2. The Songbird's Escape

Haldir was forced to only one conclusion; if his brothers were involved no good could come of it. They stood in his room now with cheerful grins, announcing that the Lady Undomiel had requested his presence to escort her in the gardens and then to the ball. He felt a flutter in his chest that he squashed immediately.

Haldir had a reputation for being aloof, proud and, truth be told, it was well deserved. He sighed inwardly, if he were honest with himself he would freely admit that he adored his younger brothers. He had few friends and no intimates, they were all the family he had left and he had raised them after his father had been killed in battle and his mother had taken the ship to Valinor with a broken heart. His own children could not have meant more to him. There was no one who had been closer to his heart.

Almost no one.

He still remembered the first time he had seen Arwen. She was still a child really, visiting her grandparents with her mother. He had watched her entering Caras Galadhon on a white horse, her raven hair glittering in the sunlight. He was not much older and had never even noticed a girl before. But who could not notice the Evenstar? She was glorious. He had never seen anything more beautiful and he had followed them all the way to the stairs at the foot of the Lord and Lady's talan.

And then disaster had struck.

She swung down from the saddle with the grace of the Valar and a regal bearing that belied her short years. There was nothing haughty in the way she held herself, if she knew she was the most beautiful woman to ever grace arda she obviously didn't care. She tossed her long hair over her shoulders with a tired sigh and as her head turned she caught his eye.

"Hello." she said with a warm smile, her eyes sparkling, sweet, tender, innocent.

He stood there, completely dumbstruck. His stomach gave a frightening lurch and he frowned as he fought to keep his lunch where it belonged. Arwen stepped back from him hesitantly, her warm expression faltering. The moment of silence stretched out between them painfully and he struggled to bring his brain back into working order as the butterflies beat madly inside him.

And then she was gone, her hand in her mothers as they climbed the steps. She glanced back at him but once, her expression only slightly hurt at his cold behavior. As she disappeared into the trees he let out a shaky breath.

"Hello," he said, to the empty spot where she had been standing only a moment before, "welcome to Caras Galadhon! I'm Haldir. Might I have the pleasure of your name? Did you know you are the most beautiful creature ever to walk upon the earth?" He let out a painful groan and slumped home, hanging his head in shame.

That was nearly three thousand years ago and he still groaned inwardly at the mention of her name. He still adored her just as he had then and it was the bane of his existence. In the four hundred years she had lived in Lothlorien he could remember every single word he had spoken to her and most of them were yes and no.

Two hours alone in the garden with her would probably be enough to kill him.

"Why in the name of the Valar would the Lady ask for my presence?" he asked his brothers suspiciously, the color rising in his face. They exchanged uneasy glances that only made him more wary.

"You see that's a rather complicated and delicate subject." Rumil said, rocking back and forth on his feet suspiciously.

"And we would love to explain it all to you but then you would be late." Orophin added.

"So you had best get dressed and go collect her... quickly." Rumil finished. Haldir could feel his palms sweating as he fumbled with the clasps on his dress tunic. Whatever his beloved brothers were plotting it would probably end in disaster.

"You look splendid," Orophin said, steering him out the door forcefully, "You'll have her charmed in no time."

"Just remember to breath." Rumil encouraged. They shoved him down the hall as he tried to pull himself together, looking at each other with smug satisfaction.

"And don't do anything we wouldn't do!" Orophin called after him.

"And just what would that be?" Haldir asked, annoyed.

"Quite right!" Rumil agreed, nodding vigorously. "You probably shouldn't do anything we would do." Haldir turned on his heel and stormed down the passage, leaving his glee filled brothers behind.

"Do you think we should have warned him about the twins?" Orophin asked uneasily. Rumil shook his head with a smile.

"Nay, it would only make him worry. What next?"

"Spring wine?" Orophin suggested.

"Splendid!" Rumil declared and together they headed for the Library.

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"Please explain to me again why we are sitting in the hall." Elrohir said irritably, rubbing his forehead as he leaned back on the bench, resting his head against the wall.

"Because she locked her door." Elladan snapped, pacing the corridor with his arms folded over his chest.

"Then let's leave her in there!" Elrohir sighed in frustration. "brother, there are very lovely, very unattended maidens down in the courtyard simply begging for the company of the most charming elves in Imladris."

"If she is not at the ball it shall be the last time we ever toll for maidens, brother." Elladan shuddered. "I do not wish to think about what father will do to us."

"I love the little imp but she has interfered a time too many." Elrohir said darkly.

"We could take turns guarding her." Elladan said brightly, "You can take the first hour and I would take the second."

"Oh fine." Elrohir snorted "I know you better than that."

"Do you think I would not return?" Elladan asked indignantly.

