Yola! I'm sorry for the confusion about my final authors note last time. I was addressing the chapter, not the fic in general. Man, that would be awful to end the fic like that! Just so that everyone knows, I'm not even sure if we are at the halfway mark of this sucker yet. It's going to be a long one, though hopefully enjoyable. Plus, I will put a nice epilogue chapter on the end as well, for your information. Now I present the next chapter of this fic; enjoy!

Disclaimer: I am not associated in any way with Tolkien Enterprises, nor do I own anything having to do with Lord of the Rings.

ooOoo

To Be Forever Faithful

By: Ponytail Goddess

Chapter 20: Misconception

In the healer's bed sat Belegwen, propped up against a large headboard that was lined with feathery pillows. She had been there for three weeks now, longer than she had ever had to stay in the past. An incessant ache from her middle was still bothering her though, which meant she needed to be watched by Eltirwen to ensure it would heal properly.

Entranced with the work she saw the wardens doing, she gazed through the terrace longingly. If only she could be out there with them, helping, rather than spending day after day in the healer's talan. Never had she felt as useless as she did at the current moment. She watched her fellow wardens work as the last of the scorched trees were chopped down to repair the forest. Soon, new ones would be planted to start healing their land.

Unlike all of her other days here, today Eltirwen had helped Belegwen get fully dressed, though she was not yet sure why and Eltirwen had refused to say, though her twinkling eyes had hinted at some sort of a surprise. Regardless of the reason, it was a comfort to be wearing her guard uniform again, so Belegwen did not inquire about it.

Sighing, her attention turned back to her warm bowl of porridge, which was resting untouched in a small bowl on her lap. The steam softly rolled of the tan mush, caressing her face gently, just as his hands had a mere week ago.

"Not again," she murmured, silently chastising herself. Belegwen had told herself over and over again to stop thinking about that. Perhaps if she ignored the unsightly situation, it would simply go away. Unfortunately, it was not that easy. It had happened, her brain seemed to remind her ceaselessly and she could not escape the pain.

Haldir had not said anything to her after she had kissed him. The marchwarden had participated in the affection, but had it been willingly? There had been no affirmation of affection or acknowledgement of what had passed between them, which deeply scared Belegwen. Did he now think her unworthy or even worse, lacking in honor?

"What a fix I am in," she thought to herself, wiping a single tear from her cheek to try and remain somewhat dignified. Above all else, Belegwen did not wish to see Eltirwen, or anybody else for that matter, while she was suffering in this way. Explaining this would be an awful feat in which every witness would see exactly how weak she was and that was the last thing Belegwen wanted.

A moment later her nightmare came true, as she heard footsteps coming towards her and then watched as Lord Celeborn entered into her room. Standing in the doorway, he smiled at her and said, "Greetings Marchwarden Belegwen."

Silently he walked up to her, seating himself in the chair next to her bed. "How are you fairing today?" He asked, looking her over slightly as he inquired.

"I am much improved of late. My stab wound is still causing me some pain, but I am making good progress with healing otherwise." She stated, softly clearing her throat after hearing how raspy her voice was. "How are you and the lady fairing?" She then asked, extending him the same courtesy.

"We are both well." He affirmed. "The lady is out seeing how the cleanup is coming today. Slowly, all seems to be returning to normality here in Caras Galadhon."

Belegwen nodded slowly. "It gladdens me to hear it, my lord."

"Enough with the pleasantries." He stated as he stood up. "I have come today to escort you on an abbreviated walk through the city. Eltirwen thinks you need to get out a bit to find out if your strength has returned. She has said that if you handle this, she will dismiss you from the healer's talan within a few days."

Belegwen listened to his offer, then looked down at her legs. Her burnt foot was still bandaged and it hurt a bit as she tried to flex it. She sighed, then replied, "I shall try my lord."

Unhurriedly, she rotated her feet so that they hung off the edge of the bed and gently lowered them to the floor. It felt rather awkward after laying down for so long without walking. Would her feet still hold her up steadily after being unused for so long?

"You will not need your boots; we shall stay on the paved paths." The Lord Celeborn stated helpfully. Belegwen had not even thought about putting her shoes on before he had stated that, but she definitely did not like the idea of squeezing her burnt foot into her narrow boot.

