My heartfelt gratitude to  Avaloyuru,   lordThrandui,  crystalily2003,   Tiemna,  fateclaws,  siso_sissan,  slut_for_pizza,  and  nathalieAlice for commenting and voting on the previous chapter! An additional thank you to  spectra6  for adding this story to their reading list!

"Leave me alone!" Elladan cried. Elrond heard him running across the room and hurled the door open before Elladan had a chance to lock it. At his appearance, Elladan backed up until his back touched the far wall and cowered there.

Elrond opened his mouth to launch into a reprimand but something in Elladan's scared eyes stopped him. His son regarded him with a slight tremor running through him, his dark eyes glistening with fear. He looked like a trapped animal and few small whimpers made him sound like one in pain.

"Elladan?" said Elrond. "What is wrong?"

"I wish Thranduil would come home," Elladan whimpered, backing away with a sudden movement as Elrond came toward him. He cringed as Elrond reached for him.

"I will not hurt you, Elladan," Elrond said quickly, but his son kept shuffling out of his reach.

"You are lying," Elladan said, his voice husky. "You hurt me a few minutes ago, and you did not care."

Elrond felt a frown coming onto his face. "That was different, Elladan."

Elladan backed into a corner and trembled as he glanced toward the open door, realizing he was trapped between Elrond and his bed. He ducked his head to hide the hot tears on his cheeks, clutching the book in his arms even closer to him.

"Why are you scared, Elladan?" Elrond asked softly, disturbed by Elladan's trembling, small form.

"B-because I-I am all—alone w-with you," Elladan quavered. "A-and Thranduil is—is not hear to protect me. I-I am scared b-because you like to—to hurt me—you are bigger and strong—stronger then me-and if you want to spa—spank me—I cannot stop you. "

Elrond stood and let Elladan's speech sink in. It took a moment to register the cowering elfling standing before him was scared of him despite everything. Thranduil had insisted the fear was there, and the twins had been cautious and closed around him but this was the first time he had seen Elladan so paled and . . . trapped. The fear was visible.

Elrond felt tempted to scold. It was not as if he was about to beat his son. It was not as if Elladan had ever been beaten . . . but he knew he had to comfort his son. The big, wide eyes were looking at him, darting toward the open door.

"Thranduil," came a choked whisper. Elladan's head was bowed and his shoulders shook.

Elrond crouched down and reached out to touch Elladan's shoulder. "Why do you want Thranduil, ion?"

Elladan jerked back from him and slammed into the wall, forcing down his sobs. "He keeps me safe from you—he does not let you hit me—"

Elrond felt as if Elladan held something back. "I cannot help you if you lie to me, Elladan."

Elladan bristled. "I do not lie! You lie; you do not want to help me! You are the one Thranduil stands to protect me from!"

Elrond held up his hands, fighting an urge to scold Elladan for his disrespect. "Is there no other reason you like Thranduil?"

Elladan hesitated. He refused to meet Elrond's eyes but, as he huddled in his corner trying to melt into the wall, he mumbled something under his breath. Elrond strained his ears but caught garbled words.

"What?" he said. "I cannot hear you, Elladan. Speak clearly."

Elladan dragged his hand across his eyes. "He and H-Harune—the last time you tried to spank us—they rubbed ointment into the sore spots—you never cared—"

Elrond sat on his heels and stared at Elladan. Fresh tears spilled down Elladan's cheeks, and his eyes on the door seemed to contemplate screaming for help. Only the thought of how much Elrond could do to him before the guards arrived held him back and his eyes darted nervously from Elrond to the door.

"Are you trying to say, Elladan, you like Thranduil because he massaged the pain away. I never hit you so hard as to warrant ointment!"

"You would not know," Elladan said. "You are not the one being hit, are you? How soft do you think the flat end of a hairbrush is?" He glared at Elrond, his fearful tears replaced with cold anger. "I suppose you think leaving my behind flushed and red does not leave me in any pain? You knew you inflicted pain on us; you knew and you said it was good for us!"

