When Haldir woke the following morning, around dawn, he spent a few minutes lying with his eyes closed, listening to the sounds of the forest as it slowly came to life. To him, as to all Galadhrim, the Golden Wood with all its creatures was a living, breathing thing, with a voice and a character of its own, and it was at this time of day that its heartbeat was most clearly heard. In that moment, Haldir felt entirely content and at peace, and his blissful state was made complete by the presence of a woman's body next to him. Bereth was asleep still; he could hear the slow, even rhythm of her breathing, a sound that was quite familiar as well.
He smiled slightly. It was not the first time that she shared his bed; in fact, Bereth was one of the few ellith who did so regularly, each of whom he had chosen because they were discreet and offered enjoyable company. He was an unattached male with healthy physical needs, and when he wanted sex he had but to ask. Unless they were engaged elsewhere, they usually were willing to warm his bed for a night. Such were his sexual habits as well as those of most single males in Lórien. It was no secret and there was no shame in it, either. As long as there was a mutual understanding, the arrangement was beneficial to all, and no one ran the risk of getting hurt.
Of course he did enjoy variety from time to time, and when a new elleth caught his eye he had ways to make his interest known, but he only played that game of seduction when he felt he stood a good chance at conquering the elleth in question. Why should he waste time and energy struggling to attain the unattainable? It just wasn't his style. When he met an elleth he liked, and she responded to him, he took her into his bed; if she was uninterested, no harm done. He would shrug it off and turn his gaze elsewhere. That was how it had always been, and how it would remain, as far as he was concerned. He was in control of his sex life, it was nice and uncomplicated and he liked it that way.
But apart from those occasional flirtations, he usually limited himself to that small circle of ellith whom he knew, trusted, and was comfortable with. To him, trust and discretion were the pillars on which every physical relationship should be built, and with Bereth there never had been any problems or misunderstandings. She was smart and skilled, and she had a good sense of humor, something he always appreciated in a female. And of course, as with the others, there was something about her that had caught and held his eye the very first time he saw her. In Bereth's case, it had been her creamy skin and her beautiful red hair. It was quite a unique colour, it suited her and he liked it a lot.
With Filanna, it had been her eyes.
Haldir rolled onto his back and joined his hands beneath his head, his eyes now open as the elleth he had met the day before found her way back to the forefront of his thoughts. He did not know what to make of her; was she really as icy and aloof as she appeared to be, or was she just socially inept? He realized he had been rather forward with her, but that was before he knew who and what she was. He would have treaded more carefully, had he but known. He didn't have much experience dealing with royalty, but a young princess like Filanna doubtlessly responded better to gallantry than to his usual style of flirting, which he knew was somewhat aggressive.
The more he thought about her, the more he found that he was not entirely discouraged, not yet. Last night's party had not been the right time and place for further attempts, as he needed something quick and easy after three weeks of abstinence, but that need had been met – several times, in fact – and he decided that he was intrigued enough to give it another try. He wished to know how she would respond to a gentler approach, whether it would make any difference at all.
Staring up at the ceiling, Haldir recalled her face to mind. She really had lovely eyes, blue and expressive, framed by lashes as dark as her hair. And she had more pleasing features- an extremely kissable mouth, for instance, and a very sweet, very willful little chin. Yes, he did enjoy looking at her, and it would be interesting to see if he could repair the damage he had done by coming on to her so fast. Even if getting her into his bed was a lost cause, just seeing her smile would be a nice reward for his time and effort, for he had not seen her do that once so far.
But he did not have much time. She would be off to Mirkwood again once Thranduil and her brother finished their business in Lórien, for the Mirkwood ruler had a busy schedule and never lingered idly in the places he visited. If Haldir wanted to find out what his chances were with the princess, he would have to act without delay. And he would act discreetly, for he did not care much for the idea of wooing her right under her father and brother's noses. Thranduil was a benevolent and good-natured elf and his eldest son seemed cordial enough, but Haldir was quite certain that they wouldn't be undividedly happy about the nature of his interest in Filanna. She might become unattainable the moment they found out about it, and Haldir did not pursue the unattainable.
Yes, caution would have to be exercised.
Beside him Bereth sighed in her sleep. She was lying on her stomach with one arm bent above her head and the other stretched alongside her body, and the alluring swell of her right breast was visible. The length of her smooth-skinned, flexible back was fully exposed to his eyes. It was a tempting enough sight to guide his thoughts back from the girl that wasn't in his bed to the one that was. Haldir propped himself up on one elbow and stroked some hair away from her neck before leaning forward and kissing the nape. Sliding closer, he moved down from there, placing soft kisses along her spine. He took his time, wondering how long it would take for her to wake up. At first she sighed and shifted a bit as his ministrations slowly pulled her up through the layers of sleep, but at length she gave a low grunt that told him she was awake at last. It was not however a sound of pleasure, and she looked over her shoulder at him with a distinctly reproachful look in her eyes.
