Glorfindel looked up suddenly as he heard movement from the front of the room and the sounds of someone approaching. Immediately he yanked the reading glasses from his nose and shoved them into the left pocket of his pants, then bowed his head and concentrated on his work once more, albeit with difficulty now.
The footsteps paused when they reached the table he was working at. “Excuse me, but we closed an hour ago. You need to leave now, sir.”
Flipping to the index hastily and squinting to try and make out the word he was looking for, Glorfindel mumbled, “I just need five more minutes.”
“Sir, you have said that many, many times since I gave you first warning that we were closing. You need to go now, or I will be forced to call security.”
Glorfindel looked up, narrowing his eyes. “I thought you librarians lived in your domains.”
“And rumor has it we never retire, we just die.” The librarian crossed his arms over his chest. “If you want, you can leave those there and come back in the morning.”
“All I really still need is this one.” Glorfindel closed the book he had been attempting in vain to read now and held it up. “If you just check it out to me—“
“No, that is a reference volume. We have been over this before. Reference works stay here. You go now,” added the scholar in a slightly angered tone.
With a snort, Glorfindel slammed the book down on the table and gathered up his notes. “Fine.” Unable to come up with any other response, Glorfindel stomped his way out of the library with the librarian on his heels. The door was promptly locked as soon as he was in the hall. “Bloody stupid jackass,” muttered Glorfindel as he gave the door a good kick. He scuffed it, and turned, checking over his notes as he walked back to the apartment he was renting temporarily inside the main palace before the wedding. Previously he had been living in his penthouse of his and Ecthelion's barracks, but it had been Erestor's suggestion he move to the tower. The barracks would certainly be no place for Glorfindel's future wife, pretend or not.
His inattentiveness did not alert him to someone coming down another hallway, who was also not paying attention. As Glorfindel turned the corner and collided with Erestor, he was knocked down, papers flying everywhere.
“Oh, goodness me! I suppose that will teach me to walk and read at the same time,” chuckled Erestor, though both of them knew he would continue with that bad habit he had anyhow. After offering his hand to help his friend up, Erestor assisted in gathering all of the sheets together. “Is this part of that secret project you have been working on?” he asked.
“I am so very close to reaching my goal. Trust me, you and everyone else will be amazed when I figure everything out.” Glorfindel counted the sheets to be sure they were all back in his possession.
Erestor adjusted the quiver and bow on his back. “I expect full disclosure soon—everyone is wondering what it is you are working on so intently.”
“In time,” promised Glorfindel, shoving his left hand into his pocket. He wiggled his fingers and frowned as Erestor continued talking.
“I suppose you want to keep things secret so that no one else beats you to your discovery. I can understand that; I tend not to share my poems until they are finished in case someone... is something the matter?” asked Erestor as he watched Glorfindel glance about nervously.
The blond bit his lip, squinting his eyes as he looked around. “Erm... I... I think I lost something...”
“Oh?” Erestor began to look about, too. “What is it?”
“Ahm... uhh...” Glorfindel looked to the place he had fallen down in the hall. “Bloody hell, if I left them back in the library—“
Meanwhile, Erestor had crouched down and was inspecting the area as well. Something against the wall caught his eye, and he picked up the wire frames that held two curved lenses. “Have you been doing a lot of reading by candlelight?” asked Erestor as he held out the pair of glasses.
Glorfindel reddened considerably as he snatched the spectacles and hid them away in his pocket again. “Please, do not tell anyone.”
“You should do your reading in the daytime. Or else, use a lantern or sit beneath a well lit chandelier.”
“If the library offered any of these, I would,” said Glorfindel grumpily. “But that stupid git refuses to let me take the books that I need, so I am forced to work in those horrible conditions.”
“Ah. I see.” Erestor took a step closer and asked, “Why not just take the book you need?”
“What? Steal it?”
“Yes.”
Glorfindel laughed uneasily and looked around to be sure no one could hear them. “You really do have a criminal mind.”
“No, no,” argued Erestor. “I always return them later.”
“So you have done this before?”
“Many times.”
“Ai.” Glorfindel shook his head. “Somehow, I would be unable to manage such a thing.”
“What is the title of it?”
After a long pause, Glorfindel said, “I would not want you to get in trouble. Not on my account; you have done more than enough for me already, I am still in your debt from before.”
“Consider all debts repaid,” offered Erestor. “Now, the title of the book?”
“ ‘A Guide to Equations for Alchemists and Mathematicians’,” recited Glorfindel from heart.
Erestor nodded. “Consider it done,” he said, giving Glorfindel a hearty pat on the shoulder.
“Ow!” Glorfindel rubbed his shoulder and hissed.
“Sorry.” Erestor stepped back. “Did I really hurt you?”
“Just a little. You are really strong now, you have to be careful with me. My recent bookishness has made me become fragile.”
At first Erestor laughed, but he killed it with a cough when he saw from Glorfindel’s expression that his friend was not lying. “We have changed much, you and I.”
“Aye. I am sorry I never completely fulfilled my part of the bargain,” said Glorfindel. “You became a soldier without my aid.”
“Untrue. You laid the foundation, just as I could never have instructed you in science and mathematics, but I did pave the way for it.”
There was a long silence until Glorfindel asked, “So, are you ready for the wedding?”
To this, Erestor smiled. “Of course I am. You?”
Glorfindel nodded. “Having them both on the same day is much more economical.”
Erestor rolled his eyes and smiled. They both knew the reason that Tauniel had come up with the ‘most wonderful plan’ of holding a double wedding had nothing to do with economics. “Your future wife is a clever little thing.”
“That she is,” replied Glorfindel. “Well, I suppose I should leave you be. No doubt you have much work to do tomorrow.”
“We graduate another group of recruits in the morning. Are you coming to the ceremony?”
Glorfindel’s gut reaction was to say no, for he had lost the desire to partake in the pomp and circumstance of military celebrations, but instead he nodded. The thought of seeing Erestor dressed in his uniform and riding magnificently atop his horse sent a delightful chill through Glorfindel and caused goosebumps to appear unseen on his arms and legs. “Eru willing, I will be there.”
