Juliediane, believe me you don't need to add 'of Elanor's Revenge' to your name for me to know who you are. I saw your name on my review alert and starting bouncing up and down yelling 'OMG, OMG, OMG! She likes my story!!!!!!!!!!!!!'. How could I have considered myself worthy to recommend my fic to the queen of Haldir fanfic? And for your wonderful reviews, I am now your devoted slave. I grovel at your feet.

Illuvien, zambonigirl and Tea and Crumpets (great name btw), when I began this I was actually planning on redoing MAAN, as it's my favourite play as well. However, the plot wandered off on its own, as all my plots tend to do. So much more fun when even the author doesn't know what's going to happen next. ;-)

My profile says I'm up to 87 reviews! The century is in sight! And to think when I started this I was barely hoping to get 10. I love you all. Hugs for everyone. :-D

Speaking of which, plot bunnies ran away today and wrote the prologue for my next fic. I think I'm going to have even more fun with that one . . .

This chapter. What can I say? You're going to burn me alive.

'Part 10'

"So, did you get things sorted out?" Rumil and Orophin asked breathlessly, after their hundred-yard dash to where Tulienne was practising.

Tulienne turned to them with a warm smile. "Oh yes," she said. "We took a long walk after we left the festival and he told me everything."

She put down her bow and took their hands. "I want to thank you for bringing him there," she said seriously. "On behalf of both of us. It might have taken so much longer if you hadn't helped."

Rumil and Orophin grinned widely in triumph and barely restrained themselves from doing a victory dance.

"So, he really told you exactly how he feels?" Orophin demanded eagerly.

"Everything," Tulienne confirmed. "It was such a relief for him. I can't imagine how he's suffered all this time, keeping his feelings in, hiding from everyone. I think after last night he could no longer lie to himself. I'm just honoured he would choose to confide in me."

The first signs of confusion started to show on the brothers' faces. Somehow, this didn't sound quite right.

"Er . . . what exactly did Haldir tell you?" Rumil asked.

Tulienne smiled innocently at them. "As I said, everything. All about his true love."

Alarmed glances were exchanged as warning bells started to ring.

Tulienne pretended not to notice and leaned forward, preparing to deliver the killer. "Who is he? Do you know?"

That just about finished them off. Rumil and Orophin stared at her with expressions of unmitigated horror on their faces, trying desperately to convince themselves that they hadn't really heard what they knew they had.

Tulienne gasped and clapped a hand to her mouth. "Oh, Elbereth, I thought you knew! I never dreamed he wouldn't have told you first. And I promised him so faithfully I would keep his secret."

Two dumb struck elves stared back at her.

"You mustn't let on that I told you," she said, her eyes pleading with them. "Not until he feels ready to tell you himself. It's so important that he has someone to confide in while he's so vulnerable. You must act as if you know nothing. Completely normal. Please? For Haldir?"

Rumil and Orophin somehow gathered themselves enough to nod.

Tulienne breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm so glad you understand," she said gratefully. "He needs your support as much as mine. It will be such a huge adjustment for him once everyone knows. He needs to know that his family are behind him."

She gave their hands a squeeze. "Go to him," she whispered. "Just be with him. You give him strength."

The brothers stumbled away as though their world had been shaken like a snow dome and then left balanced precariously on its round top. Which wasn't that far from the truth.

Tulienne watched them until they were safely out of earshot. Then she gave in and laughed until the rest of the archers on the range concluded that summer madness was not the fictional ailment they had always imagined, but very, very real.

***

Haldir sat in his talan, waiting. As Tulienne had predicted, it didn't take long before the knock came on his door.

He got up, carefully setting his features into a dead pan expression, and answered it.

If truth be told, Haldir had been just a little leery of this plan. Mainly because it seemed to involve much suffering on his part and none at all on Tulienne's. But the moment he opened the door - and had to bite the inside of his mouth to keep from laughing until he cried - he knew it was worth it.

Two almost ghostly faces stared at him with the desperate look of escaped mental patients. For a few minutes, Haldir wondered if they still possessed the power of speech. Never in his wildest fantasies had he imagined being able to make his brothers look at him like that.