"I was sleeping," she pointed out hoarsely.
"Yes, you were," he said with a smile, "and very sweetly so. Have I disturbed pleasant dreams?"
"As a matter of fact, you have."
"Forgive me." He rolled her over with one hand. "I couldn't resist."
"Elbereth, it is barely light yet," she groaned. "You'd better have a very good reason for waking me, Haldir, or I will have to hurt you."
"I do have a reason." With a swift, calculated motion, he grasped both her wrists in one hand and pinned them above her head. "Why don't you decide whether it is a good enough one or not?" He caught her legs with one of his own, and as he pressed his hardening sex against her thigh, he leaned down to slowly circle one of her nipples with his tongue, eliciting a sharp intake of breath from her.
"Well?" he asked semi-casually.
"Quite nice," she said. "But if you want to escape my wrath, you will have to do much more than that."
He grinned. She was good at this game, but he was better. It was a game he knew well, one he had mastered to perfection after years and years of practice. And it was one of his favourites, too.
"My dear," he said, "I am only just getting started."
xxx
Filanna, together with her father and brother, had breakfast with Celeborn and Galadriel that morning, and she marvelled at the variety of foods on the table. There were types of fruit that she had never seen in her entire life, and even the bread looked and tasted different. To her father and brother, however, it was nothing new; they displayed the same voracious appetite that made family breakfasts in Mirkwood such a spectacle to watch.
"Really, Thranduil," Queen Aeriel had said to her husband on more than one occasion, shaking her head, "where do you leave it all, so early in the morning? One would think you have been felling all of Mirkwood in one night, from the way you are gorging."
Thranduil laughed. "One cannot rule a kingdom on an empty stomach," was his cheerful reply. "And I will never fell a single tree as long as I shall live, especially not at night. When Ithil is high my energy is sapped in other ways, isn't it, my love?"
When Filanna was little, naughty remarks like these had always made her mother agitated. "Hush, Thranduil," she would say with a fierce blush, "Legolas and Filanna are listening."
"Are they?" Thranduil would look at his two youngest with an expression of feigned shock. "They are, indeed! You little brats, cover up your ears when your mother and I discuss grown-up business." He would then reach out, tickle both elflings mercilessly and ruffle their hair, making Aeriel sigh in annoyance because she would have to do their carefully made braids all over again.
Nowadays, with all her children grown into adults themselves, she was not so easily provoked by her husband's teasing, responding with a mere smile or a sharp retort of her own. It was a source of endless amusement for the princes and princesses, who were used to their father's antics and took great delight in the knowledge that their parents were still as fond of each other as they had ever been.
At times Filanna wondered if her father's ministers and advisors had even the faintest clue about that other side of their king. Thranduil had a definite streak of craziness to his character, but she had a feeling that he rarely showed it outside the family circle. As the King, he had a reputation to uphold, but in their private quarters he could truly be himself. Of course he did not always act the clown; when any of his children was struggling with something, he was always there to offer a listening ear, sage advice and a word of comfort. He had raised his children with love, affection and his renowned sense of humor, reprimanding them only when it was necessary, never shouting, never striking them, and using every available opportunity to tease them awfully. He adored his children as they adored him, and all of them had become articulate, strong-willed adults who approached the world with their heads held high.
All except one. For some reason, Filanna had never acquired her siblings' confidence, nor their outgoing nature, and she considered that a major flaw in her personality. She sometimes asked her parents in jest on which street corner they had found her, but secretly she really did feel like the odd one out, the runt of the litter. Still, she loved her family above all else, all the more because it offered security. Strangers would judge her, while her family loved and accepted her the way she was, shy and uncharming and unfeminine, and as little as she cared for the conventions of the court, she far preferred the safety of it over the world outside, where she would be subject to scrutiny and criticism.
She had no intentions of trying to make friends among the Galadhrim at the risk of being disappointed and ridiculed. She was going out for a ride today, and she would go alone, with her horse as her only companion. No conversations to keep going, no courtesies to exchange, no pretences to uphold. No one to keep her from just being herself and having a good time.
But before she could leave, there was a favour she had to ask of Galadriel, and she spent most of the morning meal gathering her courage. When all had finished eating and rose from their seats to leave the table, Filanna realized that it was now or never. So while Thranduil and Rínion were listening to one of Celeborn's anecdotes, she inched closer to the legendary Lady of Light - who was half a head taller than she was - and whispered, "My lady?"
Galadriel turned to her, smiling warmly. "Yes, child?"
