Rebekah's POV

We were all shown to rooms. I had scarcely managed to remove my cloak when there was a knock on my door.

Opening it, I stood aside to allow my guest to enter. "My Lord Celeborn." I greeted. "Haldir."

"Queen Rebekah." The Lord responded in turn. "I find myself perplexed, Highness."

Haldir remained silent, clearly only here for formality or protection.

I considered arguing the references to nobility only to reason it was not necessary as he was just as aware of our situation as I was. "Might I ask why, My Lord?"

"I wonder why you have chosen to join this Fellowship." He voiced. "The handling of this ring has no control over your fate. Should Sauron get his hands on it, you will live. Should the ring truly get destroyed, you will live. Why take the time to assist in such a quest?"

"Forgive me, Celeborn, but the rise of Sauron does have its effect on me and it is an effect I would rather never have to live."

"My concern, had I been placed in your position, would be that the rise of Sauron, meant the rise of something much greater. You say the Balrog took out the Grey Wizard, Would it be possible that the return of Sauron, could mean the rise of his predecessor?"

I paused, mulling over what he was asking me. "The success of this quest, will mean never having to know the answer to that question, Celeborn. Therefore, I will do everything within my power to ensure that we never find out if the rise of one, means the rise of the other."

"That is not an answer."

"No, My Lord, it is not. An answer is conditional of my knowledge of how these things will turn out. I am incapable of such insight."

He looked at me. "I had hoped coming to see you would quench this thirst for answers, but I see it has not. I apologize for taking this time away from your rest, Highness." With that, the Lord of Lothlorien took his leave.

I opened the door for him, avoiding eye contact as he left.

Haldir stopped at the door, closing it behind his Lord.

I looked at him curiously.

"I saw you earlier, at the guard-post." He informed me. "Your blatant avoidance of the Prince after our altercation."

"What of it?" I snapped. "It is far from his business what I've been involved with in the past. It is neither your business who I do or don't look at in passing."

"Defensive." He mumbled, coming closer to me. "I've only ever seen you get this way once or twice." He stepped upon me, putting this elvish fingertips to the wall on either side of my head. "I find it very attractive." He whispered.

"Haldir." I whispered back. "What are you doing?"

"Testing your theory that you will not get bored." His breathe fell over my neck.

"This has more to do with that." I hissed. "You have refused me within elvish wall before. Why now?"

"I haven't seen you in nearly a hundred years, Bek. I have missed you." His lips fell onto mine, conforming together as he pressed into me.

I shoved him back so hard he stumbled against the table in my room. "Why?" I demanded.

There was amusement in his eyes. A dark twinkle I hadn't seen since our affair together so very long ago. A part of him I thought he had shed when he left me to rejoin elvish society. "Because you cut into him." He hissed, leaning against the desk.

"What?"

"I saw him when the healers checked over the rest of your company. You were careful, I could tell. But the talon marks at the top of his spine… To someone who knows you, they were unmistakable."

"So, what? You're going to run and tell Celeborn and Galadrial, punish me for harming the Prince?"

"No. Not even. The way he was willing to harm one of his own kind in defense of you? He had to have taken his pain as willingly as you gave it. If not, you two would have killed one another already. When did it start?" He asked getting up. "How long after I left did you decide to destroy Thranduil's precious son?"

"I didn't. He took me at first. Funny elves don't seem to understand how great my people are until they choose to fall into bed with us."

He chuckled, making for the door. Passing me, he grabbed my chin, that dark look still in his eyes. "You should give yourself more credit, Princess." He whispered so close to my ear that I could feel his lips. "The bed was never our battleground." Pushing my face away from his. "You should get all of the dwarf-city off of you. It is very unbecoming."

Grabbing my things, I headed off to bathe the leftovers of Moria and blood from my skin.