Lord Celeborn then reached out and offered her a helping hand, which she hesitantly took with her own. His strong arm tugged her up before she could do it herself. Her legs immediately shook and she nearly fell over. However, Celeborn secured one of his arms around her waist and held her up kindly.

"It has been awhile, has it not?" He chuckled softly, trying to lighten the mood a bit as she was visibly embarrassed. Her cheeks were flaming red as she attempted to regain her balance.

After a few long seconds of teetering from side to side, she finally gained her balance and stood there as calmly as possible. Her legs were feeling as flimsy as a bush blowing in the breeze, but she was not ready to give up on walking just yet.

"Okay, my lord, let us attempt this." She stated, putting one feeble foot in front of the other rather slowly.

Though she was progressing slowly at first, after a quick stumble on the stairway, she seemed to be making some improvement. With the ever-vigilent lord at her side, Belegwen walked up the path slowly towards the center of Caras Galadhon.

Though one could not see the any clouds in the sky, it was still a gray day. However, it was extremely bright for such a day and Belegwen found herself squinting to see where she was going. The wind wasn't exactly helping her either, as it kept blowing her unbraided silvery tresses into her face.

Finally, Lord Celeborn spoke up unexpectedly. "Something ails your mind Belegwen. Do you wish to speak of it?"

When she did not reply, he continued, "I may not have the abilities of my wife, but I am not naïve to the emotions of others. Is there something that troubles your heart?"

"Perhaps." She stated sullenly, thinking about Haldir and how he had not returned her affections. "I would rather not speak of it, Lord Celeborn." She said, suddenly becoming extremely interested with the path they strolled upon.

Belegwen then heard him sigh. She looked over to see him brushing his own hair out of his face with his unoccupied hand. "Very well then, Belegwen. Just remember that the lady and I care for you and wish to be here for your every need. All you must do is ask."

"Yes, I know it well. Thank you for that." She replied, feeling utter gratitude towards the couple that had done so much for her. Belegwen looked towards him and forced herself to smile, as she could tell he was concerned about her well-being. He seemed to accept this and they continued walking in silence again.

Taking a moment to simply appreciate being outdoors, Belegwen found herself looking towards the cleanup as they continued their leisurely stroll. She could see in the distance a large pile of scorched trees the wardens had made. They would be burnt in the near future to make room for new trees.

Other than the pile, there did not appear to be any lingering traces of the battle that had taken place there three weeks past. Belegwen was glad to see that the mess was almost gone so that the city could find peace and normality once again.

Celeborn must have noticed what she was gazing at, for he commented, "I see you are eager to go and help them. By the looks of it, you will be working alongside Haldir in no time at all."

Somehow, that was not a very comforting thought.

"What about me?" Said a stern voice from behind the pair. Belegwen carefully turned around to see none other than the Marchwarden himself behind them. Celeborn followed her around, turning slowly to ensure that she was balanced, then acknowledged the bow Haldir bestowed to him when their eyes met.

"Greetings Marchwarden," Lord Celeborn said with a polite smile. "We were just talking about the work you and the wardens are completing out there. Marchwarden Belegwen shall be rejoining you in just a few short days and is eager to get involved with restoring the forest."

Haldir did not smile at her, nor did he seem to show any sentiments towards her at all. "I shall find her work when it is time and then we shall resume our training." He stated solemnly, nodding to Celeborn in agreement.

Haldir then turned to Belegwen and said, "I shall send you up a few books to read until then, since you seem better now." Then, he gave Lord Celeborn another low bow and headed towards the wardens who were working in the forest.

Thoroughly upset with Haldir, Belegwen found that she could no longer tolerate the lord's company. "I wish to go back now, my lord." She stated firmly, and he complied. The whole way back though, she felt his eyes on her, studying her face and emotions, trying to figure out what was wrong.

It was the look of an adar. Even after more than 3,000 years, Lord Celeborn could not seem to shut of this side of himself to her. To him, she would always be his ward. When the two had made it back into the healer's talan, he stated, "Get your rest, my dearest Belegwen. You will need it. Do not let Haldir's strict personality bring you down. All will turn out well with your training, I promise."

As Lord Celeborn exited the room though Belegwen could only weep, as Haldir had not acted like anything had come to pass between them. All was not well.

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

There's another chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. I'll try harder on the next one. Sorry, but I've had writer's block lately, so it might be a while. I apologize again for the confusion of the last chapter. Have a nice day.

-P.G.