The Captive by Glorified

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Chapter 5: Crossed wires and Double Entendre!

Elrond steps in to push Ella into seeing something she is abjectly trying to ignore and pretend is not happening. The ensuing conversations are riddled with misunderstandings and embarrassment on Ella's part when it begins to dawn on her what Elrond is talking about. When Maglor confronts her Ella is put on the spot and has no where to hide. Warnings for slightly risque language and its meaning. 

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Chapter 5:

Crossed wires and Double Entendre!

 

Elrond came a few days later I had sent a carrier explaining what had happened and not to worry. Maglor was away working on the fences at the far side of the meadows which the intruders had broke through.

“It was not altogether unexpected”,

I nodded.

“I am ashamed”,

“What of?” I said,

“My kind”,

“Don’t be” I said, “Its not your fault”,

But if I had stopped you from taking him, you would not have had to suffer this censure”,

“Hah!”, I exclaimed, “When have I not had to suffer censure and no you know full well you could have not stopped me”,

“But I could have cautioned you, my heart miss gave me but I did not tell you so eager was I to have him settled safe somewhere other than locked behind bars, a prisoner…….. I,…. I am sorry”,

My old friend looked at me remorsefully,

“Don’t I said, “I won’t hear of it”,

“But”,

“Stop it I said taking his hands, stop the guilt trip, I knew what I was doing if not its full implications and I regret nothing, do you understand ?”,

“What swayed your mind that day?”,

“I’m not sure, I just found myself doing it. My father warned me that I would never belong given my mixed heritage, and I suppose I felt a strange affinity, empathy towards Maglor’s situation”. My voice broke and a strange wash of feelings overcame me.

Elrond came to me and held me me watching me tenderly as tears came. “Have you heard from your father, I shook my head.

“I suppose time runs differently for them”,

“I nodded”,

“He will come, I know it, I said,

“It was because of you too”, I said, “You showed me acceptance, a stranger, how then could I not offer that to one who you loved when given the chance”,

He pulled me to him and rocked me in his arms,

“Thank you”, he whispered.

 

Just then Maglor, came into the kitchen, He hugged Elrond smiling broadly,

“I thought I would come and get breakfast and take it with me, I can eat as I work”, he stated slicing bread.

I went to help him, looking for something to carry things in. I felt a strange reticence with Maglor in Elrond’s presence and the easy way we usually weaved around one another in the kitchen was lost and I found myself bumping him several times and found him eyeing me quietly wondering what the problem was. Elrond decided to join him and help with the repair of the fence and as they departed Maglor looked at me again assessing me momentarily and Elrond watched us both with a look of concern and questioning on his face.

I watched as they walked away over the meadow not sure of what had just transpired but I knew something had.

He came back a while later whilst I was preparing lunch.

“Where’s Maglor?” I asked,

“He wants to stay and finish the fencing he will join you later for supper”.

We sat down, and had a convivial meal just fresh bread and cheeses and salad with some white wine, my spirits lifted as Elrond told me about the gossip and goings on of his household.The Peredhil soon had me chortling at his tales of life in the New Imladris, I knew he was trying to lift my mood when suddenly he became altogether serious and took my hands in his,

 

“Tell me?”, he said looking at me questioningly with his soft grey eyes, he held me with a measured and astute gaze for several seconds.

“What I said?”, genuinely not understanding. “What is it I should tell you my dear friend I laughed?”,

“What?”, I asked again a little flustered by intent stare.

He nodded his head to himself as if in confirmation.

“You have a choice, he began, but once such matters rear their heads they need to be addressed for a peaceable resolution for both parties. From what I know of such matters things cannot be resolved expect through, the usual course”.

I looked at the Peredhil my heart sinking, it seemed the court of Finarfin had changed its mind and now would retract their decision to give me licence and probation of my guest.

“Then you will compose a letter, a plea for me?”.

It was now the Peredhil’s turn to look perplexed.” If you wish he said hesitantly but it is really not usual to compose a letter in these matters, it will seem overly formal when one could as easily speak in person”.

“Then I must go to Finafin’s court and sue my case in person?”, I said

The Peredhil looked at me for a few seconds trying to comprehend, “Why would you go to Finafin’s court to ask about such matters? It is not Finafin’s court you need to speak to but your guest himself”,

“But surely I began, the court must know my actions and my motives and I must be clear to them of my intentions towards him”,

The Peredhil looked a little surprised, “If you wish but surly this is an informal matter between the two of you and to broadcast it to the whole court, would you not find that embarrassing?”,

I looked at the Peredhil quizzically scrambling to catch up with what this conversation was about, where it was going?

“My advice is to talk to him. he will take up your meaning”,

I looked at him perplexed.

He sighed exasperatingly, “Have you not understood anything of what I have been speaking about ?Valar help me, I thought that such matters had passed you by but had not realised how dense you are at realising your own predicament”, said Elrond.

“What predicament?”, I repeated truly flummoxed now.

The Peredhil took my hands again. “We have been friends for a long time haven’t we?”

I nodded.

“Did you never wonder why we have been able to be friends and simply that and no more?”,

I pondered for a moment wondering where now was this strange conversation straying to….

“You”, I began….. “you mean like sweethearts?”

“Yes”, he said brightening.

“Well I would have never entertained the idea. you were betrothed, Celebrian”,

“Yes I was already spoken for”,

“But consider if I had not been?”,

I looked at my old friend beginning to feel really uncomfortable at this turn of the conversation.

“Please he said trying to sooth me, I am not propositioning you after all these years, but consider would friendship have turned to more if I had been free?”,

I looked at him blankly taking a few moments for the implications of what he was saying to filter through as I drew the requisite comparisons to my immediate situation and hung my head embarrassed that the Peredhil had observed in a few moments what I had been denying for months.

