Those You Love

Pre-wedding Jitters

By Celebrian

"Haldir?" Lutheriel called as she walked through the woods of Lorien trying to find her fiancee. She knew he was out here, it was just a matter of finding him. "Haldir!" She called out as she looked up into the trees.

There was a rustling in the leaves above her. "I'm up here." His voice mumbled as he stuck his hand down to pull her up.

Lutheriel grasped his hand and he hoisted her up into the tree with him. She smiled at him when she finally situated herself in the branches. "Hiding?"

"No." Haldir said as he gazed forward, not making any kind of eye contact what so ever.

Lutheriel sighed inwardly. She could just imagine what words where exchanged between him and her brother. Haldir seemed to be shutting her out again. "Haldir...My love, please don't shut me out anymore. If I am to become your wife, I want to know what you are thinking about and how you feel..."

"Would you not rather be with a prince?" He said glancing over at her.

Lutheriel was a bit confused for a moment but then she finally understood what he was saying. "Did my brother tell you that you weren't good enough to be with me?" She had a feeling he did. "Haldir you are the one I love. I would not care if you sold Lembas for a living.... I love you for you."

Haldir smiled. Why was he letting Legolas get to him? If anything he should be the one getting to Legolas. "I have gone a little too soft...I don't feel like I'm the same Elf anymore...Where's my stoic personality that everyone knows and loves?" Haldir thought as he wrapped his arm around Lutheriel. "I'm sorry...this whole wedding thing has gotten me a little nervous. I'm just not as comfortable with it as you are..."

Lutheriel burst out laughing. "Oh, I'm not comfortable with it either. I'm shaking inside." She leaned her head on his chest. "We'll get through this together and everything will turn out perfect."

Haldir breathed in deeply, running his hand through her brown hair. "So we're actually doing it then..."

"Of course..." Lutheriel giggled. "Can you imagine us in a hundred years? I wonder how our life will be? Will we still be in Lorien or will we be in Valinor...Will we have children-"

"I doubt we'll have children since Arwen was the last born of our people." Haldir cut in.

Of course he was right. Arwen, daughter of Lord Elrond of Rivendell was the last born. There hadn't been any other Elf children since her. Lutheriel smiled. "Well it'll be fun to try at least..." She looked up at Haldir to see his reaction.

"...." Haldir opened his mouth to say something but quickly shut it and blushed. He turned his head in the other direction and hoped his face would return to its normal color in a minute. It hadn't occurred to him until now that being married meant more than just being married. Along with it came some things he had no experience in. "...uh.."

Lutheriel laughed. "That does come with being married you know. Were you expecting me to get my own bed?"

"Of course not.... I just never really thought about..." He stammered. Of course he thought about being with her intimately a couple of times, but he wasn't going to confess that.

Lutheriel put her finger up to his lips to keep him from saying anymore. "Shh...We don't need to discuss this...I can see it's making you uncomfortable." She said giving him a little kiss on the chin.

"So why do you think your brother...hates me so much?" Haldir asked changing the subject.

"I don't think he hates you...he just doesn't really like you...." She smiled. "First impressions are very important to Legolas, and you sort of gave him a bad one. If you haven't been so snooty when we first came here, I bet you would have gotten along wonderful."

Haldir rolled his eyes. "So I brought this upon myself..."

"I believe so." She hugged him tightly. "Don't worry about it. Legolas will come to see what a great Elf you are and he will adore you."

"I'd at least like to be civil if nothing else."

Lutheriel nodded. "So how are Orophin and Rúmil? I haven't seen them in couple of days."

"Rúmil and Orophin are fine." A voice called from down below. "Are you two going to stay up there until your wedding or are you going to come down soon?"

Haldir looked down to see Rúmil and Orophin standing there. "Have you been looking for us?"

Rúmil nodded. "Since early this morning." He said as he watched them climb down from the tree. "Good afternoon Princess." He said with a bow of his head.

"Good afternoon Rúmil." She addressed Haldir's brother. She turned to Orophin and smiled at him. "Nice to see you again Orophin."

Orophin smiled. "So are you two discussing the wedding plans? There is talk that this is going to be the wedding of the millennium."

Haldir shook his head. "It's going to be a very small wedding. A select few are going to come. We are not having all of Lorien watch us get married..."

Rúmil laughed. "Let's just hope you are better behaved at your own wedding then you were at the last one you attended..."

Haldir shot his brother a death look; as if saying 'don't you dare tell her'.

Lutheriel looked at Haldir and smiled. "What happened at the last wedding you were at?" She asked with genuine curiosity.

Orophin grinned at Haldir and then looked at Lutheriel. "It was his first...and his last wedding that he was ever invited to...."

"That's enough!" Haldir said sternly.

"Oh come on Haldir; be open with your fiancee. She needs to know all about you and your past." Rúmil looked over at Lutheriel. "Haldir had a bit too much wine that night and picked a fight with the groom. I can't remember what the fight was about; all I remember is seeing the groom being knocked to the ground..."

Lutheriel spun around to face Haldir. "You hit the groom?! Haldir!"

Haldir put his hands up to protest. "It wasn't my fault honest!"

