“Erestor, I don’t know if you noticed, but Elrond and most of his house is here,” whispered Thranduil over the counter to the dark-haired elf who sat sipping a glass of wine as he scribbled lines of poetry on a pad of paper. Erestor did not bother looking up.
“I have no intention on going into his house uninvited,” replied the ellon calmly, “but if he wants to come to a public place he has to understand that there will sometimes be others there that he does not necessarily wish to have business with. Besides, I was here first.”
“You do know, this isn’t the original King’s Kastle,” Thranduil told him, filling Erestor’s wine glass to the top.
“No? Pity.” Waving to an open area, Erestor said, “I thought that spot used to be bigger. I miss the curtains. They were wonderful for hiding behind and...” Now Erestor looked up, but at the elf beside him. “Yes, what?”
Glorfindel smirked. “Nothing. Just wondering what you were doing behind the curtains and with whom.”
“With whom? Who do you think?” Erestor’s gaze traveled across the room. At a small grouping of tables that were set up, Galadriel listened as Elrond spoke to her and other members of the household. “Don’t worry,” he said, patting Glorfindel on the cheek before returning to his poetry, “she’s much more high maintenance than you are, and her husband would probably beat me within an inch of my life if I were to suggest to her a bit of snogging in an alcove somewhere.”
“It’s her husband you’re worried about?” questioned Glorfindel with amusement. “Let me remind you,” he said, taking hold of Erestor’s wrist and lifting it up from the paper for a moment, “that you have your own husband. Protective, and possessive, husband.”
“So noted.” Erestor rubbed his nose against Glorfindel’s and then went back to his work.
“Dance with me?”
“What?” Erestor chuckled at the pout he was being given. “Dance with you. Dance with you here?” He closed his book and placed it aside on the counter. “Here, in front of everyone?”
Glorfindel nodded adamantly as Erestor shuffled his papers together and set them upon the book. “We never dance anymore.”
“We... have never danced before,” Erestor informed his lover as he stood up from his stool. “Not that I will object, but why now?”
Glorfindel tried to keep his eyes focused on Erestor’s, but a look flickered in Elrond and Galadriel’s general direction. A cheeky smirk appeared on Erestor’s lips. “How do we do this? Do you lead or do I?” questioned the blond.
“I am older, wiser, and taller. I lead.” Erestor laughed at Glorfindel’s pout as the younger ellon batted his sandy-colored eyelashes and mustered a soft puppyish whimper.
“But... but... I have never done anything but lead before,” muttered the golden elf.
“Worry not. I have taught numerous ellith how to dance.” The pout Glorfindel continued to give to Erestor only caused the darker elf’s smile to widen. “Hand here, hand here, and just lean into me and feel the music,” instructed Erestor after he had positioned his lover.
Thankfully, the song being played was a slow, easy tempo, so the first few times that Glorfindel made an attempt to take control, the pair avoided crashing into anyone else. After a few mintues, Glorfindel relinquished any power he might have been trying to obtain. They were honestly one of the most graceful couples dancing, and with the way Glorfindel looked up and beamed at his lover while he was looked upon affectionately, by far the cutest.
---
“That is just... wrong.” Elrond crossed his arms over his chest, forgetting his drink. “I liked it better when they fought.”
“That makes two of us.” Galadriel was no longer tending to her beverage, either. Instead, she systematically plucked breadstick after breadstick from the holder on the table and snapped them into halves and fourths before moving to the next.
Celeborn exchanged a glance with his daughter, and picked up his mug. “I rather think they look adorable.” He hid his smile as he drank his beer. Beneath the table, Celebrian flicked her finger against her father’s arm- her way of scolding him. In return, she was poked in the wrist- his way of daring her to do better.
“Adorable? Nay.” Celebrian swirled her wine about in its bowl. “I think they would be quite insulted by that observation. Charming, perhaps,” she decided.
“Adorable? Charming? Pah.” Elrond picked up one of the mutilated breadsticks and chomped on it. “I liked it best when they were still fighting,” he stated once again.
On the dance floor, Erestor held Glorfindel close, singing softly in his ear. The blond kept his eyes closed, looking overjoyed and yet almost on the verge of tears.
Valarda watched a bit longer, then nudged her husband with her elbow. “I want to know what he is saying to him,” she whispered to him, and they excused themselves from the table to join the others who were dancing. “Just get us nice and close to them,” she told Orophin.
“Really? I thought you wanted me to keep as far a distance as possible,” teased Orophin. As they closed in, they strained to listen, and it was Orophin who heard the last few words Erestor sang before the song ended:
Stay with me
I’ll be
Your fantasy
You’ll never be alone
Just
Stay with me
We’ll be
Harmony
Everything will be
Alright
Valarda sighed and tilted her head after the words were relayed to her. “How romantic. Why do you never do anything romantic?”
