he loosened his bow and placed it back into the case. “I am certain you have heard already, but my wife was gravely injured some years ago and came here for respite and recovery. By practice, I am a healer, and it pained me to be unable to save her. It was a harder blow to come here only to discover that her true love was a king who had fallen before we married. She was distraught at his passing, and so settled for me - but that was not something I knew. Now they are reunited, and I am the fool.”
“Yes... Artanis told me a number of the details...” Celegorm nodded towards the cello that Elrond still cradled at the neck. “Who taught you to play?”
“Maglor,” said Elrond. “He raised my brother and I.”
“Yes, I wondered... some of those songs were written by him,” said Celegorm. “He was... not my favorite brother, but I still miss him now. We all do.”
“So do I,” admitted Elrond. “Perhaps one day he will find a way home.”
An uncertain silence followed, and then Celegorm asked, “Would you play for me again?”
“What would you like to hear?”
“Anything. Maglor taught you well, and it has been a long while since I have heard music played so well.” Celegorm shut the door and brought a chair beside the one Elrond was sitting on.
With an audience, Elrond found himself becoming a bit shy. “Stop me if it sounds terrible,” he mumbled as he brought out his bow again.
“I am certain you will not miss a note,” said Celegorm.
Elrond started with a simple tune, but soon transitioned into one of the hardest pieces he could play. Celegorm closed his eyes, his breathing slow and even, and Elrond wondered if the Elf had fallen asleep. He stopped abruptly in the middle of the song, and was startled when Celegorm’s eyes suddenly opened. “That was the best one yet.”
“I was not even finished,” admitted Elrond.
“You are now,” said Celegorm firmly, and he reached his hand into Elrond’s hair so that he could pull his head back, and twisted around to kiss him. As Celegorm’s lips unexpectedly pressed against Elrond’s, he found himself in a helpless position. His hands were full and he dared not drop his instrument, but there was a great deal of uncertainty in his mind. He did not try to pull away, though, and as Celegorm moved his hand to the back of Elrond’s neck and slid his tongue against Elrond’s, the peredhel realized that Galadriel’s assessment was not entirely accurate. Celegorm was no beast, but a wild, untamed soul with animalistic passion.
Elrond could relate. For years he had suppressed his ‘other’ side... Celebrian had wanted to be married to an Elf - a calm, serene, proper Elf. Elrond had granted this, but now found himself being fully awakened by Celegorm’s actions. They parted for air, and Celegorm was quite forward with his intentions. “I am never going to love a woman again. I cannot stand the duality. You can hate me for what just happened, but.. you seem like the one person who might understand it all. Damn, I am just... so lonely...”
Hastily, Elrond had been putting the cello and bow aside as Celegorm spoke. The Elf was standing up, about to leave, when Elrond found himself yanking Celegorm back onto his chair. This time he initiated a kiss, which became a rough and passionate duel of lips and tongues, of hands touching and grabbing and throaty groans and growls. It was not quite what Elrond had expected, and it was not something universally accepted, but he had watched the relationship develop over the years between Glorfindel and Erestor. Because of this, Elrond found himself more receptive of the idea than he might have otherwise been. It was a hurried decision, but instinct just made the whole idea seem like the right one. “Is anyone going to find us in here?” panted Elrond when Celegorm pulled away and frantically worked to remove his own shirt.
“I locked the door when I closed it.” Celegorm tossed the discarded garment across the room. “You remind me of someone,” he said as he pulled Elrond from his chair and onto his lap. He took hold of Elrond’s chin and tilted his head down slightly. “Something in your eyes...”
“I have been told that they are the same color as my great-grandmother’s,” said Elrond as he settled comfortably and sucked in a deep breath of air as Celegorm’s hands slid up his thighs. One kept traveling until it reached Elrond’s groin. “Her name was Luthien.”
“Yes...” hissed Celegorm. He gruffly claimed Elrond’s lips again.
* * *
“Play that song again,” requested Celegorm. The words were whispered against Elrond’s ear before and after kisses were placed there. Elrond chuckled and repositioned his bow. It was a little difficult with both of them sitting on the same chair, Celegorm spooned up against Elrond. Actually, it was not that difficult for them to both fit - Elrond only used the edge of the chair when he played. The difficulty came from Celegorm’s hands and lips, which caressed and kissed their way up and down Elrond’s body. He could not recall a time when he had hit more wrong notes, but Celegorm did not seem to notice.
“Once more,” offered Elrond. “Then, I need to leave for a while. I have friends who need some help.”
“Anything I can do?” asked Celegorm as he rested his chin on Elrond’s shoulder. He gave a playful lick to a mark he had made on Elrond’s neck not long ago.
Elrond leaned back against Celegorm’s chest. They were both still naked from their sexual explorations, and Celegorm took advantage of their closeness to rub against Elrond. “Not now. We ran out of oil,” reminded Elrond, kicking a toe at the bottle of oil that should have been used on his cello. “I went to see Glorfindel last night when I left the party. His house is in shambles, and I promised to help.”
