Yo. I'm back with another chapter! Mainly because nobody wants to employ 16 year olds! Grrrr... All that paperwork for nothing... It angers me to no end. Oh well, enjoy...

Disclaimer: I am not associated with Tolkien Enterprises or Lord of the Rings.

ooOoo

To Be Forever Faithful

By: Ponytail Goddess

Chapter 19: Fresh Air

Belegwen sighed as she awoke to the same dull scenery of the healer's room again. Though she was still quite weak, she desired more than anything to be outside. However, she had to make do with looking out through the room's terrace while brooding over her condition.

"I should be out there with everyone else helping cleanup." She thought as a look of guilt passed over her face. Yesterday, she woke up for the first time in four days and heard about the tragic events which had unfolded that fateful night. In a way, Belegwen felt she was to blame, for she felt she not done a great job at commanding. Eltirwen had seen her guilt and tried to reassure her that it was not so. Nevertheless, Belegwen still wished she could have done more.

Again, she tipped her head towards the terrace. The see-through curtains, which were pushed to the sides, had slightly greyed in color, having been kissed with the smoke that had wafted through Lothlorien for multiple days now. With her sharp sapphire eyes and the lofty position of the talan, she could see the through the thick, healthy wood all the way into some of the burned areas. Several wardens were there, all working on cleaning up the forest. She laid there and watched as they worked on chopping down a blackened tree.

"How sad," she murmured, wondering how many trees would be gone by the time she got out of the healer's talan. In all of Arda, the great mellyrn were only found in one place: Lothlorien. Belegwen could not bear the thought of the exotically beautiful trees dying out. They were an important part of her home and the world of the elves.

A small smile touched the edges of her mouth as she watched one of the younger wardens pretend to saw down a scorched tree with his sword. Immediately, he was reprimanded by the warden who was in charge of the area.

"Hmm...I wonder why Haldir is not out there." She thought to herself as she continued to watch the action. "He was out there yesterday."

If only she could go outside. Groaning, she attempted to roll onto her side a bit for a better view, only to have pain shoot through her middle. Cringing, she fell back to where she had been, her eyes closing, then opening partially again as she regained her bearings. She turned her head back to the terrace in time to see the singed tree fall as the group of wardens gracefully avoided its path. It made a loud lurching noise, then hit the ground with a crash that she could almost feel.

Belegwen now sensed the presence of another in the room. Carefully, she twisted her head and neck in the other direction to find out who had come. "Marchwarden!" She gasped with surprise, her voice sounding raw to her ears. "What brings you here?"

Haldir did not acknowledge her question though. Instead, he stood there for a few seconds, staring at her. His fair face was devoid of all emotions, leaving her with nothing to read, as usual. Belegwen could not help but wonder what was going through his head as he gazed at her. He was so mysterious at times.

Grabbing a nearby stool, he pulled it up to the bed and sat down beside her silently. "How are you?" He finally asked, his voice disturbingly soft. She then became aware of his hand settling upon her exposed wrist, touching it tentatively, as if uncertain of whether or not it was okay to touch her.

"Weary," she murmured, "but better than before." Belegwen met his gaze and held it. When his blue eyes were met with her shimmering ones, they both held an intense gaze while trying to figure out the mysterious feeling that lingered between them. No words were spoken, but both knew that something was occurring between them.

Something unusual.

Something wonderful.

Finally, Belegwen broke the stare, closing her eyes to rest them for a few moments. When she opened them, Haldir was no longer looking at her, but had turned to see what was going on outside over the terrace.

"What keeps you from being out there?" She muttered tiredly as she tried to regain her bearings again. It seemed that she could not do anything without feeling tired right now. Belegwen frowned because it upset her deeply, feeling helpless like this.

"I am helping Eltirwen. She needed someone to watch you and the other wardens while she attends to some errands." He stated gently, watching her closely. The look on his face made Belegwen wonder if he could tell she was struggling at the moment.

"How kind of you." Belegwen whispered. "How has the cleanup been going?"

"It is well. The bodies have been taken care of at this point. We are now taking down trees and pilling them up to burn. It is a rather miserable sight to behold though." He said, sliding his fingers down to her own and giving her hand a little squeeze.

The two became silent again. Belegwen looked around the room again. How odd it was that she could feel so tired and cooped up all at once. She felt the room was somewhat dark and dreary in its own little way and she longed to get out of it. The air filling the room was musty and stale, not enjoyable like the cool breezes of the outdoors.

"Haldir?" She questioned now, gathering her courage to ask a large favor of him. His gleaming eyes fell upon her face once more as he listened to her request. "Would it be too much to ask if you would take me outside?"

ooOoo

Her eyes were so clear at that moment, so sincere. Haldir was slightly startled by her request, but found himself unable to say no. However, when he went about attempting to lift her, he was unsure of how to do it without hurting her. "I am not sure if Eltirwen would approve of this Belegwen." He stated, looking down at her.

