Denouement by hennethgalad

Chapter 1

Denouement.- 

   They had made love three times when the guard arrived; Glorfindel was entering the stranger from behind in a leisurely way, unable to prevent himself. The stranger shone brightly, a faint smile curving his cheek. Glorfindel could not stop carressing him, his hands drawn to the smooth gold skin like rain to the ground.

  He did not stop when the guard cleared his throat and said 'I beg your pardon, my lord...' Glorfindel frowned at the guard, the stranger had closed his eyes.

  'What ?' said Glorfindel impatiently. But the guard was looking not at Glorfindel but at the stranger

  'My lord Finrod, The high king requests your presence for luncheon, sire.'

   Glorfindel froze, and felt the stranger go still in his arms

   'What ? Finrod ? You are King Finrod Finarfion ? You ?'

   Finrod looked briefly at Glorfindel, then spoke to the guard 'Thankyou, please tell Fingolfin that I shall have a guest with me. You have leave to go.'

  The guard bowed, then said 'Thankyou sire.' he paused for half a breath, then said, as deliberately as one playing a winning piece in a game 'Lord Glorfindel.' and was gone.

   Finrod jerked 'Glorfindel ? You are Glorfindel. ha. I should have guessed....' 
Glorfindel, still mechanically moving inside Finrod, put his hand on the back of his head and drew him into a kiss. But now they looked intently into each other's eyes, and Glorfindel pulled away, stood up and shouted 'NO !'

  Finrod winced and turned over, but his hands were still bound to the tree and he could do nothing. Glorfindel was swearing under his breath; he picked up a fallen branch, thick enough to kill with, and snapped it between his hands like a twig. Finrod gritted his teeth, this would not even be a dignified death, let alone a heroic one.

  Glorfindel strode back and forth then turned and threw himself into the pool. Finrod raised his head and leaned forward anxiously, was he to be left here, helpless...

   But Glorfindel was there, rising from the water like Ulmo, shaking his hair, breaking Finrod's heart. He stood over Finrod and looked at him as though for the first time. Finrod could barely breathe, he felt as if the world, as if time itself had paused, waiting for Glorfindel to speak.

  But Glorfindel knelt beside Finrod and reached a cold hand out and laid it across Finrod's hip and said 'Nothing will ever stop me from loving you. Your name is not important. If it was, then what has been between us could not have been. But I was once warned that I, that my, my looks would see me turned into the plaything of one of you princes. I will not ! I wish to found a House, I wish to be master of my own fate, not the lapdog of some other, no, not even you.'

   His eyes filled with tears 'But I love you, Finrod Finarfion, I always will. I am sorry. I thought I had found the elf of my dreams, who would stay by my side, in battle and in bed, until the end of time, but you, you are the... the king, this is your land, this is your pool, this is your gorse bush. I have wandered into your garden and seduced you.' He grimaced at the sky and then at Finrod and cried ' Why did you not tell me ?'

   Finrod sighed 'You did not ask. But I am sorry that you doubt me, for I meant it when I said I would give you everything. I hold to that purpose. I have no wish to be king of anything save your heart. My brother will gladly assume my responsibilities, and I will follow you wherever you go.'

   Glorfindel snorted 'Do not be foolish, I am a soldier, I sleep in a little tent, not a grand pavillion. When I thought you were just another elf, I could happily share my tent with you, but do you think I could endure to see you, Finrod, hunched in the corner ? Do you think that your family would tolerate even the suggestion ? It is absurd.'

   Finrod nodded 'They would not permit it. But I have another suggestion. As king, I am unable to do as I please, so I will give that to Orodreth. But the thing I would choose to do is to explore Beleriand, to follow this river all the way to the sea and hence to follow the coast up to Vinyamar. I will tell Fingolfin, truly, that I am scouting for bases, and that I need a rest from formal duties. Will you accompany me on this quest, my beloved ?' 

   Glorfindel looked down at the naked, helpless Finrod, his anxious eyes fixed on Glorfindel. There was a moment of stillness, then Glorfindel leaned forward to kiss Finrod, saying 'it is no use, you will never escape them.' When he raised his head again, he was frowning, Finrod shivered, Glorfindel was wet and cold. Glorfindel himself seemed to realize this, and picked up Finrod's shirt and dried himself with it. Finrod smiled briefly, but made certain no trace of the smile remained when Glorfindel turned to him again.

   'I cannot.' groaned Glorfindel 'I cannot be your lapdog.' Finrod did smile this time, and looked at his bound hands 'But Glorfindel, by this time, the whole of Mereth Aderthad will know what we have done here today. They already know that it is I who am your lapdog.'

  Glorfindel looked stunned, then glared after the guard, then back at Finrod 'No ! You can play at being tied up by a handsome stranger, you are king Finrod, for you it is an amusement. For me, it would be a living death. I have my work, I have my name to make, I do not wish to be a mere footnote to your story !'

   Finrod sighed and nodded. 'I do understand. We could go to Doriath, I have kin there...' Even as the words left his mouth he knew he had said the wrong thing. The vastness of his powerful family oppressed him 'Oh my love, I would follow you into the uttermost east... Let us leave this place and vanish. We can disappear, I may be a poor king, but I am a very good scout, we can follow the water and melt into the east.'

   Glorfindel gripped his head in both hands and bowed as if under a great weight 'I cannot bear it.! ' he cried 'I was so very happy ! All my dreams, realized, made flesh, in my arms... And now nothing.'

   Finrod moaned 'No ! No ! Do not speak so ! I am here, I would do anything for you, you know that I would ! This is not a game for me, you are my life ! If you walk away from me I will follow you until you forbid me to pursue you. '

  Glorfindel blinked and looked almost curiously at him, as if the idea that Finrod was sincere was only now beginning to occur to him. 'What can we do ?' he said hoarsely 'Can we leave ?' 

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Chapter End Notes

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