“What? I take you dancing, I buy you a beer- what more do you want? Roses?” Orophin danced them back to the table as the next song started.
“It’s a start,” she answered thoughtfully.
Orophin plucked the flowers from a centerpiece of an unused table and handed them to her. “There. Roses.”
“These are carnations,” she told him pointedly.
“Damn, elleth, a florist I am not. Besides, roses have thorns,” he added.
“They are dripping,” she complained as water puddled at her feet.
Orophin stared at the drops falling from the ends of the stems, and then pulled them from his wife’s hands. Tossing them onto the table, he yanked a fistful of breadsticks up instead, and handed them to her. “Problem solved.”
“You are a dork.”
Bowing with a grin, Orophin replied with, “Thank you, m’lady.”
- - -
“What is he doing now?”
“Now... same as before. Eating the breadsticks she keeps massacring. Do you still want to keep dancing?” asked Erestor.
“Mmm... not sure.” Glorfindel made an attempt to stand on the tips of his toes to see over the crowd, but nearly stepped on Erestor’s foot instead. The taller elf paused before forcing them back into the rhythm. “Now what is he doing?”
“Same thing,” replied Erestor without looking.
Glorfindel stopped dancing with a sigh. “If I do something terribly childish-“
“As long as it is not illegal, you know my answer,” shrugged Erestor as he led Glorfindel from the dancing throng.
Once back at the bar, Erestor sat down upon one of the stools, pulling his notes back toward himself. “Try not to get arrested,” he advised after giving Glorfindel a quick kiss.
“Why should you have all the fun?” With a wink, Glorfindel walked to the stage at the front.
Erestor supposed he should be working on his proposal again, but he could not tear his eyes away from Glorfindel’s mischief. Glancing to the tables, he noted that Elrond had resorted to grumbling to the others now that there was nothing for him to watch and make commentary about. As soon as the music stopped, Erestor’s eyes snapped back to the stage.
What caught Erestor’s attention at first was that Glorfindel was nowhere in sight. Lindir was announcing to the crowd, but his voice did not carry past the clamor near the stage, and so he had to wait and begin again.
“Now, for something a little different. We have a bit of a break from the traditional tonight, everyone. Please, welcome to the stage, a performance native to the land of Harad in Middle-earth.” Lindir backed away from the front of the stage, clearing it to give Glorfindel extra room. A number of elves in the hall cheered as the blond walked across the stage, wearing only loose pants and bells on his ankles and wrists.
“That is amazing. How did he change so fast?” asked Glorcheniel on the other side of the bar.
Erestor did not hear her question. Instead, he had his hand over his mouth and was saying to himself in a low voice, “Not the temptation song... not the temptation song.”
It was Thranduil who realized Erestor was attempting to farspeak to Glorfindel and was reinforcing his thoughts verbally. “Whatever it is, it sounds like the sort of thing one would find here.”
Tossing a glare in Thranduil’s direction, Erestor hissed, “Do not encourage him.”
“Temptation song! Temptation song!” Glorcheniel was practically bouncing and mouthing this request to Glorfindel, in the chance he might look over their way. He did, and winked as the music began. Heavy, heady drumming and flutes, bells, and chimes began to play as the golden elf swayed his hips and danced provocatively across the stage.
Take a good look now, baby
Give me a sweet sensation
Much as you try to ignore me
You are my one temptation
Where do we go now, honey?
Let’s take the time to discover
Why can’t you decide baby
If you will be my lover?
As the music sped up in tempo, so did Glorfindel’s liquid movements. His motions were erotic and kept the eyes of everyone on him.
At the bar, Glorcheniel nudged Erestor without looking away from the dark elf’s lover. “Is this the temptation song? Is it? Yes?”
“Yes! Yes, yes, it is,” grumbled Erestor.
“Oooo... well, I like it!” she exclaimed, nearly dropping the glass she had been drying as she tried to set it onto the counter without checking to see where the counter was.
It was almost as if Glorfindel had been possessed by the music, as if the notes themselves were moving his body and limbs at their whim. His cobalt blue pants flowed with his muscled legs as he danced down the stairs into the crowd of the audience.
When we met you thought I was a fool
There was never hope for me and you
With our sharp words we constantly dueled
You kept straight and never broke the rules
All around there is love
Accept that you are with me honey can’t you see that
All around there is love
Accept that you are with me honey can’t you see that now?
He had managed to entice a number of the ladies to attempt the movements he was making, and a few of the ellyn as well. As the others moved to the edges of the room to allow for the dancers to move more freely, Glorfindel repeated the chorus.
