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Tending Elrond's Heart	By : kathmco Category: -Multi-Age > Het - Male/Female Views: 3677 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own the Lord of the Rings (and associated) book series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 10
- 11
- 12
Title: Tending Elrond's Heart

Author: Emmess

Rated: NC17

Genre: Fluffy romance

Tending Elrond's Heart

Chapter Eleven

Competition

Merenant, having finished her bath and breakfast, had wandered out into the gardens she so loved, finding her self sitting on the ground next to Elrond's Heart, and the rose bush that she'd planted. Gingerly, she pruned a few withered leaves from the once-barren plant, gently stroking the soft, ruby red petals of the single bloom it had produced thus far. Several other tiny, delicate buds had sprouted, but only that one bloom had managed to open fully, lending it's fragrance to the air to mingle with the delightful scent from her own plant's fully blooming pink roses. She murmured words of encouragement to it, feeling the soft vibrations of life within the petals.

"You have a way with plants…are you certain that you aren't a Wood-Elf?" came a teasing voice from behind her left shoulder. Smiling, she turned to look up at Elladan, who was grinning down at her. His pitch-black silken hair was braided in the style of the Imladris Guards, a single thick braid falling nearly to his waist, and he wore a new-looking dark blue tunic, black leggings and knee-high suede boots. With his elegant features, broad shoulders, and narrow waist and hips, he cut a striking figure.

"No…I am not a Wood-Elf. But you, too, should be able to work with plants…all Elves can…do you not like plants, Elladan?"

"I am much more adept at working with other pretty things…" he replied, cocking his eyebrow at her.

"Oh…like what for example?"

"Like a pretty Elleth who likes to tend roses…" he said, crouching down next to her. "You looked beautiful last night, Merenant…I don't believe I told you that enough while we were dancing…"

"You told me that at least a hundred times, Elladan, and I still don't believe a word of it!" she laughed, blushing a bit. "You told that to every Elleth in the room!"

"But I only really meant it when I said it to you, Mere…" he replied, adding his laughter to hers, giving her his most charming grin. "Not to change the subject, but have you seen the new horse in the stables? Beinuir has foaled…a beautiful, little gray filly…would you like to walk with me to see her?"

"I would, indeed!" Merenant answered, her eyes lighting at the thought of seeing the new baby horse. She sobered a moment, before accepting his hand to help her up from the ground. "Elladan…did Arwen tell you…about last night…about…"

"Yes, Arwen told us. Why are you so embarrassed, Mere? Because you picked my Ada for your Solstice partner?" He winked at her saying, "If it could not have been me, then I'm glad it at least was not Elrohir…he would never let me live that down!"

She laughed, glad that the air had been cleared and that she no longer had to worry over his or his brother's reactions when they found out she had been in their father's bed. She truly loved Elladan and Elrohir - although not in the way that she was beginning to sense that Elladan would have liked.

Elladan, picking up on her unvoiced feelings, sighed. He was sure that Merenant was simply infatuated with his father. She must be…after all, he and Merenant surely must have more in common, being from closer generations. They were only five or six hundred years apart. He resolved to just work a little harder to convince her of the same.

Helping her up, he tucked her hand firmly in the crook of his arm, and, using every bit of charm at his disposal, proceeded to try in earnest to win her heart.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"She is such a beautiful little filly!" Merenant told Arwen, describing in great detail the sweet baby horse. Arwen smiled at her enthusiasm, knowing that Mere had a soft spot for babies of any kind…plants, animals, elflings…it did not matter. If it was young, tender, or vulnerable, then Mere was its champion.

"Sounds as though you and Elladan had a very lovely afternoon," Arwen said conversationally, casting a sideways glance at Elrohir. He did not look pleased that his twin had beat him to an afternoon alone with Merenant. Arwen would have been most interested in seeing Elrond's reaction, but the Lord of Imladris had not made an appearance at dinner. Arwen could tell that, despite her attempts at maintaining a lively conversation regarding the newborn filly, Merenant was extremely disappointed.

"He was quite entertaining," Merenant laughed, "especially when he tried showing off around the stream, and fell in!"

"I jumped in, trying to get you to laugh, thank you very much," Elladan retorted, looking highly insulted. The others laughed heartily at his attempt to save face.

"That wouldn't be the first time you fell in the stream, 'Dan…I seem to remember a certain day last Spring, when you were walking with…" Elrohir began, smirking at his brother.

"Never mind that now, 'Ro…all that is past history," Elladan said, frowning at his twin.

"That's just the problem, Elladan…nearly every Elleth in the city has a "history" with you…" Elrohir laughed, directing his comments toward Merenant.

