I hope you are all keeping well! I've put my comments at the end of the chapter.

-E

Lauren remained unconscious for several days. When Lady Galadriel finally stepped out of Lauren's room, she relayed the grim news.

"She has lost much blood. Orc poison has done its work. She will live and recover, but she will be weakened for some time."

To the news, Elrond breathed a sigh of relief. Haldir was feeling similarly. What Galadriel didn't say, was that she sensed in her granddaughter, a profound sadness and sense of betrayal. And those potent feelings were directed squarely towards her father and Haldir. The Lady didn't know what exactly had brought this on – it was not important, for now, the focus was on Lauren's physical health.

"I want to be with her" Elrond said straight away.

Galadriel moved to intercept the Lord of Rivendell. "Elrond, I think you should leave her to the healers for now. She is very weak"

Surprised by the deflection, Elrond insisted "I am her father. I need to be with her."

"Arwen and I will attend to her. Elrond, I must do what I think is best. No visitors except for those who are healing her" Galadriel said firmly. She didn't want to inflame the situation further – a situation that was not entirely clear to her.

The days blurred into one another. Lauren did not feel the time slipping by. Three days after her encounter with the orc, Lauren stirred and opened her eyes. It took her a few moments to orient herself in a healing flet. Then the dull throbbing pain hit her, with the epicenter at the wound on the arm. She made to move, but was quickly attended to by Arwen. Her sister had been at her bedside for days, making sure she had all she needed.

"Luthien, try not to move. You're still weak. Here, take some water" Arwen said soothingly, offering a cup to Lauren's lips.

Lauren drank steadily, quenching her thirst with large gulps. The water refreshed her tremendously. Her voice cracked but worked. "What happened?"

"That orc attacked you. Luckily Orophin and Haldir were able to defeat it. You were badly injured and brought back here, you've been asleep for days. Grandmother says you will fully recover, though it will take some time" Arwen relayed.

Lauren recalled those events. "Where's George?" Lauren withdrew to the only person who she knew had never lied to her about her past.

Arwen, eager to please her, stood up and walked out the door to retrieve him. George was wearing an expression of worry when he entered the room. He held Lauren's hand and knelt beside her.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" George whispered.

Lauren turned her head towards him and smiled weakly. "I feel terrible" she answered honestly, eliciting a choked laugh from her cousin.

"You had us all so worried. Elrond and Haldir are outside, they haven't slept in 3 days. They'll be so glad to see you-" George reported, he moved to stand up to retrieve the aforementioned ellons.

"No, don't bring them in" Lauren said suddenly, grasping George's arm forcefully.

"They're desperate to make sure you're OK" George explained, not quite processing what Lauren had just said.

Lauren grew more agitated, moving herself up in the bed. "No, I don't want to see them!" Lauren said loudly. The movement made her quite short of breath, and she began to breath quickly.

"Lauren – what" George asked, completely bewildered. The commotion could be heard outside and Lady Galadriel entered the room.

"I don't want to see them, keep them the hell away from me!" Lauren was practically shouting. George threw Galadriel and Arwen a questioning look. Arwen was stunned speechless. The Lady of the Woods took charge.

"Sweetling, no one is coming in but the healers. It's alright, you need to rest" Galadriel soothed, calming Lauren. She turned to the other occupants of the room "Arwen, please go to the kitchens and get some soup. George, tell Elrond and Haldir to go home to rest. They have been standing outside long enough."

Both left the room wordlessly. Outside the healing room, Elrond and Haldir stood exhausted. They had refused any entreaty to leave their guard. When Arwen exited the room, they both looked up with desperate eyes.

"She's awake" Elrond said, for Lauren's muffled voice could be heard on the other side of the door.

Arwen could not bring herself to look at her father, she knew Lauren's refusal to see him would hurt him deeply.

"I am fetching her some soup" Arwen muttered before quickly leaving.

Next George came out of the room, he looked even more worried than when he entered it. He gulped and looked into the Lord and Marchwarden's faces.

"Lord Elrond, Haldir, why don't you go home and take a break" George suggested.

"How is she? I must see her" Elrond demanded. Haldir silently agreed.

