Title: An Affliction of the Heart, 5/?
Author: Larien Elengasse
Type:	FPS
Characters: Legolas/Elladan/Elrohir, Glorfindel/Thranduil
Rating:	 NC-17 for slashy goodness
Beta: Minuial Nuwing – you’re the best, darling!
Archive: OEAM, Library of Moria, Melethryn.  All others please ask.

WARNING: Graphic depictions of sexual acts between half-elven twins and a prince, and 
between a warrior and a king.  Allusions to violence. 
 
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, they are the property of JRR Tolkien and his estate, 
and I am sure he would be horrified if he read this.

Author’s Notes: The twins come to Greenwood with Glorfindel to expand their education and 
everyone learns more than was intended.  Yet another exploration of the dangers and delights of 
love – I’m nothing if not a hopeless romantic.  Canon disclaimer is in place, as always.
 
Feedback: If you care to share, larienelengasse@yahoo.com

Summary: New lessons begin.

Legolas watched with surprise as Elladan and Elrohir were put through their paces by two of his 
finest warriors.  In the months since they had arrived, the twins had proved to be fine candidates 
for warrior life.  They fought back to back and, despite the efforts of Legolas’ warriors, they 
were never separated for long.  Somehow, each seemed to know exactly where the other was and 
what they were going to do.  When Elladan’s sword came around in an arc, Elrohir ducked and 
the blade would pass over his head.  When Elrohir would step back to rebalance himself, Elladan 
would step forward in unison.  The stance was not unusual for the Noldor, but the synchronous 
movement was uncommon even for their finest soldiers.  It was like watching an intricate dance.

They used wooden training blades to avoid serious injury, however, one could still get a hearty 
bruise or even a broken limb if struck with enough force.  When Legolas could see that this tactic 
wasn’t working, he realized he needed to push the twins a little harder.  Clapping his hands, his 
warriors stepped back and disengaged from combat and the twins lowered their weapons.

He approached over the uneven sand, which made for good conditioning of the warriors, and 
approached the panting quartet.  “Well done,” he said to the twins, nodding to his warriors and 
giving them leave to sit on the low wall around the training pit.  “I think we shall try something 
different now.”

Reaching over his shoulders, he unsheathed his knives.  The high-pitched ring of the steel blades 
against the bone sheaths caused the twins’ eyes to widen.  With a slight smile Legolas said, “Fear 
not, I will not cut you – not unless you prove to be too slow.”

The twins looked at each other; they were unsure at first then Elladan’s eyes narrowed in 
response to the challenge, and Elrohir nodded in response.

“We shall try not to harm you either, my lord,” Elladan answered.

Legolas adopted a battle stance.  “Come then, do your worst.”

He smiled defiantly as they separated and began to circle him.  Already his plan was working.  
His warriors had the twins on the defensive, and as such, they fought in unison, back to back, not 
presenting any side as vulnerable.  It was an old Noldorion tactic, one his father had told him of 
and one he had learned from Glorfindel and Erestor.  However, even Glorfindel and Erestor did 
not execute this method with as much skill as the twins exhibited.  Now, that they were on the 
offense, they were not back to back.  How coordinated their attack would be would confirm what 
he was beginning to suspect – that they knew one another’s thoughts.

With a slight cant of his head, he kept an eye on Elrohir, who circled behind him, as he watched 
Elladan, who was poised to attack him from the front.  The twins fought with longer and heavier 
broadswords, which gave them the advantage of keeping some distance between them and their 
opponent.  His blades, while long for knives, were shorter and lighter, but this also provided him 
with more agility.  Long knives were only to be used by the most experienced warriors, for one 
had to be fast enough to strike and move out of the way before they were run through.

They engaged in a game of thrust and parry for what seemed like a long time.  Each time one of 
the twins attacked, they narrowly missed the prince and were hit with the flat edge of Legolas’ 
knives.  Had it been real combat, the peredhil would have been bleeding quite well.  

Even Legolas was beginning to tire, but the exercise was paying off.  While they did seem to be 
reading one another’s thoughts, they had not yet learned tactics well enough to use the ability to 
their full advantage.  However, that was beginning to change.  

It was a bit of a surprise as Elrohir struck, but Legolas sensed his movement in time.  The 
peredhel raised his sword and leapt forward, meaning to bring it in a downward arc onto the 
prince’s shoulder or head.  Almost at the same time, Elladan advanced from the front, bringing 
his sword in a sideways arc, aiming for Legolas’ ribs.

Legolas crouched and shifted his weight backward, striking Elrohir in the knees with his back.  
The younger twin’s sword then narrowly missed Elladan’s shoulder as Elrohir tried to 
compensate for Legolas’ unbelievable speed and recover from being knocked off balance.  
Unfortunately, Elladan was committed and there was nowhere to send his sword, however, he 
was able to pull back some of the force with which he had swung the blade.  With his knives, the 
prince cut Elrohir’s boot and Elladan’s belt, before rolling away and regaining his feet. 

Legolas was standing over the twins.  Elrohir was crouched where he landed, in front of Elladan, 
holding his side where he had been struck.  Elladan was looking down at his brother, with his 
hand on Elrohir’s shoulder.  The elder twin was clearly concerned about Elrohir.

“Are you well, Elrohir?” Legolas asked.

“You cut my boot,” the peredhel answered.  “How . . . I did not even feel it.”

“And you sliced my belt in twain,” Elladan replied.

