Part One

"Do you not think my father will be terribly worried?" Elladan asked as he reclined on a soft, white velvet couch in his grand-mother's rooms in Caras Galadhon.

Lord Glorfindel passed Elladan a plate of sliced, sugared peaches and he selected one and slipped it into his mouth, the juice sweet and cool on his tongue. It ran down his chin and Elladan saw Glorfindel stare for a moment before Elladan wiped his face on his sleeve. Galadriel pretended not to notice this extreme gaffe of etiquette, for which Elladan was grateful. He gave Glorfindel a cold look. The last thing he needed was for the War Councilor to focus his attention on him. After all, look where it had gotten Saelbeth. Elladan did not even really want to think about where the Mirkwood elf was now.

Galadriel smiled at Elladan and he felt a sense of peace looking into her eyes. His heart swelled with affection for the beautiful Lady of Light, and he was proud to be part of her family. Just being looked at so tenderly, so lovingly, made him relax. Galadriel never found fault with him, no matter how much he misbehaved, nor with Arwen or Elrohir, and the three of them were devoted to her.

"I am certain that Father is desperately upset," said Arwen, who sat beside their grand-mother. "You are always upsetting him, Elladan."

Elladan toyed with the idea of telling his sister she was going to be forced to marry the Prince of Mirkwood just to be spiteful, but Galadriel's presence stopped him. He also thought that this might not be a bad idea, as then Legolas would be all the more accessible to him.

Was he becoming a masochist? Legolas had tormented him and left him unfulfilled. Did he really want to go back for more? And what about Haldir? He certainly would not be interested in a repeat of the event (preferably a repeat that was a bit sweeter at the end for Elladan, anyway.)

"Your father will know to come to me, and all will be well. Elrond knows how to keep a calm head," Galadriel said, taking the dish of fruit away from Arwen before she could eat all of it.

"It is Elrohir who has probably killed half the elves in Mirkwood by now," Arwen added cheerfully.

"Let us hope not, or we will all owe Thranduil our lives in tribute," Galadriel said lightly. Elladan grinned at his sister's look of horror. She never expected Galadriel to tease.

"This is really all my fault," Glorfindel said casually, looking over at the plate of fruit. Galadriel passed it back to him.

"You certainly made an error in judgement," Galadriel agreed, "But Thranduil decreed your punishment and you fulfilled it."

"He did," Glorfindel agreed, "But really, such a pity that Elladan and Saelbeth were made to suffer as well."

"I understand that Elladan was not completely without fault," Galadriel said, looking at him.

Elladan felt his ears turning red. He did not want to discuss his punishment at Legolas' hands with her, but he knew that merely by calling it to the front of his mind she probably knew.

"Saelbeth, however-"

"I leave the fate of Saelbeth in Lord Celeborn's hands," Galadriel said gently interrupting Glorfindel. "Do you find fault with my judgement, Lord Glorfindel?"

Glorfindel looked down at the peaches as if he were afraid that Galadriel would take them back. There really was not very much left on the plate at this point, so he scooped up the last few slices and stuffed them into his mouth. To Elladan's mind, this was an excellent way of avoiding answering Galadriel. Glorfindel shook his head and Galadriel smiled.

"Would you care for some more fruit, Lord Glorfindel?"

"Thank you, no," Glorfindel said. "Actually, I think I shall pay a visit to Lord Celeborn just now. Will you come with me, Elladan?"

"But I have not seen the Lady Galadriel in some time," Elladan said, fidgeting. He glanced at Arwen and knew that she wanted more peaches nearly as much as he did. Galadriel shook her head.

"Nor have you seen Lord Celeborn."

"He is probably… busy," Elladan trailed off lamely. He did not want to think about what his grand-father might be doing to Saelbeth.

Elladan felt his cheeks and ears reddening as he remembered what had happened back in Mirkwood nearly a week ago. The three of them had been trapped in the spider web, surrounded by baby spiders preparing to hatch. How Celeborn had known they were there was still a mystery to Elladan but never had he been more pleased to see the Lord of Lórien. Celeborn had had a good laugh over their predicament and refused to let them down until they told him every detail of what had happened to get them there.

He had admonished Glorfindel and Elladan sternly for their behavior, but Saelbeth he had viewed in a different light. Elladan had been aware of Celeborn's attraction to Saelbeth from the first, and of Glorfindel's jealousy. Saelbeth wanted nothing to do with any of them at this point. Elladan had thought the Mirkwood elf was warming up to Glorfindel, but he had already withdrawn any display of affection. Nor was he interested in Celeborn. All Saelbeth claimed that he wanted was to go home.

"Are you going to kill the spider?" Elladan had asked. It was still laying eggs.

"It is too busy to harm you," Celeborn said jovially. "Leave it for Thranduil to clean up."

Celeborn had been wise enough to know that the best way to escape the sticky threads of the web was to cut them out of their clothing. He seemed to take a great delight in hacking and slashing their garments, though Elladan admired his skill in that not one of them offered the slightest cut from his ministrations. Celeborn had generously given Elladan his cloak to wrap himself in, but Saelbeth and Glorfindel were forced to walk naked back to Lothlórien, a hike of two days.

"Why do we not go to Mirkwood palace?" Saelbeth had cried.

"Thranduil overstepped his bounds. I claim you as collateral, Saelbeth," Celeborn had said.

Saelbeth had hung his head in shame and Glorfindel had argued vehemently against this almost all the way back to Lórien. Elladan just did not wish to think about it. He enjoyed Celeborn's preferential treatment of him, much as he enjoyed the fact that both grand-parents fussed over him when they arrived. Galadriel had ushered him to the bathing pool, then checked him over for cuts and bruises.

When she had satisfied herself that Elladan was fine, she had provided him with fresh clothing. Elladan was pleased to have lost his own when he found himself dressed in one of his grand-father's beautiful white silk robes embroidered in gold. He knew it suited him, as well. He knew that many of the Galadhrim were admiring him when he and Glorfindel dined with them in the banquet hall.

He had not seen Saelbeth in three days, since they had arrived. Had Elladan (and Glorfindel) not been so busy lying around conversing with his sister and grand-mother, eating well, drinking wine, and deciding which of the Galadhrim would make a good potential new lover, he might have felt ashamed of the fact that an elf of Mirkwood had been taken prisoner by his grand-father.

Elladan was reminded of this when Glorfindel insisted that they go see Celeborn, now. Why now? What difference did it make, now?

"Go on, Elladan," Galadriel said. "I have much to do, myself. Arwen will need a new gown, and I must have a banquet prepared for our arriving guests."

"What guests?" Elladan asked suspiciously.

"Your father and Lord Thranduil will arrive late tonight, I believe," Galadriel said.

"A new gown!" said Arwen.

Elladan decided to follow Glorfindel. It was better than becoming involved in a discussion about clothing for his sister.