Title & Chapter Number: Good Relations 2/16
Author(s): & - Author's Index
Fandom: Tolkien
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: We do not own these characters; they are the property of JRR Tolkien and his estate. We are not making money off this story; it was written for the pure pleasure of it.
Warnings: Slight angst, graphic homoerotic (slash) content, incest.
Betas: Alex
Cast: Haldir/Glorfindel, Elladan/Elrohir, Legolas/Elrohir, Thranduil/Elladan
Timeline: TA AU
Spoilers: None
Summary: The sequel to "Peace Offerings". Glorfindel and Haldir escort the twins to Mirkwood at Galadriel's request in the hopes of forming a political union. The travelers arrive in Mirkwood and get their first look at the King.
The mystery guest that accompanied them to Mirkwood was their tutor and father's chief counselor, Erestor. It seemed Elrond had more business with Thranduil than just a political union. The trip was long and uneventful, and by the time they crossed the Anduin and arrived at the outskirts of the great forest, they were tired and ready for a bath. They sat upon their horses, ever vigilant, as they waited for the welcoming party and escort from Thranduil's court. Elrohir side passed his mare so that he bumped into his twin's gelding, causing their legs to touch. Elladan smiled at his brother and stole a quick squeeze to his thigh before Elrohir scooted away again.
It had been near excruciating sleeping next to one another without touching, without kissing, without holding one another. Haldir and Glorfindel had slept in one another's arms each night, but the lack of intimacy was taking its toll on them as well. Erestor was, well, Erestor, as cranky and annoyed as always. Elladan and Elrohir chuckled to one another about how often they would see the Counselor roll his eyes or express his discontent about one thing or the other. They both concluded that the Noldo was in dire need of a proper tumble and hoped he would find one in Thranduil's court.
A bright whistle broke the silence and they looked to the tree line and saw an escort consisting of six elves ride to the edge of the clearing. Elladan whacked his twin on the leg when the group approached, the lead rider having caught his attention.
"By Elbereth, look at him…" the elder twin whispered and Elrohir felt his stomach do a slow roll as he watched his brother look the rider over with hungry eyes.
As the escort came to a halt, the lead rider bowed his head and placed his hand over his heart as he greeted them. "Mae govannen. I am Legolas Thranduillion, and we are here to escort you to my father's court."
Glorfindel bowed his head and covered his heart as well. "Mae Govannen, my Lord. I am Glorfindel, and these are my companions, Erestor, Chief Counselor to Lord Elrond, and Haldir of Lórien. And these are the twin sons of Lord Elrond, Elladan and Elrohir."
Legolas regarded the twins with a thinly veiled mask of surprise. His youth had prohibited him from traveling outside the borders of his dangerous realm. Other than his Silvan subjects, he had never met an elf that was of different kindred than he, and he had never seen twins. Erestor was unusual enough, though he was familiar with the appearance of most Noldor. But the twins, they were exotic. He marked their rich sable hair and pale gray eyes, their fair golden skin and ripe lips. It was all he could do to keep from staring at them.
He cleared his throat and, in as authoritative a tone as he could muster, answered, "Welcome to Mirkwood. If you will follow us; stay close, our forest is a dangerous place these days." He turned his horse and slowly cantered into the wood. His soldiers flanked the travelers and brought up the rear.
They rode in silence for some way; it was dangerous to draw too much attention. Once they crossed the border and were in safe territory, the twins trotted up to Legolas and Elladan softly addressed him.
"How many brothers and sisters do you have, Legolas?" the elder twin asked.
Legolas smiled and picked a leaf from his gelding's mane. "I have only one brother, an elder brother, Galathil. But I fear you will not meet him unless he is found before your departure. Father sent out riders for him at first light, but when Galathil does not want to be found, he rarely is."
Elrohir chuckled. "Sounds like pranks Elladan and I used to play when we wanted to shirk our duties welcoming visitors." He patted Legolas' leg briefly. "No worries, mellon, you are company enough."
Elladan smiled when he noted the blush upon Legolas' cheek and he leaned over, placing his hand upon the Prince's thigh for balance. "You are certainly fair company, mellonamin, and most courteous."
Legolas' breath caught in his throat as Elladan's hand pressed into his thigh and he tried to cover it. He nodded and replied softly, "Hannon le, meldiramin. Both you and your brother are passing fair to my eyes as well, and you are quite kind. I have the feeling we will get on very well."
They rode the rest of the distance at a walk, and the twins and Legolas chatted amiably. Glorfindel heaved a sigh of relief when he saw how well the twins seemed to be getting on with Legolas.