"I wondered..." Filanna caught herself fondling her braid again, an old habit that still reared its ugly head when she was nervous, and stopped abruptly. "I am planning to take my horse out for a ride today and explore the surroundings."
Galadriel was still smiling. "That is an excellent idea. It promises to be a very fine day, and as long as you stay within the borders of the forest, you are perfectly safe. Will you take some provisions with you, in case it will be a long day out?"
Filanna blinked, amazed that Galadriel forestalled her question so accurately. "I would like to, my lady, if it is possible."
Galadriel laughed softly. "Of course it is possible, my dear. All you need to do is go to the telain where our food supplies are stored. The elf in charge there is Indorion. Tell him that you are my guest, and he will gladly help you."
"Oh. Thank you, my lady. Where do I find these telain?"
"It would be hard to find for someone who doesn't know the way," Galadriel replied. "I will see to it that someone takes you there."
"Oh, but I assure you that is not necessary, my lady," Filanna objected. "With proper directions, I am sure I can find it on my own..."
Galadriel did not hear her protest, or chose to ignore it. "Please fetch Orophin," she said to one of the sentinels, who bowed and left. Turning to Filanna again, Galadriel said, "I really think it is better if someone goes with you this time, my dear, just to make sure that you won't get lost. Orophin has already escorted you once, he will gladly do so again."
Filanna nodded in resignation, giving in to the Lady's will because she had no other choice. "Thank you, my lady. You are too kind."
Not much later the sentinel returned, Orophin in his wake. He was not in his uniform today, but in casual wear. He bowed to all the dignitaries present in the room and smiled at Galadriel. "My lady has need of me?"
"Yes, Orophin," she replied. "Princess Filanna wishes to visit the store rooms before she leaves for a ride. If you would be so kind as to escort her there, it would be very much appreciated."
Orophin's eyes met Filanna's, and he smiled at her. "'Twill be my pleasure, my lady."
Filanna said goodbye to her father and brother, thanked the Lord and Lady for their hospitality, and followed Orophin outside.
"Do you wish to go straight to the store rooms, milady?" he asked her.
"Not immediately," she replied. "I need to go back to my talan first and fetch a few things."
"As you wish."
While he waited outside her talan, she quickly gathered what she needed and armed herself with her bow and quiver, just as she would have done if this were Mirkwood. In spite of what Galadriel had said, she would feel safer when armed.
Not much later Orophin was leading her over bridges and stairs once again, into a part of the city that was new to her. She tried to memorize the route, so that she would be able to find the way on her own next time, but they took so many turns and passed so many similar-looking telain that she soon lost track and gave up. At that point she was quite grateful to have Orophin with her.
"Surely Caras Galadhon must look like a maze to you," he offered kindly, as if he felt her confusion.
"It does," she said. "I have lost all sense of direction by now, but thankfully you seem to know what you are doing."
He laughed. "One gets used to it. And this is not the only route to the store rooms, but it is the shortest."
After a short silence he asked, "May I be so bold as to ask where you plan to go today, milady?"
"I have no particular destination in mind," she replied. "I merely wish to explore the surrounding area. I don't intend to go very far, at least not today."
He made a left turn. "It is not much further."
As she followed at his heels, his height struck her again, as it had the day before. She was not short, for a female, yet she could barely look over his shoulder without stretching herself. The male breadth of his back and shoulders made her feel small and fragile as well. It was no wonder that he could wield that impressive bow; she suspected a lot of trained muscle under that tunic. Yet his step was graceful and light, as an elven warrior's should be.
Lifting her eyes to the back of his head, she decided that she found that silvery hair that seemed to be so characteristic of the Galadhrim rather beautiful. It was prettier than her own plain brown locks, at any rate. Orophin's was very long, it reached all the way down to his waist, and he had braided it in a different style than the warriors in Mirkwood were used to doing.
They spoke little, but Orophin did not seem to mind. Sometimes she could hear him whistling some tune to himself, as if he was actually in an excellent mood. Every time he spotted an acquaintance, he greeted them with a raised hand or a kindly spoken word. And this didn't happen just once or twice, but many times. She wondered if that meant he was popular.
When they arrived at the store rooms, he waited again for her to do what she had come for, positioning himself a small distance away to give her some privacy. The elf in charge was friendly and gave her what she asked for, more than she had expected and more than she would probably need, but he waved her protests away and added two generous slices of blueberry cake into the bargain, wrapping them in a cloth and pressing the little package into her hands.
"One for each of you," he said conspiratorially, with a nod in Orophin's direction. "It sure is a fine day for a romantic picnic with your sweetheart." And sweet Valar, he winked at her!
Her face was instantly on fire, and she prayed with all her might that Orophin hadn't heard that. "Oh, oh no, he's not my... we're not..." She lowered her eyes and concluded lamely, "It's not like that."
