Guest Rooms - Dar Palace

[Saeren]

Saeren spoke no word to his twin as he strode from the rooms, down passages and then out into a private area, lit by lanterns, where the plash of fountains came. he had picked her up, for she was much smaller than he and could not keep up with his long strides, and now set her down.
" Well, gwanunig , here we are. ' he grasped a handful of her heavy hair and pulled back her face, looking down at her. '' Have you stopped running yet? You aided me, bringing Makalaure here, why? Out of fondness? Because he is Maedions father? Did you truly believe you could hide such a thing from me? I saw everything that night we met in Nan Tathren. You let him have you, because you cannot quite deny the darkness in your blood which makes you long for such excitement. And now you know why he paid as he did. You are mine... unless I choose otherwise, '' He snapped his fingers for a slave to bring wine. " besides, there are some damned nasty characters abroad in the world up north, " he mused, as the iced golden wine slipped down his throat. " As I said, i will not have you wasted. Drink. "

[Cerridwen]

'' Oh, nastier than you? '' she shot back, '' You are the most possesive and arrogant bastard I have ever known! I am yours? My son is yours? Maglor is yours too? Lebennen? Legolas? '' She hurled the names at him like stones. '' What did you do to Maedion? What is he to you. He could truly be your son, I can feel you all through him! ''

[Saeren]

" Well... you see, melmenya, that is just the way it is, I always want the best. " He pulled her down onto a pile of large, silk pillows locking his arms around her. " Oh come on, you have had Ages of freedom, and what have you done with it, the only time you come alive is with me. Do not deny it, I see it in you. And yes, a lot worse than me, I appreciate the fine things in life. Gods know what they appreciate, inflicting pain, terror, lingering death, all very nice, but nothing beats a good, long hard, tumble, does it? " He whispered into her elegantly pointed ear. " Oh, a good long hard battle, possibly, and a tumble after. Do not worry about Maedion, I could not have raised my own son more carefully. He appreciates the good things too. " He was looking forward to this with great anticipation, nothing gave him greater anticipation than to slowly crumble a persons struggles, and make them desire what they loathed.

[Cerridwen]

Facing away from im, her eyes suddenly widened. '' Why.... you cannot sire sons can you? Can you? So many thousands of years, and so many women, yet you have no sons of your own! Did * he * curse you with that, Saeren? Such an appetite and such desires, and yet not the ability to have your own? And so you took mine? And you will take any others, and any that these might sire? Legolas? Lebennen, Maedion? Me? " Her laughter was knowing, but almost sad. " Is this what this is really all about? "

[Saeren]

His arms tightened in a grip of steel for a moment, as the boiling rage within him turned his eyes to volcanic red. It had been long ago, and why Sauron had done it, he never knew, cursed him with the inability to father children. It did not affect the way he was, but it was a constant running sore in one who would have fathered splendid, magnificent warriors. His grip loosened, he thrust her away and rose.
" You find it amusing? " His voice was icily cold. If he had seen any true , taunting amusement in her , he might have killed her.

[Cerridwen]

Her unbound hair had flooded over the silk cushions like a spill of ink, her face, grave in the coloured lantern light, shook, once, briefly,
'' Perhaps it should, but no, Saeren, it does not amuse me. It terrifies me! I suppose I should be thankful however, or I might have been one of your brood mares. Are sons so important to you? Mine I loved, and you made him yours. Is this at the centre of everything for you? or am I utterly outside the gold? What... you want to leave a legacy to the world? Thank Iluvatar you cannot! Saurons blood should never reproduce! I never desired to! But it was a son of Feanor, '' She finished, with a lilt of rich satisfaction evident in her voice, as if to say, that made it all right. '' And seeing Maedion after so long, her first thought almost had been Eru, he is magnificent , she had always thought that, but time, her brothers tutelage, had given him a sheen like polished diamond, he could not be regretted.

[Saeren]

'' And you would have given me some superb sons, '' he growled, '' you did give me one. There will be more. What is a son but a reflection of the father , after all? Maedion is like me! Gods, I gave him everything, all but the truth of his heritage. " His fiery eyes seemed to go distant, back through many years. '' What man does not want a son? But you are not in the gold, Cerridwen. You were more correct when you called me possesive. I want the best, too long all I had to work with were mortals! "

[Cerridwen]

She rose, one sweep of a hand across her skirts to straighten them.
'' You will have nothing from me, '' she said, gold eyes meeting gold with the kiss of a swords salute, as she spun on one foot, and said, with throaty laughter, '' Unless, as always, my dear brother, you take it by force, '' there was teasing, memory and challenge in the husky voice.