Haldir leaned over and whispered in his lover's ear, "Well, this might not be as difficult a task as you first thought, meleth. The twins seem to be quite enchanted with the Prince."
Glorfindel smiled and nodded. "Aye. He is very beautiful; your Lady's description did not do him justice."
Haldir smiled and teasingly poked his lover. "Do I have something to worry about, Glorfindel? Do the twins have competition for the Prince's favors?"
Glorfindel chuckled and poked his lover back. "I only have eyes for you, meleth nín. However, the King…"
Haldir snorted and jabbed his lover in the ribs and heard Erestor grumble again.
"Can the two of you try to behave in a manner that suits your office for once?" Erestor groused.
Glorfindel shot a wicked grin over his shoulder and then smiled at his lover. Haldir whispered, "How you can be friends with that Noldo is beyond me, he has the temperament of an orc."
Glorfindel laughed heartily, garnering attention from the twins and Erestor. "Coming from you, meleth, that is quite a compliment."
~*~*~*~
Thranduil returned from a strenuous afternoon of training, kicking off his boots and stripping his tunic and leggings before heading for his private bath. He raised his hands over his head, clasping his wrists, stretching and twisting as he walked through the door into the baths. He stepped down into the steaming pool of water, submersing himself before standing again and taking a seat on the side. He sighed as he let his head fall back and come to rest upon the cool stone. All the sand and sweat floated off his skin and he let the warm water wash away his worries.
Legolas' visit that morning had shaken him up just a bit. While he knew his son's mind when it came to their relationship, he still felt unprepared to deal with the issue just yet. He found his son nearly irresistible, but Legolas was still so young; there were so many things he needed to learn and experience. He needed to be sure that this wasn't a passing infatuation, that Legolas really did want him the way he professed he did; if not, their coupling would be a disaster. He would never harm his son; he would rather die first.
A knock upon the door roused him from his thoughts and he called for the visitor to enter. His herald entered and informed him that the party from Lothlórien had just approached the bridge. He stepped out of the bath and walked back into his chambers, heedless of the effect his nude form had on his blushing herald.
A nervous young squire was waiting for him in his chambers and produced a thick cloth and went about drying the King's body before holding up his robe and helping him into it. He then ran a comb through Thranduil's wet, clean hair and handed the clips to him as the King braided it. He then handed his King the crown and bowed again as Thranduil placed it upon his head and slipped on a pair of shoes.
Thranduil smiled as he watched his nervous young squire, the young elf had only been in his service less than a month, and patted him on the back of the head as he departed the chamber.
~*~*~*~
The travelers arrived at a stone bridge that crossed a fast moving river that appeared to come from inside the mountain. At the end of the bridge was a great iron gate, one of the largest any of them had seen, save for the Black Gate itself. As they crossed the bridge, Legolas raised his hand and the gates opened; though how they moved, no one could tell. After they safely crossed through, Elrohir heard a loud clang and looked behind him to see they had locked shut again. He swallowed; this place made him nervous. The whole forest had an ominous feel about it, the air was close around them and it was dark. If one looked long enough, one would imagine they could see things moving in the dark brush and seemingly unreachable treetops.
Once safely inside, they were greeted by a bustling group of servants to the King. Legolas escorted the travelers to his father's throne room after the stable hands took their horses and the chambermaids saw their belongings stowed in their rooms. As the Prince pushed open the heavy double doors, they entered a deceptively large room that was cut deep into the hillside.
Glorfindel and company found themselves a bit disconcerted at the atmosphere in which these elves lived. Imladris and Lothlórien were bright and airy places. Imladris' dwellings were made up of elaborately constructed buildings built on the sides of a deep canyon with large windows and terraces that brought nature inside. Lothlórien's talans existed in the trees themselves so one was always in the midst of the forest.
However, Thranduil's dwellings were underground, deep rough-hewn caverns cut into the Mountains of Mirkwood. There were few windows other than the uppermost levels of the caves. A river ran underneath the mountain and through the caves, and while it was on the lower levels, near the dungeons, one could still hear the sound of running water throughout the palace. The walls were rough stone, and iron lanterns and torches were mounted upon the cavern walls every few feet to provide light. The air was surprisingly clear and fresh considering they were underground, and Glorfindel guessed it was Thranduil's magic that kept it that way. A long carpet covered the stone floor as they approached the throne and Glorfindel's eyes drifted upward from it to find the King of Mirkwood sitting upon his throne.
