"Good morning, warrior!" Haldir winced as Rhyiel's loud greeting reached him. Obviously he had slightly too much to drink that previous night. He looked up at her and saw the young elf prince coming after her, followed closely by the ever lovely Arwen.
"Good morning, my lady." he replied, forcing a thin smile. He stood and faced Legolas.
"Good day to you, young Legolas. It seems our paths meet once again."
"Well met, Haldir. It is good to see you in good spirits, if not good health." His thin smile broadened and he laughed a restrained laugh.
"I do hope that you have improved your shot since I last saw you elfling, else I will best you once again." Arwen and Rhyiel exchanged glances. Both were surprised at the apparent comradeship between the two elves.
"If he is still a better shot than I, Haldir, I would say that you will have difficulty besting him." Rhyiel spoke again.
"Indeed, my lady. Before we head to the archery range, I must know the name of your beautiful companion. We have not met before, I am sure."
"This is the lady Arwen, the daughter of lord Elrond." He bowed courteously to her and smiled proudly.
"It is a great pleasure to meet the daughter of Elrond. For sure you are as striking as the lady Celebrian was."
"Thankyou, warrior." Arwen replied, suddenly uncomfortable, and Rhyiel suddenly vexed yet again. Haldir and Legolas then led the way to the archery range, talking beyond the range of the ladies. Suddenly as they were walking, Legolas began to laugh and Hadir smiled slyly. Rhyiel stared after them crossly. Arwen placed a hand on Rhyiel's arm.
"Calm yourself. Don't let him see you vexed."
"It would not matter. He would be able to tell."
"Are you so sure?"
"I am positive. He has seen half my life in my eyes, he would surely see my annoyance. It is one of the things he lives to do, that is torment me. Arrogant bastard…"

At the end of the day, Haldir had bested all of them in archery, although he had been hard pressed to beat Legolas. Arwen only watched, and Rhyiel fired a few arrows, before giving up, as she was unable to match the effort of her previous days work. Legolas and Arwen escorted her again to her room, and then left her alone to get some rest. Settling back beneath her blanket, she closed her eyes, and tried to sleep. A knock came at her door. She ignored it. Another knock came.

"Haldir, if that is you, go away, for I will not move from this bed to let you in." she yelled out to him without opening her eyes. A moment of silence passed. "And do not pick the lock." she added as an afterthought. The door swung open easily with no resistance. Damn it. She thought to herself. She had forgotten to lock the door yet again.
"I wouldn't even dream of it, my lady." he replied innocently as he stepped into the room and stepped over to her bed.
"Must you disturb my rest?" she groaned, opening her eyes a fraction.
"Will you die if you are bound?" Her eyes snapped open at the seriousness of his question. Slowly she sat up and looked at him. He seemed sincere.
"I might. When we are bound, our energy will be depleted. I will take a far greater time to regain my energy. If my sister regains her energy and awakens, I shall still be bereft of most of my strength. I may well die then." He appeared crestfallen for the briefest of moments, but his usual emotionless mask was back in place in an instant.
"I do not think I like the thought of you dying."
"You are not the only one."
"Yes, I see that the young prince and the daughter of Elrond care much for you."
"I have very dear friends in them."
"Especially the young prince." Rhyiel sighed, and glanced back at him.
"What, do not tell me you are jealous."
"Should I be, my lady? You two seem very close."
"And I am well within my rights to feel close to him. If you must know, he is but a son to me. A beloved child. I am closer to Arwen though. She is my greatest friend, even before Galadriel."
"Who am I to you then, my lady? Am I merely the arrogant elf who gave you this?" he said in a low voice, touching the mark on her neck. Quickly she reached up and took his hand from her neck, and held it in both of her hands. "Who am I to you my lady, melamin¹?" Shock radiated through her, and she glanced at him dizzily. What had he said to her?
"Melamin…" she whispered absently. "What am I to you Haldir?"
"You are my lady, the only one I will live to torment, as I seem to do to you. I wanted you, and I still do, but I loved you when I saw into your eyes, and I saw your sorrow."
"Do not say such things to me!" She let go of his hand and put them over her face.
"Why ever not, my lady? You did ask, and I did reply."
"You will break me! I swear it, you will tear my soul to shreds before you are through with me." He took her hands from her face and saw that her eyes were bright with unshed tears, and he saw the sorrow again in her eyes, as well as the confusion and the anger.
"I would never mean to break you, and I swear that I would never do such a thing." His arrogant mask was gone now, and the good heart that dwelt behind that vicious pride showed in his eyes. Every time that she looked into his eyes and saw that deep sincerity, her sorrow swelled. She could fight him no longer as he pulled her into an embrace, and she let her tears overflow.
"Do you truly love me?" Her voice was weak and filled with her tears.
"Yes, melamin, I truly do."

As the first rays of dawn softly filtered through the window, Haldir and Rhyiel had not moved, although Rhyiel had fallen asleep, exhausted with her misery. The lady Arwen had run to her room when she saw the door standing wide open, as it had been left the previous night.
"Warrior, what…" Silently he gestured for her to be quiet. "What is going on here?" she whispered.
"What bids you to ask?" he replied in soft tones. "Your love for the Lady, or your curiosity?"
"My love for the lady of course." He glanced over at her doubtfully and then back to the lady Rhyiel. She was stirring in her sleep, and he knew that she would reject him again, if only temporarily. She shuddered in his arms and immediately started to struggle upon awakening.
"My lady, calm your self, save your strength."
"Tell me that our discourse on the previous night was but a dream, warrior." She stopped struggling, but she did not push him away. Instead she did nothing.
"That I would, my lady," he whispered to her so that Arwen could not hear, "but I fear that were we to have met in your dream, I would have been asleep. As I have not slept this night, I cannot tell you this. I know that what I said was true, my lady." Rhyiel stared blankly and her eyes glittered.
"Leave me. Leave me now, Haldir. If you are true, do this." Stiffly he untangled himself from her, and sat her up.
"Yes, my lady. But I do insist that you walk in the woods today, and do not sleep."
"I would not sleep for three days as I did that last time, but I will walk."
"I will not bother you for the rest of the day."
"Thankyou." Haldir turned to the open door to leave. "Pray, have supper with me again tonight. I missed your mealtime company at the feast." With a vague smile, he nodded to her, bowed to Arwen and left her. Immediately Arwen was at her side, comforting her suddenly tear-stricken friend.
"What is wrong, mellonamin? What did he say to you, this last night?"
"He said that he loved me, Arwen. I saw it in his eyes. He was true, and it pains me so!"
"Why does it pain you, Rhyiel?" Rhyiel knew, but she remained silent. She knew that she would die, and be forced to leave him. She realised that she had become so much more alive during his companionship to her, that she even had the energy to feel angry, or vexed. She had almost accepted her fate, which was to die so that her sister might be stopped, but now he had gone and ruined that for her as well. Damn him! How wretched she felt.

"Rhyiel?" Still she remained silent.

* * * * * * * * * *

¹ melamin - my love