Take a good look now, baby
Give me a sweet sensation
Much as you try to ignore me
You are my one temptation
Where do we go now, honey?
Let’s take the time to discover
Why can’t you decide baby
If you will be my lover?
Now that he had captivated the audience that danced with him, he began to play the others who looked on. Weaving between the others standing around, and then to the tables, Glorfindel played up his part. His hands wandered here, a little there. His lips came close to the lips of others. His hips bumped into other elves, ellyth and ellyn alike.
At the bar, a tall, dark ellon fidgeted on his stool. He was tapped on the shoulder and turned around. “I take it this is why you were opposed to the song?” asked Thranduil.
“What do you think?” snapped Erestor back. A voice entered his mind and he froze.
‘Dance with me?’
‘Not again...’
‘This time, I shall lead.’
‘Fin, this is inappropriate.’
‘I know, you really are not dressed for it. But, no one will notice. You need to sing the next part, too.’
‘I am staying right here.’
‘Fine by me, I can dance by you.’
Indeed, before Erestor could move, Glorfindel was rubbing against him seductively, following the beat of the music. As he looked about ready to flee, he heard Thranduil speak behind him. “What happens here, pretty much stays here,” said the ex-king in a low voice.
Taking a deep breath, Erestor slid down from the stool and swallowed hard. Glorfindel grinned.
“Is Erestor going to dance?” Elrond sat up and craned his neck, suddenly interested in what was happening.
“Why do you care if Erestor dances?” questioned Celebrian.
Leaning forward on the table, Elrond looked his wife straight in the eyes and asked, “You are not even a little curious? I am very curious to see if he really can or not.”
“Of course, I am curious,” muttered Celebrian to herself. “But you should not be curious to see him or any other males dancing.”
Elrond rolled his eyes. “Because, it is Erestor. If it was someone else, I could care less- actually, I would highly appreciate not seeing Glorfindel do anymore of this,” he admitted. “But Erestor... is Erestor.”
And Erestor, indeed being Erestor, closed his eyes in order to fight his inhibitions, and felt Glorfindel’s hands lightly grasp his hips. It sent a shiver down his spine. “Dance with me... sing the next part of it,” insisted Glorfindel.
With a slight smile as his body was manipulated into moving with Glorfindel, the deep croon of Erestor’s voice was heard throughout the hall.
When we kiss, others stop and stare
When we touch even though it’s rare
Mesmerized by a lover so fair
Come with me tonight if you dare
Erestor continued to blindly allow himself to be led by Glorfindel as the blond sang the rest of the song.
All around there is love
Accept that you are with me honey can’t you see that
All around there is love
Accept that you are with me honey can’t you see that now?
Take a good look now, baby
Give me a sweet sensation
Much as you try to ignore me
You are my one temptation
Where do we go now, honey?
Let’s take the time to discover
Why can’t you decide baby
If you will be my lover?
“I was wrong,” decided Celeborn. “They are not adorable. They are sinfully sensual.”
“Celeborn!” admonished Galadriel, fanning her flushed face with her hand. “That is my nephew and my- my nephew’s... roommate you are talking about!”
Arching his brow, Elrond let out a slight cough of disbelief. “Well, even I can say they are lovers. It is the least you can do.”
“I...” And Galadriel shrugged and left it at that.
But Celebrian did not. “I think it is rather nice the two of them have each other.” She was met with silence and continued. “Everyone should have someone. No matter how odd the situation, it is in our nature to love and to be loved and-“
“Fine!” Elrond snapped a breadstick chunk, spraying the crumbs across the table. “I will give consent for your brother to marry Elodien.”
“-and... what?” Celebrian sat up straight in her chair. “By brother, you are defining you mean Haldir, correct?”
“Yes, yes. Elodien and Haldir may marry.” Elrond sighed. “We will discuss it more tomorrow, and obviously with the two of them. But, yes. Yes.” Elrond grabbed hold of the breadstick container, which only had two lone breadsticks left, and moved it out of Galadriel’s reach as she moved to take another.
Taking hold of his wife’s elbow, Celeborn helped her to stand. “Come, let us dance.”
“To this?” she asked of the thumping beat and foreign sounds.
“Worry not. I shall lead,” he promised.
---
“When did we stop dancing?” questioned Erestor quietly in a slightly fearful voice.
“Open your eyes.”
The dark elf did so, finding that Glorfindel had danced him out the back door and just inside the woods behind the Kastle. “I cannot believe you made me do that.”
“Next time, you should try to keep your eyes open,” suggested Glorfindel. “’Tis a shame to hide such a lovely attribute.”
“Sure... next time,” replied Erestor, shaking his head.
Author's Chapter Notes:
The King's Kastle is introduced to the music of the Harad, and Elrond finally comes to a decision.