Potluck - A Lion Amidst the Ladies
Title: A Lion Amidst the Ladies
Rating: G
Theme: January 2012 Potluck
Elements: Shakespeare quotation
Beta: None - Any and all problems are my own
Author’s Notes: Disclaimer: Tolkien built the sand box; I only play with the bucket and shovel that he left for me. No money, profit or non, is made from the publication of this story.
Summary: Glorfindel, renowned elf in Elrond’s household, has been invited to join Arwen for an afternoon tea party.
Word Count: 1918
The Lion Amidst the Ladies
“A lion among ladies is a most dreadful thing.” A Midsummer Night’s dream by William Shakespeare
Arwen, Elrond’s daughter and the apple of his eye, was a precocious child, bright of eye and sweet in disposition. She wore dresses of frills and satins, shoes with small bows, and always had a flower or ribbon in her hair. She happily discoursed on many different topics, always had a doll dangling from her hand, and danced and sang her way into the hearts of every elf living in the Last Homely House.
Glorfindel, warrior elf, “the one who returned”, the “Balrog slayer” and the “General of Imladris” Commander of Elrond’s forces, was not immune to her charms. In fact, he had fallen in love with her from the first moment he had held her shortly after her birth. He had carried her over to the nearby window and, holding her up so that she could see out, had shown her Imladris, telling her that she was Princess of all she surveyed. As she grew older, when she cried, he was there to comfort and cheer her up. When she laughed, his day was bright, when she was sad, he also was morose. No single elleth in Middle Earth meant more to him, with the possible exception of Celebrían, her mother and Elrond’s wife.
Glorfindel knew that he cut a fine figure. Passing one of the hallway mirrors he stopped, turned, and looked carefully to make sure that every button was in place and every ribbon was properly tied. His blue velvet tunic was embroidered overall with the golden flowers of his house. It was paired with dark blue leggings and knee-high indigo boots. His shirt was of the finest white lawn with wide, ribbon-embellished sleeves that tapered down to long cuffs fastened with small pearl buttons. Around his trim waist he wore a wide belt, dyed to match his boots. A ceremonial belt knife in a decorative sheath hung at his right hip.
Turning, he continued walking down the hallway towards the family’s wing of the House. He was invited to attend a special party and was dressed to make a fine impression and bring honor to his hostess. Every passing elf smiled broadly and nodded 'hello'. He continued on his way, and if there was a bit more swagger in his step, he could be excused.
Arriving at a beautifully carved door, he raised his hand and knocked. ‘Rap … rap … rap’ went his knuckles against the closed door. Clasping his hands behind him, he waited patiently for the door to open.
“Lord Glorfindel, I am tho pleathed that you are able to join uth thith afternoon. Pleathe, the ladieth are waiting for uth on the balcony.” Arwen's young voice chimed as she swept her arm from the door into the room in invitation. Her gown was accented by lace and was dyed a deep blue. Her hair was curled and tied with ribbons that matched her dress. When her attire was combined with her soft blue eyes and the slight lisp that would disappear when she was a bit older, she made an irresistible picture.
He bowed deeply towards his young friend. “I am deeply honored by your invitation, Lady Arwen.”
Smiling, she closed the door behind him then escorted him to the balcony. “Now, thit right there between Ladies Aegathaer and Brethillethril.”
Hesitation hit him as he surveyed the scene. Five child-sized chairs surrounded the round table. Three of the chairs were occupied by Arwen’s beloved dolls, a blonde, apparently Brethillethril, who would be on his left, and a brunette, Aegassaer, on his right. Across the table from his assigned seat was an open chair for his hostess and a third seated doll, this one featuring red hair.
“I am going to get our refrethhments and will be right back. Oh, I almotht forgot.” Arwen then stood straight with her head back, trying to look very self-assured and every inch the proper hostess. “Lord Glorfindel, I would like to introduth you to Lady Aegathaer, Lady Brethillethril, and Lady Doronidhren,” indicating the brunette, the blonde, and finally the redhead in turn.
Bowing his most gallant bow towards the three seated dolls, he said, “Ladies, it is my pleasure to join you and Lady Arwen for tea this afternoon.”
“Pleathe thit, Lord Glorfindel, I'll be right back,” his little hostess said as she curtsied and left the balcony in search of the promised treats.
Glorfindel eyed his small chair dubiously. Walking to it, he sat down, bending his body into a shape that pushed his knees up into his chest. The chair was low to the ground; perfect for a doll or a young child, but it was outclassed by an adult Noldorin twice-born warrior. He had managed to contort his body into an N shape to sit on the chair. Relaxing for a moment in his odd position, he suddenly heard the chair crack beneath his weight. ‘Arghh,’ he thought. ‘This doesn’t bode well for the rest of the party.’
Standing, he examined the chair which now had the distinct appearance of looking like painted kindling, and decided to quickly clear away the pieces by pushing the shattered legs and seat underneath the table. Then, crossing his legs and sitting on the floor, he settled himself between the two ‘Ladies’ of Arwen’s court. ‘Sitting at floor level,’ he thought, ‘will be much safer for everyone.’ He had no sooner gotten himself situated on the floor when his young hostess came through the doorway carrying a tray of cookies and cakes, followed by her nursemaid carrying a tray with a teapot, sweetener and a small pot of milk on it.