Again, he found himself temporarily stunned by what he saw in front of him. Glorfindel's life had been long, and in those ages, he had seen many beautiful elves and men. Nevertheless, what sat before him now rivaled the beauty of the Evenstar, perhaps even the beauty of Lúthien herself. However, this was no elf maid he looked upon, but the most glorious male he had ever seen. Thranduil Oropherion sat upon his large throne, a band of orange and gold flowers and amber leaves entwined in a crown of mithril rested upon his head. He held in his ringed hand an enormous carved oak staff, taller than he was, and he wore robes of the deepest green, made of the lushest velvet the warrior had ever seen. Beneath those robes was a finely built body; broad, strong shoulders and a long waist. The robe lay against his skin in such a way that one could see the fine, sculpted muscles in his thighs, and Glorfindel thought he saw the faint outline of something on the King's chest that looked like rings in his nipples. But it was what lay beneath the crown that the warrior could not tear his eyes from. A mane of flaxen hair that hung to his waist, elaborately braided and clipped, adorned the King's head. His sapphire eyes burned with an intensity that Glorfindel had rarely seen the like of. He had a strong jaw and high cheekbones, and lips that were the color of a pale rose and seemed to be made for kissing.
He blinked from his long perusal of the King and found himself standing in front of his throne. He dropped to one knee, his habit as a warrior addressing a ruler, placed his hand over his heart and bowed his head. The others followed suit, as Legolas mounted the few steps and sat beside his father.
"Mae govannen, my Lord," he said softly.
Thranduil looked at the warrior kneeling before him. He remembered seeing Glorfindel at Barad-dûr, and he was already acquainted with the Lord Erestor; it would be hard to forget such beauties. He gently bid the warrior rise, and smiled warmly as Glorfindel's gaze met his own. He thought to himself that it had been long since he had the pleasure of such lovely company.
Glorfindel was radiant, long, thick golden hair, a lean yet strong body, deep azure eyes that held a sparkle of mischief, soft pink lips that he imagined tasted like honey. The Vanyar possessed such a remarkable beauty; Eru was indeed kind when he created them. The Silvan that knelt on Glorfindel's right was also beautiful: long, fine, almost silver hair that hung straight past his shoulders, pale bluish gray eyes that burned with a warrior's fire, a powerful, lithe, archer's body with elegant yet strong hands; he was a warrior, of that there was no doubt. Erestor was as striking as he remembered from his youth: ink black hair, straight as an arrow was braided into a single thick plait that hung like ebony rope down his back, his lithe body was covered in garments of black suede and velvet, and tall leather boots encased his lean calves. His eyes were pale gray and held mystery that he rarely saw in his own kind; the Noldor carried a long legacy of hardship. He knew all too well what was hidden beneath those dark garments and steely eyes.
Then there were the twins. In all his life, he never remembered seeing any elf that was so exotic, not even Elrond was that unusual. They resembled their father to be sure, but they also possessed their mother's ethereal beauty and that made their allure all the more wondrous. They were mirror images of each other: thick, rich, sable hair, large pewter eyes, aristocratic faces, and the fullest, ripest lips he had ever laid eyes upon. They were tall, but not as tall as Legolas and Galathil; they possessed lean bodies with narrow waists and long legs. Upon closer inspection, he began to see small differences between them.
Glorfindel's voice interrupted his perusal as the warrior greeted him.
"I am Glorfindel, faithful servant to Lord Elrond. It is upon the Lady Galadriel's request that we visit your realm."
Thranduil nodded in acknowledgement and answered, "Welcome to Mirkwood, Lord Glorfindel. You grace our court with your beauty and honorable person. Please, introduce your companions."
Glorfindel turned to his left. "You are already acquainted with Erestor, Chief Counselor to our Lord Elrond."
Erestor bowed his head and placed his hand over his heart. "'Tis an honor to see you again, my Lord."
The corners of the King's lips turned up into a smile. "The honor is mine, Lord Erestor. It has been too long."
Glorfindel then turned to his right. "This is Haldir of Lórien, Captain of the Marchwarden of the Galadhrim."
Haldir bowed his head and covered his heart with his hand. "My Lord, many thanks for your warm welcome."
Thranduil nodded. "The Galadhrim are always welcome in my realm. It is a pleasure to meet one of the Lady's finest warriors. Perhaps you would enjoy some archery practice with the archers of my realm. It would not do to let your skills become diminished with lack of use."
Haldir smiled and answered, "It would be an honor and pleasure, my Lord."
Glorfindel stepped aside and motioned to the twins to come forward. "And these are the twin sons of Lord Elrond, Elladan and Elrohir."
The twins bowed and answered in unison, "'Tis an honor, my Lord."
Thranduil smiled broadly and answered, "'Tis rare to hear such beautiful music in my palace as your speech, young ones. Welcome to my home, and I hope you find your stay and the company pleasurable."
