Thranduil moved his piece on the board and sighed. The game Elrond had chosen had eaten most of the afternoon away. "Mellonen," he said, raising his oak eyes to the Half-Elf. "Telien hen na taur."

Celeborn let out a loud laugh and moved his piece. "Elrond, nauthen i taurem na avo luithiannen."

"Pfft." Elrond contemplated the board before him and moved his piece. "Thranduil, pedig bith arnoediad."

"Gernin hebi Hîr Celeborn o îdhad." Thranduil shifted his little glass ball on the board. "Trenaro ad enni i vent o thelien hen."

Elrond sat back in his chair, waving Celeborn's hand from the gameboard. "Gerig anmaer naw?" The Peredhel raised an eyebrow in the way he knew irritated Thranduil the most.

Before Thranduil could retort, though, Celeborn spoke up. "Trenaro nin, Elrond, mas i Hîr Erestor a Glorfindel? Av'arin tírannen ren ned eraid."

Elrond coughed and sipped his wine. "Nauthen nar... teliol i delien în."

"Na te ian estar han si?" Thranduil sniffed and leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs and rearranging his deep green robes.

Celeborn snickered. "Gerin... 'teliannen' ah Hîr Glorfindel aland io."

"Elo?!" Elrond put his goblet down and sat forward, smirking. "Avo nag erui mi te."

"Ai, mellynen, nauthen aniron sennui 'gwend' Erestor." The Mirkwood King smiled smugly at the other Elf-lords.

Elrond's eyes were wide with disbelief. "Avistannen Hîr Erestor garn bannen na Fuinglad!"

"Elo, as na narn chand--" Thranduil began, but Celeborn cut him off.

"Avo bauren isto hen," the silver-haired Elf said, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. After a moment, Celeborn sighed and looked back up and addressed Thranduil. "As na tîr i ionech gâr tangen beriadiren na chaust în?"

Thranduil scoffed. "Mas i ventech?"

Celeborn sat up straighter and all but snarled at the blond Sinda. "Legolas gâr tangen den uin hausten!"

"Nauthen i Legolas gâr pennen o melethron eden," Thranduil said crypticly, but a knowing smile confirmed Celeborn's fears.

"Haldir na Edhel 'alurenwain," Elrond said, smiling broadly at Thranduil. "Legolas na be geleg be ada în!"

-- I Methen --

Thranduil moved his piece on the board and sighed. The game Elrond had chosen had eaten most of the afternoon away. "My friend," he said, raising his oak eyes to the Half-Elf. "This game is awful."

Celeborn let out a loud laugh and moved his piece. "Elrond, I think that our King is dissatisfied."

"Pfft." Elrond contemplated the board before him and moved his piece. "Thranduil, you speak words unnumbered."

"I had to keep Lord Celeborn from sleeping." Thranduil shifted his little glass ball on the board. "Explain again to me the point of this game."

Elrond sat back in his chair, waving Celeborn's hand from the gameboard. "Have you a better idea?" The Peredhel raised an eyebrow in the way he knew irritated Thranduil the most.

Before Thranduil could retort, though, Celeborn spoke up. "Tell me, Elrond, where are Lords Erestor and Glorfindel? I have not seen them in days."

Elrond coughed and sipped his wine. "I think they are... playing their own game."

"Is that what they call it now?" Thranduil sniffed and leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs and rearranging his deep green robes.

Celeborn snickered. "Yes, I have... 'played' with Lord Glorfindel not long ago."

"Oh?!" Elrond put his goblet down and sat forward, smirking. "You are not alone in that."

"Ah, my friends, I think I desire instead Erestor's 'friendship'." The Mirkwood King smiled smugly at the other Elf-lords.

Elrond's eyes were wide with disbelief. "I did not know Lord Erestor had gone to Mirkwood!"

"Oh, it's a funny story--" Thranduil began, but Celeborn cut him off.

"I do not need to know this," the silver-haired Elf said, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. After a moment, Celeborn sighed and looked back up and addressed Thranduil. "Is it true that your son has taken my Guardian into his bed?"

Thranduil scoffed. "What is your point?"

Celeborn sat up straighter and all but snarled at the blond Sinda. "Legolas has taken him out of my bed!"

"I believe Legolas has spoken of a new lover," Thranduil said crypticly, but a knowing smile confirmed Celeborn's fears.

"Haldir is a most fortunate Elf," Elrond said, smiling broadly at Thranduil. "Legolas is as agile as his father!"

-- The End --

Thranduil moved his piece on the board and sighed. The game Elrond had chosen had eaten most of the afternoon away. "My friend," he said, raising his oak eyes to the Half-Elf. "You are no longer permitted to choose our games."

Celeborn let out a loud laugh and moved his piece. "Elrond, I do believe our King is bored."

"Pfft." Elrond contemplated the board before him and moved his piece. "Thranduil, you talk too much."

"If I did not speak, I do believe Lord Celeborn would have fallen asleep with the tedium of such a game." Thranduil shifted his little glass ball on the board. "Tell me again, how is moving a dozen glass pieces across a board to mimic the starting pattern supposed to be enjoyable?"

Elrond sat back in his chair, waving Celeborn's hand from the gameboard. "I suppose you have something else to occupy our time until the evening meal?" The Peredhel raised an eyebrow in the way he knew irritated Thranduil the most.

Before Thranduil could retort, though, Celeborn spoke up. "Tell me, Elrond, where are Lords Erestor and Glorfindel? I have not seen them since we arrived."

Elrond coughed and sipped his wine. "They are otherwise... engaged."

"Is that what they call it now?" Thranduil sniffed and leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs and rearranging his deep green robes.

Celeborn snickered. "Yes, I have been... 'otherwise engaged' with Lord Glorfindel before."

"Indeed?" Elrond put his goblet down and sat forward, smirking. "Nor are you the only one."

"Quite so, my friends. Although, given the choice, I believe I prefer Lord Erestor's... company." The Mirkwood King smiled smugly at the other Elf-lords.

Elrond's eyes were wide with disbelief. "I never knew Lord Erestor had visited Mirkwood!"

"Actually, it's a funny story--" Thranduil began, but Celeborn cut him off.

"Oh, I do not need to hear this," the silver-haired Elf said, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. After a moment, Celeborn sighed and looked back up and addressed Thranduil. "Is it true that your son has taken my Guardian into his bed?"

Thranduil scoffed. "Why is it you want to know?"

Celeborn sat up straighter and all but snarled at the blond Sinda. "Because he has taken him out of mine!"

"I believe Legolas has mentioned a new lover," Thranduil said crypticly, but a knowing smile confirmed Celeborn's fears.

"Haldir is a very lucky Elf," Elrond said, smiling broadly at Thranduil. "Legolas is almost as flexible as his father!"

-- The End --