Elrond's mental querry was an echo of supressed anger.
He had left a slumbering Lindir behind in the bedchamber, his own troubled mind refusing to rest, even after their intense joining. And now he was standing on the balcony of the sitting room, where only hours earlier so much had been revealed.
{ And what would you have done if I had told you, Earendilion?. }
The returning echo of Galadriel's own voice was gentle. Yet beneath it lay the iron will of conviction, as she continued.
{ Would such knowledge not have affected your relantionship with them?. Would it not have made the path they have had to walk even more difficult?. }
{ I could have...! }
{ Separated them?.. } She interrupted.
Upon the balcony, Elrond's lips stretched into a grimace. For that was, indeed, what he would have done. Separated them. In the futile hope that their forbidden love could be reversed, that it would not lead them to...
The Lady of Light's next words were further softened by her intimate understanding of his heartache.
{ The Valar have asked for many sacrifices from your line, and from you in particular. }
{ Is this the last then?. } He sent in anguish { That Celebrian and I should lose all of our children to the doom of man?!. }
{ That has not yet been decided. } The Lady answered { Love and hope are the sustaining forces of Arda. The very pillars that support our own trek through inmortatily... }
And with those parting words her voice faded into the night air, leaving Elrond to gaze upon the star of his sire, the Mariner.
" Adar.." He whispered. " Help me..."
" You are still troubled, seron vell."
Melpomaen's soft words were tinged with concern as he scooted in the plush bed to spoon behind Glorfindel, before placing a gentle kiss on one powerful shoulder. The Balrog Slayer turned, gathering his lover into a tight embrace and resting his cheek atop the tawny hair.
" I dislike ominous portents. I dislike not knowing the nature of what is to come." He gruffed.
Melpomaen nuzzled his neck, causing the golden Lord to utter a drawn-out sigh. Soft lips began to trail kisses up to an earlobe and that sigh turned into a moan, as Glorfindel's loins responded.
" Mayhaps I can do something to ease your mind?..." The young elf whispered hotly, before his tongue delved into the conch of that ear.
Melpomaen's fingers teased the nub of one of his love's hardened nipples while his mouth continued with the sensual assault, moving back down to greedily suckle on the curved neck, until it showed a string of cherry-colored marks. He then gently pushed at the unresisting body, laying the Balrog Slayer onto his back, before fastening his lips onto the spot where his fingers had just been. Colbat eyes glazed with pleasure and the Lord moved his own hands to reciprocate, only to be stopped by his young lover.
" Melpomaen..." He groaned.
" Shhh..." The soft voice answered. " Let me do this for you, meleth nin."
Melpomaen then moved to part Glorfindel's legs, settling between them as he leaned over the lithe, but muscular body, to kiss and nip at the heaving chest. His delicate scribe's hands caressed the sides of the taut stomach as his tongue travelled downwards to rapidly flick into the dimple at the center, turning a gesture that would have normally brought on a fit of giggles, into one that wrought a needful moan instead, as the Balrog Slayer thrust his hips up in involuntary desperation to feel that tongue on his hard shaft.
Only moments later the younger elf complied, knowing that what his lover needed now, was the mindless oblivion of release. And so, without further preamble, he engulfed his beloved into the wet, sucking heat of his mouth. Glorfindel's back arched off the bed and he closed his eyes in ecstasy.
" Ahhh!... Melpomaen..."
Elsewhere, Ja-zel stood by the balcony doors of the chambers she now shared with the Chief Advisor of Imladris, her dark eyes staring out at the forlon figure of Elrond who was standing on his own balcony, a ways away.
She felt her mate's arms encircle her from behind and she leaned back into his embrace, with a soft sigh. Erestor's ebony eyes grew pensive as he beheld the object of her attention, his heart aching to see his longtime friend looking so troubled. His thoughts turned to the conversation he and Ja-zel had shared only moments before.
" I know you may not speak of what you saw in the mirror, beloved. But please tell me that all to come is not darkness. Tell me that there is hope." He said, his normally cool voice betraying the trepidation within him.
One of her hands gently sqeezed the arms wrapped around the front of her waist, the other reaching up and back to cup at the side of the face resting against her dark curls.
" There is always hope, my love..." She whispered.
" All this time... Grandmother knew, all this time..."
Elrohir's voice held a note of incredulous wonder, his mind still not quite sure what to make of that stunning revelation. Elladan, however, had no compunctions about his own immediate feelings on the matter.
" She could have made it easier for us." He said, bitterly.
Elrohir reached across and softly caressed his brother's face.
" Aye." He agreed " But she also could have made it much, much harder."
Impulsively, desperately, Elladan gathered his twin into his arms and kissed the sable tresses that were the exact replica of his own.
" We will not be parted! Promise me that we will never part!." His voice was harsh with anguish.
Elrohir returned the hug fiercely, his body trembling at the very thought.
" Never, meleth nin. No matter what..."
Further down the long hall housing the family wing of the Last Homely House, the occupants of two other chambers also found sleep eluding them.
Aragorn and Arwen stared at the ceilings of their respective rooms and pondered not only on what was to come, but on what it might mean to their own future...
TBC...