Elrond tried to imagine Elladan running to Thranduil upon his return from the cherry orchard. He tried to imagine the elf king sitting and soothing Elladan's spanked behind. The image flickered and died in his mind. A small sob from his son distracted him and he looked to his son.

"Go lie down on the bed," Elrond said, his voice commanding.

"Why? So you can apply some cruel form of sadistic punishment?" Elladan coughed. "No!"

"I promise I will not hurt you," Elrond said.

Elladan hesitating. Elrond moved aside and Elladan's eyes moved to the door. Elrond walked and shut it firmly, locking it, and the action brought Elladan's fright roaring back. He glanced desperately around the room. There was any number of things Elrond could use to hit him—Elrohir's brush, his hand, a switch broken from the tree outside the window. He cowered back against the bed as Elrond came toward him.

"Come on," Elrond said.

Elladan meekly obeyed, his mind racing to find something—anything he could do to run. He could scream for help but the thought of being assaulted by Elrond kept his lips closed. He could not disobey; Elrond was sure to beat him. He did not want to lie down and let Elrond whip him!

Elladan buried his face in the blankets and quaked. He heard draws opening but he had no wish to look and see what implement Elrond had found to spank him with. He felt the mattress shift as Elrond sat down and shuddered, waiting for the spanking to begin. Elrond's hands bared his behind.

"No . . ." Elladan pleaded. "Please do not. Please!"

Elrond's hand touched him and Elladan cried out of habit. Elrond's hand on his behind always meant pain. He felt something cool and smooth dull the pain the few strokes of Elrond's hands had left him in and jerked in shock.

"Sshhh, it is all right, Elladan." Elrond's voice sounded calm and . . . gentle? The ointment rubbed into his abused behind felt soothing . . . enticing the red color left behind to fade.

Elladan's breathing settled and he relaxed as he fell asleep, his cheek pressed to the blanket. Elrond capped the jar of ointment and rose to his feet, giving a small sigh as he thought of Elladan's pink behind. He had been the one to cause its coloration. He put down the jar and leaned over the bed and tugged a thin sheet over Elladan. He opened the window and left the room, cool breeze blowing across it.

The guards on duty paused to look at him, their keen eyes running over his tired face before glancing into the room before the door closed. Deciding the guards were satisfied, Elrond wandered down to the living room.

A shriek and a crash in the hallway made him whirl around from the window where he stood. The door burst open and Legolas and Landion spilled into the room, tripping over each other in their hurry. Both elflings looked hot and flushed. Cherry leaves clung to their hair and their hands were stained with juices not to speak of their mouths.

Thranduil's voice called and, moment's later, the elf king rushed into the room. "Arai, Legolas, I told you to run up to your room and clean up before you thought of coming in here. Go do as you are told, both of you! Or you will not help make the pies."

"We came to ask Elrond if Elrohir was back yet," Legolas explained as Thranduil turned him toward the door and pushed him out of the room.

"You can ask him when you have cleaned up else ants will be crawling over you," Thranduil answered, waving his hand. "Shoo!"

Landion paused. "Thranduil, about the vase—"

"I am sure you are very sorry, and you will be cleaning it up," Thranduil interrupted.

Landion darted away with Legolas at his heels. Thranduil looked at Elrond noticed his despondent expression. "What weighs so heavily on your mind?"

"It is Elladan," Elrond answered, beginning to pace.

"What have you done?" Thranduil demanded, taking a step forward.

"I have done nothing," Elrond retorted. His voice dropped, betraying his lie. "I admit I tried to spank him . . . he refused to return to the library and finish his work."

"Elladan would not walk away from his work, much less work given to him as a punishment. Besides, Éire would have been watching him, and I was informed Elladan served out the duration of his punishment until the end. You have made a mistake. Doubtless Elladan tried to explain it to you but I am sure you refused to listen. As for the spanking—"

"He wriggled free and ran after ten seconds or so," Elrond interrupted, continuing his pacing. His heart sank as he realized he had cut off Elladan's attempts to communicate with him, taking them for childish refusal to obey him. "I followed him into his room."

