Now up to 25 reviews! Don't I feel loved. I have to say that people in the LotR section are much better about leaving messages. What I think of as my best work to date only got 2.

Another shortish section, mainly because I'm still debating with myself how I'm going to do this. I could finish it in another part or two, but I'm also debating bringing another favourite elf into the mix . . . Then there's the question of where to leave it. ;-)

Drum roll please! And now, read on.

'Part 5'

Haldir was ready. Poised to defend himself against whatever evil might arrive. Alert, watchful, prepared.

The door flew open and the walls of Haldir's talan shook. He tensed involuntarily.

"So!" Rumil and Orophin said in unison, matching grins on their faces. "You're in love!"

Haldir climbed down off his table - his chosen guard post - and went to his kitchen area for something to do. "Don't be ridiculous."

His brothers walked up behind him, grabbed an arm each and frog marched him back to the sofa. Then they flopped down on either side of him.

"Give it up, Haldir, we know," Orophin said.

"Haldir and Tulienne, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I . . . "

"ENOUGH!" Haldir fairly shouted, leaping up again. "I am not in love or anything of the kind. The wedding has unhinged your brains. I know all about your plan and it will not succeed. Now go and fawn over your maidens and leave me alone!"

Rumil and Orophin exchanged looks as Haldir stormed back to his kitchen. "I think she turned him down," Rumil said, in a stage whisper.

Haldir bristled and only just resisted the urge to inflict serious bodily harm on his siblings.

"I take it that Ceilwyn's father has reconsidered?" he asked Rumil stiffly.

"Indeed," Rumil said, his smile widening. "The wedding is back on. Just a few days and I will have a wife."

"Thanks to Tulienne," Orophin said thoughtfully. "You really should thank her."

"I think I'll leave that to Haldir . . . "

"One more word," Haldir warned, spinning round, "and you will be missing certain vital equipment. Do you understand me?"

Rumil pulled a face. "You're no fun," he said. "You need someone to loosen you up."

"And I know just who," Orophin managed to get out, before Haldir gave a feral growl and started advancing on him with a worryingly sharp kitchen knife in his hand.

***

Elsewhere, Tulienne was being put through much the same torture.

"For the final time," she said in exasperation, "I am not in love with Haldir! I only wanted to speak to him last night because I was confused after Elladan proposed to me and . . . "

"Elladan proposed!" Ceilwyn and Salia squealed in unison.

Tulienne bit her lip. "I suppose I forgot to mention that part."

"You're going to marry him?" Ceilwyn asked, her eyes wide.

Salia laughed. "Oh Adar is going to have a fit," she said. A pause. "Please can I be there when you tell him?"

"I'm not going to marry him," Tulienne said firmly. "I don't love him. Or I do, but not in that way."

"What did he say when you told him?" Ceilwyn asked.

Tulienne frowned. "I should do that, I suppose."

"You didn't tell him?" Salia demanded. "How could you not tell him?"

"I was too stunned after he kissed me."

"He kissed you!"

"Yes, yes, he kissed me," Tulienne said impatiently. "And no, there were no bells, shooting stars or flashes of lightning. It wasn't even that nice, not like when . . . " She broke off.

"When what?" Ceilwyn asked curiously.

Salia bounced on the bed beside her and squealed. "Oh Valar, Haldir kissed you!"

Tulienne started to deny it, then realised it was pointless. "Yes, fine, he kissed me. Or, actually, I kissed him. And yes, it was . . . nice. But it meant nothing."

Two pairs of disbelieving eyes looked back at her.

"Nothing!"

***

After finally getting rid of his brothers, Haldir felt the tension begin to lift from his shoulders. Rumil would be occupied most of the day with wedding preparations and Orophin had gone to help, mainly because Salia had. Which meant he might just get a few uninterrupted hours in which there was no talk of weddings, betrothals or anything else of the kind.

This lasted about five minutes, after which he nearly walked into Elladan, who was pacing up and down under a tree looking pale and uncharacteristically serious.

"Haldir," he said, staring at him with eyes bleary from lack of sleep. "Have you seen Tulienne?"

No, I'm trying to avoid her, Haldir thought.