[Saeren]

'' Why do we play these games? '' he murmured, moving faster than the eye could follow to stand in front of her. '' Because they are always games, except at the very beginning, are they not? '' he tilted up her chin. '' You enjoy them too much to drop them, Cerridwen. Well, I will not stop you, - I enjoy them too, '' this time it was he who walked away, with that long, haughty stride. He did not beg women, he took or did not, but a half smile curved his mouth, unseen by her.

[Cerridwen]

A look of consternation crossed her face and she slipped off her soft leather shoe and hurled it at his head.
'' You are the most arrogant, self satisfied, smug bastard I have ever had the misfortune to know! ' She shouted, incensed. '' And I hope you die in agonising pain and get stuck in the void with our cursed father and damned Morgoth Bauglir! Forever! Except even they could not stand you! ''

[Saeren]

His hand came up and snapped the slipper from the air, and he spun slowly on booted feet.
'' Oh, truly? '' he took a step toward her, backing her up, timing his own movements to hers. '' You wish me an agonizing death ? Truly? '' his golden eyes glowed with deep amusement as he sidestepped again, breast to breast with her now, almost a dance, making her continually step back toward the wall.
'' you wish me eternally bored in the Void? Really? '' his voice was low and seductive.
'' So you need never have to fight me again, hmm? Never enjoy these little games of ours? Ever? Never set eyes on me again? '' he laid his hands flat each side of her, on the wall and looked down at her. '' Sure? '' He whispered, in her ear.

[Cerridwen]

Ceridwen had tried to dodge around him , but he was faster, seemed to read her mind before she moved. As she felt the wall hit her back, and his arms form a barrier each side of her she hissed like a cornered angry cat.
'' All that and more, '' she spat, then stood on tiptoe, kissed him with ferocious hunger, then bit down hard on his lower lip, tasting the potent half-Maia blood, her eyes wild and burning. It was always this way between them, she felt as if her very blood raced in fiery streaks through her veins, as if she could burn into an inferno of flame, touch the stars, impossibly alive, aroused, furious. She said, declaiming the words carefully, a smile lilting on her mouth:
'' Legolas Thranduilion, was very good, but then, I am sure I need not tell you that. ''

[Saeren]

The gold was swallowed from his eyes by fire red, ember and jet, with a pupils as narrow as a cats, as one hand slid up to her throat, where the pulse leaped under the creamy skin.
'' Cenithac, '' he hissed, as his long fingers tightened their grip a fraction, '' coelio nin, ascar, cenithac! '' Before he could throttle her he released his hold, picked her up , lightly, and slung her over one shoulder like a sack of grain. Slaves scattered from his path like fowls fleeing from a stampede of cattle, as he tossed her down in her room, standing, head high, held proudly, and haughtily on his neck. The fire, under control now, to be used subtly , under iron will, had left his eyes, the gold was as bright and brilliant and unreadable as polished discs.
He flung open a chest of lemon-wood and drew out a sheaf of long silk scarves, then knelt and drew her hands over her head, ignoring her struggles as he tied both wrists to the bedposts.
'' Shhhh, roch neth alag nin, '' he tapped his fingers against his bitten mouth, faintly smiling now, as he watched her squirm and kick, and curse. She certainly knew how to curse, he wondered where she had learnd some of the words.
'' You know, melme, you really would be such a bore if you never fought me, ''

[Cerridwen]

Pearl grey morning mist made the masts of the ships down in the port seem like ghostly , hovering spears , detached from their vessels, the spears of some encamped, spirit-army. Within the palace rooms, the light was still dim at this hour, the dawn breeze rustling the long silken hangings. Soon the mist would burn off into scorching Harad sunlight, but for now the hour was cool and grey, a time between times, when lovers , after a wild, unhallowed conflagration, might speak in murmurs, to each other, words of love and laughter. Except within this room, and between those two, such an ending was laughable even to consider.

Cerridwen lay on her stomach on the hot, damp silks. her slender, flawless back was mottled with marks of teeth, and lips, her neat, rounded bottom glowed red with hard slaps, her wrists showed the burns of the silk where she had fought, and all through her throbbed aches, but an air of languid lassitude was all over her, a cat basking on a sunny wall, replete with satisfaction.
The torrent of dark hair flowed down over her as she sat up, veiling her form in silken shadow, as she rose silently.
'' Yes, '' she said throatily, '' still the most arrogant, smug .....inventive, erotic .. kinky..bastard I ever encountered, '' She walked to the door, unconcerned by her nakedness , her clothes anyway, ripped to shreds and useless, scattered about the floor. On her way out, she hefted a jade vase in her hand, and threw it, with dead accuracy, at Saeren, then stalked from the room.

[Saeren]

He raised a hand, catching the jade, and called, '' Im mela lle, too, beautiful, '' then stretched , laughing, hearing the door slam, and ran his long fingers through his touselled hair. '' And still the best, '' he added, smiling.