Part Forty-Five

Elladan had really, really come to hate Mirkwood, Saelbeth, and Lord Glorfindel. He was also ready to add Haldir's brothers to that list, since they had been the ones who had been given the job of tangling Glorfindel into the spider web and had went at it a little bit too gleefully.

Legolas and Haldir were not exactly on his good side, either. He could not believe they had aroused him so thoroughly and left him. Oh, he had been expected to be used, and though he almost never took the submissive roles with his lovers, that had not been so bad. Despite the Prince's inexperience, Elladan had enjoyed being taken by Legolas. Again he thought it was a shame that Haldir had gotten to his heart first.

He would have liked Legolas to fall in love with him… even if he did not think he could love anyone back. He felt cold inside. How could that ever change? Elladan did not know where to begin.

They had left him naked, aching, vulnerable, and alone, and he had stayed in that state until King Thranduil had come to free him many long hours later. He remembered how humiliated he had been when the King stepped into the room and found him, then chuckled lightly. Elladan had seen the spark of lust in Thranduil's eyes and for a moment he had thought the King would take advantage of his helplessness as well. Elladan would not have minded if Thranduil would have soothed his raging desire.

Thranduil had taken a seat on the bed next to him, run his big, cool hand over Elladan's tense chest, stroking his ribs, the flank of his thigh. Elladan had to bite his lip not to beg the King. Tears had sparked in his eyes. Thranduil offered him a consolatory look and unlocked the chains.

"If I was not already sleeping with your father, I would make short work of you, Elladan," Thranduil had commented calmly. "You have grown up to be quite a fair creature. I imagine Legolas and Haldir quite enjoyed punishing you."

"I am surprised that I am to be set free at all," Elladan said. "Legolas said he might keep me chained up for years."

"Be glad that you are the son of Elrond, or I would let him," Thranduil smirked.

Thranduil, Elladan admitted grudgingly to himself, had been kind to him, providing him with a clean chamber, with food, and sending Elrohir to him. Finally he had been able to end his own torment when he was alone, then when his brother arrived they sat speaking quietly together for many hours long into the night. If anything good had come of this, Elladan supposed, it was that it had drawn himself and Elrohir closer together. It meant everything that Elrohir had stood up for him. Lately they had been arguing so much, and Elladan was glad to see an end to it.

Elladan had been as shocked as anyone else when Legolas had assigned him to help Lord Glorfindel escape from his punishment. It was an odd sort of punishment, but Elladan preferred what he had had to suffer himself vastly to being ensnared in a spider web. The entire population of Mirkwood had seen them out into the wood and left them. Glorfindel had a long sword strapped to his thigh, but he and Saelbeth had been given no weapons. Elrohir had embraced him before he was forced to leave with the others, whispering to him that a cache of weapons had been hidden inside a hollow tree nearby.

"Wait until we are out of hearing before you retrieve them."

"I love you, my brother," Elladan had said, feeling a lump form in the back of his throat.

"I will see you again soon, and Glorfindel, and Saelbeth," Elrohir had replied. "You will escape this easily. After all, we have already cleared the spiders out of this part of the wood. This web is long abandoned."

Saelbeth had taken a seat on the ground, forcing Elladan down with him, very close to where Glorfindel had been stuck into the spider web, and they waited for the rest of the elves to abandon them.

"I do not see why I should be roped into this," Saelbeth had groused.

"You could have refused," said Elladan.

"Refuse Thranduil? Are you mad?"

"He is not as wicked as he would have his subjects believe."

"You do not truly know him."

"Neither do you."

"Any time you wish to start helping me out of this mess would be fine with be," Glorfindel said cheerfully. "I really do appreciate your assistance."

"Why did you get me involved in this?" Saelbeth groused.

Glorfindel sighed. "I like you."

"Bloody well and good," Saelbeth muttered. "How nice."

"I think it is awfully sweet," Elladan said in sugared tones, mostly to pique Saelbeth more. "After all, no one commits violent acts in the name of love for me."

"That is because no one loves you," Glorfindel said.

"I could easily leave you up there," Elladan threatened.

Glorfindel and Saelbeth both chuckled. Wonderful, Elladan thought, at last they were sharing a moment. Delightful.

"You really need to learn how to treat others, Elladan," Glorfindel commented.

"I cannot believe you would dare say such a thing to me after what you did."

"Nobody understands," Glorfindel sighed. "Legolas—Well. Never mind. Right then, any time you are ready to set me free."

Saelbeth tried to get to his feet, tugging at Elladan, who was facing the opposite direction. "Get up."

"I am not inclined to get up just yet."

"You are weighing me down. You must get up so I can rise."

"Stay on your knees. Glorfindel might enjoy that."

"You are a bastard."

"I would enjoy that," Glorfindel said.

"You are both bastards."

"So I have no chance with you at all, my fair Saelbeth?" Glorfindel asked. "I could take you back to Imladris, you know."

"Assuming a giant spider does not eat you first," Elladan added cheerfully.

"If you are so terrified of Thranduil, you might enjoy getting away from him," Glorfindel added. "And if Legolas marries Arwen, you will be near your beloved prince."

"Legolas will not marry Arwen," Saelbeth sighed. "He has given his heart to Haldir and he will not take it back."

"Love has little to do with duty," Glorfindel said.

"I wish the two of you would stop talking," Elladan mumbled.

"I wish you would get up, so we might get this over with!" said Saelbeth. He pushed at Elladan. Elladan purposefully slumped over on his side, dragging Saelbeth further down. This sent the elf of Mirkwood into a rage, and Elladan could not help laughing as Saelbeth began to pummel him, shouting for him to get up.

"Elladan," Glorfindel said calmly. "Do as he says."

Elladan lifted his head and shook his dark hair out of his eyes to look at Glorfindel. "Why should I—"

He cut himself off as he saw the spider making its way down the web towards the War Councilor.