60 reviews! Go me!
Kika1, you are of course right. Consider them mythological headlights. ;-)
Wonder what you'll think of this chapter. Oh, but this is fun!
'Part 9'
That evening, the GHMC basked in the glow of success.
Usually, when forced to attend any kind of social gathering, Haldir would avoid all maidens and resolutely talk to his wardens all night. On this occasion, however, the March Warden looked decidedly jumpy every time one of his wardens approached him and had danced with all the most eligible elleths in Lorien. Which was, unsurprisingly, causing some talk.
The conspirators were most gratified to note that Tulienne, between occasional dances with Rumil, Orophin and Elladan, had spent most of the evening watching Haldir's various partners with barely concealed dislike. The scent of success was in the air. Although it could just have been Salia's perfume.
After a few hours, when Haldir's feet were aching from dancing and his ears aching worse from listening to twittering females, someone forcibly removed his current partner and cut in.
"Having a good time?" Tulienne asked, ignoring the evil looks she was getting from most of the female population.
In the background, the music changed mid bar from upbeat to slow. The GHMC had connections. And the bandleader had a crush on Arwen.
Haldir looked down at her, realising absently that he had never been so genuinely pleased to see her before. "Do you wish to discuss my marital status?"
Tulienne looked rather taken aback. "I wasn't planning on it."
"Praise the decorations?"
"No."
"Do you expect me to remark on your gown?"
"Not unless I've spilt something on it. Or it's split to the point of indecency."
Haldir looked immensely relieved. "Then would you ask that I spend the rest of the night with you?"
Tulienne, registering that the other couples around them had moved somewhat closer, draped her arms loosely around his neck and rested her forehead lightly against his shoulder. "Haldir," she said, smiling to herself very slightly, "I'd be honoured if you would."
Haldir wrapped his arms around her waist and relaxed for the first time in many hours.
***
For the rest of the festival, Tulienne monopolised Haldir so completely that she might as well have hung a 'taken' sign around his neck. At first a few daring elleths attempted to approach him anyway, but they were made short work of and soon abandoned the attempt, muttering unflattering descriptions of Imladris females which earned them more dark looks, this time from Arwen.
If this caused a stir, the fact that Lorien's March Warden was apparently willingly submitting to it left many of the company shocked rigid. Clearly the pressure of his position had finally shredded his sanity, as this was the only explanation for his otherwise unfathomable behaviour.
By the time Haldir and Tulienne left - together, no less - everyone present was shaking their heads. How the mighty had fallen. Haldir, the stubborn no nonsense Captain of the Galadhrim, was well and truly whipped.
Ah, the sweet taste of victory!
***
The next morning heard a very hesitant knock on Haldir's door. Then two faces peeked round the edge.
Haldir regarded them from his breakfast table with casual amusement. "I see you have finally learnt how to knock," he observed.
Rumil and Orophin seemed to be scanning every inch of his talan like they were on watch. Haldir pretended not to know what they were looking for.
He let them continue for a minute, then spoke. "To what do I owe this tentative approach?"
His brothers looked a little red in the ears. "Well," Rumil said, rubbing the back of his neck. "We weren't quite sure if you were alone."
Haldir raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. "What would make you imagine that I wasn't?"
"You did leave together," Orophin pointed out delicately.
"I am told that it is a tradition associated with festivals of this nature to have an escort home."
"So . . . she's not here?" Rumil finally dared to ask.
"Who?" Haldir asked innocently.
They shifted uncomfortably. "Tulienne," Orophin said finally.
Haldir gave them both the most disapproving looks he could muster in the circumstances. "Do you mean to suggest that she would spend the night with an elf she was not even promised to, let alone bound with?" he asked sternly.
"No!" Rumil said at once.
"Of course not," Orophin added hastily.
They exchanged glances. "Well sort of," they admitted.
"Just because it's you," Rumil explained. "You looked . . . well, pretty cosy last night and we thought . . . "
". . . you might have got things sorted out," Orophin finished.
Haldir regarded them both silently, keeping control of his features with grave difficulty. "I suggest," he said. "That you refrain from making any more suggestions of this nature. Otherwise I shall feel obliged to reveal your accusations to the maiden in question. And I assure you, she will not be so patient with you as I have been."
Rumil and Orophin gulped at his threatening expression and starting backing towards the door.
