Disclaimer: Tolkien owns Middle Earth and it's inhabitants (save for my two
characters, Alex and Sarah). Please don't sue – I've got nothing of any
considerable value.
Author's Note: Thank you to all those who have reviewed – otherwise I may well have given up long before now. Please keep R&Ring to keep me writing!
Chapter 4: A White Rose
As we neared the steps where the guard elves had left us before, Haldir slowed his pace. "Lady Sarah and Lord Alex, you will sleep in the guest quarters tonight. I will take you there – you should find everything you need to make yourselves presentable for dinner."
Alex put a pained expression on his face. "I thought we were going to eat now. I'm starved…"
I rolled my eyes. 'Typical Alex,' I thought, 'always thinking of his stomach…' Then another thought popped into my head and I turned to face Haldir. "What do you mean 'look presentable'? Are you implying that I don't look decent?"
Haldir gulped, realizing that maybe his words weren't chosen with the utmost tact. "I simply meant, Lady Sarah, that you might like to freshen up a little and put some clean clothes on. You have walked a long way today, and I thought you might like to have a bath," he said, blushing as he said the last sentence.
Now that he mentioned it, I was feeling a little sticky… As I looked down, I saw my legs were streaked with dirt from where I had rested earlier. Maybe it would be a good idea to freshen up a little… I shrugged and tried to hide a smile that was threatening to show itself at seeing the elf blush. "Fine… Lead the way."
I turned to face my twin and noticed him sulking, obviously disappointed that we weren't going to eat just yet. I handed him a stick of gum from my pocket. "Chew on this if you think you can't wait 'til I've had a good soak."
"Typical female… Always concerned with her looks…" he muttered under his breath, but I could see the hint of a smile on his mouth, so I knew he wasn't serious. Haldir just gave us a strange look and shook his head before turning to lead us to the guest quarters.
The guest quarters were luxurious, like one of those five-star rooms at the Ritz. We each had a room with a four-poster bed, ensuite bathroom, and a balcony – I felt like a princess. My balcony overlooked a beautiful rose garden, and as I looked out, I found myself wishing that I wasn't merely a guest so I could look at this view every day.
As I looked out, I felt a gentle tap on the shoulder. Turning around, I noticed Alex standing there looking annoyed. "If you don't hurry up, I'll end up having to eat this stick of gum to keep starvation at bay…" Alex whispered. I stuck my tongue out at him and walked inside.
After my bath, I came back into my room and noticed a beautiful pale green dress on the bed. It had an iridescent quality and was as soft as silk. I quickly tried it on and found that it fit perfectly, almost as if it molded to my skin. I admired myself in the mirror, while putting my hair up into a loose French braid.
Alex peered into the room. "You ready yet?" he asked. I could tell he was getting impatient and so nodded, quickly placing the elastic around the tip of my hair. "Good… Haldir and I have been waiting for what seems like ages."
"Haldir's still here?" I questioned.
My brother nodded in response. "Who do you think picked out the dress for you? You should know I don't have any fashion sense, being the manly man that I am…"
I snorted with laughter. "You? A manly man? I don't think you could pull that off if your life depended on it…" Alex knew I was only joking – all the girls at school had been fawning over him since he'd started working out.
Haldir's face appeared behind Alex. "Are we ready?" Nodding, I stood up and took Haldir's arm. Alex, not wanting to be left out, held out his arm, so that I was sandwiched in between them as we left the quarters and headed down to the main level for a feast.
As we made our entrance, I once again felt the stares of nearby elves on us and started feeling very self-conscious. Unlike my brother, I tended to try and stay out of the limelight, so I quickly made my excuses and headed off to the side, sitting down in an empty seat.
Alex, on the other hand, seemed to be totally at ease as he headed towards the table where the food waited. He joked with Haldir for a while, and then started to dance with some of the nearby female elves.
Haldir was doing his best to try and inconspicuously convince me to join them. Eventually, he gave up and walked over to join me. As he sat down, he leaned and whispered in my ear, "You don't seem to be enjoying yourself, Lady Sarah. Is something wrong?"
I shook my head. "No, I'm just not as outgoing and extroverted as my brother is…"
Haldir looked confused. "You don't strike me as the type to be very introverted – you were the first to speak to me when we first met."
I smiled. "That was different… I can handle making a fool of myself in front of one or two people, but in front of a larger crowd I start to feel really uncomfortable and self-conscious…"
He smiled in understanding. "I see, but you really don't have anything to worry about." He stood and held out his hand. "Would you like to take a walk with me?"
I raised an eyebrow, but smiled. "Sure, why not. Alex is looking pretty occupied right now," I stated, pointing to where he was dancing with another blonde-haired elf.
Haldir led the way, and before I knew it, we were in the rose garden that my balcony overlooked. He led me to the center, where a white rosebush stood. It looked a little strange, since all the other bushes were covered in red roses. "Do you know why I brought you here?" he asked. When I shook my head, he continued. "This rosebush is very much like you – here you are, a human surrounded by elves, much as the white here is surrounded by red. Yet, despite the differences, you are the most beautiful rosebush in the garden." As he spoke, he cut off one white rosebud and put it behind my ear. I don't think I could have spoken if I'd wanted to, so all I could do was smile shyly and blush.
