'Part 5'
Had anyone happened to be listening outside Elrohir's suite - and, fortunately for all concerned, they weren't - they would have heard the following. At quite a loud volume.
"I TOLD you the last resort was me telling Thranduil I loved Legolas."
"I didn't think you were SERIOUS."
"Why wouldn't he be serious? Is it THAT hard to believe that we're a couple?"
"YES!"
"Why?"
"Because he's ELLADAN. Mothers warn their daughters about him. Never in any of the stories was there a mention that they should lock up their sons as well."
"He makes a fair point, little brother. I did not guess and I know you better than anyone."
"See, I CAN be subtle!"
Haldir sat on an uncomfortable chair in Elrohir's overly neat rooms and tried to reconcile his view of the world with this new information. The fact of the matter is that when one is almost seven thousand years old and has been trained not to miss anything, one does not expect one's worldview to be turned upside down at a moment's notice.
"So," he said slowly. "Just to see if I'm clear about this. You four are really two twos?"
Four heads nodded. Linisse smiled sheepishly at him from her seat on Elrohir's lap. "I would have liked to have told you," she said. "But we have had to keep it a secret. Adar will not react well."
"And this happened while you twins were in Mirkwood last spring?"
Elladan grinned. "I think I can safely say we did more to improve relations between Mirkwood and Rivendell than the greatest diplomats my father has sent. Once Thranduil comes around, anyway."
"Thranduil invited me to escort Linisse for the spring season," Elrohir said. "Of course I considered it my duty to accept."
"And he seemed to think I might be a good influence on Legolas," Elladan added.
Haldir nearly laughed out loud at the very idea of Elrond's youngest being a good influence on anyone. He settled for a disbelieving stare. "What my brother means to say," Elrohir explained, eyes for once twinkling in amusement. "Is that King Thranduil believed he would encourage Legolas to . . . explore the delights offered by the fairer sex."
Legolas produced a wicked grin of the kind Haldir had never before seen on his face. "Needless to say, it backfired a little."
"To the surprise of all concerned," Linisse remarked.
"Not least my own," Elladan said wryly. "Seducing the prince of Mirkwood was not exactly what I envisaged doing on my spring vacation."
Legolas snorted. "I do not think that qualified as a seduction."
Elladan looked thoroughly affronted. "It worked, didn't it? Besides, I'm afraid I never learned how to approach a male elf in that manner. Before I met Legolas, I had the strange notion that it was a skill I would never need. Unfortunately, he is beautiful to the point of being dangerous."
Legolas blushed. Elrohir tightened his grip around Linisse's waist and smiled. "It seems to run in the family." She smiled down at him and gave him a kiss.
"So you see," Linisse said, when she pulled away again, "this will come as a bit of a shock to Adar. We have kept it a secret in the hope of finding a good time to tell him, although I think it has now become clear that such a time will never come. We hope to tell everyone before we leave, but for now only the four of us - and you - know."
"Alariel knows," Haldir said suddenly, remembering her words some days earlier. "She told me early on that Legolas loved another. That it was quite plain to her, although no one else seemed to see it. I certainly could not."
"And she still wants to go ahead with the wedding?" Elladan said, disbelieving.
Haldir nodded. "I am afraid she is perfectly willing to let Legolas have any lover he wishes, on the understanding that she will do the same."
Legolas smiled weakly. "Then I imagine I will be seeing a lot of you at court, Haldir. I hope you will be happy exchanging the golden wood for the green one."
Haldir somewhat doubted that. Especially since he felt it would be wise to stay far away from Thranduil once he discovered that Haldir had no hope - or intention - of keeping his promise to insure that the wedding went ahead.
"I would prefer that she return to Lorien with me," he heard himself say.
"Then why don't you tell her that?" Elladan said passionately. "Fight for her. Tell her you can't live without her. Do whatever it is you do that usually works so well. Convince her to forget about my Legolas and marry you!"
Marry him? He had not said he wanted that . . . had he? And surely she would never consider such a match. He was only March Warden, after all, and from a family of no consequence. She was the niece of Lord Elrond. And she had given him no sign that she felt anything significant for him.
