“I just had an absolutely brilliant idea.” Dinner plates were just being collected, and murmured discussion of what everyone was preparing to do that evening flittered about. Glorfindel waited until he had everyone’s attention and then said, “Does everyone recall that lovely parlor game ‘Honest Truth’?”
“Oh, the one that is like ‘Truth or Dare’, but it is just truths. Yes, I remember that one,” piped up Elladan. “I like that one much better than ‘Truth or Dare’.”
“Yes, but everyone answers the same question,” Elrond reminded his son. “So it is a little different.”
Galadriel set the stack of bowls into the wash basin and filled it with water. “It has been a while since we have played a game as a family. Celeborn, what say you?”
Sitting at one end of the table, her husband shrugged. “As long as the questions do not get too intimate,” he said. “There are some things I would rather not know about my children or their children.”
“A nice, quiet, family version,” assured Glorfindel, who was fairly certain the game would not make it past the first round.
Celebrian removed her apron and set it aside. “We should let the dishes soak first,” she suggested to her mother, for some of the residents of the house were already heading into the parlor. There was agreement from Galadriel, and they joined the exodus from the kitchen.
This left Erestor yet sitting at the table, and Glorfindel standing beside the door. “Ready?” asked Glorfindel. On one hand, he felt bad for making Erestor sit through dinner, waiting for this moment. On the other, it hardly made up for everything he had been put through over the years.
“Not really,” admitted Erestor, but he stood up and joined Glorfindel at the door. Instead of flinching when Glorfindel slid his arm around his waist, he stepped closer and walked with him into the parlor. There were a few smirks as they sat down together on the sofa, and a smile from Elrond when Glorfindel winked at him.
“Someone looks cozy,” said Galadriel pointedly as she retrieved her stitching from a basket next to the rocker.
Glorfindel could hardly wait to see her jaw drop, but he patiently waited for the rest to settle in for the anticipated game. “So, who should start?”
“You wanted to play the game; I think you should start,” suggested Rumil.
“Hmm… let me think of a good one…” Glorfindel rubbed his chin. “Oh, I know… Who was your first kiss with?”
“That is an interesting one,” agreed Celebrian. “Which way do we go; left or right?”
Glorfindel looked left, where Haldir was sitting, and then right, to where Erestor was. ‘Like father, like son’, he thought, knowing the answer that Haldir would have to give. “I think we play to the right,” said Glorfindel, and Haldir looked quite grateful for this decision.
There was a moment of silence as Erestor observed Glorfindel’s nonchalant expression. Across the room, Galadriel smiled and drew her needle through the fabric she held, obviously thinking she knew the answer. Erestor smiled, almost laughed, and answered fondly, “Feanor.”
