Part Forty-Two

"Why, Glorfindel?"

Elrond peered through the bars of the small dungeon cell in which his War Councilor was contained. Glorfindel had been chained to the wall much like Legolas had been, Elrond noted. He took the keys from the hook by the door and opened the cell so he could speak to Glorfindel properly.

The ancient golden-haired elf looked up at Elrond, his long locks falling around his shoulders and the dark blue tunic which highlighted the pale color of his azure eyes. His expression was unfathomable to the Lord of Imladris. He had thought he knew Glorfindel well, even considered him a dear friend, but right now, Elrond had to wonder.

"I am not certain you can be made to understand, Lord Elrond," Glorfindel replied slowly after a long minute. "Certainly Thranduil cannot, so I must beg you this. Do not offer to exchange yourself for me. For Elladan, yes, of course, but not me. I realize now the gravity of my actions."

"Do you, Glorfindel? What could have caused you to think that poisoning Haldir and kidnapping the Prince would not have repercussions?"

"I did not wish Haldir dead nor Legolas harmed."

"Glorfindel—"

"Come now, Elrond, we all know that the spider poison is harmless."

"Harmless! Did you see how ill he was?"

"Your cure made him ill, not the poison," Glorfindel reminded him.

"I suppose you think I should have left him unconscious."

"That was what I intended."

"But, why? Why?" Elrond threw his hands up in the air and paced in a small circle. "Haldir is a valuable retainer to Lady Galadriel, the most trusted of her border guard, and he is going to be the Marchwarden of the Golden Wood. He—"

"He is the Prince's lover," Glorfindel interrupted. "I thought you wanted Legolas for Arwen. What sort of husband will he be if he is always pining for Haldir, or dragging Arwen off to Lórien?"

"First of all, Arwen loves to visit Lothlórien. You know she is there right now. Second of all, I have every confidence that Legolas would devote himself to a commitment if he made one. And last—earlier you claimed to have done this for… for Saelbeth."

"Please know that Saelbeth was never involved," Glorfindel sighed. "He is far more noble than he is given credit for. And Elrond, he is lonely, more lonely than even you were before we came here, or than I am--"

Glorfindel cut himself off, and Elrond knew he had revealed more than he meant to. "You have tender feelings for Saelbeth."

"Perhaps."

"A wiser course would have been to pursue those feelings. You might have saved both him and yourself from loneliness and prevented this travesty," Elrond sighed.

"I believed that he was in love with Legolas."

"And it would be better for Legolas to love Saelbeth than Haldir? How would that make him a better husband for Arwen?"

"Thranduil would permit Saelbeth to accompany his son to Imladris. Saelbeth might keep Legolas happy, and therefore Legolas would keep Arwen happy, and you could go to Valinor, so you would be happy—"

"You knew about that?"

"I am not a fool, Elrond."

"And having Saelbeth near, but in love with Legolas, would that make you happy, if you feel for him?"

"Eventually perhaps I might have taken him for myself and left Legolas to Arwen…"

"This seems a very complex and convoluted plan, Glorfindel."

"Perhaps. It would have succeeded if Elladan had not interfered."

"I fail to see what you mean."

"I intended for Saelbeth to rescue Legolas, which might spur their tender feelings for each other while Haldir slept."

"I see."

"Unfortunately, Elladan got there first and could not resist putting his hands all over the Prince. I suppose I cannot blame him. Elladan is the loneliest of all and will likely be more so by the end of this voyage."

Elrond was slightly surprised. He had never thought of Elladan as being lonely. Or Elrohir, either. To the contrary, the pair of them took unseemly amounts of lovers, at least since their mother had left, something Elrond generally overlooked since they were so seldom at home any more. He missed his trouble-making sons when they were out fighting orcs in the mountains. More than they knew.

"Perhaps I should sit down and speak to him."

"Perhaps you should. Elrond…my lord, my friend for so many years, until now, perhaps, I must ask you something," Glorfindel said. A strange light shone in his eyes and in that moment Elrond pitied him.

"I am still your friend," Elrond said. "Ask what you will."

"Does Thranduil mean to take my life?"

"No!" Elrond exclaimed, horrified by the idea, but then he paused. "Ah, that is, he has not mentioned such."

"I suppose it would not be so bad," Glorfindel mused. "By the will of the Valars I would return. I did so once, when I perished fighting that Balrog. I will submit to whatever punishment he deems necessary. He will make it something painful, I am certain. He has his reputation to uphold, after all. And I was not so much aware that he wished his son to love Haldir."

"Is that what you think?" Elrond asked slowly.

He still felt shocked and sickened over the idea that Thranduil might order Glorfindel's life forfeit, and he determined to himself that this must not happen. He thought of how tender Thranduil could be… then he thought of how fierce and angry he could be as well. Glorfindel had trifled with the one thing that the Elvenking loved most in the world, his son.

"Give up the marriage. Let Arwen find her own husband. She will choose well. All of your children are wise and well-raised. They will all make you proud. As for the Lady Celebrían, she will be waiting for you on the far-off day when you get to Valinor. Do not rush that day. You know you have many more obligations here in Arda. Has not King Thranduil become one of them? He would not wish you to leave him so soon."

"You speak wisely, Lord Glorfindel, and you remind me why you have always been one of my most trusted Councilors, even if you have made a grave error in judgement."

"Go to your lover, Elrond. Do not plead for my life. Let him follow his own wisdom in this matter. I expect my punishment to be harsh."

Elrond seized the keys and dropped to his knees beside Glorfindel. He felt his fingers tremble as he reached for the lock.

"No!" cried Glorfindel. "Do not do this! Lord Elrond! Leave me here. You will only make it worse on us all."

Elrond gasped and pulled back. He stared down at Glorfindel, then bent and kissed him gently on the mouth. They should have been offering each other consolation, he thought wildly, but in that moment as their lips met, Elrond knew without a doubt that his own heart belonged solidly to Thranduil.

Without another word he got to his feet, locked Glorfindel back into the cell, and put the keys back on their hook as he left the dungeon.