Solstice Shenanigans by Artano

Maglor waggles his eyebrows at Elrond, a cheeky grin spreading across his face as he finishes buttoning the burgundy waistcoat.  "What do you mean you think this isn't proper attire for a winter celebration?!  This was quite the style in Valinor if I recall rightly."  

​Elrond sighs. "Father, that was thousands of years ago.  And a continent away!  You know full well that such styles are no longer in fashion."

"And besides," Elros cuts in, his mouth wruxled in a grimace.  "It makes you look a whole Age older!"

Maglor laughs, his eyes crinkling in mirth. "Are you both forgetting how old I am?  Perhaps I just want to look my age," he teases.

Elrond turns to Elros. "He's hopeless.  Go get the robe; it looks like we'll have to do this ourselves if we want looking at him to be anything less than wandreth."

Elros nods and leaves Maglor's quarters, the door closing behind him as Maglor turns to Elrond. "Robe?" he asks suspiciously.

Elrond smiles. "You shouldn't have taught us to sew."

Maglor's eyes widen, his eyes darting to the uneven lump on his bed that the twins had gifted to him a month ago and gleefully proclaimed to be a pillow.  He deeply appreciated the care they had put into it, but even so he only made the mistake of sleeping with it once.

A moment, later Elros re-enters the room, a carefully wrapped parcel in his arms.  He sets it on the bed, smirking as he sees the pillow, and steps back beside Elrond. "We were hoping to wait until after the celebrations to give this to you, but your wardrobe is frankly in desperate want of more fashionable clothes.  Or even decent clothes."

Elrond smiles at his words. "Indeed.  Go on, open it."

Hesitantly, Maglor reaches for the waiting parcel.  Picking apart the twine, he folds back the rough brown wrapping to reveal a warm scarlet fabric.  He looks up at the twins, who were watching him expectantly.  "Where did you get this?  Is this why you spent all summer working for the wandering merchants?  Maedhros told me it would be good exper-" He breaks off, eyes narrowing at the grins spreading across Elrond and Elros' face.  "He was in on it, wasn't he?"

Elros nods.  "Of course.  Do you think he would have just let us do that without asking for our reasons?"

"And have you tried lying to him?" Elrond adds.  "He doesn't stop until he's certain we'll be safe."

Maglor nods distractedly, his mind already working on how repay Maedhros for conspiring on a birthday gift for him.  It would have to be a surprise.  Then he shakes his head slightly, refocusing on the present.  There would be time for that later.  He still needed to see what monstrosity the twins expected him to wear to the solstice celebration.  Looking down, he pulls the rest of the robe out of the parcel, the ruby fabric spilling into his lap.

Holding it up, he studies it carefully.  It actually looked...presentable?  More than that, it seems fashionable and well-made.  Embroidered plants trail along the hem, bees and wasps buzzing around wild roses and sage.  These elements were repeated tastefully on the matching walnut-colored belt and along the edges of the wide sleeves.

Maglor looks up, amazed. "Did you..make this yourselves?"

Beaming, Elrond and Elros nod. "I made the robe," Elros explains.  "I had to sneak a few of your robes out of the laundry for the proper measurements."

"And the embroidery is mine," Elrond adds.  "Do you like it?  Maedhros said the style, 'warlock cut', was a favorite of yours.  He helped us plan the design."

Maglor smiles warmly.  He would have to make sure to do something extra-special for Maedhros. "He's right, it is my favorite style."  Setting the robe on the bed, he moves towards the twins and wraps them in a tight hug.  "And I love it.  It's perfect for the celebration.  Thank you both; I shall cherish this always."

After a moment, he pulls back from the embrace, warmth filling him at the smiles stretching across their faces.  "I believe I shall have to change my accessories to the wampum ones to match this better.  Time is waning until the feast starts, and you two should finish preparing as well."

Elrond and Elros nod, then leave as Maglor turns back to the robe, fingering the fine embroidery.

- - - - -

Several minutes later, he finishes tying the belt around his waist and leaves his quarters, extinguishing the wick on the bedside lamp as he does so.  Walking down the stairs, he finds Maedhros standing at the bottom beside a fountain walming with warm water.  Ever since Thangorodrim, he favored the warmth of the hot springs over the colder air away from them.

"You're awake after all," Maedhros calls out as he nears, giving Maglor's shoulder a light wallop.  "I was about to send Elros up after you.  You look well-dressed," he adds with a smile.

"In part due to you, I hear," Maglor replies with a raised eyebrow.  He looks around the hall as a server hurries past towards the great hall, wielding a platter of walrus meat.  "But where are they?"

"I gave them a wain and told them if they could tie a knot I couldn't undo by the end of the night, that I would give them a pair of daggers."

"You are going to give them the daggers anyway, aren't you?" Maglor accuses.

Maedhros smiles. "Of course.  But this gives them something to do while they waited, doesn't it?"

Maglor sighs and heads towards the great hall.  "If they don't hang each other, you mean!"

Maedhros' warm chuckle sounds in his ears, and Maglor smiles.  Tonight is going to be a good night.

Chapter End Notes

"wruxled" means "twisted, contorted"

"wandreth" means "misery, wretchedness, difficulty, or adversity"

"walm" means "to well up, gush forth"

"wain" in this context means "a cart rope"

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