"Of course we didn't really think . . . "
"We just . . . "
"We meant . . ."
They fled.
Once the door was safely shut behind them, Haldir stopping fighting and let a broad grin take over his face.
"I applaud your skill mellon-nin," he said softly. "Your predictions were almost word perfect."
Tulienne grinned impishly as she slipped in through the door that led to Haldir's balcony. "What can I say? I'm naturally brilliant."
"Mmmm," Haldir said as he pulled her onto his lap for a kiss. "I agree."
He let the kiss deepen a little more than he should have done and much more than he'd intended, until Tulienne broke away.
"I will have to get back to my uncle's talan before anyone realises I am gone," she murmured. "Or he will believe that I really did spend the night here. And I have no desire to see your limbs strewn across Caras Galadhon. I imagine you have far more uses whole. And I look forward very much to discovering those uses with you."
Haldir cleared his throat and restrained himself, with considerable difficulty, from suggesting that they skip ahead somewhat in their courtship. He and Tulienne had spent some time together the night before - when they had indeed got many things sorted out - and despite having waited more than five millennia for her already, the six months which would form the absolute minimum courting period seemed an intolerably long time to wait before matters could be brought to their inevitable conclusion.
"And I look forward to allowing you," he replied, idly wondering exactly when he had learnt to say such things. He planted a light kiss on her ear and was rewarded with a delicious shiver. "Are you certain you need to return immediately?"
She moved away from him resolutely. "Yes. Especially if you intend to make things difficult."
Haldir followed her, seizing the first opportunity to trap her against the wall by the door. "How I am making things difficult?" he asked, bending to kiss her neck. Oh yes, he thought to himself, he could get to like this new game.
This time she shoved him away unceremoniously.
"If you continue like this, we will not last six hours, let alone six months," Tulienne told him breathlessly. "So let me go now or our plan will be ruined."
Haldir bit his tongue to keep from declaring that he would sooner forget the plan and keep her there, but he had to admit that the ideas they had formulated last night still held considerable temptation. It was not often that he had a chance to torment his brothers as they had done to him so many times . . .
"Then I will let you go," he said, after one last kiss. "For today, the games truly begin."
Kika1, you are of course right. Consider them mythological headlights. ;-)
Wonder what you'll think of this chapter. Oh, but this is fun!
'Part 9'
That evening, the GHMC basked in the glow of success.
Usually, when forced to attend any kind of social gathering, Haldir would avoid all maidens and resolutely talk to his wardens all night. On this occasion, however, the March Warden looked decidedly jumpy every time one of his wardens approached him and had danced with all the most eligible elleths in Lorien. Which was, unsurprisingly, causing some talk.
The conspirators were most gratified to note that Tulienne, between occasional dances with Rumil, Orophin and Elladan, had spent most of the evening watching Haldir's various partners with barely concealed dislike. The scent of success was in the air. Although it could just have been Salia's perfume.
After a few hours, when Haldir's feet were aching from dancing and his ears aching worse from listening to twittering females, someone forcibly removed his current partner and cut in.
"Having a good time?" Tulienne asked, ignoring the evil looks she was getting from most of the female population.
In the background, the music changed mid bar from upbeat to slow. The GHMC had connections. And the bandleader had a crush on Arwen.
Haldir looked down at her, realising absently that he had never been so genuinely pleased to see her before. "Do you wish to discuss my marital status?"
Tulienne looked rather taken aback. "I wasn't planning on it."
"Praise the decorations?"
"No."
"Do you expect me to remark on your gown?"
"Not unless I've spilt something on it. Or it's split to the point of indecency."
Haldir looked immensely relieved. "Then would you ask that I spend the rest of the night with you?"
Tulienne, registering that the other couples around them had moved somewhat closer, draped her arms loosely around his neck and rested her forehead lightly against his shoulder. "Haldir," she said, smiling to herself very slightly, "I'd be honoured if you would."
Haldir wrapped his arms around her waist and relaxed for the first time in many hours.
***
For the rest of the festival, Tulienne monopolised Haldir so completely that she might as well have hung a 'taken' sign around his neck. At first a few daring elleths attempted to approach him anyway, but they were made short work of and soon abandoned the attempt, muttering unflattering descriptions of Imladris females which earned them more dark looks, this time from Arwen.