"She will not do so," he said, his heart strangely heavy. "The last resort is your only resort."
"At least try," Legolas said, going pale at the idea. "There is still tomorrow to make her change her mind."
"I will try," Haldir promised.
He really would have to stop promising things.
***
The next day, Haldir tried very hard to keep his promise. He tried to bring the conversation around to Lorien and how beautiful it was. He tried to give her subtle hints that being princess of Mirkwood wasn't really as important and appealing as it sounded. And he tried very hard to tell her that he really didn't want her to marry Legolas.
Unfortunately, he failed miserably in all these things.
Worse still, the sun flew across the sky that day and it was night before he knew it. He and Alariel spent the night together as usual. She was her normal self, showing no sign of concern for the events of the morrow.
"Will you perhaps come to Mirkwood sometime?" was the only thing of any consequence she said.
"I will," Haldir told her. "I give you my word."
And that was one promise he was determined to keep.
***
Haldir woke at first light the next morning to find Alariel sitting on the end of his bed, already fully dressed. He approached her slowly, crawling on his knees towards her. It was only when his hands touched her shoulders and felt them shaking that he realised she was sobbing.
"Haldir," she said, in a very small voice. "I've changed my mind. I don't want to go through with it."
Thank the Valar!
"You will not have to," Haldir said, getting up and hurriedly pulling on his discarded clothes. "Come, we will go to Legolas. He will be happy to learn that the last resort will not be necessary."
"What's the last resort?" Alariel asked, watching Haldir in confusion.
"Elladan objecting to the wedding and confessing his love for Legolas."
"Legolas and ELLADAN?" Alariel exclaimed. "I thought he was in love with Elrohir!"
Haldir stopped halfway through pulling on a boot and embraced her. "Do not concern yourself, melamin," he said, laughing and planting a kiss on her inviting mouth. "It is a mistake easily made!"
***
"Change of plan," was all that Legolas said when Haldir and Alariel found him. "We're going ahead with the wedding. The only way my father can't deny all knowledge of our love is if it's declared publicly."
He squared his shoulders as if he was going into battle.
"We're going for the last resort."
Had anyone happened to be listening outside Elrohir's suite - and, fortunately for all concerned, they weren't - they would have heard the following. At quite a loud volume.
"I TOLD you the last resort was me telling Thranduil I loved Legolas."
"I didn't think you were SERIOUS."
"Why wouldn't he be serious? Is it THAT hard to believe that we're a couple?"
"YES!"
"Why?"
"Because he's ELLADAN. Mothers warn their daughters about him. Never in any of the stories was there a mention that they should lock up their sons as well."
"He makes a fair point, little brother. I did not guess and I know you better than anyone."
"See, I CAN be subtle!"
Haldir sat on an uncomfortable chair in Elrohir's overly neat rooms and tried to reconcile his view of the world with this new information. The fact of the matter is that when one is almost seven thousand years old and has been trained not to miss anything, one does not expect one's worldview to be turned upside down at a moment's notice.
"So," he said slowly. "Just to see if I'm clear about this. You four are really two twos?"
Four heads nodded. Linisse smiled sheepishly at him from her seat on Elrohir's lap. "I would have liked to have told you," she said. "But we have had to keep it a secret. Adar will not react well."
"And this happened while you twins were in Mirkwood last spring?"
Elladan grinned. "I think I can safely say we did more to improve relations between Mirkwood and Rivendell than the greatest diplomats my father has sent. Once Thranduil comes around, anyway."
"Thranduil invited me to escort Linisse for the spring season," Elrohir said. "Of course I considered it my duty to accept."
"And he seemed to think I might be a good influence on Legolas," Elladan added.
Haldir nearly laughed out loud at the very idea of Elrond's youngest being a good influence on anyone. He settled for a disbelieving stare. "What my brother means to say," Elrohir explained, eyes for once twinkling in amusement. "Is that King Thranduil believed he would encourage Legolas to . . . explore the delights offered by the fairer sex."
Legolas produced a wicked grin of the kind Haldir had never before seen on his face. "Needless to say, it backfired a little."
"To the surprise of all concerned," Linisse remarked.
