Disclaimer: Lord of the Rings and all related concepts are owned by Tolkien and Newline cinema. We intend to make no money from this writing venture and intend no plagiarism towards the author.

See the end of the chapter for any elvish translations.

A Work in Progress

Chapter three

The days leading up to Haldir's arrival went by far to quickly for my tastes, but the day I dreaded had finally come.

In an attempt to ignore my misfortune I was sitting by the lake, viciously throwing in as many stones as possible, enjoying the splashes they made as they made contact with the surface of the usually calm lake. I had considered running away many times, but fear held me back. I would surely perish in the growing world of men and evil and I could not go to another elven realm, my parents would only call for me to be sent back.

Frustrated with my situation and my inability to do anything I had hidden myself away from my friends and family, taking a vow of silence and solitude. Word of my engagement had gone around the house faster then the eye could blink. Everywhere I went people would mutter amongst themselves making what they thought were covert glances towards me. Some looked upon me in happiness whilst others were outwardly hostile. None of them knew that this was not of my design, that I did not love him, that I didn't even know him!

I was stopped from throwing yet another stone when someone placed their hand on my shoulder. I turned to find Elladan, his eyes full of concern.

"Why have you been avoiding Elrohir and myself?" he asked gently. How could he act as if he did not know? His adar would have told them once I had been informed.

"Why is it that you mouths cease to control themselves? I can hardly walk anywhere without being forced with a question about where my future lies. Will I be living here or shall I move to Lothlorien? Imladris could really do with an elf like Haldir." I parroted, "My business is no longer my own. It is bad enough that I am no longer allowed to chose my husband, I should at least have been given the-"

"Laingalad," Elladan interjected, a touch of hurt in his voice, "do you really think that we would be so callous? We told no one of your engagement, it is all your naneths doing, she talks of it to everyone."

A sudden pang of guilt rushed through me but was quickly brushed aside. "I am sorry, but you know my feelings upon this matter. Could you not help me?"

I knew it was a fools hope, but his answer bewildered me.

"No," he sighed, shaking his head. "This arrangement shall do you some good. It will show you another way to live, another elven realm."

If he thought I needed to see another realm so much why didn't he just persuade my parents to let me accompany him on one of his frequent trips away?

"If you won't help me then I shall help myself!" I responded angrily, shaking off his hand.

"Oh come on Laingalad, don't be like that!"

How did he expect me to behave? Surely he didn't think that I would be happy about this? Prancing around as through nothing was wrong with the world? Could he not see that my world had been completely shattered? I was to be rudely pulled away from all my friends and family without so much as a please.

"Go away Elladan. Leave me to drown in my sorrows." I choked, all to aware of the tears swimming in my eyes and the knot in my throat.

"Fine," he replied, pursing him lips. "Do not swim in your pool of sorrow for to long, it is not healthy."

And with that he walked away.

He acted as if it were so simple. How could I pull myself out of this cage that had been created for me without ending up battered and broken. I could never be some subservient wife who pandered to the whims of her husband.

Knowing that my mind was in need of other things to think about I decided that I should attempt to cheer myself up.

It was time for one of those pranks that I was so famous for.

Scouring down the banks of the lake, I found some vines, which would perfectly act as ropes. Everything had to be planned; one wrong move and Elladan or Elrohir would surely free themselves. Then I would have a raging mass of muscle after me, which I did not want to happen. I searched the whole area around the lake before I was able to find a perfect tree, ideal for what I had planned. Tying the vines amongst one of its branches, I decided that from up here I could watch my prank in action without trouble.

For how long I waited on my branch I did not know, though it must have been a really long time as I found myself awoken by a scream. Someone was caught upon my trap.

But what was this? An elleth? For it was surely a feminine scream. Manoeuvring myself carefully among the tree branches I glanced down. Whoever it was, was defiantly not female, for they were wearing a tunic. However I could not tell who was underneath my mixture of tree sap, mud and leaves. Hardly able to control my laughter, I let out a slight giggle. He glanced up at me quickly and now I was sure that this was not Elladan! Some...Some foreigner had ruined my prank!

Just then I heard something snap. The vines! I had miscalculated exactly how much weight they could hold! How stupid of me! Still, I considered myself lucky that it was not Elladan down there in the coldwater of the lake.

I jumped from my branch, irrational fury building up within me. How dare this elf ruin my prank? Did he not realise that I had spent so much time and exerted so much effort in creating it. He was making what was already a horrendous day even worse. From my knowledge my so-called betrothed was speaking with Lord Elrond at this very minute.

He eventually re-emerged spluttering from the water ice cold blue eyes glaring daggers at me. I felt he needed to see more of the deep blue to tone down those eyes. So I forcefully placed my hand on his sodden tunic and pushed him back in, taking much satisfaction as his bedraggled form once again made contact with the water.

As I walked away I could hear him choking and spluttering as he resurfaced. Ignoring this I walked myself towards my favourite garden. The sweet scent of roses filled the air, and the harmony of the birds whistled in my ears. Everywhere I looked there were roses of different colours, shapes and sizes, and there in the middle were my favourite. Like the heart of the garden they stood full of pride, glowing a deep crimson red.

Though to the unskilled and clumsy hands they were impossible to harvest; I has become quite proficient at it. For like all pretty and sweet things, they came with their own protection. These were covered in the most tiny, yet vicious thorns in Middle Earth. One prick was like a million stings of a bee, but the reward was great, for they kept for weeks.

Feeling up for a challenge I carefully placed my hand around the flower head, just above the sepal. I took out the knife, that I had cut the vines with before, and with a swift blow to the stem and a little gentle push from my other hand, a rose with it's stem sticking out from my palm was mine. I only had to deal with the thorns. I took the blade of the knife and gently brushed it against the stem, hoping to remove some, if not all of its thorns. This process must have taken me an hour or so, and even when I was so deep in the garden I could still hear passers by, talking about the most ridiculous things in the world.

Only when I had finished with the rose did I hear my naneth call, what did she want now? Was it not enough that she had made me the topic of most gossips already? When she finally found me she said, "Where have you been? I have looked for you everywhere."

"Is it not clear? I have been sitting here," I simply replied.

"Well come now, let's get you into one of those laced dresses, then you can meet Haldir."

Haldir? Oh yes...Haldir. The thought of him had not run across my mind for some glorious hours. And now I was brought back to reality. If she thought that I would wear one of those laced gowns she had made me, she could think again. And well, as for Haldir, he could sit and wait all day for all I cared.

"Nay, I shall not meet the elf who wishes me to live in misery for eternity."

"Now Laingalad! Do not think of him as that! He is respectable and quite charming. I think highly of him. So be civilised and remember whom you are talking to when in front of him." My naneth said proudly, as though he were one of the Valar.

"If you think highly of him, then naneth he is all yours. I refuse to move from this spot!" I argued, hoping she would go away. She sighed, and a smirk began to spread across her face. This was not good; she had something up her sleeve.

"I feared that you would be like this, Elladan. Elrohir. Come, you heard my daughter, she will not move from the spot. So we shall move her." She called. My eyes widened in shock. This was unprecedented, especially from her! I quickly shot up from the floor. To be seen carried across Imladris was not something that I intended to happen.

"Fine naneth you win." I bent down and picked up my rose.

I walked past Elladan and Elrohir with my back straight, my gaze firmly set in the middle distance, away from them. "Traitors," I muttered, just loud enough for them to hear before continuing to trail after my naneth.

Adar: Father
Imladris: Rivendell
Naneth: Mother
Elleth: Female elf
Edited: 2nd August 2006