If this caused a stir, the fact that Lorien's March Warden was apparently willingly submitting to it left many of the company shocked rigid. Clearly the pressure of his position had finally shredded his sanity, as this was the only explanation for his otherwise unfathomable behaviour.
By the time Haldir and Tulienne left - together, no less - everyone present was shaking their heads. How the mighty had fallen. Haldir, the stubborn no nonsense Captain of the Galadhrim, was well and truly whipped.
Ah, the sweet taste of victory!
***
The next morning heard a very hesitant knock on Haldir's door. Then two faces peeked round the edge.
Haldir regarded them from his breakfast table with casual amusement. "I see you have finally learnt how to knock," he observed.
Rumil and Orophin seemed to be scanning every inch of his talan like they were on watch. Haldir pretended not to know what they were looking for.
He let them continue for a minute, then spoke. "To what do I owe this tentative approach?"
His brothers looked a little red in the ears. "Well," Rumil said, rubbing the back of his neck. "We weren't quite sure if you were alone."
Haldir raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. "What would make you imagine that I wasn't?"
"You did leave together," Orophin pointed out delicately.
"I am told that it is a tradition associated with festivals of this nature to have an escort home."
"So . . . she's not here?" Rumil finally dared to ask.
"Who?" Haldir asked innocently.
They shifted uncomfortably. "Tulienne," Orophin said finally.
Haldir gave them both the most disapproving looks he could muster in the circumstances. "Do you mean to suggest that she would spend the night with an elf she was not even promised to, let alone bound with?" he asked sternly.
"No!" Rumil said at once.
"Of course not," Orophin added hastily.
They exchanged glances. "Well sort of," they admitted.
"Just because it's you," Rumil explained. "You looked . . . well, pretty cosy last night and we thought . . . "
". . . you might have got things sorted out," Orophin finished.
Haldir regarded them both silently, keeping control of his features with grave difficulty. "I suggest," he said. "That you refrain from making any more suggestions of this nature. Otherwise I shall feel obliged to reveal your accusations to the maiden in question. And I assure you, she will not be so patient with you as I have been."
Rumil and Orophin gulped at his threatening expression and starting backing towards the door.
"Of course we didn't really think . . . "
"We just . . . "
"We meant . . ."
They fled.
Once the door was safely shut behind them, Haldir stopping fighting and let a broad grin take over his face.
"I applaud your skill mellon-nin," he said softly. "Your predictions were almost word perfect."
Tulienne grinned impishly as she slipped in through the door that led to Haldir's balcony. "What can I say? I'm naturally brilliant."
"Mmmm," Haldir said as he pulled her onto his lap for a kiss. "I agree."
He let the kiss deepen a little more than he should have done and much more than he'd intended, until Tulienne broke away.
"I will have to get back to my uncle's talan before anyone realises I am gone," she murmured. "Or he will believe that I really did spend the night here. And I have no desire to see your limbs strewn across Caras Galadhon. I imagine you have far more uses whole. And I look forward very much to discovering those uses with you."
Haldir cleared his throat and restrained himself, with considerable difficulty, from suggesting that they skip ahead somewhat in their courtship. He and Tulienne had spent some time together the night before - when they had indeed got many things sorted out - and despite having waited more than five millennia for her already, the six months which would form the absolute minimum courting period seemed an intolerably long time to wait before matters could be brought to their inevitable conclusion.
"And I look forward to allowing you," he replied, idly wondering exactly when he had learnt to say such things. He planted a light kiss on her ear and was rewarded with a delicious shiver. "Are you certain you need to return immediately?"
She moved away from him resolutely. "Yes. Especially if you intend to make things difficult."
Haldir followed her, seizing the first opportunity to trap her against the wall by the door. "How I am making things difficult?" he asked, bending to kiss her neck. Oh yes, he thought to himself, he could get to like this new game.
This time she shoved him away unceremoniously.
"If you continue like this, we will not last six hours, let alone six months," Tulienne told him breathlessly. "So let me go now or our plan will be ruined."
Haldir bit his tongue to keep from declaring that he would sooner forget the plan and keep her there, but he had to admit that the ideas they had formulated last night still held considerable temptation. It was not often that he had a chance to torment his brothers as they had done to him so many times . . .
"Then I will let you go," he said, after one last kiss. "For today, the games truly begin."
