"And he has such an inflated ego, I can barely stand him!"
Both Erestor and Glorfindel paused. Each had been walking in the opposite direction down the hallway, and just as they had been about to pass the door to Elrond's office and wish each other a good day, the eruption sprang forth from the mouth of their lord. Erestor stopped midglide, while Glorfindel placed his foot back on the ground quite decidedly not going any further forward. Instead, they edged silently to the door, both of them making a pact with each other without saying a word.
`Is he talking about me, or is he talking about you?' was the unasked question. For each to have even pondered the question was a sure sign that not one, but both, held quite the opinion of themselves. Each pressed an ear to the door, rather silly considering their heritage and ability to hear quite clearly without coming much closer than they had been as they had passed.
Now it was the voice of the lady of the house that spoke, a sigh of exasperation escaping her lips. "You were the one who told Elrohir you would keep him around for him. If you don't want him here, just... send him to Lothlorien, I'm sure my mother would take care of him. Then Elrohir can visit any time he likes."
Shifting his gaze from the door to Erestor, Glorfindel gave his friend a sympathetic look. It was common knowledge that of all of their students, it was Elrohir who favored Erestor and Elladan who looked up to Glorfindel. In fact, they sometimes joked that it was the two of them who were raising Elrond's grown sons, for their father had his hands full with little Arwen.
"If he didn't have his claws in everything, it would not be so bad," responded Elrond. There was a pause before he added, "It just seems like he has to be a part of everything that goes on."
Erestor made some sort of a semi-rude gesture, which meant more `well, obviously, I have to be part of everything, else I would be a useless advisor' than it meant the expletive that oft was shouted while one gestured in such a way. Glorfindel gave him a pat on the shoulder, at which time he chanced to look down and take note that, despite the dark robes and black shoes that the advisor was wearing, he had on pink and minty green socks. Blinking and looking again at a slightly different angle, Glorfindel pointed at Erestor's feet, but said nothing. The advisor simply tugged his robes down to better cover the burst of pastel Glorfindel had just seen.
"Well, alright, I understand. But Elrond, dear, do you need to keep referring to him as a beast?" questioned Celebrian.
The advisors pressed their ears to the door once again. "I did not call him a beast," argued Elrond. "I called him a scruffy little hell-beast of Mordor."
Erestor's hand reached for the handle of the door, but with Glorfindel blocking it, he motioned for the seneschal to move. Glorfindel shook his head, pressing closer to the door so that Erestor could not reach around him. Narrowing his eyes and about to shove Glorfindel out of the way, both of them stilled at Elrond's next line.
"He looks like a beast of Mordor, with those vicious green eyes of his."
Erestor drew back and crossed his arms over his chest with a puzzled look. Sure, there might have been a hint of green, but Erestor was quite positive his eyes were brown, or mostly so at least. He frowned when he saw the hurt look in Glorfindel's green eyes, but then took note of the fact that in the place where the warrior should have a hunting knife stowed, there was a ripe yellow banana hanging off of his belt. Lifting his look of confusion up to meet Glorfindel's eyes, no answer came for Erestor, for the seneschal merely drew his cloak around his side to conceal his `weapon'.
"Let's just get rid of him and be done with it, then," Celebrian said in an annoyed voice.
Erestor was wringing his hands, and Glorfindel bit his bottom lip. Sure, they had both had their days, days when Elrond threatened them with banishment- but that was normal for those who served in such positions, was it not? Especially after so long a time- no other realm had a ruling triad that had lasted this long, for the war had in fact brought to an end all previous chief councils except the one here in Imladris.
"No, he can stay." A sigh was emitted, and then Elrond said, "I can't help it. He's just so damned cute."
At this, both advisors warily looked at the panel of wood that separated them from the room.
"More so when he crawls up onto my bed in the morning and rubs against me."
Each of the advisors stepped away from the door quickly. Erestor gave an accusing look to Glorfindel, but Glorfindel's eyes were as wide as his own as he adamantly shook his head.
"I think," said Celebrian in a voice much calmer than either advisor thought it should be, "that if we follow my mother's advice and just castrate him, it will solve all of our problems. She told me that Thranduil had one castrated, and now he's very easy to deal with. Sits on his lap when he is in court on his throne without making a fuss, or so I have been told."
Lifting his hands up in the universal position of `I do not want to know and I will be spending the rest of my day hiding in my office', Erestor turned sharply on his heal, heading back in the direction he had come in. Deciding that, taking the advice of a chief advisor was usually a good idea, Glorfindel began to retreat in the opposite direction.
Before reaching the end of the hallway, each of them turned around again. Erestor gave the partially concealed banana one last curious look, while Glorfindel rubbed his jaw as he regarded Erestor's multicolored socks. Shaking their heads to themselves, they turned their respective corners of the hallway. Some unasked questions were better left unanswered.
-end-
Inflated Ego by Zhie