Elladan lay curled upon the lavish bed, his head resting on his brother's lap as he cried bitter tears of self-recrimination. While Elrohir, leaned against the headboard and gently caressed the sable locks, trying to soothe his twin's distress.
" Nay, meleth nin. Do not castigate yourself so. We have both been drunk with the heady wine of newfound acceptance, perhaps it was inevitable that we would become careless from it."
Their minds went back to that late-night kiss in the hallway for in truth, it had been their only indiscretion. Elladan buried his head into his gwenneth's soft sleep pants.
" I am sorry, seron vell... I am so sorry."
" Elladan..." The name was spoken in a loving whisper. " I do not deny that I fear what will happen when the council convenes. But I am glad, glad I say, that we no longer have to keep our bond a secret. I am tired of hiding, meleth."
Elladan looked up and saw that the grey eyes gazing back at him harbored not even a hint of reproach. Elrohir smiled, trailing soft fingers along his brother's moistened cheeks, before continuing.
" We have always known that eventually we would have to make the choice to sunder from our elven heritage. Yet this I tell you truly; I would rather live one human lifespan by your side, than to face eternity without you."
For all that they were quietly spoken, those words resonated with the force of utter conviction and Elladan felt his heart pound with the surge of emotion they wrought in him.
" Elrohir.... my Elrohir..."
With tears spilling anew from his eyes Elladan pushed himself upwards, even as Elrohir slid down, until their faces met over the plush pillow. Their kiss was tender, loving, poignant and it seemed that all the lit candles within the stone sanctuary further softened their glow, in response to the moment.
Their lips parted and Elladan sighed as he beheld the atonishing male beauty before him, for no matter how many centuries passed, his brother entranced him, ever anew. But the sigh trailed off to a sad ending, when his mind unwittingly pictured that beloved face being ravaged by the doom of mortality. He felt the strong, yet infinitely gentle hand of his twin come to rest upon his cheek, as Elrohir answered his despairing thoughts out loud.
" I will love every line that appears on your face. I will be held in wondrous thrall when your sable hair turns to silver, as I am by the turning of the leaves during the autumn. And I will warm you in my arms, when the winter of our lives comes upon us. I will cherish you Elladan, through all the seasons of our mortal life toguether, for you will ever be beautiful in my eyes."
While Elrohir spoke, Elladan brought his own hand up to trace soft fingers on the ethereal smoothness of his brother's brow and a beatific smile curved his lips, as the heartfelt words changed his bitter perceptions.
Aye.. He, too, could learn to revel in the changes that their choice would bring. And not one moment of that life would he waste, for each should be made even more precious, by the very nature of its brevity. Halting the motion of his fingers, Elladan gazed deeply into the eyes of his bonded mate.
" You are my strength, my hope and my heart, Elrohir... And all the words in all the languages of Arda and Aman, cannot even begin to express what I feel for you." He said, his voice thickened by the full measure of his love.
Elrohir moved further beneath his brother, parting his legs as his arm's embrace gently urged Elladan to come rest fully between them. His breath became a fluttering caress upon upon the lips of his beloved.
" Then show me..." He whispered.
And Elladan did.
Elrond stood by the balcony doors at the far end of his quarter's sitting room, his eyes marking the fact that Ithil was waning from it's full light. That light, still radiantly glorious, bathed the proud nude body of the half-elven Lord, bringing an opalescent glow to his skin that contrasted eerily, but beautifully, with the dark mantle of his sable hair.
To the sea-green eyes watching silently from the entrance to the bedchamber, his Lord and lover looked both magnificent, yet strangely vulnerable. The sight brought a change to the song that resided always in his minstrel's heart, suffusing the melody with new notes of melancholy.
Elrond, lost in his own sad musings, was not aware of being observed. Nor did his usually sharp ears register the nearly inaudible sound of approaching steps, until the feel of soft arms encircling him from behind, gently startled him to attention. For a brief moment, he thought those comforting arms to be his beloved Celebrian's and his breath exhaled the whisper of her name. But then his brow furrowed in painful reminder of her continued absence, even as he internally cringed at the thought that he had, perhaps, wounded his lover by that inadvertent slip.
" I am sorry Lindir. I did not mean to..."
He felt those arms leave him and his words trailed off, in chagrin. But Lindir only circled around to embrace his Lord from the front, his dulcet voice cutting off any possible continuance to the apology.
" Nay, Elrond. There is no need for such words between us."
Elrond's own arms tightened around the minstrel's slender form and he buried his face in the fragrant white tresses, grateful for the other's selfless understanding. For long moments, they stood thus entwined, before they eased their embrace to stand side by side. Their arms drapped companiably around each other's waists and both brought their eyes up to gaze at Ithil through the balcony doors. Then Elrond sighed, heavily.
" I fear the outcome of the council." He began. " I fear that my lady's heart will not withstand the pain, if all of our children are left behind in Arda. I fear for my sons...for Arwen. And I fear that Imladris will be torn asunder by these events."
Elrond closed his eyes, his brow knitted by worry and sorrow and his next words came out in a pained whisper.
" I am like a leaf caught in a strong wind, Lindir, helpless to do naught but endure the gale.."
The minstrel's heart ached as he heard the defeat in the powerful Lord's voice. But he knew there was nothing he could say that would bring ease to his troubled lover's heart. So they stood, both now silent, bodies bathed by the pale rays of Ithil's light and Lindir felt his own fear grow, for he was certain that Elrond's words would prove prophetic...
TBC...