Orophin smiled. "No one was making you drink..."

"I was bored. There was nothing else to do but drink." Haldir corrected.

Lutheriel raised her eyebrow at Haldir. "I don't think we'll have wine at our wedding. The last thing I need to see is my husband fighting with everyone."

"You mean you're still going to marry him?" Rúmil teased. "I'm just joking. We are really happy for the both of you. I hope you continue to stay in Lothlorien."

"I never want to leave this place." Lutheriel said looking around. "Our home will be here."

Orophin nodded. "We should probably leave you two. I'm sure you have plenty to discuss."

"Yes, the wedding is only two days away." Rúmil added. "If there is anything you would like us to do, don't hesitate to ask."

"That's very kind of you, but I think everything is under control. Lady Galadriel is having some of her maids prepare our wedding, but that you for asking." Lutheriel explained.

"Very well then, have a good night." Orophin said as he and his brother walked off towards the Nimrodel.

After they were gone Lutheriel turned to Haldir. "Okay, now we're going to talk. So sit down." She tried to say as stern as she could.

Haldir did what he was told. "If were going to discuss my little wedding mishap-"

"Not at all. I want you to tell me about your past, be honest with me." She said as she gazed into his blue eyes.

Haldir went silent and furrowed his eyebrows. "I really don't think that you need to-" He stopped himself. Of course she needed to know about his past. "I mean, well...this..."

"Just start at the beginning, Haldir. Tell me about yourself..."

Haldir took a deep breath. "Well...I'm the oldest of three sons. I serve as March Warden to-"

"Haldir I know all of that...Will you tell me about your parents?" Is what she had meant to say in the first place.

Haldir nodded. "I suppose..." Though he really didn't know where to start. "My father served, as March Warden to the Lord and Lady and my mother was Lady Galadriel's lady in waiting. Both were respected highly by both Celeborn and Galadriel...." His voice broke off and he turned his head away from Lutheriel.

"Haldir..." Lutheriel asked softly as she placed her hand on his shoulder. "What happened to them?"

There was a long silence between them, slowly Haldir turned his face back to hers. "They were killed when I was very young...."

Lutheriel felt saddened but she knew how Haldir felt. She had gone through the same pain, losing a loved one. "My mother was killed when I was young too." She whispered, feeling the pain come back to her. "She was attacked by a band of orcs on her way to Rivendell to visit Lady Celebrian. I had always thought it ironic how my mother was attacked and then a few hundred years later Celebrian was also. I'm glad she was able to sail over the sea and be healed by the Valor. My mother wasn't as lucky...."

Haldir looked deeply into Lutheriel's eyes. "My mother was attacked also by orcs. It happened right outside of Lorien. She was out picking flowers for a special dinner she had prepared for my father, when they attacked her. My father had heard a group of orcs in the distance, so he gathered up his sentries and went out to seek them. He was furious when he saw that they were torturing my mother. He threw himself in front of her but was speared through the chest by one of the orcs and killed instantly. Luckily the other sentries were able to defeat the orcs and get my mother back to Caras Galadhon. Lady Galadriel took care of her for a few hours but she wasn't strong enough to live on. Her wounds mixed with the grief of her husband dying...killed her...." Haldir finished telling his story and took a hold of Lutheriel's hand. "I guess that experience was what hardened my heart. I don't think I could deal with that.."

"Love makes us stronger. Your father loved your mother so much that he gave up his life for her-"

"Yes, but he couldn't save her." He put his finger under her chin and lifted her face to his, looking deeply into her eyes as if he were searching for something. "Lutheriel, what if I can't protect you. What if I can't save you?"

"I'll know you tried...and that's all that matters..." She whispered, kissing his lips softly, she pulled away and smiled. "It seems every time you speak now; I fall more and more in love with you."

Haldir smiled for second. "I'm actually starting to look forward to our wedding now. I mean, I still am as nervous as before but if being nervous means I get to spend the rest of my life you- then it's all worth it." Haldir stood up and offered his hand to Lutheriel. "I should probably walk you back to your flet; we have a busy day tomorrow."

Lutheriel took his hand and got up to her feet. "I can't believe tomorrow we'll be setting up for the big day. Lady Galadriel has me coming at noon for a dress fitting. She said she had a special dress for me to wear, I just know it's going to be the most amazing dress ever." She smiled, wrapping her arm around his waist. "I bet you will be busy too..."

Haldir sighed. "Yes, I'm meeting with Lord Celeborn. If it were just on issues of border patrol, I'd be fine with it but he wants to talk to me about marriage and how my life is going to change...it sounds quite scary actually." They both laughed as they walked down the long path back to the city.

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A shadowy figure stepped out from behind the trees after the couple was out of sight. He hadn't meant to listen in on their conversation but he needed to know why she loved him so much. "Maybe Haldir isn't as bad as I thought he was. He seems to genuinely care about Lutheriel." Legolas thought as he looked in the direction where they had walked off too. The Prince of Mirkwood smiled to himself. Perhaps he could get along with Haldir. He would still watch his sister very closely when she was with him but seeing them together, gave him a whole new perspective on the March Warden.

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To be continued in 'Things Will Be Different'