They answered in unison again, "We thank you for your hospitality and warm welcome, we will indeed enjoy our stay." Elladan added on his own, "The Prince has been a most kind and gentle host. We can see now he inherited his beauty and grace from you, my Lord."
Thranduil looked at his son, who smiled gently at him. "Legolas is always a source of comfort and happiness for me. I am fortunate that the Valar blessed me with so excellent a son. As for my other son, I must extend my profound apologies. In his eagerness to do his duties, he left on patrol, forgetting your pending visit. He should return soon. Riders have been dispatched to gather him hence." He rose from his chair and continued, "Please, you have traveled far, take your rest and we will meet again at dinner." He clapped his hands and a host of servants seemed to appear from nowhere. "Warm baths have been drawn and you should find all that you need in your chambers. Should you require anything else, please do not hesitate to ask for it."
Glorfindel bowed his head again and replied, "Hannon le, hir nín. You are a most gracious host."
The travelers departed for their chambers, leaving Legolas alone with his father.
~*~*~*~
Thranduil stepped down from his throne and made his way to his chambers as Legolas followed. "Well, Iôn? What is your impression of Lord Elrond's sons?"
Legolas smiled and looked at the ground as he walked beside Thranduil. "They are beautiful to be sure, and they seem most courteous. I suppose we will get to know one another better."
Thranduil clasped his son's hand and brought it to his lips as they walked. He replied, "Do you prefer one over the other? It is difficult to tell them apart at first."
Legolas shook his head. "It is too soon to tell, I think. Though the one called Elladan is a bit more forward than the one called Elrohir. They can tell I am innocent in the ways of the flesh, Ada, as can all who meet me." He sighed after the last statement and leaned his head against his father's shoulder as Thranduil placed an arm around him.
Thranduil guided his son into his chambers and closed the door behind them. He clasped Legolas' shoulders and turned him to face him. "There is no shame in that, Legolas. Better to wait for one you want than to rush in just to gain experience. I know of what I speak, Iôn."
Legolas looked into his father's eyes and furrowed his fair brow. "Was your first time unpleasant, Ada?"
Thranduil smiled at his son's concerned and gentle questioning. He caressed his face and softly answered, "Nay, Greenleaf. Just… unremarkable. I thought that I must be doing something wrong, I could perform the act well enough, but I felt no enthusiasm for it. It wasn't until I was older and met someone who truly inspired me that I found what a wonderful experience it could be." He guided his son to the bed and sat beside him.
"Does it hurt, Ada? The first time you let one…" Legolas' voice trailed off as he flushed bright pink and looked at the bed.
Thranduil smiled and placed a kiss upon the top of his son's head. "Aye, but if it is done properly and with care, the pain is less than the pleasure you will feel."
Legolas looked up at his father. "Have you ever been in love, Ada?"
"Yes, I have. Twice in my life."
"Who, Ada? Whom did you love? Did you love Naneth?" Legolas asked quietly.
Thranduil nodded. "Aye, I loved your mother, Greenleaf. I loved her very much. She was a kind and good wife, and would have been a good mother given the chance. Her passing grieved me tremendously. I have not given my heart to another since. My first love was an elf Lord, one who knew my father. But we were not meant to be." He sighed. "The true danger, Iôn, is in losing your heart to one who does not take care with it. Guard against that with all your strength of will, Greenleaf. We only have one heart, and once broken, it does not heal easily."
Legolas smiled and nestled his head against his father's neck. "I am not afraid of that, Ada. I have already given my heart to one who would never hurt me, to the only one I know would protect it with his life. I will give it to no other."
Thranduil sighed and stroked his son's hair. He had no answer to give him that would not cause him pain. The selfish part of him wanted to keep the precious gift that Legolas gave him. But he feared that to do that would rob his son of any chance he had to be truly happy and to find a mate he could bond with properly and for life.
He patted Legolas on the shoulder and took a deep breath. "Go on now, Legolas. You must ready yourself for dinner and I have business to attend to before we meet our guests again."
Legolas smiled brightly at his father and placed a feather light kiss upon his lips. He lingered there for just a moment, breathing in his father's scent, reveling in the softness of his lips and his strong hands upon his shoulders. He then pried himself away and smiled again, quietly answering his father, "Yes, Ada." He walked toward the door and paused before opening it. He looked back over his shoulder and smiled. "Amin mela lle, Ada," he said softly.
Thranduil smiled and answered, "Amin mela lle, my Greenleaf."
Legolas crossed through the doorway and closed the door behind him, making for his own quarters.
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