"My Lord, she's tired, she doesn't want visitors right now" George chose his words carefully. He didn't know why Lauren was refusing their company, and he didn't want to be the bearer of bad news. When both ellons moved to protest, he added "Lady Galadriel insists."

Lady Galadriel held a sobbing Lauren in her arms. Her grand daughter's anguish was visceral and raw. Lauren was crying so hard she couldn't talk. She was crying from the physical pain the wound on her arm was causing, the terrible way the orc poison was making her feel, and the betrayal that Elrond and Haldir had caused by their evasion of the truth. Eventually, Lauren tired herself out and drifted back to sleep. Arwen slipped back into the room and put the soup by the bedside; Lady Galadriel stood to leave when Arwen volunteered to keep sitting with Lauren.

"Grandmother, why won't she see Ada and Haldir? They hurt for her" Arwen asked.

Though Lauren hadn't said anything, Galadriel's foresight indicated to her that Lauren had discovered some of her past while on the plains. Clearly, that orc had presented the past in an unflattering way. Baldor was always a master manipulator. She had to grudgingly acknowledge that the orc was not the cause of the situation, but just an opportunist. If Elrond and Haldir had been honest with Lauren from the beginning and told her everything, the Princess would not be in this current state of fury. If the truth had come from them, they would have been able to present it in a way to make her understand. Instead, by not telling Lauren the truth, an opening was made for the orc to exploit it. Elrond had been blind to the ability of seeds of doubt to grow. Both her son-in-law and marchwarden had been too focussed on making progress with Lauren in the present, that they ignored the damage the past could do.

"That is between your sister and your Ada and Haldir. They will need to explain things to her, when she is ready to listen" Galadriel answered cryptically. The more direct communication between them, the better. Galadriel knew the best thing to do was not to inflame things. However, she had not counted on badly Elrond wanted to see his daughter. As soon as she exited the room, Elrond came up to her. Haldir held back, for the Lady was not his equal – a thought Elrond did not share.

"Galadriel, why is Luthien so upset!" Elrond demanded.

"I see you did not take my advice to go home" Galadriel said calmly.

"My child is in there, she's hurt Galadriel. How can I leave" Elrond insisted.

"Elrond, trust me the best thing you can do is leave –" Galadriel began. Unfortunately, Elrond's patience had run out and he pushed past her into the room.

The Lord of Rivendell ran his hand lovingly across his youngest daughter's forehead, kissing her cheeks, whispering her encouragement. His child looked so frail and all he wanted was to take her pain away. Lauren stirred at the touch and opened her eyes. When she realized Elrond was at her bedside, she furrowed her eyebrows.

"What are you doing here?" Lauren asked in a hostile tone.

Elrond blinked, surprised by her tone. "Luthien, it's Ada. It's alright, you're safe now"

The father's words had no effect on the child. Lauren sat up a little and said, in the same tone "get out." Before waiting for a response, she pulled her hand from his. "Don't touch me, don't come near me! You're a liar! You have lied to me since the day I came here!"

A shocked Elrond did not have a response, before he could even process what Lauren was talking about, Lauren gave him the answer. "He showed me! He showed me everything. You didn't want another child. You wouldn't trade me for some piece of crap ring! You bastard, how can you call yourself my father!" Lauren yelled.

Elrond looked as if he was physically wounded. Arwen stood up, "Luthien, please – you don't understand," in an attempt to mitigate the situation.

Unsurprisingly, the yelling spurred Haldir, George, Galadriel, Celeborn and the twins to enter the room. This made the situation much worse.

"Shut up Arwen, I don't want to hear it from you" was Lauren's biting response. When she saw Haldir, the group got another taste of Lauren's fury. Her eyes connected with the marchwarden's. "Get out" she directed at Haldir.

"Luthien –" Haldir got no further.

"I do not want to see your face Haldir. You threw me away to those orcs to save Arwen. I saw that too. That orc did me a favor, or else I'd be with a liar!" Lauren yelled.

Haldir, too, was too wounded to speak. He did not want to make things worse. Lauren was so agitated that her wound was bleeding. Galadriel threw a look at Celeborn. At once, he realized the battle would not be won today. He murmured to the group that Lauren needed space to heal and forcibly dragged Elrond and Haldir from the room.