Thranduil's face darkened. "If I find you have beaten him, Elrond, you may as well be back in Rivendell in pieces."

Elrond coughed. "I intended to spank him for his behavior but . . . he seemed so scared . . . he looked like a trapped animal. He sounded like a rabbit caught in a net while a wolf prowls closer. I asked him why. He said he was afraid of me."

"I do not blame him," Thranduil said sourly, folding his arms across his chest. "I cannot think how you missed his fear in the past years. He has lived in terror of you since the day you first "spanked" him."

"But I had never seen it so pronounced," Elrond insisted. "He looked so pale. So alone. He was more the upset. He was weeping puddles onto the floor huddled in his corner. He kept asking for you."

Thranduil made a disgusted noise in the back of his throat. "I will step up and see him. I better not hear any horror stories out of him about what you did."

"I did nothing," Elrond said quietly. "I intended to. He said something about you rubbing ointment into him after I had spanked him in the past. I had him lie down so I could do it but he was shaking so hard."

Thranduil dropped his arms. "No doubt he feared you were going to beat him."

Elrond stopped. "I do not like to see my child shaking in obvious terror of me, Thranduil. It made me feel sick. It made me feel like—I have seen some abused elflings in my time. He looked so similar."

"Indeed," said Thranduil, putting an arm around Legolas's shoulders as his son came to his side. "Now imagine you were home in Rivendell. Let us imagine Elladan fled from one of his punishments. Let us imagine you caught Elladan in his room. Let us imagine you administered what you believed to be punishment. Let us think about how he would have felt if you had "spanked" him after dragging him out of his corner."

Elrond gave a small wince.

"It does not sound pleasant, that," Thranduil agreed. "It sounds like barbaric cruelty. Much like the other so called punishments you have administered in the past."

Elrond sank into a chair and buried his face in his hands. "I feel lost and hollow inside. I do not want to make Elladan feel or look at me like I am about to assault him again. I have seen him fighting against me in a blind fury and heard him scream insults and pleas. It seemed to me natural for him to protest and argue and fight at the time. He expressed his fear in anger and protest and I never saw it into those forms. But I have never seen him so beaten down and shaking; so afraid. I have been blind."

"We tried to tell you," Legolas spoke up. "We tried to open your eyes. But you would not let us."

Thranduil ruffled his blond hair. "Run down to the kitchens, little leaf. Harune is waiting; tell him I will join you in a few minutes."

Legolas nodded and slipped away, his footsteps soft and silent. Thranduil gazed at Elrond, turning as Elrohir walked into the room with Glorfindel behind him. Elrohir froze at the sight of Elrond and Thranduil. He grabbed Thranduil's hand and demanded, "Is Elladan hurt?"

"He is sleeping," Thranduil said.

Elrond looked up at his son's voice and his dull eyes took on a light shine. "Elrohir. I am sorry about what happened last night. Will you forgive me?"

"No," said Elrohir shortly.

Elrond looked like he had been slapped. He recuperated and asked, "Will you come down to the kitchens with me and join Harune while he makes pies?"

Elrohir looked at Thranduil. "Will you be there?"

The elf king nodded. Elrohir looked at Elrond and said, "Yes."

But as he and Elrohir made their way down to the kitchens, Elrond had the distinct feeling Elrohir had come with him only because he knew he would be safe in the presence of Thranduil and Harune. Safe: Where Elrond could not hit him. A wave of loneliness hit the elf lord. Mixed with currents of guilt. For the first time in his life, he was not convinced spanking was the right thing to do, and being wrenched from his roots left him dangling on the edge of a cliff.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read the latest chapter in My Word. I appreciate it so much and I love hearing your final thoughts on the chapter!

Next Chapter: Elrond discovers Legolas can behave badly. Very badly indeed!