"Hi . . . " Rumil managed eventually. "We . . . we thought we'd come see how you are."

"I am fine," Haldir said composedly. "Although I cannot say the same about you. Are you ill, my brother?"

He reached out and put an affectionate hand on Rumil's shoulder. Rumil jumped like a flea on a trampoline and scuttled into the far corner of the talan. Haldir turned to Orophin, a concerned look on his face. Orophin gave him a weak smile and hurried after his brother.

Haldir suppressed a smile with grave difficulty and closed the door behind them. He had to marvel at the extent of Tulienne's talents, since she had quite clearly scared them half out of their wits. He tried not to let his mind wander to what other talents she might reveal and focused on the job on hand.

"We . . . spoke to Tulienne," Orophin managed to get out. "She said you . . . talked."

Haldir smiled. "Yes, and I know you will be pleased to learn that we have resolved our differences admirably. Although I fear it will disappoint you that this has not had the result you intended."

"It doesn't disappoint us, Haldir," Rumil said earnestly. "Really. We're sorry that we ever made you feel you had to please us instead of . . . " he gulped, ". . . following your heart."

"Absolutely," Orophin agreed hastily, looking nervously at Haldir. "We . . . we want you to be happy, Brother. Whomever you love . . . we will love also."

"Not the way you do obviously," Rumil added, playing with his cuffs. "But . . . we will accept them into our family. Even if . . . they are not quite what we were expecting."

Haldir regarded them both gravely. "I am very glad to hear that, my brothers," he said, carefully injecting a note of gratitude into his voice. "Though I cannot imagine what has prompted this declaration."

"Nothing!" two voices exclaimed in unison.

"There's . . . there's never a bad time to share your feelings," Rumil said.

"I don't think we do that enough," Orophin said. "And we should, we really should. I think we should . . . I think we should hug."

Haldir hastily concealed a laugh by clearing his throat, pretending to be overcome by emotion. "Thank you," he said fervently. "You . . . cannot imagine what that means to me."

What the all-seeing Valar thought of this little display, no one knew. But they were treated to the most awkward three-way hug ever attempted by man, elf, dwarf or hobbit.

"I believe we are expected at your intended's house," Haldir observed when he was released, knowing he could take very little more. "We should make haste."

Haldir led the way with his brothers trailing behind him. Haldir made it a point to give every warden he met his best smile and pretended not to see the maidens. He was almost beginning to enjoy himself, although he didn't know how much longer he could keep it up.

Tulienne was waiting for them. Haldir saw her long before he arrived and feasted his eyes on the elleth he hoped would one day be his wife. He could not now believe that it had taken him two years to realise how beautiful she was. She stood on her toes to kiss his cheek when they arrived and it took all his self-control not to abandon the plan completely and sweep her into his arms. Valar, he didn't want to play this game any longer than he had to.

As soon as he could, Haldir stole Tulienne away from the group.

"So," she said, when they were finally alone. "How did it go?"

Haldir shook his head in a combination of amusement and disbelief. "Better than I could have imagined," he said. "You have a remarkable talent for causing havoc."

Tulienne laughed. "It's good that you realise that now," she said. "Because I must warn you, Haldir of Lorien, that when I am your wife I will turn your neat little world upside down."

"As if you have not already," Haldir murmured, bending his head to kiss her neck.

"None of that," Tulienne said sternly, pulling away.

Haldir groaned. "Can we not abandon the plan? I want to tell everyone now, so that we no longer have to hide."

"Plan or no plan, no one is to know until the wedding. And then we will tell everyone on our own terms. I do not intend to give the Get Haldir Married Club any more satisfaction than I can possibly help."

She laughed at Haldir's surprised expression. "For future reference," she said, treating him to one soft kiss. "Never underestimate me. There are no secrets that I cannot discover if I have a mind to. Your days of being a mystery are numbered. For your sake, I hope you realise that."

"I believe I am just beginning to," Haldir replied, and captured her lips in another delicious kiss.