"I was just teasing you, dear," the elf said soothingly. "A good day to you, and be sure to come again."
She thanked him quietly, clumsily stuffing the cakes into her bulging bag, and returned to Orophin. "I would like to go to the stables now," she murmured, unable to look him in the eye.
"Certainly," he said cheerfully, as if escorting her from one corner of Caras Galadhon to the other was his fondest wish come true.
"I am sorry for keeping you like this," she said to his back as she followed him down the stairs. "I am sure you have better things to do with your time."
"Not at all," he said. "Chores are all I have planned for today, and I am glad for the opportunity to postpone them a little longer. My house needs some serious work; it is old and I've been neglecting it forever, but lately I've been having dreams of the roof crashing down on me while I sleep, and other such cheerful visions." He laughed. "I suppose I can't keep putting it off any longer, but I am as lazy as can be. It's a curse."
She smiled. "You are not returning to the border, then?"
"No, Lord Celeborn very graciously gave me leave to stay."
"That must please you."
"It does, milady; it does indeed."
Once they arrived at the stables, Filanna was requested to wait outside and let an elf of the stable staff ready her horse and bring him outside. Oh, proprieties! Were they afraid that her delicate royal nose would take offense at the smells inside? Or that her delicate royal boots would get dirt on them? Orophin waited together with her, and she found that his quiet presence didn't bother her this time.
Her horse was soon led outside. "Thank you for your help, Orophin," she said as she strapped her bag to the saddle.
"It was no trouble." Orophin was standing by the stallion's head, stroking it. "He is truly magnificent," he said, and the appreciation in his voice was evident.
She beamed at that, always proud to receive compliments on her horse's behalf. "Isn't he? Ada gave him to me when he was but a foal."
Orophin nodded. "The horses of Thranduil's stable are renowned for their strength and fierce temperament," he said. "And for their loyalty to their riders. What is his name?"
"Mithrenfin."
She was now ready to leave, but Orophin showed no inclination to part from her. "May I make a bold request, milady?"
"A request?" she repeated slowly. "What kind of request?"
"I would like to accompany you today, if you'll let me."
What in the world? Filanna stared at Orophin's face incredulously, trying to discern signs that would tell her he was joking, but she saw none. He seemed actually sincere.
"Accompany me?" she echoed. "Why?"
"Because it would please me to show you the interesting sites. I know the forest like the back of my hand." He gave her a sweet, disarming smile that had surely melted many an elleth's heart before.
Filanna's head reeled. Varda, what was happening here? Ever since she had arrived in Lórien she fell from one surprise into another. No Mirkwood elf would ever ask to accompany her anywhere, knowing that she far preferred to be alone.
"But... but what about your chores?" she offered weakly.
His smile turned into self-conscious grin. "I told you I was lazy."
To her own surprise, she began to smile as well. "So you are using me as an excuse to procrastinate yet again."
"I wouldn't put it that way." He laughed. "But I do find riding in charming company more entertaining than fixing the roof of my house. Is that so wrong?"
She bit her lip. "It would really please you to spend the day with me?"
"Yes, it would." He tilted his head to the side. "And I must confess I have a weakness for blueberry cake."
She instantly flushed red again. Oh, disaster; he had heard that conversation, after all! How incredibly embarrassing!
"Don't let Indorion get to you," he said kindly. "He is an old flirt of the first rank, and he enjoys making the ellith blush. Most of what he says doesn't make any sense. The next time I go there to collect provisions for the patrol, I will speak to him sternly." He smiled. "What say you, milady? May I be your charming chaperon for the day?"
"I do not need a chaperon," she said with a scowl.
"Forgive me. Your guide, then."
Filanna didn't know what to think. This was not what she had been planning! But she had to admit that, for some unfathomable reason, she rather liked Orophin. She usually felt intimidated and threatened when strange males were around, but with Orophin it was not so. Not so much, at any rate. She could bear having him with her. He definitely was more pleasant company than that other Galadhel she had met the day before, and since Galadriel herself had selected him to be her escort, he had to be dependable.
What harm could it do? It was only for one day, anyway. If she declined, his feelings might be hurt; and since he had been so kind to her, she did not wish for that to happen.
"Very well, then," she said, conceding. "But on the condition that you stop calling me 'milady'. If I must hear that all day long, I will be thoroughly annoyed by the end of it."
He bowed slightly. "I promise."
"And you must quit the bowing too."
He grinned. "Naturally. I will be back in a moment."
He turned and disappeared into the stables at a trot, leaving Filanna bewildered and confused.
And, although she would rather die than admit it, ever so slightly, secretly pleased.
xxx
Ithil = the moon (S)