"Have you ever let that stop you before?" She questioned airily, raising an eyebrow weakly. Not being able to argue, he wrapped his arms around her and the mess of sheets surrounding her as carefully as possible and lifted her up easily.

He nearly dropped her back down when she gasped. He looked her straight in the eyes, questioning. However, she closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck lightly, her head leaned up against his shoulder. Though not really satisfied with the lack of answer, Haldir gracefully walked down the hallway and opened the door.

Immediately, the cool breeze hit them and Haldir looked down at her. She had not moved at all, but a smile was now gracing her soft pink lips as open eyes looked into the horizon soundlessly. Carefully, he carried her around the veranda until they were at a spot where nobody would see them, for he was just now realizing that she was only dressed in a few shear sheets.

Smoothly, he found a seat on the floor of the terrace, maneuvering her into a resting position in his lap. "Comfortable?" He asked softly.

She nodded against his chest, her silvery locks blowing softly with the breezes. They were so close that he could feel her breathing, the rise and fall of her chest comforting him. In the daylight, he noticed that some of her natural coloring had returned, her skin looking much less ashen than it had a few days ago. She was recovering nicely and seemed a lot less likely to pass now, which deeply relieved Haldir.

Why did he feel this way about her though? He hardly knew her and she was one of his wardens, but something new was lingering between the two and he could not decipher what he should do about it.

Confused, and fighting his own mental battle, Haldir watched as Belegwen turned her eyes back to him, the large azure orbs looking into his own of the same color. He felt her soft movement as her mouth came close to his ear, her soft warm breath against it. "Thank you," she murmured faintly, "I have longed to be out here for the last few hours."

He now nodded, not being able to find any words to describe exactly what he was feeling at the moment. Was this simply a dream? She looked as if she could have been from a dream, dressed in the silky white sheets that she held up against her chest with a single hand. The sheets blew a bit too, exposing a small portion of her legs every once in a while, then covering them back up as if teasing him.

He felt his body shiver as emotions built up within him. Emotions he did not understand. Suddenly, Haldir knew he was crying; he could feel the warm tears rolling down his cheeks, yet he did not care. She had lived, surpassing everyone's expectations. For the first time, someone he cared for had made it.

"You are still here." He murmured, stating the obvious, but still needing to hear it out loud.

An unanticipated cold hand touched his cheek, brushing the tears away gently. "I thought for sure you were gone when I saw you the other day." He mumbled, staring mindlessly down at her body, trying to avoid her kindly eyes.

"Do not fret over me, for I am still here." She whispered, then her lips covered his own, filling his body with a warmth that he had never felt before.

Soft were her kisses, gentle but intense with emotion. "My lady," he muttered, pulling her even closer, enjoying feeling her pressed gently against him. Her arms wrapped around him tenderly as they continued in a state of bliss.

Finally, he pulled away from her to catch his breath. "I must get you in before Eltirwen returns or she will have my head." He stated, regretting looking back into her sad eyes that were quite obviously wishing for more.

He felt the same way and he longed to say it too. Yet, he could not find the power to as he lifted her gently back up, getting to his feet slowly to try and prevent her from pain. He could not say it, could not admit out loud that he felt this way about a warden. It was breaking the rules and he was already embarrassed that he had seemingly lost control of himself in her presence. Even if she had started it, he had been an equal participant. What would the other wardens think of him if they found out?

Carefully, Haldir brought Belegwen back into her room and settled her back into her bed. Eltirwen had arrived shortly afterwards. Not another word was spoken between them after they reentered the talan. Neither even looked at the other. The pain lingered inside of him, as what he felt had not been stated aloud, as it should have been. It was left to be admitted another day. But Haldir knew that when the new day came, he would choose to wait again. And again.

So, when Eltirwen came bustling in to relieve him, he simply walked out.

However, what Haldir failed to see was the tear that rolled out of Belegwen's fair eye as he turned and walked away.

ooOoo

Edited by P.G. on 05/23/20.

There we have it. It didn't turn out exactly as I planned, but that's ok. I hope you enjoyed it.

Oh yeah, I was asked to suggest some good Haldir non-slash fics with original character romance. They can all be found right here at too! Here's a little list.

The Forgotten Ring, By: Bry-This one is an awesome Haldir fic that has been overlooked by many. A must read for people who enjoy long fics.

Affairs in Lothlorien, By: Itarilde-Very good love triangle fic.

Heartsong, By: Renee 101-Good action romance.

Well, there you be. If you want more, just ask. Please recommend me some as well. Thanks. Have a nice day!

-P.G.