“I am very good with knives,” Legolas answered with a grin.  Sheathing his blades, he walked 
forward and offered his hand.  “I see now where you can improve.  Your skill with the sword is 
very good, and your battle stance is strong with a blade.  But you are too slow.  Hand to hand 
combat will help, as will some exercises I will give you.”

Elrohir accepted the prince’s hand and stood.  “How did you know I would attack first?”

Legolas answered with a smile, “I did not.  I merely reacted to what you did.”

“But how?” Elladan queried.  “How did you move so quickly?”

“I move quickly because I have paid the price for not doing so in the past.” He placed his hand 
on Elrohir’s side.  “Raise your arm.”

Elrohir raised his arm over his head and winced a little as Legolas pressed on his rib cage. “I am 
fine.  It is not the first time I have been struck.”

“No doubt, but your brother has a powerful arm for one so young.  Even in pulling the swing you 
were still struck hard.”

“Will you be training us in hand to hand combat, my lord?” Elladan asked with a slight grin.

“Perhaps,” Legolas answered.  “Perhaps my father will; he trained me.”

“Oh, I hope not,” Elrohir answered.  “Forgive me for saying so, but your father unnerves me.”

Legolas laughed.  “It seems he has that effect on many.”

“What other exercises will we be doing?” Elladan asked.

“I shall train you to use knives.  Because they are lighter, you will better be able to learn speed 
and accuracy.  Once you are proficient with them, we will do the same exercises with your 
weapon of choice.  I will also train you on the bow.  I know you are adept archers, but I will train 
you on the bows we use here, which are larger and have greater range.”  Squeezing Elrohir’s 
shoulder he smiled.  “You will most likely have a bruise there, but nothing is broken.  I will have 
our leather smiths repair your boot, and your belt, Elladan.  Come, I think we have all earned a 
soak in the mineral baths.”

“Agreed,” Elladan answered.  “Thank you, my liege, for such personal attention.”

Legolas noted a slight twinkle in the elder twin’s eye, which made him grin in response.  “’Tis 
my duty, and my pleasure.”

As the twins followed Legolas from the training arena, Elladan heard his brother’s thoughts and 
nodded.

*    *    *    *

The steam from the mineral baths filled the room and scents of lavender and cedar cleared their 
lungs and their minds.  Legolas emerged from beneath the water, smoothing his hair back from 
his face, and moving to one of the smooth stone benches carved into the pool.  He rested his head 
on the edge and closed his eyes.  He could sense them, though he was not sure exactly where 
they were.  They were being very quiet and he imagined that there was a silent conversation 
occurring between the two of them.  What he knew for sure was that they felt comfortable with 
him, they found him attractive, and they were curious.  As the water moved about him, he felt 
them move closer.

“Are you promised?”

It was Elladan who posed the question.  Legolas opened his eyes and looked at the peredhel.  
“Nay, master Elladan, I am not.  Are you?”

Elladan smiled a bit wolfishly for one who was clearly inexperienced in the ways of seduction.  
“No, my liege.  Neither of us has found one to whom we wish to bind ourselves to.  Do you have 
a lover?”

Legolas couldn’t help but grin at the frankness of the question.  “No, I do not.  Are you 
volunteering?”  His grin widened as he saw the faint coloring of Elladan’s cheeks.

“Have you had lovers before?” Elrohir asked.

“Of course, several, both male and female.  What of you?”

“Nay, my lord, we have had none.”

The swiftness and deference with which the answer was delivered was characteristic of Elrohir; 
he was the gentler of the two.  Elladan had moved closer, being the bolder one, and Legolas 
reached out, grasped the peredhel by the hips, and pulled him close.  A slight gasp of surprise 
was the only crack in the mask of confidence that Elladan wore.

“I knew you would be the one to approach me; you are the bolder one,” Legolas said in a low 
deep voice as one hand slid up Elladan’s back, coming to rest on the back of his neck.  He drew 
the elder twin’s face closer and then turned his head and looked at Elrohir.  “But I know that it 
was your idea.”  He held out his hand, closing his fingers around Elrohir’s as the younger twin 
tentatively accepted the invitation.  Drawing Elrohir into his embrace he murmured, “I shall 
teach you in this as well.  You will not regret choosing me.”  He then turned his attention back to 
Elladan, who was arching into him, his eyes closed and head leaning back into Legolas’ hand.  
“Not for one moment,” he whispered before kissing the elder twin soundly.

Elrohir watched, enrapt as the prince consumed his brother’s mouth.  The deep, needful moans 
he heard coming from his twin, mingled with the inflamed thoughts that drifted to him caused a 
shuddering sigh to escape his lips.  Legolas held them both so close that they were all touching.  
Elrohir felt the back of Elladan’s hand brush his chest and it raised gooseflesh on his skin despite 
the warmth of the water.  A soft caress of Elladan’s hair on his shoulder, the back of Elladan’s 
thigh on the top of his own, Legolas’ firm body between his legs, the prince’s strong hand on his 
back . . . it felt like he was falling, drowning in a warm pool of sensual lust and overwhelming 
need.  

“We must go to my chambers to finish this lesson,” Legolas said in a deep husky voice.  “It will 
be but one among many, my young princes.”

They disentangled from one another and followed the prince out of the baths.  Elrohir reached 
out with his mind to his twin, and while Elladan answered him, he felt as if his brother was 
hiding something as well.  As they wrapped their robes around them and departed the baths, 
Elrohir began to wonder just what it was that he had started.


To be continued…