Arwen placed the cakes and cookies on the table and directed the nursemaid to put the teapot and fixings next to where she was sitting. Dismissing her servant, she reached for the teapot.
“Would you care for thome tea, La...” she started asking.
“Yes, thank…” interrupted Glorfindel, before recognizing that Arwen was speaking to one of the three dolls, not him.
The young mistress of Imladris shot him an exasperated glance. He was chagrined and apologized immediately. “Please forgive my impertinence, Lady Arwen.”
“You thould not apologize to me, Lord Glorfindel. It was Lady Aegathaer who was importuned by your rudeness. You mutht apologize to her.”
He held back an exasperated sigh. Apologize to a doll? Breathing in and smiling at the doll on his right, he nodded in apology. “Please accept my apologies, Lady Aegassaer. I am out of practice attending tea socials and hope you can find it within yourself to forgive me.”
Arwen giggled a little. Whispering to him over the table she said, “Thie thinks you are very handthome and says thie must forgive you because you asked tho thweetly.”
“Thank you for your kindness, Lady Aegassaer,” he said to the doll.
Arwen began again. Taking the kettle in hand, she asked each doll and elf in turn whether they wanted tea and if they wanted milk or sweetener with it. Once each attendee had their tea in front them, she began asking each of them whether they wanted cookies or cakes, placing the requested items on plates in front of each person.
Glorfindel was careful to answer only when he was addressed. Soon everyone was served and the little hostess sat down with her own cup of tea and a piece of cake on the plate in front of her.
He picked up the delicate cup of tea looking at it skeptically. He estimated there were no more than six swallows of tea in the entire cup. Drinking about half of the tea, he tried to act every inch the perfect elven gentleman. But then, as he was putting the cup back into its saucer, Arwen asked a question. Moving his focus to her, he placed the cup back down onto the table with more force than he had intended. The saucer and teacup cracked and fell into several pieces strewn on the table in front of him. The remaining half-cup of tea spilled over the blue-painted tabletop, creeping towards his lap.
Glorfindel, shaken that he could have missed the saucer so badly, began to stand to avoid the spilled tea, but only succeeded in breaking one of the table legs with his knee as he rose to a standing position. The table tilted, catching Lady Brethillethril, the doll to his left, and flipping her from her chair, over the balcony rail, and into the garden below. The doll to his right, Lady Aegassaer, had her legs pinned by the now angled table, crushing her porcelain legs beneath the table’s weight. Across the table from the warrior, Lady Doronidhren’s gown was caught by the opposite table leg as it angled towards his right, casting her up and into the pillar leading into Arwen’s room. It was a scene of catastrophic doll destruction.
Arwen sat on her chair surveying the complete destruction of her tea party. The teapot was on its side, the cups were strewn around the balcony and several of them were broken, and cake and treats decorated the balcony rails, ornamental plants, and the young elf’s gown. She sat in shock. Her afternoon tea had turned into a doll massacre. Her blue eyes filled with tears.
Glorfindel, like most men, was at a loss when a lady wept. But he was a man of action when it was a child's tears. He swept Arwen up in his arms, hugging her to him and apologizing in low tones while she cried on his shoulder, her tears soaking the velvet tunic.
“I am so very sorry, Arwen, I am rarely so clumsy. I will see to the repair of all of your dolls and we will meet again for tea when everyone feels well again.” After several minutes, Arwen finally calmed down. He gently placed her back on the ground.
“I think I had better leave. I will take Ladies Aegassaer and Doronidhren with me and collect Lady Brethilliethril from the bushes below. I will personally take them to the dollmaker to be repaired and, I promise, they’ll be beautiful again.”
Although Arwen was still sniffling, her generally sunny personality and basic desire to please had returned and she escorted him to the door while he cradled her two damaged dolls in his arm. She watched from the balcony while he rescued the third doll, and then waved farewell as her nurse called her back indoors.
When the family gathered for dinner that evening, Glorfindel and Arwen told everyone the story of her disastrous tea party. Everyone was laughing by the end of the tale; even Erestor had a broad smile on his face. Elrond got up from the table, hugged his daughter and asked if she was sure that she held no grudge against his Commander for the damage he had caused to her dolls. Erestor smilingly said, “Lady Arwen, you must be careful about which lions you invite to tea.”
Arwen responded, “Well, thith lion wath too big and clumsy for my Ladieth, but maybe nethkt time will be better.”
Glorfindel thought to himself, ‘Next time? Oh no! Next time?’
That night, as he was sleeping curled up to Erestor, his dreams featured being chased by blonde, brunette and red-haired dolls across a featureless prairie, the dolls jumping to grab his golden hair flying in the wind. Although he laughed the dream off the next morning, he was actually a bit shaken, and resolved to never attend another doll tea party if he could possibly avoid it. He held to that promise until he had returned to Valinor and Arwen had passed the Circles of the World.