“Let me make a proposition,” said Celegorm, his voice becoming serious. “I can aid you and your friends, and I have a number of brothers and cousins and uncles that would probably be more than happy to lend a hand, or in most cases two, as well.”
“Does Maedhros know you make jokes like that?”
“Almost everyone has accepted me as I am,” replied Celegorm. “Coarse, unrefined, sneaky, sassy, and classless. Also, I have a temper.”
“You just need to learn how to channel your anger,” said Elrond. “Have you ever considered taking up an instrument?”
“Father tried that once. After I broke the fiddle and tore the strings off of the harp, he gave me a pair of drums.”
“So you play drums?” asked Elrond.
“I tried until Caranthir complained about the noise. Father took those away when I shoved Caranthir’s head into one of them.” When Elrond did not reply, Celegorm asked, “Having second thoughts?”
Elrond settled the cello back down again, and slid his fingers along the wood of the bow until he was balancing it on one finger. “I have fought in wars, I have aided those directly fighting the great evils, and I even had the One Ring at the heart of my realm when days were darkest. I fear very little. Second thoughts? No... I have nothing to lose right now. I want to see where this adventure leads me.”
“Good.” Celegorm gave Elrond’s rear a pat to make him stand up so that he could get up from the chair as well. “I will go and round up the members of this household and the one down the road who are not doing anything productive - so, everyone, then - and return within the hour. You,” he said, pointing at Elrond, “need to find more oil for when we return this evening. Last night was the most enjoyable time I have had in a while. I fully intend to return the favor tonight,” said Celegorm with a wink.
* * *
Elrond knocked on the door, completely out of courtesy. As expected, Erestor answered, but Glorfindel was standing stoically behind him. “I have some bad news,” Elrond said, hardly able to keep a smirk from his face.
Erestor hung his head. “You have other things to do.”
“No.”
“You were unable to borrow any tools?”
“No.”
Erestor began to open his mouth, but Celegorm shoved Elrond gently out of the doorway so that he could speak to Erestor instead. “What is with the riddles, Elrond? Tell him the truth.” Celegorm addressed Erestor now, setting his hands on the stranger’s shoulders as he gave him the news in a very grave voice. “I regret to inform you that your plans to have this house fixed within a year have been foiled.” Before Erestor could question this, Celegorm added, “We plan to have most of this taken care of in a week.” He nudged the door open the rest of the way, and Erestor looked past Elrond and Celegorm to see what appeared to be an entire army assembled on the lawn. “Where would you like us to start?”
* * *
A pair sat on the end of a pier, looking out over the calm waters of the sea. “Are you cold?” asked Celegorm. He had become accustomed to asking this from time to time, for he knew how stubborn Elrond could be when it came to weather.
Elrond shook his head, eyes focused on the horizon. “We should see the ship any moment,” he said.
They had been waiting on the dock for two entire days. Bored as he was, Celegorm was not about to suggest that they leave. Since Celeborn’s arrival and announcement that Elladan and Elrohir had commissioned a ship to be built, Elrond spent his time making preparations for the arrival of his sons. He did not know which was coming, or if they both were, for Celeborn had only learned of the ship when he himself had gone to the havens to sail, and did not have time to return to Rivendell to ask questions. Celegorm, Glorfindel, and Erestor had all discussed the matter privately one night - for Elrond and Celegorm had moved into Glorfindel’s estate once the work was finished. There was a great concern that neither of the twins was coming, and that the ship was commissioned for someone else.
Celegorm was very careful not to mention this theory, for Elrond was too excited to have listened anyhow. “What do you want them to call me?”
“What do you want them to call you?” asked Elrond.
“Step-father sounds too... well, not that,” said Celegorm. “Step-parents, in my family, tend to have a negative connotation. I suppose they could just call me by my first name, if you think that appropriate. They are adults, after all.”
Elrond nodded, and squinted and stood up. “I think I see something.”
Celegorm stood as well. “Now Elrond,” he warned as the ship came closer, “do not be too upset if they are not on this boat. There will be other boats, and...”
“There is someone on the deck - I wonder if it is Elladan or Elrohir,” said Elrond. Celegorm sighed and watched silently with Elrond as the distance between them and the ship decreased.
A glint of moonlight caught the hair of the Elf on the bow, and Elrond’s shoulders slumped. “Silver hair. It cannot be either of them,” he said, hanging his head.
Celegorm pulled Elrond into his arms. “I am sorry, Elrond. I had as much hope as you did. There are other ships, though, and-“ He stopped as another figure joined the first, and he waited until the ship moved a little closer. “Elrond, look, there is someone else.”
Elrond did look, and his hope was renewed. “Is that - can it be?” He held his breath until he was certain. “Elrohir - that is Elrohir, it must me, I know it is, and-“ he paused, and several more passengers came around to the front of the ship. Among them, one looked to Celegorm to be a mirror of another. “And Elladan! They are both here!” Elrond grinned happily.
“Hmm... I think this is the first time I have seen you completely happy,” remarked Celegorm as they waited for the ship to dock.
“Of course,” answered Elrond. “My sons are here, and you and I have each other. What more could I ask for?”