"Not since we left Lord Celeborn last night," Haldir said.

Elladan looked strangely at him. "What were you and Tulienne doing with Lord Celeborn?"

"Her uncle dragged us there after he found us kissing on her balcony," Haldir said, then wondered what had possessed him to say that when he didn't want anyone to know.

"Kissing?" Elladan repeated, with a look of horrified disbelief.

It was then that Haldir remembered - consciously at least - that Elladan had actually proposed to Tulienne the day before. Somehow it had slipped his mind.

"It was an experiment," he said.

Elladan was now looking less shocked and more angry. "What kind of experiment exactly?" he said. He seemed to be having trouble getting his words out.

She wanted to know whether she didn't like you or whether you're just a bad kisser, a little voice in Haldir's head said.

On balance, he thought it would be best if he didn't repeat that.

"I suggest you ask her," Haldir said finally.

"Ask me what?" Tulienne said, proving that Haldir's plan to avoid her had been marginally less successful than he'd hoped.

Elladan turned to her, looking rather less than happy. "Why you were kissing Haldir on your balcony less than an hour after I proposed to you."

"Oh," Tulienne said, shooting Haldir an evil look. "That."

She gave Haldir a pointed look. He looked back at her. She jerked with her head. His eyebrows drew down in confusion. She sighed.

"March Warden, take a hint for once in your life and leave us alone. I think you've caused enough trouble for one day."

Haldir, not together enough to feel insulted, gave them both quick nods and hurried away.

Oh well, at least he knew she would turn Elladan down. That was one comfort.

But why was it?

***

"So," Elladan said, when Haldir was firmly out of earshot. "I was right. You and Haldir."

Tulienne turned on him. "For the millionth time this morning, there is no 'me and Haldir'. We had a misunderstanding. Made worse by a certain March Warden who can't keep his mouth shut. There is nothing going on between us. Period."

It took a few minutes before Elladan's posture relaxed and his expression changed. "So . . . does that mean. . . ?" he let his voice trail off significantly.

Tulienne sighed. "No, Elladan, it doesn't. You know how much I care about you and that I don't want to hurt you, but I can't give you what you want. I'm sorry to have to say it, but I really would prefer to kiss the March Warden than you and I can't give a firmer rejection than that."

"Oh," Elladan said, looking down at his boots. "Right. I see. Well, if that's how it has to be, I suppose . . . " his voice trailed off.

Tulienne stood on her toes and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm sorry, Elli," she said. "I wish I could. I couldn't do better than you."

Haldir, hidden away again, slowly let out a breath. He couldn't understand why he'd needed to watch. Just to make sure that she hadn't changed her mind.

He just hoped she hadn't known he was there.

***

"March Warden!"

Haldir turned to see Tulienne striding across the grounds, her gown swirling around her legs. It struck him, as it had about once every month since they had met, that she really was quite attractive. Or would have been, if it hadn't been for the expression on her face.

"I don't know what your game is, Haldir," she said as she reached him. "But it ends now. I will not have you spying on me."

"There is no game," Haldir started to protest. "I was just . . ."

He tried to remember what he had just been doing.

"Well . . . " Tulienne prompted impatiently. "I'm waiting for your explanation."

Haldir gave up. "I have none," he said.

She regarded him silently for a few moments. "What in Imladris has happened to us?" she said finally. "A few days ago we were insulting each other, just like we've done the past two years and now we've gone insane. Spying on each other, sniping at each other . . . kissing each other. It's insane. I admit it, I find you attractive and I think it's clear by now that you feel the same. Is that it? Is there more? Do you want more from me, Haldir?"

Haldir opened his mouth to reply.

"Listen to me, now I've gone completely mad," Tulienne said, shaking her head. "Of course you don't."

Haldir shut it again.

"Look, I think we should just avoid each other," Tulienne said, running a hand through her hair. "Stay far, far away from each other until the wedding is past. Then perhaps things can get back to normal."

She held out her hand to him. "Agreed?"

After a brief hesitation, Haldir shook it. "Agreed."

He watched as Tulienne walked off across the lawn, the sunlight making her dark hair shine. She'd given him exactly what he wanted.

He wondered why he suddenly felt incredibly depressed.