"I suppose you'd have her believe that you've never sown any oats? I seem to remember a certain Elleth and her sister who…"

"That was a simple picnic, and I couldn't very well help it if she brought her sister with her! I couldn't simply ignore one and entertain the other…that would have been rude!" Elrohir retorted, standing to glare at his brother.

"No one said you had to ignore her sister, Elrohir, but you also didn't have to 'entertain' them both at the same time!" Elladan argued, also standing to face his twin.

Merenant looked at Arwen with panic in her eyes. Arwen rolled her own, and stood up, walking to stand between her brothers. Softly, she whispered to them both, "You are, neither one of you, going to win points with Merenant if you come to blows at the dinner table. Act your ages, sit down, and have a civilized meal, or leave!"

Nodding, the twins both turned to Merenant and apologized for their behavior. Sitting, they both attacked their plates with a vengeance, each staring down at his plate as though he could kill whatever it was he was eating all over again with just a look.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Merenant, will you allow me the honor of escorting you to the market?" Elrohir asked. He had been waiting for nearly an hour at the foot of the stairs for her to make an appearance that morning. Determined to secure her attentions for the day before Elladan - who he knew was waiting for Merenant at the breakfast table, and had been since before dawn - he looked down at the Elleth expectantly.

"That …would be very nice, Elrohir, thank you," Merenant replied, smiling at the tall Peredhil. Elrohir was slightly more reserved than his twin, she had noticed, although every bit as charming. He offered her his arm, and walked her toward the dining area for breakfast.

The black looks Elladan shot his brother when he walked in with Merenant on his arm were enough to solicit a fit of giggles from Arwen. Silently he nodded at Merenant when she wished him good morning, and stuffed an entire sweet roll into his mouth, chewing in a most disconsolate fashion.

Arwen's eyes darted to Elrond, who sat at the head of the table, speaking with Erestor. She noticed that his cheeks held a faint blush, and knew he was well aware that Merenant had entered the room on the arm of his son. She also knew, from the set of his shoulders, that no matter how pleasantly he greeted them both, he was not pleased.

Shortly after greeting them, Elrond made his excuses and swiftly left the room. Erestor sighed, exchanging a look with Arwen, thinking that Elrond really was a most difficult Elf at times…

Merenant could not help the hurt look that saddened her eyes as Elrond was polite, but distant with her. It was the first time she had seen him since the Solstice, and she was devastated by his aloofness.

Elrohir had her physical presence for the afternoon, but her mind remained in turmoil, wondering what it was that she had done that had caused Elrond to be upset with her. She walked the market with him, nodding at his comments about various pieces of merchandise the vendors offered, and smiling at his jokes, but not once during the entire afternoon, could he coax her to truly laugh.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Elrond, you are an old fool!" Erestor bellowed, following Elrond into his study and slamming the door behind him. Elrond spun around, glaring at his Advisor.

"Need I remind you of the fact that you are addressing the Lord of Imladris, Erestor?" he growled, narrowing his eyes at the other dark-haired Elf.

"I know very well to whom I am speaking, Elrond. Do not try to pull rank on me right now…it will be all I can do to keep Glorfindel from coming in here and trying to strangle you with your own mithril crown! How could you be so callous in your treatment of that sweet Elleth? Are you completely blind? Do you not know how she feels about you?"

"She chose me as her partner for the Solstice, Erestor…nothing more. Every Elleth thinks that they are in love with their partner after the Solstice. That is completely normal, and she will realize shortly that she does not."

"That may be true most of the time, Elrond, but not this time. She does love you…that fact is as plain as the nose on your face, and for you not to see it…"

"If she loves me as you say she does, then why is she gallivanting all over the city with my sons?"

"For someone who maintains so adamantly that he cares for her only as his ward, you seem to be inordinately concerned with the amount of time she spends with your sons. Besides, she allows them to escort her only because you have steadfastly ignored her since the Solstice!" Erestor sighed, his eyes losing their fury, a look of empathy creeping into them as he carefully watched the Peredhil Lord's shoulders slump. "Elrond…stop this before it is too late. You love her. You know you do. You think that it would be better for her to find someone else, but that is not true - you're behavior only hurts her. I believe you would agree with me when I say that she has been hurt quite enough."

"Another would be able to offer her more than I, Erestor…" Elrond replied softly, sitting at his desk and holding his head in his hands. "Even my sons would be able to offer her more than I - an old Elf with a lifetime of sorrow already earned. She should be able to choose another."

"Then let it be her choice, Elrond…but she cannot make a choice if none is given her. Do not continue to shut her out, Elrond. Tell her how you feel and let her decide. If she does not choose you, then so be it…you can lock yourself away in this study until the end of time. Do not let her continue to think that you are angry with her, or that the time you spent together does not matter to you."

.

TBC
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- 11
- 12
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Tending Elrond's Heart