“Is it really so obvious?”, I asked as realisations began to slowly dawn.

“The Peredhil pulled me towards him and whispered near to my ear, “the energy pulsating around you both would ignite a fire five leagues from here”.

“But how has this happened?” I said aghast,

“Can you not see the duality of male and female will nearly always produce a problem in close company”,

“But how can this be resolved?” I asked,

The Peredhil looking at me questioningly. “How are such needs ever alleviated?”,

“Stars you cannot be saying what I think you are saying”, I said turning crimson,

The Peredhil continued looking intently at me saying nothing,

“I cannot, I cannot, how can I speak to him of …. of…. such matters! I cannot”, I reiterated once more.

“You MUST”, he stated adamantly, “that or let both of you burn ..….. and if you do not speak to him that will set up greater problems which will end up in unresolved tension on both sides. You must speak also because he cannot speak, because as your guest he is entirely dependant on your good grace for home and hearth”.

 

He smiled and kissed me on my forehead.

“I will go take my leave of him”, he nodded to the far meadow across the way where Maglor would be working.

“Talk to him”, he said before he took his leave. “Just broach it with him” he urged… “he will understand and take up your meaning”.

 

 

After he had gone I sat stupefied trying to gather my thoughts, The intricacies of gender had indeed passed me by for many years. I who had up until now prided myself with not being embroiled with the messy emotional entanglements of those around me was now caught in such a web. I who thought myself above the need to act upon such desires now felt the unassailable pull of them.I looked back thinking back to the many interactions between us where I have felt fixated and drawn to him, and the looks, and mutual gazes on both sides that held so much portent and unspoken desire. How in heavens was I going to even broach this with him, yet the Peredhil had been adamant I should or things would spoil between us.

 

Later as we sat, eating our evening meal he knew something was wrong with me,

“What is it Ella “, he asked softly.

Damn it I thought why Oh why could we not remain in this convivial place of friendly bonhomie. I knew once broached this conversation could not be undone.

“I ...I…”, my voice failed me,

“Ermhuh”, I cleared my throat to begin again, “You are happy here?”,

“Yes of course”,… he replied questioningly,

“Good”, I said overly brightly,

“Its just that you would tell me if you weren’t?”,

He quirked his eyebrows together at this point and leant on the table...”Of course!”,

“Oh Good, all good!”,

“Ella”, he began, “are you happy?” “Or …..do you find it difficult me being here?”,

“Yes, I am really really happy”, I said realising how stupidly inane I sounded in my own ears.

“I..I..I ..its just that is good when people get on isn’t it...er...er especially when they are the opposite sex”, there I had said it.

I looked across at Maglor he was looking at me frankly, openly and a slight smile of comprehension playing across his features.

Damn it I would throttle the Peredhil if he had said anything.

He leisurely pulled his chair back crossed his long legs in front of him taking slow sips of his wine and fixed me with his silver stare.

“SEX!” He said you talk of “SEX!” he elucidated each syllable in that way he had of making one word seem like a question.

I looked down abashed at the stark manner of his speech ….., “I mean that … that you … and I are…….”,

“Male and female”, he concluded for me.

“And that is a problem for you?”

“No!”, my voice came out as a squeak.

“I like IT,”, he said, “that we are”,

“Oh, yes of course, its a good thing isn’t it, yes good, good”, I said flustered wishing heartedly that I could think of some other adjective to say say than good all the time I was sounding like a moronic idiot to myself and Valor knows what Maglor was thinking of me.

“It is good he replied, but do you like IT?”, This time I didn’t misinterpret the double entendre in his words.

I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks.

“Well ?”, he said, “you do not answer me”.

“The predilections of the opposite, sex are not unknown to to me, however, I do not see it should be any cause for disruption”, I answered eruditely.

I got up to clear the table thinking I had better swiftly put an end to his conjectures on the topic when he nearly tripped me up uncrossing his booted feet and planting one directly between my legs.

I looked at him and he was staring directly at me his eyes silvered and narrow.

“Excuse me”, I said meekly,

He swiftly got up and stood up in front of me taking the plates I was holding between us and placing them on the table in a considered manner and then turned to me. He was very close, I could feel my breath coming in shorter, rapid gasps my chest rising and falling. He scanned my face and I dropped my gaze unable to lift it under his keen appraisal.

 

“Ella…… you do not answer me again, do you like it?”, he said softly…..seductively……

“I find that we are ……. we are ……. we work well together”, I stuttered, deliberately misconstruing his meaning.

 

He sighed… and I drew back my hands which I inanely still held up from when he had taken the plates from me but not before he swiftly caught them and held them. He caressed his thumbs over the inside of my palms and across my pulse spot which was now bumping through the skin.

He bent towards me and I could feel his breath on my neck, the shell of my ear,

 

“Ella”… he whispered

I knew I had only to turn my head and we both would lose all sensibility and reserve. I could almost feel his mouth on mine, his kiss soft and languid with an increasing urgency, pulling me into him, his tongue lapping into my mouth with his taste, his sweetness.

“The donkey”, I said, “I have forgotten to give him his hay for the night”, and ran outside.

 

When I got back Maglor had taken himself to bed across the courtyard. The door clicked shut and I breathed a sigh of relief. I knew though I had only averted things. Stars above I couldn’t take any more of this my brain hurt. I spewed out a number of coarse invectives at my predicament and went to bed.

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Chapter End Notes

Whew this was a difficult chapter to write and make that conversations sound authentic and real. I wanted Ella's embarrassment and naivety to come across. I Just love double entendre and so enjoyed writing the heated, potent conversation between Maglor and Ella and Ella's growing mortification and realisation when Elrond confronts her.