Lauren was sobbing uncontrollably; Galadriel's only resort was to give her vial of sedation. As Lauren drifted off into another day of dreamless sleep, Galadriel left the room. Arwen, shell shocked, sank back into her chair to continue her vigil.

Outside, Galadriel looked at her marchwarden and son-in-law. They both looked devastated.

"Go home, now. Both of you. When she's better, you will have the opportunity to explain everything to her." The Lady commanded. This time, there was no disagreement.

Lauren awoke the next day to find Arwen still sitting beside her, quietly reading a book. When Lauren stirred, Arwen reached over and offered her some water, which Lauren readily accepted. After Lauren drank, Arwen offered her some food. Lauren found she was hungry and ate ravenously. Arwen smiled at the return of her sister's appetite.

"How about a sponge bath today? That will make you feel much better" Arwen said brightly.

Lauren smiled at the thought. Arwen got up to retrieve the necessary supplies. Shortly after, the room smelled like the Lavender soap Arwen had added to the water. Lauren was covered cuts and scrapes and was soothed immediately by Arwen's gentle wiping with the balming water.

"Thank you Arwen, that feels so much better" Lauren said honestly.

"What are sisters for.." Arwen responded.

"Arwen, I'm sorry for yelling at you yesterday. I wasn't angry at you. I was angry and it spilled over to you" Lauren apologized. Her anger was not at her sister, but she had lost her temper.

"Think nothing of it" Arwen said quickly. After a moment's hesitation, she asked "will you not tell me what happened?"

Lauren decided since Arwen had sponge bathed her, now was as good a time as any to confide in her sister. She frankly told Arwen everything that had happened that day on the plains. Arwen remained silent throughout Lauren's recounting. At the end, she took a deep breath and grasped both of Lauren's hands.

"Luthien, I know what it must've looked like. But I was there, it's not what you think. That day with naneth- Haldir didn't chose to save me. It all happened so fast. I reached for his hand and he took it. He fought valiantly for you but was outmatched. It is so obvious he loves you. He would never hurt you" Arwen said earnestly.

Lauren knew Arwen's words were true. The marchwarden she had come to know was an honorable, kind, honest person. She knew she had rushed to judge him – it was not what he did that day which riled her, so much as that he had not been forthright. Just like Elrond had not been forthright with her.

"Ada, he loves you. But the choice he was asked to make was impossible. The ring, Vilya, is the source of power and protection for our people in Rivendell. Giving it up would have risked hundreds of lives. He could not do that Luthien. I know that if Ada could've paid the price with his own life he would have done so to save you" Arwen pleaded.

Lauren looked down. She had felt her father's love in the last several weeks and deep down she knew Arwen's words were true. She had been horrible to her father. She was angry at him for his lack of honesty but he had not deserved what she meted out the day before. She hugged her knees and felt melancholy wash over her. Arwen hugged held her for a long time, until she drifted off to sleep.

In galadriel's rose garden, the Lord of Rivendell was in deep reflection. He had erred in not telling his daughter everything. He wanted so much to have a relationship with her, things had started on a difficult note. Lauren had been slow to warm to him but he had been overjoyed when they started making progress, he did not want to derail their relationship. Now, he realised the error of his approach and he despaired that all he had achieved with Lauren was lost. He worried he had failed Celebrian. It was true that he was taken aback when Celebrian had told him she was pregnant. But before Lauren was born, he had realised he would love any child the Valar granted them. When he held his daughter for the first time, a tidal wave of love washed over him. No one could question his dedication to his children. Elrond had tried to reassure the marchwarden that the love between the warden and Lauren would pull through. He had told Haldir that Lauren would see his love and would not fault his actions. Elrond himself was not sure that would be the case for himself. In Lauren's eyes, her father's actions must have seemed far more grievous.

The next several days were quiet. Lauren was only visited by healers and Arwen. She had the opportunity to think about what choices she may have made if she had been in her father or Haldir's situation. She knew what she had to do.

Lauren was allowed to go home after several days in the healing flet. She was still weak but no longer required constant supervision. The healers had made it clear to her she still needed frequent visits and the power of her people to continue to improve. Her first act was to speak to her father.