"Of course you would not!" Elrohir replied, in irritation "I certainly wouldn't."

"Good point." Elladan conceded.

"Worst of all, it will be no different the next time she comes home to visit, we shall be saddled with her until she sails to the Undying Lands." Elrohir sighed, resting his chin in his hand. "I see only one solution to this problem."

"I am certainly ready to entertain any idea that would relieve me of my responsibility to our little sister." Elladan shrugged, slumping on the bench next to his twin.

"We must get her married off."

Elladan looked at his brother wide eyed before bursting into laughter.

"I was not joking." Elrohir said icily. The older twin stopped almost immediately.

"You must be, brother." Elladan shook his head in bewilderment "Arwen may be the most lovely and charming elleth in all arda but she is completely..."

"Irritating, irrational, irksome, dominating?"

"Manipulative." Elladan added with a sigh.

"Ah, yes." Elrohir agreed, "I forgot that one."

"There is none among the Eldar that would have her." Elladan insisted.

"My Lords?" Haldir gazed down at them with his usual haughty expression and they scrambled to their feet quickly.

"Haldir," Elladan said giving the march warden an appraising look. "I'm surprised to see you... here."

"The Lady Arwen has summoned me to escort her to the ball." he replied with a dark glare.

"The ball isn't for another two hours." Elrohir pointed out.

"Apparently she wished to take in the garden first." Haldir said icily, and what business is it of theirs? He thought irritably. Elrohir was inspecting him like some rare insect while Elladan suddenly laid a hand on his brother's collar and pulled him back, whispering in his ear.

"We're in luck." The older twin smiled gleefully "We shall let the march warden mind her for a few hours."

"We can't let her go with him." Elrohir hissed savagely.

"Why not?" Elladan asked with an evil twinkle in his eyes. "What could he possibly do, bore her to death?"

"Well it is no less than she deserves." Elrohir nodded in agreement. Elladan clapped a hand on his brother's shoulder with a grin as the chamber door opened and Arwen appeared, dressed in a pale silver gown that seemed to make her bright eyes sparkle.

"Ah Haldir, you're late." she said, forcing a smile as she took his arm. Haldir felt his stomach lurch and he held his breath. "I see my body guards detained you." She shot her brothers an evil glower. To her surprise they were grinning like twin fools.

"Have a nice time." Elladan said, his grin spreading wider.

"And don't let her be late to the ball Haldir." Elrohir added, smugly, folding his arms over his chest "Father will be terribly put out if she fails to show up... again." Haldir looked first at the twins and then down at the graceful creature on his arm, his stomach gave another disturbing flutter and his eyes narrowed.

So that was the game. Elrond had entrusted his sons to mind the lady and now all three had weaseled out of their responsibilities at his expense. He sighed heavily, cursing his brothers under his breath.

"I can assure you," Haldir replied, his lips set in a thin line, "we shall be prompt."

"Come Haldir." Arwen said with a smile, leading him down the corridor, throwing a final glare over her shoulder at her brothers.

"What do you think Father is going to say?" Elrohir asked uneasily, watching them go.

"It matters little," Elladan shrugged "whatever he says, he will be saying it to Haldir, not to us."

"Wouldn't it simply have been easier to take her to the gardens ourselves?" Elrohir sighed.

"The last time we took her to the gardens she escaped from us." Elladan said indignantly, "An experience I have no wish to repeat." his twin nodded in agreement.

"Well, dear brother, the maidens await." Elrohir smiled and together they made for the courtyard.

********************************************************

Twenty minutes later Haldir was in a complete panic.

He was just about to reign in his mortal terror of her and force himself to strike up a pleasant conversation. He could do that much, couldn't he? Just smile warmly and try not to glower, no matter how much his stomach might pitch and roll. He was March Warden of Lorien for Eru's sake, what was so fearsome about a charming and beautiful elleth?

Just her eyes.

And her hair.

And that lovely little dimple in her chin when she gave that musical laugh of hers.

Not that he had heard that laugh often in his company. Mostly he had enjoyed it from a distance. The one exception had been the time his brothers had toppled a bucket of water over his head from one of the higher Talans. Arwen had been standing on her balcony and the sound of her laughter at the dripping March Warden had filled the entire wood. He did not know weather to sigh at the beauty of it or turn beet red in mortification. In truth, his wounded pride had been a small price to pay for the sweet sound of that laugh.

He shook his head forcefully at the memory as the butterflies threatened their assault again. He would muster all his courage, he would be charming, kind, adoring. This opportunity would never come again and, by the Valar, he was not going to miss it. He would win her over. He turned to her, the well thought out compliment on his lips, smiling sincerely.

She was gone.