Author's Note: No, this will not be turning into one of those OC/Haldir slashes. You'll see what I mean in the next chapter.
Author's Note: Thank you to all those who have reviewed – otherwise I may well have given up long before now. Please keep R&Ring to keep me writing!
Chapter 4: A White Rose
As we neared the steps where the guard elves had left us before, Haldir slowed his pace. "Lady Sarah and Lord Alex, you will sleep in the guest quarters tonight. I will take you there – you should find everything you need to make yourselves presentable for dinner."
Alex put a pained expression on his face. "I thought we were going to eat now. I'm starved…"
I rolled my eyes. 'Typical Alex,' I thought, 'always thinking of his stomach…' Then another thought popped into my head and I turned to face Haldir. "What do you mean 'look presentable'? Are you implying that I don't look decent?"
Haldir gulped, realizing that maybe his words weren't chosen with the utmost tact. "I simply meant, Lady Sarah, that you might like to freshen up a little and put some clean clothes on. You have walked a long way today, and I thought you might like to have a bath," he said, blushing as he said the last sentence.
Now that he mentioned it, I was feeling a little sticky… As I looked down, I saw my legs were streaked with dirt from where I had rested earlier. Maybe it would be a good idea to freshen up a little… I shrugged and tried to hide a smile that was threatening to show itself at seeing the elf blush. "Fine… Lead the way."
I turned to face my twin and noticed him sulking, obviously disappointed that we weren't going to eat just yet. I handed him a stick of gum from my pocket. "Chew on this if you think you can't wait 'til I've had a good soak."
"Typical female… Always concerned with her looks…" he muttered under his breath, but I could see the hint of a smile on his mouth, so I knew he wasn't serious. Haldir just gave us a strange look and shook his head before turning to lead us to the guest quarters.
The guest quarters were luxurious, like one of those five-star rooms at the Ritz. We each had a room with a four-poster bed, ensuite bathroom, and a balcony – I felt like a princess. My balcony overlooked a beautiful rose garden, and as I looked out, I found myself wishing that I wasn't merely a guest so I could look at this view every day.
As I looked out, I felt a gentle tap on the shoulder. Turning around, I noticed Alex standing there looking annoyed. "If you don't hurry up, I'll end up having to eat this stick of gum to keep starvation at bay…" Alex whispered. I stuck my tongue out at him and walked inside.
After my bath, I came back into my room and noticed a beautiful pale green dress on the bed. It had an iridescent quality and was as soft as silk. I quickly tried it on and found that it fit perfectly, almost as if it molded to my skin. I admired myself in the mirror, while putting my hair up into a loose French braid.
Alex peered into the room. "You ready yet?" he asked. I could tell he was getting impatient and so nodded, quickly placing the elastic around the tip of my hair. "Good… Haldir and I have been waiting for what seems like ages."
"Haldir's still here?" I questioned.
My brother nodded in response. "Who do you think picked out the dress for you? You should know I don't have any fashion sense, being the manly man that I am…"
I snorted with laughter. "You? A manly man? I don't think you could pull that off if your life depended on it…" Alex knew I was only joking – all the girls at school had been fawning over him since he'd started working out.
Haldir's face appeared behind Alex. "Are we ready?" Nodding, I stood up and took Haldir's arm. Alex, not wanting to be left out, held out his arm, so that I was sandwiched in between them as we left the quarters and headed down to the main level for a feast.
As we made our entrance, I once again felt the stares of nearby elves on us and started feeling very self-conscious. Unlike my brother, I tended to try and stay out of the limelight, so I quickly made my excuses and headed off to the side, sitting down in an empty seat.
Alex, on the other hand, seemed to be totally at ease as he headed towards the table where the food waited. He joked with Haldir for a while, and then started to dance with some of the nearby female elves.
Haldir was doing his best to try and inconspicuously convince me to join them. Eventually, he gave up and walked over to join me. As he sat down, he leaned and whispered in my ear, "You don't seem to be enjoying yourself, Lady Sarah. Is something wrong?"
I shook my head. "No, I'm just not as outgoing and extroverted as my brother is…"
Haldir looked confused. "You don't strike me as the type to be very introverted – you were the first to speak to me when we first met."
I smiled. "That was different… I can handle making a fool of myself in front of one or two people, but in front of a larger crowd I start to feel really uncomfortable and self-conscious…"
He smiled in understanding. "I see, but you really don't have anything to worry about." He stood and held out his hand. "Would you like to take a walk with me?"
I raised an eyebrow, but smiled. "Sure, why not. Alex is looking pretty occupied right now," I stated, pointing to where he was dancing with another blonde-haired elf.
Haldir led the way, and before I knew it, we were in the rose garden that my balcony overlooked. He led me to the center, where a white rosebush stood. It looked a little strange, since all the other bushes were covered in red roses. "Do you know why I brought you here?" he asked. When I shook my head, he continued. "This rosebush is very much like you – here you are, a human surrounded by elves, much as the white here is surrounded by red. Yet, despite the differences, you are the most beautiful rosebush in the garden." As he spoke, he cut off one white rosebud and put it behind my ear. I don't think I could have spoken if I'd wanted to, so all I could do was smile shyly and blush.
Author's Note: No, this will not be turning into one of those OC/Haldir slashes. You'll see what I mean in the next chapter.