Unsurprisingly, Elrond was found in his makeshift office in the library. He was hunched over a stack of papers, finding it difficult to concentrate. Luckily, his old friend Glorfindel had reported the realm of Rivendell was running smoothly. The door creaked open, Elrond did not look up until he heard a soft voice clearing.

"Ada" Lauren said.

Elrond stood up. "Luthien –" he trailed off.

"Arwen explained things to me. I'm sorry for how I acted. It was out of anger. I know it wasn't your fault. I know you love me. You made the right choice and I can't fault you. I only wish you had told me from the beginning. It wasn't fair I had to find out that way." Lauren had rehearsed it in her mind.

The words of absolution and forgiveness moved Elrond. He closed the distance between them and took his daughter into his embrace. Lauren pressed her face into his robes. She felt her father's tears trickle onto her.

"Luthien, I never regretted having you. I was hesitant at first, but I loved you before you were born. I erred in not telling you everything at the outset, I only wanted to get to know you and show you how much I loved you -" Elrond began.

"Ada, it's OK. I have felt your love" Lauren reassured. She wanted to put this behind them. "Should we take our usual walk in the garden?"

Elrond smiled and kissed her on the head several times before taking her arms and leading her to the garden. Before long, they had picked up from their last discussion about the elves in the first age.

Later, Lauren found the marchwarden in his flet. Orophin had told her Haldir had recently returned from a rotation at the borders. His brother had been in a state of turmoil since seeing Lauren at the healing flet, and Orophin hoped Lauren would work things out with him. Haldir was dressed in a simple tunic and leggings when he opened the door to a soft knock.

"Luthien – you look well, I'm glad to see you recovering" Haldir greeted uncertainly. He had respected Lauren's demand to be left alone, thus he was surprised to see her at his door.

"Can I come in?" Lauren asked. Haldir quickly moved to free up the entry. Lauren cautiously stepped inside. There was a moment of silence at first, as Lauren bit her lip nervously, unsure of where to begin.

"How were the borders? Quiet I hope?" Lauren asked, making small talk.

"Nothing out of the ordinary" Haldir answered simply.

Lauren decided to plunge in. "Haldir, I misjudged what that orc showed me. Arwen, she explained what happened. I was horrible and mean to you for something that was not your fault. You had no control over a bad situation, you did the best you could. You saved my sister and I know you did your best for me. I'm sorry."

A weight was lifted off Haldir. He took a step towards her and gently grazed her cheek with his hand. "Luthien, I would never hurt you. All I want is for you to be happy and safe" he emphasized.

"I know" Lauren said.

"I love you. With all my heart" Haldir said emotionally. It was a confession that came from the very center of his heart.

"I know" Lauren said again. "But you kept the truth from me. You should've told me from the beginning, I would've understood. Instead, I found out in that horrible way from that orc. I am disappointed that you kept it from me."

Haldir shook his head. "I have let you down" he acknowledged. He silently vowed to do better. He desperately wanted to kiss her, and he leaned in to her to show her how much she meant to him.

Lauren pulled back, denying him. "I'm sorry Haldir. I can't just go back to the way things were between us."

It was a blow to Haldir. He wanted to double over from the pain he was feeling. "No, please Luthien-"

"Haldir, you are a good person. You are honorable, kind, loyal. I am so lucky to have you in my life. But the person I'm with, I have to trust him completely. You kept such an important thing from me. I never thought you, of all people, would do that. I want you in my life – I need your friendship, but I'm not sure if we can be more than that. Can you understand?" Lauren explained.

Haldir was deeply hurt. He was ready to give himself to Lauren, body and soul. But Lauren was not ready for this. He prayed to the Valar that she would find her way back to him. He nodded numbly.

"I will always be your friend. I am forever your protector. Know that you can call on me for anything" Haldir choked out.

Lauren smiled softly. Then she hugged him and he held onto her like he might lose her. In truth, he felt like he had lost her already, and he was desperately clutching at any part she would let him be in her life.

I know many of you had hoped Lauren would not misunderstand what was shown to her - she did come to the right conclusions in the end. For Lauren, it's the fact that Haldir hadn't told her the whole story that is making her pause. She needs to know that the person she is with is in her corner 100%.
Don't worry, there's plenty more to come between these two.

-Edith