"Not least my own," Elladan said wryly. "Seducing the prince of Mirkwood was not exactly what I envisaged doing on my spring vacation."
Legolas snorted. "I do not think that qualified as a seduction."
Elladan looked thoroughly affronted. "It worked, didn't it? Besides, I'm afraid I never learned how to approach a male elf in that manner. Before I met Legolas, I had the strange notion that it was a skill I would never need. Unfortunately, he is beautiful to the point of being dangerous."
Legolas blushed. Elrohir tightened his grip around Linisse's waist and smiled. "It seems to run in the family." She smiled down at him and gave him a kiss.
"So you see," Linisse said, when she pulled away again, "this will come as a bit of a shock to Adar. We have kept it a secret in the hope of finding a good time to tell him, although I think it has now become clear that such a time will never come. We hope to tell everyone before we leave, but for now only the four of us - and you - know."
"Alariel knows," Haldir said suddenly, remembering her words some days earlier. "She told me early on that Legolas loved another. That it was quite plain to her, although no one else seemed to see it. I certainly could not."
"And she still wants to go ahead with the wedding?" Elladan said, disbelieving.
Haldir nodded. "I am afraid she is perfectly willing to let Legolas have any lover he wishes, on the understanding that she will do the same."
Legolas smiled weakly. "Then I imagine I will be seeing a lot of you at court, Haldir. I hope you will be happy exchanging the golden wood for the green one."
Haldir somewhat doubted that. Especially since he felt it would be wise to stay far away from Thranduil once he discovered that Haldir had no hope - or intention - of keeping his promise to insure that the wedding went ahead.
"I would prefer that she return to Lorien with me," he heard himself say.
"Then why don't you tell her that?" Elladan said passionately. "Fight for her. Tell her you can't live without her. Do whatever it is you do that usually works so well. Convince her to forget about my Legolas and marry you!"
Marry him? He had not said he wanted that . . . had he? And surely she would never consider such a match. He was only March Warden, after all, and from a family of no consequence. She was the niece of Lord Elrond. And she had given him no sign that she felt anything significant for him.
"She will not do so," he said, his heart strangely heavy. "The last resort is your only resort."
"At least try," Legolas said, going pale at the idea. "There is still tomorrow to make her change her mind."
"I will try," Haldir promised.
He really would have to stop promising things.
***
The next day, Haldir tried very hard to keep his promise. He tried to bring the conversation around to Lorien and how beautiful it was. He tried to give her subtle hints that being princess of Mirkwood wasn't really as important and appealing as it sounded. And he tried very hard to tell her that he really didn't want her to marry Legolas.
Unfortunately, he failed miserably in all these things.
Worse still, the sun flew across the sky that day and it was night before he knew it. He and Alariel spent the night together as usual. She was her normal self, showing no sign of concern for the events of the morrow.
"Will you perhaps come to Mirkwood sometime?" was the only thing of any consequence she said.
"I will," Haldir told her. "I give you my word."
And that was one promise he was determined to keep.
***
Haldir woke at first light the next morning to find Alariel sitting on the end of his bed, already fully dressed. He approached her slowly, crawling on his knees towards her. It was only when his hands touched her shoulders and felt them shaking that he realised she was sobbing.
"Haldir," she said, in a very small voice. "I've changed my mind. I don't want to go through with it."
Thank the Valar!
"You will not have to," Haldir said, getting up and hurriedly pulling on his discarded clothes. "Come, we will go to Legolas. He will be happy to learn that the last resort will not be necessary."
"What's the last resort?" Alariel asked, watching Haldir in confusion.
"Elladan objecting to the wedding and confessing his love for Legolas."
"Legolas and ELLADAN?" Alariel exclaimed. "I thought he was in love with Elrohir!"
Haldir stopped halfway through pulling on a boot and embraced her. "Do not concern yourself, melamin," he said, laughing and planting a kiss on her inviting mouth. "It is a mistake easily made!"
***
"Change of plan," was all that Legolas said when Haldir and Alariel found him. "We're going ahead with the wedding. The only way my father can't deny all knowledge of our love is if it's declared publicly."
He squared his shoulders as if he was going into battle.
"We're going for the last resort."
